Ella is 5

Here I am almost a week late but we all know the saying, so I will spare us. Last week was a busy one but of my own choosing because my sweet" baby" turned 5 I know I almost can't believe it my self that Ella is 5! She has been such a gift and such a joy. I am so gald God has given me this girlie girl. Weeks before her birthday we had discussed all the possible birthday ideas...sleepover, strawberry shortcake, makeup, you name it we talked about it and then about 2 weeks before her birthday she decided she wanted a cooking party. I know it sounds funny but I loved the idea.



As her friends showed up at the house I had chef hats for them to decorate

Once they were all arrived they put on their aprons and we got to cooking

I started them off with decorating cupcakes and tried to teach them to use the pastry bag, they did not master that :) and needed much assistance. Then they added sprinkles, as much as they wanted fun right?

Once they were happy with the cupcakes they made we moved on to making pizza, their challenge was to try new ingredients and make a funny face pizza.

With the pizzas in the oven we moved on to making fruit sticks, yes I tried to give them something healty. Now all that was left to do was eat!

It was a successful party and everything went well but having four 4 yr olds come over to cook is not for the faint of heart! Most of all Ella had a great time and will always remember her 5th cooking birthday party.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY SWEET GIRL!

My first love

I am blogging again, I know I have said this before but I am trying to get better and make time for blogging in my life. One it is good for me to just get my thoughts out and to share what is going on for anyone who cares to know.

I started out this year talking about the things God has been teaching me this year, and let me tell you that has not stopped. Today as I sat down to do my bible study I started reading and answering questions then I realized I was doing the "wrong" one and I thought oh I should turn to this weeks lesson but something inside (God) said just do this one you need it.

The study was on Revelation 2 the letter to the church in Ephesus. I will give you the condensed version, the church in Ephesus was working hard for God serving and looked like they were a Godly church but God said they had lost their first love. Their service was out of duty not delight. WOW how this hit me what have I done with my first love? The lesson states "many believers don't view an absence of the firey, first love for Jesus a sin"...honestly never thought of it... till now. Remember the verse" Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength" That is what God commands us. Love Him first and love others. God's absolute priority for all followers of Christ is love-for Him first and others second- then the absence of such love is sin.

What things have you replaced your love for God with? Pray with me today to love Him more than you pray for blessing, health or anything else just love Him more and all these things will flow from that. "Seek you first the kingdom of God and His rightousness and all these things will be given unto you."

Ella's spring recital

Ella had her Spring recital this past Sunday, she still loves ballet and she takes it very seriously. She did have a few silly moments when she knew she did something wrong and got tickled. Excuse Dan sneezing at the beginning of the video, what can I say allergy season

John on George

This year God has really given me a desire to live for Him...really not partially but fully. Our pastor has encouraged us to read the biography of George Muller and since it is checked out of our library I hit the internet looking. I came across a great article written on the life of George Muller by none other than John Piper...you can always trust Piper to have something great!
Some huge things jumped out at me that I want to share:

• 
  the chief passion and unifying aim of Mueler's ministry was to live a life and lead a ministry in a way that proves God is real, God is trustworthy, God answers prayer.

• He had come to know and love the absolute sovereignty of God

• According to my judgement the most important point to be attended to is this: things see above all to it that your souls are happy in the Lord. Other things may press upon you, the Lord's work may even have urgent claims upon your attention, but I deliberately repeat, it is of supreme and paramount importance that above all things you should seek to have your souls truly happy in God Himself! Day by day seek to make this the most important business of your life.

• Knowing God is the key to being happy in God.The more we know of God, the happier we are. . . . When we became a little acquainted with God . . . our true happiness . . . commenced; and the more we become acquainted with him, the more truly happy we become. What will make us so exceedingly happy in heaven? It will be the fuller knowledge of God.
  

That is my prayer for me and you and what God has been teaching me this year...Day by day seek to make this the most important business of your life that you are truly happy in God himself

Read the whole article herehttp://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Biographies/1531_George_Muellers_Strategy_for_Showing_God/

On the Table

Thanks to my friend Mel I have just found a great blog I'm an Organizing Junkie and she hosts Menu Plan Monday a great way to keep us all diligent and find new ideas..I love it!

So on that note here is what will be on our table this week

Sunday: Beef Brisket in Red Wine, mashed potatoes and Roasted Root Vegetables

Monday:Jambalia with Green Salad (i know this was on the menu last week, but things changed;)

Tuesday:Leftover Beef Brisket

Wednesday: Church or leftover Jmbalia

Thursday: Hearty Tomato Soup and Panani

Friday: Pizza night

Saturday: Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches with Hearty Tomato Soup

SITS do it again

I know this is early but I've joined a Valentine exchange! I did this last year and it was so much fun getting to know another blogger and getting goodies in the mail what could be better? This time it is being hosted by Holly over at Domestic Dork. I came across this today after visiting SITS-secrets in the sauce- don't know about this check it out at the link on my sidebar.
Today is the last day to sign up for the Valentine exchange so scoot on over to Domestic Dork and sign up.

Thoughts for 2010

Here we are 7 days into not only a new year but a new decade. I have now been married for almost a decade and have had kids for almost as long we have been in our house for a decade too. What can I see for the past decade? Marriage, home, family a lot when you think about it.
But what does this new decade hold?
Will we just continue to work, live and grow older?

So far this year God has been revealing to me that it is time for my life to count for more. I don't want to spend this decade just living for me but I want to live this year living for eternity making my time here to count for eternity for this world is passing away. How am I going to do this? I don't know and that is the beauty of it, I don't really have to do it God is going to do it through me. I am praying and studying His word and He will give the opportunity.

This new year and decade has brought a renewal to me in raising my children up in the training and admonition of the Lord. Look for more to come on this subject.