Update

So tonight I was sitting on the couch next to BJ and I had an epiphany. I asked BJ why it was that my husband designs/creates these great websites and I have a blog that looks so generic. He said because I never asked him to. So I am excited to announce that after BJ gets caught up on websites he's designing/creating for people who are actually paying him, my blog will be getting an update. I am so excited!!  And about that time (or maybe before) we should be getting our new family pictures back so I'll be able to add a new picture with all 6 of us. I know that no one else really cares about this, but I am pretty stoked!

Speaking of family pictures, this past weekend we had family pictures done and I am so excited to get them back. I really think they are going to be great! Andi did our pictures previously a few months after we became a family of 5 and was able to do our pictures again now that we have grown to 6 strong.  We love her! She is so good with the kids and really has great vision! And getting together with her is like seeing an old friend.  She adopted an infant almost 5 years ago and I originally found her because she used to work at one of the radio stations I listened to and I followed her story via the website for the radio station.  She is such a sweet spirit and I just can't say enough good things about her.  So if you are looking for a photographer, please give her a call or shoot her a facebook message.

This week has really been good for me, praise God!  In the past few weeks, God just keeps speaking to me that I need to not let myself get so frustrated and stressed with the details of life and just let God be my peace and learn to rest in him.  So this week I have been very intentional about this.  I have been able to slow myself down, with God's help of course, and say a quick prayer or take a deep breath when I feel myself getting frustrated. I have also had to apologize when I've been short with my kids and husband and been able to do a lot of "redos."  I think it is so important to let yourself mess things up and apologize, not just for my own good, but also for the sake of my kids.  They need to see that I too have to work on things and I have to apologize and I have to depend on God too, for strength.  I have also tried to gripe less and be more compassionate and helpful, especially toward my kids. This is where a lot of apologizing has come in. I have spent the few minutes on the way to school praying out loud in the car for the kids and their days and I think it has really made a difference, at least for me and my days, and hopefully for them too. It is definitely a work in progress, but I really think that God is changing me in these ways.  God knows exactly what I need so I need to just keep seeking him and his ways and I will see God's word fulfilled in my life.

Monday morning Daniel was singing "All the chains are broken" from the worship song On My Lips which totally set my mood for the day. I had the song replaying again and again all day in my head and I really started to think about some of the words to the verse.

All the chains are broken. I have been set free.
Every word you've spoken is watching over me.
So how can I stay silent when I hear you call my name.
Living in your presence I'll never be the same.

This brought me to Jeremiah 1:12 "I am alert and active, watching over My word to perform it." Because God doesn't forget what he promises, there is freedom in letting God be God.  I don't have to force doors open or make God's word be fulfilled in me but I can rest in knowing God is watching over his word for me in my life.  And because of that, when God speaks I will not be silent, but will quickly obey, knowing he is working in me, growing me toward the fulfillment of his word in my life. Exciting times are coming as we stay close to God and allow ourselves to rest in him and let God be God in us!