Let it start with my husband & my babes...

Monday's are my favorite days, they are our day off and I love them! It's our day to go on family adventures, go for walks on our property, get house projects done, bills; you know, the everyday family household things. I look forward to it every week. Yesterday was one of our at home, family walk and productive days and it was great! Got the garage and shed organized. Finished going through the kids gazillion toys and redistributed to children's rooms and bagged up for Goodwill, wonderful! But before all this, we took advantage of the beautiful weather we finally had and went on an adventure walk with our babes. As we were walking, D & I were finishing a conversation we had gone to bed on the night before. He said to me, "receiving truth well is a lot easier in theory!". I laughed and replied, "all truth is easier in theory!". Sunday he spoke on receiving truth as a good thing and resisting the urge to defend ourselves because it's a sign that we are truly loved, by God and others. He also began talking about the need to speak the truth out a loving heart. This morning the Lord led me to reading Ephesians 4 and the part that stood out to me were verses 1-3 "As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." and I felt the Holy Spirit say to me "and let it start with your husband and your babes." I never want to get stuck with truth in theory because there truth is "easy". But rather, my prayer today is, Lord, let it start by my practicing being 'humble and gentle' with Dustin and my kids. That's where the rubber meets the road! Here is where reality is. Lord, help me today. I know You will because You are that good!

Every day, extra ordinary

Every day, extra ordinary...

Unbelievable that it's been over a YEAR since I've posted a blog!  I'd say I've been just a tad bit busy.  We've had an incredible amount of additions, changes and adjustments in these past 12+ months.  To name a few, July 5th we were blessed with our 3rd baby, Dominic Joseph Adrian McCuen, having 3 children was quite the adjustment for me, but I am finally figuring it out (learn to be ok with things not being perfectly in order, get to things when you can, my babies are more important than having a perfect house - a subject for another day).  July 25th we rented out our 1st house we ever owned to great renters.  August 1st we moved into the city we pastor in (with a 2 year old, a 1 year old and a newborn).  August 13th we had our annual church family camp.  Then in October we flew to California for our church network conference, had the holidays and all the wonderful things that entails and went into the new year ready to announce the theme God put on our heart for 2012, Authentic Community!  And this year has been full of wonderful times of building deeper, more real friendships and discovering more and more who we are in God and what He has called us to in leading Christ Church Monroe.  It has been an incredible season full of every day, extra ordinary things.  Truly, this is my life, in the midst of pastoring with my husband and parenting and building our marriage, I am learning to live extra ordinary in the every day things.  Changing diapers, wiping noses, spanking bottoms, giving big smooches, listening to my children pray on their own on the steps, falling more in love with my husband today, asking for forgiveness, remembering that I don't have to be a missionary in Africa to do something amazing for Jesus, I can and am doing something extra ordinary for Him right here in my home, He is pleased with my every day exta ordinary life :) I love my life!  And He is better to me than I deserve...

"All we need is Love..."

Wow, I'm sitting here in the Spotted Cow, just beside my self right now.  There's a gal that works here that I've made friends with and we were just chatting catching up on our lives and she shared with me about a local 14 year-old boy jumping off the I-5 bridge to his death.  


The young man went to her eldest son's school and it has been pretty shocking and close to home for her.   I found the article on the local news page and read through it, not much info.  But I am just struck by this.  


What would cause a young boy (yeah, he's 14, but he's someone's boy and I can't help but think of my Aidan, he was someone's Aidan).  Or was he?  My friend said he was a foster child and was troubled.  This just breaks my heart!  


Being a mom now, I feel like my heart is more out there than its ever been.  I'm more in touch with emotion of all sorts.    What would cause someone to take their life?  To take it like this?  To take it so young?  Ah, just writing this makes me want to cry.    


Children are absolutely amazing to me; they're smart, witty, innocent, precious, loving, unprejudiced, simple - they just want love and affection, time, attention.  They are so impressionable for the good and the bad.  What did this young man see?  What did he grow up feeling?  Hearing?  I can only imagine.  


The horrors that some children face just rips at my heart.  And again, I can't help but see my Aidan or my Eden and think about them and how they would be devastated by such things - drugs, violence, abuse of all sorts, no one wanting them, no one at home when they get home because they are too busy out "living the dream" or working hard for "the dream",  or maybe they don't even having a home...   


I can't help but think of the words in a song, "all we need is love".  Truly, its so simple, all we need, all children, adults, the elderly, need is Love - to know the Father's love for them.  To know they are Loved and to know they are wanted and they are special and significant.  


Jesus said, "let the little children come unto me".  Does my life say, "you are welcome here?"  Does my life speak love and significance to others?  There's a quote by Mother Teresa that I love.  It says, “Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.”  


This all just makes me want to hug and love on all the children I see.  Of course I can't necessarily do that but my eyes and my spirit can.  My words sure can.  And if I can, I will...

Cherish the Moments...

I went to a beautiful Memorial, rather a celebration, tonight.  We got to be a part of witnessing the legacy of an amazing woman, Grandma Georgia B.   It is times like these where you are reminded to cherish the moments, no matter what they are...how easy it is to write this, but in those "day in, day out" moments it can sometimes be such a challenge.  But I am inspired tonight that tomorrow is a new day with a fresh start and I want to enjoy every moment with everyone I love dearly - TO THE FULLEST! 

My heart is so full tonight thinking of the treasures that I have in my life.  People and little people that I do not deserve.  I did nothing for them but God gave them to me.  Thank You!  May I steward them well...

Some moments I love and some I am learning to cherish and enjoy.  Moments like holding my 2 year old boy in my arms at night as I rock him and hear him say "rock-a-bye baby mom?", remembering that not too long ago he was a "tiny" in my arms. How did the time go bye so fast?!  Times like watching your baby girl laugh and giggle as daddy changes her and tickles her, I love these moments.  Or watching her take her first wobbly steps.  This is Heaven here on the Earth!  There is nothing like it!  Or the times when you watch your children discover "Christmas" for the first time, "look at all those Christmas!" meaning, Christmas lights on the houses and trees - everything is "Christmas".  Or, even moments like we had just the other night.  Both kiddos are in the tub and Dustin goes to check on them only to find that one of them, the 2 year old, left some "presents" for them to play in!!!  Oh my gosh, ick!!!  How long were they sitting in it?  Your mind races with questions.  But they didn't complain one bit...I can't think too hard about it otherwise it makes me sick to my stomach...babies, they are so resilient!  

As I am cleaning the tub and trying to hold it together and not lose it all in the tub, the thought of "one day this will be a great memory" runs through my mind - BUT, right now this is pretty gross!  Or, there are the times when both of your children are sick and up in the night with snotty noses, you go from one room comforting a baby to the next and start it all over again...and all you can do is rock them and cuddle them...its so tempting to be frustrated and tired, but then you look at their little faces and it all melts away and you are relegated to nothing but sheer wonder and love... 

I want to enjoy all these moments.  I'll never have them again...precious are these moments...treasures <3

Yes, I am BEYOND blessed.  My cup runneth over!  I am the richest woman in all the world!!!  I could go on and on!  And I want to CHERISH EVERY MOMENT!!!

Tis' the Season!

To be jolly...
What a whirl wind life can be.  So much happens, so fast!  Our sun turned 2 years old in September, this is him enjoying a day out with the boys playing in the snow...

Our 2 year Old, Aidan, "going down the hill!"

 we found out we are expecting baby #3 in October...

Baby #3 on the way!

Baby girl enjoying her first visit to the Pumpkin patch...

1st Pumpkin Patch Visit

Family day at the P patch - they loved it

  and our baby girl just turned 1 year old last we...

Our baby girl, who is now 1 year old!

2010 Family Christmas pics - oh the joys...

This is us :o)

More formal us - Merry Christmas 2010!

Cutting the Christmas trees

Helping daddy

Me and the Baby Girl

These are just a few of our "favorite things" that have happened in our life lately.  Oh and we finally had a little get away, just Dustin and I a couple weeks ago - Pismo Beach, CA is lovely this time of year :o)

Its times like these where I can't help but think of the movie, It's a Wonderful Life - I have a wonderful life and I am so incredibly grateful for everyone in my life - I am a VERY rich woman!  I have so many wonderful treasures in my life I don't deserve, but I am thankful.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

On to August!

The Church where D & team ministered

Workin' out the Stomp!

Wow, August was crazy and awesome!  Among the everyday things we do we got to do quite a bit of traveling.  At the beginning of the month Dustin went with Pastor Norm and a team to minister at a Focus on the Family conference in Costa Rica (such a privilege) on the topic of Generational Transfer.  It was incredible for him to be a part of this team that so embodied the message.  They had a representative of each generation and God did great things!  What an incredible feeling to know that you are being used by God to bring a greater degree of real unity not only in the generations but also in the church body all over the world!

While he was in C.R., the kids and I travelled with my parents to San Diego, CA to visit family and help the time apart pass quicker.  My mom's sister and family hadn't met our baby girl yet so it was so fun getting to introduce them to her and play in the sun splashing around in the pool!  We had a refreshing time together.

We were all home for about a week then were off for another week at our annual church Family Camp - it was off the charts!  We heard a message on breaking barriers in our life and freely living the message of Jesus Christ!  God is doing incredible things in His church and I'm so glad to be alive today!

So needless to say, with everything else we normally do in a month, these added travels made for a busy month.  Here are some pics from C.R. and also F.C. (I'll have to post pics from our time in San Diego later when I find them).  Enjoy:

The C.R. Team

Pastor Norm with Pastor Ronald translating an the awesome message of generational transfer!

A young person D got to pray for and minister to

D's good friend Joel and his girlfriend

The guys enjoying some...cantaloupe?! 

Zoomin' around with Aunt Linda and the kiddos

Eenie girl with her papa Kevin

Eenie with Uncle Dennis and Jaren

Tickle fest with the Uncle's

SUCH a doll!

In love with these two...

Daddy & team winning the b-ball championship :o)

What a babe!  Is this the life or what?!

Running, running...we'll start with June :o)

Its been a long time since I've written...we've been running hard and fast these last several months!  We've been traveling, teaching, speaking, vacationing, camping and its been incredible.  I'll have to write about the latest activities and get caught up with tons of pictures so please don't mind if this is a longer post...I hope you enjoy!

So, starting back at the end of June, we took our first vacation of the year (it was much needed and thoroughly enjoyed).  We spent two weeks on the Oregon Coast and had a blast.  Our first week was just Dustin, the kids and I in Seaside, OR and our second week was with my family at Rockaway beach.  The weather was typical for a coastal vacation in the early summer, mostly overcast with a few days of cool, but sunny, clear blue skies.  Aww, there's nothing like the beach!  I'm originally from California, the Monterey Bay to be exact, so this was a treat for me - I miss the beach (and I know, Seattle has "beaches" but its just not the same).  We had a great time playing, relaxing, reconnecting...I'll let the pics do some of the talking...

Playing with Papa @ our beach house in Rockaway, OR

The beautiful kitchen - loved this place!

so fun watching these two play together <3

The family @ the Museum of Flight in Tillamook, OR

Beautiful family and Haystack Rock, Cannon Beach, OR

My stud brother Michael

My favorite thing about vacation...QT with our babes!

Next to my love relationship with my Heavenly Father, there's nothing more important to me than my family...everything begins here and if I don't have the hearts of my husband and babes than I have nothing. I am passionate about resting!  We must always take time out to just rest - resting in the Lord and hearing Him and resting our bodies and our families.  I am so grateful for the time we had.  I am grateful for the time I was able to have just sitting in God's presence, I so needed to hear him speak to me.  I needed to hear Him tell me to be like Joshua who was very strong and very courageous - he did not shrink back from anything, no matter what!

Yes, June was a good month :o)