i'm back.....

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....

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

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

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

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

I'm So Tired!!!

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