Thankful Thursday, week 58

This week I am especially thankful for...
~Mixes.
~The adventures of Abbi... more importantly, that she has survived those adventures.
~Our fifteen passenger van :)...
~...That we were able to clean last night ;)...
~The Peake railroad trails.
~A picnic and hike with dear friends.
~That my siblings and our friends were able to get such a kick out of finding some sun-bleached bones on the trails today ::shudder::...
~Tiny hands in mine.
~Lavender spray (it smells good, and is an insect repellant!)
~Wild strawberries.
~That our peas have flowers on them... so fun :)!
~Also, I think our bell pepper plants are coming up :).
 ~Lighters...
 ~Sewing needles.
 ~That somebody else looked at our house tonight :).
~That I was able to finish copying out the last chapter of the second half of Romans today :).
~That we can trust God to save us by faith, and do not have to work for our salvation.
~All the forms of writing that are open for those who love to write :)... of which group I happen to be a member (oh, side note to prove my point: Mommy was printing two recipes for a friend. She got the first one, off of Tammy's Recipes, and save the file as "Homemade bread"... then saved mine, which is our altered version (which I wrote for a friend and posted on my blog), "Bri's monologue"...)
~The books I have been enjoying lately :).
~Quotes like this...

"What I need is a more thankful heart to the 

"Giver of every good and perfect gift"

         ~"Stonewall" Jackson, to his bride

           "Beloved Bride", by William Potter

~That Daddy is on his way home!

 "Bless the LORD, all his works, 

in all places of his dominion. 

Bless the LORD, O my soul!"

                         ~Psalms 103:22

Reading through God's word

I have read through many bible readings plans the last couple years. Three months, a Proverb a day for a month, one year (which turned into seven months... I don't think I did that one right, haha ;).), reading through the same passage fifty days in a row, and a friend and I were working on reading through the bible in six months when we decided to jump into Romans. We plan on finishing that after Romans :). I have done them alone, with a group of friends, with Tori, with just one friend, and, as far as Romans goes, with a group I don't even know who all it includes ;), thanks to Grace Mally's invitation to those who wanted to join her. But I had never done one with Bethi!
Bethi was going to start a one year bible reading plan on the first of May. About the (tenth?... I think...), she asked me where I was at in Genesis. I gave her a blank look, haha :). I told her I was in Romans, and she gave me a blank look. Come to find out, she thought that I was joining her in her reading plan (although we never talked about it before she started, I didn't know until she started that she was planning on it!). She was truly disappointed that I wasn't, it made me kind of sad :P. I decided to do the best I could to catch up, and have finally caught up with her... It is really precious to see her face light up when she hears that I am going to go read my day's chapters in Genesis :). She runs and grabs her bible, and we will sit together and read :). I have enjoyed it immensely, and I can tell it means a lot to her :). I am so proud of her (and Tori, who is doing a six months reading plan with Mommy!) though, because I know at her age I rarely read more than a chapter a day... I am so glad that they are already into studying God's word and growing in him! I have been struck several times with the fact that if I had started really studying the word when I was younger, instead of squishing one chapter in because reading the bible was the right thing to do, and I couldn't justify reading less than a chapter... How much more I would have gained! I don't think that I read the bible cover-to-cover once before I was twelve, I kind of skipped around, with no real purpose (not that I see skipping as bad, if you are doing it to study, it is just that I couldn't stay in the same book for more than a month... and since Genesis is fifty chapters long, and I only read a chapter a day, I rather failed at making it cover to cover... badly!). It is sad to think of all the time I wasted, but I am so glad to see my younger siblings already actively searching God's word and I am so thankful for the chance to study it now :)!!!

As for some news, Daddy arrives home tomorrow night, after we spend a day with some friends, and keep ourselves out of the house so that we aren't in the way while someone else comes to look at it :)! We are praying that this will be it, and yet we know that it may not be... it is hard to wait for God's timing sometimes, but I know the wait will have been worth it when we look back at it five years from now. Also, my math was "absolutely" fun today.. "absolutely" shocking, right? Heehee :). But, really... it was "absolute values" :)...
I need to go now... I have to weed eat the yard, and we still have to finish up a couple other things, yet, today, so that we are ready to leave early tomorrow...

Late Thankful Thursday, week 57

This week I am thankful for...
~Butterflies...

~Recipe websites.
~Mommy :)!
~That Tori and I actually did quite well sneaking items into the cart for Mother's day last week. That shocked ME more than it did Mommy, haha! It was fun to actually surprise her :).
~Getting in the kitchen with the little ones to bake.
~Their enjoyment in doing activities like that with me :).
~Fresh biscuits.
~Emmi's dainty little self. She was trying to help me make some french toast Sunday, and I was letting her dip the bread and place it the pan. I wish you could have seen how she gingerly took two little fingers and tried to do it without getting too much of that "goo" on her ;)!
~Emmi's new milestone- no more diapers for her, haha :)!
~That there is a reason to rejoice no matter what :)!
~That muffins adapt fairly well to egg substitutes :). I am pleasantly surprised by that fact :).
~Getting to read through the bible with Bethi :). I'll try to have more on that later :).
~The next Hidden Treasures auction, that starts on June first, to help two little ones make their way home to their forever family :)!
~"Beloved Bride", a book with the letters of "Stonewall" Thomas Jackson to his wife. I have meant to read this book for a couple years, since watching "Gods and Generals", and just finally got into it Sunday night. I am enjoying learning more about him, and the letters are beautiful :).
~The ten Boom family's testimony. Tori has been reading the book lately, so she asked Mommy if we could watch that Sunday night. It is such an amazing story, even when you have heard it before!...
~The yummy meal Bethi made us the other night :)!

~The smell of tomato plants.
~The peas in our garden.... they are so pretty :)...
~That you learn something new every time you read a passage of scripture.
~Lessons from the Lord.
~So many littles things... a certain smile... a comment... laughter... a promise... so much...

"And whatever you do, in word or deed, 

do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,

giving thanks to God the Father through him."

                                              ~ Colossians 3:17

Oh, and... check it out :)! My Mom is taking blogging back up again at "For Where Your Treasure Is" :)!!!

A precious little Daddy-in-the-making :)....

Happy Mother's Day, Mommy!!!

(I wrote this yesterday, but left before I edited it, and never came back... I still wanted to post it, though. I am so thankful for Mommy!)
I am especially grateful today for Mommy, and all that she and Daddy have done for us children over the past fifteen years :)! They are truly following the Lord as they raise us, and there is so much that I thank them for! Along with the blessings such as their desire to raise us for the Lord, their decision to leave their family in God's hands, homeschooling us, and doing all they can to make the very best choices to raise us to be strong men and women, there are so many other things to be grateful for! Just the other day, as I thought of this upcoming day, I was thinking how grateful I was for Mommy, and I thought how glad I am that she has made literature and hymns such a big part of our life, among other things :).
Happy Mother's day, Mommy! We love you :)!!!

Ramblings on rejoicing...

 "Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality." Romans 12:9-13
Last night I was struck with the fact that I really need to rejoice more. I don't believe I am nearly thankful enough. I asked the Lord to help me to see the blessings in life, to take time to stop and give thanks especially when I felt that something was going "wrong", and to help me, especially, to show more thankfulness to others in my life for things that they do, if that is writing me a note, bringing me an item, gathering the trash without being asked, or doing one of my jobs to bless me. There is something to be grateful for in everything, whether we see it at first glance, or have to do a retake!
After last night's thoughts, the verses above really seemed to pop out at me as I was reading through Romans this morning, especially verse twelve: Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
Rejoice. Something that does not come naturally, but something we are commanded to do. From our Lord, through our Lord, and for our Lord. Rejoice. When we feel there is a reason. Rejoice. When we don't feel like it. Rejoice. When we don't think anything is big enough to rejoice about. Rejoice. When it seems there is nothing to rejoice about. Rejoice. In all things. In ALL things.
When the dishes are clean, the house is picked up, the children's baths are done, the yard is mowed, the garden is weeded, the floors are freshly washed, and you are heading off to bed, rejoice in the Lord for his gifts.
(Although realistic, I am not thinking of a certain day while I write this next paragraph.... haha :).) When you have five baking projects going on at once, no more dishes left to continue them in, weeds as tall as the children outside your kitchen window, a child who needs a diaper change, and five children are begging for a snack at eight p.m., and all you may want to do is pull out your hair, thereby causing all others to want to do the same (:P...), rejoice in the Lord for his gifts. Be patient in this "tribulation". Stop, say a prayer, and ask the Lord for the grace to see the gifts...
Gifts like the fact that you have the ingredients for your five baking projects (four of which you probably chose to make at that time yourself... if you are anything like me, ahem.). That you have water, soap, a sink, and a rag to wash more of the dishes that the Lord has given you to finish those projects, and that you have several siblings who will probably pitch in to get those dishes dried. That the weeds aren't inside (it's the little things during times like these ;).), that you can pull them later, and that the plants will forgive you if you make them wait one more day. That you have diapers to change the baby into, hands to change them, and a reason to slow down and talk to them. That you have food to give the little ones, a fridge to keep it fresh, and, hey, at least it isn't nine yet! You can also, if you give into temptation, be glad that hair grows back ;)... There is also the fact that, if this is all that your "tribulation" consists of, you can be very glad that it is not as bad as it could be. We are very blessed to live in America, where we can still pray without fear!
I could say more, and I could go on into how several other thoughts came to me while reading those verses, especially the phrases "Outdo one another in showing honor" and "Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord." Prayer is also an area that I think I struggle with. But, you know what? I have the gift of being able to trust in my Lord to help me overcome my weaknesses, and I know that, in some way, he has said that even in those weaknesses, his name will be brought to honor.
I will admit, it isn't always easy. I have already had to retrace my steps several times this morning and tell myself to stop and think of as many things as I can to be grateful for in this situation, when I wanted to grumble, or, in some cases, did grumble! But it truly is worth it! And at this time, I am thanking the Lord for his gentle convictions, his promises, and Romans :)!

Thankful Thursday, week 56

So, I didn't post on Thursday last week. I thought about writing a thankful Thursday early, on Wednesday, but then got busy, and didn't think of it again until Friday! I figured it was about time to get this up, since tomorrow is Thursday again ;)... so here are just a few of the things I have to be grateful for :)...
~Bethi, a gift for eight years now :).
~Time with Tori, creating cupcake designs, making a mess of the kitchen, and using far too many icing tips, which then needed washed, haha!
~Romans 9-16... Katie and are a back into studying Romans, and loving every minute of it :)!
~The blessing the Lord has placed in my life in my parents and their guidance!
~Special friendships the Lord has given me.
~A great time with our friends last Friday :).
~A day spent making strawberry jam and fresh bread, laughing and talking, and, ahem, cleaning up a very big mess ;).
~Growing plants in the garden.
~Hands to pull weeds... haha!
~Honeysuckle :).
~Trees.
~The movement of the clouds, I always love watching them when you can tell they are moving :).
~Learning more about God's wonderful creations.
~Homemade chocolate sauce ;)...
~Rain for the garden.
~Bright sunshine to dry the yard.
~Bunnies all over the yard :)... (still haven't caught one yet, though ;)...)
~The sight of Peter toddling all around :)!
~Picking up sign language again (yes, still working on that..)
~Emmi's excitement for her upcoming birthday.
~And verses of praise, such as this one...

"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    for his steadfast love endures forever!"

                                   ~Psalms 118:1

I'll try my very best to come back tomorrow with this week's thankful thoughts, on time ;)...

Bethi's birthday :)...

 Here are a few pictures from Bethi's birthday :). I don't have as many as I did for Peter, partly because Daddy took just her out, not the whole family :), and partly, too, because I didn't have my camera while we did her cupcakes :P... but, I still have these...

 

Emmi greatly enjoyed Bethi's birthday breakfast of waffles ;)...

 Bethi opened a very special gift before Daddy 

took her out... a pack of earrings. Guess where they made 

their first stop at? Hint- she didn't have 

pierced ears in this picture :)...

 Daddy and Bethi, going out for lunch, fun, and to get 

Bethi's ears pierced. She has been looking forward to earrings, 

but didn't think it would happen for two more years!

 Bethi :)...

 Emmi "guarding" the un-iced cupcakes ;)... 

(love the cupcake outfit for this picture ;)!)

 

 ...in full dress. (By the way, Mommy snuck a 

whole half a cupcake out from under her nose, hahaha!)

While they were gone, the rest of us were busy icing Bethi's cupcakes (we made them sea creature themed :), per Bethi's request), decorated the house, cleaned up, and started supper. When they got back, we watched a really neat video on what happens when you wring a cloth out in space, and Bethi opened her presents :)...

 Bethi-boo :).

 Cards...

 Tiny gift!

 She got a book by Emily Barnes... what is really 

neat, is that Bethi picked up one that we already 

owned the night before to read, with no 

idea that this was coming :)...

 This is a interesting gift :)... it has been 

sitting in the toy chest for years, and Abbi 

or Emmi wrapped it up for Bethi... 

...and Bethi just found out that Mommy made it

 for her when she was two! She didn't know 

it was her's, hahaha!

 Oh, the camera has been around a while, too ;)...

 Letter writing supplies! Bethi loves to write letters :)!

Bethi is so sweet :). She always buys items for 

each of us while she is out on her birthday :).... 

Abbi loved these puzzles she received :). 

(And I loved the note cards Bethi gave me :)!)

We then enjoyed supper and Bethi's cupcakes :). (Some of which, Tori would like me to know, looked like they were decorated with an octopus, not a jelly fish, haha....).
We are so thankful for the gift of Bethi, and thankful to the Lord that he has placed her in our family!

 And look at her little ears :)...

Take a look at this giveaway...

http://babynumber10.blogspot.com/2013/04/saving-penny.html.
Enter into this giveaway, and help a precious little girl at the same time :)! Penny 's family is working hard to bring her home, and we can help with prayer, money, and by spreading the word :)... Penny is such a beautiful little girl, and I can't wait to see her blossom once she gets home :)!

Happy 8th birthday, Bethi!!!

Bethi is eight years old! It doesn't seem that long since Tori and I ran into the kitchen to find our Aunt jumping up and down telling us that our little sister was here, haha :)...
It has been a delight to be with Bethi, laughing with her, talking with her, learning things together, helping her with her craft projects, and watching her grow this past year :). She has taken a great interest in helping the little ones at the orphanage in Pleven, Bulgaria, and it has been precious to see her enthusiasm in making items to donate to help bring them home :). She has also enjoyed getting to play the role of "big sister" to Peter in different ways then she was able to when Emmi was a baby, as she was older when Peter was born :). She has grown in the Lord, and her comments often bring us a smile :). She told us a couple months ago that "God is like a vase of flowers, because he holds all of us, and we are the flowers!", which I thought was a wonderful analogy :).
I am so blessed to have each and every one of my siblings, and today I am so thankful to take a pause in our lives and praise God for all that he has given us, especially, today, Bethi, a precious gift in our lives for eight years :).
Happy birthday, Bethi!!!