Almost a year?!

I cannot believe it has been almost a year since my last post! Again, a lot has happened.

We moved to WA in Dec. of last year (our church and home are pictured above). We love it here.(But that doesn't mean we don't miss ALL our Ca. friends!) Our church family is such a blessing and we love WA. It is beautiful! We are enjoying the cooler summers too! I have some lovely Christian sisters here that encourage me often! If you want to see some videos of us check out vimeo.com and type in: katie lapierre in the search. You can also check out the church page: woodlandchristianchurch.net or look us up on facebook!

Scott's wonderful parents moved here a few months ago and the foundation for their new home is being laid. It is so nice to have family around. We are with them a lot and so thankful for them!

My dad met a woman that he is very in love with and we are hoping to brainwash them into moving here... permanently! We figure our kids are cute enough to win them over!

My sister is pregnant with her second boy and due in mid Dec. It stinks real bad not being near her and I hate that we don't get to share life together. I can't wait to meet my new nephew Brody!

My brother is doing well and about to get his A.A. and we are also trying to get him to move here :)

My kids are growing in many ways. Johnny gave us a real scare at the beginning with his failure to gain weight. All the sudden he just started gaining for no rhyme or reason (maybe all the prayer?!) and is doing very well. He lights up our world with his contagious laugh and smile!

Ricky is going to be three in December! I can't believe it. He has a real tender/sweet side to him and loves imitating his sister. They play together all the time! In fact, they are in their room (they just started sharing one until Johnny is old enough to share one with Ricky) playing right now.

Rhea turned 4 this summer and is one of my closest little friends. I love being her mom. We have many good conversations about the Lord and she really seems to have a heart for Him!

Scott is loving his job as a senior pastor and he is excelling in many ways. It has been really neat as his wife to watch the Lord use him over and over.

We live right next to the church and really enjoy that! It's so nice to just run over there and go back and forth as needed (especially as a mom of three little people).

The thing most pressing on my mind lately has been adoption. As Scott and I ponder and pray about God's plan for our family I am continually heartbroken for the orphans in this world. In particular, the ones in the foster system. I am praying for guidance and for God to give Scott and I direction. I know there is such a need out there and if Christians arent' stepping up then who will?!

Adoption is such a beautiful picture of what the Lord did with us "Gentiles". He took those that "weren't His own" and made us His own! He loves us uncoditionally and gives us all the rights of the Jews, His chosen people. There is much to learn about the Father's heart through adoption.

Here are some links that I frequent in regards to adoption:

adoptuskids.org

adoption.com

and many others but for some reason my copy and paste isn't working.

We are in a great season of life. I am enjoying every minute of it.

love, Kate or Katie :)

Another Reason To Homeschool

Click here to watch an amazingly devastating video 20/20 did on bullying in schools.

This just makes me want to keep my children in the safe haven of our home and teach them my self even more. What a cruel world out there for poor children! The evil young people are capable of is disgusting.

life's ups and downs

My life has had some serious ups and downs lately. My mother died on Thursday, June 10th very unexpectedly. My son was born exactly a week later on June 17th. One major down and one major up. God has been so faithful and near through it all.

My husband preached a sermon on Sunday called: "Checking Your Walls". You can listen to it by clicking here. It was about making sure you have strong "walls" BEFORE the enemy attacks. Walls for cities in the Old Testament were of utmost importance. Without them you would surely perish. Without them we fall under adversity. We need to be seeking the Lord through His Word, prayer and fellowship during times of peace so that when the storms come we are able to withstand them! The Word says we are MORE than conquerors in Christ. I felt like that in the midst of grieving the loss of my mother. I don't know how people "do life" without the Lord.

John, my new wonderful son pictured above, is doing so good! He will be five weeks tomorrow! He is doing well with scheduling (please don't throw rocks at me) and gets LOTS of attention from his brother and sister. I am adjusting to life as a mom of three little ones, hence the lack of posts lately. I am so blessed. Seriously. My husband treats me like a queen. My kids are adorable and we have so much fun. And most importantly I have a Father who loves me and guides me from day to day.

Angry Mom

I never thought of myself as an angry person. Parenting has revealed that I am. I hate myself when I let anger get the best of me. I want to be that mom that carrys on with a joyful heart and is not overwhelmed by her surroundings. But lo and behold, Rhea is defiant, Ricky is crying, the house is a mess and I feel like all the sudden I am going to "lose it". The Lord is really working with me in this area.

Anger is sin and sin destroys. I know that the family unit is of utmost importance and I don't want to stand by and let my anger tear it down. James says that the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. I want God's righteousness to reign in our home and I know that that will only happen if my sinful ways dissipate.

I read an article today (link given below) and was encouraged to know that I am not alone. I also ordered the book through our library that it mentions. If you struggle with frustration toward your children know that you are not alone and know that God wants things to be different. He wants our homes to be filled with His peace and love. This is only possible as we seek Him moment to moment.

Click here for article.

Mother At Home Series

Not sure if I started this already but I wanted to do a series on a book I just finished called: The Mother at Home by John S.C. Abbott. It was so good and I wanted to share some of the treasures I found.

The first chapter was on "Responsibility". It talks fo the responsibility we have as mothers to train up our children in the way they should go.

"His/her character is now, in an important sense, in your hands, and you are to form it for good or for evil. If you are consistent in your government, and faithful in the discharge of your duties, your child will probably through life revere you, and be your solace of your declining years. If on the other hand, you cannot summon resolution to punish your child when disobedient... he will despise you for your weakness. Unaccustomed to restraints at home, he will break away from all restraints.

It is true that there are many mothers who feel their responsibilities perhaps as deeply as it is best should feel them. Bu there are many others-even of Christian mothers-who seem to forget that their children will ever be less under their control than they are while young. And they are training them up, by INDECISION AND INDULGENCE, soon to tyrannize over their parents with a rod of iron-and to pierce their hearts with many sorrows. If you are unfaithful to your child when he is young, he will be unfaithful to you when he is old. If you indulge him in all his foolish and unreasonable wishes when he is a child when he becomes a man he will indulge himself; he will gratify every desire of his heart and your sufferings will be rendered the more poignant by the reflection that it was your own unfaithfulness which has caused your ruin. If you would be the happy mother of a happy child, give your attention, and your efforts, and your prayers, to the great duty of training him up for God and heaven."

I

Borrowed Post: What Does A Stay at Home Mom do All day?

Can be found at: generationcedar.com

• She studies to provide at least somewhat healthy, somewhat economical meals for her family. This can be a time-consuming job, but there are books written solely on the art of cooking and the incredible ministry found in entertaining your family and friends through the hospitality of the kitchen. Study it! (Another word about the ministry of hospitality soon!) Just in the area of health alone, America is experiencing an epidemic of illness, largely from consuming so much pre-packaged food, a choice usually necessary to maintain the over-booked lives we live.

• If the Lord has given her children, she pours herself into their training, nurturing and developing. Another full time job almost by itself. If not, there are a myriad of “mothering” and ministering opportunities sorely in need of a servant-minded woman.

• She helps her husband. This varies widely from home to home. But much like an administrative assistant, she can be a “crown to her husband” instead of forcing him to hire another woman for that role. This is where “the heart of her husband safely trusts her” as she runs a household and “he has no lack of gain”.

• She studies to keep her marriage happy. The dearth of happy marriages–of marriages at all–is staggering. Good marriages don’t just happen. If they aren’t tended, they’ll wilt.

• She studies to save money, to make her home a warm, inviting place, to treat minor illnesses, to repair things, to make things, to plant things, to be busy with her hands. Books are written–there is no end to this art.

• She engages in meaningful conversation with her children. An often underrated, but vitally important job in their education–homeschooled or not.

• She “reaches”. (“She reaches her hand to the needy”. Proverbs 31) Whether this be the meeting of a physical need for the poor, or a need of a fellow believer, needs abound. Many needs could be met in the form of an encouraging card, phone call or visit. It’s just a suggestion, but maybe Prozac has largely filled our lack of availability to hurting women.

• She earns money. Home industries are easier than ever to begin. Saving money and making money are doable activities for the SAHM.

• She mentors other moms.

• She takes care of extended family members. Nursing homes are new

Mother's priorities

Picture when you stand before the Lord. It's not completely clear what that day will look like but I do like this fictional picture of what it may look like for a woman whose priorities were not as the Lord would desire.

"Where are the boys and girls I gave thee?" says the Lord.

"Lord, I was busy keeping my house clean and in order, and my children wandered away."

"Where wert thou while thy sons and thy daughters were learning lessons of dishonesty, malice and impurity?"

"Lord, I was polishing furniture and making beautiful rugs." (my addition: I was on facebook, watching worldly tv shows, talking on the phone.)

"What hast thou to show for thy life's work?"

"The tidiest house, Lord, and the best starching and ironing in all our neighborhood!" (my addition: a lot of wasted time)

Oh these children, these children! The restless eager boys and girls whom we love more than our lives! Shall we devote our time and strength to that which perishes while the rich garden of our child's soul lies neglected, with foul weeds choking out all worthy and beautiful growths? Fleeting indeed, O mother, are the days of childhood, and speckless windows, snowy linen, the consciousness that everything about the house is faultlessly bright and clean will be poor comfort in that day wherein we shall discover that our poor boy's feet have chosen the path that shall take him out of the way to all eternity."

--Author Unknown