Well said...

Just thought I would drop a note and share something my Molly moo said today that made me laugh :)  I was reading a good friends blog today and her taking the time to write out things her daughter said (which you should read because you will laugh!) so she could remember encouraged me to write it here so I can remember this funny thought :)

Molly said, "Mom did you know that we tell computers what to do?"
Me "yes?"
Molly "Just like you tell me what to do!"

I guess she knows whose boss...haha :)

What Kinda MOM?

Hey friends!  I finally know how to make a nice blog banner!!  Woohoo!!  I think I will be changing them out now often!!  I am super excited about this :)  I found this post on this site on how to make your own banner for free using Picasa.  I love Picasa and use it for everything when it comes to my pictures, so this was so simple and easy!
A book I have recently been reading is Holiness by Grace by Bryan Chapell.  I have been enjoying this book and I am now on the last 2 chapters.  An older woman from church encouraged me to write out a few main points to remember from this book, so come back next week to read my summary from this encouraging book on holiness.
So my random little allergic reaction ended up stressing me out a bit!  The doctor (a random doc at a quick care after hours place) had me take Prednisone (a steroid) and well I am pretty sensitive and this drug got me all jazzed up!  I couldn't sleep for days!  Thankfully my doctor said I could come off of it early since my hives and facial swelling all went away.  So I am hoping to feel back to normal shortly.
  Please keep praying for our upcoming Spring Retreat this weekend in St. Louis, MO.  God is bringing lots of spiritually interested college students, pray God would move in their hearts to live passionate lives for His glory!
 Ok and lastly JUST for FUN!  My MOM friends out there.  I was reading this blog Hip Homeschool Moms today and I thought this recent article was fun!  And I would love to hear from you which of these types of mom's you think you are? 

Banners...and such...

Ok really quick could someone out there tell me how to make a decent looking banner.  Nothing super fancy, just something simple but that can fit my blog??  I never like the ones I try and make so that's why you see them switched so often! ha!

Anything new around here...hmm well I did have a weird UNKNOWN allergic reaction to something and first broke into hives 2 nights in a row, but nothing benadryl couldn't handle. But then the third day my upper lip began to swell and benadryl wasn't doing the trick.  So now I am on a steroid for a few days to get this hopefully outta my system.  But I am not liking taking this steroid...it's making me nervous and too energized.  But hopefully it will help this reaction go away.  Wish I knew what caused it... I can't think of anything new I ate or new environmentally.  Anybody else out there had weird allergic reactions?

Kiddos are doing great.  Micah is picking up words left and right.  Pretty much you tell him say "this" and he will attempt pretty much anything.  Molly is fun as usual :)  We have been having some great time together.  She has been working hard to learn all her letters and their sounds since I told her she had to know all that so she can read.  She is a motivated learner. 

CO ministry is going well.  They have their Spring Retreat coming up next weekend in St. Louis.  So you can be praying for God to use that in the students lives in big ways.

Ok..so this is a short little tiny update.  But when I get back to feeling normal I will hopefully get back to organizing my pics and such and come and update you on other fun facts.  Miss all my family and friends!!

Much Love,
        Laura

Happy Monday

Ok everyone time really flies by! Micah is 18 months!!!  Micah started walking around 16 months.  And now he is walking all around!!  And so I feel like he grew up so much in just these last 2 months!  He understand soo much!  A couple of weeks ago I asked him to put something in the trash for me and he took my trash and proudly took it to the trash can and threw it in!  I was like wow he can follow directions.
Some of his new words in his own language:  "shesh" = shoes, "broosh" = brush, "caca" = cracker, and trash. He discovered PLAYDOUGH and LOVES it!  Here is pictures of his first time using it.  And also some pictures of our first snow here in IL and so far we haven't had anymore snow...kinda crazy but mommy isn't complaining!

He is becoming VERY interactive!  I love seeing his little personality come out!

Playing in attic with sissy and she dressed me up

Love this guy!

starting to ask to wear hats!

Molly is  also growing all up!  And she is VERY hilarious!  And she loves to make others laugh :)  When she speaks she talks ALOT with her hands and is very expressive in her expressions!  I love the age she is at.  She absolutely LOVES being a big sister and wants to help out in anyway with Micah.
One thing we have been discussing a lot lately is who Jesus is.  This is the first year that she was understanding more indepth what Christmas was all about.  And she knows it's all about Jesus but she wasn't sure she "knew" Jesus.  She told me she wanted me to tell her all about Jesus.  So we have been talking all about who Jesus is and why He is so important to me and her daddy.  She is beginning to understand that she is a sinner, for example we talk about how when she disobeys me she has an "ugly heart" and that is sin.  And how God desires us to have "pretty hearts" ALL the time.  And how she can't have a "pretty heart" ALL the time.  And that's why God sent Jesus to die for our sins and take our "spankings" on Himself and give us His "pretty heart".  This discussion is ongoing here at the Hayes household because I am continually falling short and sinning and so is everyone in my household.  So we are continually discussing this truth.  And this truth brings me such GREAT Joy!  I am sooo thankful to have Christ in my life!  I cannot Praise God enough for the riches He has given me in Christ!  I am free from all my sins!  I am completely forgiven, because I have a gracious Father who allowed His Son to suffer so that I could be given life in Christ!
"For OUR sake He made Him (Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Cor. 5:21

I am really enjoying these ages of the children.  Hopefully I can do a better job updating you all on our lives!  Happy Monday! 

Merry Christmas

It is so fun having little ones in this season. They keep things simple. And help me to truly remember the reason for this season, Jesus Christ. I thank God so much for giving me the greatest gift of all, Christ, and through Him I receive so much like forgiveness from all my sins past, present, future, reconciliation with God, eternal life, the Holy Spirit...
May you all have a very Merry Christmas!!

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.
10 And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

10 years...a story of true friendship final post

Ten years ago today Kristin went home to be with our heavenly Father.  So today will be the last post ending this series.  I have enjoyed remembering our little moments and what God did through her life.  Though it can be painful to remember at times because I dearly miss her, I desire to remember because it encourages me to fix my eyes on Jesus and live for Christ alone.  It gives me eternal perspective and grows my passion to serve others that they may know Christ.  Thanks for reading along.  I hope it encourages you to examine your life and make sure your trust is in Christ alone.  Kristin was always eager to serve and desired to see others receive Christ.  The ministry where she served in college has a scholarship created in memory of Kristin to help someone financially to serve in missions.  Here is a link to learn more about that KDSF.

I thought I would end with these verses that display the truth about how God uses hard times to reveal his mercy and provides us hope for the future.

2 Corinthians 4 (NIV)

Present Weakness and Resurrection Life

 ¹ Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. ² Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. ³ And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ⁴ The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵ For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. ⁶ For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.  ⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. ⁸ We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ¹⁰ We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. ¹² So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
 ¹³ It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, ¹⁴ because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. ¹⁵ All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
 ¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 
 
We have been given the greatest treasure Christ.  And I am but a jar of clay nothing special and with no power, but God made His light shine in my heart and gave me the knowledge of the glory of God! In my own strength I cannot walk in hardships and praise God, but by God's grace I find hope in God alone.  Join with me today and pray for Kristin's family that they may find rest in God alone.

I will end with this song from Psalm 62 (ESV) which says:

 For God alone my soul waits in silence;

from him comes my salvation.

2 He alone is my rock and my salvation,

my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.

3 How long will all of you attack a man

to batter him,

like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?

4 They only plan to thrust him down from his high position.

They take pleasure in falsehood.

They bless with their mouths,

but inwardly they curse. Selah

5 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,

for my hope is from him.

6 He only is my rock and my salvation,

my fortress; I shall not be shaken.

7 On God rests my salvation and my glory;

my mighty rock, my refuge is God.

8 Trust in him at all times, O people;

pour out your heart before him;

God is a refuge for us. Selah

9 Those of low estate are but a breath;

those of high estate are a delusion;

in the balances they go up;

they are together lighter than a breath.

10 Put no trust in extortion;

set no vain hopes on robbery;

if riches increase, set not your heart on them.

11 Once God has spoken;

twice have I heard this:

that power belongs to God,

12 and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.

For you will render to a man

according to his work.

Oh Praise Him,  Hallelujah, My Delight and My Reward, Everlasting, Never Failing, My Redeemer, 

My God!

10 years...a story of true friendship part 7

I have seen that when hard times come they test your faith and they show you what you really do believe.  Whether it be the hard times of middle school where people make fun of you, the peer pressure of high school, the hard exams in college, the sleepless nights as a young mom, the loss of a loved one, or the loss of a job. Whatever the trial no matter how big or small these trials reveal what is truly in your heart.  These times reveal where you place your trust. 
The only way to walk in a manner pleasing to God is to seek Him daily so when trials come we can see clearly His way and walk in it.  "Since, then, your have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." Colossians 3:1-4
One specific thing God taught me is that when trials come God does reveal your heart through them, and you can choose to learn from it and mature or wallow in your sin.  I was wallowing (woe is me attitude), I lost my best friend, she knew me better than anyone in this world, how would I ever have that again, how would I go on...you see the pattern...the sin of selfishness.  God convicted me of this sin of being "me" centered.  And instead showed me the true GIFT He had blessed me with and this grew my heart with Love and Gratitude to God and helped me grow clarity of His purpose for my life.  He had blessed me with a inexpressible loving friend that He used to reveal Christ to me.  And now He was calling me to be that friend to others so that He could use my life to reveal Himself to those He placed in my life. 
To end today here is a song that encourages me, hope it encourages you.