I have learned a lot from this brief study. Here's some more from Ken Sande's book, The Peace Maker...
As we have seen, an idol is something we love, fear, or trust.
Love, fear, and trust are words of worship. Jesus commands us to love God, fear God, and trust God only (Matt 22:37; Luke 12:4-5; John 14:1). Anytime we long for something apart from God, fear something more than God, or trust in something other than God to make us happy, fulfilled, or secure, we worship a false god.
There is only one way out of this bondage and judgment: It is to look to God himself, who loves to deliver people from their idols. God has provided the cure for our idolatry by sending his Son to experience the punishment that we deserve because of our sin. Through Jesus Christ we can become righteous in God's sight and find freedom from sin and idolatry.
Confessing our sin brings freedom and opens the door for God to work through our humility. Thinking back over the summer, there's many times I wish I had just been quiet. Many times I wish I had prayed and left it there. Many times I wish I had waited patiently for God to work instead of stepping out on my own.
"Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel." Ps 73:23-24
One more...
"Finally brothers whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." Phil 4:8
This verse is used so often and applied to absolutely everything. While it is a wonderful principle to apply, reading it in its context we see that Paul is speaking in regard to conflict here. Imagine how different conflict would be if we concentrated on the good in the other person instead of reminding ourselves of the bad.
So there ya have it. I still have 1/2 the book to go and I'm curious as to what else could be said. Seems like he covered an ocean of goodness in just the first 1/2.
Now let's see if I can finish the summer as a peace maker instead of trouble maker!
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
Conflict And The Progression Of An Idol Part 2
This morning I had a thought. I've been working through this Peace Maker book for a couple of months now. I've liked it. It's hard though, and I haven't been very diligent. In the time I've had it, I'm only about 1/2 way through it. But I'm glad. I'm glad that now when I've returned to it, it is at the very place and chapter that I need to read. I think God has been saving it for me!
Today I want to share with you what it says about judging. Remember that conflict always starts with some sort of desire. When our desires aren't being satisfied, we criticize and condemn either in our hearts or with words.
It is an act of playing God in some respects..
The Bible says, "There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you to judge your neighbor?
Who are you (me)? None other than a God wannabe. In this we become like the devil himself (James 3:15, 4:7) We act exactly like the adversary who seeks to usurp God's throne and who acts as the accuser of the brethren. We play the self-righteous judge in the mini-kingdoms we establish.
Yikes.
Now understand, it is not wrong to evaluate or even judge others within certain limits. Scripture teaches that we should observe and evaluate others' behavior so that we can respond and minister to them in appropriate ways. (Matt 7:1-5; 18:15; Gal 6:1)
We cross that line, however, when we begin to sinfully judge others, which is characterized by a feeling of superiority, indignation, condemnation, bitterness, or resentment.
And this is the part that got me. When I see something out of line, I have the tendency to address it in a fashion that suits myself and not necessarily to benefit them. My pride...the feelings of superiority, indignation, and condemnation is the red flag.
I wonder why it's not received well. And the idol progresses...
Idols always demand sacrifices. When someone fails to satisfy our demands and expectations, our idol demands that he should suffer. We will find ways to hurt or punish people so that they will give in to our desires.
Sometimes we react in overt anger, lashing out with hurtful words or physical abuse. Other times we react in more subtle ways like acting cool toward the other person, withholding affection, acting sad or gloomy, being perpetually critical and unhappy, or even abandoning the relationship altogether.
Such behavior is an act of unbelief. Instead of relying on God's means of grace to sanctify, we depend on our own tools of punishment to manipulate them into change.
In the midst of conflict, have you ever thought of your behavior as judging and punishing? I haven't. I have always justified it as "working through it".
I have so much to learn and so many things to turn away from......
More later.
Today I want to share with you what it says about judging. Remember that conflict always starts with some sort of desire. When our desires aren't being satisfied, we criticize and condemn either in our hearts or with words.
It is an act of playing God in some respects..
The Bible says, "There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you to judge your neighbor?
Who are you (me)? None other than a God wannabe. In this we become like the devil himself (James 3:15, 4:7) We act exactly like the adversary who seeks to usurp God's throne and who acts as the accuser of the brethren. We play the self-righteous judge in the mini-kingdoms we establish.
Yikes.
Now understand, it is not wrong to evaluate or even judge others within certain limits. Scripture teaches that we should observe and evaluate others' behavior so that we can respond and minister to them in appropriate ways. (Matt 7:1-5; 18:15; Gal 6:1)
We cross that line, however, when we begin to sinfully judge others, which is characterized by a feeling of superiority, indignation, condemnation, bitterness, or resentment.
And this is the part that got me. When I see something out of line, I have the tendency to address it in a fashion that suits myself and not necessarily to benefit them. My pride...the feelings of superiority, indignation, and condemnation is the red flag.
I wonder why it's not received well. And the idol progresses...
Idols always demand sacrifices. When someone fails to satisfy our demands and expectations, our idol demands that he should suffer. We will find ways to hurt or punish people so that they will give in to our desires.
Sometimes we react in overt anger, lashing out with hurtful words or physical abuse. Other times we react in more subtle ways like acting cool toward the other person, withholding affection, acting sad or gloomy, being perpetually critical and unhappy, or even abandoning the relationship altogether.
Such behavior is an act of unbelief. Instead of relying on God's means of grace to sanctify, we depend on our own tools of punishment to manipulate them into change.
In the midst of conflict, have you ever thought of your behavior as judging and punishing? I haven't. I have always justified it as "working through it".
I have so much to learn and so many things to turn away from......
More later.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Conflict And The Progression Of An Idol Part 1
My blog is therapeutic. Typing to an unknown, unseen audience of question somehow helps me to sort out my thoughts.
I'm learning some things that I don't want to forget. In order to do that I need to practice going over them in my mind. Alot. I need to regurgitate it in order to internalize it. I'm using my blog to do that...again. So I'm going to be a bit real with you and do a short series on conflict and what is churning around in my heart.
Here goes...
June and July have not been my best months. I've found myself in one conflict after another. Sometimes they have been "outloud" confrontational types and others have just been conflicts in my heart. I've been reading The Peace Maker by Ken Sande. This has taken me a looong time to read b/c it is so hard. It's not a book to skim that's for sure.
So as I spent another sleepless night thinking, praying, and committing it to God I decided to just get up and do some more reading. (Most everything from here on out is straight from the book.)
~Conflict always begins with some sort of desire. Some desires are good, some are bad. It is not unreasonable to speak to someone who is standing in the way of a good desire. But when it is not being received well or not being acted upon then the ball is back in my court. And this is where I am failing.
~Unmet desires have the potential of working themselves deeper and deeper into our hearts. This is especially true when we come to see a desire as something we need or deserve and therefore must have in order to be happy or fulfilled. And there are many ways to justify or legitimize a desire. One of the subtlest cloaking devices is to argue that we want only what we legitimately deserve or what God himself commands.
Then where does it go? And what do I spend my time thinking about? Where do I put my trust? What do I fear? And is there something I desire so much that I am willing to disappoint or hurt others in order to have it?
And how is that played out? In my case, pouting, crying, yelling, hiding behind sarcasm, judging, accusing, whining and my personal go-to....withdrawal. Just being honest here.
In Biblical terms an idol is something other than God that we set our heart on (Luke 12:29; 1 Cor. 10:19), that motivates us (1 Cor 4:5), that masters and rules us (Ps. 119:133; Eph 5:5), or that we trust, fear, or serve (Isa 42:17; Matt 6:24; Luke 12:4-5). In short, it is something we love and pursue more than God (Phil 3:19).
This is where I am stumbling, or more appropriately, falling on my face. In thinking that I am only seeking what is "right", I am actually creating an idol that is rising up to overtake what is good.
Sigh.....
The good news? God is working.
Stay tuned for part 2.
I'm learning some things that I don't want to forget. In order to do that I need to practice going over them in my mind. Alot. I need to regurgitate it in order to internalize it. I'm using my blog to do that...again. So I'm going to be a bit real with you and do a short series on conflict and what is churning around in my heart.
Here goes...
June and July have not been my best months. I've found myself in one conflict after another. Sometimes they have been "outloud" confrontational types and others have just been conflicts in my heart. I've been reading The Peace Maker by Ken Sande. This has taken me a looong time to read b/c it is so hard. It's not a book to skim that's for sure.
So as I spent another sleepless night thinking, praying, and committing it to God I decided to just get up and do some more reading. (Most everything from here on out is straight from the book.)
~Conflict always begins with some sort of desire. Some desires are good, some are bad. It is not unreasonable to speak to someone who is standing in the way of a good desire. But when it is not being received well or not being acted upon then the ball is back in my court. And this is where I am failing.
~Unmet desires have the potential of working themselves deeper and deeper into our hearts. This is especially true when we come to see a desire as something we need or deserve and therefore must have in order to be happy or fulfilled. And there are many ways to justify or legitimize a desire. One of the subtlest cloaking devices is to argue that we want only what we legitimately deserve or what God himself commands.
Then where does it go? And what do I spend my time thinking about? Where do I put my trust? What do I fear? And is there something I desire so much that I am willing to disappoint or hurt others in order to have it?
And how is that played out? In my case, pouting, crying, yelling, hiding behind sarcasm, judging, accusing, whining and my personal go-to....withdrawal. Just being honest here.
In Biblical terms an idol is something other than God that we set our heart on (Luke 12:29; 1 Cor. 10:19), that motivates us (1 Cor 4:5), that masters and rules us (Ps. 119:133; Eph 5:5), or that we trust, fear, or serve (Isa 42:17; Matt 6:24; Luke 12:4-5). In short, it is something we love and pursue more than God (Phil 3:19).
This is where I am stumbling, or more appropriately, falling on my face. In thinking that I am only seeking what is "right", I am actually creating an idol that is rising up to overtake what is good.
Sigh.....
The good news? God is working.
Stay tuned for part 2.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Some More Psalm 37
"Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun." Psalm 37:5-6
Committing my way to the Lord brings freedom. I no longer need to worry how things will turn out, whine when I don't get my way, or be consumed with the "what if's??".
I've been spending some time in Psalm 37 lately, and with this verse in particular the last couple of days. And as things in my life come to mind that bring concern I've been praying about them on the spot, "committing" them to God and letting it go. Of course, I do have a tendency to revisit the issue on occasion but then I recommit it and go on.
"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him." Psalm 37:7
I'm thankful that God hold all things together and for the freedom in leaving my burdens with Him.
Committing my way to the Lord brings freedom. I no longer need to worry how things will turn out, whine when I don't get my way, or be consumed with the "what if's??".
I've been spending some time in Psalm 37 lately, and with this verse in particular the last couple of days. And as things in my life come to mind that bring concern I've been praying about them on the spot, "committing" them to God and letting it go. Of course, I do have a tendency to revisit the issue on occasion but then I recommit it and go on.
"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him." Psalm 37:7
I'm thankful that God hold all things together and for the freedom in leaving my burdens with Him.
Monday, July 26, 2010
An Impromtu Tea
I found myself at a rare moment with just my Bird around. I asked, "Hey, you wanna have a tea party with me?"
Oh yes, she did!
Morning Glory Muffins
2 C. flour
1/2 C. chopped nuts
1 1/4 C. sugar
1/2 C. chopped apple (I used applesauce)
2 tsp baking soda
3 eggs
2 tsp cinnamon
1 C. oil
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
2 C. shredded carrots
1/2 C coconut
1/2 C. raisins
1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease muffin cups.
2. In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Stir in carrots, raisins, nuts, coconut, and apple.
3. In another bowl, beat eggs, oil, and vanilla. Stir egg mixture into dry mixture. Batter will be thick.
4. Scoop into muffin tins. Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Oh yes, she did!
We had milk and these yummy muffins that LB had made earlier in the day.
All of my kids love these little tea pots that they can pour themselves. 
A few minutes later her big sister joined us.
Thank you girls for a fun time!
2 C. flour
1/2 C. chopped nuts
1 1/4 C. sugar
1/2 C. chopped apple (I used applesauce)
2 tsp baking soda
3 eggs
2 tsp cinnamon
1 C. oil
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
2 C. shredded carrots
1/2 C coconut
1/2 C. raisins
1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease muffin cups.
2. In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Stir in carrots, raisins, nuts, coconut, and apple.
3. In another bowl, beat eggs, oil, and vanilla. Stir egg mixture into dry mixture. Batter will be thick.
4. Scoop into muffin tins. Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Canning Salsa
I had a lot of jalapenos and needed something to do with them. So LB and I spent the morning making salsa. This recipe is easy and went quickly with the help of a food processor.
Sterilizing jars...
All set...
Processed, mixed, and ready to go...
This recipe is from my friend Liz. I'll type out the original but include the things I changed.
1 #10 can tomato sauce
5 28oz cans diced tomatoes (I didn't have this so I used 2 cans of tomato sauce.)
8 jalapenos
3 large onions
4 T minced garlic (I used 1 1/2 heads of fresh garlic)
8 T dried parsley (I used fresh and left out the dried)
1 handful of cilantro (I left this out)
1/2 C crushed red pepper
salt to taste
Run all the veggies through the food processor with some of the sauce. Mix everything together in a big bowl. My family doesn't like chunky salsa as much so I process it pretty smooth. My favorite way is to process the veggies but stir in the diced tomatoes at the end. It's not too chunky, but has a good texture.
Process these for 20 minutes.
Altogether it made 2 quarts plus 10 pints.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Menu Plan For The Week
This is what I call a creative week. That means I'm low on beef and grocery money. But never fear, my freezer to the rescue. I went shopping in the freezers today to see just what I had. Turns out, I might...just maybe if I'm really really careful...even have money left over by payday. That's my goal anyway.
So here's what it looks like...
Saturday night... 2 chickens, corn-on-the cob, salad, squash casserole, bread, salad, and frozen fruit. Sunday lunch... Maybe with so many choices Sat night, there will be enough left over for Sunday lunch. If not, I'll make broth from the chickens, use the rest of the meat, chop some veggies, and make some soup. Add bread and salad, and there ya go.
Sunday night... date night. Steaks and fries for us, french bread pizzas for kiddos.
Dinners for the week...
Big turkey, baked potatoes
Ziti, salad, corn, bread
Fiesta chicken enchiladas, refried beans, rice
Dinner at church Wed.
Pizza Friday
I'm making a bunch of morning glory muffins for snacks throughout the week. Also, breakfast cookies, and just about anything really b/c I have lots of baking ingredients.
Breakfasts will be cereal, oatmeal, muffins, and omelets for Saturday
I'm doing something new for lunches since Honey is home every day. Most days we have enough left overs to make do for lunch but I've made a standard lunch menu with the same thing for each day of the week for those days that don't happen to have left overs. It makes shopping easier b/c I just have to make sure I always have these ingredients on hand.
Monday - bean burritos
Tuesday - tomato soup and grilled cheese
Wed - tuna sandwiches
Thursday - pizzas
Friday - frito pie
So here's what it looks like...
Saturday night... 2 chickens, corn-on-the cob, salad, squash casserole, bread, salad, and frozen fruit. Sunday lunch... Maybe with so many choices Sat night, there will be enough left over for Sunday lunch. If not, I'll make broth from the chickens, use the rest of the meat, chop some veggies, and make some soup. Add bread and salad, and there ya go.
Sunday night... date night. Steaks and fries for us, french bread pizzas for kiddos.
Dinners for the week...
Big turkey, baked potatoes
Ziti, salad, corn, bread
Fiesta chicken enchiladas, refried beans, rice
Dinner at church Wed.
Pizza Friday
I'm making a bunch of morning glory muffins for snacks throughout the week. Also, breakfast cookies, and just about anything really b/c I have lots of baking ingredients.
Breakfasts will be cereal, oatmeal, muffins, and omelets for Saturday
I'm doing something new for lunches since Honey is home every day. Most days we have enough left overs to make do for lunch but I've made a standard lunch menu with the same thing for each day of the week for those days that don't happen to have left overs. It makes shopping easier b/c I just have to make sure I always have these ingredients on hand.
Monday - bean burritos
Tuesday - tomato soup and grilled cheese
Wed - tuna sandwiches
Thursday - pizzas
Friday - frito pie
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
A Big Day!
It's Wednesday. Wonderful Wednesday as I like to call it. It's my favorite day of the school week. Library, story time, and the feast. Nice.
Today was a special day for the little Taggs. All the littles finished their summer reading program and received all their prizes. J&J each got to pick a brand new book to put their name in it.
Today was a special day for the little Taggs. All the littles finished their summer reading program and received all their prizes. J&J each got to pick a brand new book to put their name in it.
And LB won this t-shirt in a drawing.
Story time! It's crowded in the summer.
Lefty working hard at craft time.
And then.... one of the prizes is a coupon for Taco Bell. So we headed over there and picked up lunch.
It was a fun morning with happy kids.
And did you notice something? Lunch from Taco Bell, dinner at church.
Clean kitchen = happy Momma.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
The Night In Pix
Game: Pot Tops. You get all the lids off the pots and pans from Birdie's kitchen set. Turn them upside down on the coffee table and see whose lid spins the longest.
Eldest stirring the spaghetti sauce.
Some composing...
and painting. Don't we look artsy and talented?
Buzz sucking on his new baby.
I love nights at home. (And I love my camera that captures it all!)
Monday, July 19, 2010
A Little Bit Of Lately
~I've been working a new schedule again. Seems like everyone is always growing and changing and so I'm always needing to change stuff to accommodate everyone. It's a job I enjoy. Cleaning out my school closet? That's something I don't enjoy.
~My boys are playing soccer this fall. We took a whole season off and I enjoyed all the quiet and extra time at home. I hafta admit that I missed it too though. This will be Boy's Club soccer so it'll be totally different than what we're used to. I'm hoping my oldest son can referee this year.
~I have this cutsie little camera and I keep forgetting to take it places!
~I need new pizza pans. Any suggestions? (I don't want stone.)
~Eldest made some dough for rolls. It was a fussy recipe and didn't rise. I was ready to just throw it out and pull some bread out of the freezer. But she decided to roll it all out into pizza crusts for the freezer. They turned out perfectly! And I was so proud of her for thinking of it.
~My kids are feeding dogs for a neighbor that's out-of-town. They came home today with a bowl full of stuff from their garden (w/permission)!
~No matter how much dinner I make for Saturday night, there never seems to be enough for Sunday lunch.
~My goldfish pond is looking better. I'm hoping it's on its way to recovery.
~When I was little I used to make fun of my mother's towels. They were so ratty and stained with strings hanging from them. And I would say, "MY towels will never look like that!" Well of course my towels look even worse and my mother would laugh if she saw them. Tired of giving my towels haircuts, I finally broke down and bought a big bunch of kitchen towels from Sams. All white. And a bunch of washcloths for napkins. All blue. I think I might have paid $20 for all of them.
My kids went nuts over these and even said we were rich since we have all matching towels in the kitchen AND matching napkins at the table.
~I have a project underway. I'm cleaning out the hall closet so Honey can keep all his guitar cases in there. I haven't gotten very far. I have a feeling it's one of those things that takes longer to think about than actually do.
Today's meals....
Breakfast - oatmeal
Lunch - tuna sandwiches
Tea - fresh peaches and milk
Dinner - spaghetti, salad, and bread
~My boys are playing soccer this fall. We took a whole season off and I enjoyed all the quiet and extra time at home. I hafta admit that I missed it too though. This will be Boy's Club soccer so it'll be totally different than what we're used to. I'm hoping my oldest son can referee this year.
~I have this cutsie little camera and I keep forgetting to take it places!
~I need new pizza pans. Any suggestions? (I don't want stone.)
~Eldest made some dough for rolls. It was a fussy recipe and didn't rise. I was ready to just throw it out and pull some bread out of the freezer. But she decided to roll it all out into pizza crusts for the freezer. They turned out perfectly! And I was so proud of her for thinking of it.
~My kids are feeding dogs for a neighbor that's out-of-town. They came home today with a bowl full of stuff from their garden (w/permission)!
~No matter how much dinner I make for Saturday night, there never seems to be enough for Sunday lunch.
~My goldfish pond is looking better. I'm hoping it's on its way to recovery.
~When I was little I used to make fun of my mother's towels. They were so ratty and stained with strings hanging from them. And I would say, "MY towels will never look like that!" Well of course my towels look even worse and my mother would laugh if she saw them. Tired of giving my towels haircuts, I finally broke down and bought a big bunch of kitchen towels from Sams. All white. And a bunch of washcloths for napkins. All blue. I think I might have paid $20 for all of them.
My kids went nuts over these and even said we were rich since we have all matching towels in the kitchen AND matching napkins at the table.
~I have a project underway. I'm cleaning out the hall closet so Honey can keep all his guitar cases in there. I haven't gotten very far. I have a feeling it's one of those things that takes longer to think about than actually do.
Today's meals....
Breakfast - oatmeal
Lunch - tuna sandwiches
Tea - fresh peaches and milk
Dinner - spaghetti, salad, and bread
Friday, July 16, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Confusing Rambling On Isaiah...
I was reading in James this morning and praying over certain relationships I have.
And then I remembered this...
"Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?" Isaiah 2:22
And then I started thinking about how I do trust in man. I trust that 'he' will treat me fairly, love God and act accordingly on my behalf, keep promises, provide whatever, deal honestly, be kind, love, and generally "play nice."
And so when someone doesn't, I get bent out of shape. I realize that I sometimes put more stock in people than I should. Someday I will stand before God and it will just be me and Him.
In the meantime I am to love and forgive and pray and keep my eyes fixed on Jesus.
My Colorado pastor preached on the ant once. And while I don't remember exactly what the sermon was about I do remember his illustration of the ant....
When a little boy kicks over an ant hill, what do the ants do? Do they stomp their feet wailing over their misfortune? Do they gripe about it to their Sunday School class disguising it as a prayer request? Do they follow the kid around hoping for a chance to get revenge?
Nope. They just get back to work. Immediately. They are singularly minded and live accordingly.
In the same way, I want to be like the ant when I feel mistreated, misunderstood, or treated unfairly. Forgiving instantly, loving freely, and trusting my Savior to work it all out for good.
I don't mean that everything needs to be covered over. Some things do, as Proverbs states. But some things need to be addressed so both parties understand one another better. What I am saying is that whether it is overlooked or addressed, I want to respond in grace whether or not the outcome is in my favor.
And then I remembered this...
"Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?" Isaiah 2:22
And then I started thinking about how I do trust in man. I trust that 'he' will treat me fairly, love God and act accordingly on my behalf, keep promises, provide whatever, deal honestly, be kind, love, and generally "play nice."
And so when someone doesn't, I get bent out of shape. I realize that I sometimes put more stock in people than I should. Someday I will stand before God and it will just be me and Him.
In the meantime I am to love and forgive and pray and keep my eyes fixed on Jesus.
My Colorado pastor preached on the ant once. And while I don't remember exactly what the sermon was about I do remember his illustration of the ant....
When a little boy kicks over an ant hill, what do the ants do? Do they stomp their feet wailing over their misfortune? Do they gripe about it to their Sunday School class disguising it as a prayer request? Do they follow the kid around hoping for a chance to get revenge?
Nope. They just get back to work. Immediately. They are singularly minded and live accordingly.
In the same way, I want to be like the ant when I feel mistreated, misunderstood, or treated unfairly. Forgiving instantly, loving freely, and trusting my Savior to work it all out for good.
I don't mean that everything needs to be covered over. Some things do, as Proverbs states. But some things need to be addressed so both parties understand one another better. What I am saying is that whether it is overlooked or addressed, I want to respond in grace whether or not the outcome is in my favor.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
A Little Bit Of Lately
I'm sitting on the couch typing on my lappy while there's a party going on all around me. Most have left and we're down to the last 5 guests. My daughter's friends have been here all evening and are engrossed in a game I wasn't brave enough to play! But my team did win the last one.....
~This has been a wonderful week.
~I've resumed walking...but not with my friend. I was getting home too late for school so I decided to just take my dog Joey, my iPod, and head out alone. I hafta say, I LOVE IT! My neighborhood's quiet and nice. The hills are challenging. My iPod is loaded with goodness. My dog is a good walker. Reminds me of walking in CO. Especially this nice cool weather.
~Monday morning started off with hopes of a busy school day. Then around 10am my 16yo daughter plops down in my room and just starts chatting. For over an hour. In the middle of school. And I cherished every second of it! Life went on without us for awhile and we just talked over all sorts of stuff. Her talking, me listening, not giving advice, just listening and learning.
~I've had 2 opportunities to minister to one of my VBS kids' family. And while it was an opportunity from afar, I was still blessed to be a part of Chicken's life again.
~Our CO friends have come and gone. Too short of a visit, but a bunch of fun.
~I've never enjoyed science. I think b/c I'm not very good at it and I'm intimidated by it. I mean science is for smart people right? But don't ya know that I have a little scientist in my classroom. A brainy 9 year old who can't get enough. So....I'm getting better at science. And although we have lots of science-y books collected over the years, it turns out that his fave is a book that his brother bought for him for $1 at a used book sale. I like that on many levels. And one is the fact that little brother feels important to have picked out such a winner. 9year old sleeps with it every night reading over different experiments.
~I am enamored by the summer garden sass this year. Not my own, mind you, but other's. I've decided I'm not even planting a garden next year. And maybe even never. I'm leaving that to the farmers. The farmer's market is just too handy!
Today's meals....
Breakfast - cereal
Lunch - leftover 3 cheese penne pasta
Dinner - party foods
And I'll leave you with this yummy recipe.
3 Cheese Penne Pasta
1 box penne pasta
1 pkg fresh spinach
1 jar of spaghetti sauce (or homemade)
1 lb chicken cooked and chopped in bite sized pieces
8oz cream cheese
1 handful of shredded mozzarella
Some fresh Parmesan cheese
Boil pasta until done. Add spinach in the last minute of boiling. Drain and add all other ingredients. Transfer to a baking dish (or 2). Top with a bit more mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake at 350 until bubbly.
~This has been a wonderful week.
~I've resumed walking...but not with my friend. I was getting home too late for school so I decided to just take my dog Joey, my iPod, and head out alone. I hafta say, I LOVE IT! My neighborhood's quiet and nice. The hills are challenging. My iPod is loaded with goodness. My dog is a good walker. Reminds me of walking in CO. Especially this nice cool weather.
~Monday morning started off with hopes of a busy school day. Then around 10am my 16yo daughter plops down in my room and just starts chatting. For over an hour. In the middle of school. And I cherished every second of it! Life went on without us for awhile and we just talked over all sorts of stuff. Her talking, me listening, not giving advice, just listening and learning.
~I've had 2 opportunities to minister to one of my VBS kids' family. And while it was an opportunity from afar, I was still blessed to be a part of Chicken's life again.
~Our CO friends have come and gone. Too short of a visit, but a bunch of fun.
~I've never enjoyed science. I think b/c I'm not very good at it and I'm intimidated by it. I mean science is for smart people right? But don't ya know that I have a little scientist in my classroom. A brainy 9 year old who can't get enough. So....I'm getting better at science. And although we have lots of science-y books collected over the years, it turns out that his fave is a book that his brother bought for him for $1 at a used book sale. I like that on many levels. And one is the fact that little brother feels important to have picked out such a winner. 9year old sleeps with it every night reading over different experiments.
~I am enamored by the summer garden sass this year. Not my own, mind you, but other's. I've decided I'm not even planting a garden next year. And maybe even never. I'm leaving that to the farmers. The farmer's market is just too handy!
Today's meals....
Breakfast - cereal
Lunch - leftover 3 cheese penne pasta
Dinner - party foods
And I'll leave you with this yummy recipe.
3 Cheese Penne Pasta
1 box penne pasta
1 pkg fresh spinach
1 jar of spaghetti sauce (or homemade)
1 lb chicken cooked and chopped in bite sized pieces
8oz cream cheese
1 handful of shredded mozzarella
Some fresh Parmesan cheese
Boil pasta until done. Add spinach in the last minute of boiling. Drain and add all other ingredients. Transfer to a baking dish (or 2). Top with a bit more mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake at 350 until bubbly.
Why We Should Obey..1John 3:1-3
I'm starting something new.
Whenever I read my Bible I often find myself remembering bits and pieces of sermon notes or Bible study notes or something I read about a certain passage a long time ago, but no longer have. I usually take fairly extensive notes during church but then discard them sometime throughout the week only to find myself wishing I still had them.
So now I'm going to keep them all in a notebook separated with dividers for each book of the Bible.
I figure now's the best time to start so here's my notes from Sunday. It was a really good sermon!
Why We Should Obey (1John 3:1-3)
***Because of what God has done... "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" (v1)
We who were once enemies of God are now children of God! It's an elite status that Christians sometimes take for granted. (Romans 8:16-17)
Adoption gives us a richer relationship with God. Even more than justification. Justification brings us into the court room, but adoption brings us into the living room of God's grace. (Some of this was taken from Knowing God by J I Packer)
Mephibosheth is a great example. 2 Samuel 21
Do you understand the great privilege? Does your life reflect that?
***Because of what God is going to do... Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. (v2)
What we will be as Christians has not yet been revealed. Our transformation is linked to seeing Jesus as He is. The work being done in us will be completed and our future transformation is certain.
***Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. (v3)
We are not to be waiting around for godliness but should be pursuing godliness. The grace of God is meant to produce a response in us.
Listen to Graham's message here.
Whenever I read my Bible I often find myself remembering bits and pieces of sermon notes or Bible study notes or something I read about a certain passage a long time ago, but no longer have. I usually take fairly extensive notes during church but then discard them sometime throughout the week only to find myself wishing I still had them.
So now I'm going to keep them all in a notebook separated with dividers for each book of the Bible.
I figure now's the best time to start so here's my notes from Sunday. It was a really good sermon!
Why We Should Obey (1John 3:1-3)
***Because of what God has done... "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" (v1)
We who were once enemies of God are now children of God! It's an elite status that Christians sometimes take for granted. (Romans 8:16-17)
Adoption gives us a richer relationship with God. Even more than justification. Justification brings us into the court room, but adoption brings us into the living room of God's grace. (Some of this was taken from Knowing God by J I Packer)
Mephibosheth is a great example. 2 Samuel 21
Do you understand the great privilege? Does your life reflect that?
***Because of what God is going to do... Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. (v2)
What we will be as Christians has not yet been revealed. Our transformation is linked to seeing Jesus as He is. The work being done in us will be completed and our future transformation is certain.
***Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. (v3)
We are not to be waiting around for godliness but should be pursuing godliness. The grace of God is meant to produce a response in us.
Listen to Graham's message here.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Friday, July 09, 2010
Weekend Plans
It's the weekend already and the week seemed to fly by! Actually at this point, I'm thinking life in general is flying by. Wasn't it just Christmas??
Well this weekend holds the promise of fun...for me anyway.
~Canning! Pickles, squash pickles, pepper relish, BBQ sauce, and maybe some spaghetti sauce.
~Perhaps I need to hit the farmer's market just in case I don't have enough to can. Did you notice that tomatoes were NOT on my list. Shame that.
~Celebrating E's 19th b-day.
~Pam and Uncle Mel are coming! Short visit, but still!!
~Date night Sunday and we're going to see some sort of human video show. Neat.
~Figuring out how to upload video from my new camera to my blog. Stay tuned....
Well this weekend holds the promise of fun...for me anyway.
~Canning! Pickles, squash pickles, pepper relish, BBQ sauce, and maybe some spaghetti sauce.
~Perhaps I need to hit the farmer's market just in case I don't have enough to can. Did you notice that tomatoes were NOT on my list. Shame that.
~Celebrating E's 19th b-day.
~Pam and Uncle Mel are coming! Short visit, but still!!
~Date night Sunday and we're going to see some sort of human video show. Neat.
~Figuring out how to upload video from my new camera to my blog. Stay tuned....
See, doesn't that sound like fun!?
PS... Here J's new shoes that he wanted me to take a picture of. Nothing is safe from my new camera!
Thursday, July 08, 2010
Rescued!
Up high
to fetch a frisbee
The dismount
(nevermind the sideways picture...haven't figured that one out yet)
Safe and sound
Goofin' Off With My New Camera
I love it! AND (this is huge) I can do this all by myself!
Next I'll see if I can Facebook them.....
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
A Random Post of Random Junk
~I got a new camera! One of my very own...a GIRL color too. And it takes video just like Rommel's. It's little and can go everywhere. I can't wait until I figure it out and litter my blog with pix.
~Why didn't Azure Standard call me and tell me my order was in? Now what? Do I wait another month? What happened to my stuff?? And why don't they communicate better? Or is everyone just supposed to know already?
~Honey started a new job Tuesday. 2 days down and he's happy.
~I have lots of canning to do. That makes me happy!!
~No canning from my garden b/c nothing is growing. I'm thankful that the Wings are sharing with me.
~Hard decision. I've had to stop walking with my friend in the mornings. The mornings were just not the same without me here giving direction and it seemed to set the tone for the rest of the day. We were behind before we even started. I think it's a good decision, but very disappointing b/c I loved walking with her.
~Honey's job meant changing piano teachers b/c the old one was too far away. It was sorta close to his old office so he always did the pick up. Now we need someone closer. Again, disappointing.
~Eldest and I are fixing to go shopping for school supplies. COLLEGE school supplies. Wow. I'm happy to be her mom.
~Why didn't Azure Standard call me and tell me my order was in? Now what? Do I wait another month? What happened to my stuff?? And why don't they communicate better? Or is everyone just supposed to know already?
~Honey started a new job Tuesday. 2 days down and he's happy.
~I have lots of canning to do. That makes me happy!!
~No canning from my garden b/c nothing is growing. I'm thankful that the Wings are sharing with me.
~Hard decision. I've had to stop walking with my friend in the mornings. The mornings were just not the same without me here giving direction and it seemed to set the tone for the rest of the day. We were behind before we even started. I think it's a good decision, but very disappointing b/c I loved walking with her.
~Honey's job meant changing piano teachers b/c the old one was too far away. It was sorta close to his old office so he always did the pick up. Now we need someone closer. Again, disappointing.
~Eldest and I are fixing to go shopping for school supplies. COLLEGE school supplies. Wow. I'm happy to be her mom.
~I'm thinking there aren't many things sweeter in life than a 3 year old in the house. Especially a left handed one with brown eyes.
Monday, July 05, 2010
Back To The Drawing Board
I love the flexibility that comes with summer. And even though we are still schooling most days, I find that summer brings lots of opportunity for better things to do. My friends are free and it's a good time to get together. I hope to get lots of canning done in the coming weeks...even if it's not from my own garden. Swimming, snow cones, park days, fun fun.
It's also my time to reorganize and plan. To look at school books and buy new school supplies....I love that! And to think of how I want things to look for the fall.
Here's the verse I've been pondering the past few days.....
"Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives." Titus 3:14
Devoting myself to doing good, providing for daily necessities, and living productively is right up my alley of thinking. But how? What do I need to change? How can I do better?
School is one. And my schedule has too many loose ends. That's another.
Working alongside my kids is one. I need some fresh ideas of how to include them in the daily doings.
Menuing is right up there too. And a new budget that comes with the new job Honey starts Tuesday. Maybe a new cleaning routine as well? Lots of things swirling around my head.
So I've been praying.
But b/c I don't have the time or energy to figure it all out (plus it'd be wrong anyway) I pray and ask the Lord to show me. Oswald Chambers puts it like this, "Don't calculate without God."
"Commit thy way to the Lord; trust also in Him ; and He shall bring it to pass." Ps 37:5
Every time I turn around I am being brought to Psalm 37. Thinking maybe I should memorize it.
Fun With Frisbee Golf
We've been a couple of times before this and took Jen when she was here. It's a fun game b/c you can talk and walk and play at the same time. 3 of my favorite things to do!
It's super cheap...like FREE except the frisbee of course...and everyone can play. My little kids have a great time running and chasing their frisbees while the older kids concentrate more on perfecting their technique.
Last night there were several families playing. I think it's hilarious to see them with their fancy bags full of different kinds of frisbees to make certain shots.
I'm confident that'll be us before too long.
Friday, July 02, 2010
Fun With Jen
My friend from Colorado has been here all week. We have all enjoyed her sweetness. Here's a snapshot of the goodness...
~Lots of talks...church, families, courtship, God
~A few walks...and talks of course.
~Music!
~Blueberry/blackberry picking
~A whole bunch of pints of blackberry jam
~More trips to the store than necessary to get supplies for said jam
~Snow cones
~Park play
~The train at Creekmore
~Jewelry party
~Cooking
~Story time
~Today...shopping and lunch
~Tomorrow...garage sales!
~Sunday..church and a drive to Tulsa. We'll be sad to see her go.
BUT THEN... Pam and Rommel come for a short visit too!!
Thank you God for our Colorado fix!
~Lots of talks...church, families, courtship, God
~A few walks...and talks of course.
~Music!
~Blueberry/blackberry picking
~A whole bunch of pints of blackberry jam
~More trips to the store than necessary to get supplies for said jam
~Snow cones
~Park play
~The train at Creekmore
~Jewelry party
~Cooking
~Story time
~Today...shopping and lunch
~Tomorrow...garage sales!
~Sunday..church and a drive to Tulsa. We'll be sad to see her go.
BUT THEN... Pam and Rommel come for a short visit too!!
Thank you God for our Colorado fix!
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