Why Are We Here?

Baby Buckeye
The ultrasound is scheduled for November 10.  We can't wait to find out if we are having a BOY or GIRL! My sugar is still being an issue, I think.  They bumped my glucose testing up 8 weeks to the day of the ultrasound for my peace of mind.  I also had blood work done for downs syndrome, spina bifidia, etc.  My weight went up 6 lbs. in the last 4 weeks! YIKES!  I read a statistic in the doctor's office that said that women carrying boys eat about 10% more calories.  Maybe that is why I am moving so fast in my maternity clothes. Continue to pray that my back would hold up with the weight gain!The baby is also kicking a lot!  It is just so exciting to feel that again...what a blessing!

Leoni Bologni
This 2 year old continues to push the obedience issue. She is spending a lot of time in time-out which seems to work for her! We have started charting some with her. She has not gone back to milk and probably won't be a real milk fan.  We are getting her vitamins in in other ways...broccoli, V-8 fusion drink, and oatmeal saturated in her special formula...with a huge focus on her proteins.  Potty training has been on the back burner and it is frustrating to me that b/c of my health we haven't gotten there yet.  I know she would be long done by now if I was able to keep up on it everyday.  Guess it will come sometime...but hopefully soon so I don't have 2 in diapers!! YIKES!


Daddy
Ben continues to work on-call.  This has been a huge blessing to our family's budget.  He also found out that he will be getting a raise this week.  We are so excited!  It's been like 4 years I think...due to the economy.  We also had a huge blessing of someone who paid his surgery bill.  We praise God for His provision!  God had blessed someone with an unforeseen gift who then passed the blessing onto us!  It is so awesome to see God continue to provide for our family!

Mommy
Well...God has been throwing some challenges lately.  As most of you know, my Dad and my best friend are facing possible cancer.  Both are in the waiting game of what to do and what comes next.  It has been difficult to deal with that "C" word.  Please keep both of them in your prayers!  My Grandma continues to struggle with her Alzheimer's and my Grandpa struggles as he loses her a little day by day. Seeing so much physical struggle makes me all the more ready for Christ to come...but I trust He still has work for us to do while we are here!!!

Speaking of work for us to do....I keep plugging away with Chapel.  It is such a blessing to be teaching God's Word to the kid's at ECA!  It definitely keeps me busy planning and organizing, but I love having the ability to use my gifts for His glory! 

This past week I was blessed to create a lesson that I titled "Why We Are Here?" It was inspired by a sermon that Pastor Blodgett gave a few weeks ago.  I didn't take the same route, but it inspired me to focus on answering it for these young kids....challenging them to make living for God a part of their everyday life. We started off with the Creation days.  We talked about how the sun's job is to shine.  When the sun does it's job, it brings glory to God. The same with the stars that twinkle and the animals that roam the earth.  We talked about how our job is not to shine or twinkle or just roam the earth.  Looking at Genesis 1:27 tells us that we were created in HIS IMAGE!  Thanks to a friend I explained this concept like this: we look a lot like our parents. Sometimes we even act, walk, or talk like them.  We aren't exactly them, but we are made in their image.  Colossians 1:16 tells us that we were made FOR God and BY God...to be His image to others. Isaiah 43:7 also tells us that everyone was created to bring God glory. I Corinthians 10:31 tells us that we are to do EVERYTHING for His glory.  Romans 3:23 tells us that we sin we fall short of showing His glory to others...in other words, we aren't doing our job! So...Why Are We Here?

Showing WHO God is by WHAT you SAY and DO brings God glory!  That's our job!  We should look like Christ so we can reflect WHO He is!  My challenge to them...and now to you...is how are you doing?  Do you look like Him?  Do you reflect patience, peace, joy, love, kindness, gratitude, self-control, gentleness, etc? We don't have the easiest job of His creation, but we have the best one!

I fall short of my job everyday in some way, but this lesson and Pastor Blodgett's sermon have inspired me...to get busy living like Him and obeying His Word...not to mention trusting Him in all of these difficult things that are going on around me and the fears that come and go!  To God be the glory!!