Run With Sparkle

On our way home tonight from cousin's birthday party in Pittsburgh, I started lamenting/ crying about how often I forget the cute things the kids do and the great memories we make.  So, here is my attempt to chronicle the memories of our sweet, chaotic, messy, beautiful life in Ohio.     Here are some pictures from this side of heaven... Thankful for a cancelled field trip and a rainy day....every bin of clothes organized and able to shut!  Whew! Look how nice the basement guest area looks now minus the piles of clothes Still waiting on the butterflies to emerge Pizza, Sherbet, and Oreos=happy eaters My attempt to read more of the Word My garage sale find...a great fort building aid Creative messiness Ury is our quiet adventurer...never bored Yet another fort I finally made picture labels for all of Moriah's toy drawers We enjoyed seeing Tarzan at Boardman High School.....

But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.  John 4:14 After reading this passage with the kids, Isaiah said, "Mom, I want some of that water!" I admittedly have been in a bit of a drought these last two months, three months, maybe more. A spiritual drought, that is... Focusing on: kids, temper tantrums, a gassy baby, being the perfect mom, losing these last 20 pounds, Facebook, babysitting other children, homeschooling, my failure as a teacher, how to be the perfect wife, physical therapy, packing for a long trip, failures, being patient, looking for a new haircut, the perfect make-up, organizing/ simplifying our house, teaching Moriah to read & Zeke to talk, reading others' blogs & how to do everything like them! Ahhh....I would say drought is a nice word for it. How about completely insane? Then, I got this e-mail from a dear friend: Dear Heather, Here are th...

Thanks to my amazing hubby's Christmas gift , I'm getting alot of reading done! Here are some of my highly-recommended reads: 1.   NLT Bible 2.   To Live is Christ to Die is Gain 3.   The Circle Maker 4.  31 Days to Great Sex 5. The Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers 6.   Organized Simplicity 7.   Free Range Learning: How Homeschooling Changes Everything

"I will certainly be with you." Exodus 3:12       It was 2 weeks before we were to start homeschooling again and dread overwhelmed me. Why? Because Isaiah didn't want to homeschool. It was painful to think of another year of trying to convince him that this is what we were called to right now, the best thing for our family.  I met with a friend and she told me about a new grant that enables low income families to go to private school. Perfect! Perhaps this was my answer...Isaiah could go to Heartland Christian School. I was sad that this may be God's answer because I would miss the time with him, but wanted the best for the kids. So, I began the application process. I had an unsettling feeling the entire time. When I stopped to hear from the Lord on the issue, I could hear Him saying, "Heather, I've told you to homeschool, given you the curriculum, answered your fears, and you're still not obeying." Ouch! "Okay, Lord, I'll listen, but ...

As the rain  and the snow      come down from heaven, and do not return to it      without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish,      so that it yields seed  for the sower  and bread for the eater, 11  so is my word  that goes out from my mouth:       It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire      and achieve the purpose  for which I sent it.  Isaiah 55:10-11 Last week with our kids was brutal.  I babysat various numbers of kids everyday, had missionaries in from out of town, took the kids to Bible school, had play dates at the park, and had 4 different nights where we had dinner with families from our church. By the end of the week I was ready to lock our children in their rooms.  They were being mean, not wanting to play together, constantly hurting the other one's feelings, saying things I have never...

Yesterday, after much bickering and breaking up fights I said to the kids, "We really need to sit down and read our Bible together.  We need to hear from the Lord!"  The sounds that followed ripped me to the core..."Awww!" "Do we have to?" "I don't like reading the Bible!"  I wanted to scream in anger about how they never seem to make those sounds when we sit down to watch a movie, but I didn't, I just started reading.  Zeke was the only one scrambling to get to my lap and hear the story. Afterwards, I let the kids go play and I just sat in the Popasan chair feeling dejected, like a terrible mother. "Lord, you promised to pour out your Spirit on my children!  What is happening?  I am failing you...failing them!  You have to do something" I brought them all back into the sun room for a light lecture.  Haha...yeah, if that's possible! "Guys, I have one main job as a mother and that is to teach you the Word of God....

Last week my beautiful 4-year-old, Moriah, started riding a 2-wheel bike. She has been determined for a while to learn to ride this summer and last week after many bumps and bruises, she took off.  She also started pumping her own swing, too! Wow...life is zooming by! But, back to the bike...it was a warm & sunny spring day in 2013.  The kids were outside riding their bikes.  Moriah had more than outgrown her princess bike with training wheels.  I remember breathing these words to Jesus, "It would sure be wonderful for Moriah to learn to ride a bike this summer, but she needs a new bike.  We don't have the money for one.  A princess bike would be nice, too."  It was just a thought sent up to heaven to my Daddy who provides for all of our needs!  It wasn't an "official" prayer, but just a thought, believing in His time He would provide what Moriah needed.  It wasn't 5 minutes after that breath I heard Isaiah calling, "Mom! Mom!  The...