Planting

We are starting a garden!!! Our first experience with a garden...Riley and Adam started hoeing the ground to get it loose for planting. Riley was excited at first, but soon retreated to a nearby chair when he realized what hard work it was. Emma Reese and I contributed by sitting in the sun and cheering Adam on. Well, I cheered and Emma Reese slept.I can't help but draw comparisons to our church plant. At first, it's new and exciting and everyone wants to do their share. Some jump right in and get dirty while others help in other ways (encouraging and prayer). But when we discover that it requires endurance and self-sacrifice, we are tempted to sit aside and let others finish the work. If we're going to reap an abundant harvest, we must be willing to labor. The harvest is plenty but the workers are few.

Interested in jumping in to serving at Crosspoint? http://crosspointchurch.com/get-connected/volunteer/

How do you measure up?

As I was looking through the pictures I took of the kids this morning, I came across this one where Riley's measuring tape made it into the picture. It reminded me of how we concern ourselves with how we measure up....to our neighbors, to our friends, in our ministry. As the children's director of Crosspoint Church, I find myself pondering this all the time. I've never built a children's ministry before much less worked in children's ministry...teaching almost doesn't count because it's apples and oranges. I often think, someone else with more experience can do a better job than I could. But it doesn't matter who can do it better because God has placed ME in this position and His strength is perfected in my weakness. As Pastor Daniel blogged a few days ago, I can never be as good as someone else but I'm the best me that I can be.

Don't let the fear of not "measuring up" stop you from what God has called you to do. He will equip you for any task along the way if you take a leap of faith and answer His call.

It Has Arrived!

I'm so excited that spring is FINALLY making it's mark. The first few weeks were nothing but days of snow, rain and cold temperatures leftover from winter. But NOW sights of lillies, forsythias, and apple blossoms adorn my yard. Not to mention temperatures in the 70s. I have to think that heaven mimics and undoubtedly surpasses springtime spendor. Both filled with a beautiful glow, sweet sounds and lovely aromas. What a joy it will be!

Simple Pleasures

Have you ever noticed how children seem to naturally "get it"? No one has to tell them to stop and smell the roses. They already innately know how to enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Take Riley, for example, our 2.5 year old. He was so excited to go outside the other day and play in the "mud"...his word for a giant sand pit where the swimming pool resided last summer. He played t-ball in the "mud," climbed a tree with his papaw, and rested on a stump in the yard. You would've thought he had been to Disneyland!

And then there's Emma Reese...beautiful eight week old. Just today she cracked up at colorful pillow on her brother's bed and again at me when my bangs fell on her face and tickled her. Amused at the sound of water running, people's voices, her brother's crazy shrills.

We can learn a lot from our kids. In a world of bills, checklists, appointments and errands (even as a stay-at-home-mom) we let life take us in a whirlwind and before we know it, it has passed us by in the blink of an eye. If only we'd take time to enjoy the simple pleasures again. I wonder, what "mud pit" gets us excited. Take time to remember this morning. And smell the roses while you're at it!

Journey to GREEN

Okay, so YES it is Earth Month and everyone's thinking GREEN these days, but my journey to being more green started about two years ago when Riley was 8 months old. I randomly spotted a top 10 baby items list on Ebay and found that number 1 was "Fuzzi Bunz". Curious, I Googled them and found a whole new world of modern cloth diapering! I'll have to admit, I jumped on the modern cloth diaper band wagon simply because of the "cute factor". As I became more educated on the benefits, I came to find out that they are SO much healthier for baby (no chemicals and carcinogens) and our environment (disposibles take 500 years to break down in a landfill and considering the amount of diapers a baby goes through in one DAY, you can imagine how much waste 2 and 1/2 years creates). On the left is Riley in his cloth diapers that I made (don't ya love the matching alligator boots???).

Now, with a newborn, cloth diapering is even more fun. I LOVE putting comfy cloth on her delicate little skin. Simple pleasures. LOL

Now I'm on a quest to educate myself about what nasty things are in the things we consume and use everyday. I've come to find out....IT AIN'T EASY BEING GREEN! As it turns out, it takes an entire lifestyle change. Questioning everything you've ever known. Makeup with carcinogens. Baby wash with chemicals that lead to reproductive dysfunction. Food with additives that make us sick. Plastics that leach dangerous chemicals. Cleaners that are labeled DANGER and WARNING for good reason. Who knew that there were alternatives to such a dangerous world we've created? I'm on a personal mission to create a non-toxic environment for my children. Want to know more?

How To Green Your Baby http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/05/how-to-green-your-baby.php

Raising a Healthy Child in a Toxic World http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/05/green_babies.php

This is US

This is US. The growing family God has blessed me with. The first addition--Adam--my college sweetheart, best friend, and partner in life. We were happily newlyweds, teaching, and youth ministering, when along came Riley Scott... our now 2 1/2 year old. I'm sure you'll read lots about this "terrific two" as I blog. Our newest addition, Emma Reese, born 7 short weeks ago. Sweet baby girl. What else can I say about that. Mmmmmm... sweet thoughts only a mommy of a newborn can explain. :) OH, and then there's ME...I am a stay at home mom (formerly elementary school teacher) and a Children's Director at our new church plant, Crosspoint Church. In a nutshell, we are a Jesus-loving and serving, attempting to green-ify, pretty mainstream family.