Tuesday, January 31, 2006

I'm Lonely and Some Kinder Updates!

I HATE when David is gone! I miss visiting with him every night about our day. I simply miss his presence in our home. I quickly forget the comfort, the protection, the companionship and the laughter that he offers. And of course I miss his hugs and kisses:) I am so ready for him to get home!!

On another note-I can not believe we are getting closer to the end of the year. Malaya has grown so much this year. Yes, she has gotten taller and more beautiful:) but her brain just amazes me!! Her knowledge has just exploded this year. She is reading and she knows how to add and subtract. (she counts mostly with her fingers which drives me crazy but I am constantly assured that is normal and okay)! She has loved learning about animals, indians, farmers, and so many other things. I applaud her teacher. She has been a fabulous teacher. I began praying many years ago for her future teachers. Last year Malaya and I prayed about it every night. God answered that prayer with precious Miss Rhodes. She is a Christian. She loves the children. She has just an amazing heart. I have loved being her Room Mom. God has also taught Malaya a lot this year about being a friend. As you could see in early kinder year blogs we had a few bumps in this area. But I have seen significant improvement. I am so proud of her. She is having a friend over to our house today and then she is going to another friend's house tomorrow! I have heard her ask kids in her class before if they believe in Jesus and if they go to church. I think it was a shock to her at first that not everyone did but I am trying to hammer her with the fact that it is those kids that God wants you to love. It has been such a lesson and example to me to attempt to teach her about her "mission field". She is a leader in her class. She likes to be in charge and have all the ideas of what to play and how to direct the other kids. That will be a continual thing that we are practicing on balancing:)
Another issue that has been interesting for me to deal with this year is Malaya's sense of style. I have watched another Godly friend deal with her daughter on this issue and b/c of her great example, I have attempted to be a little more linient than I have been in the past. Let me say I am the farthest thing from being a stylish/trendy person but having a daughter, you do want them to look cute and yes I'll say it- trendy! But this past year or so Malaya's idea of this and my idea of this is quite different. The past few months Malaya has taken charge of her own "hair care"-washing of, brushing of, STYLING of...It is always quite interesting. In the beginning I felt the need to explain to others of "the look" but I have quit that. It is always interesting to say the least.
She loves to wear jewelry which is not me AT ALL!! Putting a simple t-shirt on or a sweat shirt (my daily attire) is just horrible.
I know in later years some moral issues will enter in to this subject of dressing but for now I like to see her personality bloom through her sense of style. She makes me laugh!
I am anxious to see what else God has in store for our kindergarten year. He truly never fails to make me laugh at the marvelous way He works!!

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

She Cracks Me Up!

I must journal this so that I don't forget it.
I just went in to check on Malaya. (Which I do WAY too many times after she has gone asleep!) I noticed this HUGE bulge from under her sheets! Malaya had stuffed about 6 stuffed animals in her gown. I think she has been around a few pregnancies and babies!! Which by the way, she is eating up all these new babies. She is lovin' it!
We are so excited for all our new spiritual family members:)

Thank you Malaya for reminding me how precious you are. Thanks for making me smile:)

Monday, January 16, 2006

Does God.........?

Malaya is on a "kick" right now of asking questions that begin with Does God...? Here are some examples:
"Does God make hurricanes?"
"Did God make Papa have back surgery?"
"Does God get mad at us?"
"Does God not want you to have more babies?" (I know, I know... boo-hoo but really I kind of giggled-no melt down:)
"Is God mean?"
"Can God stop the devil?"

Heavy, huh?? Maybe some of you have great answers to the above and if you do please leave your advice but I find myself stumbling over my words. We have always taught Malaya that their are 2 powers fighting for her life, God and Satan. When she was very little we disciplined her often by asking her, "Who are you pleasing with that choice, God or the devil." And we love making God happy and we still stomp our feet when we please the devil and say "Oh, man. Let's not make him happy again. "She has always been very aware of Satan's activity and God's activity in her life and she is pretty good at distinguishing the two in her day to day life as far as when she does good and when she does bad- but as she is getting older the questions are becoming bigger and heavier as you see. Some are easier to answer than others and I have become pretty good at saying, "I just don't know but I know God is perfect!" or "Malaya, I will pray and think about that question and get back to you." (Sometimes in the back of my head hoping she'll forget, which she never does, so I know I have to keep my word. What a challenge!

God teaches us so much about faith through our children. Sometimes just knowing that God IS and that He DOES and that He has already won the victory over the devil has to be good enough.
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Malaya started dance today!! It was so much fun to watch her! She has always danced around the house and put on shows for me and David but I didn't know how she would act with strangers and room of peers. She was in heaven. She loved the tap and ballet. But I think her favorite part was when they got to do an interpretive dance to a story. It was the cutest thing ever. All shyness was out the door. She was floating and shaking her...no not that:)... streamers in the air. I am waiting to hear, "Mom, I was made to dance."

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

God-I have a problem!

When we got home today, Malaya asked if she could watch cartoons. I told her we would eat lunch and then she could watch a cartoon. Then she asked if she could eat lunch in the living room. I told her that we were not going to eat lunch in the living room. We were going to have lunch at the table (as usual) and THEN she could watch a cartoon. As I was getting lunch ready she came walking in the kitchen with her ever so grown up walk and her hands on her hips and she said in a very "16 year oldish" way, "Mom, I was BORN to watch t.v." I thought in my head, WHAT in the world. I start to ramble off all the typical things like, "Oh yeah, little missy-You were BORN to live your life for Jesus, to be a servant and to NOT talk back to your mother." But I didn't rattle off those things. I just giggled to myself b/c I heard Beverly Ross (my mother) in her "I was born to (insert whatever she is doing at the moment)" I have heard my mom say this so many times: I was born to make tea. I was born to work puzzles. I was born to lay on the beach and read books all day. etc. etc. etc. Cracks me up!
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My grandfather came out of his surgery well. We are so grateful. The doctor prayed over the surgery and my grandfather before they went in so that was very comforting to family that the surgeon was a Jesus follower. Prase God for that and I pray his recovery is quick!
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Special shout out to Kelli Fletcher today! Happy Birthday Kelli!! Hope you are partying your day away:)

Monday, January 09, 2006

Random Nothings

Well, since it has been almost a week since I have blogged I figure I should journal something about my life so that I don't look back on this day and think "Man, Jenny! Your life was really boring in Jan. of 2006."
So here's just a bunch of random hoo-haw!

Christmas is put up and back in the attic. I do have a few Christmas dishes left but hey the majority is done.

We are having a hard time getting back in good sleeping schedule after the holiday. Since starting Kinder, Malaya has been up and ready to go to school most mornings but this last week I have pulled her out of bed at 7:50. (We leave for school at 8:10.) Thankfully we pick out what she is going to wear the night before so that is ready to go. I brush my teeth, throw on my daily attire of sweats, throw the hair in my normal hair-do (ponytail), I grab breakfast that she eats in the car, and we are running into our day. I really don't enjoy starting our days that way. Hopefully tomorrow will be better!

Our ocean of babies began being born today. The Ayers baby was born today. This is a very exciting and changing time for many of our friends! Can't wait to hold them all and remember when Malaya was that little (or not so little). It is amazing to look into the face of a newborn baby and wonder about what they are going to be, what role they are going to play in life, church, ministry, etc. So moldable, yet God's fingerprints are marked all over their new little bodies. I need to stop typing this stuff before I start snort crying:)

Brother and sister in law (Jonathan and Jennifer) are starting a new job. He will be the worship leader for Bamel Road Church of Christ in Houston. I am very excited for them. They start March 1st.They are both so talented and will be HUGE servants in the church there. It is just weird to think about little bro' being a professional, working MAN! And on top of that about to be a Dad. WOW!!

Other brother Josh and Kayci are on the prowl for a Pulpit position. I can't wait to see what God ends up doing with their willing spirits. They are seeking His will whole-heartedly and I know whereever they go that God's word will be preached and people's hearts will be challenged to be more like Jesus!

Do you ever have those conversations with God that go something like this--

Jenny: WIll, you please just do something with my life??
God: I am at work and you will see someday.
Jenny: Could I have a result now please.
God: Not done yet (as you can just picture God just chipping and hammering and pushing your heart into place)
Jenny: God, I truly am ready.
God: Not today
Jenny: Tomorrow??
God: (laughing at my stubborn, immature spirit)
Jenny: (stomping my feet) WHEN??????
God: make it all about ME, my daughter, make it all about me

Those words have been going through my head on a consistent basis for a few weeks now--It's not about me (jenny), It's all about you (God). It's not about me, It's all about you. It's not about me. It's all about you.........

Will I ever get it?? I am so grateful He is so patient with me.

On that note-off to go play Strawberry Shortcake with Malaya!

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

Happy New Year!

Well, Malaya is back at school after being home for 2 and a half weeks. David is working back at the courthouse. I am sitting in our big chair wondering where I should begin with holiday clean-up. Toys are everywhere, laundry is in need of being done, and many other things but...it can all wait a little longer. We got back from Houston last night and we had a great time with our family down there. The environment down there is fast-paced! We are constantly going! Malaya loves being with her cousins and it is so neat to watch her play with them and develop relationships with them. I always love being with my sister in law. She is 4 months pregnant so we did a lot of visiting on the couch:) I also enjoyed being with my other sister in law and her new husband. It makes David and I giggle as we watch them deal with a lot of the same things we did! She and I beat the whole family in a game of Mafia. The victory was sweet! We had a really good time with them!
We went as a family to see Chronicles of Narnia! HIGHLY recommend this movie if you have not seen it. We did not take the kids. They saw Chicken Little. We will wait a year or so to let Malaya watch it but I really can not wait to watch it with her. It was amazing to see how well this movie was made. The graphics were outstanding! But the story was the best. I had read these stories as a kid but I had forgotten all the details. It was such a beautiful story and the symbolism was just amazing! I will not share too many details in case you haven't seen it.

I am excited about 2006! 2005 began with anger, bitterness, instability for our family, and lots of other feelings that we were more of Satan than of God-that's for sure! I have learned so much about God's redemption, His love, and so many other things. He has been at grueling work within my heart and even though his work has been hard, I truly pray that he continues His work in me and that He will go to even deeper parts of my heart to reveal the things in me that are not of Him. 2006 is not going to be about Jenny Bizaillion. There will definitely be times daily that I will sin and try to make it about me again but I am devoted to being intentional about not keeping my focus inward. What a waste of life if I allow myself to stay there!
I have made several goals for 2006. I am passionate and determined to fulfill those goals.

Hope your 2006 is off to a great beginning!