O Christmas Tree

Expectations.  We all have them, especially during the holiday season.  We have expectations of what activities we will be doing, who we will spend time with, what gifts we will receive and purchase, what food we will be enjoying, what our decorations wil look like in our house and the list goes on and on.  In our minds we have things "all planned out."  At least I know I did.

We are spending our first Christmas in our new house - the first house we have owned.  Oh, I had grand plans, you know the ones where you have picked out all the great Pinterest ideas you are going to do to be crafty, thrifty and make your house and holiday experience amazing!  It is also my first Christmas as a stay at home mom, so of course I had "all the time in the world" to do these great things and was going to have a wonderful "advent" season with my children, complete with activities, crafts, etc.  In my mind I had planned where decorations would go and picked the perfect spot for the tree.

So what does a person do when life takes a turn and plans and expectations aren't met?  Well, if you are like me, my initial response tends to be to pout and be quite sad.  Our family wasn't going to be able to do our usual Saturday after Thanksgiving tree cutting which had become a tradition for us because we were celebrating Thanksgiving with our family in Missouri.  That was ok though - we could get a tree the week after Thanksgiving, right?  Well, we ended up with a stomach virus that cycled through each one of us the entire week.  By the following Saturday we were all on the mend and off on our trip to CA to celebrate J's birthday, with plan B being:  we will put up a tree when we get back.  But guess what, plans changed.  Sparing you all the specifics, our travel plans for the holidays changed and the short version - - putting up a tree for less than a week wasn't going to be worth the time or the money.

Every "plan" that I had built up as an expectation for Christmas wasn't happening.  Today is December 12 and we don't have a Christmas tree up, no cute Pinterest things made and we just got out the advent calendars yesterday.  My sweet little girl even asked, "why do we start with number 11?"  We can suffice to say that on Monday when all of these realizations hit, I was, yes, just as you might guess, pouting and sad.

However, on Sunday, God's word spoke to give me exactly what I would need to reflect on Monday while the pouting and sadness were going on.  The passage was Luke 1:46-56 - Mary's Song.  What God really showed me on Monday as I reflected (and pouted along the way) was that God's holiness and who He is (strong, merciful, caring, Holy) doesn't depend on if all of my "Christmas expectations" are met - He is who He is no matter what and God's actions towards us flow out of who He is - not based on anything I have done.

Throughout this song, Mary rightly identifies who she is, a humble servant.  In recognizing this, she humbles herself so that Christ may be made much of.  I think many times my identity and joy get warped.  I think that my identity as a good mom and wife wrongly get tied to things like having the house perfectly decorated, doing all the cute crafts and of course making sure we did all the "just right" advent activities with our children.  I fall into making much of myself when in reality, I am just like Mary, I am a lowly servant, who comes to Christ with empty hands, poor and in need of Him.  Mary's song doesn't make much of her and what she has done, it makes much of Christ and the mercy He freely gives.  Mary's song is a song that echoes that the gospel is for each of us and that each one of us is in need of the gospel.

God is sovereign and He knows my heart.  He knew that my heart was heading into advent season anticipating the wrong things - I was anticipating that my expectations and plans be met and that if they were, I would be joyful.  In reflecting on all of this, I think God knew that I needed to not have that tree so that I could have a heart ready to be blown away by his mercy and grace.

Don't get me wrong, all of those things mentioned above can be fun and good, but they can't replace a Holy God who calls me to worship Him above all things.  Am I completely over this "tree thing" - probably not, but God is working on my heart and my prayer is that over the course of the next few weeks I would be blown away in worship - that as Mary sang, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant . . . for he who is mighty has done great things for me and Holy is his name," this would be my heart cry.  Because in thinking about it, life in Christ is much better than a Christmas tree or any Pinterest craft I could ever do.

Thanksgiving in August!

I was thinking today just how much I have to be thankful for and how sometimes, in all honesty I can be a complete grump.  I read a definition of thankfulness which said, "Thankfulness is an attitude of heart from which you are aware of your blessings. Thankfulness flows from the knowledge of how loved, valued and precious you are to God."  Last Sunday my pastor preached from John 19 and challenged us to think about the "Double Cure" Christ has given us:  we are saved from wrath and made pure.  That knowledge should move us to thankfulness - it should move us to be so compelled by love that we live lives that are thankful and ready to act on behalf of the gospel.  

Honestly, I don't want to be a grump.  I want to live each day choosing to be thankful, even when it isn't Thanksgiving day!  Every day should be Thanksgiving.  I am thankful for God's grace - apart from Him, I would always be a grump, and I need him daily to choose thankfulness.  I needed this reminder!  So in honor of Thanksgiving in August I thought I would share some things today that I am thankful for today:

• Rain and thunderstorms
• A hail storm in May that provided me with new siding for my house
• Hearing my kids laugh and play together
• A husband who loves me and makes me feel treasured
• Finger prints on the table I just washed
• A refrigerator covered with reminders from our friends in CA that they love us
• My family and God planting me so close to so many of them
• My new church family and how God is using them in my life already
• Music and hearing my kids sing with joy
• The Double Cure from Christ - he has saved me from wrath and is day by day making me pure.

Here are a few pics of just a few things from the list that will serve as reminders to me of how blessed I am!

A handprint that I am thankful for - thankful for who those fingers belong to!

Reminders of how much we are loved!  

This warms my heart - seeing them together and hearing them talking and laughing together!  

60 Things I Love About My Dad

Fun times with Grandpa!

Today we have the privilege of celebrating my dad's 60th birthday with him!  There are so many things to love about my dad and so I wanted to take a moment to share 60 things that I love about him.  Believe me, there are definitely more than 60, but 60 is the magic number today.

1. He loves Christ above all things.
2. His smile and laugh.
3. He loves to be with his family.
4. He listens to the Statler Brothers at Christmas and drives us around to look at Christmas lights.
5. He takes me out each year for our annual Christmas dinner date and shopping for my mom's Christmas present.  This has to be one of the highlights of my year!
6. He is humble.
7. He is a hard worker and gives his all to whatever he is doing.
8. He is a fabulous Grandpa who gives great horsey rides, rides on the mower, gives great hugs and thinks that donuts and ice cream are a must!
9. He has come to my rescue more than once - the snow storm and scar on his hand is a reminder of that.  I know I could call him any time for anything.
10. He listens well.
11. He cares for his family well.
12. He can laugh with us.
13. He is a learner - always reading, studying God's word, participating in classes, Bible studies, etc.
14. He likes Twizzlers.
15. He loves my mom so much - love that his ring tone for her is "My Girl."  I love how he shows Christ-like love to her.
16. He is smart and knows how to fix things - always willing to help with a project I might have.
17. He is wise and gives thoughtful advice.
18. He makes awesome deep fried chicken - speaking of which I need to have him make sometime since he hasn't done that in forever!
19. When I call him crying, which has happened a time or two (or more), he listens and then is such an encourager always pointing me to Christ.
20. He has shown love for his family in the way he cares for his mother - he always goes up and visits, does projects for her, fixes things, etc.
21. He can make my daughter and son's faces light up!
22. He drove my things all the way to CA when Jeremy and I got married - that was a long haul!
23. He doesn't use a debit card - yes I do love this about him.
24. He is great at Nerts!  He is competitive, so now I know where I get it!
25. He gave me a love for Nascar.
26. He has taught me what it means to sacrifice and give all you have for your family.
27. He enjoys reading.
28. He has shown me how to love as Christ by putting the needs of others above my own.
29. He gets up early each morning to spend time in the Word and prayer.
30. He loves a good BBQ pork steak!
31. He looks for the good in others.
32. He let me tutor him in Algebra - thankful for that time we had together!  See - he is a learner!
33. He can still stand on his head!  Does it each year on his birthday!
34. He is genuine - I know when dad says something it is something he means and believes.  
35. He has a servants heart!
36. He is honest and trustworthy.
37. He likes things neat and clean - - he does a great job on windows :)
38. He taught me how to fish and camp (don't tell him that I love this but I do!) ;)
39. He took me to Bennett Springs growing up.
40. He made trips to California to be there after both of my children were born.  I know that being away from work isn't easy for him.
41. Seeing him at the airport many times picking us up when we would visit.  I have to mention here that I am thankful we now can drive up in our car to his house!  :)  But the funny part - I do miss seeing that smile and getting that hug as I came through security.
42. Sitting, talking and laughing with him about most anything.
43. Watching him enjoy time with his grandkids!
44. Hearing him preach and share the Word of God - what a blessing and answer to prayer.
45. While he doesn't love talking on the phone, he talks to me almost every day or every other day on the phone :)
46. He has welcomed Jeremy into our family from the moment we were dating!
47. He would take me to Godfather's Pizza each year on his birthday.
48. He is a strong and healthy man who takes good care of himself.
49. He is disciplined - - I greatly admire this in him!
50. He prays for us - I know when I ask Dad to pray - he does!  And he does even when I have not asked.  
51. He is just fun to be with - makes me smile and I simply enjoy time with him.
52. In spite of not liking circular motion, he is willing to go on the carousel at the mall with his grandkids!  
53. He doesn't need "things" to make him happy.
54. He is a creature of habit - - and I love this about him!  (Just glad I have the blue robe now - oh and the blue sweatpants!)
55. He likes to have a plan.
56. His confidence is in Christ.
57. He loves his children.  He has shown me what it means to love your children unconditionally, even through some hard spots.
58. He loves the church and is actively serving Christ in the local body.  
59. He chose to take his family to Chuck E. Cheese on his 60th birthday!
60. Knowing he is always there for me - showing me Christ in his daily life.

This list could go on and on.  I love my dad so much and rejoice and thank God for giving him to me as my Dad!  It is a joy and blessing to be his daughter.  

Happy Birthday Dad!  You bring great joy to our lives!  Thanks for loving us and showing us Christ.

Thankful for that smile!

Always willing to help!

My Little "E" is Two!

Two years ago today, I was preparing to go in to be induced.  My little Ethan was snug as a bug and a week late.  I remember waking up about this time (3:15 a.m.) a little nervous about what the day would hold.  I was nervous about so many things.  I was unsure of the whole "induction" and how that would go but I was also nervous at the thought of how life was going to change.  I was also nervous thinking about the enormous responsibility that comes in training and teaching a child.  It was also quite an emotional time because my grandfather had just passed away.  I had wanted so much to be back in MO with my family during the time of his going home to be with the Lord but because I was due any day, flying wasn't an option.  I had so hoped that Papa (my grandfather) could meet the little man that was on the way.  But God's plans were different and He used it to teach me and grow me so very much.

I remember the day of Ethan's birth thinking much about my grandfather and the lessons he had taught us growing up.  I had lots of time to think - it took quite a while for the medicine to kick in.  I remember the love that Papa showed each of us throughout our lives.  I remember how he sacrificed for his family.  I remember how he loved being with each of us and the fun adventures we had together.  I remember the smile he had when he would laugh and his large hands holding mine.  I remember he would do anything for us - even eating corn flake and mayonaise cookies I made especially for him (I was young ok - lol).  I was flooded with all of these thoughts and realized that I wanted to be like that with my children - Papa had such an impact on my life and I was being given once again the opportunity to impact the lives of my children.  I remember thinking - never did I have to question that Papa loved me - it was so clearly shown to me in how he lived.  I want my children to never have to question that I love them.  I want it to be clearly demonstrated to them.

The song that I couldn't get out of my head that day was In Christ Alone (the version done by Page CXVI).  The lyrics that kept ringing in my head was, "No guilt in life, no fear in death from life's first cry to final breath."  We had been through my grandfather's final breath and were about to experience life's first cry.  And I just kept thinking about how in Christ - can truly have no fear in life or death.  I am thankful that my grandfather knew that and pray daily that it becomes a truth for my little man, Ethan David!

Ethan arrived safe and sound that night at 9:25 p.m.  And he truly captured my heart immediately.  I mentioned earlier about being nervous about how life would change.  Life did change in big ways, ways that grew our hearts and made us more of the family God desired for us to be.  I can't imagine life without the smiles of my little "E!"  It was one of the best changes ever!!!!!!!!

Ethan David you are a blessing to each of us!  Your energy, personality and heart make each day brighter!  Nothing makes me smile more than to walk in your room in the morning and hear, "Hi baby, I wuffffff you!"  You are teaching me a lot and God is using you in my life.  Your mommy loves you so very much and I know that Papa Love would have been tickled by you.  Sometimes I see him in your BIG smiles and those little ornery glints you get in your eye.  (Pretty sure that is why God made you so very cute!)

I love watching you with your Daddy and sister!  They love you so much!

Ethan my prayer is that you come to love the Lord with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength.  I pray that you come to know Christ and that in Him alone your hope is found.  That song that God gave me that day so clearly has become my prayer for you - that Christ would be your light, strength, and song.  I know there will be (and have been) times, as much as we love you, that we will fail you - but always know that Christ will not.  He is "firm through the fiercest drought ands storm."  He loves you more than anything.

I rejoice and am incredibly humbled that God entrusted you to us.  You light up my days!  I love being with you and being your mommy!

Happy 2nd Birthday Ethan David!  You are a blessing from the Lord!  And you are just stinkin' cute!!!!!!  Those big smiles are contagious!  

Top Ten Things about being at Grandma's House!

From the previous post, which will be continued at some point soon, you can tell that things have been a little oh let's say "all over the place" for the Writebol's since about mid-March.  It felt like things were a little crazy when Jeremy moved to Wichita before the kids and I did (a month and half), accreditation for the school was in the final count down stages and I was packing a house and caring for the kiddos!  Oh and silly me - forgot we were also having to keep the house ready to show at all times for the landlord who was selling the house.  No biggie though - lets all just imagine that it was smooth sailing!

Needless to say, I was in need of a break and didn't realize how much I needed it until today.  Today I woke up and realized, "I don't have to do anything today."  My parents came to visit over the 4th of July (another post in and of itself) and so the kids and I decided we were taking a little vacation to Grandma's house.  I am not sure who was more excited - me or them!  We came home with them yesterday and are here for as Allie puts it, "A whole long week!"  Excitement abounds!  So I was thinking about the joys and blessings of being at Grandma's house (and there are definitely more than 10) but for a short post today here goes (in no particular order):

1. Having lunches with my grandma, you know the ones she just "throws together" but are better than my dinners that I make :)  She is the best - today we had Swiss steak, mashed potatoes, broccoli with cheese sauce, corn, macaroni and cheese (because the kids love it) and strawberry shortcake - you know - she just threw it together - nothing much - :)  
2. Taking walks with my family down the gravel roads for the kids to explore - looking for blackberries, deer, flowers, watching the sunset, seeing the neighbors on the road! 
3. Getting to just sit and talk with my parents in person.
4. Watching my kids love on Grandma and Grandpa and watching Grandma and Grandpa love on them.
5. Ethan getting Grandma to rock him at night.
6. Not having to worry about what I should be doing "around the house."
7. Fun shopping trips with my mom and grandma.
8. Getting to spend time with the kids that isn't interrupted by the "have to's" :)
9. That feeling you have - the one that says in your heart, "welcome home, relax and know you are loved."
10. Knowing that we are now close enough to do this when we want to - - now that is a BIG one!  

Fun times at Grandma's house and this list could go on and on - - - Ethan said it best this morning while running around the living room, "I like Grandma's house, I like Grandma's house, I like Grandma's house!"  

Oh Hail! Just another one of God's provisions!

Got your attention with that title?  I have been struggling with what to post about - there has been so much going on in the lives of the Writebol family over the course of the last month and a half!

May 8th marked my last day of work at Rincon Valley Christian School - still a surreal thought in my mind.  It was an odd feeling leaving work that day knowing that my new job was going to be what I had prayed and prayed for - to be a stay at home mom!  (That will be another post in and of itself - my transition to the new job!)  We spent the next several days boxing a house, spending as much time as possible with what I call our "family friends" in Santa Rosa and getting our last "fixes" on our favorite spots in Sonoma County to eat :)  It is funny because in some ways it seems so long ago and in some ways it feels like yesterday!

On May 12 we did something that was much more difficult that I could have imagined it would be - we said, "See you later" to those family friends in Santa Rosa and headed to our new home in Wichita, KS.    This was something God had been doing in our hearts for several years and again, a whole other story in and of itself.  While we were thankful that God was moving us closer to family (and he did - put us right in the middle of everyone!), saying goodbye to people who mean the world to you and have become family was a difficult task.  Let's just say I created my own trail of tears from Santa Rosa to Wichita.  I think the desert even got wet as we traveled.

So they loaded up the truck and they moved to Beverly - oh I mean Wichita!  

Our family in California!  We love them all!  

More California Family!  Miss you!

Such good friends - thankful that friendships can last no matter where you are!  

More California Family!  Can't wait to see them again soon!

Our kids did amazing on the three day drive.  They had their moments - as any child would - it was just a bummer to be trapped in the car with them and no escape when the did - LOL!  Each day was about 11 hours in the car.  We saw many fun sights, created fun memories and spent Mother's Day at the Grand Canyon (which is amazing!).  On the way to Kansas we spent two nights in Santa Fe with my Aunt Linda and her husband Andy.  Super fun times there - my brother was there too so we got to visit with him as well!  Finally on Tuesday, May 15 we made it to Kansas!  Let's just say we saw lots of grain elevators and the bigger the grain elevator, the more of a hope that the town coming up had a restroom :)

We closed on our house on May 16 and our belongings arrived safe and sound on May 21st.  My parents had come the Saturday before and helped us get the house painted inside (pictures to come soon).  Now that our belongings were here, we were officially moved in to our new home in Wichita.  I was completely overwhelmed with boxes and felt slightly paralyzed.  Little did I know that a week and two days later, I would enter into an edition of Extreme Home Make-over, only the whole town wasn't showing up and neither was Ty Pennington.

Our New Home in Wichita - but soon it won't look like this!  Extreme  Home Make-Over in process!

On Wednesday, May 30 we were home, getting ready to go to community group and around 4:30 p.m. we experienced a hail storm like no hail storm I have ever experienced and I grew up in the midwest!  It hailed for a very long time - it just kept going and going!  The kids thought it was pretty cool and loved standing on the porch watching the large balls of ice hitting everything!  Honestly at this point it is important to note that I was worried, I knew it was doing major damage to our van and probably our roof.  But what can you do at that point - just trust that the Lord who holds all things together (including hail) would take care of us.  Ethan was walking around the house saying, "Oh hail, oh hail."  Little did we know that God was going to use the hail storm as an act of grace in our lives.  This story will be continued - - - - - - - - but to let you know, we are getting a new roof, gutters, and siding - - - I really am on Extreme Home Make-over and can't wait to post before and after pictures.  God is showing me EVERYDAY he does hold all things together and his plans are for our good and His glory.  He can use even what we think is horrible to demonstrate his love and grace.  We just need to have eyes fixed on him.  That is what he is teaching me these days.  More to come soon :)

Measures of Grace

As I sit here in my new home, my mind is full of so many things I could write about.  My life has been a whirlwind since February when my husband accepted a new job in Kansas.  It will take some time for me to sort things out in my mind but one thing that has been so pronounced in my life lately is how God is continually showing me what I am calling, "measures of God's grace" in my life.  We, as sinners, are so incredibly undeserving of anything in this life but God continually pours out measures of His grace to his people.  I have told some of my friends I am going to write a book and call it "Measures of Grace."  Could be a pipe dream but who knows, stranger things have happened.  I stand continually amazed at God's grace so freely bestowed to me.

I have been thinking much on a song, "Through the Precious Blood" by Sovereign Grace.  The lyrics are:

You have ordained every breath we take
In pleasure or pain, there is no mistake
Gladness and grief, both are in Your hand
And sufferings brief carry out Your plan
And our fleeting sorrows
Will yield an endless prize
When some bright tomorrow
We’ll see You with our eyes, and

Grace upon grace flows down, flows down
Grace upon grace flows down, flows down
Through the precious blood of Christ

Father of lights, Giver of all grace
Your mercies crown our lives all our days
River of Life, quench our thirsty souls
For no true delight does Your love withhold
And in every season
We are satisfied
For just one reason
Christ was crucified, and

All good gifts, every good thing
Comes to us freely, so freely
All good gifts, every good thing
Comes to us freely, so freely
Through the precious blood
Through the precious blood


Really any grace we receive only comes through what Christ did for us on Calvary.  He is the giver of all grace.  How amazing it is that we see measures of it every day!  


So I think my next post will be some of the measures of God's grace I have seen over the last month.  I am thankful God has helped me to see the whirlwind as really just His grace poured out.  

Things that make me smile!

So it has been a LONG time since I have posted - probably should have posted an update a long time ago on the previous post about the car seat. The short version - through Graco (and God's grace) we were able to buy a replacement part for $10. Amazing!

But on this sunny day, while the house is quiet, I thought I would make a short list of things that make me smile today (in no particular order):

• Creamed Corn from Sweet T's
• Hearing Ethan sing "The Father's Love"
• Thinking about how I will decorate my new house
• Squirt Soda - - current addiction of mine
• Talking to Jeremy on the phone
• Seeing Ethan run up and give Gracie a big hug and a big smile on his own initiative
• Getting to church a few minutes early - even with getting the kids ready and everything
• Watching Ethan's face as he watches Kung Fu Panada
• Thinking about the Great Shepherd and his love for me
• Knowing that in 16 days I will see Jeremy
• Knowing that in 10 days I will see my mom
• Looking at all the boxes that I have gotten packed with the help of some special friends - couldn't do this without them!
• Relaxing on my couch
• Allie being such a helper with me with Ethan
• As weird as this will sound - crunched up mini wheats on the floor - - because I am realizing these moments will pass all too fast
• Singing The Glories of Calvary at church this morning
• Being so welcomed into a fellowship group this morning at SRBC
• Seeing Mrs. Dolan holding Ethan in the nursery

This list could go on and on - - - so much to smile about! Who knows when the next post will be - I know the next two and a half weeks will be crazy - but updates will come for sure!

A Broken Car Seat and a Gospel Lesson

Well, I have not posted in quite a while - largely due in part to time, but more than anything, I often don't feel like I have much to blog about. Tonight, I have a quiet house, a few moments to blog and more than anything - a testimony to God's greatness in using all things for His glory and our good. So I feel compelled to share - it was a precious lesson to all of us and I am praying God uses it greatly in the life of our family.

Last night was quite an adventure - another story all in itself - the short version - Ethan got sick several times, resulting in the car seat needing to be cleaned. I worked on that today and had it sitting there - waiting for all the drying parts to be returned. The car seat has this lovely piece of foam that is the head support. To a little four year old girl, this must have looked like a craft project waiting to happen. More than once I had said, Allison, don't touch the foam. While getting dinner ready I see Allison holding a piece of the foam and hear Jeremy asking her where it came from. Eventually she pointed to the broken foam in the living room. Yes, you guessed it, she decided to disobey and tear the foam so, as she put it, she could "make something." To say I was upset would be quite the understatement. I was not happy at all. Jeremy took her to her room, talked to her and we left her to stay on her bed while we discussed matters in the other room - trying to decide what to say, what the consequences were and cool down - all were needed. We talked about how she could pay for it (she had money from Christmas) but that seemed like something of little impact since she doesn't have a real concept of the amount of money. After a period of time Jeremy said he needed to go back and deal with her - I asked, "What are you going to say?" Jeremy's reply, "I don't know exactly, but talk to her about the gospel and forgiveness." When Jeremy came back and shared with me about the conversation, I realized that God used the broken car seat to teach us all a big lesson. Jeremy said that when he was talking to Allie, he told her she would have to pay for the repairs or replacement, no matter how much that was (and we had told her it could be lots of money). She looked up at him, feeling badly and said, "Daddy, I can't pay, I only have $2 from Uncle Adam and $1 from my bank, I don't have enough and I can't pay." Which made her sad. It was at that moment that Jeremy (being a wonderful father - tender to teaching our children about God's love and grace) realized that this is EXACTLY what God has done for us - we come to Him completely unable to pay and he says to us, "I will pay." So Jeremy looked at Allison and explained that because he loved her, he would pay what she couldn't. It was a wonderful opportunity to talk to her about how God did this for us, he paid for our sins which we could never pay for. Jeremy headed to a meeting and Allie brought it up again to me, telling me how special it was that Daddy was going to pay for something that she couldn't but should. When she prayed tonight she thanked God for paying for what we couldn't.

I am beyond thankful above all that God did pay for what I couldn't! I am thankful for real lessons in life where he clearly reminds us of his love and grace. It may have been seemed like a broken car seat - but really it was a great reminder to all of us how God paid for what we couldn't. Allie knows tonight that her daddy loves her - that he is going to take care of what she can't. I pray that takes hold in her heart and that there comes a point where she sees exactly what God has done for her. So thankful for those moments when we so clearly see God at work - His glory - our good! My heart is smiling -