Today's devotion. Starting a new one from Joyce Meyer...Title COOPERATION REQUIRED. Scripture Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the thoughts and plans I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome".
One of the lessons God's been teaching me for a while (which is why I went back to school for accounting and am hoping to go to school for teaching as well later on) was summed up in the second paragraph.
God has a plan for each of us. It is our destiny. But it is a possibility, not a "positively". Even if someone prophesies over us wonderful things in the name of the Lord, what is being prophesied is the heart, the will, and the desire of God for us. It doesn't mean it is positively going to come to pass. We have a part to play in seeing that plan come true. (Joyce Meyer, The Confident Woman Devotional)
She also mentions how some people start out strong but never finish and others take forever to start but finish champions. It kinda reminds me of the tortoise and the hare fable.....I am not sure which I am. I would say I am the tortoise, taking forever to get going...but Ken might say I am the hare, I get great ideas and make lists and organize and it sounds good, but never finish my project.
Devotions, especially morning devotions, are halfway between the two. I know I will make a habit out of it, but I have to be consistent. COOPERATION REQUIRED to make time each day, no matter how tired I am or distracted the daily chores make me. I know Jesus doesn't "prefer" what time of the day I spend with Him, just that I spend it totally with Him, but I also know it is important for me, for my relationship with Him to grow, that I sacrifice that extra sleep I don't really need. I wouldn't get up and leave my house without getting dressed physically, why do I get up and leave without getting dressed spiritually?
"Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes". Ephesians 6:11
Friday, December 16, 2011
Saturday, October 22, 2011
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Late night homework plus preschooler fighting either cold or allergies equals REALLY Late nights. Kiah did not stay asleep until after 3am, I did not get to sleep til almost 4am. Did Kiah sleep in? Not really. He did let me sleep in until 9am before he came in and nicely woke me up. He even got himself "breakfast".....he found the bag of hamburger buns and brought them back to bed with him.
So it will be one of those 2-3 POTS of coffee days and hopefully with the humidifier tonight we will both sleep better.
So it will be one of those 2-3 POTS of coffee days and hopefully with the humidifier tonight we will both sleep better.
Friday, October 7, 2011
New Semester
Can't tell if anyone actually reads the blog, but for those who do here's another belated update.
Not a lot to say, so I'll start with school. Each "semester" is called a block and is 9 weeks in length. I finished my first block of classes on September 11, and my cumulative GPA is 3.84. See, prayers work wonders! My final grade on my Cultural Diversity was 95.43% = A and Skills for Learning in an Info Age was 93.6% = A-.
Now I am taking Critical Thinking and Survey of Accounting: The Maze of Numbers. They have both been a good mix of interesting and challenging.
In other news, Hezekiah is growing like a weed, smart as a whip, stubborn as a mule.....so that's not really news. He is talking all the time and while he tends to mumble and jumble his words together, we can understand most of what he says now.
Ken is doing good, anxious to be home again. Especially after having an actual conversation with Hezekiah the other day. Hezekiah had the cordless phone and was chatting with his Papa, I had the desk phone and was translating. It was fun.
That's about all the news we have for now. My current block of classes are done the middle of November. I will be sure to update everyone with the grades then as well.
Now I am taking Critical Thinking and Survey of Accounting: The Maze of Numbers. They have both been a good mix of interesting and challenging.
In other news, Hezekiah is growing like a weed, smart as a whip, stubborn as a mule.....so that's not really news. He is talking all the time and while he tends to mumble and jumble his words together, we can understand most of what he says now.
Ken is doing good, anxious to be home again. Especially after having an actual conversation with Hezekiah the other day. Hezekiah had the cordless phone and was chatting with his Papa, I had the desk phone and was translating. It was fun.
That's about all the news we have for now. My current block of classes are done the middle of November. I will be sure to update everyone with the grades then as well.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Dear Lord, why am I up so early?
Oh yeah, so I can "beat" my son to getting up and hopefully have a decent span of time to do homework before he wakes up.......First attempt failed. I got up and moving around and sitting at the computer by 6:30am, however Kiah was up and ready to go by 6:50am. So much for that idea.
Looking at my previous posts I realize I have totally neglected our family blog. As you can probably see from my profile picture Hezekiah has grown quite a lot from the last picture I posted. Here is the most recent pic, for those who don't see it on facebook.
Looking at my previous posts I realize I have totally neglected our family blog. As you can probably see from my profile picture Hezekiah has grown quite a lot from the last picture I posted. Here is the most recent pic, for those who don't see it on facebook.
Me and Kiah took a Skype picture for Papa...I actualy had makeup on. And lipstick from a tube!
While we went camping Kiah had to "pose" for the camera.He's quietly saying "cheeeeeeeese"
Has to check out his new baby cousin, Maysa Elaine Derry.
Hezekiah has gradually been getting his shots updated (we are horribly behind) and his last appointment showed he is 30lbs and 3ft tall exactly. He LOVES talking on the phone, and he is always asking me to "call auntie?" so he can talk to my sisters. He hasn't used Leah's name yet, but he said "Auntie Lauri" during our last Skype, which just thrilled Lauri to pieces...even if it did sound more like "Worly" than "Lauri". Hopefully we can get a regular Skyping with Ken's side of the family scheduled as well.
Now that I have almost finished my first cup of coffee (many more to come, I'm sure) my brain is starting to fully charge for the day ahead. I started my first set, or "block", of classes through University of Phoenix - Axia College on July 11, so I am staying pretty busy between that and Hezekiah. I have a "Skills for Learning in an Info Age" class that is fairly easy, and my accumulative grade is 99.53% for that class. My other class is more of a challenge, but still interesting for me. My accumulative grade for my "Cultural Diverstiy" class is 97.37%. As you can see by my accumulative grades, I appear to be doing well in school, thanks to all of your prayers and support. Finals are in 20 days, so that is another thing keeping me busy.
Ken has been doing well. He got a lot of care packages from our church in Virginia, so he said he is good for candy for a while =) He did find online gift cards for MP3 downloads on amazon.com if you need some ideas for a care package for him. He is supposed to be back on December 11, so we still have a little under 4 months to go. Here are a couple pictures Ken took during his last port visit.
It is off for me now, my second cup of coffee is ready and Kiah is watching NickJR, so I am going to attempt some more homework. Hezekiah keeps asking for his backpack (which he doesn't have one) and stated he wanted an orange backpack. So, if anyone knows where I can find a plain jane orange backpack for a good deal, I am thinking of making a "Go Diego Go" backpack for him, drawing a face on the back, etc.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
New Day Resolution
You know, I think New Year Resolutions are jinxed. Maybe it's because when you make a "new year resolution" you're usually trying to "fix" the entire year at once, a feat which is quite impossible. After all, how can you fix something that has yet to occur?
So instead of new "year" resolutions, why not new "day" resolutions? Don't focus on what you want to accomplish this year, focus on one day at a time. What are your goals for tomorrow? When you get up, what are your goals for today? Honestly, the only day we are totally, 100% guaranteed is YESTERDAY. So don't worry about what all has to be done this day,week, month, year....just be glad you woke up today, and enjoy as much as you can. Granted, I don't enjoy waking up at 5:30am, waiting for 3 hours to see the sun, but I love having so much time to focus on Kiah. No, I don't enjoy forcing my eyes open, forcing my brain to do the 10 minute workout before the coffee/tea has taken it's full effect, but I love how awake I feel afterwards.
Today is the 2nd day of my "new day resolution", and the 3rd early morning day. And, I must say, I think Kiah and I are getting a routine figured out already. By the time I get up with Ken, make the coffee (or water for tea, like today), do my morning devotion, a quick 10min workout then a quick shower...Kiah has woken up, then it's breakfast while he watches cartoons or colors/draws. I then have literally all the daylight hours for household chores, most of which Kiah can "help" me with.
I am so grateful/lucky to have a husband who loves me enough to bug me until I get out of bed. I'll never make this a habit if I rely on myself (I'm too good at talking myself out of waking up, and making sleep sound so much better than a workout).
And it's true, my ultimate goal is over the next couple months, not just a daily goal. What I am aiming for is to get a routine in the morning so that before Kiah wakes up and while he naps I can have "free time" to use for schooling once it starts. So far everything seems to be going smoothly, and once June is here I should hopefully have all the financing in place to start my Associates.
Well, it's almost 8 and Kiah has finished his breakfast. I had better get the dishes in the kitchen and finish the leftover laundry. Then it'll be "errand time" with me and Kiah, going to give our 60 day notice today. =D
So instead of new "year" resolutions, why not new "day" resolutions? Don't focus on what you want to accomplish this year, focus on one day at a time. What are your goals for tomorrow? When you get up, what are your goals for today? Honestly, the only day we are totally, 100% guaranteed is YESTERDAY. So don't worry about what all has to be done this day,week, month, year....just be glad you woke up today, and enjoy as much as you can. Granted, I don't enjoy waking up at 5:30am, waiting for 3 hours to see the sun, but I love having so much time to focus on Kiah. No, I don't enjoy forcing my eyes open, forcing my brain to do the 10 minute workout before the coffee/tea has taken it's full effect, but I love how awake I feel afterwards.
Today is the 2nd day of my "new day resolution", and the 3rd early morning day. And, I must say, I think Kiah and I are getting a routine figured out already. By the time I get up with Ken, make the coffee (or water for tea, like today), do my morning devotion, a quick 10min workout then a quick shower...Kiah has woken up, then it's breakfast while he watches cartoons or colors/draws. I then have literally all the daylight hours for household chores, most of which Kiah can "help" me with.
I am so grateful/lucky to have a husband who loves me enough to bug me until I get out of bed. I'll never make this a habit if I rely on myself (I'm too good at talking myself out of waking up, and making sleep sound so much better than a workout).
And it's true, my ultimate goal is over the next couple months, not just a daily goal. What I am aiming for is to get a routine in the morning so that before Kiah wakes up and while he naps I can have "free time" to use for schooling once it starts. So far everything seems to be going smoothly, and once June is here I should hopefully have all the financing in place to start my Associates.
Well, it's almost 8 and Kiah has finished his breakfast. I had better get the dishes in the kitchen and finish the leftover laundry. Then it'll be "errand time" with me and Kiah, going to give our 60 day notice today. =D
Monday, January 24, 2011
Hezekiah's new "do"
I tried a new haircut on Hezekiah today, something "fun". Yes I plan on leaving it the way it is. Anyway here's the pictures we have so far. Enjoy!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
New Year
Wow, can you believe January is almost over already? Wasn't it just Christmas yesterday? Thanksgiving last week?
2011 has started to be a great year for us. Hezekiah is talking more and more, his favorite cartoons at the moment are SUPER WHY and WORD WORLD. They not only hold his attention for more than 5 minutes, but since they focus on the alphabet, spelling, reading, etc he has started spouting out random letters and numbers throughout the day. He'll see a piece of paper with writing and he'll start "reading" aloud...."A....E....G....I...O...M...N....N...O.....E....T....Y...Y...Y..." and he's starting saying "TWOOOO" while he holds out his thumb and index finger. He also got his own "laptop" for Christmas from Grandma Luci (my mom, for those who don't know) and he does greatly enjoy playing with it. He gets frustrated sometimes because it doesn't do what he wants because he can't understand just yet that it is asking him specific things. But if I sit with him and tell him "push this button" and he gets the cheers from the games, he smiles and claps.....but then gets bored and wants to do his own thing again.
He also loves to play with his AQUADOODLE and color and draw.....although I have to watch him and make sure he doesn't try to suck the spongey tip of the pen. I have a feeling he is going to be left handed. Every time he uses something, a utensil, his pen/crayons, etc. he uses his left hand. And if he picks something up with his right hand, he always changes to his left.
Ken has been working hard, as usual. Deployment is still scheduled for mid May-ish. He was originally going to be underway for 5 weeks starting yesterday, but now he will leave a little later and only be gone for about 3 weeks. Not much new going on.
I am slowly making the transition from "night-owl" to "early-bird". Instead of going back to sleep when Ken leaves in the morning I am aiming to get up with him, help him get ready if needed, do my devotions, do my workout, then any cleaning needed before Hezekiah wakes up (which it's almost 8:45 and he's still asleep). So far so good, but it's only been 3 days. I'm gradually "breaking in" my workout routine...pushups, situps, squats, then reverse pushups (with the aid of a chair) for an average of 20-25 minutes. My goal is to be able to do my devotion & workout before Hezekiah gets up every morning to leave me time for my "chores". Then during any naps I can use that time for whatever, if I am doing a deep cleaning I have extra time, reading, sewing, etc.
We are hoping (God willing) that I will be back in school during deployment, so around June I would be starting online classes. Another reason to get everything done super early in the day, get my homework done when the coffee is fresh in my system :) Pray that I will continue to have the energy and the "brain power" to pass my classes (whenever I start them). Ken and I are both taking multi-vitamins, ginko biloba, and CoQ-10.
Well, it sounds as though my laundry is done, my child is STILL sleeping, so I will get off for now and continue my "chores".....maybe rearrange/organize some more. Until next time,
Blessings
2011 has started to be a great year for us. Hezekiah is talking more and more, his favorite cartoons at the moment are SUPER WHY and WORD WORLD. They not only hold his attention for more than 5 minutes, but since they focus on the alphabet, spelling, reading, etc he has started spouting out random letters and numbers throughout the day. He'll see a piece of paper with writing and he'll start "reading" aloud...."A....E....G....I...O...M...N....N...O.....E....T....Y...Y...Y..." and he's starting saying "TWOOOO" while he holds out his thumb and index finger. He also got his own "laptop" for Christmas from Grandma Luci (my mom, for those who don't know) and he does greatly enjoy playing with it. He gets frustrated sometimes because it doesn't do what he wants because he can't understand just yet that it is asking him specific things. But if I sit with him and tell him "push this button" and he gets the cheers from the games, he smiles and claps.....but then gets bored and wants to do his own thing again.
He also loves to play with his AQUADOODLE and color and draw.....although I have to watch him and make sure he doesn't try to suck the spongey tip of the pen. I have a feeling he is going to be left handed. Every time he uses something, a utensil, his pen/crayons, etc. he uses his left hand. And if he picks something up with his right hand, he always changes to his left.
Ken has been working hard, as usual. Deployment is still scheduled for mid May-ish. He was originally going to be underway for 5 weeks starting yesterday, but now he will leave a little later and only be gone for about 3 weeks. Not much new going on.
I am slowly making the transition from "night-owl" to "early-bird". Instead of going back to sleep when Ken leaves in the morning I am aiming to get up with him, help him get ready if needed, do my devotions, do my workout, then any cleaning needed before Hezekiah wakes up (which it's almost 8:45 and he's still asleep). So far so good, but it's only been 3 days. I'm gradually "breaking in" my workout routine...pushups, situps, squats, then reverse pushups (with the aid of a chair) for an average of 20-25 minutes. My goal is to be able to do my devotion & workout before Hezekiah gets up every morning to leave me time for my "chores". Then during any naps I can use that time for whatever, if I am doing a deep cleaning I have extra time, reading, sewing, etc.
We are hoping (God willing) that I will be back in school during deployment, so around June I would be starting online classes. Another reason to get everything done super early in the day, get my homework done when the coffee is fresh in my system :) Pray that I will continue to have the energy and the "brain power" to pass my classes (whenever I start them). Ken and I are both taking multi-vitamins, ginko biloba, and CoQ-10.
Well, it sounds as though my laundry is done, my child is STILL sleeping, so I will get off for now and continue my "chores".....maybe rearrange/organize some more. Until next time,
Blessings
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