For the most part...

... I pretty much know that God has something in store for me. For CC. Well, for all of us, for that matter.
I just don't think that I'm LIVING like I'm EXPECTING anything from God.
Ok, I'm NOT living like I KNOW that God has something in store for me. For us. I just go from day to day, living in complacency; doing normal things that most mothers would be doing.. taking care of the kids, doing school, playing with the kids, dishes, food, laundry, cleaning, shopping for groceries. And when I can, I squeeze in a few minutes of quiet time reading a couple of chapters and saying a few quick words in prayer. Basically just enough to keep my inner spiritual man alive.
Then the other day I read something that really pricked my heart and challenged me. I'll write it out for you...

"In imagination I want you to come with me to a ward in one of our big hospitals, and here before us we see a man. He has been seriously ill for months; in fact as we approach his bed we are hardly sure whether he is alive or dead. But, as we watch him closely, we see that his chest moves slightly, and, on feeling his pulse, we find that it still beats feebly. True, his is alive, but should the ward catch fire he is too weak to save himself, and it is quite certain that he is not strong enough to rescue anybody else. But he is alive. He has Life.
"Now come with me again in imagination to Putney Bridge. Today is the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, and as we look over the bridge, there, almost at our feet, we see the two boats with their eight oarsmen in each. These men have been training for weeks, some for months, and today they are to go through one of the greatest ordeals that any athlete is ever asked to undergo - a race of four-and-a-quarter miles, from Putney to Mortlake, and as we watch them start we realize that their bodies are just tingling with Life. They have Life Abundant.
"There is a vast difference between the sick man in the hospital ward and these training athletes. The one has Life, the others Life in Abundance. There is all the difference also in the spiritual world. Some Christians have life, i.e., they are really converted people, but they know nothing of the Abundant Life which Jesus Christ came to give His people. "I am come that they might have Life, and that they might have it more abundantly." - George S. Ingram

I knew that I was that guy in the hospital. Barely alive and just enough to know it. That's not what I'm supposed to be like. I can't be ready for whatever God has for me or my little family if I'm just staying afloat in my little world. There's a song called "Traveling Shoes".. and its saying that whenever death comes knocking on the doors of the sinner, the liar, gambler's door, and they weren't ready because they didn't have on their "Traveling Shoes".. then he goes knocking on the Christian's door and asked if he was ready, and he shouts "YES!" He had on his "Traveling Shoes". He was ready at the call. And I'm not necessarily talking about death, I just mean in general. If God comes calling and has some job for me, special or not, will I be ready? Or will I be saying "Naw, Lord; You didn't give me enough time or notice so I gotta get myself ready, and then I'll let You know when I have myself together for You." I'm not doing that. And I have made a decision to be sure that I am ready for whatever God has for me. I don't want to come across a trial in my path and be like, "God, You didn't prepare me for this!"
So let's go! Full of Life and ready to GO!

My little girl has pigtails now. :)

So cute...

More poses to come later!

We were outside for a few moments...

Cherish was delighted.

Micah came and bestowed a kiss upon her cheek...

He loves being outside. I hope to let him be outdoors more this year.

Aaaannnnd, we attempted to play Hopscotch. He loved it, and made his own beside mine and we had a race. Of course he beat me, lil ragamuffin. lol.

Micah got this idea to try my hat on Cherish...

It worked for a few seconds...

Well, maybe not.

Try again. :)

Can we PLEASE be done?!?

We all got a laugh, and Cherish got her photo shoot. :)

Some pictures of my day today...

Heading to the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, NC

The size of this place was amazing...

This cow greeted us and told us about the place.. it was... interesting. lol

Tent meetings held by Billy Graham looked a lot like this..

He wasn't afraid of preaching to presidents

He determined early in his speaking career to surround himself with a praying support group. It was said that the week before the crusade was spent in prayer night and day.

Regardless of race, nation or status, he preached the gospel to everyone he came across.

"Everyone needs the Gospel." He would say.

Throughout the whole tour, there was always a theater playing a message from Billy Graham, most ending in a challenge of where you are with the Lord. After the final one, there was a prayer room open for anyone who knew the Lord was speaking to them, complete with chairs, Bibles and tissues. I loved the idea.

The books behind the glass where ones chosen to be on display from Billy's personal library, but no one was allowed to browse through those.. Other books were on shelves, several written by Billy Graham and his wife, and those were the ones for sale.

After we looked through the books we headed out through the prayer garden to see the final resting place of Ruth Bell Graham

I loved this saying. She was an amazing woman.

After this, I didn't take many pictures because it was a packed afternoon. After the Billy Graham Library we went out to eat at Chipotle's, then we headed to check out a huge antique store. There were over 16 isles there to walk thru!
After taking a stroll down other people's memory lanes, we departed and drove to a delicious little place called "Yoforia", a frozen yogurt restaurant. (I guess you would call it a restaurant.. any other name for it, I have no idea. lol) There we met up with a very lively young lady who was a nanny of 2 young girls. Her name was Brandy, and she LOVED Cherish. I think my yogurt melted away while I was talking to her and making sure that full-of-life Brandy wouldn't overwhelm my little girl, who stared for a while and then began to smile and say "dadada", much to everyone's delight.
We ended our visit there and drove ourselves around several blocks and thru many city streets to find an elusive coffee store called "Dillworth's Coffee". After a near collision and crossing in front of impatiently waiting cars, we finally found the place. lol.

The coffee was worth the wait, and so, we headed home. Braving traffic and darkness and the terrible possibility of hitting a deer.
Thank you Sarah, Lea, Greta and Reena for a wondrous day!
Let's do it again soon.

Some pictures of my kids today..

I'm getting used to writing down my thoughts again.....

So, its going to take me a while for it. I mean, I'm not accustomed to sharing what I think anymore, despite the fact that my thought process hasn't slowed down a bit. lol. I'm one of those people who enjoys observing. In a crowd, I'd be happy to sit in a corner and watch people. Though when I see another person sitting in a different corner looking a little sad and lost, I can't help myself but to wander over to try to introduce myself and chat just to see if I can't make the unhappy lonely look go away.
I think its pitiful when we stick with the people we know, day in and day out, and leave the lonely ones to whoever may have compassion enough to extend a welcoming hand. I've noticed that the longer we stay in our little circle of friends, the more feeble our excuses get. "I wouldn't know what to say." "I don't think we would have anything in common. I mean, look at her." "I just don't feel like it." Or the classic, "I'm not like that, I'll leave that to someone else." Our little circle of friends are there because someone decided to reach out to you. I think we should be a "big girl or boy" and do the same for someone else.
Besides the fact, it builds character.
Yeah.
When's the last time you heard that phrase, besides your dad? lol. We say we wanna be friendly, or we wanna be more Christlike, but what do you mean by that?
For example, I want to build the character of joyfulness in myself. How does one go about doing that? Its not easy purposing in your heart to take things in a happy manner no matter what they may be; like right now, I have a HUGE pile of laundry that is calling for my attention.. speaking of which, hold that thought...........
......
Ok, I'm back. With 2 pieces of pizza from which my little boy is pulling off the pepperoni and eating them with great joy. lol.
Anyhow, enough of my ramblings for the day. This afternoon I'm going to clean my room, finish up the laundry, teach Micah what happened on day 2 of Creation,make dinner, and otherwise relax. haha. So maybe I'll add a cup of coffee to the mix. Would that make it sound more relaxing? ;)