Christmas pictures

We had family pictures taken for our Christmas cards and they turned out wonderful!  Mostly because the photographer was fabulous! (Suzanna VanDyke)  Here are just a few.  Enjoy :)  

Pastor Gillespie

We are 3 weeks away from Jason's completion of seminary training!  Four and a half years ago this day seemed so far away and almost unreachable but here we are at the end.  We are currently seeking out where the Lord would place us in ministry.  Please pray for our family as we candidate and prepare to transition into a new ministry role.  Our dear friend, Wendy, made Jason a web-site in order to better communicate with any church interested in him.  I thought you might want to check it out. 

http://www.pastorgillespie.com/

Dancing in the Minefields

Jason and I love this song by Andrew Peterson.  We had never heard of him until my friend Jody Sauder posted this video on her blog.  We are fans now :)  For all my friends who love their marriage and consider the costs...

I was nineteen, you were twenty-one

The year we got engaged
Everyone said we were much too young
But we did it anyway

We bought our rings for forty each
From a pawn shop down the road
We made our vows and took the leap
Now fifteen years ago

We went dancing in the minefields
We went sailing in the storm
And it was harder than we dreamed
But I believe that's what the promise is for

"I do" are the two most famous last words
The beginning of the end
But to lose your life for another I've heard
Is a good place to begin

'Cause the only way to find your life
Is to lay your own life down
And I believe it's an easy price
For the life that we have found

And we're dancing in the minefields
We're sailing in the storm
This is harder than we dreamed
But I believe that's what the promise is for

So when I lose my way, find me
When I loose love's chains, bind me
At the end of all my faith, till the end of all my days
When I forget my name, remind me

'Cause we bear the light of the Son of Man
So there's nothing left to fear
So I'll walk with you in the shadowlands
Till the shadows disappear

'Cause he promised not to leave us
And his promises are true
So in the face of all this chaos, baby,

I can dance with you 

I'm a football mom!!

Noah has tried a few different sports over the past few years and has enjoyed them but had not found a sport that he loved... until now.  He began playing tackle football this year and he is in love with this sport!!  At first, I was very worried that my baby would be hurt and that I might not be able to watch him play.  After the first game my fears were turned into cheers!! We all had such a blast at the game!  I think Jason and I are some of the loudest parents in the stands!  We thoroughly enjoy the games especially since Noah has a passion and excitement for football that we've never seen in him before. He plays for the Canyon Country Outlaws.  He is #71, plays offense and defense!  Here are a few football pictures!

He is so cute!!

I love the view!  The mountains are beautiful in California :) 

Do you see #71?

Great tackle!

He took that kid down!! Great job Noah! 

They won this game!!!  Great job guys! 

He looks like a professional!!  I had such a hard time choosing these pictures to post out of 680 taken.  The team has one game left in this season.  They are currently 2 for 8 but the boys have had such a great time and have learned much about the game, working as a team and good sportsmanship.

I love being a football mom but more than that is the blessing of being Noah's mom! 

Ten Thousand Faults

"He who grows in grace remembers that he is but dust, and he therefore does not expect his fellow Christians to be anything more.  He overlooks ten thousand of their faults, because he knows his God overlooks twenty thousand in his own case.  He does not expect perfection in the creature, and, therefore, he is not disappointed when he does not find it."  Charles Spurgeon

Where's Anna Clair?

 Do you see her?

What about in this picture?

Yeah, I see her too.  We stopped by Old Navy this week and I had my camera in my purse.  I thought this would be a cute picture and she had a blast posing for me!! 

Anna Clair swimming!

Jason taught Anna Clair how to swim this summer! 

Great reminder!!

‎"Our conduct has a direct influence on how people think about the gospel. The world doesn't judge us by our theology; the world judges us by our behavior. People don't necessarily want to know what we believe about the Bible. They want to see if what we believe makes a difference in our lives. Our actions either bring honor to God or misrepresent His truth." Carolyn Mahaney

Funny Faces

In our home we laugh a lot!  While Jason is a godly man and an outstanding leader, he is also very funny!  These are a few funny faces that we've made this summer.  What wonderful memories we make while having a blast together!   

These were taken at Disney.  We had just rode Pirates of the Caribbean and walked into a shop!  While we didn't buy anything we had a blast playing with all the cool accessories and toys.  

Jason is a cool pirate! 

Watch out, she has a sword!!

Arr!! She is a cutie without her 2 front teeth!

<3

Anna Clair is scary!

Emma Grace loves to pretend.  She had a blast dressing up and talking like a pirate. 

I loved this picture of the girls shooting targets at Disney.  Anna Clair's face is adorable!

I couldn't leave Noah out of this post!  He isn't into making silly faces!

My sister bought my kids this ball thing.  Well, one of them busted and Jason, being silly, used it as a hat.  Of course, we all joined in and had a great laugh!! 

Alison took this at a restaurant!  Now you know why my girls love to make silly faces.  They get it from Daddy :)  I love it!! 

I think they'd pass for backwoods rednecks! 

We are blessed to have such a funny Daddy!

Thoughts from Emma Grace

 Emma Grace completed 1st grade this year and during the year she kept a "My Thoughts Journal".  She gave it to us as a gift at the end of the school year.  Jason and I enjoyed reading her journal.  This is how it works.... The teacher gives them a page with a box at the top for them to draw a picture.  In the middle the teacher has a sentence for them to complete.  Here are some of Emma Grace's thoughts throughout her first grade year....


I'd like to meet God because.... there will be no sadness or sickness in heaven.
If I had three wishes, I would wish for... To be a princess so I would not have to clean my room, a dog and braces.
The person I most admire... is God because he is mighty and powerful.
Today I'm thinking about... getting married.  It is so hard to choose.  I'm thinking about going to heaven!!
(Oh my, what 1st grade girls think about... getting married and going to heaven! This is too funny!) 
I want to learn more about... God because he loves me and does not sin!
If the dinosaurs were alive today... I would scream and run!!!!
I feel afraid when... I am not afraid because God is with me.
I don't understand why... I don't understand why my dad can do a handstand!
I'd like to visit ... I'd like to visit my mammow because she loves me and gives me everything I want.
Today I'm thinking about.... how to get a job because I want to get money!!
I know that I am special because.. I'm special because God made me and I'm proud of it!  I like it that way.
My most embarrassing moment was... when I burped in front of the class really loud.  It was gross.
I wonder why... I wonder why I can not do a cart wheel but my Dad can do a hand stand!
The perfect day would be... The day that we never ran out of gatorade! (She drew a picture of a Gatorade Station!)
I know a lot about.... LOVE! Because I get loved all the time!! (How sweet!!)

AWARDS DAY AT SCCS!!

Emma Grace  made the A honor roll and earned the Christian Character award!!  We are so proud of our sweet Emma Grace!!

Noah made the B honor roll and earned the Diligence award!  We are also very proud of our precious Noah!!

Treating Others Gently

  We receive daily devotionals from Jerry Bridges.  Each day we are emailed a great devotional from his book, Holiness Day by Day.  Today's message was such an encouragement that I felt the need to share with my friends and family.       

Treating Others Gently

Today's Scripture: Matthew 11:29
"Learn from me, for I am gentle."
Read it online at the Bible Gateway: (NIV) (NASB) (KJV) (The Message)

A profile of gentleness as it should appear in our lives will first include actively seeking to make others feel at ease, or "restful," in our presence. We should not be so strongly opinionated or dogmatic that others are afraid to express their opinions in our presence. Instead, we should be sensitive to others' opinions and ideas. We should also avoid displaying our commitment to Christian discipleship in such a way as to make others feel guilty, taking care not to break the bruised reed of the hurting Christian or snuff out the smoldering wick of the immature Christian.

Second, gentleness will demonstrate respect for the personal dignity of the other person. Where necessary, it will seek to change a wrong opinion or attitude by persuasion and kindness, not by domination or intimidation. It will studiously avoid coercion by threatening, either directly or indirectly (as Paul, for example, avoided it in his appeal to the Corinthians).

Gentleness will also avoid blunt and abrupt speech, instead seeking to answer everyone with sensitivity and respect, ready to show consideration toward all. Gentle Christians do not feel they have the liberty to "say what I think and let the chips fall where they may." Instead they're sensitive to the reactions and feelings of others. When gentle Christians find it necessary to wound with words, they also seek to bind up those wounds with words of consolation and encouragement.

Finally, gentle Christians will not degrade or belittle or gossip about the brother or sister who falls into some sin. Instead they will grieve for him or her and pray for that person's repentance. If it's appropriate to become personally involved, they'll seek to restore the person gently (Galatians 6:1), aware that they too are subject to temptation.

Visit the The Navigators' Devotional Ministry website for more devotional resources.

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New Family Picture

I thought it would be fun to change our family picture!  This was taken right before Jason left the Tupelo Fire Department 4 years ago and headed west to California!!  My 3 blessings are much younger.  We've all grown up so much in the past 4 years.   

Grandparents Day at SCCS

Our kids attend a wonderful Christian school, Santa Clarita Christian School.  Each year the school has Grandparents Day and since our grandparents live in Mississippi we have honorary grandparents.  Mr. & Mrs. Bob White came to celebrate with our kids this year.  We love this family and consider them spiritual grandparents to our kids!

Ms. Teri, Anna Clair and Mr. Bob 

Noah was thrilled that Mr. White could come and be his Granddad for the day.  Afterward he took Noah to Ihop for lunch! 

Mr. Bob's name tag :) 

Emma Grace and Ms. Teri

Ms. Teri took Emma Grace to tea at the Tea Gardens!  She had a great time!

They had such a great time that they would like Mr. & Mrs. White to be their grandparents next year as well.  

Lizards, snakes and roly-polies

My kids love to be outside.  They love living in southern California and enjoying the great outdoors just about everyday year round!  Our back yard is full of lizards and bugs.  My kids always try to catch them but haven't been successful until this week.  Emma Grace caught a lizard!!

She really wanted to keep him!  

Anna Clair's turn to hold the lizard.

Cute!

Emma Grace being oh so careful with her lizard! 

Last week we had planned to visit the zoo but our plans changed.  So, after dinner one night Daddy took us to Pet Smart to look at the animals!  Kinda like the zoo :)  Emma Grace and Anna Clair held a snake!  I couldn't believe my little girls wanted to hold a snake!

She is so brave!

Amazing ;) 

The kids often catch lady bugs or roly-polies!  Emma Grace and Anna Clair thought it would be fun to put this guy on their face! 

How funny!! Maybe they need a dog...