Feeling Thankful

Nothing in particular going on in my head today ( crazy I know ;) ). I'm just feeling really relaxed for the first time in a LONG time. I think I have finally found a good rhythm with things as they are right now. Thats probably why things didnt work out with me taking a class this block, God knew I needed time to adjsut to the chaos I call life lol. However, we still have a million things to do to the house, Kyleigh starts soccer next week, and I will be taking a class in about 5 or 6 weeks... so when that all comes to fruition, I may not be so calm! over all though I am feeling pretty darn blessed.

to start off the way we did, pregnant at 19 and 20, married under "rough" circumstances, no college education.... and yet here we are, 4 years into it, more in love than ever, 3 kids in 3 years, a home of our own, I am able to stay home, my husband is making pretty darn good money for where we live and we both go to school for free. By the time we are 45, our kids will be fully grown and off to school ( hopefully lol), we will have our degrees, no debt, and still young enough to do whatever the heck we want and really enjoy it! What an amazing God we serve! Ovbiously, things may not work out as "smoothly" as we anticipate, but even still...we dont deserve ANY OF IT, and yet God in His awesome love has provided over and over again and blessed us beyond belief. thats not to say we havent had some pretty rough times, and we will most definitely have plenty more in the future, but even still...God has proven over and over again that He is good and faithful. :)

I've also been blessed with some pretty amazing friends the past two years. I really never thought I'd meet genuinely GOOD women, I never saw one growing up, thats for sure. (friends that is) and yet today I have a few ladies I can truly confide in and trust with anything, and I know they would be there for me at the drop of a hat. Oh where would we women be without our friends. Husbands try, but my friend said it perfectly the other day, "They try and listen, but they really just dont care" lol and its so true. They do the best they can, but its women who understand the importance of venting, and its women who know how to say just what you need to hear in each situation. Praise God for the awesome girls in my life, I am really blessed to have them! :)

My daughter and I still have our issues, but there has been a huge shift in our relationship. We are at a point now where we can get along, its a miracle LOL Shes such a mini me ( personality wise). It cracks me up to watch how she processes things, and how freakin smart that child is. Thats her problem, shes too smart and when something doesnt make sense in her world, she argues it until she is blue in the face. ( wonder where she gets that from :P )But lately we have been able to play together more and its enjoyable for a change. shes becoming such a little person, I love it! and the best part is she LOVES to play babies, which is what I ALWAYS did growing up...( imagine that ;) ). Shes trying to please mommy more, which just melts my heart. shes become so loving and affectionate the past year, Im soaking it up as much as I can, i know this part doesnt last long. Shes is my little helper! I do hope I can help her overcome her downfalls ( OUR downfalls, because she has the same temper, attitude, independence, and spite as her mother :) ) so she can avoid having to deal with them like I do later in life! but she has such a beautiful personality, and as she matures she is going to be such an amazing little woman. :) shes a full blown leader, so im excited to see where that takes her!

anways, I could go on and on, but thats enough for today! Hope everyone has a GREAT Friday! woot woot for the weekend ;)

Husbands

I'm working through a book called "Created to be His Help Meet", and it has been such an eye opener! I grew up in a home where my mother took care of  all of my father's (and all of the kid's) needs. She cooked,cleaned, ironed, shopped, took care of the finances, etc, etc, but most of all, she was always loving and joyful despite her NUMEROUS obligations. She loved ( and still does) my Dad with all her heart, and as a result she willingly placed him at the head of the house and cared for his needs. When he came home, she created a haven for him to return to, a place he could relax. That is what I have tried to do for my husband. With three smal children it is VERY hard to have the house cleaned, dinner cooked and the kids calm when he comes home, but i have tried to make that happen since we have been married. These past few weeks have been a little rough though. My husband is coming home to late dinners, a messy house, cranky kids and an exhausted wife. He never complains, and in fact, he is always so supportive and willing to help. I love him for that :) however, the author of this book is right in the sense that he should not be coming home from working all day to more stress and chaos. It blows my mind how crazy life has become since the big switch in the role of women back in the 60's. WHy have we removed our men from their place as "king" in the home? Why on earth would we want to be equal with them? It is so much better to be protected, cared for, and led by our men! the more selfish this world becomes, the more we neglect the needs of our husbands (and children) and focus on ourselves. But we see the horrible effects that has on homes today. Look how high the divorce rate is? how many broken homes and crushed spirits we have. Children have gone wild. children are at an all time high with the behavioral problems, and its primarily because they are lacking the attention and love they need at home. Women are so eager to make their own way in the world, they neglect their roles as mothers and wives and as a result, their families are falling apart. I realize its hard for people to stay home anymore, and that is unfortunate but its life. THat doesnt mean we need to neglect our duties though. It just means we need to plan ahead better, something I really need to work on. If my husband is going to work hard all day, (and in his case, he goes the extra mile and works the maximum amount of overtime he is allowed to), so we are able to have a home, food, clothing, and live comforatbly. Then he deserves to come home and put his feet up and enjoy his family. Not come home to a frazzled wife and crazy kids, no dinner and a house that looks like its under construction. Believe me, I am extremely busy, with 5-6 kids a day until 5:30 in the evening, my time is short...and with my personality, I am independent, opinionated and extremely strong-willed so it is a struggle to submit myself under someone elses authority and needs, but it should be different for our husbands. We love them, and they love us. They take care of us and we should in turn take care of them.

Clothing

So, my poor husband, along with his co-workers, have been struggling with the return of Liberty's students this past week. I say struggling because it seems each year Liberty enforces the dress code less and less, and as a result, the girls are wearing less and less. When I was there, I was written up at least once a week for the back of my skirt being a half an inch above my knees...and now, I go there to drop off Dave's lunch and not only are the skirts shorter then arm length, they are SKIN TIGHT. I confess, I used to dress much "sexier" back in highschool. I like most girls, enjoyed the attention we recieved by showing a little more leg, stomach, etc... However, when i met my husband, we were 16 and 17 years old, and since then I see the horrible effects our clothing ( or lack there of) has on these poor guys.

I know most men enjoy it, and could care less, but there are a number of guys ( especially at Liberty) who are striving to live pure lives for God. They are doing whatever they can to keep themselves pure and holy, saving themselves and their feelings for their future ( or current) wives. Walking around in skin tight, skimpy skirts, low cut shirts, and a the confidence of a super model is not only affecting you, but it is causing godly men to fall. To speak about God to unbelievers is like speaking a foreign language, I know that. So though it would be wonderful if they would respect those that do have a relationship with the Lord, it is not my place to make that request. However, for those women that do, I ask that you at least consider what I have to say.

Wearing skimpy clothes in front of men and expecting them to look the other way ( at least every time) is like putting a 12 pack of beer in front of a recovering alcoholic, dangling a bone in front of a dog, bate in front of a fish, etc...etc...you get the picture. They are visually stimulated. I know its hard for us women to undrestand that, but we know it enough to wear the clothes in the first place right? the only reason women wear things that show off their bodies, is to do just that, SHOW OFF THEIR BODIES. We believe we look good enough to wear it, and we want to wear something that shows the rest of the world, to get those wandering eyes to look and inevitably, to lust. For those of you that are trying to live for the Lord, we will be held accountable for causing these men to sin, that I can promise. the blood will be on their hands, as well as our own. Do you want to be noticed by your body? yes, you are beautiful, yes you have an awesome body, but to be noticed by that rather than noticed by your walk with the Lord, by the joy on your face, the love in your heart.... I assure you, that will not be what men see when they look at you, they will see your body, and the thoughts they will have will not be pure or sweet, that I assure you. they will think about you how they should only be thinking about their wives, and how only your future or current husband should think of you. I was really challenged when my husband brought this to my attention, and since then I have been careful to dress appropriately. I still know how to look good for my man, but we can do that without sharing our God given assets with the rest of the world. ;)

Introduction

I figured I always have so much to share, so rather than rely on my statuses, I'd create a blog! I dont know what the heck I'm doing when it comes to setting this thing up...and I really don't care how "pretty" it is...hopefully you all don't either! :) So, welcome to my page, where i hope to share all that goes on in this crazy house of mine, as well as in my crazy head! Hope you all enjoy :) Feel free to comment back!