Staycation

This past week Ben had Wednesday-Sunday off of work so we stayed in town and had some fun. We enjoyed visiting our new nephew, the Anoka County Fair, Broadway Pizza, Minnesota Zoo, The Paxson Beach and more!

We had so much fun with daddy home that daddy had to go back to work to rest...ha ha

While daddy was home he made a castle with Addy and built a beach in our back yard. Addy tried pork chops, mini donuts and ice cream at the fair. She also saw many animals, sat on a horse and went on a tractor ride. The Butterfly exhibit at the MN Zoo was wonderful and so was the fun splash pad.

One night, Uncle Matt (Ben's friend) came over and hung out with us and we had a nacho feast! Addy always enjoys when Uncle Matt comes over!

We hit up the MN Zoo and saw Lions, Tigers and Bears---OH MY!! We even ran into Scott and Amanda and kiddos...

We finished off the weekend with a wonderful dinner at my in laws house and got to spend some time with Papa and Nana!

Monday, Addy and I spent the morning cleaning as you will see below and missing daddy. But we had a wonderful visit from Grandpa Ron and we got a new fun gadget on how to core a Pineapple then we went to Subway for lunch.

So enjoy these fun pictures! Next week I will tell you all about our fun weekend coming up...I will tell you only one thing....it involves a little blue engine...:)

The Price of Vision-Oswald Chambers

The Lord has really been teaching me a lot the past few weeks about friendship and reliance on him. As I did my devotions today I realized just how much I have been putting my relationships with others before my relationship with him.

Each day has its challenges and in the past few weeks I have experienced some gut wrenching emotions that have just brought me to my knees. Which is exactly where he wants me. So I am thankful that even though the last few weeks have been tough that it brought me to a place of realization that I need to start putting my relationship with him first.

My desire is for him to be my vision. This is so important to me as my little one begins to grow and she sees the relationships I form. My first and foremost relationship I want her to see is my relationship with Christ. I know little seeds are being planted.

I also pray that if my relationship with God is my vision that all other friendships/relationships surrounding will bring glory to him.

Please enjoy this wonderful devotion from Oswald Chambers for today.

The Price of the Vision-Oswald Chambers

July 13, 2012

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord . . . —Isaiah 6:1

 

Our soul’s personal history with God is often an account of the death of our heroes. Over and over again God has to remove our friends to put Himself in their place, and that is when we falter, fail, and become discouraged. Let me think about this personally— when the person died who represented for me all that God was, did I give up on everything in life? Did I become ill or disheartened? Or did I do as Isaiah did and see the Lord?

My vision of God is dependent upon the condition of my character. My character determines whether or not truth can even be revealed to me. Before I can say, “I saw the Lord,” there must be something in my character that conforms to the likeness of God. Until I am born again and really begin to see the kingdom of God, I only see from the perspective of my own biases. What I need is God’s surgical procedure— His use of external circumstances to bring about internal purification.

Your priorities must be God first, God second, and God third, until your life is continually face to face with God and no one else is taken into account whatsoever. Your prayer will then be, “In all the world there is no one but You, dear God; there is no one but You.”

Keep paying the price. Let God see that you are willing to live up to the vision.