you can hear Alyssa in the background singing.... too cute!

A few funny things.
First- Michael turned 1 yesterday! I can't believe how fast the year has gone by. I will post pictures of his birthday after we celebrate it September 4th. Also, I came back from the conference to learn he is walking all over the place.

We gave him an ice cream cone yesterday after dinner so once video decides to upload I will post it.

I am enjoying doing school work with my kids.
I took Alyssa to the library yesterday to get her first library card. She has been borrowing books and movies on mine, Jason's or Amber's card. She has been wanting one so badly but I didn't feel she was ready to hold on to her own card yet. Yesterday I take her and fill the paper work ou, I turn it in and the lady hands her her library card and Alyssa signed it, she felt very grown up. She asked me how much it was going to cost and I told her it's free to get a library card. She decided to pick out two movies to start with and ohmygoodness this child had me laughing so hard. We get to the desk with her movies, she hands the lady her library card, the lady scans it and hands it back to Alyssa. Alyssa looked at me and said "I still can't believe these cards are FREE" in a high pitched valley girl tone. The ladies behind the desk could not help but laugh too. Once we got home she told daddy at once that she could not believe she got a library card for free. She continued the day with saying "I just can't believe it, can you". She said or did something today that Jason told me I should blog....only, I don't remember what it is ;p

Kids bring so much joy to my heart!

This past weekend I had a God-planned opportunity to see Beth Moore in San Antonio. A while back my dear friend Shannon sent an email advising me to read a book by Beth Moore and that Shannon along with her study group at church were doing Beth's newest devotion plus she a small group of ladies from her church were going to her conference.

I thought, oh man, I wanna go! But at the same time, I didn't know anything about Beth Moore. I had read couple of things and was told a couple of things by various people so honestly my thoughts on her was this......she is probably a long-winded motivational speaker who gives some scripture verses mixed in with liking to hear herself talk.

Well......I got an email from Shannon inviting me and my friend Cameron to see Beth Moore with their group. Some ladies couldn't make it and she invited us!! I got all excited just knowing I was going to spend time way from home with two of my closest friends!! In fact, I was so motivated to go I weaned M from nursing! Michael took well (much to easy) to weaning completely from nursing and straight on to whole milk! You should have seen him, I introduced it to him and that was it! He loves whole milk! To top it off, I got him sleeping straight through the night with help from my beloved friend Cameron!! My own method turned out to be a temporary fix. But the tools she gave me worked!! I really can't thank her enough!!! Especially because we are all sleeping so much better and I should have asked her for these tools a long time ago!!

Anyway, on to my point. We get to the conference and Beth Moore was not at all what I expected! She is a God-filled woman! She gave scripture verse after scripture verse and I was convicted to grow so much deeper in his word and in quite time with him! I have been doing what I was convicted of from the moment I got home!

God spoke right through her in delivering his message to us. She began with teaching us "The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance". From the old testament to the new testament, inheritance from God always involves three elements. Presence, people, and property.

She proceeded with these three points.
1) I am an heir of God. my life is not left to chance.
2) I am an heir of God. I am inheriting a kingdom.
3) I am an heir of God. He is my portion.....and I am His.
How mind blowing! He considers US His portion! His inheritance!

What taught me even more so is that I cannot look to other people for affirmation, only Jesus can identify me, I am an heir of God...I can be secure. She said if you look to other people for affirmation you are placing them in a Christ hood position. How many times do we as women look to others to make us feel better about ourselves. Our identity is NOT in what other people think of us including our spouse. Our identity is only found in Christ, not man. I can't preach it here the same way she did, it's not my gift or calling, however, it's a small taste of how God message was revealed to us.

God used Beth to teach us so much but one other area that hit home for me what "Never let ministry interrupt your intimacy with God". Being with my husband at seminary and preparing for ministry......I think this is probably the most important lesson as a couple.

Visit Beth Moore's blog and be blessed!
I also encourage you to visit my friend Cameron's blog....to the right of my page titled 4Hallgirls. You can read her version of this conference and personally, she delivered the results so much better than I have done! You will be blessed!

This was too funny. Y'all have got to see this! We gave him paper and crayons to play with while we did our family bible study this morning before Jason left for his first day of class. Michael did scribble on the paper but then he found another use for his crayons!

Michael discovered the dryer today. He usually isn't interested in it until the laundry comes out. But he was crawling by the dryer and noticed the door was slightly open, he stood up and opened it all the way so he could see what was inside. Before I could take the clothes out he found his clothes first. lol

This morning I started review week with the girls. We began with having a Bible study in first Psalm. It's a wonderful verse and my heart if filled with joy watching my little ladies discuss and show understanding while they learn. I am excited to be homeschooling our children full time this year. I am humbled to watch them learn and grow in Christ. This week will be filled with Bible studies, Math (flash cards), and site words (for Alyssa) to prepare our full time studies next week. I am really excited that I didn't have to finish college (although I would like to) to teach my children. I am also thrilled to learn things by teaching them that I have never learned.

I made two schedule options to begin our year with so if one doesn't work for our family then I will try the other. Eventually I hope to have down a secure routine. Amber and Alyssa are also taking music lessons this year. Some of you may or may not know but we are a musical family. Most of you probably don't know but I used to sing and I have been in praise and worship bands and I was also part of a group that never went anywhere. I have always wanted to learn piano so I plan to use an adult booklet that Jason bought for me a long time ago. Alyssa started last semester with piano and will continue. She also wants daddy to teach her how to play the trumpet and she is very curious about the clarinet (we have quite a few instruments. Amber will be taking flute lessons this semester. She would have continued with Shanda only the she moved back home after graduating from the seminary :( we miss her.

If anyone is interested in music lessons for your child I can recommend who we have hired to teach our girls. The music teacher is a fairly new seminary student and is extremely reasonable!! So, if your child is interested contact me and I will pass along to you her name and number.

God bless you all as we begin a new school year.