Happy Birthday JS!

7 years ago today I gave birth to my first son. JS has been a character from the start. He is a pro at making me laugh with his many faces. It's as if he were born into this world, to say "Hey mom, lighten up! Life is too short not to enjoy it!"

Here he is as a newborn: Hey mom, did you hear the one about the...?

Here he is in the present day: Hey mom, how about a GREAT. BIG. HUG!









I love you JS! Happy 7th Birthday! Thanks for making your mom smile! :)

Fitness Matters

When you're not in good physical shape, it affects you mentally too. For me, the most important benefit of exercise is that I am a better mother. -Virginia Madsen

Today over at Home Sanctuary Rachel Anne is encouraging us to exercise! Just 5 minutes of movement to get your blood pumping and make you feel better about yourself! Check out her encouraging post and then go take 5 minutes to get energized!

Some of the things I do when I can't actually turn on my Wii Fit, which is my exercise tool of preference:

• Stretch in the kitchen while waiting for meat to brown, water to boil, or toast to cook.
• Do a little strength training by striking a plank pose while swishing my mouthwash at night.
• Practice side leg kicks just while talking on the phone.

Well, you get the idea. It's all about creativity. Anything to keep me fit while I keep up with my children! :)

Siesta Scripture Memory 7.1.09

I can't believe we are half way through 2009! One of my big goals for the year has been to meditate on and memorize scripture more. For this reason, I joined the Siesta Scripture Memory Team at the LPM blog. The goal is to memorize two verses a month. That's 24 verses memorized by the end of 2009! I have been so excited about God's Word this year that I had to go out and get a special Scripture notebook that I could record verses in that speak to my heart. It has become my very own praying God's Word journal and I flip through it often when I am feeling discouraged, weary, or just need to be refreshed. I am really learning how much power there is in praying the scriptures!

2 Timothy 3:16-17 has been a familiar verse to me for many years. "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

More recently, I was encouraged by Romans 15:4 "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."

Through the endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Hope is the word that I am focusing on for my 13th memory verse of the year. It is Psalm 147:10-11

"His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man; the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love."

The word "delights" in this verse translates "to be pleased with, be favorable to, accept favorably." God is delighted when we put our hope in His Word, and His unfailing love.

I pray you are encouraged by this promise today.
~Melissa

Company Girl Coffee 6.26.09

^{Ecclesiastes 3:11} He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Girls, that means me and you! He has made (insert your name here) beautiful in her time. Sometimes I think, no, I KNOW that we cannot fathom how beautiful we are in God's eyes. How I wish that I could be chatting with you face to face this morning, because some of you (including me) need to hear this! You are fearfully and wonderfully made - His bride, His inheritance.

This is my prayer for you this morning, that no matter how you might see yourself in the mirror, you will know that He sees the reflection of Christ, His Son, in you.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. -2 Corinthians 3:17-18

Thanks for stopping by this morning. I hope that you will let Him fill your cup to overflowing with His love for you this week.

~Melissa

Praise the Lord!

This morning I just feel like praising the Lord! :)

"Praise the LORD.
How good it is to sing praises to our God,
how pleasant and fitting to praise him!"
-Psalm 147:1

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Happy Father's Day to my husband, my friend, and the Father of my children. You mean everything to me and the kids! We love you!

Company Girl Coffee 6.19.09

Good morning! I just got done with my insurance exam (we're switching Life Insurance companies) and I'm ready for coffee! Actually, I have an appointment for coffee with a friend at 10:30am so I need to prepare for that but feel free to stick around, read my post about bathtubs, (see below) or just linger a while and listen to the music. :) I sure do love my coffee time with all of you girls and I'll be checking in with you later this afternoon for sure!

Quick question before I go...Now that it's summer and I have my older three kids at home for lunches again, can any of you help me think OUTSIDE the lunch box?

~Melissa