Home Hospitality

I'm in a weird space today. My heart is heavy with a burden for Moms. All moms. I'm getting the feeling that moms are lonely people. 

How can this be? The mind of a mom is constantly focused on loving her child, on growing this little human into a responsible adult. 

How can a mom be lonely? She has a family. Isn't that enough to satisfy her need to connect? 

My observation is no. It is not enough. 

Mom's are lonely. They give and give until one day they realize they have given their whole self. Some don't know who they are outside of motherhood. 

They give up hobbies to save time in the day. They give up luxuries to help save money. The moms I know are my heroes. I honestly look up to them and often seek out their opinion on how to be a better parent. 

But. There are some who are lonely and that fact hurts me to the core.

BREAKING BREAD

Caleb and I have been talking about how to help people connect. He said that Acts 2:46 states "And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart," 

Which to him means a big part of building a church is fellowship.

Now, don't get me wrong. Our church has potlucks, family day, youth stuff, all that. 

But for some love is in the details. 

The scripture does not say the broke bread at the temple, but instead, they went house to house. 

There is a very personal element to being invited into someone's home OR YOU inviting someone into your home. 

It is a sign of trust (especially here in SoCal). To me, if you are in my home you have now become apart of my life. You are in my sacred space. The space I prepared for my family.

I believe if we can revive the idea of fellowship in our homes we will begin to see a decline in loneliness. Those who are lonely, pray for courage and then invite a few random ladies over for coffee or brunch. Those who DON'T feel lonely (aka my introverts) pray for grace and invite a few random ladies over for coffee or brunch. 😊

I personally fall into the introvert category. I am perfectly happy sitting alone ALLLLL day. I love it. I feel calm and at peace with the world, BUT I have a responsibly to my peers.

1 Thessalonians 5:11

Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

Hebrews 10:24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near

Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12 because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

The Bible clearly states we are responsible for one another. We are told to build each other up. Weep when your brother weeps and rejoice when they rejoice. We are literally referred to as A BODY. Who looks at their left foot, sees a horrible infection and says, "well I never liked that foot anyway" and allows it to die off. NOBODY. We are a body, a unit. We are responsible for one another. As much as we can, we should be looking out for each other. 

So, now that I know my fellow moms are looking for community and connection it has become my burden to find a way to help provide that. I am praying for grace, wisdom and a little "git'er done" to push me into action. I plan on starting small. Inviting a few people over during the week. Little by little. I believe that God is going to honor this action. I even believe that this can be used as for winning the lost. What better way to introduce your friend/family to the truth than by meeting a group of awesome apostolic women! 

I hope this made sense to someone. I hope it encourages you to take action for your self or for others.

Love to all.

Doing our best and raising the future. 💗

Homeschool

Today is Wyatt's home school day. This year I am trying to embrace the "experience learning " approach. We went out for breakfast and practiced making small talk. We discussed random topics and learned how to ask interesting questions and respond in full sentences. Wyatt likes to answer most questions with VERY vague answers. Yea, Good, I'm not sure and I don't believe I saw that, are some of his favorite evasive techniques. My hope for this exercise is that as time goes on, Wyatt will learn to give thought to his answers and enjoy expressing himself. 

Honestly guys, am preemptively fighting against his teen years. I can already see the teen who will only answer in "yea sure". I understand there are times to talk and times to think. I just want to prepare him as best as I can for the times he will want to talk.

The whole home school experience has been pretty neat. I love spending the extra time with the kids. Life fills up with "to-dos" so quickly it has been fun to gain some of that time back. 

Little changes, Big results

So, I'm trying to add new pictures to the site, but apparently things have changed and I dont know what type of file to save my photos as in order for them to be usable. *hello help tab!* 

I'll figure it out later. 

Above is a photo from our 14th anniversary vacay (baby). 

So on to the good stuff...or the weird stuff, it just depends on what you expect to get from reading this.

I have been in this mode of imagining what my insecure, down and out 19 year old self would think of my life right now. 

Let's be real, when you are in the church, 19/20, with no dating prospects it feels like you are NEVER EVER EVER going to find "the one". Then, when you do find someone and they turn out to be a weirdo so you leave them, you REALLY feel like you will NEVER EVER EVER EVER find The One. 

Well, 19 year old Sarrah do not fret. You find the one, and you two become a crazy town family of five. You are blessed to with two boys who are polar opposites. Then when you least expect it, you are blessed with a CRAZY girl, who is both girly girl and the sassiest thing you have ever met. 

The thing that has really been putting me over is the fact that I could have never imagined any of this. 

Do you know that I get to praise sing beside one of my all time favorite singers?! I remember watching her sing at concerts and just thinking "wow, she is so cool". Now, we chat during choir. 

Could I have ever guessed that would happen? Nope. 

I have committed to being a SAHM. Not only that, but I have kinda jumped on this home school train. Granted we only home school 2 days a week, BUT STILL! If someone had said, Sarrah someday you are going to stay home and home school your kids...I literally would have laughed. It was cooperate america for me alllll the way. 

So, I guess what I'm saying is, Life is crazy. The place you are in now is not the place you will live. There are always small changes going on. Here a little, there a little. When it all adds up, we get to look back and smile at what God has done. 

I really want to!

HEEEEELLLLOOOO out there!!!!

I am burnt out of IG and FB. Snap never did it for me. I want to return to my first love. Now seems like as good a time as any. Fall is just around the corner. My kids just started school.
I am officially a part time home school mom. My kids go to a charter school 3 days a week and I will home school them the other two, unless they opt in for an elective day at the school site.

I'm so rusty. I can feel my fingers drag as my thoughts flow, but hopefully this is an real return and I will once again get down to recording our lives the proper way.

Let's add some pictures for old time's sake shall we...

I dont have any photos of Caleb and I on the computer at the moment. In the mean time take a gander at these beautiful babies 

Hello Bloggitty This is a ramble.

I am taking like 5 mins to blog because, Blog, I miss you!!!!!
I need some time to hash out all my thought, but I think that time is already up, as Zane just marched into my room to inform me about a Teddy Gram situation going on downstairs.

So yup. This is why I haven't blogged lol.

Life. In my mind, there is this entity that exists in the world called Life. Life pretty much comes on a little heavy handed and likes to ruin my plans. I find myself telling Caleb, " If I ever get to meet Life, I'm just going to walk up to it and punch it in the face." Lol.
Life has been pretty wild and honestly I feel like we are back in survival mode. (I'm talking  new born baby survival mode, where you are just glad you showered and dressed that day)
Caleb is working three part time jobs right now, which is ok. We have learned to pack in a lot of fun for the kids on Caleb's days off to make up for the times they are stuck at home with me all day. Although, recently I did take all three kids out by myself and nothing bad happened. So, I think I am going to try taking them with me to a mechanic today, because our car needs a tune up. We'll see.
Time's up, I have a really great thought I want to come back and hash out. Maybe tonight. These few minutes were enough. I feel a little more together. :)

Today is such an emotional day

Psalm 118:17

17 I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.

I remember a time when I had only a thread of hope, when I had to talk myself into believing things would work out. I made myself repeat what I knew were the right thoughts, until the idea went from my head to my heart and I truly believed what I was saying. In that time of my life, this verse kept me going. It was my mantra, repeated daily, and written down on several surfaces. I shall not die, but live. Today, I am not only alive, but thriving. 

 During the time I was trying to conceive, I prayed for God to take the desire for a child from me. To release me from the pain of unanswered prayers, and (as silly as it soumds now) send me off be a missionary. We had nothing tying us down. Surely a young missionary couple could do more for God than a grieving woman. I would have slept with bugs on a dirt floor, than continue to hope and (in my mind) fail. 

When things don't work out like we planned or we feel like we have failed at life, it takes a toll on our spirit. In those times we need to look to the word of God for encouragement. Psalm 118:17 is so simple. I will live, and not die. I will make it, I will overcome and because I am alive, I will declare the works of the Lord. 

Today is Wyatt's 5th birthday,(and I know it seems like I always "go here", but it's because I don't ever want to forget what God did for me), and I am so grateful for the miracle that God gave us. I will never be able to fully express the beauty of God's timing in Wyatt's birth. He was what we needed, when we needed it. I sit here with tears in my eyes, overwhelmed by the amazing God we serve. In years to come, when my children read these words I want them to feel what I feel right now. To know that God is good and no matter the circumstance you can live and not die, and in living you will declare that the Lord is great. 

Happy Birthday to you Wyatt Dillon. You are loved more than you will ever know. 

Kindergarten bound

camping 2014 

Meeting selfies with Daddy

Ready to leave the nest :)  

Of course Justine met him at school and brought him a special cookie :)

I could not resist leaving a drawing of us on his desk while he was at an assembly . 

BTW, his teacher knew enough to sit him right next to her desk lol 

Best out of five photos taken. 

  It finally happened. Wyatt started school today. This morning he came bursting out of his room (at 6:30am) and asked if it was time for him to get ready for school. The entire time we were getting ready he kept pushing us along because he didn't want to be late. :) On the way to school, Wyatt asked Zane if he was going to miss him, to which Zane yelled, "Don't talk to me!". Zane is a little jealous that Wyatt is starting a new adventure without him. I'm sure his jealousy will end when Zane realizes he will get a lot more attention, now that it is just him and Kristin at home. 

  As of this moment I am curious about what Wyatt is doing. I wish I could sit in class and watch him learn. I want to see how he interacts with other kids. I wonder if he will eat all his lunch. Should I have sent something that is kinda hard to open?  

  While I have a lot of momish wants, there is one thing that I am not...I am not worried. When the understanding that I am not even a tiny bit worried about my son struck me, I realized it is because Wyatt is with people I trust, in a place I know is safe. I'm not worried about how kids might treat him. I'm not worried that his teacher will be unsympathetic to his needs. I am not worried about what Wyatt is being taught. I know that Wyatt is safe. Will he have hardships? Yes. Will someone pick on him? Eventually. But in the end Wyatt will be taken care of, and thankfully will have the privilege of learning in a truly christian environment. I can't express how much that means to me. As a mom who was born to worry, I am thankful to God for helping us make the decision to send Wyatt to LCA and then providing us with the means to send him there.