On A Sunday....

Oh it's pretty outside.  And some of my guys are at the park shooting baskets. 

But not me cause I haven't blogged in almost a week and I thought I'd sit down at the big computer while nobody cared where I was. 

Except that now I hear a "Oh hi Momma".....and the conversation continues.  Love that little girl of mine. 

~Are you one of those moms that gets everything ready for church on Saturday night and lines up shoes by the door and cleans the house and does lunch prep and clips nails and rolls hair and all that?  I'm not.  But I wanna be. 

So last night I did some of those things.  And I felt so accomplished.  Part of it has to do with the 'for sale' sign in my yard and the thought that if someone wants to come look at the house it won't be so hard if it's kinda clean anyway.  As if. 

~My efforts paid off!  No, nobody called to see the house but we weren't looking for socks with keys in my hand this time.  And I was so proud of my little kids!  I have the 4 youngest on Sunday mornings while the older ones head to church early.  They were so cheerful and cooperative.  I put a pink clip in Mally's hair and as she pranced down the hall I hear LittleMan say...

"Oh Birdy!  You look beautiful!"  and "Jes, come look at Birdy's hair!" 
Awwwww.......

~J & J are playing basketball with our homeschool team.  First time ever.   We came in at the end of the season and there's only about 3 weeks left.  That means it doesn't interfere with TKD too much. 

~Next week we start babysitting a sweet baby girl on Thursdays.   My friend needs to finish out the school year and we need a baby fix.  Win win. 

~Date night tonight!  Pizzas for kiddos and ..... I don't know what I'm making for us.  There's nothing we have that I want to eat.  Probably b/c I've been a lazy cook lately.  Also b/c I'm out of ideas. 

The Flesh And The Spirit

This morning I read, "we regard no one according to the flesh".  2 Cor 5:16

I immediately thought of a little boy in my son's Awana class that has been totally out of control.  Extremely hard to deal with and requiring tag team attention.  I confess that my regard toward him has been according to the flesh...how he behaves, how he affects others, and how did he get this way. 

But how does Jesus see him?  As precious.  As a soul created and longing for love.  And let me tell you, this little guy is longing for love and attention. 

I was struck with the realization this morning that we have been entrusted with the message of reconciliation for this kid (and others).  

"All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. " 2 Cor 5:18-19

Entrusting to us (me, my family, you, the church) the mystery of the love of God that desires that none be lost but that all come to repentance.  And then......

"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold the new has come."  v.17

God has placed him....and so many others....in our lives and given us the work to be faithful ambassadors for Christ with God making his appeal through us.

I am praying for this little guy this morning.  Praying that the Christians in his life will be faithful and patient and look beyond the flesh that is screaming for love.  Praying that God will meet his physical and spiritual needs.  Praying that the voice of Christ will quiet the other noises and that through a miracle that I won't understand the seed we scatter will fall on good soil. 

Psalm 1:2

"but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night."  Ps 1:2

I'm praying that God's Word would be so precious to me that it overshadows every other thing that I can easily fix my mind on during the day. 

And the one that I am particularly loving right now is Isa 42:6

"Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to people on it and spirit to those who walk in it:  "I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness .  I will take you by the hand and keep you." 

A Long Post To Read When You Don't Have Anything Better To Do

I love my blog.  Especially when I'm in the mood to ramble.  Like now.  Lucky blog reader you. 
Ordinarily I'd ramble to my man.  But lately I guess I've rambled too much b/c sometimes I find that I'm still talking and he's sleeping.  HA!  He's a lucky guy to be married to someone as interesting as me! 

~I took a nap today. Can you tell?
 
~I played with my kids outside yesterday.  Walked to the park, rode bikes in the street.  Meanwhile, Buzzy ate however many m&ms were left in the huge bag my mother-in-law brought.  Stupid dog. 

~And while I was pushing Little Man on the swing I was thinking about all the different parts of the body that must work together to make that possible.  Fingers, wrist, elbow, shoulder....all of which I have had issues with in the past.  Not to mention muscular/skeletal functions that are all involved.   RA has really made me thankful for things I used to take for granted. 

~Sometimes I think my kids should already know stuff just b/c they live here and so I don't take the time I should to talk about it.  Or I think I've told a couple of kids and then somehow everybody else should know it too. 

~Do you have a Kindle?  I didn't think I would like one b/c I like the feel and smell of real books.  My girls got one for Christmas and I'm starting to re-think my position. 

~Just finished Kisses From Katie.  Oh love!!  Now I'm passing it to my girls.
~I also just finished 1 Kings and Matthew and on to 2 Kings and Philippians.

~Working on Chapter 1 of When Helping Hurts.  Heavy read and great book so far.  If you read this book, don't skip the  forward, preface, opening exercises, and introduction. 

~My stove is broken.  It's actually been broken for awhile but I was still able to use 2 burners.  We ordered a new glass top and they sent the wrong one.  Again.  But in changing it out we also discovered we have another problem with it.  And we feel like we need to fix it before we put our house on the market. 

~And that brings me to my next point....we're selling our house.  Someday when the stove is fixed.  We have no idea yet where we're going but feel like the Lord is wanting us to use our money in a better way.  Have you seen my house?  Do you want to buy it?  We'll fix the stove.  I promise. 

~I am overwhelmed with mess.  I hate flat surfaces where people I stack stuff b/c I'm too lazy to take it where it belongs.  Lord willing, I'm cleaning my room tomorrow.

~I lack confidence in so many areas.  I think that's why I don't sew or use the camera or do any other talented crafty thing. 

~I need a new schedule.  A schedule that focuses more on me and how I am running my house instead of just what I want everyone else to do. 

~But first I need to redefine my goals.  And right now all I can think of is how I've dropped the ball with some of my elderly neighbors.  Time to reconnect.  

My goal.... to preach and teach the good news of the Kingdom in word and deed.  Both have been lacking.
To glorify God with the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart.  My mouth has been mouthy and my meditation has been focused on what will happen when our house sells. 

But to that end, I've adopted another line from Mr. Chambers, "I know that my Father knows and I am going to watch and see how he unravels this thing."

And I think I am wasting my life!  At least if I keep going on this track. 

There is hope!
"I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you."  Isa 42:6

I am not forgotten.  Not left to my own ways.  I have a Lord who called me ME! in righteousness, no less!
And He will take my hand just like I take my little one's hands and lead me in the way everlasting. 

Hallelujah!!

The Special Book

A sweet friend of mine made me a pretty notebook with a book mark to match.

It's so much prettier than what I usually use for my journal or planner.  I wanted to think of something neat I could do with it that would not be disposable. 

I modified this idea from Pinterest and we call it The Special Book. 

I started by writing a love note on the first page to one of my kids and putting the notebook on their pillow. 

The rule is that they have to write a note to someone else and put it on their pillow.  And on it goes.  Over and over until it's full.

After several weeks I got the notebook back!! 

This Is My Heart's Desire

"There is a mighty work of grace in which the regenerated soul deliberately gives up his right to himself to Jesus Christ, and identifies himself entirely with God's interest in other men."  -Oswald Chambers

Happy Birthday Meg!!

Yesterday we got to celebrate 20 years of Meg!

20 years of parenthood.

20 years of living outside ourselves. 

20 years of joy unspeakable. 

The morning started off with bread and gravy and a knock on the door.

G'ma and G'pa!!  Happy excitement!  And they brought a horseshoe crab from the ocean.  The boys went wild over that. 

Shopping at Savers.  Lunch at Cheddars.  Hanging out with the family.  Meatball sandwiches for supper and peanut butter cake with chocolate swirl ice cream. 

In His wisdom, God really blessed us by giving Meg to us first.  She is the perfect big sister.  The perfect first born that makes you think you're really a great parent.....until you realize that you just have a really great kid in spite of having you as a parent.  

I stand back and look at the beautiful young woman she is and her momma is so proud!

Happy Birthday Meggy! 

We love you! 

The Dirty Banana

Kitchen work yesterday and it was Josh and Jes's day.  The first thing they did was take off their shirts (surprise) and slap each other with them a few times.  Because that's fun if you're a boy with a brother your size. 

But then Mally comes to me all tearful holding her 1/2 banana.  She said she can't eat it anymore b/c she walked through the kitchen and the boys whacked it with their filthy shirt and now it's all dirty. 

I tried to tell her that their shirts were clean and the banana looks just fine.  Look, see? 
No, she did not see.  In her eyes the banana was dirty and ruined.   More tears.  

Fine.  I told the boys they had to eat the banana now.  And since boys are always wanting food I figured the problem was fixed. 

Nope.

They thought it was her fault for getting in the way of the shirt slapping fun.  And besides, the banana looked fine. 

I gave them the momma look that says, "Come on boys.  She's your baby sister." 

Josh said it was Jes's shirt that actually touched the banana so he ought to eat it.  Jes said he was full from so much breakfast. 

I told all three of them that we were not going to waste a perfectly good banana over something so silly and somebody was going to eat it.  At this point I'm figuring it'd probably be me. 

Josh had a solution.  Since it was Jes's shirt, Jes should eat the top part.....the part that was defiled.   And he would finish the rest.  That seemed reasonable to all. 

Banana gone.  Baby girl happy.

Kitchen work shirt slapping resumes.

Because I'll Probably Talk About This To Death..

Awana night tonight!  Good to see my classes after being off for 2 weeks.  It was sweet to hear about their Christmases and to see some of the little presents they brought. 

I found out tonight that one of our little girls did not get any presents for Christmas.  Like none.  And it's not b/c her family doesn't celebrate Christmas.  It's b/c there were no presents.  ......I don't even know what to say.


Did you know that only 4% of the ppl in the rural areas of Haiti have electricity?  And most live on less than $400/yr.   

Isn't it amazing how some ppl have so much and others have practically nothing?  And most of the ppl with abundance do very little to share with those who are needy.  Even though we're clearly told to give??  I'm ashamed to say that that's me.  I've been handed everything good in life, yet I rarely turn around to share it with others.   As Honey said, "We flood ourselves with excess and dabble in spiritual matters."  :-(

I love this quote from David Platt:  "I don't want to miss the treasures of Heaven by settling on the trinkets of earth."

Change is in the air.....hopefully in a big way.

Happy 2012!!

I don't have a list of noble resolutions like I have had every other year.  2011 taught me that God is so much bigger than my plans. 

I want to seek God and love others.  2 things.  And in order to love others, I have to seek God and ask Him just how to do that.  Because I'm not very thoughtful, caring, or kind on my own, I need the voice of the Holy Spirit prompting me to love the ones He brings to me.  I need God.  Period. 

So I tiptoe into 2012 with humble respect.  Not lofty plans. 
Hopeful, thankful, and ready.