December/End of the Year Evaluation

Spiritual

• Read through the entire Bible in a year following a chronological reading plan- By God's grace I caught up and finished the Bible today! Excited to read through it again. I cannot get enough of God's Word these days!
• Memorize a verse a week (for full disclosure I am starting with verses that I have previously memorized but have lost full memory of)- I really did not meet this goal as I had intended, but I am still working on Scripture memory with the kids and memorizing with them
• Spend 30 minutes daily concentrated on prayer and Bible reading- I did a little better this month and was back and forth all year. By God's grace I will grow more in this next year
• Continue to record daily blessings to cultivate thankfulness (Goal is 10,000 things)- Still doing this you can see this months blessings here, here, here, here and here Hoping I will get to 10,000 by tonight. 
• Praying throughout the day for specified things (still developing lists and plan for this)- I have really fallen behind in this due to laziness. I did it about half the year and am still developing a plan for it. 

Personal

• Read a book a month apart from SWI matrerial- I have been on a bit of a reading frenzy this month. I read The Secret Thoughts of and Unlikely Convert, Where's Mom? and finished What Did You Expect? I also have been reading on a few other things that I hope to finish soon
• Journal 5 days a week- I journaled more than in the last couple of months, but not this frequently. 
• Write (working on books) 5 days a week- I did not write 5 days a week, but did write a decent amount this month
• Finish my first fiction book- Yes! By God's amazing grace I finally finished my first book. I am excited to see what God does with it from here
• Write 3 blog posts a week- I didn't do that quite this month, but overall I am pleased with how I blogged this year. I am hoping to plan better for 2014
• Continue to meet once a month with writing group- Yes! Love this group. We only failed to meet once this year. God is so good to us.
• Have one day a month for personal retreat time to pray, read the Bible and write- Sadly no
• Complete Level 1 of Rosetta Stone Russian- I have been working on it this month, but was unable to finish for multiple reasons this year. I will complete it next year, by God's grace
• Begin working on a Christ-centered prenatal/delivery/postnatal education- Had my first class in September and starting to plan for the next as well as a book and blog. I am planning the next class for the end of January

Marriage

• Go on a date once a month- Yes! 
• Go on one overnight trip away- Done in May
• Read together for 30 minutes once a week- This did not happen this year
• Discuss and plan the week to come on Sunday afternoon- Yes

Kids

• Take each child on a "date" once a month- This did not really happen this month, or this year as I had hoped. This is an area I really hope to grow in next year
• Spend individual time with each child at home once a week (at least 20 minutes)- Sometimes
• Work on memorizing Psalm 23 with Jamey and Lillian- Yes! Both have it memorized as well as Psalm 67 with most of Proverbs 31:10-31 and Psalm 1. We are now working on verse with the school curriculum
• Finish current Pre-K curriculum with Jamey and Lillian- Plugging away with K curriculum
• Continue going to playgroup on Tuesdays- Yes
• (I need to develop more educational goals, so I guess a goal for this year will be learning to do this for next year)

Homemaking

• Begin a garden planting at least tomatoes (hoping to do more)- The garden is now dead, but it was fun to have one this year
• Try 1 new recipe a month- We tried 1 or 2 this month
• Keep up with cleaning calendar- No
• Develop general cleaning schedule- Decided to just get another cleaning calendar and will adjust it when needed

Health and Fitness

• Exercise for at least 30 minutes 3 days a week- I did not do this or water aerobics this month. 
• Lose 30 lbs- This is on hold until May, but striving to maintain my weight in pregnancy

Ministry

• Continue hosting Women's prayer once a month- Yes, still praying for more people to pray
• Email workers once a month- I contacted some
• Send 2 encouraging notes a month- No, hoping to incorporate this next year, but not sure 

December ended up a vacation mode month. I slacked off far more than I had hoped, but God has shown me much this month. I have realized and repented of just how lazy I am and how easy it is to slip into laziness. I am tired of it as mine is done in the guise of "resting". I am looking forward to growing in discipline in the year to come.

This year has been amazing and God has blessed it so much. I really am blessed far more than I deserve, but that's what makes God amazing. He has grown me in many ways and is showing me areas where I need to continue growing. I look forward to 2014 and will be writing those goals soon!

How was your December? Your 2013?

May God bless you in the New Year!

December 23 to 29

9126. Sleeping until almost 8
9127. Being reminded I need Jesus more than sleep
9128. Working on meals for the week
9129. Working on sending 2013 Letters
9130. Getting more done than expected
9131. Jamey doing some copy work
9132. Jamey drawing
9133. Jamey and Lillian learning to play together
9134. Finding more addresses
9135. Getting a couple of emails sent
9136. Anticipating the week ahead
9137. Figuring out how to celebrate the holiday
9138. Lillian going to the grocery store with Jim
9139. Getting more stamps
9140. Stamps being available at the grocery store
9141. Minimizing stops
9142. McDonald's for lunch
9143. McDonald's sweet tea
9144. Gabriel taking a long nap
9145. Lillian sleeping
9146. Hearing from Allison
9147. Making plans with Gidget
9148. The activity of children
9149. Jamey learning to do more on his own
9150. Finishing Hebrews
9151. Realizing I need to study Hebrews more closely
9152. Reading some in Genesis
9153. Seeking to devour the Word
9154. God's graciousness with humanity
9155. Seeing God's grace and mercy in new and different ways
9156. Wrestling with things difficult to understand
9157. Seeking how to explain difficult things
9158. Remembering I do not have all of the answers
9159. Watching Reuben make shapes
9160. Reuben giving high-fives
9161. Jamey helping Jim make pancakes
9162. Pancakes for dinner
9163. Chocolate syrup
9164. Gabriel downing 3 pancakes without blinking
9165. Enjoying laughing together
9166. Lillian's funny sayings
9167. Being together as a family
9168. Jamey asking to watch "Narnia"
9169. Teaching Jamey and Lillian more about Sudoku
9170. Snuggling with my babies
9171. Getting some emails cleaned out
9172. Smooth bed time
9173. Reminding the kids of proper decorum in the early morning hours
9174. Hugs and kisses
9175. Prayer
9176. Privilege of praying for our kids
9177. Being reminded I had a free ebook I need to read and review
9178. Starting The In Between by Jeff Goins
9179. Being reminded of the need to enjoy the every day moments
9180. Desiring to be more patient and at peace with where I am
9181. God growing and changing me
9182. The challenges of everyday life
9183. Getting more letters printed
9184. Having a productive day
9185. Watching CSI: NY with Jim and Becca
9186. Being able to use Becca's laptop for most of the day
9187. Coffee
9188. Amaretto creamer
9189. Becca making strawberry banana smoothies
9190. Sharing some mac and cheese
9191. Productivity while still being low key
9192. Learning to be thankful for the technology we have
9193. Learning all of the verses to "Hark the Herald Angels Sing"
9194. Hearing the deep theology in "Hark the Harold Angels Sing"
9195. Thankful to be learning more verses of hymns
9196. Loving hymns more
9197. Growing in knowledge of God as I sing hymns and learn new songs
9198. Being able to praise God in many ways
9199. Being given God's ability to create
9200. God's amazing grace and mercy
9201. Sleep
9202. Being able to wake up and get out of bed
9203. Coffee!
9204. Huge bowl of perfect cheese grits for breakfast
9205. Talking with the kids over breakfast
9206. Having kids who really like breakfast food
9207. The kids eating breakfast well
9208. Meeting Gidget for coffee
9209. Gidget bringing donuts from Nord's
9210. Decaf black and white mocha from Sunergos
9211. Talking about lots of things
9212. Getting to know each other better
9213. God teaching me in our conversations
9214. Seeing God at work around me
9215. Margo playing well while we talked
9216. Gidget helping me with a gift
9217. Talking about getting together with everyone again
9218. Learning we have a lot in common
9219. Being reminded of how good being open and honest is
9220. Being able to talk for over 3 hours
9221. God being good in all things
9222. Learning how to see God's grace in many different things
9223. Chinese food for lunch
9224. Digging more into Genesis 2-10
9225. Reading 2 Timothy
9226. Encouragement from God's Word
9227. Good rest time
9228. Gabriel getting in 2 naps
9229. Reuben taking a good nap
9230. Time to read
9231. Feeling lots of baby movement
9232. Time to journal
9233. Clearing out some emails
9234. Time to think and pray
9235. Reflecting on God's movement
9236. Seeing God move in mighty unpredictable ways
9237. Christmas Eve service at Sojourn
9238. Seeing many Brothers and Sisters
9239. Being able to walk to the service even in the cold
9240. Opportunities to grow
9241. Opportunities to teach our kids how to deal with uncomfortable situations
9242. Kids excited about Christmas Eve
9243. Seeing Hilary
9244. Seeing Cory and Courtney
9245. Meeting Chris and Elizabeth
9246. Hearing a little bit about growing up in South Africa
9247. Finding connections
9248. Meeting new people
9249. Hearing about Jesus's birth
9250. Singing about the birth of Jesus
9251. Reflecting on the fact that Jesus was born to die
9252. Remembering that Jesus willingly left His place with the Father to live among sinful humans
9253. Seeing Mandy
9254. Seeing the Pates
9255. Being able to help Grace
9256. Grace walking home with us
9257. Wonderful Pasta for dinner
9258. Jim making dinner
9259. Having a computer Grace can use
9260. Grace having dinner with us
9261. Watching "The Nativity Story" as a family
9262. Lillian falling asleep within 10 minutes
9263. Snuggling with Lillian and Reuben
9264. Jamey falling asleep soon after starting the movie also
9265. Reuben laughing and playing
9266. Grace enjoying being with our kids
9267. Becca going with me to take Grace back to her car
9268. Becca being able to work a couple hours
9269. Blue Bell ice cream for less than $4
9270. Cookies and Cream ice cream
9271. Vanilla with real strawberries ice cream
9272. Blue Bell ice cream
9273. Getting kids in bed easily
9274. Gabriel getting to sleep early
9275. Eating ice cream
9276. Living in a country where we can worship as we are led by God
9277. Our government not being able to kill our kids because they might be a threat
9278. Being able to sympathize with the women who lost their children because of Herod's decree
9279. Wanting to hug my children a little tighter
9280. Jesus birth changing the whole world
9281. Enjoying a Christmas comedy: "Home Alone 2" with Jim
9282. Time to read more
9283. Updating a few things
9284. Becca getting to go to the 11pm service
9285. Getting sleep
9286. Waking up a little before 8
9287. Lucky Charms
9288. Getting breakfast going
9289. Laughing together
9290. Playing
9291. Reading 2 Peter
9292. Reading Jude
9293. The encouragement of the Bible
9294. Being able to write thoughts and prayers on what I read
9295. True freedom from Christ
9296. Christmas
9297. Remembering Christ's birth
9298. God's grace
9299. Time to read to the kids
9300. Snuggling with Jamey
9301. Teaching the kids Russian
9302. The kids asking to read the Russian books frequently
9303. Learning more every day
9304. Enjoying being together as a family
9305. Jamey tickling Gabriel
9306. The laughter of children
9307. Lillian teaching Reuben how to do puzzles
9308. Reuben growing in his ability to do puzzles
9309. Gabriel learning not to eat puzzles
9310. Kids being together
9311. Seeing kids growing closer to each other
9312. Becca making sandwiches for lunch
9313. Having a ham sandwich on a hoagie roll
9314. Kids loving corn puffs
9315. Kids eating sandwiches well
9316. Cookies
9317. Talking over lunch
9318. Enjoying being together
9319. Watching "A Charlie Brown Christmas"
9320. Kids enjoying the new movie
9321. Introducing the kids to new movies
9322. Watching "The Nativity Story" again
9323. Getting to doze for a few minutes
9324. Gabriel getting a good nap
9325. Reuben getting a good nap
9326. Jamey and Lillian resting on the sofa
9327. Time to write in my journal again
9328. Jim calling his dad
9329. Jim getting to work extra
9330. Time and a half for holidays
9331. Time to read
9332. Kids resting well
9333. Snuggling with Lillian
9334. Lillian wanting to rest with me
9335. Hearing the kids talk to each other
9336. Frozen pizzas
9337. 2 really good pizzas
9338. Having to put my hair up
9339. Putting in my contacts
9340. Desiring to be more disciplined in my sleep habits
9341. Seeking to figure out how much sleep I really need to get
9342. God's greatness
9343. Remembering that I really need Jesus for everything
9344. Having the Holy Spirit to help me fight
9345. Making a to do list
9346. Seeking to get more ordered and organized
9347. Watching the kids dance
9348. Talking some to Becca
9349. Getting kids' sheets and bedding washed today
9350. Getting beds made
9351. Gabriel's huge smile and laughter
9352. The contagious giggling
9353. Gabriel showing off his teeth
9354. Gabriel eating 2 pieces of pizza
9355. Kids eating pizza and lots of grapes
9356. Kids playing together
9357. Listening to kids act out movie scenes
9358. Lillian's repeating lines from "Despicable Me" as she ate her "cheetos"
9359. Kids seeking to make us laugh
9360. Gabriel enjoying having his teeth brushed
9361. Other kids getting good at brushing their teeth
9362. Really smooth bed time
9363. Working on prayer list for next month
9364. Getting most of the prayer list completed
9365. Hearing from lots of workers this week
9366. Seeing God at work around the world
9367. Hearing incredible stories of God's saving grace
9368. Getting my planning calendar for next year
9369. Working on getting things thought through for next year
9370. Beginning to make plans for things to come
9371. Reflecting on the blessings of the past 2 days
9372. Getting to write a short blog post
9373. God's amazing love
9374. The beauty of the Trinity
9375. Thinking about blogging for the next year
9376. Time to relax
9377. Going to sleep before 10 pm
9378. Being able to get up and going
9379. Time to pray
9380. Kids playing well this morning
9381. Kids being quiet when they got up
9382. Reuben sleeping until after 8
9383. Big bowl of cheese grits for breakfast
9384. Becca making extra grits
9385. Everyone eating breakfast together
9386. All of the kids eating well
9387. Enjoying talking together
9388. Being able to take a nice hot shower for a little bit
9389. Getting ready to work
9390. Becca being able to run errands
9391. Making a plan for the day
9392. Having a very productive morning
9393. Beginning to get things in our file cabinet
9394. Cleaning off the stairs
9395. Getting books put back on the shelf
9396. Adding new books to our collection
9397. Running out of room on our shelves
9398. Having access to a lot of books
9399. Having the ability and resources to buy books
9400. Filing all of our recent Sojourn sermon notes
9401. Kids playing with Nativity stickers
9402. Jamey doing extra school work for fun
9403. Jamey desiring to write
9404. Lillian reading for fun
9405. Reuben wanting to do work
9406. Reuben coloring and learning to do stickers
9407. Kids playing well while Jim and I organized
9408. Getting all of our towels washed
9409. Becca making lunch
9410. All the kids eating lunch well
9411. Gabriel taking a nap
9412. Getting a lot done in a little time
9413. Time to read
9414. Reading 1 John
9415. Being reminded that we are to follow God's commands showing we are in Christ
9416. God's amazing work
9417. The clarity of Scripture
9418. Learning more of the deep Truths of God
9419. Jim vacuuming the whole house
9420. Becca, Jamey and Lillian cleaning the bathrooms
9421. Having kids who like to clean
9422. Seeing more things I need to teach the kids
9423. Reuben learning to put his dishes away
9424. Reuben giving high-5s
9425. Gabriel's laughter and cheesy smile
9426. Watching Gabriel throw a ball
9427. Having a few minutes to rest
9428. Taking a brief doze
9429. Kids resting
9430. Writing about what I'm reading
9431. Time to read for fun
9432. Getting more laundry done
9433. Cleaning up the kids room
9434. Finally moving the laundry basket
9435. Jim and Becca making dinner
9436. Lillian actually sleeping
9437. Reuben taking a good nap
9438. Jamey resting well
9439. Getting a lot of reading done
9440. Rest time for all
9441. Good reminders of God's grace in my book
9442. Daddy, Mom and Rachel getting her safely
9443. Lots of excitement
9444. Reuben warming up quickly
9445. Gabriel enjoying the attention
9446. All fitting at the table
9447. Enjoyable conversation
9448. Discussing baby names
9449. Jamey saying the baby's name is Esther (though we do not know gender)
9450. Jamey not saying he will be sad if the baby is a girl
9451. God's grace evident in Jamey's life
9452. Really good corn chowder
9453. Laughter
9454. Play time
9455. Lillian taking a good nap
9456. Being full
9457. God's provision for our family
9458. Family "Christmas"
9459. All the kids getting Art sets and drawing books
9460. Family t-shirts for the museum next year
9461. Getting Just Dance 4!
9462. Bamboo cutting board with different cutting mats
9463. Lots of kitchen shears
9464. Umbrellas
9465. Kids enjoying their gifts
9466. Kids taking pictures
9467. Getting immediate use out of Just Dance 4
9468. Fun new songs to dance too
9469. Watching Jim, Rachel, Mom and the kids dance
9470. Songs I like on the game
9471. More time to read
9472. Smooth bed time
9473. Finishing What Did You Expect?
9474. Hearing greetings from friends
9475. Updating my Good Reads account
9476. Having Goodreads available to me
9477. Seeing how much I have been reading
9478. Thinking about the days blessings
9479. Watching some of the Pirates movie
9480. Sleep
9481. Getting out of bed before 6 am
9482. Kids having things to draw on this morning
9483. Mom showing the kids their drawing books
9484. Having significant amount of time to pray
9485. Reading my Bible
9486. Reading 2nd John
9487. Reading 3rd John
9488. Books from the Bible that are encouragement to persevere in the faith
9489. Lucky Charms
9490. Kids eating well
9491. Jamey helping me clean out the dishwasher
9492. Reuben and Gabriel sleeping until 8 am
9493. Gabriel inhaling his banana
9494. Doing Russian with Lillian
9495. Time to journal
9496. God moving
9497. Hanging out
9498. Low key, few plans day
9499. Being with family
9500. Yummy sandwiches
9501. Rachel and Jim making sandwiches
9502. Enjoying lunch together
9503. Stimulating conversation
9504. Talking theology
9505. Finding Daddy and I agree more on theology than I thought
9506. Encouraging each other in the faith
9507. Kids resting
9508. 3 younger ones napping
9509. Daddy reading to Jamey
9510. Daddy reading to Lillian
9511. Gabriel playing well
9512. Jim getting to nap
9513. Relaxing afternoon
9514. Learning more about seeking God's best
9515. Learning more about how to encourage others
9516. Growing in knowledge on God
9517. God opening my eyes to help me understand Scripture more
9518. Sharing what I learned from reading What Did You Expect?
9519. God's continual grace and mercy
9520. Having spiritual eyes
9521. Being blessed more than I deserve
9522. Jamey learning how to draw
9523. Jamey being able to draw a picture from the instruction book
9524. Jamey growing in different skills
9525. Jamey liking to draw
9526. Lillian trying to draw some
9527. Reuben coloring
9528. Daddy cutting up onions
9529. Rachel and I getting 4 cups of cheese shredded
9530. Getting dinner started before Jim got up
9531. Jim being able to get dinner ready quickly
9532. Daddy and Mom making guacamole to go with our black bean casserole
9533. Lillian taking a 4+ hour nap
9534. The kids all eating well
9535. Avocados (really wish I could grow these here)
9536. Kids loving avocado
9537. Jim getting out the door smoothly
9538. Jim already having food at work
9539. Going to Pie Kitchen with Daddy
9540. God working out divine appointments
9541. Not being able to find a Starbucks gift card
9542. Jordan making me a slice of cookie dough ice cream pie since there wasn't any in the freezer
9543. Meeting Jonathan and Chelsea from Sojourn
9544. Sharing a little with them
9545. Getting Chelsea's email address
9546. Really good conversation
9547. Challenging each other
9548. Seeking God's wisdom
9549. Chelsea excited to learn more about prayer for workers
9550. Eating ice cream with Daddy
9551. God's perfect timing
9552. God's amazing grace
9553. Being able to talk about sin struggles
9554. Talking about what we are learning from God
9555. Exchanging ideas
9556. Sweet Tea
9557. Jordan giving me a glass of sweet tea
9558. God's provision in the little things
9559. Praying together
9560. God changing hearts
9561. Seeing God at work in many things
9562. Talking some with Becca
9563. Finally getting to bed
9564. Being able to get up with only about 4 hours sleep
9565. Mom starting breakfast for the kids
9566. Coffee
9567. Having time to pray and read
9568. Being able to go to God when I am really struggling
9569. Lucky Charms
9570. Making it through the morning
9571. Jamey and Lillian building with magnetic blocks
9572. Jamey growing in creativity
9573. God working in Jamey
9574. God always at work
9575. Kids asking to play the dance game instead of watching something
9576. Starting Revelation
9577. Seeing a lot of warnings for the church today in Revelation
9578. Recognizing things I need to be on the alert for in my life
9579. God getting through to my head even in a fog
9580. Going to lunch with Mom
9581. Daddy, R and R taking the kids to eat and play at McDonald's
9582. Eating at Cheesecake Factory
9583. Really good salad and sandwich
9584. Getting avocado on my sandwich
9585. Mom asking me about my book
9586. Sweet Tea
9587. Getting Cheesecake to go
9588. Walking around the mall
9589. Getting exercise
9590. Being able to resist the mall
9591. Growing in dislike of mall shopping
9592. Finding potential family ornaments that have 7 people on them for next year
9593. Being reminded of how different people are
9594. Being reminded of how people learn differently
9595. Finding a maternity shirt on sale
9596. Finding a maternity shirt in a style I like
9597. Meeting another pregnant woman
9598. Being able to encourage the other woman
9599. Getting good info from her
9600. Dinner getting ready
9601. Scalloped potatoes
9602. Kids having fun at McDonald's
9603. Jim getting some sleep
9604. All eating dinner together
9605. Everyone fitting at the table
9606. Jim getting off to work
9607. Having good left overs for him to take for lunch
9608. Kids playing the dance game with Becca and Rachel
9609. Smooth bed time
9610. Kids going to sleep quickly
9611. Chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake
9612. Going to sleep before 8 pm
9613. Waking up early
9614. Waking up refreshed
9615. Time to work on a few things
9616. Time to pray before everyone got up
9617. Time to read more of Revelation
9618. Looking for understanding
9619. Learning to be OK with mystery
9620. Having a God we cannot completely comprehend
9621. God's greatness
9622. God knowing all things
9623. Trusting that God knows all things
9624. Trusting that God is in control
9625. Having a little time with just Jamey this morning
9626. Getting breakfast started
9627. Cinnamon rolls
9628. Kids eating a good breakfast
9629. Reuben sleeping until 7:30
9630. Gabriel sleeping until 7:30
9631. Jim having a good night
9632. Rain
9633. God replenishing the earth
9634. Seeing Rachel
9635. Seeing Gidget and Margo
9636. Worshiping my Lord with other believers
9637. Learning about why Jesus had to die
9638. Being reminded that we also must die
9639. Hearing great thoughts on how to go about resolutions
9640. Thinking about what I want to focus on next year
9641. Thinking about how I need to die to myself everyday
9642. Figuring out how to die to self and live for Christ everyday
9643. Hearing how great what Christ did for us is
9644. Knowing that Satan and death have been defeated
9645. There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus!
9646. The idea of suffering in our lives being part of our glorification process (2 Corinthians 4:17)
9647. Jesus drawing people in love
9648. Being reminded to be careful what I love
9649. Great thoughts for the end of the year
9650. Talking to MyLee for a few minutes
9651. Finding out the Corona's are looking for a house in our area of town!
9652. Talking to Lora for a few minutes
9653. Getting out of the church building quickly
9654. Going to Olive Garden for lunch
9655. Sweet Tea
9656. Olive Garden bread sticks
9657. Olive Garden salad
9658. Lasagna
9659. Jamey and Lillian picking out their food and drink
9660. Having a good full meal
9661. Daddy and Mom buying all of us lunch
9662. Jim getting to nap
9663. Time to rest on the sofa
9664. Talking about Scripture with Rachel and Daddy
9665. Snuggling with Lillian
9666. Talking about God's character
9667. Seeking Truth together
9668. Admitting there are some things that we cannot understand on this side of Heaven
9669. Jamey sharing with Lillian
9670. Playing a game with Lillian
9671. Talking with Rachel
9672. Jim getting a good nap
9673. Hanging out
9674. Eating leftovers for dinner
9675. Really yummy mac and cheese
9676. Kids playing
9677. Staggering bed times
9678. Smooth bed time
9679. Time to talk with Jim
9680. Going to bed early

What Did You Expect?

This book, by Paul David Tripp, is an excellent look at marriage as a sanctifying gift from God. I really appreciate the honesty in the book and real examples of people who have been in the trenches and seen God work, as well as Tripp's own struggles. It challenges us to ask ourselves whose kingdom are we living for, God's or our own and how we live for God's Kingdom together. Tripp also reminds us that marriage is a daily battle of fighting sin and seeking God and His Kingdom first. Our trouble in marriage is a worship problem not an us vs them problem. When we seek to worship ourselves and see our own Kingdom we have discord. When we seek to worship God and His Kingdom we have unity. It's a commitment.

Tripp gives us 6 commitments to strive for in our marriages with the help of Christ:

1. We will give ourselves to a regular lifestyle of confession and forgiveness
2. We will make growth and change our daily agenda
3. We will work together to build a sturdy bond of trust
4. We will commit to building a relationship of love
5. We will deal with our differences with appreciation and grace
6. We will work to protect our marriage

These are great commitments to work for by God's grace to strive to live like Christ and for Christ to be reflected in our marriage.

For content I would give this book 5 stars.

Stylistically I would only give this book 3 stars as he is repetitive and I felt like things could have been arranged better. These personal preferences would not keep me from recommending this book to others as an excellent resource to help in seeking God in their marriage.

Born to Die

Last night as I was sitting at the Christmas Eve service at Sojourn, it really hit me that the purpose of Jesus coming to earth was to die. From the beginning of time when the world was created, Jesus knew He would be leaving His throne in Heaven to come to earth to save the world from their sins. There is so much in this that I cannot comprehend, but as I remember Jesus's birth this year I marvel at Him coming to die. Remember God's love for us as we celebrate Jesus's birth.

December 16 to 22

8686. Waking at 6:30
8687. Getting breakfast going
8688. Time to pray and read the Bible
8689. Finally getting caught up on my Bible reading plan!
8690. Desiring to feast on God's Word more
8691. Desiring to pray more
8692. Seeing God give us the desires of our hearts as they match His will for our lives
8693. School time
8694. Great Bible reading time
8695. Getting more regulated in discipline
8696. Seeking to be more disciplined
8697. Kids growing in listening skills
8698. Learning God's Word together
8699. Getting all of our major subjects finished
8700. Jamey growing and learning
8701. Learning how much to push him
8702. Desiring to help him continue in desiring to learn
8703. Learning to combat laziness more
8704. Being productive
8705. Lillian learning
8706. Seeing growth in Lillian
8707. Reuben growing in doing puzzles
8708. Watching Reuben learn
8709. Reuben's vocabulary growing
8710. Reuben asking frequently "What's this?"
8711. Learning how to foster curious minds
8712. Learning to overcome our tendencies
8713. Taco Bell
8714. Family lunch
8715. Good conversations
8716. Grocery store date with Jim
8717. Good rest time
8718. Jamey napping
8719. Time to read for fun
8720. Interesting discussions that come from reading different POVs
8721. Being challenged
8722. Learning to investigate all of Scripture
8723. Yummy pasta dish for dinner
8724. Family dinner
8725. Playing games together
8726. Smooth bed time
8727. Going to BYOB book club
8728. Seeing Ashley
8729. Seeing Breanne
8730. Seeing Jennifer
8731. Meeting new Sisters
8732. Seeing Melanie
8733. Finding out Melanie is also expecting
8734. Hearing about the books people are reading
8735. Being encouraged in my Childbirth Conversation book and class
8736. Ashley being willing to help me set up a more in depth blog for Childbirth Conversations
8737. Great fellowship
8738. Coffee and Hot Chocolate
8739. Great snacks
8740. Breanne's hospitality
8741. Fun conversation
8742. Sisterhood and bonding even when we didn't know each other before
8743. Learning more about homeschool co-op for next year
8744. Things to plan for next year
8745. Being able to help others plan for teaching
8746. Being able to be yourself even when your in a fighting mood
8747. Ashley blessing us with a jacket
8748. Lots of encouragement
8749. Jim having a fun evening
8750. Late night
8751. Sleeping until almost 8
8752. Really good hot breakfast
8753. Becca making breakfast
8754. Family breakfast time
8755. Getting ready for the day
8756. Family Bible time
8757. Gidget and Silas coming over before playgroup
8758. Playgroup
8759. Kids running around a lot
8760. Silas playing with Jamey and Lillian
8761. Great conversation with Gidget
8762. Discussing Genesis 1
8763. Open honest questions and dialogue
8764. Seeing Shannon, Charlotte and Juliet
8765. Seeing Caroline, Luke and Hadley
8766. Seeing Lauren and Samuel
8767. Talking about homeschool curriculum
8768. Encouragement from Sisters
8769. All of our kids playing well together
8770. Learning constantly
8771. Teaching kids to work things out together
8772. Kids playing awhile before begging for food
8773. My kids eating 2 almost whole apples
8774. Lemon Yogurt
8775. Gidget and Silas getting to stay until noon
8776. Walking
8777. Having the ability to walk
8778. Finding out more about serving our workers
8779. Good lunch time
8780. Talking at lunch
8781. Rest time
8782. Making monkey bread with Jim
8783. Time to talk while we cook
8784. Reuben napping
8785. Finishing The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert
8786. Reading a book in a couple of days
8787. Not watching TV all day
8788. Getting needed email sent
8789. Reuben's fascination with a flashlight
8790. Jamey finally falling asleep
8791. Reading my daily Bible reading
8792. God's grace abounding everywhere
8793. Working on blessings
8794. Having so many blessings to count
8795. The literalness of children
8796. Lots of baby movements
8797. God always being in control
8798. Having a God I can take my fears, doubts and questions to
8799. God being a personal God
8800. Having a house with central heating
8801. Having a warm place to go
8802. Gabriel growing
8803. Gabriel sitting up to drink his bottle
8804. Having to teach hard lessons the hard way
8805. Reuben's jabber
8806. Smiles and giggles
8807. Getting things done
8808. Getting end of year letter written
8809. Getting prints from Snapfish
8810. Productivity
8811. Getting things ready for CG Christmas party
8812. Finding Jeff Street with little difficulty
8813. Grace making it to our Christmas party
8814. Seeing everyone
8815. Fun conversations
8816. Ryan being able to come
8817. Beth Anne being able to come
8818. Grace meeting new people and being encouraged
8819. God moving among us
8820. Relatively nice game of White Elephant
8821. Jamey and Reuben playing the game
8822. Jamey getting a remote controlled helicopter from the game
8823. Great fellowship
8824. Time to pray for each other
8825. Hearing encouraging stories from others
8826. All of us being given opportunities to share the Good News of Christmas
8827. Paul being able to spend Christmas with his kids
8828. Getting cleaned up quickly
8829. Smooth bedtime for Jamey and Reuben
8830. Lots of good food
8831. Few minutes to relax
8832. Getting sleep
8833. Sleeping until almost 8 am 2 days in a row
8834. Jamey and Lillian playing well
8835. Getting up and going quickly
8836. Cereal for breakfast
8837. Getting sofa where it could be sat on by multiple people
8838. Doing Bible time with the kids
8839. The White's coming over to hang out
8840. Kids playing
8841. Reading books to the kids
8842. Getting to know Billy better
8843. Laughter
8844. Planning to go on a double date next week
8845. Silas and Margo doing well
8846. Just being
8847. Friendships growing
8848. Making plans for studying the Word
8849. Being able to give Gidget some resources
8850. Interesting conversations
8851. Becca making sandwiches for everyone
8852. Enjoying lunch together
8853. Homemade cookies
8854. Silas sitting with Jamey and Lillian
8855. Finding things in common
8856. Spending 3 hours together
8857. Fun morning
8858. Good rest time
8859. Reading and finishing Where's Mom?
8860. Reading more of What Did You Expect?
8861. Running to the book store with Jim
8862. Getting a free Red Box movie for family movie night
8863. Reading 1 Timothy (love this book too)
8864. Falling more in love with God and His Word
8865. Fighting every day
8866. Not fighting alone
8867. Chicken fried rice for dinner
8868. Nice family dinner time
8869. Gabriel eating a lot
8870. Gabriel's hugs
8871. Reuben's hugs and kisses
8872. Jamey giving hugs to his brothers
8873. Jamey desiring to help his siblings do things
8874. Seeing continual growth with all of the kids
8875. Rolling a ball with Gabriel
8876. Gabriel learning to throw
8877. Gabriel's laugh
8878. Watching "Monster University" for family movie night
8879. Sitting together on the sofa
8880. Having a sofa big enough to hold us all comfortably
8881. Snuggling with Reuben
8882. Teaching Gabriel to sit on the sofa
8883. Snuggling the Lillian
8884. Being together
8885. Lillian falling asleep in Jim's lap
8886. Precious moments
8887. Smooth bed time
8888. Watching "Chuck" with Jim and Becca
8889. Fun relaxing day
8890. Warmed monkey bread with frozen cool whip
8891. Snuggling with Jim
8892. Being reminded that God is always in control
8893. Learning to let go of control
8894. God being so big
8895. Sleep
8896. Waking up and getting out of bed quickly
8897. Time to pray at the start of the day
8898. Reading Titus
8899. Encouragement from God's Word
8900. Cheese Grits
8901. Kids playing well together before school time
8902. School
8903. Having time to get a decent amount of school work done
8904. Lillian being close to finishing her first phonics workbook
8905. Lillian beginning to write some
8906. Being the one to teach my kids to read, write and spell
8907. Reuben learning to do simple puzzles
8908. Reuben becoming more curious and asking questions
8909. Jamey starting his new handwriting book
8910. Getting back into math
8911. Jamey learning to write his numbers
8912. Gabriel starting to participate
8913. Singing together
8914. Watching all the kids learn and grow
8915. Learning to enjoy watching the kids learn and grow
8916. Great lunch time
8917. Enjoying another family day
8918. Getting a Russian lesson done
8919. Jamey participating in the lesson
8920. Jamey's initiative
8921. Seeking how to stretch Jamey
8922. Jamey wanting to spell hard words
8923. Learning so much from the kids
8924. Remembering my blessings
8925. Getting emails weeded through
8926. Good rest time
8927. Watching "Monster University" again
8928. Monster University actually being a really good movie
8929. Running a couple errands with Jim
8930. Pizza for dinner
8931. Time to talk in the car
8932. Getting a gift from Mimi
8933. Gabriel eating a whole piece of pizza
8934. Talking at dinner
8935. Playing games together
8936. Time to read for fun
8937. Growing in my desire to read
8938. Working on letters
8939. Watching Jim, the kids and Becca dance
8940. Lots of laughs
8941. Jamey and Lillian learning to play Mario Kart
8942. Enjoying family time
8943. Smooth bed time
8944. Time to relax
8945. Playing Sudoku
8946. Working my brain
8947. Time to learn
8948. Thinking about goals for next year
8949. Talking to Becca
8950. God solidifying who He is in my mind
8951. Being reminded that Jesus is all we need
8952. Jesus being our everything
8953. Finally getting to sleep
8954. Waking up at 6:30
8955. Another morning to pray before things really got going
8956. Getting the kids started with breakfast
8957. Time to read 1 Peter
8958. Being encouraged by remembering we will be like Christ in the end
8959. We will be made new!
8960. The hope a life with Christ brings
8961. Good breakfast time
8962. Remembering God works in mysterious ways
8963. Being reminded God's ways are higher than ours
8964. Good school time
8965. Getting started with school in a timely manner
8966. Seeing more progress everyday
8967. A few minutes to do Russian
8968. Jamey and Lillian both participating in Russian
8969. Reading a Russian/English book with Jamey
8970. Growing in understanding Russian
8971. Doing a lot of laundry
8972. Working together as a family
8973. Teaching Jamey, Lillian and Reuben to do household tasks
8974. Growing together
8975. Sandwiches
8976. Learning to speak the truth in love
8977. Growing in all things
8978. Gabriel having a good 1 year well appointment
8979. Having healthy children
8980. Gabriel almost being done with teething
8981. Really desiring to grow out of laziness
8982. Thinking about routines to impliment to help us remember what we need to do
8983. Realizing routines are good
8984. Having a little time to rest
8985. Stretching my brain
8986. Jamey learning to make pancakes with Jim
8987. Jamey learning math and chemistry in the kitchen
8988. Making the most of everyday opportunities
8989. Lillian and Reuben talking and laughing together
8990. Pancakes and chocolate syrup
8991. Kids scarfing down their dinner
8992. Gabriel enjoying a fourth of an apple
8993. Learning we need to decrease the amount of milk Gabriel drinks
8994. Kids playing together
8995. Jim having time to play a game with the kids before work
8996. Getting diapers folded
8997. Kids learning to fold
8998. Getting a little time to read for fun
8999. Watching kids dance
9000. Reuben dancing in more rhythm
9001. Hearing Reuben say "I did it" when he follows directions
9002. Understanding a lot of what Reuben was saying today
9003. Reuben asking for hugs and kisses
9004. Watching Gabriel snuggling with Jim
9005. Gabriel's smile and bright eyes
9006. Smooth bed time
9007. Praying for my kids
9008. Jamey praying for his siblings
9009. Listening to Reuben talk to himself and laugh
9010. Taco Bell
9011. $5 boxes
9012. Time to reflect on who God is
9013. Remembering that I have nothing to fear because God is in control
9014. Enjoying a few moments to pray and worship
9015. Being able to reflect on who God is
9016. Food!
9017. Cookies
9018. Watching "13 Going On 30"
9019. The movie being far better and cleaner than expected
9020. Hanging out
9021. Getting most of our pictures backed up
9022. Preparing to clean off the laptop in hopes it will work better
9023. Having more designated online time
9024. Seeing what Andy Surkis really looks like
9025. Being alive
9026. Getting a lot done
9027. Several late nights
9028. Having late evenings to work on things
9029. Still getting up early
9030. God helping me persevere
9031. God giving me strength
9032. Sleep
9033. Being able to doze until about 8 am
9034. Having no plans for the day
9035. Hanging out with the kids
9036. Watching the kids play together
9037. Jamey learning to share
9038. Eating breakfast together
9039. Jim having a good night
9040. Time to read my Bible
9041. Time to pray
9042. Playing with the kids
9043. Time to read for fun/education
9044. Gabriel standing up more
9045. Gabriel showing interest in walking with toys
9046. The Russian books being a big hit with the kids
9047. The 3 older ones wanting to know Russian words
9048. Reuben saying more words in English
9049. Reuben trying a couple words in Russian
9050. Learning as a family
9051. Leftovers for lunch
9052. Time to work on a few things
9053. Talking with Becca
9054. Solidifying truths
9055. God's Truth standing the test of time
9056. Jim sleeping well
9057. Time to rest
9058. Kids resting well
9059. Shrimp and peas
9060. Gabriel eating a lot
9061. Reuben eating better
9062. Having healthy children
9063. Jim being able to play a game with the kids before work
9064. Kids dancing
9065. Kids learning more about music
9066. Smooth bed time
9067. Hanging out
9068. Going to sleep early
9069. Getting up at 7
9070. Getting the kids ready for the day
9071. Cinnamon Rolls
9072. Nice temperature
9073. Jim having a good night at work
9074. Walking to church
9075. Talking as we walk
9076. Teaching as we walk
9077. Getting to church early
9078. Jamey asking to listen to the band practice
9079. Kids dancing to the music
9080. Kids being able to play while waiting for time to go to class
9081. Seeing Grace
9082. Talking to Lora
9083. Seeing Joanna
9084. Talking with Kristen
9085. Beginning to solidify plans for next Childbirth Conversation Class
9086. Seeing the Felix family
9087. Seeing David and Alba
9088. Meeting Alba's family
9089. Seeing Luke and Ann
9090. Seeing MyLee
9091. Connecting with the Body
9092. Talking to Paul
9093. Kids celebrating Jesus's birthday
9094. Jamey telling us about what he learned
9095. Nice walk home
9096. Jamey and Lillian helping with the stroller
9097. Corn Chowder for lunch
9098. Really good corn chowder
9099. Good lunch conversation
9100. Learning to include God in everything
9101. Hearing about what devotion to Jesus really looks like
9102. Being challenged in how I need to be more devoted to God
9103. Wondering what sold out devotion for Jesus would look like
9104. God's amazing grace when we fail
9105. Reading God's Word
9106. Taking a nap
9107. Kids resting
9108. Jim taking a good nap
9109. Time to talk with Charlene
9110. Seeing Jamie and Damien
9111. Learning how to get out more
9112. Learning to live in light of the Gospel
9113. Learning to live without fear
9114. Taco bell for dinner
9115. $5 boxes still there
9116. Enjoying dinner together
9117. Talking
9118. Kids being able to play outside for a little while
9119. Finding the Disney version of "Robin Hood" on Netflix
9120. Kids learning to play Mario Kart
9121. Becca going to church
9122. Time to read more for fun
9123. Turtle ice cream pie
9124. Smooth bed time
9125. Decent bed time

Where's Mom?

This book by Dorothy Kelley Patterson is a short quick read, but very encouraging. It is nothing new but a good reminder of the role women play as wives and mothers. It was most certainly an encouragement to me as a stay-at-home mom who sometimes, many times, takes that for granted. I was thankful to be reminded of the God given calling He has given to me and I would recommend it to others to be reminded of what God has called you to.

The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert

I borrowed this book from the SWI library after hearing a little of Rosaria Butterfield's story and overall really enjoyed it. I love how real she is. There is no sugarcoating how she felt or what she went through before becoming a Christian. The beauty of it is that it's not about shock value, but is just the realness of being a sinner, of being a human. It is a story all Christians need to read as she challenges readers to be honest with God and to question how and why we do what we do. She also challenges the way we handle things in the church. She is also funny and a good writer. There are a couple of things I personally do not agree with and feel that she overstated that did not seem to directly deal with her story, but in general I would highly recommend this book. It definitely caused me to think and helped me in understanding those who come from a background different than mine. I would give this probably 4 out of 5 stars.

B.Y.O.B.

Last night I went to my first Bring Your Own Book Book club and it was so much fun! This is different from other book clubs in that you read a book of your choosing and share what you read with others. I love this idea for a few reasons.

1. When you are choosing what you are reading you are more likely to read it
2. You can get other recommendations from others and in different categories
3. It's more a time of encouragement and fellowship

Really it was great and encouraging. It was such a blessing meeting new Sisters and learning different things. Because of craziness I had not finished a book in the last month, but I shared The Historian that I read several years ago and what I have read thus far in The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert. I am looking forward to next month and hope to read 2 books before then, but if I get 1 I will be pleased.

December 9 to 15

8346. Sleeping until 7:30
8347. Eating breakfast together
8348. Doing school with the kids
8349. Jim participating in school time
8350. Jim's j-term class being moved so he can help more
8351. God doing things differently than we expect
8352. Getting a lot more done than I expected
8353. The kids being really excited about school
8354. Getting back into Jamey's math book
8355. The kids remembering the routine
8356. Kids who keep you on your toes
8357. Jamey and Lillian both wanting to do more
8358. Figuring out meal planning easily
8359. Taco Bell for lunch
8360. Enjoying Taco Bell
8361. Kids eating a lot
8362. Great rest time
8363. Jamey going to the store with Jim
8364. Good time alone with the Lord
8365. Crying out to God
8366. Good time in the Word
8367. 1 Corinthians
8368. Being always challenged by God's Word
8369. Time to think on things I need to do
8370. Time to write a lot
8371. God molding my heart to match His more every day
8372. God constantly challenging me
8373. Hearing Jamey make connections with Truth behind them
8374. Thinking about next year
8375. Nice family evening
8376. Deep dinner conversations
8377. Family movie night
8378. Watching Jim and the kids wrestle
8379. Seeing the differences in my kids' personalities as they played
8380. God's amazing ability to make people so uniquely
8381. Smooth bed time
8382. Time to talk with Jim
8383. Watching a movie together
8384. Nice quiet evening
8385. Decent bedtime
8386. Waking mostly refreshed
8387. Grits for breakfast
8388. Good breakfast conversation
8389. Time to do school before playgroup
8390. Kid's wanting to continue in school when it was time to go play
8391. Seeing Gidget and Silas
8392. Walking in the snow
8393. Having an indoor playground to use once a week
8394. Good conversations on the playground
8395. Encouraging each other
8396. Seeing Joe, Caroline, Luke and Hadley
8397. Seeing Margaret, Max, Sloan and Scout
8398. Fun conversations
8399. Sharing ideas without judgement
8400. Being part of God's family
8401. Kids playing well together
8402. Burning lots of energy
8403. Gabriel being able to stay home with Jim
8404. Walking home
8405. Quick easy lunch
8406. Great rest time
8407. Reading my Bible
8408. Shower
8409. Pouring out my heart to the Lord
8410. Having a God who hears His people and cares deeply for us
8411. Time to write
8412. Being able to make a quick run to the store
8413. Finishing my book!!!
8414. Having great news from a friend
8415. Seeing almost immediate answers to prayer
8416. God doing far more than we can ever imagine
8417. Corn chowder for dinner!
8418. Having enough corn chowder for dinner next week too
8419. Great evening
8420. Going to Community Group
8421. Hearing Jenny's testimony
8422. Hearing Kristen's testimony
8423. Planning for our Christmas meal next week
8424. Time to pray for our Sisters
8425. Time to pray for our elders
8426. Having guy/girl time
8427. Having Sisters who can speak into your life
8428. Having Sisters who celebrate with you
8429. Hearing about an immediate answer to pray from a Sister from last week
8430. God's amazing hand
8431. Praying for each other
8432. Great evening
8433. Pre-bed snack
8434. Time to talk to Jim
8435. Sleep
8436. Lillian sleeping until 7
8437. Getting to sleep until 8
8438. Doing our school core this morning
8439. Family field trip to the Science Center
8440. Good parking space
8441. Kids playing all over
8442. Lots of learning opportunities
8443. Watching Gabriel explore
8444. Seeing their anatomy and physiology exhibit
8445. Subway for lunch
8446. Subway being connected to the Science Center
8447. Gabriel eating his first Subway sandwich piece
8448. Meeting Jennifer and talking about church
8449. Meeting a lady and her kids visiting from out of town
8450. Learning about a new homeschool resource
8451. Making music
8452. Enjoying the day together
8453. The kids exploring together
8454. Teaching life lessons along with science
8455. Learning more about making the most of every opportunity
8456. Staying until almost 2 pm without major melt downs
8457. Great rest time
8458. Jim getting time to think and process some things
8459. Reading the end of 2 Corinthians
8460. Starting a new book (reading)
8461. Talking with Jim
8462. Learning to work through things the way Jesus did
8463. Growing together as a couple
8464. Growing closer to God as a couple and individuals
8465. Getting an email sent
8466. Learning I will likely see Shannon and Neely this weekend!
8467. Already thinking of more writing projects
8468. Seeking where God would have me work next
8469. God's bigness
8470. Restful afternoon
8471. CG Christmas celebration
8472. Seeing people
8473. Meeting George
8474. Seeing Rebecca
8475. Eating Italian food
8476. Celebrating what God has done through CGs this year
8477. Singing praise songs
8478. Hearing testimonies
8479. Encouragement from the elders
8480. Meeting Pastor Brad
8481. Kids doing well with another late night
8482. Smooth bedtime
8483. Chilling for a bit
8484. Sleep
8485. Waking for the day at 5:15
8486. Having some much needed time with the Lord
8487. Journaling about some thoughts
8488. Reading most of the book of Romans
8489. Romans (I love this book of the Bible!)
8490. Praying
8491. Crying out to God
8492. The Holy Spirit working in my heart
8493. Being confronted with what is important vs what is not
8494. Great school time
8495. Getting in some of all of Jamey's school subjects
8496. Realizing how much I need to grow in discipline so I can teach my kids how to be self-disciplined
8497. Seeing how much the kids are learning and growing
8498. Learning how to push my kids a little bit further
8499. Learning how to push myself a little bit further
8500. Great lunch time
8501. Getting in a Russian lesson
8502. Kids resting
8503. Time to talk with Tom and Robyn
8504. Being challenged
8505. Learning how to confront sin
8506. God weeding out sin in my life
8507. Battling
8508. Being able to battle the flesh
8509. God giving us the ability to fight through the power of the Holy Spirit
8510. Restful afternoon
8511. More time to read for fun
8512. "Chuck"
8513. Getting ready for a fun evening
8514. Jamey napping 2 days in a row
8515. Dinner with Nate and Karey
8516. Getting to know each other more
8517. Discussing possibilities for the future
8518. Seeking where God would have us
8519. Being able to set a January date easily
8520. Karey ordering pizza for all of us
8521. Laughter
8522. Kids doing well
8523. God teaching us in all things
8524. Jamey learning to converse with adults more
8525. Nate reading to the kids
8526. Karey's creativity
8527. Discussing our gifts
8528. Discussing how we see gifts
8529. God growing us
8530. The endless possibilities in God's Kingdom
8531. Seeing a God sized vision
8532. Desiring to see God more
8533. Learning to recognize God's goodness in all things
8534. Falling asleep easily
8535. Sleeping until 7 uninterrupted
8536. Having a few minutes to talk with Jim in the morning
8537. Good breakfast time together
8538. Getting ready for MOMSTogether
8539. Gabriel being able to stay home with Jim
8540. Getting there early
8541. Kids ready to go play
8542. Learning my kids sin tendencies and learning how to combat them
8543. Yummy food
8544. Meeting Naomi
8545. Talking to Naomi about where God is leading us
8546. The Spirit at work
8547. Funny mistakes
8548. Being reminded that I need to use my time in the best ways, not just good ways
8549. Thinking about routines we need to reestablish
8550. Seeking how God wants us to use these few weeks between semesters
8551. Seeking how to reorganize our days to be more intentional in everything
8552. Getting the kids early
8553. Teaching moments
8554. Learning to deal with screaming kids to teach important lessons
8555. Getting home on time
8556. Quick turnaround
8557. A few minutes to read while waiting
8558. Seeing the baby
8559. The baby looking healthy
8560. Running to Target
8561. Time to talk with Jim in the car
8562. Discerning why I talk so much at times
8563. Kids resting
8564. Productive afternoon
8565. Getting needed emails sent
8566. Working out a time to hang out with the Whites
8567. Thinking about my blessings
8568. Jim making dinner
8569. Gabriel standing up and clapping
8570. Reuben talking more
8571. Reuben being more understandable
8572. Gabriel pushing a toy across the room
8573. Nice dinner time
8573. Snuggling with my kids
8574. Hearing Lillian sing Hebrews 13:8
8575. Singing with Lillian
8576. Lillian saying more of her Bible verses
8577. Jamey, Lillian and Reuben all sitting with me on the sofa
8578. Enjoying a movie together
8579. Learning to enjoy my kids more
8580. Smooth bedtime
8581. Quiet evening at home
8582. Working on uploading pictures
8583. Being able to use 2 computers at the same time
8584. Being blessed more than I should be
8585. Watching some of the newer episodes of CI
8586. Getting productive things accomplished
8587. Realizing I need to not take so many pictures
8588. Jamey's laughter
8589. Jamey's imagination
8590. Going through some emails
8591. Making a dent in the emails
8592. Getting a few swagbucks
8593. Getting some pictures uploaded
8594. Going to bed
8595. Feeling rested this morning
8596. Kids sleeping well
8597. The little boys sleeping until after 7 am
8598. Being able to doze until 7
8599. Time to pray and read my Bible
8600. Remembering that the work of Christ is worth suffering and dying for
8601. Being reminded God is always in control
8602. God doing all this for His glory and the good of His people
8603. God's ways being higher than ours
8604. Paul's faith to trust God where ever He took him
8605. Paul's faithfulness to God's call in His life
8606. Writing group
8607. Sharing a large portion of my book
8608. Really yummy breakfast
8609. Free pastry
8610. Meeting a woman from Moldova
8611. Good and interesting conversation
8612. Being able to take Marie home
8613. Great afternoon
8614. Being able to work on several things
8615. Jim sleeping well
8616. Becca making cookies and vegan dough balls (both really yummy)
8617. Frozen pizzas
8618. Reading a new book
8619. Kids resting
8620. Becca being around until the kids went to bed
8621. Smooth bed time
8622. Getting more pictures uploaded
8623. Quiet evening
8624. Getting to bed at a decent hour
8625. Getting up at 6:30
8626. Getting everyone up and ready to go by 7:45
8627. Getting Jamey to the kids sing area on time
8628. Talking with Lisa
8629. Other kids playing while we waited for church
8630. Talking with Rachel
8631. Gidget and Margo coming to church
8632. Listening to kids sing in the church service
8633. Jamey doing OK
8634. God's graciousness
8635. Margo making it through the service in the nursery
8636. Good conversation with Gidget
8637. Seeing Shannon
8638. Meeting Neely
8639. Getting to hold Neely for a few minutes
8640. Kids running around
8641. Seeing Melanie
8642. Seeing Lance and Julia
8643. Meeting Zara
8644. The beauty of adoption
8645. Meeting Grace
8646. Making plans to meet Karey and Grace for coffee
8647. God making plans for us
8648. The church being the church
8649. Talking with Sarah
8650. Cookies
8651. Talking to Rachel D and hearing about her birth
8652. Meeting Eloise
8653. God's goodness
8654. Seeing Katie
8655. Being part of the Body of Christ
8656. Yummy lunch
8657. Teaching the kids to eat even when they don't want to
8658. Talking about Jesus with the kids
8659. Jamey telling me what he learned in class
8660. Lillian learning to talk about what she learns
8661. Conversations
8662. Good rest time
8663. Time to read my Bible and pray
8664. Jim getting a good nap
8665. Meeting Karey and Grace for coffee
8666. Karey treating me to dinner
8667. Panera soup and sandwich
8668. Being available to meet on short notice
8669. Hearing Grace's story
8670. Hearing Grace's heart
8671. Encouragement
8672. Seeking how we can best minister to her long term
8673. God teaching Grace
8674. Cafe Mocha
8675. Everyone playing games together
8676. Becca going to church
8677. Smooth bed time
8678. Time for Jim and I to talk
8679. Praying together
8680. God teaching and growing us
8681. Getting stuff ready for Monday
8682. Learning how to communicate more
8683. Being together
8684. Growing in our marriage
8685. Early bed time

I FINISHED MY BOOK!!!!!

Seriously! I finally finished my first draft of my first novel. I honestly don't know how many people know I like to write fiction, since I kept it hidden most of my life, but this is such a big deal to me. Since I was about 12 I have had ideas for books and started many with the hope of finishing one of them one day. Well, by God's grace, today is that day! This story I have been working on for about 15 years. I have started it twice, changed the plot line more times than I can count and wrote twists in there even I wasn't expecting (Thank you, Claire :) ). I'm so giddy I don't know what to do with myself! With that I am so grateful that God has allowed me to accomplish this goal in my life. I'm stunned and amazed and hope that I will be able to edit it well and get it published in some avenue. I may ramble for a minute, but I really am just in awe. We plan we scheme, we hope, we dream, but nothing can be accomplished apart from the will of God. There were days I thought I should just give up on this dream and hang it up. But thanks be to God I did not give up. I hope that this book will bring Him glory and encourage and/or challenge others. God is so good. He really does care for His people. He cares about the "little things". When we seek Him and His will He does give us the desires of our hearts. God has given me a talent and I pray that I will continue to grow in it. I'm already planning some writing things for next year and hope to do National Novel Writing Month with Gidget again next November to write the sequel. (Yes, I've already got a sequel in mind.) It is so exciting and I hope that this is an encouragement to others who desire to write to get out there and do it! It's an exhilarating adventure!

December 2 to 8

8131. Getting a good nights sleep for all
8132. Taking another day off from school
8133. Having enough cereal for breakfast
8134. Making a grocery list based on the week we were home
8135. Going to the grocery store
8136. Having nostalgia moments
8137. Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes
8138. Little Debbie Cherry Cordials
8139. Papa John's for lunch
8140. Doing well with budget
8141. Getting needed emails sent
8142. Good rest time for all
8143. Jim studying for his final
8144. Productive afternoon
8145. Good dinner
8146. Smooth bed time
8147. Hanging out with Jim
8148. Getting sleep
8149. Waking up at a decent hour
8150. Spending time with the Lord
8151. Going through all the kids clothes in our house
8152. Reorganizing all the clothes buckets
8153. Having extra buckets left over
8154. Seeing Gidget, Silas and Margo
8155. Friends who can see our house just as it is and still be OK
8156. Playgroup
8157. Silas playing with Jamey
8158. Kids wrestling and running around together
8159. Seeing Shannon, Charlotte and Juliet
8160. Seeing Caroline, Luke and Hadley
8161. Fun conversations
8162. Learning how to speak truth in all things
8163. All the kids playing together well
8164. Walking to and from playgroup
8165. Kids doing well with little snack and late lunch
8166. Good lunch
8167. Great rest time
8168. Very productive afternoon
8169. Jim taking his final
8170. Jim being done with the semester
8171. Relaxing some
8172. Good dinner time
8173. Nice evening
8174. Going to CG! (really missed it last week)
8175. Hearing people's stories
8176. Helping a Sister work through a difficult decision Biblically
8177. Being surrounded by people who love the Word
8178. Encouraging others
8179. Life in Christ
8180. Knowing that life will be better and less complicated one day
8181. Being challenged
8182. Great discussions
8183. Not being worried about time
8184. Kids going to sleep well
8185. Bed
8186. Sleeping until 9
8187. Jim letting me sleep later
8188. Good breakfast
8189. Low key day
8190. Hanging out as a family
8191. Going to Ghyslain's with our marriage and family class
8192. Fun and interesting conversations
8193. Time to evaluate the class
8194. Getting a lot of organization done in the living room
8195. Really yummy desserts
8196. Really good coffee
8197. Kids napping
8198. Working on some planning for the winter break
8199. Getting all of the tubs put away
8200. Going shopping with Gidget
8201. Seeing Gidget's house
8202. Lots of good conversation
8203. Getting things we needed for the gift exchange
8204. Running some extra errands together
8205. Being challenged in conversation
8206. Realizing I don't have all the answers
8207. Knowing the One who has all the answers, even though He may choose not to give answers
8208. Learning how to explain things in different ways
8209. Hearing different perspectives
8210. Really good Corn Chowder
8211. Smooth bed time
8212. Watching a movie with Jim
8213. Sudoku
8214. Bed
8215. Good restful sleep
8216. Feeling mostly rested
8217. Going through the kids toys
8218. Purging some
8219. Kids being willing to purge
8220. Kids actively helping us make stacks and decisions about what should go
8221. Nice rest time
8222. Working on lists for tomorrow morning
8223. Getting a few copies to print
8224. Being able to squeeze in a last minute date night
8225. Indian food
8226. Cheese Naan
8227. Having good discussion about the Bible
8228. Having good discussion about next year
8229. Just having time to talk
8230. Time to peruse Barnes and Nobel
8231. Being encouraged to keep writing
8232. Discussing having a mixed book store
8233. Increasing desire to write and read
8234. Desiring to be more disciplined in time
8235. Learning to seek God's best in everything
8236. Time to relax
8237. Decent bed time
8238. Getting up and going at 7 am
8239. Getting cider together
8240. Making the area clear for signing cards
8241. Kids helping to prepare for the morning
8242. Getting the cookies made
8243. Time to talk with Beth
8244. Lifting up our workers
8245. Getting cards signed
8246. Praising the Lord
8247. Being encouraged in different ways
8248. Good lunch time
8249. Reading the Word together
8250. The kids working on their Scripture memory
8251. Taking a nap
8252. Jim getting to take a nap
8253. Writing
8254. Yummy dinner
8255. Lots of snow
8256. Jim getting his car clear enough to drive
8257. Jim getting to work safely
8258. Watching a movie with the kids
8259. Smooth bed time
8260. Starting the long process of picture uploads for back ups
8261. Finally needing to clear out the  pictures on our laptop
8262. Making backups where we can
8263. Watching CSI: Miami
8264. Getting to bed before 11
8265. Jim getting to come home
8266. Jim getting home safely
8267. Being able to sleep until 11
8268. Becca taking care of the kids
8269. Gift Exchange getting canceled (bc I was not feeling great this morning)
8270. Getting things figured out for next Saturday
8271. Time to read my Bible and pray
8272. Being challenged in figuring out how to respond like Jesus
8273. Uploading more pictures
8274. Learning to seek the Lord and not react
8275. Pajama day
8276. Kids laughter
8277. Watching Jamey and Gabriel laughing together
8278. Kids learning to work together and share
8279. Being challenged in how to teach my kids
8280. Good rest time
8281. Time to catch up on blessings
8282. Making it through the afternoon
8283. Jamey and Lillian playing together
8284. Jim sleeping well
8285. Eating a little dinner
8286. Jim and I having the same thoughts on an issue
8287. Growing in unity
8288. God giving us opportunities to grow
8289. Jim getting to work smoothly
8290. Watching Jamey and Lillian act out "The Big Rock Candy Mountains"
8291. Snuggling with Reuben
8292. One set of photos uploaded on 2 sites
8293. Relatively smooth bedtime
8294. Getting one set of photos uploaded on 3 sites
8295. Decent bed time
8296. Waking feeling mostly refreshed
8297. Jim getting home safely
8298. Cinnamon rolls
8299. Having warm clothes
8300. Practicing for Eastern Europe by walking to and from church in the snow
8301. Opportunities to teach our kids how to respond when they are uncomfortable
8302. Being reminded how I should react when I am uncomfortable
8303. Gidget making it to church
8304. Gidget making it through a whole service
8305. Learning about eternity
8306. Being challenged in how to live in light of eternity
8307. Do I live as if I believe Jesus is the life and resurrection?
8308. Seeking to live in light of eternity
8309. Seeking to live fully what I believe and know to be true
8310. Seeing Melanie
8311. Talking to Rachel
8312. Seeing Vicki
8313. Kids loving Sunday School
8314. Nice walk home
8315. Snowing while we were in church so the tracks were gone when we walked home
8316. The beauty of snow
8317. Finding an opportunity to step into a difficult situation
8318. God opening surprising doors
8319. Good lunch conversation
8320. Learning the truth behind a few things
8321. God always being at work
8322. God quickly giving opportunities to apply what we learn
8323. Being reminded that our best life is to come
8324. Jim getting a good nap
8325. Talking with Becca
8326. Working on more uploads
8327. Seeking how to encourage better
8328. Realizing how much more I need to pray
8329. Being reminded only God can change hearts
8330. Being reminded I need to rely on the Holy Spirit
8331. Left overs for dinner
8332. Good conversation at dinner
8333. Learning from our kids
8334. Hearing Jamey talk about Lazarus and Jesus
8335. Hanging out as a family
8336. Smooth bed time
8337. Good family evening
8338. Time to talk with Jim
8339. Praying with Jim
8340. Watching Chuck
8341. Playing Sudoku
8342. Having a relaxing day
8343. Rediscovering Sabbath rest
8344. Being purposefully restful
8345. Decent bed time

November Evaluation

Little late on this update due to traveling.

Spiritual

• Read through the entire Bible in a year following a chronological reading plan- I'm starting to catch up, hoping to finish by the end of the year
• Memorize a verse a week (for full disclosure I am starting with verses that I have previously memorized but have lost full memory of)- Not really doing this, but working on verses with my kids and believe this is where I need to focus my Scripture memory right now
• Spend 30 minutes daily concentrated on prayer and Bible reading- Still really struggled to do this this month
• Continue to record daily blessings to cultivate thankfulness (Goal is 10,000 things)- Still doing this you can see this months blessings here, here, here, and here
• Praying throughout the day for specified things (still developing lists and plan for this)- this did not happen this month, sadly

Personal

• Read a book a month apart from SWI matrerial- Read a little here and there but did not complete a book
• Journal 5 days a week- No
• Write (working on books) 5 days a week- Due to NaNo I wrote more frequently and almost met this goal
• Finish my first fiction book- Not done, but very close to finishing. Doing NaNo really helped.
• Write 3 blog posts a week- Doing 30 days of Thankfulness helped me meet this goal this month
• Continue to meet once a month with writing group- Yes! Love this group
• Have one day a month for personal retreat time to pray, read the Bible and write- Sadly no
• Complete Level 1 of Rosetta Stone Russian- Hoping to get back into this, we are forgetting to much of what we have learned and I really want to learn another language now
• Begin working on a Christ-centered prenatal/delivery/postnatal education- Had my first class in September and starting to plan for the next as well as a book and blog

Marriage

• Go on a date once a month- Yes! 
• Go on one overnight trip away- Done in May
• Read together for 30 minutes once a week- Not this month
• Discuss and plan the week to come on Sunday afternoon- Yes

Kids

• Take each child on a "date" once a month- Right now it's the grocery store, but yes
• Spend individual time with each child at home once a week (at least 20 minutes)- Sometimes
• Work on memorizing Psalm 23 with Jamey and Lillian- Yes! Both have it memorized as well as Psalm 67 with most of Proverbs 31:10-31 and Psalm 1. We are now working on verse with the school curriculum
• Finish current Pre-K curriculum with Jamey and Lillian- Plugging away with K curriculum
• Continue going to playgroup on Tuesdays- Yes
• (I need to develop more educational goals, so I guess a goal for this year will be learning to do this for next year)

Homemaking

• Begin a garden planting at least tomatoes (hoping to do more)- Our garden is coming to an end as it has gotten cooler. God blessed us with more than I expected
• Try 1 new recipe a month- We tried 1 or 2 this month
• Keep up with cleaning calendar- No
• Develop general cleaning schedule- Did not work on this

Health and Fitness

• Exercise for at least 30 minutes 3 days a week- I've gotten back to water aerobics once a week
• Lose 30 lbs- This is on hold until May, but striving to maintain my weight in pregnancy

Ministry

• Continue hosting Women's prayer once a month- Yes, still praying for more people to pray
• Email workers once a month- I contacted some
• Send 2 encouraging notes a month- No, hoping to incorporate this next year, but not sure 

November was extremely busy finishing up the semester and doing my best to finish my novel. I realized this month how much I was missing in my spiritual life and not spending time with God as I would like. Hoping to grow in this in December, but really struggling with getting disciplined again.

How was your November?

November 25 to December 1

A little late:
7876. Waking with the kids and still getting about 10 hours of much needed sleep
7877. Smooth breakfast time
7878. Washing my hair
7879. Getting needed errands run
7880. Talking with Ann for a few minutes
7881. Hearing Ann's family is currently planning to stay in Louisville for awhile
7882. Leftovers for lunch
7883. Hearing from Dawn
7884. Hearing from several workers
7885. Seeing God move
7886. Productive afternoon
7887. Getting almost everything packed
7889. Beginning to pack the car
7890. Good rest time
7891. Getting more written
7892. Being able to leave a little earlier than we thought
7893. Getting all clothes washed
7894. Frozen pizza
7895. Hot blueberry tea
7896. Jamey wanting to hold my hand
7897. Getting a decent amount of cleaning done
7898. Being ready to visit family
7899. Kids being excited about going to North Carolina and Georgia
7900. Lillian asking all day when we were leaving
7901. Lillian's excitement and enthusiasm for life
7902. Reuben singing
7903. Leftovers for dinner
7904. Getting most of our fridge cleared out
7905. Having little to do in the morning
7906. Watching a movie together
7907. Snuggling with Reuben for most of the movie
7908. Playing Sudoku
7909. Smooth bedtime
7910. Getting all diapers in the wash early
7911. Time to relax
7912. Getting more of my story typed
7913. Having over 43,000 words total
7914. The actual possibility of completing my book this month!
7915. Getting caught up on blessings
7916. Quiet evening with Jim
7917. Being ready to hit the road before the morning
7918. Getting a few things in the car ahead of time
7919. Sleep
7920. Early wake up call
7921. Good breakfast and cleaning out most of our food
7922. Everyone ready to go by 8 am!
7923. Getting loaded and on the road early
7924. Good music to listen to
7925. Talking about who God is and how great He is
7926. Deep conversations
7927. Kids reading in the car
7928. Working on Bible verses
7929. Not losing it while sitting in ridiculous traffic
7930. Taco Bell for lunch
7931. Talking to the workers
7932. Real Sweet Tea!!!!!
7933. Snacks
7934. Getting to Asheville by dinner time
7935. Pizza for dinner
7936. Hanging out with the Griffins
7937. Interesting conversations
7938. Nice hotel room
7939. Reuben staying with the Camps
7940. Movies on TV
7941. Lillian and Jamey sharing  bed
7942. Comfortable mattress and pillows
7943. Finding the down before going to sleep!
7944. Ice and water
7945. Getting some sleep
7946. Waking early with the kids
7947. Full hot continental breakfast
7948. Biscuits and gravy!!!
7949. Kids eating a huge breakfast
7950. Exploring the hotel
7951. Making plans for the day
7952. McDonald's
7953. Huge indoor playgrounds
7954. Jamey playing with other kids at the playground
7955. Reuben exploring
7956. Lillian playing with other kids
7957. Reading my Bible
7958. Time to journal
7959. God teaching me in everything
7960. Good conversations
7961. Being challenged with the Word
7962. Reuben and Gabriel napping well
7963. Taking Jamey and Lillian to the pool
7964. A pool that I could touch all the way around
7965. Putting my feet in the hot tub
7966. Talking
7967. Britney, Kyle and Kylee making it to the hotel
7968. Hanging out
7969. Talking about future plans
7970. Watching the kids play
7971. Talking about the week
7972. Griffin's house for dinner
7973. Yummy pasta and garlic bread
7974. Kids eating at a table on their own
7975. Interesting discussion
7976. Celebrating Christmas with family
7977. Hess trucks
7978. Lots of fun
7979. Jamey playing with the dogs
7980. Lillian finally not freaking out with the dogs
7981. Seeing Greg
7982. Pretty lights
7983. Being reminded that God is the one who guides our steps
7984. God being in control of all things
7985. Kids doing well with a late evening
7986. Crashing at the hotel
7987. Kids going to sleep fairly smoothly
7988. Movies on TV for the family
7989. Making it through the night
7990. Everyone sleeping until 7 am!
7991. Gabriel turning 1! 
7992. Happy Thanksgiving!
7993. Great breakfast
7994. Kids eating a big breakfast
7995. Talking to Daddy
7996. Eating some breakfast with the Emers
7997. Kids playing
7998. Hanging out with Molly
7999. Hearing what God is doing at the church the Griffin's attend
8000. Being reminded how big God is
8001. God is good
8002. Family together for Thanksgiving dinner
8003. Yummy food
8004. Being in Asheville for Thanksgiving
8005. Snow
8006. Seeing Wendy
8007. Lots of food
8008. Margo cooking
8009. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
8010. Kids enjoying the parade
8011. Hanging out
8012. Working through conflict
8013. Learning to talk through things
8014. God using different things to grow us
8015. Family pictures
8016. Celebrating Gabriel's birthday
8017. Costco birthday cake
8018. Enjoying the day
8019. Gabriel being messy and enjoying his cake
8020. Gabriel and Reuben both napping at the Griffins without fuss
8021. Being with family
8022. Getting a lot of writing done
8023. Jamey reading
8024. Lillian playing with the toys
8025. Kids doing well with another late night
8026. Smooth bed time
8027. Time to talk
8028. Despicable Me coming on TV
8029. Free cookies
8030. Decent nights sleep
8031. Comfortable mattress and pillows
8032. Early wake up call
8033. Another really good breakfast
8034. Lots of choices for breakfast
8035. Getting packed and ready in a timely manner
8036. Catching a couple of episodes of "House Hunters"
8037. Feeling the baby move
8038. Getting on the road
8039. Easy drive to GA
8040. Getting to the Murdocks house before noon
8041. Finally meeting Stephen
8042. Kids making themselves at home
8043. Really good chili and macaroni for lunch
8045. Kids playing outside
8046. Reuben taking a good nap
8047. Talking about life now
8048. Sharing hard things in life
8049. Learning ways to pray for others
8050. Good conversation
8051. Encouraging each other
8052. God at work
8053. Getting to my parents house in a timely manner
8054. Yummy dinner
8055. Reuben sitting on a bench with Lillian
8056. Kids eating well
8057. Cherry cheesecake
8058. Kids staying at my parents house
8059. Getting to stay at Brit's house
8060. Comfortable bed
8061. Sleeping in a dark room
8062. Getting OK sleep
8063. Sleeping until 8 or so uninterrupted
8064. Oatmeal for breakfast
8065. Kids putting together the out door nativity
8066. Nostalgia
8067. Teaching Jamey
8068. Cousins working together
8069. Getting ready in a timely manner
8070. Getting out to Powder Springs
8071. Lunch with half of Jim's family
8072. Getting to see Jon
8073. Meeting Abigail
8074. Gifts for the kids from Max
8075. Catching up a little with Aly
8076. Gabriel and Abigail playing together
8077. Younger 3 kids eating a lot
8078. Jim catching up with Jon
8079. Connecting
8080. Natural opportunity to talk about Jesus
8081. Overall lunch going very smoothly
8082. Productive afternoon
8083. Reuben and Gabriel napping well
8084. Watching Planes
8085. Writing a lot in my book
8086. Georgia Tech almost beating Georgia
8087. Yummy hamburgers
8088. Sisters eating dinner together
8089. Laughs
8090. PJ night
8091. Kids getting to bed relatively early
8092. Time to talk to Brit
8093. Sleep
8094. Waking without an alarm before it was time
8095. Time to read
8096. Getting ready and packed
8097. Butter bread filled with cherry for breakfast
8098. Getting the car packed up
8099. Noemi getting to come by for a few minutes
8100. Noemi bringing us 2 bags of goodies!
8101. Getting to church by 9
8102. Kids getting checked in smoothly
8103. Learning the new system
8104. Seeing lots of friends
8105. Kids ready for class
8106. Coffee!
8107. Seeing Julie and catching up a little
8108. Great discussion in Sunday School
8109. Time to talk to many people
8110. Meeting the new Children's minister and his wife (from KY and love missions)
8111. God showing us the love of others
8112. Meeting new people who also love missions
8113. Connecting
8114. Being given an opportunity to share an update in Sunday School
8115. Good discussion in SS
8116. God showing us His greatness
8117. Hearing a good message about why we need to support the mission of God
8118. Seeing Harmina
8119. Having a soon to be reason to visit Canada
8120. Lunch at Old South
8121. Filling lunch
8122. Interesting discussion with Daddy and Jim
8123. Getting clothes changed
8124. Getting on the road earlier than expected
8125. Deep conversations
8126. All 4 kids sleeping in the van
8127. Having an alternate way to get home
8128. Safe drive
8129. Good music to listen to
8130. Getting home in one piece and mostly sane