Weekend in review

We had a pretty good weekend around here. Friday night Travis and I stayed in and got caught up on our Thursday night shows.   Normally we are totally committed to watching Community, The Office, and 30 Rock, but the last few Thursdays have been taken with various things.  So we're all caught up now.  30 Rock, Love it. 

Saturday I had coffee with some of the Escape leaders.  Then that afternoon we went to a Wedding.  

 Here's Savannah at the reception.  She loves going places and interacting with people.  She also enjoyed crawling under the tables going through purses.  

Our good friend Nattie Larson sat with us.  She's super awesome.  Kinda like me in a lot of ways. Proud to say that!  I've known Nattie for several years and I can say I have never gotten tired of her.  I mean, she looks pretty ticked in this picture, but that's just part of her humor. 

Who knows what's being said in this picture.  When ever we go to these kinds of things Travis ends up being the star  entertainment.  He's a pretty funny guy.  I look like I'm in pain, but trust me, it was just a good laugh!

And here's just a random one Jasey took of herself in our dinning room. I will say, Jasey has been really helpful with Savannah lately - Thanks Jasey!  She also lead a group of 6th graders on a JR High retreat over the weekend, and I'm really proud of her.  So here's to you Jase Face. 

Savannah singing video

Click here to see a video of Savannah singing Jesus Loves Me. 
For some reason Blogger doesn't work well with me and videos.

True Woman 2010

So last weekend I was blessed to be able to go to a conference in Indianapolis called True Woman.  It's put on by the Revive Our Hearts ministry - which is run by Nancy Leigh Demoss (who happens to have written my favorite book, Lies Women Believe and the truth that sets them free).  So there's all the credentials.  Oh yeah, and I'll throw in there that Marie Nesbitt and Laura Dewhurst were both promised to go - so how could I lose?

We met at Cornerstone on Thursday morning.  9 women of all ages and back grounds, 2 huge vehicles (one of which I drove almost the whole way), and 3 days ahead of us.  The ride there and back was one of the high lights.  We talked the ENTIRE way, both ways.  We talked about scripture, families, raising kids, movies, jokes, all kinds of things!  I had forgotten how fun and encouraging and life giving a good road trip can be.  Once in Indianapolis, we checked into the Hyatt and headed to the conference along with 6000 (yes, six thousand) other women.  Through out the weekend I figured I had heard over 15 speakers.  They spoke on a wide range of topics including, but not limited to, prayer, motherhood, suffering, marriage, the gospel, hospitality, emotions, and submission.  It was a little like drinking from a fire hose. I took notes as fast as I could and am still today trying to talk through and process all that I learned.  God used this weekend to work on a few walls I had built in my heart, and is also using it to shape my ministry with high school girls.  I wish I could share it all, but I'm sure it will seep out slowly as I begin to put things into place my life.  So, here's the best I can do - a few highlights:

- Crawford Lorttis: "Worldiness is the celebration of SELF.  It's all about MY longings, My cravings"

- Nancy Leigh Demoss: "Your life either proves or disproves your faith"

- Joni Earkison Tada: "God uses our lives to teach something about God to EVERYONE - including angles and demons.  The spirit world is watching us and learning about God's glory every second."
"Your suffering prepares you to meet and relate to Jesus"

- On marriage: Be intentional to grow together.  Remember to ask yourself "what does Jesus think of my husband?"  Pay a babysitter if that's what it takes to get out together.  Remember the things you did at first and do them again. Enjoy conversation that isn't about kids or ministry.

- On family: Say no if you need to.  Someone else can _________, but no one else in the world is called by God to raise MY family. Enjoy the season you're in and take in everything God has given you to learn in this season.

That's a wrap.  For now.
PS Thanks to Travis for being wonderful enough to fork out the  chaching for me to pay for this trip AND for taking care of Savannah for 3 days alone.

YAYA.

I felt it was probably time for another update on our wonderful little "YaYa" as she calls herself.  :)

So here ya go.  Savannah:

-Is 2 years and 4 months old.  For those of you that are like me and don't like doing the math,  that's 28 months. 

-Is super super busy.  The other day Travis picked her up from the nursery at church and the workers there old him "Uh, she's really active. Really active." -He said that they looked like they were pretty worn out and were trying to tell him that it was from her.  And that was after she had already been in the nursery for 2 hours prior to their shift (long morning at church!).  She just runs everywhere.  Always talking, always moving, always playing.  

- Unless she's watching a movie.  It's a new favorite past time of hers.  She LOVES zoning out on Cinderella these days.  Or whatever we put in.  But she always requests Cinderella. 

- Savannah's diet these days is mostly peanut butter toast/sandwiches, cheerios, pineapple,  cheese, pepperoni, spaghetti, and if I'm lucky, broccoli. She's just not that into eating.  Oh, and Granola bars.  She's obsessed with them, even though I hardly give them to her when she asks. 

- Something else fun is all the new lingo she's using.  She's a chatter mouth! I can't believe how fast she has picked up words and can make long sentences.  My favorite lately is how she's started asking me "Who dat mommy?" or "Where going mommy?" or "What doing?".  It's awesome that she has figured out how to ask about the world around her. 

- Savannah can count to 10!  I dont know that she's really counting, as much as repeating 1 - 10 but it's pretty smart I think.  She can also remember some of the ABC song.  

- We started praying (talking to God) with Savannah out loud at nap time, dinner time, and bed time about 6 months ago - and sometimes we lead her in a prayer where she repeats what we say.  She's pretty good to clothes her eyes at least and pray with us.  The other night Travis asked her "Savannah, who do you talk to when you pray?" and she replied "Yaya talk to Papa! (my dad)"  So she might be a little confused on what's happening there.   

- She has become one of the bigger kids on the play ground when we go out in the mornings.  She can now swing on her own in the regular swing, climb up the slide, climb up most ladders, and jump off of really high things that she shouldn't be jumping off of.  Other parents often feel the need to catch or try to help her.  :)  I just sit back most of the time. 

- We love her.  

Got Joy?

Travis and I have been doing a lot of talking, thinking, praying and seeking on the topic of joy lately.  We have been so fortunate that God has blessed us with hearts that are easily taken to joy - but that's not so for some of those around us.  It seems like so many people these days are given to some kind of depression or sadness.  So much of the time they don't even know exactly why.  So this is just one of what will probably be a few to come, blogs on what we're learning about God's desire for our joy.  

I've spent the last 3 days listening to Mark Driscoll's recent sermon about joy.  He hits a lot of good points about where our joy should come from.  Then he lays down this top 10 list of ways to get joy from the Holy Spirit.  Here's the link to his talk (it's an hour long, so make some time!) and the top 10.  EnJOY!

Jesus Rejoices in the Holy Spirit

1. Spend time in the scripture.  It is a major way that the Holy Spirit fills you. 

2. Repent of sin.  Sin gets in the way of the Holy Spirit and our joy. 

3. Serve using your spiritual gifts.  You might think what you need to be happy is people serving you, but really what you need is for you to serve people.  What has the Holy Spirit given you to do?

4. Forgive those who have hurt you and pray for your enemies. Bitterness gets in the way of the Holy Spirit, and our joy. 

5. Enjoy what you have and give generously.  God loves a joyful giver.  

6. Check your health. Need more sleep?  Too busy to rest? Too busy for God? Sick?

7. Realize that joy is just ONE emotion that God has given us.  Grab it when it comes!

8. Rejoice in the joy of others.  Someone else gets something good - be happy!

9. Respond physically, trusting that the emotions will catch up.  You don't feel like singing, sing anyway!

10. Plan fun!  Make opportunities to have a good time. Invite the Holy Spirit to come along and make fun.  

the zoo zoo zoo

Last weekend we took Jasey to the Omaha Zoo for her birthday.  We wanted to give her the best gift we could think of and what could be better than an adventure with us?

Jasey spent the night with us Friday night so that we could leave really early Saturday.  So I saw what she was wearing that day before I got dressed.  Then I thought I'd be funny and go upstairs and put on the same outfit.  It was pretty funny.... until Travis went and put on the same outfit.  Then the two of them decided that they WANTED us to all wear matching clothes.  I didn't want to, but I went with it.  Oh my the turn tables.....

My camera broke right before we went, so I had to use my old camera which doesn't take the greatest pictures, so here's just a few that turned out okay. 

Jasey pretending to be an elephant.

Savannah found this bird that would peck at her through the fence. I probably shouldn't have let her play with it but it was super fun!

It seems like Savannah said something funny here.  I don't know what it was, but must have been good.

PHOTOBOOTH

Our camera broke over the weekend and I haven't put any new pictures up of Sav in a while so I thought Travis would appreciate this usage of the PhotoBooth program on our mac.