Pray for our kids!

If you click on this, you will be directed to a wonderful blog that I have recently stumbled upon. The writer has listed scriptures/prayers that we can use to pray for our children. It's really cool that she has taken the time to do that; she has asked that readers spread the word so I wanted to share it with you.

Truth

I have been reading in the book of Proverbs lately...sad to say I have not been in my Bible all that much these days though; life with 2 kids has gotten me off track. I need to find that track though, because I truly sense a difference in myself when I'm in the Word consistently. Anyway, for the past month or so, when I do pick up the Bible, I read proverbs. I saw Joey reading in that book for quite some time so I thought I would peep it out myself.

I don't have a particular scripture that comes to my mind, just this thought: I think it is so cool how the Bible is applicable to our everyday life. It fascinates me really. I can read a particular verse at just the right time in my life, and it will totally change a situation I am in. What is so cool is that someone a hundred years ago very well may have been in a similar situation, read the same verse, and again, something miraculous may have happened for them too.

Well I reckon that's why Hebrews 4 talks about the Word of God being living and active. Alive. It is the only book that when you read it, it reads you. I love that! That is why the same scriptures that folks read wayyyyy back in the day, and that they lived by and were encouraged through, can still do the very same thing for us. It's really quite mind boggling when you think about it.

How cool of God to leave us with the Bible. I take it for granted sometimes. That is, until I pick it up, and read a verse that so points to where I'm at in life...and I'm yet again back in awe of what an amazing God we serve.

All of a sudden

Lily just started reaching some milestones, and it seems like it was out of the blue! All of a sudden she started grabbing toys, and pulling them to her mouth. She began to try to crawl when on her tummy. And my favorite, she grabs her feet. It just seems like it was all overnight she began to change out of a newborn to a baby. And a chunky monkey at that. I took her to the ped yesterday to have her ear looked at and she's up to 17 lbs. So cute. In reality though, she has been working up to these milestones, but to me, it felt like it was suddenly.

All of a sudden. Sometimes things happen like that in our lives too. You will wake up and things have changed and you say to yourself, "when the heck did that happen?" I am not sure if I blogged about my self-esteem issues, maybe I will do that sometime if I have not, anyway...a friend asked me what finally set me free from the terrible self-image I had. It was funny because I could not pin point a specific time where I felt like I was free, I just was. It was an all of a sudden moment for me. I realized that over time, reading the Bible and praying, that I just was set free. I did not have a smack yourself in the head moment where I shouted "I'm healed!" or anything like that. But looking back on that time in life, it feels like it was all of a sudden. Does that even make sense?!

I say that to encourage you to keep pluggin' on in life. If you are walking through a trial in life at the moment, perhaps you see no end in sight, hang tight. Eventually you will be on the other side of the mountain and you will think gosh, that was all of a sudden.

What's in a name?

Jen the hen from Ivers Glen. That was what my Grandpa used to call me. He (the Grandpa who inspired the name for this blog) had nick-names for all us grandkids. Let's see: Joe the schmoe from Kokomo. Jen the hen from Ivers Glen. Jess the mess from something something dess (can't remember, sorry Jess!) and Jackie wacky from Kowasaki. So there ya go. Except for Jess. Poor middle child!

I find myself giving my kids all sorts of names. Joei is often called Bear, Kate, Jo-bear, Tuggy, Punkin butt, and the list goes on. Lily has become the Putter, Putty, Put put, Lily Picadilly, Muncher...and again, the list goes on. Nicknames are funny things. I wonder what will stick for my kids, and I wonder what other names they will aquire as they age. It's fun. If you know my husband, you know he has a nickname for everyone so why should our kids be any different?!

Psalm 66:2 says, "Sing out the honor of His name; Make His praise glorious." Names mean something. They reflect our character, our nature. God has many names:

Jehovah Jireh, means that God is our provider. Jehovah Nissi, meaning that God reigns. Jehovah Shammah, the Lord is with you. And yep, you guessed it, the list goes on.

When you are facing something overwhelming, call on the name of the Lord. Do you need the floodgates of Heaven to open up on your finances? Call on the name of the Lord. Is your health failing? Call on the name of the Lord. Do you need direction in life? Call on the name of the Lord. There is power in His name. Speak out His many names and not only will it build your faith, but it releases that faith to go out and fight for you!!

Praise the name of the Lord!

Seasons

I love Crepe Myrtle trees. This time of year, they are in full bloom! There seem to be tons of them around here, and I honestly smile when I see them. Call me dorky, but I love the bright and vibrant colors they exude! I like flowers in general though, they just make me smile, what can I say I'm easy to please!

Yesterday I was driving down a street that is heavy with Crepe Myrtles and I began to notice that they are losing some of their vibrancy. The colors are beginning to fade, the blooms are starting to fall, they are changing. Something inside me kinda sank a tad, I was bummed that the trees are going back to being their plain old boring selves. Just as quickly as that twinge of sadness hit me, a thought came to me that pushed that feeling away. Seasons change. I know what you are thinking, "duh Jen, really? You think we don't know that seasons change?" No, of course I know you are smarter than that (all 2 of you that read this!) however it just struck such a chord in me that I had to blog it. (Remember, I'm simple!)

It's ok when certain things in life begin to lose their vibrancy. It's alright when you find that what used to excite you (job, friendships, hobbies, etc)no longer fills you with that feeling. Perhaps the love you had for a specific job or task is beginning to fade. Could it be that your season is simply changing? The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3:1 that, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under Heaven." Seasons change. Life changes. People change.

Change is not always welcome. Sometimes we don't like winter due to the rains. Then we have Spring and with that comes allergies. On to Summer and the heat is the complaint of everyone. Then we have fall. And well, we don't really complain to much about fall now do we? There is something exciting about fall, the leaves begin to change color, they fall off the trees in preparation for the winter ahead. Hmmm. Change may not always be welcome in life, but the seasons, well now that is one thing that we have no choice but too welcome.

So if you feel like you are in the midst of something bleak, perhaps the thunder of excitement has left you and your particular task, take heart in the fact that it simply could be fall for you. The leaves are changing. The flowers are failing. But it's ok...because the author of the Seasons does not change, nor does He fail. He will guide you through whatever season in life you are in, and whatever season of life you are about to embark on. Seasons do change, but in the meantime, lets stop and smell the flowers...kinda like Joei!

Sleep hates me

Sleep really must hate me. I must have ticked her off somewhere in my past, for she does not grace my presence much these days. Ah sleep, where have you gone?

Oh wait, I have a 6 week old. Never mind. Clearly lady sleep is far too afraid to get mixed up with a newborn. She must know the perils of the goings on that come with a little babe. Sigh. I'm tired. Sigh. Sigh. Sigh.

Whatever right. So what if I have bags under my eyes that would put a ghost to shame. Who cares that my roots are about a foot long. And today's date is what again? Oh really...already in June huh. Who knew.

But all in all I have a sweet little baby, and she is sweet let me tell ya. She really is a good baby. We just need to figure out the whole sleep thing and we will be good to go.

Well that's it for now. Must.Get.Coffee.

Lily Rae is here!

Well, she has been here for 6 weeks...isn't that good enough reason for my delay in posting?! 6 weeks of figuring out a newborn and wrangling a near 4 year old will certainly put the old blogging on the back-burner!

But she is here, and she is wonderful. I will post more later, as she is beckoning me from the other room!

Lily Rae, born May 7th, 2008

8 pounds 11 ounces

20 3/4 inches