Love Your Enemies

32 "If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them!33 And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much!34 And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return. Luke 6:32-34

I heard a preacher once say that you can measure the way you love by looking at how you treat the person you love the least.
It's an interesting thought. Often when we think about out ability to love, we measure ourselves by the way we treat the people we love the most (our kids, our spouse, our friends).

But Jesus said even the sinners love those who love them.
The real test is how you treat the people you don't like. The person that sits next to you in class that no one likes. The coworker that gets on your last nerve. Your ex-husband or ex-wife (ouch!). Someone who really hurt you.
Jesus went on to say...

35 "Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked.36 You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. Luke 6:35-36

from: http://www.hollyfurtick.com/

Cheese Spread

Just made this yummy recipe as the appetizer for my ladies dinner
I hosted a couple weekends ago.
It was amazing! Served a little scoop on top of Ritz Crackers.

24 oz cream cheese, softened
8 oz sour cream
15 oz cheddar cheese spread
12 oz shredded cheddar cheese
Worchestershire sauce
(If you have any Tastefully Simple products......I added Spinach & Herb seasoning for zest)

~Mix together well and refridgerate. Can serve as little balls or 1 big ball.
Makes a HUGE batch!!! Enjoy!

A Man...

If you treat a man as he is, he will stay as he is. But if you treat him as if he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become the bigger and better man." ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Just Like Big Brother

This picture of Gabe is from back in May of last year........

And this one is just from the other day....wow.....our kids are so similar it's scary ;)

I will always love how Little Miss Muffett wants to be just like her big brother.....

35 weeks!

At 35 weeks........The wee lil' monkey has literally GROWN in the last 2 weeks......seriously!

The good doc is guesstimating little melon is now somewhere between 5-6 lbs and baby has dropped down ready for launching. We are so excited to meet this little one!!!!!!

MamaMonkey is pretty much back to normal after the flu literally kicked my butt......

just learning to slow down and take more naps.

AND NOT BEND FORWARD too much....otherwise there is a very, very funny sensation that I may topple over and not be able to stop ;)

Offering-By Third Day

Magnificent Holy Father I stand in awe of all I see
Of all the things You have created
But still You choose to think of me
Who am I that You should suffer
Your very life to set me free
The only thing that I can give You
Is the life You gave to me

[Chorus]
This is my offering, dear Lord
This is my offering to You, God
And I will give You my life
For it's all I have to give
Because You gave Your life for me
I stand before You at this alter
So many have given You more
I may not have much I can offer
Yet what I have is truly Yours

[Chorus]
This is my offering...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCtoLi_Rhak

Love of my Life

The day I got sick, my sweet hubby brought me these beautiful flowers...."just for because."

Little did he know how much I would come to appreciate their beauty this week as it was a long week of the yuckiness.

Thank you, Jason......for being my rock this week. For not only taking such good care of me, but our kids too while I was "down and out". For literally taking over the role of Dad AND Mom, AND man of the house/breadwinner AND housekeeper AND cook....you are the best.

And you truly are the love of my life. AND...I am so blessed to call you mine.

Pictures-Monkey Faces

These are the little faces that keep me smiling and laughing when I'm feeling like poo!

More praise and worship time....this time with the guitar and hats....always in style ;)

How can I not laugh?!?!?

Sick MamaMonkey

Well, it was finally my turn to get sick I guess. The bright side: Hopefully we are ALL DONE by the time monkey #3 comes! Monday night I ended up in the hospital with high blood pressure. Doc was worried about preeclampsia and going into pre-term labor......but soon found out I had a bad case of the stomach flu as all the rest of the symptoms started once we got to the hospital and thankfully my BP went down.

Bad thing was I got really dehydrated which can also cause pre-term labor. Thankfully again, things turned around after 4 or 5 bags of fluids (I lost count) and after much begging that I could go home to my own bed, I was home by Tues night.

I'm finally eating and drinking, but still feel like poop on a stick.

Thank you to Jason (praise the Lord, they didn't have school today, I'm praying for that tomorrow too)my Mom, and my sweet friends: Holly,Emily, and Kathy for helping out with the kids. I cannot believe how bad I've felt and absolutley no energy to do a thing.

I hate this helpless feeling of not being able to do anything.......but just lay and sleep and hope for healthiness to come quickly!!

The cuddles from my monkies did help a bit tonite ;) Going to bed and hoping to feel 80% better tomorrrow morning!!!

Thank you to everyone who has been praying....I have literally felt them!

Haiti Relief

Hi Friends....

About 7 years ago, I had the privalege of going on a mission trip to Haiti.
We went to Lifeline Orphanage and spent a week.....one of the most amazing weeks of my life.
So the devastating news about the country has hit close to my heart.

I was told the Orphanage is doing okay; they suffered minor injuries and part of the privacy/safety wall has fallen down (they are hoping to repair soonly).

The friend of mine that I went with is now returning and they are hoping to take medical supplies with them. Just wondered if any of you would be able to donate supplies and make a difference this way. I would love to hop on a plane in a heartbeat and actually go there to help out.......but obviously......I am not at that season of life that I can ;) So this is one way I can help.

Please either leave a message on my blog or contact me by email:
countrygal141@hotmail.com

May God bless you for your love!!!


Gauze 4 x 4
IV supplies
Elastic/ace bandages - 4", 6", 8"
Kirlex
Clean bandages
Betadine
Plaster bandages for casts
Sheet cotton for putting under plaster casts sheets
Analgesic injectables - ketamine?
Antibiotic injectables
IV antibiotics
Oral antibiotics.
Pain medicines
Gloves, sterile and non-sterile

Medications cannot be outdated and should have at least 6 months before expiration. Other supplies can be close to expiration. Please pack like items together. For example, all dressings in one box and IV supplies in another box. Label clearly on the outside of the box the items and the number.

Blessed...

Pictures-Kids

Morning time at our house.....little monkies still waking up.....

Gabe having quiet time and breakfast while Mommy has her coffee and quiet time.....

Playing a game they call: "Stinky Dogs".....when asking Gabe why they are called stinky dogs, he replies very matter of factly: "Because they have poop in their butts!!!" Oh of course.....

Gabe's latest, greatest getup: His cameo hat that says ZOOM and his guitar.....

Maybe ZOOM will be his first musical nickname ;)

We WIll Understand

"Often, we just don't know what God is doing. So often we think we do but, the truth is, we just don't. Thankfully, He does. He really does. He doesn't need our help. Our brilliant ideas. Or our last ditch efforts because He ignored our first ten suggestions. He just wants our cooperation.


He is constructing something beyond our human rationale. He knows in advance every piece - past, present, and future - that will be required for the finished work. He has all the patience in the universe to put it together. We see one little part and one little moment. He, the One who is, who was, and is to come, sees beyond the singular piece to every generation and condition He means to effect. Meanwhile, He works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. The one thing may not be good at all by itself. In fact, it may be horrendous. Criminal. It's when He weaves it with all that comes before it and all that will come around and behind it that something good, something beneficial, emerges.


Never let Romans 8:28 become so familiar that you subconsciously fold it into your spiritual fairy tale file. It is as true today as it was the moment the Apostle dripped the letters on the parchment. Don't blow them dry.


Maybe it's not that God isn't listening. Maybe it's just that what we keep suggesting is not exactly what He's doing. And, if that's so, what He's doing can only be better and more effectual than what we think we'd do in His place.


John 13:7 says something that keeps ringing in my ears.Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."
Later.
LATER.
L.A.T.E.R.
We WILL understand. "

~Beth Moore

Pictures-Weekend Fun

We had the beginning of a super great weekend ;) Last night the cute little chick picture aboved with her hubby and our monkies, helped me pull off my first ever "big sit-down meal" and serve/entertain 18 lovely ladies. It was soooooooooo much fun. After the ladies' party, Jason and Doug and the monkies were allowed back into the house ;) After cleaning up and stickin the kids in bed, we settled down with more yummy food and a good long game of Phase10. We didn't make it to bed til 2:30 this morning.....tons of laughing, talking, eating ;) However....this MamaMonkey can't believe she stayed up that late and probably won't be doing that anytime soon again until monkey#3 is sleeping thru the night ;)

We had a yummy breakfast this morning thanks to Daddy......who can whip up a mean batch of pancakes, and then of course I made a coffeecake and coffee cuz it just ain't quite a terrific morning unless you have all that too ;) Doug & the kids got Gabe's new tools out and "built a cool house."

Are they not the cutest newlywed couple you have seen?!?!?!?!?

Doug & Paige: We love you both so much and are so thankful God blessed us with your friendship!!!!!

And our monkies think THE WORLD of you too ;)Thank you for a great time!

Grace

"Grace is the sugar that helps the bitter pills of confession and repentance go down without choking." ~Lysa Terkeurst

Pictures-Final Christmas

So after a bunch of us had the flu in my side of the family.....we were finally able to get together last weekend for our final Christmas get together.....talk about loads of fun....as always.

Big brother Dan with his little man

Our nephew Ethan lovin' on Ellie

Grandkids party pile.....

Ellie getting her 5th doll at Christmas and still just as excited as getting the first!!!

And even Uncle Joshua will play dolls too ;)

Gabe.....super excited about his tools.....just like Paw-Paw's Black n Decker!!!

AND his new guitar!!!

Gage and Ellie checkin' out the new baby that giggles and cries and moves.....

My sweet Mama......

Ellie having fun with Chelsey.....

What a fun night......

Seize....

Seizing the opportunity to see God's glory through every crisis in you life.

1. Seize the opportunity of adversity to experience God's power

-You can't have victory if you don't have an enemy

2. Seize the opportunity of scarcity to receive God's provision

-Embrace your emptiness to receive the fullness of His supply (Phil 4:19)

3. Seize the opportunity of uncertainty to prove God's potential

-If you cut out the crisis, you miss Christ!

4. Step into someone else's crisis and share God's word

-Why should God enter my crisis if I am not willing to enter someone else's?

~Pastor Steven Furtick

Lemon Chicken

Jase asked for Lemon Chicken for supper tonite so I found this simple and yummy
recipe in the slowcooker book:

6 chicken breasts
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup honey
*fill with water so chicken is covered

cook on low 8 hours

I shredded it and served it over rice.....was so yummy!!!

In the Land of Giants

So here's an updated picture of my brothers and I.......the land of giants ;)
From left to right: Jacob-the bullrider/farmer (age 20)
Joshua-the electrician (age 25)
Isaac-college boy/basketball coach (age 18)
Preggo Me!!! (age 26)
Daniel--Landscaper (age 27)

The More...

"The more we see our life's purpose unfold,

the more we'll be secure in the person God created us to be.

The more we become secure in the person God has created us to be,

the more we'll be able to make peace with liking who we are.

The more we make peace with liking who we are,

the more we will be able to untangle self-distracting thoughts.

The less entangled we are,the more effective we'll be for Christ.

And we'll start to see how we are becoming more than just a good Bible study girl."

~taken from: Becoming More than a Bible Study Girl

by Lysa Terkeurst

I Shoulda Known...

So......because I like to be a fun MamaMonkey.....all winter long, I have been letting the monkies play with snow in the kitchen. (Partially because the cold makes my back hurt so much worse and I don't have the energy to bundle them up, take them out, supervise, and come back in.)
So the picture above usually keeps them occupied for a long time with not TOO much fighting ;)

Until this morning....I heard giggling and a funny sound.

Yes, exactly what I thought.....the sound of snowballs hitting a wall.

When I came around the corner I saw Gabe hauling off another round at the basement wall.

There were water trickles running down a HUGE PORTION of the wall. *sigh*

I shoulda known......a new activity will ALWAYS get boring eventually.

Time to get more creative and come up with something else.

No one ever told me that being a Mom involves thinking hard....OFTEN!

Temporary Home

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPM0BZKPRUo
By Carrie Underwood

Little boy, 6 years old A little too used to bein' alone
Another new mom and dad,another school
Another house that'll never be home
When people ask him how he likes this place
He looks up and says with a smile upon his face
"This is my temporary home It's not where I belong
Windows and rooms that I'm passin' through
This is just a stop, on the way to where I'm going
I'm not afraid because I know this is my Temporary Home."

Young mom on her own She needs a little help got nowhere to go
She's lookin' for a job, lookin' for a way out
Because a half-way house will never be a home
At night she whispers to her baby girl
Someday we'll find a place here in this world
"This is our temporary home It's not where we belong
Windows and rooms that we're passin' through
This is just a stop, on the way to where we're going
I'm not afraid because I know this is our Temporary home."

Old man, hospital bed The room is filled with people he loves
And he whispers don't cry for me I'll see you all someday
He looks up and says "I can see God's face"
"This is my temporary Home It's not where I belong
Windows and rooms that I'm passin' through
This was just a stop,on the way To where I'm going
I'm not afraid because I know this was My temporary home."
This is our temporary home

Pictures-Skilly Bagillies

Gabe & Ellie's new favorite hiding spot for hide & seek.....

They are advertising "baby oranges".....the yummiest Clementines ever.....Gabe wanted to know where the mommy and daddy oranges were....