KLOVE

KLOVE's encouraging word for today: December 19, 2012:

Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.

~ 1 Corinthians 16:13

Good News

It's Christmas time (in case you didn't notice).  The stores are full of trees, decorations, lights, holiday music, sales, and crowds.  We are frantically finishing up school, wrapping packages, baking holiday treats, mailing goodies to loved ones, and dashing off Christmas cards to the Aunt and Uncle you always seem to forget on your list.  We are so consumed with "Christmas" that we forget about the "Christ" part of it.

So many unspeakable things have happened in our nation the past few days.  I cannot begin to fathom the pain and questions of the families in Newtown, CT.  I have cried and prayed and spent sleepless nights with my over-active imagination.  I have squeezed my sweet children and worried over dropping them off at their school only to protect other sweet students at mine.  I have prayed for their teachers as well as my collegues because basically, I didn't know what else to do but cry and hug and pray.  

There have been several verses that I have seen in various places over the past few days that have spoken to me immensely, not only about the tragedy in CT but also about my God that I love and serve everyday and the celebration of him leaving his throne to come into this world of sin and evil.  Today's verse delivered to me via email from KLOVE states: 

I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow-not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. ~Romans 8:38

Isn't that good news?  The Angel of the Lord isn't the only one who can deliver awesome words to a people who are afraid!!   KLOVE can deliver good news too - LOL!  I don't know about you but I have needed good news over the past few days!  I needed to be reminded that no matter how much I mess up, NOTHING can separate me from God!  No matter how much I worry about my children or my students or where Christmas money will come from, NOTHING can separate me from the love of God!  No matter how many cards I send (or don't send), or what I get my grandmother for Christmas, or how my students end their first semester with me, NOTHING can separate me from the love of God!!

 PEOPLE, THAT'S GOOD NEWS!  God never leaves us, God is always with us, God takes care of us, God believes in us, GOD LOVES US!! 

I would ask that even now, if you are a praying type of person and a believer in the Lord, please pray this verse over the families of Newtown, CT.  For the families of the victims as well as the families of the survivors.  Pray that the Lord will allow them to see that He has not left them, that He has not been separated from them, that He loves them and cares for them, and longs to continue to be or to once and finally be the Lord over their lives.  Sin and evil started early and that's why God sent his son to be born of a virgin, to live and to die a horrible death, to save us from sin and evil.  Please pray that these families as well as others across the globe will remember that this Christmas season and for the many days to come.

 

My Three Christmas Angels

Are you busy with shopping, wrapping, baking, visiting, partying, etc?  Have you taken a moment to stop and SAVOR, ENJOY, REMINISCE, LOVE, WORSHIP, BE THANKFUL, BE SATISFIED, BE BLESSED?  Please join me while I thank my heavenly Father for three of my most precious blessings.....

 Brody Cox Age 6

Amazingly sweet, Loves a good back rub, Enjoys playing on the Wii, Fascinated with drawing football plays with his daddy, Hates to walk the dog after school, Super reader, Great Speller (he wants to spell everything he says!), Mommy's baby

 Cooper Cox, Age 6

Mommy's biggest helper, Kindest heart, Works super hard to please, Loves to snuggle, Would crawl under my skin if he could, Likes late nights, Emergent reader, Great basketball and soccer player, Enjoys stuffed animals, Makes a nest when he sleeps (of blankets, pillows, and stuffed animals), Love to tackle his dad

Molly Cox, Age 7

My sweet baby girl, My first-born, Loves to color and draw, Has high hopes of becoming a writer one day, Teacher's helper, Enjoys helping in the kitchen, Thoroughly enjoys her shows on Disney, My princess, Daddy's girl

Giving Tuesday

Are you tired of hearing about Black Friday, Cyber Monday, etc and so on?  Here's is something you can sink your teeth into (at least I know I can)!!  

TODAY IS GIVING TUESDAY!

Did you know?  There are people all over our country giving to others so unselfishly that today I am proud to be a part of this great nation.  People are using social media to spread the word and give ideas and I wanted to get in on the action!

Have you ever had someone pay for your food in the McDonalds drive-thru?  Did you turn around and do it in return for the person behind you?  Such an easy but powerful blessing!

Have you given coats that you have grown out of or don't wear anymore to Coats for the Cold?  Are there people in your community that don't have what you have?  Are there little ones that are going to go without a warm jacket this winter?  Give you coats people, how hard is that?

Do you participate in the shoebox ministry at your church?  Never heard of it?  Follow this link to be a blessing to children around the world that don't know Jesus Christ and may never have a Christmas if it wasn't for you!!

Spare change in your pocket?  Throw it in that big red pot in front of most major stores and support the Salvation Army - it only takes a little pocket change to add up to MAJOR BENEFITS for so many!

Do you know someone that is adopting a child?  Do they have a little person they are praying without ceasing that will soon be a part of their family - Buy a shirt here and here to help support them monetarily in their adoption.

Can you spare a few dollars for Toys for Tots?  Most stores are collecting toys for children in our communities that will go without this Christmas!  Buy one more toy than is already on your list and brighten a little God-Love-It's Christmas!!

Pay someone's parking meter!

Bring someone you work with a Sweat Tea from McDonalds!

Bake cookies for your elderly neighbors!

Send a Christmas card via snail mail and brighten someone's day!

Go Christmas caroling at your local nursing home!

Give a gift card for Starbucks coffee to your crossing guard at your kids' school!

My point is folks, GIVE TO OTHERS!  Isn't that what this season should be about?  You will never know the impact of your blessing on someone else this side of Heaven!  Our God will bless you 100 fold for blessing others so please get involved and let me know what you are doing to promote Giving Tuesday (and everyday)!!

My Christmas List

If anyone sees Chad Cox between now and December 25, can you please tell him I have about three things on my list this year (We usually buy one big thing that we need like a computer or camcorder, One year we bought a present for every letter of our name - that was fun).  This year I want a Pioneer Woman Cookbook, Premier Jewelry Big-Honkin engagement looking ring with matching earings, and a quesadilla maker.  Is that too much to ask for?  Please let him know!

P.S. One weekend away with Chad would be a nice gesture too.  Sans kids.  Ask me how many times we have EVER been without kids in the past 7 years of their lives.  You will be astonished!!

Christmas Traditions

The Cox Clan is anxious for the upcoming holiday season.  There are so many fun things planned and so many traditions that we love and it just doesn't feel quite like Christmas if we have to leave one out.  Our traditions range from Elf on the Shelf, Christmas Eve service at JCCC, sleeping with our kids on Christmas Eve (Chad with the boys and Molly and I), baby Jesus' birthday party, and many more.  However, probably one of my favorite Christmas traditions is packing our shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child with Samaritan's Purse.  If you have never packed a shoebox for a child in need - YOU ARE MISSING OUT ON A TRUE BLESSING!  Every year our church shows videos of boxes being delivered all over the world and sweet children savoring each item in their box!  I tear up every time and I have vowed that one day I will help deliver those boxes and see those cuties in person as they open their present from someone that doesn't even know them but loves them just the same!

So, if you have never packed a box before, here is how you can get started:

1.  Visit the website

2.  Download and print the labels

3.  Decide on what gender and age range you are going to pack a box for

4.  Head to the Dollar Tree and buy goodies for your box

5.  Wrap your shoebox (or plastic container with a lid), post your label (with gender and age range) on the front, put a rubberband around the box

6.  Find a drop off location, pray over your box and BE BLESSED BECAUSE YOU ARE BLESSING OTHERS!!

Halloween 2012

And the unofficial count for Trick-Or-Treaters for 2012 is............

400!!

In Knight Wind Subdivision, we love our Halloween festivities including lots of family and friends (including first-timers to the Knight Wind experience: The Cobbles), chili, candy, fog machines, theme music and tons of fun!  Here is a short 2012 recap:

They really are this sweet to each other (MOST of the time).

I know, I know....Mario is shorter than Luigi but as some of my students pointed out: Mario is OLDER than Luigi (Does 16 minutes count on the case of my twins?  The mustaches make the outfit huh?)

 

Wonder where she gets that post from?  She tickles me to death!!



My own fall harvest

Today I wanted to share a few pictures of the fall fun we have here in East Tennessee every year.  Chad's aunt and uncle have what we call "The Pumpkin Party" every October usually on the 3rd weekend of the month (yes, that is when UT plays Alabama every year).  Molly Cox has had the party on the calendar for MONTHS and the kids woke up very excited to get to the party!  What encouraged me to write this blog post was the overwhelming since of "my own fall harvest."  Not one that I harvest every year of course byt the harvest that is my adorable, precious, sometimes crazy children.  Chad and I work very hard at being good parents and yes, sometimes fail miserably because of our own sinful selves but we strive to produce a harvest of productive, caring, loving, Lord-abiding kids and we pray every day that we are able to do just that!  We urge each of you to do the same!!  The pictures that I want to share come from our first Pumpkin Party in October of 2009 and the last is our group shot from this year's Pumpkin Party - LOOK AT HOW MUCH OUR HARVEST HAS GROWN AND WHAT AMAZING YOUNG PEOPLE THEY ARE BECOMING!!

 

 Pumpkin Party 2009

Pumpkin Party 2012

 

Fun with sidewalk chalk

Thank you Pinterest (The link takes you right to my Summer pin board) for another super great idea to keep my kids and I busy (and happy/not fighting) this summer!!

Sidewalk Chalk Paint: Equal parts water and cornstartch (I used 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup cornstarch and then added a color, poured about half into three containers and then added a second color to mix: for purple, orange and poured that into 3 containers, then washed out my bowl and started again with 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cornstartch)  and then add food coloring - Mix and match colors and ENJOY!!

Let me know if you have any questions about Pinterest or the chalk recipes!!

Sock Bun = Curls

Ok, this is going to be a TOTALLY random post but I love this idea so much that I just have to share!!  Do you love Pinterest?  I am obsessed!  I have gotten tons of great ideas to craft/sew, probably 85% of my recipes since October, great decorating tips, nails, and hair!!!  Today I want to share a great hair trick that I am newly in love with!  Take a sock, cut it, roll it, hair in ponytail, wet hair, roll hair around sock, leave overnight, take it down, brush it out, and VOILA - CURLS!!!  I am linking to the website, via Pinterest with instructions (more specific than mine).  Please try it and let me know what you think!!

Sock Bun = Curls

Welcome Summer

The kids and I have officially been out of school for 4 days now and we are LOVING every minute of it! I wanted to post some highlights of Summer 2012 so far!! We've been to the Splash Pad, played on our Slip-n-Slide, and had a picnic at Cherokee Dam!! We can't wait for daddy to be out of school (today is his last day)!!

Yes, we went to the Splash Pad with a cling-wrapped arm (and by the way, the cling-wrap didn't really help - YIKES!)!!

I still think you are getting wet Coop!

Sitting on the spout doesn't make it stop Brody!!

**Disclaimer: Sorry the pictures are sideways - I am still trying to figure out all this Blogger stuff and will take tips and hints from anyone!!

Happy Mother's Day!!

A lot has happened to our family over the past couple of months! My mom's surgery, Cooper almost broke his nose, Molly broke her arm while I was in VA taking care of my mom, etc! We are very blessed that Molly and Cooper's injuries were not life-threatening but even more amazingly blessed that my mom has done so well! She has definetly been a trooper through her 5 bypass surgery, stay in the hospital, and her long recovery at home. She hasn't been able to use her arms to lift herself out of a chair, sleep in the bed, or drive for the past 5 weeks!! She has been an amazing patient and my dad and sister Terri have been excellent caregivers! We have been blessed from countless others with flowers, cards, food, and visits and we are more than forever grateful for the prayers of so many which we have felt everyday through this process!! Right now our goal is to make it to our favorite vacation spot: Isle of Palms, SC in June to enjoy a week at the beach!!

I am so thrilled to have been able to spend Mother's Day with my sweet momma and I am so proud of her!! I am blessed beyond measure to be her daughter and to have been able to learn about being a mommy from one of the best, who learned from her momma who was one of the best!! I am forever grateful to God for her life, her faith, and everything she has taught me!! Happy Mother's Day!! I love you mom!!

My Great Come Back!!

The time has seriously flown by since my last post (ENTIRELY TOO LONG AGO, I KNOW)!  And I am not sure why I am choosing the craziest, busy week to make my come back but I just wanted to try this blogging thing (and keeping up with it thing) again!  We are winding down our year - only 5 school days left and very much looking forward to a fun-filled summer.  Our summer list includes: a pool pass (we hope), a trip to Isle of Palms, SC, maybe a soccer camp for the twins, possibly dance camp for Miss Molly, a 10 year wedding anniversary, and the list goes on!  I hope to make a strong come back with my blog every couple of days or so with new crafts, new recipes, pictures of our goings on, and much more!  PLEASE STAY TUNED!!!