A Science "Experience"

    The Lord has been helping me teach my kiddo's His truth in new ways.  For a while we would read a bible story and then act it out! They loved that.  The other day I did a "science experiment" Bear miss understood me and now calls an experiment and "EXPERIENCE."  I kind of love that.  Teaching through experience, as an adult I still benefit so very much from a good visual or word pictures.  This is a gift God has given many of our pastor's they give us examples to help the truth of God's word stick in our brains long enough for us to get out and live it! 
     So I wanted to share about our experience!  For weeks now I have been teaching and learning with the kids the sign language for the scripture 1 Cor. 13:4-8 

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails.

     So, I got a jar and a rubber band and had Troy snag 4 army guys.  We strapped the army guys to the jar. I asked the kids where does the love that we have been learning about come from. "God!" Bear shouts, good one Bear.  I explained not only does love come from God, but we get to love because God lives in us by the Holy Spirit. (Troy and Bear have invited the Holy Spirit to live in them and Christ to be their Lord) We need God to pour His Holy Spirit in us continually because we leak! 

     Next I took food coloring and had them shout out one aspect of love form memory.  "Its kind, It doesn't boast, always protects!" Every time they said one I would drop color into my big jar of water.  This was just a visual of how beautiful those aspects of God's love is.  So all those things are in the Holy Spirit and when we start to get crunchy attitudes with each other we can ask the Holy Spirit to refill us with love. AND HE WILL! (Side note: I usually teach my kids whatever I am learning so that its fresh baked spiritual bread!) I began to pour the colored "Spirit" water in to the jar in the middle of the army men.  I told the kids the jar was  me and the men were Paul, Bear, Troy and Abi. As the water filled the small jar they were excited but giggles broke out when it over flowed and I shouted look at all that love getting all over you guys! 

     Each of them had a turn to color their water and would say Holy Spirit please fill me so I can love my family.  Then they would pour.  It was exciting every time.  We of course had to contrasting it the nastiest thing we could think of.  Duke's poop (our puppy). How much more pleasant and refreshing it is to be refilled with the living water of the Spirit to splash love on one another that our stinky flesh! 

    I don't want to post about this as a "Ta Da!" Look how clever I am but as an encouragement to Mom's or others with little ones. Use whatever gift you have to teach them the truth of God's word in a way that there little minds can "experience" it! 

*We also talked about how the Holy Spirit refilling us might look different for each person. That God has given us gifts to love one another in different ways just like the different colors we used to color the water. 

His time is always BETTER!

        Our family started a whole new life yesterday!  Paul went off to work as a FULL TIME FIRE FIGHTER!  If you have followed along with our testimony at all you know this is huge for us!  It has been so strange that I haven't even known how to write about it.  Even as I type now I can't put into words what I want to!

Had to take Paul his sunglasses so we got to
see him on his first day at the Station! 

Union Fire Department

     As my heart settles into our new reality I keep thinking one thing, "God's timing is Better."  Paul said the other day that he is so thankful that God didn't give him any of the other fire jobs he applied for because it would have been easier to say, "I got it because of all my hard work." There is no confusion in our hearts that this happening was the Lord at work in our lives.

     Back in February when we were with out a home to live in Paul felt he needed to turn in his gear. He think it was appropriate for a him to run if he was homeless.  This was one of the hardest things we have gone through.  He gave up his dream and what he truly felt called to do because the immediate need was provide for the family and that would require working ALL the time.  That is what he did.  He found us a beautiful new home and work his butt off at a factory job with out know if he would ever get to pick up that gear again and do what he loves.  We were in our new home with his new job.  Sad about the loss of fire fighting but so very thankful for the provision of needs.  As God provided and things got steadier with our living situation Paul prayed about continuing to volunteer.  He felt he had the go ahead from the Lord.  He had hardly begun to get back in the swing of running and a friend told him that a station just up the road from our new house (Union) was hiring.  He applied, took the test, got an interview and got the job all with in 2 weeks.  It was just God's time.  The time He knew He would say yes almost 3 years ago when we first began this endeavor.
      We had so many disappointments along the way.  God walk through all of them with us.  He was the one that held our marriage together under such stress, He was the one who gave Paul the physical strength to press on, He was the one that gave me the emotional strength to keep going.  We did not do this last season in our live perfectly by any means.  There was plenty of asking God why and frustration and even anger with our Lord.  He was gracious and continued to draw us in just like a parent does with a child who doesn't understand a boundary or a training lesson.  In this last season I learned what it looks like (to some degree I know I will learn more) to Trust in the Lord with all my heart to forsake my own understanding.  I learned to obey and even enjoy obeying God's word when he says to honor and respect your husband.  God never told me this is what I want Paul to do.  He told Paul that early on but He told me, "Support him weather you know he is doing the right thing or not." EEK!
     So here we go.  We launch into a season of different.  Hopefully this is a start of a career that Paul will have for 25 years!  I would ask for prayer for our family.  Though this is all wonderful there are some major changes taking place and that will all ways require more grace.  Paul is going from working 6-7 days a week to 3!  He is now full time working a job were he runs in as everyone else runs out.  Our budget isn't changing much which is fine as it was never about the money.  But Paul will be able to work side jobs as he has such an open schedule.  Thank you to those of you who encouraged and prayed through this last season!  We are so shocked and blessed to be in this new one.
     We know that suffering and trials don't end here but I tell you what we also KNOW that God will walk with us through what ever He allows next for our refinement.