What a good message to think about...

I am going to follow along with the Podcast from here 24-7 Prayer for this Lenten season.  They are journeying through the book of John. It is motivational for me and moves me in a way to think and put things into perspective!  You do what’s right for you!!

From John 1:14 of the Message

“The Word became flesh and blood,

and moved into the neighborhood.

We saw the glory with our own eyes,

the one-of-a-kind glory,

like Father, like Son,

Generous inside and out,

true from start to finish.”

I don’t want to miss God’s voice in my ordinary life.

I want God to live in my boring, ordinary life with my family and me.   He became flesh like me to live in this world.  I pray that your word becomes flesh in me today. 

Thankful Thursday: Fun with pumpkins!

Our annual trip to the Pumpkin Patch, 2011.

We went right after church on Sunday, b/c we had been rained out the previous evenings.  I it all planned to go in the evening, the golden hour, and had all their outfits planned.  Well, it all changed on a whim…oh well you can’t win them all. I didn't want to go when the sun was so bright and high, sigh....

We found some huge pumpkins this year, also with huge price tags…so instead we just some pictures with them.  

Love all the gourds…so beautiful for table accents for the holidays! 

They each got to pick a wee-be-little pumpkin and a gourd.  That was in our budget.  (Shhh, don’t tell, but I bought our pumpkin at Publix this year for $5.99)

The girls had fun picking their little treasures.  I love that they all cooperated for the picture!  Sometimes that can be challenging, and I can break out into a sweat,  glistening!  If you are a Mom always trying to get those great photographs you understand.  

This is one of the photos that only a mother gets and loves.  Something I will cherish forever.  I love the look on Evelyn’s face as she’s wiping her gooey hand on Mabs.  

Even though this one is not focused that great, it’s another one of those…she was reaching in for the first time and was surprised at how “weird” it felt. 

Evelyn getting into the seeds, she’s not afraid of a whole lot these days.  She loves getting outside and experiencing life and all it has to offer.

My sweet Mabel, such a hard worker and follows through on her tasks…we’d be lost without her dedication!!!  And, I couldn’t have been more blessed with such a handsome, loving, hard-working, go-getter hubby!!!  He makes me so happy, most of the time. haha

She’s got the pan of seeds ready to bake in the oven and then munch on while watching ZooKeeper on a lazy Sunday afternoon!  

Hope you all had a fun, safe Happy Halloween!!

Love,

The Howe’s

Link up over at: Undeserving Grace

What are you Thankful for?

Time for Thankful Thursday again! 

   I love this once a week refresher to remind me of all the good I have in our lives. When you stop to think about all the “stuff” we do have, you have think “WHY am I complaining about not having…xyz!” Yesterday, I was just talking to my friend Jenna about her family vacation to Niagara. I believe they were there for 2 weeks. I got to chat with her yesterday a little bit about it and she talked about how happy the people there truly were, even though they have so little. I am sure she will share all about it soon! Amazing that they could actually do that, how do they...? When do they get to shop? What do they buy their kids for gifts? How can the kids survive without Nickelodeon, Disney or whatever crap is on T.V.? Crazy to think about as we sit in our cushy homes or type from our fancy electronics…

  I am guilty of having “too much”, trust me! I have everything my heart desires and I sometimes get caught up in all the “extras” in life, new phone, better camera, new bedding, clothes, towels, etc. I think as Americans we take all that for granted. I want to learn to be content with the things we have and give away what we don’t need. (I donate lots to the Goodwill or Humane Society, more for my sanity of not looking at all of it)

   As I been preparing for my 1^st Missions Trip, I’ve been reading scriptures every night. They’ve really helped me get my mind set in the right place. I’ve been trying to be more content with the little things I already have…as hard as that is sometimes. A few scriptures have really stood out to me. I encourage you to study them as well.

Luke 10:25-35, The Parable of a Good Samaritan.

   This one spoke to me as I was struggling thinking about how I am going to try and work with people in Eluthera. I will be stepping out of my comfort zone and reaching out to others. I am going to have to get past the smells of things, which will be tough for me…I gag at raw, foul smells (see something you learned about me, that you probably didn’t want to know)

   Back to topic… I read these verses over and over…We are commanded to love our neighbors as ourselves, but how do we love people we don’t know? I need to look for ways that our lives overlap. Even though the people may not have all the “riches” that I am accustomed to they do have other things in common, we all share common needs. In the end we all need friendship, meaning in our life, we all need healing from bruises in our lives.

   I am going to go there with the intention in my heart that I will love my neighbors as I love myself and remember that we all have the same needs, and many of their needs will be the same as mine.

It's criminal to ignore a neighbor in need, but compassion for the poor—what a blessing!

Proverbs 14:21 (MSG)

Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, "How can I help?”

Romans 15:2 (MSG)

   I came across this poster yesterday and thought to myself…WOW! We have so many things to be thankful for! I hope it inspires you to be thankful for all the little things you have too!!

Thankful Thursday- dedicated to hubby

Today is the day before our 11 year anniversary! It’s seems like yesterday I was preparing to walk down the aisle, nervous as could be and excited as ever. Then, I blink and 11 years later we have 4 amazing little chickies and a wonderful life together. I am thankful that God has blessed us in ways some could never imagine.

Each year I grow more and more in love with Franklin, even though some of those years were tough (smirking). I think everyone goes through those highs and lows, but its part of life, a season. I am thankful for those moments, b/c it makes us who we are today and we strive to be for tomorrow.

So with that being said I am most thankful for the man God has created for me to live my life with. We are living a good life, rich in all the blessings! We are working on making things better everyday. It’s the little things that all add up in the end.

I am thankful for a man who goes out and works hard each and every day. He puts everything into whatever task is at hand and does it with 110%. I respect that about him! He doesn’t take the lazy man’s approach to anything, no half-assing it for him. He believes in doing it the right way, all the way!

I am thankful that he’s eager to provide for our family and loves what he does. He always tells me, “when you love what you do, it’s fun!” (now, granted there are days when he gets frustrated at work, but I think his love of being able to fly far out weigh them.) I am very thankful that his parents instilled good work ethics in him.

I am thankful that he loves me, despite all my flaws. I am thankful that he wants me and only me and tells me that each and every day. I may take it for granted, but I really do treasure how much he really loves me. Some people search their whole lives for that. I am blessed to know what that feels like 24hrs. a day, 7 days a week. No matter what I feel like, fat, sloppy, ugly…he tells me how beautiful I am! I am thankful that I don’t have a hubby to tell me what I need to do better or to dress a different way or not to wear those shoes. (I’m a flip-flop girl) :)

I am thankful that Franklin and I can just be silly a lot! We have fun with each other, we like to joke around and kid each other. I know this may sound funny or childish, but we still chase each other around and I love that about us! We treasure those times together!

Most of all I am thankful for the many more years to come with each other. I pray that we grow old together and get to joyfully watch our daughters become Godly women and create their own loving families. I want to sit on rocking chairs, holding hands watching all the children play and remember the days…

Photo taken by Mabel Howe

This song is so appropriate for us…I dedicate this song to the most loving, gracious, giving man…this is for you Honey! This is for us!!!

Remember When, by Alan Jackson

Thankful Thursday

I came across this great idea for this idea at Grace Alone

Today I am thankful for my little girls.  Without them I would not answer to the names; Mommy, Mom, Mama, and Mooooooooooommy!  I treasure everyday God has given me with them.  They are amazing little miracles.  I am thankful I have the good book, the Bible, to turn for answers, scriptures, and devotional reading.  It helps me realize it’s not about me, it’s all about him and that I live a life to reflect that.  While I was doing a reading this morning I can across short story titled “Without Children”.  It got me thinking, so here it is:

“What a boring and depressing world this would be without children! Just think there would be no need for lollipops, cotton candy, or licorice.  Ponies would be out of work.  Amusement parks without carousels would be obsolete.  Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny would have to retire.  And nobody would care when a baby robin fell out of its nest.

Infectious giggles would never be heard, and “peek-a-boo” would disappear from the English language.  If there were no children, who would make grandparents smile, who would play pat-a-cake, and who would try to whistle with crackers in his mouth? Balloons would never pop, milk would rarely spill, and sticky hands from chocolate bars would be a thing of the past.

     Without children there would be no use for toy trains, dolls that walk and talk, or Jack in the Box. Barney the Purple dinosaur would have no one to hug, and Kermit the Frog would just turn green and die.  Caterpillars wouldn’t get stroked, and turtles would never get to sleep in the house. All in all, life would be a real drag. 

     Let’s face it; children are the essence of life.  They are joy and love personified.”

                              On Raising Children

                                          Mary Hollingsworth

My vibrant little chickies playing on the beach, early morning!