The Burton 4 Adventure

Made To Crave

2011-10-21T15:12:00.002-04:00

I felt the need today to share the adventure I have had as I have walked through reading "Made To Crave" by Lysa Turkherst.
I picked this book up from Lifeway a couple of months ago in a state of utter feelings of failure with my weight. We had just moved ( yet again) and I was struggling feeling completely out of control of my eating! So I decided to take a new diet approach, a christian book. Surely this would solve the problem. I purchased the book and then proceeded to go on with life as usual.
Finally one night I pulled it out of the bag it had been sitting in for probably a month and started reading. I was a little disappointed at first...I want a simple solution, quick and to the point. I know it took me years to get to this weight, but surely there was a quick way to get it off!
Each time I would pick it up and begin reading my heart would be stirred. Was this really the problem ....was it a heart problem and not a food problem! UKKK I really dislike heart problems...they are so painful for God to fix.
I began to consciously walk in the steps that she lays out in this book. Each time I was faced with a temptation I would place the word of God in my heart...I would actively live out the Word. I would find myself calling out in prayer all throughout the day over these temptations and each time in my weakness He showed Himself strong! I began to realize how weak I really was! How much I was living in excuses and how powerful His word can be.
Just like Lysa...I always felt frustrated that I seemed to deal with this weight issue and others did not ( my husband especially UGH!) but through this process He has revealed to me that I need this weakness, because without it I place my trust in food to fill me up! I crave the peace ( all be it short lived) food gives me! He wants me to trust in Him to fill me up. He wants me to crave the Peace only He can give. I have found a sense of contentment with my weight. I am realizing more each day that my worth is not found in the weight on the scale...or the size of my jeans. But in my heavenly Creator! Who did not make a mistake when He made me this way! For He knit me together and He knows my innermost thoughts! He loves me despite my sin and selfishness toward food! I have begun to focus on Craving after Him everyday and living in The Victory I have in Him!
Sidenote: to date I have lost 22 lbs! I have not had a soda in over a month.....My God is Good!

FACING YOUR GIANTS!!!!

2011-10-17T16:19:00.002-04:00

Each day after we have home schooled and have finished lunch....I put Madi down for her nap and then let the 2 older kids have a quiet time movie. Usually it some silly cartoon they have picked out and it gives them the opportunity to just unwind for a little while, but today I decided it would be fun to all watch Facing The Giants together! If you have not seen it I highly suggest it! Love this movie and powerful underlying theme.....WHAT IS IMPOSSIBLE WHEN GOD IS IN IT????? NOTHING!!
How many times a day do I need to be reminded of that message. As we are beginning to reach the end of our journey here at seminary I find myself hearing all that everyone is saying about how difficult it is to find a ministry out there. It's not how much you know but who you know. I start doubting this journey, maybe we should have stayed put...maybe we can go back home....maybe we can stay here.
Satan seizes that little crack of fear that tiny sliver of doubt ( or gaping hole sometimes on my part) and he runs with it. I mean he isn't called the prince of lies for no reason! He preys on these chinks in my already weakened armor. It is not by chance that he camps out here, he is the ultimate deceiver. He has a brutal and vicious attack planned, it all comes down to my faithfulness in my relationship with the One and only who can defeat him!!
This movies awakens in me everytime I watch it how powerful my God is!! It helps that I love football too. As I watch little David and those Eagles line up against those 85 giants it brings it home over and over again! They shouldn't win, they can't win, there is no way the could win....but wait! David stands there ready to kick the longest field goal he has ever attempted and he simply says "God help me make this field goal" The wind stops and then begins to blow the opposite way and he kicks with all his might and it goes in and they have done it!!!! The Lord has shown himself mighty in this teams lives!! They have honored him in their actions they have worn His word out onto the field and into their lives and He has blessed them!!
AHHHH! I love it...of course I am always a sucker for a happy ending!
I know that with God on my side nothing is impossible. He has showed himself strong over and over in my life and I know He is not about to stop now! I know that as we continue to faithfully serve Him, He will open the Doors that need to be open and guide us with each step we take. I am so very thankful that He is the ultimate source of strength and wisdom and He sees fit to bless us with it.

2 Corinthians 5:1-2

2011-09-19T13:17:00.002-04:00

So as I am sitting across the kitchen table from my husband this morning doing my quiet time, when we got to talking ( after I was done reading :) ) He was sharing that in his church planting class they were memorizing all of 2 Corinthians 5. They were focusing on 2 verses each week. He invited me to memorize it as well, so he read it aloud out of his translation and then asked me to read out of mine. As I was reading something in me just broke...and I couldn't even finish. It says,
"For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling."
It goes on to talk about our mortal bodies being swallowed up by life! That as long as we are at home in this body we are away from the Lord.
As I sat there trying to pull myself together watching my precious husband at a complete loss for word..just smiling knowing that the Lord was working on my heart over some stronghold...I realized that I have BECOME this destroyed earthly tent...I have let it be my crutch...my idenity....my security...but there will come a day when it is gone...it is swallowed up by life and I will have a heavenly body..one that is glorified! I was sharing with Dwight that this passage hits home so hard for me when I think about all that my body has been through in the 35 almost 36 years of my life( not anything compared to some) but enough. I had always felt like the one who was failing my body!!! In that moment it hit me this body will ALWAYS fail me!!! I am a sinner and this body was born into a sinful and desolate world, conceived by two sinful humans! It was not created perfect and it is going to fail me, but my Savior; my Redeemer; my Creator; He will never fail me..and whenI get to heaven and have a glorified body, this pacemaker will not be a part of it, this womb that struggles with keeping little ones alive will be no more, and this body that aches and groans will groan no more! For I will not only walk the streets of gold I plan to RUN them!!!!!!! I plan to worship my Lord with never ending energy!! Praise the Lord for our Hope is in HIM!!!!!!
Father,
May I not be at home here in this body, but may I desire after my heavenly dwelling, and may I always desire for others to know the TRUTH of heaven! May I not let my failures of this world define me, but may I rest in You. Knowing that these things are only temporal and my heart should be set on things eternal. Thank you for softening my heart to your word..let me never grow apathetic to its power to change me and grow me! May I always know its power to light the way and to bring godly wisdom!

Day 5: Monday Manday!!!!

2011-04-18T21:04:00.002-04:00

So I think it is kind of comical that my blog entries keep getting later and later. I think it is all a mental block...but the Lord is helping me break through it.
Mondays tend to be my shopping day for groceries and I have been trying hard to get my list all organized and coupons pulled before I step foot out the door. I did pretty good today I did not even break $100 and I have:
6 2.5ils of chicken
6 Boxes of frozen veggies
4 toothbrushes
6 bags of Easter candy
1 Easter grass
1 Easter Dye kit
4 color wonder on the go kits
2 big bags of grapes
4 bottles of dressing
3 bottles of All
2 Packs of gum
2 hellmanns mayonaise
2 Body washes
2 dozen eggs
3 bags of shredded cheese
7 bags of fish fillets/sticks Manager special at Kroger
4 boxes of cereal
2 pkgs sister schuberts rolls
2 bottles of excedrin
4 bottles of shampoo/conditioner
2 bags of doritos
2 cans of tropical fruit
2 bottles of Vanilla extract
and I earned a $5 reward gift card at Kroger!!!
( I am sure I forgot something!!)
I am so glad I get to bless my family this way. SO much fun to seeing all your savings I saved over $150 today!!! Yeah me!

My prayer today....Lord thank you for the financial blessings of food and shelter and clothes...help me to always be a good steward of what you have blessed me with. Help me to teach my children ways that they can help their families to financially save even on groceries! I love you Lord and thank you for your provision.

Day 4: Whew cutting it close tonight!!!

2011-04-17T20:56:00.002-04:00

Just got back from the movies with the kids and while I was driving there we were detoured because of Tornado damage. Unfortunately the neighborhood we were detoured into had extensive damage, one house was completely GONE. The only thing left was a lone toilet standing in the middle of the concrete foundation. It was heart wrenching to see. But an opportunity to let my children pray for some one they did not know...but God knows. Tonight as we readied for bed and said our prayers we talked about picking one thing to be thankful for in her prayer tonight... and o you know she said the weather, all the weather, not just the good, but all of it.

My Prayer today....Lord allow me to be thankful in ALL situations...knowing that you alone have a perfect plan! I love you Lord!

Day 3: So far so good!!!

2011-04-16T20:21:00.002-04:00

So I am going to share something a little more lighthearted today. So last Sunday we are headed home from church and I always try to talk to the kids about what they are learning. This month they are focusing on humility.
So I asked them what was going on during theater which is when all of the grade school kids are in the gym for praise and worship and usually a skit of some kind.....so Connor pipes up and say well it was Peter and Jesus and some other guys at a big table.....to which I replied, knowing he was talking about the last Supper with the passover meal, what were they doing at the table Buddy......He smiled proudly and stated "They were eating a LEFTOVER meal!"
Too Funny I laughed and gently corrected him that it was the PASSOVER meal...but how precious!

My prayer today...Lord let my heart always be light and joyful, ever open for the little joys you send my way. Let me always be able to laugh easily and enjoy this precious life and children that I have!!! I love you Lord and you have greatly blessed me!

DAY 2: Blogging for 30 days straight...can I do it!!!!

2011-04-15T10:15:00.002-04:00

Did you know that it takes 30 days to create a habit...but for a mom it takes more!!!! Big shocker....I am convinced that I am exempt from this and my brain just does not create habits!!!
So I have to share that after my post yesterday.. I got up this morning to get in the Word and pray with my husband, and after reading Colossians 2, we read an evangelical commentary, just to reach a clearer understanding and to delve deeper into God's word. God is so good and this was in my commentary which is one directed for women and written by two women.

Heart to Heart: Avoiding the Bondage of Legalism

In your attempts to be the "perfect" woman, whether as a wife, mother, church member,or employee, often you impose upon yourself a personal list of "regulations" and "human commands". Failing to achieve these super-human standards can become a source of much anxiety and grief. Although it is not easy, you as believers need to free yourselves from these bonds of legalism for, as Colossians 2:23 says, they are not of any value. If God's grace has given you eternal life, then why do you attempt to live that life by your rules? Having been saved by grace you must live by grace. Instead of looking to your own fabricated standards of "perfection" which no one on earth could attain, you must look to Christ. He has fulfilled all of God's laws on your behalf so that you do not have to meet the standards of the law and He lives eternally to empower you day by day with his grace and mercy.

Whew...boy did I need to hear that. He is so faithful to fill our needs. This I think is probably my biggest struggle. Living in my own self subjected world of "perfection" measuring myself against others instead of against the Word of God. Making sure to seek His mercy and know that I am enough only when I am in Him who is ALL!

Lord My Prayer Today: That you Lord would reassure me constantly, that I live in your grace and mercy. That I am enough in you!!! That when I try to hold my self up to my "LAW" I am taking away the POWER of your death on the cross for me! I Love you Lord, you are my God.

2011-04-14T11:42:00.002-04:00

I am really going to try and start doing this occasionally!!! I know some of you are laughing hysterically, but I really am aiming to be better about keeping up with this more for me than anyone else...Because I am sure I will be the only one reading it... so Dear Me!!!
Isn't it painful when you see your biggest weaknesses come out in glaring red in your children, and as you are walking through this behavior with them...that little voice (aka The Holy Spirit) says Um Stacee ...Tap Tap Tap...Um Stacee you do realize that this is your weakness also. Why do you think they do it!!! They see you do it! Uck!!! I pray constantly for the Lord to illuminate these areas in me, but when He does...boy do I fight it.

But Lord I know I lose my patience, but I am a mom of 3.

But Lord I know that I am sometimes ungrateful...but what about all the times I am grateful!

But Lord I know that I procrastinate, but I just have SOOOOO much going on!

But Lord I know that my words may be hurtful, but I am so tired, frazzled, frustrated and the list goes on.

And the Lord reminds me " I am with you, I don't expect you to do it without me( sidenote: you can't) I love you. I want the best for you. I am not the god of all this confusion, I am Peace, Self control, Kindness, Love. I want to grow these things in you, but it will take time and it is going to hurt.... a lot at times.....but I am with you and I love you. "

PS Your children well their sinners too!

My Prayer Lord today.... Let me be more like you everyday, Let me BE love to my children, Let me BE kindness to those around me, Let me BE peace in a world that has none. Thank you Lord for my precious children...all of which I do not deserve. Thank you for my loving husband...which I definately do not deserve. But thank you most of all for your gace and mercy and sacrifice for me and my DIRTY soul. I love you fully! Amen!

2009-01-02T00:30:00.001-05:00

Fine I Will BLOG Already!!!!!

2009-01-02T00:05:00.003-05:00

Please forgive this busy Mommy from not Blogging like I should. We are at the one year milestone of being at Seminary and wow God is so good. It has not been without its challenges, its sadness, its struggles and its victories. Through it all God has walked beside us all the way. We lost another baby this year, but we're given a new appreciation for the healthy, happy children we have. We have continued to petition God on the sale of our house, but it has become an opportunity to share our testimony of God's provision. We have watched our children begin to become big preschoolers, going to school where mommy teaches. Skylar has asked lots of questions this Christmas about baby Jesus, it has given us a great opportunity to share God greatest gift with her. She is still so young, but what an opportunity to plant that seed daily. Connor potty trained and is as boy as boy can be. He climbs everything, jumps off everything and just plain goes!! Dwight has enjoyed his first year of classes, and excitedly shares his knowledge with me on a daily basis. What a joy to have a husband that loves His Lord and desires nothing more than to serve Him. I just love him!!! What a man. Please continue to keep our family in your prayers and that God will make Himself known to us daily!!! I will attempt to get better at this, but no promises!!!!!!

Happy Memorial Day

2008-05-26T16:12:00.002-04:00

Well, we had a blast!!! Today we had a little get together with lots of the neighbors. We grilled out and watched the kids play in the pools. Unfortunately, they just mowed the grass a couple of days ago and there were grass pices everywhere. By the time the kids had gotten in and out of the water they were a mess and so was the water to say the least. I bought a little pool with a slide at wal-mart and a water sprinkler as well. Rachel and Dan brought their pool over and their play
slide, the adults had the bright idea to place the slide into the water over the edge of the pool. Needless to say even the adults could not resist!!! What a hit!! Our next door neighbor Kyle played kid wrangler in the pool, and our other neighbor Nick played the line security guard, so the little ones all had a chance. Daddy even got in on the action when he got done with school. Poor Daddy summer school started today. It was a hit and all the kids are still asleep, probably most of the parents too. It is so great that the kids have all these new frinds right here!! What a blessing. What a great way to spend Memorial Day!! Hope all are doing well, please forgive the lateness of the new Blog! Connor's big day is tommorow hope that you will visit the blog soon, I hope to do a special post for him for his Big 3 year old Birthday!! Where does the time go and Skylar is growing like a weed too. God Bless and PLEASE PLEASE KEEP IN TOUCH!!

Mommy's Day or Daddy's Day???????

2008-05-12T00:21:00.006-04:00

So where to begin..... Today was not only Mommy's Day in our house, but it was also Daddy's 32nd Birthday!!! We had both unknowingly planned on suprising each other this morning, me with a birthday cake in bed joined by the kids singing happy birthday and Dwight with breakfast in bed for me to celebrate Mother's day. This morning when I woke up I noticed that Dwight was not sleeping as soundly as usual so I just decided to lay still, while laying in wait, Dwight quietly got out of bed and headed downstairs where I could hear him in the kitchen rustling around. I decided now was the time to inch down grab the cookie cake (Dwight despises birthday cake) off the couch along with the cards and shirt the kids had picked out! So as quiet as I could I snuck down and got all my stuff and got back upstairs with Dwight unaware. I quickly signed the cards got the cookie cake together. I snuck over to the kids room realizing that only Skylar remained in bed so I quietly woke her to go sing to Daddy. I slipped Dwight's new shirt that we had bought onto Skylar, which she thought was great, and headed down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs Connor came running to us so I quickly quieted him and we tiptoed into the kitchen where we suprised Daddy with a Burton family rendition of Happy Birthday, all Jammie clad. Dwight was so suprised . He looked at me smiled, said Thank You now go back to bed!! So I ran upsatirs and climbed back in bed, where I was served a breakfast fit for a queen!!! on my new MOM tray. It was the perfect Mommy's/Daddy's Morning.
Everyday I am reminded of how blessed I truely am to have a husband who wants to love and dote on me. He paid such close attention I had pointed out the tray on a recent date night excursion, and he remebered. I am so glad that my daughter will get the opportunity to grow up with a daddy that loves her, and thinks that she is the most amazing little princess in all the world. I pray often that she finds someone that is a good christian leader like her Dad. That she realizes the sacrifices that he makes regularly for her, and how he has surrendered fully to God's call on his life. I pray that she finds a man as in love with God and his family as her Dad is. I hope as she grows up she always cherishes the relationship with her dad and sees it as invaluable in her growth as a christian and a woman.

It is so funny when people see Connor smile they always say that he is a little Dwight, but the two of them could not be more different in personality. I am so glad that Connor will be blessed to have a daddy that is trying so hard to be a Godly leader in his home(which is hard with a wife like me). I watch Connor run around watching his Daddy with such awe and it just melts me. He always talks about growing up to big like Daddy. I think he means tall, Daddy has never really grown up!! Daddy is content to play in the leaves, go and play soccer or just be Connor's ladder at Skylar's ballet classes so that he can see sissy through the window. Sometimes the little things are the big things..... I know that our family would never be what it is, including a little insane, without Daddy around!!!

I LOVE YOU AND THINK THAT YOU ARE ONE OF GOD'S GREATEST GIFTS IN MY LIFE!!!!! THANK YOU FOR LOVING GOD, ME AND OUR CHILDREN SO FULLY!!!!

Mr. Soccer

2008-05-10T09:17:00.002-04:00

On friday it is Connor's day for a special thing SOCCER and he loves it as much as Skylar loves ballet. The name of the soccer program that he goes to is Lil' Kickers. They start at 18 months and go up to age seven. For Connor's class the parents are a part of it. So daddy has been going to soccer class too. I think he will miss it when Connor moves up to the next class where the kids go by themselves. We'll have to find Daddy a new hobby.... like studying, and reading.. HAHA!! We have been so blessed that Dwight's mom has helped us pay for Connor to go to Soccer. Parents are such a blessing. It is so nice to give the kids something special for each of them to look forward to. Connor is learning good listening skills, as well as the physical side. He has mastered so many soccer skills. He will be able to play in a micro-league when he turns 4. We have lots of big days coming up soon!! Daddys B-day, Mommy's Day, and Connor's B-day. Pretty soon we will have some family visit. We are so excited. Hope everyone is doing well. Please keep in touch.

2008-05-07T21:51:00.002-04:00

All Girl and then some ....... Skylar had ballet today and while the pictures that I am posting were not taken today, they are pictures of a typical pre-dance ballet class. We have been so blessed for mom helping us pay for Skylar's classes. She loves it and her teacher the ultratalented, ultrapatient (anyone who teaches 3 -4 year olds), graceful, and perfect Miss Cora is invaluable. Skylar talks about Miss Cora, pretends to be Miss Cora, tries to get her brother to do ballet while being Miss Cora. So as you can see Miss Cora is a household name. Skylar by far is not the most graceful in the class, but Miss Cora makes them all feel like Prima Ballerina's. They dance with props occasionally and sometimes there are little dissagreements over the color that one or two may get, but other than that they all seem to have a ball and our enjoying class. They have their end of the year open house soon and both set of grand parents will be here. We are so excited, hopefully Skylar doesn't get up their and clam up. Or better yet stand their with her hands stuck in her mouth. Hope that you enjoy the picks.

2008-05-04T19:27:00.002-04:00

Meet in the Street....... Well we spent most of our Saturday at Meet in the Street in downtown Wake Forest. The kids had a ball watching all the dancers and karate performances. We played games, bought marshmallow guns? and jus enjoyed the day out and about. Daddy stayed home and wrote a paper which he is still working on.

Later in the day we went and feed the geese that are at the pond, right up behind our apartment. The kids and I went with our freinds Rachel and Allana from a couple doors down. It was a perfect day to be out of the house.

Today we had a shower for my next door neighbor the are expecting their first child on June 17th. We had such a good time. Skylar preceded to entertain everyone. I think she may have had a little too much punch.

I thought I would add a slide show of what the kids did last week. On Sunday nights me, Rachel and Emily all go to concerts in Wake Forest, that are outside for spring. The last 2 weeks it has rained and we have had to come home early. So last week we made good use of the rain and played in it. They had so much fun. I hope you enjoy the pics.

2008-05-03T21:34:00.001-04:00

2008-05-03T16:14:00.000-04:00

So, this is all new to me, but I thought what a great way to keep freinds in family up with all the goings on while we are in Seminary. It is a Saturday afternoon and the kids and I are at home while daddy is at work. We are all truly enjoying ourselves here. Wake Forest is truely a picture of God's great creation in spring. Its is just breathtaking.

Dwight is almost at the end of his first semester and WHEW!! we survived, almost...... He has about 2 weeks left of projects finals and all that great school related stuff. Please pray that God will strenthen him exponentially at this time. That he will have a supernatural strength to get it all done and to finish well.

We are learning daily how to get this family, work, school, and church thing together. There are days when you just feel as though you are going through the motions, just to get through another day. Our kids are growing and enjoying N. Carolina. They were a little disappointed that mommy and daddy said we were going to the snowman, but if never really snowwed. Mom and Daddy weren't to dissapointed, but then we're the ones who have to drive in it. We had plenty of cold days, and they gave us a little cabin fever, but spring is here and we are getting out lots.

Mommy and Skylar started at preschool in March. Mommy is a teacher's assisstant and loving it. She is remembering how much she loved being in the classroom. Skylar is in a 3 year old class that she is just loving. She has a new BOY interest that is about to break daddy's heart. I think Trey will always be her first girly crush, but now Colton has come into the picture, girls can be so fickle. Coonor on the other hand has only one girl he truely worships and that is big sister. She is the end all be all. They are inseperable, and there are days I wish they would before I lose my patience with them.

All in all we are all doing well. We are just continually blessed by God's goodness and provision. We are going to strive to keep in better touch with everyone throught this blog. Hopefully,we will be ableto better stay in touch.

God bless and don't be a stranger.