My mom, Heather, and I went on the Girls-Get-Away Cruise last week and had a great time. We saw Big Daddy Weave, Shane and Shane, and many great speakers. We were supposed to go to Cozumel, but the boat had problems and we had to reroute to Progreso, Mexico. The times of worship were my favorite, and the food came in a close second.

Our day at Heifer Ranch...this is one of the urban slums

She loved all of the animals...she kept asking the tour guide if she would stop and let her pet them. She also asked if she could bring the dog home with her.

They were not so sure about the camel...the electric fence did not help.

He made the most of what was available. They all got the brooms and started sweeping this little house out. I could not pay them to do it at our house.



They loved all of these houses. They each picked out one that was theirs.
They would have played in them all day.

Playing and singing with the kids. Just overlook

the messy kitchen!!

I love my babies so very much!! They bring me so close to God!!! They actually send me running to his throne for HELP!!!! I see glimpses of Him in each one of them. It's so amazing how God works in their lives.
They are excited about celebrating the birth of our savior...and of course of the gifts they will receive. Seems kind of backward to me sometimes...we are so overly concerned with what we are going to give to our family. We rarely stop to think about the one gift that we posses that so many are so desperate for, yet we keep it to ourselves. I often wonder what would be on Jesus' birthday wish list. I know he would want his people to come to a place of complete devotion. I also know he would want salvation for all. Instead of a new years resolution to get in shape or to shake a bad habit...I want to be devoted to the ONE who has devoted his life to me. Merry Christmas.

After almost ten years and four kids...we still got it!!! LOL!!!

The kids and I have been working hard to get the house all cleaned up. Their cleaning style is like most children's...out of sight and the room is clean. When I go in to inspect their work, it all looks really good, and then I bend down and look under the bed. Yep...Their whole room is somehow crammed under there. It just makes me laugh because I think that is how we adults tend to "clean up"...to make sure we look good on the outside...to hide things down deep...to appear to be alright, when all the while we are hurting. This is true for me a lot of the time. I easliy push my frustrations and disappointments out of the way so that no one can see them. When on the inside I am screaming for help. I isolate myself from those I love because I don't want them to really know who I am and what I struggle with. The truth is that we all know how to play the "everything's fine" game. I usually lose because I can't hide out forever, and I can't keep things pushed down inside of me for too long. Eventually I have to deal with myself and take myself to the God who heals all of my hurts and who takes my disappointments and turns them into new growth. Richard and I have been stretched more lately than we have ever been before. The stretching does hurt, but afterward we seem to know God in a new way and we know each other in a new way too. The end of the clean house story is that we did get it all cleaned up...for now. There will always be things that God needs me to give him so that he can renew me and grow me...I just need to become better at not hiding things underneath my heart. I want to truely let go and allow him to have His way.

We have had a really great week this week. I feel like I have been able to spend so much time with the kids. We have played games, sang to the tops of our lungs, and had lots of laughs. I enjoy every moment that I get to share with them. They are so much fun. I have learned this week that in order to truly forgive someone I have to clear their record. I know it is easy to say we have forgiven, but if we continue to bring up past hurt or talk about the one who hurt us in a negative way, then we have not truely forgiven them. We studied the parable of the ungrateful servant who owed the king millions of dollars and would never to be able to repay him. Of course, we are the servant and Jesus is the king whom we can never repay. Instead of him demanding us to repay him for our debts he cancels them. I love that so much. I spend so much time trying to earn love and acceptance. I just want to be good enough...but I just can't. I am who I am because of who Jesus is and becuase of what he has done. I want to live a life of forgiveness and mercy to others because of Jesus' forgiveness and mercy to me. I love being his child, and I know he loves being my God.