Blueberries!!!!!

Last week I went blueberry picking with my really good friend. We went Monday and Friday. Monday we went to this little family owned business not too far from our town. We were there for nearly 3 hours and we picked about 14 pounds between the two of us.Friday morning we thought we would like to go again and try it because we didn't feel we had enough blueberries to last us through the winter. We also went to a blueberry park that was a bit farther from home but it was oh so worth it. We started out our morning my climbing unto a little tram thingy and they took us to where our blueberries were to be picked. We got there and they assigned us to 10 bushes. We picked those 10 bushes and then asked for more bushes so we could finish what we wanted to pick. We both had carried two buckets out with us but I don't think either of us intended to fill both full. But as we were set at our second area to pick, the lady told us to finish out the row. Finishing out the row was probably about 10-12 bushes. We both are the type of people then when asked to do something or shown to do something we work hard until the task is completely. By the end of these bushes we had two buckets each entirely full of blueberries. We came home with nearly 42 pounds of blueberries that we picked in four hours. We also has some nasty sunburns. Below are the pictures of our yummy blueberries!

Video of Dakota's 1st Birthday Party

Dakota is 1

My baby is one today. It is so hard to believe how incredibly fast this year has gone. He is such a happy little guy who is such a blessing to our lives in so many ways. We still only have one word but that is "mama." I didn't hear mama from Jabez until he was over 2. It was a sound that was hard for him, not entirely sure why, but thanks to 1st steps he seems to be where he needs to be now!Anyway back to Dakota. He is a handful, way more than his older brother was at his age. He gets into anything and everything. He is standing but still not walking, but again his brother didn't walk until he was 16 months old. So here are some pictures I thought you all might enjoy. This is Dakota from the day he was born.
This is Dakota with his daddy and brother at about 3 months old. And this is my little man at about 6 months.So now we have come to the day, actually the day after, (his birthday party was actually about a week early), where my baby has hit the 1 year milestone. I can't believe it.
My handsome little man before he got his hair cut. I love this picture. His little smash cake. These two are what was left after he smashed his cake. I have never seen a baby so eager to grab at their cake like Dakota did. It was so fun to watch. I have a video of it but haven't been able to get it to load right, so for now pictures will have to do.

What kind of soil are you?

Over the last month I have been teaching Sunday school for the 6-12 year old class in church. I started my month by looking online for what I wanted to teach. I came across a 4 week lesson on The Parable of the Sower found in
Matthew 13:3-9,18-23
He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:

“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. ⁴ As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. ⁵ Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. ⁷ Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. ⁸ Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! ⁹ Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

“Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: ¹⁹ The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. ²⁰ The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. ²¹ But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. ²² The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. ²³ The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

It has been an interesting journey going through a four week lesson on this parable. Each week we talked about the different types of soil and what that meant for people hearing about God. I mean it has been good to hear but today just kicked my butt. We talked about the seeds that fell among the good, fertile soil today and that the seed that falls here represents those who really hear and understand the word and produce a harvest.
This is where God hit me. I was talking to the kids about what it means to have fertile soil. I started talking about the fact that we need to really be choosing to spend time with God if we were really wanting to be this good, fertile soil that God can really move and work in. The only way we as his people are gonna be good soil is if we really seek after God and become more like him.
This was the conviction for me. I personally haven't been taking that time to seek out being more like God. I haven't been reading God's Word on a daily basis let alone applying it in my life. How then is my life suppose to be an example to others if I am not even doing what God asks of me to get to really know him. Here I am teaching these little people about how we as Christians should be doing this and I am not doing it myself.
I used an illustration with flowers. I had a fake rose and a real rose. We did comparisons and differences between them and then we applied it to our lives as Christians. If we are true believers we need to live our lives seeking after God and the way that he lived. I feel like a fake believer sometimes because I don't apply the things that I learn to my every day life. I don't give God the time he deserves. I lack in a huge way with this. It hit me in a huge way. HUGE!!
I want to make a change and not just say I want to make a change but I really truly want to change. I want to make a choice of spending time with God everyday. More than just reading his scripture but also applying it to my life.
Another area that really hit me was the verse that they were learning for the month. It was out of Mark 16:15 He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation."
For this area of the scripture I used an illustration with blueberries today. I used blueberries to show how if we apply ourselves to telling others about Christ. If I tell one person about Jesus and what he has done and can do for your life and that person goes and tells someone else about Jesus how it can spread. It was unbelievable the impact it had on the students and myself. I think telling others about Christ is one of the most difficult things to do in life. God is really calling us to reach out and tell others about Jesus. To live our lives worthy of the call God has placed on it.
As for this week I am hoping that I really take some time with God and really seek what he is trying to teach me through this time in my life. I am praying that God would continue to show me how to have an impact on others lives and how to show them Christ. But most importantly I want to seek how God wants to use me in teaching my own little boys about Christ and what he has done for them. That is my highest responsibility right now outside of making sure that I am seeking God and making him be known.

You are Worth It

I have a friend who is really being challenged in life right now. Her husband has recently lost his job do to an injury that he has that doesn't allow him to continue in the position he had. Its an injury that could be in his way for work for the rest of his life. I can't imagine being told that I may have an injury that will keep from doing what I have known for my entire life. As a result of him losing his job, they have absolutely no income right now. The only thing that they have right now are food stamps. Everything else is just going by faith. They have had their bills come up due and so far it has been taken care of by people who love them. The other evening I was talking to my friend about this and she just broke down with how she was feeling about others taking care of them completely, that they can't do anything for themselves. She told me she feels worthless. I can't imagine feeling like you don't know where your next penny is coming from to get something you really need.
So last night I took some time to see what the Bible says about "worth in the Bible and shared several verses with her. So that is what I would like to do here.
And through your faith, God is protecting you by His power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.
Matthew 10:31 Therefore don't be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows.
Luke 12:7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore don't be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows.
1Pe 1:6-7 So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

I don't get or understand what God is doing in their lives. He keeps showing that he is faithful to them in crazy ways. I find it awesome and amazing how faithful he has been to them. I always want to ask why He is allowing them to go through this really hard time in their life, something that has been ongoing for at least 3 years now. How can any one family continuously be hit over and over again. What are you trying to say God. What is the lesson you have in it, not only for them, but for us?
I am going to continue to lift this very precious family to God's heavenly throne that he would continue to supply all their needs.
Phil 4:19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
I am claiming this verse, along with others, over their lives tonight.

We are home

We have been home from the hospital since late Wednesday night/early Thursday morning, which ever way you consider 1 a.m.
Early Wednesday afternoon the doctor came in and checked on us and found out that Dakota hadn't been drinking anything as of yet. To me it was greatly discouraging because I really had in my mind before we left for the hospital that Dakota would be one of those that would just pick the bottle right back up. I was wrong. Dakota was one of those that chose to be stubborn about it. He was doing well enough otherwise that they moved us from the PICU to the regular PEDS floor. Unfortunately we ended up sharing a room with a very cranky 20 month old who was also recovering from surgery but he was post-op day 1. He was still in a lot of pain. I felt for him but man did it stress me out. I think we got put in a room about half the size and had to share it with someone else. By the time we got Dakota to take a little nap, I was so frazzled I thought I was gonna lose my mind. They actually place children/patients together who have similar problems....i.e. close to the same age, same sex, and both had had oral surgery.
So we took a bit of a break from the floor and went and got some dinner. It was nice to have a bit of a break. I thoroughly needed it. Once we got back into the room Dakota was awake and crying because he was with someone he didn't know. At this point he still completely refused to eat or drink anything except about 2 bites of jello earlier in the day. I also started praying and begging God at this time to allow Dakota to eat so that we could go home. I figured going home that night was no longer even a possibility since it was already so late.I decided to pull out the formula that we use for Dakota since he wasn't digging what ever they had for him. It was about 9:30 p.m. when he started taking his bottle. I was so shocked. He just kept at it until he had finished 3 ounces. I was so excited but I just knew that we would still have to stay because they wouldn't release anyone to go home so late at night. I was wrong. The nurse called the doctor and he said yeah let them go home. Wow! I was astonished!
So began the gathering together of our belongings, signing the beloved discharge papers, and then we were out of there.Since we have returned home, Dakota continues to improve every day in everything he does. Today we have eaten something at every meal. That is huge because that is another thing that he was refusing to do for me. I am thankful that he finally has had his procedure and that we are on the way to full and complete recovery. Below I have included several pictures from the day of/day after surgery.Here is Dakota and his daddy right before they took him back for his surgery.

This is right after we went in to see him for the very first time after surgery. He was pretty agitated until they placed him in my arms and then he calmed right done.


Here he is finally resting comfortably, or as comfortably as you can right after surgery.

This is him playing Wednesday morning with toys after waking up. He is still currently attached to all his wires, which became really hard to keep untangled as he went from one end of the crib to the other trying to play.

And here is my baby with one of his first smiles right before they released us to come home!