The Thompson's

Clay's Birthday!

2011-12-20T07:30:00.000-06:00


My DU Idea!

Yummy Cake!

The Table set up!

Blowing out the candles!!!

Clay wanted a bouncy house for the party!

Some of the kids who came! Fun Times!!!

A Christmas Elf

2011-12-19T18:08:00.000-06:00

An awesome Christmas Elf dropped these by my house the other day! These are absolutely the best donuts I've ever had! A local donut shop---Mark's!!! Nothing better. They even had a "love you guys" note on them! I have some really awesome people in my life! Love them bunches!!!!

Drake

2011-12-17T07:00:00.000-06:00


Drake was sleeping with this baseball!

Christmas Lane

2011-12-16T07:00:00.000-06:00

I took G to Christmas Lane, an outdoor event that is hosted by a local church. We took a carriage ride through the neighborhood, had hot cocoa & apple cider and a wonderful time! The funniest thing was when we got into the carriage & I said "put on your seat belt" he sat down quickly & began looking for it. Then he said...."Stephie!"

Carriage Ride

G with Santa!

A Glass that makes me Smile!

2011-12-15T21:46:00.000-06:00

A very sweet elf bought me this glass a few weeks ago. I've been using it every day since. It just makes me smile.

Let it Snow!

2011-12-10T07:30:00.000-06:00

We enjoyed our first snow of the fall/winter months. Beautiful!

B-17 Bomber Adventure!

2011-12-09T07:30:00.000-06:00

A B-17 bomber briefly stopped over in our city for a few days so we took a quick tour of the historic aircraft. This bomber is one of only fourteen of these bombers is still flying today. Pretty neat to look around and actually see this restored aircraft.

The B-17 & the guys!

I'm sure this coming toward you would be intimidating!

The size of the aircraft is visible with the guys standing under it!

A pose...plus looking at the geese fly over!

B-17

The guns were impressive.

More guns!

The Cows Come Home

2011-12-08T07:30:00.000-06:00

Back in October, we purchased a cow. He's being fed out right now, & he will soon find his way into our freezer. This is a first for us and a new adventure, but hopefully we'll be able to save a little money in the long run. A friend of mine was telling me about buying a cow and it sounded intriguing so she brought me some of her beef to try. It was absolutely delicious! Very lean and wonderful. The ground beef she gave me didn't even have to be drained when I browned it. I asked around and another friend's father actually buys and sells cows and so the process began. We made a trip out to choose the cow we wanted. Clay made the final choice. A few days after Christmas, we will be picking up a whole lot of beef. My parents & our freezers will be full since we're splitting the cost! I'll have to let you know how our purchase tastes. We're excited about it!

Thanksgiving

2011-12-07T08:00:00.000-06:00

We celebrated Thanksgiving at our house this year with Tom's parents, my parents, the boys, and our friend, Joel. We had a great relaxing day with great food. A time to be thankful for what we have and who we have in our life. Sharing just a few pics of our table and our preparations. I wish I had taken a photo of all of the food to remember how we feasted & shared! We are all blessed! I love my family & friends!

Our Table!

Chandler's place setting!

Clay's place setting!

Turkey Lurkey

2011-12-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

Clay debuted as Turkey Lurkey in the Mystery of Turkey Lurkey in the Thanksgiving Play at our homeschool program. The kids did a great job! Fun Times!

Our Guys!

2011-12-05T08:00:00.000-06:00

Son #1 & Son #2

So proud of our guys!

Love them so very much! God has blessed us with them!

Mismatched Socks

2011-12-04T07:30:00.000-06:00

Life is full of so many different things. The good, the bad, the ugly, the fun, the not-so-fun. But in the whole scheme of things, life is pretty much what we make it. Are we happy? Truly have joy? Happiness is really not about the situations or circumstances in our life, but how we handle them and understand that those things are just temporal and that we can truly be happy even during the times in life that don't bring happiness. We can have a sense of knowing that all will be well. We can have a peace that God is going to work things out for our good if we seek Him and serve Him and love Him.

I've gone through a lot of things in my life that weren't so fun or good or lovely and while going through them wasn't all that great, I have been given a peace that passes all comprehensible understanding that God was going to take care of me simply because He is God and He is good and his mercy endures forever. He allows in His wisdom what He could easily prevent by His power. He allows things in our life to help us to grow in our Christian walk with Him; if we are wise enough to realize He is trying to help us grow.

We have to understand that even if life gives us mismatched socks, we can look at it one of two ways. Negatively or positively. First, that woe is me, my socks don't match and one is tall and one is short and what am I going to go. Or we can choose to see the good in the midst of whatever we're facing. And that while my socks don't match and one is tall and one is short, well, at least I have two and they don't have holes in them and they are fulfilling their purpose.

I never discount what someone is going through, but I do want to encourage you to take a good look at your problems and find the good your life and even in your problems, learn what God has for you to learn & be grateful for mismatched socks! You never know where they will take you.............

©Stephanie Thompson

The Nina & The Pinta

2011-12-03T20:37:00.001-06:00

We recently had an exhibit come to town & Clay & I were able to explore it. Exact replicas of Columbus' caravels, the Nina & the Pinta, moored to the dock on the Arkansas River. It was absolutely fascinating. We enjoyed it so much! I would highly recommend taking the time to see this exhibit if it comes near you! Such a fun way to explore history!

Renewing the Mind

2011-11-21T11:13:00.001-06:00

Renewing the mind is a littlelike refinishing furniture. It is a two-stage process. It involves taking offthe old and replacing it with the new. The old is the lies you have learned totell or were taught by those around you; it is the attitudes and ideas that havebecome a part of your thinking but do not reflect reality. The new is thetruth. To renew your mind is to involve yourself in the process of allowing Godto bring to the surface the lies you have mistakenly accepted and replace themwith truth. To the degree that you do this, your behavior will be transformed.

-Charles Stanley

Romans 12:1-2 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Thanks for the Bad

2011-11-16T12:44:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving is a word of action. We must not just utter the words, but live by them. We must remember 1 Thes. 5:18, In everything give thanks. Sometimes this is hard to do, but we must stop, take a look, and know that all things work together for our good. Regardless of how it appears at the time, God is for us and not against us, and He is working things together for our good. He wants our lives to be formed into the very image of His Son, Jesus. This will take a process, a work, and definitely some chiseling of what isn't like Him, if we're brave enough and honest enough to look at ourselves.

As I look back through life, I see how far He has brought me. Through some painful experiences and circumstances and through it all, He was working it out for me to see my frailties, my shortcomings, my selfishness, and the areas of my life that are not like Him. To bring me to a place that I can see not just how far I've come but how much farther I need to go. He is faithful, He is love, and He is very honest with us. His desire is for us is to give us a life, one that we could we couldn't even hope or ask for. That's not necessarily the materialistic part but the one that is full and blessed and thankful.

It's very easy to be thankful for the good things, but not so much the bad. But is it not the bad that teaches us so much? So today, think of the painful times in your life & think of where they have brought you and where they can take you & be thankful for them. You are the wonderful person you are because of your experiences; the good, the bad, and the ugly. So thank God for them......and remember He is worthy of all of our thanks!

Be Blessed!

Do You Rank?

2011-10-16T21:03:00.000-05:00

Recently has discovered that once you determine where you rank in people's lives....then it makes things much more simple. The playing field is level. The expectations of whether they will be there for you or not are identified. Whether you matter or not can be seen clearly by behaviors. And regardless of the fact if you'd truly be there for them doesn't really matter. Because basically you do not rank as truly important in their lives. Identifying this has been enlightening..........it allows one to see the truth, to be able to be honest about relationships and to know where to focus energy and efforts.

Part of me struggles with the fact that we can care about people who are in our lives really don't care about us. We can try to encourage them, try to be a part of their life, try to be caring and compassionate receiving none of those things in return. How do we handle those facts? How do we apply the realities to our life? Do we determine that life is too short to focus on those with whom you don't matter? Do we continue on being who we are regardless....knowing that we don't "rank"? Do we just continue life as usual? Or do we make changes to adjust our life to those realities, moving them to a place of less importance in ours?

I am not sure of the answer. Perhaps it's a trial and error sort of thing. Perhaps we continue on...Perhaps it doesn't matter. I don't know....perhaps I never will.

Give

2011-10-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

The Kingdom of God reaches us at points and places where we least expect it. It's ironic that those with nothing give the most. A giver embraces the heart of the lonely and touches the need of the sinner. Remember, it was a giver who changed the outcome of our existence and soothed the pain of our greatest need.
When was the last time you gave away something you felt you were entitled to?
When have you given your absolute best to those you were convinced deserved it the least?
How can you give of yourself?

2011-10-07T07:30:00.000-05:00

The future of any ministry isn't to see a life changed, but to teach someone how to make decisions that will change his life. ~st

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

2011-10-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

by the incomparable Dr. Seuss
Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.
You’ll look up and down streets. Look’em over with care. About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.” With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to go down a not-so-good street.
And you may not find any you’ll want to go down. In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town. It’s opener there in the wide open air.
Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.
Oh! The Places You’ll Go!
You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.
You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed. You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.
Except when you don’t.
Because, sometimes, you won’t.
I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.
You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch. And your gang will fly on. You’ll be left in a Lurch.
You’ll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you’ll be in a Slump.
And when you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.
You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win?
And if you go in, should you turn left or right…or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind? Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.
You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place…for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.
Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.
No! That’s not for you!
Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky. Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!
Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all. Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.
Except when they don’t. Because, sometimes, they won’t.
I’m afraid that some times you’ll play lonely games too. Games you can’t win ‘cause you’ll play against you.
All Alone!
Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you’ll be quite a lot.
And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.
But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl. Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak. On and on you will hike. And I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are.
You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)
Kid, you’ll move mountains!
So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!

Your Own Decision

2011-10-05T14:37:00.000-05:00

Many times in life, making decisions is difficult. Many times "man" won't approve. Many times people want to influence your decisions based on what they feel is right and what they desire. I've seen this happen so many times, others try to guilt someone into doing something. It may be nothing that is wrong or bad, but just something that they want to do or "think" you should do. Perhaps standing on your own decision may be hard. Perhaps others won't approve of your decision. I think that one of the most freeing things in life is to be able to make a decision based upon what you think is best for your life, and move on with that decision regardless of what others say or think.

Rudeness, being inconsiderate, or arrogant is not what I'm implying at all. Just simply having a plan for your life & doing things that fulfill that plan. Recently one of our boys was faced with an option, one that "everyone" was doing. It was nothing bad. It was just things that we easily become entrapped with in life because it was "the" thing to do. Sort of a keeping up with the Joneses thing. One of the adults discussing the situation gave the comment, well you'd be the only one that didn't participate. As parents, we don't want our kids to be left out, ostracized or seemingly different or weird so as a sincerely, caring parents, we suggested well maybe you should participate. It wouldn't hurt and maybe you'd learn something.

After discussing, we decided that we would stick with our initial decision to not participate. Is is the right one? Maybe? Will others judge our decision? Maybe. Does it matter? In the whole scheme of things, not really. I think that when we are able to make our own decisions in life based upon not pleasing others & based upon what is True & Right, we can be happy with our decision. That's not to say that others won't continue to try to make us feel guilty for being our own person, but we can with good conscious know that we are standing up, being our own person, & making our own decisions.

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. Galatians 1:10

If you could be an animal.....

2011-09-26T13:11:00.003-05:00

Riding in the car we talk about random things.

Clay came up with, "If you could be any animal in the world, what would you be?"

Chandler immediately said he'd be a bear. Tom said he'd be a sloth, to which we all laughed and agreed that would be good. I said I'd be a cougar or a jaguar. Clay said he'd be a white tiger. Chandler then repeats, he'd be a bear. I asked why would you be a bear, he immediately said because you wouldn't have to deal with anyone or anything for 6 months out of the year.

I gave him a high 5....this, folks, is my child! I love my kids!!!!

Take Responsibility for your Attitude

2011-09-14T06:44:00.000-05:00

Wrong attitudes are like dirty garments. They don’t fall off your body; they have to be removed. Get rid of wrong attitudes by the planting of the word of God in your heart and mind. Do you complain about your job and how others treat you, or do you approach your job with enthusiasm and gratitude? Do you blame others when you are faced with adversity or do you take responsibility for your attitude and behavior? You can remove wrong attitudes by changing your mind and attitude toward God. Love the Lord your God with your entire spirit, soul and body and love others even as you love yourself. Determine to lay aside every wrong attitude and run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the race that is set before you(Hebrews 12:1). Your attitude will determine your success in life.

PRAYER:
Father, in the name of Jesus, I purpose to have the same attitude, purpose and humble mind as my Lord. He is my example for greatness! As a citizen of Your Kingdom, I am standing firm in united spirit and purpose, contending with a single mind for the faith, pursuing the destiny, which You handcrafted just for me. I will not be intimidated in anything by my opponents and adversaries. You are my light and my salvation. Amen

Scripture Reading Philippians 2:5 Philippians 1:27 Psalm 27:1

~Prayers That Avail Much

Messes

2011-09-13T07:37:00.000-05:00

We all have messes in our life. There is usually some kind of mess in our life. Sometimes messes are small and just feel like a slight annoyance. Other times, they’re so huge they strip the hope right out of our life. But here’s a thought to ponder right in the midst of your mess…

Am I letting this mess define me or refine me?

The answer to this question is crucial.

If I am letting a mess define me, I will feel hopeless.

If I am letting a mess refine me, I will be hopeful.

1. I was made for more than to be stuck in a vicious cycle of defeat.

Deuteronomy 2:3, “You have circled this mountain long enough. Now turn north.”

2. When I am considering a compromise, I will think past this moment and ask myself, how will I feel about this choice tomorrow morning?

1 Corinthians 6:19, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”

3. When tempted, I either remove the temptation or remove myself from the situation.

1 Corinthians 10:13-14, “…God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. Therefore, my dear friends, flee…”

4. I don’t have to worry about letting God down because I was never holding Him up — God’s grace is sufficient.

2 Corinthians 12:9-11, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness…for when I am weak, then I am strong.’”

5. I have these boundaries in place not for restriction but rather to define the parameters of my freedom.

Romans 6:19-20, “I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.”

National Day of Encouragement

2011-09-12T08:52:00.002-05:00

In this great big world, you make a difference.
I'm so thankful that one of the many lives
you've touched is mine.
I pray God multiplies back to you
the blessing you are, many times over.

God works through you in every small act of kindness,
and each encouraging word that brightens someone's day.
Your encouragement reveals God's love to others.
Encourage someone today with this message!

Football

2011-09-11T15:43:00.002-05:00

Football season has hit! Clay is loving it! Fun Times!

Royal Gorge

2011-08-24T08:12:00.005-05:00

For some reason today something made me remember a place we've been that was really neat, the Royal Gorge Bridge and Park, in Canon City, CO. The Royal Gorge Bridge is the highest suspension bridge in the world & hovers 1,053 feet above the Arkansas River. The Denver and Rio Grande Railroad run under the Bridge, along the banks of the Royal Gorge, which is a 10-mile canyon with a 50 feet wide base and a depth of 1200 feet.

The Royal Gorge Bridge is 880 feet and18 feet wide. It has a wooden walkway with over 1000 planks. The Colorado Royal Gorge Bridge is suspended from towers that are 150 feet high. In November of 1929, the Royal Gorge Bridge was constructed as a one-lane toll bridge. Of course the bridge is listed in the Register of Historic Places.

We of course walked across the bridge...scarrry. The shaking wooden bridge is 95 stories above the ground. The Arkansas River looked like a small creek way down there. Very different from the way it looks here at home. The only thing between us and an extremely long fall was a plank of wood! We also rode the Incline Railway at the park. It it the world's steepest railway & travels at a 45-degree angle going straight down into the gorge. Of course you had to wear a harness/seat belt. You actually felt like you needed to try to stand up, although you couldn't. It was extremely steep.

Visiting the gorge is a must if you are ever in Colorado. You can walk across the highest suspension bridge in the world & ride the steepest railway!

Just a thought....

2011-08-23T20:43:00.000-05:00

That wasn't an earthquake today in D.C....

It was the founding fathers rolling over in their grave!

2011-08-23T10:17:00.000-05:00

If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. Romans 12:8 NLT

Mediocrity is....

2011-08-22T10:13:00.001-05:00

a region bound on the north by compromise,

on the south by indecision,

on the east by past thinking,

and on the west by a lack of vision. ~unknown

Directly Proportional

2011-08-21T16:18:00.000-05:00

Our love for others is directly proportional to our love for God.
In other words, the more we love God....the more we will love others.

ST

School Begins

2011-08-16T08:55:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was the first day of school for us! One down 177 more to go. I hear all of these parents who are so happy that school has started because they are sick of their kids....which makes me sad in a way. Considering the limited time we really have with our kids we should be happy for that time. And then I think, well if they're sick of them, they trained them....soooo....maybe that's the problem? Oh well....

We have a 6th grader & a sophomore! Chandler actually drove his first day which was extremely weird but was an accomplishment for him! He said he thinks he will like most of his "odd" day teachers. Clay did most of his work without complaints so that was nice. That is one problem with your mom being your teacher, for some reason you feel you have the right to complain about things....we're working on that!

Our days are filled with school, cross country practice, football practice & just life. I try to remind my kids to not be so busy to forget the important things in life....God, family & friends. We should take time each day to cultivate those important relationships especially our relationship with God.

We're praying for a blessed year, & we hope you have a blessed one as well!

Leadership

2011-08-11T10:07:00.003-05:00

I ran across this quote I read in a book a few years ago....very thought provoking.

The measure of leadership is not the quality of the head, but the tone of the body. The signs of outstanding leadership appear primarily among the followers. Are the followers reaching their potential? Are they learning? Serving? Do they achieve the required results? Do they change with grace? Manage conflict?

Leadership is an Art, Max De Pree

A Call to Anguish

2011-08-10T15:31:00.002-05:00

No Sales Tax Holiday

2011-08-06T17:21:00.002-05:00

This weekend our state celebrated back to school shopping with a no sales tax holiday. I'm not entirely sure how much people will actually save, but every dollar counts. According to Google, 16 states celebrated this holiday. This is a first for our state. People seemed really excited to shop with no sales tax! I mean, we are taxed to death aren't we? So any break we get from taxes I think we should all take advantage of.

The state published a list of items that were tax free. The list was absolutely hilarious. I would love to know what they were thinking upon making this list. School supplies obviously were on the list, but some of the items were ridiculous like garters & garter belts, suspenders, beach capes, footlets, disposable diapers, wedding apparel, insoles & costumes. Please explain to me what person who attends school wears footlets? Does anyone wear footlets? And what exactly is a beach cape? Is that what Batman wears to the beach? And what 6th grader needs shoe insoles? Or what sophomore wears suspenders? And on the list was hosiery, pantyhose, AND stockings? Really? Isn't that overkill? Does anyone even wear those things anymore?

I'm wondering do the people creating this list even have kids who attend school? Or are these people who have absolutely no clue? The more I read the list the funnier it actually got. I kept thinking is this a list from the 1950s? Because who actually needs these things to go back to school? Baby receiving blankets? Honestly!

I'm extremely thankful for the break, but honestly, if we're going to pass a sales tax free holiday, we need to have progressive-minded people creating the laws & making the lists. Not people who obviously haven't looked at a school supply list in the last decade.

I am anxious to see how much our cities lost in sales tax this weekend. I know I've heard several mayors already griping about losing the money. When I heard that it made me realize how much our governments don't really care about giving the citizens who provide their jobs, a little break in such an awful economy. It will be good for people to see how much revenue is created to operate city & state budgets in a 2 day period.

We took advantage of the opportunity. We bought things we were already going to buy so nothing extravagant or anything. But it was fun to think that we were getting away scot-free so to speak. I think that I will plan for next year's event & try to buy a lot of stuff tax free! Just for the fun of it!!!! I'm planning my list now....beach cape, suspenders, footlets, earmuffs, pantyhose.... :)

He Watches Me.....

2011-08-05T11:29:00.002-05:00

Sometimes we feel down & out & wonder.....but God is faithful. He loves us & never forgets us! If you're feeling that you've been forgotten.....know this...His eye is watching you!

Last Ice Cream Truck

2011-08-03T16:51:00.005-05:00

We've experienced some extremely hot weather the last few days. Today we reached 114...a record high for our state, with a heat index of 120. It is sad when 80 degree temperature in your house feels cool! I thought this picture pretty much sums it up....it's HOT folks!!!

How Does God Want You to Live?

2011-08-01T18:00:00.000-05:00

When I woke up this morning, I asked myself, "How does God want me to live life today?" I found the answer in my room...the roof said, "Aim high." The window said, "See the world God created for me!" The clock said, "Every minute is precious." The mirror said, "Reflect before you act." The door said, "Push hard for your goals." The floor said, "Kneel down and pray."

Aim High – 1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV “Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
See the World God Created for Me – Romans 1:20 NIV “For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made....”
Every Minute is Precious – Psalm 90:12 NCV “Teach us how short our lives really are so that we may be wise.”
Reflect Before You Act – James 1:19 NIV “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry”
Push Hard for Your Goals – Philippians 3:14 NIV “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Kneel Down and Pray – Psalm 55:17 NKJV “Evening and morning and at noon I will pray”, 1 Thessalonians 5:17 NIV “Pray continually”

~unknown

Fun Day

2011-07-30T06:51:00.000-05:00

We walked across the Two Rivers Bridge the other day. I told G when it was being built that he & I would walk across it & go on the island & sit on one of those park benches! So we did just that. It was a HOT! But we had a fun outing!!! We'll have to do it again!

There is......

2011-07-29T12:08:00.001-05:00

For every hectic work day there is a quiet rest...

For every painful experience there is a healing touch...

For every negative feeling there is an abiding joy...

For every disappointment there is a certain hope...

For every turbulent storm there is a sure foundation...

For every doubting thought there is a calm assurance...

For every hurtful action there is a forgiving love.

In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37

-Roy Lessin,

Does Your Heart Need Fixing?

2011-07-28T07:14:00.000-05:00

Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

I think one of the most freeing times in my spiritual journey was when I was able to whole-heartedly live this verse. I’m not sure at which point it occurred but somehow, someway through my prayer time, study of the word, and application of God’s principles to my life, & sincerely knowing Him, God had transformed my heart to be able to get there. I don’t remember a specific event or situation that I became aware that this change had been made in my life. I just know that it did.

Now generally we think we don’t have too big of a problem weeping with those who weep but do we? Do we have a little snippet of joy when we think someone gets what they quite possibly deserve? Maybe a person is heartbroken over a situation, and we are somewhat saddened but deep down think, well if you had done this or that you wouldn’t be in this situation, even if it is true? Is that weeping with those who weep? Do we have 1000 solutions of what they should do to fix their problems instead of listening & then just praying? Most of the time people just want to know that someone hears them & is attentive to their need, even if a solution isn’t possible. Are we really weeping with those who weep? Or in our elevated sense of us, do we feel the need to correct?

On the other side of the verse is the rejoicing side, do we have a problem with the rejoicing part? We have a hard time being happy for those who get blessed with something we don’t. We don’t like the fact that they got a brand new…whatever….and ours is 10 years old. They get an enormous raise or a new house. We have a hard time being truly happy for the happiness of others. This little green monster creeps up called jealously and envy, and we cannot truly be happy them.

When we are able to rejoice with those who are rejoicing it opens so many doors for us. It allows us to be able to be happy with them, be happy in ourselves & just have all around joy. We don’t have to worry about jealousy or envy because we are rejoicing. When we weep with others, we have compassion and concern & love. We are able to empathize with them and understand the pain we would feel if we were in that situation.

As we walk with God, He shows us how to weep & rejoice. As we learn & relate to His heart, we become Christians who can relate to one another’s hearts. For God weeps and rejoices with us. He loves us. He cares for us. He delights in us. We in turn should do that for others.

If you find yourself not being able to sincerely weep or rejoice for others, then ask God why. Wait on His reply because He will show you. Look sincerely at your heart because it needs fixing and the only One who can mend it is Him! Trust me, I know, I used to have a broken heart too but God gave me the gift of weeping & rejoicing!

©Stephanie Thompson July 2011

Birds of Prey

2011-07-27T15:13:00.001-05:00

In Genesis 15 God made a covenant with Abram regarding his heirs. He promised Abram a son, and that he would have descendants as numerous as the stars. Abram asked God, “How shall I know this will happen?” In other words, pinky promise? God tells Abram to offer a sacrifice to Him to seal the covenant. So Abram follows God’s specific sacrificial instructions. All is going well until verse 11 “when the birds of prey swooped down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away.”

Now isn’t that just like Satan? God gives us a promise. We are taking it to the bank; we’re sealing it in our hearts, believing that God is going to come through for us. It’s going to happen! Then out of nowhere the nasty birds of prey swoop down & try to steal or ravage the promise? They want to sneak in and keep coming back again & again to pick bits & pieces until the promise is devoured and nothing is left but bones.

Abram was having a moment with God, sealing the Covenant with Him & at this holy, life changing time, the birds of prey swoop in to steal his sacrifice, his promise. Can’t you just see Abram out there with his heifer, goat, ram, turtledoves & a pigeon offering them to God & all of these birds swooping down trying to eat this holy sacrifice, holy promise? The bible says he drove them away. Now I can see him flapping his arms, yelling, jumping at them, and trying to keep them from the sacrifice. Yelling as we would in the south…”git on outta here’!

How many times has that happened? We’re moving along in our Christian walk, standing on the promises of God and then something happens that throws us off guard. Someone speaks against our promise? We doubt. We stop praying as we should. We don’t feed our spirits as we should. And some unexpected event, like birds of prey, shows up and throws us totally off.

This story tells me two things. First, that I should be watchful because the enemy is out there walking about seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). He’s looking for promises that God has made to us to try his best to see to it that they do not come to pass (John 10:10). He wants to keep us doubting God’s promises. From believing that what God says is true. He wants us to not have faith in what God has promised. He wants us to waver in our faith; be tossed about like on wave in the ocean (James 1:6). We must be watchful of the enemy, because he will send the birds of prey in to try to steal our promise.

Secondly, it tells me like Abram, I have to be ready to protect the promise that God has given me. I can’t sit back & let the enemy pick my promise apart piece by piece until there is nothing left but bones. I must be willing to flap my arms, yell, & protect my promise from the birds of prey. I must be willing to hold on to & protect my promise at all cost.

We must be watchful and diligent in our lives so that when God gives us a specific promise, we hold it and protect it until we see it fulfilled in our lives or the lives of our families or our churches or our communities. Our specific promises are ours alone. And no one can take them from us unless we let them, not even the birds of prey.

Remember your promise today…is it that you will be debt free? Is it that your children will be saved? Is it that you want a Godly husband or wife? Is it that you want to find your place and minister? Is it to see loved ones delivered? Is it that you will be healed? Is it that you will find a job? Is it that your family be protected? Is it you want to see a move of God in your church? Whatever your promise from God is……do not let the birds of prey swoop in to steal what God has for you!

God, Why those pesky little things??

2011-07-26T08:19:00.001-05:00

Do you wonder….why God?

Why are there mosquitoes?

Ok…maybe for birds and reptiles to eat.

But why so many bugs? Spiders? Was it necessary to create chiggers?

I wonder what divine purpose God had in mind?

I certainly haven’t discovered a reason.

What about poison ivy, oak, & sumac? For what purpose?

Was He sitting there at the beginning thinking of ways to torment us?

No!! But why God?

I’m sure we can ponder, come up with great reasons…and wonder….and wonder.

Or we can just accept the good and the bad of it all & know that on the day of creation He saw that it was good.

Maybe we’ll just have to wait to ask Him & then maybe….it just won’t matter.

Trusting God

2011-07-25T07:32:00.000-05:00

What seems like failure from man can be just that from all views… except God’s. God doesn’t see as man sees. God sees the potential, the talent, the life and person one truly is despite “apparent” circumstances. God calls us to be in a relationship with Him to fulfill His purposes not our own. We must trust that God knows what He’s doing. We must realize that things don’t just happen. They happen because God allowed or ordered them. God will speak to us implicitly. We will know it in our very nature. When we communicate with God, and we realize that he is guiding us then we no longer seek to find His purposes, we accept that God knows what He’s doing. If we have our own purposes it destroys the peace, simplicity, and effortlessness that we should have as His children.

God, may we learn to accept and rejoice in the fact that you do know what you’re doing even if it’s not explicitly clear in our hearts and minds.

Love....

2011-07-25T07:07:00.000-05:00

Love is opening yourself to someone.

Trusting them enough to truly be yourself.

Giving of your best and sometimes your worst.

Not having to pretend.

Faith to believe.

Knowing you are safe.

Believing in another.

Sharing dreams.

Leading.

Following.

Guiding.

Building.

Being your best.

It keeps quiet sometimes.

It speaks when necessary.

It grows.

It fulfills.

It is knowing, just knowing.

It is a feeling, such an unexplainable feeling.

Do You Wonder?

2011-07-24T07:59:00.000-05:00

Do you wonder? What do you wonder?

How many stars? How vast is the ocean?

Do you wonder? What do you wonder?

Who is happy? Who is sad? Fears? Who is safe?

Gazing out over a city at night, Lights in the windows,

Who is hungry? Who is scared? Being held? Begin hurt?

Staring into the darkness, do you wonder who you are?

Consider how insignificant you are…in the vastness of it all?

Yet, how truly important you are to some.

Do you wonder? What do you wonder?

Popsicle Healing

2011-07-23T11:06:00.001-05:00

The events, whether seemingly big or small, that occur in our lives shape us into the people we are either positively or negatively. In the early 1990s, after prayer and soul searching, I began to ask God why I was, in general, untrustworthy of people and why that for the most part I looked at situations expecting them to end negatively. One day the Lord spoke to me and reminded me of an incident that happened when I was 9 years old. Nine years old??? Really?

I was taken back to a 9 year old little girl in the Helena Hospital who was having a tonsillectomy. I remember before surgery the nurses promised me that I could have popsicles when I got out of surgery. I don’t remember being afraid of the surgery. I believe I was just ready to have it over with so I wouldn’t have sore throats anymore. I suffered from tonsillitis at least once monthly. When I began to wake in the recovery room in pain and groggy, I cried for my mom. I don’t know if I was loud or not but I do remember crying, and I remember the nurse, not her face or her name, but her words. She got down into my ear & said, “If you don’t be quiet, I’m not ever taking you to your mother”. How awful! How do you say that to a child? I’m thinking she really missed her true calling in life…just sayin’.

That wasn’t the end of the memory God uncovered. He also reminded me that while they promised me popsicles when I asked for them to soothe my hurting throat, they were out!?! But they promised! Now they were just out? How does that happen? How do you explain this to a kid? Well, I’m thinking the bedside manner of the recovery room nurse probably provides a little insight to how it was handled.

I’m sure my parents got me popsicles & ice cream & whatever else I wanted for my sore throat. Honestly, I don’t remember, but the other memory that was recalled to me as an answer to a soul searching question was revealed. I didn’t trust people, and I expected the negative because of a hurtful, distressing event that happened to me that was out of my control. People who were supposed to care, nurture, and heal me weren’t trustworthy, they weren’t reliable, they were damaging.

As I let that memory sink in, I thought, how absolutely senseless this all seemed. It seemed so unbelievable that events so seemingly insignificant and minute could change the way you view life, but it was a reality. A wounded child becomes a wounded adult.

At that point I prayed that God would heal my heart, my spirit, and my emotions so that I would not view life from the perspective of a hurt 9 year old but a whole person, one who wasn’t wounded by the actions of an uncaring nurse. He did just that. God can take negative experiences and circumstances and turn those around to mold us into the person he wants us to be. Is it because of this incident so long ago that I am very observant of people and tend to catch things that most overlook? Do I look at life from a realistic point of view? Has this made me a person who generally faces problems head on? Is this a result of my pain as a nine year old girl? Maybe. Maybe not. But one thing I do know is that God is faithful. He will show us what we truly want to see, and He will touch our lives and make us completely whole!

If you truly want revelation knowledge about your life and answers that seemingly no one can answer, seek God. He knows our hearts, and He can reveal to us exactly what we need to be whole. 1 Chronicles 28:9 says “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.” God’s Word is true. He knows our hearts and He wants to heal them from whatever hurt we’ve ever experienced even hurts from our 9 year old selves that superficially are nothing…even popsicle hurts.

Where's the Fruit??

2011-07-22T06:53:00.000-05:00

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

One day a good while back when my oldest son was probably around 9 or 10, we were riding in the car having a family “discussion”…if you know what I mean. The conversation was loud, tempers were flaring & there was not a lot of love being shared. I honestly don’t remember what the “discussion” was about, but I’ll never forget the exact location where we were or the words that were said. There was a moment in the conversation that my oldest son got a word in, and he said very quietly & matter-of-factly, “well, I don’t detect much fruit of the Spirit in this car.” To which my husband & I looked at each other knowingly. No, there wasn’t much fruit of the Spirit at all. We laughed & said, “You are right!”

It is funny to look back now & laugh at the comment but oh how true it was. In life sometimes things get overwhelming, frustrating, & just down-right “not fun”, and sometimes we tend to not act like we have much fruit at all.

I love the fact that our children who we are guiding and directing & trying to mold are sometimes the best at teaching us. They can innocently bring us back to reality and make us realize that we need to stop, think, & behave differently. They can show us things about ourselves that are beautiful and things that are ugly. They can show us God’s love through simple things.

I’m thankful for the opportunity to teach my children about God. I’m thankful for that freedom. I’m thankful that prior to this incident we had at least 9 lessons on the fruit of the Spirit, & it obviously sunk in!

It is in our homes that we can practice cultivating those fruits in our lives. The one’s with whom we are the most real. The one’s who know us the best, our shortcomings, our weaknesses, our successes, our failures. Are we practicing those fruits? Are we abiding in the vine? John 15:4 says, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.” We must abide in Christ or we cannot be successful in our Christian walk, our families, or anything we do.

Matthew 12:33 says "A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad” God help us to be identified as you desire us to be….good. May our actions reflect that & may we nurture the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. And may we listen even when our children are our teachers.

The Thompson's

Clay's Birthday!

A Christmas Elf

Drake

Christmas Lane

A Glass that makes me Smile!

Let it Snow!

B-17 Bomber Adventure!

The Cows Come Home

Thanksgiving

Turkey Lurkey

Our Guys!

Mismatched Socks

The Nina & The Pinta

Renewing the Mind

Thanks for the Bad

Do You Rank?

Give

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

Your Own Decision

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. Galatians 1:10

If you could be an animal.....

Take Responsibility for your Attitude

Messes

National Day of Encouragement

Football

Royal Gorge

Just a thought....

That wasn't an earthquake today in D.C....

It was the founding fathers rolling over in their grave!

Mediocrity is....

a region bound on the north by compromise,

on the south by indecision,

on the east by past thinking,

and on the west by a lack of vision. ~unknown

Directly Proportional

Our love for others is directly proportional to our love for God. In other words, the more we love God....the more we will love others.

ST

School Begins

Leadership

A Call to Anguish

No Sales Tax Holiday

He Watches Me.....

Last Ice Cream Truck

How Does God Want You to Live?

Fun Day

There is......

Does Your Heart Need Fixing?

Birds of Prey

God, Why those pesky little things??

Trusting God

Love....

Do You Wonder?

Popsicle Healing

©Stephanie Thompson 2011

Where's the Fruit??

Our love for others is directly proportional to our love for God.
In other words, the more we love God....the more we will love others.