So you think you can dance?

I found this video in Photo Booth the other day, and I just couldn't keep this jewel to myself. Enjoy!

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What if?

Jessi was especially emotional today for some reason.  Maybe because she's 8?  I don't really know.  I think she just really needed some affection.  So she was sitting in my lap snuggling with me, after MUCH drama during the course of the day, and she was suddenly being so sweet, telling me how sorry she was for how she had acted today.  Then I was telling her how it was already forgotten, and no matter what she did or how she acted I would always love her bunches.  Sweetness.

Then she asked me if there was ever anything Daddy could do to make me divorce him.  And I told her absolutely not.  Me and Daddy are never getting a divorce.  The she said,

"Even if he stabbed you with a fork?"

Um.  You know what?  Yes.  Yes, Jessi.  I would definitely take all of you and leave your Daddy if he ever STABS ME WITH A FORK.

"Well, what if he was in a fight with somebody else and he accidentally stabbed you in the head?"

...


Don't you wish you had a Jessi?

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Freedom Fest

This year for the 4th (3rd actually) we decided to check out The Freedom Fest in Albany, GA, put on by Sherwood Baptist Church.  It was awesome.  Everything was free and they had a great fireworks show!

We went with some of our very best friends Shaun & Anna.
And all 7 of our little blessings.

Lena had her very first pony ride:)

I don't have video for when we took her off the pony, but it wasn't pretty.

Me and E

Ok girls, I wanna get a quick pic of the 2 of you, so on three.  Ready? 1...2...Three!

Ok. Zoe wasn't looking. Let's do it again.
Ready? 1...2...Zoe look at me...Three!

*sigh*
Ok girls, one more time...

LOOK AT ME FOR 2 SECONDS

Really?

With an actual smile PLEASE
WHEN I SAY THREE...Ready?

Whatever. Forget it.

Needless to say, there was alot going on.  It was very exciting.  They even had 3 skydivers land behind the stage.  Anthony Evans performed, which was awesome.  And this group called Voices of Mobile performed, who I think may end up on the Sing Off...

If you can get past the video quality, the fact that I still haven't learned how to zoom on my iPhone, and all the random people walking around, they're pretty great I think!

*Really bummed I didn't get them doing Can't Touch This.

AND they played the Superman Theme during the fireworks show!  PERFECTION.

We really had a great time!

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Potty Training: Day 3

Mission accomplished!  We are officially potty trained!  I was prepared for this to take longer than 3 days but it didn't!  She's got this.  Monday we had 30 accidents.  Yesterday we had 7 (including the 2 in her sleep).  Today we had 5, but I'm only counting 1 of those because one of them was that she woke up wet, and 3 of them were totally my fault.  She ran to the bathroom and I didn't know she had gone in there so I didn't make it to her in time.  She still needs help with her panties and getting up there, and she was standing right in front of the potty but I was about 2 seconds too late.  The one true accident she had was before 8am and she was standing in her chair at the table, and I really think she just couldn't get down in time.  She also woke up from her nap dry today, and then went in the potty.

We still did a lot of running back and forth to the potty, but today I could relax a little bit more than yesterday because I knew she would at least take off running when she had to go.  She did not wet her panties once on her way to the bathroom today.  She was able to recognize that she needed to go, and run to the bathroom holding it until I could get her on the potty (with the exception of the 3 times I didn't make it in time).  Also, we have had no #2 accidents since Monday morning.  She's got that one down for sure.

She has also figured out that it's a fun little game to yell POTTY and take off running down the hall, only to run into her room and wait for Mommy to show up behind her so she can laugh.  She also will do this and then just stand in the doorway of the bathroom just to see if I'll come.  It's all a big game now.  Let's yell POTTY and run to a different place every time just to see if Mommy will follow!  It's exhausting.  This is why there were 3 times I didn't make it to her.  She was constantly running somewhere.  Everywhere.  At least she has a special word for #2, which she got from her older siblings telling her she stinks every time she had a messy diaper.  So when she takes off running and yelling STINK, I know she means business.  I know that may be a little TMI, and it's also gross, but it cracks me up every time she does it.

I really didn't think we would be able to, but we even went to church tonight.  And she came home in the same clothes we left the house in!  Tomorrow we're working on using the footstool to get on the potty by herself and pulling her panties up and down.  I'm just so amazed and proud of her!  My 21 month old Lena is diaper free!

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Potty Training: Day 2

I could not wait until Lena went to bed so I could post this!  And because I'm completely exhausted.  So let me start by giving you the most exciting part first.  Yesterday we had a grand total of 30 accidents.  Yes, thirty.  As in a three in the tens place and a zero in the ones place.  Today?  We had 7.  SEVEN!  I don't think I have ever been so excited about cleaning up pee seven times in one day, but I am thrilled about it!  And did you notice I said pee?  No poop clean up!  Woot!  She had 4 of those, and they ALL made it into the potty. :)

I am so much more exhausted today than I was yesterday though.  Yesterday was full of picking her up and running her to the potty when she was already going.  Today, I did not have to pick her up but twice.  And it was because she was in a chair and wasn't sure what to do about that.  Two of those seven were in her sleep.  One sometime during the night, and the other during her nap.  So really I'm only counting 5 accidents.  And she only had 1 after her nap!

But today she understood what to do, and so every single time she even thought about going, she ran to the potty.  I think we ran to the potty about a million times.  About 80% of the time it was nothing.  She got up there, said, "Done" after about a second, and she was off and running again.  Sometimes she just wanted to stay in the bathroom.  But the times I thought, ok, this is getting ridiculous, would be the times she would go, so that kept me motivated.

Around 5:00 today, she figured out that she would get M&Ms every time she actually went in the potty.  It was pretty funny.  (I never mentioned them at all, I would just give her some when she would go.)  After she caught on to my tricks, she asked for them, and when I said no, she got upset, then got over it pretty quick.  About 10 seconds later she ran to the potty again and nothing.  10 seconds after that, same thing.  She was trying so hard to push something out but she couldn't do anything but toot.  It was hilarious.  She kept trying until she was finally able to pee a little tiny bit.  What kids will do for candy.

I think we're almost there!

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Potty Training: Day 1

So today I am one proud Mama.  My Lena has just amazed me with her little 21 month old potty going skills.  I kind of knew she would catch on quickly, but she really did much better than I expected.  I decided a while back that I was going to have her potty trained before she moved up to the toddler class at church, which will be when she turns 2 in July.  I had no idea how I would do such a thing, since neither of my other 2 were potty trained that early, but I thought, "If they can do it in China, then I can do it here." So, here we go.

I did some research online, and came across this ebook called 3 Day Potty Training.  I'm not exactly sure if it will only take 3 days, but I am so thrilled with her progress just from the first day, that I'm totally in.  I don't even care if it takes a few more days, which I really don't think it will, it will be so worth it to be DONE WITH DIAPERS.

So let me just tell you how today went.  The very first thing I did was let her put on her brand new big girl panties. :) Then, I let her throw ALL of her diapers in the trash, even the one in her little zipper pouch that we take everywhere.  (Don't freak out, I didn't actually throw them out, I just put a clean trash bag in the trash can & took it out to the garage so she would think I did.  They will all be given to someone who needs them.)  Then, I took her to the bathroom and gave her the grand tour.  Then we had breakfast.

Ok, I have NEVER even attempted to teach her anything about not going in her diaper, so this was for real the bravest thing I have ever done.  I had no idea what she would do.  Let me just say that it was one of the longest and most exhausting days in my life.  If you called or texted me and I didn't answer or call you back, I'm sorry, but I had to go dark.  I had a 21 month old literally running around my house with just panties and a shirt on.  I was not taking my eyes off her for a mili-second.  Which was wise, because that is how I read her.  I had about a half second window of time from when she looked at me, until she said Mama and started running to the bathroom.

And she was great.  It only took her once or twice to realize that she had to call for me and get to the bathroom fast when she had to go.  If not anything else, I am thrilled with that alone.  Yes, we had more accidents than I can count, well, actually that's not true.  She went through 21 pairs of panties before nap time.  But less than half that after nap time!  We also had several #1's and THREE #2's IN THE POTTY!!  AND she woke up dry from her nap and went in the potty.  I am just so proud of her!  We are definitely not done yet, but I really don't think it's gonna take this girl long!

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Field Trip Into Space! (kinda)

Today we went on a little field trip to Ashford High School.  Astronaut Colonel Doug Wheelock is on a tour through Alabama.  Schools participating in the Civil Air Patrol's K-6 Aerospace Connections in Education Program, or ACE, were among those chosen to be part of Wheelock's tour.  Colonel Wheelock has spent 178 days in space throughout his NASA career and during his most recent trip assumed command of the international Space Station.

Here is a link to his Bio:
Astronaut Bio: Douglas H. Wheelock (12/2010)

Also there, was a character named Al the Astronut, who is basically a cardboard peanut that has traveled around the world and into space with the astronauts.  The idea of having this little piece of history there was pretty cool.

Jessi got to hold Al the Astronut, and was very excited about the whole thing.  Eli could care less, and Lena just wanted to see all his super cool astronaut patches.  :)

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I might be famous soon...

So I'm in the truck at a red light today, kids in the back, just singing to the music like always, and I'm pretty sure some people from Texas got it on video.  Yeah...  Ok, first of all, I don't look at people in the car next to me at red lights (or pretty much anyone in any vehicle on the road period).  Secondly, I especially don't look at them if I feel like they're looking at me (because that's just awkward).  SO, I felt like someone was looking in my direction but there's no WAY I was looking over there to see because that would be weird.  So I just ignored them.  I figured they probably weren't really looking right at me anyway.  Well, as they passed me, the dude driving is practically hanging out the window with his camera or phone or whatever.  And they were laughing.  Like hysterically.  Like they just got the funniest video footage EVER.  I mean, I know I'm entertaining and all, but REALLY?  I wasn't even singing with motions or anything.  Definitely not even YouTube worthy (I hope).  They must've been on the road for A WHILE.  

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Wildfire

Gloria Copeland once said, "You don't get what you deserve.  You get what you believe for."

Tonight, we had a major breakthrough in our youth group.

We have been involved with the youth for about 10 years now, and Jason has been the youth pastor for almost 4 years.  We have never seen anything like what is happening right now.  When we first stepped into the position of youth pastors, we talked about, wrote down, and prayed about the vision that God had given us concerning our leadership with the youth.

One thing we really wanted to see was unity.  We wanted to see them become a family that truly loved each other in a way that the world doesn't understand.
We wanted to see acceptance.  No cliques.  We wanted anyone to be able to walk through those doors and feel like they belonged and had a safe place to be who they are.
We wanted to see them changed.  We did not want them to attend year after year and remain the same, with no true change in their real, everyday life.  We wanted them to hear the word and then do it, not just hear it and leave unchanged.  
We wanted them to understand how to worship.  We wanted them to know the freedom that happens when they truly forget about who might be looking at them, and just worship God.  


Last summer at Forward Conference 2010, we had 8 who were filled with the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking with other tongues.  This was in our rooms after the services.  We also had several who were set free from addiction.  We had some who really heard from God about what they were supposed to do with their life.  It was an amazing time that I can not possibly put into words.

You wanna know the difference between this "summer camp" and the 9 we've been to before that?  The fire that God put in these guys is still going.  It's been 9 months and they are worshipping with more passion than they were when they came back from Forward.  We have never seen anything like it.

Rewind for just a second...

About 2 years ago, a few of my friends and I got together once a week to pray for our church.  We prayed for every area of our church.  The reason we did this was because we felt an urgency to pray for the passion of the love of God to be awakened in our church like it was being awakened in all of our hearts.  I remember saying something over and over again, every time I would talk with them about it, and every time Jason and I would talk, even during prayer.  I would say, "I believe that passion will be awakened in our church, and it will spread like WILDFIRE, and I believe it's gonna start with the youth."  I truly believed that in my heart, and so I would say it whenever I thought about it.

Back to Forward Conference...

When we came back home, these guys were so excited about what God had done, they started telling their friends about it, and so we had more being filled with the Holy Spirit even after we got "back to reality".  It was awesome to watch.

In the past, we've watched them stand there during worship with their arms folded, just watching the band play their hearts out.  But since Forward, every week we notice them worshipping more and more. It's to the point now, where we have a full house, and there are hands up all over the place.  It's one of those things you just stand back and remember when you were thinking about what else you could do to get them to really enter in to worship, and you realize that what you've been praying and believing for is within eyesight.  It's breathtaking.

Over the past few weeks, we have had several (not sure how many exactly) salvations, but they haven't all been in our services.  These guys are sharing Jesus with their friends and getting them saved left and right!  It's spreading...

This past Sunday night, Daniel Eric Groves was at our church, and our youth got ministered to in a BIG way.  Some of them were called out, but the most exciting thing to me was what Daniel said.  He shared with them about how he hates the "youth camp" fade out, and that the FIRE had to be alive inside each of them.  He said they could have the best youth pastor in the world, but it didn't matter.  They had to have the FIRE in them to minister to EACH OTHER.

We decided to have a testimony night tonight in The Loft.  We knew that God had done some things in their lives and we wanted to give them an opportunity to share that with each other.  Our service starts at 7:00.  We had to stop them and tell them to leave at almost 9:00.  At 8ish, we stopped and told them that church downstairs was out, and they could leave if they wanted to.  Nobody moved.  At some point in the middle of the service, we had 5 make decisions to either be saved or rededicate their life.  And then they kept getting up and sharing testimonies.

Wanna know the best part?  They were sharing about how they felt so accepted and loved when they started coming to this youth group.  When they felt so out of place at their school, they felt like they fit right in when they came to The Loft.  They were sharing how God was putting it on their heart to talk to some people at their school about Jesus, that they had decided they didn't wanna just make it through the day anymore.  They wanted to make a difference because they feel like they have a purpose now.  This wasn't just one or two...this was nearly all of them!

Some call it a revival.  I call it an AWAKENING!  Salvation, the infilling of the Holy Spirit, and passion is spreading like WILDFIRE in our youth group!  The flame has been lit, so church, get ready to burn!  It's happening!

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Why Do You Worship?

Today, Daniel Eric Groves ministered at our church.  He shared some of the amazing things that God has done for him and his family.  The reasons why he worships.  Then he asked the question, "Why do you worship?".  Worship is real when you have a reason.  If you worship just because you're supposed to, there's no freedom in that. You're just going through the motions.  I don't wanna go through the motions...

I worship because I have a born again, spirit-filled husband, who loves God (and me) with all of his heart, and chooses every single day to sacrifice his life for his family just because he loves us.

I worship because I have 3 beautiful, healthy, obedient children who are following Jesus.

I worship because God continues to amaze us time and time again with His loving provision. His way-making, when there seems to be absolutely NO way.

I worship because Jesus has set me free from sin and the guilt that comes along with the regret of that sin.

I worship because my family is restored and free from addiction.

I worship because I know there is more restoration and freedom to come.

I worship because salvation is spreading like wildfire in our youth group!

I worship because of my God given friends that still love me and don't judge me, even when I don't deserve their love, mercy, and forgiveness.

I worship because of God's mercy in my life every single day.

I worship because even when I've been hurt, God shows me how to change me and become stronger still.

I worship because God loves me, and I don't deserve it.

There are not enough words to express how thankful I am for God's goodness in my life.  I'm so glad I have worship to do that!  Worship is one of the single most important things I have to express my love and thankfulness to God.  He really is SO GOOD to me.

Why do you worship?

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