Renovating This Life

2016-04-14T14:16:00.002-04:00

I was 13, I think. So excited to be serving at the camp I grew up going to. I worked in the kitchen because I was too young for other positions, but someday, I'm going to be a counselor just like the ones I had. And then that happened. His condemning voice echoed all through the dining hall in front of all of those kids and counselors as he yelled and made accusations that were not even close to true. I begged to go to the kitchen to talk about it, but he insisted to publicly slice with his tongue.

At 17 I thought maybe I was being called to missions. I had served at camps and had been overseas a couple of times and I was seriously exploring what my next steps in this avenue were. I sought council from someone in leadership. I was told it would be best to let them support someone else now, I had my turn.

My first baby and things just aren't working out the way they should. Overwhelming emotions and things just aren't fitting into place the way I had thought they would. Nursing is a disaster (how on earth could that be when that's what God designed?) and she says "if the women in Africa can do it, you can too. They don't have the option to quit, their baby will die."

The kids are acting...well, I suppose like kids, but I've had enough of the chaos, tattling and complaints. I blow. The ivory bars that caged the fiery tongue opened and left in the wake are 4 kids, eyes wide and quiet.

There have been so many more great words spoken over me than bad, and for that I am so thankful. I wish I could think of specific words of encouragement that have stuck as strongly as the others I mentioned so I could share them with you.

The purpose of all of this is: Words. Every one of them count. They are packed with power. Power to give life and power to cause death. Proverbs 18:21. They are like a seed planted in a life. Are we sowing weeds or seeds that will bear much fruit?

I am the first to admit, I misuse words. The result is never what I had hoped when I didn't use them with loving, careful thought. James 3:2-10 talks about how we stumble in many ways and need to bridle our tongue like a horse, as it steers the whole body. And like a large ship driven by strong winds, is guided by a very small rudder. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.

Those ugly times when people mess up and say things they shouldn't don't have to define us. I know the words spoken over me didn't define me. They left a little scarring to deal with, but thankfully I had parents, friends and others that reminded me who God says I am.

It is my hope that as I continue to walk close to the Lord, studying His word, applying his precious lessons and truth to my life that I will have more moments of life giving then causing death with my tongue. Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Christian, give life with your words. Be kind. Build others up so it may benefit those who listen. Eph 4:8

Proverbs 31:26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

This is who I want to be.

Lessons from the Laundromat

2014-11-11T22:25:00.000-05:00

The question I had to ask myself was "How bad a thump should the spin cycle make before I call a repair man?" I decided I had reached that point.  Smoke filled the laundry room. Burnt rubber smell. The verdict? Bad barrings.  Throw it away, the parts and labor are too expensive to fix. Oh Goodie.

A week had gone by and I still hadn't decided what to do. Buy used and cheap or new and expensive. My hubby is headed to Haiti in 1 week, Christmas is around the corner. What to do.

My Guy and I went to the Laundromat and washed all the clothes in 35 minutes. Wow! That was easy!  (I should mention that it was $22 to just wash them all, but hey, that was the fastest washing I had ever done!) We hauled all the wet clothes home and one load at a time and 14 hours later, they were all dried and folded.

Week 2 of stillnowasher. My husband is now in Haiti. 6 baskets of clothing are needing washing and I'm no closer to having a washer than I was last week. Dropped the kids off at school, loaded the baskets and headed to the Miracle Wash Store. 1 person occupied the Laundromat when I arrived. They sat in their car. It was all mine. I loaded all the clothes, 5 washers full and off I sat to read my book. Delight.

People started milling in. The clothes are all washed. It took 14 hours to dry them all last time, I'd be crazy to do that again. I'll just dry them here today. Most at least.  Pretty soon the place was really hopping. Most people milling around not talking. Except him. I see him all the time. I know who he is. I'm not fully comfortable around him. He has never done anything to me to make me feel that way, I just felt that way and was ok with it. He doesn't look like he's got much. He's kinda messy looking. I look down, away, around, pretty much anywhere but making eye contact with him. I listen. He knows almost everyone in this place. They all know him. One by one he makes his way through the Laundromat talking to them. They are laughing with him. He's loud. But kind. Asking everyone how they are and keeping in conversation with many. Then he talks to me. I bristle. He identifies where he knows me from and keeps talking. He's talking to me. Why haven't I talked to him before? Am I too proud? Too judgmental? I see a side of me that I don't quite like. Who do I think I am?

One load is dry. There's 11 minutes left on the dryer. I look at a lady and say as much.  She was SO appreciative. I'm a folding fool trying to get ahead of the other dryers. She comes back and offers to fold clothes with me. No, no, I couldn't allow her to do that. Thanks anyway. But she didn't leave. She stayed right there talking to me about her son she was so proud of. Her failed marriage. Her brain aneurisms. Her surgery. Her second change at life. She was precious. 5 baskets of laundry folded by this time and I've got myself an audience staring at how much clothing I had. I wish the excuse of "there's 6 of us" registered to someone. The last basket is almost done. I'm embarrassed at our abundance, so I don't bother with dishcloths and socks and I start lugging them to the van. My 2nd trip in and she's at the door with a basket for me. Then another. All the way till the end. She grabbed my arm. Asked my first name (I can't believe it, I hadn't even told her my name or asked hers!) and said how good it was to talk with me. She was kind. More kind than my measly 11 minutes on the dryer. She conversed. She was interested.

I learned a lot about myself this solo trip to the Laundromat. I came home and went through closets. We have been richly blessed. We need to share more than we are. But I'm haunted at my lack of compassion for people. My lack of kindness toward strangers. I can hear my own voice reading to my own kids just a week ago Phillipians 2:3-4 "Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too."

My kids won't learn a thing unless I believe what I read. I learned some humbling lessons from the Laundromat.

Thank you, Lord for a broken washer. Fill my heart with your loving kindness, compassion and grace. I am ugly inside without your help. Amen.

If You Don't Teach Them, Who Will?

2014-01-23T13:55:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine told me after our first child that my mission field was my children. I knew it, but I just didn't think it was enough. I mean I had dreams to live. Places to go. Someone to be. Throw in a few more years and a few more kids and I certainly found out which someone I was going to be! It was then that life seemed a little out of control. 4 kids. Are you kidding me? God, you trusted us with 4?! That's when the view of our children became more than somebodies you have, they were gifts from the hand of God, so what are we going to do with these gifts?!

If God is important to me, it is my job to impress His importance on my children. They ARE my mission field!

Deuteronomy 6:5-9 ⁵Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

I take my roll as a mother very seriously. I'm not even great at it...which means I'm definitely not claiming our children are perfect because they are not, (hang around for a bit, you'll see, we're normal. Usually a mess.) but God has given me a passion for raising my children to know the Lord and impact the world for Jesus. Even imperfect, He can use us.

Children impacting the world for Jesus. That is not something I can make them do. It's not up to me to make sure they are being perfect and making perfect choices. But it is up to me to do my part in telling them how good God is, what He has done, why they matter to Him, why He needs to matter to them, the importance of reading their bible and praying, staying close with Him, telling them Oh, How I Love Jesus and leave the rest up to God. They need to know these things.

Your kids need to know these things. We live in a generation that God is whomever you chose it to be...and that's not right. There is ONE God who matters. One God who made a way to enter Heaven. Only ONE who wanted you here and gave you life. No other god did that.

If your children (or you) don't have a cemented understanding of who God is, they will easily turn to the left or to the right. Joshua 23:6 We need to exercise in the Word of God so we build spiritual muscle - so we can know who He is, what He has done and how to stand firm against the evil one.

If you have chosen Him, you have a responsibility to teach your children about Him. Don't take that lightly. If you don't teach them, who will?

Joshua 24: 14-15 "Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness.....but if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.....but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

Sometimes we need a different lens

2014-01-20T16:02:00.000-05:00

The other day I was driving my kids home from a birthday party when I was struck by the beautiful sunset. Orange, red, yellow, all surrounded by blue sky and a V shape of clouds pointing.

I've been counting each gift from God I see, and this was definitely one to note. Beautiful sunset pointing "this is the way".

I happened to have my camera with me but the beautiful sunset was cluttered by buildings, poles and wires, so I changed direction and went to a hill to try to capture it. By the time we got to where I thought would be a great view, the sunset had changed. It was hazy now, and greying fast. I took the picture anyway knowing that it was a gift from God, I had noted it after all, so I was going to enjoy it anyway.

I raised the camera, rested it on my cheek, my eyes focused as the lens extended my sight. The canvas was amazing. Brilliant. Heart warming. Reds, oranges, gold's.....a full color gift from God. Who else can paint such a breathtaking picture? Who else can take the greying of the world and make it vibrant and lovely? Who else can give such heart warming gifts such as personalized painting just for me, yet anyone who looks up can enjoy it as well? That's my God who can. He can take the ordinary and make it extraordinary if we are willing to look.

Life is hard, sometimes. Sometimes uncertain. Sometimes dull. Sometimes it needs a different lens. Not one you or I can produce, but one he can. And if we will only look up with that lens on....you'll see a gift - one straight from God. Count your blessings. You'll be amazed of what He's given!

What are we waiting for?

2014-01-13T14:04:00.003-05:00

An answer, that's what. The list of prayer requests seem unending. Yours, mine, ours....We're in need of answers. I've been relentlessly bringing them before the Throne of God asking, waiting, willing. Health concerns, marriages, fears, people needing salvation, all worthy of time before the Lord. I persist.

I am thankful for His will. His ways. That He sees the big picture and I am privied to only part of it.
I am thankful for hard times. For times when I have to drop to my knees and beg for strength. It is in those times, I believe, mountains are moved. I search the scriptures - for nuggets of hope. Tasting every word I read, looking for something, some word from Him. I am where he wants me then. Finding my strength from The Almighty. He guides me in those times. I have hope. Excitement that My God is talking with me. Sometimes showing me bits of His plan. Encouraging me to stay the course and stay in with Him.

I always find it curious how he changes my heart; steers me closer to his heart during these times. My emotions and attitude flip as fast as a cupped book whose pages flip past the thumb. I can hardly keep up with what He does in those times. I think that is what I love the most about our times together. His ability to change the impossible.

Anger mushes to tears by His loving words reminding me of what He is like, and I am to be like Him. Sadness gives way to hope because He is able to do more than I could ever ask or hope for and he is my Comforter. Loneliness and Not good enough are confronted and Truth tells me I am a daughter of the King and he chose me, sent His Son, Jesus, to die for my sins because He thinks I am worth something. Lack of confidence is reminded that nothing is impossible with God and to keep my eyes open that I might not be deceived and hiding behind pride.

I walk away from my time with the Lord renewed, invigorated, longing for more. Thankful. I serve the Almighty God whose plan was set in motion the day he breathed life into Adam. He knew we'd mess up. He knew we'd need a Savior. He knows we still need Him now. And He still lets me see a glimpse of what He's up to. How exciting!!! What are we waiting for? Him. Perfectly always, Him.

It's a New Year, Today's a New Day. Let the Adventures Begin!

2014-01-08T13:17:00.002-05:00

The anticipation of a new year has really intrigued me this year. I've been thinking about what I should be focusing on this year as last year seemed a bit out of focus. (I mean, I hardly was able to sit idle long enough to think about anything except meeting deadlines, work, making it to the kids sporting events or not forgetting something I - or my children - volunteered me for!)

Thinking this through really drug me through some disappointing places. Places that should have had higher priority ranking but instead, found I had put the more important areas of my life farther down on the list than they should have been.  I had succumbed to people pleasing, anger, and focused way too much on cleaning my house, (Which is a HUGE laugh in itself as I have 4 kids who could win awards for wreaking havoc on a clean home in only moments!) and not near enough attention on My Lord, My Husband or My Children. **Insert Sigh**

The great part is that It's a New Year, Today's a New Day!

I get excited when I get something new.   New pens - UH! How I love new fancy medium point pens! Smooth in delivery, no goopy puddles of ink, rich in color and the ones with a grippy handle...those are the best!  A new jacket is another - doesn't happen often, so when it's finally time to upgrade, man, it's exciting!  A new bible thrills me! It's like a brand new word search.....I get to underline all of those passages that mean so much to me all over again. And so I'm feeling this same way with this brand new year ahead of me. I get to have new goals to aim at. I get to shift my priorities again to get them where they should be. I get a clean start with each new day.

As this New Year takes off, I know I have to do some things differently so the same pattern doesn't occur from last year. The crazy part is, we all are living life and some things we can't necessarily change. At least not right at this moment. But I think if we are honest with each other, we all have areas that could be tweaked so that our priorities lay in the right order. As for the goal we're aiming at this year, I can't quite see clearly what mine looks like yet,.  I was reminded this morning when I spent some time with God, that "We don't know specifically what next week, or eternity will look like. We are moving toward destinations we cannot see 'For we walk by faith, not by sight.'  2 Corinthians 5:7. Walking by faith means seeing life differently: trusting the God we cannot see (1 Peter 1:7-8) for that which He has yet to reveal." Dr. David Jeremiah

I especially love what John Blanchard had to say about walking by faith:

"Walking by faith means being prepared to trust where we are not permitted to see."

I just need to take one day, one hour, one moment at a time. Keeping it in check. Remembering my priorities. God, Husband, Children, lotsofothergreatthings. Asking God to direct me each step of the way. In faith.

I hope you can take a moment and review your past year.    What are you aiming at for this year? What's got to change? Let the Adventures Begin!

Maybe I need to get frustrated a little more often!

2013-04-23T11:24:00.001-04:00

My house is always under construction. It's both the pleasure and detriment of being married to a carpenter. I get a house worked on for cookies but I get a prolonged mess because it is when he's available and not exhausted. I know I'm not the only one out there, you know what I'm talking about.

Saturday, My handsome hunk put some finishing touches on our dining room sheetrock so it could be painted. I was so excited. We bought the paint, he slapped it on.....it looked sooo good. Just in time for a birthday party the next day.

Then Monday came. He saw flaws. (uh, great, a carpenter that is a perfectionist....;))
So, he slapped more mud on the walls. Ruined paint. White dust everywhere.

By night's end, he did manage to get the room back to one solid color. :) But the dust....we are enemies. I've seen it invade our home wayyyyy too many times.

Ever hear the passage from Proverbs 21:19? It says "it is better to live alone in the desert than with a crabby, complaining wife." I think this could apply at times in our house...my poor husband.

I decided that there is no time like the present to start spring cleaning, so I searched the Internet for a guide to help me and lookie what I found?!

AskAnna had a great checklist for me to follow and I couldn't help but want to share. For a printable copy, click here.

Thanks Anna!

I'm attacking this with a vengeance! I will get you, white dust! (Maybe I need to get frustrated a little more often!)

We're just a little weird, and I love it!

2013-04-01T14:48:00.000-04:00

As you know, today is April 1st = April Fool's Day. Yesterday, my eldest child was racking her brain for a great gag to do on a couple of friends at school. I can't say that you or I would have fallen for her gag, but she was being creative with it, so I let it slide. She filled a bottle with water and vinegar and said she was going to offer it to her friend as a "nice cold drink of water."

One of my sons saw that she was doing this and wanted one to trick his friends. So, he took a 2 liter Coke bottle and filled it with water and vinegar. I told him on the way into school that he shouldn't be disappointed if his friend didn't fall for it.

In picking my son up from school this afternoon, I asked him if he pulled the prank on his friend. He replied "Yeah, and you were right, he didn't fall for it, so I decided to try it myself....it tasted pretty good, so I drank it!"

I'm so thankful for these kids in my life. They surely do bring so much joy to our lives! We're just a little weird, and I love it!!!

Maybe we'll have leftover Manna for slupper?

2013-02-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

A day of rest. Did you hear that? God made a day of rest for us. Now, the question is....who takes one? Do you?

I've been trying really hard to read through the bible Chronologically within 4 months. Yikes! That's a lot of reading. But I have to tell you, what a FANTASTIC way to ingest God's Word! I'm getting major chunks of reading daily and although I'm not taking the time to study it, I'm getting the broad picture of what happened back in the days of our Biblical hero's!

One section I was reading was about how God provided for his people when they were freed from slavery in Egypt. Of course along the way, they got hungry and pleaded for God to feed them. So he did. He sent Manna from the heavens. A food that they had never seen/eaten before and one that never has been since.

He gave them specific instructions about how to go about the manna. Get up each day, for six days, and go out, gather enough manna for your household, prepare and eat! Don't save any for the next day or it will be moldy and yucky, BUT on the sixth day - you can! Gather enough for that day and the next for it is your Sabbath, Holy day, and you are to focus on the Lord.

I have been thinking of this from a mom's point of view lately. What mom can take a day of rest when there's kids to feed? I mean, yes, I could tell my 2 year old to go get her own food, but let's be honest, it'd be a sleeve of oreos and maybe unpeeled carrot. Yuck!

What if on "the sixth day" we prepared ahead of time a mid afternoon meal for our day of rest, so all you had to do was pop it into the oven and eat?! Talk about easy!

Quiche made the day before and reheated. Bake a chicken or turkey and reheat it for slupper. Lasagna, turkey dinner casserole (just layer whatever you have leftover!), pulled pork & coleslaw. There's tons of options! Maybe we'll have a little leftover Manna for Slupper?

Here's what I propose: Feed the kids breakfast. I'm not talking pancakes and bacon either! Something simple, yet filling. Fruit and cereal? A yogurt smoothie with homemade yogurt? How about a loaded muffin that you've already made?

After church, we usually take a little drive, listen to our church's "second service" and sip iced tea for the kids and coffee for mom while dad is rockin' the guitar at church for the second service. We might even take a snack with us and really, we aren't all that hungry right at noon, so waiting for 2:00-ish isn't that big of a deal.

Heat up our slupper and Bada-Bing! Everyone's fed and it took no time at all.

Have a little yogurt and fruit for an evening snack and all is well.

Just offering one way to "rest" on your day of rest!

Blessings to you all.

Homemade Yogurt

2013-02-04T16:20:00.000-05:00

Buying yogurt can get expensive! It makes me think twice when I would like to make a smoothie because they chew up quite a bit of yogurt to feed our sized family. So I decided to research the yogurt making process myself and settled on an easy, no fuss way to make it.

There are several recipes out there and several processes, so if you are wanting to make yogurt for digestive reasons, there may be a better method out there to have better "good bacteria" qualities. For me, it was for the protein and smoothie, so simple and easy was my goal.

I love this website for many reasons, but The Frugal Girl is who I learned from and I've been very happy with the results. I hope you will be too! Enjoy!

Too good not to share!

2013-01-30T15:50:00.001-05:00

I wanted to bake something and in my pursuit of the perfect recipe, I came across this pumpkin spice cinnamon roll recipe that looked incredibly yummy so I gave it a shot. WINNER! Oh. My. I will have to limit myself to making these little fat bombs to just once in a while cause I could have eaten the whole pan! WOOO!

These little honey's are too good not to share so I'm going to! I wish I had noted which website I got it from so I could give the original pumpkin spice cinnamon roll chef all the credit, but I didn't, so just know, somewhere out there is a cinnamon roll master chef!

Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:
4 to 4-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice,
2 eggs
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Filling:
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon melted butter

Cream Cheese Frosting to top for absolute delciousness!

1. Combine flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and baking powder (if using) in a large bowl; set aside. In a stand mixer

2. Combine all the filling ingredients in a small bowl and set aside until ready to use. Grease a 9x13 pan and set aside.

3. Roll dough out on a floured surface into a 16x12 rectangle. Spread dough with melted butter and sprinkle filling evenly across to the edges. Starting from the longer side, begin making a tight roll, gently pressing the "seam" together as you go. Cut the roll into 12 equal pieces using a sharp. Carefully place each slice flat side down in the prepared 9x13 pan side by side. Allow the rolls to rise another hour in a warm area or until rolls have just about reached the top of your pan and almost doubled in size.

4. While the rolls rise you can prepare the frosting.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Once rolls have risen: Bake the pumpkin rolls for 25-30 minutes or until lightly golden. Allow the rolls to cool (I let mine cool just till warm, not hot - unless you want your frosting to melt entirely); frost; EAT! :D

Need Peace?

2012-12-05T10:14:00.000-05:00

It never fails - this time of year my husband and I both tend to fight stress.

To be honest, I am starting to (finally) view this as Satan's way of trying to steal our joy. The joy of celebrating the best time of year - the time when we were given the ultimate gift of a redeemer that would pay once for all time the penalty of sin.

My husband is a carpenter by trade. Christmas time tends to put a halt on building and renovations - I mean, common, who doesn't want to have sheet rock dust all through their home when they're trying to decorate?! Totally understandable. Regardless of knowing why things get sketchy with work this time of year, we still stress out a little wondering what he'll have for work if any.

With that said, a couple of winters ago, things were incredibly stressful. I was having panic attacks (was this my lack of faith in my God who is able? I believe it was. I was not in control, nor was my husband and that looked scary!) and remember thinking "there's nothing I can do about this situation, I'd better pray about it and look for comfort from God's word." So I did.

While going through many pages, I decided to just read verses I had underlined from other times I read it and found it "extra meaningful". Man, those words, those verses, were like espresso coffee mixed with soothing calmness that just covered my mind, my heart and my soul. (in other words, they were very exhilarating as I remembered what my Lord had said and promised, and He calmed my racing heart - all at the same time. Very good, by the way. lol)

It was then I started a peace journal. I needed quick access to my lifeline. Those verses. It's not like this just happened once and it was done with. No. I had to continually run to Him throughout that season of our lives and be reminded again from His word and to pour out my concerns to Him through prayer. This is what I later understood to be "giving it over to God."
Every time the stress of something would attack, I would pray and ask God to help me not to worry, to remember what he promised and to leave my concern with Him. Then (a crucial part) I would make myself think about something else. Something good. Count my blessings. And for goodness sake, I couldn't sit idol.

God is so good. We made it through that season. We survived. Barely, at times, it seemed, but here we are, looking to see what God has in store for us this winter. It's scary, yet exciting, sometimes humbling. And that's ok.

Do you need peace? Let me share some verses with you that helped us. (see link Peace Journal below) Or maybe the journey of finding your own is better. Regardless, read them slowly and listen as you speak them out loud. Put your name in there if you can. Remember what God promised. I just printed a copy off myself this morning for my husband and even as I was preparing that for him, I found my soul refreshed and calmed.

It may not be a perfect life, but really, we're just passing through - it was never meant to be all roses.

Peace Journal

Oh, I'm going there!

2012-11-03T10:57:00.000-04:00

It's the beginning of November and I'm seeing blog posts of my favorite bloggers with Christmas titles. At first I was a tad bit frustrated about it because I find Christmas can be a little stressful for me. Then once I got thinking about it, I thought, you know, planning for Jesus birthday should take lots of preparation, kind of like a 50th BIG BASH or a major Anniversary party or something, but EVEN bigger....I mean, seriously, do you know his family! They're Royalty! That should cause me to put my BEST efforts into gear planning for his birthday!

So, oh, I'm going there! I need to talk and plan for Christmas now, so I don't ruin his birthday by stressing out about money or gifts or the stuff that doesn't matter!

My hubby once shared a line with me that he heard once and I do believe it could be applied here. "Proper planning prevents poor performance." Not that I think Christmas is a performance, but I do think it needs proper planning in order for it to be focused and meaningful! (I totally can get caught up in the "expectation" of what it should look like, and I'm a serious procrastinator to boot!)

So, what should a celebration for Jesus look like? What do you do for his birthday? I'd love to hear your comments on this.

Hey You! Yah, you! Wanna Party For Jesus?

2012-10-25T21:06:00.000-04:00

It's Party Time!!!

My heart rate is going through the roof, I can hardly stand the excitement of sharing this with you. Shoeboxes. Who would have thought that filling a shoebox would bring us just as much joy as those we pack them for!

BLAWICKQLCJJPQJKFHBNDKWPFUVND. BLAAAAAA! I have so many thoughts running through my head I'm having a hard time getting it down here!

First things first. What shoeboxes?

Operation Christmas Child, a ministry of Samaritans Purse, is a wonderful way to be the hands and feet of Jesus to oppressed and needy children.

So many kids, so many needs and we get to be part of God's love around the world just in time for Jesus Birthday! In Luke 10:30-37 Jesus tells about a good Samaritan who helped a man that was attacked by robbers and left for dead. He didn't know him, didn't owe him anything, he was just helping in a time of need. He gives us a clear picture of God's desire for us to help those in need wherever we find them. Jesus said at the end of his story to “Go and do likewise.”

SO LETS DO THAT!

Ok, here's the deal. I want to have a shoebox packing party on Saturday, November 10th. I'm thinking 6:30pm sounds like a great time to start. YOU are invited! If you'd like to help pack shoeboxes for needy kids all over the world, please come!

I have tons of shoeboxes (ordered them from OCC website!), so we don't need those, just the fillers to go in them! All you need to do is drop me an email and let me know you're coming and I'll send you a list of items still needed for the packing party. You can then pick item(s) that you would be willing to bring several of and together we will fill boxes! They do need to have a $7 donation to ship the box as well, so if you could help out with at least 1 shipping fee, that would be STUPENDOUS! (Last year we made our donation online and just before Christmas OCC sent us an email telling us what country our package was delivered to! We opened that email Christmas morning.....loved it!)

The more people we can get involved the more fun it will be and the more boxes we can pack and send.

I can not wait! What a great way to wish Jesus a Happy Birthday!!!!!!

****UPDATE****

We had a blast! We were able to fill 33 boxes for these kids this night. Combined with our church's afterschool program, we filled 56 boxes!!! YAY!! Thank you for all who helped out.

If today were Halloween

2012-10-17T11:34:00.000-04:00

The trick is on me, if today were only Halloween.

I decided to be a handy sort of woman today and changed the headlight in my van myself along with checking the oil and tranny levels and filling my window washer fluid. (insert pat on the back here)

When I came inside, I was frozen, so I went to get my first cup of joe when I saw my son's lunchbag still on the counter. woops. So, I ran that down to his class.

On my second attempt to have a hot cup of joe, I realized we were out of creamer. I had a tiny bit of milk left that made it manageable.

My costume attempt - if today were Halloween.....

Because I was so chilly, I decided to test my fire-building skills in the furnace. We've had our furnace apart and worked on so as far as cold days, there haven't been that many to have to use it yet....but when I did.......

I started with my usual - a crumpled piece of paper and the good ol stand-by - empty Capris sun box. I whacked off a few small pieces of wood with my trusty machete and proceeded my pyro-fun.

The paper lit right up, the box as well and my sticks were right where they should be. I continued to add larger pieces of kindling and then my big pieces. I shut the door and walked away.

As I started to pick up the kitchen, smoke started billowing out of my register! WHAAAA? I ran downstairs to see what the problem was and my fire was stone cold out and a waft of dirty brown smoke filled my face and hair...clothes etc with a fresh ember stink. Lucky me.

I was all done playing games. I grabbed the torch, lit that baby up and with a witch like cackle, (ok, maybe not) began frying me up some naughty wood.

If you pass me in the hallways at school or at Walmart today....don't make fun.

I thought today was Halloween.

Pop Quiz

2012-10-16T09:43:00.002-04:00

Most nights we read the bible to our children using the Family Reading Bible. It guides us each night through the word and then gives us a couple of questions based on the reading and a couple for thought.

Last night the boys were anxiously applying the stall tactic - "mom, can you read the bible to us?" so I decided that I would give them a pop quiz on some of the major stories most of us know.

Me: Ok, boys, who had a coat of many colors?
Boys: silence....more silence....."don't know"
Me: Joseph! Remember, his dad gave him a coat of may colors? Ok, next question. Who sold
        Joseph?
Boy 1: His Brothers!
Me: Great! Who did God tell to build an ark?
Boy 2: Joseph!
Boy 1: silence
Me: No, it was Noah! Who parted the Red Sea?
Boy 2: GOD!
Me: got me on a technicality. Who's rod did God use to part the Red Sea?
Boy 2: Joseph!
Boy 1: Haman!
Me: nope, it was Moses.
Boy 1: It's so sad, mom, that his mom had to let him float in a river. (random?)

Enter Big sister

Me: Who had the coat of many colors?
Big Sis: Joseph!
Me: Who sold Joseph?
Big Sis: His brothers
Me: Who parted the Red Sea?
Big Sis: Moses!
Me: Who built the ark?
Big Sis: Noah!

Boy 1: UGH! I'M SO MAD I COULD PUNCH SOMETHING!

Okie Dokie...I think we need to pray!

Some nights go a little smoother than others....lol.

Supermans effects still wreaking havoc....

2012-10-01T16:47:00.000-04:00

Remember when my superhero flung himself on my windshield few months back? click here for the full memory. We did have them fixed....(it only took a new transmission for the wipers, haha), however, I think I'm still experiencing residual effects. What do you think?

Discipleship...what will happen to our kids?

2012-09-24T10:13:00.000-04:00

I love my church. I am so thankful for our leadership and for the family I have there. With every church though, there are areas that need bolstering.

Every year our youth director puts out a plea for Sunday school teachers, helpers for the teachers and nursery workers. Bless her heart, she's not one to beg and plead from the front of the church for people to be involved, nor should she have to.

I think the message has been sent out to participate in where you're gifted or where your passions lay...yet, not many are feeling that passion for our youth? Oh. My.

Hubby and I felt quite convicted last year about our lack of involvement in this department. Our children matter to us. Their spiritual growth matters to us. So why don't we participate in this portion of a Sunday morning? Finally, we've stepped up to do so.

I am going to be bold enough to say that I think hubby's involvement is even more important than mine because he's a man. Our men have stepped out of this roll in our children's lives for several years and we so desperately need them to spiritually influence our boys and girls. God has a great and wonderful charge for men to lead, and us women need to lovingly encourage them to do so.

Older youth are teaching our younger youth because of the lack of involvement from adults. If that were regular academics, we'd be furious if we found that out. We'd wonder how the younger children would receive the proper education and instruction, yet when it comes to spiritual matters it's ok?

Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that the older youth are involved with our younger youth. And thankfully we do have the older youth that are willing (and a handful of adults too) or we wouldn't have Sunday school.

The question is...where are our adults?

As parents, do we expect our kids to be spiritual giants if we never tell them about God and all he's done for us? Teach biblical principals? Train them how to live like Jesus? Act like it ourselves?

Deuteronomy 6:5-9 says: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.

Get involved in your children's spiritual wellness at home and at church. Help out in Sunday school. It matters. Not just for your kids, but others too. For some, Sunday morning is the only chance they get to hear about God. Talk about pleasing our Lord with investing that talent he entrusted to you (Matthew 25:14-30).

What will happen to our kids if we don't?

Bust a move

2012-09-14T09:39:00.000-04:00

Every once in a while I need to just let go and act ridiculous with my kids. We had ourselves a small dance party yesterday. Despite what you may think, I am NO dancer - just and awkward assembly of 90's moves that were once cool.

One child thought I had lost my mind with my performance while 3 others totally thought I was the bomb! (secretly she was thankful for such a cool mom, I just know it!)

I'm just saying, in light of the mundane-ness of the everyday grind, sometimes it's just nice to let loose and be a clown with your kids.

Try it. You just might like it.

Just passing it on

2012-09-11T13:58:00.002-04:00

I never thought too much of how pickles, beets, relish and other canned goods get from the garden to the jar. I would eat them, enjoy them, but not think too much of the process of development. My grandmother was a big canner. Once my Nana stopped making them, my mom took on the task of making some of the pickled treats that we love. She specializes in pickled beets though and Nan's mustard pickles were missing, so I decided it was time Icalled in the big guns (mom) and learned how to make them myself.

That was 2 years ago that my mom and I peeled and diced cukes till I thought I would cry.
It's taken that long for me to try it again! HA!

The other day, my good friend, we'll call him Gardener D, stopped by with a whole basket of cucumbers and asked if I wanted to make something with them. My mouth opened before my brain engaged and said "why, yes, of course, I'd love to!" (Maybe canning is like childbirth....you tend to forget the pain until it is upon you once again and then it all comes back to you.)

The kids were restless this past Saturday morning, so I set about charging each of them with a task. Laundry for one, sweeping for another and peeling cucumbers for the other. Quickly it became apparent that peeling was the sought after chore. (light bulb goes off - "hey, maybe I don't have to peel one cucumber myself...I can get the kids to help!")

With 2 peelers, a seed gutter and me dicing things were going along at a decent pace. Can't say there weren't some cucumbers that were looking mighty scalped on one side or still green in places after being attacked by the peeler, but hey, some help is better than none.

In steps my knight in shining armor....

My fantastic hubby quickly was firing off orders for the job to be done correctly and some serious seed-gutting and peeling mentorship was happening here.

Music was blaring, seeds and peels flying everywhere yet each child was having a blast trying new steps to getting these cukes ready for transformation from plain ol' cucumbers to the illustrious "Lady Ashburnham's".

These took a lot of effort, but the end result was worth it. The kids got to see the process of making mustard pickles. They don't just happen. Someone had to fuss with ingredients and show love through work for these to be created. Well worth our time and definitely some great memories made by just passing it on.

Just a Reminder

2012-09-04T09:16:00.000-04:00

The Lunch Delimma

2012-09-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

Packing a lunch for school is a really painful task in our house. One doesn't mind sandwiches but hates soup while the other likes soup and only likes Peanut Butter and Jam sandwiches.

The other day we sat down to discuss the lunch subject. I asked each child what they wish I would pack for them. I gave them a couple of stipulations: it can't be the same everyday and it has to be somewhat healthy. I got a list out and took notes. We covered sandwich types, soups, etc then went on to snacks. I was encouraged that my soup hater is now back in soup liking mode. (so they say!)

The kids I babysit said they get a Lunchable every Tuesday - great idea. Friday at our school is Pizza Day. So, really, I just need lunches Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.

I got some great tips from thelunchtaker.com.
you can freeze sandwiches for up to two months

If you like mayo on your sandwich, we found that Miracle Whip freezes better. It doesn’t get grainy when it thaws like mayonnaise can.
Never freeze lettuce, pickles, tomatoes or other veggie toppings. Pack them separately just like you would for a freshly-made sandwich.
Freezing works best for basic lunch meat and cheese sandwiches, or things like tuna salad or ham salad.
Yes you can freeze peanut butter and jelly!
The tip: spread BOTH sides of the bread with peanut butter, and put the jelly in the middle.

I also checked on Pinterst for some ideas and came across all kinds of lunch ideas just by typing in "Lunchbox"

This also led to a small bit of guilt when I realized how lame in the lunchbox department I have been! Once I started reading what other "Super-mom's" do for their kids lunch pails I was SHOCKED! It's like there is a lunch pail war going on out there. I do not wish to compete, however, there were some cute ideas out there I just may try.

Here are some of my favorite lunch ideas I will try: (we'll see how the kids like them, ha!)

Fruit, meat and cheese Kabobs
Apple sandwiches. (core an apple, and slice into rounds. dip in a little lemon juice. smear nutella or PB and oats over it and top with another apple slice!)
Pinwheel sandwiches.
Veggies and Humus
Yogurt & Berries, Big Pretzel Sticks

It never hurts to do a little research on even the simplest of subjects. We all can use a change now and then. I'm ready to kick off the new School year with a new arsenal of lunch ideas!

A Priceless Gift

2012-09-01T12:00:00.000-04:00

I sure do love my children. I want the best for each of them. I want them to be smart, kind, polite and have a quality filled childhood. Memorable in all the good ways.

I spend time with them. I tell them I love them, hug them, kiss them. I tell them I'm proud of them. I pray over them and with them. I read God's word to them so they can hide it in their hearts.

(insert my many imperfections because I am human of course)

Something I don't spend enough time doing is praying for their teachers. My husband and I are just 2 influences of many in their lives. School teachers leave a lasting impression on those little minds and hearts. They are trusted with educating our children with useful information that will hopefully stick with them their entire lives. A good relationship with their teacher is imparitive for healthy growth.

As I was thinking about this I decided to look around to see how I could best pray for my children's teachers. I found a great little list to give me a good start.

Let me share it with you so you too can pray for your children's teachers.

Prayers for My Teacher(s):

*For their protection:

-That God would protect our teachers from danger such as accidents and illness (Philippians 4:6)
-That the Lord would be their stronghold in the day of trouble (Nahum1:7)
-That the Lord would keep them from the evil one. (John 17:15)
-That God would give his angels charge over them to keep them in all His ways (Psalm 91:10,11)

*For their relationships at school:

-That our teachers would be gracious, full of compassion, and slow to anger, having great mercy. (Psalm 145:8)
-That they would learn that a soft word turns away wrath. (Proverbs 15:1)
-That they would be content with such things as they have knowing God will never leave them or forsake them. (Hebrews 13:5)
-That they would not be envious but respect one another. (Proverbs 14:30)

*For their relationship with God:

-That our teachers would come to know and believe that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life and that no one comes to the Father but thru Him. (John 14:6)
-May our teachers walk by faith and not by sight. (2Corinthians 5:7)
-That our teachers would ask God for wisdom which He has promised to give us liberally. (James 1:5)
-That their lives would shine out light into a dark world (2Cor. 4:6)
-That they would come to hate sin. (Psalm 97:10)
-That they would allow God to accomplish His purpose in their lives. (Philippians 2:13)

*For their teaching:

-That they would come to love and enjoy their students.
-That they would be excited about teaching.
-That they would be just or fair in their grading and testing of students.
-That they might be sensitive about how much homework to give.

Prayers for My Principal and other staff members:

-That the Principal would set a standard based on high morals and godly principles.
-That all the staff would seek God and His purposes for their lives.
-That God would give them wisdom when making decisions for the school .
-That the staff would treat students with respect and truly care about their well-being.
-That God would give the school a spirit of unity and cooperation.
-That Parents would be willing to work with the School to make it a great place to learn.
-For the Principal to have good communication skills and to be able to work well with others.
-For their physical safety and good health.

"The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. Psalm 145:18s

I hope this guide encourages you to pray for those molding our little ones minds as much as it has me. It's a priceless gift.

Are You Organized And Ready For Back To School?

2012-08-31T06:00:00.000-04:00

A fresh new school year. A great excuse to do some organizing. I'm thinking along these lines:

What is going to make the mornings go smoother than last year?
School Lunches
Quick, Healthy Breakfast Ideas
What can I do now to anticipate the craziness of pre-suppertime when children turn into 4 eyed food vacuums, frothing from the mouth looking for their next crumb to devour. (Food Prep)
When and where will homework happen?
Chores?
How much TV time is acceptable?
Preparation for the next morning?
How much of this is my job and how much of it should be the personal responsibility of the child - something to start teaching now if it hasn't happened yet.

Let's focus on just one today.

Smooth Mornings.
Is that possible? I'd say it can be, but it really does start with the parent(s). We as parents HAVE to get up early enough to get ourselves ready first and then help get the bambinos out the door.

Start figuring out how much time you need to get ready. For me, if I shower at night, I can get ready in 15mins. But if I get a shower in the morning, (ideal) I need a good 45 mins to 1 hour.

Then there is time with God (always a great start to any day). How much time I need depends on what I plan on doing but let's say I would probably need 15-30 mins. each morning to start the day out right. I can always add more later too, I just need to get on the right page first thing.
So I need to get up at least 1 hour before my family needs to start getting ready.

An evening routine would be ideal for a good start on the morning. Like having clothes already picked out, ironed if needed. Backpacks all packed except for lunchbags. Homework books all signed, not to mention homework done! My kids all get baths/showers the night before. I just can not add that to the morning...there's too many of us. We'd all have to get up by 4am just to make it to school on time. :) All the kids would have to do is get up, make their beds, get dressed, deal with the teeth, face and hair, eat, grab and go! (Sounds smooth and easy doesn't it?! We'll see.)

This year, I would like to try to fit in morning devotionals with the family. We usually read the bible and pray together before bed, but seeing that connecting with God in the morning is a great, fresh start to the day, I figure the kids should get to do this too. So, maybe when I get them breakfast, we can do a quick morning devo together.

School lunches are a subject all on their own, however, in thinking about lunches I decided part of a smooth morning is good prep for lunches the night before. I just bought some new plastic storage containers knowing I am going to need them for certain things I will send with my kids to school. I even took a moment and labeled them with my name in hopes that if a container goes MIA they'll have at least a name to associate it with.

Well there you have it. My thoughts on what the ideal morning should look like. Can't say that everyday will be a smooth one, but one can sure try planning ahead!

A Fresh Start

2012-08-30T08:51:00.001-04:00

Cause me to hear Your loving kindness
in the morning, For in You do I trust;
Cause me to know the way in which I
should walk, For I lift up my soul to You.
Psalms 143:8 NKJV

It's been so long since I've last posted. Between my computer being out of commission for almost a month and the busyness of summer I just haven't been able to connect with you. The great part is that routine is around the corner and I've got lots to say, Ha ha.

The verse above is one I memorized as a teen and have loved it ever since. It's a good reminder for me to start my day with God and ask Him for direction for the day. Too many days I get up with no aim for the day, yet lots to do. I tend to touch on a few things of unimportance in the scheme of Eternity (like doing dishes and mopping a floor) and spend little or no time with God asking Him what today should look like. By the way, when my "tasks" over take the day without consulting God, I find my days slip away, my importance seems small and smooth is found no where within that day.

Try starting your day out with God. This morning I opened my bible to the Psalms and read all the underlined verses that have meant something to me over the years. What a great reminder of who my God is and what He has done.