Christmas Miracles

The first Christmas miracle is that I'm posting in my blog:) It's been 7 months but we've been super busy. Raising a strong willed 2 year old and growing a very active baby boy is hard work for this momma but I wouldn't have it any other way. I can't wait until next Christmas when I have both boys in my arms. Oh the memories we will make.

Derek and I have spent much time discussing and praying about how we want Christmas to look in our home and for our family. Last year I was determined that we wouldn't go overboard and we would ask our families not to go overboard either. Santa brought Deacon 3 wiseman gifts and we got him several little things. And yet...Christmas morning as we moved all his presents from all our Christmas celebrations to one side of the room I started to cry. My heart was heavily burdened that their are children in our world without clean drinking water and my child had an over abundance of stuff. This said child was also playing with the remote instead of the new gifts we had just given him. Derek tried to reassure me that we had done our part. We had given to charitable organizations and we had made Christmas special for an 18 month old little girl through Toys for Tots. He tried to convince me that I couldn't let it ruin our special day. I dried my tears for Deacon's sake but vowed that this Christmas would be different. It's so hard to be competing in an uphill battle. Sometimes I feel like it's us (and several of our friends) against the rest of the world.

So what does that mean for Christmas at the Smith house this year. Deacon will still get 3 wiseman gifts from Santa. He wants a brown guitar and a hard case and we pray that he will use his love for music to worship God one sweet day. We have also asked that all our family only get him one present each. Other than that they can get him clothes or money for his college account. I was recently sharing this with a friend and he asked what we would do when Deacon got older and realized that his friends around him got so much more than him. I really don't know the answer to that but I know God will lay it on our hearts as to what we will tell him.

We aren't against buying him material things. He is blessed in that his mommy and daddy love to travel and we take him on several trips each year. He always gets lots of neat mementos while we are on vacation. We also aren't opposed to buying him things throughout the year and no holiday goes unnoticed at our house. But what we can't stand for is the birth of our Savior being overshadowed by material things. We want him to have a heart for the less fortunate and a hunger to change the world one sweet heart at a time.

I've heard people argue that they want Christmas to be magical for their children. Make no mistake Christmas is magical in the Smith home because 2,000 years ago a baby was born in a manger so that we would live eternally in a place far better than this world we live in today. That alone is enough. That alone is a far greater gift than we could ever give Deacon.

Derek took a little boy shopping this past weekend for Shop with a Trooper. He really wanted more clothes than toys because he needed clothes. He also wanted a new Christmas tree because the one they had was small. No matter what provisions we make this is a different world than Deacon will God willing ever experience. He has clothes in abundance and there is no shortage of Christmas decorations. However, we want him to know that these conditions exist and to do whatever he can to give more than he ever expects to receive.

We wish God's richest blessings on your family this holiday season. We are looking forward to spending time as a family of 3 before our world is turned upside down in March!

Rising Life

So my husband is in a band...

Alot has happened since the last time I posted as you can see. In a whirlwind of events, Derek was asked to join a band. God continues to bless us more than we deserve. I will give you the cliff note version of how Rising Life came to be.

• Heath and Kristy Glisson began attending Calvert City United Methodist Church in March 2011
• In April 2011, some of us learned that Heath could play the guitar and begged him to play in the contemporary service.
• Heath started playing one song each week.
• In September, we were at a worship planning meeting and Kevin felt led to take up the bass guitar...for the first time
• About the same time Heath felt called to the music ministry. He stopped playing secular music in local joints and started writing Christian music.
• Kevin learned to play the bass guitar and started playing at church as well. Heath told Kevin of his vision and Kevin came on board.
• Derek felt the stirring in his heart to join them in the praise band at church but wasn't ready to jump in just yet.
• I was behind the scenes encouraging Heath to encourage Derek. Heath asked Derek several times to play with him but Derek wasn't ready yet. God was still working in him and we know his timing is always right. 
• In December, I got the bright idea to host a pajama party for our Sunday School class and their parents at our house. Heath brought his guitar and after everyone left Derek and him finally played together for the first time...until 3 in the morning. In that moment, Heath asked Derek to join the band that he was starting. 
• About a week later in a chance situation, Heath heard Derek play the piano and he knew that Derek would play keyboard and guitar in the band. 
• A few weeks later, Brian the drummer, found the band's ad on an online band forum and played for some of the guys and it was an instant fit.
• Since that time things began happening really quickly. They are now playing at Atlantafest, have a cd out, and have played several gigs.

Where the good Lord will lead them is something that only he knows. They hope that their music will touch lives and saves souls. None of them have a spotless background and they hope that through their music others can see God's redemption and grace.

If you would like to keep up with them you can like Rising Life on Facebook and follow their website at Rising Life

Bye Bye Passy

Perhaps one of the things I've been dreading the most was getting rid of Deacon's passy. I knew the longer we waited the harder it would be. We had talked about letting Santa take them at Christmas and I wish that's what we would have done. But Christmas came and we were so wrapped up in making sure Deacon understood the true meaning of the season that it just didn't seem like the right time. As the months passed, Deacon started calling the pacifier a passy and asking for it throughout the day.

Then one day in April, Maddy ate Deacon's last passy and daddy bought him a new kind and he grew even more attached. We would only let him have them in the car and at bedtime but he couldn't wait to get them in his mouth. I knew that over summer break we had to get rid of them.

We had decided that we would get rid of them on Thursday night and celebrate on Friday at Venture River. I was working my last day of school on Monday and I decided that I wanted to get rid of them as soon as I got home so I wouldn't have it hanging over my head all summer. Plus, Deacon was staying with parents Saturday night and I wanted him to sleep well for them.

While I finished up at work, Taylor gathered some helium balloons. I got home from work and we tied them up and sent them to the moon. The first night was rough and many tears were shed...but one week later and he hasn't mentioned them in 4 or 5 days. We have learned alot though and when we have another a baby we will get rid of them much sooner. It is almost like he was addicted to them and needed them for comfort. It was heartbreaking having to listen to him tell us that "he needed them" and to "go get them from the moon."

 I have prayed many many times that Deacon would find comfort and fulfillment in his heart that only God can bring. I prayed that prayer thinking it would only apply to his future. However, as he was crying that night I prayed it over and over until he fell asleep. In that moment, I couldn't comfort him. I was doing everything I possibly could and yet it wasn't enough because it wasn't the one thing he wanted the most. God comforted my sweet baby that night and has been with us every day since. I know this was one of the first of many tough things we will face as parents.

I'm baaaack...again..

Sometimes having a blog stresses me out...there I said it. You may think that's crazy as I haven't update since January...January are you serious?!? I faithfully read about 20 or so blogs a night before I go to bed. It's my guilty pleasure. I get Deacon in bed and then I catch up on the blog world. I'm going to make it my goal to post more often this summer. I also just found out today that my sister has blog she is faithfully updating....and I thought if she can do it so can I! I don't know how I missed the fact she had a blog.....maybe I can blame it on the very busy 23 month old I have living in my house.

I hope to get in the habit of updating now that I'm on summer break. Summer break is sooo much cooler than I remember when I was in school. We have been having so much fun this summer and we have only been off 3 days. The one thing I'm trying to do this summer is be intentional about my parenting. Parenting is hard work but sometimes we get so caught up in our kids general well-being that it becomes a routine and before we know it days are passing but are they really counting? I don't want to go back to my "other" kids in August and realize I missed precious opportunities with Deacon this summer. So..we are making it a point to do something with him each day of the week that we may not normally do. I'm sure you've seen these ideas on pinterest and other blogs. Here is the schedule we will be loosely following:

• Monday Funday-A fun activity planned as a family since Derek is off on Mondays
• Take Me to the Movies Tuesday-On Tuesday the movie theatre near our hometown shows $1 movies. We hope to go to several or let Deacon watch a movie at home. We don't let Deacon watch too many shows so this is a treat.
• Worship Wednesdays- On Wednesday we will spend time talking about a bible story and doing a fun activity to go with it.
• Thoughtful Thursdays-On this day we will do a random act of kindness for someone.
• Family Craft Friday-On Fridays we will make a craft with the family

I would like to thank ThePoeFam and Pinterest for the wonderful idea. We will be starting this Monday and we can't wait!

In the meantime, I'd like to share a picture we took of Deacon last night. I have been dying to try out the sidewalk paint recipe on Pinterest. It worked like a charm

SIDEWALK PAINT

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup corn starch

food coloring

1. Mix corn starch and water. At first it feels like they will never mix but just keep stirring.

2. Divide your mixture into different bowls/containers. We used our Melissa and Doug no spill paint cups that we love.

3. Add food coloring.

4. Enjoy

 

Until next time.....

 

Courageous

  

Our church is showing the movie “Courageous” next Sunday night, January 29,  at 6:00 p.m. We will be serving sandwiches, chips, and drinks at 5:00 p.m. There is no charge. Derek and I have been very excited about this for several weeks now. We saw the movie in theatres and it is a movie that changed our lives. I know it will change the lives of anyone who sees it.

Here is my opinion of the movie for what it’s worth. I have been asked several times if “Courageous” is a movie that women would enjoy and the answer to that is ABSOLUTELY. It changed the way I parent Deacon and made me more aware of what the bible says about child rearing. It also helped me realize things I could do to support Derek in his role as man of our home. It’s a tough job that I’m glad I don’t have but I can definitely pray for him and give him the support he needs. Lastly, the most important job I will have on this earth is to raise Deacon to be a “Man of Courage.” I’m not going to lie that seems like an overwhelmingly daunting task that has been given to us. This precious little boy who loves to shout “NO” and “MINE” will someday be in charge of a family of his own. It will be his responsibility to lead his family through the trials and tribulations of life. He will have the task of teaching his children about God all while loving their mother and providing for their needs. I can tell you it won’t be easy which is why we need to do everything we can now to prepare him for this role.  

The song “Courageous” is hands down my favorite song right now. I love to hear the guys and Kristi practice it at church and I know you will be blessed if you join us on the 29th so you can hear it too. This movie has the chance to change your life. It doesn’t matter what your religious affiliation is-this movie is for everyone. It would be our honor to have you join us at Calvert City United Methodist for this film. You will be so glad you did!

 

Seek justice

Love mercy

Walk humbly with your God