Happy Birthday to You!

Just thinking about this brother tonight!

Vacation Countdown

3 more days until we are at this house! Yippee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We are going to Destin, Florida and staying seven days. I CANNOT WAIT. This is my most favorite family time we spend together all year long. We relax and kick back and do absolutely nothing. Here is what I like most about our vacation:

• Going in August makes us anticipate it and look forward to it all summer. It is also a great refresher before the school year kicks off. And it is almost half the price. And it is not crowded at all!
• No cleaning, no bills, no phone, no worries.
• Drinking coffee on the front porch
• 'Phase 10' tournaments on the front porch
• The front porch
• watching my kids play on the beach with their daddy
• spending individual time with each of our children
• playing all of our favorite boardgames
• having bible study in the morning on the veranda off of our bedroom
• kicking back and actually getting to lounge around and watch tv
• Reading, reading, and more reading!
• The crazy backroad route my husband takes to get us there
• Browsing the beach shops---not really sure why I like this
• Twilight on the beach with picnic in tow
• taking cute beach pics
• early morning runs beachside
• big breakfasts (actually, I don't like breakfast all that much, but I do enjoy the fact that Eric makes all of them on vacation!...um, now that I think about it, he makes all of them at home too. Oh well, anyway, there is something about them being special on vacation!)
• having cinnamon raisin bagels and strawberry cream cheese, pretzel sticks and Mountain Dew and Double stuffed Oreos...for whatever reason, these things we don't typically eat but always buy to eat on vacation. And we crave it like crazy.
• Going running beachside
• playing in the sand
• searching for seashells
• catching crabs
• riding the waves
• eating seafood out
• playing miniature golf
• the front porch--did I say that already?
• shopping the discount scrapbook store
• walks on the beach
• dates with my husband
• celebrating my birthday in our most favorite place with my favorite people
  
  OHHH, I can hardly stand it!!!!!!!!! It's so close I can almost smell it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What I don't like about our vacation:

• Leaving.

Sacrificial Love

During my bible study this morning, I was reminded of what love is from God's perspective.
God has called us to love even when:

• we don't want to
• we don't feel like it
• we get nothing obvious in return
• they don't deserve it
• they're not worth it
• they don't even know it
• it makes no difference

In contrast, the world entices us to love only when

• we want to
• we feel like it (this is getting too hard; I'll move on now)
• when we get something back (I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine)
• someone deserves our love (Look what they did to me--forget them!)
• if they are worthy of it
• they acknowledge it
• it seems to make a difference

Love from the world's perspective has one common denominator: me, me, me. It's all about me and what it does for me.

Love, from God's perspective is all about sacrifice and not about self. We have been called to live a sacrificial love. We may do this for years and even the rest of our lives and see no apparent fruit. We are to love by faith not by feeling. The reason we often have such a hard time doing it is because we draw on our own emotions' pitifully small resources. Romans 5:5 says: "And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." One definition of this word 'heart' in the Greek is this: 'the soul or mind, as it is the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavours'. Wow, to literally think of our hearts as fountains. What a word picture. What do fountains do? They pour out water. If we allow God to pour his love into us through daily prayer and bible study, our hearts can literally pour out--like a fountain--onto all of those around us.

I really needed to be reminded of this today. I think an index card is calling out for this verse, how about you? :)

Luke Ryan Newton

ANNOUNCING:

LUKE RYAN NEWTON

Born: Monday, August 4, 2008

Time: 12:30 PM

Weighed: 7 lbs, 10 ounces

Joshua, Soph, Wes and I traveled to Indiana yesterday morning to welcome our newest addition to the family!!! So, so sweet and cute! We love you Lukie!

Proud Mom and Dad:

Lots of big cousins to love him!

BFF

Just thinking about my like-minded, spirit filled friend today.

So blessed to have a friend who:

• has a passion for God's Word


• I can talk to for hours and it just feels like a few minutes


• thinks the way I do


• cracks me up


• thinks I'm funny


• encourages me


• is about as unfake as they come


• accepts me just like I am


• speaks Truth in my life


• thinks the Office is as funny as i do

"Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." Proverbs 27:17

Iron sister, so glad to have shared the Beth Moore conference with you this past weekend--a memory to treasure forever. Love you friend!

PS -- And remember--STOP THE JOKE :)

Fulfilling Sunday

Today was one of those days that MUCH got accomplished! And it felt so good! Eric (along with many friends) has been building a deck on the back of our house and today they FINISHED! Yippee! Also, a friend (a GOD SEND!) offered to come and help me organize some things...last week she helped get our school room cleaned out and organized. Today she came over and we cleaned out and organized Sophie's room. It just makes me feel good all over. Now I can walk by Soph's room without having heart palpitations! :) ...the basement is next and watch out--I just might get radical.

Polly Grogan Bates Reunion

We went to the lake for our annual Polly Bates Grogan family reunion. This was year #6 and I think my favorite so far....it gets better every year! The kids live for this weekend!!! Thanks, Mi and Gigi! You guys rock!