Caleb wanted a new look.
Before and After:
We had to stop at a drug store after his hair cut to get some gel to re-create the look. He loves his new ‘do!
Archive Page 2
We’re baaaaaaaack! The kids and I spent 11 days in NY visiting family. Fun time. Kevin was on a mission trip in Ecuador. Blessed time.
I saw this fruity rainbow in a recent issue of Family Fun magazine. (We don’t subscribe to Family Fun, but they have some neat craft and activity ideas.
EDIT: As of October 2010, we do subscribe to Family Fun. I got a 12-month subscription for only $2 through US Airways. So far, I like it–great craft, game, activity, travel ideas. This is a Disney magazine, so if you boycott Disney, you probably won’t want to get it 
.
So how did they eat their rainbow? One color at a time, inside out.
I tried to go against the flow and sneak a strawberry, and they screamed, “NO!”
I can’t believe they ate almost the entire rainbow in one sitting. (I ate about five pieces.) All they left was a few strawberries.
Enjoying lots of delicious fresh fruit is one of our favorite things about summer!
What Will Your Kids Be Like as Teenagers?
Published June 5, 2010 Faith , Family , God Lessons , Missions 11 Comments
My friend Beverly wrote a great post detailing some parenting tips from John Rosemond. One point jumped off the screen: “As parents, you MUST have a vision for what you want your children to be in the future.”
That statement swirled around in my head. Yeah, I want my kids to be kind and love God, but do I have a specific vision for them? Not really.
About a week after I read Beverly’s post, I turned on the radio. A woman was sharing how each year she sits down with her husband and sets long-term and short-term goals for their children. They talk about what they want their kids to be like when they are older, and they discuss what they can do now to help them reach those goals.
She said something like, “A vision for the future helps you make decisions for today.” Her encouraging words reminded me of something I read in a parenting book a while ago: It’s much easier to prevent problems in your kids now than to fix problems later.
I’ve learned when God sends me the same message from different sources within a few weeks, it’s as if He is putting his arm around my shoulder and gently saying, “I really want you to get this.”
I shared the concept with Kevin, and we spent some time talking about the kind of people we would like Caleb and Chelsea to be when they are in high school.
Here are some of the things we discussed:
- We want them to love everyone (put others’ needs before their own) and reach out to the kids in their classes who need a friend.
- We want them to find their worth in God and be confident and secure in themselves.
- We want them to be mission-minded and have a heart for those who do not know Jesus.
- We want them to be involved in at least one extra-curricular activity, but we don’t want to them to be committed to 10 different activities. We don’t want their lives to be so busy that there is no time for family or personal time with God.
We might alter this list as they grow, but it’s a start. Helping our kids attain these goals requires us to model godly characteristics. Wow, what a great tangible way to keep ourselves accountable to live holy lives.
What vision do you have for your children? Are you setting practical goals to help them become the people in your vision?
I hope to write a post soon about one practical way we are helping Caleb develop a heart for missions. In the meantime, I’d love to hear what goals you have for your kids.
WordPress has some cool stats. I like how I can view the search terms people use to find my blog. Almost every day I see phrases like, “what is God’s purpose for me,” “fulfilling the purpose of God for my life,” “what is my purpose”. You might be one of those people who is wondering, “How can I know what my purpose is?”
No person is an accident. Everyone has a specific purpose–a reason to be on this Earth. One of the most amazing things to discover is God knew you even before the world was formed (Ephesians 1:4). He knew everything about you before you were conceived, and He had a special purpose in mind for you (Jeremiah 1:5).
I recently heard a fellow community member say, “Be present with God every moment, and do the thing that only you can do.” He was speaking about being a great leader, but I think his statement perfectly describes how to fulfill your purpose. No one else in the entire world has your unique set of gifts, talents, personality traits, and experiences.
God has a purpose that fits you and only you. No other person can fulfill your purpose. Every purpose is important–no matter how big or small. Even smiling at people can be a ministry and a purpose in life.
Two things will last forever: God and people (souls). It makes sense to invest your time, energy, and talents in things that will last forever instead of material things.
Here are some things that might help you discover your purpose:
- Pray, pray, pray! Ask God to speak to your heart and reveal His plan for you. Trust that He will guide you. God never tries to hide is will. If you ask with pure motives, He will answer you.
- Get to know yourself better. Take the Myers-Briggs Personality Assessment. Take a spiritual gift inventory questionnaire.
- Ask friends and family what they think your gifts and talents are.
- Try lots of different hobbies, service projects, ministries, and/or vocations until you find something that you are passionate about, something that gives you energy.
Books About Purpose
- The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren
- Knit Together: Discover God’s Pattern for Your Life by Debbie Macomber
- The Search for Significance by Robert S. McGee
Purpose Quotes
“For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible,…everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him.” Colossians 1:16 (Msg)
“It’s not about you.” Rick Warren
“Unless you assume a God, the question of life’s purpose is meaningless.” Bertrand Russell, atheist
“I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.” Jim Carrey
“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born I set you apart…” Jeremiah 1:5
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:11
“God, I’m going with your plans for my life, not my own. I’ve got plans, I’ve got dreams, I’ve got goals, I’ve got ambitions, but I know that you put me on this earth for a reason, for a purpose, and I am intentionally choosing your plan for my life instead of my own. I know you’re not going to reveal it to me all at once; it’s going to come a little bit at a time. But, I’m willing to take it one step at a time, knowing your plan is better than mine.” Rick Warren
“There is no happier place than the intersection of God’s will and your giftedness.” Phil Vischer
“Many people have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.” Helen Keller
“Our greatest fear as individuals and as a church should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.” Tim Kizziar
“This is true joy in life, the being used up for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.” George Bernard Shaw
“Give yourselves to God…Surrender your whole being to him to be used for righteous purposes.” Romans 6:13 (TEV)
“I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills his purpose for me.” Psalm 57:2
“What you are is God’s gift to you; what you do with yourself is your gift to God.” Danish proverb
“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21
“The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me…” Psalm 138:8
(I tried to think of a photo that depicts stress, and I remembered the day Caleb had his first hair cut. I think this is the only picture I have of either of my children crying. I didn’t want a bunch of pictures reminding me of unhappy moments. I’m thankful mental pictures fade over time.)
Last week I started to feel overwhelmed. A lot of things were piling up. One of my children has been dealing with much anxiety. The death of a friend. Lots of extra activities and volunteering at school. Feeling chronically behind in all my chores and to-do tasks because of our sick April. Trying to be all things to all people. And a few other things.
God reminded me that I can handle all these things. Not because I’m Wonder Woman. But because His grace and power enables me to deal with everything that comes my way, IF I give them to Him and stop trying to solve problems by myself. Did I listen to Him? Yes. Did I allow His gentle reminder to sink into my heart? No. I just kept plugging along, pretending I was fine, and WHAM, I had a meltdown on Tuesday.
I prayed. I sent a message to a friend, and I asked her to pray. I thought I was going to be okay. But then more stress was dumped on me, and I felt helpless. I talked to Kevin after the kids went to bed, and I just cried everything out. Nothing like a good cry to relieve stress.
The next day? I was a different person. Happy, calm, secure. The only explanation is God. I didn’t come up with some grand solution to all my problems. I just knew everything was going to be okay. I knew God has all the answers, and little by little, He will give me the guidance I need to deal with all the unexpected circumstances that pop up.
Thank you to Kevin and TZ for praying for me. I was in the place where the only thing I could think to say was, “Help me, Jesus.” So I know your words moved the heart of God. Thank you for speaking to Him for me.
“Because of the LORD’s great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23
“weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:15
“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]” John 16:33 (AMP)
Thank you to everyone who celebrated my blog’s two-year milestone with me this week! I had fun doing the giveaway! I sent your names to random.org last night, and they chose Rachel and Jessica as the winners! Congrats, friends!
Rachel, I’ll email the Barnes & Noble gift certificate to you. Jessica, please send me your address, and I’ll mail the book to you. Happy reading, ladies!
This has been a busy week with some challenges, but God is good, and He continues to lead and guide us. He made a promise to his children to hold their right hand and walk with them through everything, and He has kept His promise to me. (Isaiah 41:13)
Before I go, I wanted to share a few tidbits about my blog since this week is all about my baby. If you haven’t read the history of my blog, it’s right here. In the first year, I only wrote 31 posts. In the last 12 months, I posted 85 times. I would love to post every day, but I’m still learning how to keep everything balanced in my life. It’s been a good learning experience!
Thanks again for joining me on this journey…have a great weekend!
Second Blogiversary and First Giveaway
Published May 18, 2010 Blogging , Books , Friends , Giveaways 13 CommentsMy blog was born two years ago today!
Until about a month ago, I had never heard of blogiversaries. I was hopping around the blogosphere, and I noticed some blogs had countdowns to their blogiversaries. When you spend a lot of time on your blog, it does become like a baby to you, so why not celebrate its birthday?! It’s always fun to find new reasons to celebrate.
So I’m having my own little blogiversary party this week! Several of you have spoken to me and commented and sent encouraging messages and emails about my blog adventure, and you have blessed me! Thank you! I have had a blast with this thing!
To celebrate and to say thank you and to share the love, I’m doing my first giveaway!
Because I love books, I’m giving away…
A $20 online gift certificate to Barnes & Noble.com
and
Daisy Chain by Mary E. DeMuth (scroll down to read a description of the book)
To enter, post a message about the party on Facebook, Twitter, your blog, or email. You could write something like, “Check out my friend Lisa’s blog at www.fulfillingmypurpose.com. She’s doing a cool Barnes and Noble giveaway this week!”
Then come back here, and leave a comment, telling me you posted a message to a bunch of your friends.
On Thursday night, www.random.org will choose two winners, and I’ll let you know who wins on Friday. :-)
I received this book last year as a gift from Zondervan at a writer’s conference. (I attended a session by the author.) Since I rarely read fiction, and it has been sitting on my dresser, I would love to give it to someone who enjoys fiction.
Here’s the back cover copy:
“A picture-perfect small town hides more secrets than the curved petals of a blood red rose. In the summer of 1977, innocent young Daisy Chance goes missing. Fourteen-year-old Jed Pepper has a sickening secret: He’s convinced it’s his fault.
“As Jed follows the trail of clues Daisy left behind, he traces the path of pain hidden in his own family as well. When Jed’s carefully constructed world comes crashing down, will he dare to find hope? Or will his guilt crush him forever? Haunted by Daisy’s memory and pierced by the shattered pieces of a family in crisis, this achingly beautiful southern coming-of-age story brings to life God’s sometimes confusing but always present redemption.
“Mary DeMuth loves to write about turning trials to triumph. Her debut novel, Watching the Tree Limbs, was a Christy Award finalist. Both it and its sequel, Wishing On Dandelions, were finalists for the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year. Mary’s nonfiction books include Ordinary Mom, Extraordinary God, Building the Christian Family You Never Had, and Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture. Mary recently moved back to Texas with her husband, Patrick, and their three children, after spending two and a half years planting a church in southern France.”
A good friend of mine from high school passed away on Wednesday. Kenny was 34 years old. My heart goes out to his family and friends. I am praying for them.
I’m disappointed I won’t be able to make the 800-mile trip for the funeral, but I’m thankful I was able to re-connect with Kenny through Facebook over the last several months.
This difficult situation reminds me how life is fleeting. None of us is promised tomorrow.
Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. James 4:14
I’m grateful there is hope beyond this life. To all who receive Christ and believe in his name, he gives the right to become children of God. (John 1:12) …if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9
Good-bye, Kenny. Thank you for being a true friend. See ya on the other side.
Big day for Chel-Chel. She had her first school field trip–a horse farm. First time brushing a horse and petting a horse and riding a horse. She also fed goats and chickens–good times! She voiced her opinions about the delightful smells that chickens and horses produce, but other than that she did great!
Mom,
Thank you for working so I could go to college.
Thank you for spending hundreds of hours on the phone listening to me talk (and blubber) about my problems.
Thank you for not holding on to me tightly. You let me fly away and pursue my dreams far from home.
Thank you for being (very) patient with me as God refines my character.
Thank you for modeling perseverance and faithfulness in difficult situations.
Thank you for being the wonderful and amazing Gramma V to Caleb and Chelsea.
Thank you for introducing me to Jesus and telling me how I could be His friend. Without Him, I would be on a path to eternal darkness. With Him, I have the only thing that matters in life.
Thank you for being my Mom.
With a heart full of love,
Lisa
