Update on I love you

The past few days Zac has been a little hard to handle (ie. "Zac, please use your quiet voice. Zac, please keep your hands to yourself. Zac, no running we need to walk. Zac, Zac, ZAC!). Despite his behavior he keeps on saying, "I love you, Mama." I am thankful for that, but I realize that along with saying I love you I want him to SHOW me he loves me by acting like it.

So, although I plan on continuing to tell Jesus I love him I need to make sure I am showing him I love him. Words without the action aren't very meaningful!

“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3.17-18

I have a missionary friend that knows what it means to show Jesus love. Her blog is so inspiring. Please check it out at: http://www.jessicanatebecker.blogspot.com/.

So, what does God's love look and act like for a mom, on a daily basis, in our house...definitely more grace, less anger, more time and undivided attention, gentleness in discipline, patience, keeping no record of wrongs in my head...you get the idea.

I love you

Back in April when we first welcomed Zac into our family I showered him with I love you's. I wanted him to know the words and then learn with time what I love you meant by my actions. Of course, as a parent, I longed for him to say those words to me and mean it. At first his I love you's were only given in response to mine. It was like he was just repeating me.

My, have things changed. I regularly get at least 20 unsolicited, I love you, mommy's every day. Usually they are accompanied by sweet, affectionate phrases like, "Mommy, you're cute and adorable," "You are the best mommy forever and ever," or a big kiss right on the lips! Every time my heart is just busting at the seams. Not only is he freely expressing his affection, but he gets what love is. He has experienced it in our family and wants to let us know. His affection is so sweet!

Since this blog is all about seeing and knowing Jesus as a mother, I can not help but see the parallel between my desire for and joy in hearing Zac's words of affection and God's desire for and joy in hearing my words of affection.

I was adopted into his family a long time ago. At first, I had to experience His love before I was convinced about how unconditional it really was. I read His love letter to me and slowly learned more about his love. Even today, Jesus relentlessly tells me how much He loves me every day when I have eyes to see it and take the time to receive it.

I plan on telling Jesus how much I love him a lot more every single day.

"We love because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19

Quiet Time Plus Something Extra

I have always valued my quiet times with God. Learning from His Word, Singing His Word and Reading from His Word ALWAYS centers me and makes me a better wife and mom. Well, lately I have found a new way of spending time with Him that is making me a better wife and mom.

I'm probably going to lose some of you in this next paragraph, but try and stick with me. Lately, I have been spending my quiet times with Him while I excercise. It happens about three times a week (I'm trying for four) and they are the best times for building up my mind, body and spirit.

If I am swimming (which I could not do at all about 3 months ago and now I love it thanks to my awesome husband) I will pray for someone each lap and thank Him for breath and life and just dwell on Jesus. If I am running or biking I will download a sermon or try and keep up the pace of the songs I have downloaded into Katie's Christian Workout playlist. As I cool down and stretch I listen to quiet, peaceful music.

Then, and this is one of the best parts...I get to shower and get ready in the locker room without anyone (kids) walking in on me, interupting me and prolonging the "getting ready" process.

I always, and I mean always, am more energized and ready to handle whatever comes my way after my time with God, and even more so after my excercising quiet times.

Did I convince anyone?

A New Year

Do you ever feel like somthing's coming? Do you ever wonder what God has planned? As I think about 2009 and what it holds for me and my family I feel a sense of excitement, like something's coming....I have no idea what that something is. I so desperately want to be in God's will and make decisions that honor Him. I want His plan. But, I wonder how I can be sure it is His plan and I am walking out His plan.

Well, today I listened to the perfect sermon while I was running on the treadmill. It is from North Point Ministries out of Springfield, Minnesota. It was exactly what I needed to hear and goes right along with my previous post about abiding with Christ.

The pastor mentioned things I had heard before. He talked about knowing God's will by being in His word daily, seeking wise counsel and circumstances directing us. The revelation came when he talked about God's Fatherly advice. As a Father, God will walk us through our spiritual infancy, but as we mature and our desires match His, God will let us make some decisions on our own. He did not tell his disciples, "Travel 25 miles and preach to the people in Asia for 21 days, then travel by boat to....etc...". Instead Jesus said, "Go and make disciples." It was their job to pray and use every opportunity the crossed their path to tell others about salvation. He gave each of them talents and said you go figure out how to make much of what has been given to you.

God works all things together for the good of those that love Him. So, when we love Him where we are, when we abide with him and consider others better than ourselves we can be assured that we are in His will. Maybe this is in part, what Paul was talking about when he wrote Hebrews 5:11-13. We need to move beyond asking God to make every decision for us and use the knowledge and abilities He has given us to make some wise decisions that line up with our heart's desires, which should line us up with His plan and His desires (Psalm 40:8)

All of this to say, that my desire for 2009 is to make the most of every situation, to do my best with what has been entrusted to me (husband, kids, neighbors, job as a PA) and make some mature decisions after I have spent time abiding with Him and meditating on His Word.

I will end with some pictures of our first Christmas as a family of five in no particular order. Happy 2009!



Christmas Eve church service in Lincoln

The Baeder cousins

Hallie's new doll, Addy

Zac's new leapster

Jacob's Nintendo 64

Katie's side of the family!

Jacob sledding

Building snowmen with Poppie

Christmas in Kearney

Poppie's idea to make the snow slide extra fun!

My boys sledding

Kenagy Christmas picture

Six Years Ago Today...

...I was holding my first child, a brand new baby girl. Hallie is my precious daughter. I am so thankful for all the fun we have playing dolls, doing hair, dancing together and so many other girly things. I am thankful for her loving, kind, compassionate heart. I am thankful she is growing into such a polite, caring, thoughtful girl. I am thankful for her child-like faith. Hallie, is a treasure to me.



Happy Birthday, sweetheart!

No Wasted Moments

Tonight Hallie and I headed off to a Daisies Gingerbread House display in the snow. I had the truck so I figured the snow wouldn't be a problem. I got the directions and we were off to 30th and State Street (really far away from our house). When I realized I was on the complete wrong side of town and traffic was not moving, I got frustrated! After calling for new directions I finally realized that Hallie and I were not going to make it to see her Daisy friends or the Gingerbread houses.

In all this, my sweet daughter remained calm and accepted the disappointment very well. I, on the other hand, could feel my body temperature rising and my attitude quickly declining.

That's when I felt a little nudge from the Spirit. I told Hallie, "Mommy, really needs some patience right now." She responded with a cheerful rendition of our patience song...

"Have patience, Have patience. Don't be in such a hurry. When you get impatient you only start to worry. Remember, Remember, that God is patient too and think of all the others that have to wait for you!"

This brought a smile to my face and an idea to my head. We spent the next forty five minutes in the truck singing and reciting all the bible verses we knew together. We laughed and when we finally arrived at Grammy's house (we needed some place fun to go) Hallie said, "that was fun, Mom!" Can you believe it! An hour and a half car ride to no where and I wouldn't have traded it for anything.

I am so thankful for my daughter's patient disposition, go-with-the-flow attitude, her singing voice and tender heart. I am thankful that God can turn anything to good!

Abiding in Him

Can I just tell you all how much I love Jesus! The last few days have been so sweet with Him. Let me tell you why...

I have had something in my life that I have been praying for so much and I have just not seen the answers coming. So, I stumbled (ha!) on to a sermon series by Beth Moore on-line about how to have a powerful prayer life. She was referencing John 15 and talking about how He will answer our prayers, but our job is to abide in and with him. My question immediately was, so what does it look like to abide with Him? She talked about how sometimes a pet will just sit on your lap, your not necessarily interacting, but there is a constant awareness of the pet's presence and vice versa. When the owner is ready to get up and go for a walk the pet is ready to go to. Well, even though I am not an animal lover that picture worked for me.

So, I asked God to help me be more always aware of His presence. WOW! Does that make all the difference in the world! Immediately, I was more open to His plan than mine and within a half hour I was sitting at lunch with an aquaintance discussing her relationship with God.

This weekend has been full of joy and answered prayer (which is promised in John 15). Our family was able to celebrate helping some people this weekend that were in need, AND I began to see an answer to my biggest prayer request of all.

Last night, I should have been exhausted, but God had other plans. He kept me alert and awake and instead of going through the motions of my day with no regard for His presence and guiding, I woke up and ended up having a very significant conversation with someone I hold so dear. What did we talk about? Jesus.

Life is fuller, more joyful and less disappointing when I abide in and with Jesus. That's the whole reason he came to the earth. Thank you, Jesus for the gift of more of you this Christmas. I love you!