Ruth Bell Graham

I love to read about Ruth Bell Graham (Billy Graham's wife) because it always challenges me to know God more! Matty got me her book, "It's My Turn" a while back and I have read it three times and I am about to start it again. This book has really short stories about her life in China, Wheaton College, her as a wife and mother and very practical and challenging stories that encourage me to be better--a better mother, wife, to know God intimately, etc.

I have learned lots from this woman of God, but what I love the most is how close she is with God...how much she desires Him and how she lives it out everyday in her life. She is a wonderful testimony to her children and everyone around her because she is in constant communion with our heavenly Father. When we are in constant communion with Him we become like Him and that makes all the difference.

I want to be like Ruth Bell Graham! I want to leave a legacy for my children and grandchildren and husband...and everyone of one who loved God with all her heart, mind, soul and strength. And this, my friends, is all I desire.

Some cute pictures...

Rebekah loves to play in the puddles and I don't mind it, except that her shoes get pretty dirty :) I am thinking about getting her some rubber boots so that she can just splash away in those puddles and mama won't have to wash those shoes everyday. When I was little, my brothers and I used to splash in the puddles that the rain left in the town that we grew up in (we had dirt roads), except we would go barefoot :) As soon as we saw my dad we would run like crazy because he didn't like it...he was just worried that a nail or some glass would get in our feet...but we did not care then, until we got stitches :) countless times we did.

Fun times! Here is our little girl splashing away...enjoy!

More signing progress

Rebekah continues to progress, seems more rapidly now, with her signing. It is amazing how much she learns and it is exciting to watch her learn more signs and learn to communicate with us.

These are some new words she is signing to us:
-walk
-flower
-book
-read book
-bread
-sit
-play
-hot
-bath
-colors
-swim
-banana-she mainly says this one, but she understands when we sign it

She also understands potty, change diaper, dirty, come...

I think some of these words are pretty big for her, but I am so excited that she is learning them. We bought her 3 videos for her b-day with money she got from grandparents and auntie. She loves them! She is always signing, "Signing Time." Of couse she can't watch them all day, but she watches at least one per day. She is really putting them to good use. We figure our other kiddos will benefit from them as well...so we think it's a good investment :)

So much fun...

I have been having a blast with Rebekah lately She is learning SO MUCH these days! She. watches everything with amazement and tries new things all the time. She loves to explore and absolutely loves to be outside. The weather has been so nice these days that we can actually be outside and enjoy it :)


I bought her some gardening tools the other day so that we can plant some plants together this spring and take care of them (it is something that I love to do) and she was so intrigued with all of them. It was so much fun to watch. She loves to play in the dirt and loves her little tools that she can dig the dirt out :)

I also bought her some sunglasses for this summer and I put them on her while we were outside playing with her tools and she had them on for the longest time :) It was so funny.

She is also into bubbles and she can actually say bubbles too :) I am so blessed to be able to spend so much time with her. God is so good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Spring is in the air

It is raining this morning and we slept in a little :) Rebekah is still sleeping so I had a nice cup of coffee and was able to read from Psalm 147. Such an awesome Psalm. I was reminded of our great and mighty Creator. How powerful He is!

Read this:

Psalm 147:7-18
Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
make melody to our God on the lyre!
He covers the heavens with clouds;
he prepares rain for the earth;
he makes grass grow on the hills.
He gives to the beasts their food,
and to the young ravens that cry.
His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,
but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his steadfast love.
Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
For he strengthens the bars of your gates;
he blesses your children within you.
He makes peace in your borders;
he fills you with the finest of the wheat.
He sends out his command to the earth;
his word runs swiftly.
He gives snow like wool;
he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.
He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs;
who can stand before his cold?
He sends out his word, and melts them;
he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.

Praise is the proper response to our wonderful Creator! May you praise Him today for He is God Almighty and our beautiful Creator. Enjoy His creation today!

Photo Session...

We had not had pictures taken as a family since Rebekah was born. I found this girl through a good friend of mine and she was fabulous! I just told her what our family was like and that I wanted something that showed that in our pictures. She came to our house and took pictures of Rebekah and us interacting with her. We then went downtown and she just told us to do what we normally do and that she would just take some shots of us being a family. She is really talented and we felt so comfortable around her. We still have not gotten all the pictures, but she did send us a sneak peak of some of them.

I wanted to share a few of those pictures with you :) Enjoy!

Rejoice in your salvation!

While we were in Seattle I was able to have some really good times in God's Word and felt so refreshed and renewed. As Rebekah and I spent time together during the day, I would look at that beautiful city and it made me worship God through music. I felt so honored to be called His daughther...how He saved me for His glory! What an AMAZING thing He did for me...for all of us! "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. " John 3:16

I don't know about you guys, but I still get so excited and so chocked up when I am reminded of what He did for me! Worship songs about Him make me want to sing ever louder and scream to the top of my lungs and tell him how much I love Him because He FIRST loved me. What an amazing Abba Father we serve.

May you rejoice in your salvation today! May you continue to stand in awe of Him. May you think back on that day when He saved you from death!!!! Wow! and may you praise His name the rest of your life and live a life of worship !

Here is a picture of me at the hotel in Seattle...these days I have to be a little more creative and flexible when I spend time with Him...In Seattle I spent time with the Lord in the hotel's bath tub while Rebekah took naps ;)