Nursery Cuties!

I had to take some pictures of these two while we were in the nursery on Sunday ~ could not get them to smile or look at the camera at the same time!  

Jingle Bells & Zach

BeBe & CeCe Winans Jingle Bells is one of our favorite Christmas songs and we introduced Zach to it tonight. So cute! He started bobbing his head and then asked Mike what song it was and Mike responded that it was Jingle Bells and then asked him if he like it. He says, "Yeah, I love this song." And now we've listened to it three times in a row......just so cute!

Sent from my iPhone

Brotherly Love

We love to get the car washed but the boys don't like it as much :) we just went through the car wash and normally either Mike or I hold Zach or Cole's hand but today when we looked back, Cole had taken Zach's hand and they were comforting each other ~ so precious! After we exited, Zach looks at Cole and says "thank you" ~ even more precious!

Be Still and Know.....

Be still and know that He is God Be still and know that He is holy Be still, O restless soul of mine Bow before the Prince of peace Let the noise and clamor cease Be still Be still and know that He is God Be still and know that He is faithful Consider all that he has done Stand in awe and be amazed And know that He will never change Be still Be Still, and know that He is God Be Still, and know that He is God Be Still, and know that He is God Be Still Be speechless Be still and know that he is God Be still and know he is our Father Come rest your head upon his breast Listen to the rhythm of his unfailing heart of love Beating for His little ones Calling each of us to come Be Still Be Still

Blessed Be His Name.....

Maker of the earth and sky
Ruler of the heavens
He whom death could not contain
Blessed be His name

Bring to him your troubled heart
Lay your cares before him
He has suffered every pain
Blessed be His name

Perfect and unchanging
Sinless son of man
Author of our simple faith
Blessed be His name

Constant through our darkest hour
Stronger than our weakness
Bearer of our grief and shame
Blessed be His name

Humbly bow before him
Praise Him for His grace
Ever will his love remain
Blessed be His name

Present and abiding
Usher in his reign
With us through the end of days
Blessed be His name
Author of our growing faith
Blessed be His name

Sleepover with the Cousins!

We have never had a sleepover with the cousins before and yesterday it just worked out! Taylor and Cole were so excited. Zach just made a bunch of noise so I think he was excited too. :)
We watched lots of movies and played the iPads and totally trashed their bedroom and playroom - I believe they had a blast :)
Taylor is already asking for the next time ~ we are going to have to make this a regular thing!

O Church Arise...

O Church Arise
by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend
O Church Arise and put your armour on
Hear the call of Christ our Captain
For now the weak can say that they are strong
In the strength that God has given
With shield of faith and belt of truth
We’ll stand against the devil’s lies
An army bold whose battle-cry is Love
Reaching out to those in darkness
Our call to war to love the captive soul
But to rage against the captor
And with the sword that makes the wounded whole
We will fight with faith and valour
When faced with trials on every side
We know the outcome is secure
And Christ will have the prize for which He died
An inheritance of nations

Come see the cross where love and mercy meet
As the Son of God is stricken

Then see His foes lie crushed beneath His feet

For the Conqueror has risen
And as the stone is rolled away
And Christ emerges from the grave
This victory march continues till the day
Every eye and heart shall see Him
So Spirit come put strength in every stride
Give grace for every hurdle
That we may run with faith to win the prize
Of a servant good and faithful
As saints of old still line the way
Retelling triumphs of His grace
We hear their calls and hunger for the day
When with Christ we stand in glory

This song is such an encouragement to me.  Gives me a refreshed renewed vigor to serve Christ and to face each day and the circumstances that are ahead of me.  I'm so thankful for each and every day to serve Him.

The Will of God...

The will of God will never take you,

Where the grace of God cannot keep you.
Where the arms of God cannot support you,
Where the riches of God cannot supply your needs,
Where the power of God cannot endow you.


The will of God will never take you,
Where the spirit of God cannot work through you,
Where the wisdom of God cannot teach you,
Where the army of God cannot protect you,
Where the hands of God cannot mold you.


The will of God will never take you,

Where the love of God cannot enfold you,

Where the mercies of God cannot sustain you,

Where the peace of God cannot calm your fears,

Where the authority of God cannot overrule for you.

 
The will of God will never take you,
Where the comfort of God cannot dry your tears,
Where the Word of God cannot feed you,
Where the miracles of God cannot be done for you,
Where the omnipresence of God cannot find you.

I Choose....

I CHOOSE LOVE...

No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness.

I choose love.

Today I will love God and what God loves.

I CHOOSE JOY...

I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance.

I will refuse the temptation to be cynical....the tool of the lazy thinker.

I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings,

created by God.  I will refuse to see any problem as

anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I CHOOSE PEACE...

I will live forgiven.  I will forgive so that I may live.

I CHOOSE PATIENCE...

I will overlook the inconveniences of the world.

Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so.

Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray.

Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I CHOOSE KINDNESS...

I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone, kind to the rich, for they are afraid.

And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

I CHOOSE GOODNESS...

I will go without a dollar, before I take a dishonest one.

I will be overlooked before I will boast.  I will confess before I will accuse.

I choose goodness.

I CHOOSE FAITHFULNESS...

Today I will keep my promises.

My debtors will not regret their trust.  My associates will not question my word.

My husband will not question my love. 

And my children will never fear that their mother will not come home.

I CHOOSE GENTLENESS...

Nothing is won by force.  I choose to be gentle.

If I raise my voice may it only be in praise.

If I clench my fist, may it only be in prayer.

If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

I CHOOSE SELF-CONTROL...

I am a spiritual being...after this body is dead, my spirit will soar.

I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal.

I choose self-control.  I will be drunk only with joy.

I will be impassioned only by my faith.  I will be influenced only by God.

I will be taught only by Christ.

I choose self-control.

Love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness,

Faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

To these I commit my day.

If I succeed, I will give thanks.

If I fail, I will see His grace.

And then, when this day is done,

I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

Taylor's K4 Orientation

I never dreamed that I would be sending my little boys off to school.  Never.  But when God gave me a job that provided the income to allow our children to attend private school, both Mike and I agreed that this would be our plan. Registration was easy.  Getting information in the mail was okay.  School shopping wasn't quite so easy and now, orientation has come and gone and that was not easy.  I don't even want to think about tomorrow morning.  Where has the time gone?  Why does it have to go so quickly?  I want him to stay a little boy that needs me for everything and at the same time, I desire with all my heart to see him grow into a wonderful young man.  It's so hard........I already miss you, Tay Bear.

Little Coley.....

I found my little boy on the floor of his bedroom this morning curled up with his pillow pet and his blanket.  When this happens, I always wonder if he has had a bad dream......I just love his little person!

Softball Rides :)

Grandpa is a big hit with the kids at softball.  When he comes over with the golf cart, he is ambushed immediately!  It's so cute!

MY softball player :)

Cousins :)

Lunch with Nick and Kaylee

Lunch outside anyone?

The boys have loved being outside enjoying the beautiful weather and we tend to each lunch out there most days. I was getting Zach his food and had left them outside to figure out where they were going to sit and came to the door to find them like this. I had to just capture the pure innocence of a summer day when you are young.

 

 

 

Kiddy Pool Time!

Got out the pool today in celebration of the warm weather! :) The boys thoroughly enjoyed it. 

I think this will be staying up all summer!  Yea summer!

Preparation

I am a "list writer". I tend to make sure that I am prepared beyond prepared for most occasions in my life. I like to know what's going to happen by schedule and I enjoy having a planner. I'm a planner. So therefore I plan! This is really deep, huh? :) I guess the thing that has hit me recently is that the only thing I don't really prepare for or plan out is how God is going to be the center of each day. I seem to think that it's just going to happen. And maybe sometimes it does. But on the days that fall apart and everything seems to be going wrong and I feel like I am not accomplishing anything, I tend to turn around and blame the Lord for not helping me that day. When in all seriousness I'm the one who left Him behind. My pastor's wife illustrated it so beautifully during a Bible study one night. God is always sitting in the "study" of our heart. He's waiting to have that morning coffee with us and plan out our day. But most mornings we walk by the study focused on what's in the kitchen or laundry room or who's in the bedroom or bathroom and we say to ourselves that the time in the study isn't the most important thing that day. And He waits. Patiently. For us to realize that it is. How long will it be before we are in the "study" with Him? Meeting with Him and asking His guidance on what we should do for the day? For me, it's random. And I'm disappointed. Disappointed that I left Him waiting. Oh how kind He is! Oh how undeserving I am of His grace!
I wish I had been more understanding of what a great partner He is! He is the ultimate day-planner!!! Can you imagine sitting down with Him and planning out the day? What advice you would get on time- management! :) I'm hoping that more days than not I walk directly to that study and meet with my Personal Advisor. I want to plan my days with Him.

Not enough media....

Or maybe too much! We have a 46" flat screen that is connected to Netflix but what do they choose to watch? The Netflix account on my iPad......go figure. :)

God Provides...

...even when I am not worthy of His provision, He still blesses me beyond what I deserve.

There are so many things that I have been praying for lately, things that have filled my heart sometimes with deep sadness and an overwhelming sense of loss as to where to go and what to do to handle that particular situation.

One of the things that I have been asking the Lord's guidance on was an opportunity that He would see fit to provide me with a way of bringing in an income. There are so many unseen changes ahead for our family as our church continues to grow and with the possibility of the house that we are currently living in being sold that it is sometimes hard to trust that He has everything in control. But when you can't do anything but trust......that's when He has the most control. I'm slowly learning that :)

I was not sharing this concern with anyone, just silently asking God to provide in the best way and after months of praying, without any doing of my own, without seeking it out and pushing for it to happen, within 6 days, from initial conversation to last interview, God provided a job where I can use my training and knowledge from my previous occupation, stay home with my children four days a week and work full time! It was all HIM! HE did everything! He answered every little prayer concerning this, every facet of this was already done and HE did it! I cannot praise HIM enough! At this point, in the middle of my first week working, I still cannot believe that it has happened. HE is so good to me! To us! To our family! Thank you Lord......

Oh What A Reason

I've been blessed with so many things, God's been good to me

I have family and friends who share in all I do

But if I lose it all and I am left with nothing

If I have the Lord I know I'll make it through

 

He's the only reason I live, but oh, what a reason

He's the only reason I live, but oh, what a reason

There's nothing in this world worth living for

It only leaves you empty and longing for more

Oh, He's the only reason I live, but oh, what a reason

 

Now you may have tried a lot of things to find real happiness

But if you've looked very long, then you know it can't be found

Until you find the Lord, in the power of His Spirit

Jesus will be your reason to live and He'll never let you down

 

Well, there's nothing in this world worth living for

It only leaves you empty and longing for more

Oh, He's the only reason I live, but oh, what a reason

He's the only reason I live, but oh, what a reason!

Worst Christmas Gift Ever!!!

This is old news but even still I feel that I should post about it :) maybe I'm just looking for more sympathy since it all seems to have died here at home and on Facebook :)
On Christmas day, near the end of the day, I was bringing Christmas goodies upstairs and I had already arranged them on beautiful glass Christmas plates. As I was walking across the kitchen, going around the corner into my boys' bedroom, I stepped on a Thomas the Train take-n-play and there I went. An hour later I'm in the emergency room getting X-rays and 10 stitches, learning that I've broken the tip of my bone, shredded my middle finger with multiple lacerations with the possibility of losing all sensory nerves. Unbelievable.
But God knew that it was the best time for something like this to happen - Mike had this whole week off and was able to be caregiver, husband, father, laundry woman, dishwasher and all around handy man. He was absolutely amazing!!! I am slowly on the road to recovery.......it is very hard for me to be immobile......very hard...........

Night Sounds...

The time on this post will not lie. I have been awakened by my 5 1/2 month old who has decided that now is the perfect time to toot and talk! He's just cooing away with little interruptions of toots. I've never been one of those very sentimental people that joys to hear their sleeping infant awaken in the night because it's a moment to bond but hearing this has made my heart melt.......and now I think he's back asleep! Oh cuteness!!!

Happy New Year's!

I am all about new things and new goals and new adventures! I may not be the most spontaneous person there is but I do love looking forward to things! And a brand new year is one of them. I wouldn't say that I have any resolutions but more along the lines of aspirations. God is good to me and in that goodness I want to live. In those blessings, I want to try to bless others through Christ. And in His mercy, I will do the best that I can. This year could possibly bring many changes to my life and instead of fearing what those changes might be, I want to embrace them. Even as I sit here typing without the use of one finger, with three sick little boys, missing the first evening church service of the year, I am still surrounded by the warmth of God's never-ending grace and His ever-flowing love. I am blessed!

First Haircut!

I know that Zach is not even six months yet but unbelievably, it is time to trim this little boy's hair! He was born with so much of it that it is becoming hard to get it to look nice. So today, when Mike was trimming the other boys' hair, I had him do Zach's. What a pumpkin! We, of course, kept a little bit for his baby book and took these adorable pictures! Love this little "big" guy!

The stars.....

Tonight we took a drive after church to go get our state fair tickets and as we were driving home, Taylor rolled down his window and exclaimed "Look at the stars! I love them! They are so pretty!" Such pure innocence and excitement for the creation of God! It humbled me and made me think and wonder when is the last time that I got that excited about something God had created. I've so enjoyed this summer and I feel so blessed to be where I am. I too, love the stars and think they are pretty. :)

Enjoying the sunset....

I'm finding as we enjoy the little moments that I want to capture them more than ever. I think it's because I know that there will never be another time like this. I'm so grateful to have my three precious healthy boys! Thank you Lord for each day!

Christy Henderson
Sent from my iPhone

Blessings

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the achings of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise

Last night I heard a robin singing in the rain,

And the raindrop's patter made a sweet refrain,

Making all the sweeter the music of the train.

So, I thought, when trouble comes, as trouble will,

Why should I stop singing? Just beyond the hill

It may be that sunshine floods the green world still.

He who faces the trouble with a heart of cheer

Makes the burden lighter. If there falls a tear,

Sweeter is the cadence in the song we hear.

I have learned your lesson, bird with spotted wing,

Listening to your music with its tune of spring-

When the storm cloud darkens, its the TIME to sing.

~Eben Eugene Rexford~

I AM

The day that Zach arrived into this world, God gave me some special time with Him alone in the delivery room. I was able to read His word, gather strength for what was to come and thank Him for the miracle of new life.

Its in those life changing moments, that we yearn for something very special to remind us throughout the years of that time, that event, where we can remember just how close He was to us. Sometimes its Scripture, sometimes a song, sometimes a poem or something somebody said.

This day it was a song. I'm so thankful that the Lord still inspires talented people to write and express what He means to them because that inspiration and moving comes through the song and in turn inspires and moves others. What Holy Spirit leading.....

Pencil marks on a wall
I wasn't always this tall,
You scattered some monsters from beneath my bed,
You watched my team win,
You watched my team lose,
You watched when my bicycle went down again,

And when I was weak unable to speak,
still I could call You by name,
and I said “Elbow healer, Superhero,
come if You can,” and You said “I am”

Only 16, life is so mean, what kind of curfew is at ten PM
You saw my mistakes, You watched my heart break
Heard when I swore I’d never love again

When I was weak, unable to speak,
still I could call You by name,
and I said “Heart-ache Healer, Secret-keeper,
be my Best Friend” and You said “I am”

You saw me wear white, by pale candlelight,
I said forever to what lies ahead
two kids and a dream, with kids that can scream
too much it might seem when it’s two AM

When I am weak, unable to speak,
still I will call You by name.
“Oh Shepherd, Savior, Pasture-maker,
hold on to my hand,” and You say “I am.”

The winds of change,
And circumstance blow in and all around
us so we find a foothold that’s familiar,
And bless the moments that we feel You nearer
Life had begun, I was woven and spun,
You let the angels dance around the throne, who can say when,
But they’ll dance again, when I am free and finally headed home

I will be weak, unable to speak,
still I will call You by name
“Creator, Maker, Life-sustainer,
Comforter, Healer, My Redeemer,
Lord and King, Beginning and
the End, I am, yes, I am.”

Days...

There are so many of them. Most of them are wonderful, beautiful, lovely moments where I can find the strength and grace to be inspired by everything around me and truly know that I am blessed beyond what I deserve.

Then there are days like today where I have to be reminded that I am blessed and God has to show me specifically that He is there. One would think that it wouldn't have to be this way when if I stopped to consider that I have three healthy beautiful children and an incredible husband without even starting to list all the things that I have, I wouldn't and shouldn't need to be reminded.

These are the days where I cannot rise above my emotions, where I cannot positively assess where I am, where, most importantly, my time with God has gone to the back burner to sit and wait until I'm ready to stir it up.

Even now, as I try to get that special intimate time with God, my four week old is screaming in his little seat and I can hear my two and three year old fighting over bouncy balls in the entry way......where will I get the time to gather that strength for today?

Two minutes - that's all I need! The passage that I was suppose to read today was Psalms 51-55 and the two minutes that I received to read just Psalm 51 was exactly what I needed!

Verse 1

"Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy lovingkindness"

Verse 2

"Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin"

Verse 8

"Make me to hear joy and gladness;"

Verse 10

"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me"

Verse 11

"and take not thy holy spirit from me"

Verse 12

"Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit"

Verse 17

"a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise"

I am now refreshed and renewed, seeking for the good in today, with a better spirit given from Jesus! How exciting and humbling that I can commune with Him and He with me!

He giveth more grace...

...when the burdens grow greater. And they've grown. Right now, I'm not sure where I should be or how I should be acting or how I should be re-acting. I don't understand what He's doing in our life and I don't know why He would allow this at this time but He is. I just pray that I have the strength to go through it and survive. I'd rather not go through it though......

Zachary's First Visitors!

Nana & Papa Anderson

Grandpa & Grandma Henderson

Auntie Heather

Auntie Jessie

Auntie Erica

Uncle Garrett

Auntie Amy & Cousin Kaylee

Our Family!