Ah! Finished Painting at One Sister's House...

...Will I now start painting at my other sister's house now? Perhaps! My eldest niece recently turned 13 and her bedroom now need a little renovation from little girl to teenager. I'm hoping to help prep her room for painting on Thursday, but as for today...Ah! I finished painting Jodi's basement!

In honor of those Amazing, INCREDIBLE Sensenigs (not to mention, Jodi's incredible meals she's made for me and my family every time I painted at her house)....

THE INCREDIBLE SENSENIGS

For their adoration of the Eagles...I'm planning on using an Uppercase Living expression of the verse in Isaiah 40..."but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." (v. 31)

The last painting I finished was a bit disappointing...my black paint got SUPER goopy AND the chrome colored paint thinned out so much I accidentally spilled it on my shirt! But, for above Trevor's toy box, here's my version of Lightning McQueen...

A Marvelous Missions Conference

Fun stuff the kiddos got at the Missions Conference

Our church just concluded its week-long missions conference. My handsome hubby and I were blessed, refreshed and challenged! Our children also enjoyed the activities they had for them this week. We don't even fully realize how truly blessed we are in our church and in our country to hear such thought-provoking teaching of God's Word! We are so thankful!


Here's just one of the amazing Scriptures we looked at this week during our "Heart for the Harvest" Missions Conference...

"When He (Jesus) saw the crowds, He had compassion on them..." (Matthew 9:36a) Oh, to see people the way Jesus sees them and to not just see them, but to feel genuine compassion for them!


A fellow school mom said it well, "With new knowledge comes new responsibility." Once I see someone in need...someone who needs an extra 10 minutes of my busy time to unload her problem to, someone who has a physical need that I can provide, someone who I can just tell needs prayer and I actually take time to pray for them...and then feel compassion for them.

What is compassion? Webster's dictionary defines it as: a sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it. Exactly! That's what Christ did and that's what He wants His children to do...to see a need and to act on it. Just like the Good Samaritan!


I could go on and on with all I learned this week at our missions conference, but one thing is certain...wherever I may be - on the mission field or out in my front yard - when I see someone in need...when I really SEE (gaining knowledge), I have a new responsibility to do the best I can to meet that need (or contact someone else who I know could meet that need).

To truly be inspired, read the parable of the Good Samaritan from Luke 10:25-37...

The Parable of the Good Samaritan


25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"

27He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

29But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

30In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.

31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.


32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.

34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.

35The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'

36"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"

37The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

A VERY Happy Birthday

Those of you who know me, know that today is a very special day..March 23...thirteen years ago today, on my 19th birthday, I became an aunt for the very first time! What made this even more special was how God orchestrated it all....

Two days before I turned 16, my parents threw me a surprise 16th birthday party. On the way to the party, my paternal grandpa was killed in a car accident. I struggled with depression and well, it wasn't until the day before I turned 19 that I gave my birthday woes to the Creator of Life. I was in college in New York when I got a phone call on my birthday the next day...my eldest sister was in the hospital. UGH! At first I thought something terrible happened (not always the optimist)! But, was so happy to find out later that day that my sister went into labor a month early! Years later, that same sister had a son on March 21, the actual day my grandpa died.

My family and close friends probably gets sick of hearing that story over and over every year, BUT isn't it amazing how God changed things around so that now I REJOICE over my birthday instead of CRY over it?!!? Sharing a birthday with my niece - who is now THIRTEEN - is such a joy and I praise God for doing this mighty work. Knowing all of my grandparents are with their Savior is also another reason to rejoice!

THANK YOU, GOD, FOR TODAY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Dear Niece and Thank you, God, for giving me 32 WONDERFUL years!

A FUN Fundraiser that Won't Cost You a Penny to Participate!

Our son's school is compiling a cookbook. Would you be interested in including a recipe? It's VERY simple!

Go to:
http://typensave.com/
Enter YOUR NAME as the contributor, the group login name is: LCS-PA.
The password is: bxyeu.

THANK YOU! When the cookbook comes out and if you'd like a copy, please let me know! Thanks for your help!

Kids Say the Cutest Things!

Both of my children answered some random questions....Gabriel is almost 7, Morgan is 4

1.What is something mommy always says to you?

Gabriel: Be patient

Morgan: Always brush your teeth

2.What makes mommy happy?

G: If we obey our parents!

M: Showing Kindness

3.What makes mommy sad?

G: Not listening to Mommy

M: Not being nice

4.How does your mommy make you laugh?

G: When you stinker

M: Making funny faces

5.What was your mommy like as a child?

G: You went in a secret place with your sisters (under the stairwell)

M: I forget

6.How old is your mommy?

G: 31

M: 31

7.How tall is your mommy?

G: Very tall, but Daddy's taller

M: Uh, this tall (she showed me with her hands)

8.What is her favorite thing to do?

G: Play with her kids

M: Painting at Aunt Jodi's

9.What does your mommy do when you're not around?

G: You work on the computer

M: You work on the computer

10.If your mommy becomes famous, what will it be for?

G: The Best Mom

M: I don't know

11.What is your mommy really good at?

G: Being a Mom

M: Painting!

12.What is your mommy not very good at?

G: Building legos

M: Playing

13.What does your mommy do for a job?

G: You do Uppercase Living Parties and teach people about God

M: You work (Do my children forget that I teach?)

14.What is your mommy's favorite food?

G: Pancakes (Oh, yes! Esp. Golden Barrel Pancake & Waffle!)

M: Macaroni & Cheese and salad (I didn't know I had a fondness for Mac & Cheese)

15.What makes you proud of your mommy?

G: I'm proud of you for what you do for your work

M: Playing

16.If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?

G: The Office (Gabriel knows Jerad and I like The Office)

M: A wolf (this was her second choice after a book)

17.What do you and your mommy do together?

G: Watch tv

M: Play Pet Shops

18.How are you and your mommy the same?

G: Our bodies (really?)

M: Our smile

19.How are you and your mommy different?

G: I just told you...our bodies

M: Jesus, You're My Firm Foundation...(Morgan just broke out in song...clearly we're alike that way)

20.How do you know your mommy loves you?

G: You spank us (Can you tell I tell the kids I only spank/discipline them because I love them?!)M: By kissing me

21.What does your mommy like most about your daddy?

G: KissyM: Kissing him on the lips

22.Where is your mommy's favorite place to go?

G: Wendy's (He probably says that because whenever they say McD's I say, what about Wendy's?)

M: Wal-Mart

Fun in the Basement

My sister and her husband have an unfinished basement where their children and their friends play. Recently Jodi asked me to paint her basement...the "un-fun" part was painting the concrete walls, the drywall walls weren't so bad. The REAL fun came when I used an overhead projector to paint fun pictures for the kiddos. I'm not finished yet, but I thought I'd show my progress thus far....

Lightning McQueen before his paint job

Eagles Mania prior to colorization

It'll be more Incredible when I actually paint it!

Jodi's workout area

Hannah Montana - above the piano

Looking forward to adding more pics and finish painting the ones already started!

The Snowman

Four-year-olds are energetic, high-energy, and you just never know what to expect from them...anyways, that's the case with my little bundle of joy!

Morgan is still sportin' her brace from her fractured collar bone, so she is unable...rather, I am refusing to let her do her "normal" activities like sledding until she is completely healed. Morgan is like a magnet when it comes to snow...she was begging to go out as soon as we left the school parking lot from dropping off Gabriel and her cousins. I told Morgan it was okay for her to go out in the snow...she wanted to do something "dangerous" like make a snow angel (okay I've been a bit cautious with her, but she fractured her collar bone from a fall in the snow). I suggested she make a snowman...you can't get too injured making a snowman! So, when Morgan asked for the sled this morning, I was more than a bit curious as to what she was going to do with it! I've drilled her enough...she knows that I don't want her sledding! I kept a close eye on her and her 4-year-old friend...was I ever surprised at the creation she put together.

I loved her use of broccoli and carrots, don't you??!?