Extreme Homemakeover destroying people's lives?

I was listening to the radio on my way to MOPS yesterday and heard the saddest story. They were talking about how several of the families that were built new houses from ABC's reality show, Extreme Makeover had lost or were about to loose their houses. The taxes and utility bills on the houses they build are so high that most of the people who get new houses can't afford them. So, now many of these contestants are worse off financially than they were before. They also mentioned that because of their fancy homes many of the contestant's families, neighbors, and friends assume they are rich now and are constantly trying to get money from them when they are barely able to make ends meet themselves. It just breaks my heart to think of these little kids who were so excited to get these amazing new rooms would have to give them up and go back to living in horrible conditions because of irresponsibility on the part of many adults. I know this isn't the case for all contestants who have been on the show but it just breaks my heart to think about. I hope that ABC thinks about this and considers the families finances before building them a new home. Homes should be a blessing and not a curse.

The family that prays together...

Nick and I have started the new habit of praying together before bed time and I can already feel it having transforming power on our relationship. Our prayer time as a couple was usually more before meals and when we were praying about something specific. But, I think this new prayer time will be so amazing for us. Already I feel like we are more on the same page and in-tune with each other. And, I just love the power of the two of us coming together and praying for God's blessing on each other and our family.

I have always struggled a little to share myself spiritually with my husband. I am a little intimidated by him because he knows the Bible so well and I don't. But, I believe that I was letting Satan take away something from our marriage and family by not opening up and sharing with my husband.

Nick and I both grew up in homes where God was kind of a church thing except for praying before meals and we both desperately want to raise our children to know that God is an all the time thing. We want them to know that He is the center of our lives and that we hope He will be the center of their's. I think that Nick and I praying together at night will really help us feel more open to talk about God in our home. And, I also believe that God will teach us how to make Him the center of our home.

So, please be praying for us in our new praying endeavor! And if you don't already I encourage you to try to make a new habit of praying daily with your husband, just the two of you! (Or if you aren't married just keep it in mind for the future and don't wait 3 years to start!)

Sometimes I just feel the need to add a new post even when I don't really have anything to say! So, I guess I will start by updating everyone on our little family!

Nick is doing well. Last week he had a crazy week at work and had to work a lot! He didn't get home until after 7 most nights and had to work on Saturday:-( But, he gets paid hourly so I couldn't get too upset. Plus, it was so weird, he was in such a great mood all week. Nick is happiest when he feels like he is accomplishing things. So, even though it was kind of rough not having him home as much as I would like, I was happy that he got to get so much done! This week was much better.

Max is doing very well too. He is definetly 2 so tantrums are a pretty normal occurance around here. He is definetly growing up so fast. Lately he likes to "read" to us a lot. It is pretty amazing to us how many of his books he has memorized. Even ones we don't read that often! The other day he was playing with blocks on the floor and he saw one of his books lying on the floor next to him and without even picking the book up he started to recite parts of it. It was so sweet!

Sophie is also doing well. I took her for her 2 month check-up today and am happy to report a very healthy little girl! She weighs 13 pounds, 8 ounces and is in the 97% for weight! Woa! So, I don't worry that she isn't getting enough to eat while breastfeeding anymore! She is also sleeping pretty well at night. She usually goes for about 8 hours at a time which I am very pleased with. She is definetly getting more of a personality. She gives us big smiles and coos all the time now and she is totally infatuated with her big brother!

I am doing well too! I am loving getting to spend so much time with my family. I LOVE getting to be a mom and a wife right now too! Sometimes I get this "stay at home mom" guilt where I feel guilty for not bring in an income or like I am not sucessful because I don't have a "career". But, Nick and I had such an awesome talk about it the other day and he just made me feel so much better about it. He expressed that he really didn't want me to work and that he hopes I never do. He enjoys the calm life we have because we aren't trying to balance 2 jobs and our family. That affirmed me so much! I don't think there is anything wrong with women working!! But, I am just glad my husband and I are both totally on the same page with the choice we made for our family!

Other than that I guess I don't have much to report! We hope everyone is doing well! We are hoping to try to catch a few Springfield friends the Saturday after Thanksgiving (although, I know that might be a difficult day for some people!). But, as always, let us know if you are ever in the area!

Learning...

God is so facinating! He uses EVERYTHING to teach us! Right now I am in such a strange but wonderful season of life! I think our little family did every stressful thing imaginable in a one moth time (moved, started a new job, had a baby, sold a house) and we are really starting to just wind down from all of the caos. And, after the whirlwind I am finding myself a little big lonely in a new place. I am used to having lots of friends to do things with on a regular basis and now I don't. And yet, I am still seeing God's hand in all of it.

I kind of feel like I have learned more in the past 2 months than I have in the past two years. I didn't realize how much I was living my life from day to day just trying to fill the days with activities and social events. God is using this season of lonliness to let me know that I was doing things wrong! Although playdates and get togethers are fun I was making them my number one priority! God gave me the job of being a wife and mother and as much as I was wanting to make them my main priority I just wasn't! And, I didn't realize how much I was missing. Now when we have a playdate or activity more than twice a week I start to feel a little gyped out of quality time with my kids. In the past I would want to go out in the evenings and do soemthing just to be "out". Now if we have places to go after Nick gets off of work I almost get a little annoyed because I want to be having our family time. I used to always want to eat out and now I would much rather make a meal at home. Infact, Nick and I haven't had dinner out in over 2 months! And, I have lunch out maybe once every other week. The thought of fast food makes me a little ill now that I have been eating healthier and when I do get to go out (like for date night tomorrow!!) I am so excited! I also used to spend the whole day watching the clock for Nick to get home and if he was even half an hour late getting home I was so annoyed! Now that he is a job that is a little more demanding and he works longer hours I am somehow finding myself more content with being home alone with the kids. I mean, I would much rather have him home, but I have peace knowing that he is doing what God has for him right now.

I think time with friends and fellowhip are very important! But, I think God is teaching me how to put those things in their proper place. Isn't it amazing how we can take anything God gives us as a gift; friends, food, sex, etc. and turn it into sin? I do believe I was almost idolizing social situations.

I am so thankful that God has brought us to this place. What I have shared today is such a small portion of what I have been learning! But, I just had to share. God is giving me such peace and is showing me so much of my purpose for Him right now. I am just feeling so blessed and grateful for it all!

Prayers Please!

Argh! I am so sick of "church shopping"! I am starting to feel so disheartened and like we will never find a place to fit in and get plugged in. All of the churches we have gone to have been good but many of them really don't have a place for us to get plugged in and get to know people. Almost all of the churches we have visited don't do Sunday school and the ones that do small groups are adults only so that means we would have to get a babysitter one night a week which I really am not willing to do at this point in the game.
Please pray for us that we will find a good church home. I am in desperate need of some good girlfriends to hang out with and we could really use some family friends! We need fellowship! We are getting lots of good family time but they really can't take the place of some good friends who are at the same place in life.
Thank you so much! And, if you know any good churches in the St. Charles County area please let me know!

The big 2!

I just can't believe it, my little man will be 2 years old tomorrow! It feels like just yesterday we were headed to the hospital after my water broke totally suprised that our baby boy had decided to arrive 3 1/2 weeks early!

He has grown and changed so much in the past 2 years. Sometimes I can't believe that the little helpless infant we had is now a crazy little boy running around making elephant noises and counting to 13! It is just too much!

Tomorrow we will celebrate with a little family party and I am really excited. My parents, my Grandma and Grandpa Powell, Grandma June, sister, sister-in-law, and my 2 nephews are coming.

I can't wait! We are so blessed by our precious little boy!

Pondering my role as a parent

I have recently been pondering what makes a good parent and what my role is in the lives of my children. When I think about all of the people I know with great relationships with their parents one thing really stands out to me: their parents are their number one fan, always encouraging them, telling them how proud they are of them, even well into adulthood. The most secure and grounded people I know have loving and positive parents.

I have been so blessed in my life. I have always been surrounded by an amazing support system of people who think I am the greatest thing since sliced bread. My parents, grandparents, aunts, etc., have all been crazy about me since the day I was born. That doesn't mean that they have agreed with everything I have done or that we got along 100% of the time. But, they always sent me the message that I was loved and accepted.

I believe this is how God is with us. He loves us so passionately and so fully. I believe the relationship we have with our parents can very easily shape our view of God. I am not a psychologist, but it seems like a lot of people who I know that don't feel approved of by their parents struggle with understanding how much God loves them. They seem to never feel good enough and like they don't measure up. It seems like these are the people who tend to become pretty legalistic in an attempt to please. Adults who have never received the approval of their parents seem to be still wanting it.

I am not in any way saying that I do not know some increadible people who don't feel approved of by their parents. Some of the most wonderful, loving, and successful people I know have bad relationships with their parents and have always felt like they don't measure up. But, most of them have shared with me their struggle and insecurities because of these tainted relationships.

I desperately want to give to my children what my parents gave to me; a number one fan. I want my children to wake up every morning knowing that they are loved so intensely. I want them to go to bed every night knowing that their mom (and dad) think that they are awesome. Because, I believe that this translates easily into their relationship with God. I believe it builds a confidence that is hard to shake. And, I believe it gives us a sense of security that we can't get anywhere else. It is almost like we are wired to have our parent's approval.

So, in order to achieve this I must look at both positive and negative examples. What to do and what to not do. I think it is easy for some parents to be a little neutral with their kids and not say anything. They feel proud of them but don't express it. I don't think that does anyone any good.

I believe that this is totally different than saying, "I love you." Being loved and being approved of are so totally different things. Not to mention the fact that the word "love" is so overused it is almost completely meaningless in our society. Not, that we shouldn't tell our children that we love them! Mine hear it several times a day! But, that we need to go beyond that. The phrases I remember hearing most growing up that gave me the most security were ones like:
- you are awesome
- you can do anything
- I am so proud of you
- I knew you could do it
etc.

I guess I feel like it is one of my most important jobs as a parent to be a cheerleader for Max and Sophie (and my husband too!). And, I believe that this will give my children a leg up in life and in their relationship with Christ.