NO TRANS FAT

"Recently I saw a bag of potato chips with a bold declaration splashed across the front:

"Zero grams of trans fat." I was glad to know that I wouldn't be consuming any trans fat, which research has shown is detrimental to my health. But then I flipped the bag over and read the ingredients list, which included things like "yellow #6" and other artificial colors, and partially hydrogenated oil (which is trans fat, just a small enough amount that they can legally call it " 0 grams".) I thought it was incredibly ironic that these chips were being advertised in a way that makes me think they are not harmful yet were really full of empty calories, weird chemicals, and, ironically, trans fat.



It struck me that many Christians flash around their "no trans fat" label, trying to convince everyone they are healthy and good. Yet they have no substantive or healthful elements to their faith. It's like the Laodiceans, who thought they had everything until Christ told them they were poor and wretched. They were all about declaring, "Look, we have no trans fat. We are wealthy, or we have good families, or we go to church every week." Obviously, it's not what you advertise that counts; it's what you are really made of.



Following Christ isn't something that can be done halfheartedly or on the side. It is not a label we can display when it is useful. It must be central to everything we do and are."



~taken from: CRAZY LOVE....By Francis Chan

Jumping Into 2010

For 2010......I am jumping in......feet first.....



1-Into the River of Life....God's never-ending Love



2-Having a crazy and deeper love for my Jesus



3- Having a deeper love and respect for Jason



4- Having more patience with my monkies



5- Making wise financial decisions



6- Giving more to others.....time & money



7- Living life at a slower pace



8- Loving others into the Kingdom



9- Being more thankful



10- Exercising consistently

Reflecting on 2009

Today......as the sun is shining and I'm sitting here enjoying a quiet afternoon with the monkies tucked in bed for their naps.......Jase is playing his beloved Civilization game on the computer.....and my Dunkin' Donuts coffee warming my tummy....
I'm so thankful we finally were able to be back in church this morning. After the sickies in our house and missing Sunday morning services......I start gettin' this ache to just be back worshipping with our church family and hearin' Pastor's teachings.

This first week of every new year I like to journal everything I'm thankful for in the past year.
And just sit and reflect on God's goodness. And His love. And when I read Living Proof's blog today, I just had to share it with you. Cuz it's exactly what I'm thinking as I reflect on 2009.
Take a minute and read this from Beth Moore:

"I often think back on Exodus 33 when an overwrought Moses asked God to show him His glory. Moses didn't understand that he wouldn't have survived the kind of revelation he'd requested. Instead of giving His servant what he asked, the Lord said to him,

There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. (V.22)

The next part is so wild:

"Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.

Metaphorically speaking, the same thing can happen to us. When a shadow overtakes our lives and the light dims nearly beyond recognition, we may not see a single evidence of His arrival in our crisis. Sometimes we're in such blackness, we may go weeks or months that we don't sense God right by our side or feel the presence of His abiding Spirit within us. Those are the seasons when we make the choice whether we'll go by what we see and feel, or walk by what we know to be true. These are the places we learn what it really means to walk by faith and not by sight. To sow the seed of Scripture in our tears. It's often not until the crisis begins to dissipate that we look back upon the outstretched horizon and see God's hand prints all over it. No, we do not see His face, because, as Scripture says, our mortal bodies are not equipped to bear the sight. But, in a beautiful sense, we do indeed see His "back.' As the season draws to a close, we see that He took every single step we did.

We are quick to assume that all darkness is demonic but sometimes maybe the shadow over us is the hand of God covering us while His glory passes by. I wonder if any of you can glance back over 2009 and see the "back" of God. Maybe you didn't see His face. Maybe you weren't even positive at times He was there. But now, as you look over your shoulder at the months behind you, the fog clears and you get a glimpse of His back, leading the way to your exodus."


"You crown the year with Your good blessings, and You leave abundance in Your wake." Psalm 65:11

For more, go here: http://livingproofministries.blogspot.com/

Pictures-New Year's Eve

The kids waiting for our guests to arrive New Years Eve

We had all couples and one little baby.....which Ellie LOVED!!!!

Helping Uncle Matt take down his bed in the morning.....they loved having him and Whit stay overnite....Daddy made us pancakes for breakfast.....and we sat around and enjoyed good coffee and more fun games.....

What a better way to bring in the new year but to play horsey??

Sighs & Smiles

*SIGH*.......HUGE sigh....because Paw-Paw Doc's apartment is finally all packed up and moved int our garage......what a relief. Sad it was to all of a sudden realize we can't just go hang out at "Paw-Paw Doc's place" anymore.........but thankful he's getting taken care of.

*HUGE SIGH* of thankfulness to all these sweet men above sitting around our kitchen table.
They literally blessed our socks off last night by helping us with the move...IN THE FREEZING COLDNESS! Yesterday 4 of our big muscle guys called and said they were sick and my pregnant hormones caused me to panic and start "spazzing" as Jase would say ;) We needed Doc's stuff out by 31st and there was a holiday in there too.....what if we didn't have enough help???

I called his landlord and thankfully he was gracious and said just do what we can and they wouldn't penalize us. However, the Good Lord blessed us tenfold more. Mom and I made a couple calls and 4 more guys replaced the ones who got sick. Wow....God is so good like that.
So Mom and I (and a huge thank you to her for all she did.........she is now home with the flu ;(
fed all the guys afterwards and I realized how much I love doing that. Fixing it up and serving it.....so maybe someday, we'll have to get a coffeeshop/diner up and runnin!

BIG *smiles* today too.......The world's bestest babysitter gave us a certificate for Christmas for 1 whole day of babysitting!!!! Woohoo!!!! We were super excited!!! So we spent the morning finishing up at Doc's apartment, then headed out to Applebees for a late lunch (with another certificate) some shopping and watched our first 3D movie together. (Avatar.....great movie!!!)

In the midst of all that.....our babysitter texted me and said she got Ellie to poop on the potty!!!! Woohoo again!!!!(I would be sooooooooooooooo thankful if we could just get this stubborn lil girl day-time potty trained by the time monkey #3 comes along!)
This exhausted, back-hurtin', preggo monkey mama is smiling big tonite!!!!
God has blessed us abundantly in so many ways.....and as you can see above.....our kiddos are super blessed to have the best and funnest sitter ever!!! Look at all that snow!!!
We love you Karla!!!!!

Give Me Jesus

In the morning, when I rise

Give me Jesus Give me Jesus,

Give me Jesus,

You can have all this world,

But give me Jesus

When I am alone

Give me Jesus

When I come to die

Give me Jesus,

You can have all this world,

But give me Jesus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N3KPA9ltQE

I couldnt get this song outa my head tonite.

My whirly spinny head....

The month of December and it's endless runnin' here and there....

All the festivities and get togethers.

I love Christmas...I do I do.

But then the flu....the flu.

And packin' up all Doc's stuff....

And this cold that has been hanging on forever.

I am so looking foward to January.

And calmness....

Not so much scurrying.

And creating a warm, settled atmosphere for this new little one.

And sittin'....

And sittin' some more....

And my husband now tells me at midnight

that the nativity set's people on top of the piano are all mixed up???

And he needs help to put clean sheets on our bed.

Oh my spinny, spinny head.....

just give me Jesus.

Pictures-Christmas Stockings & Sickies

Well in between everyone getting the flu, we opened our stockings.....

Notice all the girly girl stuff?? Yeah, she's not so happy.....guess we'll stick with tractors.

Crazy story behind these penguins........I had just been lookin' at these cute little 2 babies with their mama penguin and jase had no idea! And they showed up in my stocking!!!

And the next day....we see this....poor little Gabe with his sweet lil nurse ;)

He perked up a bit last night when I brought snow into the kitchen to play with.....

And then today he woke up not doing so great again......slept until 1230 and wouldn't eat or drink a thing........and then when he did wake up, he begged and begged to play in the snow. So we bundled up and out we went for all of 15 min.....

Just enough time to take a short ride...

Then back inside again for more of this....

And this....

And we're hopin' tomorrow morning he wakes up all better and smiles tomorrow morning!