tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35835569742192112942024-03-21T20:04:38.522-07:00The Howard FamilyCasi Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06422027150016046392noreply@blogger.comBlogger273125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583556974219211294.post-35960169675265189932016-07-19T11:20:00.005-07:002016-07-19T12:26:24.971-07:00Beauty in the Mundane<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Before I begin this blog, I need to start with a back story. When I was a little girl, all I wanted to be was a mom. I saw how much joy my mom took in being with us and taking care of us. She was there to greet us when we came home from school and she was there to see us off each morning as we caught the bus. She made us snacks when we got home and I cannot remember her ever complaining about driving us to all of our sporting events that we had in the evening. She supported my dad constantly as he worked hard to provide a wonderful life for my brother and me. From an early age, I wanted to be just like my mom. When we would go to my brother's baseball games, I would find every little baby and ask to watch the baby while the moms watched the games. My dad used to say that if he could get me to love tennis as much as I loved babies- that I could have "gone pro." Even as I entered high school, my ambitions did not change. I hoped for a wonderful husband and children that I could be a mommy to. I believed (and still believe) this desire for wifehood and motherhood was what the Lord had called me to. I am by no means saying that this is what every woman is called to. Some women are called by Jesus to represent Him well in the workplace. That is their calling from Jesus and it is a blessing when He fills that desire for them. By the sweet grace of Jesus, He did give me my dream to become a wife and mother. He forms our desires and He fulfills them in His timing. I was able to marry my high school sweetheart and, though it took a few years and some heartbreaking miscarriages, Jesus gave me 3 awesome and crazy kids to raise. My husband works so diligently so that I can stay home with our children. I am so thankful that I am able to work the job that I feel the Lord has made me for (disclaimer- again, I do not think that it is wrong for some women to work outside of the home- we all have different callings from the Lord and must walk where He has called us).<br />
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With all of that being said, as a stay at home mom, there are many times where the mundane tasks of motherhood can become tiring and I can get frustrated with the daily tasks of raising my little ones and keeping our house in order. Overall, I try to walk in a spirit of gratitude to the Lord for letting me live out my dreams, BUT there are times when I give in to selfishness and I can start being ungrateful for my family and my ministry to them.<br />
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Last week, the Lord really woke me up and brought me back to the gratitude that I know He wants me to walk in. Last Friday we were visiting Sonny's family in Wharton and at around 9:15pm, I put Pax and Zoee in the shower at Grandma's house to clean them up a bit before we were going to put on their jammies and head home. I had been working out a little more intensely in the afternoons that week so I guess my muscles were a little tense and tired. When I was cleaning the floor after their showers (they had tracked in HUGE amounts of dirt), I went to stand up and a thousand sharp pains flooded my neck and back. I threw my hands in the air (that was the position that was the least painful) and I asked Zoee, through flowing tears, if she could please get Daddy. Yall, the pain was awful. I consider myself a mildly tough person and I try not to cry in front of others; yet in this moment, I could not stop the tears. Sonny's whole family was there. I tried to stay in the bathroom as long as I could but Sonny wanted me to try and sit in the recliner in the living room. There was no hiding the pain or tears at that point. Grandma, along with Sonny's aunt and cousins, were all there trying to help ease the pain. After a few minutes (and me quietly pleading NOT to go to the hospital), Sonny made the decision that we would not go to the emergency room but we would just drive home and try to get me some pain medicine and see if I could rest. We made it home and Sonny put all of the kids in bed. He helped get me situated in our bed with a heating pad and pain medicine. Neither of us slept much that night. The pain was still very severe and it was difficult to get comfortable. The next morning my mom came and took Pax for the morning so we could rest (the older 2 are pretty good about entertaining themselves and they understood that when I was in pain, they would have to step up a little bit and help out more. Pax just doesn't get that yet!). Sonny decided that he wanted to try and get me into a doctor that could look at my spine. I silently prayed that we could see our chiropractor instead of a spinal doctor. After calling almost every specialist (they were all closed on Saturday), Sonny decided that we should try our chiropractor to see if he could give me any relief from the pain. Our chiropractor was able to squeeze us in and after careful examination, he let me know what had happened. My muscles had been overworked and dehydrated and I had had a severe muscle spasm. He said I would be in pain for a few more days and I would be fine within a week or so.<br />
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I share all of this because in the midst of all of the pain on Friday night, I started thinking about the mundane tasks that I sometimes take for granted. When we got home Friday night, I couldn't help Sonny unload the car. I couldn't put Pax in his bed or even change his diaper. The next morning, I couldn't make breakfast for the kids or Sonny. I couldn't make our bed or even brush my teeth without being in pain. All of the mundane suddenly became beautiful. I prayed often on Friday evening and Saturday morning that the Lord would let me have the mundane back. Would He be kind enough to let me change my son's diaper again? Could I please have the ability to put clothes in the washer again? Before seeing the chiropractor, we thought I had a spinal injury. I was in so much pain and I didn't know if it was going to get worse or better. In that time of unknowing, I longed for the simple tasks that I had so often taken for granted.<br />
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By the grace of Jesus, it was just a severe muscle spasm and I am working to restore those muscles. Though the thought of that pain makes me wince even now, the lessons that the Lord has taught me through this have been very humbling and eye-opening. I am thankful that Jesus loves me enough to remind me to walk in thankfulness and to not take on my daily tasks begrudgingly. He says in the book of Hebrews that His disciplines His children for their good (and ultimately for His glory). He is a good Father that wants what is best for us. It is best for me to walk thankfully and joyfully and thus He took me through this past weekend to kindly remind me of His calling for me.<br />
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For anyone out there who might not be walking in thankfulness, I just want to encourage you to look at the kindness of Jesus in your life. A Savior has come to take away your sins by dying on the cross in your place. If you can think of no other way that He has been kind to you, this truth is MORE than enough reason for you to live thankfully and joyfully. He is our peace. He has taken away our shame. We are called to declare His glory with our lives (1 Peter 2). How are we doing at declaring His glory through our lives on a daily basis? Do our neighbors see the joy of Jesus in us? Do our kids and husbands and coworkers see the joy of Jesus in us? Do we love others selflessly and humbly? It is my hope that we can all live out the book of 1 Peter well, longing for the return of Jesus but ready to joyfully serve Him as we wait for His return. Let us not let the mundane be taken for granted today.<br />
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<i><b>1 Peter 2:9 "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light."</b></i></div>
<br />Casi Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06422027150016046392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583556974219211294.post-12515728411556490952016-06-26T19:50:00.001-07:002016-06-26T20:27:37.694-07:00Don't Neglect the Meat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Alright, this post might not make a ton of sense, but I felt like the Lord wanted me to document this so I could look back on it later and therefore- here we go...<br />
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The other day we took our weekly trip to the grocery store. When we got home, I asked the kids (as I normally do) to help me unload the groceries. We all worked together and got most of them inside. Zoee had been lagging a little so I let her know, "Zoee, I left one more bag of groceries out there for you to help with. Could you please grab that last bag and then make sure all of the car doors are shut?" I went inside to start putting away the groceries and Zoee followed me within a minute and we went about our day. I asked if she had remembered to close the car doors and she said she had remembered. Later on that day (around 4 hours later), one of my sweet friends Juliana came to watch the kids for me while I went to a photoshoot. When we came out to meet her (the kids love going outside to meet guests when they come), I noticed a small HEB bag lying behind the car. Oh man!! Zoee, who tends to be a tiny bit forgetful when she is excited (like her awesome Daddy!!), had remembered to close all of the car doors BUT had forgotten that last bag of groceries. There was that bag- it's contents roasting in the 100 degree Texas afternoon sun. My mind reeled quickly through the list of the groceries I had put away a few hours earlier. What had been missing? Fruit? No. Pasta? No. Cereal? No. Prunes? No. Chips? No. Popcorn. No.... I looked into the bag to find the most expensive grocery item that also cannot be left out- the MEAT! For a split second I thought it could be salvaged (I HATE wasting money!!!) but reason set in and I knew it had to be thrown out.<br />
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Later on that day I was thinking over the days events while I was driving to my shoot in Sugarland. I had some wonderful time with Jesus in the car (I was without the kiddos so it was nice to spend a little bit thinking and praying) and I started to think more intensely about the meat situation.<br />
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"Jesus, were you trying to teach me something? Why the meat, Lord? Why couldn't the Pringles have been in that bag?"<br />
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Then I felt like the Lord spoke back. It wasn't audible but I felt like in my Sprit the Lord was trying to teach me something. I felt like He wanted to remind me that some things in life need more care than others or they will spoil. I had neglected something that needed extra care- something that would ruin if left alone. What in my life was Jesus talking about? After thinking and praying for a bit, I asked, "Is there an area of my life that I need to be careful not to neglect?" I felt like Jesus was trying to remind me about my role as a mom. As a stay-at-home mom, it can be so easy for me to focus on the "less important" things like keeping the laundry folded and the bathroom sink "dust free." I can easily get stressed when I can't see the vacuum lines in the carpet or if I catch crumbs on the floor or counters. At times I feel that my kids are neglected if we don't visit enough parks or do enough crafts or sign up for enough curricular events. Kindly, Jesus reminded me that those things are not "meat." Yes, it's nice to have a clean home and to encourage social events for the kids, but those things come and go. They are like "Pringles" or "pop-tarts." If they get neglected for a bit, it's not the end of the world. They can be "brought back" without any harm done. What really matters is representing Jesus well to my children through living out His truth and by teaching His truth to them. This is the "meat." I cannot neglect this no matter how busy or hectic life gets. My kiddos need to see the light of Jesus in me. They need to hear His Word. All of this is not something I can muster up on my own. In order to share Him with the kids- it is imperative that I enjoy and soak in my time with Him. He cannot shine through me if I haven't spent time reflecting on His goodness. I must spend time daily letting the truth of His Word change me (by His sweet Spirit that He gave me through Jesus' death and resurrection on my behalf). When I neglect to spend time with Him and teach Him to my children, I am doing something similar to leaving the meat out to ruin in the Texas sun. This time with my kids is so short- they will be grown up before Sonny and I even realize it. These are the moments to be talking with them about the King as we "walk along the way." I know that there have been countless moments where satan has tried to trick me into thinking, "you're too busy right now. you can read them His word later. You can pray with them later, you need to clean the house..." These are lies. The truth is- Now is the time. Today is the day that they need to see Jesus in me. I need to be near to Him. I need His wisdom to be a godly mom.<br />
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All that to say, I was so encouraged as I finished my time in the car. I was so refreshed in my role as a mom to these three little souls. I don't want to look back on my life and say that I had a spotless house but I was so stressed out that I never enjoyed teaching my children about the goodness of Jesus. I hope this is an encouragement to someone. Let us remember that the days are passing quickly. The kids are growing up. Their minds are little sponges and their hearts are being molded on a daily basis. Let us use our time with them wisely. Let us ask Jesus daily for ways that we can use real life examples to share His truth with them. I know that we will not regret these moments if we spend them intentionally with the hope that our little ones will come to adore the Savior.<br />
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A few months ago, I was reading Hosea and Hosea 10:12 says, "Sow with a view to righteousness, Reap in accordance with kindness; Break up your fallow ground. For it is time to seek the Lord until He comes to rain righteousness on you." This reminded me of the truths often taught in the New Testament. Jesus is coming back soon. We have a job to minister well to our families in the hopes that they might come to know Jesus. We can hope for them to know His righteousness through faith. Let's seek the Lord and be purposeful in how we use our time. Thank you Jesus for using grocery shopping to encourage me in my role as a Mommy. =)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvA3J0EDhhcAzh1CHtcv5SmpofLgYe5h8NTX0-05D-vIdK5FTstS5Z-1vll7nJ0aGIHP3YRLTxXVNdXAHrNNA_S0IJdTJtKur5A5bXQagH2xJVByOrKV4zdZ2N4RP5J15dtP2wvedgqt1d/s1600/4G2I0264.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvA3J0EDhhcAzh1CHtcv5SmpofLgYe5h8NTX0-05D-vIdK5FTstS5Z-1vll7nJ0aGIHP3YRLTxXVNdXAHrNNA_S0IJdTJtKur5A5bXQagH2xJVByOrKV4zdZ2N4RP5J15dtP2wvedgqt1d/s640/4G2I0264.jpg" width="640" /></a>Casi Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06422027150016046392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583556974219211294.post-25506197273356441642016-02-23T16:58:00.002-08:002016-02-23T17:28:27.393-08:00God Loves His Messes...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A few weeks ago Sonny was asked to teach on Sunday morning for The Church at Cross Lake. I love getting to hear him teach the Word and I love how the Lord graciously gives him so many real life illustrations to help the Word come to life for those that are listening. It's honestly so awe-inspiring to me to hear how the Lord will show Sonny so clearly how simple, everyday life situations correlate to His Word and His dealings with his children.<br />
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As is normally the case, the Lord chose to have a certain incident happen in our family about a week before Sonny was supposed to teach and honestly, I would have missed the spiritual connection if it wasn't for Sonny.<br />
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It was around 7 am on a weekday morning and Sonny and I were both getting ready for the day. He was all dressed and ready for his day in the business world (looking super sharp and handsome as usual!!) and we heard Pax moving around and talking in his crib. We usually take turns getting him up in the morning and Sonny said he didn't mind going ahead and getting him. A few minutes later as I was getting our coffee ready, I hear Sonny say, "Mommy! We are going to need your help in here..." I started heading towards Pax's room and before even entering, I could smell <i>THAT </i>smell. You know what I mean when I say <i>THAT </i>smell. Pax had gone "potty" in his diaper and then proceeded to take off his diaper and play in his "mess." It was everywhere. It was on his bed. It was on his stuffed animals and toys. It was in his hair and all over his face. It was everywhere! Sonny graciously took our son into the bathroom and started scrubbing the filth off of him while I began to clean and disinfect the room. By God's sweet grace, neither of us were too troubled by the incident (I guess that's what happens with the 3rd child- there aren't too many new surprises!) After getting everything cleaned (including our little man!), Sonny went off to work and the kids and I went about our day as normal.<br />
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Later on that evening Sonny and I were talking and recounting all of the events in our day when we started talking about Pax's morning adventurous mess. Sonny said that the Lord had shown him something really interesting through that incident. We are just like Pax. How often do we get so involved in sinful messes that we end up just wallowing in our own filth!? Before coming to trust in Jesus, that's who we were entirely- sinful people that were just wallowing in stinky sinful crud. Jesus came and said to us, "You're mine. I've come with my own blood to wash you clean and make you HOLY." Then, even after coming to know Him, we can often fall into sin and get all dirty again. Jesus doesn't disown us and go find new children. Again, He comes to us with the gracious love of a Father to remind us of our cleaning through His sacrifice and bring us back to Him. He reminds us that we are His. Nothing can separate us from His love. No filth that we get ourselves into can change the fact that we are His children through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus on our behalf. What a great God we serve that we should be called sons and daughters of the Creator of the galaxies! How unfathomable is His love! How gracious of Him to take us back continually and lavish His love on us regardless of our faults and failures!<br />
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<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;"><b>But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners (<i>complete messes!)</i>, Christ died for us.</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #666666; font-family: "trebuchet" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;"><b>Romans 5:8 (italics mine)</b></span></div>
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It was so encouraging for me to see this illustration so clearly through what the Lord had shown Sonny. How easy it is for us to miss these seemingly small but very important illustrations. My hope is that I can try and slow down throughout my day and ask the Lord to show me more of Himself through every season of life that He takes us through. I'm so thankful for each season- they all have lessons that He's trying to teach us if we will just slow down, ask, and LISTEN! His wisdom is crying out in the streets but we are often so busy and rushed that we can't even hear. Praying that we would HEAR Him each day and grow in intimacy with the Lord who sacrificed Himself on calvary that we might know Him and be known by Him.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.8571px;"><b>Out in the open wisdom calls aloud, she raises her voice in the public square</b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.8571px;"><b>Proverbs 1:20</b></span></div>
Casi Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06422027150016046392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583556974219211294.post-10822831445427642682016-01-13T05:59:00.002-08:002016-01-13T06:16:58.423-08:00God and the Minions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm not really sure exactly how to start this post so I will just give it a go... My mentor Krystal Helbig has always taught me to see Jesus working in both the small and large things in life. She would encourage me so much when she would pray for small things and then get to see Jesus working as He answered her. I was always in awe of her relationship with the Lord because Jesus just seemed so near. James 4 reminds us that "we do not have because we do not ask." Krystal was living proof of the opposite. She saw (and continues to see) Jesus work because she asked to see Him work in her everyday life.<br />
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I am reading through Jeremiah and was encouraged this morning with Jeremiah 32 and it reminded me of an event recently where I was so encouraged to see Jesus working in our lives in a very small way but a way that made me feel that He is so close and involved in our daily life. In Jeremiah 32, the Lord used a house deed to encourage Jeremiah that He was working in Jeremiah's life. For me the other day, God used a Minion.<br />
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We live about 1/2 a mile away from the mall and thus we often walk to the mall to just get fresh air and let the kids play there. We were getting Zoee's ears pierced the other day and while in the store, Asher noticed a little Minion figurine that he wanted to buy. Asher asked Sonny if we could buy it for Asher and he could use his own money to pay us back once we got home (it was $5). Sonny said that was fine and bought it for him. Well, this day was really cold and we were all bundled up for our walk home. We made one more stop at another store before walking home. When we neared the corner to our home, Asher said, "I can't find my Minion. I think I lost it." My heart sank a little for him. To spend $5 and lose it on the trip home... bummer! I know how much Asher values saving his money and how he tries to spend it wisely so this just made me sad for him. We looked through his jacket and scarf and didn't find the Minion. Right when we got home, something inside me said- "This is a great opportunity to teach your children about prayer and about My character." I barely said two words to Sonny... I just said "I'm going for a small run outside. I'll be right back." I changed into warm running clothes and set out. I ran as fast as I could (while looking as intently as I could), praying that the Lord would let me find the TINY Minion so I could teach Asher about our sweet King Jesus. I literally prayed something so similar to Jeremiah 32:17<br />
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"Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You!"<br />
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I went back to the last store and asked (yes, I actually asked the workers if they'd seen a small Minion!!) and they hadn't. I started back home. I remember praying one last time, "Jesus, you don't have to do this for me. I love you. I know it's so small but You created the heavens and the earth and you know where this little Minion is. Please let me use this to teach Asher about You." I'm not kidding you - right when I finished praying, I see this little yellow thing in the middle of the road where we crossed over from the mall to our section of the neighborhood. There was the little Minion. I couldn't run home fast enough. I was smiling from ear to ear. I raced through the door and saw a sad little Asher. He had still paid his Daddy for the lost Minion. I came in and with joy shared, "Jesus found your Minion!!"<br />
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I told Asher that Jesus is near to us and wants us to communicate often with Him. While He can (and will) often say no, there are times where He will say "yes" to us and show us how near He is to us. He loves His children and wants to be close to them. Prayer is one of the main ways that we are near to King Jesus- who created the heavens and the earth! The kids were so excited to see that Jesus had answered this prayer and I think they were really in awe of how the Lord had helped me find such a small toy amidst a vast area of places where the Minion could have been.<br />
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***Please, please don't get me wrong and think that Jesus will always "find" your lost toys! My main point here is that Jesus is concerned about the "mundane" AS WELL as the "massive." We can come to Him with both and it's so encouraging to see Him work in our lives.<br />
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This story continued to encourage me for days. How great is it that our King wants to be so near to us. He hears both the small and the great requests and wants to speak to us. Let us come to Him often and I really think we will be encouraged to see the ways that He works. Oh how I love you Jesus!!Casi Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06422027150016046392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583556974219211294.post-50408756882479866492015-11-29T18:52:00.001-08:002015-11-29T18:52:28.597-08:00Living in the Longing There are so many times in our lives where we are in a season of "longing." We may be longing to get married, longing for a new job, longing for a child or restored health... there are endless things that we may be longing for. One lesson that the Lord really helped me to see in a very tangible way goes along with one of the subjects written by one of my favorite authors, Elisabeth Elliot. In one of her chapters in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Let-Me-Woman-Elisabeth-Elliot/dp/0842321624">Let Me Be a Woman</a> she quotes her husbands words, "Let not our longing slay the appetite of our living." Isn't this such a great quote to digest and meditate on?<br />
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The other day we went to the zoo with some sweet friends and I couldn't help but see this wise quote come to life in my five year old. From the moment we stepped through the entrance of the zoo, Zoee was set on seeing the giraffes. The only small issue with desiring the giraffes is that they are literally in the back of the zoo. In order to see them you must pass by the gorillas, tigers, bears, etc. Zoee was so set on seeing the giraffes that I had to remind her a few times to "enjoy the journey." As I watched her "struggle" to enjoy the other animals on the walk to the giraffes, I felt the Lord stirring me as I saw a glimpse of my own struggles in life. How often do I forget to enjoy the present as I focus on a longing for something that may or may not be in my future? I am so like Zoee sometimes. I want the "giraffes" so badly that I forget to stop and enjoy the beauty of the "lions" and "bears!"<br />
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I pray that as children of the Lord we will live "in the moment." What season has the Lord currently given us to live in? Are we walking in thankfulness for this season, soaking it in and trying to see how the Lord wants us to glorify Him in this season OR are we so focused on things to come that we neglect or current season only to wake up in 10 years to find that we've missed out on a precious season from the Lord? I hope to learn from my sweet little Zoee. This current season is a gift. Let us enjoy it and glorify King Jesus in it!<br />
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<br />Casi Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06422027150016046392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583556974219211294.post-71634099846746345802015-11-29T16:20:00.001-08:002015-11-29T20:46:06.995-08:00God in the small things... I used to use this blog to share with my girl students ways that the Lord was encouraging me and I also liked to have it as a way to document life with our family since I have such an awful memory. For the last couple of weeks, I have felt a desire to share a small life lesson that the Lord has been putting on my heart.<br />
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A few weeks ago I spoke at a ladies retreat and I taught on 1 Samuel 1 and Hannah's relationship with the Lord. Hannah is one of my favorite people to look at in the Word because I feel like I can relate to things that she went through (the Lord took Sonny and I through 5 miscarriages before giving us our first son here). While I was preparing for this lesson, the Lord showed me something small and sweet that I had never really focused on before. Hannah asked for a son. She didn't just ask for a child; she asked for a son. She loved the Lord with such an intimacy that she even requested a certain gender from Him. I'm not exactly sure why this stood out to me so much but mainly Jesus used it to remind me that He cares about both the small and big things in our lives. Could the Lord have kept Hannah barren for longer and still been just as gracious and loving? Yes. Could He have given her a daughter though she had asked for a son? Absolutely. But how wonderful must it have been for Hannah to spend years praying a certain request to her sweet Savior only to have Him bless her with Samuel? Her story led her to write her song of praise to the Lord in 1 Samuel 2. Whether the Lord answers in a way that we would like or not, He has a plan that is best for our good and His glory. He wants us to come to Him with our requests and then trust Him to be our perfect Father who knows what is best. So often I feel that I can neglect to come to Jesus when I think things are too small for Him to be concerned with but this simply isn't the case. He cares. Let us come to Him!<br />
I had already been seeing this come to fruition in my own life but it was so neat to see that Hannah felt the same way. This truth cannot be overstated: The Lord cares. He wants to be involved. Jesus died so that we could be in a relationship with us and in that relationship, He desires that we share our whole hearts with Him- not just the things that we think are important enough for Him to care about.<br />
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Recently I was about to shoot my first newborn twin session (I own my own photography business). I know that newborn shoots can be very difficult when the babies are fussy and moms are nervous. Knowing this, I prayed, "Jesus, please let the babies be extra sleepy." I knew that Jesus didn't "owe" me this but I asked, knowing that He wants my heart and all that goes with it. I pray for every shoot- for the Lord's creativity to shine through my work and for the photos to be exactly what my clients are wanting- and thus I prayed for this as well. The Lord was so kind. The session lasted for about 3 1/2 hours (typical newborn session) and the babies slept for all but about 10 minutes of the session! I was so amazed! My faith was so encouraged. Jesus heard and He helped. The session was so much fun and I loved working with the twins.<br />
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CasiHoward.com</div>
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All of this to say, let us remember that Jesus is personal. He wants us to come to Him. With Hannah, she requested a son from the Lord and He answered her. He didn't answer in her timing (she submitted her request for years before the Lord answered her) but He did hear and He did answer when the time was right for Him to do so. I pray that we will never stop sharing our whole hearts with the God who left heaven to come and die in our place that we might have a sweet and intimate relationship with Him.</div>
<br />Casi Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06422027150016046392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583556974219211294.post-4145054774089329082015-11-05T06:13:00.000-08:002015-11-05T06:13:37.555-08:00Howard Family Recap!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Oh my goodness. How long has it been since I wrote on this blog? It's actually been almost 2 years to the day. I cannot believe how fast time is flying... In the last 2 years we've had so many life changes occur that it's hard to even know where to begin... </div>
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Most significantly, we now have 3 kiddos and not 2! Pax Elias was born in August of 2014 and has been such a joy. He has so much personality already. He's a jokester. He loves laughing and making others laugh. He is pretty peaceful most of the time (though he's already starting to test the waters as far as obedience goes!). He was the easiest baby out of our 3 kids (rarely cried) and I seriously cannot believe that he's probably considered a toddler now!!</div>
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As of about 9 or 10 months ago, Sonny started working for Caldwell Companies to work in retail development (and a bunch of other things but I'm pretty unfamiliar with the lingo). While we miss our former students dearly, we trust that this new season is part of the plan King Jesus has for us and Sonny is enjoying his new job even more than I thought he would (I expected him to like this job but didn't realize how much =)). He absolutely loves the company he works for and enjoys getting to be creative and work with other like minded people. He loves getting to represent Jesus in this new environment. </div>
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We are continuing to homeschool and are involved in a Classical Conversations Co-op in Tomball that meets weekly where we get to join with like-minded people to challenge our children academically as well as shepherd them spiritually. We LOVE it. While we certainly have challenging days, I'm continually thankful for the opportunity to be my children's primary educator in these early years. </div>
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We recently found a new home church at Bayou City Fellowship (the campus at Northwest Forest). We love having a place to worship as a family and it's wonderful that most families from our weekly small group all attend there as well.</div>
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I'm continuing to work as a photographer in the Cypress/Tomball/Katy/Houston area. I love having this outlet to be creative and contribute a little bit financially to our birthday/holiday/vacation fund! It's also wonderful that I can work around our school schedule and I have help from my mom and mother-in-law with the kids when sessions are during Sonny's workday. </div>
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Overall, these last few years have flown by. More than anything, I have felt so secure in trusting that the Lord knows what is best. Isaiah talks about how foolish it is to make plans without regarding the Lord. This is an area where my sweet husband really does so well. Whenever we feel that one season might be coming to an end, Sonny is SO diligent to take time and seek Jesus for our family's future. The Proverbs remind us that in an abundance of counselors there is much wisdom. I love that my husband seeks the Lord's wisdom from older men in his life. He is never hasty to make a decision. Through each of these seasons, the Lord has been so kind as to lead us patiently and gently and remind us constantly that He is in control. Nothing is outside of His sphere of influence. He is always seeking to lead His children in truth and righteousness if we will just wait to hear from Him and if we will be quiet and still enough to listen. </div>
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We have genuinely loved each season that the Lord has let us walk through. We have not loved each season because they have been easy or without trials.... we have loved each season because we have felt that each of those seasons were ordained by the Lord and we have sought to be sanctified by each trial as we know that trials help us to grow. We have sought for 8 years to pour out our lives for the advancement of the gospel in the lives of students in the Tomball/Cypress/Hockley area and now we are seeking to advance the gospel by pouring our lives into those that the Lord continues to bring to us through Sonny's job and through our various homeschool and sporting activities. </div>
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I've been reading Isaiah lately and it has been wonderful to be reminded of the Lord's view on pride. His goal is for His children to walk in humility, trusting that He is in control and that He is leading them for His glory and their good. This is my sincere hope. I pray often that we would be clothed in the humility of Jesus, by the power of the Spirit, for our good and His glory. I've been reminded often through Isaiah that Jesus is "our strength every morning" (33:2) and He is the "stability of your (our) times" (33:6). Because we are His children through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus on our behalf, He longs to be gracious to us. He seeks to lead us tenderly as a shepherd leads His flock (40:11). He is our Rock. He is our Redeemer. He sustains us when we are weary.</div>
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"Do not fear, for I am with you.</div>
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Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God."</div>
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-Isaiah 41:10</div>
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<br />Casi Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06422027150016046392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583556974219211294.post-52692863863762999412013-11-27T10:17:00.000-08:002013-11-27T10:58:40.093-08:00Zoee's 3rd Birthday... part 2Zoee's actual birthday fell on a Monday this year and since that is a somewhat difficult day to celebrate on because most people have work, we decided to have some friends over on Friday so she could celebrate with her friends. My goal was simple and relaxing and for the most part that was how it turned out. Zoee and the other kiddos got to bounce in the bouncy house and the adults got to catch up on life. Her theme was princess because she LOVES anything princess. I still cannot believe that she is 3 years old. She is still very much the "baby" in our family. She loves to be held and she loves to snuggle. She loves for us to sing songs to her and read her books. I am thankful that she isn't in a hurry to grow up. We really do try to cherish time with our kiddos because it really is going by so quickly. Here are some pictures from her birthday...<br />
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Our beautiful girl!</div>
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For our little princess!</div>
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Such a Daddy's girl!</div>
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Can't believe she's THREE!!</div>
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Mr. Handsome!</div>
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Asher and his best little buddy, Brooks!</div>
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Princess rings and lots of sugar!</div>
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Grandma with Hannah and Zoee...</div>
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Ms. Kelly, Carly, & Abby</div>
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Asher loves his Hannah Joy!</div>
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Kinley and Zoee dancing to the fox song!</div>
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Our family!</div>
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It's a crazy life, but we love it!</div>
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<br />Casi Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06422027150016046392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583556974219211294.post-43761002296323400072013-11-23T07:56:00.002-08:002013-11-23T08:11:02.608-08:00Zoee's 3rd Birthday... part 1Oh where does the time go? I seriously cannot believe that Zoee is already 3! Even though she is THREE, she is still our little cuddle bug. Every single day she still cuddles with Sonny and I and asks to be held. She loves being around people and she loves hugs and kisses. I love that she is so affectionate. I think she is even more affectionate than I am- which is saying a lot! Zoee's birthday fell on a Monday so we decided that we would just celebrate as a family that morning then we would take Zoee and her best friend Kinley to get their nails done (this was Zoee's first time). When Zoee got up, we had a few small presents for her and some rock candy (she loves candy!). The playroom was filled with balloons which the kids LOVE and we just had a relaxing morning celebrating our little princess. Later, Zoee and I met our friends (Ms. Kristen and Kinley) at this cute little place that has all the glitz and glamor that little girls could imagine. There were sparkles everywhere and the girls got to eat suckers and cakepops while getting their toe nails painted. After that we headed to Chic-fil-a to meet up with Asher & Brooks, Nana & Kaitlyn (Asher was staying with Kaitlyn and Brooks so that he didn't have to go to the girly nail place!). Later that evening we went to have dinner with Mimi & Papa, Uncle Sean & Aunt Rachael and Aunt Rachel's family. We celebrated Zoee and Mimi's birthday with pizza and more sugar!! It was such a special day. I think Zoee really enjoyed it. We love our little princess so very much. She fills our home with so much joy, laughter, hugs, and silliness!<br />
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Morning hugs with Daddy right after she got up...</div>
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Hugs with Brother...</div>
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I am so thankful for my sweet little princess...</div>
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Love that smile!!</div>
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Candy for breakfast, why not!!??</div>
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Best friends!</div>
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100% Girl!</div>
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Happy Birthday Zoee and Mimi!!</div>
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Zoee and her Papa!</div>
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Aunt Rachael and Uncle Sean with Zo-bear! (we are so excited that Aunt Rachael & Uncle Sean will be having their first baby this February!!)</div>
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Happy Birthday Zoee Scout! You are a blessing to us!</div>
<br />Casi Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06422027150016046392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583556974219211294.post-31985752003904458372013-11-19T20:25:00.002-08:002013-11-19T21:04:54.479-08:00Halloween 2013We are so thankful for our community group. In just a few short years we have gone from a group with 3 kids to a group with about 8 kids! Our group can get a little crazy with so many little ones running around but we love it! This Halloween we had the group come over and go trick or treating down our street. We had lots of desserts and candy- the kids were WILD!! It was a blast! Here are a few pictures...<br />
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The three amigos. These three love each other so much. Kinley is pretty much part of our family. She and Zoee love like sisters (and sometimes fight like sisters ;) ) We are so thankful for sweet KP! Kinley and Zoee were both fairies this year and Asher was a man of many talents! While we had all of the gear for him to be a cowboy, he decided at the last minute that he wanted to be a super hero with a dollar store machine gun!! Boys, huh? He wore his super hero cape all night and traded out different hats. At times he even wore some scary glow-in-the-dark vampire teeth! Crazy boy!!</div>
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Growing up too fast!!</div>
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Vampire super hero with a modern twist!</div>
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Little Sammy the lobster joined the party for a little bit...</div>
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The girls and their candy... mmm!</div>
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Titus the fox joined us for a little bit too. We love all these babies!</div>
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We are thankful for a great group of friends that love and encourage each other and we are all so thankful for the growing number of kids the Lord continues to give us =)</div>
<br />Casi Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06422027150016046392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583556974219211294.post-85329023450646143342013-11-19T19:13:00.003-08:002013-11-19T19:13:28.618-08:00Sabbatical Part 2...Our Sabbatical was absolutely wonderful. Along with getting to celebrate our 10 year anniversary, we were able to spend a lot of time as a family investing into our kiddos. We were also able to read a lot and pray about the Lord's future plans for our family. Towards the end of the month we took the kids on a small trip to the hill country in Fredericksburg. We were blessed by a family at church with a 2 night stay in a bed & breakfast that was literally like living in a western movie. The couple who owned the b & b turned an old General Store and Silo into rooms where people could stay. The kids got to play on old wagons and even see some exotic animals (llamas and peacocks). We went for a little "Texas hike" that ended with about an hour of skipping rocks in a river and Zoee splashing like crazy in the shallow water. It was so nice for our family to get away together. We loved getting to read, relax, and enjoy our family.<br />
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Wagon fun in the wild west!</div>
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Our princess enjoying playtime in a wagon...</div>
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Surreal for sure!</div>
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Climbing the silo... a little dangerous but so much fun!</div>
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Heading out for our hike...</div>
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Splashing in the river!</div>
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Throwing rocks...</div>
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You can't have a vacation without oreos, right?</div>
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Oh, and before heading to the hill country, we were able to have an impromptu bow and arrow making session with Daddy. To say that the kids loved it is quite an understatement! Asher was actually pretty good at shooting it.</div>
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<br />Casi Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06422027150016046392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583556974219211294.post-38879090449893947512013-11-19T18:36:00.002-08:002013-11-19T18:37:12.036-08:00October Recap Part 1...This season is just going by WAY too fast for me to keep pup. With our <a href="http://casihoward.com/">photography</a> business getting busier, it has been difficult to find time to edit all of our family pictures that we have taken these past few weeks. It's been an eventful couple of weeks with field trips, Sabbatical, Zoee's birthday and so many other fun events. Here is a recap of our first school field trip to Dewberry Farm in Katy. It was so much fun. I have decided that I must just prepare myself ahead of time. While field trips are so much fun for the kids- they tend to leave me totally exhausted! Now I know to just expect to be wiped out the whole day after the field trip!!<br />
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Vain attempt at getting a normal smile from these two!!</div>
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Slide Mountain!</div>
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So many neat things to play on...</div>
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Outside huge bounce "pillow"</div>
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Zoee and her new friend Grace...</div>
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Lots of swinging contraptions!</div>
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Hayride to the pumpkin patch...</div>
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Picking out mini pumpkins! Of course the two Howard kids would pick pumpkins that don't even look like pumpkins! Thinking outside the box, right??</div>
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<br />Casi Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06422027150016046392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583556974219211294.post-69884443022422994992013-11-17T21:30:00.000-08:002013-12-06T08:36:29.467-08:00Advent...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For the past couple years I have been intrigued with the idea of Advent Calendars and spending intentional time every day in December getting ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus. I have talked with a couple of friends and been checking online and have found some great ideas that I would like to try with Asher and Zoee this year. One of the neatest <a href="http://ohamanda.com/2009/11/30/preparing-for-the-coming-of-christ/">websites</a> I came across gave the idea of celebrating a different name of the Lord for each day in December and having a craft to go along with each of those names. I think I am going to use many of her ideas for crafts and maybe tweak a few of them to fit the season of life that we are in with 2 small children with short attention spans. Here is my plan... I will have an ornament with each of the names of the Lord on them and each day in December the kids will pick a different ornament and we will do the craft with the corresponding day =). It's a little ambitious but I will give it a try and see how it goes...<br />
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December 1st: God is Almighty- Start <a href="http://impressyourkids.org/god-is-almighty/">Craft</a><br />
December 2nd: God is Provider- Christmas tree <a href="http://www.sundayschoolcrafts.net/snowflake-christmas-trees.php">craf</a>t & <a href="http://impressyourkids.org/god-is-our-provider/">message</a><br />
December 3rd: God is our Counselor- Paper people chain <a href="http://impressyourkids.org/god-is-our-counselor/">craft</a> or owl <a href="http://learncreatelove.com/?p=4100">craft</a><br />
December 4th: God is Jehovah- Name frame <a href="http://impressyourkids.org/god-is-jehovah/">craft</a><br />
December 5th: God is Love- Heart <a href="http://impressyourkids.org/god-is-love/">craft</a>; <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/161707442842276890/">craft</a><br />
December 6th: God is Good- House <a href="http://www.daniellesplace.com/html/bible_themes_-_Joshua.html#serve">craft</a> & <a href="http://ohamanda.com/2009/12/06/god-is-good/">message</a><br />
December 7th: God is Infinite- Galaxy ornament <a href="http://swelldesigner.blogspot.com/2012/11/glitter-galaxy-ornament-diy.html">craft</a> & <a href="http://ohamanda.com/2009/12/07/god-is-infinite/">message</a><br />
December 8th: God is Life- Snowman craft & <a href="http://ohamanda.com/2009/12/08/god-is-our-comforter/">message</a><br />
December 9th: God is Everlasting- Wreath <a href="http://impressyourkids.org/god-is-everlasting/">craft</a> & <a href="http://ohamanda.com/2009/12/09/god-is-everlasting/">message</a><br />
December 10th: God is our Savior- Nativity <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjowxL3QRHbZJBcfvgFgcDkaxmGX7FFz03X75tG2upeyR1fummM1d2Ae1x45Z2qb901cnFXSAkz4th91rHJvQWY6cXrNVzCkwz9q408Rj-956A4NlzhZQGfl665WQkGLm8kF4rUoHTmWweA/s1600/DSC_0129.JPG">craft</a> & <a href="http://ohamanda.com/2009/12/10/god-is-our-savior/">message</a><br />
December 11th: God is the Prince of Peace: Dove <a href="http://ravenmaidcreative.blogspot.com/2013/02/sunday-school-peace-and-dove.html">craft</a> & <a href="http://ohamanda.com/2009/12/11/god-is-the-prince-of-peace/">message</a><br />
December 12th: God is King of Kings: Crown <a href="http://impressyourkids.org/god-is-the-king-of-kings/">craft</a> & <a href="http://ohamanda.com/2009/12/12/god-is-the-king-of-kings/">message</a><br />
December 13th: God is full of Grace: Angel <a href="http://www.sundayschoolcrafts.net/angel-of-the-lord-toilet-paper-roll-craft.php">craft</a> & <a href="http://ohamanda.com/2009/12/13/god-is-full-of-grace/">message</a><br />
December 14th: God is Merciful: Snowman <a href="http://www.sundayschoolcrafts.net/snowman-toilet-paper-roll-craft.php">craft</a> & <a href="http://ohamanda.com/2009/12/14/god-is-merciful/">message</a><br />
December 15th: God is Sovereign: Gingerbread House <a href="http://impressyourkids.org/god-is-sovereign/">craft</a><br />
December 16th: God is Powerful: Wind <a href="http://impressyourkids.org/god-is-powerful/">activity</a> & <a href="http://ohamanda.com/2009/12/16/god-is-powerful/">message</a><br />
December 17th: God is Unchanging: Mountain <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/71635450295216833/">craft</a> & <a href="http://ohamanda.com/2009/12/20/god-is-unchanging/">message</a><br />
December 18th: God is our Father: Sheep <a href="http://afaithfulattempt.blogspot.com/2011/01/fuzzy-sheep.html">craft</a> & <a href="http://ohamanda.com/2009/12/21/god-is-our-father/">message</a><br />
December 19th: God is our Victory: Sword <a href="http://thinkingkids.wordpress.com/2013/11/06/bible-road-trip-year-two-week-thirteen-free-printable-curriculum/">craft</a>; <a href="http://www.sundayschoolcrafts.net/armor-of-god-toilet-paper-roll-craft.php">craft</a>; & <a href="http://ohamanda.com/2009/12/22/god-is-our-victory/">message</a><br />
December 20th: God is our Healer: Bandaid; cross <a href="http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/f8/74/6b/f8746b42a53beb461d831b1ef3b52267.jpg">craft</a> & <a href="http://ohamanda.com/2009/12/23/god-is-our-healer/">message</a><br />
December 21st: God is Faithful: Light <a href="http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/blog/2009/11/snowflake-votives-jesus-is-light-of.html">craft</a> & <a href="http://ohamanda.com/2009/12/18/god-is-faithful/">message</a><br />
December 22nd: God is Wonderful: Hanging Star <a href="http://impressyourkids.org/god-is-wonderful/">craft</a><br />
December 23rd: God is Holy: Singing kids <a href="http://www.sundayschoolcrafts.net/kids-singing-praise-to-the-lord-craft.php">craft</a> & <a href="http://ohamanda.com/2009/12/24/god-is-holy/">message</a><br />
December 24th: God is Lord: Jesus <a href="http://michellesjournalcorner.blogspot.com/2009/12/j-is-for-jesus-craft.html">craft</a> & <a href="http://ohamanda.com/2009/12/19/god-is-lord/">message</a><br />
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December 25th- Cake for Jesus' birthday!!!<br />
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Again, I know this whole plan seems a little ambitious but there's no harm in trying, right? Here we go...<br />
<br />Casi Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06422027150016046392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583556974219211294.post-81489992090242300002013-10-29T09:53:00.000-07:002013-10-29T09:53:50.487-07:00Pumpkin Carving!I have so many pictures on my camera that need to be edited and documented. It feels like this fall is just flying by and I cannot catch up! Our awesome friends had us over for a pumpkin carving party and we all had so much fun. You would think that the kids would be more involved in the process but they just wanted the end result- not the messy & hard work!! I think the pumpkins turned out super cool and it was great to relax and eat candy with friends! We LOVE fall!! (now if our Houston weather would just catch up with the season that would be great!!)<br />
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<br />Casi Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06422027150016046392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583556974219211294.post-77471843334558824412013-10-28T12:25:00.004-07:002013-10-28T16:10:54.698-07:00Sabbatical: California Part 1As we have said before, our amazing church blessed us with a one month Sabbatical after having been working with students at Terra Verde Community Church for 7 years. We decided to move our 10th wedding anniversary vacation up a few months (our anniversary is in January) to fit within the Sabbatical. We went to Laguna Beach in California to celebrate our anniversary. To say that it was amazing is an understatement. We both love the California beaches and Laguna is definitely our favorite spot to vacation so far. It was super relaxing. We read a lot, walked at least 5-6 miles a day through the most precious little artsy town of Laguna, ate great food and got lots of rest. Here is a small picture recap from the pictures from my Canon (now that I have an i-phone, I caught myself taking more pictures with that because it was easier to carry). I-phone pics will come later =).<br />
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Our church leaders encouraged us to visit other churches during the Sabbatical so that we could see how other churches were ministering to their communities. While in California, we visited a church called Reality LA in Los Angeles. It was phenomenal. The worship was so encouraging and the teaching was so convicting and refreshing. We both loved how humble the leadership was. While on stage leading worship there were not any bright lights spotlighting the musicians. They had enough light to read their music but worship was not a performance- it was worship. We could easily tell that the musicians were not up on stage so that they could receive praise. The whole service was about bringing glory to the name of Christ. Even after the pastor taught through Matthew 14, he just prayed and quietly left the stage, letting the Words of the bible sink in and cause change within the congregation. After the teaching, there was a time of communion where people went up when they felt led and took communion while worship continued. My favorite part was when we were leaving the building. As the congregation left the building, two church members were holding a huge banner up for people to read as they passed by and headed to their cars. It said in a very simple font with no bells and whistles,</div>
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"His Name is YESHUA."</div>
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I literally almost started crying when I saw this. To have one last reminder before heading off into the real world that life is about ONE person- Jesus! What an amazing reminder! We were so encouraged by REality LA and thankful for the opportunity to witness the ministry of another body of Christ seeking to bring the glory of Jesus to LA.</div>
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We cannot say this enough... we are so thankful to our wonderful church family for all of the love and support that we have felt continuously for these 7 years. Though no church is perfect, we are continually humbled by the encouraging and selfless community that we get to serve with. We look forward to many more years serving the body of Christ at TVCC and are hopeful that the Lord will continue to do wonderful things as we submit fully to His leading. We will surely write more of our Sabbatical experience soon so that those that were praying for us can know what the Lord has been doing...</div>
<span id="goog_1377242625"></span><span id="goog_1377242626"></span><br />Casi Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06422027150016046392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583556974219211294.post-14528597186801746782013-09-24T12:42:00.000-07:002013-09-24T12:42:00.467-07:00Speaking the Fruits of the Spirit...I have heard before that raising your kids basically takes "a village" and in many ways I think the Bible teaches this truth. Older women are called to teach the younger what they have learned and older men are to encourage the younger. In our family we are always on the lookout for biblical, creative and wise tactics that we believe will help us raise Asher and Zoee for the glory of the Lord. Proverbs continually says that wisdom "shouts" in the streets if only the simple will listen and heed her words. I have been meaning to share one of the best pieces of wisdom that was passed on to me but life gets crazy so I am just now able to sit down to do it. This nugget of wisdom has helped tremendously in our parenting in this new season with little ones that talk constantly and are now able to reason and think through situations.<br />
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A friend of mine shared with me years ago that her mentor tried as often as she could to use the words from the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) when she was parenting her kids. I tucked this nugget of wisdom away for a time but would often think about how brilliant it seemed to make this connection between reading God's word to your kids and actually using it in your daily parenting! In America we have these somewhat fluffy words that are often vague and hard to define (like "sweet" or "nice") and while there is absolutely nothing wrong with using these words when we parent, I was so encouraged by the wisdom that this older mother shared that encouraged me to use biblical words when trying to shape my children's character. I have found that using words from the Proverbs as well as from Galatians 5:22-23 (fruits of the Spirit) has been extremely helpful with Asher and Zoee. My hope is that they are being encouraged daily to have godly traits in their minds in hopes that one day they will come to be believers in Jesus and already have a grasp on the characteristics that are pleasing to the Lord. It has been so neat to talk with them about the difference between being foolish and wise and to see them talk about a movie character or book character that is being either humble or prideful. It makes it so much easier to take things in our everyday lives and relate them to the Lord when we are using His vocabulary on a continual basis.<br />
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This morning, Asher and Zoee were both being unkind and not treating each other with humility. We sat down to talk about why they were both sent to their rooms and it was so amazing to see the connections that Zoee made. I asked her why she was in trouble and she stated, "I was being prideful... like Mother Gothel (from Tangled). You know Mother Gothel, right mom? She is prideful and not kind. I was not being kind to Asher." I was so encouraged to see that she was making the connection and that she was able to see the prideful attitude in Mother Gothel (and herself).<br />
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This might seem like a very simple parenting tip that has been passed on, but for me it has been absolutely wonderful. I am so thankful for God's provision through the body of Christ. He is always willing to teach and encourage us if we will just be open to receiving His help.<br />
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"But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, and SELF-CONTROL; against such things there is no law."</div>
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~Galatians 5:22-23</div>
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And just for fun and because I think they are precious, here are some pictures of our not-so-little kiddos!!</div>
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Casi Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06422027150016046392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583556974219211294.post-6925630410846875702013-09-13T14:21:00.000-07:002013-09-13T14:21:06.834-07:00Latest Mommy Convictions...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When we entered parenthood I feel like we entered a whole new arena of sanctification. When you become a parent, it becomes very clear to you how easy it is to be selfish and prideful yet there are so many new opportunities to grow in humility and selflessness. At first, the Lord gives you this precious newborn who is so small and fragile that you cannot help but love it. A few days after giving birth, you realize that you are pretty much on your own (as a couple) to raise this little human for the glory of Jesus! Wow! What a huge blessing BUT huge responsibility. The newborn stage can be pretty tough sometimes because at first children do not really "give back" much. They just cry and pee and eat... they don't really even smile that much. Once they start to smile and "talk" a little and giggle, you start to see that this really is a little person that you have been given to raise. My latest conviction comes a little bit from that reality...<br />
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I have been reading through 1 Corinthians lately and just the other day the Lord convicted and encouraged me so much in my perspective on parenting. 1 Corinthians 3:5-8 is usually used by church leaders to remind themselves that we are all working for the building up of the same kingdom. For us to find pride in being of one certain denomination or even one specific church is not what Paul (and the Lord) want. We should not become arrogant in following a certain leader or being part of the newest Christian movement. Our security and pride should come in us belonging to Christ. People are just vessels used by the Lord; He causes the growth.<br />
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While this is true for church leaders, this truth ministered to me in such a new way this past week as a mom. I am just an empty vessel for the Lord. I do not cause my children to grow... the Lord does. I am called to do my part to "plant" and "water" and give them the necessary tools so that the Lord can show Himself to them but I cannot change their hearts. With this being true, I was convicted again about not finding my identity in my children. If they know tons of bible verses or can spout out cute prayers- this should not puff me up and make me feel secure in my parenting. Christ is my security... finding my identity in anything else will leave me unsatisfied. If I live my life trying to see fruit in my children that I think I have "made," I know that I will make them feel burdened and enslaved to my ideas of what their lives should look like. I will find myself disappointed at times when I don't feel like they measure up to my standards and prideful at other times when I feel like they are making my parenting look good. I know this is not God's heart for mothers (or fathers). Again, the identity of a mother still needs to be found in Christ. We are His workers, called to minister to our husbands and children with all of the strength that He gives. We must remember, though, that ultimately He is the one that grows and saves our children.<br />
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This truth was so humbling yet freeing for me. It also reminded me of the importance of praying diligently for my children. Their salvation is not in my hands. The way they live and the way they will live in the future is not in my hands. I must continually be seeking the mercy of God on their behalf. This is where the real power comes. We can work tirelessly to shove every bible verse into the minds of our children but only the power of the Lord can change their hearts. I pray that He would draw my little children close to Him and reveal His glory and power to them at a vey young age. I pray that He would allow them to love Him with all of their hearts and souls. Only Jesus can do this.<br />
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"Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each other? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters but God who gives the increase."</div>
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1 Corinthians 3:5-7</div>
Casi Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06422027150016046392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583556974219211294.post-84478284467184337522013-09-10T13:26:00.003-07:002013-09-10T13:26:50.070-07:00Galvestion Trip!Our kiddos love the beach. They love running through the waves. They love playing in the sand and building sandcastles. They love collecting sea shells and racing cars through the sand. They love all things "beachy" except the seaweed and getting salt water in their eyes! This past weekend we were able to go to the beach with some incredible friends and stay in an amazing beach house. We all had a blast. Even though it rained in little spurts, we had a great time and the parents even got to get in an insanity workout! A big thanks to Nana Burke for entertaining the kids while we squatted ourselves to death!! Here are some pictures from our little trip. Sorry there are not pictures of us doing insanity- that might have made for a great laugh but I wasn't thinking about photography at that moment =).<br />
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My big FOUR year old- Asher Sullivan!!</div>
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Lovin' the waves! Can't even tell it's Galveston here, huh? </div>
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Zoee Scout!!!</div>
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Kinley...</div>
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Best friends!</div>
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The Howard Kiddos!!</div>
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Love them!!</div>
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Uncle Burke treated the kiddos to ice cream from the ice cream truck! Brings back memories for sure!!</div>
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Life can be messy sometimes but it's much better to go through the messy times with great friends! =)</div>
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<br />Casi Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06422027150016046392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583556974219211294.post-39189449281722050912013-09-10T12:06:00.001-07:002013-09-10T12:09:42.675-07:00Dear Zoee...Dear Zoee,<br />
Oh my little spicy princess! I am so incredibly thankful for you! You are almost THREE years old and I cannot believe it. You make our whole family smile every day. You bring so much joy and excitement to our home. A few days ago you told Daddy the sweetest thing... Here was your conversation with him...<br />
Zoee: "Daddy, Jesus makes me new. Jesus makes my heart sparkle."<br />
Daddy: "Really, Jesus makes your heart sparkle?"<br />
Zoee: "Yes, lots of sparkles! Jesus makes it sparkle a LOT!"<br />
<br />
That's you baby girl! Our little sparkle. Here are some things going on in your almost 3 year old life...<br />
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1. You are very very affectionate. Pretty much everyday you will have a cuddle time with Daddy and me when you just wrap your arms around us and snuggle with us so tight. You make us stand up and "hold you tall" as you call it. I absolutely love seeing you snuggle with your Daddy. I pray that one day Jesus will bless you with a husband as AWESOME as him!<br />
2. You love to dance, sing, and LAUGH! You and Asher have little "dance offs" quite often and it's definitely entertaining!<br />
3. You love your friends. When Kinley had to go home last night after bible study you got this very sad face. We asked you what was wrong and you said that your heart was sad because you "love Kinley so much" and were going to miss her! I love the way that you passionately love others.<br />
4. You make sure to give everyone a kiss and a hug before they leave. If anyone accidentally leaves without you being able to hug and kiss them, you get very sad.<br />
5. You love to color. I got you some smelly markers and some glitter crayons and you seriously can sit there for 30 minutes drawing and coloring.<br />
6. You love playdough. Almost everyday when I go running on the treadmill you will sit next to me at your table and make shapes and balls with playdough.<br />
7. You love candy but not really chocolate. You are like your Daddy in that. You love starbursts and sour patch kids and sweet tarts- anything that is gummy or just plain sugar! You also love Krazy Kookie Dough ice cream (just like me).<br />
8. You love to go to the splash pad and run through the sprinklers there.<br />
9. You love making friends. You will say hi to almost anyone.<br />
10. You love getting your nails painted, "wearing makeup" (sparkle lip gloss), and wearing your watches and bracelets. I am so thankful for a girl to share "girl things" with!<br />
11. You love being Asher's sister and often remind him that you get to go first in most things because you "are a lady."<br />
<br />
Baby girl, I could not have dreamed up a more wonderful little girl. You love others so well. You bring so much life and joy to those that you are around. At times you can be stubborn and selfish but overall you just overflow with spunk and love! We love you so much and pray that you will, by God's sweet grace, channel all of your passion into pursuing Jesus.<br />
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Love,<br />
~Mommy<br />
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<br />Casi Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06422027150016046392noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583556974219211294.post-74438783234308490142013-09-09T16:43:00.002-07:002013-09-10T12:07:33.728-07:00Dear Asher...Dear Asher,<br />
This one is going to be short even though there are so many new things going on in your life! You are 4 years old but sometimes you act like you think you are 30! You love to learn and you love to share what you have been learning. This summer has been so full for your little life. Here are some things going on with you lately...<br />
<br />
1. You started soccer and are on team Argentina.<br />
2. You started school and we are in a co-op called Classical Conversations. You have another friend in your class named Asher and you really love that! You really seem to enjoy both school and soccer very much. You are a very fast runner and seem to really enjoy being part of a team.<br />
3. This summer you learned to swim and you read your first word- Dad! You were so excited when you learned to swim and you absolutely must have your goggles or you wont even think about it!<br />
4. You still love sweets! Anything with sugar is right up your alley!<br />
5. You love riding your bike and you are pretty fast.<br />
6. You love to help and protect your sister. Sometimes you enjoy irritating her but mostly you enjoy being the "big" brother.<br />
7. You enjoy art and especially love coloring with smelly markers!<br />
8. You still love climbing and it keeps me seeking the protection of Jesus! I love that you are adventurous but I also want to make sure that you are safe- it's a difficult balance but I am certainly trying.<br />
9. You love dinosaurs and dragons.<br />
10. You love cars and trucks.<br />
11. You love legos and building things with blocks.<br />
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You are "all boy!" I am so thankful for your sensitive and adventurous spirit. You love others really well and are great at showing affection to others. You are strong willed but we pray that the Lord will channel that in order to make you someone who is not swayed in the future. We pray that your determination and resolve will be used for the Lord's glory. Here are some picture from your first soccer game. Your friend Kinley came to watch and cheer for you! You did really well but it was very hot so you were pretty worn out by the end. Son, we love you so so much! You bring us so much joy. We pray that you will grow to know and love Jesus.<br />
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Love,<br />
~Mommy<br />
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<br />Casi Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06422027150016046392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583556974219211294.post-51552993931155057082013-08-19T08:23:00.000-07:002013-08-19T08:23:43.321-07:00Jeremiah 31...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our small group on Monday nights is reading through and discussing the book of Jeremiah and some weeks it has been a little tough to hang with that book. There is a lot of discouragement with how rebellious Israel was but through that it has also been a good reminder of our rebellion against the Lord and His incredible grace lavished on us through the Cross of Jesus.<br />
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Today I was reading through the passage for tonight and I was so encouraged. It also went along with Pursuit of God chapter 1 which I had asked some of the highschool girls to read this week. Here are a few encouraging words from Jeremiah 31...<br />
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"Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you. Again I will rebuild you, and you shall be rebuilt..." (31:3)</div>
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"Their souls shall be like a well-watered garden, And they shall sorrow no more at all." (31:12)</div>
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"I will satiate the soul of the priests with My abundance, And My people shall be satisfied with My goodness." (31:14)</div>
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"... therefore My heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him..." (31:20)</div>
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"For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul." (31:25)</div>
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"... I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." (31:33)</div>
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What an encouragement this chapter has been. Though some of these restoration truths are for the people of Israel, we know that God's heart for His children is always to bring them back to Him. He made us His children through the blood of Jesus and He longs to satiate the weary soul with His presence. Praying we can pursue Him today and cultivate our relationship with Him. As Tozer states in Pursuit of God..</div>
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"We have almost forgotten that God is a person and, as such, can be cultivates as any person can. It is inherent in personality to be able to know other personalities, but full knowledge of one personality by another cannot be achieved in one encounter. It is only after long and loving mental intercourse that the full possibilities of both can be explored." (chapter 1)</div>
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Thank you Jesus for wanting a relationship with us and for dying to make that possible. May we walk in thankfulness today and spend time enjoying You.</div>
Casi Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06422027150016046392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583556974219211294.post-63347630519757052302013-08-16T09:48:00.003-07:002013-08-16T10:03:46.058-07:00Thankful for fleas?Life can easily get overwhelming no matter what season of life one is in. Lately I have been reading The Hiding Place and have continually been convicted by the faith and love that Betsie and Corrie ten Boom had for Jesus and for others (even those that were persecuting and torturing them). One thing that has been on my mind lately comes from chapter 13.<br />
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To give a little background- Corrie and Betsie ten Boom were two middle-aged sisters from Holland who were imprisoned for helping hide and aid Jews that were being persecuted under Hitler in the early 1940's. They were eventually sent to a prison camp in Ravenbruck, Germany. The description of the room that was their sleeping quarters would make anyone sick. The room was meant to house a maximum of 400 people and yet the persecutors had packed over 1000 women in the room with 8 women to a bed. There were only 3 restrooms for all of these ladies. The stench of the room along with the abundance of fleas and lice made it nearly impossible for the women to sleep.<br />
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Shortly after their arrival, the ten Boom sisters resumed leading bible studies for the ladies in their dormitory after the long days of work. Though the living situations were beyond awful, Betsie recalled what they had read in 1 Thessalonians...<br />
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"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."</div>
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~1 Thessalonians 5:16-18</div>
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After recalling these verses, Betsie encourages Corrie that they must give thanks. I was so humbled. How could they possibly find anything to be thankful for in that dismal situation? First, they thank the Lord that they are still together. Then they thank Jesus that they have been able to successfully bring the Bible with them. This was nothing short of a miracle seeing that they were continually strip-searched and everything else had been taken from them. Then Betsie does the unthinkable. She thanks Jesus for the fleas that are overtaking their sleeping quarters. Corrie gets a little frustrated here and understandably so. Though she does not understand the great faith of her sister, she joins her in being thankful for EVERYTHING, even the fleas.</div>
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Later on the sisters come to find out something incredible... though the guards would normally be inside every dorm to monitor the prisoners, they avoided the cesspool that Corrie and Betsie had to call "home" for those few months. Because the guards avoided their dorm, the ten Boom sisters were able to hold prayer and Bible services every evening without the worry of being found out by the guards. One day Corrie comes to find out that it was not the stench or other horrific parts of the dorm that kept the guards out... it was the abundance of FLEAS!! Betsie had obeyed the Lord and been thankful for something as small as a flea and later the Lord had revealed how He had used those nasty little things to allow the sisters to bring His Word to others without fear.</div>
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Needless to say, I have been so convicted by this book. How incredible to have such amazing faith in such horrific situations. I have been so blessed by the story of Corrie and Betsie and their family and friends. I have been so encouraged to see the faithfulness of the Lord to these ladies as they continued to pursue Him and love others when daily their lives were at risk. </div>
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I pray that today we can follow in the footsteps of these sisters of ours through Jesus and walk in thankfulness- even for the smallest thing. I know that it can be so difficult to live lives of thankfulness but when we remember the sweet mercy of Jesus and His life given for us on the Cross- we will have all we need to live thankful lives of rejoicing in our salvation and His great faithfulness.</div>
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Life might not always go exactly as we plan (in fact it almost always has unexpected twists and turns that cause us to be tempted with having a complaining attitude) but if the ten Boom sisters can be thankful for fleas, I am almost positive that we can find something small to be thankful for today. Today I am thankful for my precious family, for the new mercies of Jesus today, and for my sisters in the faith, Corrie and Betsie ten Boom who set such a great example for me and so many others.<br />
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Casi Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06422027150016046392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583556974219211294.post-69261211358501139992013-08-15T20:24:00.000-07:002013-08-15T20:24:15.238-07:00First Family Movie!!Asher and Zoee love the movie Cars. The watch it and listen to the soundtrack VERY often. When we heard that a similar movie, Planes, was coming out- we thought it would be a great chance to take the kids to their first movie theatre experience! Everything started out great... popcorn, candy, 3D glasses... After about an hour, Zoee got a little wiggly and I decided that I would take her to Shogun next door for a "date" with Mommy consisting of hot tea and rice. It was a great family night. Asher ended up really enjoying the movie with Daddy and Zoee and I enjoyed our impromptu date. We love family night!!<br />
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<br />Casi Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06422027150016046392noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583556974219211294.post-86935799554756262222013-08-14T21:08:00.004-07:002013-08-14T21:08:57.078-07:00Austin Fun!!As I posted earlier, my parents got an amazing lake house in Austin this summer and we are sure trying to make sure it gets lots of use. We have been up there as often as possible- enjoying the pool at the Reserve in Spicewood, playing lots of Rummicube, feeding the deer, and enjoying the awesome city of Austin. Here are a few of the pictures that were taken on our last trip up there. I keep forgetting to bring my camera but our friends brought theirs so we were able to capture some special moments. The kids love the slide and all of us enjoy the lazy river and hot tub. We simply can't get enough and would go every weekend if we could!<br />
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Mimi & Papa with the Howard kiddos!</div>
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Ash, me, Kinley, Kaitlyn, and Zoee</div>
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Ya-ya and Zoee on the slide at the Reserve!</div>
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Kristen and Kinley...</div>
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Mommy/Daughter Love!</div>
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Ya-ya and Zoee...</div>
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Austin relaxation!</div>
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Infinity Pool...</div>
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Austin Lovin'</div>
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Nana and her precious grandbaby!</div>
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<br />Casi Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06422027150016046392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3583556974219211294.post-15678455128727962082013-08-06T17:37:00.003-07:002013-08-06T17:37:48.534-07:00Summer Happenings!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Well, summer is almost over and it has just flown by! We are about to start school here in the Howard house but have had such an amazing summer. My parents bought a lake house in Austin and we love getting to spend time there with them. It's so relaxing and refreshing- they have a membership to an amazing pool, we get to take golf cart rides and see tons of deer, and just enjoy time with family and friends. What a blessing!! Here are a few pictures of our Austin adventures...</div>
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This fall is already starting to fill up! Asher started soccer this past Monday and to say that he was excited was an understatement- he really did so well and loved it! I was a little worried about how he would do but he has great coaches and gets along well with the other players. It was a little hard to realize that he is growing up and really isn't my little baby anymore but it was also amazing to see how much he thrived in being on a team. The only small problem we had was him shouting "I AM THE WINNER!!" When they all raced from one side of the field to the other- we had to remind him to encourage his teammates and not just declare to everyone how fast he was =) We are so excited for this soccer season! Here are some pictures... and of course it happened to be 102 degrees on his first day of practice!</div>
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<br />Casi Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06422027150016046392noreply@blogger.com0