Exceedingly Abundant

Hurting Hearts

2012-01-31T18:27:00.000-06:00

I am sitting on the love seat, typing by lamplight, for the other end of the living room is dark and holds a sick, sleeping little girl. She's been throwing up since this morning and has finally relaxed enough to sleep a bit. I should have had a clue when I found her on the couch this morning, fully dressed, laying down with her blanket, just wanting to sleep. Why I didn't go get "the bowl" at that point, I don't know--guess that's what I get for trying to think positively.

I don't think there is much of anything that makes my heart hurt more than when one of my children is sick or hurting. And when that sickness also results in plans changing--plans that include the Harlem Globetrotters and much anticipated excitement--it makes me want to cry. I just want a "mommy magic wand" to wave over them and make it all better.

I guess God knew what He was doing when he gave mommies such sensitive hearts. After all, it's these hearts that instinctively know something is wrong without a word spoken, just by the looks on their faces. It's these hearts that make us want to don a cape and save the world, just for the sake of our sweet babies. And it's these hearts that will do it all over again tomorrow because we love them so stinkin' much.

But sometimes it hurts.

Love the Lord Your God

2012-01-28T20:51:00.001-06:00

One morning this week, my devotion for the day was centered around Deuteronomy 6.5-9. If ever there was a passage of scripture to guide our lives as Christians and as parents, this is it. I wrote the passage in my journal, making some notes for each part of the passage, and I thought I would share some of my thoughts:

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength..." I am to love the Lord with everything I have and everything I do. My walk must look the same as my talk.

"These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts..." I have to commit God's commands to my heart and mind before I can pass them on to my children. I can't give what I don't already have.

"Impress them on your children..." After I have filled myself, I am to pour that out onto my children so that they can know God's commands.

"Talk about them when you sit at home..." Include God and his desires for our lives when we do school, when we read books, when we do chores, when we live life.

"...when you walk along the road..." Continue that dialog when we are out and about in daily life, making sure it is reflected in all aspects of life, including in our talk and in the music we listen to.

"...when you lie down and when you get up..." Start and end your day with prayer, scripture reading and conversation about God and his involvement in our life.

"Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates..." Post scripture in prominent places so that is ever before us all day every day.

I loved what the footnote had to say in my Bible on this passage:

"The Hebrews were extremely successful at making religion an integral part of life. The reason for their success was that religious education was life-oriented, not information-oriented. The key to teaching your children to love God is stated simply and clearly in these verses. If you want your children to follow God, you must make God a part of your everyday experiences. You must teach your children diligently to see God in all aspects of life, not just those that are church related."

One of my favorite things about home schooling our children is that God is central in EVERYTHING we do (not that God can't be central to your life if you are not home schooling, but God gets to be a major part of our education here at home, and that is unfortunately not the case in public schools). We start our school day in prayer, then in reading the Bible story for the day and discussing what it tells us about God and what we can learn from it, and then we work on our memory verse for the week. I am blessed beyond belief when I sit down each day with my children both to teach them as well as to learn right alongside them.

Our faith in God must be an all day, everyday kind of thing, not just a Sunday morning thing.

What do you do to make your faith an integral part of life?

Progress

2012-01-17T16:17:00.000-06:00

I know I've made progress as a mother when I can look up, see a reflection of my daughter in the glass, notice that her face is buried in her bowl that formerly held veggies and ranch dip--and just smile. For I immediately know what she's doing--she's finished the veggies and is now literally licking the bowl clean. She loves ranch dip--after all, it's made with sour cream, and she could sit down with a carton of sour cream and a spoon and go to town. Gross, I know. But she loves it.

Back to progressing as a mother...there was a time that I would have immediately jumped up, told her that licking a bowl is not using her manners, and asked her to please stop. After all, licking a bowl is NOT using your manners. But in the grand scheme of life, is that really a big deal? I mean, really--have YOU ever licked a bowl clean because it held one of your favorite things and you had to get every last bit of whatever? I'm sure I have, especially if it held chocolate or something else ooey, gooey and sweet. Was she hurting anyone or risking injury to herself? No, not at all. Was she really cute when she came to me with her bowl in her hand and had ranch dip from the bridge of her nose to the tip of her chin? You better believe it!! :)

My type A self has learned a lot on this journey of motherhood. I'm far from perfect, but I'd like to think I'm in a better place than I was when I began. Life is too short to stress over the little things. There are bigger battles that are more worthy of my time and energy than the little piddly things, like licking a bowl clean when no one is around to be offended. I try to say yes to my kids as often as I can (I don't mean to unsafe or otherwise detrimental things--I mean to the questions of "can I paint on the easel?" or "can I play in the bathtub" or questions of those sorts), especially when saying no is self-centered and focused on MY desires rather than on the desires of my children to simply have fun and enjoy life.

It's amazing what God can teach us through our children if we'll just stop and pay attention. And it's amazing how much more fun we can have each day if we'll just stop and let our children take the lead!

A Simplified Christmas

2012-01-07T22:13:00.000-06:00

Receiving this book for my birthday last summer started me on a journey to simplify and declutter our home and our lives. I will be telling you more about this journey as we go along, but I've been spending some time reflecting (isn't that what new years are for?) on some things I did this past Christmas season that proved helpful in simplifying what is a very busy time of year. Here are a few things I did:

No gifts under the tree: After reading this suggestion on a blog I enjoy, I decided to not put gifts under the Christmas tree until the night before they would be opened. My hope was that it would be easier for all of us, but especially my children, to stay focused on the reason we celebrate Christmas and not just on the gifts we would be receiving. Having the gifts there for days, even weeks on end, is pure torture for my gift-loving children. Not having them there, however, worked wonderfully--I plan to continue doing this in years to come.
No cards until after the New Year: In years past, I have added "send Christmas cards and letter" to my ever-growing list of things to do during that crazy busy time leading up to Christmas Day. It usually just adds stress, and I don't enjoy the process like I want to (I like adding personal notes to my cards/letters rather than mailing them straight off the printer). This year, with no guilt attached, I chose to see how things went and do it when I had time--which ended up not being until after Jan. 1. I am preparing to send them out this week and hope our friends and family will enjoy receiving our New Year's greetings!
No guilt over gift sacks instead of wrapping and bow: If I had all the time in the world, all of the gifts I give would be boxed, gift wrapped, and tied with a fluffy, perfectly coordinating bow. Guess what? I don't have all the time in the world! When it came time to wrap gifts for whatever holiday gathering we were attending, if I had the time, I wrapped the gifts and topped them off with bows. If I didn't have the time, I chose gift sacks for the gifts and did not let myself feel guilty for doing so. It didn't seem to dampen the spirits of those receiving the gifts, either!
No "obligation" decorations: Our family hosts an open house (we live in a parsonage) the first Sunday of every December for our congregation. In years past, I always put pressure on myself to 1) put out ALL of my decorations, with no regard to whether I loved them or not; and 2) to put decorations in every room of our home, because you just never knew who was going to wander back into the master bathroom and be appalled to find there were no Christmas decorations in it! I changed my tune this year. First of all, I only put out the decorations that I wanted to and that I LOVE. If it wasn't one of my favorites or had no significant meaning to our family, it ended up in a box that will soon be taken to our local crisis center. Secondly, I allowed myself to be free to decorate where I wanted to and not decorate where I didn't want to.
No procrastination on thank yous: This was one of the best things I did for myself this year. In year's past, I began keeping a list of gifts received when the holiday season began. Being a pastor's family and being a part of a kind, generous congregation, we are blessed with many gifts throughout the holiday season. In my free time (you know how much of that there is during Christmas), I would sit down to a long list of gifts received and write the thank you notes. I am a stickler for sending thank yous, so I would never consider skipping it, but it was such a chore and so daunting to sit down to that long list. So this year, I purposed to write the thank you note THE DAY we received the gift. (I usually did not mail it for a day or two--I don't want it to be completely apparent how Type A I am!) The most I ever wrote in one day was two or three, and never did I feel like it was a burden to write them. Why didn't I think of this before now?? This will be my mode of operation from now on! The only thing I didn't do was require this of my kids--I just made a list of their gifts, and we've been working on them now that we are back at school. Next year, they will be writing their thank yous the day they receive their gifts as well. That will make it easier on all of us!

Do you have a favorite tip for simplifying the Christmas season?

New Look

2012-01-06T20:45:00.002-06:00

New year, new look. Simple. Goes right along with my recent journey to simplify and declutter. More on that soon!

Happy New Year!

A Day in the Life...Part 2

2011-08-23T20:56:00.000-05:00

The rest of the team that was not working at the hospital compound rode in a van to a village close by to construct a home for a family of AIDS orphans. I use the term "village" loosely. What it really felt like was driving down a winding, rough country road, stopping in the middle of a field of corn, and walking through the corn until suddenly there was a cluster of homes--again, "home" is used loosely. The two orphans lost their father already, and their mother is dying of AIDS. Their grandmother is what we would consider their primary caregiver, and this is where they were living:

As I took pictures of this shack, I realized that I am taller than this "home." I could see on the top of the roof. I caught a glimpse of the inside of it, and I don't see how three people could even begin to sleep inside of it because it was so small. And this is what we saw time and time again, family after family.

We built for them a two-unit home, each unit being 10 feet by 10 feet with a tall ceiling. We used no power tools at all--simply wood, a few hammers and saws, and nails. Simple. Not fancy. But it worked, and the home was complete in less than four days. Here's the finished product:

The black is not paint; it's creosote, which is a nasty tar-like substance, but it will keep the home bug-free and termite free for the family. We were asked to put the date and the names of our churches on the front trim of the house.

No electricity. No running water. Cement floor. No kitchen or bathroom facilities. In the U.S., the structure would have been a nice-sized tool shed. To these orphans and their grandmother, it was a mansion--truly "manna from Heaven," as one hospital official called it.

The thankfulness and appreciation of this grandmother when we dedicated her home and gave her the keys was almost indescribable. In a culture where people are so desperately poor and where there is so much corruption, it is simply unheard of to receive ANYTHING for nothing in return, much less a new home. She raised her hands in praise to God and sang and danced like you've never seen. It was very inspiring and very moving.

To be an instrument of hope to this small family was worth the trip itself.

2011-08-20T21:43:00.000-05:00

I promise "Part 2" of the previous post is coming! It's just that getting back to life, including starting a new year of homeschool and preparing to celebrate Benjamin's 8th birthday this week, is keeping me more than busy!! But until I have more time to write "Part 2" and others, I have a few quick pictures to post.

Have you ever wondered what it must be like for a momma to come back home to her babies after 12 days? Well, here's what it looks like:

Sweet, sweet reunion!

**For the record, I missed Mark as much as I missed the kids--I just don't have pictures! :)

A Day in the Life of our Mission Trip

2011-08-15T18:42:00.000-05:00

**NOTE: If you want to see more detail on the pictures I've included here, just click on them. They then show up a lot larger. Just click your back button to return to the post.

The majority of our trip was spent in Maua, Kenya. Our hotel rooms at the Maua Basin Hotel were small and very modest, but clean and very adequate.

The mosquito nets took a little getting used to. They never really bothered me in the night, but it was a bit of a pain to get the net situated all around your bed, making sure it either went all the way to the ground or was tucked under the mattress--only to then realize you still needed to turn off the lights!! That's when I became very glad that I had a flashlight--I could turn off the lights, get situated, and read by the light of the flashlight, and then switch it off when I was ready to sleep (or attempt to sleep, as was usually the case!).

We began our day with breakfast at our hotel. The staff at the hotel included about four super sweet ladies who bent over backwards to take care of anything and everything we might need. By the end of the week, they knew who drank what and how we wanted our eggs cooked! Our breakfast was very "American"--fruit, juice, eggs cooked to order, choice of meat, and toast. There was also cereal, but the milk always made me nervous (justified or not, I don't know), so I always stuck with what was cooked. The first day or two I ate some fruit and drank some juice (hibiscus juice, no less!), but after getting sick, I avoided those both in case they contributed to me being sick. (I got sick the day after we arrived in Maua. My sickness wasn't severe and lasted about 24 hours--it was not horrible, but bad enough to keep me from doing what I wanted to do. Remember the nice ladies who bent over backward to serve us? One of them brought a tray of food to my room the evening I was sick--room service is NOT the norm for them, but once she heard I was sick, she so wanted to accommodate me. Enough of that bunny trail...)

After breakfast, we walked 10 or 15 minutes to Maua Methodist Hospital (MMH). The road we walked on (which was a street to the locals) was very rough--lots of rocks. The first few days, I really wanted to gawk and look around, but I also didn't want to end up flat on my face due to those rocks. So I really had to pay attention to my walking!

The street was lined with store-front shops and kiosks where people sold their wares in an attempt to put food on their tables. Later down the road was a market area where people would come, spread out their tarp, and lay out whatever produce (or chickens!) they had that day to sell.

The market area--Market days were Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, which means the amount of traffic--foot traffic and otherwise--was crazy on those days.

Once we arrived at the hotel, we went to the chapel to start our day with the hospital staff and administration. Chapel was one of my favorite parts of the day. Nationality and skin color melted away very quickly as we joined our voices together to sing familiar hymns and to pray to the God of us all. The last day of chapel found me very teary to be leaving that behind.

After chapel we would break up into teams to work for the day. We had a "hospital team" and an "house team." Those who stayed at the hospital either painted or worked on the construction of some staff flats they are building there in the hospital compound. The painting is not a glamorous job or one that preaches well or inspires much, but it was a vital job to those who worked at the hospital. We all know how much good a simple coat of paint can do, and if work teams did not come in willing to do that work, then it probably wouldn't get done. Some of the funding that the hospital receives is based on the quality of their facilities, so the painting is vital in those terms as well.

Much of our painting centered around the X-ray department. MMH had recently received a new X-ray machine, and they decided if they had a nice, shiny new X-ray machine, then the department needed a new coat of paint to go along with it! (In case you wonder as you look at these pictures, that "Bermuda blue" as they called it is the official color of the Methodist Church of Kenya. So the whole hospital is painted cream and trimmed with ~~Smurf~~ Bermuda blue.)

This is me with the two local men in charge of the painting--Messiah and James.

I can't for the life of me get this picture to appear as it is supposed to!! When I upload it, it is right side up--but then it suddenly appears sideways!! Sorry for the crick in your neck!

A perk to working at the hospital compound was getting to break at 10am each morning for tea at the home of the missionaries! I could SO do tea every day!! The tea we were served is probably considered more of a chai than what we would think of as just hot tea. To go with the tea was fruit (fruit that was safe to eat--including yummy fresh pineapple and these delicious little baby bananas that are so much sweeter than anything we have here in the US!), cookies, bread, and........drum roll, please.....fresh cut chunks of the most heavenly avocados you could ever hope for!! Oh. My. Word. I loved those avocados. (Hmmmm...that could be the reason the scales showed about five pounds more when I returned home than when I left for Kenya!) Once during the week, we were also treated to maandazi, which is what I would call a Kenyan doughnut. (OK, there's another reason...) It was all quite yummy (in case you haven't picked up on that yet)!

As for the "house team"...that will have to be Part 2 of this post!!

Home From Kenya

2011-08-12T21:38:00.000-05:00

I have now been home from my mission trip to Kenya for 72 hours, and the "re-entry" process is much harder than I imagined! I spent 12 days fully engrossed in all that was involved with the trip--long travel, painting, constructing, worshipping, loving, crying, rejoicing, bonding, and more--and no where in any of that was laundry, child-rearing, bill-paying, grocery shopping, house cleaning and more! Throw in jet lag on both ends of the trip along with the stark contrast between life in the US and life in Africa, and whew! No wonder I'm struggling!

There is so much to tell and so much to process that it is hard for me to even know where to begin in the sharing of this trip. I haven't even gotten half way through all the stories and pictures with Mark and the kids yet! But I have to begin somewhere, so here are a few generic thoughts to get us started:

As heart-wrenching as it was to say goodbye to my family for 12 days, it was that joyous and more to be reunited with them upon returning to Texas. I could not get off of that plane fast enough! (Thank you, God, that my seat was at the front of the plane and not the back!)
As heart-wrenching as it was to say goodbye to my family for 12 days, God was so merciful and sufficient in making the time apart more than just bearable. It truly was okay--for all of us. A miracle in itself.
I never realized how much I would miss a hot bath, paved roads, a drink from Sonic with ICE, Mexican food, and falling into bed without having to arrange a mosquito net around me!
I never knew how much of a blessing an upgrade to Business Class or First Class could really be! For this 6' 1" gal with long legs, it's a huge blessing I was able to enjoy TWICE!! Grace indeed.

These are things I can type without tears running down my face. I'm not sure I can say that for the rest of what I have to share. But that will have to wait another day or two--this day has had enough tears already.

I will share a few random pictures with you, though!

For this mom, it took all of half a second for the children of Kenya to steal my heart.

Ditto.

Once again.

In all things in life, the good and beautiful can be found even in the midst of heartache. Kenya was no different.

Stay tuned for more!

You Just Never Know...

2011-06-30T21:10:00.000-05:00

…what God has up His sleeve! In less than one week’s time, a “double dinner date” with a pastor friend and his wife has turned into an opportunity for me to go to Kenya on a mission trip!! I have been praying about the possibility of going on some sort of a mission trip for several months now, and God has placed this in my lap, taken care of all the details, resolved a few conflicts, and made it all fall into place in such a short time!!

I will be going with a team from a church near where welive. We will be gone for almost two weeks. I have never left my family for that length of time, and I’ve told them that Jesus is the only one who could make me do so! We will be working with Maua Methodist Hospital and doing some construction projects at the hospital, building a home for a family of AIDS orphans, and conducting a one-day VBS for children in the village. I know it will be a tremendous opportunity to share the love of Jesus with those who have needs beyond my imagination. My heart is already broken for the needs that we will see, and I know this is just the beginning. (I’m prepared to just cry my way through the next 6 weeks!)

Please pray for us as we prepare for what is certain to be a grand adventure!!

Humility

2011-06-02T16:19:00.000-05:00

"Mama, are you going to wear your purple pajamas tonight?" she asks me.

"Yes," I reply. "Why?"

"Because I'm going to wear my purple pajamas because I'm a mommy, too," she states, holding her baby doll...

"Mama, where do you keep your purse?" she asks me.

"It's on the counter by the phone," I say.

"Okay," she says as she walks off, butterfly purse in hand, to put hers beside mine...

I stand in front of the ironing board, starching, ironing.

She appears with a tub of baby doll clothes, a princess spray bottle, and her own makeshift iron, to do what I'm doing...

Tears fill my eyes as I am reminded of just how much she watches me. Every day. Every move.

Oh, God, I fall so short each and every day. Through your mercy, may what she sees in me be pleasing to you. Through your grace, may what she sees in me be a reflection of you.

A Blankie, Some Kleenex and a Prayer

2011-05-18T14:39:00.000-05:00

I don't think I would be too off track to say that most of us mothers often wonder if what we are trying to teach our kids is really sinking in. Do they really listen to us? Do they see what we try to teach them in the living of life each and every day?

Last night, God, in His abundant kindness and grace, chose to give me a little glimpse of what my sweet girl is learning. After supper, I ended up on the couch with a migraine headache (something I haven't done in YEARS). Immediately Hannah began "mothering" me in such a thoughtful, kind way. She first brought me her favorite "blankie" and asked me if I needed anything.

Next she brought over a box of Kleenex, "just in case you need one." Pretty soon after that, she's back by my side with a hand-drawn picture of a rainbow that says, "Get better soon, Mom."

After baths and bedtime snacks were taken care of, Hannah came to me before getting in her bed and said, "Mommy, I'm going to say a prayer with you" and proceeded to ask the God of the Universe to please help her mommy's head to quit hurting.

And here I thought I didn't need the box of Kleenex.

Lessons from the Garden

2011-05-07T19:08:00.000-05:00

I spent some time in the flower beds yesterday. I have little experience with gardening, but I would like to learn more. We have some beds in our front yard that didn't seem to have had much care before we moved in almost two years ago. So yesterday I set out to remove a dead bush, pull weeds, and dig out rocks left over from the lava-rock landscaping that had been done several years ago, in anticipation of planting new, brightly-colored flowers and nice, green groundcover.

As I began the process of digging, pulling, chopping, and sifting, I realized the process was a good stress reliever, though somewhat difficult. After the past few weeks, a pretty hefty dose of stress relieving was certainly in order, so I set about to get as much done as possible. I could tell pretty quickly, though, that some soreness was sure to set in come morning.

I had plenty of time to do some reflecting as I worked in the flower beds, and the more work I did, the more I realized an important parallel that could be drawn between the gardening and many situations in our lives. In order to have the good stuff in our lives--what is good, lovely, admirable--it often takes some cleaning out and sifting first. The process can be difficult, painful, and not always fun. But it's necessary in order to make room for what is better. We can settle for mediocrity and ignore the weeds, rocks and dying plants that are around us. Or we can strive for what God really wants for us--life that is beautiful and abundant--knowing that while the process may be difficult, hard work and sometimes even painful, in the end, it will be very much worth it.

The Hole in Our Gospel: Final Thoughts

2011-04-16T22:27:00.000-05:00

Life happens sometimes, doesn't it? That is certainly what happened for me these past few weeks. I was not able to focus as much on our study for the final two weeks as I did for the first four weeks simply because "life" took precedence. But we did finish up our 6-week study last Sunday, and I've spent a lot of time this week thinking about what all I learned and what I can do to make sure I don't just put the book back on the shelf and go back to living life as I did before. Mark and I have talked about efforts we want to make to do our part in meeting the needs that are around us, and here are a few areas we want to focus on:

As I've mentioned in previous posts, we sponsor a child through World Vision. I would like for us to sponsor more children in the years to come. Wouldn't it be great to be able to add a new child each year?
Mark and I are praying about mission trip opportunities. Neither of us has ever gone on a mission trip outside of the U.S. With the season of life we are currently in, it doesn't seem like we would be able to take a trip together, but hopefully that can be a prayer for later down the road. For now, we will be looking out and praying for trips we each can take that can utilize our gifts and passions to make a difference in our world.
We also want to be on the lookout for something locally that we as a family can do. We know there are needs right here in our community that we either aren't aware of or simply haven't opened our eyes to. We don't know what this will look like, but we want to prayerfully be aware of the needs around us and see how God might be calling our family to meet those needs.

I know as time goes by, God will show us other ways He is calling us to make a difference for His Kingdom. The bottom line is, my life has been forever changed by all I have learned from "The Hole in Our Gospel" and the blind spots that have been removed as a result of this study. My prayer is that God will not allow us to go back to "life as usual" but will show us what He desires for us in order that we might be His light in the darkness that exists in this world.

The Hole in Our Gospel: Day 31

2011-03-29T16:06:00.000-05:00

I am SO excited to share with you what God has done!! I told you about going through my jewelry and putting three auctions on eBay to raise money to send to World Vision for my sponsored child's birthday. After reading the initial information from World Vision about the birthday parties they give each year in the communities where they have sponsorships, my goal for the auctions was to get $130. Honestly, I thought that seemed to be quite an aggressive goal, but I was willing to go out on a limb and trust God to do His thing!

Oh, ye of little faith!!! When my three auctions closed yesterday, the sales totaled just over $215!!! Can I even tell you how excited I was?? Is that God doing "exceedingly abundant" works or WHAT??!! I received payments today and plan to send it on to World Vision tomorrow. Praise God!!!

The Hole in Our Gospel: Day 26

2011-03-25T00:32:00.000-05:00

I have to admit from the start of this post that I am getting a little weary. We are in Day 26 of this quest through "The Hole in Our Gospel," and I am in week 9 of Beth Moore's "Believing God" Bible study that I am leading on Sunday afternoons. These could either one be time consuming on their own, so when you add them together...whew! I've really had to stay on my toes to keep up with them both, but oh, how it has been worth it!! God has wowed me throughout them both, often intertwining scriptures used and lessons taught so that I get it from both directions! Only God could take two studies that are so different from each other and orchestrate them to be in my hands at the same time, teaching me similar lessons from two very different angles. I love it when He does that! It really makes me perk up my listening ears, too, to get the same message from so many different places! Yes, God, I AM listening!!

So...I press on, believing that God, in His all-knowing ways, has a plan. And I don't want to miss it!!

I have to update you on my eBay auctions that are raising money for me to send to Honduras for a birthday party for my World Vision little girl. The auctions are exactly at the halfway point. There are three and a half days left in the three auctions, and the bids are currently at exactly half of what my goal is to raise!! I've done some little happy dances these past few days as I've watched the bids go higher and higher! I can't wait to see the final bids Monday afternoon!!

Today's focus in our six-week quest is on light--being light in a dark world. We were challenged to come up with an acronym for LIGHT that describes how God wants us to use our hands, feet, heart and head on behalf of the poor. Here is what I came up with:

L: Love them by faith--"The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." Galatians 5.6 (want to know why that verse was on my mind? Because it was the key verse for today's lesson in my Beth Moore study! :o)

I: Include them in my life.

G: Give sacrificially to their needs.

H: Help them with my actions, not just with my money.

T: Teach them about the love of God.

I have never gone on any kind of mission trip, but that is what was on my mind as I was thinking about this acronym. I have been thinking and praying about the right opportunity that God might have in store for me. You can be sure I'll share all about it when that time comes around!

The Hole in Our Gospel: Day 24

2011-03-22T15:23:00.000-05:00

The quest continues! The challenge for yesterday was to select one or more items you can easily live without and sell it (or them) on eBay. Then the money you earn can be sent to a favorite charity. After a little thought, I ended up at my jewelry box. If you know me, I have lots of jewelry and LOVE it all! But after a little pondering, I realized there were many pieces that I have not worn in a really long time--years for some of it. I went through everything and found about 20 pieces of jewelry that I could stand to part with. I posted it on eBay, and we'll see what happens from here!

Not coincidentally, in yesterday's mail, I got an envelope from World Vision. Inside of it was a birthday card for me to sign and return to them so that they could send it to the little girl I sponsor in Honduras (who happens to share my birthday! :o) Also included with the card was a note explaining that I could send a designated amount of money along with the card, and they would use that money, combined with contributions from other sponsors, to throw a birthday party for my little girl and the children in her community. Many children in poverty have never celebrated their birthday. Can you imagine if you were never able to celebrate the birthday of one of your children?? I can't. But I can try to imagine how much joy it would bring for my little girl and those in her community to get to experience a real birthday party, complete with goodies and gifts.

So guess where my eBay money is going to go?? I'm praying for big sales!!

The Hole in Our Gospel: Day 21

2011-03-19T11:05:00.000-05:00

I am playing "catch up" now after being out of town for several days, and I've been reflecting some on what all we've covered and experienced thus far in the first 21 days of our study on "The Hole in Our Gospel." (I can't believe we are half way through our 42-day study!) One of the quotes that arrested me--for lack of a better term--from the very beginning of the book is "Are you willing to be open to God's will for your life?" I immediately wrote that on a notecard and posted it on my bathroom mirror where I see it multiple times each day. (Some day I'll have to take a picture of my bathroom mirror for you--it's where all the important prayer requests, Bible verses, quotes, etc get posted so that I will see them each day, and it's become quite full!)

"Are you willing to be open to God's will for your life?" That's a scary question. At times, it's a no-brainer to me. Of course I am open to God's will for my life. I want what He wants for my life. Why would I want anything else? At other times, however, that's a question I tend to want to run away from. But what if His will for me takes me away from the places that I am used to? What if His will for me is uncomfortable? (chances are, it will be) What if His will for me is not what I want? What happens then?

As a preacher's wife, this question brings even more questions to my mind. When is He going to call us to move on to a new church? What if it's sooner than what we want? What if it's not as soon as we want? What if I'm not ready to start packing boxes again or preparing my kids for that transition? What if I was ready two years ago to move on?

But at the end of the day, my answer is absolutely, unequivocally Yes, I am open to God's will for my life. Here's what Renee Stearns had to say about this when her husband, who authored "The Hole in Our Gospel", was being called to be the President of World Vision:

"If we turn our backs on God's will for our lives, what makes us think we'll be better off? Maybe God is saving us from something we can't know--one of our kids getting into trouble, losing your job, a terrible accident, or worse." --"The Hole in Our Gospel," pg. 89

So maybe we feel like God's will might take us somewhere uncomfortable, even unsafe...what makes us think we will be more comfortable or more safe turning our backs on God's will??

While he was in the belly of the whale, Jonah said in Jonah 2.8: "Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs." I don't know about you, but comfortable or not, I certainly don't want to miss out on one ounce of grace that God wants to bestow upon my life.

So, YES, God, I am willing to be open to your will for my life.

The Hole in Our Gospel: Day 17

2011-03-15T23:04:00.000-05:00

I am out of town for a few days, but I wanted to share a quote from today's reading in "The Hole in Our Gospel." In my mind, it's food for thought and should make us all think about what we should be doing.

The Bible is clear from the Old Testament through the New that God's people always had a responsibility to see that everyone in their society was cared for at a basic-needs level...It is not our fault that people are poor, but it IS our responsibility to do something about it. God says that we are guilty if we allow people to remain deprived when we have the means to help them. --Richard Stearns, pg. 123

The Hole in Our Gospel: Day 14

2011-03-12T20:25:00.000-06:00

When we started this six-week quest, I wanted to include my children in it as much as possible. So we talk with them about the topic that is being addressed for a particular day, and when videos are provided for a certain day and are appropriate, we show them those as well. There are times that we never know whether a lesson we have attempted to teach them has actually stuck or not. But some of what we are talking about in regards to this six-week quest is, in fact, sticking.

Many, many times since we began talking with Benjamin and Hannah about the fact that many people in the world do not have access to fresh water, they include in their prayers, "Please, God, help those in Africa who don't have clean water." (Don't you just know God must smile to hear words like that come out of the mouths of His babes??)

Just last Sunday, as we were getting ready for church, Benjamin came into the bathroom where I was putting on my makeup and asked me why he couldn't take two dollars to church for the offering instead of just one. If you know me very well at all, you know I am a huge Dave Ramsey fan. We do his "Financial Peace, Jr." system with the kids, which is basically just a way of teaching them the life lessons of working to earn your money and then taking care of your money wisely. The way we have our kids set up right now is if they do their designated chores each week (there are five of them that they can earn money for), then they earn five dollars for the week. Of that five dollars, one dollar must go to their "giving" envelope, and then they typically choose to put one dollar in their "spend" envelope (for gum, piece of candy, etc.) and the other three in their "save" envelope for whatever they are saving up to buy. So I explained to Benjamin that if he wanted to give two dollars to the church each week, then he would need to choose how to divide up the rest of his money, and that two dollars going to the church would mean one less dollar for him to either spend that week or save. He barely even missed a beat and said, "Well, Mom, it's more important for me to give to the church than it is to spend money on myself. So I want two dollars each week to go to the church, and the other three can go into my "save" envelope. The church needs my money more than I do." I just melted into a puddle right there. I'm so grateful that my kids are "getting" it. God is good.

Shifting gears a bit, I wanted to share this quote with you that I came across this morning as I was preparing my lesson for Sunday School tomorrow:

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it." --Flannery O'Connor

The Hole in Our Gospel: Day 13

2011-03-11T21:20:00.000-06:00

After being challenged to read the first two chapters of "Same Kind of Different as Me" yesterday, I finally put the book down a little after midnight. I was about half finished at the time. I picked it back up today, along with a box of Kleenex, and finished it just over 24 hours after I began. Once again, God has removed a blind spot in my life and showed me yet another way He expects me to love on His people.

If you have not read this book, it's another one I would highly encourage you to read. I don't want to say too much about the book because I would hate to spoil any of it for you. Just know that you will turn the last page with a different mindset than you had when you opened the first page.

I had someone say to me that she expects a movie to be made out of this book--I think I agree. I would be the first in line to see it.

The Hole in Our Gospel: Day 12

2011-03-10T21:26:00.000-06:00

Our challenge today was to read the first two chapters of the book entitled "Same Kind of Different as Me." This is a book that someone gave to Mark a few years ago, and I tried to read it then--and didn't get very far. Honestly, I have no idea how hard I tried to get interested in it. I just remember picking it up off Mark's desk, skimming a few pages, and then putting it down. Since I am trying to immerse myself in this study in order to learn as much as possible, I was determined to give it another try today.

Mark brought the book home from his office at lunch, so as soon as the lunch dishes were taken care of, I promptly sat down with a cup of hot tea to try again to get interested in this book. The first thing I learned right off the bat was that this is a true story--I had no idea of that before today. I began reading, and before I even realized it, I was on Chapter 4--and our challenge was to read chapters one and two! I guess you can say I'm hooked.

I'm glad to have been encouraged to read this book because it opens up another area of discussion that we don't always like to consider as being "discussion-worthy"--the homeless. I don't yet know enough about the book to tell you that I've learned much, but I do know that God loves homeless people just as much as He loves me. I also know He expects me to reach out to them when He prompts me to do so.

I looked at the website for "Same Kind of Different as Me" and came across a FAQ section. One of the questions and its answer really stood out to me and answers a question that many of us struggle with. This is what it said:

Question: "What do I do when a homeless person asks me for money?"

Answer: "If God puts it on your heart to respond, then give them money, and don't judge them for what they do with it...that's God's job and you will receive the blessing." (from www.samekindofdifferentasme.com)

Just as with everything we encounter, I believe our job is to be obedient to God's calling on our life. The results and whatever follows is God's business, not ours.

The Hole in Our Gospel: Day 10

2011-03-08T21:17:00.000-06:00

A few quotes from today's reading that might give you some food for thought, as they did me:

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." --C.S. Lewis

"Christ is an all-or-nothing proposition, and one way or another, every one of us has already made a choice about Him. We have either committed our lives to Him whole-heartedly, or we have not...If Christ is Lord, then nothing He asked us to do is optional. His teachings become the operating system of our lives. So central was this truth that every action, every decision, every aspect of my life would now have to be defined by Him." --Richard Stearns, "The Hole in Our Gospel" pg. 83

The Hole in Our Gospel: Day 9

2011-03-07T21:33:00.000-06:00

I don't know about you, but I have lived my comfortable life as a middle-class American with many blind spots, especially in regard to my faith and what God expects of me outside of my comfortable little life. Over the past several months, however, God has been removing these blind spots and showing me both the needs that exist in this world and the responsibility I have in doing something if I want to truly be a follower of Christ. Many of these blind spots have been removed as a result of reading "The Hole in Our Gospel."

Here are some statistics that we were made aware of today, compliments of World Vision. Do they bring you to tears like they do me?

Out of 1,000 babies born in the United States, 6 will die before their fifth birthday.
In Haiti, 80 will die before their fifth birthday.
In Myanmar, 104 will die before their fifth birthday.
In Afghanistan, 257 will die before their fifth birthday.
In Sierra Leone, 270 children will die before their fifth birthday.

If I had been born in Sierra Leone instead of the United States, the chances of me having buried both of my children by now would be pretty substantial. Benjamin is seven. Hannah is almost six. The thought of not having them both with me right now is more than I can stand.

So what does God expect of us? Something. Not nothing. It will look different for all of us, but He expects us to do SOMETHING.

For this precious friend, her family's "something" is adoption. They are waiting for an orphan from Ethiopia to join their family.

For these sweet friends, their "something" is moving to the mission field in the Philippines so she can be trained in midwifery.

For some, it may be sponsoring a child through an organization like World Vision. For someone else, it will be another avenue of being the hands and feet of Christ to a hurting world. Your "something" will look different from my "something." But we all must figure it out. The sooner the better.

"This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." --1 John 2.5-6

**For more statistics like the ones above, go to www.holeinourgospel.com. Click on "Poverty Statistics" under the "Resources" tab.

The Hole in Our Gospel: Day 7

2011-03-05T21:47:00.000-06:00

As I have been preparing the lesson for Sunday School tomorrow (also over "The Hole in Our Gospel"), I have also reflected on this first week of our six week quest. There is a passage of scripture that God has managed to put before my face several times over the past few weeks (always a sure sign that I better sit up and pay close attention!), and it is from Isaiah 58. The people in this passage had been trying to do what they thought they were supposed to do in order to get right with God. God, however (as He always does), saw through these people's actions and into their hearts and knew their motives were shallow and insincere. After telling God all they had been doing for Him, including fasting, here is God's response:

Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter--when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? (vv. 6-7)

Pretty straightforward stuff. Now hear God's promises that follow that directive:

Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. (vv 8-11)

As Richard Stearns says, "This is a vision of God's people transforming God's world in God's way."

Whose way have I been following: mine or God's?

The Hole in Our Gospel: Day 6

2011-03-04T20:00:00.000-06:00

Our challenge for today was to skip eating out this week and buy one or more chickens for families in need. One chicken can provide a family with fresh, nutritious eggs every day, plus extra eggs to sell to others.

We did an altered version of this challenge. We were going to be spending today two hours away attending a funeral, making a hospital visit, going to a doctor's appointment, and running a few errands. By the time we did all of this, we ate both lunch and dinner, as well as a snack, away from home. So Mark suggested that we take the amount that we spent today on food and spend that much on this challenge.

We are not extravagant in our eating out, but we still spent more in one day than many families in this world spend on food in one month. So after perusing the World Vision gift catalog, we chose to purchase a goat for a family in need. According to World Vision, "Goats nourish hungry children and families with healthy milk, cheese, and yogurt. Goats also give a much-needed income boost by providing offspring and extra dairy products for sale at the market. A healthy dairy goat can give up to 16 cups of milk a day. Goat milk is easier to digest than cow’s milk and is an excellent source of calcium, protein, and other essential nutrients that growing children need. Goats are practical animals — flourishing in harsh climates while producing valuable manure to fertilize crops and vegetable gardens."

From World Vision website
Isn't this boy precious??

"If you can't feed 100 people, then just feed one." --Mother Teresa

The Hole in Our Gospel: Day 5

2011-03-03T13:15:00.001-06:00

Focus of the day: hunger

Personal action suggestion: Think about a day in your life when you were really, really hungry.

I've thought about this for a few days now (I am so excited about this study that I cannot help but look ahead, so I always know what's coming and have been thinking about it before it gets here!). I honestly cannot think of many instances where I was really, really hungry. I remember feeling absolutely famished after delivering both of the kids, but I had probably been without food for, at most, 12 or so hours. I had a similar feeling after my surgery a few months ago, but again, I had only been without food for 18 hours or so. I did a three-day fast once, but still drank liquids, so even that does not qualify as extreme hunger. For whatever reason, I am blessed to have never been in a position that I was truly starving.

According to World Vision, "Every three seconds a child dies because he or she was hungry."

That is almost more than this mommy's heart can take.

We, as wealthy Christians in America, can no longer ignore issues such as these.

"If you can't feed 100 people, then just feed one." --Mother Teresa

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. James 1.27

The Hole in Our Gospel: Day 4

2011-03-02T17:14:00.000-06:00

From the Hole in Our Gospel "Personal Action Journal":

Is there enough money--among the richest people in the world--to eliminate poverty? Are you rich? Could you help?

There are websites you can go to that let you enter your annual income and will then tell you where you stand among the world's richest people.

Eye opening.

Our family is a one-income family. That one income comes from a United Methodist pastor. We live in a small town in the Panhandle of Texas.

We are among the top 1% of the world's richest people.

The top 1%.

There is such a disparity between the rich of this world and the poor of this world that it is almost unimaginable. And we are far from rich. We are extremely blessed and very well provided for, but we are not rich.

Unless you talk to the family in India that sleeps seven family members in their one-room mud shack that is smaller than my bathroom and attempts to live on less than $2 a day.

Then yes, we are rich.

The Hole in Our Gospel: Day 3

2011-03-01T19:07:00.001-06:00

Today our focus is on our possessions and that much of the world's poor can fit all of their belongings into a small suitcase. Our challenge is to select just FIVE of our possessions and pack them into a small suitcase.

This has taken a lot of thought for me to decide on five items. I've thought a lot about how many of our possessions are wants, not needs. There are many, many things in our home that I could certainly live without. I've thought of the boxes that are stored in the garage, full of things I think I need or might need someday. There are many, many things I could stand to get rid of. Simplification is something I've thought about a lot the past several months. Today's challenge has made me consider it to an even greater degree. Much of the time, our excess stuff simply weighs us down and actually causes us stress.

After pondering my five items throughout the day, here is what I came up with:

The Bible and the toothbrush were easy and are pretty self-explanatory. They were followed pretty quickly by the blanket. Curling up with a blanket is a very comforting thing to me. It would serve as warmth when necessary and could also serve several other purposes if need be. It could be a curtain, clothing wrap if need be, or tablecloth.

The final two items took a lot more thought. I finally decided on the laptop after Mark suggested it. With the beauty of today's technology, I could keep in touch with family and friends and do so many other things by having a laptop. I thought all day and couldn't zero in on the fifth item, so I finally decided I would choose a change of shirt. (I could have overanalyzed this whole exercise, which would never have resulted in any decisions, but I just had to take it at face value and decide.)

Can you imagine living life with only those five items? Life would certainly be simpler. Not easy, but simpler.

What would you pack?

**Nearly 3 billion people (half of the world's population) live on less than $2 a day. (World Book, 2004)

The Hole in Our Gospel: Day 2

2011-02-28T20:00:00.000-06:00

Focus of the day: water

Personal action suggestion: invest 12 hours in experiencing a day without water

I started my day with one cup of hot tea and breakfast, then took my vitamins with a glass of water. Since then, I've been without water for the past 12 hours. I expected this to be very difficult, as I drink a lot of water and tea throughout the day. Some of the time I was busy and hardly took notice of my fast. At other times, it was on my mind almost constantly. It is nearing the 12-hour mark, and I absolutely cannot wait to get a glass of water to drink. (It doesn't help that I exacerbated the issue by having some salty chips at dinner--wow, am I thirsty now!) As Mark mentioned to me, an exercise such as this certainly brings the issue of clean water availability to the forefront of our minds, but never could we truly know the suffering and deadly effects of a lack of clean water without living it daily.

Statistics from today's lesson:

one in every six people worldwide do NOT have access to clean water
in the Central African Republic, the life expectancy is 39 years
85% of its population is without clean drinking water
unsafe water and sanitation causes 80% of all sickness and disease and kills more people than war
women and children walk for hours to find water, missing school and work (the water they find is hardly what we would consider drinkable)
clean water is available underground--they simply need the resources and training to build and maintain water wells
1 well = water for 400 people lasting 20 years
no other humanitarian intervention has more impact than access to clean water

Our workbook includes this startling fact:

A child dies every 21 seconds from a water-related disease. This amounts to nearly 6,000 deaths, or the equivalent of 20 jumbo jets crashing every day.

And we've been content to turn our backs on situations such as these?? I have been.

Until now.

http://www.charitywater.org/
http://www.worldvision.org/

The Hole in Our Gospel

2011-02-27T15:16:00.000-06:00

Today, our church is embarking on a six-week quest to study "The Hole in Our Gospel" by Richard Stearns, the President of World Vision. I am so excited about this study and have been praying for weeks for all that God is planning for our church. It is my prayer that we will all be open to what God wants us to hear during the next six weeks AND that we will be willing to change as a result.

I first read this book after receiving it back in the Fall at a Women of Faith Conference. I signed up at the conference to sponsor a child through World Vision and was given a copy of this book. I brought it home, immediately began reading it, and soon my life was changed. I am so looking forward to reading it again while going through the small group study with my Sunday School class and working my way through the Personal Action Journal that accompanies this church study.

I have decided to share some of my experiences on this journey here on my blog. Some posts may be on a sentence or two from the book that really spoke to my heart that day. Or I may share with you about the "Action" suggestion that was given for that particular day (I know for a fact that I will be stretched through those Action suggestions--I've look ahead and read some of them!). No matter what I feel led to share here about how God is working in my life, I hope and pray that God will use it for His glory, however He sees fit.

I'm putting on my seat belt because I have a feeling I'm in for a wild ride!!

"Beauty and the Beast" and Homeschool

2011-02-24T10:18:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite parts of homeschool is that I can incorporate the happenings of our life into our schoolwork. For instance, tonight, we are going to see the Broadway production of "Beauty and the Beast" (can I even tell you how excited I am about this?!?!). So part of our schedule for school today looks something like this:

Read aloud "Beauty and the Beast"
Watch clips online of what we can expect of the production
Research online and learn about theater etiquette
Hannah's handwriting practice: write "Beauty and the Beast", "Belle" and "Gaston" while reviewing the use of capital letters in names and titles
Benjamin's writing assignment: write a paragraph about theater etiquette
Beauty and the Beast activity sheets and coloring pages (isn't the Internet a wonderful tool?)

I thank God everyday for calling our family to homeschool, and days like today, where we incorporate "life" into our schoolwork make me all the more thankful. It's so much fun!!

In Control...Or Not

2011-02-15T14:07:00.000-06:00

I guess if we let it, life can be an on-going lesson about something, can't it? I had an interesting learning experience following my appendectomy (see previous post) that was rather revealing to me--about myself.

First of all, the somewhat-emergency appendectomy was the first surgery I've ever had--except for the tonsillectomy I had at age 3, and needless to say, I don't remember much about that experience. (Though I do have a few very vivd memories that would make a good post for another day...) Throw in a couple of dental procedures that involved that nasty gas, and that is the sum total of my experience with anesthesia.

After I came home from the hospital and slowly turned back into a person again, I began to realize there were many holes in my memory from the experience that began in the emergency room and ended in the operating room and later, a hospital room. For beginners, I didn't know what took place in my home not long after the adventure all began. When I began getting sick that Friday evening, we didn't know how serious an issue we were dealing with, so I started out by going to our after-hours clinic at the hospital. Mark didn't want me driving myself, so he and the kids dropped me off, and he returned home with the kids--to either await my call to return and pick me up, or make arrangements for someone to stay with the kids so he could join me at the clinic. One exam led to another, and one test led to another, and following a few text messages and phone conversations, I was moved from the clinic to the ER and then Mark was by my side. After that, things got a bit crazy as we were told I needed my appendix removed, and we needed to decide what hospital we would go to (our small town hospital doesn't do appendectomies and such), and here, we'll give you some medicine that will make your transport more comfortable, and...what about my kids? Who will take care of my kids? (insert dreamy music as my head begins floating through La La Land as the drugs take effect)

As I began replaying all of this in my head while recovering, more holes became apparent. Did I say goodbye to Mark and my parents as they wheeled me into surgery? For that matter, when did they even put me to sleep? I didn't even remember the trip down hall, much less going into surgery. What did Mark do/think while I was in surgery? What about after the surgery--when did Mark first get to see me? Was I in recovery or back in my room? It began to really bother me when I couldn't remember what had happened or realized that things happened as I was under the influence of anesthesia and other drugs that I was not aware of. I felt a need to get answers and fill in these holes before I could be at peace with the whole experience. I needed to get all the pieces to this puzzle in front of me so I could get it all put together and be able to take in the whole experience.

That was such an odd thing for me--to have so many things that were involved with that weekend that I did not remember or know what had gone on. And that doesn't even take into account the time I was away from my kids and they were in the care of hands besides mine. What were they thinking during all of this? Were they ever scared? (There isn't much that hurts my heart more than to think or know that one of my kids is scared.) What did they eat? Who did they play with?

For several days that following week, I was constantly asking Mark and the kids questions so I could get this all figured out. I finally realized...this is the controlling part of me! I don't like to admit that!! But I really like it when I know what is going on now and what is going to go on in the future and how it is going to go on and...I just like to have a sense of control.

I've grown a lot in this area over the past few years, and I really do believe I have a healthy desire for control and order combined with an intense trust in the One who is really in control of it all. I wasn't frantic about figuring everything out...but I certainly wanted to learn what I didn't remember or know about all that had taken place.

When it was all said and done, I came to terms with the fact that I may not have been prepared for all that went on, and I was in control of very little of what went on. But NONE of it was out of the control of the One who has EVERYTHING under control, all of the time.

Finding the Good

2011-01-15T15:05:00.000-06:00

For someone whose natural inclinations are to be in control, care for her family, and care for her home, the last week has been completely out of my comfort zone.
After being sick for a few hours last Thursday evening, the sickness came back along with a great amount of abdominal pain late Friday evening. I spent several hours in the emergency room having blood work and tests done, which resulted in being told I need to have my appendix removed. I had the surgery Saturday morning and was back at home by noon on Sunday.

Before being discharged Sunday morning, the surgeon came in one last time with instructions and final thoughts on my surgery. His words “you should be back to 100% in 10 days to two weeks” were not what I expected to hear. Now, the only surgery I’ve ever had in my life was a tonsillectomy when I was three years old. I don’t remember much about that recovery except for ice cream and popscicles! I have heard enough stories from others to know, though, that I will need to follow the surgeon’s instructions or else I will be sorry.

As I’ve spent much of my days recovering in the recliner, I have had plenty of time to reflect on the events of the past week and to realize that even in the midst of unexpected adversity, I am truly extremely blessed:

• I have an incredible husband who has done an amazing job of being Dad, Mom, nursemaid and more. He has served me with such a willing servant’s heart, and I am so thankful for all he has done for me.

• I have two sweet, sweet kids who have been so thoughtful and kind to Mommy as I have been unable to do much of anything for them this week. They have helped me when I needed it with a smile on their faces and without complaining.

• I have an enormous and loving support system of friends and church family who have helped us this week by providing abundant meals each evening, helping to care for the kids, and doing anything else for us that might be needed.

• I was very fortunate with my surgery in that my appendix was not burst or perforated, and the surgeon was able to remove it laproscopically. It could have been so much worse and more complicated.

So even though I have not been in a position to do those things that I am normally used to doing and life has felt a little—no, a lot—out of control, God has reminded me Who is truly in control and has blessed my family and me beyond what we could have even asked under the circumstances.

Organizing Christmas

2011-01-04T11:49:00.000-06:00

I'm always looking for better ways to be organized and efficient, and I think I've hit the jackpot in organizing my Christmas decorations!! We store all of our Christmas decorations in plastic totes, and they sit on shelves in our garage. To give you an idea of how many decorations we have, I'll confess that it takes about twenty plastic totes to store it all! I have small collections of nativity sets and churches as well as decorations for practically every room in the house. (I also store much of what we have in its original boxes, so that takes up a bit more space--but it also keeps things packaged safely so that when the time comes for us to move, we don't lose anything due to breakage.) We LOVE Christmas and obviously go all out with our decorating. It's certainly not Southern Living-worthy by any stretch of the imagination, but we do love spreading holiday cheer all over our home during Christmas!!

With that many decorations, it easy to see how the process of decorating and undecorating could be pretty overwhelming and stressful--especially when you are a recovering perfectionist to boot! Last year I decided to get really organized with storing my decorations in order to make the process easier and more enjoyable (after all, who wants to be stressed out over decorating for Christmas?). Here's what I used:

plastic totes (Use the normal sized ones and not the extra super large--I learned that lesson the hard way. The extra super large ones are impossible to carry once filled!!)
clear packing tape
index cards
paper and pen/marker

I began packing up the totes in a room by room or area by area manner, rather than willy-nilly pack-it-however-it-will-fit-in-the-tote, as I had done in years past. As I packed a tote, I also noted on an index card what all was going into that tote. Once the tote was packed and everything noted on the card, I labeled the tote and the card. I used "C-A", "C-B", "C-C", "C-D" etc.--the "C" designating it as Christmas (because this is also how I store other decorations, paper goods, etc, that I don't have room for in the house and therefore must be stored in the garage, and I don't want to get the different totes mixed up), and then the A, B, C just as my method of labeling. You could also use numbers if you'd rather (I use numbers instead of letters for the boxes of income tax records and other financial records that I have to keep stored.) In the top right-hand corner of the index card, I would write "C-A", and then on two pieces of paper, I would write "C-A". The two pieces of paper then would be taped to two sides of the totes--on one end and on one side, so that no matter which way the tote sat on the shelf, I would be able to see the label. Here's what the finished product looks like:

Tote with labels on side and end, and index card labeled in same manner with contents noted on it.

Close-up of index card

Finished produce on shelves in garage (you can also see the brown u-haul storage box with the "1" on it--that is box #1 containing financial files...which also has an index card in my file that notes exactly what's in there!) You will notice that the boxes are not placed on the shelves in alphabetical order. My sweet husband is the lucky one who gets to haul everything to the garage and get it put on the shelves. I don't stand there demanding that they go in alphabetical order--but you can if you want! :o)

Once you are finished with the process, you will need a place to keep all of the index cards. I keep mine in a plain file box along with the index cards for the boxes of financial records I have stored and for the other totes of "stuff" that I have stored. That way they are all in one place and easy to find.

The process is a bit time-consuming to set up, but it's oh-so-worth-it in the end. When I was decorating right after Thanksgiving, it was so easy to get out one tote at a time and know exactly what was in it and where I wanted it to go. For instance, I wanted to start out with the mantel and living room area. So I pulled out my index cards and flipped through them until I found which totes had those particular decorations. And since I packed things up last year in order by where those particular decorations go, I was able to bring in one tote that held everything for the mantel. That was so much better than having to bring in 12 different totes all at once and having to search through them to find what I needed. It simplified the decorating process by making it less stressful, less messy, and much more efficient.

The putting away process has been much easier this year as well. I haven't had to guess at what goes in which tote. I've just pulled out my cards, started with one tote, found everything that belonged in it, packed it up, and then moved on to the next tote.

If you are needing some organization help for your Christmas decorations, I hope you find this beneficial! And if it's clear as mud and you need some clarification, just leave me a comment and I'll do my best to make it more clear!!

Merry Christmas 2010

2010-12-23T10:36:00.000-06:00

During this most wonderful time of the year, our family reflects on 2010 by wishing you a very Merry...

C -- Children: Benjamin is now seven years old, and Hannah is five and a half. They are the lights of our lives, and we enjoy life with them so much. Benjamin loves anything that involves a ball (he’s quite the left-handed athlete!), especially when Dad is playing with him, and Hannah still loves her dance class so much. They both also go to gymnastics every week, which is a great outlet for their enormous amounts of energy!

H -- Homeschool: We love our homeschooling life and enjoy the flexibility that it affords us. We started our year in mid-summer so that we could take more breaks throughout the school year, and that has worked out well. Benjamin is in second grade this year, and Hannah’s school work includes some kindergarten work and some first grade work. I am so blessed to be able to spend my days teaching them (I’m learning quite a lot myself!). I could not be happier.

R -- Rangers: We took a family vacation to Arlington in May and were able to take in a couple of Texas Rangers baseball games. We had a blast while we were there and included a tour of the new Cowboy Stadium—quite a sight! We enjoyed cheering the Rangers on throughout the season—all the way to the World Series!!!

I -- Insanity: Just kidding! That was Mark’s choice of words for “I”! We love our life in Perryton and continue to be blest by serving the FUMC here. We do try hard to not live an insanely busy life, but like everyone else, we do have our moments of craziness!

S -- Sadness: Though we have had a very blessed year, it was touched with sadness when Mark’s dad passed away in March. After a long battle with PSP (progressive supranuclear palsy), it was a bittersweet time to release Ken to heaven. We rejoice in his healed body, but we still miss his presence here with us.

T -- Tenth Anniversary: Mark and I celebrated our tenth anniversary with a trip to New York City. We took in almost all of the touristy attractions and really loved our time there. For me, the best part was seeing “Mary Poppins” on Broadway (LOVED IT!!!); the worst part was Mark suggesting we try out the NYC subway during rush hour!

M -- Mark: Mark is enjoying his ministry here in Perryton as he is in the midst of his twentieth year as a pastor. When he’s not playing with the kids or hanging out with me, Mark continues to enjoy golf as his hobby and best source of therapy.

A -- And, last but not least (this is really testing my acrostic skills!!):

S -- Stay-At-Home Mom (SAHM): I have friends who struggle with staying at home, but I absolutely love it! Homeschooling the kids, running our home, and having time to lead Bible studies and be involved at church are just a few of the perks I enjoy in this role. God has blessed me with a small circle of moms here in Perryton who also fulfill the SAHM role, and we enjoy getting together regularly and encouraging each other in our roles as wives, mom, and homeschool moms.

We know this Christmas finds you all in various seasons of life. Wherever you are, we pray God’s peace, comfort and joy for you and your family as we celebrate the birth of our Savior.

Pumpkin Roll Disaster

2010-12-21T10:10:00.000-06:00

Last week, Mark and I hosted a luncheon for our church staff and their spouses. Last year I cooked the entire meal, but this year, Mark suggested we have the meal catered. I said that was great, but that I wanted to do the desserts--I felt like I needed to contribute somehow!

I decided to do pumpkin rolls for our dessert. For the record, I have made pumpkin rolls before--successfully--so it's not like I was going out on a limb trying something new. But for whatever reason (I did use a different recipe this time, so I don't know if that is to blame or what), this is what the rolls turned out to look like:

No amount of powdered sugar sprinkled on top was going to fix those cracks! Needless to say, I was rather stressed. This was the only contribution I was making to the meal, and it was now a disaster!! The thought of ditching THREE pumpkin rolls to make another dessert was just too wasteful. At the advice of my clear-thinking husband, I stopped pacing the kitchen, covered them with plastic wrap and put them in the refrigerator until I could decide what I was going to do.

What do you do when you have a disaster in the kitchen??? Call Mom, of course!! So I did and told her what had happened. She suggested I make a trifle out of the enormously cracked pumpkin rolls. What a great idea! So I made a double batch of the filling recipe, toasted some chopped pecans, and created this:

If you are like me and think the cream cheese filling is the best part anyway, this trifle was heaven on earth--a little bit of pumpkin roll and a BUNCH of cream cheese filling!!!

Diaster averted! Yeah, Mom!!

Holiday Cooking and Spending

2010-12-15T14:31:00.000-06:00

After an early morning trip to the grocery store, this is what the top of my kitchen cabinet looks like:

That's quite a pile of ingredients, isn't it? I guess it's obvious where I'll be spending much of my time over the next few days!

In addition to making two batches of candy and three pumpkin rolls for the church staff luncheon we are hosting tomorrow, there's ingredients in that pile to make Christmas jelly and pretzel candy that will be gifts to the kids' Sunday school teachers, as well as all the good stuff that I needed to make my most favorite hot chocolate recipe! There is also the makings for meals that I'll be delivering to two different families over the next couple of days--one family that just had a new baby and one that will be having their new baby next week.

A friend remarked to me today how one's grocery bill can go sky high during the holidays. Honestly, though, ours hasn't really been affected. Why? Because of what I wrote about in this post: using coupons, combining them with sales, and stockpiling. Since I am in the habit of doing these things, I already had the meat and vegetables on hand to prepare the meals for the two families I referred to (plus my own family; if I'm cooking for someone else, I double it to feed my family so that I can save time and effort!); and the dessert is being made from ingredients that were all on sale this week at the store. So I bought a few more ingredients to add a fruit salad to the menu, and it was done. That, plus everything else I needed to feed my family for the next week and a half, and I was well under my budget. I even had enough left over to stockpile some other items that were at rock-bottom prices this week.

If you aren't in the habit of couponing or shopping sales and stockpiling, maybe that can be something you consider as a New Year's resolution. The New Year is just around the corner, you know?!

Where to Start

2010-12-13T16:35:00.000-06:00

There have been so many things floating around in my head over the past couple of months, yet none of them have ended up here!! My sweet friend often refers to herself as a frustrated perfectionist--you know, a person that thinks if it can't be done perfectly, don't even start. I suffer from this syndrome from time to time. It especially seems to affect me in blogging. I think if I can't write a beautifully fluent, inspiring post, then I'm not going to write at all.

I need to get over that, don't I? I've come to terms in many areas of my life with the fact that I can never do "it" (whatever "it" is at the time) perfectly. So I just do the best I can and move on. I've gotten pretty good at it most of the time. This needs to carry over into my blogging!!!

So, know that I'm working towards that end and plan to get on here soon to post...something.

I just have to decide which of the many things that are floating through my head to start with!

Thankful Things

2010-11-24T16:26:00.000-06:00

In no particular, a few things for which I give thanks:

Clean closets, cabinets, and garage--after going on a rampage and spending the past couple of weeks "simplifying", it's done! Oh, it makes me happy!
My kids love each other--they are making the most out of their time off from school. Every day this week, as soon as the last bite of breakfast hits their tummies, they are off, in full force, to play for the entire day--with very few tiffs. My prayer is that they will always be each other's best friend.
My thoughtful husband--whether it's something small or quite significant, it's always reassuring to know we are on the same team and that he always has my back.
God's stretching--I'm so glad He loves me too much to leave me where I am. He's doing a lot of stretching on me right now, and even though it's a little unnerving, I know it's going to lead to great things!
Friends--especially those that God is also stretching at the same time as me! It's good to have a friend or two or five to travel life's paths with.
Abundance--and I'm not talking about money or things. We have food in our cabinets, clothes on our backs, and a warm home to live in. That's more than most people in this world can claim.
Medical knowledge--I have an ear that has been clogged and ringing for several days straight, and I'm so thankful that there are doctors with the knowledge and medication on hand to fix it! Otherwise, this ringing might just drive me straight to the funny farm!
Christmas shopping on the internet--'nuff said!
Family--what a good feeling to have people to love and who love you in return! Can't wait to spend Thanksgiving with mine!
Blessings--there is not enough time in the world to finish this list of things for which I am thankful. That in itself is reason to give thanks.

What are you thankful for?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Baseball Unit Study

2010-11-04T14:17:00.000-05:00

It was fun to take a break from our usual studies last week to spend some time studying baseball in honor of our favorite Texas Rangers and their appearance in the World Series (Yes, we are sad that they didn't win it all, but we are still so proud that they were even there!). Some of the things we studied included a team of the day (we studied the four teams that played for AL and NL championships), a person of the day (including Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Jackie Robinson, and Nolan Ryan), some baseball terms and rules, and some baseball-related math (the kids' favorite math problems were the ones that involved going to the concession stand for food!). Benjamin learned a lot about dictionary skills while looking up different baseball terms, and Hannah worked on her lower-case letters while copying the baseball terms we were studying. We also learned to sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and made a trip to the library, which resulted in us bringing home umpteen books on baseball!! (I know there was probably more than that, but it's all I can think of right this minute as I hurriedly try to get this post done before heading out the door!)

We ended our study with a World Series Party complete with homemade lemonade, hot dogs, nachos, raw veggies and dip, Cracker Jacks, and build-your-own ice cream sundaes. It was great fun!! Here's some pictures from our fun week!

Here's Hannah helping me squeeze the lemons for our lemonade. (It was SO yummy! Why in the world do we ever buy a mix for it??)

These are the decorations Benjamin made especially for the party!

Benjamin & Hannah decked out in their Rangers gear, ready to party!!

Our modified menu of baseball foods: turkey hot dogs on whole wheat buns, nachos made with baked chips, and raw veggies with dip! I tried not to break the calorie bank completely with our party!!

Yummy dessert!! My sundae included low-fat vanilla ice cream, caramel and chocolate sauces, a chopped up Reese's peanut butter cup, whipped cream, cherries and a few sprinkles! Not healthy, but oh so good!!

Stay tuned for more on the homeschooling front! I can't wait to share with you about our Mission India project!!

What We Are Doing in School

2010-10-24T15:34:00.000-05:00

Have I told you lately how much I love homeschooling? Well, I DO!!

Our homeschool curriculum is from a company called Sonlight, and they are currently sponsoring a mission project called "Mission India," which is a 5-week online learning adventure where we are discovering how God is transforming the lives of children and families in India. We watch a video every Tuesday and Thursday chronicling a visit made to India by a pastor from the United States. We have learned about the extreme poverty in which many in India are living, literacy classes that are teaching the women of India to read and write while also introducing them to the Lord, and the Children's Bible Clubs where the kids of India get to learn about the hope that is in our Savior, Jesus Christ. During these five weeks, we are saving our coins and extra dollars to send in to "Mission India" in order to help send more children to the Children's Bible Clubs. For every $1 we send in, one more child will be able to learn about Jesus through these Bible Clubs.

Sometimes as a homeschool mom, I wonder how much my kids are really absorbing and processing of all that I try to teach them. I can tell this "Mission India" project is having an affect on them. They will randomly say something to Mark or me that proves to me that they are soaking in everything we are doing. On the way home from the grocery store a few days ago, Hannah said to me, "Mommy, I am lucky." I asked her why she felt she was lucky. Her reply was, "Because I am five years old and can already read and write. Those grown-up ladies in India are just now learning what I already know." And she is right--we were able to look at a few pages from the primers the ladies in the literacy classes use, and the math they are learning as adult women is comparable to the math Hannah is learning as a Kindergarten student.

Mark and Benjamin went to church early one morning this past week for a breakfast, and it was still a little bit dark and was raining a bit. As they drove, Benjamin suddenly said to Mark, "You know, Dad, there are people in India who don't have homes. They just live out on the streets. Fortunately it stays pretty warm in India because if it got too cold, some of those people would die." Those are conclusions his little mind is drawing on its own. We did see some video of families living on the streets, but he's smart enough to realize what that really means in terms of every day living.

I want my kids to know how blessed they are to live in the United States and to have all that they have. I also want them to know the responsibility we have as Christians to reach out and share what we have with those who are not as fortunate. This project is really making an impact on all of us. Thank you, Sonlight, for giving us this opportunity!

Shifting gears, but staying with the homeschool train of thought, we are going to take a break from our regular curriculum this week to do something special. We love sports in our house, and Friday night, we celebrated as the Texas Rangers baseball team made it to the World Series for the first time EVER! We LOVE the Texas Rangers and were able to see them play a couple of games in Arlington back in the Spring. So, in honor of our Texas Rangers, we are going to do a unit study this week on baseball!! The kids and I are all really excited about this! Some of the topics we'll study include:

the four teams that played to make it to the World Series;
the history of baseball;
some historical figures in baseball;
rules and plays of baseball; and
science and math in baseball.

We plan to wrap up our week-long study with a World Series party, and we'll tie in some cooking projects with our party menu. I think it will be a blast, and I'll be sure and take some pictures to share with you so you can see how much fun we will have!!

Catchin' Up

2010-09-30T18:51:00.000-05:00

I am feeling an exhaustion like I haven't felt in a while after a couple of weeks of busyness like I haven't known in a while! I had to go into "survivial mode" several days ago--you know, when you only do those things that ABSOLUTELY HAVE to be done, and everything else has to fall by the wayside. I haven't walked or run in well over a week--sleep had to take precedence. I haven't done laundry in over a week--making lunch for guests and fitting in some school had to come first. (It's pitiful that we have so many clothes that I can not do laundry for a week and we still have clothes to wear. I'm being serious--that's pitiful. Of course, I'm thankful for it right now because I really don't like going in public naked.) I even led my Beth Moore Bible study group last night having barely gotten my homework for the week completed before the class started. That's the kind of week it's been.

BUT...

The busyness has been full of loads of fun and oodles of blessings. For example:

I spent this past weekend in Denver with a group of 8 other ladies from my church at the Women of Faith conference. It's the first I've been to in over 7 years, and this one blessed my socks off almost as much as the very first one I ever attended. I spent the weekend laughing and crying, worshiping and praising. Between my allergies and crying, I never should have even attempted eye makeup! In addition to the other speakers, listening to Sheila Walsh share what God has done in her life and hearing Natalie Grant sing her heart out (even being six months pregnant and being in Mile High City--amazing!) was a tremendous blessing to my heart. I'm so grateful for that time.

I returned home very late on Saturday night in order to be in church Sunday morning for our revival services to begin. As if the revival itself wasn't enough, I got to spend much of three days with some of the most precious people in my life, as they were leading the music for our services. God crossed my path with theirs almost ten years ago, and from the first time we met, God glued us together as soul mates and I've never been the same since. Being a parsonage family, there's always a level of guardedness you must always maintain because, well, you are the pastor and his wife. With these special friends, we can let it all out and bare our hearts and souls. These are the kinds of friends that cause me to cry when I first see them because I'm so happy to be breathing the same air as them and cry when they leave because our time together has been so precious. You just don't have too many friends in life like that. (Benjamin even realizes that our relationship with them is different. He said to me one night after the service, "Mom, are they our friends...or are they our family?" I told him, "They are our friends, but we love them as if they are family.") I've already asked God if He could arrange to have our mansions next door to each other!

While at the Women of Faith conference, I heard them share stories with all the attendees about their partnership with World Vision and how they are changing the world, one child at a time. There was a tug on my heart that told me God wanted me to choose a child to sponsor, so on Saturday afternoon before leaving the conference, I made my way to the World Vision booth. I had no preference as far as country goes for the child I would sponsor, so I decided it would be fun to sponsor a birthday buddy. I asked the lady behind the table if she had a child with my birthday. She pulled out the folder and handed it to me, and I stood there and bawled my eyes out as I looked upon this precious 3 year old girl in Honduras in pigtails and a sweet pink dress. I quickly filled out the form to get the sponsorship started and anxiously brought Esmeli's information home to share with my family. We're already trying to figure out how to sponsor a child with each of our birthdays. Don't tell my husband, but I'm also praying for God to make a way for us to all someday be able to go to Honduras and meet Esmeli and her family!

On top of everything else, I managed to read Mary Beth Chapman's book "Choosing to SEE" over the past 72 hours. If you don't know who she is, her husband is well-known Christian recording artist Steven Curtis Chapman, and her book chronicles their life story with a focus on the loss of their 5-year-old daughter two years ago. It is an incredible book, and Mary Beth is completely transparent in her struggles with depression and with the loss of her sweet daughter. I laughed my head off and I sobbed my heart out as I read her story. They are an amazing family, and I would highly recommend the book to you.

I've strained my worn out brain about as much as it can be strained to write this post, so I'll close this up and plan to catch up with you more again soon!

Daily Schedule

2010-09-08T15:03:00.000-05:00

I have not fallen off the face of the earth, though my presence here on my blog would lead you to believe otherwise! Life can be life sometimes, and some events last week got me so out of routine that it's taken me a while to get back into the swing of things!! But I am here now, and I wanted to continue addressing some questions that resulted from my last two webinar presentations on the HomeschoolBlogger.com.

Someone asked me about my schedule, how early I get up, how I fit exercise into my day, etc. I thought I would post a "skeleton" of my daily schedule to give you an idea of what I aim for my my days to typically look like. I have yet to have a "perfect" day (if you've had one, let me know--I want to know the secret! :o), but I have to have a schedule and plan or else my day is simply a mess!! Here it is:

5:30 am - get up, fix my breakfast, Bible study
6:30 am - exercise (walking/running)
7:30 am - fix kids' breakfast, shower, dress, start load of laundry
9:00 am - school
12:00 pm - lunch, laundry in dryer
1:00 pm - time for me while kids are in rest time/quiet play time (I read, crochet, nap if need be--do whatever makes me happy!)
2:00 pm - fold laundry with kids
2:30 pm - daily cleaning task with kids
3:00 pm - kids have snack and watch a show; I finish cleaning/laundry
3:30 pm - afternoon activity (dance, gymnastics, church, science, cooking, etc)
4:30 pm - dinner preparation
5:30 pm - dinner with family
6:00 pm - clean up
6:30 pm - family play time
7:00 pm - kids' bath/bedtime routine
8:00 pm - kids in bed; time with Mark
8:30 pm - my bedtime routine
9:30 pm - Goodnight, Mommy!

In a nutshell, that's my day! Do I always get 8 hours of sleep? Heavens, no!! However, if I had my way, I'd get 8 1/2 or 9 hours! Knowing what I know now, it is imperative for our bodies to get enough sleep, and I've had to learn to shut off my activity early in the evening in order to get in bed early enough to get the sleep I need. I've also learned how imperative it is for me to get up early enough to exercise. If it doesn't happen first thing in the morning, you can almost bet it won't happen at all. Adequate sleep and adequate exercise are two of the best things we can do for the health of our bodies, and I've learned they are two of my main defenses in my battle against depression.

I'll talk more next time about how I schedule my housecleaning and laundry tasks! Do you have any scheduling tips that help to keep you sane? Do you have any questions about my day? If so, just leave me a comment!!

Welcome, Webinar Friends!

2010-08-26T19:48:00.000-05:00

I want to say a big "welcome" to those of you who may be visiting my blog for the first time as a result of today's HomeschoolBlogger webinar. I'm so glad you are here, and I hope you will be blessed by your time here.

Since I talked about my battle with depression today, and since I had many comments and questions about depression, medication, etc., I wanted to direct you to this post that I wrote almost three years ago. It goes more in-depth in regards to my battle with depression, and I hope it may answer some of the questions some of you had.

I will review the chat log from the webinar and do a few Q&A posts to address some of the other questions that were brought up during our time together. Feel free to leave comments or questions here as well, and I'll do my best to address them!

Blessings to all of you!

Upcoming Webinar

2010-08-24T21:34:00.000-05:00

If you are a homeschool mom (or any other mom, for that matter!) feel free to join us Thursday for another webinar sponsored by HomeschoolBlogger.com. You can go here to get all the information and to register. I will be doing the preshow presentation--Who's Going to Take Care of Mom?--for the webinar entitled "Think Biblically, Live Godly, and Serve Practically."

It's free, so please join us!!

Q & A

2010-08-21T09:11:00.000-05:00

After speaking during the homeschool webinar Tuesday, I know there were some questions that went unanswered. I have looked over the chat log from the class, and I'm going to take some time over the next few posts to answer some of those questions. Some of the questions I answered during the webinar, but I'd like to expand on them a bit, too. I'd love to hear comments from you guys about these topics as well!

1. How do you handle the pressures of people at church wanting you to volunteer during the school year?

What exactly makes people think that because we homeschool, then we must have all this extra time on our hands? Because, after all, we are at home all day! I don't know why that misconception exists, but it is exactly that--a misconception with a capital M!

There are some lessons in life that take me longer to learn than others--and this is one of them. Being the preacher's wife, combined with my natural inclincation to want to please people makes this difficult for me. But I have finally come to a point in life where I am very much at peace over Who it is I serve and live life for. If I make decisions prayerfully, based on what I feel God calling me to do, then I let the other pressures roll off my back. It is the Lord Jesus Christ whom I serve and will have to answer to someday. If I say "yes" to every volunteer opportunity that comes my way, then I will have to say to the Lord, yes, I did neglect my children in order to serve in the church. I don't think that is what God has in mind for us as moms.

After following the authority of God and then our husbands, I believe our calling as a mom is the next most important thing in our lives. Carrying that calling out may look differently in all of our lives, but it still remains the most important. And if I am being asked to head up this committee or teach this Sunday School class, and it leads to the detriment of my children, my answer needs to be "NO." I don't need to feel bad about saying no, because by saying no to that opportunity, I am saying yes to my children. That doesn't mean everyone in the church will understand. But at the end of the day, I need to lay my head on my pillow in peace, and if my decisions have been made based on what I perceive as God's will for my life, then I can feel good about that.

I'm sure you've all heard the quote that if the Devil can't make you bad, he'll make you busy. I truly believe that is one of Satan's strategies for getting us off course. If we have said yes too many times, and we are running every which way but loose, something is desperately out of order and we will not be effective in any of the areas we are attempting to juggle.

I believe we also have to keep in mind that we go through different seasons in life, and there may come a season when we CAN say yes to more of those opportunities that come our way.

2. Do you limit how many extra activities each child participates in?

Absolutely, YES! This is one area that can really get me going. I can't tell you how many times I heard this from parents this summer: "I thought things would slow down since it's summer, but it's only gotten busier!" Then to hear them tell of all they have going and how many activities each of their children is enrolled in for summer makes me utterly exhausted! I had to bite my tongue many times to not say, "It's your own fault for being that busy!!"

Mark and I are very much in agreement that our children do not need to be involved in every extracurricular activity under the sun. We believe our time together as a family is more important than how many activities they attend each week. Our son is extremely athletic, but we still have not enrolled him in any kind of organized sport and don't plan to anytime soon--simply because we don't think it's necessary, especially this early in the game (no pun intended!). Our family eats lunch AND dinner together 98% of the time, and I want to keep it that way. Statistics prove an abundance of benefits simply from your family eating dinner together every night. The more extracurricular activities you involve yourselves in, the more you are eating away at your time together (wow, I'm on a roll with these puns--and they are truly not intended! They just keep coming out!).

You ask about pressure from others? This is the area I get it in more than any other area. There is a member of our church that I come in contact with frequently because of this person's occupation. It has almost become comical (when it's not making me angry!) the comments I receive EVERY TIME I am in contact with this person when my children are present. There is always some kind of comment about what sport is Benjamin playing (none, outside of the front yard with his Daddy), or just how long do you plan to homeschool (forever, thank you), or don't you know homeschoolers are in for a rude awakening when they go off to college (are you kidding me???), etc. etc. etc. I have to laugh or else it makes me angry and makes me not want to be around this particular person. But once again, we feel we are following God's calling in the life of our family, and we are 100% at peace with the decisions we are making for our children--regardless of how unpopular those decisions may be with others. No, we don't do what "everyone else is doing", but God doesn't call us to make popular decisions or to follow the crowd for the sake of following the crowd.

More Q&A to follow!

HomeschoolBlogger.com Webinar

2010-08-17T14:31:00.000-05:00

I was extremely blessed to be a presenter this afternoon for a webinar hosted by HomeschoolBlogger.com. For those of you who were a part of the webinar today, here are the scriptures and quotes I used throughout my presentation:

John F. Kennedy: "There are risks and costs to a program of action, but they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable in-action."

Psalm 33.11: "But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations."

Proverbs 19.21: "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."

Proverbs 16.3: "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."

Kathy Peel (Desperate Households): "If you knew you had only a year to live, how would you spend your time and what would you change about the way you run your home and life?"

Proverbs 13.4: "The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied."

Ralph Waldo Emerson: "Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day."

Colossians 3.23: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."

2 Timothy 1.7: "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."

Henri J.M. Nouwen: "We move through life in such a distracted way that we do not even take the time and rest to wonder if any of the things we think, say or do are worth thinking, saying or doing."

James 1.5: "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."

Isaiah 42.16: "I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them."

As I promised during the presentation, I will also be posting some sample lists of life skills for you to review. I am also going to go through the chat box script as soon as I can and answer questions that I was not able to answer during the presentation. Give me a few days, but be sure and check back soon! Thanks for being a part of today's webinar--it was a joy for me to be a part of it! Aren't The Old Schoolhouse and the HomschoolBlogger amazing??

Are You in the Coupon Camp?

2010-08-13T17:01:00.000-05:00

I am. Not everyone "coupons." But I do. Why, you may ask?

1. Last week I saved $18 using coupons during my weekly trip to the grocery store.
2. This week, I saved $38 using coupons and taking advantage of "Buy One, Get One Free" specials in the meat department during my weekly trip to the grocery store. $38!!!

If you have held the opinion in the past that couponing isn't worth it, I think those two facts will prove that it is!

You may be saying, "Well, if you buy enough, sure you can eventually save that much." My weekly budget (for our family of four) for the grocery store is $170, and that amount includes toiletries, cleaning supplies, and other household goods--basically, everything we need is taken care of in this one trip. We live in a small town (less than 8,000 people), and other than the grocery store, we have no shopping options, like Wal Mart or Walgreens--only a small Alco that normally cannot compete with the prices at the grocery store. My $170 budget is a little higher than some other budgets I've seen for similarly-sized families who attempt to live frugally, and we can get by on less, but I allow a small cushion in there to give me the ability to stockpile, or buy extras, of items that are on a really good sale. This saves me money in the long run because I am purchasing them at their lowest price.

If we lived in a much larger city where there was more competition and stores available, I have no doubt that I could trim that budgeted amount even more. Also if we lived in a much larger city, the coupon selection in the Sunday papers would be better as well. I know this for a fact after a recent trip I took to Houston. On the way home, during my layover in Dallas, I purchased a Dallas Morning News to take home to my hubby, who loves reading it. Since it was a Sunday, I got the benefit of having the coupon flyers in that paper. As I was clipping the coupons from those flyers as well as the flyers in our local paper, I noticed that there were much better coupons available in the Dallas paper.

So, how do I coupon? For starters, I save the coupon inserts from the Sunday newspaper and clip those coupons that are for items that we will use. This is key--you can't just clip all coupons and buy any item, thinking you are getting a bargain, if it's not something your family uses anyway. I also get coupons online from Red Plum, Smart Source, and Coupons.com. After clipping the coupons I need, I file them by product name in a file box that has AtoZ dividers in it.

I started this system a few years ago and have found it to be more efficient and effective than using the coupon files that are divided by category. Different systems work for different people, and the AtoZ dividers work best for me.

Now, I don't just go to the store, buying up all the products that I have coupons for. I save the coupons until that item is on sale. By combining a sale price with a coupon, you are getting the most bang for your buck. I do try to keep an eye on my file box, though, because there are times that the items don't go on sale before the coupon expires, and if the coupon is good enough, it is worth it to go ahead and purchase the item and use the coupon, rather than losing that good coupon discount.

One thing I have learned over the years of trying to trim our spending is that just because an item is in the weekly sale flyer does not mean it is a good sale! I now keep a small notebook that is again divided into AtoZ categories where I can keep track of the best prices for the items we purchase.

This may sound very time consuming, but really it is not. The day the sale flyer comes out in the paper (Wednesdays for us), I grab my notebook and pen and take ten minutes max, and jot down the prices for the items in the flyer that we purchase. This way I can see which items are really on a good sale and which ones are not. It's amazing when you start tracking prices how many items are not really on sale that much, even though they are in the sale flyer. I also note in my notebook the dates that the items are on their best sale price. Then I can track how often they are at that price, which helps me even further with planning. You'll also notice that I also do price per ounce on some of the items, which is often necessary to determine what the best buy truly is.

After receiving the weekly sale flyer and noting which items are on sale at the best prices, I then make my menu for the coming week, based on those products. It is at this time that I pull out all the coupons I can use to combine with the sale prices and put them in the front of my file box. (Yes, I always take my coupon file box with me to the grocery store. I also keep my grocery list clipped to a clipboard to make it easier to deal with in the store. Just call me the "grocery store nerd.")

I am amazed at the comments I get from the checkout personnel at the grocery store when I hand them all my coupons. Many of them tell me how they love couponers, but how few of them there really are. The girl who checked me out last week told me she checks out maybe ONE person PER WEEK that uses coupons!! Really?? I could not believe that few people use coupons!!! On many instances the checkout person is a young lady, and I really hope I am an example to her of the benefits of using coupons, because I know way too many of those young ladies are single moms living on a very limited budget.

I've heard many people say they don't have time to do coupons. I usually clip coupons on Sundays after I've read the paper. It's usually when I'm watching golf or some other sport with Mark, and I can be productive while watching TV. I can clip and file them in less than 30 minutes (I know I could be more efficient if I weren't watching TV at the same time! :o) Then it takes ten minutes or less to jot down the sale prices in my notebook, and then less than that amount to pull out the coupons I need to use for that trip to the store. So in way less than an hour I can accomplish this. And to be able to save $18 or $38 each week? It's way worth it to me. Do you know what that $18 could buy? When you stop to think about it, it's a lot!

I will also say this: I buy very few convenience and pre-packaged foods. We eat out very little, so I cook for us almost every day. I buy lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. My experience has been overall that the more healthy you try to eat, the more expensive the foods are. Thus the need for couponing and tracking sale prices. I've always thought it was such an injustice that the most unhealthy foods in the grocery store are the cheapest. That is just too bad, especially in this day and age when the economy stinks, people are having to watch their budgets like never before, and obesity is a growing epidemic. They want to spend as little as possible, but yet those are the foods that the worst for them.

For me, couponing is a fun challenge, almost a game. I get this crazy excitement inside on Wednesday mornings when I get the paper and pull out the sale flyer for the week. I know, I'm weird. But the challenge of seeing how much I can save each week and how many groceries I can come home with and still stay within out budget is fun to me!

Go ahead, try it! And be sure and let me know how you do!

A Thought to Ponder

2010-08-11T13:39:00.000-05:00

This gave me a huge WOW moment when I read it printed on the page of my journal this morning, so I wanted to share it. Maybe it will give you something to ponder...

"Use what talent you possess--the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best."

--Henry Van Dyke

Date with Benjamin

2010-08-06T22:32:00.000-05:00

I had such a fun day today. I had a date with my soon-to-be seven-year-old, Benjamin! We spent the day shopping for his birthday party, eating lunch at Jason's Deli (by his choice--because you get free ice cream!), and running a few errands.

We are trying really hard to teach both our children how to handle money in a responsible, Biblically-based way. As has become our normal shopping routine, when we arrived at the party store to buy the decorations and goodies for his party, Benjamin asked me what our budget was. I told him, and then we were off to the races. Because we had perused the birthday party themes a few weeks prior, Benjamin knew exactly what he wanted and where it was. Out came the calculator and we were set. We first chose the "necessities" (plates, napkins, table cover), and then negotiated for the rest (center piece, invitations, party favors, etc). The invitations went back on the shelf after I told him I could make some on the computer, which would give him six more dollars to choose the goodies he was really wanting. Once we reached our allotted amount and he was happy with what we had chosen, it was off to the check-out stand. I was so proud of him for knowing we needed to stick to a budget and being willing to do so without any arguments or fussing. He is growing up so quickly, right before my very eyes.

We had a fun lunch together (With his kids' hot dog meal and my turkey wrap and fruit, we both ate at Jason's Deli for $10! Woo hoo! And don't forget the free ice cream!), and then continued down our list of errands. As we were walking into one store, I thought I would do a little check-up on how this mommy is doing on the parenting front. I didn't know what kind of responses I would receive from Benjamin, but I hoped for some constructive criticism and for a window into his little mind as to what he might be missing from me.

I first asked Benjamin what was something I did that he really liked or wished that I would do more of. He replied, "Well, everything you cook is good, so that's something that you do that I like. And last night, you looked like you were pretty good at grilling (that's usually Mark's territory), so maybe you should do more grilling." He's such a boy--focused on food! I thought that was a pretty complimentary answer, and knowing I don't do everything well, I at least felt like there was nothing glaring in his eyes that I was missing out on.

So then I asked, "What is something that I do that you wished I wouldn't do?" I expected to hear something like, don't get mad at me so often, or don't be a grump so often, or something of the sort. Instead he said, "Nothing, Mom! I like everything you do!" Yes, my heart melted and it was a sweet reminder of just how forgiving our children can be.

Thank you, God, for the gifts of grace and encouragement that you gave to me

today by way of my sweet little boy.

Beauty

2010-08-04T12:58:00.000-05:00

"Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful; for beauty is God's

handwriting--a wayside sacrament. Welcome it in every fair face, in every fair sky, in every fair flower, and thank God for it as a cup of blessing."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happiness

2010-07-09T15:00:00.000-05:00

There's not much that makes me happier than when I see this:

I've been seeing this a lot this summer--mismatched pajamas, crazy hair and all! My kids LOVE to read, and it thrills my soul to see them curled up on the couch reading when they could be doing any number of other summery things. Whether it's school books, books from their rooms, or their High Five/Highlights magazines that Granny Sue buys for them, they love them all!

I've been busy planning for the upcoming school year, which begins one week from Monday. The kids and I are both ready. As they have observed me making preparations, I've heard many times this week, "Mommy, I'm ready for school to start!"

That makes me pretty happy, too!

Happy July 4th!

2010-07-04T12:48:00.000-05:00

In honor of July 4th, we had our morning worship in the park this morning. What a great way to celebrate our freedom as Americans and our freedom in Christ Jesus! Sharing a hamburger lunch afterwards made for a wonderful start to a special day in our lives as citizens of these great United States.

Have a blessed Independence Day!

New York, New York!!

2010-07-01T13:28:00.000-05:00

Many months ago, Mark and I began pondering what we wanted to do to celebrate our approaching tenth anniversary. We threw around the idea of a cruise, but ended up deciding on a trip to New York City--a first for me. Mark was there eleven or twelve years ago, but only long enough to see a show on Broadway and a couple of sites.

The planning began at the most important place--child care! We have limited overnight childcare options, but fortunately we also have a very mature, capable high-school-age niece. We worked with her schedule, which meant we had to wait for school to be out. But that was okay--it gave us a few more months to save a few extra dollars (that's a good thing, because almost everything in NYC costs umpteen times more than it does here in Texas!).

We arrived in NYC at rush hour--a great time to experience what life in NYC is really like, which just happened to be a little overwhelming to me! It honestly took me about 24 hours to settle into NYC and feel glad that I was there. I wasn't expecting that. There is a never-ending supply of yellow taxi cabs in NYC--which is a good thing when you don't know where you are, but you know you're not where you want to be. Overall, we had good taxi experiences--but there was the one maniac, suicidal taxi-cab driver that just about did me in! Here's a shot of rush-hour traffic:

I had to be brave to do some of the sites in NYC. The older I get, the more afraid of heights I become. I don't know why--it just happens. But I gave myself some pep talks, and Mark was able to get me to the "Top of the Rock" (Rockefeller Center, with Central Park behind me):

as well as to the top--the VERY top--of the Empire State Building.

If you wanted to pay extra money, you could go to the 102nd floor (which just happens to be 1,250 feet off the ground--yikes!), which is above the "normal" observatory. Here's what traffic looks like from up there (and no, I did NOT take this picture! Are you kidding me? I couldn't even stand to look down, much less take a picture down there!!!!):

Ugh, that gives me the willies just to look at the picture! I tried really hard to be a good sport--all the while my back was plastered up against the inside wall. Well, not quite....but almost. Mark could have stayed up there forever.

We saw all the "major sites", like the Statue of Liberty, which was incredible to see in person:

We rented bikes to ride around Central Park:

We discovered the best way to guarantee you won't gain any weight while on vacation in NYC is to walk and bike yourself around the city in record-breaking heat. That way you just sweat off all the extra pounds you take in from having dessert every night (yes, we did!). Every day we were there, NYC was experiencing record heat. Incidentally, the day we left and the entire week following our time there, the temps were in the 70's. Nice.

Mark also got me to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge--more heights!

What an amazing engineering feat, from a time that was without the tools and technology of today!

My favorite part of the trip, bar none, was seeing "Mary Poppins" on Broadway! It was absolutely fantastic, and the talent there was incredible. I couldn't help but think throughout the show how much my kids would have LOVED to have been there to see that!

(I have a red coat that makes my day everytime I get to wear it. Up to this point, I've always called it my Red Riding Hood coat. NOW it has become my Mary Poppins coat--it looks very much like this one does, only mine has a hood!) Moving right along...

Here's a few more random shots from the trip:

We saw several beautiful churches while touring NYC, including St Patrick's Cathedral, and this one, which is Trinity Church near Ground Zero. The stained glass windows inside these beautiful churches are always some of my favorite things to see in them.

Here's Times Square, in all its bright, shining glory! That's quite a sight to see! Talk about sensory overload!

There's not much to see at Ground Zero except for lots of cranes and construction, but there was this particular cross and the sign beside it:

It was all I could do to not cry my eyes out the entire time we were walking around Ground Zero.

I could keep going on and on with pictures and stories, but I'll wrap it up with this final picture:

I just had to have a picture! My sweet husband had me pick out a bracelet at Tiffany's for my "Happy 10th Anniversary/Happy 35th Birthday/NYC Souvenir" gift! It was probably one of the smallest transactions that salesman had done all day, but that doesn't matter to me. I have a beautiful heart bracelet to wear that carries many, many memories with it of a fabulous trip to NYC!

Who Are These Kids??

2010-05-26T11:55:00.001-05:00

(besides being squinty-eyed because the sun is really bright!)

Did you say they are two kids that are glad that school is finished?

You're right! Mostly, anyway. They both love school.

Did you say they look like a Kindergartener and a Second Grader?

Right again! And they are so proud of it!!

Today was our final day of this school year! Wow! It's hard to believe we have another year of homeschool under our belts. Hannah was in Pre-K this year, and Benjamin was in First Grade. Being a homeschool mom is one of the biggest blessings God has given me. I can't imagine not getting to teach them and be by their side each day as they learn and grow in so many different ways.

Our house is only a couple of blocks from the high school track, so in the mornings that is where I go to do my walking. I'm usually walking by the school about 7am, and it absolutely breaks my heart to see a school bus in front of the school dropping off kids for the day. At 7am! Those same kids probably don't get home until at least 3:30 pm or 4:00 pm each afternoon. I completely understand that for some families, this is the only option. But oh, how grateful I am that God has called us to a different life.

I'm not one to get on my homeschool soapbox and say that everyone should be doing it. But I do believe that we are ALL scripturally called to be the first and most important teachers of our children, and I understand that looks different for each and every family. I feel truly blessed and humbled that homeschool is what it looks like for ours.

We are officially on "summer break" for about six weeks, and we'll start our new year of school in mid-July. I decided last summer that three months of unstructured summertime is just too much for us! Our plan is to have a shorter summer break and incorporate more breaks in our school year. I'm anxious and excited to see how that works for us!

In the meantime, my agenda includes an anniversary trip to New York City (holy cow am I excited!!), a church conference, planning for next school year, snow cones, a homeschool conference, and plenty of time by the swimming pool!! Hello, Summer!!

Family Travel

2010-05-24T13:44:00.000-05:00

I recently read an article in "The Old Schoolhouse" magazine I subscribe to that talked about "Travel Kits" for kids. The definition of a Travel Kit from the article is "a collection of items that will entertain and/or delight the passengers (especially the younger passengers), thus making the trip more pleasant for everyone." This idea really resonated with me because at the time, we were planning a family vacation to the Metroplex area, which would be about a seven-hour car trip. The longest our kids have ever been in the car was for five hours when we made our move last summer. Needless to say, I was a little nervous about surviving the car ride!

So I decided to try out the idea for myself and make travel kits for Benjamin and Hannah to have on our trip. After a trip to the dollar bins at Target and The Dollar Store, here is what I came up with (sorry for the sideways pictures--I have no idea why Blogger is doing that, and I don't know how to fix it!!):

The gifts included two movies each that I had picked up along the way when on sale for $5 each, candy and suckers (more sugar than they would normally have in a month!), snacks, story books, activity books, silly putty, notebook paper and pen, stencils, music CD, cars and legos for Benjamin, jewelry and Princess stickers for Hannah, and a disposable camera for each of them. I spent a couple of evenings after the kids were in bed wrapping each gift in tissue paper and curling ribbon and putting them in plastic tote buckets to be presented to them the morning of the trip. The finished products looked like this:

The Travel Kits worked wonderfully!! The buckets sat in the seat between the two kids, and they were allowed to open one gift about every 30 minutes. Who doesn't love opening gifts?? Benjamin and Hannah loved their gifts so much and were excited each time they opened something new. It was a fun, successful, torture-less trip with very few complaints of "how much longer until we get there?". Being able to alternate between movies, music, games, and gifts helped them not get bored and restless. I was so pleased and plan to use this idea for future long car rides.

Now for a few pictures from our trip (for some random reason, these pictures are all right side up....go figure!):

We took in two Texas Rangers games while in the Metroplex--soooo much fun!!

We also took a tour of the new Cowboys Stadium--AMAZING!!

In front of Tony Romo's locker...

In our Rangers gear...

We had an absolute blast on our trip and made lots of fun memories. We still have to send off the disposable cameras to get the kids' pictures developed. I'm really anxious to see them...I think we'll have some interesting shots, to say the least!

Dave Says...

2010-05-09T18:10:00.000-05:00

In the late Fall of 2008, I was approached about facilitating a Financial Peace University class. I had heard of this class and Dave Ramsey, but didn't know a lot of details about either. I knew that there were things in the financial area of our lives that we needed to be doing better, and I knew there was a lot we could learn. Experience has taught me that when you are in charge of a class or study, you often learn more than if you are simply a participant. So our desire to get our financial lives in order combined with my willingness to lead the class landed me in front of a class of about 30 people in January 2009.

Mark and I began Financial Peace University with about $10,000 in total debt. We set what we felt was a quite lofty goal of getting that paid off before the end of 2009. With determination, sacrifice, a very focused drive and the grace of God, we were able to pay off the last of our debt on September 16, 2009--three and a half months ahead of schedule. Wow, what an incredible feeling that was to be completely free of ANY and ALL debt!! (I need to insert here that we are blessed to live in a parsonage, so we do not have a mortgage.)

We now purchase only that which we have the cash in hand to buy, which will include our next car (no, car payments do NOT have to be a way of life!), and we are determined to never get into debt again. We have an emergency fund, sufficient life insurance, and are putting money into appropriate accounts for both retirement and our children's college. We have a family trip to Dallas coming up as well as a tenth-anniversary trip to NYC, and both will be paid for in cash. Having financial peace is an incredible place to be!

Having learned many financial lessons the hard way, Mark and I want our children to start early in learning how to live in financial peace. So a few months ago, we purchased Dave's "Financial Peace Jr." kit, which is recommended for ages 3-12. This afternoon, we spent some time getting ready to put this program into practice. It uses Dave's sound financial foundations in teaching your children how to give, save and spend. The kids are pumped, and I, too, am excited to get them started on the right track NOW!

In case you can't tell, we are huge Dave fans at our house!

If I have your curiosity piqued, you can go here to learn more about Financial Peace University!

Ten Years

2010-04-29T11:55:00.001-05:00

I let my mind wander to this moment ten years ago, and I find myself preparing for the biggest day of my life--my wedding! The day when my dreams came true, and I had my own little Cinderella moment--dressed in the dress I had always dreamed of, walking down the aisle toward my Prince Charming. Never does a girl feel more beautiful, more special, than on her wedding day.

Then the buzz of the dryer from yet another load of icky laundry brings me back to the reality of THIS day. While it may be my tenth anniversary of being married to my best friend and love of my life, the reality that I find myself in this day is far from "happily ever after." I may feel like Cinderella today, but it's the Cinderella BEFORE the ball.

Today, I'm cleaning up after two kids with the stomach bug. It is a unique, special time, but only because never in our years of parenting have we ever had them BOTH throwing up at the same time. I'm operating on very little sleep that took place on the floor of Benjamin's room, I'm still in my pajamas even though it's almost lunch time, and a toothbrush has not found its way to my mouth yet today. Not exactly attractive or "tenth-anniversary worthy."

As I lay in the floor last night trying to find a bit of sleep, the thought crossed my mind that this is the epitome of what marriage is really all about. Every day is not magical; in fact, some days are just down right nasty and dirty. Everything doesn't always go as planned (i.e., the babysitter for our anniversary date was cancelled hours ago), and there are times you wonder when the "for better" times will ever show themselves again.

But when you are married to the one God chose especially for you, and when you allow God to be the director of your fairy tale, it's all worth it. You enjoy the "in health" moments more as a result of the "in sickness" times, and the "for better" highs more than make up for the "for worse" lows.

So on this day, I'm simply seeking survival, knowing Mark loves me bad breath, crazy hair, and all. The kids are already showing signs of improvement, and soon this will just be a blur in our memories.

(And it doesn't hurt knowing that come June 2nd, we'll be running off to New York City for our REAL anniversary celebration!! I can't wait!!)

Earth Day--Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

2010-04-22T11:50:00.001-05:00

In an effort to halt even more procrastination (see previous post!), I used today being Earth Day as my motivation to get our RECYCLING started. I've wanted to get us going on recycling since we moved here (ten months ago), but was not sure what facilities our small town had. So after reading about what Earth Day is all about and talking about different things we could do to take better care of the Earth, the kids and I hopped in the car, drove to the recycling drop-off location, and wrote down all the different things we could start recycling. Then we came home, scrounged around in the garage for some containers we were no longer using that could be REUSED as our recycling tubs. Here's what we came up with:

**a cardboard box for newspapers

**a plastic tub that previously stored Christmas decorations, but had gotten cracked in the bottom and would no longer keep them dust-free...Ta Da! Works perfectly to gather cardboard, magazines, and milk jugs

**a rolling cart that was only gathering dust for white paper

See all the boxes and tubs behind the kids? That will soon be REDUCED and turned into a garage sale!

My next project: a compost pile!

Good Enough

2010-04-17T22:14:00.002-05:00

So, as a recovering perfectionist, I can often procrastinate simply because I don't have time to do it--whatever "IT" may be at the moment--perfectly. For some time now, I've wanted to blog about our caterpillar/butterfly experience; Easter; life after the death of my father-in-law; what's going on with homeschool; etc.; etc.; etc. But obviously, I have not.

There has to come a point in time when you aim for "good enough." Sometimes I'm good at this lesson; other times, not so much. Guess I've been stuck in one of those "not so much" times.

So here goes. This post may be random at best, but it's a conglomeration of our life these past few weeks. And it's just going to have to be "good enough."

I ordered caterpillars from Earth's Birthday Project for us to watch go through their metamorphosis process into butterflies. Little did I know that God was going to step in and make the timing perfect. They became butterflies in the days leading up to Easter, and we got to release them on Easter. How cool is that??!!

This was the caterpillars in their cocoons as we were moving them into their "house" where they would be when they emerged as butterflies.

Ta Da!! Caterpillars/butterflies are now very high on my list of "God's Amazing Creations." Reason #467 why I love homeschooling my kids: I learn as much as they do!! I had no idea that caterpillars are fully equipped with everything they need internally to make a cocoon and then transform into a butterfly! So cool!

Letting the butterflies go free! Yes, if you observe the background, we are on the 50-yard line of the high school football stadium. I had nothing to do with the location in which we freed the butterflies. It was all Mark's and Benjamin's doings! Memorable, to say the least!

Moving on to Easter...

Just painting with lots of concentration--not licking the egg!

I thought their eggs came out beautifully! I loved them!

Easter morning...wow, what a blessed wife and mommy I am!

So sweet...not always, but most of the time...

Now for some randomness...

(This picture is supposed to be rotated, but I'm going for "good enough" right now!)

This plate of beautiful cookies was brought to us a couple of weeks following the death of Mark's dad. I was almost in tears when the sweet lady brought them to us. They were decorated just so beautifully and obviously took a lot of time and attention. She didn't just throw something together and bring it over. The fact that she wanted to spend that kind of time on my family to let us know she and her family were thinking of us and praying for us in our time of loss just touched my heart immensely. And, if you can look closely at the cute platter the cookies are on, you'll see pastel-colored jelly beans. She told me she wanted me to keep the platter since she knew I would be making cookies for my little ones for years to come. Every time I see that platter and use it, I will thank God for sending His hands and feet to our doorstep to love on us during a time of need. It will also serve as a reminder of how important it is for me to not ignore, but rather follow through on those nudgings I get when I know someone is in need and I know I can do something to help them.

From tears to belly laughs...

I cannot look at this picture without laughing! After some lengthy time jumping on the trampoline, this is what Hannah's hair looked like! It reminds me of those electricity balls that you put your hands on at the science museum and watch the electricity travel to the places where your hands are resting!

So that, in a nutshell and several pictures, is what we've been up to! The kids and I have been playing "catch up" with school after getting behind during the time before and after my father-in-law's death. It has made me so grateful for the flexibility of homeschool that allowed us to drop it and focus on what was truly important at the time, and then pick it back up when things settled back down. I am preparing to order curriculum for next year, which is always exciting! We are aiming to finish this year by the end of May, if not sooner, then take a break until mid-July, when I plan to start our new year of school. I am working on a new schedule for next year that will allow us to do school for five weeks, and then take one week off. If we start during mid-July, we can still finish by the end of May with that schedule. I'm excited to give it a try because I think having the week off every five weeks will be nice. Plus, taking three months off for summer is just too much un-scheduled, non-routine time for all of us!! We'll see how it works!

Coming up, we have some trips that we are having fun planning and looking forward to! In May, we are taking a few days to run away to Dallas to watch the Texas Rangers in a couple of baseball games. We hope to also tour the "new" Cowboys Stadium while there and hopefully meet up with some friends as well. Then in June, Mark and I are taking a trip to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary to New York City! Our anniversary falls at the end of this month, but our trip will have to wait until June. I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am about this trip to NYC!! Our airline tickets are booked and our hotel reservations are made. Now we just need to decide on which show (or shows) we want to see and what all we want to see while there so we can go ahead and get tickets purchased. (I'm open to any suggestions any of you may have, so feel free to leave comments!!)

In all its randomness and good enough-ness, you are now pretty well caught up on life here!

Reflections on a Long Week

2010-03-17T09:58:00.000-05:00

As I try to find "normal" again, I find myself reflecting on life just one short, long week ago. It all started one week ago Monday. Mark and I got to bed a little later than usual, after waiting on a phone call that came a little before 11 pm. About midnight, after reading a bit, I rolled over to give him a kiss, as I do every night.

"Good night."

"Good night."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Silence.

Usually that exchange is followed by a mutual "sleep well." But not that night. I think we both knew in our heart of hearts that "sleep well" would not be a part of our night.

The interruption that we knew might come sure enough arrived a couple of hours later with the ringing of the phone at 2:51 am.

After a years-long battle with a rare, degenerative brain disorder known as PSP*, Mark's dad took his last earthly breath a couple of minutes before our phone rang. Mark's sister was by his side reading scripture to him as he was ushered into the presence of the heavenly angels. The healing we had so long prayed for had finally come.

We laid in bed, hand in hand, talking until about 4 am. We mulled over the long road we had travelled with his dad, and how the end that we knew would one day come was still a bit hard to swallow when it finally arrived. We talked about when and how to tell Benjamin and Hannah that Grandpa Ken went to see Jesus during the night. We discussed all that needed to happen before we could hit the road and make the four-hour drive south to be with Mark's family and make the final arrangements for his dad.

The days that followed were long. And hard. And good. And hard.

Among other things, it's been a journey of firsts--the first loss of a parent for Mark and me. The first family loss that our kids are old enough to experience.

We've had lots of questions from Benjamin & Hannah this week. We've done our best to let them experience the week on their own terms, and we've answered their questions as best we can. The week included Hannah asking to knock on the side of Grandpa Ken's casket to see what kind of sound it made, but only after asking if anyone would come out of the casket if she did so. She also got tired of standing around following the graveside burial and took a seat on a nearby headstone. Once I noticed, I quickly told her she had to get up and if she needed to sit down we would find a better place to sit, all the while hoping no one was offended by her innocent act. It's hard to teach respect in a cemetery to little ones when it simply looks like wide open spaces with pretty flowers to be explored as they run around.

Benjamin, on the other hand, spent a lot of the week thinking and trying to put all the pieces together. Mark and I had to revamp our decision to not let the kids see Grandpa Ken's body after Benjamin insisted on seeing it. Our justification was that it simply did not look like the Grandpa Ken we knew, and we wanted Benjamin to remember him on happier days. But the way Benjamin's mind works, he had to get all the pieces of the puzzle aligned, in order and figured out, so he wanted to see what Grandpa Ken's body looked like. We reminded him yet once again that this was only his earthly body--his sick, broken shell that has now been replaced by a healthy, new heavenly body. The morning after Grandpa Ken died, Benjamin asked us rather matter-of-factly what we thought Grandpa Ken was doing that morning. I told him that I thought in heaven we get to do all the things we love the most. So Benjamin was sure Grandpa Ken was playing golf!

Putting all the grown-up arrangements and decisions aside, it was a sweet week, looking at it from the eyes of our children. To see the process of death through their innocent eyes was a precious thing to observe throughout the week. We can learn so much about life--and death--through the eyes of little ones if we will only put aside our "grown-up-ness" and be willing to be young and vulnerable again.

Life must go on now, no matter how differently it suddenly looks. I praise God for the hope of eternity that we as Christians hold on to. I don't understand how those without this hope even survive the death of someone they hold near and dear.

*To learn more about PSP, the devastating disease that took the life of my father-in-law, click here.

Ta Da!!

2010-03-01T21:00:00.000-06:00

So, if you came to my house on a weekday at 5:30 am (Please don't; this is strictly hypothetical.), this is where you would find me. It's "My Spot". You can't see it here, but close by is my basket filled with my Bible, current Bible study, Kleenex, pens, highlighters, journals, prayer books, and much more. It's the only time of my day that I consider fully "mine." No one else is awake, it's quiet, and it's just me and God. I love it.

"So what?" you may be asking. Well, "My Spot" has a new addition...my newly-finished afghan!!!! Right on time, I finished putting the fringe on it yesterday while watching the now-infamous gold medal hockey game.

The afghan is sooooo far from perfect. I'd be embarassed for some sweet, seasoned, crocheting-expert grandma to look at it because of its imperfections and flaws. But I still love it! It snuggles so well when the house is still cool in the mornings and when I "need" my Sunday afternoon naps. And, as I have already mentioned, it covers my long, tall self from head to toe and then some!

Imperfections and all, I'm so proud I got it finished!!

And now, totally unrelated, look at what I found on our whiteboard this afternoon:

SERIOUSLY, HOW SWEET IS THAT??!!??

Goals, Helps, and the Olympics

2010-02-25T13:18:00.001-06:00

Ok, so the Olympics are kicking my tail, and even though I'll miss them, I'm ready for them to end! I've enjoyed them so much, which means I've stayed up way too late for the past two weeks to watch my favorites (Thank goodness for DVR's--it's the only way to go in my mind! Watch what you want and fast forward through the rest!), and my 5:30 am alarm comes calling WAAAYY to early!!

The kids and I finished our Olympics unit study this morning. That has been great fun, too, and has added to my enjoyment of the games. We've all learned a lot, and I'm so glad I decided to take a break from our "regular" curriculum to do this. However, I'm ready to get back to our old routine, and I think the kids are, too. One note to self: one month is too long for a unit study! It was pretty much the way it needed to be in light of the topic, but in the future, I think a one-week unit study will be the perfect break from the usual routine.

As for my goals, things are rocking along pretty well. To date, I've lost 10 pounds since Jan 1st, which I'm really pumped about! (Need to lose weight? Or just want to be healthier and live a more balanced life? I highly recommend "First Place 4 Health" for the best Biblically-based, balanced, healthy-living program there is! I love it!!) Five more pounds to go before the end of March, and my weight loss goal will be met, and I'll be shopping for a new Easter dress! My afghan is also nearing its goal of completion. I have until Sunday to crochet 7 rows and add the fringe. I can't wait to snuggle up for a long winter's nap with it! I'm up to date with my Bible reading and Bible study, and my exercise goals are being met, too (probably the only reason I'm surviving this Olympics-induced sleep deprivation thing!), so I'm pleased.

NOTE: No, I don't have it all together. You could draw a masterpiece in the dust on the coffee table, and the bathrooms are far from spotless. But I've lived this life long enough to know I will probably NEVER have it ALL together--so I'll celebrate the victories that are there and keep working on the rest of it!

I wanted to share a new find with you. I came across an ad for it in one of my recent Christian magazines. And it is endorsed by Dave Ramsey. Enough said. Anyway, if you could use some help in the meal planning/grocery shopping area of your life, you might want to check out their program. For only $5 per month, you have access to weekly meal plans based on your grocery store sales, provided with a complete aisle-by-aisle grocery shopping list. There are regular meal plans for either a family (serves 4-6 people) or a regular meal plan for 2, and also specialty meal plans like low carb, low fat, points-system and vegetarian. I decided to give the low-fat meal plan a try for a few months just to check it out and see if it would save me any more money than I already save by couponing. Plus, having the menu already worked out without me having to spend an hour or more on it is a nice bonus. I don't have one of their listed stores in my small town, so I use their "any store" menu and shopping list. I just pull up the list every week and print it out, add the other things I need from the grocery store to the list they've already made for me, and I'm set! I've used it for two weeks, and my family has been very pleased with all the menus thus far. They're simple, use "regular" down-to-earth ingredients, and are nutritious, low-fat and good. If you are interested, just click on the button below and see what you think.

I guess that's all for now. If there's anything else I should be writing about, my sleep-deprived mind can't remember what it is. So I'll be back once the Olympics are over and I've caught back up on my sleep!

What I'm Reading

2010-02-04T14:28:00.004-06:00

I love, love, love books. Reading has always been a favorite past-time of mine. To think I went through a few years as a new mom with the belief that I did not have time to read is so sad to me now. I know I would have been a better mommy had I taken a few minutes each day to read something I loved.

When a book strikes my fancy, I usually wait until I find it on a sale table somewhere before actually purchasing it. Such was the case a few years ago. A parenting book caught my eye that had been advertised in one of my Christian magazines, and not long afterwards, I actually found it on a bargain table for only a few dollars. I bought it and brought it home--to my bookshelf. Where it has been ever since.

I've tried a couple of times to read it, but have never made it through to the end. I have no idea why. I've just never finished it.

Over the past week or two, in various articles and stories I have read, this particular book has been quoted. When something like that crosses my radar so many times in a short amount of time, I've learned I need to pay attention. So I got it off the shelf yesterday and put it by "my spot" where I do all my quiet times and reading.

After lunch today, I got the kids settled into their rooms for "rest time" (that's what "nap time" morphed into when Hannah gave up her naps at a way too early age, which thus forced Benjamin to stop napping for fear of missing something important. Mommy, however, still needs a little quiet time in the afternoons, so they still have to go to their rooms for one hour and play while I have some time to myself.) and snuggled up in "my spot" with this book and my notebook (I retain and learn so much more when I take notes on what I'm reading).

The book is "Grace-Based Parenting" by Dr. Tim Kimmel. Something I read on page two blew me away. If I'm being blown away on page two, I figure this is the time for me to buckle down and finish this book. I wish I had a speaker system connected to all my mom friends, especially those who struggle with being a mom, so I could share this with them:

"Raising children is the greatest thing you'll ever do. It's greater than any milestone you can hit in your career. It dwarfs any fame you may receive for your ideas or your inventions. You've been handed a piece of history in advance--a gracious gift you send to a time you will not see--and you play the biggest role in how that history will ultimately be recorded."

And that was only on page TWO!

Rest time is over, chores are calling...but I can't wait until tomorrow to see what other gems of wisdom I'm able to glean from this book. I'll let you know when I find them!

(But before I start my chores, I'll be typing this quote to print out with some pretty little border around it to hang on my bathroom mirror...)

A Change of Pace

2010-02-02T13:56:00.001-06:00

After a few days of pondering, I decided yesterday that the kids and I would take a little detour from our usual lesson plans and do a unit study on the Olympics. For those of you not familiar with a unit study, it has a main focal point (in this case, the Olympics) and every area of study is centered around that focal point. So for the next month, all of our history, geography, handwriting, read-alouds and more will be about the Olympics (I think I'm still going to have to sneak in some Math for Benjamin to complete the lessons).

I'm so pumped! It will be a great change of pace and add some excitement to this time of the year when reasons to take a break from school do not appear in abundance. Besides, I pretty well have our noses to the grindstone because I'm pondering a change in next year's school schedule, and I need to have us finished with this year by the end of May in order for it to all work.

I had a hard time making the final decision to jump off and try this unit study. For one, I've never done one before and wasn't sure what to expect. Also, I'm VERY Type A and a perfectionist to boot, so structure and a plan is extremely high on my priority list. Besides, if I do this unit study, what on earth do I do with the four weeks of lesson plans that we would have been doing otherwise?!?!?! (my personality is exploding out of this paragraph!)

I was talking to God about this yesterday morning and asking Him to give me the guidance to know whether to do this or not (all the while wondering if He really cared whether we did an Olympics unit study or not). As I was writing my prayer about this (yes, I am one of those that writes out my prayers in a journal...key word: FOCUS), God was answering me at the same time. This is what he put on my heart:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3.5-6

(It just so happens that was the kids' memory verse just two weeks ago, so it was fresh on my mind...guess it wasn't just for the kids.)

I know this decision wasn't rocket science, but as a homeschool mom, any decision regarding their education is not taken lightly. And God showed me that He does in fact care about the little details of my day, even regarding a change of pace in our homeschool life. Peace immediately flooded over me, and my mind went to work getting us ready to start this study.

Today, the kids made folders in which to keep all their Olympics-related work. We talked about the start of the Olympic games in Greece (did you know the early Olympians wore nothing but maybe a layer of oil when they competed??), made drawings of the country and flag of Greece, looked at the temperature and weather conditions in Vancouver (43 degrees and light drizzle), talked about what it means to play fairly, read about an Olympic runner back in the 1920's and his good sportsmanship, and practiced our handwriting by writing Psalm 139.14 (I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful).

Our plans for future days and weeks include making a chart to keep track of the medal count, learning about different countries with athletes competing in the Olympics, talking about notable athletes of the past, and much MUCH more! I think this will be a shot in the arm for us and will make watching the Olympics that much more exciting. I'll try to do more posts on the things we are doing and learning as we attempt our first unit study!!

(In case you are interested, I got my unit study here. No, I did not make it up myself! I do have a life, you know!)

Goal Check

2010-01-23T14:47:00.000-06:00

We've been rocking along in this new year for about three weeks now, so I figured I better keep up my end of the "accountability" thing and do a little check-in on my goals for the year. Here goes:

1. To lose 15 pounds by March 31, 2010: I haven't done my official weigh in for this week, but to date I'm down 4 pounds. So far, so good.

2. To walk 18-20 miles per week: week one-19 miles; week two-21 miles; and week three-19 miles.

3. To read through the Bible by December 31, 2010: I am up to date on my reading. I'm loving this--isn't amazing that you can spend your whole life listening to sermons, reading parts of the Bible, doing Bible studies, etc, and still God can show you something you've never seen before in His word? It's great!!

4. To finish afghan by February 28, 2010 by doing one row each day: My afghan is growing by the day! I haven't always gotten my row done each day, but by the end of each week, I have at least seven new rows added to it. It's so big now that I can cover up with it while I'm working on it! I began the afghan very innocently as my first "back to crocheting" project (I learned as a girl, but haven't done it in YEARS!) and had no idea how big it would be. Even with my long legs and 6' 1" frame, my shoulders and my feet can both be adequately covered at the same time, so I can't wait to get it finished and do some serious snuggling under it!!

5. To do 30 minutes of personal development reading each day: I have gotten this in most days. It hasn't always been 30 minutes at one sitting, but by the end of the day, I've usually managed it in spurts here and there throughout the day. Some of my reading has been books that go along with the First Place 4 Health study I'm doing; some has been in parenting or homeschool or homemaking-related magazines; and some has been watching and not reading--Beth Moore on "Life Today" or videos for First Place.

6. To focus on adding a dose of laughter to each day: This is the one I'm struggling with the most. I know I don't laugh nearly enough, and this week I could have exceeded my goal had it been "to add a dose of grumpiness to each day." It occurred to me that maybe it could be as simple as choosing to laugh more in the day. Rather than sometimes rolling my eyes at my kids' silliness , maybe I should laugh with them--even be a little silly myself! I'm still working on this.

Overall, I feel like I'm doing great. I feel good, I look forward to my 5:30 am alarm (most days, anyway!) to get me to my special chair for my cup of tea and my quiet time, followed by my exercise, and I love checking off my accomplished goals at the end of each day (I have them in my planner so they are always in front of me to see each and every day).

And for a non-goal-related bit of info....I ordered a new sewing machine this week for the first time in my life! I've never had a new machine ever in my life, and I can't wait for my new one to come in!! I'm busy dreaming up projects to get to work on as soon as it arrives! When I click on the "track package" button on Amazon, it says I should be seeing it on my doorstep Tuesday....yippee!!

Mistakes

2010-01-15T09:56:00.000-06:00

Have you ever done anything you later wish you could go back and undo, but of course, can't? If you are human, I figure your answer to this is yes. Such was the case for me last night.

I shared with you that we were taking our princess-loving daughter to see "The Princess and the Frog" last night (of course, her brother went along for the ride as well!). For the record, I am VERY particular in what my kids watch and we rarely go to the movies. If there is a movie we are interested in, I use Focus on the Family's "Plugged In" website to read their movie reviews before making a final decision on whether we will see the movie or not. "Or not" is usually the case.

We had already decided to go see "The Princess and the Frog" before I even looked at a review (I mistake, I know), so I briefly scanned what the "Plugged In" reviewer had to say about the movie yesterday afternoon. A mention of voodoo was in the review, but in my eyes, it was downplayed and didn't seem to be a big element of the movie. I came away from the review feeling like it was recommended by the reviewer, and in the past I've been able to agree with and trust their reviews.

Until now.

I could not believe, in a G-rated movie targeted to princess-loving little girls, how dark, sinister, and evil this movie ended up being. Yes, it had all the feel-good elements of a fairy tale princess story, but the voodoo portion of the plot and the darkness included in the movie greatly overshadowed anything that was feel-good about it. I was so sorry that we went to see it and would NEVER have taken my children (at ANY age) to see it had I known how prevalent the "other world" side of the movie was.

As a result, Hannah ended up sleeping in bed with us after she kept waking up crying from dreams she kept having due to movie. We never allow our kids to sleep with us, but in this instance, when I felt responsible for why she was having the bad dreams, I felt it was the right thing to do.

I'm so disappointed--in myself, in Disney (even though I don't always hold them in the highest regard anyway regarding what is moral and right), and especially in the "Plugged In" website. For them to be a "Focus on the Family" entity, I continue to be appalled that their review didn't come with a "highly not recommended" stamp on it. Again, I came away from their review feeling like they thought the movie was one worth seeing. I plan to write them later today and let them know my thoughts on this issue.

This morning, Mark showed me this website called "Christian Spotlight on Entertainment." Oh how I wish I would have known about this site yesterday. Their review was quite different than the one on "Plugged In", and the "Christian Spotlight" review actually says that they do not recommend this movie because of its content.

Guess which website I'll be using in the future?

Giving Good Gifts

2010-01-14T15:12:00.001-06:00

Our small town movie theater, which gets movies a few weeks after their theater premier, is showing "The Princess and the Frog" this week. So we surprised Hannah (who loves ALL things "princess") yesterday by telling her that tonight we would all be going to see "The Princess and the Frog." You can imagine the way her face lit up and the excitement that burst out of her little princess body when we told her! And she's talked about nothing else since then. In fact, the second she got out of bed this morning, she said, "Oh Mommy, as soon as I woke up I remembered we were going to see the Tiana movie tonight!!"

As a parent, there's just nothing better than to get to give my child a gift or surprise. The delight and innocent excitement that they express is simply priceless. As much as I love receiving gifts myself (and believe me, I do!!), giving my children gifts is even better.

There's a verse that I've been meditating on for the past two weeks that says this:

"If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" Matthew 7.11

I don't like to be considered evil, but when you come down to the human condition, that's what we all are. But even in all my "evil-ness", I absolutely LOVE giving my children good gifts. Can you imagine how God must feel, then, to give a good gift to me, his child? He must absolutely DELIGHT in giving me and you good gifts!

But did you notice the end of that verse: "...to those who ask" ? James 4.2 says "You do not have, because you do not ask God."

Why don't we ask? Is it because our faith is too small to believe that God can do it? Is it because He hasn't given us what we've asked before, so we've given up asking? That never stops my children--they just ask all the more!

Do I believe I can ask of God anything I want and should expect to receive it? Of course not. Even I, in my evil ways, don't give my kids everything they ask for. Many of the things they ask for would not be in their best interests for me to give them. I believe the same holds true with God.

But I do believe that we often sell ourselves short simply by not asking. Or maybe we are selling God short and limiting his power at work in our lives by not asking. Are there things in your heart that you desire, but you just haven't gone so far as to ask God for them?

As a result of a few books I have been reading over the past two weeks, I have made a list of seven things I am praying about daily and asking God to do in my life over the course of 2010. They are big things--things I could not do own my own. Things that can only happen with God's power involved. In return, I also have my own list of things that I feel I need to do daily in order to live the obedient life that God is calling me to. I believe that obedience plays a key role here. We have to do our part in life and be obedient to the things God asks of us. I certainly don't reward my children's disobedience with gifts. That would not be a good parental decision on my part. I don't think God does, either.

I am anxious to see all that God has in store for me this year. If you are interested in what I've been reading, you can check it out here. (I bought mine from Amazon.)

Reading Through the Bible

2010-01-06T14:01:00.000-06:00

Some thoughts I've had the past few days as I begin my journey to read through the Bible this year:

So, what happened to the bodies of the people and animals who died in the Great Flood? Were they just laying everywhere when Noah stepped off the ark (for his sake, I hope not)? Did they wash into the oceans when the floodwaters receded (can't think that would be good for the marine life)? Did God supernaturally remove their bodies from the Earth? ????
Genesis 18 & 19--Abraham and Lot were both confronted by angels, and from what I read, neither of them seemed overly surprised by it. Was it such a common occurence during that time or were they more surprised than Scripture reveals? Do we have appearances of angels as frequently as it seems they did at that time?
Genesis 25--in these times, man's word was a binding covenant. They never questioned it or had to have it in writing before it was binding. What would our world be like today if the words that flow out of our mouths were as binding as they were back then?

And finally this from Genesis 24.50:

"This is from the Lord; we can say nothing to you one way or another."

I LOVE this faith--knowing it is from God and accepting it, no questions asked.

May my faith be this strong--unquestioning, unwavering, 100% acceptance.

Goals for 2010

2010-01-02T19:06:00.000-06:00

I love fresh starts and new beginnings. It's always good to be able to stop where you are, evaluate things, see what needs to change, and then forge ahead with a new plan. That's what I like to do at the beginning of each year.

I sat down last night and came up with a list of goals for 2010. I don't call them "New Year's Resolutions" because to most people that translates into "eventual failure come February, March at the latest." I choose instead to plan on success.

I've learned a lot about setting goals over the past few years. Talk to any personal development guru, and they are likely to say that, among other things, goals must be measurable, have a beginning and an end, and be specific. Most importantly, in order to increase your chances of success many times over, you must write your goals down and look at them frequently.

Accountability is also important in achieving goals, so I've decided to share with you the goals I wrote in my journal last night for 2010, beginning January 1. Some of these will last throughout the year; others will be met (again, choose success!) and be replaced by more goals. Here they are:

to lose 15 pounds by March 31, 2010, using First Place 4 Health. (Being 6' 1" lets me hide extra pounds easier than some, but I know those extra pounds are there. Achieving this goal will result in me getting to buy a new Easter dress!)
to walk 18-20 miles per week in 2010 either outside or using my Leslie Sansone DVD's. (if you don't know who she is and need an exercise DVD, you should check her out!)
to read through the Bible by December 31, 2010 using the reading plan my husband developed
to set aside 30 minutes each day in 2010 for personal development reading on the topics of homemaking, finances, marriage, homeschool or health (it's amazing how many times someone will ask me, "how did you know that?" and I realize it's because I read a lot)
to seek out a way each and every day of 2010 to add laughter to my day through a book, TV show or listening to a CD (anyone have ideas for good, clean laughter?)
to finish my afghan by February 29, 2010 by crocheting at least one row per day

There they are. It's a good start anyway. And if, along the way, I need to reassess and revise, I can feel free to do so. I'll do a "goal check" periodically to keep that accountability going and to let you know how I'm doing. What about you? What kind of goals do you have for the new year?

The Scent of Memories

2009-12-23T16:39:00.000-06:00

I am one of those for whom smells can, in the blink of an eye, bring back memories from days gone by. Today, the memories have created a whirlwind in my mind.

A trip to Ma's house always meant the opportunity for a cinnamon roll. Whether the visit was a quick one after church on Sunday mornings just to say hello or maybe the need for a place to land for a few hours after school and before the next extracurricular activity, you could always count on a cinnamon roll.

Now these weren't just ANY cinnamon rolls. They were Ma's homemade ones that were the best ones on the planet, hands down. I don't think any cinnamon roll will ever take the prize of the "best on the planet." Ever. Whether fresh on the counter, or warmed from the freezer, there was just nothing better.

As I've grown older, I've come to realize it was more than the taste that made the cinnamon rolls so tasty. Now don't get me wrong--they were scrumptious. But what came with the cinnamon roll was just as special. A conversation about my day at school. The latest happenings at church. Family news. The sweetest encouragement you could ever ask for. I could always tell Ma about an accomplishment, no matter what it was, knowing she wouldn't take it as bragging, and knowing she would be so proud. And tell me so. Every time. And if ever there was correction that needed to be given, it would be so coated with love and sweetness that you didn't even realize you were being corrected, but yet the lesson stuck.

I've begun my own little tradition of making Ma's cinnamon rolls every year at Christmas. Maybe it's because I become more senitmental than usual during the holiday seaons. Maybe it's because I miss her and need to revisit those sweet memories.

As the scent of homemade cinnamon rolls is making its way through my house, a few tears find their way down my cheeks. I wish Ma were still here. I'd so love for my kids to know her. And for them to know her. And her love. And her sweet correction.

If she were here, I'd put a warm roll on a Christmas plate for each of us, pour her a cup of coffee, and sit down at the table for a chat. I'd tell her all about Benjamin and Hannah. How smart they are. How funny they are. How sweet they are. How ornery they are. How much I love them. And she wouldn't take it as bragging. And she would tell me how proud she was of me. And of them. Every time.

Gingerbread Houses

2009-12-21T16:21:00.000-06:00

I've been wanting to make gingerbread houses with my kids, but I never like those kits that you can buy in a store. You can only eat the gingerbread if you're willing to risk a broken tooth, and eating it, to me, is the best part about making one in the first place! Then I heard some friends talking about making them out of graham crackers and decided the kids and I would give it a try. My nephew is with us for a few days, so I thought this would be a fun activity for us to do while he's with us.

I googled making gingerbread houses out of graham crackers and found a very easy recipe for icing--simply mix 3 egg whites and 5 cups of powdered sugar until it is peanut butter consistency. It worked well. The builder of the houses was a rookie builder, so the sturdiness of the houses would not pass inspection. But I don't figure that matters because I'm not sure they'll last much past supper anyway!

Our various candies--gummy life savers, M&M's, butter mints, licorice bites, candy cane kisses, and what I thought were gum drops. Turns out they were "spice drops." Ick. Definitely ensured I would not be munching on them in obscene amounts.

The houses before...

...and in the making. What, you mean you didn't know Spider Man made gingerbread houses??

Serious concentration

And the finished products--Benjamin

Nephew Ethan

Hannah

This one belongs to the only person at the table who had enough patience to construct that M&M roof. Evidently, I was a bit too intense while building my gingerbread house because I kept getting holes in my icing bag (aka a Ziploc bag with a corner snipped off). The bag would just split and icing would start oozing out in another hole. By the end, I was smearing the icing on with my fingers and was by far the messiest one at the table! But doesn't the rule say something like the messier you get, the more fun you had? Well, a great time was definitely had by all!

Thank You

2009-12-17T21:20:00.001-06:00

As a pastor's family, we are blessed beyond measure during the Christmas season with gifts from our congregation--everything from a snowman cookie jar filled with homemade snack mix, to a dozen grapefruit, to candy and cookies specifically designated for Benjamin and Hannah. I've been trying to stay caught up with thank you notes as the gifts come in, so as to not find myself with oodles of thank you's to write come December 26th.

As I was just sitting at the kitchen bar, writing our appreciation to so many people, an abundance of things flashed through my mind for which I am thankful--and for which deserve a thank you note of their own.

Dear God,

In this Christmas season, there are so many things that you have given me for which I am so grateful. Some of them I often take for granted; others, I thank you for on an almost daily basis. But tonight, I thank you for:

the gift of your Son. As a mommy, this gift, this sacrifice of yours, is completely beyond my comprehension. I am humbled by your love for me.
the gift of my husband. The work you began in his life as a young boy, and the work you continue doing through him as a pastor, husband, daddy, and more is amazing. Thank you for choosing me as the privileged one to be his wife.
the gift of my son. My life-long dream to be a mommy was fulfilled the day he entered this world. The relationship that you have given us is a special one that can never be matched.
the gift of my daughter. Oh, to get to be a mommy to a little princess is the best. Each day is a new adventure, and she sings and dances her way through my days and brings beautiful rays of sunshine along with her.
the gift of life. As I watch a friend struggle through an organ transplant and the daily battles that go along with it, I realize just what a gift my good health is--one I don't deserve, but one for which I am so grateful.
the gift of beauty. You didn't have to make this world be an array of colors, scents, sights, sounds, tastes and more--but you did it because you love beauty, you love creativity, and you love your children.

This thank you is never-ending. The life you have given me is one that is full of grace, mercy, love and so much more. I haven't earned this life, but I humbly thank you that you've given it to me. Forgive me for the days that I take it all for granted. Help me to share the gifts you've given me with those you put in my path each day.

I Love Christmas, But...

2009-12-14T11:49:00.000-06:00

I want to preface what I am about to say with this:

I LOVE Christmas. I love teaching my children the real meaning behind this holiday. I love decorating my home and enjoying the twinkling lights on our tree. I love shopping for gifts for those I love and wrapping them up in pretty paper. I love a month that makes me focus on the real gift, the ONLY gift that matters. I LOVE Christmas.

I am NOT a Scrooge.

But...and I am prepared for boos, hisses, and rotten tomatoes...

I am tired of Santa Claus.

There it is. Go ahead. Call me un-American. Call me a grump. Call me whatever. But I AM tired of Santa Claus.

Santa seems to take center stage in the consumeristic, materialistic, worldly celebration that is Christmas for many people. But I don't want Santa taking center stage in my family's celebration of the birth of Christ.

I don't get into the "Santa Claus is watching you!" method of parenting at Christmas time. I don't want my kids to have to pretend that they believe in Santa long after they really do in order to continue getting gifts in their stockings.

In this day and age, it actually kinda creeps me out to think of my kids sitting on the lap of some man that I don't know from Adam just so that I can have a picture of them for the "memory of it all". And then to have to pay a ridiculous amount of money just to walk away with a 3x5 photo of the "memory."

Mark and I refuse to lie to our children. They are smart, curious kids, and it won't be long before "what do you think?" will no longer satisfy their questioning selves. I'm so ready to just be straight-forward with them. To tell them how Santa Claus came to be a part of this holiday in the first place. To enjoy filling their stockings, simply because it's a fun way to celebrate and spread joy to those I love, rather than trying to make them think a fat, jolly man in a red suit somehow makes it down our chimney (even when I have my church collection displayed in front of the fireplace doors) to put gifts in their stockings. I'm ready to teach my kids that we ALL can be Santa Claus by sharing hope and love with others who desperately need it year-round, but who especially might feel forgotten at this time of the year.

I am tired of Santa Claus as the world knows him.

Let's Pretend

2009-12-07T16:38:00.001-06:00

I cannot count the number of times as a child that I remember saying to my sister, "Let's pretend..." Worlds of fun open up in the times following those two simple words. Now, I overhear Benjamin and Hannah saying it to each other multiple times a day as well.

So...

Let's pretend that you live just down the street from me, and Mark and I invite you to our Parsonage Open House (which occurred in reality yesterday). Even though it's frigid outside, you bundle up in your warm coat, scarf and gloves and head over to my house. Here's how it will go.

Welcome to our home!

As you sign our guestbook, take note of the sweet message left for you from Benjamin and Hannah.

Our mini-host and hostess will be glad to serve as your tour guide if you'd like them to!

First things first! Grab a plate of goodies to munch on while you are perusing our home. There's lots to choose from...

here's fudge, apricot balls, and chocolate-caramel apple slices...

and peanut clusters and macadamia-craisin clusters...

dipped apricots and pecans, or maybe a cheeseball is more your thing...

there's hot dips, too--jalapeno and bacon or spinach-artichoke...

(I have no idea why Blogger is turning my pictures sideways...let's pretend they are turned the way they are supposed to be!)

I always love summer sausage, cheese and crackers, and maybe you will, too!

You can have a brownie or piece of strawberry bread to top off your plate. And don't forget the cider!

Why don't you have a seat and enjoy your munchies? If you had an hour, I'd tell you all about our tree and how almost every ornament has a story behind it. But I know you are busy, so I'll just tell you about a few of my favorites.

This delicate laser-cut paper nativity always hangs near the top in the center of the tree--signifying why we celebrate Christmas in the first place.

This little nativity ornament caught my eye last fall when I was in Cancun. I collect nativities, but this one is housed inside a little gourd, making it very unique.

This is the ornament that started it all! Mark and I bought this on our honeymoon in Hawaii in April 2000.

This one comes with lots of memories attached. I bought it in San Luis Obispo, CA over the Thanksgiving holiday in 1993. I played basketball my freshman year in college, and we were in California for a tournament. The ornament signifies my love for basketball, but that trip was an especially difficult one for me. It was my first time ever to be away from my family for Thanksgiving, and just three weeks earlier, my roommate/best friend/teammate had been killed in a car accident. My introduction to "life" as a freshman in college that year was a little more than I bargained for.

Bittersweet memories here, too. This "Beary Christmas" ornament belonged to my sister, Susan, a lover and collector of all things with teddy bears.

This sweet Fitz & Floyd teddy bear was my gift from an ornament exchange in 1997. We went to the party assuming it was a "get-to-know each other" party with my sister's boyfriend's family. What it really was was an opportunity for both families to be together for that "boyfriend" of my sister's to become that "fiance" of my sister's, complete with Santa delivering the engagement ring!

Over the years I've been given picture frame ornaments which have become great ways to capture my children's pictures over the years. The one to the left was given to us at Benjamin's baby shower and has his first picture as an infant in it.

And here's Hannah in her "First Christmas" ornament and with me in the "Mommy's Little Angel" ornament.

Since you've finished your goodies, feel free to look around. There's decorations all over the house, so make yourself at home!

Being a pastor's wife, I'm a little partial to churches. Here are a few of my favorites!

Right above the churches on the mantle, "the stockings are hung by the chimney with care." No, I didn't needlepoint our stockings, as many people asked me yesterday. I ordered them here.

In the kitchen, I have my Santa collection displayed. It was not intentional on my part to start collecting Santas. A gift here and a gift there, and the next thing you know, I have these and...

all of these! The three little guys on the bottom shelf are the ones that started it all!

Having a collection of nativities was an intentional effort on my part, since they do serve as a constant reminder of the reason behind this special season that is often overcome by commercialism. Mark and I bought this set for our first Christmas together, and it has travelled many miles with us. This is the third parsonage it's lived in!

This table shows several of my favorites. The Jim Shore nativity there in the middle is earmarked for Benjamin one of these days. Mark and I decided that we wanted our children to have a special "First Christmas" gift that would always be memorable to them and us, so we chose a nativity set for each of them. We will give them their set when they have a home of their own in which to put it.

This set is Hannah's. I will have a hard time parting with both of them when that time comes--they are two of my very favorites.

For now, though, Benjamin claims this one as his...

...and Hannah claims this one. Notice how she set this up. When I display mine, my focus is on getting everyone positioned just right so that their faces can be seen by those admiring them. When Hannah and Benjamin set theirs up, everyone faces Baby Jesus--no worries about perfection, just focused on the "main thing." Quite a lesson for this mommy.

We're getting close to the end of our tour. These are a few of my favorite decorations. They sit in my kitchen and were given to me a few years ago by two families in our congregation. They are just so colorful and fun! I can't help but smile when I look at them, and I use the platter every chance I get during the Christmas season!

Benjamin and Hannah's bathroom becomes adorned with snowmen at Christmas! Shower curtain, bath mats, towels and all!

And a few more here...

...and there. No, I do not spend a fortune on Christmas decorations. Being a pastor's family, we often get gifts during this time of year, and many of them are decorations! So we certainly have many more than we did when we started almost ten years ago!

These also hang in the kids' bathroom. They didn't cost me a dime, but they are priceless.

You'll notice a few more nativities on my bedroom dresser. (I love how this picture turned out! It was not on purpose, believe me!)

The last thing I want you to see is our newest family tradition, most likely to become my favorite. This is our Jesse Tree. I had never heard of a Jesse Tree until a few months ago, and I absolutely love the concept. This is the book we are using. I hope to eventually gather "real" ornaments for each story, but for now the paper ones I printed out work just fine. It's not the ornaments that are the most important part, anyway.

I know the rest of your day is busy, but I'm so glad you took a few minutes to drop by. Please come back again when we can sit down and just visit.

Merry Christmas!

Pumpkins, Pumpkins Everywhere!

2009-10-29T19:36:00.000-05:00

I'm 34 years old, and until today had never carved a jack-o-lantern! Is that crazy or what??

That all changed today when the kids and I set out to carve and paint pumpkins. It all started out as a "we" thing, but when it came time to clean out and carve the pumpkin, it suddenly became a "me" thing! I still enjoyed the challenge and was pretty pleased with the rookie effort! Here's some pictures from our fun afternoon:

Benjamin & Hannah's Pumpkins...Before

...and After!

My Sweet Pumpkin Painters!

Jack-o-lantern stencils that you can print online are GREAT!!

All in all, I carved one pumpkin, roasted 3 cups of pumpkin seeds, and put 5 cups of fresh pumpkin in the freezer for some yummy holiday baking!! Fun afternoon!

Some Funnies

2009-09-10T20:22:00.001-05:00

Today we went on an adventure to explore a lake area that is just south of where we live. We had a great time and discovered a wonderful get-away less than 30 minutes from our home. We'll definitely be making regular trips out there to relax for the day.

In the midst of this discovery, we came across a few funnies. See anything wrong with this sign?

And what about this? This is my idea of "roughing it!"

This may be a very typical sight at campsites in this day and age, but we still thought is was funny to see a mounted satellite dish in the midst of what we consider "the wilderness."

And finally, more words of wisdom from our four-year-old...

We do lots of reading with our school curriculum, and many of the books really stretch the vocabulary of both of the kids, but especially Hannah. As a result, if you were a fly on the wall, you would hear "what's that mean?" many times throughout each day. Well, as we were exploring at the lake, Benjamin spotted a plastic cup that had been thrown into the lake and asked me why someone would do that. I answered that I guess they were just not being responsible. Hannah piped up and said, "I know what responsible means! It's the spanish word for "not very nice!"

Oh my goodness! We seldomly have a shortage of laughs around here!

Out of the Mouths of Babes

2009-09-02T22:09:00.000-05:00

I've been busy today, preparing to leave early tomorrow morning to drive to San Antonio for the funeral of my aunt. As we were getting the kids ready for bed, I was also telling them goodbye since I will be leaving before they get up in the morning. That brought out many questions from them about what a funeral was like, and what happens when someone dies, and the like. By the end of the conversation, I was very teary. Off Hannah (our four year old) went, and in a minute she was back, with her Bible in tow. She held it up to me, pointing to the words, as if reading them herself, and said, "Mommy, listen to what the Bible says. It says, 'Trust God. If your mommy's aunt dies, believe in God because he will take care of everything.' See, Mommy. That's just what my Bible says."

Precious.

Priceless.

Thank you, God, that my babies are "getting it."

What We've Been Up To

2009-08-31T14:16:00.000-05:00

When I think about what we've been up to, the first thing that comes to mind is:

Life is good.

I don't think I can recall a time in the more recent months, or maybe even last couple of years, when I have felt more content with life itself. We are settling in to our new home, new town, new church--and loving it all. The kids and I started our fourth week of homeschool this morning, which is going beautifully. And I am getting settled into a new routine and schedule as I relish my role as wife and mom.

There is something to be said for being just where God wants you to be. "Homemaker" is not always a popular or accepted term, depending on the company you are keeping at the time, but for me, it's just where I'm supposed to be. I've known since I was a small girl that God had made me to be a wife and mom. Other occupations and activities might be interwoven here and there, but my heart has always said, "I want to be a wife and mom."

I can vividly remember a conversation I had with one of my upper-level college professors about my plans after graduation. He encouraged me to consider moving to the Metroplex or a larger area than where I was because I had the potential for a "really good job." I gave lip service to the conversation at the time, but I still remember how my heart was saying during the entire conversation, "You are made to be a wife and mom." No promise of a lucrative job could lure me away from the desire God put in my heart at an early age.

(This blog post has been interrupted for a clean up in Benjamin's bedroom of a broken light bulb as a result of an overturned lamp. Seems a football pass gone awry was to blame. After a quick clean up and thorough vacuum, I have completely lost my train of thought...)

Suffice it to say, I'm so happy doing what I'm doing. The kids and I are having a blast doing school together, I'm very fulfilled to be keeping our new house (as clean as I can, anyway; certainly not spotless!), and we are all enjoying my latest baking goodies, whether it be homemade bread, cinnamon rolls, or biscuits (I never thought I had time to bake before. But is there anything that smells better than bread baking??). I have sewing projects waiting in the wings with more being planned in my head.

And most importantly, I'm thanking God daily for the calling he has on my life to care for these two precious, growing bundles of energy that take up the majority of my waking hours, and for the sweet husband that I get to live life with on a daily basis.

God is good.

First Day of School

2009-08-10T15:54:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow will be the first day of school at our house--HOMEschool, that is. I am SO very excited about homeschooling this year, and from what I can tell, the kids are equally as excited. Hannah was practically giddy tonight as she went to bed because this year, she gets to do school with us!

I've been cleaning and straightening today to get our main school area ready for tomorrow morning. We'll "do school" in different places around the house (the beauty of homeschool!) , but the area I've been working on is where the kids' table and chairs will be. There we'll do handwriting, math and coloring; probably some occasional cutting and pasting; and who knows what else. This area (plan to post pictures later) is actually on our sun porch. It won't be realistic come winter, but it will work for now while the weather is still warm. The kids love being out there, and so do I--almost out in nature, but without the flies, mosquitoes, and other bugs and things. I would like to do more with this area, but the church is planning some improvements out here soon, so I'll wait and see what happens there first.

I'm using curriculum from Sonlight. It is what I used last year when we "test drove" homeschooling. We all loved it, it worked, and we're sticking with it. Sonlight is a Christian homeschool curriculum that is very literature-based. I love love LOVE to read, and I want to do my best to pass that love along to my kids (so far, it's working!). I am using a four-day-a-week schedule, so our Fridays will be free to plan field trips, time with Daddy on his day off, or other activities.

We'll start our day out with prayer, the memory verse for the week, a Bible story, and history, all while cuddling on the couch. Then we'll move to the sunroom where I'll do language arts with Benjamin while Hannah has some playtime (blocks, puzzles, dolls). We'll have a quick snack break, then we'll switch--I'll do some language arts with Hannah while Benjamin has some constructive play time. Next it will be math time for Benjamin, then back to the couch for all three of us for some more cuddling while we do our read-alouds books. We'll wrap up our school day with science and some life skills work. My plan is to begin school time at 9am and be finished by 11:30am. I've also carved out some time in the afternoons to do an additional activity, craft, or cooking project.

Our schedule is subject to change, depending on how everything flows. We may switch things up where we do math three days a week and science twice a week. We'll just see how it goes. Once again, the beauty of homeschooling!

The kids will be active outside of our designated morning homeschool time as well. Benjamin is signed up to take gymnastics, and Hannah will continue with her dance classes in ballet and tap. We are considering putting Hannah in gymnastics as well--she would love it and would probably be good at it. But we'll do some more thinking on it (and checking the budget!). A fellow homeschool mom and I are also kicking around some ideas for planning some playdates and other activities with other homeschool families here in our area. Add to that church activities and children's choir, and I think we'll all be as busy as we want to be!

Watermelon Berry Slush

2009-07-15T13:32:00.003-05:00

If you are like my kids and me, you LOVE cold things to eat and drink in the summer. I, however, am always looking for healthy cold alternatives to ice cream, Sonic drinks and sugary popscicles. I'd love to sit around and eat homemade ice cream ALL SUMMER, but I know for my kids and me both, I should make healthier choices some of the time!

My mom forwarded me this recipe last week, and it has quickly become a new favorite summertime drink. I don't know its source, but it's so yummy and somewhat healthy, and I wanted to share it with all of you:

Watermelon Berry Slushes

1 cup cubed seeded watermelon
1 cup ginger ale or lemon-lime carbonated beverage
2 Tbsp frozen limeade concentrate (thawed)
1 cup frozen unsweetened strawberries

In blener or food processor, process watermelon, carbonated beverage and limeade concentrate until liquefied. Gradually add frozen strawberries, blending until just slushy. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings

ENJOY!!

Changes

2009-06-27T22:03:00.003-05:00

Wow, a lot has changed since my last post! I'm a year older, have moved 300 miles, and have packed and unpacked more cardboard boxes than I care to see again in the next ten years (or more)!!!

Some observations from the past few months:

When you are packing to move, you realize just how much "stuff" you really have. In our case, it's TOO MUCH! We plan to be very aware of what we use and what we don't use over the next year or so, and then discard accordingly.
When you are packing to move, the trips down memory lane make all the work worth it. There were times during the packing process when I'd come across photo albums or just stacks of snapshots, and I'd sit down right where I was, without any worry of time, and soak in the memories of times gone by. When we made our last move, Benjamin was ten months old and not even walking. Now he's almost six years old, and we've added a little princess to our family who is now four!! There are tears in my eyes just thinking about how quickly time goes by and how fast those sweet babies grow up!
Whether you are packing to move or just living life as it comes, God shows up in some amazing ways. I was and still am deeply humbled at the ways God has provided for us during this transition time in so many ways: physically, financially, emotionally, and spiritually. I could write for hours on all the ways He has worked in the past few months. It has also been a good reminder to me of how much I need to be aware of His presence with me always, not just in times of high stress.

We still have plenty of boxes to unpack, but we are gradually making a home here in our new house. Even though the stress of the transition time is not over, we are still so happy here and very much at peace in the knowledge that this is exactly where God wants us to be at this time. He has some great things in store for our family as we begin what I feel is a new chapter in our lives. I look forward to sharing with you our new adventures!

A Blessed Way to Start the Day

2009-04-29T13:23:00.005-05:00

This is how my morning began about 5:40 am...

What a beautiful way to begin the day!

Mark and I celebrate nine years of "happily ever after" today. These nine years have been the best nine of my life, and I look forward to at least 99 more!

Happy Anniversary, Mark. Thanks for asking! I love you.

Report, Part 1

2009-04-26T20:24:00.002-05:00

I promised to report to you about my Lent experience. Most of my planned report was going to be over the book I read during Lent called "Freedom of Simplicity" by Richard J. Foster, but as life happened during that time, I have even more to share! My thoughts on the book will come later. But first...

**On Friday, March 6th, Mark and I learned that we would be moving our family in June! As most of you know, Mark is a United Methodist pastor, and with that vocation, moving is just a part of life. We have been in this appointment for 5 years and knew a change would probably be coming in the next year or so. We will be moving 5 hours to the north of where we are now, yet will still be in Texas--how crazy is that?! (In fact, we figured that living where we are now, we could move 5 hours in any direction from here and still be in the same state! Only in Texas!) The move will put us 2 hours away from my family (we are now 3 1/2 hours away), so you can obviously guess they are very excited about our move! The downside will be moving further away from Mark's parents. Now we are 2 hours away; once we move, we'll be 4 hours. It's still manageable, and it could be a lot worse.

We have visited our new church and new home (they have a parsonage, so no house hunting will be necessary--yeah!). Our visit was very positive, the people were so kind and welcoming, and we are looking forward to the new adventure God is calling us to!

You can imagine what my "To Do" list looks like right now...

**Somewhat related to the move, but then again not really...Mark and I have very prayerfully made the decision to homeschool Benjamin and Hannah next year. It was not a decision made lightly; it took lots of praying and thinking and talking and praying and praying. I will say I feel so strongly about this decision and know that God is in the middle of it. My heart has just burned over the thought of homeschooling the kids (the good kind of burn in your heart, not the Maalox kind!), and to say I am excited about it is an understatement! My calling as a wife, mom and homemaker has really been reinforced over these past couple of months, and for right now, homeschooling the kids is a part of that. We don't know if this is a long-term decision or short-term, but I think God will let us know as we go along!

Oh, yes...the town we are going to "just happens" to be very homeschool-friendly and has a large homeschool population. Coincidence? I don't think so...

You can imagine, once again, what my "To Do" list looks like right now...

Stay tuned for Part 2...

Lots to Share

2009-04-21T10:08:00.004-05:00

I have lots to share with you all--more than I even expected! I'm working on getting it in writing, but for now, I'll share these:

I'll be back soon...

Lent

2009-02-24T21:43:00.003-06:00

Tomorrow begins the season of Lent--the 40 days (except for Sundays) preceding Easter Sunday. As we speak, Mark is at the church, finishing up on his preparations for the Lent service he has planned for tomorrow morning at 7am and then to be repeated at 12 noon. I'm looking forward to attending the service at noon. I'd love to be there at 7am--what better way to start the day--but to get me AND the kids ready to be gone by about 6:45 am would more than likely result in two, if not three, tired, grumpy folks. Not a good way to start the day.

I've spent some time giving some thought and prayer to my Lent season. Wikidpedia describes Lent as the "forty-day-long liturgical season of fasting and prayer before Easter. The forty days represent the time Jesus spent in the desert, where according to the Bible he endured temptation by Satan. The purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer...for...Easter."

My plan for fasting and prayer includes this:

to support Mark's efforts of no sweets or cokes by abiding by the same fast;

to fast from any extraneous email and internet time, which means if it doesn't involve work or paying bills, it's off limits (except for 5 minutes of personal email time I'm going to allow myself each day--I don't want to completely cut off communication with those friends or family with whom email is the only way we communicate)

to spend that extra time that I'm not wasting (checking my email for the 57th time a day or surfing the 'net) prayerfully reading the book "Freedom of Simplicity" by Richard J. Foster. It's subtitle is "Finding Harmony in a Complex World." Sounds appealing, does it not? This book has been on my table for several months, and it's just never made it to the top of my reading stack. If I finish this one before the 40 days is over, I'll carry on with his book entitled "Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home."

The summary on the back of "Freedom of Simplicity says this:

"Simplicity is not merely a matter of having less stress and more leisure. It is rather an essential spiritual discipline that we must practice for the health of the soul."

I'm looking forward to this time of Lent. I know God is in the midst of these commitments and fastings, and I anxiously await all He has to show me during this time. I'll be back at Easter to share with you how things went.

This 'N That

2009-02-18T13:27:00.006-06:00

I have several thoughts floating around in my head right now, so I'm just going to do a random post about all of them!

Last week, I was able to surprise my sweet husband with an overnight get-away for a combined birthday/Valentine's Day gift. We rarely get an overnight trip by ourselves, so this was such a treat!

We attended a Valentine's/Marriage Retreat in Grapevine at the Embassy Suites, and it was such a blessing. The hosts for the retreat are some of my very favorite people in the whole wide world, so just seeing them would have been worth the trip. But there were some great presenters that reminded us of all the important things we need to be reminded of periodically in order to keep our marriages fine tuned (more on that later).

Part of the retreat was a Valentine Banquet Friday night, and it was so great. We got to dress up, which was really fun. That sounds crazy, but to dress up made it feel more special than "just" a date. And special it was. Everything was decorated so romantically, the meal was fabulous, and they sent us up to our rooms once everything was finished with cheesecake for dessert that was absolutely to die for!

Our room was so nice with fun, romantic touches here and there--rose petals sprinkled all over our bed along with a couple's devotional; a bottle of sparkling apple juice and two glasses; fun Valentine's confetti sprinkled on the table. It was just sweet.

Everything about it was fun, romantic, and simply a blessing. And being there with my best friend in the whole wide world...it was just the best.

The speaker we heard after our dinner Friday night reminded us that the most important witness we have after our personal relationship with Christ is our marriage relationship. People do not listen to the words we say; they watch what we do--how we treat our spouses, how we treat our children. That was such a good reminder and oh so true. I've always felt that, being the pastor and his wife, that was especially true, but I think it's applicable for everyone. If we call ourselves Christians, but are always bad-mouthing our spouses to others or snipping at and undermining each other everytime we turn around, we are contradicting ourselves and our witness is greatly devalued.

If you haven't invested any time in your marriage lately, I would encourage you to do so. Mark and I have a great marriage, but there's always room for improvement, and we want to be very intentional about planning more times together for just the two of us. And is there a better gift to give to your children than for you and your husband to have a happy, healthy, secure marriage? I don't think so.

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I've had some really sweet moments with my kids lately. I've been reminded that they are growing up so fast, which makes me sad on one hand. But on the other, it's such a blessing to watch them grow up into "real" little people!

A couple of different times lately, Benjamin has done something or said something that was very protective of me. It was just so sweet to me and made my heart almost burst to think of my little boy wanting to protect his Mommy!

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This morning, the weather was just beautiful outside, so I decided we needed to put up the kids' Pooh tent and have school outside. While the kids were playing in the front yard, I set everything all up in the backyard--the tent, a "special" snack for the kids, and then all our books. Then I went to the front yard and told them it was time for school. When I led them to the backyard (instead of to the table, as usual) and showed them where we were doing school, Hannah said, "Mommy! You're incredible!" I'll be able to go a couple of weeks on that sweet compliment!

Avocados and Worship

2009-01-21T13:21:00.005-06:00

Do you ever laugh at God? Not a mocking kind of laugh, of course. Just a laugh like you laugh with your best friend...a "look at that!" kind of laugh....or an "I can't believe you did that!" kind of laugh.

I have recently decided that avocados and I could be really good friends. They have the good kind of fats, you know. I just love them. Love them even more when they've been turned into guacamole. Just ask my friend that went to Cancun with me back in October how much I love guacamole. It was a staple food during those four days of paradise. My day just wasn't complete without a plate full of guacamole and chips.

But I digress.

One day I was cutting open an avocado and removing the pit, and I just suddenly stopped. And laughed. And marvelled. God is so creative! Think of all the variety of things He created...like fruits. We have apples that are red, green, and yellow, all with small, tear-drop shaped seeds on the inside. We have strawberries that are bright red, whose seeds are itsy, bitsy and all over the outside of the fruit. Bananas, that are long, slender and yellow, with its fruit inside a peel. Kiwi, with a fuzzy peel and bright green insides. Have you looked at a blueberry lately? This little tiny blue berry that at the top looks like it has a tiny ruffle around the stem area--so cute!

Then there's the avocado.

And that HUGE pit!

Call me crazy, but it just makes me laugh!

God's creation may be lots of things, but boring it is not!

Genesis 2.9 says, "And the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground--trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food."

God could have just made the trees "good for food." But no. He made them "pleasing to the eye." Did He have to do that? No, I don't think so. And He certainly didn't make the food for himself--He doesn't need food.

But we do. So you know what I think? I think He did it for us. He made his creation, with all its beauty and creativity and color, for US. Because He loves us. For us to enjoy.

Isn't that amazing??

And in the case of the avocado...funny!

I pointed this out to my kids, and said, "isn't God so funny and creative that He made an avocado to look like this?" Now every time I cut one open, they say, "Mommy, let me see that big seed!" I hope I'm teaching them to notice the little things in our every day lives. Little things that don't have to be there, but are because God likes to give us little gifts each and every day.

Whether they are learning or not, it's helping me to stop and slow down each day and notice all that God has made. Just for you and me. And thank Him. And tell Him how great He is.

I think that is what worship is all about.

And it all started with an avocado. How funny is that?!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T23:02:00.003-06:00

The greatest earthly gifts I've ever been given...

Hope you've had a blessed Christmas!

The Polar Express

2008-12-12T12:07:00.007-06:00

We made a trek Wednesday night to take a ride on the Polar Express with Granny Sue. As may be obvious, it was a train ride based on the movie. This was the first year for this event to happen, and we really didn't know what to expect. The train was three passenger cars long, with an engine on both ends--one to pull us to the "North Pole" and one to pull us back home. On the way to the "North Pole", they played a recording of the Polar Express storybook and served cookies and hot chocolate. When we arrived at the "North Pole", Santa and his elves boarded the train to ride back with us and make the rounds visiting with the kids and giving them each a bell of their own.

Here are some pictures from our fun evening:

As you can see, pajamas were the "dress code" for the Polar Express!

I love that smile on his face as he told Santa's elf that he wanted a scooter for Christmas (whew! I'm glad he didn't say something totally off the wall that I had not heard up to that point!)!

Benjamin's reaction to Santa and his elves....

And Hannah's reaction to Santa and his elves....she would NOT get her face out of my side the whole time Santa and the elves were on the train. It was not until she saw with her own eyes that they had left the train that she would finally sit up in the seat!

I'm all about making memories this Christmas season....and this was a good one to add to our collection.

Happily Ever After

2008-11-15T23:31:00.002-06:00

Benjamin and Hannah were both playing with their pretend cell phones this afternoon, and for some reason both decided they were watching TV shows or movies on the screen of their pretend cell phones. I don't know if this stems from Benjamin getting to watch a show or two on my iPod on occasion or what. But anyway, I was going to help Hannah get her socks and shoes on while she was watching her "show," and as I bent down beside her, she looked up from her screen and said matter-of-factly, "Sleeping Beauty is dead."

To which I said, "Why don't you pretend to watch a show that is nicer and doesn't talk about dead people?"

Her very quick reply was to roll her eyes and with a bit of disgust in her voice say, "Prince Charming kissed Sleeping Beauty and they lived happily ever after." As if implying that this is what ALWAYS happens and why couldn't the story be a little bit different every once in a while.

All I could do was laugh.

And sigh that she already rolls her eyes that quickly and easily.