Summer Sweet...

 

Life is good for a little girl named Natalie...

May 2011

my first...

Two thousand ten came as quickly as it left. It was as though a tornado came ripping through and left in its path a new baby, a bigger and busier family and time stripped away from each day. It was full of excitement, surprise, joy, TRUE joy and it was happy, but 2010 also brought frustration, heartache and death. Lately, I have caught myself reflecting on the experiences and moments of the passing year. The baby girl I just birthed is about to celebrate her very first birthday. My two oldest are maturing and growing way to fast for my heart to keep up! I have more wrinkles and my sweet husband has more gray...

It was a wonderful, crazy, exciting year for me, but I regret to say there are things I would do so differently. How could I change certain things, how could I make things better, create more time, have less confusion, live in the moment. Like a heavy fist it hits me...I felt like I gave my all, to everything, to everyone...including God. I lived for Him, loved Him, but I didn't always give Him my first! The best of me, the beginning. I gave Him what was left over. And, after a day of refluffing and folding, loving, listening, cooking, cleaning and then doing it again... I gave it to Him, held it up as a child brings you a found object. It WAS all I had, it was what I had left. It wasn't the best of me, all of me, my first!

Please don't get me wrong, this past year was full of love, laughter and blessings. But I yearned for something more, something greater. Resolutions! Smesolutions! I am doing it! I am giving God the best of me, all of me, my first! Then and only then, will I catch that quiet moment in each day, time with my blessings, an actual conversation and exchange of smiles with my best friend, grace that breathes in new life to an exhausted mother of three.

I have given Him the first of each day and He has breathed in fresh breath with His Word. I am going to again, attempt to hide His Word in my heart! (Oh GOD of second CHANCES and New beginnings...here I am AGAIN!) It is a verse that I have hidden before, but it is a favorite and I want to make sure it sticks! I want it to roll like the names of my children flow from my mouth...

NEHEMIAH 8:10...thank you Lord for YOUR Joy, your strength, the strength that can only flow from YOUR Joy...

" ...Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

I pray that 2010 treated you well and 2011 is full of hope, joy and grace. I pray that you take time to allow Him to breath new life into you with His WORD. And, may you continue with me to hide HIS Word in our hearts!

Give Him your FIRST!

Multitude Monday...

1. my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ

2. time with my children

3. my husbands love

4. reading the Bible with Andy

5. my baby's laugh

6. my Emma Mae's wit!

7. good food

8. playing kickball with my family

9. my precious grandmother

10. my washimg machine and my dryer

11. my Bible

12. my brother coming through the door

13. my Daddy's phone calls!

14. my Emma Mae loves a good rainstorm as much as her Momma does

15. and she'll sit on the back porch with me and drink coffee (she's five...going on 65!)

16. my precious Mother and her sweet heart

The Painted Rock Project

Well, Emma Mae is one busy little bee! For the last couple of days she has been asking me to help her gather some rocks for her to paint. She wanted to set up a table at the end of our driveway and try and sell these beautiful rocks she had painted. I thought it was a great idea, although it is reaching 102 degrees outside! After asking her what she was going to do with the money she raised, she informed me that she was going to give me all of the money!?! Apparently, she doesn't think I have any! (This probably comes from the the idea of countless times telling them, "No, Momma does not have any money!" to all their wants and wishes in WalMart!) Well, I thought this was a great opportunity to teach her of God's love for others. After explaining to her that her Daddy worked very hard to make sure we had everything we needed, that there were so many others in this world that were not as fortunate as we were. Maybe she could think of someone or some thing that we could do with part of the money she raised. During our VBS program this summer we learned of a mission project about kids reaching kids. Spreading the light of Jesus Christ to the children on the streets. She decided this was a good place to start.

Well, through proud parents and grandparents, the word spread. In one afternoon she raised over $30.00. She decided to take half of the money raised and put it in her coffee can for "charity" and save the other half in her "wallet" to buy more paint supplies for more painted rocks. And, after taking several commissions for more of Emma's rocks her grandmother dubbed this "The Painted Rock Project". So, here begins Emma's project! We pray that these little rainbow colored rocks will multiply and spread and tell a story of our amazing Savior Jesus Christ and his love for each and everyone of us! Through this little project may He receive all the glory and praise!

If you are interested in helping Emma's project and commissioning one of her painted rocks, please email me at naelrod@hotmail.com or contact me via Facebook!

Stay posted for more on "The Painted Rock Project" and its mission project!

Thanks and God Bless!