December Held...

Yep, we're still among the living in the O'Riley home. December was such a myriad of activity that obviously no blogging was accomplished... You have no idea how many times I had to fight off the compulsion to sit at the computer & just write... Or how many times I started a post & then was pulled away before it could get finished... Putting it lightly, the month was full & as I penned in my journal this evening, "I am so very ready for a moment when there is nothing tugging at my heart & mind that I should be doing..."

December held:
*A fun party celebrating another year of life with Tuck... ♥
*A short get-away with the man of my dreams... ♥
*Christmas shopping...
*Christmas wrapping...
*Christmas letters/pictures...
*A weekend in Des Moines with my side of the family...
*Mal's first solo in our church Christmas play... ♥
*A super fun get-together with our Monday evening study group...
*Baking 40 dozen cookies for Kyle's employees...
*Cutting, sewing, clipping, soaking, washing, drying gifts...
*A girls day out with Mom, Marci & D... ♥
*Celebrating with Kyle's family...
*Celebrating with mine...
*A close friend bringing a new life into this world... ♥
*Supper with Clint & Bri... ♥
*Delivering Christmas gifts...
*Lots of family time... ♥

I'm ready to get back to blogging...
To sharing my heart...
But first, I felt like I wanted/needed to get December tied-up in a nutshell...
So...here's a few pictures to bring things up to date...



 

John Deere all the way...

 

The preciousness of two... ♥

 

 

I had lots of good help constructing Tuck's cake... 

 

 

A great way to end a special day... Up-Up-and-Away...

 

So thankful for the love they share...♥

 

Ellie & Ivy... A special bond between special girls...

 

Cousin Payton...

 

Grandpa Billy reading the Christmas account...

 

MaKayla, Bri & Clint...

 

Ally & Mal...

Little hands that love to help... ♥

 

The majority of these men meet on Monday evenings...

 

 

 

 

 

So love these girls...

(This picture makes me incandescently happy...♥)

(Notice the men don't squeeze in quite as tight even when instructed to...)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gramma Sharon & Tucker Man... ♥ 

 

 

♥Cousins~Sisters~Friends♥

 

 

 

 

Yep, it is as it seems...

(Inwardly chuckling...)

 

 

♥ Oakley Lillie Green ~ 12-19-2012 ♥

 

 

 

  

 

 

Two of the many purses we constructed...

 

 

 

 

Christmas Eve Traditions... ♥ 

 

 

 

 

New jammies...New movies...New puzzles... 

  

 

And the stockings were filled & hung (with great care)...

 

 

The man who forever will hold my heart... ♥

 

 

All in all, we had a wonderful December!

So much to do...

So much going on...

Yet surrounded by people we cherish & love... ♥

 

God has been so gracious to our family & we are thankful for His indescribable gifts unto us!

Most especially Jesus & the grace that He offers!

 

Happy 2013...

Can't wait to share my heart with thoughts for the new year!

 

Love to each of you who patiently check on us & read our updates! ♥

 



Abundantly Blessed...

It's a beautiful morning here in the country.
MaKayla just left to help Mom decorate Grandma's home for Christmas.
Mal is busily working away on school.
Chicken is baking in the oven making the house smell delicious.
Sheets are waiting to go to the clothesline.
Laundry is beckoning me to be folded.
My Bible study is calling my name (can't wait to dig in).
A grocery list awaits a trip to the store.
Two small gifts are ready to be adorned with paper in honor of Tuck's 2nd birthday.
Yet I sit here with Mal at the kitchen table...
Thinking...
Pondering...
Praying...
Realizing once again how abundantly blessed I am & how grateful my heart is for God's provision, God's protection, God's intervention & God's presence.

After a crazy, busy week thus far, Kyle came home from work yesterday afternoon & all slowed down. He & Mal did chores & put Christmas bows on the small deck in front of our home. MaKayla worked on sewing projects. I put finishing touches on some gifts she had finished. The girls went outside for a bit while Kyle helped me fix supper. (I love working in the kitchen with my man...♥) We ate supper downstairs while we watched the first part of, 'It's a Wonderful Life'. Kyle trimmed the basement tree (we chose a real one this year & he requested it be decorated in a woodland theme). We started our Jesse Tree Advent & since I couldn't bear to finish, 'It's a Wonderful Life' after Henry accidentally gave Mr. Porter money that wasn't his, I came upstairs & studied while Kyle & the girls watched the remainder of the movie. :) It felt so good to s-l-o-w  d-o-w-n & enjoy life an evening as a family.

This morning as I milled around the house, I glanced out the south picture window & could see the horizon being showered with light. My heart was overwhelmed in worship to God for the promise of a new day. The older Kyle & I get & the older our girls get & the more I grow in Christ, the more aware I am of blessings that in the past I have regretfully taken for granted. And not only am I aware, I desire to return that blessing to God. To acknowledge that it is He who has given it to me. Some people long, pray & hope for another day of life... Whether it be because of a terminal illness or an abusive situation or because they are held captive as a slave... They just long to live... To breathe... To enjoy a few more hours... A few more minutes... They long to be released & freed from that which holds them captive... Realities such as that compel me to pray & remind me of the indescribable riches that are mine... That I overlook on a daily basis... Realities such as those compel me to recognize those trivial areas of my life that I grumble about, dread & allow to steal my joy... Areas that are minuscule in comparison to things other people are facing, dealing with & struggling through... Just fighting to survive... For the only things that I am held captive by are those things that I choose...

In the midst of my grateful heart this morning, one of my Monday evening Bible study pals, corresponded with me sharing how intimately/joyfully God is working in her marriage. How God is bringing freedom. Deliverance. Liberation from things that have been such a heavy weight for so long. I love testimonies of God's goodness...God's healing...God's powerful wisdom imparted to our hearts. This study is changing hearts one beat at a time & I am so humbled to be a participant. For just last night as Kyle & I lay in bed, I shared with him how God is working...training...changing...transforming... I see Him doing things in my heart & in my life that I never realized possible. I see Him teaching me things I have been so ignorant to. Things of ignorance that have bound me, imprisoned me & kept me from being who He longs for me to be. Things that as I learn from Him are bringing wholeness & deliverance. He is rescuing me...

Today my heart is overwhelmed with thankfulness & gratitude to the Saviour of the world who is also a deliverer... My deliverer...

I am humbled to be called His child...

Praying you realize the magnitude of His blessings upon you this day...

 

Drawn To Worship...

At last a morning to sit & reflect. It has been an absolutely crazy week & I am thankful for a few moments to slow down, bask in the quietness & stand in awe of God's goodness. Instrumental Christmas music is playing on the kitchen CD player, lights of Christmas trees twinkle in the lingering darkness of night, waiting to turn to morning & I have a new candle burning. One I picked out with my sister. Candles are a simple pleasure for me. Kind of like these owl cups that adorn our bathroom that MaKayla picked out at the grocery store. Sometimes simple pleasures can transform a day...

Today is the first day this week of nothingness. No where to go. No major deadlines to meet. No pressing tasks to accomplish. Just a day to be home. With our girls. Doing the things that bring me joy & satisfaction. Laundry. School. Communing with MaKayla & Mal. Washing dishes. Just being here.

Tuesday, Mom, Marci, D & I spent a long but amazing day together shopping. I left home at 6:45 a.m. & stepped back in the door at 12:45 the next morning! We do it every November/December & it's a day on the calendar that I look forward to throughout the entire year. Laughter, tears, sharing, shopping, food. Being together. It. Was. Wonderful. And since D has a strong affection towards Starbucks, we frequented that joint twice. Once in the morning. Once in the afternoon. First round a medium was ordered. Second round, a GRANDE. Many special moments with three women I love more than life itself. ♥

Last night in the women's study at church, the Lord led me to share how worship is a basic form of prayer. Worship being a spontaneous result from the conscious awareness of God. Realizing His greatness, His nearness & His love for me. Responding to Him with deep affection. Recognizing who He is, what He has done & all He has created. Being mindful. Acknowledging His power. Communicating to Him my adoration & gratitude that He. Is. God. This morning as I was reflecting on last night's lesson/discussion, and as I started working on the blogpost, I glanced out the west window to see if the moon was brightly shining as it has been the past few mornings. Sure enough, there it was. So...I moved the computer from one place to another so that I could see it's presence as dark turned to dawn. Creation draws me to the Lord. I feel His closeness there more than any other place. It started in Chariton, Iowa at youth camp when I was younger. At one point in every day of the week I was there, a 10-15 minute time was set aside to be "alone" with God. The church camp was held on a "campus" which was a large spacious acreage surrounded by grassy areas & lots of trees. All the kids would assemble in a group, the dinner bell would ring, devotions were handed out & everyone was instructed to disperse on the campgrounds finding a place to be alone with God. Those moments have impacted me for the rest of my life & have given me a love for the beauty & serenity of God's creation. I do stand in awe of Him. And as someone shared in our discussion, I am so thankful for the grace & deliverance that He so generously lavishes upon my life.

Today as I begin my day, I am drawn to worship. I am drawn to acknowledge the presence & the goodness of God. I am drawn to respond to His work in my life with a simple yet sincere, "Thank You..." I am drawn to recognize who He is in my life & how lost I would be without Him. I am drawn to an attitude of gratefulness for the ability to love & to be loved. I am drawn to Him...

It's a beautiful morning. The moon is fading away & light has dawned. Cows graze the field & a few remaining leaves shiver on the trees.

Thank You, God for the promise of a new day...

 

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good...

Psalm 107:1

 

Giving Thanks In All...

I feel like a heel sitting here in the loveseat recliner while Kyle decorates the Christmas tree but in all honesty, I think he very much enjoys doing it himself. He's a pro. He does it every year. He likes getting it "just right". And never complains. He loves to create & is amazing at making things beautiful.

This week has been super busy with Bible Study on Monday evening & worship team practice Tuesday evening. Two of our nieces (Savannah & Ciera) spent Tuesday night with us which was a fun treat & then yesterday I spent the ENTIRE day in the kitchen. Despite the fact that I was completely in my element (I LOVE to cook/create in the kitchen), I was a little disheartened that I couldn't just sit & chat since Bri came over for a bit (to see MaKayla no doubt) & then Mom came down for a few hours. It was a busy, bustling house but everything that needed to get accomplished (ham baked, chop-chop, seven-layer-salad, chocolate dessert, pumpkin pie, green beans, mashed potatoes, noodles & hot rolls made) got done & I felt like I had moved mountains! :) I'm so thankful for the strength that God gives when we need it most.

With today being Thanksgiving, Kyle was home from work. It was wonderful to wake in his arms as the sun began to rise & together reflect on God's goodness to us & to our family. We were able to have coffee & study God's Word together...two of my favorite things to do. He was able to find the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on-line for the girls to watch which was fun. In the midst of that, we started pulling boxes & rough totes full of Christmas trees/decorations from the basement in preparation for our annual tradition of adorning our home with lots of green, warm lights, ornaments that hold memories/tell stories & various nativities. We very much enjoy the Christmas season & reflecting on the significance of the birth of Christ.

We shared lunch with Kyle's family & then took advantage of the warm afternoon (before the weather drastically changes) by hanging Christmas lights on the house per Mal's constant persistence over the past several days. MaKayla has asked to have them every year since we moved here seven years ago & finally this year it happened. Perspectives change with spiritual growth & Christmas lights are a bi-product of that this year! :) Such freedom we have in Christ!

Although Thanksgiving is a meaningful holiday for our family, it has been our goal to make giving thanks a daily practice. Not just something we concentrate/focus on in a big way once-a-year yet something we are mindful of every moment of every day. Recognizing the little as well as the big things. Being grateful for the easy as well as the hard; the joyful as well as the difficult. Seeing the painful as a blessing all the while knowing God ALWAYS has a plan & a purpose.

Be joyful always; pray continually;

give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

 

 

It takes discipline.

Having eyes open.

Viewing life as a gift.

Speaking the thanks.

Writing the thanks.

Offering up the thanks.

 

The tree is nearly finished.

The living room is a wreck.

Our hearts are full.

Tiredness looms.

Laughter has been ringing off of the walls of our home this evening & the COLORFUL lights outside twinkle with JOY! ♥

 

 

Tonight as with all nights, we are thankful...

 

♥ Kyle ♥

♥My best friend, my bride, my honey, my wife (I didn't coax him...I promise...)

♥My girls...

♥Freedom in Christ...

 

♥ Mal ♥

♥My mom...(I didn't coax her...I promise...)

♥Drives in the country...

♥Books...

♥Wind...

♥Sunday evenings with special friends...

♥Summertime swims...

♥Christmas lights & tinsel...

♥Cheetah print leggings...(She wore them today...)

 

♥ MaKayla ♥

♥Incandescently happy moments...

♥A happy family...

♥A home of safety...

♥Projects of creativity...

♥My sister who is my best friend...

♥My ocean; my soul sister...Her name is Bri...

♥The unique place in life that God has me...

 

♥ Mendi ♥

♥A faithful covenant with my Maker...

♥A faithful covenant with my man...

♥Beautiful, healthy children who love & long for God...

♥Deliverance from bondage that once held me captive...

♥The reality that I. Am. Loved.

♥Life to the full...

 

As we prepare to close out this day, we give thanks to God...

The giver of all gifts...

 

 

*By the way...The tree is beautiful! ♥

 

Drawn...

It's been a beautiful day here in the country surrounding the O'Riley home. Bidding Kyle farewell this morning as he left for work, the stars were shining & the air was damp. I always love taking in a deep breath of fresh air as I walk him out the door & send him on his way with lunchbox & coffee in hand. ♥

Mallary has been so determined this school year in setting her alarm & getting right up and around for the day at 7:00 a.m. She typically stumbles into the kitchen where I am sitting at the table doing my Bible study. ;) After our "good morning" greetings & a few hugs, she traipses on to the bathroom to prepare herself for breakfast & the start of another school day. This morning she whizzed right through her studies & was done in record time. It hasn't always been this way with Mal... In years past I have had to prod & pry to keep her focused & going. This year she has really stepped up to the plate & given it her all with no complaining...at all. We started out with a new math program this year & after about eight weeks & repeated attempts, we resorted back to old faithful Saxon. Last year she HATED it... This year she LOVES it & has a totally new appreciation for "being taught" after the failed attempt at something new. It's been such a joy to see her mature & become more responsible with every day. ♥

#454 ~ Hands that willingly help
#455 ~ Love notes from twelve-year-olds ♥
#461 ~ Hands all cracked

MaKayla set her mind to cutting fabric and fabric and fabric and more fabric today. As a matter of fact, I think she sat on the dining/living room floor for about 5 1/2 hours cutting fabric. She was never so glad to be done. We had settled on making certain Christmas gifts for everyone in our family but then when we started counting the cost, we decided to switch gears & do something different. A few weeks ago we spent over two hours in Hobby Lobby looking, scaling & contemplating styles, colors & designs just right for each person on her list. Talk about a draining activity... Especially at 7:00 at night... We are both pretty excited about the projects she is preparing to put together! :) Since she's still missing one major component needed for each gift, she has had to exercise much patience & perseverance in cutting fabric rather than jumping to assembling. I admire her diligence & love for creating. ♥

I have kept busy today working on some follow-up study & correspondence with the ladies I am blessed to share a Monday night Bible study with. Digging a little deeper in order to find answers to questions. Encouraging them to keep pushing through, knowing victory in certain areas of life & marriage are within arms reach. It's been an intense study & one that I only wish I had been able to take part in prior to exchanging vows with Kyle. So much truth I was unaware of. So many things that women need to know in order to be fruitful wives for their husbands. So much training in the area of who God is in our lives as individuals & as help meets to the men we are blessed to complete. Lots of stretching & sharpening going on.

#467 ~ Squeals of excitement from the mouths of two girls eager for upcoming
            Thanksgiving/Christmas preparations ♥
#469 ~ Ice cold water
#470 ~ My sister ♥

As the girls & I have gone about our day doing school, cutting fabric, fixing meals, preparing food for Kyle to take to work tomorrow, folding laundry, gathering some of our fall/Thanksgiving decorations to be put away in preparation for Christmas adornment to be put in place, my heart couldn't help but be drawn to people who this time of year isn't so "happy", "cheerful", "desirable". People who are lonely, grieving, hurting, struggling, surviving... So many times we get so tunnel visioned that we lose perspective of how blessed & rich we are. That our spouses are faithful. That our kids are healthy. That we have food to eat & clothes to wear. That our homes are warm, comfortable & full of love. That my husband has a job, I have a washer that works & we have clean water to drink. That I have church friends who care enough about me to pray for me, love me & encourage me. That...

#430 ~ French toast with lots of powdered sugar on a Monday morning
#432 ~ Fresh, crisp, frost-bitten morning
#433 ~ Carmeled apples all decked out

As I thought of those I know & those I don't, I am stirred to pray for them. Although I may not know who they are, God does. And the ones I do know, I battle on their behalf. For strength. Endurance. Faith. To be able to see Jesus clearly in the midst of the storm despite the wind & waves until the clouds clear & the rainbow appears. It will. It always does. It's about looking beyond that which is killing us inside & seeing grace in the face of Christ. When I know people I love are being taunted by Satan, it makes. me. angry. It compels me to battle & wage war all the more. He will not win. It's declared in the Word of God & that Word stands true.

Today, I give God praise for who He is & all He is in my life. How honored I am to serve Him in the capacities in which He has called me. Child. Wife. Momma...

#436 ~ Incandescently happy days declared by Mal ♥
#453 ~ Hard correction
#454 ~ Freshly plowed fields

It's been a beautiful day I am am thankful... ♥

O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Psalm 107:1

It's A Choice...

Quiet morning around our home...
MaKayla & Mal are still sleeping...
Kyle is spending his day at work today...
I had tentative plans that I was greatly looking forward to...
But a list quite lengthy kept me here at home...

Last night was a restless night for me...
I went to bed with "stuff" on my mind...
My heart & my spirit were unsettled...
No fault of anyone other than myself...

As I laid there throughout the sleepless hours, I found myself asking God why I struggle in certain areas... Why I seem to trip on certain hurdles every time they are in my path... Why I get hung up on situations & circumstances that aren't mine out there for approval or acceptance... Why can't I just get it...

Without fail...
When I ask...
Am silent...
Choose to listen...

He answers...

Firmly...
Gently...
Without room for further question...

"Mendi, the reason to all your whys is very simple. You choose. You choose to struggle. You choose to trip. You choose to get hung up. You choose to not get it. You choose, My child. You choose."

The answer I was given has continued to ring loud & clear through my heart, mind & spirit this morning. And when I really think it through, allowing the answer to penetrate into the core of who I am, it all boils down to my will. What my will chooses. Who my will submits to. How surrendered my will is to the will of the One who knows best.

Situations come & situations go. Some I invite. Some are completely out of my control. God promises that in each & every situation, regardless of what it is, He will show me who I am to be. How I am to respond. What I am to say.

He vows to show me the way.
Every. Time.
Without fail.

It's my choice whether or not I listen to His leading. And when I listen & hear what He is saying, it's my choice what I do with the direction I've been given.

The problem lies within myself.

All-too-often, I choose to go the opposite direction He is telling me to go.
I choose to handle the situation my own way...
The way of the flesh...
The way of emotion...
The way of impulse...

This lands me unsettled.
Regretting.
Sorrowful.
Condemned.
Exactly where Satan wants me.

It's in these moments that I am grateful for grace.
Forgiveness.
Jesus.

I am learning the fine line of choice. And although I am learning the hard way, much too late in life, I am grateful that the One who loves me most, never gives up on teaching me...training me...disciplining me...

So today, as I reflect on the state of my will...
I desire to surrender it to Christ.
To listen.
To learn.
To be taught.
To submit.
To choose...

His way.

The way of no regrets.
No sorrows.
No condemnation.
No reality of being unsettled.

His way is right where He wants me & that is right where I want to be.

As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless.

He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.

Psalm 18:30