Graduation and a weekend in Mexico

Here we go!!!

Paul Alexander Introduction Video from chris loope on Vimeo.

Atlanta.........HERE WE COME!!

As many of you may already know, we are headed down a new road next month. We've been fervently praying and fasting about this next turn in our lives. What does God have for the Alexander Family?? Fortunately He does not want to send us to Iceland or some remote farm in Nebraska. We are headed to Atlanta and we couldn't be more excited. We both love the city and love the opportunity that lies before us. God brought us out here to AZ to prepare us for this next step, Atlanta. We cannot even begin to list the many things God has taught us while living in the desert. It has been a beautiful and fulfilling journey. It has also been very humbling. My new life verse is Jn.3:30 "He must increase but I must decrease". Isn't that the truth. We have made some life-long friendships and look forward to growing those friendships across the miles. Old friends are the best ones! We also look forward to new relationships awaiting us in Atlanta. We ask one favor to all our friends...............pray for us as often as you can. We are young and still seeking wisdom each and every day. We seek wisdom in the way a dying person might beg for life. Without wisdom from His word we are..................nothing. God's guidance is most vital, especially in this next role. We need spiritual protection as the Enemy will try and have his way. Pray for our hearts and that they stay melded together with God's. Check out the web for our new home/church http://www.northmetro.org/home

Great Day In Our Home

What an amazing Mom's Day!! My hubby took the girls shopping prior and they chose my favorite new perfume. Having perfume is a luxury in the Alexander home.......so needless to say, I was so shocked to see what I unravelled before my eyes!! Wow, real perfume. I've been asking for Euphoria for 2 years! Wahooo! I also received a pedicure from my marvelous husband. Awweee......I'm in great need of one. These poor feet run miles and miles each week and need some pampering! The best part was, however, the program at Kennedy's school and the pictures that she drew for me. I was in tears. I love my baby so very much!! Thank you God that I was able to attend her program and so her beaming at me. What if I had been at work and missed it??? I'm so lucky to have the opportunity to attend these things. My heart is dancing. And of course, we went to Oreganos pizza to pig out on pizza, bread, and yummy dessert. I even had a 'mommy drink'. Wow, I was spoiled!

Mother's Day Rocks!

Mother's Day Wishes

Well, as usual, Paul talks to the girls before Mom's Day and tries to scheme up something fun. Well, this year he asked them "What should be give Mommy for Mother's Day?" Well, to my surprise, they responded with "Let's give her you, Daddy!. We can put a bow around your ankles and you can be the gift!". When Paul told me this, I had to laugh. I must admit, at first, I was thinking......."umm, how about perfume or a pedicure?!". But, then I got to thinking.........what if Paul was gone? What if he was sitting in ICU with serious trauma? What if he had cancer.......what if, what if, what if??? Well, of course that would be and IS what I want for Mother's Day. I guess we take for granted the absolute obvious. I already have a Mother's Day that many women would give their right arm for! I have three healthy children, a faithful, loving, and Godly husband. And.........I'm just plain spoiled rotten! I have it all and it could all be gone in the next moment. So, I guess I'll enjoy those simple things. And........I love this picture that Kennedy drew of the family!! Oh, and she drew me in my 'wedding dress'. don't know why?!

Sea World/Mia's Big 5th!!

Friends........

Found this quote and love it. It sings to my heart..... "Dear God, thank you for understanding friends. Thank you that so often we are on the same wavelength, laughing together, crying together, encouraging each other with our understanding. I'm grateful that I'm not alone, that I can share my life with my friends." God has been oh so good to me with this area. I did go through a dry spell here not too long ago and it was like God was saying "am I not enough for you, Lisa??". I responded with "yes, God you are enough!"..............."however, it's nice to have friends in the flesh and blood too......" hahahah

Just a Little Fun for Mia's 5th

Meet the Fockers.......You Seen the Movie??

This is our dog Clifford but Mia likes to make up crazy names for him. Well, the other day I couldn't believe my ears. She was calling him a little "focker", however she was actually saying the real thing!!! Now, I know she has never heard this terrible word but she is a classic case for making up words. I just stopped and said "what did you say honey?" As if I really needed to hear that word come out of my precious 5 year old's mouth again. And of course she said it. I then proceeded to NOT freak out but coolishly and calmly tell her that it's not a nice word to say and please don't say it again. Ahhhh......the life! And yes, this is a picture of Clifford gazing out of the window. Everyone was outside doing yard work and he could not come.......booo hooo! He loves to lap over the edge and watch us. I think he just loves us so much! The girls love him so very much too. I think they love him more than their little babies. But then again, I'm not sure. They sure do think alot of their little stuffed animals. Kennedy wouldn't get out of the van this morning when I was dropping her off cause she kept giving me instructions on how to babysit her little penguin and what to feed it. Now there are about 10 cars behind me and these are aggressive morning parents. I'm thinking the parade of horns is about to begin. I finally assure her that Sweeter will be just fine. She also has been trying to convince me that Sweeter, the penguin, needs to have a birthday too. She wants Mia to share half of her b-day cake with Sweeter. Basically Kennedy wants Sweeter to blow out her own candles on one side and Mia blow out candles on the other side. Not so sure that Mia is going to go for this.......we shall see!!

Give Me Some Sugaaaaar'

Yes!! I think I'm starting to get it...................

See that look of "Awww..." on his face? I feel that exact same when I am able to dig into the word and just totally expose my soul (as if He can't see it) to God and ask for His word to grab and shake my heart. Well, fasting will do that to you. I am so disappointed that I did not make fasting a regular part of my life before this year. What was I thinking??! I know what I was thinking..........Me, food, me, food! I need food! Yep, that sums it up........complete selfishness. But,now I feel like I can't get enough of His word and His truth. One could read the bible for 24 hours a day and 365 days a year for his/her entire life and still feel like there was not enough time to soak up all the truths. It's like an amazing Easter Egg hunt. Every passage or "egg" has something amazing and new in it. So, have you felt like reading Jude lately? I mean, who reads Jude anyhow? I do. I read an interesting verse today. I quote "........just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing punishment of eternal fire. Ye in the like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and the blaspheme the glorious ones. But............when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"
Yep, I know, it feels dark and poignant. But see what happened. The archangel and Satan argued over the body of Moses. I'm sure Satan spit up all sorts of dirt on Moses. Like the time Moses struck the rock out of anger or the time Moses doubted God. But yet Moses was faithful and Satan was rebuked. How would you feel to have the Prince of the Earth and a powerful angel arguing over your body? Who would win?? Well, I don't deserve to have Michael defend me but the blood surely has covered my sins and my utmost guilt. I do feel a deep responsibility to God and what has been done for my soul upon the cross. I feel like Lincoln looks in this picture..........."yes, I got it!". I feel like God has been trying to speak through my thick skin for so many years and I'm finally letting Him in.

A Cure for Kate

I love to lay in the grass on sunny/windy days and just read or pray. Today was one of those beautiful days and I could not resist. I pulled out a sheet, a book and a pillow. However, I could get very far in my reading before being redirected towards a dear friend's daughter, Kate. Lately she has been on my mind and heart. So, I put down the book and began to pray. As usual, I end up sobbing and just holding my side as I beg to God. I just sobbed and sobbed and asked God what more I could pray for. I then started to pray for Holly and for Him to just speak into her life and continue to offer peace and understanding. I wonder how much understanding there is for a mom who is fighting desperately along side of her daughter's life. But.....I know there can be peace. I don't know what 'peace' looks like in that situation but prayed God would give it to Holly. My heart only aches cause I too am a mom of three and cannot fathom the situation. I hold fast to Romans 5 and just ponder Paul's words in those first 8 verses. I had to call up a dear friend, one who lost her son in a similar battle. I just asked " How do I pray for my friend? What did you need when you were fighting?" She encouraged my heart and she too prays for a cure for Kate, as I do. It was good to hear her talk and hear the miracle that God has done in their lives. I not only pray for a cure for Kate but for complete healing in all ways for the McRae family. I pray for a "perfect" day. What is that?? A perfect day for them is my day..............3 healthy children who are yelling, running, chasing and then turn tired, grouchy, and ready for bed. I pray they can have Kate home again and healthy. I pray like as if it were Kennedy, Mia, or Lincoln. That's what I'd want...........a perfectly normal day.

Lemons, Lilly, Lipstick, & Worms

So, what is new in the Alexander house these days? Well, we have taken up lemonade making as if it were our trade. We have made over 10 gallons of lemonade. Our friends have a lemon tree and brought me over 100 lemons. So, we can't let ANY go to waste and we make lemonade all of the time. It's great until you squeeze the juice right up into your eye. Oh, and I love my helpers. Of course, Linc. keeps licking the lemons and saying "Ewww". Mia tries to squeeze them but not much comes out with her gentle little squeeze. But I like her help. Lilly is the name of our new family member, Kennedy's tadpole. Yep, we bought her a tadpole and habitat for her birthday. The first tadpole that arrived in the mail was a blog in a test tube. I did not tell her that the little guy didn't make it. :-( So, we ordered another and when I opened the envelope, there was a test tube with a cute little wiggly tadpole. So we can't wait to see it evolve into a frog! Lipstick.........something new for me. I now wear it! How about that! Moving on.........worms. Well, I've never known a 6 year old to keep staring at a worm and saying "awww, how cute". This would be my daughter, Kennedy. She caught a worm on Saturday and carried him around on a stick and kept goo-gooing over him as if he were a little infant. We put him a bowl with some rocks, leaves, and flowers. She was infatuated with how much poop he had and loved showing me which end was the head and the other end was the bottom. I just kind of looked at her and said, "oh, okay, so that's the head and that is the......other side." She then replied "Mom, it's okay to say bottom!! You can say it!" She is a scientist already!!

Old Fashioned Vacation

I love my three Little Monkeys. We decided to stay home during Spring Break and take it easy. So we planned an event for each day, so that it would be fun. We did Dunkin Donuts one morning for breakfast and had a blast. One day we went to Target and used gift cards that were left over from Christmas and bought toys, baithing suits, a sprinkler, and other nonsense stuff. We came home and opened all the windows, poured some homemade lemonade, blasted out our Caribbean music on the stereo, turned on the sprinkler and ran around in the yard. Our neighbors probably hated us that day but it was so much fun. Daddy would have needed ear plugs for the music. It was loud and fun!! We camped out twice in our backyard. Yes, we are official hillbillys now! We had a campfire and roasted marshmallows. We brought our old tv out and set it on the lawn and watched the movie Cars, while sitting in our homemade box cars. Again, we are hillbillys! One day we hit Krispy Kreme (yes, we love donuts). One day we went to dinner at Chick-Filet. We just did all that we could think of. I had some money and giftcards saved. It cost us next to nothing and it was fun. The girls helped plan which event they wanted to do on each day. I loved it.

Spring Break 2010/ Staycation!!

Love Letters

Kennedy is totally into writing us notes now. We love it. Of course, her writing is quite limited but love what she writes to us. I will save this letter forever. :-)

Linc.'s 2nd Birthday

Community/Church.....is it Vital?

I've just finished reading The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller and it's a nice, short, easy read. However, it pierced my heart. He dives into the story The Prodigal Son and takes you down some different roads. Ones that lead right into your doorstep called "pride". It was a great read. I really appreciated his spin on community and going to church. He quotes "I have explained in this book why churches-and all religious institution- are often so unpleasant. They are filled with elder brothers (pharisees). Yet staying away from them simply because they have elder brothers is just another from of self-righteousness. Besides that, there is no way you will be able to grow spiritually apart from a deep involvement in a community of other believers..." Then he goes on to quote a part form C.S. Lewis's book. You may or may not know this but C.S. Lewis was a part of a famous circle of friends called the Inkling (Tolkien too). As some point, one of their friends died, Charles Williams. This is what C.S. Lewis wrote, titled "Friendship"............"In each of my friends there is something some other friend can fully bring out. By myself I am not large enough to call the whole man into activity; I want other lights than my own to show all facets. Now that Charles is dead, I shall never again see Tolkien's reactions to a specifically Charles joke. Far from having more of Tolkien, having him "to myself" now t hat Charles is away, I have less of Tolkien...In this, Friendship exhibits a glorious "nearness by resemblance" to heaven itself where they very multitude of the blessed (which no man can number) increases the fruition which each of us has on God. Fro every soul, seeing Him in her own way, doubtless communicates that unique vision to all the rest. That, says an old author, is why the Seraphim in Isaiah's vision are crying "Holy, Holy, Holy" to one another. The more we thus share the Heavenly Bread between us, the more we shall have."

Keller then goes on to say that "Lewis is saying that tit took a community to know an individual. How much more would this be true of Jesus Christ? Christians commonly say they want a relationship with Jesus, that they want to "get to know Jesus better." You will never be able to do that by yourself. You must be deeply involved in the church in Christian community , with strong relationships of love and accountability."

This is a great response to those wondering why on earth they should go to church. Even I have questioned that exact thought. We are meant to be in a community. I'm glad that Paul and I can be apart of that experience, not just to soak up His glory but to spread love to other believers and encourage others as well too. :-)