Of Cakes And Enthusiasm

Here it is Monday again and I haven't blogged in 7 whole days!  Where have I been?
I'm turning into an occasional blogger instead of a run-my-mouth-about-everything-that-pops-into-my-head blogger.   But maybe I'm giving my reader(s) a break from too much of me...are you thankful?

Honestly I am STILL having trouble keeping up with life.  Even 3 weeks post crazy move and wedding I'm lucky to feed my family one respectable meal a day.   We just NOW as of Saturday got our last box unpacked.  And that was just b/c we were having a party and people were coming over.  We should seriously do that more often so my house will be cleaner.   Don't even ask me about my closet.  And who knows where our Wii and 3 hole punch is.   The 3 hole punch I use EVERY DAY....gone.

But this week I have a head start thanks to friends and family.

My kids helped Mr. T cater a church luncheon and came home with leftovers.   Lunch?  Yes!
He also sent home some incredible cake that is amazing.  I plan to text him later and beg for that recipe. Is it weird that I stayed awake last night thinking of what I was going to re-name it?  Because it'll never be *my* cake until I name it something different.  Here's the crazy cake naming process....

~I could name it after Amanda's baby b/c if I still lived in CO I would definitely make this for her when her baby comes.

~I could name it after Mr. T.  Or come up with something cute from the letters in his name.  No, that's stupid.

~Maybe the kids will have a good idea.  I should make it for tea time and ask them.  I hope they don't eat it all.

~I'll make it for Thanksgiving and come up with a name from that.   Maybe my standard IBC cake b/c I know they will all love it and will shun the pumpkin pie.

~Naming cakes is hard.  Maybe that's why we don't have any more kids.  Because if I can't even name a cake, I would be sure to name my kid something ridiculous.

Hmmm...maybe once a week blogging isn't such a bad thing you're thinking?

Moving on.

My mothers are coming today and bringing deer meat and chili!  Dinner? Yes!
Meg's coming too and we're going shoe box shopping together.

Wanna hear what we're doing for Thanksgiving?  My church family is having a big meal and inviting the community.  I'm so excited!!  I hope it's huge with lots of our Awana families.  How I wish BigBoy were still around!  I would give him cake...and let him help me name it.

And Christmas?  I have some ideas.  Just thinking.  I know I want to sponsor one of Jeff's kids in Haiti,
shop the Compassion catalog, and buy some Ugandan jewelry.  

So the other day I was telling my man how I much I loved him and how we should stay married forever...just for fun.  And he added that if we did that we could move to Africa when the kids are grown and do mission work.   I tell you, he is FULL of good ideas!!

My pastor has been preaching on enthusiasm and persistence.   And its one of those months in church when you sit there and wonder why he doesn't just look directly at you the whole time and say your name to get it over with.  I didn't even realize I was missing that.  I knew something was off.  But it turns out persistence and enthusiasm is what I've been missing at home and in my ministry.   God is good to point that out.  And I'm grateful for a pastor that speaks the truth.  

Ok, I'm done.   But I'll leave you with this....
"For You are a gracious and merciful God"  Neh 9:31

I've been thinking on that Verse for 2 weeks now and pondering the grace and mercy of our Lord.  And when the day isn't going the way I think it should, when I'm not moving as well as I'd like, and when nothing seems fair (rolling my eyes) then I've been going back to this truth.  That I deserve nothing but death and eternal torment but b/c of the great mercy and grace of Jesus, I hold the promise of eternal life and a tangible relationship with the God of the universe!   Yes, for You are a gracious and merciful God.