An Outreach with the Children from our Church

Hello dear friends!

Do you remember me telling you about sweet friends of ours and their premature babies?

I hope you have been keeping up with them through their blog updates.

These friends have been active helpers/leaders in our children's ministry at our church. Our church children really miss them! They ask about the family each Sunday and want to help in some way.

I have been blessed to be asked to help the children host a 'drive' (in honor of the family) for the Ronald McDonald House where the couple is staying while their babies are in the hospital.  Do you remember we were planning on doing that as a family? Now, we can all work together to bless this charity even more! I can not tell you how much that makes my heart sing! In choosing to help this family... they are also helping MANY OTHER FAMILIES!



These children will be collecting toiletries, household items, and individual food items... all to be used as needed by the families staying at the RMHC.

I will be updating our progress as we move forward :)

Love Them Like Jesus

So love them like Jesus,
Carry them to Him
His yoke is easy, His burden is light
You don't need the answers to all of life's questions
Just know that He loves them and stay by their side
Love them like Jesus
Love them like Jesus

~Love them Like Jesus ~ Casting Crowns~   

This song has been stuck in my head for a week now. 

Why?

Sweet friends of ours were expecting twins ... due in June, but thinking probably a May arrival.  Last Sunday morning, our friend gave birth... approximately 15 weeks early. It happened so quickly, that hours later, everyone was still in shock.

Why?

"You don't need the answers to all of life's questions"

What do we do? What do we say?

"Just know that He loves them and stay by their side
Love them like Jesus
Love them like Jesus"

We don't need the answers. They don't expect us to have the answers. They just need our love. Our support. And most important: Our prayers.

Today, we had the honor to deliver a couple of cards from others to our friends. We also dropped off a care package full of all sorts of goodies.

What sort of things does one need in medical emergencies like this? Honestly, I don't know. I simply walked the aisles of the store while trying to think.  As always, God was there by my side, guiding me. I pray that our friends will find every single bit of that package to be of help in some small way.

• Food (easy-fix non-perishable healthy items, protein bars, and some fresh produce)
• Journals (one each... to use for prayers or letters to their children)
• Address book, note cards, and stamps
• Notebook & pens to jot down things they need to remember
• Reusable cups with straws for both mom & dad
• All packaged up in a handy book bag for easy transporting of their needed items when they visit those babies
• Travel size tissues

This couple is now staying at the Ronald McDonald House near the hospital.  I have learned that the RMH operates mainly by donation... both monetary and other items:

Ronald McDonald House

Chattanooga

Wish List

Donation Options

Our family will be working towards collecting items to donate for this wonderful charity.  If you would like to do the same, click on Wish List above. It provides a detailed list of what the home needs for its families. If you would like to make a monetary donation to RMH, click on Donation Options.

Our thoughts and prayers remain with this young family, the doctors, and the nurses...



It's the Little Things...

I have found myself feeling down that February is almost over and we still haven't completed our family outreach project for the month... between illnesses and extra work hours for my husband, we actually have not even planned one out!  (Told you we were very human!)

However, the more I thought about it...

Our plan is to be intentional... To look for opportunities...

And the Lord gently reminded me... it isn't about doing big things, well thought out things, elaborate things... It really is simply, the little things...

• taking a restaurant gift card to the new neighbor
• checking in regularly with friends who have had sick little ones
• praying for friends who are looking for better jobs
• sending a care package to my mom with blank cards and stamps (she loves to send out a ray of sunshine!)
• a husband working an extra shift so a coworker can attend a funeral
• giving a few dollars to the couple standing near a busy stop light who are having a tough time
• a listening ear for a young mom trying to face the challenges of a blended family
• a daughter who is working on a joint story with her grandmother (they are both enjoying this project so much & get so tickled when the other's installment of the story arrives in the mailbox)
• praying for family friends (plural!) who are working through the foreign adoption process
• a daughter who sends 'Get Well' cards out to sick friends
• a husband giving a ride to a coworker

Wow. I just surprised myself with how many little things we have done. 

No, I am not patting my family on the back here... just pointing out how the little things can add up. Those little things, seen often by little eyes and heard often by little ears, will become embedded into the hearts of our children.

THAT is our goal.

The Family in the Mirror

"If you want to change the World...

Start with your own Family."

~Mother Teresa~

Got that cup coffee ready? Let's chat.

Our Mission is to teach our children to serve our Father.  We are working monthly on family outreach ideas... some simple, some more complex... but all working toward servant's hearts for our children.



Yet, first and foremost, they must learn to love family.  It is the learning blocks to the future relationships.  But, boy, oh boy! It's tough to teach children to love each other!

Our older children have very kind hearts toward others and often surprise us with their sensitivity.  But, at home? With each other? Some days I think they have declared war on each other! 

Lately, attitudes and tones of voices have been... um... rocky.  I find myself sounding like a broken record!!  "Speak nicely. No yelling.  Be kind......." 

So my dear husband has decided that since simple apologies do not work at correcting the behavior and establishing the desired behavior...

• Mistreating a sibling (either verbally or physically... either mild offense or strong offense) = timeout (regardless of their age!)
• An apology is required (Not just a mumbled "Sorry", but "I'm sorry I yelled at you for standing near my door")
• For EACH undesired behavior, the child must do TWO good things for the offended child... they decide the two good things, not mom or dad (Ex: "NO! THAT'S MINE!" while jerking away a toy... "I'm sorry I yelled at you and grabbed the toy. (1)Would you like to play cars in my room? (2)Here, this red one is my favorite, but you can play with it for now.")

The goal being:  To make them STOP and THINK before REACTING to their sibling. 

They are also guided in the 'right' way of handling the situation should it arise in the future. (Ex: Instead of "GO AWAY!!!...  "It really bugs me when you stand over my shoulder like that while I am on the computer. Could you please find something else to do?... Mom, I've asked him/her to please find something else to do while I am doing my math lesson, but he/she will not go away. Could you help?" - without whining or bratty attitude, of course!)

God has given us such an amazing, awesome, HUGE responsibility in raising each of these precious Blessings!  So we continue to pray and seek His guidance in this crazy, exciting, rewarding path of parenthood.  We continue to do our Monthly Family Outreach projects. And we continue to focus on the heart of each of our children, daily... teaching them to love each other, daily.

  
“Thus I command you to love one another.

John 15:17(MSNT)

When we change our hearts at home... we CAN change the WORLD!  It will just spill over into every thing we do! So, in the words of an old song... (go ahead, sing along, I did...)



"If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make the change
You gotta get it right while you got the time
’Cause when you close your heart, then you close your mind

With that man in the mirror , oh yeah
I’m asking him to change his ways
Better change, no message could have been any clearer

If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make a change"

Man in the Mirror / Michael Jackson

And oh, if you have a great idea to use in training these hearts... be sure to leave a comment for me and the other readers... Thanks! :)
 

Feeding the Fire Fighters!

First, just let me say... perhaps I got a little over excited with my menu plans... a hubby at work... 5 kids under feet (or attempting to seriously damage each other!)... Therefore... no selection of goodies... just cupcakes for dessert.  ;)

• Taco Soup with Chicken
• Corn Muffins
• Corn Chips
• Chocolate Buttercream Frosted Cupcakes
• Soda

Still a great sounding menu, right? :)

I had originally planned to have my two oldest children help make the desserts... but, they were still working on chores that were supposed to have been accomplished earlier in the week.  I was determined not to let our plans be changed again, so I made it all.  Besides, this is the first outreach for the year... I don't want to be demanding of the children in regards to our outreach... I want to set a good example.  I believe the more we reach out, the more excited the children will be to help.

And boy, were they excited when we got there!  A little on the shy side at first, but two super friendly fire fighters broke the ice when they said, "Would you like to climb inside the truck?"

And that is how our wanting to show appreciation to our fire fighters turned into a home school field trip! :)  The children have NOT stopped talking about it!  My Blessings #2 and #3 want to go back tomorrow! LOL!

The fire fighters were very appreciative of a warm hearty soup with corn muffins.  The children were very appreciative of the special tour of all the fire trucks.  A good day!

PS... We did take a few pics... I will edit this post to add them as soon as I find the camera and figure out how! ;)

January Outreach Prep

Today will be a busy day in our home!  After returning from our homeschool co-op, we have chores and schoolwork to catch up on...

Later we will be cooking and baking!!  We have decided to provide a complete meal for our local paid firefighters tomorrow.  A chicken taco soup with corn muffins and frito chips... a selection of cookies and cupcakes... and a selection of soda. 

Yum! I think I will need to make a REALLY BIG batch so we can have some too! :)

We also plan on providing goodies for our local volunteer department, but their next meeting isn't until February.

We plan on taking some pictures when we deliver the meal (and perhaps get a little tour while we are there!)  So come back later this weekend and check for a new post with pics! :)

Welcome!

Welcome to our new family blog!  And Happy New Year!!

We don't "do" New Year's Resolutions. They are too easily broken. 

This year we are doing Family Goal's for the New Year, with prayers that some will become lifestyles. Such as our biggest goal:  Family Outreach. Small things and not-so-small things that will show our children just how easy it is to have 'Hearts and Hands to Heaven', ready to show our Father's love to everyone.

We do not have a large list yet... just a few ideas that our older children helped to compile.

• Goodies for our local firefighters (They have unfortunately been quite busy lately.)
• Blessing Bags for the homeless or those having very tough times
• An anonymous payment on an utility bill
• Bingo at a local nursing home
• Movie Basket for a family (filled with a gift card from a local movie rental store, some popcorn & candy, and a couple of sodas)

See? Nothing very difficult. Just being deliberate about keeping our eyes & ears open while listening for a prompting from our Father.

Am I patting us on the back? Oh, no, no, no!  We simply want to share our journey. Share ideas and inspiration.  AND... Ok, I admit it... sometimes I can start with good intentions and then let things be pushed to the back burner (I am human, ok? And I have 5 wonderful blessing that call me Mama and keep me very busy.)  So, this blog is my accountability partner (you, too!).

Now, add us to your favorite blogs ;) and have a cup of coffee (or tea!) with me as I chronicle our family's journey to have a servant's heart.