MEMORY VERSE #14

Happy Day Everybody!
For some reason, this year has been harder to stay focused on things. I'm pulled in many different directions and "distracted" has felt like my middle name. No matter how out of focus I "feel", one thing is for sure, I will do my best to stay faithful to my Lord.

Here it is already mid July, and I'm happy to be still on track with this year's challenge to plant God's Word in my heart with Beth Moore and thousands of other Siesta around the world. We are memorizing a new verse every two weeks (on the 1st and the 15th) and doing our best to live them out in our everyday lives. For verse #14, I'm moving on towards the end of the Beatitudes!

"You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom." (MSG)

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (NIV)

SSMT Verse #14

Beatitudes Continue... MEMORY VERSE #13

Matthew 5:9 (NIV)
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.

I love the Message translation of this verse:
"You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family."

SSMT #13

I want to be a "PEACEMAKER"!

This verse reminded me of a sermon years ago where the Pastor shared the difference between "peacekeepers" and "peacemakers". As I "googled" the topic, I found this web site that helps communicate the difference as I remember the Pastor of my church had done. If you have time to peak, check out THIS SITE for more insight.

MEMORY VERSE #12

...continuing on with the Beatitudes.

Matthew 5:8

You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world. (MSG)

Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God. (NIV)

SSMT #12

Master Bedroom Re-Do

My blogging on our Home Renovation progress has been quiet these days, mostly because the progress has been slow going and fragmented. Since November 2010 (over the past 6 months), Kirk and I have been working simultaneously on about 6 different areas of the house - a little bit here, there, and everywhere- very hit and miss! It has been a bit overwhelming and getting ANYTHING FINISHED with these six areas has felt like a far distant dream. There have been weeks where we are unable to work on any remodel projects because family and life events take priority; the kids have kept us busy with their school activities. Summer is here, and we're getting some time to press forward and get things done.

I'm thrilled to report that several areas ARE getting "FINISHED" (finally!) ... enough for me to blog before and after pictures which is like a "closure" of the project.

Here is our newly renovated MASTER BEDROOM:

BEFORE

Notice the window air conditioner unit? The previous owners used this to help cool this room on top of the regular central air that worked for the entire house. Three of the four walls in this room are hit directly by the south Texas sun most of the day and like the whole house, this room did not have any insulation in the walls, not to mention the single pan windows with poor caulking; it got VERY HOT & STUFFY in the summer.

DEMO

Joe loves to pound on the walls and demo! - even in his Sponge Bob P.J.'s! All drywall in this room had to be removed.

... a place where there at one time used to be a window! We found two other previous window openings that had once existed on the opposite wall. This room once had 5 different windows (three now covered by wall)! I wonder if it used to be a sun room at one time years ago?

R13 insulation in the whole room! ...and the brown door? It's getting replaced!

Here's the AFTER of this particular corner~ we have kept the walls all white to help it feel like a bigger room, crisp and fresh. And we love the new door!

MORE DEMO and repair... from another angle.

AFTER~

After adding insulation, we finished the walls with 1/2" drywall covered in "bead board" panels. To trim off the room we added crown moulding and over sized baseboards.

This Master Bedroom is smaller than what we're used to (because it's an older house), but we've managed to fit our things in it and make it nice and cozy.

Quilt set from The Company Store.

New bedroom carpet (professionally installed) meets up with our laminate wood floor (Kirk and Teri installed) from the hall area outside the master.

Close-up showing the bead board and crown. This room originally did not have any trim around the ceiling, so this crown and corner pieces are a nice added detail. The windows are new energy efficient double paned windows with 2" Bali (faux wood) mini blind.

MEMORY VERSE #11

MATTHEW 5:7

You're blessed when you care.
At the moment of being 'care-full,'
you find yourselves cared for. (MSG)
~same verse in NIV translation...
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy. (NIV)

SSMT #11

A Surprise Birthday Party~

Our first born child, Kelsie, turns 18!...


...she is always full of smiles.

We wanted to surprise Kelsie with a party of her closest friends from school. They arrived at the front door, yelled 'SURPRISE"...

...and then were off to the Corpus Christi Party Bus for an evening of fun-
"Clubb'in Kelsie style".



1st stop- "Chick fil a" for dinner.
We had Chicken "Club" Sandwich meals!



On our way to the beach~

Kelsie was born in Corpus Christi (1993) and her first place she lived was Beach Club Apartments... (this beach was where I walked frequently when I was pregnant with Kelsie)

Blowing bubbles on the beach! How much fun is that?

Mom (me) and Kelsie

Kelsie loves her friends and cherishes each one of them!
Friends Forever!

Time to load back in the Party Bus!
We played a game where everyone's shoes were put in a plastic garbage bag and we were partnered off so that our next stop each partner had to find the others' shoes for them... hopefully each person noticed what was on everyone's feet!

...finding our shoes!

Our last destination, "SCOOPZ". This is a frozen yogart place the kids go before youth group at church or just for the fun of it for a special sweet treat.

...back at the house... our evening coming to an end.

..the kids were given party bags containing a variety of things including a voter's registration application and a $2 scratch off lottery ticket. Out of 15 teenagers, only one person won from their lottery ticket ($5.00). LESSON LEARNED- lottery may be fun, but it is a waste of money (the majority of the time). Once you're 18, if you play the lottery, play responsibly.

Maddy and Kelsie.
Kelsie was given a "CLUB" signed by her friends to keep as a remembrance of her night of "Clubb'in" on her 18th birthday.

Once Kelsie's friends went home, we had our "family celebration" with a sampler cheese cake!



Happy Birthday, Kelsie!

MEMORY VERSE #10

"You're blessed when you've
worked up a good appetite for God.
He's food and drink
in the best meal you'll ever eat." (MSG)

... same verse in (NIV):

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.

Matthew 5:6 (from the Beatitudes)
SSMT Verse #10

MEMORY VERSE #9

Matthew 5:5

"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought." (MSG)

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. (NIV)
SSMT Verse #9

Good stuff from BLOGGY WORLD

I enjoy following a number of special blogs in BLOGGY WORLD. Most of the blogs I follow are random people who God has led me to through blogging. We share common interests, common struggles, common goals and we encourage one another. We interact in bloggy world and over time, develop friendships. I love how God's hand is directing our paths to cross in this way; even if we are thousands of miles apart, God has ordained our time, our friendship and our interaction. Thank you God for my blog friends!

Some of the blogs I follow are "ministry blogs". These blogs are more one sided, but very special none the less. They contain devotionals or insights about the Christian faith. I was just peaking through the blogs I follow and read this post from Lysa Terkeurst blog about "My Jesus in 5 Days". Lysa is the president of the Proverbs 31 Ministries and has an easy to read approach to writing that is always life applicable.

I know many of my friends in bloggy world love the Lord and want nothing more than draw closer to Jesus. This post encourages me to do draw closer to Him this week and I hope it encourages you to do the same as well. Check out Lisa's post My Jesus in 5 Days... and be sure to leave a comment for her if it ministers to you.

MEMORY VERSE #8

Continuing on with The Beatitudes from THIS POST...

"You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you." (Matthew 5:4 MSG)

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. (Matthew 5:4 NIV)

SSMT Verse #8

Less is More~

Once asked to write a full story in six words, legend has it that novelist Ernest Hemingway responded:
"For Sale: baby shoes, never worn."

In six words he packs an emotional wallop and tells us everything we need to know.

I’d like to challenge bloggers and friends to tell me a story, and leave it in the comments section below. But here’s the catch: IT CAN ONLY BE SIX WORDS!

Here's mine:

"Loud shriek. Bloody dog. Kitten won."

added 4/12- (to ease any one's mind, my German Shepherd (Heidi) wanted to play and be dominant with our new kitten, Cherokee. Cherokee scratched Heidi's face as a defence and since Heidi was persistent, Cherokee scratched her in multiple places. Heidi wanted to play, but Cherokee wanted to fight and put the dog in her place- both animals are o.k. Heidi is healing fine having learned a lesson to leave the new kitty alone.)

Not Just a Bunch of Words~ SSMT Verse #7

The point of memorizing Scripture isn't to fill our heads with a bunch of words and wonderful "quotes", but to take ownership of the verses, to allow them to shape who we are, to teach us new things about God, to encourage us and to equip us for this journey called "life". Scripture from the Holy Bible is alive and active (Hebrews 4:12), it is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16-18) and LIFE CHANGING if we live by it.

Since I became a Christ follower 9 years ago (traded in "religion" for actual "relationship"), God has revealed Himself a multitude of times through Scripture that has "blessed" Him and me. I have been memorizing Bible verses off and on for the past 9 years because right off, I recognized they are not just a bunch of words, but they are power in my life when I plant them in my mind and heart. Scripture brings me closer to oneness with the Lord.

Over the next couple months, I will be memorizing The Beatitudes from the Message translation paralleled to the NIV. The Message has such a down to earth, easy to understand and apply message, that I want to plant both translations in my mind and heart.

The Beatitudes is the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount when Jesus "saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them." (Matthew 5:1-2 NIV). The Beatitudes shares when we are "BLESSED". Blessed means more than happiness... the experience of hope and joy not connected to outward circumstances; blessed is the deepest form of eternal happiness like those who are in God's kingdom experience. I love this because I've lived these verses and they're true!!! My prayer is that we all are blessed today in an indescribable Jesus happiness.

Here's my first verse of The Beatitudes (verse #7 SSMT), Matthew 5:3~

"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule." (MSG)

(Same verse in NIV) “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "

Family Updates and Happenings~

Since our friends and family are literally scattered all over the United States, I thank God for the internet to post pictures & "Family Updates" now and again to keep everybody up with what has kept Kirk and I (and the kids) busy- here's a post that shares WHAT ELSE is up besides our ongoing "home renovation".

VT-35 Squadron Fun: Kirk is a Flight Instructor with the US Navy. On occasion, we have "get togethers" with other families in our Squadron.

The kids have a fun time seeing the airplane their daddy flies for his "work".

Kirk preparing for a new adventure:

Kirk is nearing the end of his 20 year career with the Navy and he's been spending time on the computer getting himself set up for the next adventure God has for him. Kirk's most recently been applying for civilian flying jobs with a variety of commercial and transport airlines. The application process is all done "on-line" and he is confident he'll get hired to fly civilian (he has over 5,000 hours of flying multi-engine).

I love my family!

More Texas Critters:

From rattle snakes in the summer, to wild javelinas in the winter!!! For a couple months in a row they would come to our front yard to eat acorns and some pear cactus. There is usually about 5-8 of them, but one time we saw a herd of almost 20! We scare them away with making lots of noise and shooting them with a sling shot & acorns. After we put a small fence around the pear cactus, we haven't seen any javelinas in a couple months.

...the pear cactus in our front yard the javelinas love to eat!

Kelsie preparing for college:

Kelsie narrowed her college selection down to Seattle Pacific University in Washington State or Lee University in Tennessee.

After much prayer and direction from God, Kelsie chose Lee University - a Christian college that is offering her a full tuition (4 years) academic scholarship.

...when we visited the school it was neat to see almost every student in the girls dorm had their own eraser board on their door with Scriptures written on them.

Kelsie making the most of her senior year of High School:

...surprising some friends for their birthdays, Kelsie and friend Maddy "kidnapped" Benji and Randi for a special night of Chinese food, a bon fire and hanging out (in our back yard!).

Andrew, our Swimmer:

We are so proud of Andrew and his commitment to swimming. As a freshman in high school, he was the only 9th grade boy to try out for swimming. On top of that, HE MADE THE VARSITY TEAM! He has never swam competitively before this year and did awesome. He made it to District Competition, then to Regionals. He placed in both competitions receiving a couple medals.Andrew's swim regimen dropped about 20 pounds from his 8th grade weight. He morphed from a boy last year to a young man this year.

Girl Scout Cookie Season:

Jessie is a Brownie Girl Scout; I lead the entire multi level troop (of 36 girls) at our school. We had a very busy and successful cookie season January through February.

...in addition to selling cookies, meeting at our troop meetings, crafts, and Girl Scout fun, the troop went to a NHL Hockey game that honored the local Girl Scouts.

Goofing around, hanging out and just being...

Our newest Kitty~

A stray kitty, we have not yet named. We will give her love and hope she "works" as an outside cat to keep mice and snakes away. Bruno, our black kitty is excited to have a new friend.