Monday, August 30

Curtains Project Style...

I have been on the hunt for the perfect canvas curtains for our home office all summer. I have been so discouraged at the prices of the ones I love. I'm talking $400 a panel!! With our up coming expenses that is just not doable. One day, while standing in my office, thinking of what else I could do, (since I don't sew, but I'm learning), I had an idea... "What if I used painters drop clothes?" So i ran up to Home Depot and found the perfect size.... 5'x9'. I have 9' ceilings in my office so this would be perfect for a nice puddling effect. I washed and dried them, and iron them for what felt like an hour.... Finally, my sweet, sweet husband who stayed up until midnight hanging my rod for me, clipped them on using basic standard curtain rings and clips.
 Voila! Canvas panels for a whopping $7.99 a panel. Fabulous!! Now I just need chairs in front of that big window ;). 
What do ya think? 

View from dining room


View in office

Tuesday, August 24

End of an Era and The Beginning of New Things

Today was Phillip's first day of his LAST SEMESTER of school. Can you hear my excitement? After 6 long years of college he will finally be done with school!! I cannot believe it. We met in January of 2005 (beginning of his 2nd semester of school) and got married in October of 2005. During his college years, we met, we married, had baby #1 in March of 2006, we have moved 5 times, had baby #2 and are in the process of growing our family. It has been a crazy 5 yrs. for us. December cannot come fast enough. The long evenings of him at school every night from 5-10pm will be OVER! Our life is going to change so much in December.  Come December he will be a free man!! Well, at least from school that is. HA!  Finally we will be able to have a normal family "evening" life with our boys. We have never had that.  Now we are praying for encouragement to get past this last stretch.

Other then me celebrating all day that today is the last first day of Phillip's college career. We have been good and busy. We are continuing to hear God's calling for our family. Though at times, it is hard to determine what are legitimate worries and fears and what is coming from the enemy. It seems like the closer Phil and I draw to God and the more we are seeking his heart the more the enemy is attacking and the more forceful his attacks are. It has been along time since I have been under this many personal attacks.  I am so thankful that I have a wonderful Godly husband who stops what he is doing any given time of day to pray with me over the phone when I am in the midst of an attack. I am finding myself completely drained at the end of each day because of these mini inner battles. The are exhausting. But I know God is growing me and my family. Through all of our trials and through all of our victories he is leading to where he wants us to be.

The boys started their new school this week. I am bummed I forgot my camera each day:(. After praying for a whole semester last year about where to send our boys to school we decided on Trinity School here in Midland. It is so wonderful! I know God placed us here for a reason. The Montessori based program is going to be so good for Parker. Beckham is in what they call 2PC (PC= Play Center) He goes MWF from 8:45-10:45 and LOVES it. I was a little nervous the first day, I was sure he was going to scream and throw a huge fit like he did when we moved him up to his new room at church. But he walked right in, waved and in the sweetest Texas hick accent you have ever heard said "Hi, friends" and went right to playing. My baby is getting so big. Parker is going M-F from 12-3. This whole everyday schedule is a new concept for him. He is used to just T&Th. But his teacher Mrs. Brown is amazing. She makes the room feel so inviting. The first day they learned about caterpillars and read The Very Hungry Caterpillar. He recited nearly the whole book back to use when he got home. He was very impressed that they turn into butterflies. Of course when I asked what is favorite part of the day was he told me "going to the Library. I even got to check out my own book!" He loves to read. Parker still amazes us daily with his imaginative play and his creative mind. His memory is impeccable and his ability to retain information is amazing. (He definitely got that all from his daddy)

After a really hard spring semester at mothers day out last year Phil and I have been asking God to work on Parker's heart and mind. (we were having some pretty bad behavior issues) God has been giving Phillip and I a lot of opportunity to show Parker Christ's love for him. As well as teaching him the fruits of the spirit and what they look like in our very day life. I am completely amazed by his understanding. Even his understanding of why Jesus died on the cross for us. This morning while getting ready for school he and Phil were talking about Jesus and Parker said "I know why Jesus died on the cross." He has told us this before so and we know that he knows he died for our sins but we asked him anyway. "Why did Jesus die on the cross." And like always Parker responded "Because he wanted to save us from our sin." Phillip decided to take the conversation further to see what all he knew so he asked him "why else did he die on the cross for us Parker?" Parker looked at him with a very matter-of fact way and said "Because we wanted all of us to be God's sons." AMAZING!! I can't believe my 4 yr. old understands that!

Any way there are a few updates on what is going on with the Knight family.  There will be more to come!

Wednesday, August 11

What's on my heart tonight

Isaiah 61:3

"to bestow on them a crown of beauty 
       instead of ashes, 
       the oil of gladness 
       instead of mourning, 
       and a garment of praise 
       instead of a spirit of despair. 
       They will be called oaks of righteousness, 
       a planting of the LORD 
       for the display of his splendor."

(emphasis added by yours truly)

Lord break my heart for the things that break yours.  

Tuesday, August 10

Our Rewards


Psalm 127:3



 Sons are a heritage from the LORD, 
       children a reward from him.


We are so blessed to be the parents of our sweet baby boys. (Parker would be devastated if he knew I called him my baby, shh..) I am so grateful God trusted me enough to put them in my care. I am so in love with them. Even though at times I feel like I want to crawl in a hole and hide from them from a minute of quiet. My house is constantly full of screams and squeals, laughter and tears, superman and batman, tricks and accidents.  There is never a dull moment when these two kids are together. They are each others best friend and worst enemy at times. I love watching them bond. Phillip and I decided in June to put the boys in the same room. I felt like while they are young and since we have bunk beds they should share. I felt like it would help them grow stronger as brother and they would learn that they have to share all things. It was one of the best decisions I have made with them so far. Their relationship has blossomed. Parker is Beckham's protector. It is so sweet. Trust me they still have crazy fights but at the end of the day they love each other. At nap time everyday they lay in bed laughing a reading books while laying in bed. I can hear belly laughs coming from their bedroom for a good hour before they are asleep. When I check on them they are usually spooning. HA! One of these days I will remember to capture a picture of their serious snuggling time. :) I pray every day that god is growing my boys into strong men. Men that aren't afraid to openly love him. Men with a heart for the least of these. I stumbled upon this prayer once a long time ago and I have always been fond of it.


"Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is
weak, and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid; one who will be
proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory.

"Build me a son whose wishbone will not be where his backbone should
be; a son who will know Thee....Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease
and comfort, but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge.
Here let him learn to stand up in the storm; here let him learn compassion
for those who fail.

"Build me a son whose heart will be clean, whose goal will be high; a
son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men; one who
will learn to laugh, yet never forget how to weep; one who will reach into
the future, yet never forget the past.

"And after all these things are his, add, I pray, enough of a sense of
humor, so that he may always be serious, yet never take himself too
seriously. Give him humility, so that he may always remember the simplicity
of greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, the meekness of true strength."


3's a Charm... Right?!

It has been so long since I have updated our blog .(Actually this will be the 2rd time we have tried this.) I am kind of a rookie at this whole blog thing. I am an expert at following others blogs but when it comes to my own I cant seem to find the words to describe the works God is doing in our lives. This past year since my last post has been a whirl wind of a year. I have about 6 posts that I have saved as drafts through out this last year. I never could post them because they didn't seem adequate enough to express the changes God has worked in our lives. We have had highs and lows and many life changing moments. Over this last year I have been grown and stretched in more ways than I knew I could be stretched. At times it has literally felt like my flesh was being ripped from my bones. I have encountered more "drag you out of your comfort zone" moments than I have ever encountered in my while 23 year existence combined. God has been moving in our house like crazy. Our marriage has been completely restored. My walk with the Father has grown and reached new levels. Levels I didn't know existed or that I would ever reach if they did. I have had many revelations on what Phillip and I's purpose is here on Earth. We have learned to forgive, love unconditionally, serve, submit, we have learned patience and compassion. A lot of my heart change has been from following some incredible blogs written by bible believing, Christ loving believers like myself. I have felt more challenged and have been more convicted by reading some of your stories. It is amazing what God is doing in the hearts and lives of others around this nation. I have been recently challenge to live radically for the Lord. If any of you have not read Radical by David Platt you need to go get it today. It will slap you in the face and knock you out of your shoes. It was truly a life changing book. It has opened my eyes to what being a true follower of Christ is about. My whole life I have known the Lord and loved the Lord but never really understood what really loving is was all about or really living your life like he lived his until recently. Whats sad is I didn't even know that I did know this. I never truly weighed the costs of following him until recently. I don't think I ever knew I was supposed to "weigh" costs. But trust me the costs are so worth giving when you see and know the rewards. I love the Lord more than I have loved him before. I understand him more and when you understand him how can you not be in love with him. 

Not only have I been radically changed. My husband has been radically changed. He is not even close to the same person he was 6 months ago. I don't even know or recognize the old Phillip. The old Phillip is literally dead. Phillip in a new creation in the Lord. He has genuine laid down his life to serve his Father. Since we have been walking spiritually in-sync life has not been filled with as much joy as it now. Our souls our bound to each others. We share a heart beat and our heart breaks together and it torn in the same direction. The power that there is in one God serving couple is amazing and I cannot wait to see and live the journey God is going to take us on. I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life building the kingdom of God with my best friend, my husband. 

God has also been doing a work in my children. Even though they are 4 and 2 I believe God works on their hearts. They are so moldable and teachable at this age. We struggled with Parker this last spring. I felt like we were hitting a wall with him. I couldn't control his fits and I couldn't change his heart. But then I realized one day in my quiet time with the Lord. I am not supposed to change his heart and mind. God is. I begged that day for God to work on my son and give me some supernatural ideas to teach him and mold him to please the Lord and to have patience with him. After several days of seeking Gods face and relying on him to guide me through this Parker wild spirit began to chill out. He became tender and sensitive towards his actions. Im not saying he is perfect we still have the normal 4 yr. old meltdowns but I can see Gods hand all over him. I will fight for the souls of my children and family until death. The enemy has no reign or control over them. 

With all that said, we are going to begin blogging about what life is like with us. What we are going through, where we are challenged by, where God is leading us, our kids and all the fun things that life brings our way. Its hard to know exactly where to start this blog over. So I guess we will begin with the kiddos.