I love to take pictures and while I am not a scrapbooker, I do like to put them in albums so my children can take them off the bookshelf and look at them. Each book is labeled with the dates of the pictures inside and I love them because I feel like they tell the story of our life together as a family.
I have been behind on pictures and albums almost the entire time we have lived here. I ordered all the pictures a while back but have had them in stacks waiting to go in the albums for months. Since we are moving soon I have been motivated to get them in the albums so we can pack them for the move.
Today as I filled the albums with pictures starting right about the time we moved here to Florida. I struggled not to get really sad about the time that has gone by so quickly here. It seems like we just moved here and yet in just a week or so from now it will have been 3 years. I don't even think I realized until looking through the pictures today how much we have actually done while stationed here. It has been a great time and I will miss it so much.
You never take pictures of the bad times or the trials, yet so often those are the things that you always remember the most. Looking at my pictures today I didn't see all the trials we experienced while here in Panama City. What I saw were trips to the beach, Birthday party's, house remodeling, visits from friends and family, lost teeth, stitches, haircuts, even a sweet baby brother being born! Blueberry picking, Thanksgiving Dinners, church activities. Every picture told a part of the story. The story of our life here in Panama City. What a fun and exciting story it has been. I will not be sad about it though as I have struggled with all day! I will be joyful and thankful for the blessing Panama City has been to me and my family. God is so good and he always has good plans for us! We just have to take the time to see His side of the story!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
My Long Lost Blog!!
Ok so tonight something sparked my memory of this long lost blog that I have neglected for so long. It reminded me of how much I grew when I really took the time each day to ask myself “What did God teach me today and in what ways did I seek Him first?” Then journal (or blog I guess would be the term!) about it. I didn’t realize how much I missed that. But of course lots happened over this last year and I think maybe it was perfectly in God’s plan for me to take some time off. Maybe I’ll try to get back in to it if I can. It probably won’t be everyday…especially since we are supposed to be packed out of this house in like 6 weeks! But, I’ll try my best.
God is definitely working in my life even if I don’t have time to blog about it. Right now he is helping me to work through the idea of moving this summer and homeschooling next year. I have been so hesitant to make that final decision about doing it. (home schooling not moving…that I don’t have a choice about!) I asked the Lord to help me the other day to see why it is that I am having such a hard time with it. I know that I want to be with my children because they are growing so fast and I feel like it is going to be over in a flash. I know that I want to be able to instill Godly values in them. I know that it would be valuable to them, so why is it that I am so afraid of it? Little by little the Lord has been giving me answers.
The first one is: With all that has happened in our family in the past year our home has been a little chaotic. We have slacked off in our parenting and not been as diligent in our disciplining. There is whining and disobedience, disrespect and dishonor. It has all snuck in so slyly. This week I realized that if I want to home school we have to restore the order in our home.
But if you will look to God and plead with the Almighty, if you are pure and upright, even now he will rouse himself on your behalf and restore you to your rightful place. Job 8:5-6
And secondly: The Lord showed me that I am worried with what others will think. My husband’s family in Michigan and mine in Chicago will be so close now and I can already feel myself starting to concern myself with what they think. I know better. I must choose God over man.
Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. Galatians 1:10
God is definitely working in my life even if I don’t have time to blog about it. Right now he is helping me to work through the idea of moving this summer and homeschooling next year. I have been so hesitant to make that final decision about doing it. (home schooling not moving…that I don’t have a choice about!) I asked the Lord to help me the other day to see why it is that I am having such a hard time with it. I know that I want to be with my children because they are growing so fast and I feel like it is going to be over in a flash. I know that I want to be able to instill Godly values in them. I know that it would be valuable to them, so why is it that I am so afraid of it? Little by little the Lord has been giving me answers.
The first one is: With all that has happened in our family in the past year our home has been a little chaotic. We have slacked off in our parenting and not been as diligent in our disciplining. There is whining and disobedience, disrespect and dishonor. It has all snuck in so slyly. This week I realized that if I want to home school we have to restore the order in our home.
But if you will look to God and plead with the Almighty, if you are pure and upright, even now he will rouse himself on your behalf and restore you to your rightful place. Job 8:5-6
And secondly: The Lord showed me that I am worried with what others will think. My husband’s family in Michigan and mine in Chicago will be so close now and I can already feel myself starting to concern myself with what they think. I know better. I must choose God over man.
Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. Galatians 1:10
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