The Truth About the Truth in the Tinsel (Review!)

I'm super excited today. Not only am I blogging again, which has strangely burned within me for the past few months of hiatus, but I'm starting it all off with the beginning of the Holiday Season. As a extra bonus, I've been asked to review the new e-book The Truth in the Tinsel: An Advent Experience for Little Hands by the awesome mom-blogger after God's heart, Amanda White, of Impress Your Kids! Click here to visit Impress Your Kids.

It's always on my heart to make the advent season purposeful and focused on Jesus in the midst of the hype. This book is a perfect way to carve out a small part of the day (only about 30 minutes) and create something with your child(ren) that will make it easy to share the birth story of Jesus in a way that will be sticky to their hearts and minds - and maybe even their hands sometimes. What got me truly enthusiastic about The Truth in the Tinsel is this part of the section How to Use This Book: "The key to this entire advent celebration is to have a daily focus and meditation on God’s greatest gift. Your children will learn the ins and outs of the story because you’ve facilitated a time to discuss, play, and create. And in those moments, God will speak to their hearts and yours. 
The little Baby is no longer in the manger but alive and sitting on a throne—waiting to have a relationship with you and your children. Help your children get to know Him this Christmas!"
I almost cried with JOY!

Each day of December preceding Christmas has a small ornament craft planned around scripture verses. The sections on each page "Read it Together", "Make it Together", "Talk About it Together", and "Do More Together" make it easy to glance at and find your place in the midst of artsiness and - let's face it - noise. The accompanying photos show the materials needed, step-by-step shots, and the finished product hanging on a tree branch. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. I love the idea of reading the bible together and then talking about it while creating. Amanda White has planned this activity book to reach pre-school through middle elementary aged children, but I'm pretty sure all of my kids will want to make these cute ornaments (with the possible exception of my 13-year-old) and participate in the scripture reading and discussion. For days when we have extra time to spend on this, we will definitely be exploring the activities in the "Do More Together" sections; these can be additional scripture, picture books, singing, play-acting, and bringing others in on the fun!

In the weeks to come, my family and I will be exploring and creating The Truth in the Tinsel: An Advent Experience for Little Hands, so make sure and check back here to see all the fun we're having getting to know the birth story of Jesus a little better. I know you'll love it and TODAY ONLY Amanda is offering this beautiful gem for only $2.99! After today, the e-book will retail for $4.99, so don't wait! GRAB THAT DEAL. Then, you can use the supply list at the beginning of the book and take full advantage of the fabulous coupon you got for Michaels, or Hobby Lobby, or JoAnn's. Make this Christmas season the best ever - be intentional and share God's heart with your little ones. They need know that He loves them than Santa Claus ever could.

21 Days of Prayer for Sons - Anger (Day 18)

"So much of the Christian life is a choice. Every day (multiple times a day) we're presented with a choice to choose God or choose ourselves. Anger is a perfect example."(from the Leader's Guide by Brook Mcglothlin) This is so true. I often have to "counsel" my children to choose not to get angry with their siblings, or at least not act in anger. How often do we all get in trouble by acting out in anger? Wouldn't things be smoother if we chose to turn the other cheek, forgive and move on? 
Yesterday afternoon, shortly after we got home from VBS, the kids were supposed to be getting themselves sandwiches for lunch and I went upstairs to the bathroom. During the following 5 minutes, I heard yelling, scuffling, the front door slamming shut, and then a little knock at the door and Luca's plaintive voice. When I opened the bathroom door, there was Luca, in tears, telling me about Rocky and Antonio's fight. "Are you okay, are you hurt?" I asked him. "No, it's Rocky, my buddy. He's bleeding." "You weren't in the fight?" "No, it's Rocky my buddy."
I was moved by his concern for his big brother and buddy. I've never seen him like that. In a fleeting moment, I rejoiced that he was showing maturity in his feelings of concern for someone else.
Anyway, there was Rocky on my bed: upset, still angry, tears in his eyes. The whole story tumbled out. He was in the kitchen making a sandwich for Luca and himself and Sabina was trying to open the dishwasher to get a plate. "The dishes are dirty." "I need a plate," Sabina said. "They're dirty." "I need a plate!" "These plates are dirty. Cecelia! Get a plate for your buddy!" Sabina, enraged, yelled,"AAH! Stupid Rocky!" So, yes, already the anger had begun. Out of frustration with the rising level of noise and craziness, Rocky vented, "Everybody SHUT UP!" Then, Antonio felt that he had to step in and control the situation AKA put his hand on Rocky and control HIM. This turned into one of the epic physical fights that they've been getting into since they were 1 and 2. Nobody was hurt, but Antonio stormed out of the house and took off on his bike. I didn't even get a chance to talk to him. Luca and Sabina were watching Rocky as he told me the story. I looked at the three of them, my own anger rising up that I couldn't even go to the bathroom without this happening. I noticed Luca still had tears next to his eyes and pointed it out to Rocky that he was so concerned for him. Rocky didn't actually have any blood, but a scab on his shoulder had partially ripped off earlier in the day and I told Luca that's what it was. Then, I turned to Sabina because I saw how it all had stemmed from her fit of anger. She is little (only 3) and angelically cute; she needed to know how her anger affected her brother. I told her that she needs to listen to what Rocky says to her and told her she needed to apologize for the mean words she said to him. Now, as God's child (we dubbed her thus while I was pregnant with her), she seems unnaturally capable of understanding when she needs to apologize and go all the way with it. She sweetly said sorry to Rocky for the way she treated him and they hugged. Then I wanted Rocky to comfort Luca and the other way around. I tried to explain how when we show love toward one another it can diffuse anger. They ended up hugging too. 
I spoke to Rocky, "I know you feel upset when things are noisy and crazy sometimes, but you have to use your self-control and calm down. Remove yourself from the situation so you don't get angry." He agreed and then left to find Antonio. At the park nearby, he found him to apologize. It took another half-hour for Antonio to come home. The anger was still all over him. Some of the kids had said to him, "It's better when you're gone." (He'd spent the night at a friend's house the night before.) His feelings were hurt and he was in the middle of a "poor me. No one understands or likes me anymore because I'm a teen now, but I'm the same kid." adolescent mood swing. I had to choose to step away from my own anger at him for treating his brother badly and then taking off. I saw how hurt he was, and took a moment to pray and hug him after cracking through his anger shell. This motherhood business is a constant challenge.
I had the other kids apologize to him for saying that. I think they understood that it was pretty mean. I also think Antonio grew to understand that they only said it to hurt him, just like he sometimes says mean things out of anger. This was a pretty big lesson for me in how one little seed of temper/anger can grow into a storm of junk for the whole family. We have a choice in how to react to others' anger. Do we let them affect us? Do we let them control our emotions and actions? No, we use our fruits to love, to be patient, to use self-control, to be kind. We let God, and sometimes Mom, handle the situation.
 

Anger

May all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from __________, along with all malice (Ephesians 4:31)

May__________ put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from his mouth (Colossians 3:8)

May__________ give a soft answer, which turns away wrath, and avoid harsh words which stir up anger (Proverbs 15:1)

May__________ not be quick in his spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools (Ecclesiastes 7:9)

May__________ never avenge himself, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written,"Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." (Romans 12:19) 

May__________ know that God himself is our peace (Ephesians 2:14) 

May__________ make peace, and so have a harvest of righteousness (James 3:18) 

And let the peace of Christ rule in __________ heart, to which indeed he was called in one body. And be thankful (Colossians 3:15)

May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard __________ heart and mind in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7)

May__________turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it (1 Peter 3:11)

21 Days of Prayer for Sons - Kindness (Day 13)

Rocky showing kindness to Luca (at the end of a long birthday)

One of my main directions to my older sons is to be loving and KIND to their siblings. I think a lot of times they get caught up in trying to control or "boss" the others and forget to treat others as they want to be treated. When Antonio and Rocky were little, the ages that Carlo and Luca are now, they were pretty self-sufficient boys. However, there were times when they lost control of their tempers or forgot the rules (just as their brothers do.) I found then, and it still holds true, that boys need kindness and a strong hand. Discipline is not about bossing or punishing, but training with love.

As Sally Clarkson wrote on the M.O.B. Society blog, "I noticed that when I treated my boys in a gentle way, with respect and spoke directly to them, at eye level, and touched their little backs or shoulders, they were much more attentive.'A gentle answer turns away wrath,' from Proverbs became the pattern for my speech to my boys. Treating them with gentleness and patience created a desire in them to become civil with me. I was firm and consistent, but honored their desire for kindness."

This is such wisdom. Even now, at 13 and almost 12, my older boys respond much better to me if I look them in the eye (almost eye-to-eye! Yikes!), touch their arm or hand, and speak to them in a gentle, firm manner.  We all want to be treated with respect as well as kindness; it pays to honor your sons in this way.

Kindness

May the LORD now show__________kindness and faithfulness (2 Samuel 2:6) 

May__________be kind and compassionate to others, forgiving, just as in Christ God forgave him (Ephesians 4:32)

May__________, as the Lord's servant, not be quarrelsome, but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil (2 Timothy 2:24)

May__________never repay anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to others and to everyone (1 Thessalonians 5:15)

Let__________speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that he may know how he ought to answer each person (Colossians 4:6)

May__________love others with brotherly affection, outdo others in showing honor (Romans 12:10)

May the the Lord bless__________and keep him. May the Lord make his face shine upon him and be gracious to him; the Lord turn his face toward him and give him peace (Numbers 6:23-26)

May__________not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares (Hebrews 13:2)

May__________be kind to others, tenderhearted, forgiving others, as God in Christ forgave Him (Ephesians 4:32)

May__________live in harmony with others; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble (1 Peter 3:8)

21 Days of Prayer for Sons - Purity (Day 6)

"And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as He is pure." ~1 John 3:3

Is there anything more beautiful, more pure than your newborn baby son, just placed in your arms for the first time? I remember gazing at each perfect, God-created boy in complete awe. At that moment, you can't imagine the days ahead in which he will defy you, he will lie to you, he will hide things from you, he will react in anger to your most innocent inquiries into his life. It just doesn't seem possible, in that moment, that this pure little one will be a person who struggles with sin.  That is why we're doing this. God is equipping us and we are calling on Him to equip and arm our sons in righteousness.

Hal and Melanie Young, authors of Raising Real Men, write that in addition to being open and honest with our sons about body and purity issues, "We need to prepare them to look for the snares our enemy lays for them, give them tools to help them fight temptation, and make sure they have accountability that helps them stand firm. Too many mothers we talk to are in denial that their sons are old enough or sinful enough (hint: we all are) to face these temptations. That's sad, because their sons need their help!" We need to lay a groundwork of communication and frankness from the toddler years; explaining and answering all their questions and putting it in biblical perspective. The Youngs also write, "We can help them, too, by praying for them. We need to pray for protection for them and pray they'll be strong enough to flee temptation - and pray for the princesses they will one day claim!"

These days,we can not live in denial. You've heard the expression "if you fail to plan, you plan to fail;" I think this holds true in the area of purity for our sons as well. PRAY and PLAN. Equip your sons to deal with the evil they will encounter. Train them to come to you with honesty in the issues they're dealing with. These precious boys are worth the uncomfortable moments, the struggles with our own pasts, the hours spent on our knees before the Lord.

 
These are the sons we are praying for - our baby boys, our terrific toddlers, our wonderful kids, our growing teens, young men:
Deanna has Todd (14) and Tanner (9)
Bluecottonmemory has 5 sons ages 11 to 25
Megin has Kaiden (5) and Tairen (4)
Kristine has Nathan (2.5) and Matthew (1)
Karen has Paul (14), Peter  and Carl
Dixie (me) has Antonio (13), Rocky (11), Carlo (6) and Luca (5)
Plus, the sons of the moms who are joining us on facebook and in the Spirit!

Purity

May__________have love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith (1 Timothy 1:5)

May__________hope in God and thus purify himself (1 John 3:3)

May__________have religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unstained from the world (James 1:27) 

May__________think on whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, may he think about these things (Philippians 4:8) 

May__________be like the pure in heart, for they shall see God (Matthew 5:8) 

May there be no violence in__________hands, and his prayer be pure (Job 16:17) 

May__________be pure, because even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright (Proverbs 20:11)

May__________love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that he may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ (Philippians 1:9-10)

How can__________keep his way pure? By guarding it according to God's word (Psalm 119:9) 

May__________be blameless and innocent, a child of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation (Philippians 2:15)

21 Days of Prayer for Sons - Pride (Day 5)

I wanted to share a golden tidbit from the Leader's Guide for Warrior Prayers. Brooke just knows how to be real, to speak to the heart and be an encourager. This part deals with the pride we may have in our sons. "We take such pride in our sons, don't we? When we see one with a natural bent toward academics we call him gifted. When we see one who excels in sports we call him an exceptional athlete — bound for the pros. Sometimes we even place pressure on our sons to be who we wish we could've been. And this can be a form of pride. Sometimes, we have to let go of our dreams for our sons, and deliberately choose to pick up God's dreams for them instead." 

When it comes down to it, we have to put our hopes and dreams in what God has for our boys. We are after all just "foster" parents in the greater scheme of things. God is their Heavenly Father, the One who will be with them after they leave home, with them when they make choices without us, with them when they are to confused or afraid to come to us. Melissa Smallwood from Multitasking Mama reminds us that "Prayers for our sons must be individual to that child, and sensitive to the one of a kind man God has designed each of them to be. Whether my boys grow to be doctors, pastors, or drive a milk truck, as long as they are living their lives for God's glory, my mama heart should be pleased and satisfied."

I have been encouraged by the Lord to "keep up the good work" I've begun this week on this prayer journey. He's been reminding me of how certain prayers mean more in regards to Carlo or Rocky. God's been showing how Antonio or Luca will benefit from the prayers. What has the Lord been speaking to you this week? I am lifting you all up in prayer - don't forget to leave a comment hear so we can pray specifically for you and your sons or celebrate victories with you!

Can I add an additional challenge to your plate? I want to ask you to remember the single moms you know in your prayers. Please pray that God will bring a godly man into her son's life to show him what a holy laying down of pride looks like. Thank you!

I am so happy to be doing this with all of you! This has been exciting, uplifting and convicting. My sons deserve the seeds I'm sowing for them. They need me to be a praying mom. Lord, give me Your heart for my sons! 

Pride

May__________not have a haughty spirit, for pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18)

May__________be lowly in spirit and obtain honor, for one's pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor (Proverbs 29:23

Lord, make__________turn from doing wrong and keep him from pride (Job 33:17) 

Lord, please break__________'s proud spirit (Leviticus 26:19) 

May__________take advice and gain wisdom, for with insolence comes nothing but strife (Proverbs 13:10)

May__________not be a "Scoffer"- the name of the arrogant, haughty man who acts with arrogant pride (Proverbs 21:24)

Lord, give us the pleasure of taking great pride in__________, being filled with comfort (2 Corinthians 7:4)

Let__________test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor (Galatians 6:4)

Let not the foot of arrogance come upon__________, nor the hand of the wicked drive him away (Psalm 36:11)

Let__________talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from his mouth; for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed (1 Samuel 2:3)

21 Days of Prayer for Sons - Submission to Authority (Day 2)

Antonio praying from his Bible

All right, how did everybody do yesterday? It took me a while to pray intentionally through the 10 prayers on obedience over all four of my sons. There were a few that I said out loud while they were in the room playing games or eating lunch. They may have thought I was being weird, or silly, but their faces were wreathed in smiles! Not only that, but I saw results almost immediately. Speaking the Word over our children is so powerful and God is a better parent than we could ever be. In fact, I didn't have another obedience issue for the rest of the day with the oldest 3 boys. Luca, however, never took a nap and chose to stay up and play LOUDLY. He did put away the dishes with no complaint when I asked him to, though. This is a new chore for him and I told him how proud I was!

How was your first day? Do you have any praise reports or prayer requests? Leave a comment!

I want to encourage you all to try one of these ways to pray through those 10 prayers:
1. Get up early to bathe your sons in prayer first thing in the morning.
2. Pray the prayers one at a time throughout the day.
3. Make the prayers part of your family devotion time.
4. Spend time in concentrated prayer late at night, close to bedtime.

Today's prayer focus is Submission to Authority, this flows perfectly from yesterday's topic of obedience. Throughout life, our sons will have to submit to some kind of authority. First their parents, then teachers, pastors, bosses, government officials but most importantly God Himself! We are training our sons to not only HEAR the voice of God, but to submit to His leadership and obey. If our sons can learn this now, in their youth, they will be in a better position to be able to travel the narrow path God has set before them. Oh, how my heart longs for my boys to stay on the path! It can be a rough road sometimes, but nothing compared to the brambles and rockslides that wait on either side. I pray they don't make the mistakes I made, that my sons will never wander away from the Word. Are you ready? Let's Go PRAY!

Submission to Authority

May__________obey his leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over his soul, as those who will have to give an account. Let him do this with joy and not with groaning (Hebrews 13:17)

May__________submit himself therefore to God. May he resist the devil, so he will flee from him (James 4:7)

May__________submit to laborers of the Gospel and to everyone who joins in the work (1 Corinthians 16:16)

May__________submit to others out of reverence for Christ (Ephesians 5:21) 

May__________be subject to the Father of spirits and live (Hebrews 12:9) 

May__________agree with God, and be at peace; so good will come to him (Job 22:21) 

May__________be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God (Romans 13:1) 

May__________submit himself to the LORD (2 Chronicles 30:8) 

May__________, who is younger, be subject to the elders. May he clothe himself with humility toward others, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. (1 Peter 5:5) 

For freedom Christ has set us free; may__________stand firm therefore, and not submit again to a yoke of slavery (Galatians 5:1)

21 Days of Prayer for Sons - Obedience (Day 1)

Carlo - 6

Antonio -13

Rocky - 11

My 4 Blessed BOYS!

Luca - 5

I'm so excited to start the 21 Days of Prayer for Sons today, and so grateful to Brooke for her amazing book inspiring us to be Warrior Moms! Already this morning, I've dealt with obedience issues, broken up a fight, and dealt with brothers torturing their sisters. So, I definitely need God to change these little hearts! For those of you joining me here for the first time, for this timely purpose, I'll give you a little background on my family. I've been married for 15 years, and I am the happy, proud and frazzled mom to 7 amazing children. Four of which are boys. My oldest 2 are boys (only 18-months apart) and then 2 girls, 2 more boys (20-months apart), and the littlest is a girl. My husband and I have been involved in ministry for more than 13 years - from music ministry to youth ministry to prayer ministry. There have been ups and downs, but it's natural to have an ebb and flow in life. Currently, we are involved with a House of Prayer, including the children. On paper, it sounds awesome, but in life it is HARD and there are days when we fight to stay on the path the Lord has placed us on - feeling our way in the dark with just that spark of Love leading us on. God is always faithful.

I'm looking forward to hearing from all of you. Your stories of family, struggles, prayer requests and praise reports! I'm here to encourage you during this dedicated time of prayer for your sons and if there is anything you need prayer for, please don't hesitate to ask. You can leave a comment on here for me and the others, send me an email for more private correspondence (dixiecanuso@hotmail.com), or if you're linking up with us on Facebook you can send me a message on there too.

So, as I said, I've already been struggling with obedience at home today - let's get started! If you purchased the Warrior Prayers book, you know the layout. We'll be saying 8 specific and biblical prayers over our sons each day. Focus on that issue, the face of your son(s), his name, his future. Let him see you, hear you praying over him. If you have a grown son, I thought it was a great idea to write a short letter to him including the prayers you spoke over him each day. Imagine what an impact that would make! I'm going to keep a journal during this time to keep track of the days, prayers, and personal breakthroughs. Do you guys have any other ideas?

As you say these prayers, inserting your sons' names, hold them up to the Lord. Only He can change hearts. I encourage you to look up the Bible verses and read them, meditate upon them as you pray throughout the day. Remember, as Brooke says, "I have no idea how to raise men who will be different, respecters of women, lovers of God. I have no idea how to teach little men to work with their hands, take commitments seriously and protect the least of these. And I certainly have no idea how to raise warriors, protectors, worshippers, peacemakers and friends by myself." THE BATTLE IS BEST FOUGHT ON OUR KNEES! I've been working on Cheerful Obedience here, at home, but there are days when I'll settle for simply "no fights" when I ask them to do something. I'm hoping for "yes, Mom, I'd be happy to" when I would settle for them just walking off to DO IT! I guess you could say the training isn't going too well. I'm looking forward to the results of these prayers. Good luck, everyone! I'll be holding you up in prayer as well.

OBEDIENCE

Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, may ___________ obey the LORD our God...so that it will go well with him (Jeremiah 42:6).

May __________ obey his parents in the Lord, for this is right (Ephesians 6:1).

May __________ obey his leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over his soul, as those who will have to give an account. Let __________ do this with joy and not with groaning (Hebrews 13:17).

May __________ obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29).

May __________ return to the LORD His God, and obey with all his heart and all his soul all the commands God has given (Deuteronomy 30:2).

May __________ walk after the LORD His God and fear Him and keep His commandments and obey His voice. May he serve Him and hold fast to Him (Deuteronomy 13:4).

May __________ stop his sinning and begin to obey the LORD his God (Jeremiah 26:13).

May __________ obey Jesus' commandments, and remain in His love (John 15:10).

May __________ show his love for Christ by obeying His commands (John 14:15).

May we be full of joy at __________'s obedience (Romans 16:19).

My Big Girl is 10!

A week ago, we celebrated Cecelia's 10th birthday. I was overwhelmed by the realization that my big/little girl is growing up and out of childhood. She didn't even get any toys for presents. (She didn't ask for any either.) She had wanted to have a sleepover, but one of her friends wasn't able to spend the night and the other is allergic to our pets. The best alternative was THE BEACH! 

Rocky, Keliah, Cecelia, Carlo, Antonio and Luca

We drove out to Ft. Desoto park on the gulf coast and shared a picnic lunch with seagulls and had a great time swimming, exploring, and playing. Because of the long road trip and extended time on the beach (as evidenced by the pink shoulders of some of us), we had cake, ice cream and presents the next day.

Happy Birthday Cecelia!!!

I was touched when Keliah (8) wanted to pray for Cecelia to bless her birthday.
Sweet Cecelia, you may not always hear me say all I feel for you. I love you - you know that - but do you know how much I treasure and cherish you? You are the delight of my heart and everyday my respect for you and my pride in you grows. You are an amazing lover of the Lord, a girl who desires the things of God with your whole heart! I pray that you are continually blessed and amazed by the goodness of your Heavenly Father and that we as your family will always lift you up on your journey.

Keliah praying a blessing over Cecelia

Proud Momma Moments...

On Sunday, big changes were announced for the Children's Equipping Center at OHOP. Of course, I already knew about them because I was almost finished with the CEC newsletter coming out this week. ;)  There was a great moment when the talking was over and they showed a quick promo video put together during the week. Jessica, CEC's interim director, really wanted to show what we're growing here. The fastest way to show that is by letting the kid's do what they do best - PRAY! Friday mornings Nick teaches a group of kids 9 and up music and the Harp and Bowl model of the prayer room, after class they do a full intercession watch in the prayer room. Recently, a friend and I began a short class to equip the younger kids to participate as well. The older kids have done a great job and have grown immensely over the past 2 years; they are patient and kind to the little ones too. The "newbies" are so excited to participate in the prayer room. They are blossoming with the Joy of the Lord! Many of these kids got together for the filming of a short version of what we do on Fridays. This is the resulting video – props to Luke Schepler who did an amazing job with this!

The Teen Years

That's right, we've entered the teen years in our home. And, I gotta tell ya, it's not all bad. Sure, Antonio is now officially taller than I am and he has this cute shadow over his top lip, but he's also a really great kid! Not only is he willing to watch his little brothers and sisters while Nick & I take a coffee date, but he actually makes sure stuff is cleaned up and the dog is taken out. (I've gotten a few complaints about his bossiness, but I think that's okay considering he's the oldest.) We've really been blessed by our firstborn and he continues to bless others as well.
As heartbroken as I am to realize my little blond-haired angelic baby is growing up, I am also happy that he is becoming a man after God's heart.
We didn't have a big party, but Antonio did invite a friend over to spend the night for the first time. The two of them, Rocky, and Nick went and played a couple sessions of laser tag, we shared a meal, and pigged out on my creation of a S'More Cake. It was messy, gooey, and yummy + ice cream. Later, they played Wii and PS3 till about midnight and crashed out on couches in the living room. Church time came too early the next day. ;) 
Happy Birthday Antonio! You bring joy to my heart and love to my life. I expect your teen years to be amazing!

Baby Picture Sunday - Father & Child

In honor of almost Father's Day (okay it's still 2 weeks away), I posted some of my favorite pictures of Nick with some of the kids. As you can see, he is a great Daddy full of fun and love. I'm so blessed!

First, from a recent trip to the Orlando Science Center - the big boys figured out how to make that tricky cube! (Antonio, Rocky, Nick)

Nick & Cecelia snacking on the Russian Tea Cakes they made together (last year) 

Nick shadowing Sabina this Easter. So cute!

 

This is the closest I got to a "Baby Picture": Nick returning to the car while Sabina was "driving." I think she's almost 1 here.

Baby Picture Sunday - Mother & Child

Here I am with my 7 babies. It's hard to believe this is my 13th Mother's Day. Antonio is 12 now, and how clearly I remember that first sunny day in May with little tiny Antonio. He was full of smiles and had wispy blond hair and a bad milk rash on his chin that I thought would NEVER go away! I have been abundantly blessed by motherhood and strive to be a blessing to my kids. Lord, help me to be the mother you want for these, Your children!
Thanks, guys, for the chocolates and always making me laugh at least once a day!

In other news: the winner of the 2 Nick Canuso CDs in my give-away for the 2nd Annual Tuesday Blog Party is - Debi Bouffard from Who Says 8 is Enough. Since she was the main organizer for this Blog Party, I'd say she deserves a round of applause and some great worship music!
A big thank you to everyone who participated! I can't wait till next year's blog party!

Thankful Thursday

Antonio, Rocky & Nick with their CUBE

Yes. I am back again. FINALLY!

I have been thinking and percolating and juicing up good thoughts for my blog home.

Today, I am thankful for my beautiful new iMac. It's a HUGE blessing!

I am also thankful that God is ever-present and ever-lovely to me. I don't deserve His attention. (But, He thinks I do.)

I am thankful for a longsuffering husband and loud crazy children.

I am thankful for the IHOP-KC webstream. What could be better than sitting at the feet of Jesus?

I am thankful to have this blog to pour out my thoughtstream before it escapes entirely.

Blessings!

6 Word Saturday

Happy Birthday, Antonio! I love you!

Thankful Thursday

Wow...you know, I have so much to be thankful for and I just don't spend enough time dwelling on that.

Today, I am thankful to be a part of an AMAZING worship with the Word set at OHOP on Thursday mornings. We sang out of Song of Solomon this morning, chapter 1, verses 2-4: "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth - For your love is better than wine. Because of the fragrance of your good ointments, Your name is ointment poured forth; Therefore the virgins love you. Draw me away! I will run after you. The King has brought me into his chambers. I wil be glad and rejoice in you. I will remember your love more than wine. Rightly do we love you." (slightly paraphrased) Oh, I am so in love with Jesus! I am so blessed to be a part of this set, led by the awesome and anointed Edwin Botero. Thank you!

I am also thankful that my mother-in-law is flying in today! She is a true intercessor and Woman of God. This is her first time traveling alone, so I am praying for a smooth trip for her & looking forward to her arrival. Thank you, God, for Connie!

Tomorrow is Antonio's 12th birthday, so I have to say a word about my firstborn. He astounds me. I am so thankful for this young man of God. He is (mostly) very helpful and eager to please. He blesses my heart. Thank you, God, for allowing me to be a part of Antonio's life, and for keeping him in the palm of Your hand.

Baby Picture Sunday - My Reason for Breathing is You

I am lucky to have many reasons to breathe.
Namely: Nick and Antonio (in silent contemplation of cupcake goodness.)


Rocky, sweet & funny





Cecelia with her cupcake art.





Keliah and her lovely, gappy smile.



Carlo in joy and passion.


Luca of hilarity.


And the "baby" Sabina who manages to pull off the whole frosting mustache and still be gorgeous.



All my babies. My cup runneth over.

Still here... although Slightly Bruised.

I know it's been forever and a hundred, if not a thousand, things have happened.

But, that's the holidays, right?

Sabina - the big meanie!

Tonight, I was beaten up by Sabina, my 2-year-old baby girl. It's true! Well, beaten up is a slight exaggeration, but still. I am bruised and swollen. It's amazing the pain I go through with these little ones.
She was freshly in her ballerina princess blanket pajamas - because HELLO it's COLD here! - and she climbed up on my lap and immediately slammed her head back as hard as she possibly could. I screamed a bad word (sorry to admit) and shoved her off my lap over to the other side of the couch. She cried, and I tried not to. She's lucky I didn't reflexively smack her. Everyone ran in to see what happened to find me holding both hands over my right eye, breathing hard with tears seeping out. I'm ashamed to admit there were a couple sobs that escaped. I felt like a pre-schooler myself at that point.
It felt like my brow bone was possibly cracked. Her head hit my right brow, just missing my eye, and the cheekbone, and hit my ear as she bounced. Antonio brought me ice as Nick griped at everyone about using all the ziplock bags. Keliah sweetly asked if I wanted her to pray for me, and I couldn't even answer. I was still trying not to break down and was not feeling charitably toward the kids at the moment.
Do you know how many "war" injuries I've sustained in the mommy business? Usually it's minor bruises or, at the worst, a fat lip. More than once. More than twice. I've actually lost track of the trauma. Nick says, "they're always beating you up!"
Keliah prayed, everyone went to bed, and I held ice on my face while watching Julie and Julia and took some Tylenol. The swelling and bruising is minimal at this point, so Nick's not too worried about someone thinking he smacked me around. We'll see how it looks tomorrow.
Anyone out there have a parenting war story to tell? Injuries or scars to compare? I'd love some company to go with this misery.

Antonio's Science Report! (thanks Scrapblog!)

6 Word Saturday

Thank you Granny for new PAJAMAS!

What Did I Get Myself Into?

Well, it's official.
I am NOT the homeschooling queen.
I finally got my 6th grader, Antonio, going on his internet homeschool courses about a week and a half ago. He'd been taking some classes at the OHOP Co-op before that, but it was a huge wake-up call to do this! I thought he was doing great. Zooming through his lessons, catching up, enjoying the audio lessons, video lessons, interactivity, and finally his books came a couple days ago.
His grades are not doing so great. This is a straight A student. Okay, he has gotten some B's but they always averaged out. He even had some other dismal scores on occasional assignments and even quizzes that averaged out by the quarter. HELLO!
Not only is this new because of the internet/homeschool courses, but he is now in middle school. A whole new ballgame.
There is day-to-day work and assessments, but they are not included in the grade. The only grades to be averaged are Quizzes, Tests, and Portfolio assignments. This is huge for Antonio who would sometimes surf on all those homework A's. I had to REITTERATE the importance of STUDYING, taking his time, reading through the entire question, asking me questions if he isn't getting something. I guess he was under the impression that he was supposed to get through it all as quickly as possible. Yah. That's how you end up with a D. I'm really going to have to plow, plant, feed and water this boy. Even if he gives me attitude about it.

All this reflection reminds me of God and how He deals with us. Gentle reminders to take our time. A Book to read and study. Interactive lessons to reinforce the main ideas. And, when we try to rush through our lessons and mess up, there are consequences. Wake-up Calls! Then, He offers to spend extra time with us so we don't make the same mistakes again. He doesn't give up on us because He loves us so very, very much and wants us to learn and succeed! Even when we give Him attitude about it being too hard or not important. God is a good Father, pure love and endless patience.
I'm going to need His help with Antonio. He'll be there, because I happen to know that Antonio is God's favorite.
As am I.
As are YOU!