Book Recommendation Propelled by Conviction

I love reading, as many of you who have read this blog in the past probably already know, and I do a good deal of it; when I am not teaching, parenting, cooking, driving, sleeping, or other things that being a mom-at-home entails I read! I read all sorts of genre's from fiction to mystery or biography and theology. I try hard to be varied in my choices of reading as so many good stories are available! But very few books hit me in the gut, wrench my conscience and motivate me to complain a whole lot less--aka being more holy!

Yup, I said it; I am a complainer! I look at my life and at the disdain I am forced to face from the choices I have made (i.e. Not having a career, having five children, supporting my husband, living from one day to the next, being a christian, etc). I honestly think about (probably at least 10 times a day) "Why me?" Haha, yeah it's not very funny, but it's true! I look at truths of my life and how it has been a struggle to hear and how other's have noted "Ever since you wanted to be a missionary," that my life has taken on an unalterable pallor. But this is good news, I can honestly say I have LOST MY LIFE! I have! My life as I knew it, lived for my goals and my expectations is long gone. I don't live even for the revival of that life, because it's ideas are so foreign to me now, but I still wish at times my loss wasn't so apparent and that's why I complain. "Does it have to be hard, God? Can't it be a little less hard?"

Elections, Disagreements, Christianity are They Disconnected Topics?

In the wake of the second presidential debate my facebook wall is blowing up. I see people threatening to blow others up, arguing in ugly ways, give a blow by blow, getting angry because "gosh darn it, people died so you could have the right to that vote!" and it got me to thinking....

October Smiles

inside the maze...

Religious Liberty?

You may or may not know, but being anything but Anglican in Virginia used to be illegal. Presbyterians, Baptists, and Methodists were all persecuted, run out of their towns, arrested, forced to pay fines and generally made to feel that they were not equal unless they were Anglican.

End of Summer Laughs....

Blankman?? 

the more the merrier??

would you be ready, ready, ready, ready to ride?

The Mission of Jesus?

"Suffering was not just a consequence of the Master's obedience and mission. It was the central strategy of his mission. It was the ground of his accomplishment. Jesus calls us to join him on the Calvary road, to take up our cross, and to hate our lives in this world, and fall into the ground like a seed and die, that others might live. We are not above our master. To be sure, our suffering does not atone for anyone's sins, but it is a deeper way of doing missions that we often realize." --John Piper

Funny Family Quirk...

The month of September tends to be a busy one. With getting back into the groove of  school and birthdays galore. But it's also a fun reminder of a funny quirk in our family.

girls just wanna have fun

yes those are daddy's feet styled with hair bands! Girl's gotta design!

Itchy Ears Aren't An Old Wives Tale, They are a Deadly Spritual Reality, Flee From it!

4 Years Ago

Random Moments of Life....

After a long day at the beach... 

Miracles Do Happen!

who would'a thought that these two guys could end  up multiplying into.....