My 200th Post!

When I reached the 100th post milestone, I was still new enough to blogging that I was not aware of the quaint little tradition of posting 100 things about myself. So in honor of my 200th post, here we go:

1. My eyes are blue.

2. My dad called me his pretty blue-eyed princess when I was little.

3. My dad still calls me that.

4. I'm 35.

5. I don't have a spleen, which makes for interesting party conversation.

6. My favorite color is blue.

7. I own 30 books about Elizabeth I.

8. I had Bell's palsy when I was an infant.

9. I craved nectarines when I was pregnant with Nathan.

10. I didn't crave anything when I was pregnant with Gracie.

11. I have 3 double-first cousins. My dad's brother married my mom's sister.

12. I love the Laura Ingall's Wilder books. I got the entire set for Christmas when I was about 9 and have read them all through at least 20 times.

13. My best friend from high school died last year.

14. My favorite drink is Coke Zero Vanilla.

15. I have been blogging for 8 months, 14 days.

16. I sing alto.

17. My favorite movie to watch when I'm sick is Gone With the Wind.

18. I secretly like being sick because I get to stay at home alone and lay around all day in my PJs.

19. My favorite season is fall and I love the smell of burning leaves.

20. This one is blank because I accidentally put two for #19.

21. I prefer the New King James Version of the Bible.

22. I was baptized on the Fourth of July, 1983.

23. I have had 17 pets over the course of my life.

24. I was born in Louisiana, but moved to Texas at age 4.

25. I hate liver. I do not eat filters.

26. I had both of my children by planned c-section. I have never experienced labor pain.

27. I make a quilt for all new babies in the family.

28. I am the middle child. 2 years younger than my brother and 7 years older than my sister.

29. I like beer, but not wine.

30. I wanted football pads and a helmet for Christmas when I was in 6th grade.

31. I was a total tomboy.

32. I hate wearing high heels. I would wear jeans and a t-shirt all the time if I could get away with it.

33. I like the toilet paper to dispense over the top of the roll, not underneath.

34. Ditto for paper towels.

35. My favorite Glade holiday scent is Glistening Snow. I buy all the candles, Plug-ins and sprays so my house smells great all season long.

36. I am the photographer in the family, and as a result, my children will probably think that their father raised them single handedly since there are very few pictures of me with them.

37. Before I was married, I slept under a down comforter year round.

38. I hate making small talk with people I don't know.

39. Both of my grandfathers have passed away, but my grandmothers are still living.

40. I met my husband in 8th grade.

41. I can peel crawfish at an alarming rate.

42. I play the trombone and the piano.

43. I drive a Tahoe and it's the best vehicle that I have ever owned.

44. I have owned a Tempo, Camaro, Explorer and Taurus.

45. I have been to Italy.

46. I have not been to the West Coast.

47. I am totally hooked on Survivor. I anxiously await each new season and watch it every week.

48. I start listening to Christmas music around October.

49. I try to have all of my Christmas shopping done by December 1st.

50. Thinking of 100 things to say about myself is proving to be more difficult than I thought.

51. I went to Texas A&M University. (Whoop!)

52. The flying monkeys in the Wizard of Oz scared the crap out of me when I was a kid.

53. I love cinnamon swirl coffee.

54. I like to give handmade (or homemade cooked) gifts.

55. I had an Oscar the Grouch hand puppet that I was terrified of when I was about 4 years old.

56. My mom and dad made my brother let me play with his Bert puppet instead.

57. My brother and I used to turn my sister's doorknob around and lock her in her room when my parents left us in charge.

58. I don't have a middle name.

59. I have chili pepper red walls in my living room.

60. My thumbs are claustrophobic.

61. I have lived in a town called Pumpkin Center.

62. It's one of my favorite places on earth.

63. My son sleeps in the room that was mine when I was a child.

64. I like Puff's better than Kleenex.

65. Sometimes I take Lunesta to help me sleep.

66. I'm (sadly) allergic to Demerol.

67. I like to eat cream cheese plain.

68. I also like to pour strawberry jam over it and then spread it on graham crackers

69. I have never bought a purse that cost more than $50.

70. I love getting personal mail.

71. I have to sleep on the left side of the bed.

72. I love to read, and usually have 3 books going at one time.

73. Trevor and I have our own language strictly based on quotes from Tombstone and Steel Magnolias.

74. I never go shopping on Black Friday.

75. I have heard/seen parts of the movie Cars roughly 357 times, but have never sat down and watched it in it's entirety.

76. I burned the print off my thumb on a grill when I was two, and it cured me of sucking it.

77. I don't like people in my personal space unless I know them really, really well.

78. I had my first kiss in 8th grade.

79. He was one of my brother's friends.

80. I had a huge crush on him.

81. It never went anywhere.

82. He was a senior in high school.

83. I like to do things really fast (clean, talk, work) and get irritated with slow people.

84. I have been told that I need to slow down.

85. I miss my husband when he is gone to China on business, but love having the bed to myself.

86. My house is usually neat and clean, but if you open my closets stuff will fall on your head.

87. I didn't want to change my name when I got married. I liked my maiden name, but I got over it.

88. I am still a little scared of thunder.

89. I am allergic to wool, which isn't really a problem living here on the Gulf coast.

90. I can't tell you how relieved I am to be here at #90.

91. I am really proud of my scrapbook pages. One day I might even post them.

92. My children are the most beautiful children in the world.

93. I have above-average intelligence.

94. I am married to the absolute love of my life.

95. My favorite popcorn is Pop Secret Homestyle.

96. One of my favorite smells is freshly opened Play-Doh.

97. I started reading Stephen King novels the summer of my 5th grade year.

98. I have lived in 8 different cities.

99. I have lived in 17 different houses/apartments.

100. I thank God every day for His grace and mercy.

Everyone still awake? If you are still with me, thanks for hanging in there and reading down to the end of my list! Aren't you glad I didn't opt for 200 things?

Tales From the Playroom

I walked into the playroom to check on Nathan and Grace, and found Nathan up to his neck in a sleeping bag. He looked over at me and said:

"Look! I'm in my pupa stage!"

Happy Thanksgiving

As I was browning the onions in bacon grease for the green beans (sue me...I'm from the South and it's Thanksgiving), I was overcome with a wave of nostalgia. The smell of those onions cooking in the early morning hours transported me back to when I was a child. Waking up to the smell of onions or meat cooking before 7 am meant only one thing...something really, really good for dinner!

This morning I'm thankful. Thankful that because of generations of good cooking and warm kitchens, I have the ability to feed my family tasty meals and love doing it. Recipes were passed down and honored like prize possessions....Granny's chicken and cornbread dressing, Melody's yeast rolls, Granny's lemon icebox pie, Aunt Lula Mae's heavenly hash.

When all of these people are gone and what remains are memories of the time spent with them, all it will take is one bite and I will remember. I will remember the frantic phone calls to Granny about some detail of a recipe, and the long conversations with Mama in a warm kitchen as she taught me how to saute, fold and knead. I will forever remember the smell of my great-grandmother's kitchen and the way she would say, "Hey, hey, hey!" whenever anyone walked in the kitchen door (no one ever used the front door).

And although the memories will be entirely different, I hope that my children will feel the same way in 25 years when they are making Thanksgiving dinner for their own families. I hope that they will feel that same connection with their past that I do, and be thankful for it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Meme Time

I've been tagged by Heather to take part in a meme to share 7 random and/or weird facts about myself.

Okee-dokee then, here we go....

1. I am totally with Heather on this one....I do not share drinks with people. Period. It's nasty and gross and there is no way to gauge the ratio of their backwash to actual beverage, so it's not worth the gamble. I also don't share ice cream products (malts, shakes, cones, etc) with anyone. If it's possible, that's even grosser than sharing a drink.

2. My thumbs are claustrophobic. If you want to send me into hysterics, just grab my thumbs and hold them. My husband discovered this when we were in, oh, junior high, and he has used it many times over the last 22 years to terrorize me. I protect my thumbs at all costs, and often wake up with them tucked safely in my fists as though some thumb grabbing fiend were lurking nearby as I slept.

3. Hot breath really grosses me out. Like the kind when someone whispers in your ear and leaves it slightly wet because of their breath. Ewww. Let me say it again. Ewww. I don't even like for my husband to breathe on me unless (how to put this delicately?) I am otherwise distracted. So if you meet me in person and desperately need to tell me a secret in public and you don't want anyone else to hear....write it on a napkin or something.

4. I will pick up roaches, snakes, lizards and all manner of bugs and reptiles, but I am reduced to a emotional state of a slasher flick victim if a spider gets within 25 feet of my person. Seriously guys....I've had my 6 year old kill spiders for me. How sad is that?

5. I have to put my own groceries on the conveyor belt at the grocery store (I've run off overly helpful employees before). It's important that all the boxes go together, all the dairy, all the cans, etc. I know...it's a sickness, but I can't help it.

6. If I make a mistake in my journal, I have to tear out the entire page and start over. I can't stand to have mistakes and scribbles all over the place.

7. I love to mow the grass. There is something deeply satisfying about the swath of fresh cut grass trailing behind me, ever widening as I make my way around the yard. I love the smell of the grass, and I love the way it looks as the sun is going down and the kids are out playing in the backyard.

Wow.

Until I wrote them all down in one place, I didn't realize how neurotic I am. My poor, poor husband! Anyway, as per the instructions I am tagging 7 other people and the lucky winners are: Debra, Kellye, Karen, Kate, Leah, Faraja, and Lisa. If they still want to be friends with my neurotic self, that is.

Would You Like Some Cheese With That Whine?

Has it really been an entire week since I posted? Wow. Time just flies when you're stressed out and have a million things on your plate. Wait....that's not right. Isn't it something about having fun?

As I sit here typing, there is a turkey roasting in the oven and 10 pounds of potatoes waiting to be peeled, cooked and mashed for the church-wide Thanksgiving dinner tonight. I've just had one of those weeks where I couldn't seem to catch my breath. We had revival Sunday through Wednesday night, and that was a challenge in itself with bedtimes and homework, and Nathan seemed to have about 32 Thanksgiving/ Pilgrim/Indian themed projects all due last week or tomorrow.

We are trying to get the house in shape for Christmas house guests (which takes up every spare minute on Saturday) and then we had a birthday party last night. Don't get me started on the way my children behaved there! Suffice it to say that we left early.

Then there was Sunday School to teach this morning, and children's church to prepare and lead. After that, we went out to lunch with the dear friends that we ditched last night because of the kids. But not before I ran home, took the turkey out of the brining solution, stuffed the cavity with onions and apples and threw the bird in the oven. I met them at the restaurant and had a lovely mid-day meal of nachos.

Whew! Are you tired of hearing the whining, because frankly, I'm tired of being the whiner. It's a new week starting tomorrow, and guess what? In spite of the craziness, it all got done last week! I also have Thursday to look forward to not going to work and having a great day with Trevor's family.

So today I'm thankful that the whining is over and that I have a whole new week to find things to (whine) be thankful about!

Forgiveness

The sermon tonight at evening worship was on forgiveness. Here is some food for thought:

Recall the scene at the cross. What is arguably the best remembered thing Christ said from the cross? "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." Even Christ had to forgive those who persecuted and tortured Him before God the Father could accept His sacrifice.

Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. Matthew 5:23-24

Is there someone you need to forgive today? Is there a situation that you feel is so far gone that it is beyond the scope of your ability to forgive? That may be true, but it is never beyond God's ability. If we truly have a broken and contrite heart, God will soften our hearts to allow us to be filled with a spirit of forgiveness and love.

Our sin separates us from God. When we are unwilling to let go of bitterness and past hurts, we are sinning.

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:14-15

Let go of the past. Be thankful for the present. Look forward to the future.

Livin' the Dream

I had the most wonderful day yesterday. I took the morning off because Nathan had the annual holiday lunch at his school, and I wanted to participate. I work too far away to justify driving all the way to work in the morning, only to turn around in a few hours and go back home for an hour and then go back to work, etc. Anyway, because of my time off the kids and I were able to sleep in a little and then have a nice, relaxing morning together instead of the normal rush out of the door kind to which we are accustomed.

I chatted with them as they ate waffles and oranges from our tree in the backyard. I helped Gracie get dressed while Nathan made sure his backpack was ready for school. I dropped Nathan off at school with a kiss and the promise that I would see him in a few hours. I then took Gracie to her Parent's Day Out program at our church and got to visit with her teachers and see her interacting with the other children for a little while.

I drove back home and took down all of the Halloween decorations (yes, I realize that it is the second week of November...sue me), emptied the dishwasher and did some light cleaning before it was time to go meet Nathan for lunch. It was well worth the day off to see his eyes light up when he saw me waiting for him by the cafeteria, and to hear him proudly announce to his classmates that I was his mommy. I personally think that one of the best things about being a mom is the unconditional love and pride that my children bestow on me. No matter how much I weigh, how little make-up I am wearing, or how frumpy my clothes are, they still think I am great.

Anyway, I had a wonderful turkey lunch with my son and then I went directly to Walmart for a little holiday shopping. I ran into my good friend Ali and we spent some time shopping together and chatting. I finally made my way home (after a stop at the farmer's market, the store to get favors for Nathan's Christmas party next month and the local florist) and had a few minutes to sit and check my email and all the blogs I absolutely must see on a daily basis. Before long, it was time to go pick Nathan and Grace up and then we went home and played out the in backyard for about an hour. Well, they played and I raked up the leaves and chipped wood from last weekend's activities. (All the while thinking of Alana!)

As I watched them playing in the dwindling autumn light, I felt so content and happy for the blessings of the day. This would be my life if I was able to stay home with the kids instead of working outside of the home. I realize that things would be different if I was a SAHM because I would have Gracie with me all day and there would have to be way more structure to my time, but I still think it would be a wonderful thing. All the cleaning, projects I want to get done around the house and the cooking would be my job and not just the additional job that I have to cram into the evening hours and the entirely too short weekends after I leave the paying gig.

Yes, the paying gig that keeps a roof over our heads and food in our bellies. We are working on being better stewards of our financial resources, so who knows? Maybe my SAHM dream will come true in the not so distant future.

Pet Peeve #427

I keep my children close by and (mostly) under control when I am out in public. Is it too much to ask for everyone else to rein their kids in when they are spinning, running, leaping, rolling and/or jumping out of control??? I realize that no one can predict what their child is going to do at any given moment (particularly out in public), but come on. There is no need for children to be racing up and down the aisles shouting at each other or rudely pushing their way in front of me for something that they want RIGHT NOW, instead of waiting their turn politely.

Oh, if only this sign were true......


OK...rant over.

First Hot Chocolate of the Season!

Make a slide show, scrapbook or ecard

I AM-- Your Sufficiency

Sorry it's taken me so long to get this up, girls!

Discussion Questions:

1. Have you ever found yourself 'in faith' yet bewildered or demoralized? There have definitely been times that I wanted to give up because the situation seemed like too much work and that it would never get better anyway. It was during those times that I devoted myself even more to prayer and a closer, more intimate relationship with God.

2. Do you consider yourself content? Would you describe it as Decidedly Content or Dreamily Content? I think that I am a very content person. Whether it is decidedly or dreamily depends on what area of my life we are talking about. If we are talking about my marriage and children, then dreamily content. All it takes is the thought of one of them to bring a smile to my face and a little thrill to my chest. Other areas such as extended family, some aspects of work and even my current church life would have to be described as decidedly content. I've discovered over the course of my life that things could always be worse, and the only thing to do with a bad situation is to deal with it. Wallowing in self-pity and discontent just makes it worse. This is certainly not say that I don't do my share of ranting and raving about my problems, but usually I just need to vent and then I get over it.

3. If you are not content, are there circumstances that keep you from this feeling? Whoo hoo! I get a Free Parking card on this one....see answer to #2.

4. Have you ever found yourself in a place where you looked back on a period of your Christian walk and believed a great opportunity passed you by? Unfortunately, I'm sure that there were many times over the years that I missed out on a chance to witness or demonstrate the love of Christ because of my own disobedience. I spent many years between high school a having a family of my own actively fighting the urging of the Holy Spirit. I knew I was being rebellious, but I was too deeply entrenched in my own sin and lifestyle to stop. I think of all the relationships that I had and how many times those people were put directly in my path, and I felt unable to witness because of my own sin and the distance that I had put between myself and God.

5. Do you ever believe your faith was stronger in an earlier time in your Christianity and find yourself floundering now? I think that my faith is stronger now than it has ever been. I've had such an awakening over the last 9 months, and it has been amazing.

6. Can you recognize that this season may be one of great preparation instead of a period of "I Was"? I can look back and see that my season of rebellion prepared me for my current season of grace. My own disobedience taught me that no matter what my sin, true repentance always brings me right back to the cross. It has helped me to stifle my own tendency to judge, because I know that without the mercy and grace of God, I could be back in that place in a heartbeat.

If you would like to read more about the I AM study, click here.

Biblical Discipline

Disclaimer: If you have issues with spanking, then avert your eyes and read no further.

So I was packing Nathan's lunchbox last night, and looked up to see Gracie soundly spanking her Dora doll with the wooden "spanky spoon" that we use for discipline.

He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him. Proverbs 13:24

As a matter of fact, I had just spanked her less than an hour before for jumping off the hearth after I told her not to and gave her the consequences if she chose to disobey me. She chose to disobey me and so she got a swat on the leg with the spanky spoon. It does not require a very hard swat to get the message across which is why I prefer to use it.

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.Hebrews 12:11

Anyway, I walked into the living room and asked her why she was spanking Dora. I explained that the only reason for spanking was for disobedience. She thought for a moment, and then said, "She jumped off the fireplace." I agreed that in light of her disobedience, she needed to be disciplined, but reminded her that it was important to hold Dora and let her know that she still loved her.

And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son. Hebrews 12:5-7

Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. Job 5:17

The reason I post this is because when I first saw Grace spanking her doll with a spoon, I was horrified. Horrified that my daughter would hit her doll and worried that I was doing something damaging to her psyche by holding to the biblical principle of loving discipline. But after some thought, this question came to my mind: Isn't this what is supposed to happen? I teach my children appropriate discipline, and they model it in the only way they know how by role playing. Don't I want my children to understand what it is to lovingly and firmly maintain obedience and respect authority? How will they respect and submit to God's authority if they have no earthly model?

Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Hebrews 12:9

So the next time I see Nathan or Gracie spanking a beloved stuffed animal or doll I will remember that they are modeling parenting skills that I want them to take with them into adulthood. I don't want them to see discipline as unfair and arbitrary, but as an expression of my love, and by extension, God's love for them.

Challies.com Giveaway

I love these giveaways at Challies.com! If you want to throw your hat into the ring, click here:

I'm not really much of a book on tape/cd kind of girl (I prefer good old-fashioned books), but I know someone who would love these so I'm entering on her behalf. Or maybe I'll just donate them to our church library...who knows? I feel like I do when I daydream about being left a fortune and I have all of it spent or given away before I come to my senses and realize that it was just a happy thought! Strangely enough, I tend to feel a little let down after one of these episodes as if I lost something! How bizarre is that?

Anyhoo, click away and at least I might have the joy of knowing one of my blogosphere friends won instead of a complete stranger!

I'm Giving Thanks!

This is such a great idea that I had to join in! If you want to do this challenge, just click on the button and it will take you to Leah's blog. I can't wait to see what everyone is thankful for this year!

Weekend Adventures

This morning as I crawled out of my warm nest of a bed, my muscles (not so) gently reminded me that I am ridiculously out of shape. Trevor and I spent a large chunk of our Saturday splitting and stacking firewood for the bitter cold winter that we expect to have down here on the Gulf coast.

HA!

Like my father before me, I have no issue with turning the air conditioner down as low as it will go in order to have a fire burning in the fireplace. I can't tell you how many Christmas mornings I spent riding my new bike or playing with my new toys in shorts and a t-shirt. But rest assured, there was a seasonal fire burning away inside! My husband does not share this sentiment, so fires in our home do not get lit until the outside temperature dips below 50.

Scrooge.

(Just kidding, baby! You know I love you more than my luggage!)

Anyway, back to the original train of thought...what was it again? Oh yeah, we split and stacked firewood Saturday. Now don't get too impressed with a visual of me wielding an axe...we used a hydraulic splitter. (Thank the good Lord for technology!) Trevor heaved the logs up on to the platform and I operated the machine. It really satisfied my OCD tendencies to see the big logs neatly broken down into manageable pieces that we then stacked neatly in the wood rack.

It wasn't really the splitting that did me in, it was the stacking. The bending down, picking up and throwing the wood at the stack for Trevor to arrange neatly was not hard at the time, but I sure felt it Sunday morning! So, once again I am resolving to get in shape and lose this extra weight. Life has become ridiculous when a 35 year old woman can't do mildly strenuous work outside without feeling like a medium sized freight train hit her. And that's all I have to say about that!

Happy Halloween!

Make your own slide shows and scrapbooks

Nathaniel and the Wonderful, Fabulous, So Good, Very Nice...

...three weeks.

Thanks for all of the prayers, girls, because they have been answered! Nathan has done a complete about face with regard to his behavior and attitude at school and at home. He has received excellent daily conduct reports, and the few marks he has received are for things that he does because he is six.

Our evenings are (mostly) no longer spent in front of the television or computer screen, and are instead spent playing games or reading books. Please don't think our home has become a Norman Rockwell painting, because we still have our share of tantrums, hurt feelings, TV watching and stress. But I think that the extra effort on our part to be more attentive to the kids has paid off tremendously.

Not only that, but the kids and I have started a routine of praying on the way to the sitters every morning. I can't tell you how sweet it is to my ears when I hear Nathan praying that he will make good choices that day, and that I will have a good day as well. Or when the three year old prays that she will not bite today and that she wants to be sweet. After the prayers, we recite the catechism that we are learning together.

Who made you? God did.
What else did God make? All things.
Why did God make you and all things? For His glory.
How can you glorify God? By loving Him and doing what He commands.

This is as far as we've gotten, but they love shouting out the answers correctly and Nathan keeps asking me what the next question will be. It's gratifying to see my children wanting to learn biblical truths and about the character of God. Let me be clear that I believe it takes more than a rote catechism to fully understand scripture, but I think that it is a really good start for our children. The questions and answers will lead to more in depth discussion, and that is a good thing.

There are so many out there, and we chose one that was simple enough to be understood by young children, and then we will gradually build and change it to match their growth. It's also a good tool for everyday teaching. Grace loves to point out the moon to me in the morning when we are getting in the car to leave. She squeals, "Look mommy! It's Luna! It's Luna!" I can then respond, "Yes, that's Luna. Who made Luna? When she responds with "God", then I can reinforce the fact that God did indeed make all things. Sometimes this results in a fifteen minute long recitation of all the things she can think of that God made, from the trees to the Tahoe, but that's okay.

One thing that has really hit home with me throughout this time of change with Nathan is the scripture in Ephesians 6. Nathan can recite verse 1 without blinking an eye. "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right" but I often forget that the second part of that commandment is given to the parents. "And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord."

Oh, how I provoke my children to wrath sometimes! My impatience with their little hands moving too slowly, or their brains not thinking as quickly as I think they should. My tendency to judge a situation before I have all of the facts. My insistence that things be done my way because I say so, and for no other reason. We have some serious wrath, or as the NIV translates, exasperation in our home!

Some days, the only way to maintain my sanity is to repeat over and over, "They are just kids, they are just kids!" Too often I think of them as adults in little bodies, forgetting that they do not have all of the social and emotional restraints that we do, and that it's my job to teach those things. If I would just slow down for 30 seconds and instruct instead of reacting, I would do away with a good deal of my children's exasperation.

So, I am thankful that Nathan is entering a season of (relative) obedience and that God used a situation that seemed so difficult and hard to teach me to be a better parent. As Heather put it, "There are times in this Christian life that we experience the Refiner’s fire. It is necessary for us to feel the heat so that we may be made pure and holy. John Piper says that “…God will have no alloys in heaven.”

How I love that quote! So I will glory in the good times and in the bad, because God intends all of it. Every single event of my life is intentional and for my good, even when I can't see past the end of my own nose.

A Bad Night Turned Good

I've been having a bad night. I should have gone to the Beth Moore study tonight, but I was so tired and ready to be home after work that I skipped out. This of course made me feel guilty about not fulfilling my commitment to attend this entire study which translated into general irritation with myself.

I have a scrapbook that I should have completed about a week ago for a friend at work, that is still sitting in various stages of disarray on my kitchen table waiting patiently for my creative juices to get flowing again. (Please, please start flowing soon!)

About an hour and a half ago, I started feeling achy and tired with a bit of a chill. I took a warm bath and then was so tired that I got right into bed, but in spite of feeling awful, could not fall asleep. I resigned myself to getting up for a little while longer and decided to check my email and visit my favorite blogs to see of there were any new posts.

Lo and behold, I went to Heather's blog and this

was waiting for me in a brand, spanking new post of hers! What a lovely surprise and instant pick me up. I can't tell you how encouraging I find all of your blogs. I think my "real life" friends and family get a little tired of hearing about my "cyber life" friends sometimes. Rarely a day goes by that I don't reference an event, post or comment from the blogosphere. So getting this award just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. The “Change Begins at Home” award is designed to honor people who walk the walk with regards to what they “preach” in their blogs, and who are trying to start in their own homes with making the changes they’d like to see in the world.

I think my husband and children might cock their heads in confusion if they saw this (except for maybe the "preach" part), but I am honored nonetheless. I have spiritually grown so much in the last 6 months or so, greatly in part to the support I've found right here. I'd like to pass this award along to a few women that have made such a difference in my walk, and have encouraged me through the tales of their day to day lives to live in such a way that God is glorified and lifted up.

So Kate, Debra, Faraja, and Alana: please step forward and receive your reward. No....not that reward, that comes much later, but I hope this in some way conveys the respect and love I have for each of you. I know that no matter what kind of day I'm having, you are all right here cheering me on and making me want to be a better person.

10-20-30 Virus

Found this one at Karen's blog, and thought it would be fun to play along.....

10 Years Ago:
I was newly married to the love of my life. I had quit my job and moved to Portsmouth, Virginia where he was stationed until he was discharged from the Navy, and then found myself back in Houston with no job. Trevor was trying to figure out what he was going to do as a civilian, and I took a temporary job as a waitress (bar none the worst job I've ever had, including the time I processed fecal samples for MD Anderson) and we moved in with his parents for a few weeks, and then on to my parent's house. Thank goodness it only took a few months for Trevor to find a job in Carlsbad, NM and we moved there at the first of the year.

20 Years Ago:
I was a sophomore in high school, and very involved with my boyfriend (there are 4 years of my life that I can't ever get back). The only thing that took more of my time than my boyfriend was church...we were a two times Sunday and Wednesday night kind of family, and I spent every moment that I was not in school, dating or practicing my trombone for honor band tryouts, with the youth at church. (Yes, you read that correctly. I play trombone....went to State my freshman year...probably never going to stop bragging about that) I sang in the youth choir, served on the youth council and in spite of my involvement, spent a largish amount of my time pushing the boundaries of authority with my parents.

30 Years Ago:
This one is a little harder since I was only 5 and in Mrs. Curry's Kindergarten class. I do recall making a play dough ashtray for my dad, and being falsely accused of playing during nap time and being paddled. The culprit was Doyle Terrell (who turned out to be a bad boy throughout our school years) and I never really forgave him for getting me in trouble. I also remember very distinctly being aware for the first time of my foot falling asleep. I was sitting on my knees waiting in line before school, and when I stood up it felt like I was walking on platform shoes but I couldn't feel my feet. Isn't it weird the things we remember from childhood?

So now it's your turn. Where were you 10-20-30 years ago?

Every Moment

I am so glad that it is Friday! After a long weekend full of good food and even better company, having to actually go to work the following week just seemed mean. Am I the only one that feels like I deserve additional (paid) time off to bask in the afterglow of vacation?

So here I sit, anticipating staying up late tonight with Trevor watching all of the shows that we missed this past week in all the madness of school, homework, phone calls, cooking dinner, bathing children, telling bedtime stories and housework. All I can say is thank the good Lord for DVR!

After staying up way past my bedtime, I plan to sink into my warm, inviting bed and sleep deeply until I wake up. There will be no alarm setting or worrying about getting to work on time in the morning. The weather is supposed to be beautiful this weekend, and I can't wait to get my steaming hot mug of coffee and my bible and sit out on our deck in the 60 degree air and have my quiet time while the birds slowly begin calling out to one another and the world wakes up around me.

I have things to do this weekend, but tonight they seem somehow unimportant, like all the details will take care of themselves simply because I will it. The birthday gift I need to buy for a party Sunday afternoon, the scrapbook that I need to assemble for my friend by Monday, the Sunday School lesson that I still need to study and the myriad of other things that I need to do over the next two days just seem like someone else's problem tonight.

So, here's to a great weekend. May all of the "stuff" that you have to do take a (temporary) backseat to some rest and relaxation. Don't waste a minute of it. Be still and take in the details. The fine texture of your daughter's hair, the twinkle in your son's eyes, the very sound of your home around you in the early morning hours. Drink it in and savor it because we are not promised tomorrow. Don't get so focused on the next task, the next item on your to do list that you miss your own life.

We laughed out loud ‘til we cried

And the tears were sweet

Midnight melted to morning

A moment faded to memory

All these days

They just slip away through our fingers

So…

Don’t let go

Hold onto every moment

Always know

Hold onto every moment that You can

We move on with no regrets to our destiny

Held by the hands of the Father

We share His love and He leads us through

All these days

They just slip away through our fingers

So…

Don’t let go
Hold onto every moment
Always know
Hold onto every moment that You can

Running through yesterday into tomorrow

Don’t let it just drift away

Forget about tying the hands of time

Give every minute to the One who gave us today

Every Moment ---Joy Williams