Rural American Family

I was reading

2008-12-22T13:45:00.003-05:00

It's funny how sometimes the simplest of messages strike you. I was reading today in Matthew 18 how in the Parable of the Lost sheep, "not to despise one of these little ones." I thought about how simple a message that is and how it shouldn't be hard to apply it. He goes on to say "unless, you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Here again, a simple message, or so it seems.

Today I appreciated the comparison since spending the day with my children has proved that they totally and completely rely on ME. I am here for safety if something should happen like Ava Grace falling and hurting her head. I am here for food when they get hungry and Kate wants more milk in her sippy cup. I am here for comfort since Ava needs cream on her diaper rash. I am here for hugs and giggles as we played airplane. (where they "fly" on my feet) I am even here for the harder part of parenting....discipline as I had to spank Kate for disobeying mommy for the "umpteenth" time.

God is asking us to rely on HIM and live freely just as our kids do each and every day. I don't see Kate running around worried about her morning snack or Ava Grace stressed over her diaper rash. They play, run, giggle, and they know WHERE to go when it's time for comfort, food, love, and even where the discipline comes from. We can do that, can't we? Trust in Him as our Father, who is a better stay at home parent than we'll ever be.

It's almost over...soak it up!!!!!

2008-12-20T22:02:00.004-05:00

All of our families birthdays are now over for the year, Jen's wedding too and Christmas is in a few days, and then what? There is all of this preparation for birthdays and Christmas between parties and church activities and then we are left with cleaning up afterwards.

On top of all of the regular festivities, my sister-in-law got married last week which topped off this season with another dose running around. After all is said and done it was better to have been busy with it all than to have nothing. I am tired and I have been a little stressed but in two weeks when the new year begins, I will have a lot to look back on and appreciate. It was in those busy stressful times that I got to spend with family and friends, to get out of my comfort zone and rely on the Lord, and to experience new things that I normally wouldn't be a part of.

So, it is almost over, but I am going to sing the heck out of some Christmas songs for the next few days, my tree will stay lit 14 out of the 24 hours in a day, and most importantly I am going to soak up every sweet minute with my family because that has been such a gift to me.

Again, Merry Christmas to our dear friends in other states and countries and to whoever is reading this.

A Christmas Update!

2008-12-06T21:17:00.006-05:00

I do apologize to my sweet friends who have visited our blog time and time again only to find the same things. Josh and I just spent the sweetest evening as a family and it made me think of how I needed to update all of you on what's going on in our lives these days.

Ava Grace turned one almost a month ago and she's such a blessing to us. She is loving just as we prayed for but it is ALWAYS on HER terms. She is growing well according to her pediatrician. She'll follow in her Daddy's footsteps and be tall, skinny with a large head. (We won't tell her so that she doesn't develop a complex or anything)

Kate just turned three a week ago. She is so articulate and loves to dance, read, and play dress up. She has asked for Sleeping Beauty from Santa and a microphone. She's still a little leary of him, but she's warming up slowly.

Josh is working hard as usual. He is staying busy helping out around the house too. With all three of his girls Birthdays within a month of each other, he has had to stay on his toes. He is still at Little Mountain Baptist Church, and yes I am his wife, but lately God has really led him to preach some amazing sermons. OH, and he celebrated his birthday in November too!

My birthday is quickly approaching and I will be the sassy 30 this year! I am busy being mom, but I love it so much. I have started to tutor students after school and have found a new favorite occupation. I am also very busy with AWANA at our church. I am the commander and Trek leader in AWANA which is a new children's program at our church. God has been so good! We have (children and workers) anywhere between 40 - 50 people just in AWANA on Sunday nights. Thank you LORD!!!!

I had planned to send out a newsletter as a Christmas Card, but Josh reminded me of the newfangled internet :) and how I should utilize it! So to all of you in different countries, states, and cities that we love so dearly.....Merry Christmas. Amidst all of this craziness of a "poor" economy, bailout talks, and going green....... We know that we serve a risen Savior and celebrate with you the birth of sweet Jesus.

Love in HIM,

The Phillips

Pink Ice Cream

2008-08-03T21:21:00.002-04:00

Kate can count to twenty and sort of knows her abc's, but when it comes to colors she just guesses. Tonight we had an ice cream social after church and it was so wonderful. It kind of felt like a big family getting together in the fellowship hall to snack on sweets and catch up. All night Kate had one thing on her mind..........ice cream. Not just any ice cream, but PINK ICE CREAM. They had chocolate, banana, peanut butter, peanut butter with chocolate, walnut, and I must add these are all in homemade churns - YUM. She could care less, she wanted pink ice cream and that was all there was to it. This simple experience with our 2 year old made me think of something quite serious.

Needless to say Randy found her some pink ice cream in the freezer. It's so funny how children get their mind on things and just won't deviate. I wish we as adults would be just as "sold out" for things that really count in the world. (without variableness) This is how James describes God and how He is unchangeable. Kate wouldn't change her mind, she was SET on pink ice cream. I hope that I can be just as SET on living like Jesus and not settle for some cheap imitation or substitute.

Have a blessed week!

As Promised...............

2008-07-25T20:39:00.002-04:00

As Promised I have included a picture of our family at its best.......RELAXED. We are enjoying every moment with our children and each other. I am so thankful for my husband and children and parents. There is nothing quite like family. Here is a moment that we want to remember !

What Does God Do in His Office and other Memorable Vacation Quotes

2008-07-25T09:03:00.004-04:00

We're trying to capture some of the funny things Kate has said while we're on vacation. She picks things up now so incredibly quickly, and it's impossible to capture everything. Here are just a few of the more amusing things. She's learned the difference between the word "elevator" and "alligator" with one simple phrase; "Don't feed the alligators on the elevator." This morning she woke up, crawled into bed with her mom-mom and pop-pop, and they talked. She looked at mom-mom and said, "Mom-mom, what does God do in his office?" They said he helps people. I thought that was just as good an answer as any. She's becoming a little planner too, like her mom. While we were riding through the resort, we heard her in the back seat say, "Mom-mom said we would go to the beach. That's the options. Yep, that's the options." She's a sponge, and if we stop for a second, we'll miss it. That's all for now.

What is to come.......

2008-07-17T12:05:00.002-04:00

Our last post was in March. Yes, quite a long time ago. Ironically, this post is about the same subject - vacations.

It's funny how during the summer, "we" talk as if, we can barely make it to the weekend or week of our vacation. What is it? Do we have less stamina in the summer or is it that we push ourselves through the fall, winter, and spring, and when summer gets here, we are barely crawling. It makes us sound weak, but nevertheless, it "feels" to be true.

Our vacation is next week and it feels as if the days are slowly passing. I am so excited and I know Josh is even more so. Kate has been talking about her floaties (the arm floats) for two weeks now. Pictures will come to capture our vacation for your sake and ours. If the ideas mentioned earlier are true, we'll need these pictures to hold on to until next summer's vacation.

Funny Vacation Sayings

2008-03-04T15:01:00.002-05:00

We had to write this down or we'd forget it. Sometimes kids say things and you have absolutely no idea where they got it, where it came from, what was going on in their mind when they said it. The place where we're staying is undergoing some off season renovations. So there has been some mild noise as the construction goes on outside our suite. This morning at the breakfast table, Josh, me, and Kate were having cereal. Outside there was a pretty loud noise, and Kate looks up at us, and says "What that?" She always asks this, and we said something like, "I don't know." And matter of factly, with an air of confidence, Kate spoke back up and said, "Boys...Must be boys." Then she brings her juice box up to her lips to take a sip as if she'd just nailed it. We laughed like no tomorrow, and have quoted it all day, and tried every chance we can to get her to repeat it. Where she got that? We don't know. The answer to every ruckus, however, we found out today, is always, "Boys...Must be boys." Later she was out on the back porch playing by herself. I suppose she wasn't getting enough attention, so she invents a new story. She comes running up to the back door, yelling, "Daddy, come out, daddy, Turkey. Turkey out there." Josh goes outside to have a look, and seeing no Turkey or even a bird, realizes she made it up. He said, "The turkey must have gone away," and Kate agrees, and proceeds to ask him to color with her. Love it. Love it. Love it.

A Perfect Day at the Beach

2008-03-03T20:55:00.003-05:00

Today was our first day at the beach. It was every bit of perfect. It was a little chilly and the clouds rolled in at lunch but nothing ruined our day. We walked, we played, and we rested. After countless discussions on where to go and what to do as a family...... the beach was a perfect choice.

This vacation was highly needed. Josh and I have revisited our childhood vacations. We see how differently we view "just getting away." It always seemed so simple to go on vacation, but with children, we pretty much had to pack an arsenal to just get away for a couple of days. It was worth every trip to and from the car and every step we took with our hands full of children and bags.

We will be home soon but will be able to look back on these few days and smile. They were such a blessing!

Brooke

We're laughing!

2008-02-16T13:10:00.005-05:00

Valentine's has come and gone. I admit that I, like any other girl, likes to be doted on, but with children that doesn't happen as easily as it used to. Josh and I had the opportunity to spend last Friday night with our church for a special Valentine's dinner. There we had wonderful music by a talented church member, great food, and fellowship. Our church members also took part in a game that tested their knowledge about their spouse. It was hilarious. All in all the night was a success and all for the Lord! Josh shared how important it is that we see what TRUE LOVE is. It isn't in any Meg Ryan movie (although I love them) and it isn't in the soap operas that are on tv. It is in Jesus, and only through Him can we love effectively other people that are imperfect and sometimes impossible to love. To look at our picture, please understand that we are silly people, but if you heard us at our house, you would believe that the picture matches us perfectly. We find that laughing helps us enjoy each other more. I hope that you had a great Valentine's Day but that you ask Jesus to help you love someone either for the first time in a long time or more effectively this year!

New poster, and it's NOT the pastor

2008-02-02T19:47:00.000-05:00

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. I don't know who was happier, Josh or Kate? While AG and I were inside making muffins, Josh and Kate played in our first snow.

I, Brooke, will be taking on the family blog as my little hobby. I hope to keep up with all of you better. I know I have been doing a poor job of sending pictures, but I HOPE this is the answer.

Welcome to the World!

2007-11-12T15:44:00.000-05:00

Ava Grace was born at 12:52 p.m. today. She was 7 pounds 12 ounces, and she and Brooke are doing wonderfully. We're so excited and look forward to seeing and hearing from everybody. Thanks for your prayers and support. I will post pictures soon!

Josh and Brooke

So Many "Lasts"

2007-11-09T23:33:00.000-05:00

I used to be ribbed mercilessly about my use/abuse of the "lasts." Let me explain what the "lasts" is and then you'll know why. I have an unhealthy obsession with marking the "last event" in a given time period. So tonight we observed as a family our "last" Friday night as a threesome family. From Monday night on, we're a foursome. That is a bit fearsome. So I marked this night in my mind as a milestone. I mentioned it several times through the course of the night, and I couldn't help but think of the movie "Anchorman" starring Will Ferrell. There's a gang of buddies sitting around laughing and Ron Burgundy keeps saying things like, "We're laughing!" Or "We're having fun." One fellow comments that it ruins the whole mood. Is that what my outward celebration of "lasts" is? A buzz kill on what should be a special night? Or is it even worth celebrating those kinds of firsts? To me it is and always will be. Tonight I will forever mark in my mind as a sweet memory of life before 2 children. A night to chase Kate around laughing, tickling, and cuddling on the couch before bedtime. A night that for some strange reason was far more emotional than I expected. It was a worthwhile celebration that I'll never forget. So here's to many more "lasts" to celebrate. If there weren't new firsts, there wouldn't be any lasts.

Feeding Babies Fake Food

2007-10-29T23:46:00.000-04:00

This past Sunday I preached from Matthew 7. Jesus uses the illustration of a child asking for real food and getting fake food. He asks for bread and gets a rock. He asks for a fish and gets a snake. I thought of that tonight as I sat with my daughter playing with her baby doll. The "baby" was "crying" and so I told Kate we needed to feed her. What did we feed her? Fake food. Well, the baby is fake too so only fake food works. Kate's so young, not even 2, but she already has an active imagination. She did what she's seen us do with her countless times. She fed the baby a fake bottle and spoon fed her fake cereal. It works for fake babies, but not so much for the real thing. Sometimes it would be nice to go back to a time when fake meals for fake babies is cute. That would mean there is nothing to worry about. Worry only happens when you experience life, and Kate's not quite there yet. I don't remember being almost 2, but I want to remember what it felt like to sit on the floor with my dad and mom and "play." I want to remember how comforting it was to sit between them on the couch and not have a care in the world. Just security. The closest thing to that is providing it for my daughter. God help me to do just that.

The Questions we Ask...

2007-10-27T23:33:00.000-04:00

The past few days I've had an opportunity to be on the inside of the most tragic situation of my short stint in the ministry. On Friday at lunch a 14 year old girl, so full of life, was taken from this world in an instant. Meanwhile her 16 year old sister is in a touch and go situation, on a ventilator, with her brain being monitored for swelling. I've heard many times that "You're not supposed to bury your children." It is unnatural and this situation breaks my heart. I've spent some time with the family and watched as the grief overtook them at various times. In these times we're tempted to ask God why? There's some precedent for that in God's word. For asking why. What's the answer?

1st - We have to understand that God weeps for the death of His children. He didn't cause this. He didn't want this to happen. Yet He allowed it.
2nd - God didn't need this girl in heaven. You hear that from time to time, and it's meant to be a comfort but it portrays God in a negative light.
3rd - Death is a result of sin. Not sin of the individual but the fact that this world is fallen. Death is still the end of every human being.
4th - The hope of glory is that one day, when Christ returns, all those who've died in Christ will be raised from the dead with incorruptible bodies that will never die again.
5th - In the meantime we're not guaranteed a single breath. While we have breath in our lungs, we must take advantage of every opportunity.
6th - No answer makes the suffering easier to bear. A loss like this is a blow straight to the heart. This is the time not for pat answers, but for sympathetic service. How can we respond with loving service.
7th - Do you have the hope these girls have and had? The hope of glory, Jesus Christ. This loss will not be in vain.

Pray for the Mitchell family. The need the strength and comfort of your prayers. Pray for the daughter left behind. That God would see fit to heal her, and give her a complete recovery. Love them in this time. Ask the questions even if the answers aren't satisfying.

Teaser. Warning: Don't Read if You Can't Hear Pregnancy Terms (i.e. most men)

2007-10-26T13:40:00.000-04:00

Ok. Dilation in pregnancy is so much a teaser! At 36 weeks, or the last month of your pregnancy term, you begin going to the doctor weekly instead of monthly. For our 1st and also our current pregnancy, Brooke was dilated at around a 2 at the 36 week visit. We thought, "Any day now!" Then the next week it's the same story, "Ok, this week it's really any day now." Then the next week it's "There's no way this baby goes to term!" Then week 39 hits and every indigestion or slight stomach pain and it's hands gripping the table and and one foot out the door. Family comes over ready for the trip to the hospital. No baby. Delivery day; Brooke plays tennis (surely this sends her over the edge to labor). No baby. Family goes home. 4 days later (and a shot of caster oil) and Brooke's in labor for real. Family drives back to see us (we're in Raleigh), and gets there 45 minutes before delivery. We spent an entire month being teased by dilation and being effaced, with a low key contraction every now and then. Now we're not gonna be fooled by dilation. She's a 2 and 40% effaced, and we don't expect labor before her induction date. Maybe if we prepare less she'll go sooner?

How Long O' Lord?

2007-10-24T15:06:00.001-04:00

It's so hard being pregnant! I've been sitting in this chair for 8 months. When, Lord? How long?

2007-09-28T22:57:00.001-04:00

Back in the summer, we actually took a vacation to the beach. Mom-mom and Pop-pop were keeping Kate so we could have a "romantic" dinner at The Hard Rock Cafe in Myrtle Beach. Wonderful night, and it's only been about 2 months, and we're ready to go again!

Cutest Baby Ever

2007-09-28T22:47:00.001-04:00

This is currently the cutest baby on the face of the earth. I promise, there's no bias from us. Her name is Kate, and until Ava/Anna is born, she'll remain the all-time cutest. After that, it's a tie.