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Saturday, January 29, 2011

basketball overload

this is for all the aunts and uncles, grandparents and cousins who are missing out on all the basketball playing.
for the rest of you...it may be a bit much!

(the quality is terrible. but i just didn't want to break out my big ole flash and look like an obnoxious mother. after seeing how dark they are, i think i may just swallow my pride and break it out next time!)


there is something inside my heart that could literally burst when i see the boys play basketball.
i don't know why.
they are just so darn cute.

riley had a ridiculous behind-the-back pass that made the coach come over after and ask us where he got that one!









aj played next and did great!
he had 16 points, 15 rebounds and 2 steals.
they ended up losing by 3, but he was still really happy.








(he made both foul shots, by the way. taking after his daddy, who was quite the basketball star in his day)

balancing act

life is a balancing act. 
no doubt about that.
as a wife and mother, some things in life take an automatic precedence, 
you know... feeding the kids, making sure there are clean clothes and dropping anything at a moment's notice if your baby starts crying.
but there are always going to be more things to do than time to do them.

the way my life is working right now goes a little something like this 
(because i know you are ALL dying to know)

7:15 - get up and get ready for the day
7:45 - coffee, and Bible time
8:30 - get the kids breakfast, get them settled doing their quiet time
9:00 - start school
12:30 - lunch
2:15 - leave to go to The Porch

we then have stuff going on almost every single night of the week between sports, church and FBI

obviously that is a rough idea of what things are like.
in between all of that is teen youth group, praise team, young adult group, my photography business, and the youth center.

sometimes people say to me.
you are doing too much...you are going to get burned out!
to be honest. this always really really annoys me.
i'm just being honest here.

i have never seen burnout in the bible. it is a term that someone just came up with.

the majority of the time (not all the time) that people have said that to me, i think that it is a way to make them feel better about themselves because they are not doing enough. i know that sounds harsh, and it is not true in every case.

i read this quote recently and loved it

Balance occurs when the reality of life's demands
reconciles with our most closely held convictions

read that again. it is worth reading twice.
i just love it. balance will just come when i am making decisions that are based on the convictions that i hold up to be the most important thing.
that's why my house is not always spotless.
that is not my dearest conviction.
i would rather leave the clothes in the laundry basket waiting to be folded and play a game with the boys.

i have even been thinking about this when it comes to my photography.
i love photography. 
it makes me happy.
but lately i have been thinking. hmm. what if i have a shoot, and get some great pictures of a family that they can treasure for this lifetime. then they die without Christ?
where does that leave any of this?
how much of my time, my money my efforts do i really want to put into that?
it's not my most loved conviction

to be real here.
i don't think that homeschooling is my most cherished conviction 
(gasp)
sorry to those of you who i let down with that one small sentence.
one of my most loved conviction is raising godly boys.
no question about that
i think that homeschooling them is the best way that we can do that for them. and that's what we are doing.
but the actual schooling part?
the way we do things kind of shows me my true convictions on it.

i don't feel out of balance because the things that i am doing, are my most cherished convictions.


when i was training for whatever race i happened to be running next, i remember so so many times of just complete exhaustion. especially during the long runs on the weekends.
but regardless of the tiredness and the pain, i would just think to myself.
ok. 30 more minutes.
what is 30 minutes in the grand scheme of life?
just push yourself, stay focused and run it out for 30 more minutes.
(i think this may be when i started talking to myself all the time! ha)

isn't that the truth about life too?
this life is SHORT. the book of James describes it as a vapor. it appears for a little time then vanishes away.
am i listening to the world tell me that i need me time i need to be careful that i don't do too much and get burned out
how can i possibly do too much for my Savior who did everything for me?
i can never do enough for Him.

honestly, i think we're just lazy.
we think that we deserve more than we actually do
we think that we need this many weeks of vacation and that many square footage of housing.

i have been working on this verse with riley this week.

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

this sums it all up to me.
where i am weak, HE is strong. 
i don't do everything right.
for sure.
but the parts i am messing up in, Christ is being strong for me.
i know i can do all things through Him who gives me strength.
that verse in philippians 4:13 doesn't really leave room for burn out.
do you think it does?
i can do all things.
period.
end of story. 
none of this fancy shmancy christian terminology that justifies a lack of work and an emphasis on wealth.

so i keep telling myself. 
just keep going rachelle.
talk to that teenager who has had a really bad day.
tell them that God has a plan for their life!
bring a meal to that person that doesn't have a lot of money right now.
just keep going. you can do it.
this life is almost over!
run it out!

i want to make mine count for eternity.




Thursday, January 27, 2011

you know those days?

those days when you never leave the kitchen?
ya.
today has been one of those for me.
riley loves tacos, and my sister told me about how they have taco tuesdays at their house and the kids love it.
well, i missed the day, but we improvised!



good thing i got up when my alarm went off and had my coffee and quiet time!
lunch is over
the bread is rising
now i have to start on the potato soup for supper.

i love this verse i read in Isaiah 30:18

"Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him."


so if it's been a long day for you (or long week, long month or long year!)
remember that God is longing and waiting to be gracious to you.
He loves to show compassion to you!
that is the kind of thought i need to keep me going!!

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

what is really important.

sometimes i can get selfish.
i can get focused on the wrong things.
like..totally wrong things.

i came across the story of susanna today.
she is four years old.
her parents are missionaries to haiti.
she has cancer, and only a very short time to live.

really?
i just had the nerve to have a negative attitude about the WEATHER?
how dare i.
how dare i.

i have been thinking this anyways lately...
i don't want to be satisfied.
i don't want to be satisfied where i am.
i always have room to grow.
i don't want to get comfortable.
and in this way...
it makes me feel glad that i live in an apartment.
that i only have 1 bathroom.
because i'm not really comfortable
this world is not my home.
i am here for such a short time.
i want everyone to know what life is all about.
that the only way to true satisfaction is a relationship with Jesus Christ.
the one who gave His life so that i can be sure of my eternity.
that's it.
that's the only thing that could possibly give hope.
because our hope is an anchor that keeps us steadfast and secure.
the hope of knowing that someday.
we will be with Jesus
forever.

makes you realize what is really important.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

I ♥ Faces ~ Innocent Wonder ~


I absolutely love this shot because of everything that is spoken through it.
I was in Haiti with my family, and this little boy was sitting in this big truck by himself, just playing. He would not let me take his picture unless he got something for it.
I love the look on his face (although I wish I could have had a better angle to get his mouth) as he looks at this one gourde as if it is a hundred dollar bill.
Reminds me of how much we have to be thankful for.

Check out some other entries on the i heart faces website!


Something is missing...


my parents are away for 2 weeks on vacation, and we sure do miss them around here!!

Sunday, January 23, 2011

anyone else...

have kids that literally do this all day long??


just wondering :)

Saturday, January 22, 2011

a little tanky

for those of you that don't know...

this little dude


is pretty much part of the family.
we got him for 50 cents at a yard sale 2 summers ago (don't worry, we put him through a nice hot cycle in the washer) and for some reason, he has become a part of us :)
the boys buy things for him, (including the wonderful sled you see pictured) he celebrates birthdays, and he is loved by many (including the curriers and boulters...the kids, not the parents :))
his name is tank.
sometimes we call him tanky
(yes, i said "we")

soo..aj and ry wanted me to take pictures of him sledding with them yesterday.
and here they are.






i love that 50 cents can bring so much happiness! is it time to yard sale again yet??

Ball Toss

i realized that Lowe's offers free Build and Grow clinics for kids.
(maybe i'm a little behind the times here!)
adam was reffing soccer this morning, so i thought it would be fun to take the boys.
they really got into it...


aj was so cute and wanted to wear the goggles the entire time...


i think ry really enjoyed using a hammer!


it took us almost the whole time before i realized that AJ should have been hammering with his left hand!
he still did a great job, even working as a righty :)


what a really fun, free way to start our weekend together.
i love being with these little chums 

Friday, January 21, 2011

it's winter...

and it's cold!







(thank you ron and bobbi!)

then we had some craft time









Monday, January 17, 2011

a cheerful heart is a good medicine...

today was a little more of a relaxed school day.
we did mostly history, learning about martin luther king jr, among other things.
and we also did some crafts...the boys LOVE crafts.




aj's masterpiece...



and ry's masterpiece...





of course we had snack time too...



boys will be boys!!
and there is never a shortage of laughter around here...that's for sure!

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