Wednesday, March 30, 2011

The best news ever!

     Last year when Emma was in Kindergarten we started talking about asking Jesus in our hearts. She was learning so much at church and AWANA and was asking tons of questions all the time. Let me just stop  right here and say how much we LOVE our church. They have great programs for everyone. The first time we visited Saxon told me that was the first time he paid attention for an entire service! He was 25 or 26! Ok, back to Emma's story.  We made an apppointment at that time to talk to our Children's Pastor at church. Emma was very shy talking to him and it didn't really go well. So we just waited. She knew she LOVED Jesus and wanted to do the right things but was not really sure about the whole thing. We started talking a lot more to her and just answered her questions, not pushing. So a few weeks ago she decided she was ready. She asked Jesus in her heart and was ready to be baptized. (Emma, Spencer and Eden have been practicing getting baptized in the bath tub for quite a while now! LOL) I worked on the weekend she went down front to tell our pastors that she wanted to be baptized. Saxon said she was so proud and confident. Just like I knew she would be.
     The next week Emma was baptized by our children's pastor. It was March 20th, our 7th wedding anniversary. What a great gift knowing our daughter will be in heaven with us for eternity! Nothing could beat that. I cannot wait to see what kind of wonderful Godly woman  Emma will grow into. I know she will do great things. She has such a big heart and is a very compassionate little girl. I love her so much.
     On aside note-last night I helped her with a project for school and it was titled "Emma's favorite things" We had many pictures on there of things she liked to do like dance, listen to music, and ride her bike. Well she wanted to put a picture of her and her friend Tori on there holding their new bibles. She said one of her favorite things is her Bible. That is so awesome. She has been sharing about asking Jesus in her heart at school and I know she will make a difference in someones life, even at the age of 6!

Here are some pictures of Emma getting her bible from the church back in the fall.


Emma with our pastor



Emma and Tori




Here are the pictures of her Baptisim.


In her robe waiting for the service to start.


Emma and Mr. Heath our Children's pastor



So happy!


Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Spring Break

      It is finally spring break and I have had spring fever. I am so happy that our first 2 days have been warm. The kids have had a blast. Yesterday, Monday we got up early and met my mom, sister Brooke and her 4 kids at the Children's Museum in Memphis. We had a blast. The kids had so much fun and the exhibit there right now is The Wizard of Oz. That was one of my favorite movies as a kid. 


Eden

Emma

The munchkins Cale, Ian and Spencer


Eden



Up next were the cars and fire trucks!


Spencer


I even got in on the fun!


Spencer and Cale

After that we moved to the area where you could act like you were on tv. This was a lot of fun!



in front of the green screen


what they could see!



The favorite of the day was shopping in the Kroger store. They all had their own baskets and could check out with real registers. They could have stayed in that area for hours.

Emma scanning her items


Eden with her basket


Spencer checking out

The museum also had a fed ex airplane in the building. The kids could sit in seats and play in the cockpit. It was really neat. They had an area to practice flying a plane. We were not very good at that but it was fun.


In the airplane





Day 2 we spent at my mom and dad's house. We worked on art projects and just relaxed!





Thursday, March 10, 2011

Evidence of God in my life....

My very good friend Ellen is doing a series of blogs called Courage Builder, evidence of God in my life. I am totally enjoying reading her uplifting stories and so I though I would share a few of my own.


     The first time I can truly remember the presence of the Holy Spirit was way back when I was a little girl. I believe I was in the 2nd grade. My fear of storms started when I was just a wee little girl in children's church. We were learning about Noah's ark. The teachers flashed the lights and banged on things to make it "storm" in our children's church and it scared me half to death. I don't remember this but my mom told me that they had to come get her out of church because I was so upset. After that day I was scared of storms! I'm not just talking a little scared, terrified! If it was remotely cloudy outside I was like glue to my mom or dad. If it began to thunder or lightening I was hysterical. During an entire storm I would lay close to my mom with a pillow over my head. If she left the room, I was right behind her. It was so bad that I would not wear sunglasses because it "looked" dark outside.

7For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
                                                                                              2 Timothy 1:7

     Growing up in Arkansas we had our fair share of tornadoes in the spring. So when I was in the 2nd grade I had spent the night with a friend from school. It was starting to get cloudy and I knew I wanted to get home before the storms started. I got home and shortly after there were tornadoes everywhere. My mom and I were the only ones home. I have no idea where anyone else was. We got in a closet when the sirens started going off. I was terrified as usual and my mom started singing. Just to pass time and to calm me down. She started singing songs from church, I knew every song she was singing but I was to scared to sing along. Pretty soon I could clearly hear someone else singing with her word for word. I knew no one else was home but I didn't say anything, I just continued to listen to "them" sing and suddenly there was a peace over me that I had never felt before. I was not scared anymore even though we knew there was a tornado close to our house. After everything was over I told my mom I could hear someone singing. She said " that was me" I said "No, I could hear 2 people singing" she told me that it was an angel singing with her. I truely believe that. I was so scared and that is how God showed me that He was there and that His angels were there to watch over us and to keep us safe. Even as a child God cared and wanted me to have a peace that only he could give me.

     It was still several years before I was freed from the fear of storms. I remember my mom praying over me all the time. Praying for peace....she would speak Psalm 91 to me over and over. It was a horrible fear, I had it even into adulthood. Now when it storms I still get an uneasy feeling but nothing like before. I am not scared of thunder and lightening. Just a little concerned when they start talking about tornadoes, but the first thing I do is get out my bible and start reading Psalm 91 out loud. I want my kids to hear it. I do not want them to be afraid. I want them to have a peace in their hearts that God will protect them no matter what the circumstances.

 

Psalm 91

 1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
   will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]
2 They say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
   my God, in whom I trust.”
 3 Surely he will save you
   from the fowler’s snare
   and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
   and under his wings you will find refuge;
   his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
   nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
   nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
   ten thousand at your right hand,
   but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
   and see the punishment of the wicked.
 9 If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”
   and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
   no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
   to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
   so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
   you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
 14 “Because they love me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue them;
   I will protect them, for they acknowledge my name.
15 They will call on me, and I will answer them;
   I will be with them in trouble,
   I will deliver them and honor them.
16 With long life I will satisfy them
   and show them my salvation.”

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

BLESSINGS



     I heard this song on KLOVE a few days ago while dropping off Emma at school and I just cried listening to it. There have been so many times when I have pled with God to just answer my prayers. All these things I think I want and I think what is best and he is just waiting....waiting on me to give up...waiting on me to give it to him. He may have answered my prayer just not the way that I think is best. What if our trials of life are His mercies in disguise? I know they are. I believe God would never hurt us but in the same breath I also believe he allows us to make choices and lets things happen for a reason. To help us to grow stronger to learn. Just like any parent would do with their child. He is blessing us even in our fear, anger, hurt, and darkness.

     ...." Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, AND TO SEE MY GLORY,  the glory you have given me, because you loved me before the creation of the world." John 17:24.....

-Here are the words to the song above-

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

(Chorus)
'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if the thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
As long as we have faith to believe

Chorus

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home

Chorus

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise

Friday, March 4, 2011

From 2 to 28!

     Today I thought I would share about my family. Not just Saxon and my kids, but my whole family. My mom and dad and siblings...My Dad and Mom met in college and I love to hear the story of how they first me. My dad asked my mom on a date and he stood her up, he finally apologized and asked her out again and then she stood him up! HA! That sounds like something I would do. They finally started dating and got married on Feb 20, 1966. They just celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary. They are such a great example for me. I hope and pray that my marriage will last that long. Here is a recent picture of them at a wedding. I wish I had some old pictures of them . They are all at their house (2 hours away from here.)

     My Mom and Dad have 5 kids. Jon, Spencer, Meg, Brooke and Me.

     My oldest brother Jon and his wife Loralea live in Texas. They have 5 kids.

     Here are their five kiddos! From oldest to youngest...Katelyn, Michael, Jake, Lexi and Emily.
     Next up is my brother Spencer and his wife Kim. They have two boys Elliott and Zach. They live in Missouri.
     My sister Meg and her husband Ryan live in Mississippi and have two girls Bailey and Auburn.


My sister Brooke and her husband Jon live in Jonesboro with their 4 kids.
   
 Here are their kids..oldest to youngest. Haddie, Berkeley, Ian and Cale.


     Last but not least I am the youngest of the Seale clan. Saxon and I live just outside of Little Rock.  We have 3 kids. Emma, Spencer and Eden.

     If you have kept count through this post my parents have a grand total of 16 grandkids! WOW! Ranging in age from 3-19. That is a big group of people. It is so hard to all get together in one place at one time. We live in four different states and with everyone's busy schedules it is near impossible. This past Thanksgiving we finally did it. We have not ALL been together since all the grandkids have been born. It was an amazing fun day. We took tons of pictures and the kids had a blast playing with each other. It was very loud in that house but I know my parents were so happy to have their whole family together, even if it was just for 1 day!
Here are some pictures of the day.

The five of us together again.


us with Mom and Dad.




All 16 kids!
     As you can see the girls out number the boys 9-7. I can only imagine what it will be like when all those girls on the couch are teenagers! We didn't have anyone to take a picture of the entire crew. After 45 years together my parents went from 2 to 28. That is one wonderful life story!