Six Linos and so much more......

Again For Sure

2011-09-30T11:06:00.000-05:00

The Bigs recently had a first that will not be a last. They participated in a kids' triathlon sponsored by our local neighborhood. Neither of them had trained for such a thing, but could do all three events separately. Nathan took them out twice to practice the main idea and distances and then we gave it a good old Lino try. Girly Girl had to swim 25 meters, bike 1 mile and run a quarter mile. Toads' age division had to do double all of her distances. Swimming is not a forte of either of them, but they made it through. We tried to stress to them that being the best at one thing was not the goal, but watching all of the local swim team members roll up in their team suits was a bit intimidating. The transition was a whole experience on it's own due to some poor planning on the part of the event organizers. Let's just say this momma was not happy. Nonetheless, off to the bike they went. Biking is Toad's strong suit. He made up a tremendous amount of time. Girly just learned to ride a bike a few months ago but actually did fairly well. Except for the volunteer sending her the wrong way on the course it was a good bike segment for her. She hit her stride on the run coming in second on that segment. They both finished the run up strong and had a great first race. We loved seeing their determination and watch them try something new. They are both all set to do another one. Training will be in order, but the Six Linos are up for the challenge.

The photos are not in order, but you get the main idea. A great time was had by all!

Must Take Pictures

2011-09-27T08:15:00.002-05:00

three Parker kids: Derek , me and Drew - August 2011

I understand now why we always saw our parents taking pictures with their siblings whenever they were together. As time goes on, we get busier and our time together just doesn't come as easily. Now, my two little brothers and I take pictures together whenever we manage to get us all three in the same room. I love these two guys and wish we saw more of each other. They are both fabulous little brothers to this bossy big sister.

The Fancier the Better

2011-09-26T19:10:00.002-05:00

the fancy birthday girl and her big sister

Samoosa should probably be called girly girl. She is the one who really likes the girly things. She plays in my make up, is always wearing jewelry, wants plenty of accessories and loves to carry her purses everywhere. Her birthday was no exception. She has fallen in love with the series of Fancy Nancy books, so we threw a birthday soiree. The Fancy Nancy tea party was a big hit with this little birthday girl. I took many of the ideas from the books and she loved being fancy with her friends. The little people did beautifully with real tea cups and saucers - some even tried tea in addition to apple juice. The fancy cupcakes and cookies went perfectly with the parfaits, jelly rolls and tea sandwiches.....all eaten with 'pinkies up'.

Samoosa is growing into such a beautiful girl. She is a precious gift that brings such joy and excitement to our family. There is nothing she won't try and no opinion she won't express. She is confident, loves life and absolutely adores her big sister. She speaks the same language as her daddy....they are on the very same page and completely 'get' each other. She requires very little sleep and has enough energy for the six of us. She is our little lefty and thoroughly enjoys learning new things. She firmly believes she can do anything her older siblings can do and will go down trying if necessary. Her will is strong and determined. She has a goofy side that sucks you in to her world of dreams. She is spectacularly perfect in every way.

Only Three Times

2011-09-25T09:12:00.000-05:00

only two were happy to be here

I have recently come to the conclusion that I will say or think "we get to do this three times" more times that I can count in my lifetime. Having the three little girls is just a big thrill. I love it. It is a bit petrifying a times, but absolutely fabulous. Girly Girl is showing us the ropes and Samoosa is not far behind her. Right now, they are age 6, 4 and 2. With each new dramatic moment or great memory I remind myself we have three amazing girls that we get to do life with. I wouldn't trade them for anything! I love these three.

All About the Pose

2011-09-24T10:06:00.000-05:00

Just had to post these two cuties.........they have a plan when ever the camera comes out. They learned it from their big sister. It was t-shirt and pizza day at school.

9-8-11

The Littles Are Getting Big

2011-09-23T23:06:00.000-05:00

String Bean and Samoosa, September 6, 2011

It's nice having two pairs. The older two, aka Bigs, often go together and the younger pair, aka Littles tend to partner up as well. After sending Toads and Girly Girl off to school several weeks ago, it was time to get the Littles ready for their big day. Going to 'school' is something they both love and meets a need in all of our lives. They feel very independent and look forward to all of the 'big' things they get to do on school days.....take a lunch, carry backpacks, do work, play with friends. I look forward to accomplishing a long list of to-dos in record time. Tuesday and Thursdays are good all around. Here they are being big on the first day of school.

Just No Time

2011-09-23T22:58:00.000-05:00

I have failed miserably at keeping up with any form of blogging. Just the few minutes it takes to write a post has been too much in my schedule for the past month. We have enjoyed such a busy season over the last few weeks. Truly, it was worth it. We had ten different evenings of member gatherings for coffee and cupcakes in our home. The NEHBC membership was invited alphabetically to join us for a time of just visiting and enjoying each other's company. There were people I had not even met before and it was such a blessing and reconnection for me personally. I find it very challenging to be what amounts to a single mom of four young children on Sunday mornings and still maintain some sort of ministry role to the people around me as well. This time together was just what I needed. Now that we are done hosting them, I shall attempt to get back to some blogging. Much has happened outside of our evening social calendar.

Reminder of Differences

2011-08-25T23:19:00.000-05:00

Girly Girl ready for day 3 of school

I was reminded again this week about the vast difference between girls and boys. It came in the form of our 6 year old girl and 7 year old boy. They started school this week and our start to the school year is a little different. Both Toads and Girly Girl are in a Spanish Immersion Program at their school and there is only one class of it offered at this school. When you commit to the program, you are committed for 1st through 5th grade. This means there are not the usual first day of school surprises....there is only one teacher, so you know who you have; the same kids are in your class each year, no new faces; and for us, your older brother is only a year ahead of you - same year, different child.

And the differences are immense in only the first few days. Toads had a wonderful year last year in Sra. Rudd's class and we could not have been more pleased with our experience. I had no idea what we had missed until the bigs got in the van on Monday. I did the usual 'how was it?' and Girly Girl could not get her words out fast enough. She gave me a minute by minute, blow by blow detail of every last bit of her day. She described her classroom and all that Sra. Rudd did in elaborate, storied details. She went on and on with such excitement that we were a little fatigued when she finished. Toads turned only resulted in a "I don't remember." That's not uncommon for him. He just doesn't have endless amounts of enthusiasm for recounting to his mother the intimate details of his life. He keeps it all to himself unless I pry some of it out of him. I remember thinking in the van how nice it would have been if Girly Girl was the older one so that I would know what all is happening in his classroom. I obviously did not have a clue about what was happening last year.

These two are a perfect example of how unique and different each one of us are - especially the male/female comparison. Our girl is all girl and our boy is all boy. They communicate differently, they respond to stress differently, they require different interaction with me. They are just wired very differently. God created them both with unique personalities and I am slowly learning to effectively navigate the parenting waters with a boy and not just this cute one, but three little girls. The little two talk just as much and with almost more dramatic flair than Girly Girl. Toads won't have to worry long about having to answer my questions as the girls fill in all of the air time. They are all four such a joy to parent.

First Day Without Kindergarten

2011-08-22T12:10:00.000-05:00

August 22, 2011

After two years in a row of dropping off a kindergartner the first day of school, it was a little different this year. First grade and second grade. Old hat. No big hugs. No help finding your name. No problem. We took Toads to his class first and then settled Girly Girl into her class which is Toads' class and teacher from last year. Their classrooms are right across the hall from one another, so they will be in view/ear shot of each other almost all the time. Toads probably could have done without the parental escort but Girly Girl was still a little interested in having us there. They have each other and for now, big brother is not too troubled by little sister being around all the time. I can already tell that they won't want us around much longer. They are confident, independent little Linos. I wouldn't have it any other way. I did manage to get a few pictures before they dismissed me.

1st grade and 2nd grade

Pine Forest Elementary - Sra. Fabela's class

Pine Forest Elementary - Sra. Rudd's class

How We Made the Big Transition

2011-08-17T01:00:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday, Nathan and I had the opportunity to see some sweet little NEHBC faces and talk to them and their parents about joining the NEHBC family in worship on Sunday mornings. It was so fun to see the new 4 year olds with wides eyes about what was happening and the looks on the parents’ faces too. Transitioning to big church can be very challenging for some families. It was for ours. It is also one of the most important things a family can do for the spiritual development of the children.

Nathan is long gone to prepare his heart and mind to preach by the time I wake up and start getting the Four Little Linos ready for worship each Sunday morning, so I have experienced this three times practically on my own. Toads, Girly Girl and Samoosa all transitioned to big church right at their 3^rd birthdays. If I could visit with each family like we did in the group setting this past Sunday, this is what I would tell them about my experience…………..

The motto is “train and model.” Training and modeling requires sacrifice. In order to train and model worship of the living God to my child, I must be willing to put their spiritual well-being before my own. For a season, I will not hear every word of the sermon. I will not have any idea that we prayed for a particular people group in worship. I will miss the report of life change on a mission trip. I will not have all of my needs met in worship. The thing is, it’s not my needs that are important. Worship is not for me. It is not my break from my children. Worship is what I give the the King of Kings and what I am giving to Him right now, in this season of my life, is my children. My sacrifice of training and modeling is actually what He expects of me in my role as parent of the children He has entrusted to me.

So what does training and modeling look like? The idea is to let them see you worship and train them to do it for themselves. As a family, it requires a team approach. It requires planning ahead and being consistent. The attitude that Mom and Dad have about worship is what they will pass on to all the kids. Mom and Dad need to actively participate and communicate with each other. Let each other know how you think it’s going, what’s working, what’s not. Be excited about worship and talk positively about being with believers to worship your God. Get everyone on the same page and worship together as a family.

Lino training and modeling goes on all during the week. We have expectations for our children during that one hour of worship and we have explained what the consequences are for not meeting them. Some of ours are: not distracting others, not leaving the worship center to go to the bathroom, not fighting with siblings, standing and sitting at appropriate times, and so on. I always remind them of these expectations in the van on the way to church. There are no surprises or excuses. We talk about worship throughout the week and begin our ‘Sunday routine’ on Saturday. My goal is to do whatever it takes ahead of time to get us in our seats in worship with open, happy hearts and leave with happy hearts that have worshiped God in a way He wants to be worshiped.

To meet my goal of happy hearts before and after worship, these are some things I do:

· Set out church clothes for everyone on Saturday night, even mine

· Give ‘church baths’ to kids on Saturday night

· Play worship music while getting ready on Sunday

· Serve the same breakfast every Sunday (no time for discussing or disagreeing with the ever-changing requests)

· Decide which service is best for your family – for us, it is easiest to arrive at the NEHBC campus and go straight to worship so that I don’t make us late by getting sidetracked in the hall talking or rounding up three children from different classrooms

· Everyone goes to the restroom before finding seats in the worship center

· Find a seat with a good view for children to see and know what is happening on the stage

· Have a seating arrangement for the children that gives them the best opportunity for meeting the expectations and experiencing worship – for us, this means that the lefty of the bunch needs to sit to my left and all others on the right so that they don’t get in a fight when she continually elbows them with her writing hand; two personalities need to be split up because they talk a lot.

· Decide ahead of time a plan for exiting the service if necessary – for what? Ours fall into two categories: defiant disobedience and major distractions

· Everyone follows instructions of the worship leader and pastor – sit, stand, bow to pray, kneel when appropriate

· Have a plan for the sermon time…..’big church bags’

o The bag is only to be used during the sermon. Not at any other time during the service or at home. It is a special bag.

o The child is responsible for the bag – it’s what they bring to worship like you bring your Bible. Have them carry it, pack it, take good care of it.

o Using the bag on the floor is ok for little guys - they are probably lost and their hearts are not inclined to sit and listen attentively.

o Put all kinds of nice, quiet age appropriate toys/activities in it – coloring books, pipe cleaners, stickers, sketch pads, washable markers to keep clothes nice, kleenex are a must. Make sure the activities are things they can do on their own and don’t require an explanation or help from Mom and Dad.

o Change out the contents regularly.

o Ensure that the bag is not being repacked during the response time but that children are participating in the response time and not being a distraction to others that are responding to the Lord.

o As children get older, expectations change for the sermon time – not on the floor, take notes, etc.

· Let children participate when appropriate – help pass offering bag, open Bible, pray at the altar with you, etc.

· Whisper instructions or explanations during teachable moments of the service – Lord’s supper, point out instrumentalists, explain looking for references in Bible

Despite my best efforts, worship does not always go like I dream it will. That’s ok. Having perfectly obedient children is not the goal. They do make noises and distract others. We do have to exit on occasion. I am not locked in on those dreams. The hope and dream of having four little Linos that love the Lord their God and worship Him with all of the hearts is the one I’m working towards. My sacrifice, planning, praying, training and modeling is so worth it. Being the one to teach my child to worship their Creator is an awesome privilege. Parent, enjoy the opportunity you have been given and be faithful to your calling as parent of that precious child.

Life on the Beach

2011-08-13T01:01:00.002-05:00

Six Linos on Navarre Beach - July 2011

Such good memories were made and lessons were learned on our 2011 beach vacation. Of course there are too many to include them all, but to name just a few...........

Heading out at 430am with four young children is the best idea - they sleep for half of the 9 hour trip.

Cooking in your condo is much better than going out all the time. Yes, I know it takes effort. I cooked some food ahead of time and took it with us. I also had a menu for all three meals each of the 14 days we were gone. We made several trips to the local grocery store. The trade off is that you don't have to spend them time getting the family of six ready to go out and risk poor service and bad food. We had great family meals around the table or on the patio that were not interrupted by waiters and trips to the restroom.

Ask the locals where to eat. We had super recommendations from the locals at Navarre....Shrimp Basket and Flounder's in Pensacola were our faves. Flounder's has great atmosphere and enormous amounts of good food!

Lino family walks on the beach are never dull. We usually don't go anywhere unnoticed. How can you when you have four young children? But our walks along the beach definitely turned a few heads. In the evenings, were were loaded down with buckets and nets to catch whatever was swimming by and all of the crabs racing around on the fine, white sand. There was often a spectacle when one of us spotted the smallest of crabs and then the boys went dashing to catch it. I know Samoosa and String Bean enjoyed the evening walks better than the laborious half mile walks to the pier. Those walks to the pier with this family of six took forever! You could see all the sympathetic moms sighing in exhaustion with me as I carried or urged the little girls to keep up with us. The promise of ice cream on the pier was the only motivation for Samoosa.

Vacation does not require doing 'stuff'. Over the course of two weeks, we managed to 'entertain' ourselves quite well. We made one outing to the Gulfarium in Ft. Walton where me met our friends from Arkansas who were also on vacation at the same time and then we went on a drive one afternoon where we found a British specialty store that made Nathan's day. Other than that, our family time was on the beach or in the pool. Each of the kids went on outings with Dad - to get a sno cone or watch the pier fishing. I went armed with library books and a DVD library with microwave popcorn for the rainy days.

4 little Linos and 4 little Piles at the Gulfarium

Reading on the beach is only done without children. I tried to read on the beach. It's much more fun to play one-on-one volleyball with the 7 year old boy than read about Hillary Clinton's time in the White House. I'd pick building sand castles with the two year old or floating in the waves with three little girls over any of the books on my night stand.

There are many more memories to be made on the beach.....I can't wait for the next family vacation!

Happy Birthday Girly Girl

2011-08-09T15:19:00.000-05:00

I have just been thinking back on the past six years with this little bundle of joy. What a marvelous gift from the Lord she is. I love this Girly Girl! Happy Birthday to the first of our three little girls.

in the hospital - August 2005

One Year - 2006

Two Years - 2007

Three Years - 2008

Four Years - 2009

Five Years - 2010

Six Years - 2011

A Glimpse of the Future

2011-08-09T14:24:00.000-05:00

My husband has the future all planned.....on the beach. I am not fully convinced yet since I really like to be in the snow, but two weeks on the beach was pretty amazing. The Six Linos made the trek over to Navarre Beach, Florida for the last two weeks of July. Just the six of us. A condo on the beach. Sun, sand and tons of fun. After thinking about it some, I think this was one of the best things we have done for our family. We had originally planned a one week vacation for just the two of us and then a shorter family vacation.

Six Lino crocodiles

After some debate, we decided on a full two weeks for all six of us. I knew going in that it was not going to be weeks of sleeping in and reading on the beach. I was still going to be in mommy mode and wiping noses. I was in mommy mode the whole time and it was fabulous. We did not have the routine of work and responsibilities that often call Nathan away. Our time was uninterrupted by phone calls, house maintenance, responding to mail and just the normal demands of life. The stage of life that our

kids are in (2, 3, 5, and 7) made this so important because of the relationship building that came so easily on long walks or over sno cones. The benefit of the undivided attention that the kids got from us in this two weeks will last long into the future. We had two weeks of togetherness that is something I think we will all remember fondly.

Sno Cones at Tommy's

Back to the Real World

2011-08-09T13:15:00.000-05:00

It is such a shocker when you have to get back to the real world. School starts in less than two weeks. There is precious little time left for us to enjoy our time together as a family without the pressure of schedules and numerous appointments. I have been lagging on the blog because we took a much needed two week vacation to Navarre Beach, Florida and the icing on the cake was the private stay-cation that I had for the week following the family vacation. More to follow on that one! While routine will be nice, I have thoroughly enjoyed our summer.

Stepping Up the Organization

2011-07-15T16:33:00.000-05:00

4 kids + 4 boxes = peaceful road trip

I have taken my plan-ahead, be organized strategy to a new level thanks to another mom-of-four friend. If you have kids, then you know that a road trip can be exhausting. There are obvious reasons, but most moms spend the majority of the trip passing things back, refilling snack cups and navigating the 'I don't want this kind' waters. Usually, I have a large snack bag in the front of the van with a wide selection of snacks, napkins, etc. This time around, we are trying a new strategy. Each child has a box (the ziploc/tupperware variety) that will fit nicely under their seat that is filled with snacks that are prepackaged or in baggies. When it is snack time, they can pull out their box and choose a snack.

I see many advantages to this plan. Everyone has a choice and complaining is kept to a minimum. . If you eat your oreos at the first break, then you can't complain that you only have crackers later when someone else is eating their oreos. You also can't complain that you don't like something.........you picked it out and packed the box with the flavors you like and colors you prefer. The box also includes napkins for quick clean ups. I think peanut butter and jelly sandwiches would be a great addition for the future. We skipped that this time since we are stopping for lunch. In preparation for the trip home, we have already packed the snacks in ziploc bags and they will be transferred to the boxes before we hit the road again. This eliminates the trip to the store to buy more car food because we ate it all in the condo.

Best of all, mommy does not have to work so hard. I might get to the vacation destination with some energy to actually enjoy it!

PS Thanks MD for the great idea!

No Girls Allowed

2011-07-13T15:52:00.001-05:00

Here is the boy - Toads. Our oldest. Our only son. If he has heard it once, he has heard it a thousand times......'you're the only boy'. People say it with such sympathy and often a 'that's just terrible' tone in their voice. There are times that I would have to agree. He is inundated with the feminine side of everything - all the time. The summer in particular is rough for him. He's home with mom and three dramatic girls that like all things pink.

I have to be very intentional in my efforts to keep the masculine side of things at the forefront for him. Of course I just don't 'get him' on many occasions and I will never be able to relate to him like Dad does, but I can do my part to not let the hormonal female majority at our house overwhelm him. These are some of the things I try to do:

Have plenty of boys over to play. The three girls rarely have guests over to play - they have each other. He has nobody! Just having another boy in the house eases many of the tensions among the little people.
Let him choose the entertainment. He can only watch Barbie: The Island Princess so many times. We have a nice selection of boy movies, dinosaur puzzles, monster books, war games, and more.
Don't worry about his clothes matching. I have to admit that I struggle with this one. I want all the girls in matching outfits with cute bows, so of course the boy should at least have on a shirt and shorts that match each other. I have had to learn to let it go......let him wear mesh shorts 6 out of 7 days, let him have on plaid shorts and striped shirt, wear tennis shoes with everything. I still make him look presentable for church and certain family outings, but I am getting much better about this one.
Let him get dirty. Being the oldest, I was naturally a bit cautious with him as an infant/toddler when outside. With age, came dirt, sweat, sticks, rocks, and more sweat. He smells like a boy in no time.
No pink or purple allowed. Strong masculine colors only - clothes, blankets, toys, bikes, plastic plates/silverware, etc. All the princess dress - up clothes are for girls only.
Never object to Father/Son time. We call it 'guy time'. Nathan is very good about spending time with him and being intentional about building masculine traits in him. I am so thankful for that significant influence! I do my best to never discourage or detract from that time they have together even if it means planning 'boring' things for the girls and I to do so that Toads is not interested in them.
Limit the girly activities. If at all possible, I make alternative arrangements for Toads when it's time for me to hit the mall or nail salon. This also means the little girls cannot make him play girly games all day in the playroom.

Seven Together

2011-07-08T11:19:00.000-05:00

Leffler - Lino cousins. July 2011

While their parents were on vacation, the three Leffler (Nathan's sister's family) cousins came to stay at Granny and Grandpa's house. We have had a wonderful week swimming, having sleep-overs, boy time, and just lots and lots of play time. The seven kids range in age from 10 on down to 2. Just last night, Grandpa was saying how wonderful it is to have all the grandkids. It is equally wonderful to have amazing grandparents. It is such a privilege to have Nathan's parents so close and willing to spend quality time with the kids. We are very blessed to have them.

Toads (7), String Bean (2), Girly Girl (5) & Samoosa (3)

Dramatic Side of Cousins

2011-07-07T11:58:00.001-05:00

I did not make an even swap. I have the five female cousins while the two male cousins are at Granny and Grandpa's house. These four had a sleepover in the media room and much to my surprise, they were not up all night long. Now today has proven to be a little dramatic with lots of dress up clothes and games that are not equally 'fair' for the 2, 3, 5, 8 and 10 year olds. I think I can handle a little more drama just so the cousins can have some fun together. They don't get to see each other often enough, so it's worth it. My husband may beg to differ. He is currently outnumbered 6 to 1. Maybe that's why he was at the office so early this morning.

My Kind of Morning

2011-07-06T22:25:00.000-05:00

I am really looking forward to tomorrow morning. Mornings aren't my thing, but gathering with the NEHBC staff wives for prayer and a little socializing is definitely my thing. We meet together once a month for the purpose of praying for our husbands and the church. I am blessed each time we are together to hear their hearts' desires poured out to the Lord on behalf of the wonderful church family and our husbands. These women work hard to support their husbands and the ministries they have been called to lead. It is such a pleasure to serve alongside them. Tomorrow should be one of the best mornings of my month!

Almost Gone

2011-07-05T23:54:00.000-05:00

It's a sad time around our house, though not all of us will be able to verbalize it. Adam, the current apprentice-pastor, is wrapping up his time with our family and NEHBC. He has spent a year with our family learning all the ins and outs of being a senior pastor. I am not completely sure what all he has seen and learned on that side of things. I do know he has seen the inner working of our family enough to have gleaned some insight. Of course, there are some things in this family of six that he may wish he had not seen. I do hope that we have in some small way encouraged him as we have shown him how one pastor's family walks the ever-changing, often demanding, very rewarding ministry life.

It has been a joy to have Adam with us this year. I am especially thankful for the tremendous role model he has been for our children and I am looking forward to being able to look back with the little Linos on how the apprentice-pastor guys significantly impacted them. One little Lino may miss this one more than the rest of us, but all Six Linos have certainly had a great year with this year's apprentice pastor.

Not Completely Different

2011-07-03T13:00:00.000-05:00

There are times when the 'preacher' life our family is called to is different from the lives of say, our 'engineer' neighbors. Vacation is not one of those times. It takes me days to get ready to leave. All the buying supplies, washing laundry, packing suitcases, making plans. It happens at our house, too - until the wee hours of the morning prior to departure. Putting six people in a van for a 12 hour drive is the same no matter who you are - brutal. Checking into and unpacking into a condo with small children can only go one way - not fast enough. Spending hours on the beach with the kids never changes - spectacular. People watching in a 'touristy' destination - never dull. Coming home to reality after a memorable vacay - we don't want to either!

This preacher family can't wait for our much needed vacation! It is relaxing to just think about the phone not ringing and not being on call. We won't know what to do with ourselves with a full Saturday to play and not be preoccupied. While we have embraced many of the differences in our lives, we are just thrilled that we can be just like everyone else when we are on vacation.

Sobbing for Sure

2011-07-02T21:03:00.000-05:00

I should explain......my recent tweet about crying if I was doing what my husband was doing. He was at the airport. Today, our guests from South Africa left after spending over a week with us. Terence and his lovely wife, Michelle, were such a joy to have in our home. The guys grew up together in Africa and remain the best of friends even now. They are two peas in a pod, think alike, act alike often and share a deep love for the Lord.

I will always treasure this past week. Seeing the two of them together was just wonderful. Their friendship has lasted decades separated by vast oceans with only a couple of short visits here and there. They picked up where they left off. You would never have guessed that the wives and our kids had never met. Our week was full of laughter and meaningful conversations. Our kids had a fabulous time hanging out with 'Aunt Michelle' and 'Uncle Terence.' We shared our lives over the past nine days. We made amazing memories. We love those two like family.

I would have been a sobbing mess if I had to drop off the person who has been my friend the longest at the airport for a flight that would take them around the world until who knows when. We miss them already.

Blurry Line of the Lino Life

2011-06-28T21:11:00.000-05:00

I don't always recognize it. In fact, after 12+ years of marriage, the line of it is often blurred. I was reminded this week.....I'm married to a foreigner.

for·eign·er

[fawr-uh-ner, for-]–noun
1. a person not native to or naturalized in the country or jurisdiction under consideration; alien.
2. a person from outside one's community.
3. a thing produced in or brought from a foreign country.

When I first typed that, it sounded a bit strange. When we were dating, I hardly even noticed that the red-headed, accented guy was 'not from around here'. He liked American sports, knew how to order at trendy restaurants, could drive on the right hand side of the road, and could understand almost all of my Texan version of English. Actually, most everything we did was the Texas version of the American way. It's still that way.

But he is a foreigner. My sweet husband moved to the States from the country of South Africa 11 years prior to our first date in college. He wasn't born in Aggieland where we met or anywhere in the land of the free. The Lino family of five left everything except what fit in 7 suitcases. Family, pets, friends, culture, everything familiar - all left behind, all given up.

I have never fully realized everything he has given up to make our life together a seamless fit of our two cultures and ways of life. This week, I have been reminded of so many of the sacrifices he has made for us. His childhood friend from Africa is here visiting with his wife and the reminiscing is endless. Dinner with Nathan's parents, plus the visiting friends was such a reminder of the life he had before America and his American wife. It was a great life. One he remembers with such fondness. I am so thankful for the experiences he had prior to our life together. I am so thankful for his willingness to embrace our culture and blend our family into a wonderful combination of his South African roots and my Texas heritage.

He has done an amazing job of keeping the line blurry. I love that foreign man!

Easier With Practice?

2011-06-22T13:22:00.000-05:00

In my mind, everything should be easier with the fourth kid. I've done it three times. I have this down. Really, why should the fourth one do it any differently than the previous three? In this particular case, I was not a willing participant. I did not want to do this. I should have, but just didn't want to take the time to do it.

Today is day 3 of being home with all four for the purpose of potty training the youngest. She turned two a couple of weeks ago and is most likely ready. Three different people took her to the restroom without any instruction from me last week during VBS. Evidently, she was giving all the 'I'm ready' cues. She has yet to do anything but sit on the potty. Nothing. Every 20 minutes or so. Nothing.

The other three either trained themselves or made it so easy for me that I can hardly remember it. I am sure this will be a lesson in my determination and patience - not hers. Practice certainly hasn't made it easier.

Complete Set

2011-06-20T17:05:00.002-05:00

I am so excited to have this complete set of the Women's Evangelical Commentary - Old and New Testament. It is a fabulous tool for women desiring to enhance and have that 'extra' in their time of personal Bible study or preparation for sharing more of God's Word with others. Thank you to Mrs. Patterson and Mrs. Kelley for making it a reality and my sweet husband for giving it to me.

Here is brief description of the New Testament version:

The Women's Evangelical Commentary: New Testament is a Bible commentary written and edited by women for women. While other commentaries take an egalitarian view of the relationship between men and women, the editors and writers of this commentary believe the complementarian view of the relationship between men and women most accurately interprets God’s intent as expressed in Scripture. Features include:

• Introductory background (author, recipients, setting, outline, themes)

• Verse-by-verse exposition, giving special attention to passages of interest to women without sidestepping difficult-to-interpret passages

• Charts, maps, and word studies

• Character sketches of women in the New Testament

• Pronunciation guide for difficult proper names

• Archaeological notes

• Featured articles on topics of interest to women

• Devotional insights and inspirational notes

• Suggested bibliography for further study

Restful Results

2011-06-15T16:41:00.001-05:00

This is what happens when you have camp in the morning and VBS in the evening. It's only day three and they are wiped out. Everyone is looking forward to a great night tonight at VBS and praying for heart change in lots of little lives. So thankful for willing workers sharing the Gospel of Christ!

Back to Back Grads

2011-06-12T23:27:00.000-05:00

singing the months of the year

the kinder farewell

her speaking part went flawlessly

Back to back......that's how they will always be. Toads and Girly Girl are in back to back grades. He just finished 1st and she has wrapped up her kindergarten experience. Being the baby of the class with that late summer birthday, she started out a little slow and then really got going to finish off her year. She exceeded all of her academic goals and began the social journey of life in public school. She talks so lovingly of her amazing teacher, Mrs. Dees (who also taught Toads in kinder) and often calls me by her name instead of 'mom'. She can tell story after story of all the exciting things she was able to do and learn. She recalls her friends with great detail and fondness. Riding the yellow bus for the first time on a field trip, playing chase at recess, following the rules, getting to visit big brother in his classroom, meticulous artwork, singing song after song, and going to specials were some of her faves.

Mrs. Dees

We are so pleased with how her year transpired. We made the choice to send the kids to one of the local public schools and it has been a decision that we are very glad that we made. There have been many teaching opportunities when she came home discussing different situations and she is already experiencing and learning about the real world. Her teacher, Mrs. Dees showed a love and passion for success in all areas of life in her classroom and insisted that high expectations were met. It was such a pleasure to have someone who shares many of our values as her teacher and it made a distinct impression on our little learner.

Girly Girl and mom

The learning environment at PFE enabled the year of fun and learning to be something our Girly Girl will always remember. They have a great kinder teaching team who had the 5 classes all prepped and ready to show off what they learned to the parents on the last day of school. Our Girly Girl who wore tennis shoes with every outfit throughout the year changed her shoes for the performance and in her own reserved way, gave it her all.

so glad Dad's schedule allowed him to make it

Toads sang the same songs last year......with a bit of dramatic flair. Girly Girl put her own style on it this year. They will go back to back again in 11 and 12 years when they are high school grads. These foundational kinder memories have set the stage for some exciting times when it's no longer the days of the week and months of the year that they are performing. We anticipate many family meals of this precious Girly Girl telling us all about her day as she traverses these school days with her love for life and all that it holds.

Different Kind of Two

2011-06-11T23:18:00.000-05:00

Mommy's girl

We had a different kind of two this time. String Bean (who isn't so stringy anymore) turned two last week and we celebrated as usual. The requirements were inexpensive and nothing that required my house to be spotless. The local butterfly park in our neighborhood was perfect. She had a wonderful time and the older kids had their bikes. All were happy. What made this one different is it was the first two year old birthday party we have hosted at which I was not either caring for a newborn or extremely pregnant with the next little Lino. A bit odd when we thought about it, but so right. Our sweet little family is just right. We are in such a wonderful place in life and loving every minute of it. Yes, there are moments of wanting to pull your hair out because of exhaustion or just irritation, but that it is not the norm. The norm around here is laughter, silly kids, lots of reading and swimming and just plain old fun together as a family.

Her 'sugar' birthday!

Bubbles and playground did the trick

String Bean is such a wonderful part of the Six Linos. She has become quite chatty and makes her opinions known. Being the fourth, she has learned to jump in and get what she wants. She is a momma's girl....still cries after two years of being dropped off in the church nursery. She gives some of the best snuggles. She loves her Bubba. She is a gift from the Lord.

My Latest Trip

2011-06-08T23:36:00.005-05:00

Linos & Byrds - 4 Cs and 4 Ks

A trip down memory lane can invoke many emotions. My latest trip took me to Corpus and back 30+ years. I have known Amanda since she was born (just a few months after me). We grew up together, spent holidays together, roomed together at A&M, stood next to each other at our weddings, had babies together, struggled through life together and so much more. While we were visiting this week, we looked through old pictures. How I wish they were digital so that I could post them here. Well, maybe not the incredibly out of style ones. But, it was so fun to see those pictures and remember all of the times we have shared over the years. Dance recitals, halloween, zoo trips, and baking cookies.

The Lord has been very gracious to us and allowed us to live close enough to each other so that we continue to make memories. We share a love for the Lord and are both deeply committed to our families. We never miss a beat in our relationship. We can not talk for a couple of weeks and still be so connected. Our short time together this week was rich in laughter and meaningful conversation, encouragement and fun. Such a blessing. It is a friendship I treasure and thank God for regularly.

In all of our imaginative play and dreaming as little girls, we never played out the current scenario......each of us married with four kids. The oldest is almost 8 and the youngest is 4 months. They too had a fabulous time this week playing and being silly friends.

This trip down memory lane invoked thankfulness and awe at the Lord's orchestration of the friendships in my life. It is one I hope I do not soon forget.

Never Would Have Thought It

2011-06-01T23:41:00.000-05:00

I don't think many of us would have ever thought it would happen, but I am so glad it did. Ministry and cross-country moves can take us anywhere. It took us to NEHBC in Humble, Texas for what has now been 9 years. My little brother was in high school when I got married. His life certainly wasn't all planned out. Over time, the Lord has seen fit to move him and his precious wife around the corner from our house. Our lives are intertwined......they love our kids, he helps me when Nathan is out of town, they babysit (hallelujah!), we hang out, we worship and serve the Lord together. It's a great life. I have so enjoyed seeing how the Lord has continued to work in the Linos and Parkers to allow us to have such a wonderful relationship. I pray we have many more years of the same with lots of amazing memories. We love you D&J!

Recognition

2011-05-15T22:27:00.000-05:00

We are not all about feeding the 'I need recognition and awards' craze in general, but we are ok with these...........the three oldest had their AWANA Awards Ceremony to recognize their hard work on hiding God's Word in their hearts. Toads and Girly Girl received book completion as well as extra credit pins for their year in Sparks and Samoosa got in on the action this year. It was her first year in AWANA - the Puggles group. She sang the Puggles theme song and said one of their verses............'God made me in His image.' Toads shared the R verse in Sparks.

Our New Annual Celebration

2011-05-15T13:35:00.000-05:00

When Toads was entering 1st grade, we committed to the Spanish Immersion Program through 5th grade and with that, we now celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Each class performs a dance or two during the special presentation for the parents and later to the entire student body. Toads had a fabulous time and we have all loved watching and re-watching both dances.

Here are his two dances. He is front and center dancing with the tall blonde girl. I apologize for my inability to keep the camera still.

Improving Her Skills

2011-05-11T21:42:00.000-05:00

Girly Girl can ride her bike!! We are all very excited as this means that the Six Linos can go on a bike ride together as a family. We are looking forward to some quality time on our bikes. Today she mastered the turn. Lots of loops.

How They Really Are

2011-04-13T14:47:00.000-05:00

The looks in this picture are perfect! They are all showing their personality. I can't wait until about 10-12 years from now......12, 13 and 15 year old girls.

Why Not the Fourth Too?

2011-02-24T23:52:00.000-06:00

We went four for four on this one....Today, String Bean had her tubes put in and adenoids removed. I tried to convince them to take her tonsils too, but her age and size of her tonsils did not permit it. This is the fifth time Dr. Newton Duncan has operated on our four children. It's old hat for us it seems. His office and business efficiency is one I wish more doctors would emulate. Even he was surprised that all four have had to do this. I'm not sure how all of the sinus - ear infections thing really works, but I know our four have it down pat. The older three have responded beautifully and this surgery made all the difference for them. I am just thrilled we finally got it done for String Bean. The days of hearing loss and 30 straight days of antibiotics are hopefully behind us.

String Bean and I arrived at the surgery center just after 8:00 and we were on our way home at 10am. She did wonderful. When we arrived in the pre-op room, there were two of her favorite things..........rocking chairs. She got hers and I got mine. She played with the doctors and stickers and rocked away. Just before they took her back, I kissed her on the head and the wonderful anesthesiologist picked her up and off they went. She insisted on taking her feet braces with her and only cried once I was out of sight. It really wasn't so bad. I had a twinge of 'wishing I could go with her' feelings and then it was off to the waiting room.

I barely had time to get out my reading material before Dr. Duncan came to get me. She was done! Under 30 minutes. Very routine. She did not think it was so routine when she woke up. It was all my fault. I forgot - actually never even crossed my mind, that her 'pacifier' is her left hand. Unfortunately, her IV was in her left hand and there was no way to get it in her mouth. She pulled at it, cried at me and was basically unhappy until it came out. Poor thing. I felt terrible.

We had a nice quiet day at home with one sister in Dallas visiting cousins, the older two at school and Nana here to help. The anesthesia wore off without complications and she took a great nap. It was nice to have a day at home without a lot of rushing around. String Bean ate and ate and ate - everything except for the Sonic slush. I still don't understand who could not like one of those, but she clearly doesn't. She did not really feel like eating when we ventured out to one of our favorites - Chuy's.

Other than a little bit of 'cranky' and pitiful our day went very well. I am so thankful for the Lord's provision for String Bean......a wonderful doctor and his available schedule, Nana who could come help, adaptable older children, excellent medical care at the center, a flawless procedure and an easy-going patient. She even had me and the nurses rolling with laughter in recovery with her sad cries for help with IV. I love this girl!!

My Apologies

2011-01-19T08:28:00.000-06:00

I have no idea how it happened............but there was a post and an email that seems to have originated from my blog that was clearly spam. I have reset all of my passwords and run all the virus scans. Please accept my apologies for the annoying inconvenience.

Local Ladies Only

2011-01-17T15:54:00.000-06:00

I have to blog just because I want this information to be in the hands of the NEHBC ladies and the women they know and love. Who knows when I may blog again, but ladies, please look over this list and see if God is calling you to one of these studies.

We are very excited about the Spring Women’s Bible Studies at NEHBC! Please consider joining us for one of these studies as you walk along your busy life journey. There are 5 studies this semester that are being held in different places at different times.

Freedom for Mothers

Tuesdays 6:45pm at the home of Michelle Dickerson

$15 - begins January 25

Journey into God’s Word to discover the fullness and freedom you can experience as a woman and as a mother. You will find the source to fill your “love bucket,” recognize common mothering traps and deal decisively with self-defeating habits. Based on John 15.

The Book of James

Tuesdays 7:00pm at the home of Gail Black

Free - begins January 25

A systematic walk through the book of James allows you to discover the deep truths for biblical living.

The Book of James

Wednesdays 9:30am at NEHBC, led by Pam Bentley

Free - begins January 19

A systematic walk through the book of James allows you to discover the deep truths for biblical living.

Wisdom for Mothers

Wednesdays 10am at the home of Nicole Lino

$15 - begins January 26

Biblical answers to your important questions about marriage, children and work. In addition to the Bible study, you will learn to improve your mothering skills and will find helpful mothering tips designed for moms of all ages at the end of each lesson. Based on Proverbs 31.

David, Seeking a Heart Like His (Beth Moore)

Thursdays 10am at NEHBC, led by Debra Polk

$15 - begins January 27

He was a man loved and annointed by God, and his life serves as an example-both good and bad-for Christians in every time and place. In this in-depth look at the life of David, Beth Moore draws spiritual insight and understanding from a man who slayed a giant and saved a kingdom.

Thank You Grandpa

2010-10-27T17:44:00.000-05:00

Grandpa arrived early this morning with this little treasure.........

Who knows how long he will last in our backyard, but the kids are thinking of names.

Recovery and Reality

2010-10-07T13:04:00.004-05:00

The time difference is only 8 hours. I didn't have any kids with me. How hard could it be? Eeeesssshhhh. We had some long days thrown into our 10 day trip to Greece and then 25 hours of traveling home that was very rushed and not in the least bit relaxing. I expected an onslaught of 'mommy, guess what', 'mommy, come here', 'mommy, I (fill in the blank)' upon my arrival and was not disappointed. What I was not prepared for was for those sweet voices to become overly whiny and cranky in a matter of hours of my arrival. To their credit, they were absolutely wonderful while I was away. I think they were just saving it up for me. The combination of what they saved for me and my own crankiness has made the transition back into the world of Six Linos reality very interesting. My sweet husband did finally tell me to go to bed because I was the one that was cranky.

Well, I have slept.........done laundry, cooked dinner, tended to four kids, gone to Bible study, made a big grocery run, cleaned house and volunteered at the school. I would like to say that all is good now, but I think it will take us a few more days to get into our 'you really have to do what mommy says on the first try' routine. Amidst my crankiness and bad attitude, the Lord gave me a dose of reality. He reminded me of an alternative to my stable, joyful, fairly predictable existence.

A friend from high school facing cancer in her 6 year old's body does not have such a predictable, stable life.............

At first, Round 2 seemed easier than the first go -- the drugs were familiar, the place itself was familiar. But I have to admit that it's all beginning to unravel. The newness has worn off. Hospital living is not fun. Cancer stinks. Our life has been turned upside down and shaken around and feels like it is still lying in shambles. We have not even begun to pick up the pieces, really. Today I told Jason, "It just feels like we are on pause, like we are not really living life. How are we supposed to live this life?"

I hate the way I sound when I complain like this....I beat myself up for complaining, and stuff it all in and put on my strong face...but then I find myself sobbing all the way to the airport to see my sister off, and snapping at Adah, and wanting to do anything but face this whole thing. There are shining moments, and many blessings we can give thanks for. Adah herself was pointing them out last night. "If I hadn't gotten sick, I would never have met...(here she listed several people who have become dear to us, most prominent among them, Dr. Ami)." She is right.

But it's still hard, and I am kicking against the goads right now in my spirit. Longing for something resembling normalcy, for mornings at home and home-cooked food and walks outside and snuggling with both girls and no IVs, for baths and routine and uninterrupted sleep, homeschool, anything. And yet I know that as comforting as those things are, in God alone is true rest, contentment, and peace. He is our home. There is a table spread for us in this valley...but sometimes I feel like I am just groping along picking up scraps.

How pitiful must I look before the sovereign God who sustains and gives life abundantly to me? Not only does my family suffer through this bad attitude of mine, but more importantly, I have failed miserably to bring glory to Him alone. I am ashamed to think of the opportunities I have missed over the past two days to disciple my children (instead of sending them upstairs to play) or worse yet, share my story of life change with people I encounter.

Sleep won't fix this. Only my time with the Lord and a spirit of humility and willingness for my life to not be about me will make the days ahead a pleasing sight unto the Lord - or anyone around me for that matter.

I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Psalm 108:3-4

A Glimpse of Greece

2010-10-06T16:38:00.000-05:00

This is a slideshow of a good number of the photos I took on my recent trip to Greece. It is nothing compared to the over 2000 pictures one of my teammates took! Most of the pictures won't mean much to you without some explanation, but they will give you an idea of what happened over 10 days. Friends that are going to Greece in a few days...........your hotel in Thess is pictured (think small and orange blankets) and your hotel in Athens is not the one that we stayed in so ignore the Holiday Inn. In some of the ruins pictures you can see the old city roads with grooves where chariots drove, the bema where Paul was chained before Roman authorities and so much more. I will pick out specific pictures to post later with explanations.

Last Full Day in Thess

2010-09-30T13:06:00.001-05:00

Today was it. Two more travel days and home to my husband and babies! We prayer walked more of the city and continued passing out website cards. After handing out as many as we could to living, breathing people, we started blitzing the cars and mail boxes. My box is emtpy and I am ready to come home.

This has been a fabulous trip! I have so much more to write when I get home, have recovered and gotten back into reality for four young children. For now, please pray for our travel......................from here, I take 3 buses, 2 trains, 3 planes and 1 automobile to get back to my house. Looking forward to arriving in one tired piece.

Not Much Longer

2010-09-29T13:56:00.001-05:00

Today was another full day. The most meaningful part of the day was at the very end. We took a bus up to the top of the city and you can see the wall and gates that date back to when the Apostle Paul came to Thessaloniki. They are still in use. Our VERY large bus drove through the very tiny gate. We were able to walk around at the wall and look out over the city. We arrived shortly after sunset, so the city was all lit up. An incredible and humbling sight. It is a vast city and the masses live in spiritual darkness. Our team took time to pray for the people and for the Christ followers that live here. We prayed that the Greeks would find life abundantly in Jesus Christ and that the Lord would have mercy on the Greeks. It is a daunting task that only He can do. Looking out over the city is an image that I will not soon forget................and the souls it represents.

PS - I promise to load pictures when I get home. You will understand my frustration with technology when I tell you that the computer I am using still has a 3.5" floppy drive on it!

Working Hard - Full Day in Thess

2010-09-28T15:29:00.001-05:00

Today was a very full day in the western part of Thessaloniki. It is an area where the families live - young to old, poor and wealthier. My team was on the streets 8 hours today covering our assigned area. Here's how this works: you have a map and an assigned area that you literally walk and pray down the streets. We came upon an open market where there was vendor after vendor selling any and everything. It was a very diverse area and we were able to put website cards in the hands of so many of them. The challenge from today was the lack of English spoken in our work zone. I probably encountered five people total that could speak ANY English. Sharing the gospel is challenging under the best of conditions, it was pretty much non-existent under these conditions.

My team of four was also struck by an event that happened over lunch. About 10 feet (literally!) from our lunch table, a small kitten was hit by a car while we were eating. Not a pretty sight and it really was sad and struck a chord on our hearts. The problem we talked about moments later was how upset we were over the cat and yet there had been no gasping or near tears over the people around us that were dying and going to hell as fast as that little kitten passed. Really gave us perspective.

Please pray for the veil of darkness to be lifted from this city. There are less than 1500 known Christ-followers in the city!

I'm missing home now more and more. I looked through all my pictures on the iPhone this afternoon. It's just not the same. I look forward to hearing their voices!

We Have Pictures Too!

2010-09-27T13:39:00.001-05:00

I have finally been able to get a picture up. There are many of the historical sites, but we really got to work tonight so I wanted one of work for you. More on our day in another post. Here is Jessica on a busy street corner handing out a business card that leads the Greeks to a website that spells out the plan of salvation in their language. Each of our team members is equipped with 500 cards. Pray we are obedient and willing to pass them all out. My team of three was able to hand out about 150 over the course of an hour and a half....a long road ahead.

Speaking of long day..........tomorrow we prayer walk the western part of the city. The plan is to prayer walk an area that houses 1/3 of the 1.5 million people that live in this city. We are looking at a 9 hour day of prayer walking. As you pray for us, think of this statement that we were reminded of today............."How many people prayed for me as I embarked on this trip? Probably at least 300?? For the people of this city that is less than 1% evangelical christian, NOBODY has EVER prayed for them." These people need the power of prayer to enact a movement of God among them. Please pray.

Another Greek City - Day 2

2010-09-26T11:35:00.000-05:00

Today we went to ancient Corinth. By bus, we traveled along the coastline for about 1.5 hours and saw the Corinth Canal (Panama Canal - the same but different) and then on to the ancient ruins where the Apostle Paul preached for 18 months. We saw the place where he would have been chained as he awaited trial before the Roman authorities. An incredible expereince - more on that when I return home and can appropriately gather my thoughts.

We have been with our tour guide, Vicki for the past two days. She has been an incredible guide and is a very intelligent woman. We have spent a number of hours with her and she has heard the gospel of Jesus Christ clearly. Please pray her heart is moved towards life change that only the Holy Spirit can bring. I pray she is the tour guide for our next team in a few short weeks!

Tomorrow, we head to Thessaloniki by train for 5+ hours. We will be doing the bulk of our work and church planting efforts in the western part of the city. We have 9,500 cards to put in the hands of Greeks. Pray these cards open doors and help to plant seeds of hope in the lives of these people. NEHBC family - to those wishing they had signed up for a team this year: here's your chance. Pray for us. Your efforts back home on your knees on our behalf are critical to the movement of God on the other side of the globe. We thank you!

As for how I feel about being gone.................ohhhhhh I miss NL and those four little people. I can't wait to squeeze them and hear their voices. It's kind of a weird deal when you are on a trip like this. Because you know you are exactly where you are supposed to be at that time (where God wants you), you are not consumed by thoughts of things back home. I miss them and wonder what they are doing from time to time, but it is not consuming. Keeping the mind focused!

I'm not sure of the technology arrangements once we get to Thess, so this may be it for a few days. Please continue to pray.

Time on the Farm

2010-09-26T10:20:00.000-05:00

Some more of our experience outside of the city.........riding a real horse - not the carnival pony rides; watching the hours-old chicks being tossed into the chicken house (50 days to sell day). It was such fun and so good for our kids. Great memories as a family.

Greece - 1st Complete Day

2010-09-25T11:08:00.000-05:00

I am too exhausted to do any of this justice, so just a quick note..........we were on the streets of Athens for almost 11 hours today. We toured historical sites, had a reading of God's Word on Mars Hill, handed out some cards to native speakers, enjoyed the local culture and did some team bonding. Tomorrow begins with a bus ride to Corinth for more of the same. Pray for opportunities for us to interact with tourists and locals alike.

We Made It

2010-09-24T14:36:00.000-05:00

Our team has arrived in Greece and with the time change, we are ready for bed. Looking forward to a great day tomorrow touring the city of Athens and having divine appointments with the people we encounter. Please pray it is a fruitful introduction to our work that lies ahead. We are all excited and ready to do this!

I'm Off

2010-09-23T12:17:00.000-05:00

Today is the day. I leave for 10 days to experience Greece as part of a team from our church. We will be touring ancient biblical sites as well as working hard at church planting in the city of Thessaloniki. I'm leaving behind our 6, 5, 3, and 1 year old with Daddy. They are going to have a blast and I'm looking forward to seeing what all the Lord does in and through me.

I have mixed emotions........so glad the Lord has enabled me to go and looking forward to everything He has in store for me; a bit nervous about being gone so long; wishing NL could go with me; don't want String Bean to really learn to walk while I'm gone; pumped about spending time with my sister-in-law on this fabulous trip; can't wait to see the places talked about in the Bible.

I hope to manage a blog post or two while gone, but there are sure to be plenty of pictures and stories of what the Lord does over the next ten days in Greece. The Daddy blog might be pretty entertaining while I'm gone.

Don't Know What to Do

2010-09-20T07:55:00.000-05:00

There's no concrete here and you can see stars. Our kids don't know what to do! They played in the dirt forever yesterday afternoon. This horse voluntarily came up to the fence. It's so different from our normal routine and very exciting. We are in Normangee, Texas. The Six Linos traveled here to be together while Daddy preaches a revival at the first church he pastored - while we were dating at Texas A&M. There are such wonderful memories and friends here. I'm so thankful our kids get to experience just a taste of it. Today....the chicken houses. Truckloads of babies arrive today. Kids can't wait.

Reminded With Every Fork and Spoon

2010-09-20T05:14:00.004-05:00

My husband loves me. I know this because he says it and acts likes it. This is a note that he left in our silverware drawer for me just over 8 years ago. It stayed posted in its original place through two moves and the little hands of four kids. Only recently did it become dislodged from that drawer where it so often reminded me of the man who God chose to love, protect and provide for me. He has been the best choice ever!

The Day I Wasn't So Sure About

2010-09-17T10:22:00.001-05:00

Last Tuesday brought about a day that I had tossed and turned about........for a long time. It brought about mixed emotions. The two little girls started preschool at our church's Early Childhood Center. Samoosa attended last year, but this year String Bean would join her. All four kids are gone at the same time and I am by myself. The ECC is a fantastic ministry and all of our children have learned and grown so much while there. I wasn't worried about the program. I was very excited to have almost five hours to myself. I pretty much have the whole semester of free time already planned out of things that I must get done while my four little helpers are not with me. But I was sad. String Bean was just 15 months when she started. She still isn't walking and she is still very much the string bean of the bunch. I just didn't think it was best for her to be away at school already. The other three didn't start until they were two years old. I struggled with the decision for a long time and came close to changing my mind several times over the summer - after paying all of the registration fees. It came down to this...........I will be a better mommy and wife if I have some time alone on a regular basis. It's not that I don't love having everyone around. It's that I can't continually function at a high level of excellence in our home if I don't have some down time to regroup and re energize. I haven't fully figured out what regrouping looks like, but I know it includes working out, uninterrupted time with the Lord, some naps here and there, reading and running errands - quickly and quietly. There will be lunches out with girlfriends along the way while floors are drying and laundry is washing. It will be different for sure.

2395 days ago, my journey at this full-time job we call 'mommy' began. It is one that never stops and is by far the most rewarding. I know the Six Linos will thrive and enjoy life together even if I am a little sad that our baby is already in preschool. She did have a good first day with no tears and her big sister took good care of her while enjoying her first day as well.

String Bean ready to face the day!

Samoosa the pack mule - carrying her sister's napmat in addition to all of her own stuff.

Samoosa's class off to a good start - 9 boys and 4 girls!

Drastic Measures

2010-09-15T11:35:00.001-05:00

I think my kids understand me a little better now. I have made myself more clear. Several weeks ago while Daddy was out of town, is when it happened. Over time we had become discouraged - actually down right irritated is a better word - with the level of care that our children use with their belongings. They are so rough on toys and things seem to break easily. I had been working hard to talk to them about how we use things the way they were meant to be used instead of using our creative minds to find new and destructive ways to play. Well, this particular day I guess I was already a bit high strung because when I saw another broken toy I put a stop to it. I told each of the kids they could have their blanket and pick one toy to keep. The others would all be gone when they woke up the next morning.

Of course when you say those things, you have to mean it or you will never be able to threaten any action again. Prior to bedtime, I had them remove all of the toys, games, etc from their rooms. I stayed up most of the night and cleaned out the play room. Some stuff went to the garbage can, some stuff went to Goodwill and the rest went to our closet and other hiding places throughout the house. It was exhausting but worth the effort. Here is what their playroom looked like when they woke up.

If you know our playroom, you know this is drastic. I left some books out for us to read to them on occasion, but otherwise they were on their own to be creative. The older threesome played hard together for the almost month that their toys were gone. They played chase and fun imagination games. They often wanted to be downstairs helping me do whatever I was doing, but I reminded them that this was their time to think about using things properly and learn to appreciate the things they have been given.

The toys that I saved returned to the playroom last week and it was like Christmas. They were so excited to see all of the things they had been missing and wanted so badly to use during playtime. I haven't found a broken toy yet. I can always remind them of this time without toys. It's good for them!

In Addition to the Daily News Ticker

2010-09-13T10:08:00.000-05:00

This past week, I found a wonderful new podcast. I would call myself a Fox News ticker junkie. I often just switch the channel to read through the ticker. It keeps me up to date and not too engulfed in my 6 and under world. It's hard not to be consumed by the four little people in my life. I have to work hard to know what's happening around my community and world. There is so much going on around me that is more important than my little bubble.

Dr. Albert Mohler has started a new podcast called The Briefing. It is a short daily briefing on current events from a biblical worldview. The Briefing enables Christians to think biblically by providing daily worldview analysis about the leading news headlines and cultural conversations. It's wonderful! It's not very long and is packed with good information to keep me balanced in my understanding of current events. I have listened to every one of them so far (during workouts, in car pool line or just while working on the computer.) I am thankful Dr. Mohler is willing to be a sound biblical voice in today's quickly changing world.

You can use the link above to access each day on the internet or use itunes to subscribe to the podcast. Great resource!!! He also has a weekly podcast called Thinking in Public (an interview forum for intelligent conversation about frontline theological and cultural issues) which is very good - longer in format and very informative.

Just Beaming

2010-08-30T07:42:00.000-05:00

The fifth birthday is a big deal around our house. The boy got a gun and started learning personal money management skills. The girl recently turned five and is learning money management. She also got her ears pierced. We talked about it for some time............that she was becoming a young girl and would have responsibilities; that she is a beautiful girl created by the Lord. She was so excited, until we got to the store and discovered they were closed. It's a long story, but only the Lord could have worked this out. I had called the store to get all the details and they told me the 'good lady' arrives at work around 6pm each evening and she could only do one ear at a time. I was a bit concerned that we might only end up with one ear done after the drama that would unfold, so one ear at a time was not my ideal situation. Well, when we pulled up and unloaded the Six Linos out of the van for the big event, they were closing the store - it closes at 6pm every day. So Girly Girl, fell apart - was just devastated that she would not get her ears pierced. We went down the road a bit to another store that I knew did piercings and it was fabulous. Both ears at the same time!!! Thank you Lord for working it all out. She climbed up in the chair like a big girl and did not cry at all. She was beaming from ear to ear, jumped up in her daddy's arms and absolutely loves her new look.

Girls Gone Wise

2010-08-28T11:06:00.000-05:00

Women, you must read this.........Girls Gone Wise in a World Gone Wild by Mary Kassian. I finished it earlier this summer and it is still working on my heart and mind. It is something every woman or young lady in the reality of today's culture needs to read. If you are not the wild woman now, you have been or are in close contact with ladies who are and the way of the wild is not God's best for any woman. Kassian takes a structured, Biblical approach to combating the destruction caused by a woman being caught in the enticement of our seductive culture. From Proverbs, she offers 20 points of contrast of the Wild Thing and Wise Thing: heart, counsel, approach, attitude, habits, focus, appearance, body language, roles, sexual conduct, boundaries, authenticity, neediness, possessions, entitlement, reliability, speech, influence, sustainability, and teachability.

Each chapter or point of contrast can impact your daily living. Perfect for individual study and reflection, this book would also be a great small group resource. The Biblical principles are laid out in a candid and graceful way in order to encourage women to embrace the meaningful and redemptive life found only in Christ. Kassian's website www.girlsgonewise.com has a video book blog, study questions and numerous other resources to supplement the book.

The Second One Went Too!

2010-08-23T22:08:00.003-05:00

We did it! Number two went off to kindergarten today. It was a little different for me this time..........it wasn't the oldest, it was a girl - not a boy. The build up was different too. Girly Girl wasn't excited to leave preschool back in May and it took pretty much the whole summer to get her to the 'this is going to be awesome' point. It was a great day. We had practiced our morning routine last week, so that part went off without a hitch. Took standard pictures and off we went - Mom, Dad, Toads & Girly Girl. Leaving Samoosa behind didn't bother anybody (so sad).

As Nathan said afterwards, 'we are irrelevant'. We walked Toads to his 1st grade class and he didn't even acknowledge us. Nothing. The kindergarten hall wasn't that much different. Girly Girl walked down the hall on her own and then wanted us to walk in with her. We did and she proficiently unpacked her bag, found her desk and began coloring with her favorite color - orange. She did pause long enough for a photo with Mom. They both really could have done it without us. There were no tears. Not even lingering hugs. We prayed on the way to school and told them we loved them when we left. Off they went.

I couldn't wait to pick them up. Well, not the car service I was running. One pick up at 1:50 and then the other at 3:20. Not enough time to go all the way back home. I wanted to hear all about their fabulous days. Girly Girl promptly got in the car and announced 'I don't want to tell you about it'. I knew she had a good day because her teacher had already told me, so I just ignored the comment and didn't talk to her for about ten minutes. Eventually, she opened up and told me some of the juicy details. The best part - recess; the worst part - getting lost; the funniest part - Mrs. Wiggin doing recess rules. Mrs. Dees - 'I love having her as my teacher'. She's flat out exhausted. The tears started flowing when she realized that her teacher kept today's artwork so she could show it to us later. Everything from that point on had drama and tears. At bed time, she was willing and excited to go back tomorrow.

Now the boy, I expected no juicy details. But I got - 'it was the best day ever!' I was astounded. He just started telling me everything (more about that in a later post) and he had a blast. Tomorrow, we do it again. Mom's not going in. The boy will take the girl. I will keep praying over them and enjoying the two little girls. What an exciting time in the life of our family! Watching all these little people grow up. I'm having a blast.

Novelty Hasn't Worn Off

2010-08-22T23:10:00.007-05:00

Our precious almost three year old surprised me yet again. I knew Samoosa was excited but I had no idea it would translate into today's experience. She came to 'big church' with the family for the first time today. The older two came at about this age as well and she has been begging to come for a few months now. So, with promotion Sunday today, we made the leap.

We prepared ahead of time. I had been training the older two all summer to sit next to each other instead of one on each side of me. Since Nathan has other responsibilities, there is no way to split up all three if them. Samoosa helped pack her big church bag with special goodies that are just for the sermon. She checked out the worship center and 'our seats'. We had many discussions and great excitement about her joining us in worshipping the Lord and trying not to distract others.

She loved it! She focused intently on what was happening on the stage. Climbed in and out of her seat at the appropriate times. Bowed her head and closed her eyes. Didn't call out for Daddy while he was on stage. Only spoke a few times and not all that loudly. Enjoyed her bag of goodies. I couldn't have asked for a better first go of it.

I am not completely delusional. I know it was new and there was still novelty to the whole thing. I know the next several months will be hard. I probably won't be able to replay an entire sermon in my mind for months. Worship just won't be the same for me for a while. It's so worth it! One day not long from now she will hold up her own hand written note in the middle of a sermon just like her older sister did today - 'I love you Jesus'. Molding her heart and modeling a love and worship of the King is worth every minute of half-tuned-in sermons.

Family worship with Daddy on stage 'preaching to the big people' and our 6, 5, and almost 3 year old with me on the second row of a major construction zone is a treasured memory that will never wear off.

Maybe It is Just for the Moms

2010-08-15T00:16:00.001-05:00

I am willing to consider and maybe admit it...............there is an ever so slightly, almost barely a possibility that one year old birthday parties are just for the mom. At least that's what my husband would argue. We have now hosted four of said 'one year old birthday parties' in our home with friends and family for each of our four Cs. They took a decent amount of effort and lasted just long enough for all to enjoy the food, cake and presents. I won't go into all of the details of the discussion, but it wasn't just for me. I would like to think. I want the kids to have memories - or pictures of memories. It is such a milestone and a special day. I want them to know that we celebrated their first year. I could go on, but it is a discussion I have decided not to pursue since we are past all of our one year old parties.

I'm glad we did it! Our last one was for String Bean a couple of months ago and she had a wonderful time. I have the pictures to prove it. She ate her sugar and dairy free muffin after being stared down and sung to and then opened her presents and played with her two little friends, Mr. D and Miss G. Great memories - even if it was just for me!

I'll Tell You How I Really Feel

2010-08-11T15:31:00.000-05:00

I've heard it several different ways.......How do you feel about this? Is he there all the time? Is the new guy going to pick up where the old guy left off? He's coming too? He was there for that? And the list could go on and on. Here's how I feel about it......

It is the apprentice-pastor program that is part of the NEHBC long-term vision for church planting. It is an investment in future pastors, some of whom will become part of NEHBC church plants. As the Senior Pastor's wife, it involves me. Nathan and I discussed this program long before it came to fruition. We had thought and prayed about it and knew that this was something we wanted and should invest our lives in. Being a part of mentoring young pastors is a privilege and something we take very seriously.

So how does this work?
A future pastor commits to spending 12 months with Nathan learning and soaking up everything he can about the ins, outs, dos, don'ts, hows, whens and whys of being a pastor. He keeps to Nathan's schedule daily and often spends more time in a day with Nathan than the kids and I do. I don't keep up with what all they do during the day, but it's usually the evenings and weekends that involve the kids and me. The apprentice hangs out at our house and with our family on a very regular basis. He eats dinner, he comes to birthday parties, he does high school football, he veg-es on the couch, he's part of this never-dull Six Linos family.

So why do you do this?
We do the apprentice program to help equip future pastors. We do it because of all of the times we have looked at each other and said 'they didn't teach us this in seminary." It's not that we have all of the answers or that there is not high value in the things you learn in the seminary setting. It's because there are countless experiences in the life of a pastor that can only be learned 'in the field'. We do it because we believe that the Lord is able and willing to use some of what He is doing in and through us to help shape His future shepherds as well as our family. We do it because we love the ministry the Lord has called us to and we are excited about His Kingdom.

But really, what do you think?
Yes, he's here most of the time.
Yes, the new guy has picked up where the old guy left off.
Yes, he's coming too - to almost everything.
Yes, he was there for that - and will continue to be.
A lot of teaching and learning takes place in our van or on our couch while the kids are screaming and I'm cooking, mediating or changing diapers.
I love it.
Our kids have a blast - and a good role model.
There are some times I don't want him around.
I can't think of any annoying times - just times I needed my space.
I can't wait to see the ministry that these guys have 15 years down the road.
It's a sacrifice I've chosen to make.
It's fulfilling to be a part of Nathan's call on his life.

Bottom line.....it's for His glory and it's not about me.

No Drama, Just Boys

2010-08-10T11:58:00.000-05:00

I cannot fully imagine what it would be like to have more than one boy. I recently got a glimpse.....stinky, hot, sweaty, loud, rough, high speed, fun. I traded two little girls for one boy - our only nephew - for a couple of days. Toads has three little sisters and JL has two older sisters. If only there were some brothers along the way......I don't think I could handle it. We were at the soccer fields by 7:15 in the morning, spent over and hour trying on every piece of equipment Academy has to offer and played outside in the Texas heat and dirt for longer than String Bean and I care to remember. But did those two little guys have so much fun!! There were no bossy little girls to tell them what to do. I just hosed them down several times instead of discussing the dirt on everything and ignored all of the very loud crashes and thuds coming from the floor above me.

To all you moms of multiple or only boys....you have my respect. I think I will enjoy my drama queens for now and cut the boy some slack when he is tired of accommodating the females in his life. Now if only we can convince those sisters to wrestle without crying and sweat without complaining.

It's Good to Be Five

2010-08-09T15:32:00.000-05:00

This little jewel turned five years old today. Our Girly Girl is such a joy to have as part of our family and it has been five years full of excitement, all things pink, giggles, dress up, passion and of course some drama along the way. Her little personality is just precious even if sometimes puzzling. She only likes to play games she knows how to play - which means she can win. She wants everyone to follow the rules. She likes to be in charge of all of the aforementioned rules. She wants to play with her brother and all the boys - while wearing her tutu and heels. She loves to read. She takes things very seriously. Everything except her closet must be just so. She wanders in her own world. She is just perfect!

I am certain the next five years will bring many more moments of joy and laughter as we watch her grow into a young lady. I am looking forward to parenting and loving this precious gift from the Lord. I am thankful that He has entrusted her to us.

Happy Birthday Girly Girl!

Prayers Needed for Adah

2010-08-06T22:40:00.001-05:00

Please pray for the 6 yr old daughter of a friend of mine. Adah was diagnosed with leukemia on Tuesday and received her first chemo treatment today. I know her parents from my high school days and was able to visit them today at the hospital. They have a long road ahead.

You can follow their journey at www.caringbridge.com/visit/adahmorris and pray accordingly.

Sent from my iPhone

Just the Four of Us

2010-08-02T16:05:00.000-05:00

Our summer has been packed. I've been trying to make a list of all the memories we've made at home and on the road and I know I'm forgetting stuff. We've tried to enjoy our last summer with Girly Girl before she goes off to kindergarten - just letting her have no cares in the world before reality sets in. Well as much as it can in the life of a five year old. Our big trip was to Disney World. Actually, we went to Orlando for the Southern Baptist Convention, which we all really enjoyed but the kids will tell you we went to Disney. Somehow, four kids 6 and under at Disney in June never seemed to go well in my mind, so we only took the older two. Ages 6 and 4. Tall enough to ride most everything. We went knowing we did not intend to spend our life savings (take your own food in and save a bundle), so we narrowed it down to the 'must-dos' and had a blast even in the afternoon thunderstorms both days we were in the park. They absolutely loved it. Watching the excitement and thrill in their eyes as they saw princesses, rides and characters from their favorite shows was completely worth the heat, tired feet and dollars spent.

This trip will always be etched in my mind because we only had two children with us. It was a tad boring with only two, relatively independent children. That's compared to our normal four, not so independent moments. I was reminded how much I don't know what's best for me. Only the Lord does and He knew that two kids was not best. Having four kids is shaping us into more of who God designed us to be. I'm not sure what that will exactly look like 20 years from now, but I am glad it won't look at tad boring.

The Poor Fourth Kid

2010-07-29T16:10:00.000-05:00

At this point, our poor fourth child is fortunate that we even remembered that she turned one year old in June. There are times that you would think she gets the raw end of the deal and I have felt guilty about it at times. But honestly, there is only so much you can do. I did manage to get some one year photographs taken only 2 days after her birthday back in June. I am just now getting them out. She did have a party with two of her little friends (pictures another time, please) and she definitely does not go without. String Bean is such a sweet little snuggle bug. I just want to scoop her up all the time. Her little personality is really showing now. She now loves her Daddy - which he will tell you has not always been the case - and she can throw a real fit. She is just wonderful. Here are a few of her pictures that helped us capture these precious times.

The Extended Family

2010-07-25T23:11:00.001-05:00

Before our recent trip to visit cousins (Nathan's sister's family), we had some family pics taken of the big bunch. Nathan shared some of them here. These are some more that I wanted to add..........

The seven cousins...how one or more did not fall off the wall, we do not know.

String Bean (13 months)

Grandpa and Samoosa (2.5 years)

Girly Girl with a bug in her hand (4.5 years)

My two guys (Toads 6 years)

13 people all looking at the camera in Texas summer heat!

The Six Linos

The Rules Are Different Here

2010-07-20T22:21:00.000-05:00

We've spent the week with the cousins in Frisco and the rules are different here. You can do flips off the diving board, little guys can jump to a parent off the diving board, you don't have to wait for the person to be out of the water before you jump. My kids didn't know what to do with themselves with all of the freedom. Two year old, Samoosa has been begging to jump off the diving board back home and she is not allowed. Well today was the day. She climbed right up, put her toes on the edge and jumped off to her Aunt Kerith and me. She loved it! I'm not sure how I will manage with her when we get back home to a diving board she can't touch. Toads practiced a front flip and had a blast. All of the cousins have so enjoyed our time together. Other than a meltdown here or there, it has been a fabulous visit. I am so glad that we all live close enough for the little cousins to play and grow up together.

One of the Best Memories

2010-07-19T13:10:00.000-05:00

Hands down, I've made one of the best memories I will ever have of my children growing up.......taking Girly Girl on her first 'big girl' mission trip. It is something I will never forget and hopefully the impact on her heart and mind will also last a lifetime. She and I were able to spend just over 48 hours together - just me and her - working alongside our teenagers on one of their summer mission trips to Tulsa, Oklahoma. She didn't have to compete with anyone for my attention. We broke all the normal routine and rules (who cares if you have M&Ms for late night snack AND breakfast or stay up until midnight) and we just had a blast. We stayed up talking in bed about any and everything, we stopped whenever we wanted to on the 4.5 hour drive and bought snacks and drank sodas. Her adrenaline was pumping the whole time - bouncing off the walls and running down streets.

The time spent together as mom and daughter was amazing, but even more than that, the time spent walking side by side (or running ahead in her case) sharing Jesus with strangers and inviting people to hear God's Word was thrilling. We spent four hours walking the inner-city streets of Tulsa handing out tracts and having spiritual conversations when possible. She had no fear. The people didn't scare her. The surroundings didn't scare her. She handed out a Gospel tract to nearly every person we met. She was oblivious to the fact that the world around her speaks loudly against what she was doing. I was so proud of her.

We also participated in the revival/VBS evening activities. Girly Girl was one of the kids. She made crafts, listened to Bible stories and observed the recreation time (she's not big into losing or games she doesn't know). She had no idea that the kids she was with are so different from her in the world's eyes. She had no idea most of them didn't have a mom and dad at home - most not even one of the two. She had no idea that the hurts in their little hearts were bigger than most of us can even imagine. She had no idea that drug deals, hunger and addictions were commonplace in their lives. To her, they were all the same. To Jesus, they are all the same. I pray that as the world teaches her otherwise, her heart will be inclined to love them and offer them the hope of Jesus Christ.

Our team of teenagers and dedicated adults served as great role models for Girly Girl. They worked hard. The played hard. They love Jesus. I am so thankful for their willingness to include our little four-almost five year old. It is something that she will always remember. Thank you to Lindsey and Grant for having us on your door-to-door team. We loved it!

The memories are spectacular. I will treasure them always. Next up - Samoosa, in about two years! Girly Girl is already asking where Samoosa gets to go. Toads to Arkansas, Girly Girl to Oklahoma, where will Samoosa go?

Good Girl Fun on Mission

2010-07-16T21:55:00.000-05:00

So thankful for these girls that have helped show Girly Girl it's cool to be on mission for Christ!

We had a fabulous time in Tulsa together these past few days.

Back and Hopefully More Often

2010-07-14T23:11:00.001-05:00

I am back in the land of the blog. So much has happened since my last post. We have worked hard, been to convention, done Disney, travelled some, gotten some good pool time in, had big life happenings and now we are off again. I hope to be blogging more regularly as the summer winds down. Next post.....probably one of the most exciting of the summer. Girly Girl is going on her first 'big girl' mission trip. The kids and I left today to drive to visit the cousins and leave three of the four for a few days. Girly Girl and I will head out in the morning to meet up with our team in Oklahoma. We are so excited to get up there and be a part of what God is doing in and through our team. I can't wait for Campbell to be an active part of it. She is fired up!

Thank you Aunty Kerith and Uncle Brad for making this possible.

I Can't Believe It

2010-06-05T00:01:00.005-05:00

It has been a year! So much has happened. Our youngest daughter, who we affectionately call String Bean, entered the world one year ago today at 3:43 pm. We had not planned on having four kids. I had very mixed emotions about the whole thing - the delivery, getting four kids age five and under dressed, the hospital (it was different from the other three), going anywhere with all four, having time to do anything, the recovery, my age, my life plans. It was all very overwhelming and continued to be many months after her arrival. But that day was so much fun! By the time you get to the fourth, unless there are suprises, you know the drill. We did and it was easy, exciting and so much fun to meet the precious gift that God had given us. She was perfect. I can look back on that day and know that God had it all planned out from the very beginning despite our plans and thoughts. I am so glad He knows what He is doing because our lives are so much better with String Bean.

A short clip of her first day.....

Happy Birthday String Bean!

For Two Reasons

2010-06-04T22:47:00.000-05:00

This post is for two reasons only.......1) so relatives can see the boy at his kindergarten program and 2) so I can find this video ten years from now.

Relatives, enjoy......Toads' Kindergarten program from his last day of school. He is on the top row, in the middle and holds the letter 'O' in the alphabet song.

Everyone else, ignore.

How We Manage Without Him

2010-06-03T20:21:00.009-05:00

As many of you know, Nathan recently returned from a trip to Africa. While I normally like to travel with the kids while he is away to see my family and friends, this trip was different. We have a kindergartner in public school. He did not have nine days off of school while dad was in Zimbabwe. The five Linos stayed in our routine and continued on without him. Toads' school schedule worked out perfectly prior to the trip for us to have the afternoon together as a family. School released early the day before departure, so we ventured down to Discovery Green in downtown Houston. We had the green all to ourselves in the midst of the skyscrapers and then shared the water feature with a school field trip. It was a nice afternoon together as a family before the 9 nine days with only two emails as our only form of communication. I have many thoughts regarding a trip like this, so here is a short list:

---Nathan should go every chance he gets. The Lord always uses these times to work in and through Nathan for His glory. I don't ever want to stop that!

---Satan could easily use me and the kids to stop the Lord's work on these trips. He most often attacks in the health arena. (This time we narrowly avoided an asthma-related hospital stay and had two ear infections that made for really long nights.)

---I miss him while he is gone, but know the time apart is good for all of us. We certainly appreciate him and what he does more when he returns.

---I always feel safe while he is gone.

---I have a great respect for single moms and military wives - at least I know there is an end to going solo and we can count the short days until his return.

---We stick to our routine. Keeping everything as normal as possible makes for happy kids.

---I look forward to travelling with him one day!

One Book I Did Not Particularly Care For

2010-06-01T21:41:00.000-05:00

Reading is something I like to do, don't do enough of and wish I did faster. I try to read things that are going to be either helpful to my daily living or actually appeal to me. If I am going to read something with the purpose of it helping my daily living then I have some things I would like to see: 1) It cannot contradict the Bible in any way; 2)It uses the Bible for establishing principles; and 3)It is not stacked full of pop-psych, catchy trends.

Well, several months ago, I finished reading All You Need to Know About...Raising Girls. Since we have three of these little creatures in our care, I thought this would be great. There sure is a lot to know and I need it! "Raising Girls journeys into the heart of girls to help parents understand their daughter's different stages of development: what is normal, what is not, and how to relate effectively." - is what caught my eye when perusing amazon.com for a new book. Melissa Trevathan and Sissy Goff have broken the book up into three sections: What's Normal, What's Not - a look at typical behaviors in the discovery, adventurous, narcissistic and autonomous years; What's Going On With Her - in her heart and mind about relationships, family, boys and society's effects on her; and How Can I Help? - parenting through a clear lens.

The authors did what they did well. They have decades of combined experience in the counseling room with girls and they effectively communicated the scientific aspect of girls' developmental stages. They walked through each phase well enough for anyone with an un-scientific mind to recognize where their child is in the process. The book causes parents to at least question whether or not they are parenting through a blurry or clear lens......playing favorites, living vicariously through a child, anger, etc.

Raising Girls did fall short in a couple of areas for me. The Bible and its principles were not at the forefront. While in the introduction, the authors do incite a desire to 'equip you with a voice to call out who God has uniquely created her to be," it was not until well into the second chapter that the name of God was even mentioned. Scripture was certainly not drawn upon in great amounts. In fact, it was sparsely quoted. I found it difficult to reconcile calling out my uniquely created daughter without hardly a mention of the One who created her. Secondly, pop-psych was dominant. Many a quote from different psychologists and philosophers peppered the 243 pages. In many cases, the psychological statement or observation was used as a 'jumping-off point' rather than a supplement. Lastly, I was troubled by one particular example used by the authors to bring home a point. Now, I am realistic in understanding that dad is not always around (whatever the circumstance) to help mom home from the hospital, but in using the example of a mother bringing home her newborn baby from the hospital with her good female friend, the authors left room for interpretation on how they feel about the Biblical design for family. It seems to me that in a book deisgned to aid in the building of biblical families, a male-female scenario would have been desirable to establish the author's point.

I will take away from Raising Girls the fact that I don't know everything. I will not however, find all I need to know about raising my three precious girls from this book.

A Good Kind of Hiding

2010-05-25T20:11:00.000-05:00

We are so proud of all of the recent hiding that has been happening at our house. Hiding God's Word - particularly in the hearts of Toads and Girly Girl. They have worked hard over the past year at the Awana Club at church to memorize their verses. Girly Girl finished up her second and last year in Cubbies and memorized 30 verses. Toads completed his first year in Sparks where he memorized over 40 verses in his two books. At the award ceremony, he was part of the team that was scheduled to recite the Sparks code - P is for Power.

I continue to learn that even with the best of intentions, life with four kids never goes as planned. You just have to laugh. Awards day was one of those days. Sunday afternoon in preparation for the award ceremony, I had to finish applying all of the kids' patches/awards to their vests. I spent over an hour looking for Toads' vest that was not where it always is....still haven't found it. My attention to finding the vest was derailed when he woke up screaming from his Sunday afternoon nap. As a toddler he experienced the very painful nursemaid's elbow - a child's elbow bones get partially pulled out of joint and do not line up normally - in both elbows multiple times. Assuming he had outgrown it as most kids do, we had not given it another thought since the last epsiode three years ago. We have now been reaquainted with the blood curdling screaming that goes with putting the bone back in place.

I say all of that to emphasize how proud I am that Toads continued with his committment to recite the verse and receive his award. We went on to the church with his arm wrapped up tight next to his body and he climbed up on the stage and said his verse perfectly. We slipped out early to go to the emergency room where it took three adults to get the bone back into place - on the first try!

We are looking forward to alot more hiding of God's Word around here. They are always so excited when they hear one of 'their verses' somewhere else like in class or from the pulpit on Sunday mornings.

Great is our Lord and mighty in power. Psalm 147:5

Last One, I Promise

2010-05-23T07:51:00.002-05:00

This is the last of the graduation videos.

Yes, There's More

2010-05-21T10:48:00.000-05:00

The introduction to Girly Girl's preschool graduation. (mainly, just for the grandparents)

Not Often Enough

2010-05-20T14:58:00.000-05:00

We were able to spend some of our weekend with our sweet friends from college.....well, actually a little bit longer. Amanda is the only friend I have from birth that I keep up with and see on a regular basis. So many of my other friends from that long ago are the Facebook type friends now. Thirty four years later, we are both more than happily married and have seven kids between us.....four Cs and 3 Ks. Yes, the grandmothers have a hard time keeping them straight. I wish we could be together more often, but I am always blessed by the time the Lord does grant to us to spend time visiting and letting the kids play. We are the type of friends that time does not hinder. We pick up right where we left off the last time. There are few people in the world who mean as much to me as Amanda and her bunch.

Me and my four Cs (6, 4, 2 & 11 mos) with Amanda and her 3 Ks (6, 4 & 9mos)

The maternal grandmothers with the two youngest

String Bean (11 months) and KR (9 months)

The Preschool Diploma

2010-05-19T14:41:00.001-05:00

The preschool diploma means so much.....the real world is just around the corner. There were days that our Girly Girl just did not want to go to preschool because it was 'too much work.' She really did enjoy her preschool and especially her friends and teachers from this past year, Ms. Brock and Ms. Thompson. After spending three years at ECC, she is sad to see it go. Slowly but surely, she is getting used to the idea of making new friends at PFE.

The Females You Just Don't Hear About

2010-05-18T11:18:00.001-05:00

gendercide

gender-selective mass killing - the deliberate extermination of persons of a particular sex

I realize that I live in my 'four kids, suburban, 5 mile radius' world, but I like to think I keep up with some of what's going on in the world. I do watch the Fox News ticker. The information in these articles on the gendercide of females is staggering. You just don't hear about the millions of little baby girls that are either aborted or murdered upon birth simply because they are not male. My world is so insulated that this horrific information does not filter down to me. The problem is, as stated in Mohler's article, that the 'Western media have generally resisted any direct coverage of the horror' so it is not filtering down to most of America. Please read Dr. Mohler's article as well as the investigative report by The Economist to start educating yourself on this tragedy.

Ohh, how I love my one boy and three little girls!

Girly Girl's Debut with John 3:16

2010-05-17T13:38:00.003-05:00

preschool graduation for Girly Girl - each child recited one of their memory verses

Through Something So Short

2010-05-12T10:28:00.007-05:00

Last week, the Lord allowed the Six Linos to travel to Ft. Worth to be with our sweet friends, the Deasons and Greens as we honored the work of the Lord through their precious baby girl, Addison Lynn Deason. It was a special time to grieve the loss of this child and love on our friends who are hurting so deeply. The six days that Addison was on this earth have impacted so many, including me. So much of my mothering - the sleepless nights, the whining, the tying shoes all day long, the wiping noses, the changing diapers, the laundry, the cutting sandwiches, the reading one more book, the picking up toys - is all put in a much better perspective. Ginny won't ever do any of those things for Addison. Ginny and Stephen are a marvelous testimony of the Lord's willingness to sustain His children and give them the grace to endure suffering. They have testified to His glory at work in them. I am thankful that the Lord has shown me and countless others more of who He is through this family.

This is from Ginny.........

For those of you who weren't able to be at the funeral, here is a testimony I had my Dad read for me. The Lord kept me up 'till 4:30 Wednesday morning writing this, and I didn't stop typing until He told me to. I hope it encourages you...

A Testimony of

~Addison Lynn Deason~

From: Her Mommy, Ginny Lynn Deason

I was given the great honor, joy, and privilege to carry my sweet and precious baby girl, Addison Lynn for 9 months in my womb. What an incredible blessing! From the day I found out I was pregnant, and even before we found out we were having a girl, I loved that baby more than I can say. The first time I felt her move and kick inside me, I was in awe of the Lord’s amazing miracle of life growing in me. I was completely overwhelmed with joy and excitement the first time Stephen and I heard her amazing and strong heartbeat. From the time I was old enough to hold a baby doll in my arms, I wanted so badly to grow up and marry my “Prince Charming” and to experience the joy of being a Mommy. Well, I grew up, and found my Prince who loves me deeply and tells me that every day through not only his words, but his actions as well. Not only did I find my husband, but I became a Mommy also, and I can truly say that the Lord has given me the desires of my heart! Even though Addison can no longer be here with her Mommy and Daddy, we know that she is safe in the arms of Jesus, and that He is taking good care of her. He loves her very much, and we know that we will get to see her again some day. Until that day comes…we will live to serve and honor the Lord, and we pray that in doing so, many would come to know the Lord, and they will get to spend eternity with Him like Addison and us (her parents). We know that we will spend eternity in heaven with Him, because the Bible so clearly tells us in Romans 10:9, “That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Sweet friend or family member, I pray that you too have made that decision, and that I will get to spend eternity in heaven with you as well. I would like to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for the prayers, love and support you have given to Me, Stephen and our families. I can not find the words to properly thank you all enough. I am overwhelmed with how much you all have cared for us, loved on us, and prayed for us during this most difficult time. My prayer throughout this whole trial has been that I would shine the light of Christ, and that I would live to be a blessing for life. Even in the midst of great pain, I can still have joy, because I know that the Lord is my rock and my strength. He alone is the one who gives us strength for each day. Although I am deeply missing my sweet baby, I know that she is with her maker, and that I will see her again some day in His timing. I praise God that I can echo the words of Job 1:21 that says, “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD." Addison Lynn’s short life of just 6 days, has impacted my life in so many wonderful ways, and I long to see her precious face again some day. Lord, thank-you for the time we had with our baby girl. Thank-you for giving her to us for 6 short days here on the earth, but also thank-you for the 9 months I was able to enjoy her in my womb. I love you so much Father, and I pray that I would come forth as gold after I am refined by the fire. Oh how I long to see your face Lord, and to be with my little Addison again! Thank-you for all that you have done for me, and for the blessing I have received in being a Mother. You are truly faithful and Your will and plan for my life is the best, and is more than I can hope for or imagine. In Your name I pray…Amen. In closing I would like to share the words of a song that has spoken to my heart, and it is truly the desire of my heart to express this to the Lord.

The song is, “You are Still Holy” by Kim Hill and it goes like this,

Holy, You are still holy
Even when the darkness surrounds my life
Sovereign, You are still sovereign
Even when confusion has blinded my eyes
Lord, I don't deserve Your kind affection
When my unbelief has kept me from Your touch
I want my life to be a pure reflection
Of Your love

And so I come into Your chamber
And I dance at Your feet, Lord
You are my Savior
And I'm at Your mercy
All that has been in my life
Up 'til now
It belongs to You
You are still holy
Holy, You are still holy

Even though I don't understand Your ways
Sovereign, You will be sovereign
Even when my circumstances don't change
Lord, I don't deserve your tender patience
When my unbelief has kept me from Your truth
I want my life to be a sweet devotion
To You

And so I come into Your chamber
And I dance at Your feet, Lord
You are my Savior
And I'm at Your mercy
All that has been in my life
Up 'til now
It belongs to You
I belong to You

And so I come into Your chamber
And I dance at Your feet
You are my Savior
And I'm at Your mercy
All that has been in my life
Up 'til now
It belongs to You
I belong to You
You are still holy
You are still sovereign
You are still holy, Lord
You are still righteous
You are all-knowing
You are still holy

Dearest friends and family, I am encouraged to say that even in the midst of great trial, and pain, the Lord is still on His throne. He is without a doubt, holy, sovereign and righteous…

Praise be to God forever and ever…Amen.

I love my family so much, and miss my sweet Addison. I am looking forward to seeing her again some day, after I see Jesus face to face. She will take me on the "grand tour" of heaven..and I can't wait for that day...

She's Really Into This Until She Knows You're Watching

2010-05-11T22:21:00.001-05:00

One of the songs from Girly Girl's preschool graduation. She knew them all, but this is the one she was waaaay into when practicing at home.

We Have Another One

2010-05-11T22:13:00.001-05:00

We now have two preschool graduates! Girly Girl joined her 14 other classmates this evening to celebrate the end of their preschool years and receive diplomas. She was not too excited about going. I had to coax her into her cap and gown, but once she arrived she had a fabulous time. Her experience at ECC has been tremendous. She has learned so much about the Lord, the real world, academics and had tons of fun doing it. Kindergarten, here we come!

The Loss of a Dream

2010-05-11T07:33:00.002-05:00

My path recently crossed with this poem by Emily Perl Kingsley. It was originally written to help describe what it is like to parent a child with a disability, but as you will see it applies to much more........

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip – to Italy. You buy a bunch of guidebooks and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum, the Michelangelo David, the gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland?!" you say. "What do you mean, Holland?" I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy.

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to some horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy a new guidebook. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around, and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills, Holland has tulips, Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy, and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life you will say, "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

The pain of that will never, ever, go away, because the loss of that dream is a very significant loss.

But if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things about Holland.

Welcome to Holland written by Emily Perl Kingsley

I know people who have landed in Holland. Some just landed and some have been there for years. Some have taken note of the beauiful things in Holland. Some have not. Some are there because of a dream for their child - disabilities, making a team, finding a mate and more. Some are there because of a dream for themselves - career, goals, becoming a grandparent and more. Some are there because of a dream for their spouse - finding the one, divorce, career and more. Whether they express it or not, it's challenging being in Holland when everyone else is travelling to Italy.

While I am not in Holland now, I may find myself there one day. I pray it doesn't take me long to see the lovely things. In the meantime, I pray I am sensitive to those in Holland as I travel to Italy.

After 11 Years

2010-05-09T22:12:00.000-05:00

I had a wonderful Mother's Day today...for several reasons. I didn't have to cook. I took a nice nap. Everyone was healthy (for the most part). It was my first as a mother of FOUR. And, my mom was with us for the first time in 11 years. After I married, we moved to North Carolina and there were other celebrations that won out in the 'when do we fly back to Texas' race. Once we started NEHBC, it was a bit challenging to get away on a Sunday. I made a point to invite Mom and Dad over this year because it was the first time that mom would celebrate Mother's Day after the loss of her own mother, Grandmommie. Knowing that they would be free to travel this year, I planned the weekend. Nothing big. Just together. All three of us kids were here and we just spent time together and visited. Today, we worshipped at NEHBC and went out to eat. The restaurant which is normally quite nice was actually terrible. Poor service put many of us in grouchy moods. While I enjoyed not cooking, it might have been better to stay home to cook and clean!

I am so thankful to the Lord for my mom. She has always been the loving and devoted mom that anyone would want. I know I can't even begin to understand all of the sacrifices that she has made over the years for our family. So much of her time in the last 34 years has been pouring her heart, time and energy into helping the three of us become who we are today. I think she did a great job! Thanks mom for loving each of us so much.

Just Makes You Melt

2010-05-08T15:54:00.001-05:00

Our oldest typed this on his 'computer' today. O, how I love being
mommy to this boy!

Still Small Enough

2010-05-06T19:30:00.000-05:00

After dinner bath at 11 months old....such fun!

While We Are Gone

2010-05-01T20:52:00.000-05:00

They've had too much fun with Aunt Jessie and Uncle Derek!

And She Sleeps

2010-04-30T06:07:00.002-05:00

The night before you go out of town is always crazy. Well it is at my house, anyway. I always stay up late into the night packing and checking my lists. Well Wednesday night was one of those nights. Nathan and I are getting away for a retreat and some meetings and leaving the four kids behind. Two pairs in two different cities and we are going to a third and fourth city. This packing night was a little more interesting than most and one I care to never repeat again.

Samoosa wasn't feeling well and I thought it was just a cough/cold thing. At 1 am she proved there was more to it and the hotdog, milk and whatever else she ate came right up on our white couch and all in her hair. Needless to say, cleaning vomited hotdog out of the sick two year old's hair in the middle of the night was not the easiest task. Why do they always vomit up the nasty food? It's never something plain and bland like dry cheerios. Upon completion of the clean up process she sprawled out on the blanket just a few feet from the front door to watch me finish packing. And this is where she sleeps..........not the safest or most comfortable spot!

Addison Still Needs Your Prayers

2010-04-29T01:54:00.000-05:00

Baby Addison is still very sick. She is just over three days old and needs your prayers. They have not been able to do all of the tests that they would like to do so please pray that her body would respond the way it needs to for the necessary tests. Please pray for wisdom for the doctors. Please pray for precious Addison's parents - Ginny and Stephen - who have not been able to hold their sweet girl in their arms yet.

Already???

2010-04-28T23:19:00.000-05:00

Praying for Baby Addison

2010-04-26T08:33:00.000-05:00

Please join me in praying to our Great Physician and Comforter on behalf of this precious family. Nathan and I have known Ginny (mommy) since she was in middle school when we met her parents at seminary. We love this family (all of the Greens and Deasons) dearly and they need a great army of prayer warriors before the throne on their behalf NOW. Baby Addison was born yesterday morning and is critically ill. You can see an update from this morning written by her Pops on Facebook:

Addison Update - Monday 4/26 morning

Friends, I've spoken to Cheryl this morning and she said Addison is extremely critical. The Drs. informed Ginny and Cheryl this a.m. that Addison has some severe problems that they will not be able to fully diagnose for the next 72 hours, most of which surrounds her brain. They have her on a "cooling therapy" regimen where they lower her body temperature to slow down her systems, hoping to stop this abnormal activity. They are pretty certain she has some sort of brain damage but will not know the extent of it until after they complete this regimen and do an MRI. Along with the complications from her breathing in birth fluids into her little lungs, they are gravely concerned as to whether she will be able to survive. The good news is they think her lungs are now clear of fluid but this may have caused other problems. The reality of this news is hitting us hard. We know the Lord is in control and has a wonderful plan for Addison and us. We are praying for this little life that God has given us and we would love to raise her to love and serve Jesus for a long life; but we're surrendering to His will and praying that His glory would be made known one way or the other. We are humbled by the outpouring of support and prayers from the saints of God who are flocking to the gates of Heaven in prayer on behalf our precious Addison. Words cannot express our gratitude and we stand in awe of our Heavenly Father. Addison has the best care no money can buy because the Great Physician has her chart. We love you all.

Time Well Spent

2010-04-23T21:49:00.003-05:00

Toads (10 wks, 5.11.2004) - Girly Girl (6 wks, 9.18.2005) - Samoosa (4 wks, 10.18.2007)

The pediatrician's office is a place I frequent often. The receptionist no longer asks our names. They just welcome us in and my kids recognize all the staff by name. It's a bit embarrassing sometimes. But, when you have four kids everything seems to be magnified and we pass everything around. Our kids are 6, 4, 2, and 10 months. If you only count 'well-child' visits I have been there at least 30 times. That doesn't even count the 20 plus ear infections, 5+ pneumonias, broken arm, odd allergic reactions and countless asthma visits.

String Bean (10 mos, 4.4.2010)

The past few weeks, we've been there for something new.....weight gain. String Bean is looking a little too stringy. Now I know there are plenty of kids that are small and petite but as you can see my experience is with chubby little babies. String Bean has slowly dropped on the growth chart to where now at 10.5 months we are trying to get her back on the chart. My level of concern has increased over the past several weeks but my visit with the ped on Wednesday put me at ease.

Previously, for weight checks I had just seen a nurse or a partner that was available at the time but Wednesday, we saw our doctor - Dr. Cynthia Smoot at Humble Pediatrics.

While pregnant with our first, I put together my legal pad of questions and went in search of a pediatrician that I could trust with my children and who valued the things that were important to us. I made appointments with area pediatricians and asked lots of questions of each. The normal questions regarding office availability but more importantly, questions like:

How do you feel about ADD and Ritalin?
How do you feel about breast feeding?
Where do you stand on immunizations?
What kind of advice would you give me about behavior problems with my child?
What would you tell me if I was seeking an abortion for any subsequent pregnancies?

The answers to these questions were very important to me. I wanted someone who was going to support us in how we were raising our children, someone who would not fight me tooth and nail when we made decisions, someone who would tell me how it is, someone I was comfortable with medically and spiritually, someone who would speak Truth to me as we faced various medical issues. One of the doctors I spoke with told me 'he would not advise me against an abortion. If it was something I wanted, he would support me.' That is not what I wanted and I would be terrified to recommend him to any friends for fear of him giving unbiblical advice to them.

The Lord led me to the right doctor. Dr. Smoot is that person. I am so thankful for her and how God has used her in the life of our family. She loves the Lord. I trust her. I can speak candidly with her. My kids love her. My time spent interviewing was more than worth it. She was kind and clear this week. We will do what we need to do. String Bean is gaining weight (slowly) and we are not going to stress out about it.

Everyone Says It

2010-04-19T16:31:00.000-05:00

"Enjoy it, they grow up so fast." If you have heard it once, you have heard it a thousand times and it's true. They do grow up fast. Our oldest is counting the number of days left in kindergarten. The second has kindergarten round up next week. The third actually speaks now. And the fourth, well, she can climb up the short stairs already. It's all so exciting! They are having so much fun growing into their personalities and loving life. I am having fun just being part of it. The Lord gave us four great kids and I plan on enjoying it....all of it. Always.

Annual Pilgrimage

2010-04-17T10:09:00.000-05:00

We did it! We made it to the bluebonnets before they disappeared. I have been known to drive great distances, in an RV on a dirt road through a cemetery to get the annual picture. This year was not nearly as exciting. We just pulled in at the airport and hopped out with the camera. Short and sweet. Well maybe not sweet......teeth were cutting and 'itchy' could be heard for miles. The boy has been released from having to make Mom happy and so it is just the girls.

This is My Life NOW

2010-04-14T22:36:00.001-05:00

There are many things I could be doing right now. Laundry, vacation research, studying, sleeping (sounds like the best option to me), cleaning, rocking a baby (no, this one is the best), helping with homework, writing, picking up toys, calendar planning, visiting with friends, praying for church members, etc but my mind just keeps coming back to being worn out. Throwing a pity-party could be an option, too. You see, I have this pastor husband, these four growing kids, this house, this ministry, this place of service, that all require something of me. I have to tell myself regularly that this 'is my life now'. It won't always be like this. I will have time to paint my nails one day without them getting scuffed by a tonka truck zooming across the floor. I will one day regularly go to the grocery store in under an hour. I will one day only make one bed a day. I will one day have a full weekend. I will one day not carry my wallet in a diaper bag. I will one day walk through a parking lot without holding a little hand. One day I will not be worn out. Ok, I can hear you now - 'that one day will just be a different worn out'.

You may be right, but the only problem is the glory of God. Worn out or not, my life should be bringing glory to God. This doesn't just happen on its own and rarely am I a shining example. It has to be a conscious decision.

Some thoughts on how I do what I can to honor Him in my worn out state of being......

-my pastor husband has an important, time consuming job - do my best to not make it harder for him; no complaining; no interfering-

-a cheerful attitude with my four kids-

-stay on top of the 'making home a home' tasks-

-get good rest - take a break here and there-

-carve out time for Him and His Word - regularly-

-say 'no' to the requests that don't fit into the 'for His glory' plan-

-have fun-

-remind myself 'it's not about me' and this 'is my life now!'-

Let my mouth be filled with Your praise and with Your glory all the day. Psalm 71:8

You Can Still Wear Cute Shoes

2010-04-05T10:40:00.000-05:00

There are lots of words, titles, thoughts that describe me. Some of them I would like to rid myself of, but there is one I love that will always be a part of me.....pastor's wife. I knew God called me to be a 'ministry wife' before I met Nathan, I just didn't know exactly how it was all going to play out. Music guy, missionary guy, youth guy, pastor guy? Only God knew which one of these 'guys' was the best for me. And here I am eleven years after marrying my spectacular pastor guy. There is too much to know about being a pastor's wife that it can't all be jotted in one post- or any one book, but I do want you (specifically other minister's wives - or future ones who don't have their 'guy' yet) to know about a book I recently finished. Lisa McKay has written and recently released You Can Still Wear Cute Shoes -

'An utterly honest, charmingly-witty, and biblically insightful guide for every minister’s wife who wants to serve the church and support her husband -without losing herself along the way.'

I loved this book because of Lisa McKay's willingness to write about the realities of life married to the ministry in an easy to read, straight-forward manner. She writes like she is sitting across the table from you chatting over a nice Starbucks drink. She uses Scripture to set forth strategies for dealing with the issues that are often struggles in the life of the woman standing next to the man in the pulpit - church conflict, fitting a mold, friendships, raising PKs, saying hello and goodbye. There are questions at the end of each chapter to help you evaluate where you are on each topic.

If you have ever wanted to know what life is like living in the fishbowl of ministry, grab this book. Lay people and staff wives alike will get a good glimpse of what it is like for a woman, called by God, to serve alongside her ministry guy. Definitely a good, easy (I finished the 198 pager in under 24 hours with four kids) read for any woman in the ministry and a great encouragement to those drowning in the turbulent waters of their calling.

Colored Eggs for Easter

2010-03-29T10:23:00.001-05:00

We usually color eggs a couple of days before Easter just as something fun to do - making sure not to give it any major air time or significance in the life of our Easter celebrations. For obvious reasons, we do not want our kids to equate Easter with the coloring of our cute little eggs. We have several things we do to make sure the four little Linos understand and value the reason we celebrate Easter - the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. We have added a set of colored eggs to our Easter festivities this year. We are using Family Life's Resurrection Eggs to supplement our family Bible time leading up to Easter. It is 'one dozen bright colorful eggs, meaningful objects, and a devotional booklet bring the story of the death and resurrection of Christ to life' and can be used in a number of different ways. We opened the first egg Saturday night over the course of dinner and Nathan recounted the story of Palm Sunday. As this week progresses, each of the objects inside the eggs will play a part in helping us impact the hearts of our children with the gospel message. This is just one way that we are trying to creatively (someone else's wonderful idea and not mine, of course) help them move forward in their comprehension of who God is and the redemption story. They are all very excited about the surprise in the eggs. They can't wait to see how many eggs we get to open tomorrow and what part of the story it helps tell. This is the set of Easter eggs that I want our kids remember.

Ten Life Commitments of a Woman of Truth

2010-03-27T22:44:00.003-05:00

First, I take no credit for any of this. I recently listened to a recording of a talk from the most recent SBC Annual Meeting in Louisville, Kentucky. The speaker was Mary Kassian and I can tell you now, I like how this woman thinks…..about life, the Bible, womanhood and much more. At this particular event, she walked through Titus 2 and shared ten life commitments of a woman of truth – what it means to be a woman of truth. Most of these ten things fly in the face of our culture today and go against what many of us probably unconsciously ascribe to. She says this is the bible’s vision of a woman of truth – ‘in your face, raw, irksome, painful, liberating, life giving, life defining, counter-cultural, healing, peroxide in the wound kind of truth.’ Here they are:

A Woman of Truth……..

1 – has a radical devotion to God. Her life is not about her, but wholly about the glory of God.

2 – holds to sounds doctrine. She studies and accurately handles the Word of God. She has doctrinal convictions. She can correctly determine what is good-evil, right-wrong based on the objective truth of the Word of God.

3 – loves the family plan. She is a lover of husband and children. She treasures and values the family (single women, too). She does not undermine the holiness of marriage. She does not speak ill of men or criticize them. She honors the marriage relationships around her.

4 – lives intentionally. She has self discipline in how she lives and conducts herself as a woman. She builds bridges to get her where she wants to be (like routine so she doesn't neglect family or time with God; encouraging husband; joining a bible study) and barriers to keep herself from going where she doesn’t want to go (like deciding not to be alone anywhere with a man that is not her husband; restricting her internet access; not emailing men) in her life.

5 – has godly character. She is pure and holy and holds herself to a high standard. She compares herself to God’s standards and not those of her girlfriends.

6 – has womanly priorities. She creates and manages a welcoming home. She delights in her unique role as a home creator and devotes her best efforts and time to that which is most important in her particular circumstance and season of life. She has a heart for the home both physically and spiritually.

7 – has womanly purpose. She is kind. She is a helper and not a hinderer for her husband and in all relationships.

8 – has womanly disposition. She is submissive; has a gentle, quiet and deferent spirit. She has an inclination to bend.

9 – is a spiritual mother. She is a teacher of what is good; a life-giver; nurtures and cares for others.

10 – displays the beauty of the gospel. She does not revile the Word of God. She reflects the character and responsiveness of the bride of Christ and exalts the glory of the Lord Jesus.

You really need to hear her to get the full effect and passion of what she is saying. I was convicted on so many levels. The Holy Spirit continues to use this message in my life to mold me and change me. I will never be the perfect woman of truth found in God’s word but as she says in this message, the Holy Spirit can make more holy today than I was yesterday. I want it to be so.

PS – You can get a copy of the CD from http://www.sbctapes.com/ (go to the 2009 Pastor's Conference and Southern Baptist Convention link). There are also numerous resources on Mary Kassian’s website that deal with biblical manhood and womanhood. Great stuff!