From Mommy to the Village

One of my worst fears is happening. We're sending Ty to public school. It's not public school that I'm against. I'd feel the same even if it were a Christian school. I wanted to homeschool the boys so much. Ty just wasn't into it at all. I wasn't consistant, didn't have routine, I really set him up for failure I think. I could have done better, and should have. I'm really sad about this decision, but I think at this point it is best for him. We went to the school today and he really liked it and is quite excited about it. I'm glad about that. I think he will have no problem making friends. I called his Sunday School teacher yesterday to see how he does in her class. She said he is great, does his work, has great manners, helps clean up, says "yes maam and no maam"...so I'm proud about that. I think he will be like that in school too. He does a lot better for other people than for me. Not sure how I feel about that, but I'll take it for now.

Please pray for me that I won't be a nervous wreck, and pray for Ty that he will remember what he's been taught and that he will always stand for Christ and do the right things. I know he's so young, but he's so impressionable, and I don't want him to think it's ok to say and do bad things b/c his friends do them. Pray for the future, whether to homeschool him later on, in a year or so...pray for wisdom of what to do with Brett next year. He LOVES homeschool. He asks for homeschool everyday and loves it. So Brett may be a different story.

I covet your prayers really! Thank you in advance for them.

Ty's second Basketball Game

This was Ty's second basketball game...1-15-11. He scored 10 points. He played so well! Very proud! Enjoy!

Use It Wisely

Our boys do chores (every once in a while) and I will give them .50 or $1.00 depending on what they do and what kind of attitude they do it with. But for Christmas, my grandmother gave the boys $50 a piece. "What in the world are we going to do with all that money?", I thought! We took the $50 bills to the bank and got 50 ones for each kid. That way it was easier to spread out. We bought 3 zipper pencil holders for each also. On them we wrote "Spending" "Saving" and "Giving". We also printed pictures to go with each (since they can't read yet). For spending we put a picture of a toy, for saving we put a picture of a piggy bank, and for giving we put a picture of OUR church. We also let them know that if someone is in need, we can take money from savings and help out with that need. Matt read from the Bible and explained that everything we have, even our money, is from God and we are to use it wisely. He taught them about tithing and giving back to God. Of course Brett asked, "What?? We throw it up in the air and God catches it??" Matt explained it a little more, haha!

So now it's easy for the boys to keep up with their money, it's easy to know what they will give every Sunday to church, and it makes them be more reserved on spending their money on toys toys toys.

I'm thankful for a godly husband who is willing to sit with the kids and teach them godly principles. I pray that my kids will hold fast to what we are teaching them...all through life.

Ty's First Upward Basketball Game-2011

INTRODUCING.........

Ty Williamson!!!!!!!

This one below is so funny. I had just missed his shot that he made and he was celebrating right when I started recording. He definitely thinks he's the champion!

Block it Ty!!!

The end! Good game!

Down in the Dumps...To the Mountaintop

I've been down in the dumps today. I don't know why. I know a few reasons, but it boils down to my selfishness and procrastination. I'm stressed over homeschool, house, life, etc...and then this evening I felt abandoned.

I didn't want to go to prayer meeting really. I knew there wouldn't be many there b/c of the icy roads. I went anyway. I was right. There was Matt and 4 others. But one more showed up...in my heart anyway. The Holy Spirit. I love Him. He spoke to me. He loved me. He comforted me. He taught me. He lifted me up. He gave me a burden for lost people around me. He gave me a glimpse of how He sees His people. He's a God who cares for the little bitty things, and a God in control of the huge things. I prayed for a planter's wart for someone...and I prayed for nations to know God. I prayed for a toothless black man's salvation who came into our church today needing fuel for his house b/c his house was freezing. God cares. For everything. For everyone. For me. For you.

Christmas News!

My sissy is pregnant!!! I knew a week before my parents knew and it was so hard to hold in. This video is how Jessica and Brad told them that they are expecting. We had been taking pictures of all the family in front of the tree, and they thought I was just taking another picture, but I was really taking a video. I love the look on my daddy's face...and then mama cries and everyone cries. Great reactions!

Good news is so great!

More great news on this day (Christmas) is that God sent His only son, Jesus, to be born in order to reconcile us (you) to Him. There's nothing we can do to be right with God, so God provided a way to bring us back to Him. This is good...and great news! What's your reaction?

It Was What???

Brett (4) is still trying to learn to go poop in the potty. He's pretty good now at pee-peeing in the potty, but he still gives me a hard time about poop. Those are moments this mommy doesn't cherish. But recently he's been going. He'll tell us he needs to poop and he'll go to the bathroom. He's done it about 6 times now.

**Now side note you need to know for the rest of the story**

Matt's sister babysat for us last week. Brett had underwear on. I had full confidence in him. He pooped before we took him. Needlesstosay...he pooped in his pants at her house. Not only that, but the 3 little poop balls rolled out of his pants and into their hallway and Jaime's husband's foot found them.

**Now back to story**

Tonight he told me he needed to poop. And man did he!! It was a lot. I acted so thrilled and happy for him. I said, "Now you can go other places and poop in their potty and not in your pants like you did at Jaime's house" (my sister in law's name is Jaime also). I said, "You can just tell them you have to poop and they will help you go to the potty and you don't have to get poop in their hallway again!" Brett said, "That was not poop. That was mulch!"

Where he gets these things...I have no idea, but his mind is so funny!

I love the things he comes up with!

Maybe my next blog won't use the word *poop* so much!

The Meaning of Christmas

Saturday our church is doing Love In Action. This is where we will give out free turkeys with all the fixin's, free toys, free clothes, free blankets, free everything. They can even have their things wrapped at the wrapping station to give as gifts b/c most of these people will not have money to buy Christmas gifts. More than giving out free things, four of us will be doing nothing but sharing the gospel with everyone who comes in. That would be around 50-75 families. That's a lot of gospel. I'm nervous about this. Will I take too long and cause a back-up with so many people coming in? Will I mess up? Will I be confident in what I know? Will verses come to me on the spot? Will I be personable enough? How will I start the conversation?

God has helped me out a little on the last question. It's the Christmas season. We give gifts. I've bought for almost everyone we're going to buy for. These people can come in and get free gifts. We expect nothing from them. They can't earn or deserve these gifts. We love these people and want to give them things they can't go out and get on their own. Isn't that the Gospel??

We can't earn salvation. We don't deserve it. This baby that was born at Christmas came with a purpose. He was our substitute. A substitute teacher fills in for the teacher who can't be there. Jesus filled in...died for...our sins because we couldn't. It seems we do a pretty good job celebrating Jesus' birth, but maybe we don't remember WHY He came. WHY he was born. He was our free gift. The gift we don't deserve and can't earn. We can't be good enough. We can't get to God any other way than by putting our trust in this gift, Jesus.

So Saturday, I'm thrilled to send these people away with loads full of toys/food/clothes...but I'm more thrilled about sharing about this better gift that they can have...Jesus Christ.

What do you say when you receive a gift? "Thank you." There's no magic prayer or magic words that will save people. Receive His gift and say "Thank you."

That's the meaning of Christmas. Will you share this gift?

What Am I Teaching?

"We're not trying to replicate the time, style, or content of the classroom. Rather we're trying to cultivate a lifestyle of learning in which learning takes place from morning until bedtime 7 days each week. The "formal" portion of each teaching day is just the tip of the iceburg."

Steve and Jane Lambert-authors of Five in A Row curriculum

I would never have thought that I would homeschool. Ne-ver! I was an awful student and I really don't know how I graduated. How I got through college...that's another good question. But I do know this. God has called me and He will equip me. Becoming a wife was one thing. Becoming a mother was another thing. But teaching my kids, not just "in the classroom" is a whole different ballgame. I try to teach them "school" things, ie. math, how to read, colors, tally marks, ect...but I'm also teaching them how to cook, measure, clean after themselves, have manners (and am having little luck with that one), how to respect others, how it's important to read your Bible. Just when I think I'm failing, Ty and his friend, Tyler come in the house for a few minutes to look for a toy. Ty comes to me and whispers, "Mom, will you read the Bible to Tyler now? He needs someone to teach him about Jesus." I'm crying as I type that. It's a burden on Ty's heart that his friend Tyler doesn't know and love Jesus yet. Ty hasn't made a "profession" yet, but Ty knows Jesus and loves Him and wants to obey. And Ty wants Tyler to have the privalege of being able to have someone to read the Bible to him like we do to Ty and Brett. He wants Tyler to know and love Jesus. Many parents rely on the church to teach their kids Bible stories and about Jesus. But Matt brought up a wonderful point in church this morning..."What if we didn't have Sunday School? Who would teach your children about Jesus?" I WILL!! If I have to stand alone and teach my children about Jesus, I'll do that. That's the most important thing to teach...when I rise, through my day, and at bedtime...I should be teaching. So some may think I shouldn't be homeschooling my children. That's okay because I'm called by God to do this. I firmly know that. There are frustrating days...many of them. But God is faithful. I will teach my children all they need to know...and the most important thing they should know is about Jesus and His salvation.

Who would teach your child about Jesus if there was no Sunday School?

The Morning When Nothing Worked, But Everything Worked

This morning at 6:30 our power went out. FYI...we have a well, and when power goes out, we have no water either! At first they said it should be back on by 9am. That was fine (since I didn't wake up until 8:15). Then word was it was going to be 10:15. I can manage that. 10:15 rolls around and my friend calls to say word is now that it will be 12:45. Now this is getting serious. Nothing is working. No water, no lights, no TV, no Facebook, no washing clothes or dishes, no baths...nothing is working....

But I'll tell you what was working!

Family time was working. With no distractions like TV, internet, cleaning...we had family time. Boys played outside and I sat and watched them for a while, talking and laughing with them about things they would do or bugs they would find.

My neighbor's power/water was working...so I went there to shower.

My bowels were working (4 times...and no flushes).

Ty's bowels were working (shew wee...what can come out of a small kid)!

My broom was working (behind couches...reaching the dustballs as big as a baseball)!

God time was working...I was still and quiet for at least a few minutes talking and listening closely.

So I really liked this morning when nothing and everything was working. I need to often pretend that nothing is working, so that more important things will work.