The Church of Brotherly Love

Currently, Matt and I are working through John MacArthur's Revelation study with our dear friends, Dru and Brittany. We have loved every minute of it. In addition, I listen to online sermons of Revelation by one of my most beloved pastors, Jon Courson. The studies complement one another nicely. Jesus had no correction/admonishment for the church in Philidelphia. They kept His name. They followed Him. They loved Him. I pray that we, as His Body, will steer clear of divisive debates and focus on evangelism and love for one another.  Theology discussions are edifying and often necessary, but we must not lose sight of unity within the Body of Christ--good lessons for us all. How easy it is to go there if we're not mindful. Eternity is what's at stake for every soul--not denominationalism. Take a listen if you have time this week. I believe it will strengthen your walk with Christ.  I'm thankful for teachers who lovingly yet firmly remind the Body of Jesus' great love and His call for all believers to witness to the ends of the earth. Jon shares a tender story of evangelism and brotherly love in action at the end, so be sure to listen all the way through! I hope each of you who listen find joy, comfort, peace, and grace today in the arms of Jesus. Much brotherly love to you all.

http://www.joncourson.com/teaching/teachingsplay.asp?teaching=NV5516

** His son, Ben, teaches frequently. You can find studies/sermons from both Jon and Ben on the side links.

Back to School

 

As of today, we officially have a second grader in our house. Say what? Crazy but true. Our morning started wonderfully with a special surprise breakfast prepared by Daddy Principal. He's so good to us. Little Man gobbled his breakfast in bed. Yep, he is that special and cherished!

Our hearts' desires are to begin each school day with family or independent devotions. The Lord firmly pressed this upon my heart, personally, over the last few months. I wholeheartedly believe we are the best, and sadly sometimes worst, models to our kiddos. Our call to display before them healthy, godly habits is serious business.  Last week, our sweet ones began their first year in AWANA. Both are huge fans and are working diligently on memory verses. It's fitting for our family at this time to use AWANA as a base for instilling a solid, biblical foundation into their hearts and minds. Isaac and Malayna look forward to this time, and the books and c.d. provide an engaging way for them to learn. We are thrilled for them to take part in such a Christ-centered program.

We'll dig into learning about our great and glorious Savior, Jesus Christ, and His creation as much as we can this year. Please pray for me as Isaac's teacher. I need much grace, patience, love, and wisdom to keep this ship afloat. My attempts are often feeble. Pray for my heart to remain focused on what He has called our family to at this time. Pray that I teach in a way that glorifies His name. Pray that His light will shine brightly and others will praise Him. Please leave a comment or message me as to how I can specifically pray for you and your kiddos as the school year commences.Whether it be public, private, or home-based education, the Lord has a specific plan for your family. Let's trust Him as each day unfolds. Let's look to the throne in heaven during our times of uncertainty and doubt this year as parents and teachers. May He grant you all that your family needs to ensure a successful year. He is faithful in His leading and will supply you with bountiful, life-sustaining grace.

 Isaac and his teacher. I hope he likes her. :)

 

 Starting our morning with AWANA devotions and review. We will hang the map and some other resources, but we're settled enough to start this week. We relocated to a new area about 6 weeks ago and knew we had to decide what area to use for school. The upstairs loft area seemed like a logical fit. So far it's working out quite nicely.

 

 Mama's nook of Scripture. I wrote these verses out many months ago. I found them while unpacking and fixed to "write them on my doorposts". I'm certain they will refresh my soul in times of craziness or weariness.

 

 Little Mel practicing her fourth position arms. This girl loves ballet.

 

 Focusing his attention on the history timeline. This year, we will write 161 pivotal events in world history.

 

CHEESE! I'm in SECOND grade!!!!

 Such a sweet sight for this mama's heart. She adores her artwork, too.

 

A friend from our previous Classical Conversations group created a simple daily schedule for each of her kiddos. I tweaked it and reorganized it to suit our needs. This Scripture aptly applies and hopefully will help Isaac understand the big picture of life--to serve the Lord in all he does.

 

I'd count this day successful. Good attitudes for the most part, and we accomplished almost everything on our daily schedule. God is gracious, and I pray He grants us the perseverance to faithfully learn and seek His face this year.  I pray that for your family as well. He is good to all, and His mercies are new every morning; remember that tomorrow. Be blessed today, friends, and be a blessing.



Old Note

 

This morning while thumbing through an old Bible, I stumbled upon a letter that Matt wrote me on our one year anniversary. Jotted on a memo pad from our bed and breakfast: "Traci, Once again YOU were the BEST part of my day. Let's always have our Saturday talks over coffee." You bet, my love. I'm always up for a relaxed Saturday sipping coffee with you.

 

 

 

Enjoying our time at the beach 8 years later.

Back at It

Here I am. I'm back to share about our daily happenings and adventures. My sweet hub-a-dub-dub will rescue my feeble attempts at redesigning my blog. As you can see, I've sort of messed up the layout. He'll fix it 'cuz he's sweet like that. For now, I'll leave you with these lyrics that leave me with tears streaming down my face. Jesus is worthy. I will bless His name in all things. Be blessed today and be a blessing.

"The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning
It's time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes."
~Matt Redman~

A good summer salad

Last night we had some friends over for dinner. I served a yummy marinated greek salad on the side. If you're looking for a way to get more fresh veggies in your diet, look no further. This salad is it -- fresh, vibrant, flavorful, and perfect for summer. Simply chop up some cucumber, bell pepper, tomatoes (I also added small yellow tomatoes), olives of your choice, and feta. Toss it with a dressing mix of 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/2-1 tsp. oregano, 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice, and 1 tsp. red wine vinegar. Simple, healthy, and delicious.

On another note, is anyone else having trouble with Blogger? They changed the layouts, templates, etc., and I can't seem to get a cute background. So, plain it is for now. Any tips?

A Must Read

Matt bought me Adopted for Life (by Russell Moore, foreword by CJ Mahaney) for my birthday. We've been praying the Lord's will regarding adoption and our family. What does that mean? What does that look like? Are we called to adopt? Are we called solely to prayerfully and/or financially support others who are adopting? We have many questions and not many clear answers at this point in our lives. One thing is undeniably clear: Jesus is all about adoption. The gospel is adoption, and the Church is to care deeply and advocate for orphans. A few things stand out to me from this book, and I'll share them with you soon!

Family Service

This is a great resource for families who want to serve together. Young children can a blessing in this process and feel like part of a greater purpose. Too often our culture, even within the Church, pushes young children aside. I do not want to be that family. I truly desire for the Lord to grow Matt and me in this area. We need it! I want my kids to know the Lord and make Him known and to give them opportunities while they are little to bless another's heart. The Lord has been stirring this in me for a while regarding how to actively involve our youngins' in our house church setting. He's given me a specific idea, which I hope will evolve soon into something glorious for His kingdom. I hope you find simple encouragement in this practical list of ideas for family service. Be blessed today!