31 Days of Life---Day 6

In my Bible reading today my question for the day was about facing addictions. Being totally honest here, I have several addictions. I'm addicted to Facebook, Pepsi, Mountain Dew Icees, Fudge Rounds...do you see a trend. I have been back on Weight Watchers for almost two weeks. It's a struggle, but class makes me accountable.

But my greatest struggle isn't with food. It's putting Bible study before Facebook surfing. Today I prayed for the many prayer requests I saw posted on Facebook but as I read my Bible after surfing I came across this verse in Psalm 109:30. It says, "With my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord; in the great throng I will praise Him." Verse 21 says, "But you, O Sovereign Lord, deal well with me for your name's sake; out of the goodness of your love, deliver me."

I need someone to keep me accountable that I read and do my Bible study before Facebook. As I think about what my mission on Facebook is I believe I need to be posting more verses and encouragement. Yes, my family is crazy and I don't mind to tell it on there but I think I can help others with a daily verse. An accountability factor that I've had to study and read before I can post it.

Have you read today? What verse stuck out to you?

Lord God, Help Us Choose Your Child

Father God,

Thank you for your love, for the many things you have blessed me with. Thank you for a loving, Christian husband, four wonderful, Christian children, a roof over our heads, a place to lay our weary bodies, food to fill our bellies and clean water to drink.

Lord, As we search through the pictures of the hundreds of children who need to be sponsored through Compassion, open our eyes and hearts to the one you have chosen for us. Lord God, you know our financial needs and the everyday needs of each of those children. You know were the monthly commitment will come from. You have always provided for us and even more so when we use what you have blessed our family with to bless someone else.

It isn't easy for us to choose. We've looked through the pictures several times. We've searched by each child's birthday and each one has chosen an area of the world they would like to help. Lord, as we search one more time this weekend please let "our" child tug our hearts so we know he or she is the one.

Lord forgive me for not taking better care of your children all over the world and help us as we help your children.

Thank you again for your many blessings and guide us in our search.

In Jesus Precious Name I Pray,

Amen


My assignment as a Compassion blogger this week was to write a prayer. We have sponsored children in the past, but currently aren't. We have been searching to find the child that God wants us to sponsor. So I'm challenging you as we make our decision this weekend, to make yours. Will you sponsor a child? Use this link Compassion in purple to be taken to the website where you can search for children who need you. I'll let you know soon who we have "adopted" as our sponsored child.

Raising Your Kids to Love the Lord -- Giveaway

This month I have several books to giveaway from Thomas Nelson. The first book is for parents Raising Your Kids to Love the Lord is by Pastor and Author Dave Stone. I have been reading this book this week and I must say it is a great read. It is full of great insight and guidance.



The following is a release from Thomas Nelson books;
"No matter how perfect the family pictures look, every family struggles and is dependent upon God’s grace and mercy. As a father of three, Dave shows parents that they have more influence on their kids than any other factor in their lives. Brimming with warmth and humor, Stone gives parents creative examples of how to help kids develop their own faith with ideas such as praying at significant times, encouraging kids to display Scripture in special places around the home, and serving others alongside their parents."

We try to develop our faith in everything we do, but we don't always succeed. One thing that we do everyday is to pray together in the car on the way to school. Each one of the kids has an assigned day to pray first, it prevents arguments. I always pray last. It usually takes us at least 15 minutes for everyone to pray so the 25 minute trip to school is a great time. I've picked up some other ideas from this book that I want to use with our kids.

I would recommend this book for any parent. Leave me a comment below and let me know that you would like to win this book.

Share your own creative way you help your kids develop their faith. Leave your comment by midnight on May 13th, Mother's Day for a chance to win.

Disclaimer: Thomas Nelson gave me a copy of this book to review. One winner will receive a copy. I will pick one winner using random.org on May 13th. Happy Mother's Day!!

2012 Week 1

Welcome to those of you who are new to our family blog!


As the New Year has been around for 8 days now, I've procrastinated about updating the blog. Actually and honestly work and life has gotten in the way and I haven't had time. Anyhow, as it rains outside my dining room window, Mikie is at drill and the kids are in the basement watching a movie and taking naps, I decided to take a few minutes and check in. 

I am going to attempt to do better this year in succeeded at my goals. I don't make resolutions because I know I will break them. I set goals, that way I don't have to feel as guilty for not completing them. Not that I feel guilty over much of anything anyway. 


My goals for this year, 2012 are,
1. Blog at least once a week. Even if it's an update on our week.
2. Exercise everyday physically and spiritually. So far so good!
3. Send at least one card or letter each week. (I'll be sending 2 tomorrow :)
4. Simplify, Simplify, Simplify! Too much stuff gets in the way of serving God and others.
5. Keep the house company presentable at all times. (Yea, I know that lasts about 15 minutes with 4 kids.)


There they are and other than the cards I haven't failed yet.


So now for this weeks update. During Christmas break Mattie, Maggie and I had some doctors visits. 


Mattie's heart murmur was heard by the doctor again a few months ago. She had an echocardiogram and it was discovered that she does indeed have a small hole in between the 2 upper chambers of her heart. She has an appointment with the cardiologist at the end of the month and will most likely have a TEE--trans-esophageal echocardiogram sometime soon. Basically a scope down her throat to make sure there is nothing else going on. At that time will know what we need to do about it.


Maggie visited the allergist for a peanut butter tasting test and PASSED! No more food allergies in our house. Of course she still doesn't like the taste or texture but the pistachios fear her when they see her coming. 


I have an abnormally enlarged goiter which is pressing on my vocal cords. It has given me problems since the summer and I couldn't figure out what was causing me to be hoarse and not able to sing. I see the doctor next week to find out what we are going to do about it. Obviously my constant talking wasn't the cause. It was nice to know that my husband was WRONG for once, it's not all in my head. 


We've enjoyed time with family and friends throughout the holiday season and look forward to a wonderful year of fun.


Mattie and Maggie have participated in the Director's Writing Contest at school and have placed. Mattie placed third in the poems category and Maggie first in non-fiction. There writings will move on to the next level of competition. 


Rec-ball has started and Mattie and Maggie both are looking forward to getting to play this year. Michael and Mollie are justing hoping Paw comes to some games so they can buy some stuff at the concession stand. 


I am gearing up for nine weeks of drama. My afternoon school is doing Alladin Jr. My morning school is still in deliberations with me as to what we are going to do. We don't have an auditorium there so staging logistics for a full drama is hard. 


Mikie is working all the time either at the air guard or in the workshop or folding clothes. Usually folding clothes. :)

Kellie came over Saturday and played. The kids enjoyed a picnic in the rain in the backyard. It was a day of missing kids and runaways but all is well now. 


I'm sure there are really more interesting things I could tell you about our week, but I can't think of any right now. 


I'm glad you stopped by and will be praying that you have a fun and blessed 2012!

Following the Lord's Path

Everything I have known for the last six years, four months, one week and three days changed this past Tuesday. I feel like I have become a traitor. I've deserted the path of  life I've known for so long and always wanted to have.

I know that this new path is the Lord's will. He has opened door after door and I have willingly followed. I have no doubts, only curiosity about what else He has in store.

I'm very thankful to have been able to be a stay at home mom for so long to our children. I am very thankful to have a husband who shared my passion for me to be home. He has worked long, hard hours everyday as well as through many deployments to make sure that I can be home and that we have everything we need. Notice I didn't say want. Living on one income has been tough at times. I'm not sure why the Lord has blessed us with the things we have. I have an ideal that it has to do with being faithful stewards with our money and continually giving of ourselves, our time and our money.

My first, before having children, passion was teaching music in the school system. Now as I reenter the workforce I get to do that again. I taught music and chorus for seven years before staying home. As my youngest enters kindergarten, I knew that I wanted to go back to work. I am very thankful for having the opportunity that is set before me this school year. A different school system and a new school for my children. New opportunities for them that they wouldn't have in our previous system, add to the excitement.

Expectations are high for me to succeed, not only mine but those of my administration and the high school choral director. It's nice to have a position where the success of your students is really appreciated and everyone wants to help you succeed. Not to mention all the technology, student keyboards and computer workstations, smart boards, elmo's, overhead projectors. Let's just say I felt like I was in music teacher heaven when I first walked in to my classroom Tuesday.

For many moms, working is their only choice and I have a very high respect for them. I have done both, worked with two kids while pregnant with the third and stay at home. I'm not sure how we are going to make it work, leaving so early for school, pick ups, working late, meetings all the things that come with working. But the Lord will take care of it. It was tough being home, it's going to be tough working.

I won't even go into the guilt that I originally felt about uprooting Mollie and not helping in her class since I did the oldest three. But I know it's best for her. I'm glad the Lord has turned my yellow brick road a different direction. I can't wait till tomorrow when I get to meet my middle schoolers at both of my schools. 

The Lord works in awesome ways. What are some ways He is working in your life today?

It was a dark and stormy night!

Ok, so I really wanted to title this post "Oh, Hail!" but I wasn't sure that would go over well with some people. The more I've thought about the storms from last Wednesday evening and night, I want to put some memories down.

Before school that morning I had "informed" my children that Nana and I would be getting pedicures, shopping and having lunch for our Mother's Day gifts. I told them there would be no early pickups from school today, belly aches, head aches and just not feeling good wouldn't get them picked up. I would only pickup early if they were dying. I told Mollie's Parent's Day Out teacher basically the same thing I had told the kids.

Nana and I got our pedicures and were shopping when it started raining and the wind picked up. As we were running in TJ Maxx my cell phone rung. It was Kristi, Mollie's PDO teacher. She had drawn the short straw and had to make the call. "I hated to have to call," she said. I was thinking about just telling her to let her take her nap somewhere else, but as I was thinking, "Oh what a wonderful day," she told me school was letting out early because of the storms.

Nana and I grabbed lunch and went to pick up kids. By this time the sun was shining which I've since learned is not a good thing with wild and wacky weather. As the big storms came closer to town the kids and I debated whether we wanted to go to church. But Michael, being a 6 year old genius, told me, "We are safer at church, because we can hide in the back class room downstairs and God is there. He will protect us." You guessed it, we went to church.

Mikie had decided he was leaving work 30 minutes early to beat the storm, walked to his van and had to return to his office because of a tornado warning in the county where he works. At 5:10 he called to say he was leaving, an hour after he originally tried to leave. He barely made it out of the front gate when another tornado warning was issued.

Church activities were busy that night as usual and there was only heavy rain. We stood around and talked and finally got home about eight o'clock.

As Mikie went out to bring Maximus from his outdoor kennel to the basement I heard a tornado warning had just been issued for our county. I quietly and peacefully told the children to go to the basement. Oh, okay I can't lie, they were upstairs, I was on the main level and I panicked. "Everybody downstairs, go to the basement now. I don't care that you're peeing. Finish in the basement. GO, GO, GO NOW!!!!"

 I've always aggravated my Mother (Nana) that it is her fault I'm terrified of storms. The last tornado that went through our little hometown was 34 years ago. She was pregnant with me and working at the White Way. The manager didn't know a tornado was coming through town and told her to hold the front door shut cause the wind was blowing everything in the store. Needless to say when she finally decided she couldn't hold the door shut and took off to the back of the store they realized what was going on. So I'm sure there is some inter-womb caused fear of storms there. Which one day I will think to ask my friend Kristel if that is possible.

Back to Wednesday night, as we went down the steps, I turned them around and sent them for flashlights while I informed Mikie who was now standing in the backyard looking up at the sky what was going on. One of these days the inevitable will happen he will become a lightening rod. I've heard we have other friends who may join him in this same demise.

As Mattie cried uncontrollably about her friends who didn't have basements, lived in apartments and the trailer park, about the cat who was afraid of the dog in the basement and chose to stay upstairs, and the bunny in the cage upstairs that I wouldn't bring to the basement because of the dog, Maggie and Michael discussed what they would do if Momma and Daddy died. This whole conversation was taking place in a very small bathroom which contains a toliet and vanity and at that time, 3 small lawn chairs, 4 very upset kids, one sitting on top of the toliet and a great dane. I shut the door and went outside with their Daddy.

As the first hail storm began, I went to the hallway outside the bathroom and sat down. Michael was deep in conversation with Maggie.

"If Momma and Daddy get killed I'll shoot myself with my new bow and arrow. I can't live without my Momma and Daddy." Me, "Michael your new arrows barely go through the target all you will do is hurt yourself." Him, "Then I'll get out my BB gun and shoot until I die." As much as I appreciate his dying love for me and his Daddy I couldn't help but laugh. Mikie broke up the woe is me and made them go to the sliding door to watch the hail storm. Once it stopped they had fun playing with it. And of course hollering "Oh Hail!"

This whole event occurred within 15 minutes of getting home from church and the power went out in the process. We spent the night in the basement, sat in the bathroom several more times, one included Mikie when he saw a cloud he didn't like the shape of over the lake. At 4:30 the next morning when Mikie got up to go to work we all went to our own beds. School had been canceled and we slept for a few more hours. Once we got up I surveyed the damage, which fortunately wasn't too bad, considering our neighbors got much worse. Pictures on the news and Facebook showed the damage to our friends homes and cars and to our little hometown were an F1 had passed through tearing up the high school and lots of homes, which started in that cloud Mikie didn't like over the lake.

As the kids and I spent the day doing basically nothing cause we were mentally and emotionally exhausted I thought about how God has blessed us. I don't know why He continually blesses my family. We aren't anything special, we just try our best to follow His will and do what He tells us to do. I pray for those families in my hometown and other counties close by that have damage and have lost loved ones. I can't understand why the Lord lets things like this happen. But I've realized it's not for me to understand or comprehend. Only to trust to Him.