More Upwards Pics!

Upwards! Upwards! Here we go Upwards!

If you haven't an upwards sports program in your city, your missing out. WOW, what a wonderful event these are. They are christian oriented sports programs with scripture memory, devotions, and fun for all the parents and children. Zech and Isabella are in Upwards Basketball this year. Sarah is too old for these programs now. Zech is playing on the 5th and 6th grade boys team and Isabella is our little cheerleader. This last Saturday was their first game of the season. Zech scored 2 points in his first game! Awesome job by both!

Enrichment Showcase

Enrichment showcase is a time set aside for the children who have taken all the enrichment classes to showcase what they've done. Our last day was Nov 26 and our showcase was Dec 3. It was so neat to see group after group go up on stage and show us or tell us what they've learned. We've enjoyed being part of the Enrichment this year and it truly enriches what you teach them at home. My children have learned science, logic, sign language, art, cooking, us history, & so much more. Most importantly they've made a lot of friends. We are going back next semester!

Out of the mouth of babes!

Recently I had a one on one oppurtunity to spend an hour or so with my only and favorite son, Zech, who just turned 11! Now we were driving to Walmart to return a CD player that had broken (just a side note this has to be the 6th one broken in about a two year period) and to get a new one. On the way home though, he surprised me and said "Mom, why are people so sad?" I asked him what he meant. He said, "Well everywhere I go people have frowns on their faces the shoulders and head hung down and they look so sad." Well you could have knocked me over by then because of such a statement but then I asked him why he thought everyone was so sad and where he saw them so sad. He said, "I see them all over, even at church. I think maybe because they don't have Jesus in their hearts." I asked him what he could do about that and he responded with, "I can hold my head up high and smile to them and show them I have Jesus in my heart." So simple, yet so profound. Next time your in a particular mood, remember the children around us are watching us and looking for the "smile" that Jesus gives us. Remember also, because He lives, I can face tomorrow, because He lives, all fear is gone, because I know, know, know He hold the future, that life is worth the living just because He LIVES!

Happy Birthday to ZECH!

It is indeed Zechariah's Birthday! He turned 11 years old today! How awesome of a young man he is becoming. How very thankful we have him in our lives.

Hanging of the Green!

Have you ever heard anyone come out of "hanging of the green" service and say "that was the coolest worship experience I've had." Well you haven't been to our church. We had the most incredible worship experience. The pastor (my hubby) preached each of the symbols of Christmas such as the evergreens, the wreaths, the nativity, and the candles as each one was being decorated. We sang all the songs and new ones even that represent each one. The kids, the teens, and families were all a part of the festivities. What a wonderful way to start out December remembering why we put up our decorations and what each one symbolized. We had a salvation, a college girl join, and a rededication of an elderly mans life. But each one of us were challenged to make a commitment to find one person this month and tell face to face the "Reason for the Season". So I'll ask you, do you know? Do you know that baby Jesus that we put in the manger came specifically to die on a tree for your sins? That we deserve the punishment of death which is eternal seperation from God but that God gave us the perfect gift to receive. I pray that you will find out more about the Lord Jesus you see laying in mangers all over your town this Christmas season!

Every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights!

James 1:17 tells us good gifts come from above. God must have inspired me to create good gifts this Christmas but I had no idea I'd be saying "Good grief", I've created a monster. You see even though we homeschool the children have all different kinds of teachers, coop teachers, piano teacher, PE teacher, Sunday school teacher, and more! What a better way to say "thank you" than to give them a gift of your appreciation. We set off yesterday to create those little "thank you" items and unfornately didn't get very far before we all were given out. Unfortunately I didn't think ahead and when I did I realized that they take 4 snowman coasters to make 1 present and therefore that times how many presents to give away takes 100 of these individual ones to make. The glueing part, althought messy, is no big deal, the sewing part, although a very easy stitch requires patience because you sew 100 of the coasters and 100 of the snow man heads. Now I'm still having fun and the product as you can is very cute (or at least I think so) but there is still so much ahead. I hope your inspired from Him above to say thanks to someone this time of year for all their hard work.