Oh, the Leaves!

I love the fall…not sure exactly why since I hate piles of leaves! I love the smell of fall, the new crisp to the air, the fun events, the anticipation of the holidays, the colors of red, brown & orange….but Oh, the leaves!

I suppose anyone that knows me, knows I get a little freaked out with anything in masses.
A worm - fine, but a can of worms…
An ant – fine, but an ant hill…
A dog - yes, fine, but the pound or the dog sale at Canton, please no!…
A leaf – fine, but Oh, the leaves!

Yesterday, as I stepped outside to dump the mop water, the mailman was walking up to our house. Noticing that our porch was a heaping pile of leaves, we smiled at each other, and he handed me the mail. Since the floors were wet inside, I decided I would take time to clean things up a bit. The kids excitedly volunteered to help me. Once that was done, we moved to the back to clear the deck. Once the deck was clear, we moved to the walk….and on and on we went…Oh, the leaves!

One cannot successfully pile leaves with a 5 & 7 year old without expecting there to be the desire to jump and play in the leaves. I knew this going into the task, but I was still having a hard time not imagining fleas, ticks, roaches and other such things crawling all over my two precious bug free little ones….Oh, the leaves!

Anyone that has ever tried to clear a yard of leaves knows exactly how frustrating the task can be. Once you get a section cleared, just watch the wind blow and cover it again. Then, when you think you are done, wait 15 minutes and the neighbors leaves will have migrated over….Oh, the leaves!

Many that know me know that I am control driven and task-oriented; so, you can imagine how frustrated I get when trying to do a job that one can never gain control over or truly ever complete. Well, at some point yesterday, (pretty close to the beginning of the task PTL!) I began to feel the Lord trying to speak to me. In my “diligence” to “get the job done”, I was not wanting to take the time to be sensitive to His still small voice, but after one short comment to my “helpful” children, I realized I needed to sit and check myself. As I sat looking at the mounds of leaves and my children smiling wide, God whispered to my heart…"Rest in Me.”

Oh…just leaves…

Just like the leaves that go where they will, God is in complete control. He knows the number of leaves in the yard, and he knows the small bug under the pile. Resting in the Father allows me to enjoy the day that He has made. It allows me to positively train and verbally reward my children for hard work, diligence and joyful spirits. When I recognize that He has power over of all things, I can have peace in any circumstance. Oh…those silly leaves.

Just like cleaning up fallen leaves seems unending, God's love is unconditional and ever plentiful. Resting in Him, frees me to soak in the wealth of that continuous love. It allows me to be filled with a joy that sustains in any situation. Oh…the piles of abundant leaves!

The kids and I finished the task, with the help of grandpa, and congratulated each other on a job well done. We went inside feeling good about hard work, lessons learned, relationships unharmed and knowing that resting in Him is the perfect place to be.

Today, I chose to simply smile as we walked outside and saw the porch, the yard, the walk and the deck…covered again!

Oh…the leaves!
AT

35 Odd Things About Us

Well, it has been 2 weeks since our last post...not sure exactly what we have been doing...a little of everything I guess. The kids are in their 15th week of school; the holidays are creeping up; and we only have 5 months until we move to Virginia! I have a to-do list a mile long, and honestly, I am feeling a little overwhelmed. We will try to keep the blog updated.



Here are funny facts that I stole off a friend's blog and Matt & I put in our own responses.

Smile today...it's less work than frowning!

AT



35 Odd Things About Us

1. Do you like blue cheese salad dressing?

Matt – Nope!

Amy – No, absolutely not!

2. Do you own a gun?

Matt – A 410 that I got as an 8-year-old

Amy – Nope, but I do truly like marksmanship sports

3. What's your favorite drink at Starbucks?

Matt – Caramel Mocha Frapacino or iced coffee

Amy – Caramel Mocha Frapacino or just their pain black iced tea

4. What do you prefer to drink in the morning?

Matt – Milk in a frozen cup

Amy – OJ

5. Do you do pushups?

Matt – Nope, only pull-ups…to the table that is

Amy – HAHAHA

6. What's your favorite piece of jewelry?

Matt – wedding ring

Amy – I guess I should say my wedding ring, but probably my favorite piece is the first piece Matt gave me…a gold AT pendant.

7. Favorite hobby?

Matt – Pottery

Amy – reading/scrapbooking

8. Do you have A.D.D?

Matt – no

Amy – no

9. What's one trait that you hate about yourself?

Matt – anger

Amy – impatient

10. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment:

Matt – Why do I love Diners, drive-ins and dives so much? Did a Cajun burn there dinner and call it “blackened”? Why isn’t sausage represented in the turducken name when it is in the mix? Amy – I can’t believe I am this cold in TX; I really should be tackling my huge to do list; I wonder what the kids are doing down stairs?

11. Name 4 drinks you regularly drink.

Matt – water, tea, sprite, slimfast

Amy – water; tea; coffee, lemonaide (made w/squeezed lemons, maple syrup & cayenne--Yumm!)

12. Current worry right now?

Matt – finishing school; what is wrong with the van

Amy – Matt finishing school; details in hiring for new adventure; fundraising

13. Current hate right now?

Matt – school

Amy – My extended family has huge needs right now, and I am unable to fix everything for everyone. :(

14. Favorite place to be?

Matt – with Amy

Amy – with Matt

15. Do you like to travel?

Matt – Absolutely!

Amy – YES!

16. What color shirt are you wearing?

Matt – blue

Amy – white

17. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets?

Matt – no, too slippery and hot

Amy – no, too cold!

18. Can you whistle?

Matt – Yes but it comes out with a khoo with each “syllable”

Amy – yes, whole songs…wanna hear?

19. Favorite color?

Matt – blue

Amy – yellow

20. If you could, would you be a pirate?

Matt – Argh matey, you be walkin’ the plank!

Amy – for the adventure maybe, but not to steal things from others….

21. What song do you sing in the shower?

Matt – I’m not allowed to sing in the shower…Amy says I sing too loud and everyone except she and I sleep two more hours after we get up in the morning.

Amy – whatever God lays on my heart

22. Favorite girl's name?

Matt – My favorite girls have the names Amy and Grace.

Amy – Grace won in the end when we had a girl, but I hope to have a Malia and/or an Elisabeth one day….oh, who am I kidding…I’ll take any name, any child….know of one that needs a family?

23. Favorite boy's name?

Matt – I had an imaginary friend named Junga when I was little but now my favorite boy is named William. Also fond of Wheeler, Micah, and Jonathan.

Amy – William of course! If we are able to choose again, I like Micah, Andrus and Wheeler.

24. What's in your pocket right now?

Matt – business cards, keys, wallet, glasses cloth, chapstick…oh did you want to know the other pockets too?

Amy – Grace’s hairbow

25. Favorite bedsheets as a child?

Matt – I had Snoopy sheets. (We actually still have them...they are on an extra bed in William's room.)

Amy – can’t remember special sheets, but I had a comforter (my mom still has) that had bright orange flowers on it; I also had (my mom still has) a Snoopy sleeping bag.

26. Worst injury?

Matt – Broken heart and broken elbow…also sprained my ankle several times.

Amy – hearing loss in my left ear due to ear infections; burned/scarred that same ear on a heating pad

27. Do you love where you live?

Matt – Only if Amy lives there too.

Amy – TX; I guess I should say yes to that or else I might not be allowed to return, so I’ll say I love the opportunity to be moving next year on a great adventure, and I’ll be keeping my permanent residence in the great nation of TX.

28. How many TVs do you have in your house?

Matt – See below.

Amy – Well, we are living with my parents right now, so we have more than we should…1 in the den; 1 in master, 1 in our room, and 1 in the garage, but we should get credit for the last one since that is used when walking on the treadmill!

29. Who is your loudest friend?

Matt – My sisters.

Amy – hummm, I’m going to go with my Roberts cousins; when we are all together we can be heard for miles. Ladies, we need a girls’ weekend; it’s been too long!

30. How many pets do you have?

Matt – no pets.

Amy – no pets, but we do have a wonderful mammal hair collection. (homeschool project) AND Grace is making plans to capture a stray cat and make it her own....

31. Does someone have a crush on you?

Matt – Amy…Grace is pretty stuck on me, too.

Amy – Yes, my sweet hubby tells me all the time!

32. What is your Favorite Book?

Matt – Romans.

Amy – hummm, too hard to choose. I love to read. I’ll go with Lori Wick as my fav. author and the Bible as the best “book” ever!

33. What's your favorite candy?

Matt – snickers.

Amy – Lifesavor use to make a sucker that was like a dreamsical. I liked the orange & vanilla or the strawberry & vanilla (I bought these for her for at the hospital for the delivery of William…she had no desire for them -MT).

34. Favorite Sports Team?

Matt – Cowboys.

Amy – Packers

35. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up?

Matt – Is it really already time to get up?

Amy – It’s COLD!



You knew we were odd before you read this, but now you know it for sure!

The Reason We Participate

I have found that there are several things even within the body of believers that are "hot buttons" and would seem somewhat difficult to talk about. Politics, Denominations, Schooling, Parenting, just to name a few. Matt & I have diligently tried to seek what God would have for our family, not judge what others choose for their family and simply try to continue to be open to God's voice in each area.



Halloween is one of those crazy areas where there are multiple opinions. I am not writing this to debate, but to simply throw out the the main reason why we have decided to this point to participate.



The Opportunity to Meet People Where They Are!

It has been one of the goals for our family to share Christ. (click here to read our family purpose statement) Throughout the year, we often look for ways to bless our neighbors by inviting them to our family events, trying to meet needs they may have personally, etc. etc. Halloween would seem to be the one time during the year that neighbors openly seek out each other. We have not wanted to miss that opportunity by having our door shut to them.



In an age where neighbors do not really know each other or even look to each other for social networks, I find it hard to consider not capitalizing on the chance. Over the years, Matt & I have been amazed at the opportunities that have been handed to us by simply establishing our home as one that is inviting and open. We have watched God take our small acts of obedience and use them for His kingdom.



As our family is preparing to move overseas, we are studying different holidays and customs. Many, obviously, do not match up with what we believe and may even take us out of our comfort zone; however, we are open to God showing us how He wants us to participate in order to engage the culture. I am not surprised that as God is preparing us, we have been convicted that we should be doing the same thing with the current people we are living among.



Paul said in I Corinthians 9:22, "To the weak I became weak to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some." So what does it mean to become all things to all men? I guess that is the challenge. I recognize that we are called to live holy, but I want to do so in a manner that still leaves me approachable and desirable as salt & light to those around me.



Again, Matt & I have heard both sides of the Halloween issue, and I am not trying to say that our choice is right or wrong for anyone else. I simply wanted to share our reason for participation. Perhaps it will encourage someone to consider using the day as an opportunity to meet people where they are.

AT

Click here for more pics.

A Silly Moment

A week ago today, we were putting Grace to bed and could not find Kitty. Kitty is a stuffed cat that was given to Grace her first Christmas. She has slept very few naps & nights without Kitty. Grace was a little sad going to bed without Kitty, but she knows that getting her bed ready is a part of her night time routine. (Grace has the bad habit of hauling her things all over the house!) So, to bed she went with no cat.

Well, we didn't think of Kitty on Sunday until it was time to go to bed again. Where was Kitty? Grace & William looked around a little, but to no avail. Kitty was not to be found. To bed again with no cat...

After that night, Grace never looked for Kitty or even asked about Kitty. I guess she just moved on... WHAT! How could she just move on?

I found myself thinking about it all week....

First, I was sad because what if we didn't find her? She was my baby's first stuffed animal....I have so many memories of Grace cuddled up with yellow blankie & Kitty. Then, I was sad because of Grace's lack of concern for the missing cat. My baby surly still wants to have Kitty...

This can't be happening!

Well, by the end of the week when I was cleaning house, I was determined to find that cat! I looked for it all day with no luck. Then at the end of the day, I just stood in Grace's room and looked around in wonder. We truly have gotten rid of most of our things. I know living in Grandma's house can be crowded at times, but we keep things neat & organized. Where could that silly cat be, and why is it bothering me so!

Then I pulled back Grace's drapes......

I put the drapes back & called Grace. Here is Grace finding Kitty.

Well, I am not sure there is anything more to say. Grace was excited to find Kitty, but I guess she is getting big too fast, and yes, I have to admit, I am getting old and sentimental.

AT

My Second Favorite Flower

My mom planted morning glory seeds in the Spring. Usually, the vines grow very thick, and we have beautiful flowers all Summer; however, this summer....nothing! Then this week...SURPRISE!...our one lone bud of the season bloomed. I think it is Beautiful! She planted a variety of colors, but the one that came up was blue.
God has so many amazing ways of encouraging our hearts. He has been trying to tell me to rest in Him; He is always in control. Blue morning glories were the flowers I used to decorate the sanctuary and reception hall for Matt & my wedding. Coincidence...I think not! He is the God who cares and thinks about us.

Resting in Him, AT

PS: Tulips any style or color are my #1 favorite!

New Travis Pictures & Blogs to Check Out

We have added several pictures to the blog that you might want to check out in our "Family Pictures" section of the blog. (state fair, Grace learning to ride a bike, pumpkin patch, etc.)


Also, we have added several families to our "Blogs By Family and Friends". You may see someone that you haven't had contact with in a while. Matt & I have truly enjoyed getting re-connected with people via Facebook.


Please let me know if you have a personal or family blog and/or a favorite blog that you are reading right now. We would love to check them out.

Thanks!
MT & AT

We went to the State Fair on $3 Tuesday. We LOVED seeing the shows. Matt & Amy's favorite was the bird show. William's favorite was the BMX bike show, and Grace's favorite was the dog show. We decided to spend money to ride one ride, and thought that it needed to be the iconic Texas Star. The kids had fun, but were quite disappointed that they only send you around TWICE!!! (and one of those times they were stopping and starting loading people...UGGGH!) Oh, well...the day was great family fun!

Bare Feet

The older I get the more I realize that my life is full of quirks. One of those quirks is in the area of shoes. Shoes are so much fun. I wish I could have a crazy trendy pair of shoes to match every outfit. Shoes in my opinion are like fun jewelry. They do not have to be comfortable, sensible or versatile because I do not plan to have them on that long! I live most of my life barefooted with a closest full of shoes.

Two weeks ago we left the house in the afternoon ran errands, ate dinner out and went to the LD Bell Homecoming game. By the time we left the game it was a little after 10 PM. Shortly after shutting the car doors for our ride home, William asked from the backseat, “Can I take my shoes off? How long have I had these shoes on anyway?” At that point I realized, wow, we have all had shoes on about 6 hours. That is extremely long for this homeschool family! I, of course, also realized the shear silliness of the situation. My kids should be able to wear shoes for more than 6 hours….or should they?

A friend of mine was sharing with me how she went to the mall the other day with friends of hers on furlough from Mozambique, Africa. The kids were all barefooted….at the mall! It seems a little strange to my germ a-phobic mind to go out in public without shoes, but for this family they were simply being true to their own levels of comfort and upbringing. I was also teasing another friend of mine last week about family members of hers that are true “free spirits”. They enjoy a more “natural” life style and are very open with their self expression of body art. The interesting thing about both of these situations is that these families are ones that are making a difference for the gospel in the areas that God has called them.

This has me thinking about my own level of transparency and my ability to be true to the person God has made me to be. I know I have a lot of conventional ideas about socially acceptable behavior, and I am ashamed to say that I sometimes struggle to let go of stereotypes and judgmental attitudes. Shoes are just as I described them…fun accessories. They themselves are an expression of style and personality. Feet…feet are an expression of the creator….and my willingness to live openly before man and boldly for God is an expression of my love for the Creator.

This morning I was once again amazed at how God is speaking to my children and teaching me through the process. I had just finished my “quiet time” with the Father when Grace joined me to journal. I asked her how her time had been going with God. She openly confessed that she was at a place where she wanted to hear from God again. She said, “God has been speaking to me again because I have been not thinking about myself, and I have been listening. I think it is going to happen in the morning because I am not dressed yet and I am talking to God with just the plain me.” You see, we have been working with Grace on not being so self-focused. She is starting to place too high a value on outward beauty and vanity. Her statement is stemming from that, but it has also challenged me to evaluate where I am in my own ability to go to God bare.

Who has God created me to be, and what am I doing with the gifts that He has given me? Am I trying to put shoes on feet that are meant to be free? Am I not able to minister to everyone in my path because I am too focused on outward convention and beauty, or am I trying to make people wear the shoes that I think they should wear?

Moses was an amazing man of God, and I am truly enjoying studying his life through Bible Study Fellowship. It is interesting to see his example of giving up all of the wealth and status of Egypt and refusing to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. (Heb. 11) Am I willing to give up my "shoes"...my American mindset and amenities? I say that I am, but where will my attitude be 6 months down the road? I am also in awe of Moses' example of obedience to remove his shoes upon entering the presence of a Holy God. How reverant am I in my time spent with the Father? I confess many times I am slouching in my bed half asleep....I am also doing a lot more talking than listening!

So, today I am challenged to ask myself, what other areas am I living barefooted with a closest full of shoes? Meaning: I know in my head & heart the right thing to do, but I have not fully committed to total obedience, or in what areas am I living one way for the world and one way at home...

What am I going to do today to live a true and transparent life? What shoes need to be thrown out so that I can be ready hear from a holy God?

Not quite to the point where I can dance naked before the Lord, but going through my closet of shoes today!
AT

“How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!’” Romans 10:15