More Quotes and Random updates

First of all here are some pics from our memorial day weekend. We had Mitch's parent's over for a cookout saturday. The weather actually shaped up really pretty for the evening. We went on a walk on sidewalk behind our house and walked by the field with the horses, always fun. Isabelle is usually way ahead on her Dora trike. We'll now go from funny kid things to thought provoking. First the kid things. I kept meaning to post one of the most disgusting kid stories I have. So here goes, last Saturday my kids had come down with a NASTY cold, we spent the day outside and they had snot all OVER their faces (and not for lack of me wiping it either) dirt stuck to that, Isabelle's hair stuck to her face, just nasty. We brought them in early for bathes, just filthy. I set them in the tub and am throwing away Christian's diaper, I had not started the water yet. He stands there and pees, bends down, rubs his hands in it...(just when it coudn't get grosser) then procedes to lick his hands!!!!! Mitch couldn't believe it and started cracking up saying he couldn't have been anymore disgusting unless he would've pooped and wallered sp?? around in it. Other kid updates... I tend to have more about CHristian since he's still at the milestoning age. I asked him the other day if he pooped in his pants and he responded simply, " I did" He'll give me hugs and say "sooo much" and he hugged me the other night and said " I love you" He can officially sing all of Jesus loves me now...you'd think I was being a stage mom or something and making him practice everynight or something lol. Isabelle got to talk to her friend Logan ( my good friend Katie's oldest 4.5years) and that was cute to listen to, they were making plans to get together. SHe invited him to her birthday, which is over. :) She said she loves Logan. Also Christian last week was walking up and down the hall with the phone saying " Hello?? HI!!! Hi Grandma. Hi Hannah" ( He learned that from Isabelle who loves her cousin Hannah from KS and she likes to pretend she is talking on the phone with her) He also kept wanting to talk to Logan last week but I knew that would be confusing for Logan since once Christian really does get to talk to someone, he just listens and smiles.

Ok and NOW onto Audrey's current book quotes. :) I'm reading Anxious For Nothing, John MacArthur and Don't Make Me Count to Three by Ginger Plowman. My Mom picked that out for me for Mother's day and I knew it was probably good also for the reason that our pastor's wife likes that book. So let's start with that book's quotes, woo hoo, hold onto your seats, I know you can all hardly wait....

God does have an important job for me, and it does require much skill. It is my calling, my priority, my struggle, and my goal....Moms, we need to be reminded of the awesome responsibility that God has given us. When we respond to the high calling of motherhoood with passion, the rewards are far greater than we could ever gain outside of that calling. The joys of motherhood are rare and beautiful treasures that an be easily missed if we don't seize the opportunity to grab them. Being a mom is moer than being cook, chauffuer, maid, counselor, doctor, referee, disciplinarian, etc. It's about molding character, building confidence, nurturing, training and guiding. THERE IS NOTHING LIKE THE INFLUENCE THAT A MOTHER HAS ON HER CHILD. A mother's influence has enormous potential to shape the person a child becomes, for good or ill....Because God is concerned wither the issues of the heart, biblical discipline involves much more than outward behavior. Biblicial discipline gets to the heart of the problem. After all, if you can reach the heart, the behavior with take care of itself. In order for us to reach the hearts of our children we must realize that there is far more the parenting than getting ou children to ACT right. We have to get them to think right right and to be motivated out of a love of virtue rather than a fear of punishment. We do this by training them in righteousness. Righteous training can only come from the Word of God.

JC Ryle quoted

Train with this thought continually before your eyes: The soul of your child is the first thing to be considered. In every step that you take about them, in every plan and scheme and arrangement that concerns them, do not leave out that mighty question. How will this affect their souls?

As always, the books I'm reading are showing me my mistakes, done in action and wrong thinking. The book also quotes the Gumnazo Principle. About how training should be likened to apprenticeship. You're constantly teaching, showing, over and over. Not just, don't do that again, but do THIS instead. I am convicted that if I am to have anything eternal to impart to my children, I need to be in God's word and confessing and aware of my own sin so that out of the overflow of my own walk I can have something to draw from for them. A Liz George book once talked about filling yourself so that it could spill out onto your husband, children etc; and if you're neglecting your own spiritual life, then you have nothing to draw from. Something like that I think. Another thing I like in the parenting book is that she reminds us we can't change our child's heart, only God can do that. I can't believe I didn't take more notice of this fact, in Eph 6:4 it say to bring them in the discipline AND instruction of the Lord. Why is it you think, beat those booties and they'll get the hint. Ok I thought that at least. It is daunting and I pray all the time, don't let me screw them up Lord, don't let me misrepresent Your truthes. So I just didn't say much, I felt so inadequate. So now I pray, try and give them the truth, screw up everywhere in between and hope that God will use His Word that doesn't return void to truly touch their hearts in spite of me. Ok way too much typing and talking Audrey...

Imagine what it would have been like if the master craftsman had simply explained the procedure one time, and when the apprentice made his first mistake, the master said " Wrong! No dinner for you tonight, you'd better improve tomorrow" "That would be cruel, unmericful and a violation of education" you say. Yet that is the way many Christian's "discipline" their children. Biblical discipline invovles correcting wrong behavior by practicing right behavior, with the right attitude, for the right reason, until the right behavior becomes habitual -gumnazo principle

Thomas Watson quoted in A.F.N

Peace flows from sanctification, but they being unregenerate, have nothing to do with peace...They may have a truce, but no peace. God may forebear the wicked a while, and stop the roaring of his cannon; but though there be truce, yet there is no peace. The wicked may have something which looks like peace but it is not. They may be fearless and stupid; but there is a great difference between a stupidfied conscience and a pacified conscience.... This is the devil's peace; he rocks men in the cradle of security, he cries, Peace, peace, when men are on the precipice of hell. The seeming peace a sinner has, is not from the knowledge of his happiness, but with the ignorance of his danger.

Job 5

Behold, how happy is the man whom God reproves, so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. For He inflicts pain, and gives relief. He wounds, and His hands also heal.

Paul in 2 Cor 12

And (the Lord) has said to me , " My grace is suffiicient for you, for power is perfected in weakness" Most gladly, therfore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulities, for Christ's sake, for when I am weak, then I am strong.