"Mom, I hit the ball just like the Braves!"

I love my boy. 

I have so many reasons to homeschool.

I really only have to see this

to remember.

(One of our less chaotic homeschool moments.) 

Still working toward my goal to read 52 books in 2013. Here's my reads for March and April:

My fiction reads:

I've stayed on track with my bible reading plan.  It is my first read of the day.  I am amazed that each time I read the scriptures I receive a new revelation.  It is truly a living word!  Our God is so good.

Books read year to date = 31.

The berry picking tradition started our first spring in the Lowcountry. 

Once we've picked berries, we know fipflop season has arrived. 

And pool season won't be far behind. 

On my mind:  "15 already?"

On her mind:  "What time does the DMV open?"

In South Carolina turning 15 means getting your beginners permit.  That's all she wants for her birthday, to go to the DMV. 

Look out world, this girl has BIG plans. 

(The beautiful waterfront @ Beaufort, SC)

At the young age of 10, Jesus saved my soul.  I was thankful for the gift of salvation.  I wanted to go to heaven.  I wanted to be saved from an eternity in Hell.  But deep down, I was afraid of God.  I wanted to be good.  I wanted to “behave” to please Him and my parents.  But He wasn’t my best friend.  He saved my soul but it wasn’t until I was 16 that He won my heart.  At the age of 16, I fell in love with Him.  I fell in love with His word.  He became my best friend.  He became my joy.  My peace.  He was my comfort, the one I depended on.  Have you had an experience like that with Jesus?  Cause if you had, you’d know.  You would never be the same!  I was never the same!

So many times we as Christians become lethargic.  We burn out and we’re living lives no different than those who don‘t know Him.  We need to fall in love with Jesus.  

We are guilty of “going through the motions,” “business as usual,” and boredom.  Being a Christian is not boredom.  Never ever boredom!

When we stop spending time with God, it is noticeable, it comes out in our attitudes.  If we don’t spend time with God that day, we know it. If we don’t spend time with God for a couple of days, our family begins to notice. If we don’t spend time with God for about a week, everybody else in our lives notices. It comes out in our attitude because we’re sharp, we’re not loving, we’re critical, we’re impatient, we can be cranky.  But when we are filled with love it pushes all those things out the back door. The only way you get that love is spending time with Jesus.

Let's live the rest of our lives serving God's purposes.  Let's refuse to waste anymore time or energy on shallow living, petty thinking, or faithless worrying.  Let's do the best we can with what we have for Jesus today. 

If you live with a 15 month old....

There'll be mouth kisses.  Climbing.  Mess making.  Sweet jibber jabbers.  Silly giggles and squeals.  Big brother squishing.  Big sisters' spoiling.  Da-da loving.  "Eeese" (please) sweet talking (works every time).  Baby curls. 

Big boy eating.  Milk with a straw.  Outside exploring.  iPod swiping.  Hide and seek.  Un, doo, eeee (one, two three)!  Fewer naps.  Early bedtimes.  Early good mornings. 

Socks and shoes on.  Socks and shoes off.  Socks and shoes hunting.  Fit throwing (everybody has those days, lol).  Backyard swinging.    Trampoline jumping. 

Bath time loving.  Bath time splashing.  After bath naked run.  Bedtime snuggles.  More mouth kisses. 

I blinked and it was time for his sixth birthday cake.

He holds the door for me and his sisters.

He likes math most and reading less.

Basketball, bicycles, and swimming are his favorite outside play.

He loves to challenge his dad to a wrestling match.

He lets his little brother win wrestling matches, for now.

He thinks it's silly that his mom doesn't like wrestling. 

Trenttribe.com is a memoir for our kids.  I picture them at 30 and try to write the stories and thoughts I want them to know.  And then some things I just think they'll laugh their tails off about.  Like this one:

Big families don't get invited to dinner very often, for obvious reasons.  A couple months ago some dear sweet friends invited us over for dinner.  And we couldn't eat.  We were in the midst of a fast we do at the start of the New Year.  The Chief privately and humbly explained the situation and they graciously offered to have us over and feed our kids. Sweet!

Fast forward.  A couple weeks ago the same friends invited us over for dinner.  Josiah woke up that morning and threw up.  And dinner was canceled. 

Fast forward again.  One evening last week, we were at home.  Literally doing nothing.  (Nothing = cleaning the kitchen, doing the supper dishes, laundry, changing diapers...) My cel vibrates.  I see that I have a missed call from those same friends. As soon as I utter the names the chief's face turns kinda white and in this "oops" tone he says, "We're suppose to have supper at their house tonight."  And I had no idea and we had just ate and Katie had a friend at our house and we were suppose to be there at 6:00 and it was 6:30 and they live 40 minutes away.  

They will NEVER EVER invite us to dinner again. 

(the guilty parties)

(The Chief was bombarded with birds at a recent trip to the zoo.)

I was sharing with the Chief over breakfast about a certain prayer concern I have been praying for someone at their request.  I was feeling frustrated to still be praying that same thing because I believe that I serve a powerful living God who hears and answers prayers.  I can't help wondering if maybe God has something else (something better) in mind for their life?

"A stagnant life will produce stagnant prayers. Prayer is mobile and empowers the vision." - The Chief

The Chief is so God's gift for me.  He made the above statement to me in response to that conversation.  I believe he is on to something.  I think we can get stagnated in our lives.  We get stuck in ruts praying the same things over and over.  But.  Maybe God wants to move us in an entirely different direction.  Maybe we are so caught up in what we've been persuing we can't see the answers God is providing?  So, if it seems like God isn't answering prayer, we should try praying a different prayer.

What say you?