How Can My Life Count?

Our 2nd study in the series- " Questions: Honest Answers to tough Issues" is 

How Can My Life Count?

Nick did a great job and I'm really excited to share this one with you! I got a lot out of it so I pray it touches someone else as well!

Topic: How can my life count?

Theme: to make our lives count you must live distinctively

You will either waste your life, spend your life, or invest your life.

Matthew 5:13-16

"Salt and light"

    ¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

   ¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  

¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 

¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

2 Ways Jesus calls us to be distinct

1. As Salt - Matt 5:13

( what is salt- preserves seasoning) 

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

• As a Christ follower you are a "preserver" of Gods righteousness in this world
• Don't lose your "saltiness" by being mixed with the world ( this one is pretty blunt)

James 1:27

²⁷ Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. 

2. As light -Matt 5:14-16

   ¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  

¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 

¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

 

• believers are the light of the world. You should STAND OUT in a dark place
• God wants us as Christ followers to stick out- "You are suppose to be different!!"

Nick used the example the children's song- This little light of mine. It talks about how you do not want to hide your light, you want to let it shine for all to see! This is exactly what Matt 5:14-16 is talking about.

Key point:

Believers are of no use in the world if you are not living distinct from the world

( major reality check- This really got a hold of my attention!)

What is the result of living out?

• influencing others- when you invest in them it is a chain reaction. 
• When one person sees you doing something different from the "group or in-crowd"  they will ask why? And the answer is Jesus ... and then Jesus will start working in that persons life.. and so on and so on..

So I ask you.....
Are you making your life count?
How do you want to spend the rest of your life?
Who do you want to run your life?

Make your life count
The Penzo's

Spa Day!

So...We won some piggy paint!

Thank you for everyone that voted for Addison's picture!

Saturday, we received her prize in the mail. Little did I know, Piggy Paint is actually based out of Springdale!

We chose the shade.. Forever Fancy..It had to be pink!:)

Now on to painting....

This was not the easiest task but after cheetos, veggie tales and a few tears it was done! Not my best job but it  will work haha

Too cute!

And then we tried to eat them.. Addison could not figure out why they were pink!

Later that night we went out for family dinner and to the mall. One of Addison's favorite things is to ride the "rides." She goes nuts when she sees them! So of course we had to stop and ride for a few minutes.

So excited!

Watch our world, Addi is driving!

It was a great family night out!

I wanted to share with you a answered prayer for our family!

I am a working mamma! 

We have been praying for a part time job for me, just to have a little extra money. 

Well today a friend emailed me and asked if I would be interested in being a aide for a preschool two year old class, 2 days a week from 9 to 1. This was exactly what I was looking for. The schedule is perfect for us and it works out great to where my mom can keep Addison!

I am very excited for this new adventure. It is so neat to see how fast God answers prayers sometimes! 

God is so good! 

Later this week I will have the promised Sunday sermon! It was a great one this week, as well as our "Girls Night Out" Sunday night!

Hope everyone has a great Monday!

Love 

The Penzo's

Romans 8:28

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose

Random!

So... this post will be every where. 

 Getting you caught up on life in the Penzo house.

Monday, my sweet Grandmother went in for her 5th chemo treatment. She only has one left and then they will be checking to see if the treatments have worked or if she will be needing more. 

Please pray for good news and that this will be the last of her treatments.. most importantly that she has strength and does not give up and knows God is walking with her!

I am so proud to call her my Grandmother. When I think I have problems, I think of her and what she is going through and realize mine are nothing.. She is fighting for her life, something I take for granite each day. She is so strong and we love her very very much!

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.

Tuesday night I went to my first premier jewelry party. One of my newest friends, Brittany from our small, group hosted it. It was so fun and they had some really pretty things. Brittany is a great hostess and amazing cook! Perfect girls night.. jewelry and food! :)

Addison's new thing lately is playing or sitting in her old baby toys. We worked in the nursery a couple weeks ago at church and she kept wanting to swing in the baby swing. Brent would put her in, swing, and take her out and she loved it... so we decide to get hers out again, (let me remind you we probably used this one time when she was a baby, she HATED it!), and now she swings in it all time time. She eats her snacks, drinks her bottles and watches TV in it. One more thing to add to our living room of toys!

Another thing she out grew was her bouncy seat. When cleaning out her closet we sat it on the floor and she hasn't let us put it up. She climbs in and out and dances to the music! It's too funny the things she likes now.

 Proverbs 15:13

A happy heart makes the face cheerful..

We have a LOVE for cheetos. 

I know some of you moms out there are going, " I cant believe she gives her cheetos already. That is so bad for her."  

But Let me insure you she gets maybe 2 or 3 and not everyday. This is my sit still for a minute so mommy can get a few things done snack... and if it works then I have no problem with it! :)

Cheeto please?

Yummm!

and we like to eat them laying on the kitchen floor!

Today we ventured out with Gigi. We needed to get out of the house for a little while to get some fresh air and a new surrounding.. so to the mall we went. 

Addison loves the fountains and to walk... so Gigi and Addi walked...

and walked...

and WALKED!

But this does = to a great nap! :)

1 John 1:7

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

Tonight, was our fall kick off to our small group! We were so excited. This year we will have a mentor couple. They are such neat people. They are older and more experienced with life, so when those hard times hit in every relationship they are there to help us through! So neat to see how God is working in our church!

If you are interested in a small group let me know.. and Ill help you get connected!

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Love

The Penzo's

Each of you should look not only to your own interest, but also to the interest of others.

Philippians 2:4

Vote for me Please!

Saturday, Addison and I got the chance to go eat with a sweet friend, Emily D. We haven't seen each other for a while because of both of our busy schedules, so it was so nice to catch up!

Addi was excited to see her Aunt Emily!

Emily brought Addison the sweetest birthday gift. She always does great and is so thoughtful with them!

She had a "Hannah doll" ( delta gammas doll) monogrammed for her. This is such a special gift that Addison will cherish for the rest of her life and hopefully be in her DeeGee sorority room one day! :) Her mom also gave her a sweet little book, the velveteen rabbit! 

We love Hannah!

Another sweet sister, Emily P gave Addison a Hannah ornament! It is so sweet cute and soo special. She is getting all decked out in Delta Gamma things... I can not wait till she understands!

I can not thank God enough for blessing me with my sweet sisters!

So now for the title... Vote for me please...

We entered Addison into a contest on facebook to win some Piggy Paint nail polish.
You had to choose a picture that was their best please face... and I thought this one was perfect!

This is how you vote:

1. Go like Piggy Paint on Fb
2. Go the album called Pretty please faces
3. Like Addison's picture #9
4. Then comment for a extra point!! 

Thank you so much! 

Addison is super excited about trying some piggy paint nail polish! 

Voting ends Thursday at noon!

Hope everyone has a great week!

Love

The Penzo's

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.

Hebrews 10:24

How is my Attitude?

Sunday was our big fall kick off at Cross Church Fayetteville. We now offer 4 services!!

8:30,10:00,11:30 and 6:00pm, so there is one for everyone and they all have the same message preached.

We are doing a study right now called, " Questions, Honest Answers to Tough Issues." 

I hope to be able to share with you all the messages in this series! Today's questions was....

How is my Attitude?

Nick started with Matthew 5:3-12

  ³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
   for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn,
   for they will be comforted.
⁵ Blessed are the meek,
   for they will inherit the earth.
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
   for they will be filled.
⁷ Blessed are the merciful,
   for they will be shown mercy.
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart,
   for they will see God.
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers,
   for they will be called children of God.
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
   for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
   ¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Nick asked us to ask ourselves these 8 questions: 

1. Am I living with humility or self reliance? Matt 5:3

• Character: Poor in spirit ( Do you acknowledge spiritual bankruptcy?)
• Result:  Kingdom in heaven is theirs

2. Am I morning over sin or living comfortable with it? Matt 5:4

• Character: Blessed are those who mourn
• Result: Because they will be comforted 

God forgives those who confess/ mourn over their sins for they will have eternal life!

3. Am I living with or without self-control? Matt 5:5

• Character: Blessed are the meek ( which means to be gentle/ humble)
• Result: For they will inherit the earth

Christians should live with self control 

Pslams 37:1

¹ Do not fret because of those who are evil
   or be envious of those who do wrong;

4. Am I desiring righteousness or am I not concerned? Matt 5:6

• Character: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
• Result: For they will be filled

5. Am I showing mercy or am I hard on people? Matt 5:7

• Character: Blessed are the merciful
• Result: For they will be shown mercy

God calls all Christians to show grace and forgiveness to people

6. Am I living in sin or in purity? Matt 5:8

• Character: blessed are the pure in heart
• Result: they will see God

God cleanses us of our sins

7. Am I a peace maker or a trouble maker? Matt 5:9

Nick explained this one great. Are you the one in your marriage or relationships that tries to make peace in fights or are the you the one that throws the gasoline on the fire and blows it up??

• Character:  peacemakers
• Result: you will be called child of God

 ^{Romans 5:1}

¹ Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we^[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

8. Am I understanding persecution or am I avoiding it? Matt 5:10-12

• Character: Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you
• result: the great reward is heaven

Persecution is a part of Christians everyday life as a Christ follower. In James 1:2-  God tells us to rejoice and be glad....  it is hard to be excited about being persecuted for what you believe, But calls us to do so.  We do not know what real persecution feels like.  Nick said, " In America we get hurt feelings or tears, while around the world people are dieing for their faith. Christ paid the ultimate sacrifice by dieing on the cross for each one of us!"

So I ask you to examine your attitude.

Does it show that you are a Christ follower?

Setting a Strong Example in faith

I have blogged about a daily devotional I have been reading before called, " Love Language."

I can not tell you enough... it is a great book for newly weds, engaged, struggling marriages and really anyone in a relationship!  I have enjoyed reading it so much.

Today's devotional was on Setting a Strong Example in Faith. 

The greatest joy as a parent is to see your children walking in the truth. This devotional talks about how this sentiment is echoed by the apostle John. He considered his Believes his "children" since he had been a father figure to them as their faith grew, and their faithfulness to Christ brought him much joy.

The greatest influence we have on our children, family or friends is our religious beliefs. I know Addison already watches and listens to Brent and I so closely. I want her to see Brent and I practice what we preach everyday, so that she will respect our faith and follow in our footsteps. The greater distance between what we proclaim and what we practice, the less likely she is to follow our religious beliefs.

I pray everyday for God to help Brent and I to be the best parents we can be to sweet Addi and our future children. I want them to grow up seeing their parents loving the Lord and walking in his footsteps! That is the biggest and most important legacy I want to leave for them. I ask for forgiveness for the times we haven't and pray for the future.

I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following in the truth.

3 John 1:4

Go Central Go!

Sorry, I have been a bad blogger lately. I usually blog at night after Addi is in bed but every night this week I have been too tired or have had to much to do...Promise to be better next week!

Every year when school starts, the Springdale schools have a football showcase of all the teams, so we went with my parents tonight to support our Uncle Sam! 

 Eating our chicken nuggets ready to be there!

One of my moms friends, that also has a Addison, gave us 3 central cheer leader outfits for Addi to wear to the games. They fit her perfect and she just looks too cute in them!

 Clapping for Uncle Sam

Go Central GO!

Samuel is #35. We are so excited to watch him every home game! He is the big dog on campus this year and I know he is so excited. 

 Pop where are you going?

Love this face!

We stayed a little longer to watch Har-ber play and see the Silver Stars dance.

I can not believe how big they have grown! We started the 1st year Har-Ber opened with maybe 12 or 15 of us and now they have 40! It is so neat to see how they have grown! 

Tomorrow, my parents are moving Caleb, my middle brother, down to school at Arkansas Tech. I am so excited for him. He is gonna have so much fun. 

Caleb, we love you and wish you the best in college! Have fun, meet new people, study hard, and most importantly stay focused on the Lord.

Hope everyone has a great weekend. Excited to spend it with family!

Love,

The Penzo's

Fools make fun of guilt, but the godly acknowledge it and seek reconciliation.

Proverbs 14:9

Pictures, pictures, and more pictures

I am sure you have all heard of Shutterfly, but if you haven't you need to check it out!

I get a ton of cards, invitations, pictures and photo books from them. I have never had a bad word to say about anything I have ordered and a HUGE plus is they always have free promotions for pictures!

Recently, I received a free photo book coupon in the mail. 

I have given these as gifts to my mom, Brent and some sorority sisters but I wanted to use this one to do something special for Addison.

I have so many pictures of her tiny toes, smiling little face, and chubby little cheeks that I wanted to keep those memories in something she will be able to look at one day. 

So, I have decided to make a book every year until she is 18, of pictures from each month of that year. I thought this was a great way for her to have a special book to show her family one day! Your allowed 12 free pages so it worked out perfect, one for each month and you end the book with her birthday!

I am so excited to see how it turns out! Cant believe I am already done with the 1st one. 

Tomorrow is my brother, Samuels 1st day of 9th grade!  Where did time go??

I pray that he has a great year and is faithful to God in everything he does!

Hope everyone has a great Wednesday!

Love,
The Penzo's

Psalms 32:1

Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight!

50 Things

A lot of the blogs I follow and friends I read have been doing a post of 50 things you might not know about me, So I thought I would try it! 

1. The color blue is my favorite but I have recently been attracted to green! 
2. I hate storms... they scare me!
3. LOVE rocky road ice cream
4. I put ! at the end of almost every sentence when texting
5. Christmas is my favorite time of the year! 
6. I heart everything crown and fleur-de-lis
7. Taking pictures is my life. I love to capture every moment for memories but would never do this as a career only fun!
8. I have taken dance lesson's since I was 3- ballet, tap, hip-hop and jazz
9. Was captain of the Silver Stars at Har-ber along with 2 other girls the 1st year they opened.
10. Love fashion.. I am obsessed with dresses 
11. I change my outfit probably 5 times before we leave the house.
12. Always wanted to dye my hair blonde just to see what it would look like but way to scared!
13. I pick at my eyelashes when I'm bored... it drives Brent insane lol 
14. Brent and I dated for almost 5 years with a couple breaks before we were married
15. Yes, we had Addison unplanned but wouldn't change a thing
16. I like all kinds of music- but country is my favorite
17. People that drive slow in the left lane make me furious!
18. Not a t-shirt and shorts kind of girl... I would much rather be dressed up in heels!
19. secretly like football :) have to hide this feeling so that my husband doesn't have it on the TV ALLLLLL the time!
20. Sad but the people at Hobby Lobby know Addison and I by name
21. I'm a hopeless romantic
22. I hate cats!
23. usually get along  with anyone! Love to meet new people!
24. Like to cook but not the best yet, still working on it!
25. HATE unloading the dishwasher
26. Love to shop for furniture- could change around my house every year!
27. trying new things is so fun!
28. grew up a military brat
29. I love playing board games
30. Cut pizza with scissors
31. Hate reading... I have to really like it. I think every book should have a movie!
32. love to ski.. but not great
33. the beach in one of my favorite places
34. decorating is one of my favorite past times
35. love to have and plan party's! Entertaining is my thing!
36. Not a neat freak but like my house to be tidy
37. I'm a deep thinker and over analyze everything because i care
38. obsessed with desperate housewives
39. get a mc donalds sweet tea almost every day.... i know not very healthy
40. Love the movie "Pretty Woman"
41. Became a Christan at the age of 8,took a few steps away from the Lord in College and really got back on track after our sweet Addison was born!
42. Love to sing.... I am HORRIBLE! haha
43. I like to go go go!
44. Attend Cross Church Fayetteville and LOVE it! Brent and I have meet so many great new friends and excited about the up coming changes.
45. Was vice president of my sorority Delta Gamma- love the anchor
46. My Little's are still so special to me ( Delta gamma sisters)
47. Hate washing and straightening my hair... but I promise I do anyways.lol
48. would love to travel around the world
49. Hope I have twins one day
50. Have to admit... I have baby fever but no more baby's anytime soon! One is plenty for right now! 

Now its yalls turn!

Hope everyone had a great Monday!

Love,

The Penzo's

John 15:13

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Wedding weekend!

This weekend we headed to Eureka Springs for the day to a wedding. My brothers friend, Justin, was getting married and Kyle was the best man. We have known Justin for years and we're so excited to help him celebrate his special day. 

That morning, my mom, Robyn, Addison and I all piled in the car and headed on our mini road trip. Addison did surprisingly, very well. We took her toy "laptop" and books to keep her busy...also sang a TON of songs!

I had forgotten how curvy those roads we're but the town is very cute.

Their wedding was at a little bed and breakfast. It was a beautiful house. 

 Kyle and Justin's sister

The Bride and her father

Bride and Groom

 Uncle Kyle and Addison

This is where we spent most of the day haha

Looking out the window or with Gigi!

So happy for them to start there new life together and wish them the best of luck!

Today, we worked in the Church nursery. It is always so fun to see how the kids react to each other... we had some fussy ones today, including our little one!

Tonight we are headed back to church for a leadership meeting and then having a much needed relaxing night at home!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Love,

The Penzo's

Mark 10:6-9 

"But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.'' For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

Our Day in Pictures!

Woke up ready to play

loving on our bear.. ready for a nap!

Ready to play!

And the living room is destroyed!

Eating goldfish, watching Angelina Ballerina

making sure I was paying attention also!

relaxing

big girl dinner!

to the park we go!

sliding backwards!

Please don't put me to bed! :)

trying to avoid bed time!

Goodnight!

Love,

The Penzo's

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
1 Corinthians 13:4-7