Saved...Not Perfect

James

2012-02-16T09:57:00.000-05:00

The book of James is tough. He pulls no punches. He pokes all of our sore spots.
If you cease to be changed by Scripture, and begin to only be "touched" by it....you have become a "forgetful listener."

James 1:25 "But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing."

He tells us to watch our tongues:
James 1:19-21
"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of GOd. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls."

Did you know that the Jews believed that to lose one's temper was to "lose the shekinah?" Lose the glory of God just for losing your temper. Will that make you think twice before blowing up??? It will me! Because really, NOTHING on this earth should be worth risking losing the "shekinah" of God in our lives....nothing is EVER worth quenching the Spirit.

Master, help me live this today!!!

Time flies...

2012-02-16T09:44:00.001-05:00

We are starting to make our plans for moving. We have filled out the rental application for a townhouse in Ouray. I'm pretty excited as it will be much nicer and bigger than where we are now. The best part? TWO FULL BATHROOMS!!!! WOW! You just don't realize how much you appreciate that stuff until you don't have it. Living in a tiny house with 3 boys and a husband and ONE bathroom is actually torture. Of course, it's a bit scary making all of these plans and STILL waiting on God for a lot of the "how." I sure wish there was another way for Him to teach me faith, patience, trust, and all that. :) This is surely the hard way.

Church Plant

2012-01-24T12:38:00.003-05:00

So, it's now common knowledge that we are going to be moving to Western Colorado to plant a network of missional house churches. I sort of hate to put it that way, because there are so many bad stereotypes or false ideas about house churches. So, I could just refer to them as Missional Communities. We will be calling them "Villages" once we get there. I am eccstatic about the move...except for the packing part.

If you are a praying person, then please join us in prayer for this work that God is beginning.
We need prayers for strength, wisdom, spiritual protection, clarity....you name it. We need the prayers. If you are so inclined, pray for Ouray County. God can and will soften hearts toward Himself. Prayer is not part of the job or a supplementary activity...it IS the job. It IS how we join God.

Just for fun....here's some pictures of where we are going:

Hot Springs! WOO!

Park beside the Hot Springs. Sorry it's blurry. We were driving.

Downtown.

My favorite set of weird-os.

Just read the sign. It's funny. :-)

Some really cool bell. LOL. No idea what it memorialized.

The prettiest place on planet earth.

Outside the city of Ouray. I believe it's referred to as Loghill area.

Walking up to a waterfall with Brad.

Waterfall from a distance.

Standing on the waterfall. Wanted to get up on the rock by our heads, but couldn't do it with Carter.

Branche and Carter climbing down.

Rob getting ready to help Carter down.

Safter to sit and slide if you have balance issues.

Daddy showing Carter how it's done...and controlling the slide, it was steeper than it looks!

Rob and Roger crossing the creek.

Museum.

Town Hall, I think. And the Fire Dept.

me and my sweetie.

Oh i love him so! :)

Ouray from the overlook.

Roger took this of us. DOwn town. Check out awesome mural behind us!

Oh yeah. I totally get that.... :)

Be Thankful

2011-11-02T11:21:00.000-04:00

I am thankful:

I am forgiven.

My God saved me.

I have three healthy kids.

My husband loves me.

I get to join God on His mission.

...that there was leftover meatloaf for lunch!

That I can feed my kids at least 3 times a day.

That we have a house to live in...that has walls, a floor AND a roof.

That we are warm.

Thank you God for all of your provision. Every day.

My greatest desire....

2011-10-11T15:04:00.000-04:00

Right now my greatest desire is to just pour my heart out on here about so many things. It'll have to wait. :) Just a while longer. Right now there are 9 papers waiting for my tutoring input in my inbox. *sigh*
I also need to post photos and info from our family mission trip to Nicaragua.

In all my exhaustion I am trying to remember:

God is good all the time!
All the time, God is good!

Travel Itinerary = Prayer list

2011-07-28T15:41:00.000-04:00

The following is where we will be and what we will be doing during our upcoming trip to Nicaragua. Please join us in God's work by praying with us as we go:

Nicaragua Mission Trip August 2011

Friday

Arrive in Managua, Nicaragua 12:07pm
Gather bags in Airport
Get Car Rental at Budget
Stop in Chinadega to buy groceries

Saturday

Go to buy School Uniforms/Book bags
Sort Items from Container: Clothes & Shoes: Mens, Womens, Girls, Boys, Toys, School Supplies, Etc

Sunday

Visit village of Nuevo Jicarito – Approx 25 Families and approximately 60 children in village

Update all children profiles for the school aged children and take pictures of all school children
Distribute coloring book and crayons to each child, have child color picture for sponsor (name & # on pic)
Bible Lesson on Ten commandments
Games
Distribute Clothes, Shoes, Hygiene Packs and Bible to each family (Photo of Family) Food if possible.
Cookies, Juice, Candy

Visit Village of Las Mesitas

VBS/Bible Lesson with approximately 150 Children

Games

Distribute Clothes & Shoes
Cookies, Juice and Candy

Monday

Visit Village of Flor de Azalia

Get Profiles on approximately 110 Children
Distribute Uniforms/School Supplies and Take Photos
Distribute Book bags and School Supplies to 4 Teachers
Cookies, Juice and Candy

Visit Village of Becerro - 40 Families and approximately 100 children

Get Profiles on approximately? School-Aged Children & Take Pictures of Children
VBS/ Bible Lesson
Games
Distribute Clothes & Shoes & Toy Packs
Possibly Distribute Food, Bibles, Hygiene
Cookies, Juice and Candy

Tuesday

Visit Village of San Manglito – Approximately 155 Children in Schools

Distribute Coloring Books & Crayons
Have Children Color Pictures for Sponsor/New Photo?
Take Pictures Village & Land where church will be

Visit Village of Los Laredos

Bible Lesson/VBS with approximately 150 Children
Games
Distribute Clothes & Shoes
Cookies, Juice and Candy

Wednesday

Wedding

Thursday

Pastors Conference/Training in Somotillo Church with 9 Pastors

Books, Bags, Notebook/Pens
Lunch with Pastors/Wives

Movie night at the Church in Somotillo 5:00pm

Watch VeggieTales movie
Quiz on movie with prizes to winners
Cookies, juice and candy

Friday

Visit Village of Cinco Pinos

9am meeting with Ladies in Village for Basket program
Visit church in Cinco Pinos Approximately 150 Children
Cookies, Juice and Candy
Bible Story/VBS
Games

Saturday

Travel to Managua

Return truck to Budget
Flight leaves at 1:07 pm Nicaragua Time

2011-07-28T10:55:00.000-04:00

Very excited kids with new backpacks full of supplies and new uniforms.

Kids we saw on the side of the road, so we stopped and gave them flipflops and candy. oh, and that's Franklin our translator. :)

Very sweet little girl who was VERY taken with my camera.

Kids getting candy.

Guys riding on the top of the bus with their bags of rice, etc.

Jennifer and Franklin in a house waiting to meet a girl with pine needle baskets.

I believe her name is Helen. She is maybe 11 yrs old and makes baskets every afternoon to sell and help her grandmother make money. She was abandoned by both parents.

More pictures from Nicaragua

2011-07-28T10:45:00.000-04:00

Yes, that's a pig sleeping under the "kitchen counter"

Kids coming from the school to see us and get uniforms and supplies.

So sweet, so beautiful, so well behaved.

it's getting close!!

2011-07-28T10:40:00.000-04:00

Hard to believe we leave so soon for Nicaragua! We are SO excited! I forgot this is the rainy season...so that's not to exciting :) but it will be fine. I am a worrier. I know I'm not supposed to be, and I'm working on that, but....well...as of this morning I still am! One less worry: we have all 5 passports. Praise the Lord!

One more worry gone: We have plane tickets!!! yay! Now I just have to get boarding the dogs straight! They will not be thrilled...but...hey, they're dogs! :)

SO here's what I read in my Bible study this morning:

Because God is love, His will is always best.
Because God is all-knowing, His directives are always right.
Because God is all-powerful, he can enable me to do His will.

Thank you God, for all of the above. He is enabling me.

"We know that we have come to knowhim if we obey his commands. The man who says, 'I know him,' but does not do what he commands is a lianr, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete i him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." 1 John 2:3-6

1. Obedience is costly to me and to those around me.
2. I cannot know and do the will of God without paying the price of adjustment and obedience.
3. I must adjust my plans and program to what God is doing.
4.You can trust God with your family.

All of this is from Henry Blackaby's Bible study called "Experiencing God." If you've not done it, I highly recommend it.

More pictures from Nicaragua

2011-07-18T18:47:00.000-04:00

As we landed in Managua.

"Downtown" Somotillo

Bike taxi's waiting for a fare

Somotillo's answer to Walmart ;)

The road to a tiny village.

oops...there's cows in the road...but that's normal

Tiny road...big pickup, even bigger cows...with HUGE horns!

Hey Look! More cows!

Kids hanging on the fence at the school. They were so excited to see us!

Little boy eating the Nicaraguan equivalent of a pop-cicle

My favorite trouble maker!!

A sweet little boy rode his horse to school. He MAY have been 6 yrs old.

The backpacks and uniforms we gave out at one town.

Sweet kids waiting patiently for us to start distributing the stuff.

AUGUST 6th

2011-07-10T16:25:00.000-04:00

We are leaving for Nicaragua on August 6th. Prayerfully consider helping us fulfill God's call on our lives by donating. Thanks to all who will.

"The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern." Proverbs 29:7

Photos from Nicaragua Missions in March 2011

2011-07-10T16:18:00.002-04:00

These are some of the beautiful people of Nicaragua we saw or met while there in March. This trip was life changing for me. Going to a country where parents are forced to choose between feeding their child and most anything else, seeing people living in houses made from sticks and plastic bags....it will change you. Children walking the streets unsupervised and half naked....it will break your heart and certainly help you realize how spoiled we all are here in the United States.

MISSIONS TO NICARAGUA

2011-07-10T15:54:00.000-04:00

You may notice on the right side of my blog a new "donate" button. Well, I am asking for donations to help send me and my husband and our three kids to Nicaragua. We are to be leaving on August 6th for a week. Airline tickets are expensive. Renting a big vehicle is expensive. Gas is expensive. Feeding lots of needy people is expensive. Buying scholarly resources for Nicaraguan pastors is expensive. We are so excited about this opportunity that God has put in front of us. Please prayerfully consider making a donation to help us go on this trip.

While we are there we will be distributing school uniforms/school supplies so children will be allowed to go to school.

We will be distributing a set of 5 scholarly resources to pastors and having training meetings for them on how to use them.

We will be feeding meals to hungry kids and their parents.

We will be distributing hundreds of hygiene packs full of soap, shampoo, washcloths, lotion, toothbrushes and toothpaste to people who have little or no access to these things.

Thank you for helping those less fortunate than you. Watch for pictures to come from my trip in March to Nicaragua.

"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothes me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me....Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers you did it to me." Matthew 25: 35-41

Not so amazing

2011-07-10T15:44:00.002-04:00

As it turns out, it wasn't that amazing to post from my phone. The next three things I posted from my phone posted as a garbled mess of symbols!!! LOL! Hope it wasn't important! ;)

2011-07-01T08:05:00.001-04:00

This is amazing. I can post to this blog from my phone. I was trying to post a picture but it doesn't seem to work. :(

2011-07-01T08:01:00.001-04:00

This is a test. It is only a test.

Weight Loss

2011-05-28T09:53:00.000-04:00

So I've lost 54.5 lbs in about a year and a half. About 50 of it in the first year and the rest i the last couple weeks. I will never say it's been easy, but it's certainly been worth it. I feel SO much better. I can do things I had had to stop doing or just couldn't do a year ago. It had gotten hard to trudge up and down steps. I got tired walking very far. My knees hurt. You name it. UGH! Now, my husband and I walk briskly for an hour and I'm still good to go. I run up and down the basement stairs doing laundry. My knees haven't bothered me in ages (well, the one I broke will twinge if I do too much...but not for long). I can do whatever! It's wonderful. I never did get my cholesterol checked, but I can pretty much guarantee it was bad and it wouldn't be now. The change is awesome. I don't hate looking in the mirror or passing a reflective window. I don't hate every outfit I put on. I don't want to cry when I see a photo of myself from the back. It's nice. I'm not vain, I'm really not. But there is something to be said for a healthy body and healthy self-image. I mean really, our self-image should be based on the fact that we are created in the image of God and mine is. but hey, we are given these earthly bodies for a while and we ARE supposed to take care of them. Why is it so popular to jump all over smokers, heavy drinkers and drug abusers for screwing up their health and then we ignore the gluttons, cup-cake addicted and gorgers? I WAS one. I used to love to sit there at night and eat like an entire bag of chips....or a bag of movietheater popcorn made to share all by myself....or like half a carton of icecream smothered in chocolate syrup. What about those who say, "oh I don't eat sweets...it's my glands". Right...not the 5 rolls you had with dinner? Not the triple whopper you got? Not the supersized fries? ok....if you say so.
I'm not trying to pick on anybody here. Just saying that the last year and a half has really been a wake-up call for me and I hope some others will start to appreciate the body given them by their creator and realize that it's no more of a sin to be addicted to tobacco or alcohol than it is to be unable to put down the fork and step aWAY from the cake...or steak. ;)
Ya'll have a wonderful day!

Waiting.........

2011-05-22T16:41:00.000-04:00

I believe waiting is the absolutely most difficult thing God asks of us. Whether it's waiting on an answer to a prayer, waiting for healing...physical, spiritual, emotional.....waiting on change, waiting on peace...just waiting. Does anyone else have trouble with this? Maybe I'm impatient. I often want to pray..."Gimme patience God and I want it NOW!!" no, I don't really pray that, but have you ever thought it? We are in a season of waiting. There is much to be learned in that kind of season even beyond patience.

You learn selflessness. Why you are stuck may not be about you.

You learn introspection. Why am I here? What am I supposed to be learning?

You learn to depend on God. He'll tell you when it's time to move on.

You learn patience. It's hard not too....when you have to wait on God's timing.

You learn about the big picture. You may not have ever realized there was one. But the world and God's ultimate plan for it does not actually revolve around you....you are part of it, He has an ultimate plan for you personally...it may involve waiting on something or someone else or just until you know it's not about you.

So, while I wait....I'll praise Him.

Sponsorship Link

2011-03-05T21:03:00.002-05:00

This is pretty cool. As a child ambassador, my main job is to find people who are willing to sponsor a child and encourage them to do so. The hardest part of this, is that I have to carry these sweet little faces around and show them to people to see if they 'd like to sponsor a child. The one problem with that, is that sometimes a person has a heart for a particular age child, birthdate...country...something like that, and I cannot keep but so many "kids" with me at one time. WELL! World Vision has upped their game. As a Child Ambassador, I now have my own sponsorship link that I can share with people and they can go on the WV website thru this link and search children according to age, birthday, country, gender etc. and pick the exact child they would like to help. My link is here. Hopefully that will work. Please prayerfully consider sposoring a child. It is only $35 a month and it gives these kids a fighting chance to live to adulthood and become productive adults. Bonus? They also have the chance to get to know our Savior. :)
Peace & Love!

World Vision

2011-02-08T10:06:00.003-05:00

I am a newly official Child Ambassador for World Vision. It is a volunteer position. I get to set up parties, speaking engagements etc for churches, small groups, bible studies, or in homes to talk about Child Sponsorship, World Visiona and why we need to be involved in this. If you live nearish to me in Central VA...I'll come speak if you like. I'm pretty excited. I've have helped two kids get sponsored so far and it makes me want to cry to see the four little faces I have sitting here on my desk waiting for sponsors. I pray for them.

Geovanna

2010-11-19T10:19:00.002-05:00

We just became the proud new sponsors of a little 8 mo old girl in Nicaragua named Geovanna. We have a picture of her sweet little face and pray for her and her family many times daily. Prayerfully ask God if he is leading you to sacrificially do the same. World Vision

"He answered them, 'Whoever has two shirts should share with the person who doesn't have any. Whoever has food should share it too.'" Luke 3:11

2010-11-03T12:03:00.002-04:00

Rob's Blog

I mean, THAT's what I meant to do. LOL!

2010-11-03T12:03:00.001-04:00

that's what I meant to do.

Book review

2010-11-03T12:01:00.001-04:00

This is a link to Rob's blog. He just posted a review of the book "Church Planter" (i think thats the name). A new book by Darrin Patrick. Sounds great...well written review. :D

http://robertcblake.blogspot.com/

2010-09-30T21:52:00.002-04:00

There are times that God will move you to tears with joy. There are times He will test your faith and move you to tears of pain, fear, frustration. It can be hard to see God in our times of trial. We are going through a great trial now. I have cried more in two weeks than I have in 6 months. I have cried out to God more in two weeks than probably ever. There are so many songs with poignant lyrics that speak exactly what my heart is screaming. There are Psalms that do the same.

I'm tired of the trial. I feel that God has left us hanging. I know this isn't true....it's just a feeling and the Bible says feelings (emotions) are deceptive. I really want to scream. My entire body and soul and mind has been clenched for two weeks. Have you ever felt that you were walking a very fine line between keeping it together and totally losing it? Have you been through a time where it seems you are the only person you know whose life is just....messed up??? Through nothing you've done...you're suffering. I guess this is some of what is meant by sharing in Christ's suffering...going through pain that you didn't put into motion.

We wait and wait for His answer. We seek His face. We deny ourselves food. We cry. pray. read. study. cry. Why isn't He answering?? What are we missing? His timing is perfect. We should rest in His arms, His all-knowing, loving, strong, unfailing arms. It's not easy. Sometimes when you get hurt enough you become so tender...everything hurts. Loving touches hurt. Any word hurts that is not softly spoken. I cannot even imagine Christ on the cross and His pain.

My breath is labored. My heart hurts and cries for relief. My soul seeks respite.

"I lift up my eyes to the hills--
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip--
he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you---
The Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm--
he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
Psalm 121

a new bible study

2010-09-18T09:43:00.002-04:00

So this morning I finished my second "Coffee Cup" series Bible study and started a new study. This one is called "Victoriously Frazzled" by Cindi Wood and the title caught my attention quite some time ago and I am just now getting around to doing it. I was hoping to do it as a group study w/ladies from church, but they're just not there. Anyway, it's going to be a great study even though I'm doing it alone and it would be awesome to be able to discuss it every week. I guess anyone reading this blog will become my discussion group! :)
My thought from it this morning was this: I need to be still.
That is the basis of today's study and she's right! I need to be still. There are times when God wants and expects us to get up off our lazy over-fed, well padded, comfortably seated butts and do something. Then there are times when we are supposed to merely be still and know He is God. That God is on His throne and all things work to His purposes and He works those purposes for our good. Now don't misunderstand...that certainly does NOT mean that all things will be wonderful and happy and sunshiny for Christians. Sometimes "our good" is discipline, want, pain, suffering....things that bring growth...spiritual growth in particular. We cannot fool ourselves into thinking that God is gonna coddle us like spoiled little Pomeranians living in L.A. shopping on Rodeo Drive with Daddy's credit card. The Bible never promises that. It does promise that God is King, He loves us, and if we are His people He will give us what we need. He will also make us want what HE wants. "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4 He will make the desires of OUR hearts, match the desires of His. Anyway, I find myself often struggling with what's going on in my life as far as kids, husband, housework, money....all that. There's always something. But I struggle with it like I'm the one who needs to fix it. What makes me think I can??? Why on earth would I even think I'm able? I'm not. HE is though. God can and will fix it all...for MY good. Whatever that is...He knows. There are times we need to lean back and rest in Him and let God fight our battles (he can, better than we can), provide peace (HIS peace), take care javascript:void(0)of our situations, watch over our families, make things happen, provide HIS strength (ours will fail), take care of our worries (Bible says not to do that any way), and resolve our problems. He knows the answers, He sees the big picture of time past-present-future that our little human brains cannot. He knows what is good and right and what we need now. I'm gonna be still and listen and KNOW HE is GOD! :)

The Faithful a book by Jonathan Weyer

2010-08-27T15:28:00.004-04:00

The Faithful is what I would call a "must read" if you have any affection what-so-ever for the supernatural, being all chill-bumpy and jumpy even in the daylight, and murder mysteries. This book will give you all that and more. Weyer gives his characters depth, makes them very believable and makes you want to know them better. From cover to cover I was intrigued and had a lot of trouble putting the book down to attend to my duties as wife, mother and home-school teacher.

By halfway through the book I was useless until it was done. I could not read it in a room alone...and I couldn't put it down! I've heard it belongs in the category of Christian Horror and I think that covers it well. The Faithful will not only have you jumping at every sound but it will challenge you to consider that things are not always as they seem. I enjoyed this book more than most fiction I've read in the past year or two and would liken Weyer's style to "a funnier Stephen King".

Definitely hunt it down and buy it...you will not regret it!

Organic Church

2010-08-26T09:50:00.002-04:00

Cool title for a book, isn't it? I'm reading it now, and no, it's not about the "green" movement in churches. It's about churches growing. It's about church being about what it's SUPPOSED to be about...people...loving people, being Christ in the world. A church multiplication movement, not a "how big can we make this group of people" movement. It's about small clusters of people telling people about Jesus, loving and serving each other and those people in society that get ignored...and telling THEM about Jesus....and then people in those little groups answering the call that God puts in their heart to start another small group of people that love each other and tell others about Jesus who tell others about Jesus who serve each other and love people they don't know who don't look like them or smell like them....and tell them about Jesus. It's an exponential church growth movement. Not just starting one church and focusing on "launch" and programs and music and speaker systems and what kind of chairs....blahblahblah. It's about growing a group of loving Christians who create other growing groups of Christians. Sound familiar? Maybe you heard it here:

"Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Jesus...in the book written by Mattew 28. 19-20.

"Surprised by Grace" a book by Tullian Tchividjian

2010-08-23T18:47:00.002-04:00

BOOK REVIEW

The book "Surprised by Grace" was a surprise to me. It has the subtitle of "God's Relentless Pursuit of Rebels"...I had no idea what it was about beyond that. As it turns out, it is one of the easiest to read, most profound, and most captivating commentaries (of sorts, anyway) that I have ever read and it deals with the book of Jonah. Being a seminary student, I do deal with academic-type commentaries on a regular basis. This is not one of those, not because it's not worthy, but because it is filled with life application that most do not include.
Be sure and begin with the preface titled "A Cure for Gospel Confusion", it's an awesome beginning that will change your perspective of how the gospel works. Tullian approaches and applies the fact that "the gospel" is not a one time event, but is necessary for all daily. Just read it, he says it better than I do.
The author then proceeds to interact with scripture. We learn all about the man Jonah. Where he started. Tullian immediately begins to apply this scripture to the reader's life and heart. He says, "His (Jonah's) runaway posture is our posture, every time we sin, whether in thought, word, or deed, whether it's something we consider big or something small, whether it's doing something we shouldn't or failing to do something we should" (page 33). Ouch! Right? Read it!
The author moves smoothly from section to section of scripture with logical chapter breaking points and it helps the reader swallow the book bit by bit. Tullian also does something entirely new and captivating to me. He talks about artwork (old and new) that deal with this particular biblical character. There are photos of these works contained in the book so the reader can see exactly what is meant and it really was enjoyable for me and helped bring home many of the emotions in the story. While dealing with the section about the storm at sea caused by Jonah's fleeing, Tullian deals well with God's response to Jonah's sin--as well as sin in all of our lives. He says, "...his response is more likely to be stormy and upsetting than quiet and subtle" (pg. 41). No kidding!
I felt that the insights offered by Tullian in this book were amazing. He points to the downward spiral that Jonah's life took from the moment he chose to flee God's will. You may think this spiral ended when the fish barfed him up on shore...not so. Read the book. I spent about a day and a half reading it because I could NOT put it down! The author applies every single mistake that Jonah makes, every single bad attitude to the reader's life--not in a condemning way, he just points out that we all have those little (and sometimes big) attitudes and problems as well. We get angry at God when He doesn't do what we want, when we want. We remember Him when we're in trouble (in the fish's belly, so to speak), we forget to repent even when we know we're wrong. Just like Jonah, some days we'd rather die than listen to God and do it His way.
This book is well worth the price and time spent. You will be surprised at all the small volume contains.

A Shameless Plug and other things

2010-08-23T18:39:00.002-04:00

First the shameless plug. My husband wants some blog followers. Not that I have many, but if anyone reads this.... :) His blog is www.robertcblake.blogspot.com
He's going to be reviewing books for Crossways I think thats the name.

Second:
We started school today...our FIFTH first day of homeschooling. Hard to believe. Anyway, it was AWESOME! I'm not sure I've EVER used that word to describe a first day of school. But it WAS! Branche was compliant (never happens...he's 13), Roger was a busy body, but stayed in the general vicinity of his seat (which rarely happens...he's ADHD)and knew all the answers (that's not new), and Carter....my sweet sweet boy who is 9 years old and has what they refer to as "Austistic Spectrum Disorder" (they say, no, he's not autistic but insurance still won't cover him because the A word is in his diagnosis)...but Carter today did incredible. His handwriting has improved for lack of use???? How does that work??? I DON'T KNOW! But it did! He only ever writes under duress. Today, when it came to handwriting all of a sudden....he did great. Unbelievable! Then, we did science and the worksheets are always a struggle because there's writing! So, I usually just write. Today, I asked the question, they said the answer, I SPElled the answer and they BOTH WROTE IT! Beautifully!! woot! I was amazed. AND on top of that, Carter wrote "food" faster than I spelled it which means the phonics are kicking in! YAY! Just some praising going on here, that's all! It was amazing! Ok. 'nuff a that! Hope your school dayz went as well! :) Keep on prayin' for tomorrow!

2010-08-17T14:53:00.001-04:00

I am just stealing a little time right now to say we made it home safe from our Colorado trip. Rob and I had a blast, met some really cool people and had a personal reminder from God that He both loves us and desires to protect us. I really don't have time to write today, but wanted to say "hey" to anyone who may read my blog and promise more later. I also plan on figuring out how to get pictures from my camera to my husband's computer so I can post pics from our trip. I am also excited, because I have a new book to read and to review on my blog and am supposed to have a second one on the way.....cannot wait for the second one....it's spoooooooooooky! :)

excited

2010-07-31T08:12:00.002-04:00

The kids and I are on the brink of beginning our 5th year homeschooling. That is so hard for me to believe. For five years, we have spent hours together reading awesome stories, learning tons of stuff and enjoying getting to know each other. No, not every moment is comment worthy, and yes, there have been lots of moments we'd all just as soon forget. But ya know, every family has moments that are less than fabulous. Every family has those times they'd just as soon forget. Homeschooling doesn't change that...it just gives more opportunities for moments of all kinds! Anyway, I'm excited because BOX DAY is impending once again! Once again, I'll be starting two new cores and reading lots of books (some new to me, some not...ALL new to te kids!!). We have hard work ahead of us...two kids REALLY need to get serious about learning to read for themselves....one is gonna be starting pre-Algebra and I want to cry ;) but....this should be another interesting year. I would like to say as well, that as the years go by I become more and more enamored of our curriculum company. We have used Sonlight all these years. I've added other stuff in but Sonlight has been the backbone of our homeschooling years. They are the MOST awesome homeschool company on the market. Had we chosen any other curriculum to begin with we would have been up a creek the past two years. We have not had the upfront big chunk of money necessary to buy curriculum. Do you know what Sonlight does??? They have payment plans! Yahoo! That we can do! Last year we did the plan where you pay 1/4 down and then make 3 more payments. It was awesome. Now, these payments go on your debit/credit card. If we had enough space on our credit card to just pay we would've, but no....we were irresponsible w/that card a few yrs ago and are still paying it off. Anyway, what it allowed us to do, was to pay the right amount off to have space every 30 days! LOL! Well, two days ago(I think) we went on the Sonlight sight and I was making my "Wish Cart"...you know, everything I'd order if money was no issue....and went to see how much the 1/4 payments would be and discovered they had a 6 month payment plan. Even better. Can you believe there was not even a FEE for this service???? Unbelievable! It's like they CARE!!!! ha. They do. They care a lot. They give so much money away to awesome charity causes...it's incredible. Read about them. Anyway, it's awesome. (If you are interested, I think the six month plan is temporary only til this Monday...so hurry)...but man....I love that company. My coffee cup is empty so I must be done. Have a blessed day and let God's love show thru you and all you do! :)

Pickles and Produce

2010-07-20T09:44:00.002-04:00

I've had a busy summer. I was given a 5 gallon bucket of pickling cukes, so I made 3 batches of pickles. I made sweet, dill spears, and bread & butter. They look good, but I like to let them sit (especiallly the dills) for a while before I eat any. I've already had friends from afar requesting jars of the sweet pickles. I was not sure how generous I was willing to be with my sweet pickles until....a second 5 gallon bucket of cukes showed up on my porch last night! Yay! The cucumber fairy! (I like that fairy better than the squash fairy that showed up daily for about a week! ;) ) haha. Anyway, I guess I'll be pickling again soon....well, it will have to be today or tomorrow...cukes don't like to sit long. I am considering making some "Red Hot Cinnamon" pickles. They are a sweet, red,cinnamon-y pickle that I discovered after moving here. In this area, they're just called "Red Pickle". ha. I got a recipe on-line....it looks like a pain....5 days!!! BUT, it may be worth it...these are some gooooooooood pickles!

I "put up" 300 ears of corn. Frozen. Hard work, also had to be done in one day....can't let corn sit. Pick it in the morning...frozen by bedtime. I'm excited today, because I'm going to pick "snaps"....I call them green beans... ;) Then, I will hopefully have enough to freeze a bunch so we can enjoy fresh-frozen snaps all winter!

I was also glad to hear that the butterbeans are starting to come in. I don't love shelling them, but I looooooove eating them! Last year we got about four 5 gal buckets of those, but with the drought this year, my hopes have been dashed. :(

Hope you all have a wonderful, productive day...think i'll go shake some kids out of bed so we can get on to the harvest! :D

2010-07-15T11:48:00.002-04:00

Ever have something you want to share SO bad but can't??? I do...right now. And it's so exciting that I can hardly stand it. :D I SO want to share...but can't. I'll just say this, Life as a Christian is never boring if you desire God's will, seek His face and follow where He leads. My life is many things...some good, some not. It's busy, it's loud, it's frequently chaotic....(pick which category each of those things goes in on your own...for me, it depends on the day!) I experience joy, sadness, gain, loss (some good, some bad...bye bye 48 lbs!, top of the mountain and bottom of the valley. The best part is I don't have to do it alone. God is with me. Always. I just have to be the one to pay attention to find Him. He never leaves, but sometimes I do. I am an imperfect creation....suffering from sin. Unable to earn God's approval..wholly unworthy. But He loves me anyway. I am the prodigal. He loves me anyway. I see this played out in my life daily...not because bags of money show up on my porch...but sometimes bags of squash or corn do. Sometimes it's a half of a cow. He loves me! No matter that I throw tantrums on occasion like I'm a three yr. old. He forgives me. There is this thing called "santification". It's a process. I'm still in it. Some days, I wish my time away and long for my true home in heaven where I'll be done with the process. Some days I cry because our time here is just too short. It's ok. He's with me and He loves me. He drags me through if I seek Him. I read His word daily. He gives me encouragement, courage, comfort, direction, attention and guidance through His very own word.
As to the exciting stuff I can't share? I'll be able to one day and then you can celebrate with me. For now....just pray for Rob and me and pray that God continues guiding our feet, lifting us up and providing our every need.

Wishing for you His peace.

Rob's blog

2010-07-15T11:46:00.001-04:00

This is my husband's blog. He's pretty cool. ;) Didnt know if maybe someone who accidently stops by my blog, might want to accidentally stop by his. http://robertcblake.blogspot.com/

A season of drought

2010-05-12T22:20:00.002-04:00

Sometimes, God doesn't do what we want. Sometimes, we pray and pray and He doesn't seem to answer. Sometimes, we are supposed to be learning patience and perseverance. These times can be some of the driest, most barren in our lives and hard to endure. I am in one now.

Even King David had these times....

Hear my prayer, O Lord,
Listen to my cry for help;
be not deaf to my weeping.
For I dwell with you as an alien,
a stranger, as all my fathers were.
Look away from me, that I may rejoice again
before I depart and am no more. (Psalm 39: 12-13

He learned patience and perseverance...

I waited patiently for the Lord;
He turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the Lord.
Psalm 40: 1-3

I am waiting on the Lord.

Kick Me

2010-05-12T17:33:00.002-04:00

Do I have one of those "kick me" signs on my back? Ever wake up and think, "Wow. This is gonna be a good day!" and then you leave your room. Well. That was my day. :) It was really fine for a while. Then drama strikes in the form of kids. Then the adults get involved. THen it just goes to poo. NOW, for no apparant reason, some jerk was offended by my last post. Really just the fact that my last post exists was enough to make this person mad. I figure they must've had the same day as me, but wanted to spread their own brand of craziness around the cyber-world and chose me to pick on. *sigh* I would've left his post and not deleted it, but I figured I'd go ahead and poke the bear and delete it. Ya'll have a nice day. Pray, k?

I'm finally posting again.

2010-05-11T17:21:00.002-04:00

So, I've been thinking for a while about posting. You know, I need to post again. I could blog about that....that kinda thought. But, then life gets in the way and my brain stays cluttered with all the stuff floating around in there. I just read a blog by an old friend of mine and she was talking about how there are so many things you'd like to blog about, but have to censor because of the fact that "whoever" can read it. She used a cool metaphor about drippings and gravy....which I liked better than the lemons/lemonade one you always hear. Anyway, that's neither here nor there. Just wanted to say....I like gravy. Of course, being on a terminal diet, gravy is a no-no. I have lost 38 lbs. now and still have a ways to go, but I AM excited about my loss so far. It's amazing how people react, though. As soon as you start losing noticeably, people get mad. Why? I don't know. Because they don't exercise self control and put down the cookie? I don't know. I have seen anger. Others are more subtle and just say, "Stop losing! You're gonna get too thin!!!!" I say, "You haven't seen me nekkid. You have no way of knowing if I'm too thin!!" Ha! Ok, I don't say that to them, I just think it! ;)

So, enough about diets. Dinner's cooking and I'm starving.

What's going on here? The usual. We're trying to wrap up kid's homeschool for the year, but we're terribly behind. Oh well.Cant help we didn't have money on time. It'll be ok. I'm gonna let the oldest just finish reading his readers this summer (he loves reading)...he's doing ok in history and can read some of that this summer as well. Big problem is Math. He hates it and not finishing on time will put him behind. Oh well. Good thing about homeschooling....We can find a way to make it up.
Good books we've read this year:

A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park
Flame Over Tara by Madeline Polland
The Trojan War by Olivia Coolidge
The Ides of April by Mary Ray
The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff
THe Samurai's Tale by Erik Christian Haugaard

Trying to wind up MY school. Assuming I pass my current class, then I will have 3 more classes to finish my Master of Art in Religion (Church Ministries concentration). Rob is graduating w/that particular degree this Saturday. Lucky him. Course he's continuing on with his Master of Divinity...so he's not done. Current class, while enjoyable has a heavy workload. Some books I recommend from this class:

Unexpected Journey by Thom S. Rainer

Family to Family by Dr. Jerry Pipes and Victor Lee

Concentric Circles of Concern by W. Oscar Thompson

Radically Unchurched by Alvin Reid

Boy #3 is playing baseball in the Minor league this season. I don't love it, and he's one of the youngest, but he does, so there ya go. He bats lefty so he's been hit by at least 3 pitchers. He's a little ball-shy now, but he did get a hit last game, so I guess it'll work out. My beef with baseball is the schedule. Too many games scheduled at 7:30 pm that don't start til 8 and don't end before 10pm. Add on a drive home and quick bath and my 6 year old is up til 11. WAAAY too late, I don't care who you are! ha! Again, thank you God for making me home-school. at least the boy can sleep past 7. I have friends whose kids are falling asleep in class because of these late games. There has to be a better way.

Did you know, that if you have never been full-time in the ministry, there's a lot you don't know. Just sayin'. It's hard. You have all the normal family stuff, work your job, be that out of or in the home (yes, staying home with kids IS a job, keeping house IS a job, feeding a family 3 meals a day IS a job), THEN not only do people expect you there every time the doors open...in a small church, you are often the one running the program, doing child-care..setting up, cleaning up after...you name it. Yes, when you're in the ministry your kids are still kids. They still have homework, they still do extra-curricular activities and goodness gracious..they still behave like kids. I know. I sound like I'm on a rant, but I'm really not. Oh...did you know that God very rarely supernaturally imparts you with a devotion, lesson, sermon or otherwise makes preparation time less for us than anyone else? Shocking, isn't it!? :) Really. It's a neat life. Not "neat" as in not messy, because that's not true...but neat as in "cool". It's different. It's different "good" and different "worse". But you know, the Bible even says that if you are living your life for Christ (ALL Christians are called to that...not just ministry families) then it's not gonna be easy. We (Christians) are on a battle field. We are fighting people (sometimes) but more than that we're fighting spiritual battles. Sounds weird, right? But we are. Powers, principalities...heard those terms before in the Bible? Not just words, not just people. If you are not in the ministry, let one of your ministries be prayer. Prayer for your pastor and his family. They need it. That I can guarantee. AND I guarantee, they'll know when someone's praying.

"Based on the gifts they've received everyone should use it to serve others as good managers of the varied grace of God." 1 Peter 4:10

"Even the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life--a ransom for many." Mark 10:45

and another day.

2009-10-13T22:40:00.002-04:00

SO, it's been rough this week. Not just for me. For good friends as well. Keep Millstone in general in your prayers. I am pretty sure that there is spiritual warfare goin on here. Bad. It so hard. So hard to keep your focus when stupid stuff gets in the way. Why on earth do we let the little minutia of this world get in our way??? I mean really! If a dish sits in the sink for a few hours, are the walls gonna tumble down? Will God not forgive that as well? If a bed is not made, clothes are not washed, books are left lying around....will the sky fall? No. It won't. None of that junk matters in the grand scheme of life. Yes, it's nice to have a clean house. But, if you want it perfect....don't have kids. In fact, don't let OTHER people kids in you house either. They breed mess. If you want a perfectly unmessy life, you're gonna be bored. You're gonna be lonely. Life is messy. Right now, I am deep in the mess. Every felt your heart beat in your head? Your eyes? Gotten dizzy? That's where I was today. Not cool. I need to let stuff go. I need to learn to let comments that feel disparaging to me go. I need to focus on the things of God and get my eyes off myself, my life, my wants, my desires and look up. Not literally "up"...just "up" at Him. He loves me every day of my life. He knew me before I was born. He knows how many hairs are on my head. He knew me in my mother's womb. He knit me together. I am wonderfully and fearfully made. He is excited about me. He thinks I am beautiful, because I am His design. You can say the same things, do you know Him personally? You can.
<3 J

2009-10-09T18:50:00.002-04:00

So, I'm supposed to be writing a paper on the Holy Spirit in the Gospel of John. I can't seem to get started. It's got to be a loooooooooong paper w/at least 10 sources. Ugh. That's how I feel about it. I really HATE feeling "ugh" about anything that has to do with God. or church. But, nevertheless, i do on occasion. This is one of those occasions. I do NOT want to write this paper. I have been unsuccessful at motivating myself to do so. This is one of those days I think, "huh. I wonder what made me think I needed a graduate degree?" I did just fine w/NO degree at all for many years. Oh well. In for a penny, in for a pound. RIght?

My homeschooling year so far has been less than stellar. Don't really like admitting or posting that, but hey. Public school has been less than stellar as well for those attending, so I guess we're even. :) Carter does NOT want to do school. At all. Branche well, Branche loves to read and hates everything else. Ugh. Roger, he just wants to do speed school. The quicker it's over, the better. We are taking a shot at a couple lapbooks. It's different. Not in love with it, because it createds waaaaaaaaaaaay more prep work for me. Sonlight has me spoiled. Everything all planned out and sitting there ready. can't wait til box day. Man, life can get normal again. At least I am having time w/my boys. They are something else. Branche and Roger have discovered how much fun it is to ride anything with wheels on a path through the woods behind the house ...downhill. Very downhill, so very fast. They do it every chance they get. They have dug potholes and lumps to make it more interesting....they ride things double not meant to be double.....I just keep saying, "wear your helmets!!!!" PLEEEASE! Lol. Boys, what're ya gonna do, right???

I'm doing a Bible study called....Seeking Revival...I think that's what it's called. Anyway, it's great. It's convicting. It's made to do both alone and in a group and I'll tell ya what. It sure is showing me scripture in new ways. Our ladies Bible study as well. That one, I tell ya what. I cry nearly every day when I do my daily part. Do it if you're given the chance, "Do You Think I'm Beautiful? " by Angela Thomas. You could just read the book which I am sure is fabulous...but the study w/a bunch of other women is phenomenal.

Hope everyone is having a great day. Mine has been busy. Keep on praying. <3

2009-09-24T18:19:00.001-04:00

So I got my hair cut really short today, and the lady who cut it did an awesome job, and she said, "WOW! You look like 15 or 20 yrs. younger!!" I thought to myself....being 40...that would make me pretty young...or either I reallly looked awful before!! :) I'm going with the really young theory. ya'll have a great night. I'm going to a homeschool mom's group thing...can't wait!!! New friends to make! yahoo!

2009-09-23T10:35:00.002-04:00

Have you ever found yourself in the stupidest conversation ever and couldn't stop? You know, someone makes a statement, you make a statement in response, and everyone else in the world (except the person you were talking to) gets in the middle and adds all kinds of meaning in there that you never intended??? I really hate it when people pick a fight with me. I don't mean like, I'm always right so don't question me, I don't mean, I don't like to discuss issues (say, of Theology)...I just mean, if we are having said discussion....keep the personality out of it! I guess some people just don't even realize how hurtful and mean their words can be....you know, open mouth...forget to engage brain? I do that sometimes. You know, open my mouth before my brain has the chance to engage? We all do, we're human, we mess up, we sin, we speak before we think. But, ya know...some people are just wired to argue against everything. Period. I was in a "discussion" with this guy and someone jumped all over me for what I said. I happen to have been right, btw, but that doesn't matter. He tried to make what I said look stupid, he disagreed w/what I said etc. Then....two posts later...under a different person's post....he totally backed up what I was saying that he argued against. Ridiculous. Those kinds of people need to all go live together in a commune somewhere and argue nonsensically with each other and leave the rest of us alone. THere. I'm through with my rant. Ya'll have a wonderful day. :)

i'm back.....

2009-09-21T22:38:00.002-04:00

SO, it's been a long time, Yes? Well, i'm busy :) Not that I don't love you all...I am just short on minutes!! The ladies in our church have just started the Angela Thomas Bible STudy "Do You think I"m beautiful?" It is awesome, and I am NOT just saying that!! She really has a way of cutting through the junk and just saying what you need to hear. I HIGHLY recommend it.

That being said, I have been having a rough couple of weeks. I'm not sure why, but have you ever felt like no matter how hard you run, no matter how fast you move, no matter how busy you stay, you never get one step caught up? much less ahead! I feel like everything I am doing is rushed. I do NOT like that. That is not my style in the least. I like to be free. I like to just pick up and do what I want, when I want. Well, that ain't happenin' anymore!! Not cool. Ever feel like every single minute is scheduled? And if you do not jump when the buzzer goes off you'll never make it? Well, that's where I am. The strange thing, is that usually people who say these things have their kids so over scheduled, that it is creating this kind of chaos. That's not the case here. I have 3 boys, the only independent type activity they have is soccer, the two youngest, who are on the same team. Not a lot of scheduling required there. But, I go from one thing to the next w/no real break. Ugh..... I get up, I make coffee, I drink coffe while reading bible and doing devotions, baby arrives, feed baby, feed other kids, start school, baby nap, school, lunch, baby lunch, school, baby nap, baby leaves, dinner, whatever...visitation, soccer practice, bible study, other bible study...you name it, I'm there. Do not for a minute think that I want to or can quit a single thing I'm doing. I really, really can't. I am just waiting for the calm. It's gotta come. I'm praying for peace, for relaxation, for something.

The one benefit of all this activity....I am becoming ORGANIZED! Shock! Gasp! Surprise! ME? you say??? Organized???? NOt likely!!! well, it's true, In self defense I have become a planner. I love forms, do you? If there's a form, I wanna fill in the blanks!! :)

I have no deep thoughts or eternal wisdom to give...but I'm here slogging through the trenches. Tryin to smile through it, because despite my lack of a sense of self worth....I have GOD-worth. I know He loves me, He thinks I'm beautiful, and He can use me...no matter what. :)

Puttin' in a plug....

2009-08-20T07:40:00.002-04:00

I'm taking a quick opportunity to put in a couple plugs for stuff I've found I love.
1. The Old Schoolhouse Planner (Making a plan for school and home)
This thing is really cool. You can order a CD for your computer...it's absolutely FULL of useful, wonderful cool forms for planning stuff. If you like forms and planners, but have never found one with the stuff you need...this is it. I have turned a ring binder into the ultimate planning machine. It rocks. This thing has forms for planning everything from your day, to your week, to your year, to your kids' schoolyear, to meals daily weekly and monthly. It's incredible. It even has forms to plann your kids' 12 yrs in school. I just love it and cannot say enough about the stuff it has. It has also, lots of educational info. like conversion formulas, periodic table, mulitiplication table, history timeline, TONS of stuff. Love it, check it out.
2. "in our shoes...real life issues for Minister's wives, by minister's wives"
by Rachel Lovingood and Jennifer Landrith\
This is an awesome personal bible study for women in the ministry. It's incredible. Daily, I glean something from it. It's amazing. I just can't say enough good about it. If you're a ministry wife...read it.

the worst blogger in the world

2009-06-29T09:20:00.002-04:00

Ok, so I may not be the worst blogger in the world, be i'm certainly in the top 5 laziest, right??! Well, lemme just say, get your flu shots when you're supposed to, ok?? I had never had the flu until last week...( and still now). Me, and two of the boys got the flu. Not cool. REALLY, not cool. I'm pretty sure it had to be the swine flu, since the symptoms matched (kids puking) and the timing...seasonal flu is gone. So, that being said...the flu STINKS! I mean, walking down the hall made me get winded!! Our hall is not that long!!! I still have diminished lung capacity. The kids are still sleeping waaaaaaaaaay more than normal (all is not bad, is it??) But, we're on the mend. Just had to put in a plug for the flu shot...though Roger did have his flu shot this year and he still got sick...those vaccines don't last forever! :)
Pray for us and our church as we seek to feel our way thru all that needs to be done and figure out how to do it...and how to garner interest. Man. Ministry is NOT easy, is it?!
Love ya'll.
J

kids in church

2009-05-03T21:45:00.002-04:00

Ok, so my kids gave me a chance to prove my title tonight. You know, "saved, not perfect." Wow. Was I not the perfect mom tonite. Roger was totally out of control at church both this morning and tonight at revival. I had to take him out of church and spank him both times. I was mortified. I HATE doing that. But, he was screaming during prayer this morning!!! What's up with that???? All 3 were trying my patience tonight. So. The preacher's kids are not perfect. His wife's not perfect. Actually, he's not perfect either. But that's ok. If I've learned nothing else, I know God loves me even when I'm not perfect. I did actually manage to concentrate enough on the sermon to get the idea. We're doing revival this week. Our "theme" I guess is "refresh, renew, revive." Pretty cool. Tonite was refresh. Rob talked about how if you never "get off the bench" and get worn out...you don't need refreshing. Made me go, "huh." I don't feel that way with church, I do feel that way with school...my school. YOu know, the expensive one. I need to get off the bench big time. Who knew grad school would be so hard?! LOL! Who knew that reading a book a week would be so hard?? I can read a fiction book a day and not sweat it...but, give me something I didn't choose....?? Forget it!!! It's HARD! It's hard to find time...it's hard to find desire.
So, Thank you GOd for loving me and my imperfect husband and kids. Thank you God, for pouring out your spirit on us that we can feel your presence. Thank you God for putting us in a church that does not even EXPECT us to be perfect. Thank you GOd for the wonderful loving friends you have sent our way. Thank you for the daily encouragement. Thank you for perseverance through Your strength, YOUR power, YOur love, Your glory. Let your love shine through my life and spill all over the place. Let your love seep into the fibers of my life and those around me, that no one can look and wonder if I love you and follow you. Let them ask why. Let them know it's you, not me.
In Jesus' sweet and Holy Name!!!!
AMEN!

Rough week

2009-04-16T20:46:00.001-04:00

Ok, so it's been a rough week. I'm physically worn out. Did you ever stop and think about being spiritually worn out?? I am right now having so much trouble finding time for my personal devotional. I am taking a class that is draining me when it's supposed to be filling me!! My back hurts, my left arm feels like I've pinched a nerve, we've had every imaginable problem trying to get a desk set up for me so I can get out of Rob's office space. You name it. Of course, God gave me a gift--the absolutely most knock-your-socks-off sunset ever on the way home from T-ball. He still loves me! :) Some days it's harder to remember that, isn't it.

So, being a pastor's wife and feeling spiritually drained is bad. I am gonna have to drop something. Not sure what, or how, but I'm gonna. I supposed to be praying for one hour every day. That's hard. I fall asleep. I can totally understand the apostles now. Not in a cool way either, but in their misery at their inability. Can you not stay awake and watch for an hour???? ugh. Pray for me please. I know I must say that every post, but I WILL pray for you! :)
We've got to uphold each other, lift each other up to Him in prayer. The only one who can do a thing about any of this stuff we call life.
Ya'll take care.
J

Chicken Pictures

2009-04-14T09:46:00.003-04:00

I'm So Tired!!!

2009-04-04T19:18:00.002-04:00

We live in the windiest spot on earth. No, really. Yesterday it was so windy, if I closed my eyes and thought about it...I could've sworn I was in my aunt's old beach cottage at Kitty Hawk N.C. It sounded like the waves coming constantly! Incredible. Anyway, that has nothing to do with me being tired...I am just amazed at the nearly constant breeze! I guess living in the flat lands for 40 years will make you think air is stagnant everywhere!! LOL! Anyway, I AM tired! I just want to sleep like 16 hrs., then I'd be fine! I feel like I am constantly in motion until I fall down in bed at night. The problem is, I have lots of school reading to do, so when I fall down...I'm supposed to be reading and mostly I crash. Oh well. I'm working on it, right? My class this time requires me to read a book a week and write a 2 pg. report on it, pray for an hour a day (all at one time :D) for 30 days straight, pray the Lord's Prayer daily for 30 days, Fast for day on two separate occasions (and as I explained to someone, fasting is more than just not eating), and I don't know WHAT else, but I just wanna cry! :D Why the smile?? Because! All this stuff I have to do is not really torturesome, I'm just having schedualing issues! Well, the not eating part will not be cool, but I'll make it.
Rob is in constant motion as well, T-ball, hospital visits, funeral, writing sermons, kid's word, HIS school...planning new programs....getting ready to start a Wed. nite Bible study...whew! Oh choir practice....man. I'm tired. It's a good tired...I tell ya. Be careful whatcha pray for! God'll give it to you and bless your socks off! :D

I sure do miss my friends. Moving is so hard. I miss friends, I dread finding a new doctor for the kids, new bank account, starter checks that no one will take....I get lost if I go somewhere other than Walmart.... Oh well, right?!! :D
I'm making it, just pray for us!
J

2009-03-30T17:04:00.002-04:00

So, Rob got "pasteurized" (Pastor-ized) last night. He's officially ordained and as of today licensed!! How cool is that/?? It is waaaaaay cool. We've been praying and waiting and waiting and praying and now HERE WE ARE!! Yay GOd!!! God is so good. I tell you what, never in my wildest dreams did I ever understand or think that God loves me so much. Yeah, we sing "Jesus loves me" from infanthood, yeah we say "I know GOd loves Me" God loves you! BUt hey, let me just tell you what, that part in the Bible where it says he gives better gifts than any earthly father--it's right. The part that says He loves us, it's right. That part that says He wants for us only the best and knows absolutely the desires of our hearts---it's right. God gave us everything we could ever of dreamed of and then some. Right down to what the back yard is like. Where the church is. Where the house is. What kind of house. How much space we needed. Every single detail and some we didn't even know. How could you ever doubt your Father's love when he knows you so well???? I just stand in awesome amazement of the ultimate Dad's love for me. And that's not being overly-familiar---Jesus called Him "Abba" that's like Hebrew "daddy" you know. I love that. I think about that all the time. I have and have had a wonderful relationship with my earthly Daddy and still call him that "Daddy". I am finally understanding that my heavenly Father wants to be "Daddy" to me too. He wants us all to feel that comfortable and close to him. To love him that way. I stand in awe, I kneel in amazement. Last night at Rob's ordination, I stood in front of like 50 some people and cried for 20 minutes or so while 12 different ordained decons and pastors prayed over my husband and I. I hate crying in public. But, there was just no stopping the tears.
Keep us in your prayers, we sure need them now more than ever.
J

We're moving!!!

2009-03-16T07:46:00.001-04:00

pray for us as we pack our house. We have too much stuff. We're cleaning out, but hey, 5 people require right much stuff!!! :)
We're getting the truck today, leaving sometime tomorrow. We covet your prayers as we begin this new phase in our lives with anticipation and excitement. Love you all!

YIPEE! YAHOO! PRAISE THE LORD!!!

2009-03-09T13:57:00.001-04:00

Can you tell??? We got the church. We are thrilled. There was no doubt left in our minds by the time we forced ourselves to leave, that God wants us in that church. Don't know why. Just know it. CanNOT wait to go! We are just bouncing around thrilled...and scared!! Wow. What huge responsibility! Now that we've got the church...we need your prayers that we remain in God's will and serve in the way he'd have us!! Gotta go...waaaay to much to do! :)
Will keep you posted!

I can't stand this quote:

2009-03-05T14:24:00.001-05:00

It behooves a father [or mother] to be blameless if he expects his [or her] child to be.
~Homer

Man, Homer must not've had kids... LOL! Ok, maybe he did....maybe he needs to get his nose out of my house! :D

2009-03-05T13:49:00.002-05:00

ok. So. Here I sit. Day after tomorrow it all happens. :)
I am So excited. It's almost uncontainable!!! It's like Rob said one day when we were waiting to hear after the interview...."It's not like waiting for a 'yes' or 'no', it's like waiting for an answer you already have!" It's like that in many ways and at many times. SOMEtimes, though. I get scared. What if it's NOT God giving me peace? What if it's NOT God sending me comfort and assuring me that this is it?? What if?Whatif?Whatif? What if the house doesn't sell quickly, I mean hey, EVERYONE loves telling me just how bad the market is, right?? Well. I am choosing NOT to buy into that negative mindset. God DOES love us. God IS big enough to sell a house...no matter where, no matter the market. God IS the one sending us, right? I sure am glad my God is bigger than those worry-warts' god! :) Sorry. That was a bit mean, right? Sorry. I am just in this mind-set that I will not live my life in fear, I will not worry about every little tiny material thing that could go wrong.

I've been cleaning out, you know...what with the most-likely impending move. I am actually getting joy from just dumping stuff. And I mean STUFF!!! I have sent a couple truck loads to the thrift store already. Crazy, right??? Where did all this stuff live, you say? Everywhere. In every crack, crevice, closet, you name it. Man. Who knew it was so liberating to throw stuff out or give it away??? I am having to be careful not to give away stuff I may actually want or NEED! Yes, me. The pack rat. Cleaning out. I do, however, find it amusing that my husband is only somewhat impressed...he just doesn't know the real volume of stuff that has exited this building. I did have a friend suggest a dumpster....of course she was married to a military man...Teeheehee. They keep nothing, right?? Who would having to move so much? Me, I'm a firmly rooted, stay in one spot, kinda girl. Now think about the trauma I'm getting ready for in moving again...after only like 8 years! EEEEK! You have to understand...my parents live in the same house they bought when I was 6 months old. I'm gonna turn 40 in a couple weeks. See? Firmly rooted. I've had family in this county since,oh...I think the mid 1700's...maybe earlier. Firmly, deeply rooted. I've had people in this country since the 1600's!! Crazy, right? There's not many to beat that who actually have the names written down....who aren't native americans. I love it. I like to think about all the names that've gone before me...that they most probably walked where I walk...all that cool stuff. Very firmly, very deeply rooted.
Now my goal is gonna be to become firmly, deeply, positively, absolutely, permanently rooted in the word of God. In HIS love, HIS word, HIS way.
Can't wait. I cannot wait til Sat., Sun. or any of the rest of it. I cannot wait to see the big UHAul or whatever pull up in the front yard so I can start loading boxes!!! Woohoo!!! Well, you all just pray real hard for us this weekend, Rob needs you support the next couple days so he can get his school done and finish the sermon and WE need you this weekend!!! :D You all KNOW i'll post Monday a.m. if not Sun. night! Love you all!
Oh--Tony C--welcome, I clicked the wrong button on fb, can you resend the request? Sorry!

Mercy...

2009-02-22T18:49:00.002-05:00

Why on earth does God think I need to learn this lesson? Have you ever asked yourself that? You know, when you feel like you're maybe being picked on? by God? What a dreadful thought!! Some days, when I'm particularly draggy, down, over the whole gotta-get-up thing, i wonder why i'm being picked on. Mostly, I'm ok. I'm not of such a victim mindset that I actually believe God is picking on me, but I am capable of seeing when God is working on me! This broken knee-cap thing--while I don't think God threw me down on the sidewalk (that was a scooter left by a hapless kid)I do believe God can and IS using this experience to teach me. I am learning just how difficult life can be when you lose one little ability--like bending one knee. How hard can it be ? You ask. Try doing laundry for five people in a two story house and putting clothes away and folding clothes etc. w/o bending one knee--ever. Try going to the bathroom while not EVER bending your left knee at all. Try putting a sock on your left foot. Try putting on underpants. I'm not kidding. I'll wait. Just try it. Now think about that elderly person down the road who lives alone. I can guarantee they are suffering from reduced mobility--the kind a hover-round cannot fix. Try running for a screaming, hurt toddler without bending a knee. It breaks your heart. Think about that person down the road who's hurt or just had surgery. Do something nice! Do all those things "church ladies" do. Even if you're not a church lady. Sometimes I get mad at people who say "I don't 'do' organized religion" because I wonder if maybe they prefer "disorganized" religion and I think about church and say, Hey! They really HAVEN'T been to church lately! There's not a thing organized going on here this morning! LOL! Sorry. anwyay, but for those of you who have had bad church experiences...I know you exist, I know bad churches exist, I've even been to some. You can be Christ's body in your community. Take a meal to a neighbor with small kids, just because you can. I can tell you, food is frequently a great way to make friends. Take cookies....just go visit! sometimes being a stay-at-home mom is lonely! New people in your neighborhood? Go visit. It's hard to make friends in a new community. Show the world Jesus' love. Let His light, His love, His concern, His mercy--show through you. That's what is meant by being a "witness". You live it daily. If you're not doing it well--you may just be giving a "bad" witness. No wonder people get mad at church folks. Aren't we often "clique-y"? Don't we have our little groups, and meetings, and studies, and ways we do things and we really DO NOT want that new person messing up a good thing, right? She dressses funny....her kids are loud...That is why we're here. God loves every single person the same. THE SAME!!! Can you believe it?? That's just incredible to me. I can name right many people He should love more than me! Afterall, I'm frequently unfaithful in following EVERY command. I get cranky. I don't love my neighbor as myself...hey, she's cranky too! RIght? No. That's not right!!!! Well, she may be, but have I asked why? Maybe she needs someone to talk to who won't judge her or her grown children for whatever....maybe she's scared....maybe she doesn't really believe the Lord is gonna heal her husband...or her...who knows. We really have to be careful to think of every HUMAN--born or unborn--as someone God dearly loves. Equally.
I love you guys. Keep us in your prayers, we need them.
J

John's Corner of the World: On the art of sacred-cow tipping . . .

2009-02-22T18:48:00.000-05:00

Not sure if this link will work, but it's a cool post to read if you have time. J

John's Corner of the World: On the art of sacred-cow tipping . . .

Oweee!

2009-02-07T13:04:00.002-05:00

Ok, so last time I asked if anyone had ever been hurt. Ok,now I have a new hurt!! Dear me! I tripped over a kid's scooter and landed my 2000 lbs. on my left knee-cap. Owee! No joke!! So, needless to say, when I managed to hobble carefully into the dr.'s office the next a.m., I got an x-ray and found out my patella is fractured. Not sure how bad, not sure what they're gonna do about it. I had the "grace" (HA!) to hurt myself too close to a weekend, so I'll see an orthopedist Monday. I'm afraid he's gonna hurt me! I HATE physcial pain!! Oh well, maybe it'll be quick. Anyway, we've all found out that I'm apparantly a really bad patient. I don't like being unable to "do" for myself. I am in total reliance on others. Not cool. Bathing is scary. Going downstairs...double scary. So, I can't help feed the boys, I can't dress the boys, they now run up and down the stairs for me. I have discovered that while my five yo loves to help, he still hasn't figured out it's bad to climb over my leg when I'm in bed. EEEK! He's so sweet. Rob gave me a book to read, called "WHY?". It's about handling the "bumps" life throws you and understnading "why" God gives you these things. I found it amusing that he gave it to me....I'm not a bad patient in that I am laying around crying....I'm just annoyed that I can't do what I want!@!I think he just figured I'd read it in self-defense against boredom....maybe HE needs to read it...you know to find out why God saddled him w/a broken wife! LOL! My arm muscles are very tired from dragging myself around for a half day until I could put some pressure on that foot to walk....I'm not even gonna tell the story on myself about WHY I tripped on the sidewalk....I'll save that for when I can really laugh too. :)
Well, I need to lay down and go for the pain meds again....so, all too soon....bye for now!!
J

2009-02-04T15:20:00.002-05:00

Ever been hurt? Ever had a family member attack for no apparent reason? You know, recently I was shocked. I guess the Lord wanted me to know that not every agrees with me....I thought I knew that already, but now I REALLLY know, don't I ! I was having a conversation with a family member and was verbally accosted by another. Hmmmm. Why? Was I saying anything particularly troublesome or strange or unsettling? I didn't think so. We were just talking about homeschooling. My family member proceeded to denegrate not just homeschooling, but me, how I do it (how would she know?), and the results. The thing is, I don't really care if shes likes homeschooling or not. Or even whether she likes me or not. But what gave her the idea she knew anything about any of it/?? She didn't homeschool. She sent her kids to private school. She's never visited my home to see what or how we do it. She just hears stuff 3rd and 4th hand coming through others who dislike it. What's up with that/?? How should we respond to that sort of attack? That's what it is, you know. It's an attack. An affront. I really wanted to be smart, and clever and be able to just argue her down to nothing. You know what I did? I tried to explain my convicitons and was talked over by her. I tried to explain the normalcy of homeschooling and how many people (all sorts of people) are doing. She didn't listen. I was then informed that homeschooling is a uniquely Baptist thing and we only do it because Jerry Falwell told us to. Hmmm. I wonder if she knows he's dead? I wonder if she's ever met anyone else who's home-schooled? She is trained as a lawyer...you'd think she'd know about research. Anyway, my final response was tears. I left the room, the house, found my middle boy and walked, talked and cried. He didn't know why Mom was so upset, but then he didn't need to. I cried and asked God what that was all about. I finally got myself together and went back in and shortly after left. Strangely enough, she told my Mom she was sorry she had spoken to me that way. Wish she'd have told me. Oh well. Why is it such a surprise when someone who doesn't understand us, is not a Christian does something like that? I don't know either. Seems like we'd expect it. The Bible says we should. The Bible basically tells us that we're to be in this world and not of it. We're NOT the same as everyone else.
Lord, I pray that today, you touch those who need you. Lord use me to reach someone. Be with those who hurt whether it's physical or emotional. Help us to forgive those who hurt us just like you forgave us...even though we keep hurting You.
In Jesus' sweet and Holy name I pray...
Amen.

ROad trip amusement...

2009-02-03T04:05:00.002-05:00

Next time you're stuck in a car w/your kids for an extended ride...try making up rapper names. We laughed ourselves to tears last night on the way home from the inlaws. How 'bout Saran 'Rap to get you started? "Gum 'Rappah"? Zebra Cakes? Make sure your kids get involved...they're very creative and sometimes funny!!!

books...

2009-01-30T22:14:00.002-05:00

Can I just say I love Sonlight? They have picked the absolute best library of books ever. We read entire novels, you know. Well, w/two in core 1 and one in core 5 we're reading some great stuff. For our read aloud, I'm reading to Carter and Roger "Charlotte's Web". I know, standard fare, but hey...when's the last time YOU read it?? I think I was probably 8 or 9. I am LOVING it!!! it's even better than I remember. It's great. The boys even love it!!! We just finished "Mr. Popper's Penguins" ( a bit early) because Carter got it for Christmas (how cool is that/? My Mom didn't even know it was a school book!). That was really cool and I'd never even read that one before. Penguins are a family favorite, so the book was an instant hit.

Now with Branche, he does his own reader (novels), I read aloud to him (more novels) and history is FULL of great historical novels. Needless to say, it's much easier to discuss these books if I've read them too...so...I have to read a lot. i feel like my education is improving daily!!! But, today I finished his current reader..."Water Sky". Oh man. I cried. It's about Eskimos and whaling. I cried for the seals, I cried for the boy, I cried for the girl, I cried for the whale!!! I HATE books that make me cry!!!! But I loved this book!!! Our read aloud is also a cloud burst waiting to happen "The House of Sixty Fathers". Man. Little boy lost w/his lucky pig. I'm just waiting. I already had to stop and pull myself together once!!! It's awesome. Oh--and did you know, that in public school I never studied Ghenghis Khan and the Mongol Horde????? That is the title of the most WONDERFUL book. And I just read that...and readlized I knew absolutely NOTHING about him!!! I devoured the book (Thank you John Holzmann!!!). Man. What a hole in my education!!! How cool is that??? (Not the hole, but that kids won't have that problem!) I LOVE homeschooling.

Oh did I mention Carter is reading??? I told him today, "Write hat" and gave him a wipeoff marker and white board and he said as he wrote, "H, A, T. HAT!" I almost cried then too! LOL!!! Yea!!! Roger was doing great too--I had written hat, sat, cat on the board and he read them, and I erased the 'c' from cat and said, "what if he was 'fat', how would you spell that?" and he said, "I'd put an 'f'!" and he did!!! We went through every 'at' word I could come up with and could NOT trip him up!!! YEA!!! We're loving it!!!

Ok.....we're still waiting on the church...hoping for news by Tuesday. Not sweating it,...more like excitement.

Not sure what God's doing to me...but, I've started watching "Adoption Stories" just for personal torture. Gotta stop it. Making me cry. LOL!! Doing enough of that w/o the show!!!!

Love you guys...keep praying for us and we'll pray for you!!!
J

Just Stuff....

2009-01-23T20:31:00.002-05:00

Ok. So. I'm really slack about posting here. I'm sorry to the two or maybe three people who like to read what I blather about on here. : ) I'll try to do better. Anyway, we're anxiously awaiting Sunday. I feel like the countdown has begun. Of course, often when you're doing something to serve or honor God in a new way, or making a move in the right direction....KAWHAM! Here comes a spiritual attack. So, our latest attack is on the heat at church. Since Sunday is terribly important to us....committee coming and all...the heater at the church works everywhere BUT the sanctuary. So. We'll see what God and our Pastor work out. : ) I have great faith in both of them! I know it is relatively unimportant...we'll still have the service, they'll still come, the Word will still be preached...but wouldn't it have been nice for it all to come off w/o a hitch?? Oh well! You know, Bill Gaither wrote a really cool song about this kinda thing....it's called "Through". It talks about all the trials that come, and we expect God to just remove them, but sometimes we have to rely on Him to just carry us through the pain, or challenge, or whatever. I'm gonna put the lyrics over there----> in the box i use for quotes, read them they're really cool and can occasionally make me cry.I guess that's why we have prayer, right? Any of you who would like to join me in praying for God's will and praying for a great Sunday and praying for our future...please do!

So, on facebook I've been finding tons of friends I had lost years ago...high school friends, college friends, weird. Really weird to so easily be back in touch. It's nice. I can instantly chat w/someone I haven't seen or spoken to in literally 10-15 yrs or more. Weird. What a world we live in!!! Anyway, I'm having fun over there, but it's probably to my detriment, in that there are really cool word games to play and I LOVE word games!!! It's causing me to be behind in my seminary reading. Not good. Well, that's not the only thing, but it's certainly not helping. I've posted a bunch of photos over there if you're wondering why not here...well, they seem to load quicker over there and they're slow in both places...so any minute or 5 I can save is good! <<>>>

WEll . Have a great weekend, have a great evening....and feel free to "follow" this blog if you like...the button is over there=====> :)
J

baby's here!

2009-01-18T08:02:00.002-05:00

Beth had the baby...YEA! After a week long off and on labor---She's delivered! Baby Katie is here, has dark curly hair and I can NOT wait to see her! I got to sit on her six kids and my 3 yesterday. If you ever wondered if you could manage a business...try that on for size. We cleaned and cleaned and cleaned trying to make the house nice for mom to come home. I am worn out just from trying to keep 5 kids on task and one 2 1/2 yo out of trouble! Anyway, man. Oh--keep praying for Katie, she's having strange bouts of breathing issues, probably just still clearing out fluid, probably no big deal, but pray for quick resolution so mom and baby can come on home.

Anyway, gotta get ready for church. Have a grrrrrrrrrrreat day!
J

Prayer requested...

2009-01-17T09:06:00.001-05:00

My buddy Beth still has not had the baby. She is now at the hospital, on pitocin which is not doing any good. They have cranked up the pitocin to try and get labor going, she has been 5 cm dialated for about a day now. Anyway, may wind up w/a c-section if this doesn't work, baby is a good 9 1/2 lbs and her uterus will not contract and maneuver her into position for delivery...hence, pitocin. Anyway. She needs prayer, she is so over this week long off and on labor. She truly needs to be DELIVERED!!! Pray for the safe delivery of baby Katie Ann and for Beth's safety too. J

2009-01-16T20:15:00.002-05:00

I don't suffer from insanity...I enjoy every minute of it!

I've been at the birth of a friend's baby all day...and I mean all day. Poor thing STILL has not had it and was at 5 cm this a.m. She's suffering. She's gone to the hospital, was hoping for a home birth. This is her 7th baby, 3rd (?) homebirth...pray for her. Safe delivery for her and baby girl.
J

2009-01-15T21:00:00.003-05:00

ever think you could type, hit the "publish" button and realize that you couldn't???

Previous post should've read:

Ever stop to think and forget to START again??????

hahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!

2009-01-15T21:00:00.001-05:00

Ever stop to think and forget to stop again?

word of the day....

2009-01-15T20:59:00.001-05:00

Consciousness: that annoying time of day between naps.

2009-01-15T11:30:00.001-05:00

The problem with life is there's no background music.

hijacking a post

2009-01-13T16:51:00.002-05:00

I hijacked the following excerpt from a post of a friend...her link is over in the list as Noodlenest if you want to read the whole post, but here's the excerpt:

Trevor will tell you that my favorite come back for the phrase "That's not fair" is "Do you think it was fair that Jesus had to die on the cross for YOUR sins?"

That usually shuts the offended child down right away.

We don't think that if one child gets ______ (insert toy, food, present, money, praise for something specific, etc.) that the other kids are entitled to get the same.

Entitled is pretty much a dirty word in our family.

I can't stand it.

So, sometimes just for fun one child gets a cookie and the others don't. Or, one gets to go to a party or an outing and the others don't.

Why? Because life doesn't work that way. Just because So&So down the street gets _____(again, insert new bike, scooter, new car, cruise, a big atta boy, etc.) doesn't mean you get one too.

Okay, that is like my favorite post ever. That is SO how I feel!!! As a parent of 3 boys of very different ages, abilities, and personalities....life is often unfair! In fact, no matter what life is no fair! I am planning on not only hi-jacking Jennifer's post, I'm hi-jacking her come-back!
LOL!!
I love friends!

Is it fair Jesus had to die on the cross for YOUR SINS????
Woo! Burn baby burn!!!
Go Jen, go Jen, it's your birthday it's your birthday! <<>>>
Love ya'll.
J

photos

2009-01-13T08:13:00.002-05:00

sorry so long!

2009-01-13T07:51:00.002-05:00

Okay, I'm not really lazy, just busy!!! I feel like I have still not caught up since Christmas! I did finally get most all of the un-decorating done and actually put in the attic. We have begun a huge clean-up/clean-out. I mean, we are getting rid of so much stuff it's incredible!! Why can't I tell when I walk through the house??? Where was all this stuff living??? It's truly incredible the amount of stuff you accumulate over a few years...we moved here July 2001. Wow. You'd think I never got rid of a thing since then! The entire back of my suburban is full of stuff to donate if I ever get to town. The trash men did NOT love us yesterday due to the huge pile of cast offs not worth donating. I am really gonna use this as a learning experience....I am NOT going to collect this way anymore!!! EEEK! Did I say that???
I have had fun this past week toodling around on Facebook and found a bunch of friends from high school. Pretty cool, found a couple from my badly misspent college years also : ) It's funny....people you assumed you'd know and keep in touch with your whole life....poof! They're gone and years later you have look'em up electronically! Anyway, it's cool.
I just finished reading a cool book, it's one of Branche's readers for school. It's called "Homesick" and it's the real story of a girl whose parents lived in China while running a YMCA sometime in the 20's? 30's? I can't remember, but it's the neatest story and has real photos. I think the author's name is Jean Frisk or something like that. But, she was born in China and didn't come to America until she was like 12. Really neat. Unique life. Good book.
Rob is currently avidly reading Ted Dekker's books. Dekker has like 3 series all connected to each other: Chosen, Infidel, Renegade, Chaos (Branche read these too), then Black, Red, White, then Showdown, Saint, Sinner. There are 3 different series. But, he's a Christian author (his parents were missionaries in...Papua New Guinea [I think] where he and his siblings were born and raised...another good book, by the way "Torches of Joy" written by his Dad) and these books I THINK are kinda scary...that would be why Rob likes them so well! LOL! No, I haven't read them, but Rob loves them and Branche has been enjoying "The Lost Books" series. Worth a read.
Our seminary classes started back yesterday, so I am now delving deeply into the book of Hebrews. I've not purposefully studied it before, so it should be a real learning experience for me. Rob is taking Crisis Counseling...better him than me. : )
Keep us in prayer with our search. Big day coming up. We need your prayer coverage desperately.
Love you guys.
J

the countdown has begun and is almost over!

2008-12-23T18:13:00.002-05:00

I've been baking awesome pound cakes all day today in between cleaning. I'm tired. I'm ready for Thursday to be here...except the floors aren't done, the bathrooms are not scrubbed....what else...oh the presents are not wrapped....I'm tired..DId i say that already? the little boys' room is NOT clean and is gonna have to be "seen" due to new paint and curtains...ugh...I don't WANT to clean it! IT's a wreck! I just wanna close the door and clean something else!!! AAAARGH! >..the den's a mess, but not too bad, but hey..other than that stuff and the fact that all the CHRISTmas cooking needs doing, HEy I'm ready!
Can I collapse now?
Did I mention I just did a sleep over for 5 teenage girls at church w/a friend of mine? Oh, did I mention right before that I lost my mind? ;)
We had a blast...with 3 sons I never get to do girlie stuff...well, I got to SUnday night! We stayed up horribly late, watched "Hairspray", did glue on nails w/funky colors and stickers, we did make0overs and ate lots of junkfood . Not to mention the really cool devotional on purity. We felt some seeds were planted and were totally amazed at the openness of the girls. How cool. God works in some really cool ways!! ANyway, ....I'm still tired from that and it's TUes. nite!!! LOL!!!
Ya'll have a great CHRISTmas and all...enjoy family and friends and FOOD!! : )
J

2008-12-19T09:08:00.003-05:00

The greatest motivational act one person can do for another is to listen. Roy E. Moody

2008-12-16T13:26:00.002-05:00

Carter and Roger in Santa's lap at MacArthur mall in Norfolk, VA. All three being photographed (one against his will)...and our living room tree.

Oh...the food playground is GONE! Walled off!!! What a disappointment...I'm assuming they're just redoing it...you know, something different...I hope.. Kids were very disappointed. My holidays do not contain the joy they should...i'm working on it. Right now I'm sick...sinuses and headache...largely due to the ups and downs in temperature. One day it's in the 30's for a high, the next it's in the 70's. Ugh. Doesn't work for me at all!!! Keep Rob and I in your prayers...most of you know why. Enjoyed our trip on Sunday into central VA...nice church, nice people. PRAY!!!! : )

Love you all! Julie

More photos....

2008-12-10T14:17:00.002-05:00

These should be new pictures of the dog...Mikie....and maybe one of the Christmas trees? Nope...they're pictures of Rob and Roger being weird last May. LOL! More another day!!!

photos...i hope

2008-12-10T13:45:00.002-05:00

Okay, hopefully, my photos are downloading...no, uploading and will be posted here shortly. I think they will be in no particular order....my Brother in law Danny on the last Christmas we had him....Rob and the boys around our Christmas tree the same year (2007) oops, that one's sideways, and Branche reading the funnies at Fram's on T'giving day this year. I am so horribly over whelmed with all the stuff I'm supposed to do today that it has manifested itself in an inability to do anything about it...hence, I'm posting photos on my blog. Tomorrow we go with my mom and dad to see Santa. This has become an annual pilgrimage to Norlfolk...santa, lunch out and playing in the "food playground". I'll take photos and you'll understand...those of you from around here already know...MacArthur Mall.

Oh yeah, I forgot this too...

2008-12-10T07:48:00.001-05:00

We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations. Charles R. Swindoll

I forgot....

2008-12-10T07:38:00.002-05:00

i had a cool thought, then I read Luke's sonlight blog and forgot!!! Ilaughed so hard, I forgot...just goes to show, brains are best baked, not fried. LOL!! Okay, nobody but me and Luke got that...and that's if he actually comes over here!! Ha!
Oh yeah!!!! I went Christmas shopping for the boys yesterday online...Rob is working so much, we have not had and will NOT have time to shop together before Christmas...not cool. Anyway, so, I was given the debit card and monetary limits for the kids, and went to town!!! Cyber-town! Ha! Anyway, one really cool thing I found for my oldest excited me greatly. He's always wanting Guitar Hero for the Wii or whatever and it's T rated, so the answer is NO!!! The rating is for lyrics...DOUBLE NO!!! So, I found on Christian Book Distributors website (if the link doesn't work, look in my links box and you'll find it there)....Guitar Praise!!! For the computer. It's all comtemporary chrisitan music!!! It even comes with the guitar. I'm SO excited!!! Wahooo!!! He'll even know some of the songs since that's all we listen to in the car etc, as opposed to the stinky Guitar Hero which is full of inappropriate music, lyrics etc. that he is not allowed to listen to anyway...so he doesn't even know that music! HA! <>>>
I want to post some photos...I got my old camera back, I'm just having trouble w/the upstairs computer and haven't gotten it done yet...it'll happen!!!!

Updates....

2008-11-10T06:41:00.002-05:00

Well, we've had a horribly busy and stressful couple of weeks. I am at that point where I just want to cave in. I am not in the mood to do my school...I'm not in the mood for the boys' school...nothing. I just want to fiddle around and do what I want, not what needs to be done. I
am starting to move all my sewing and crafting stuff upstairs which should help with the clutter level downstairs, but it's still horrible at this point. We do have a line on a wood burning fireplace insert, so that's great. ****gotta love them friends****. Had a blast at a baby shower can't wait for the baby!!! I got to renew old friendships, just chat lots with friends and not worry about the kids, or school, or really anything. It was a wonderful, intimate sort of party! Our new Sunday school class is doing well...we have 8-10 people in there every Sunday. I think it's really serving a need...there are a few more who could benefit but aren't coming, but maybe they will eventually...anyway, it's nice. I have been sewing pants for Carter. He doesn't do button or zippers or snaps well, so elastic is the way to go. Unfortunately, elastic pants in a size 8 are not that easy to find besides just Walmart sweats. Well, I got a ton of really cute fabrics from a friend and have been busily making pants for Carter. His new motto is: "No pickles on my burger, and no buttons on my pants!!" LOL! It's cool. I love that I have been able to give him his self-sufficiency in a small thing that adds to his dignity and abilities and he can still look cool too!!! Tons of dinos ***gotta love those friends!****
Isn't it cool how God just pumps us up when we get down??? I was all depressed about money this past week, and man, God stuck someone right in front of me that I could help. ..it helped me clean out my closet of clothes that don't fit me, fill her (and several other people's closets) with clothes that do fit her, and help me feel better to boot. Things like that will give you some perspective on your level of need too. Oh well.
Hope ya'll's week goes well, i'm planning on mine going better. Tomorrow we tie-dye!!! Woo hoo! I'm gonna make T-shirt with a cross tie-dyed on them!!! How cool, right??? Also gonna do some onesies for my friend having the baby! Cool! Little hearts dyed on onsies...can't wait. ***yea friends!!***
Love ya'll! Keep praying!!
J

Voting your values

2008-11-04T12:10:00.002-05:00

As this historic election day goes on and the ads go on and the mailings go on and the lines go on......lets all remember to vote our values. If you are Christian and wondering what your values should be check out a really good book...the Bible. That's where God outlines for us what we are to believe, to stand for, to be ready to fall for. The Bible has some pretty straightforward things to say about topics people want you to believe are "gray areas." Morals are not gray areas, and morality is NOT relative. Human life is valuable. One candidate stands firmly against the sanctity of human life. Please, don't vote to give people the right to kill their children. I'm sure some of you are deeply offended by that ...but that's what abortion is...choosing to kill your child before you meet them...it's easier and currently legal whereas meeting them first and then killing them is not. Hmmmm. Weird, right? Well, I'm sorry if you're offended. I'm offended when legalized murder is not only allowed, but encouraged and now THAT candidate, he wants our taxes to pay for it. I can't help but feel deeply passionate about this. I really don't mean to offend you, but I also don't mind stepping on toes when it's important. If it makes you uncomfortable to discuss abortion, then at least stop and think before you click on someone who will support all forms, all times, always available, FREE abortions.
Let us also remember...Kings rise and fall according to God's will and plans. Pray for the country, we are moving in a horrible direction and I don't want to learn someone else's lessons over and over.
J

Great Post

2008-10-30T08:41:00.002-04:00

My buddy Jessie put up an awesome post. If that link doesn't work, follow the link to her blog under my bloggy friends thing...she's leannotuntothineownunderstanding or something like that. Anyway, her post addresses something we all need to consider as this election gets under way next week. One candidate is pro-life, one is decidedly not (or as someone close to me puts it, "pro-death" not pro-choice as the opposite of "life" is "death" not "choice"). I choose to vote for the value of human life above all else. If we let this issue slip, then as Christians we are not doing our duty. To slide down that slippery slope of beleiving that us little humans get to "decide" when life begins is BAD. Did you know, that just because you personally "decide" something, it doesn't automatically become true?? someone needs to tell those "pro-death" people that.
Love you guys, go read Jessie's post. : ) As someone I know puts it, "it's a post of note."
J

GO Flames!!!

2008-10-26T22:19:00.002-04:00

Well, we snuck off to the Liberty University Homecoming football game on Saturday. What a blast. The boys loved it. There are flame throwers at the end of the field that they set off everytime they score and it was so cool. THey won like 40-something to nothing, so the boys got their fill of flames!!! LOL! They saw Sparkey the eagle who is the mascot and Carter ran up and "gave him a big 'ol hug" in Carter's words. Ha. Cute. Why no camera???? AAAARRRGHHH! They got big foam fingers and everything. Cute. Roger had to take his into church today. Ha! He entertained everyone at the game after he got bored. He played air-guitar for the ladies behind us who thought he was the cutest thing ever...he ate it up.

Ever feel dumb? No? Go to grad school. I just wrote a post for a discussion board and went and read the one other post because I had to respond to someone. Man. His work made mine look like 3rd grade. Ugh. Oh well. We can't all be that smart all the time....Apologetics is HARD, man!!! I'm missing the logic gene or something. Ugh. I don't even know why I took this class...I didn't NEED it!!! Rob tricked me! : )

I just ate half of a bag of Sam's choice peanut butter cups. ick. Somebody stop me!!! I wish I could say that the generic ones had less calories, but.....

Saw gas for 2.29 a gallon today. Thought it was sad that I thought that was cheap. So I ate a half a bag of peanut butter cups....that was the first half.

I made 3 more aprons today for the craft show a friend and I are going to go do. These things better sell, or everyone I know is getting an apron and a cup towel for Christmas. No joke!!

If I drink a gallon of water will that wash all that chocolate and peanut butter out of my system?

Will a diet soda or 3 counteract all those calories??

If left to its own devices..will dirty laundry do itself....or just walk away?

how 'bout dishes? is it okay to let a dog lick them clean or should you actually still send 'em through the washer? Ha!

I don't have much time. ....I need some day extensions. Wish they were are easy to get as hair extensions.

THink I could talk God into doing for me what he's done for others? You know, that sun-stands-still thingy? It'd be nice, but He probably will just know I'll use all that time to eat peanut butter cups and won't do it. : )

I need to go to bed now...Ya'll take care, keep praying, and love each other!!!
J

Please Pray...

2008-10-13T15:22:00.002-04:00

Just suffice it to say, that we need your prayers. I know I must say that a lot, but sometimes when you're seeking God's will, it's hard to tell what is from yourself and what is from God. We have decisions to make, stuff we just don't know what to think about...I've been banned from talking on here about my husband, by my husband...so I just can't really say....if you know me and wanna call I can fill you in with details, but on here, I just can't...so please, Just pray that God's will is obvious to us...to be covered with prayer from you buncha prayer warriors would really help. we've seen the results of prayer, we know God is working in our lives, we know change is immiment and it doesn't seem to be what or how we thought it was gonna be...man, this is sounding mysterious, I didn't mean it to....just...I'm so confused and scared and confused!!! I just don't know what to do besides pray. So, thanks in advance .
J

Read, follow, or ...not!

2008-10-08T07:57:00.002-04:00

Okay, I'm with Luke. I know there must be people who read my blog, but don't "follow" it. I know I mostly talk about my kids, myself, and other stuff you may not find interesting, but could you just humor me and click that little button down and to the left and "pretend" to follow my blog? Maybe I'm wrong...maybe only Luke reads this...Ha! If so, Hey Luke! How are you this morning? I'm still waiting on an update on your kids-to-be! : )
Ya'll have a good day...I'm short one kid, so I'm only teaching 2 grades today! it's almost like a day off! LOL! Yay for grandparents!!! WOoHOO!!!
Love ya'll!
J

God's working overtime...

2008-10-07T12:47:00.003-04:00

Sometimes I really feel like God is working over time on me. As you may, or may not, know I'm in seminary through Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. Really cool. So's my husband. Well, this is my first semester and I'm taking Introduction to World Missions. So, my big paper this class is a 15-20 page paper on an unreached people group. I need prayer. I've chosen a people group in Turkmenistan. We have to come up with a plan of how to reach them. As some of you may know, I've never been exposed much to missions, missionary work, etc. until the past 3-5 years. Really cool. I'm totally taken with it. I have read several great books, I pray for missionaries regularly, whatever...BUT. I'm still very naive and un-knowledgeable (is that a word...I should've just said 'ignorant') about this stuff. Even after reading two texts for this class. Now, I feel like having some book knowledge, I'm just gonna sound stupid in this graduate level paper. SO. I need your prayers...one of mine was answered in that the teacher has already given the entire class a two day extension until Sunday. ..and I found out more than a day before the paper was due! LOL! BUT> I need, I covet your prayerful support in this. I know God is working on me with this, because of all things...a missionary and his family was at our church this past Sunday. No, not from Turkmenistan, that would've been way out of this world bizarre...but this wife uses the same curriculum I do with her four kids that she homeschools in Cambodia. Really neat. I got to talk to them for just a minute or two after the service, but I know God put them there. Just for me. : ) I think I start getting these strange ideas about what a missionary must "look like" or "be like" or "they're not like me" "they're different". But you know what? That family was so much like mine it was a bit scary. I am trying to be so open to God's leading, but it's hard! God could tell you...it's literally taken Him years to just get me to be open to moving around the USA according to His call. SO. I covet your prayers, for me, for my family, for my paper!

Field Trip

2008-09-30T16:26:00.003-04:00

Yesterday we went to the Parks Bonsai Farm. I hope that link works. Anyway, we had a blast. Mrs. Parks is great. Even though we had 9 kids 11 yr old and younger and one 14 yr. old (and 2 adults), she was wonderful. She was not even particularly bothered by my 7 yr. dev. delayed kid screaming his head off for the first 20 min. or so. She just said, "Wow! You're a big boy to be crying like that!! Mommy can't tote you!" LOL! Carter just looked at her and said, "NO!" He finally settled down and we all had fun. We picked out a couple little trees and she showed us how to trim them into bonsai. So neat. She said to come back in a few weeks and bring our plants and her husband will teach us how to repot them into proper bonsai pots since that's the most important part. I can't wait. She has the coolest range of plant material I've ever seen and I worked in a nursery for years!! Man. If you have any interest in bonsai, or have kids that are...go. She's wonderful! Call ahead so she knows you're coming! I feel that the kids learned lots. I know I did as well. I love homeschooling just because of that! I no longer feel that my brain is atrophying. I also really love Sonlight...because this bonsai thing was all their idea! In the Eastern Hemisphere Explorer you "choose your own adventure" for each country. Well, we've just started Japan and "train a bonsai tree" was what my kid picked! How cool! He's loving it...entirely. Also, it's cool, because my little ones are being exposed to all this early, and by the time they get to this core, they'll have what... 5 yr. old bonsai's of their own??! HA! Well, one day, I'm gonna get a new camera or actually visit my friend Val to get the one back I left at her house what, 2 yrs. ago?? I sure wish I could post photos of our trip cuz it was awesome.
Love you guys. |
Julie

Journey

2008-09-28T23:15:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to say this:

Homeschooling is a journey, not a race. Why do some people get so wrapped up in our kids being done exactly at the same time as their age peers in public school? Why do we get so concerned about "normal." Personally, I was NOT ready at 18 to become responsible for myself, my education, or picking out my future career path. I botched all of that. Why would we want to force decisions on our children that they are not immediately required to make or even really well equipped (in a lot of cases) to make. I say, hey, enjoy the time your kids are with you. Stop pushing them out the door, because you're gonna be crying when they move out!! : )
Childhood is so short. Let all enjoy teaching and learning with those God has entrusted to us.
J

Hmmmmmmm.....

2008-09-28T22:46:00.003-04:00

I think my husband reads my blog....he said "Yo ho ho and a bottle of tums" last night...or the night before...I don't know. It is possible he came up with it on his own...we do love pirates! Ha. Anyway, dearest, if you're reading this, I'm probably asleep over there behind you.... Love ya!

Tomorrow, me and the boys and friends are going on a field trip to a "bonzai farm". Can't wait. Branche is starting Japan in his "Eastern Hemisphere Explorer" and the project he picked was: "Get a bonzai tree". So, I couldn't just let it go at that....I called and set it up with the lady who runs this thing. I'll let you know how it goes after the fact!!! can't wait!

We've had a busy week, but I can't remember doing what?!! I do remember Friday night! I so highly recommend "Fireproof." Take your spouse, get a sitter and go!!! Rob even cried!!! ususally it's just me! That was the most incredible movie I think I've ever seen!!! Man, those people at that church in Georgia are awesome. It's made by the people who did "Flywheel" and "Facing the Giants". Just the most moving, life changing, gospel-rich movie ever...and Kirk Cameron to boot! LOL! GO SEE IT!!!

The boys loved their babysitter. Carter hugged her told her "I love you!" : )
He even turned the TV off the first time she told him to!! Miraculous!

I started reading a new book. It's by Beth Moore. It's called something like, "90 Days with John" ??? SOmething like that. It's a day by day 90 day study of John the disciple. You even get to write in it! WOohoo! I love "workbook" type Bible studies, but this is the most beautiful book you've ever seen, I almost didn't want to write in it, but then I thought how cool it would be 10 yrs. from now to read it again and be able to read my responses! My sweet husband gave it to me just because! how cool is that?! He also got me a book shelf!!! WOWIE!!!

oh, do any of you get the Voice of the Martyrs newsletter? I highly recommend it if you want to be shocked by the level of persecution of Christians in the world. It's really added to my prayer life. It's free. Something to think about.

Anyway, love you guys. Keep on prayin'!!
J

AAARRRGGHHHH! AVAST!

2008-09-18T08:13:00.003-04:00

Aaargh! Avast, me mateys!! Walk the plank! Scurvy dogs! Ok. There you go. It's out of the bag. I'm a closet pirate...and today is TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY. Let's all give it a try! It's fun, it's safe, let's go!

Yar! Yo ho ho and a bottle of tums! (Ok, I'm nearly a middle aged pirate, har har)

J

Scripture

2008-09-18T08:13:00.002-04:00

Okay, I changed my scripture quote this morning. It struck me, as I was reading that portion of scripture just how cool it was. Doesn't Paul do a wonderful job exegeteing Old Testament scripture and applying it to the New Testament world he lived in?? I love it.
Okay, next. Yesterday, I slammed on brakes and picked up a cool eastern box turtle that was hoofing it across the road. I brought it to my friend's house (she was babysitting 2 of my kids w/her 6) and we had a little science lesson! Pretty cool. Her kids had never actually experienced a turtle up close. It was really neat. They were surprised how fast he was when we put him down on the rug and let him run. They thought turtles were slow...well, anyone who's seen a box turtle in a hurry knows that while we can easily catch up with them, they're pretty quick! Well, she was supposed to email me some of the photos she took so I could post them here...but so far, no pictures!!! One day, I'm gonna have a camera again and this time NO ONE will step on the LCD screen! ARGH!
Next, Anybody want a puppy? These two we have need homes. We cannot handle them anymore! They are really cool dogs...fixed, up-to-date on shots...mostly potty trained. Lemme know if you want one...really! : )
My Mom and Dad returned from their trip to KY and Oklahoma yesterday. No, Tuesday. Glad they're back. The kids 've been missing them! They had fun seeing my sister's 4 kids in OK. They found a tarantula in the back yard while there. Man. I didn't even know that tarantulas live in OK. Tornadoes and tarantulas...don't think you could even give me house in OK!! LOL! Of course my Dad being who he is (nature man) caught it and they kept it in a shoebox so the kids could check it out a while. He picks up snakes, whatever. No worries. He's 71. Thinks he's like 40. Ha. Love that I have those genes. Of course, his Dad had his 100th birthday this past January....it's cool. Grampa still lives in his own house...has cool women that come and cook for him and do laundry etc. But, he's still able to do for himself mostly! He sharp as a tack mentally too. Knows all my kids by name...despite the fact that they're 3 of like 19 great-grandchildren and he has 2 great-great grands also! Nothing like family!!!
Well, time for school. Ya'll have a great day and keep on prayin'!!!
J

Field Trip

2008-09-13T10:20:00.002-04:00

Alright. Yesterday, my friend and I and her kids and my kids and her teenage helper-person all went on a field trip! Woo hoo hoo!! Talk about a group---she's got 6 kids, I have 3, plus the teenager, plus my friend is pregnant!!! That's nine kids 11 and under. HA! We get such looks when we go out, because no one can ever decide who belongs to whom! lOL! Anyway, we went to the Casemate Museum at Ft. Monroe in Hampton, VA. It's really cool and I recommend it for anyone near enough to go visit. It is still an active military base, so you need to make sure everyone over 18 has ID and your car has it's registration etc. But, that said, for those of you who may not know, this was a Civil War fort. Robert E. Lee helped design it when he was a Lt. And Jefferson Davis (confederacy pres.) was held there as prisoner. You can see the VERY room where JD was held (our kids noted that his cell was much bigger then any of their bedrooms AND he got a desk!). And you can see where R.E.Lee lived. We also learned that Edgar A. Poe served there while in the military. They have COOL exhibits. We were shocked to find that our heada barely fit through the arched doorways. There was thing that said the average height of soldiers when it was built was 5'8". Wow. Anyway, if you're taller than that...you're gonna duck a lot! We also walked along the top of the walls which are now a "memorial garden". Pet cemetary...not sure if there are people up there too, we only walked a short distance of the over 1.5 mi. around walk. Lots to see. We only did some. Oh---cool gift shop too!
Later (after lunch) we went to Petsmart where a friend is a vet and we got a "behind the scenes" tour of the vet clinic that's there. We even got to see an X-ray of a pregnant bulldog who's carrying NINE, count the heads kids!9 puppies! Woof! Really neat. Let's see....the adults' favorite part was a quick trip to a really great thrift store nearby Petsmart. I spent about $75 and managed to outfit 3 boys with TONS of jeans (NICE ONES!!) and shirts for winter. Not to mention, for middle child who doesn't do well with buttons/zippers, I found a TON of elastic waist pants!!! WooHOO HOOOOOOO! Anyway, if it were not for thrift stores, my kids would be nekkid!!! LOL! So. We had a blast. Even lunch at BK was a big hit!
Hope your weekend is great! I'm doing laundry, and hope to clean out the truck!!
J

Okay--the coffee's kickin' in!

2008-09-11T07:27:00.002-04:00

I am totally excited, because I ordered MathUSee for Carter yesterday. I wasn't happy with his response with what we were using and I think the kinesthetic-ness of MUS will be a great help for him. Also, I think there's some videos? He'll watch anything on video and remember it all....like Mathtacular. ha. That's a really cool DVD available at and made by Sonlight that has a funny guy up there explaining math concepts in a way kids will enjoy and understand. There was even a section where this young man was being Mr. Rogers and I bet I'm the only one who got it! (Cuz I'm so old). He came in the house, put on a sweater, changed into slippers, it was so funny. Anyway, I'm excited. I also ordered the rest of the curriculum stuff C's gonna need around maybe Christmas whenever we finish up the core we're doing now. So, I am eagerly awaiting my boxes! ALSO, yesterday, my hubbie was off, so we went to Books-a-million so he could pick up a couple resources for his latest seminary paper, and man...my whole family is addicted to books. Branche got one by Ted Dekker...who is a Christian writer who we just discovered is the son of missionaries we just read about in a book called "Torches of Joy" really great book. Anyway, he apparently grew up in Papua New Guinea while his parents were there being missionaries. Man, Sonlight sure directs us to some great books. Anyway, let's see....Carter got a new Scooby-doo book...Roger got two dot-to-dot workbooks that he's ecstatic about. One even came with a computer CD so you can make your own dot to dots...can't wait to try that out. Rob of course got like four or five books for school and one "just for fun" about learning Biblical Greek. What's wrong with that man? Who studies Greek for the "fun" of it???? LOL! Oh, that's right, the same one who took Statistics as an elective for an "easy A". Ugh. What else....Oh, while we were in P'burg which is like an hour from home we went to the Parable Christian Book Store there. We LOVE IT! We go every chance we get, because they have a HUGE music (CD) section. I got an Ernie Haas and Signature Sound CD I've been wanting..it's kinda big-band, gospel cool. I got the new (?) Gaither Vocal Band Cd...can't remember the name AND a Robin Mark best of CD called...."Days of Elijah". Really cool. Irish instrumentation worship music. Anyway. Oh and Roger got a shepherd and sheep to go with his Jesus and the angel and the tomb set. Ha. He's so cute. He's gonna be a preacher... i just know it...or maybe a missionary...a guerrilla missionary...HA convert or else! HA LOL!!Sorry. It is early and I get goofy.

Do it! It's FUNNY!!!!

2008-09-10T07:47:00.005-04:00

Alright. THis actually made my kid and I laugh out loud. Do it and post your sentence. Here's mine: I kicked a squirrel because I think I need some serious help. Branche: I love an ipod because I can't control myself. Carter: I yelled at a surfer because I can't control myself. Dad: I kicked a birdbath because I'm cool like that. Rog: I jumped on a noodle because I'm sexy and do what I want.

I copied this from: www.macandcheesechronicles.com (I hope that is the right address...that's the name of the blog anyway!)

So tell me, what’s your sentence?

Pick the month you were born:

January——-I kicked
February——I loved
March——–I karate chopped
April———-I licked
May———-I jumped on
June———-I smelled
July———–I did the Macarena with
August——–I had lunch with
September—-I danced with
October——-I sang to
November—–I yelled at
December—–I ran over

Pick the date (number) you were born on:

1——-a birdbath
2——-a monster
3——-a phone
4——-a fork
5——-a snowman
6——-a gangster
7——-my mobile phone
8——-my dog
9——-my best friends’ boyfriend
10——-my neighbor
11——-my science teacher
12——-a banana
13——-a fireman
14——-a stuffed animal
15——-a goat
16——-a pickle
17——-your mom
18——-a spoon
19—— - a smurf
20——-a baseball bat
21——-a ninja
22——-Chuck Norris
23——-a noodle
24——-a squirrel
25——-a football player
26——-my sister
27——-my brother
28——-an ipod
29——-a surfer
30——-a llama
31——-A homeless guy

Pick the color of shirt you are wearing:
White———because I’m cool like that.
Black———because that’s how I roll.
Pink———–because I’m crazy.
Red———–because the voices told me to.
Blue———–because I’m sexy and I do what I want.
Green———because I think I need some serious help.
Purple———because I’m AWESOME!
Gray———-because Big Bird said to and he’s my leader.
Yellow——–because someone offered me 1,000,000 dollars.
Orange——–because my family thinks I’m stupid anyway.
Brown———because I can.
Other———-because I’m a Ninja!
None———-because I can’t control myself!

I love my husband!

2008-09-08T19:13:00.004-04:00

You know, sometimes, crying half the night away with your husband just totally is a good thing. Rob and I laid in bed on Sat. night and cried and cried. It was the one year anniversary of his brother's home-going. Man, but we miss him. I thought (and he did too) that he was doing great Saturday. WEll, I went to bed just a little ahead of Rob and almost immediately started snoring. He came in and woke me up...which he NEVER does and we just started talking. Man. He cried and cried. I hated it. He NEVER cries. But wow. I've never felt so close to my sweet husband. Sometimes loss makes you pull closer to those you still have. This past year, Rob and I have spent so much time just being us. We just continue to grow closer and closer and closer. I can hardly believe that our 10th anniversary is coming up in January. It seems like yesterday sometimes and others it seems like 30 or 40 yrs...in a great way, I mean! :D
Anyway, I'm just reveling in the love of my husband and my Father (that one in heaven). I just feel so blessed. ROb and I have always just KNOWN that God put us together. It's actually kind of a funny story that I'm not gonna tell right now, but we knew we were gonna get married within a month or two of meeting. Anyway, just feelin' the love and thought I'd share!
J

Halloween

2008-09-06T11:12:00.002-04:00

Okay. I will apologize in advance to anyone I shock or upset. It is not intended. I just read a post by someone else, somewhere else about Halloween. While I didn't read when exactl she posted it, or who exactly she is....nor did I read every single word of her post, I was struck with a thought. Why is Halloween such a big deal? Why do some churches try so hard to fight it? My kids trick-or-treat! I don't let them dress up a little demonic things, or particularly scary things....just like ninja turtles, knights, dragons, dinos, Hoboes...anyway, I really don't see the harm. No matter where Halloween got it's start, pagans, satanists, whatever, what's the big deal? We don't sacrifice anything but chocolate and skinny pants! We don't worship any body or anything on that particular day or at least in conjunction with it. So many churches now how "Fall Festivals" instead of "Halloween Parties" to try to counteract Halloween, but really, they don't even do them on the night kids trick-or-reat! (If you did, you wouldn't have half the participation!LOL!) BUt hey, what's the big deal? I mean really, we hear now how Easter was a pagan holiday the Christians usurped. Who cares? I celebrate my risen Savior that day....not the chocolate bunny I eat before church! Is this hurting something because my kids think some big bunny leaves them candy and few small presents? Hey, we even started finding chocolate crosses! Ha. Why all the fuss? As long as we do the right things, worship the ONe True God, and live in a way that our hearts, minds, words and actions serve God...what's a little candy hurt? Why is it bad to dress up and visit neighbors? Our neighborhood has a blast! I found at Answers in Genesis I think this past year, little cards with Dinosaurs and stuff on them and a gospel track FOR KIDS on the back and handed them out with the candy. COol? YES! The kids loved them! My one kid still carries them around. I definitely made sure the teenagers bringing littles around got one. Let's use these things to our benefit and stop griping and complaining and fussing about stuff that surely doesn't affect our salvation. Love you guys. J

Hanna and stuff

2008-09-06T07:13:00.003-04:00

Okay, as I sit here early on a Sat. morning, I'm listening to the rain on my window. It's Hurricane Hanna. No big deal, we've had worse summer thunderstorms. A lot worse. We'll see what happens as the day progresses but this should be all done by late afternoon. We'll probably be stomping in deep puddles, but that's about it. The wind's not so bad, we're expecting minor flooding, but out here we get that with any rain. The water runs out of peanut, and cotton fields and covers the road....creeks run over their banks into the road...not a new thing. Of course, the bored weather men are making a HUGE deal. That's all the news has been this a.m. Not even a mention of anything else. We love to over-react to every hurricane. It's like a statewide pass-time in Sept.
I'm avoiding writing a paper for my seminary class. It's on "theology of Missions". Man, I'm not even sure I understand the topic!!! LOL! I've read like 200 pages a week for 3 wks for this class and I STILL don't know exactly where to start!!! HA! Let me just say, seminary is definitely a step up from undergrad. I feel like the dummy in class,like I must be the only one sitting here shrugging, going...."huh?" HA! I know I'm not...I get good grades, I can intelligently discuss stuff on discussion boards....I just feel dumb. It'll be ok. I'm great at procrastination, I'm practically a professional...I write wonderfully under great pressure and duress........are you buying it? I am! I work very hard to maintain my thought processes in this manner! :)
Ya'll have a great day and pray for me!!
j

A Good Day

2008-09-04T18:22:00.003-04:00

SO. We had a good day. Carter decided to impress me today. We've been listening to "addition songs" CD for a few days and he refused to admit he was listening and would NOT sing along! Well, today, Daddy came up to the school room and little brother sang the "test" where there are blanks for the answers. Got them all right!! GO ROGER! (It was the 1+ _ =_ song. Like 1+1 is 2. 1+2 is 3 and so on to 1+9 is 10). ROger is 5. Good job. Well, Carter could NOT let his little brother upstage him and sang the WHOLE SONG!!! WOOHOO! I knew he knew it, just sometimes I need a little proof!!! TO top that off, Carter does NOT like science. He won't actively listen. (SOrry I'm heavy on quote marks...I just like them!) He will NOT do the activity sheets that come with the Sonlight science program though they are not particularly difficult, and very appropriate...just a few questions a day. Well, today, he listened to like 3 days worth and then ANSWERED ALL THE QUESTIONS!!! I mean he knew it all!!! He knows all about "invertebrates", which pictures were and were not, life cycles, everything!!! I was SO excited!!!! YEA CARTER!!!! ANyway, small steps,great progress!!! I'm cheering loudly!
J

who knew!

2008-09-04T07:34:00.001-04:00

This made me wish I liked apples more...it made me want to go buy a bag of them!!! I copied this from an email I got...

Prevents heart disease
Apples contain quercetin, a natural, anti-inflammatory phytonutrient that reduces the risk of coronary heart disease.

Relieves asthma
Recent studies showed that children who suffer with asthma and consume apple juice daily wheeze less than those who only consumed apple juice once a month. Another study revealed that children have lower rates of asthma when their mothers ate a regular diet of apples during pregnancy.

Lowers cholesterol
Apples contain pectin, which lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol as much as 16 percent in people who eat two apples per day.

Protects bones
According to French researchers, phloridzin, a flavanoid found only in apples, may increase bone density and protect post-menopausal women from osteoporosis. Boron, which is also found in apples, is known to strengthen bones.

Prevents lung cancer
In a study of 10,000 people, researchers believe that those who ate the most apples had a 50 percent lower risk of developing lung cancer due to the high levels of flavonoids, naringin, and quercetin found in apples.

Prevents colon cancer and other intestinal disorders
One five-ounce apple provides the human body with more than three grams of fiber, which is ten percent of the recommended daily intake. This high fiber content prevents life-threatening colon and rectal cancer, as well as other disorders that involve the intestinal tract, such as inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and diverticulitis.

Manages diabetes
The pectin found in apples supplies galacturonic acid to the body, reducing the body's need for insulin. Since apples naturally regulate blood sugar levels in the body, many diabetes patients have found that regularly eating apples reduces, and even in some cases, eliminates their need for medication.

Increases weight loss
Weight loss is increased by the beneficial fiber content in apples. Plus, the polyphenols found in apples have demonstrated the ability to regulate fat metabolism. In fact, according to data collected and analyzed in the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), the government's largest food consumption and health database, Dr. Victor Fulgoni said, "We found that adults who eat apples and apple products have smaller waistlines that indicate less abdominal fat, lower blood pressure, and a reduced risk for developing what is known as the metabolic syndrome."

Prevents Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases
According to recent studies on mice at Cornell University, the quercetin phytonutrient found in apples may protect brain cells from the damage that causes Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

Although the same vitamins and minerals found in apples could also be found in any daily multi-vitamin, the combination of minerals, vitamins, and other plant components working together seems to be what "keeps the doctor away" when eating an apple. More than just an all-natural snack, apples just might be the perfect fruit. Not only do they look appealing and taste great, they also provide a variety of health benefits that God designed to help keep the human body strong in order to serve Him.

Babies....

2008-09-03T19:28:00.002-04:00

Everyone I know is pregnant. Now today,I read a blog by a guy who (with his wife) is adopting kids...internationally. I really feel that we should be adopting. We started this before and had to drop it. I'm REALLY wanting to start again. I am not sure my husband would not blow a gasket right now....but. I don't know. I'm tired, I want a baby...or a kid....I don't know. I just feel this pull. I don't know what to do with it. Why doesn't somebody just drop their baby on my porch? I'd keep it....I keep all the dogs and kittens and lizards....whatever that people seem to leave!!! Lol! I'm sorry. Inappropriate humor. It's that time of day. Pray for me, for us. We're a bit discouraged in this church search thing and it's causing discouragement to float around in other areas of my life too. I'm ok, just need a boost.
J

2008-09-02T19:43:00.002-04:00

Today, Branche and I watched "Amazing Grace". It's a movie about the life of William Wilberforce. More than being just about his life...it was about what he did, what he sacrificed, how he managed what he did. It was truly amazing. I wanted to cry several times. While we are all at some level familiar with the deplorable conditions of slave ships, and the way that slaves were treated in general, that movie made it all the more blatant. It was really unbelievable. Watch it. I truly beg of you. Watch the movie. It is life changing. Branche is 11, he understood it. This is movie than stands to change your life, your views, it challenges what you think you know. Let your kids watch as they get old enough. This is one of those history things that we cannot let be forgotten. If for no other reason than there is still to this day slavery going on in many parts of the world.

Also, on the subject of movies....."Fireproof" is coming out in theaters soon. Supposed to be wonderful. I think it's made by the same church that made "Facing the Giants." Supposed to be wonderful, clear, presentation of the gospel in there. Would be a good place/movie to share with unsaved friends.
J