My Night-Time Routine

My boys I have our Night-time routine. I’m not sure how it started, all I know is it doesn’t matter how tired the momma is we still go through with it. We start out by reading four book, each boy picks two. If they take too long picking, I’ll pick the books and they are usually the short ones or if I’m wide awake an educational one. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is read almost every night. Since Kevin is now in kindergarten he now reads the book but I think most of its from memory. They love, I love you forever and There was an old lady that swallowed a fly. Also a book with short stories, nursery rhymes and poems are among their favorites. After books, we all take turns praying. You never know what is going to come out of their little mouth. Kevin always starts off by saying, “Dear God, I love you” and usually ends with thanks for all the super heroes and everything in the world. With Matthew only being 2 ½ his prayers are not always easy to understand but he is always has a lot to say. He is always thankful for mommy, daddy, sister, Kevin and Auntie Sheila. Then he thanks God for Blue’s Clues, High 5, his binkies and his toys(that he usually names). Then I pray over my boys, I think it is so important for them to hear me pray about them. Next comes song time. Matthew always wants to sing the Itsy bitsy spider. Then he gets hugs and kisses and then Kevin and I head over to his room where he gets a kiss and hug and once he’s up in his bed, I sing his favorite song, The Rainbow song by Barney.
The whole process takes about 30 minutes and sometimes I’m so tired I just want to hug and kiss them and put them to bed but when they give me the “Momma, will you please read to me look”, I fall for it every time. This time with my boys is one of my favorite times of the day. I get to unwind and watch daily how my boys are changing. I know I’ll blink and they’ll be in high school and no more bedtime stories….but for now I’ll read to my boys as long as they ask, no matter how tired I may be!!!

So we had a some errands to do in the Twin Cities yesterday and since we were in the area, we thought we would go to our old church! River Valley Church in Apple Valley, MN is the most amazing churches I've ever been to and on September 9, 2004 when I walked through their doors the first time, I was wowed and yesterday was no different. River Valley is 30th fasting growing churches in America and I believe it because there were so many new faces. When we started attending 5 years ago there were 600 during the Saturday and Sunday services, and now they have expanded to over 2600!! Praise God!! The music was awesome and the message was even better. Pastor Rob is one of the most amazing speakers and I so thankful that he was our Pastor for four years. When I walk through those doors I feel God presence and am spiritually feed and I'm left wanting for more....I miss that.
Pastor Rob was finishing up a series called, "Surprise me, God". Rob challenged the church for the next 30 days to wake up in the morning and ask God to surprise you but to be prepared and in the ready position because we serve a amazing and powerful God. God has been surprising us since the beginning of time, I just wonder if we don't take the time to focus on the surprises that He gives us. Our Heavenly Father is the same yesterday, today and forever...the miracles that He performed 2000 years ago are the same miracles that are happening today!! His love is still the same but are we able to see it!!??
So, I'm decided to take the 30 day challenge. To asked God to surprise me or to make me be a surprise to someone else. And, I'm also challenging you; for the next 30 days to take 2 seconds and say, "Surprise me, God"!! I can't wait....I love surprises!!!
I would like to also share a "surprise" I had last week and my husband said, it was a totally "God thing" because we're just not that lucky!! When we moved to Wisconsin and I accepted me position at Fish & Wildlife it was a temporary position. But, since I know I'm a good worker I just assumed that were would always be a job for me. Well, I was wrong. My boss told me in August that is was determined that my job was not going to be exstended and that my last day of work would be on September 30th. When she left my office I burst into tears and I couldn't believe that I would loose my job. I have over 8 years in with the Government and now I was going to loose my job!! So, I started looking for Government jobs and I applied for many jobs and had several interviewed and I was always within the top 5 but someone else was selected. I was crushed, I was stressed, I still couldn't believe this was happening to me!! What would we do without my income, how would I handle being a stay at home mom when I'm use to going to work everyday?? As my days grew shorter and shorter my faith was tested more and more. But towards the end I had made peace with what ever God had planned for me. I would be able to collect unemployment and maybe I would enjoy staying home with Matthew, after all he is my baby. On my last day of work, my co-workers took me to lunch, I came back to the office and finished cleaning out my stuff and I decided to take a 1/2 an hour of leave and go home at 2:30 that day...and at 2:20 my cell phone rang with a job offer and I could start the very next day which meant that I wouldn't have a break in Government Service. PRAISE GOD, PRAISE GOD, PRAISE GOD!! I did a happy dance in my office, thank goodness nobody was around to noticed!!! Once again God "SURPRISED" me with His perfect timing and not mine. But wait....it gets better. When I took the job with Fish & Wildlife in La Crosse, I took a pay cut but with this new job, I was reinstated at the pay I was making when we lived in Minnesota! PRAISE GOD!! This morning will be my 3rd day of working at Fort McCoy in the Civilian Personnel Office...so far so good and I know that this is where God wants me to be because he opened a door before the other one even shut. Our God is an Awesome God!!!