GOD IS NUDGING

God has put something on my heart, and it has been sitting there for a long time.  It has drifted out of my mind from time to time and sat there dormant, and then all of the sudden it comes screaming back making me listen.  I am not sure exactly how to move with this nudge, but I feel I must move.  Honestly it is completely daunting, unrealistic, scary, crazy, etc., etc., etc.....that's how I know it's from God.   A few years ago, my church did a sermon series on simplifying Christmas.  One of the stats that my pastor shared was how much money it would take to provide clean water to everyone in the world....and let me tell you it's a lot.  In 2008 when I first heard this quote, it was $10 billion; and I thought....that is A LOT.  That is until I heard this number, $450 billion; and then I became sick to my stomach.  Can you guess what the $450 billion was spent on in 2008?  I dare say you won't believe it, because I still have trouble wrapping my brain around it; and I bet it's even more in 2013.  In 2008, Americans spent $450 billion on Christmas stuff....not helping homeless, sick, malnourished, starving, orphaned, no drinking water people....but on STUFF!  Since that day, I realized that even though $10 billion is a lot....it's really not that much in comparison to other stuff we waste spend our money on.  I have struggled and struggled with this.  As I said, it's been on my heart sitting for a long long time.  When I think to myself....What can I do to help solve this water issue?  I immediately follow up that thought with this thought....I can't do anything.  I'm one person, and I can't come up with $10 billion alone.  Then I am reminded of Rich Stearn's book "The Hole In Our Gospel" and how in so many instances...one person changed the lives of many with one small purchase or act of obedience.  Recently I find myself wondering this....What would happen if my church, your church, our church, the non-churched, believers, non-believers, whoever wanted to started a huge fundraising campaign to raise money for the least of these...the homeless, sick, malnourished, starving, orphaned or no drinking water people?  People helping people if you will.  What if we started with trying to raise as much as we could to provide clean drinking water to everyone we could?  Could we do it?  If we reached out to enough people, could we do it?  Could we do it?  I have this odd feeling that we could, and that is why God keeps telling me..."YOU have to start somewhere!"  I just finished reading 7 by Jen Hatmaker.  One of my favorite quotes from her was this...."Obedience is not a lack of fear.  It's just doing it scared!" Pray!

HEALTHY OR BUST!

My oldest daughter, Addi, and I have been trying to eat healthier and lose a little weight.   The main goal for me is to lose weight, and she is just along for the ride.  I begged asked her nicely if she would be my accountability partner, and she graciously agreed.  So far I've lost about 20 pounds...oh yea...but it has not been easy.  The eating healthy part is not that bad...a little boring...but not that bad.  Doing without soda...again not bad!  It's the doing without fancy, yummy coffee and not eating a much fruit that is the most difficult.  Did you know fruit is loaded with sugar?  Well it is....I still get to enjoy some fruit, but not as much as I want all day long like I did before.  I have been walking a lot, and we are both about to start a cycleates class...yes that is what you think it is...cycling and pilates....I'm scared!  As we transform our eating habits, the rest of my familia is going to get on board too...whether they like it or not.  Nobody needs to lose poundage, but they do need to have healthier eating habits; so away we go!  I just hope we can stick with it!!

Our Friend, The Ocean!

The beach....our happy place! We have been at the beach for the last 4 days! We had not originally planned on coming to the beach this year due to NPayne's lack of vacation time (he took 2 weeks off to go on mission trips) and our finances. Truthfully I was sad....not because we weren't having a vacation but because I know how much Cal (and I) love the ocean!  A few months ago, Cal started asking me when we would go to the beach.  We have taken him every year for quite a while now. I avoided his question until I could avoid no longer. Then I told NPayne..."I'm taking Cal to the beach! Even if its a few days, and we have to stay in an unideal location! He doesn't do camp or mission trip or anything, and that's all he asks for!" NPayne said, "Book it! We can go for these few days at this time!" I was giddy, and it was booked! We have spent the last 3 days with the ocean! Yesterday while I was watching my boy in the water with his dad, and watching my girls frolick around digging in the sand and dancing around in front of camera phones; life was just as it should be....simple, fun, together and overflowing with love for each other and the joy that encompasses me every time we are with God's miraculous creation....our friend, the ocean!  Last night, NPayne asked each of us what our rose had been on this trip. For us, it was being together in one way or another. The love that we have for each other is such a huge blessing, and I truly am so very grateful. While we are here, nobody sits around complaining about being bored or stares at the TV or stays in their rooms all day listening to music alone. Everyone sits together in the tiny living room on the uncomfortable rattan furniture singing, playing board games, talking, laughing and enjoying. As we approach our last day here with our friend, the ocean, I will once again watch my kids be kids and love the simple but miraculous parts of life. I will sit with my toes in the sand and read my devotionals and drink my coffee, and I will etch on my memory these four days, and I will whisper "Thank You!" Over and over again!

CONFESSION

I'm going to throw something out there, and I apologize in advance if it is offensive; but....I DO NOT LIKE SLEEPOVERS!  There I said it....I just don't.  Okay so does this make me a bad mom?  Not sure, but it makes me an honest one.  As the kids get older, sleepovers are easier; but honestly I just kinda like having them all to myself.  Now as far as hosting sleepovers....well here goes....I REALLY DO NOT LIKE SLEEPOVERS!  My kids are always so grumpy the next day, and they oftentimes keep me up; and I'm not good without sleep.  Now with all of the confessing going on, I must also confess this....I pretend that I like sleepovers for my kids.  Just to share a little irony with you...as I'm typing this....I KID YOU NOT....Elliot comes to me and says, "I'm having the best time with K.  I think this is going to be the best sleepover ever.  I'm glad you planned it!" And then she puckered up and kissed me on the lips with a big ear to ear smile!  So I guess that makes a little difference in how I feel about sleepovers....a LITTLE...when I'm tired and dealing with grumpy kids tomorrow, I'll get back to you.

CALLAHAN!

My boy and his favorite past time!  

He makes all sorts of cool cities, towns, carnivals, events; 

but this day he kept it simple with Elli's flashlight to light the way through the tunnel!

Mission Trip Take Two

NPayne and Drewby Lou left for mission trip this past weekend.  They are working in Waxahachie, Texas.  Drew was so very excited to travel....even though it wasn't very far....to serve.  She has served a lot locally, but the travel in a van...sleeping on an air mattress....working somewhere else....spending time with her dad, friends, and youth pastor were something she couldn't wait to do.  NPayne left Saturday morning.  Drewby left Sunday afternoon.  I am so proud of their hearts and willingness to serve, but I can't wait until Friday!

Lunch Anyone??

Activities

I can't believe it's almost mid July, and I have yet to get one "project" on my summer project list completed.  I need my awesome husband, NPayne, to assist me in about 99.9% of my projects; so.....I'm waiting.  Although I haven't gotten much accomplished this summer, I have enjoyed my time with my kids and many good friends.  Fall, in our household, is going to look a lot different.  I have a new part-time job.  Addi is no longer spending every waking moment in band, since she decided to quit drumming.  Not sure what she is doing with her spare time, but we are hoping a job and some guitar playing!  I'm hoping B will make Dance Team and knock her schedule from two days/week of dancing to one.  Of course she will want to continue with voice and piano lessons. Elliot....not sure yet....she knows she wants to finish up her music class, but then will it be soccer or dance?  Drew is going to be in athletics, but I have no idea what that means really.  She will probably still want to do art and/or theatre!  Cal....he will do what he always does...except he will be doing it in high school...yowza!  I am going to start a regimented work out plan and get the girls involved in it too.  It's time for me to start putting all of this stuff into action, and see what days are available for family dinners.  Since our Fridays and Saturdays will be freed up, with no band commitments nor soccer commitments, the world is our oyster!  Maybe some road trips this Fall???

NEW YORK

The best part of our trip to NYC for me was watching Addison take it all in and seeing her heart and soul revealed right before my eyes. I know what she is made of, and I have seen it many many times before....but to see her in this environment made my insides turn to mush. Since she was very little, she has wanted to go to NYC and see a show on Broadway....that is basically all there is on her bucket list. I have tried to make it happen in the past, but I just couldn't for one reason or another. As we walked around each day, hot and sweaty and tired, not once did she complain....she would smile and say something like "I love it here!" or "It's exactly what I pictured!" She was like a little girl with her big bright smile and glowing eyes. Experiencing it through her eyes made the trip the perfect trip for me....even though I did complain about hot, sweaty and tired....I rolled with it and did whatever she wanted. Once we had seen WICKED, she said...."My bucket list is complete!"... and everything else was just a bonus to her. The one thing I have always known about her is how sweet and caring she is, but it was reiterated time and time again on this trip. We would see someone begging for money, and she would look at me with those big beautiful pleading eyes; and I would tell her to give them some money if she felt led to do so. And she did, every time. It was her money after all, and she could spend it how she wanted. Homelessness in NYC is so in your face, and it is something we don't visually experience everywhere we go in Grapevine. I mean, she knows there are homeless people everywhere, but we don't see them come into the place we are eating, dig through the trash can that is right next to us, take out half eaten hotdogs and engulf them right before your eyes. We don't see people begging on the street for food in Grapevine. It was something she couldn't ignore, and something I would never encourage her to ignore. She learned, a long time ago, that the money is not ours anyway....it belongs to God. What we are called to do is be good stewards of it, and if you feel led to give it away; then give it away. Sure there are times when discernment might kick in, and you think it might not be a good idea. But if your heart says, give it; then give it. Once it is given, what is done with the money is out of our control; and it is not our place to judge how it is spent. That is between God and that person! I read one of Addi's tweets yesterday that said something like....If I lived in NY, I would never have any money; because I would give it all away! And again, my insides turned to mush! God has blessed me with Addi...a girl with such a sweet spirit, and I hope to be just like her when I grow up! Thank you Pastor Ken for teaching this great lesson about stewardship! She and her heart were listening.