Sunday, January 22, 2012

What's up with us....

I have not been a diligent blogger lately...but, I never promised to be:)  I primarily blog to keep our photos logged in one place and record memories, but I realized I have been slacking on the journaling part.  I want to do better (after reading my friend, Nicole's post, about being able to look back and see what I/we was/were going through at each stage of our lives.  I usually keep it positive, but I am no different from anyone else, there is good bad and ugly!! 
 Sometimes I feel like I live in a blur or cloud and life is just moving around me. If you know me, you know I often run around like a chicken with my head cut off ( I think I get it from my mom...it's hereditary).  I like to be busy...I like to go...(I KNOW I get that from my dad!!)   However, lately (like the last few months), I feel some much needed clarity and a little more peace.  I even like to be at home a little more.   I am learning that God will give me clarity if I stop to get it.  When I make time to have more of a relationship with Him and study His word, he will give me peace and understanding.   Rob and I have started a young adult Sunday school class at church and this has challenged me greatly.  I told our pastor the other day that I was glad to continue leading the class, but he needed to find a new teacher!!   Anyway, teaching an adult Sunday school class has challenged me to put my faith to action in the form of studying God's word.  I think God knew the only way to get me to slow down and make time for Him was to trap me into it! He knows I love our church and love people...when we saw a need for this class, I was very open to getting it going.....never thinking about the actual teaching part.  Afterall, I am not shy or afraid to talk in front of people...so I'll just lead us through a book, right.  I was so excited about getting this group together, I think I leaped before I looked!  So, before Christmas I was really struggling with how I was going to continue to lead this class with such little Bible knowledge (I think I missed the Bible 101 class somewhere along the way).  I knew bible stories and biblical truths, but I just couldn't put it all together.  God heard my pleas for help and sent the Tipton County Chronological Bible Discipleship my way!  This will be week 3 of this study (daily bible readings to read through in a year) and I just know it is exactly what I needed.  Our class is doing "30 Days to Understanding the Bible" which is a very abbreviated walk through the bible as well. All of this to say,  God has given me more clarity and has spoken to me and worked in my so much in the last month and I am excited about what's in store. We had a class attendance high of 21 today....I love these folks they keep coming back....even if it's not my teaching, but more  for the mission projects and social events...but hey, we are together in God's name and I am so thankful to God for that and for the work He is doing! I pray for His strength to carry me through when it's not easy to make time for daily study, and I know it will take my dedication but that ultimately I will rely on God. 
Other than that, we are busy as usual, yet I am constantly working to slow down and take it all in.  I am training for 2 half marathons this spring...and enjoying that...even got Rob to run 4 miles with me today.  Lane is in gymnastics 2x/week and has made so much progress.  She is as proud of herself as I am of her.  She can do a backwalkover and is starting to work on back handspring skills.  (Bo is actually joining her instead of sitting and watching for 2 hours a week) in gymnastics for strengthening - he's not working to perfect his cartwheel!!)  He is playing UPWARDS basketball, which is loves dearly and it is such a great program.  I don't know how Oak Grove does it....they are dedicated to that ministry, and God is truly blessing it. Bo is also enjoying the Wii he got for Christmas. Kate is approaching turning 2 this spring and growing so fast...some new things for her are:  she likes to say "momma/daddy, guess what?", she often calls for "Lane Riley" or "Bo Dawson", she loves to play "Just Dance" on the Wii, tries to "flip" with Lane, hides when she has done something wrong, continues to run everywhere she goes and climb on everything.  We still go to most of the Tiger basketball games, and that continues to be up and down...dealing with some injuries now that aren't helping the situation:)

I found a couple of pictures from the fall that I thought didn't need to be left out of the scrapbook...
Lane, Addie, and Ms. Jackson (their 1st/2nd grade teacher) on their field trip to the Botanic Gardens.  

Kate at the Atoka Fall Carnival...she LOVED the horse

Baby boy had a surgery in November and thankfully, everything came out perfectly and he was nervous for no reason.  He said it was WAY better than getting a shot!!  

1 comment:

Emily Peyton Cook said...

I love this post. God's been speaking to me on some of the same things. : )

I am so glad we are back doing a study together. The funny thing is, when I saw you at the breakfast with Santa, God was prompting my heart to tell you about the study, but I got sidetracked with all the commotion. So glad He promises to finish His work, even though I failed to obey in that moment. I look forward to each Tuesday and so glad you're apart of this. We can do nothing but grow.