Total Surrender

I just came back from a Women's Conference in Tennessee.  It was great to get away with other women and be "girls" for a little while.

Besides going to the conference--which I'll talk about in a minute--we also found some great shopping spots and some fabulous eating.  I think Sheila beat us all in the shopping department overall, but I KNOW that Jude Owens won the contest for racking up the cutest baby clothes from Carter's.  (Jude is the newest member to the Owen's family, our Music/Youth Minister at church.)

Now--to the conference.  The topic for the weekend was Total Surrender. 

Surrendering our will, our life, our desires, our plans, our mind, our Everything--to God.

This is NOT easy for me because by nature--I am a Planner and a Doer.

But the Beauty of Total Surrender is this--When I surrender everything to God--He takes over and I live the life that He has planned instead of the life that I have planned.

His plan that is perfect for my life.

It sounds so simple--but it is NOT because we were created with free will.  Meaning--that we have the ability to make choices in our lives.  We always have the choice to choose our way instead of God's. 

God--the Creator of this World that we call home--could have made this very easy by just giving us this master plan and then telling us to follow it.  But He didn't.

Instead He wants us to seek after Him by reading His word, to talk to Him in prayer, to listen for His voice, to pursue His will and to obey His commands.

This total surrendering requires us to be in "action".

Sometimes this "action" is one of being still and waiting.  Seems like an oxymoron doesn't it?  But, nonetheless, that is where He sometimes takes us.

Right now, I am struggling with a couple of things that have been on my heart.  I am trying to surrender them to God--but then I find myself--trying to figure out how to "handle" these issues. Ugh!

Ultimately--we have to get to the place that we realize that surrendering=Freedom.  Freedom from the burden of figuring things out.  If we are surrendered to God's will, then we are free to live for Him!

A Very Diva Birthday Bash!

Our Leighanne is 11.  Yes--She really is.  For those of you who remember her like this ...

 

 

Well--Surprise!!! 10 years have passed by and now she's 11.

 

 

We celebrated with a "No Boys Allowed--Spa Birthday Party."

 

We sent the guys to eat pizza and we turned the house into a Diva Den. 

 

 

 

 

The Mini Diva's

Drama Queens

Caroline and Hannah

Lei Lei & Adaysia

Leighanne & Izzy

Leighanne & Maci

Leighanne & Alexis

Leighanne & Izzy

Nana & Aunt Karen

Kim, Sara and Bethany

Leighanne & Jasmine

Leighanne & Bethany

Doing their Nails

Leighanne's 1st attempt at makeup.

Help me Jesus! We need a makeover

or should I say makeunder!

Pretty!

That's better--Rock it!

Jasmine was the make up Guru!

 

Dancing Gangnum Style!!

 



 

I have to say this was one of the Best Parties we've ever had.  The girls all got along and entertained themselves.  What a great way to celebrate the gift we we're given over 10 years ago!!!

 

 



 

A Little Bit of Sugar

We had a our Winter Break about 2 and 1/2 weeks ago.  On one of last days we decided to do some baking with some really cute friends!

Sugar cookies here we come!

First, you need to make the dough and then roll it out.

 

 

Next, you choose a cookie cutter and mash it in the dough.

Just like this!

 

Then you mix up the icing.

 

and mix, and mix, and mix . . .

Then you outline the cookies . . .

 

very carefully.

Now it's time to decorate.

 

And be so stinkin' cute while you wait.

 

You usually need a little help . . . or so the Mama's think.

 

Sweet helpers who are ready to eat their cookies.

 

Just a few of the finished products . . . BEFORE

They

Got

Eaten

All

Gone!

Yummy!

 

 

What a fun way to spend time with our friends who we don't get to see often enough! 

 

 

Come again soon Robbi and kids!