Random Talk / Sierra Pic / Hollister

Sierra.... Fall of 2013.... 9 years old

I love this girl's smile and her bubbly nature.  She is always skipping through the house and is what some refer to as a free spirit.  I would say she is "uninhibited".  She does not see limits usually.  She is confident.  She thinks she can do everything.  She has been telling me how to drive since she was able to utter her first words.  When my oldest was in public school and we would go to pick her up Sierra would sit behind me in her car seat and every time a car would move forward she would say, "Go!  You are going to miss your child!"  I would turn around and say, "I don't need a two year old to tell me how to drive."  It was really cute.  Not as cute the 1,000th time she would say it, though.  ;)  She is the kind of kid that can put together an outfit that you would think was hideous until you saw it on her.  She just has that flair... sort of a trendsetter type.  I never was a trendsetter, so I watch in amazement sometimes when she walks out in some unusual outfit that somehow works... on her.  She likes to be funny... and she likes to aggravate her siblings... only she does not always realize she is doing it.  She just has a knack for getting in other people's business and bossing them around and telling them how to do things.  She refers to herself as "the little momma" and she tries to do my job.  Caden is "her baby".  In fact, Sahara kind of was, too, but the little momma got tired of the "scream machine" (Sahara)... she still mothers her, though.  She just likes to claim the one that screams less.  She has confidence... and uninhibited confidence.  I wish I had a little bit of that... ummmm... wait... I do in some areas.  She has  a servants heart, but already she gets tired of people taking advantage of her because of it.  She is sneaky and likes to trick people for a good laugh.

That shirt she is wearing... I just want to say that we don't shop at Hollister.  In fact, we don't even walk in that store or Ambercrombie because of the inappropriate over-sexualization.  The reason she has that shirt is that my husband had his English students write letters to various businesses of their choice asking for free merchandise and Hollister sent a box of shirts for his students.  My kids have two of them.  For several years they wore them as nightgowns.  Now, they wear them as shirts.  We still won't shop there, though.  

So, I felt like sharing a picture and being rather random.  

You Become Who Your Friends Are

I was talking to my husband about this the other day.  About how a person chooses their friends.  Do you choose your friends because they make you feel good about yourself or do you choose your friends because they make you aspire to be better?  Neither answer is wrong.  I was surprised that my husband said he chooses his friends because they make him feel good about himself.  If he can make someone smile it makes him feel good.  His personality type needs assurance.  Me... not so much... actually, it would make me very uncomfortable.  I actually tend to gravitate towards people that make me aspire to be a better me.  I am drawn to those that I can gleen wonderful life lessons from.  I have found that I grow closer to those that are trying to do the best job at whatever it is they do.  So, when my friends are trying to be what some refer to as "super moms" (I hate that nickname!) I am more drawn to them. 

When I see them making their kid's birthday cakes I know they are doing that as an expression of love.  And then, I want to do that, also.  In fact, I do and I can say it was something that I admired seeing others do for their child.

When I see mommas that watch their kids closely.  I admire them.  When I see them wipe their dirty faces.  I admire them.  When I see them hold their kids in their arms and cuddle them all day long.  I admire that them.  It would be so much easier to hand them off to a sitter, but they would miss so much.  When I see them praying with their kids.  I want to be more like them.  When I see them talking calmly I want to learn to be more meek.  When I see them draw from Biblical principles I want to learn to do that better.  I want to be taught.  We should all want to be taught!   Life is so much about learning!  You become who you are around, so it is so important to surround yourselves with good Godly friends.  I find that I am drawn to that type of ladies and I am so thrilled to be able to learn from such a variety of friends.  Some are good at sewing, some at cooking and meal planning, some at scheduling, some at advising, some are good at quietly listening, some are meek, some are more bold, some at gardening or homesteading, some at being good wives, some are good at being joyful and patient, some are givers, and so on.  All have something to that I can learn from and I am so fortunate and blessed to have wonderful friends to become more like!

This Is What An Almost Seven Year Old Looks Like

Sierra

6 years, 10 months, 3 weeks, and 1 day old...

Soon to be 7.

Interestingly, all of my kids have looked like carbon copies of one another for the most part, but something about Sierra has always been a tiny bit different.  There is a uniqueness about her that is hard to explain.  She is the easiest of my kids in many ways, yet has a very complex emotional personality.  She is the most helpful, most thoughtful of my kids.  She obviously has the gift of service and is eager to help most of the time.  She is always making us stuff... usually out of paper... cards, crowns, paper toys that little hands destroy as soon as they touch them, etc..  She tries everything with gusto.  She outdoes her older sister on many things and with a 3 year and 3 month age difference it is hard to imagine it is possible.  Poor Savannah gets so frustrated about it.  Savannah learned to ride a bike and Sierra was doing it a few short months later.  Sierra can climb trees better.  Sierra can blow bubbles with her bubblegum.  She gets twice as much schoolwork done (not because she is smarter, but because she is a doer).  Sierra started out very reserved and afraid of many things, but one day she just changed.  She was a shy baby not wanting to be in the spotlight, but you would never know it now.  She wants to be a "rock star" (not really a "rock" star as she does not truly know what that means, but she loves to be the center of attention).  At church she is the one singing out uninhibited.  She is a leader.  She is usually trying to control us all and I tell everyone that she is going to be the President one day.  She is the little Momma around here... and quite often has to get disciplined for it herself.  ;)  She is the one that at the age of two was telling me how to drive the car.  No joke!  When Savannah was in public school we would have to go pick her up and Sierra would always tell me to go (in the stop and go traffic of the pick-up line).. she would say, "You are going to miss your kid!"  I would turn to her and say, "I think I know how to drive." and then, I would realize I was talking to a two year old.  Quite funny indeed.  She is controlling and highly irrational and emotional.  I don't claim to always understand this one, but I do love her.  I worry about her extreme emotions and guiding her on how to manage those emotions.  I think that is a hard area to understand with anyone, but when you are the Momma you feel like you are responsible for teaching them how to handle their emotions... even when you are not so good with yor own. ;)  At any rate we will make it through and I know that one day she is going to be one incredible little lady.  And I think she is so very beautiful. 

I just don't understand how six can look so much older.  I am not one to adorn my children with bows in their hair (a few times a year) or add to their appearance with other things like lipgloss, etc..  I don't fuss daily over vanity and the perfect outfit.  They can pick what thye wear unless we are going somewhere and even then I am not too picky as long as they look "cared for".  I don't even care if they match sometimes.  What I am saying is that I am not about vanity with my children, so it surprises me how they look so "big" and in the little everyday moments how beautiful they look. 

Just a Revision and Voddie Baucham

I just noticed I had a little mess up with a recent post. I just fixed it, but I thinking that some of you may not have noticed the post. Follow this link and let's get to know each other better. I know some of you are working on it and I look forward to hearing your answers. If you are a "lurker" there is no time like the present to show your "face" blog style! :) You may not realize it, but I would love to "meet" you.

Another VERY IMPORTANT THING is that I just found THIS WEBSITE for Voddie Baucham Ministries and it is f~a~b~u~l~o~u~s !!! You can listen to some of Voddie Baucham's sermons and let me tell you that you can't miss out on this. If you want to change your life for the better you want to take time for this. I had the pleasure of hearing him at the THSC Convention in August and it is a life changing thing. If you are already on the track that his sermons are on it will absolutely seal the deal for you. There is an MP3 I have at home called "Getting Your House In Order" that would change this world if the world would just listen to it and follow the instructions. I had the pleasure of hearing it live at the convention and it is absolutely a God thing that a man could speak so clearly from a man's perspective and a woman's perspective. You all know that men and women are two totally different creatures and my first thought was that I was about to hear a man's perspective only.... regarding such things as submission, etc.. I was open to that and had come there expecting it, but I was amazed that he "brought it"... and he brought it from a woman's perspective, as well. Not only that he handled a children's perspective quite well, also. That is not a "talent" or a "great speaker" thing... that is a total God thing!
I wish I could share the MP3s I have... and I am willing, if I knew how.... ;) At least, go listen to the others on the site! Have a blessed day!!

Hard Evidence

When I experienced my second pregnancy loss my faith was shaken for the first time. I caught myself thinking, "Why?". Many times in the past I had heard others asking, "Why?" when faced with a tragedy, but I simply thought we just can't ask that question. My thoughts were that you just have to accept it and know that God has a greater plan. I still think that... only now I have been to that dark place where I have asked, "Why?" and I have come through it. I have to admit though that sometimes I ponder (secretly, of course) if what I believe in is a fairy tale. Don't let me lose you here.... I know better! I KNOW better! And I certainly don't think it is a fairy tale. What I am going to share here may be too much for some of you. In response to my faith being shaken God has given me real life hard evidence that He is indeed real and certainly not a fairy tale. He gave me this evidence long before I reached that dark point in my life. I think that was intentional because I think he wanted me to reach back and search my heart and remember His evidence.

Let me shift gears for a moment. I believe that as parents it is important to recognize our children's spiritual gifts and as time goes by help them understand those gifts and embrace them. I am not certain what Sahara or Caden's gifts will be. I suspect one of Caden's will be musical. I don't presume to think that I will know all their spiritual gifts, either. I believe they may have a gift that I never know about, but I can already tell that Sierra has the gift of Service among other gifts. She just loves to do things to help. We call her our "go to girl" because she is the one you "go to" when you want to "get it done". She is so eager. Savannah has many gifts, but the ones I am going to talk about tonight or usually kind of kept "hush-hush". They're rare and "different" by the worlds standards. They are going to take some careful training, otherwise I think it will be possible for her to stifle them. I believe Savannah has the gift of prophecy and discernment. __gasp__ It's okay... I know it sounds strange. I don't mean prophecy like she is going to predict major events in the world, but this child has spoken some things that mindblowing for me. I'll go into that more in a bit. I have always seen in her that ability to discern good and evil. She has always been drawn to people that are good and never wanted to be around those that are not good. I think that it is remarkable for her to have that gift even as a toddler. She is the kid that got the Good Cititzenship Award all three years that she was in public school (Pre-K, K, 1st).

Anyway, back to the prophecy topic and how God has given me real life hard evidence to remind me that this is all not just some fairy tale. I think God gives Savannah knowledge of certain things. I don't think he gives her a knowledge of all things. I have a couple of relatives like this that know when someone is going to die; however, they do not know who.... only that is someone they are close to and usually happens a few days after they start to "feel it". They also "sense" pregnancies. Weird huh?! It's okay... I know this is too weird for some people, but that is the way the world has taught us to be... weirded out by it. It is in the Bible, though. If it is in there then I believe in it... all of it. Even the things I do not understand. Savannah's gift seems to be related to pregnancy, also. She has told me that I am pregant everytime I have been... BEFORE I EVEN KNEW! And she has told be both times that I have lost our other babies!! You think I am crazy? Maybe so, but as sure as I am sitting here she has. And the strange thing for me is that I am pretty sure that she does not even know she does it. She just makes a statement and then, it is as if she does not even realize she has said it sometimes. As if it is being spoken "through" her. With my second pregnancy loss we went on a family vacation. I fell on a large rock on my back and blacked out a few times. I never had bleeding or anything to indicate a problem and we were completely away from civilization, so we thought I was fine. That night in our tent we were preparing to go to sleep and as we were sitting there Savannah said, "Momma, the baby's not there anymore." She had a blank look on her face, but with a slight smile (a naive, innocent smile). I said, "What did you say?" She said, "The baby's not there anymore." I said, "Savannah, don't say that!" She suddenly looked me in the face and with the blank look gone said, "What? What did I say?" I said, "Oh nothing." I forgot about it really, although I thought it was strange. Later when I found out the baby had died I remembered. With my first pregnancy loss she simply look at me on day and said, "The baby in your belly is gone." All very odd, but I know that God gave these gifts to her! He would not want them to be stifled. He will want her to use them. It will be my job to help her understand how to use these gifts as she grows up. I can't be ashamed or let her be ashamed of of such a precious gift. We have to claim it as a gift from God and use it as such.

Uh-hem... she has also told me that others that she is close to are going to have another baby and guess what? Yep, they find out they are pregnant! She also seems to have a way of getting what she prays for regarding babies, too. She has prayed that I would get pregnant many times and well, let's just say five out of five ain't bad! 80) I did tell her to stop it when she was praying for twins immediately after Sahara's birth!! For me this is all hard evidence that God is definitely not a fairy tale!