Cutie Pies

A Family Christmas Picture

We are so thankful for our family!  God is so good!!!

Hannah is 4 1/2, Lauren is 3 1/2, Timmy is 14 months, and James is 1 month.

All blessings from the LORD!

Timmy loves his brother, James

A little update since the last post.... Timmy was warming up to little James when I last posted pictures.  In the past week Timmy has more than warmed up to James.  Almost every time he sees James, Timmy wants to give him a kiss.  He leans into James and makes an "mmmm..." sound and then kisses his head or his face.  Timmy also likes to point at James and "talk" to him.  They are precious together!

Baby James is Born!!!

Please rejoice with us over a precious new life the Lord has given our family!  On Wednesday, November 12 at 12:51 p.m. baby James Stephen Reed was born, weighing 7 lbs. 7.5 oz., and he was 20 inches tall.  James is named after his Grandpa Jim (Tim's dad) who went to be with the Lord 14 years ago.  His middle name is after Stephen in the Bible who gave his life willingly to follow the Lord Jesus (Acts 7).  Hannah and Lauren love the story of Stephen and look forward to seeing him in heaven one day along with their Grandpa Jim.  

James was born by way of c-section due to him being breech in his mama's tummy. This was Allyson's first c-section and in some ways she felt like she was having a first baby all over again.  But, praise the Lord the delivery went great.  Recovery is also going very well.  We went into the hospital at 10:30 on Wednesday morning and were able to leave the hospital at 9:30 on Friday morning - a little under 48 hours.  

Hannah, Lauren, and Timmy are all thrilled about their new little brother.  Hannah and Lauren can't get enough of holding him.  They are great helpers with James and Mama already.  The first time they came to visit us at the hospital, Hannah and Lauren brought a poster they had made that said, "Happy Birthday James!  We love you!  Love, Hannah, Lauren, and Timmy."  Hannah wrote the whole thing by herself in different colors, and Lauren cut out shapes to paste on it and put stickers all over it as well.  Timmy likes to point at James and say some "words".  He's come close to kissing James several times but hasn't quite gotten close enough - probably tomorrow.  :)  Just this afternoon, Timmy got really close to James and was studying him when James all of a sudden spit up a little bit.  Timmy burst out in tears, not sure what had happened.  It was precious!

Tim and I are so blessed to have four precious children who we have the privilege of raising in the fear and admonition of the Lord!  Even more, we are thankful to have a wonderful marriage and to give the gift of loving parents to our children.  God is so good!  Thank you for rejoicing with us!

Happy Family of SIX!!!

Why Do We Home School? (Part 2) - Character

  "And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.  And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.  And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.  And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates."  (Deuteronomy 6:5-9)

 The Lord commands parents to teach their children to love Him with all their heart, soul, and might.  This takes place as we intentionally spend time with our children - when we sit, walk, lie down, and rise up.  This encompasses all day every day, and we are responsible for what is going in our children's hearts and minds.  We believe this to be such a blessing of home schooling - being able to pour into our children from the moment they wake up until the moment they go to bed.   When they wake up in the morning, we are able to greet them with a hug and say, "Good morning!  This is the day that the Lord has made.  Let us rejoice and be glad in it!"  When they go to bed we are able to pray and sing together as a family.  And as we go throughout our day together we are able to praise the Lord all day long and bring attention to His handiwork in everything they are learning.

   Above the education we can give our children - the facts and the different subjects - math, reading, history, science, etc. - the most important thing we can teach our kids is about the Lord Jesus Christ and about CHARACTER.  In teaching these two things, we really can cover all the different subjects as we go along.  It's beautiful how it works!!!  

   Character is not taught out of a book.  It is taught out of the Bible, yes, but mainly is it taught through parents just living life with their children.  Tim and I are always aware of teaching our children about character.  Recently, I was able to introduce the word "perseverance" to Hannah and Lauren as we persevered in a task together.  Just yesterday, Tim and Hannah made beef jerky together.  We have a dehydrator and especially like to made jerky and dried apples.  We can stack 10 trays high on our dehydrator, which makes for a lot of work to get the meat or the apples on the trays, and our girls love to help us do this.  Tim and Hannah worked together diligently and raced against the clock yesterday to get all the ground beef on 10 trays in less than one hour.  Having this time limit forced them to stay focused on their task and forced Hannah to persevere.  There are many details involved in jerky making - mixing the spices in the meat, loading the jerky gun and cleaning it out often during the process, squeezing the meat out of the gun onto the trays, stacking the trays, etc.  Hannah had her sleeves rolled up and was working hard to help her Papa complete a task that we then could all enjoy the benefits of later. It turned out that the clock beat Tim and Hannah by a few minutes, but they were still encouraged to have persevered through the task and enjoyed much good, meaningful conversation and Papa/daughter time during the process.  Not only did they talk about perseverance, but Tim modeled it before Hannah.  Beautiful!

   Our children can recite well the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  But, what good is it for them to recite these things if they cannot live them out?  And how can they live out these things without first seeing them lived out in their parents (Tim and me)?  And how can Tim and I live these things out without first living in complete dependence upon the Lord Jesus, which is what we really want our children to learn to do?  Quite a process, indeed... but, it is so simple.  There is no formula.  It is all about dependence on our Savior.

   Do we make mistakes as parents?  Oh, yes indeed.  But, what better way for us to teach our children about humility and forgiveness than to humble ourselves before them and admit our flaws and ask for their forgiveness, which they willingly give every time.

   So, how do we teach character?  First - dependence on the Lord to live in and through us as parents.  But, second, we are extremely intentional.  We are always looking for ways to teach about pride, humility, love, forgiveness, patience, perseverance, encouragement, etc.  Every moment is a teachable moment - whether we are sitting at a meal together, riding in the car, taking a walk, or working on a project.  

  Now that is true education that will last right into eternity!  :)

Why Do We Home School? (Part 1) - Yard Work/Garage Sale

  I get asked quite a bit, "Why have you chosen to home school your children?"  Sometimes this question is asked out of genuine curiosity and sometimes it is asked out of defensiveness.  I am always eager to share why we have made this choice as we seek to "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6).  As our kids are drawing nearer to school age, I thought I would take some time to write down all of our "whys" and will therefore share some of those reasons on our blog.  I hope you will enjoy reading my thoughts and will be able to see more of our hearts as well as a bit more into our home life.  

  As I start out with Part 1, it seems most fitting to start by describing an actual event that is a common type of day in our home and how we teach our children.  I will not seek to answer the question, "Why do we home school our children?" in this post, but you will see quite a few answers start to develop.

  Recently, Tim and the girls were working in our backyard together, and they were helping him rake leaves.  They love being great helpers, and they love to please their Papa!  When they finished in the yard for the afternoon, Tim told the girls that the next morning while he was at work he wanted them to each fill a red wagon full of sticks from our yard.  When they completed this task they would each receive $3 from him.       

   They worked hard in the yard the next morning, and we even had a little competition going to see who could finish filling a wagon first.  Hannah finished first and won a Hershey Hug as her prize.  Meanwhile, Lauren praised Hannah for her hard work (they know well the verse, "Encourage one another and build each other up").  So, instead of Lauren being disappointed that she had not won the contest, she was excited for her sister.  We have taught them not only to praise others but also to be excited for others when they win, such as in playing a board game.  After Lauren finished picking up her sticks I treated them both to a little cup of vanilla yogurt on the back steps.  But, this was only after I had "ooohed" and "ahhhed" over all the sticks they had picked up!  :)  They couldn't wait to show Tim the job they had accomplished when he got home and also to receive the money that he had promised them.   

   Then, the next morning there were quite a few garage sales in our neighborhood.  We took the girls to 5 different sales, and they had a great time shopping with the $3 they had earned. They bought baby dolls, purses, stuffed animals, a baby doll stroller, and even had money left over.  During the sales they had to interact with the sellers because if they wanted to buy something it was up to them to talk and negotiate and purchase what they wanted.  I was looking at other things and could totally trust them to do their own "business," plus we want them to know how to interact with people of all ages and not just rely on Papa and Mama to communicate for them.   In order to do business, they used their knowledge of money that we have been working on together at home.  They each had a bunch of change as well as a $1 bill that all added up to $3.  They couldn't always make exact change, but the sellers were always happy to help them.

   The last garage sale we stopped at was a sweet time because Hannah bought a rocking horse for Timmy.  We made a big deal about her using her own money to buy something special for her brother.  She worked hard to earn her money and then chose to use it to show love to someone else.  Both girls even had money left over after the garage sales.  Now that's what I call smart shopping.  :)

   Then, we came home and enjoyed looking at all the things they had purchased, and they could appreciate their hard work and the contribution they had made to our family.  They could also enjoy the rewards of their hard work and learned many things in the process.

   To Tim and me, that is what home schooling is all about.  It's not about education in a box or at a desk.  It's about teaching them in every day life situations.  They are learning so many things without even realizing they are learning.

   So, in the whole yard work/garage sale event.... what did our kids learn or have to have a working knowledge of?

1- What a tremendous and valuable asset they are to our family

2- The value of hard work

3- The fun of competition as well as being excited for someone else when they win

4- Praising others and not yourself (another thing we teach: Let other lips praise you, not your own)

5- Money: how much coins and bills are worth and how to read price tags in order to make purchases

6- How to be friendly and sociable with people of all ages and how to negotiate and then be grateful by saying things like, "Thank you for your help" and "Have a nice day."

Most of all they are learning without even realizing they are learning, and that is priceless!

Stay tuned for more thoughts on home schooling...

Jumpin' Pumpkins

One day they will be as good at coordinated jumping as their Papa and Uncle John.  :)

Pumpkin Patch Pictures

Every year around this time (for the past 3 years) we head to the "Pumpkin Patch" at my Grandparents' church.  The girls really enjoy running through the pumpkins, laughing and playing the whole time.  This year Timmy enjoyed playing with a little pumpkin and watching his sisters play.  When it's time to leave, the girls always get to pick out a little pumpkin to take home.  This year they paid for the pumpkins and then counted the change they received back from the sales lady.  Every day is a fun learning experience!

Precious Little Man

Tim reads about Nathan Hale to our girls

 Recently I bought a set of 20 American hero biographies for young readers.

They are for K-3rd grade age. Tim has started reading these books to the 

girls a few times a week, and they love them!

 Now, if you've ever heard Tim tell a Bible story... you know how into it and dramatic he can get.  

He captures the girls' attention for up to 30 minutes at a time - even Lauren.  

He doesn't sugarcoat or gloss over the hard parts.

 Now, knowing how he tells Bible stories, maybe you can imagine how he 

reads these American history hero biographies... not overly dramatic... 

but he definitely captures the girls' attention and imagination.

 Last night they were reading a book about Nathan Hale.

I was in the other room reading, but I could see them from where I was 

sitting.  As they finished the book, I saw that Lauren had her head buried in 

her hands, and Hannah was laying on Tim's lap looking down and sad.

Tim looked at me and mouthed, "She (Hannah) is crying."

I came in the office... where they were sitting on the couch... and knelt down

in front of Hannah.  She was starting to cry, and Tim assured her it was fine 

to cry. I asked her what happened.  She was able to get out the words, 

"Nathan Hale." Then, I asked, "Did you read about Nathan Hale?"  

She nodded, "Yes."  Next, with overwhelming emotion she said, 

"He died trying to save AMERICA!!"....and she burst out into tears for the next couple of minutes.

 Tim and I looked at each other and smiled... both thinking, "How precious."

My eyes filled with tears as I saw how sad my little girl was over a man who 

had lost his life to help her have freedom in our country... and she understood that.

 After a couple minutes of allowing her to cry, Tim made the comparison

of what Nathan Hale did for our country to what Jesus did on the cross... 

except Jesus' sacrifice was so much bigger b/c it was for the sin of the whole world.

 Then, Hannah wanted to share with me what had happened at the end of 

the story, so Tim went back and read the last few pages.

The book said how Nathan, shortly before he was hung, had asked for a 

Bible to read, but had been denied.

Then, it went on to say that as he awaited his death, "He could only think 

about his country, his family, and his God."

 We do not know for sure, of course, that Nathan Hale was a believer in the 

Lord Jesus Christ, but the book seems to indicate that he was devoted to 

His God. So, Tim told Hannah that we might see Nathan Hale in heaven 

one day. He said, "Maybe Grandpa Jim can introduce us to Nathan Hale."

That brought a humongous smile to her face!!!!!  :)  So precious!!

We often talk about people they want to meet in heaven.  Among their 

favorites are Abel and Stephen.  

And Hannah was happy to add Nathan Hale to that list.

 Tim suggested to the girls that today during school time that we start making

a list of the people they would like to meet in heaven since it's something we

talk about every now and then.  In fact, Lauren often says, "I can't wait to go 

to heaven."  :) They were excited about making this list this morning.

 We concluded that time together by praising the Lord for what Nathan Hale

had done so that we could live in America.

We all started chanting and clapping, "Na-than... Na-than.... Na-than......"

 Precious times with our girls!

More Fun Crawfordville Pictures

Pictures from our fun weekend in Georgia with YaYa!

Columbia Cousins at Krispy Kreme

A fun morning together with all the Columbia cousins, aunts, and YaYa!

Timmy is ONE

On Saturday, Sept. 20, Timmy turned ONE year old!!  Hard to believe our little baby is no longer a little baby.  We spent the weekend in Georgia with Tim's mom (YaYa) and had a great time!!  It was a beautiful day on Saturday - perfect weather!  We went out to a BBQ place for lunch and then had a fun photo shoot with Timmy outside on all the antique tractors and other equipment.  After lunch Timmy had his first cake.  He wasn't so sure about plunging into it as we cheered him on, but we were all glad to help him make a mess.  Notice the blue icing "T" on Timmy's chest above.  Hannah and Lauren helped me make and decorate Timmy's cake, and they sang "Happy Birthday" to him all day long!  What a fun weekend!

Papa and Son Pics.

ECA Reunion

We went to Atlanta, GA last weekend and enjoyed meeting up with some high school alumni of Evangelical Christian Academy in Madrid, Spain. The waving picture turned out great! We all had a great time. Thank you!

Good morning

   Praise the LORD!  His mercies are new every morning!  This morning Timmy and I had a fun time playing together before the girls woke up.  When they did wake up, they came downstairs together holding hands and smiling huge smiles all dressed and ready for the day.  It is such a blessing to be greeted by their joy and observing their sweet friendship as sisters.  They gave me big hugs and then joined Timmy on the floor.  Timmy loves to watch a DVD called "Baby Praise" so Hannah decided she would put it on for him.  Once the video started playing, they all sat next to each other on the floor in front of the screen (without any prompting), and I was able to capture a precious picture of them as an onlooker from behind.  Notice Lauren leaning on Hannah in the picture.  :)  The dog then started begging me to go outside, so I gave into his wishes to let him do his business.  When I was walking back toward the house from outside I was greeted by three smiling faces looking out the back door at me.  How cute!  Timmy was standing up leaning against the window/back door just grinning from ear to ear, and Hannah and Lauren were right there with him.  I couldn't get in the door because Timmy was blocking the way.  So, Hannah helped him sit down so that I could squeeze through the door with my big tummy.  :)  

   Then, it was breakfast time for the girls and nap time for Timmy.  Lauren suggested we have french toast, which was a fun treat!  When we sat down to eat breakfast both girls wanted to pray for our food.  Lauren prayed first, followed by Hannah.  Then, I asked both girls to tell me two things they are thankful for, which they did.  After that I said, "God, you are wonderful!"  Then, I was silent and without any prompting they started praising the Lord as well.  Some of the things they said were, "God, you are so strong," "God, you create light," "You provide this warm house and food for us," "You died for our sins and rose again... Hallelujah!"   Then, after we kept going for a couple of minutes we concluded with, "Gloria a Dios!"

   While Timmy took a nap the girls and I had "school".  We have been taking a break from our normal school routine for a few days and learning about money, which has been fun.  We also read quite a few books this morning.  I really enjoy Hannah knowing how to read now.  It's so fun to share in her excitement after reading new words/books.

   After Timmy woke up from his nap, all three kids were in our room with me.  Over the weekend Marilyn (Tim's Mom, also known as YaYa) gave me a cassette tape that many of you may have heard of from many years ago.  It's called "The Friendship Company" by Sandi Patti. Tim and I both grew up listening to those songs and can sing them all from memory.  Today was the first time our kids got to listen to The Friendship Company.  Hannah and Lauren had a blast jumping on our bed while listening to the songs, and I got to take turns dancing with all three kids.  They loved it!  Timmy has so much fun "dancing" now and gets so excited about music ... giggling and laughing while moving to the music.  

   What a sweet morning.  Thank you, Lord, for these precious moments each day with our children.

Dear Woman,

   Young woman, if you are not a virtuous woman, seek to become one.  Find a virtuous woman, though they are not easy to come by, and admire her for your own sake.  Consider her ways and follow them.  I speak as the husband of a Proverbs 31 woman.  I speak as one who has found a virtuous woman, whose worth is far above that of precious stones.  My heart trusts in her and my children and I rise up and call her blessed.  

   My desire for this text is for other women to hear that there is nothing more powerful than a virtuous woman.  If you are older and have passed up on being virtuous, repent and become so.  If you are younger and bewildered by the different directions a modern woman can take, search no more.  A virtuous woman is the only thing of value you can become, of utmost value, I must add.  What is a capable woman if she is not virtuous?  Oh woman, do not settle for the vanity of self-gratification.  There is nothing less beautiful than a beautiful woman worshipping herself.  You know it is true, don't you?  My daughters sing this verse, and it is daily confirmed as true in our home..."A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones."  How often do you dry up people's bones?  Stop it!  Please!  It is nauseating to hear a woman criticize, especially when she disguises it with a fake smile.  It is putrid to hear a woman, any woman, gossip and try to exalt herself by putting others down.  This is especially repugnant when she has the audacity to preface her criticism with "I am not one to gossip, but..." or "There are not many people I don't like, but..."

   Did you know that Proverbs says, "It is better for a man to live in the corner of a rooftop than in a large house with a contentious woman"?  Yes, it is true.  A woman can be poison... yes, the very stench of death to a man or to anyone around her.  Dear lady, if you have done these things or do these things, Stop it! Repent! Quit it! Don't do it anymore! And by the way, if you really want to know how bad you get sometimes, just ask around and dare them to be honest.  Don't trust yourself.  Don't flatter yourself by comparing yourself with other "ladies".  Don't excuse yourself either; don't deceive yourself.  On the other hand, don't worry.  The woman who does these things can resurrect by the power of God unto a complete restoration of her home.  She can seek virtue and find it.  She can exchange bitterness for joy.  Don't give up, dear heart.  God loves you, and he wants this for you.  He makes provision for your virtue.  Cease it and let it not go.  Repent from your evil ways and pursue the righteousness of true, virtuous womanhood in the Lord.  Whether you marry or not, you will be blessed and will impact the world more than you can even imagine.  

   What kind of woman are you?  This is NOT a simple question.  It would be simple if I were asking the ten people closest to you.  They would know how to answer.  I ask again, what kind of woman are you?  Do you even know?  Will you be honest?  I perceive that most women haven't a clue how self-absorbed they are and how damaging they are to others.  How about this question?  How many women have you been thinking about that need to read this?  If you are less than first in line, you are already deceived.  Do not be deceived.  Your heart is deceitful above all things, so why trust in your judgment concerning yourself?  Go ask God, I pray, that he would show you how unvirtuous you are.  "Lord, do I speak too much?  Really?  That much?  Do I criticize others?  Do I lie?  Do I dishonor?  Do I disrespect?  Do I dry up bones?  Do I worship myself?  Do I worship by body?  Am I a crown of glory to my husband or to my father?  Do I watch vanity?  Do I read vanity?  Do I fantasize?  Search me O Lord, and know my deepest thoughts and see if there be in me a self-glorifying, unvirtuous, hidden agenda in me.  Expose me, Lord, gently, and allow me to start anew and afresh as a daughter of the good King.  Nail my impurity to your cross and may I fear you as God, staying low in humility and seeking virtue unto your Glory all the days of my life."

   Dear woman, Fight for it.  Don't take it lightly.  It is worth it.  It is necessary.  Shine in the Lord and spare us all from the disgust and grief.  Find a virtuous woman and  become like her.  Perhaps the greatest verse and most applicable from all of Proverbs 31 is verse 30.  "Favor is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised."

Facebook

Hello everyone,

We've been asked quite often why we are so sluggish in joining facebook (or any social network).

To this point our answers as to why we haven't joined yet have been unclear at best. There are more or less particular reasons for our inactivity on the matter but none of them as simple and as clear as the fact that we are simply not interested in joining. If you are still curious as to why we choose not to, the most honest answer you will ever get is that we are truly and definitely and entirely uninterested. 

I even googled "facebook" images to maybe find something to go along with this post but all I got was a confirmation to my thoughts. I just couldn't care any less about it.  It makes me want to read Ecclesiastes again.

I hope this note finds you well. Please be challenged by it. From an exhorting brother to you!

Go read your Bible instead of updating your facebook account, for in it are the words of life.  Maybe you won't get as many people asking to be your friend, but you will be shocked beyond your wildest dreams at how content you can be without a single one of them (friends) when you find yourself staring at the fiercely compassionate face of the living God.

Quit inviting internet 'friends' to your web page rather than inviting  lost souls to the foot of the cross. 

I hope  you are sound enough to read in my voice that I am not condemning you for using facebook. I am simply stating two things. One, that I am not interested in joining facebook. And two, I am encouraging you to search your heart today. If facebook has become your idol, then yes, you are rebuked for it, and I plead that you relinquish its hold on you - for your sake and for His glory. On the other hand, if your idol is something completely different, then my rebuke is exactly the same. Mankind can get quite creative with his idolatry, but in reality they ALL fall in to the "and they worshipped 'other gods' " category.

Friends, if you claim to know Christ but your lives don't reflect it, please shiver in despair. God is not mocked.

Don't play!   I love you so very much. Don't play!

Cry out.

Busy or Reflective

Every time we go to Crawfordville we enjoy Heavy's Barbeque.  

There's no other place like it.  

You'll have to try it with us someday!

   Someone put the following words together, "Hurry is not of the devil; it IS the devil."  I was just now writing my brother-in-law thanking him for house and dog sitting this weekend while we enjoyed a few days away in small town Crawfordville, GA.  As I wrote him, these words flowed out: "Boy we had a good time relaxing in that small Georgia town this weekend. No TV, no internet.  It was pleasant to have less 'busy' time and more 'reflective' time.  And what was interesting is that we exerted more physical activity being less 'busy' and more 'reflective'."

   I am sure that you too have heard countless times lately how noisy, busy, fast-paced, cluttered, over-saturated modern life is, but the thing is, it is really that way.  Our family watched a mini-series recently called "The Frontier House" and it was about 3 families in 2001 going back in time for a 5-month period to the 1873 Montana Territory Homesteading.  It was a fascinating account. But, one of the most tragic moments in the 6 hours of footage was when one of the men felt like he was going to lose his mind when he returned to the 21st century and was bombarded by over stimulation of the senses when he spent a night on the town.  "So many lights, so many choices, so much noise."  It was rather depressing to watch him realize the futility of his life.  Oh that man would turn to God and find purpose.  

   I am rather nostalgic at heart, but this post has nothing to do with returning to simpler times for the sake of past glories, but rather for the sake of sanity and hearing the real voice of God. Dear friend, my encouragement to you today is that you unplug your ipod and everything else that that word stands for.

   -- Tim

"Mama, What does miserable mean?"

  The conversations that Tim and I have the privilege of having with our children are priceless. I should recount them more often and will try to do a better job of sharing some of them.

   Today Hannah, Lauren, and I were sitting at our kitchen table eating lunch as we do almost everyday.  Usually after one of the girls prays for "this good family, this good food, and for Papa to come home safe" we start praising the Lord. Sometimes we praise the Lord for "a warm house, good food to eat, a little brother" and sometimes we praise Him that He is "wonderful, almighty, amazing" and things like that.  It is a fun time to just praise the Lord together.  

   After praising the Lord together today, Hannah looked at me and asked, "Mama, What does miserable mean?"  I said, "Well, it means really bad."  I said, "If I am having a miserable day, then I am having a really bad day, or if I feel miserable, then I am feeling really bad."

Without skipping a beat she asked, "Do you feel miserable when you have a baby?" (she was referring to child birth).  I was surprised by her question because I did not know she knew at this point that there was pain associated with child birth.  I responded, "Yes, I do feel miserable" (thinking of having Timmy, an 8.5 lb. baby, by way of natural birth with no numbing medication - not my choice)  :)  She asked, "Why do you feel miserable?"  "Because it hurts," I answered. Again, "Why?" she asked.

   Ah ha.  This is where we have the choice to give one of two answers - the physical answer (which she is really not interested in at this point, thankfully... because I'm not sure how great of a job I would do explaining this to a 4-year old)  or the spiritual answer.  I opted for option #2 - the spiritual answer.  :)

   So, in answer to her question about why I feel miserable when I have a baby and why it hurts, I answered.... "Hannah, do you remember what Mama told you yesterday after you had disobeyed?  I told you that you can choose your sin but not your consequence."  She remembered that from yesterday.  You see, she had chosen to disobey and have a bad attitude (that was her choice), but then Tim and I chose her consequence (how she would be disciplined).  So, this explanation of sin and consequences was fresh in her little mind.

Then, I took her back to the story of Adam and Eve.  She reminded me of what they did and how they disobeyed God. You probably see where I am going with this.... sin... consequences...

I said, "Hannah, Eve chose to sin by disobeying God, but God got to choose her consequence.  One of her consequences was that every time she had a baby it would hurt really bad."  Hannah looked at me surprised.  I went on to explain, "And guess what?  Part of the consequence of Eve's sin was that it would hurt every lady that ever had a baby forever and ever."  Her mouth dropped open.  She was shocked.  "Why?" she asked.  I said, "God gets to choose our consequences... our punishment."  "So, that is the reason it hurts when Mama has a baby and that is why I feel miserable.  It is because of Eve's sin."  She understood this in relation to her sin and consequences yesterday afternoon.  She was not confused and accepted very well that God is in control and we are accountable to Him for everything.  I think she is beginning to grasp how our sin doesn't just affect us... it also affects those around us.

It is so beautiful to have these kinds of conversations with our kids. They truly are little sponges, and I pray that we are molding and shaping their hearts into the image of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Anniversary Addendum (by Tim)

Hello!                                  July 28th, 2008

Today is my 7 year anniversary. I celebrated this joyous event with my wife 

two days ago with our youngest son James, who is still in the womb. We love our  children to pieces, but we love each other more, so it was nice to just spend the day together. I was so honored that Allyson would take me on a man date and be such a great friend to have along. She didn't roll her eyes or criticize me when I got excited over the things we were doing. She didn't rush me nor did she tell me how much she would rather be shopping for herself. It was a very unusual date for a man to enjoy with his wife. You see, we spent the day learning about guns and shooting them at the range and then walking casually through Sportsmen's Warehouse looking at all the "grunt!, grunt!" man things to do outdoors.

I say it was unusual because, you tell me how many couples you know where the wife would ever take her husband out on a "man's date", much less on an important anniversary and even being five months pregnant. That was a royal treat for me. Not  so much the fact that the "man date" was fun, but far more so that my wife would honor me and enjoy me enough to initiate it and enjoy every moment of it herself. 

Thank you baby, for making me feel wanted, admired and respected.

Happy 7th Anniversary!

How excited we are to be celebrating 7 wonderful years of marriage today!!  I honestly never, ever imagined that marriage could be this great!  On July 28, 2001, Tim and I were married here in Columbia, SC.  Then, we moved to Charlotte, NC for three years, and now we are back in Columbia again.  In the past seven years the Lord has blessed us far beyond what we could have asked or imagined, especially with our precious children.  Most of all He continues to reveal more of Himself to us as we study His Word.  We are thankful to be growing together in the Lord!  Every year of marriage truly does get better and better. In a world where you rarely ever hear that said, we realize how truly blessed we are, and we are SO VERY THANKFUL!  The picture I have included for this post is one that was taken right before we were married.  Wow!  We look young! :) We are looking forward to the next seven years!

Common Sense?

   "Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years.  No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.  He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:  Knowing when to come in out of the rain; why the early bird gets the worm; life isn't always fair; and maybe it was my fault.  Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

   "His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place.  Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student only worsened his condition.  Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.  It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an Aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.  Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses, and criminals received better treatment than their victims.  Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.  

   "Common Sense finally gave up the will to live after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot.  She spilled a little in her lap and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.  Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason.  He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, I Want It Now, Someone Else Is To Blame, and I'm A Victim.

   "Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.  If you still remember him, pass this on.  If not, join the majority and do nothing."

-- Author Unknown

New Dishwasher and New "Home"

   Recently we went to Sears to pick out a new dishwasher because our old dishwasher stopped working.  It was going to cost $120 for delivery and installation, so Tim decided to save us some money by bringing it home in his truck and then installing it himself.  I was so impressed that he installed it without a hitch and saved us a good bit of money at the same time.  Now I have a nice new dishwasher that works beautifully.  Thank you, baby!!     The box the dishwasher came in was far too big and fun to throw away, though.  So, the girls and I decided to make a house out of it.  We cut holes on each side to make windows and a large opening in front to make a door that Hannah and Lauren could enter and exit through.  We also made window boxes and put flowers in them, which were made out of pipe cleaners.  Then, came the really fun part - painting.  The girls had a blast painting their new house on two different afternoons.  They really enjoyed getting paint all over themselves and their clothes.  

   Mama is happy to have a new dishwasher, and the girls are happy to play in their new home.  

What are our children learning/doing?

What a blessing it is to have children!  I thought I'd take a few minutes to blog about what our children are doing these days.  We have so much fun learning together at home and in everything we do.  I am SO GRATEFUL to the Lord to have the privilege to stay home with our children.

Tim and I have been encouraged by the the following verses as we strive to raise our children to fear and love the Lord.  Deuteronomy 6:5-7 says, "And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.  And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:  And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up."

As excited as we are about educating our children at home, our number one focus and priority is to train their little hearts - to shepherd them and to mold them into the image of the Lord Jesus Christ.  It is fun to teach them how to read, how to write, how to add, etc.... but, oh how much more wonderful it is to teach them to hide God's Word in their hearts and to have them explain to us how it applies to their lives.  "I have hidden your Word in my heart that I might not sin against you."  My heart smiles every time I hear our girls singing God's Word around our home, in the car, outside playing, or at the store.  

So, what are our kids doing these days?  

Well, Hannah and Lauren continue to memorize Scripture, and Timmy will soon be catching on.  :)  Today we started working on Colossians 3:23-24, "Whatever you do, work at with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.  Since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

Tim shared these verses with the girls the other day while they were working on their "school work."  Everything they do, we want them to do unto the Lord... and oh what a challenge that is to us as parents to do the same.

What about Hannah?  She turned 4 just over three months ago.

As of  last week she read her first book to us - and she actually read it to me, sounding out all the words by herself, instead of just having it memorized.  She has "read" books to me before after memorizing them, but she did this one on her own.  I was so proud of her!!!  It's fun because educating our children at home allows them to learn at their own pace.  When they are ready to grasp a concept, I jump all over it.  But, if they are not ready yet, then we wait a while longer.  Hannah is ready and excited to learn how to read right now.  

She has known how to write all of her capital letters for quite a while now, but she can write almost all of her lower case letters now too.  Hannah is a great teacher to Lauren.  Anything she learns, she passes on to her sister.  We have an easel/chalk board.  Hannah has been teaching Lauren how to write her letters, and they have fun working together on this.

Hannah can also write all of our names by herself (Papa, Mama, Hannah, Lauren, Timmy, and many other words), and has also mastered simple addition.

Most of all, and most importantly, she is learning to trust the Lord, to pray from her heart, and to be joyful in all things.  We work on this daily, and now she is such an encouragement to Tim and me.  Just the other day she was reminding Tim to trust the Lord and that God ("the one true God") is amazing!  :)

What about Lauren?  She turned 3 just over three months ago.

She likes to memorize books and "read" them to us.  She also can write most of her capital letters now.  Just yesterday she surprised us and wrote 4 of our names all by herself (Papa, Mama, Hannah, Lauren), and as of today she can also write Timmy.  I was shocked because we haven't been working on this.  As I mentioned above, Hannah is a great teacher, and Lauren is a good student and loves to learn.  It's fun to watch our kids teach each other.

Lauren really enjoys coloring and does an amazing job coloring in the lines, almost as good as an adult.  She also likes to do connect the dots and simple mazes and loves to build with little legos. Both of our girls love playing with their baby dolls and being little mamas.  It is precious to watch them "train" their baby dolls as we are training them.  They don't miss a beat and are paying attention to everything.  

How about Timmy?  He is now 9 months old.

He is doing the army crawl these days and saying lots of new "words".  He also really enjoys holding our hands in order to walk across the room.  He is not ready to walk on his own, but he sure appreciates the helping hand as it gets him from one place to another much quicker. Timmy is able to entertain himself very well whenever he has big lego blocks.  One of our neighbors gave us a big box of legos that are just the right size for him... and the girls really enjoy them too.  It's fun to have a set of toys that all three kids can enjoy together.

As you can see, I am blessed to be the Mama of these precious cuties!!!

May we be faithful with these that the Lord has entrusted into our care.

Timmy at the Beach