God's Grace in the Snow

SNOW - it is so beautiful on the trees...brightening the gray-ness of the winter.

Best observed from the comfort of one's couch - preferrably with a cozy fire in the fireplace and a nice hot cup of cocoa. (sadly, I have neither right now - but I do have a great couch!).

Today was Anna's last basketball game - it was eventful in & of itself (the opposing team didn't have enough players so Anna was "traded", but it turned out to be great because the "new" coach was all about all players getting a chance to touch the ball - and Anna got to make several attempts at the basket, which was rare with her own team).

It was snowing before we left for the game, which was at 11 a.m. - and by the time the games were over and we had lunch, the roads were really bad. The interstate was backed up for several miles - but thankfully we could go home on side roads.

It was going well until we were on the last uphill curve on the highway by our subdivision.
Dan had momentum going (thankfully Iowa-boy was driving!!) to get us up the hill - but then we saw lots of hazard lights up ahead - UH OHHHHHHHHHHH!!

We had to come to a complete stop - and even in the stopped position, our vehicle started to slide towards the ravine beside the highway. We weren't dangerously close - but close enough for me to feel pretty uncomfortable about it all.

The view from the passenger side window:

The Highway Patrol was out, trying to help the van that had slid into the ditch ahead, which was the main thing holding up all the traffic. There was a red pick up truck ahead of us in the same perdicament as us. A big gray pick up truck came driving up beside us all, offering help. We waved him on - but he slowed to talk to the driver of the red truck - AND SLID RIGHT INTO IT!!!!!!

Here's Dan explaining everything to the state trooper:

At this point, a tow truck had arrived. Dan decided to try one last time to move our vehicle. He drove us backwards down the hill a ways. We passed one vehicle also stuck on the side of the road; and past it, we stopped in the middle of the road, hoping when things cleared out, we'd have enough room to gain momentum to get up the hill. (The kids & I were PRAYING this whole time and as we watched the events unfold before us).

So, the tow truck hooked up to the red pick up truck. As it pulled it and turned it around, the pick up truck didn't come out in a straight path - and it crashed right into the vehicle we just had passed when Dan had backed our vehicle down the hill! The tow truck driver proceeded to blame the owner of the pick-up truck for not steering it right as he was pulling him...I think the driver of the red pick-up truck was having a really bad day :( We felt pretty sorry for him - but since the road was temporarily cleared, Dan got in our car - and gunned the engine - and got us up the hill, turned into our subdivision, and finally HOME. Sweet. Home.

I'm sure God had some invisible guardian angels pushing our car. It is a Saturn Vue - basically a car in a SUV body, 4 cylinders, front wheel drive, and very light with very cheap tires on it.

Once home, we heard that some areas around us had gotten as much as 8 or 9 inches of snow! Here's our back deck:

Tonight, I am not only praying for my husband, I am THANKING GOD that he handled all the driving today so well. He stayed calm in the midst of all the sliding cars and crashing vehicles and with God's help, got us home safe. He was our hero today :)

Day 28
Pray that your husband will be a man of prayer. Pray that he will seek and pursue God in
purposeful quiet times. (1 Thess. 5:17; Luke 22:46; James 5:16)

Praying, Day 27

It's hard to believe the "Praying" series is almost over, hard to believe that February is almost over. I hope the praying will become a habit, if it hasn't already.

My husband asked me the other day, why I was being so nice to him. I guess focusing on PRAYING for him has made me want to be a better wife as well. It has been a reminder of the blessing a good marriage is - and a reminder that I married one of the "good guys".

The prayer today is appropriate yet again! Dan has been working on losing a little weight - and at this point, he has stuck to it amazingly! I'm the one who yet again needs the prayers that I'll get on the weight-loss band wagon!!
Day 27
Pray that your husband will understand the importance of taking care of his body—the temple of the Holy Spirit—for the glory of God. Pray that he will practice self-control by making wise food choices, and get sufficient exercise to stay healthy. (Rom. 12:1-2; 1 Cor. 6:19-20, 9:27)

The One-Eyed Monster is Back!

For one day - and hopefully for one day only - we have indulged in a whole lotta TV watching. Today was the fateful day that our expanded cable TV service began again - after almost 2 years of being without.

Today I have totally immersed myself in catching up with old friends on Food Network! First, Giada (she's too skinny - she needs to eat more of those carbs she cooks up!) and then the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten (I love her - she obviously eats what she cooks - and she & her husband Jeffrey are so cute - and her house in East Hampton....oh my!!). Ina made butter cream for a cake today - chocolate butter cream! I wanted to lick the tv screen, it looked so good!!!

I watched Rachel Ray make a 30 minute meal and some lady do a show called HEALTHY APPETITES and even out of sheer euphoria watched Guy Fieri's show (I really don't care for him, his food, or his style - but it was all due to the Food Network spell cast upon me).

When the kids got home, they immediately wanted to check out TV Land. And to their delight, one of Andrew's favorite shows was on: Hogan's Heroes! It was an episode we don't have on VHS, so it was an extra bonus. Later, Anna wanted to check out the Hallmark Channel - and they were advertising one of her favorite series, Love Comes Softly for Friday night.

We also watched an episode of THE COSBY SHOW - that brought back A LOT of memories of the 80's! and it was STILL funny today.

Dan immersed himself in ESPN and sports world on the other tv. Yep - we were TRUE tv junkies today!!! We even all watched an episode of Iron Chef America before putting the kids to bed (I love that show even though half the food they cook looks disgusting! And I, for one, think Alton Brown is HILARIOUS!!! Can't wait to catch an episode of GOOD EATS again).

It was a nice convenience to read the headlines on tv, to have the Weather Channel, and to see FOX NEWS again (I didn't miss Bill O'Reilly one bit though, even though I know he is on "our side").

Tomorrow we'll have to start monitoring our tv watching again - but today it felt good to just VEG OUT in front of the old boob-tube (never understood why it is caled that?!), the ol' telly, or as one preacher of a church my parents attended for short while called it: DEVILVISION...

My blood-shot eyes and fuzzy brain are now going to bed. But not before I pray for my husband:

Day 26
Pray that your husband will discover and live his God-given purpose. Pray that he will offer all
his dreams to the Lord, and pursue only those goals that will bring God glory and count for
eternity. (Jer. 29:11; 1 Cor. 10:31)

Praying - Day 25

Day 25


Pray that your husband will be courageous in his stand against evil and injustice, and that he will stand for the truth. Pray that he will protect you and your family from Satan’s attacks.

(Ps. 31:24; Eph. 6:13; Ps. 27:14)

It's spiritual warfare!

Otherwise, I have no commentary tonight. Nope, nothing in the ol' brain that is making any sense, no profound comments to share with you, and no amusing stories to tell. I am empty.


If you left a comment on my 100th post, THANK YOU! :) It made me SMILE to hear from you all :) I just needed a little insight into my "audience" - not that I ever set out to even HAVE an audience, but THANK YOU for sharing this little part of my life. Writing can be a very personal thing, and I used to only keep "secret" journals in years past. Blogging has made me feel a little bit vulnerable - and I really have to trust the people who read my ramblings to take me the way I intend, which is hard to monitor when you put yourself out there on the WORLD WIDE WEB!!! :-O

So, keep me accountable, friends...don't let me get TOO CRAZY or too preachy for that matter. I'm just trying to figure it all out and do the right thing. Like Alice in Wonderland, I give myself some very good advice, but I very seldom follow it. I want to dwell more on God's advice - and follow Him. :)

Still Praying...day 24

Day 24
Pray that your husband will have a balanced life—that he will balance work and play. Pray that
he will fear God, but also gain favor with people he knows at work and church. (Luke 2:52;
Prov. 13:15)

My 100th Post! and some Random Thoughts.

Wow! 100 posts. I've been blabbering on and on about my life and my deep thoughts and my silly ideas for quite a while now. :)

Today's thoughts are pretty random:

A FRUGALITY TIP ... to NOT follow

I read quite a few blogs by women who are coupon-gurus and who somehow shop on amazingly small budgets and who save a ga-billion dollars every year to do things like buy a $350,000 house and pay for it in full. While I admire that - and I do like a bargain as much as the next girl, I have determined that I am just not that good at the whole frugality thing. I'm a wanna-be and a try-to-be; but sometimes materialism just wins out. ;)


When you make a financial gain, you are always advised to put the difference into SAVINGS. For example, we recently had our mortgage sold to a new company. The new company reevaluated our loan, interest rates, etc. and we are now paying $25 less per month on our mortgage payment! That would be $25 a month I have budgeted that I could put into savings (or apply to the principle of the mortgage)!! $25 x 12 months -= $30o per year that I didn't have before.


BUT what do we do? Well, we've been living without expanded cable TV service for over a year now - probably going on 2 years. We did this to save $25-30 a month. Well, with our new mortgage windfall, we (mutual decision, mutual blame) are getting our cable back!! We have proven we can live without ESPN, Food Network, the Hallmark Channel, and Fox News --- but why deny ourselves any longer. Afterall, Dan says it is almost baseball season - and while hearing the Cardinals on the radio is fine, SEEING and HEARING them is almost as good as having tickets to the game. :) and the food at home is "free."


OTHER THOUGHTS:


There is occasionally justice in the world.


As anyone who reads this blog knows, our dishwasher broke down after 2 years of owning it. You may also know that I really don't like doing dishes by hand at all. Thankfully, my husband and kids often do them for me.
My broken down dishwasher does make a TERRIFIC drying rack:


As my sense of "fair" kicked in, I had to write a letter about the injustice of a dishwasher dying after just 2 years. I did some research and found the name of a real person at Electrolux to complain to. I composed and sent my email, expecting nothing - but at least I got to vent my frustration.

Well, today I got a nice, apologetic letter from a representative at Eletrolux/Frigidaire! They are offering me partial reimbursement on repairs (parts & labor) if I chose to get it repaired OR a 70% rebate on a new dishwasher. I am off to Lowe's to price dishwashers.
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And now please join me in a silly bloggy celebration of my 100th post! Some of the "big time" bloggers I read (who have like 200 or more followers!) do fun things to celebrate milestones like this - they have give-aways or contests. Well, I have nothing you'd probably want - I have 2 cats (3 counting the stray who lives on our porch), a lot of clutter, some out-of-style clothes, a broken dishwasher, and little else to offer as a prize. I have no talents to create anything crafty and no money to buy something extra. And I am not some big-time blogger with 200 followers...in fact, I am thankful for my 2 sweet friends who follow me and a few who stop by occasionally via google reader. I know I'm pretty small stuff compared to the "real" bloggers out there.

So, to celebrate my 100th post, I'm going ASK for something instead. Yep, it's pretty cheesy and kind of hokey - but here it is: please leave me a comment if you stop by this post. I just want some feedback. You can even comment anonymously if you need to give me some earnest advice like, "Conny, I can't stop coming to your blog because it is like a train wreck. It's so tragic, but I just can't help but look." or you can say, "Conny, I pity you which is why I come. I feel so much better about my own life when I read how messed up yours is!" ;)

Seriously, just leave a short comment to say, "Hi." It would mean a lot to me. I am just curious what everyone thinks of me narrating my life like this. THANK YOU (and yes, I'm pathetic)! ;)

Conny needs....

I saw a creative idea on someone’s blog yesterday and have decided to steal it.
Since I have obviously had my head immersed in some pretty heavy thinking the last fews days (funerals do that to me!), I wanted to lighten up my blog a little.

Here’s what you do. You type your first name into Google followed by the word “needs.” In other words, I typed in “Conny needs.” (and they say, "Do you mean CONNIE needs?". Yeah, yeah, ok, "CONNIE NEEDS".)

Ok, here's what comes up on MY google page:

Connie needs a bone marrow donor - what!!!!!!!!!!!!!? I hope not!! Maybe my funeral is sooner than I'm expecting...Maybe I need to work faster and harder on the changes I am trying to make. And lastly, if YOU are reading this and were a match to my bone marrow, would YOU be willing to donate to me, you know, just in case!? ;)

Connie Needs A New Home. Nah, I really don't. I love my house - maybe a one or two room addition though.

This Connie needs to be done. Oh my. A subtle hint from google.com that this was a bad idea?!

Connie really needs someone who can give her a lot of time and attention. Obviously!

Connie needs your votes! I have quite a bit of experience as a church community organizer.....ok, bad joke, sorry.

CONNIE NEEDS A HERO. I already have one actually. :) But I can always use another.

Lastly:
Connie Needs Some Help... that goes without saying.

A Daddy's Love

Day 23
Pray that your husband will be a good father—disciplining his children wisely and loving them
unconditionally. If he is not a father, pray that he will find a young man to mentor in the things
of the Lord. (Eph. 6:4; Col. 3:21; 2 Tim. 2:1-2)

Our pastor has often stated that a person sometimes will see God much in the way they view their own father.

This can prove to be a problem for people who did not know their own father or who were abused or neglected by their father, who had a harsh father, or on the other hand, a very timid, weak father. These people may think that God is a cruel Judge because their father never gave them the benefit of the doubt or that God can not be pleased because their own father never gave them his approval. They may see God as distant and uninterested in them personally because their own father was absent or disassociated. They must come to realize that God is nothing like their earthly fathers and must get to know God for Who He is.

For my own children, I pray that they will feel safe, secure, accepted, and unconditionally loved by their earthly father so that they may magnify that love and apply it to their view of their Heavenly Father. For my daughter especially, I hope she will realize that she is "Daddy's Girl", that he thinks she is beautiful and smart and talented no matter how she measures up to anything in this cruel world - and then to realize she is precious in the sight of her Heavenly Father as well, that He made her "fearfully and wonderfully" (Psalm 139:14), and He can take perfect care of her.

I have heard it said that the word "Abba" that Jesus cried out in His agonizing prayer in Gethsemane ("Remove this cup from me...but not my will but thine be done." Mark 14:36) means something like the essence of the word DADDY. This same tender God who heard Jesus' plea desires a relationship with us that in our darkest moments we can cry out to Him with the confidence of a child who trusts his daddy.

Romans 8:15b, "...but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."

Joy in Disappointment (praying, day 22)

Day 22
Pray that your husband will practice forgiveness in your relationship and with others. Pray that
he will recognize any roots of bitterness, and yield any resentment and unforgiving attitudes to
the Lord. (Eph. 4:32; Heb. 12:15)

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In my ladies' Sunday School class we are working thru this book:

Secrets of a Happy Heart by Debi Pryde. Today's lesson was on "Overcoming Disappointment with Joy". Without spilling my entire life story on the internet, I will just say that in the past, I have tended to deal with my own disappointments by becoming bitter, angry, and even depressed. Unfortunately, I've wasted a lot of time dwelling on what might have been and what should have been and what wasn't. "Letting go" doesn't come easy to me.

In my thinking, when God allows something to be taken away from you, I felt like He ought to replace it. I have an almost ridiculous sense of "fair" that demands that everything be in perfect equality (to my way of understanding, of course). What I failed to realize until recently is that sometimes the void of loss and disappointment can only be filled by God Himself.

A quote from my workbook is "When you have nothing left but God, then for the first time you become aware that GOD IS ENOUGH." (quote by Maude Royden).

Are we satisfied in Him? Is He enough?? Will things, circumstances, or even a person truly ever satisfy us and never let us down? Only God is able to never change, never leave us, never break a promise, and never let us down.

There can be joy in disappointment when we cast our care on God (I Peter 5:7 & Psalm 55:22); it means to give our disappointment completely over to Him. Every part. We shouldn't hold on to any piece of it because it will embed itself into our heart and take root. If not removed, time only causes roots to grow deeper and spread themselves into other areas, becoming a tangled mass of life-sucking tendrils of hate, anger, and guilt. If we ask God to work on our hearts and to remove old roots, it may take effort, struggle, and painful extraction often with a sharp Tool (The Word of God: sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing even to dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints & marrow...Hebrews 4:12). However, God is a tender Gardener; if we have a repentant heart and a willingness to turn from our bitterness - or just try to avoid the root of bitterness in the first place, He can truly turn our sorrow into joy. We just have to be willing to let Him.

Praying...day 21

Finally, we are all HOME. Sweet. HOME.

Dan is already asleep - he is exhausted. I think today's verses & prayer is very appropriate for his week. It's been an unusually busy one with a volleyball tournament and a staff member's father-in-law passing away on Thursday. Dan's been at work early the last 2 mornings and at the championship game of the volleyball tournament this morning (our girls got 2nd place). Our kids have continued to have their Upward basketball games and all the usual activities. I know it's just "life" - and Dan adapts well without complaining, but I'm glad he can finally rest now.

Day 21
Pray that your husband will learn how to relax in the Lord and, in his greatest times of stress,
find joy and peace in his relationship with God. Pray that he will submit his schedule to the Lord.
(Neh. 8:10; Prov. 17:22; Ps. 16:11)

Not much commentary from me today...I'm going to crawl into my bed early for a change tonight!

Eating Food & Feet

Day 20
Pray that your husband will yield his mind and thoughts to the Lord. Pray that he will not entertain immoral or impure thoughts, and that he will resist the temptation to indulge in sinful activities. (Prov. 27:12; 2 Cor. 10:5)

Proverbs 27:12 (King James Version)12A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.

2 Cor. 10:5 (King James Version)5Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ...

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In my own praying for my husband, I'm just praying he will survive until tonight. He isn't complaining - but he's been at work at 6:45 each morning Thursday & Friday because we've been short staffed - and today (Saturday) got up early again to cheer on our girls' volleyball team at their tournament.

With much on his mind, he hasn't been sleeping well either - so I know he is exhausted and hopefully we can all just crash tonight. He isn't the only one - so many in our church are working double time to get things ready for a funeral today & to minister to the family who had the loss.

Last night we didn't get home til 9:30 p.m.! It was a long day, but ended with a blessing. We had school, then straight to Andrew's ball game, then to a viewing for the man who passed away on Thursday. We were talking with a really sweet, older couple in our church - and talk turned to FOOD: good ol' country food like home-made biscuits, pinto beans, chicken and dumplings, all kinds of fruit cobblers....and we realized that NONE of us had eaten dinner yet!

So they invited us to go eat with them. Of course, I put my foot into my mouth as much as I put my food in my mouth as I am apt to do....but I love that the wife would just laugh with me when I said something like that!

For example, at the end of the meal, the waitress asked if we'd like coffee. Somehow I was distracted by Andrew (who managed to have butter squirt out of the end of his roll all over his shirt AND then scooped ice cream into his mouth but also down the front of himself!)...and they all turned to look at me and ask if I'd like coffee too. My response: "Sure, I'm a social drinker!" Which would have been somewhat funny IF the husband of the couple we were eating with wasn't a FORMER PASTOR ... thankfully, his wife just cracked up. She later whispered to me that she really used to enjoy coffe more when she used to SMOKE! LOL!!! I just love her!! And I love him too - he kept me supplied with chocolate-covered-raisins the entire meal :)

Day 19 already!

Day 19

Pray that your husband will be patient and a man of peace. Pray that he will not give in to anger, but will allow the Holy Spirit to control his responses. (Rom. 14:19; Ps. 34:14)

Romans 14:19 (King James Version)
19Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

Psalm 34:14 (King James Version)
14Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

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OK! Soon I'm just going to flat out change this praying thing to "PRAYING FOR MYSELF" because my husband has this stuff down!!

PATIENCE? PEACE!? NOT GIVING IN TO ANGER??!!! HOLY SPIRIT CONTROLED RESPONSES???!?!?! That is what *I* need to work on....

Dan is so mellow and laid back that he seldom gets impatient (he's lived with me for 16 years after all!!), he prefers peace over confrontation (we took this personality test thing once at flagpagetest.com - and he dwells in "Peace Land"! seriously! In his family, he is known as a "peace maker".), and he rarely gets really angry. In fact, I can think of only a handful of times I have seen Dan REALLY angry - and it scared me to death!! Not because I was afraid he was going to be violent, but because I am so not used to seeing him angry that I hardly recognized him.

When we were first married (well, maybe going on 2 years of marriage or so), I did something for about the first time that made Dan very, very angry. I felt so bad that I decided I would sleep in the master bedroom walk-in closet. We had company staying over at the time , and they were staying in our spare bedroom with their kids sleeping in our living room. There was NO WHERE ELSE for me to go hide in our small apartment. I just absolutely felt so unworthy to even share a bed with Dan because I had finally pushed him to being angry, so I took my pillow and got into the closet to sleep there! And you know what!!? Dan took his pillow and crawled right in there with me to make things right again.

I am sure he can use prayer that he will continue to stay on track in these areas - but seriously, he is patient, kind, and just doesn't get angry very often. I won't get into more true confessions about myself - but I'll just say I will definitely include myself in my prayer tonight.

Now, if only this praying thing would hit on some of the "issues" I do have with Dan (he's not perfect, you know!). ;)

Speaking of praying, we are praying for a family in our church who lost their father/grandfather/husband today. Funeral is on Saturday. Please pray for the Moore Family.

Oh, My Dishpan Hands!

Our 2 year old Frigidaire dishwasher is officially DEAD. We finally "called the man" (Andy Griffith reference), and he came out today to try to fix it.

The repair guy thought maybe it was just the switch connection in the door handle - but once he replaced that part, it was still not getting any "juice" from the main control panel. It's totally shorted out :( It would be a $300+ repair to fix it - and we didn't even pay near that much for the dishwasher in the first place. There is no trade-in value to a completely dead appliance so it is pretty much totally useless, except for being a drying rack for the dishes we now do by hand.

LESSONS LEARNED from THE MAN: Frigidaire was bought out by Electrolux, and since the buy-out, their products have gone downhill. Maytag was also bought out recently by Whirlpool, and their quality is also no longer what it used to be either (good news for the Maytag repair man maybe!!?).....Recommended appliances (esp. dishwashers) are the high-end ones we can't ever afford (Bosch, etc) or Whirlpool (the real deal), even Kenmore is still ok. In fact, the guy is refurbishing a Kenmore right now - and if the price is right, we may by it from him!

The rest of my day was great comparatively to finding out we wasted our money on our dishwasher two years ago. In fact, working in our church's children's club tonight was a welcome delight. I work with 4 year olds through 1st graders.

Here's a funny story from the day: Dan & I were both in the office today when one of the 4 year olds had to come up to give me a message. She is often the messanger for her class, and she always has a lot to say when she comes to see me. She also talked to Dan while I took care of what her teacher asked me in the note she had brought. Her teacher later told me that the girl came back in the classroom and said, "Wow, there were TWO Mrs. Hutchinson's in the office!"

It kind of reminds me of Andrew - when he was in K-4, he didn't know the difference between Mr. and Mrs. either - and in fact, he just called his teacher THE Whitehead (Mrs. Whitehead) for the longest time....and her word was THE law. If she said, he believed it, and that settled it. He still calls K-4 "the good old days"...and so do I!

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Praying for My Husband:

Day 17
Pray that your husband will enjoy his manliness as he patterns his life after Christ and strong men in the faith. Pray for his physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual strength. (Eph. 3:16; 1 Peter 2:21; 1 Cor. 10:11)

Day 18
Pray that your husband will have an eternal perspective—living in light of eternity. Pray that he
will reject materialism and temporal values and put God first in his life. (Matt. 6:33; Deut. 6:5;
Eph. 5:16; Ps. 90:12)

Tea and Chicken Soup

While waiting for the "Praying for Your Husband" blogger to post today's prayer, I'm just enjoying the quiet of our house. This is why I never go to bed early - who would want to miss out on these moments of peace: a cup of Sleepy-Time tea, silence, dim lighting, a good book, or a warm lap top!

Actually, today I had the day off (unexpectedly! I was planning on sub-teaching today), so I was home - alone - for a good part of the day. I love days like this. I appreciate them about 10,000,000 times more now that I know what it was like to work full-time, which I did for 3 years. Cutting back to part-time was the best thing for me though - worth every penny we now don't have due to my salary cut - but you can't buy time or peace of mind!

I haven't been publically accountable for my life lately as I've been distracted by other things, so I'll get caught up on that for my own sake; if you read my blog sometimes, feel free to tune out here:

MEAL PLANNING:

Today, Dan didn't come home after work because he went to help with the Bible printing ministry at our church, so it was just me & the kids. I love that our McDonald's does $1.50 Happy Meals on Tuesday nights. Since I get a Happy Meal too, I got the girl "toy" as well. Usually our McD's is out of the advertised toy, and we get some bizarre toy we end up throwing away! Tonight, however, Anna and I got the Hello Kitty watch they were advertising - and we each got a different one (one pink, one brown) in our meal at that! I loved Hello Kitty as a girl; in fact, in 6th grade, my friend and I formed a "Hello Kitty Club". Anna can take or leave HK...but I think she was tickled to get the 2 watches. Now to see how long they will last!

Now my most adventurous meal idea is to come for tomorrow!! Last week, I had picked up a rotisserie chicken for supper, and I still had the carcas in the fridge. Today I simmered it in water for broth....and picked off the left-over meat after a few hours. Ten years ago, I couldn't have done that!!!! I used to not even EAT chicken on a bone, let alone pick off the meat. I've come a long way...For most of my friends, this is probably no big deal - but for me, this is HUGE: I am making homemade soup in the crock pot for tomorrow's on-the-run supper between work & church. I don't really think I've ever done that before!!? It's about time I learned! I've searched allrecipes.com -and I'm ready to try.

BIBLE READING: I'm finishing up the book of Numbers. Today I read about Balaam and his talking donkey. That's always a favorite story to tell kids, isn't it? Sometimes I think it might be nice if, say, my cats could just TELL ME what God was doing when things aren't obvious to me. Of course, God allowed the donkey to talk because He was getting frustrated with Balaam! I would hate for God to have to take such drastic measures, I suppose, to get through to me. He has His own ways of making His point clear sometimes, doesn't He?

THANKFULNESS: I feel so blessed today that I was just able to be HOME. I piddled around as I usually do, but in the end, I got a lot done! I worked some more on my Medical Transcription course - and I'm hopeful that will be completed soon.

I guess I will have to delay the praying part of this post. I actually am planning to TRY to go to bed "early" tonight. Wednesdays are my longest day! I have a 9 hour work day - and then a short break before the children's program at church starts. I think we have a missionary in the main service tomorrow night and a business meeting afterwards....so that makes it even longer And I'll be less cranky as the day goes by if I'm not so tired ;)

I Corinthians 10:31 EVERY WHERE..Praying, Day 16

I Corinthians 10:31
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

Day 16
Pray that your husband will choose healthy, God-honoring activities. Pray that he will not live in bondage to any questionable habits or hobbies, but that he will experience freedom in holiness as he yields to the Spirit’s control. (1 Cor. 6:12, 10:31; 2 Tim. 2:4)


Again, I feel like this prayer should be more for ME than for my husband. For example, Dan recently set out to lose a little weight (not that he NEEDED to, but he kind-of-needed-to)...and after 1 week, he has already lost almost 10 lbs. Then because he "enjoys" exercise, he went to play basketball tonight. He has way more self-control than I do when it comes to eating, spending money, and basically just about EVERYTHING.

Also, I was re-looking at the website for Shady Gables, the tea shoppe we visited recently (hence the tea themed picture above). The "theme verse" on her web page is also I Corinthians 10:31. I think so much of her shoppe represents what I'd like to be more of: feminine, delicate, pretty, simply elegant, mannerly, appropriate, calm, well-ordered, charming, and warm. Being in such an environment just automatically makes one want to ACT more like a proper lady. And even though I will never be the picture of a dainty female, I think I can definitely work on having much more propriety in my life and behavior.

What a wonderful verse to dwell on today though: no matter what you are doing, do it for God's glory! I think that alone would change the way we act or react in any environment.

Still Praying - Day 14 & 15 (edited)

I fell behind in posting the prayers for husbands - but assuredly, not in praying for my husband!

By the way, have you seen FIREPROOF yet? That marriage movie with Kirk Cameron that the whole American, Christian world seems to be buzzing about? Well, we finally watched it tonight. Overall, it was very good, in my opinion. I was impressed. Some of the acting was a little forced - but they were blessed to get Kirk for the lead! He carried the movie. There were some cute, funny, touching scenes that helped (tomato juice - ha! and those neighbors - oh my!!).

Where I told my husband to take particular note was the scene where the wife in the movie (Katherine? Catherine?) was sick in bed. Caleb comes back and brings her some food --- and here's the best, smartest part: from Chick-Fil-A!!! That is just absolutely THE BEST "fast food" there is out there (IMO). The nearest Chick-Fil-A from me right now is 80 miles away at the mall in Springfield. It's been tough, but it's also saved us a lot of money. :) When we drive "home" to Tennessee, I try to time my trip so we can stop at a Chick-Fil-A in Nashville...yes, it is THAT worth it! The way to my heart may partially be through Chick-Fil-A chicken nuggets & waffle fries.

We found the plot was a little predictable; however, I was very impressed by the scene in the middle of the movie where "Caleb's" father leads him to the Lord. He asks Caleb something to the effect of how a person would feel if they loved someone (ie a spouse) and that someone rejected them over & over & over....and then he stands by the Cross. The message is clear: that is what happens to Jesus over & over & over too - and yet He still loves:

"Tell of the years of His labor,

Tell of the sorrow He bore -

He was despised and afflicted,

Homeless, REJECTED, and poor.

Tell me the story of Jesus,

Write on my heart every word;

Tell me the story most precious,

Sweetest that ever was heard.

Love in that story so tender,

Clearer than ever I see:

Stay, let me weep while you whisper,

Love paid the ransom for me!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Day 15

Pray that your husband will choose his friends wisely. Pray that God will bring him men who will encourage his accountability before God, and will not lead him into sin. (Prov. 13:20; Prov. 27:17)

Day 14

Pray that your husband will speak words that build you and your family, and reflect a heart of love. Pray that he will be careful in the use of his language. (Prov. 18:21; Eph. 4:29)

Birthday Princess Tea

Anna was invited to her friend McKenna's birthday party at our favorite tea shoppe in Missouri:

http://www.shadygables.com/cart/

I think the pictures describe the wonderful time had by all better than anything I can say about it! Thank you, McKenna and Kim, for including us in your special occasion!!

Anna & the birthday girl:

Anna with Grandma Ima Little & Rita Jane, the mouse:

The girls with the Butterfly Fairy Princess & Ima Little, our hostesses:

Fun times in the Hat Room:

Praying for My Husband - Day 13

Day 13

Pray that your husband use practical skills to build your family and make wise decisions for your welfare. Pray that he will serve unselfishly. (Gal. 5:13; Phil. 2:3-4)

Completion!

The NEW ROOMS for TWO project is almost complete!! The totally-great-priced plaid quilt that was backordered forever ARRIVED!!!! Today!!!
Finally, the wall color has met the quilt it was chosen for! And I must say, it looks just like I had hoped :)
Here's Andrew's bed (I left his Cardinals blanket right up on the headboard where he put it so it's not a perfect design by any means....but it is what it is meant to be: lived in!) A few more little things are still needed - some pillows or shams - perhaps a new bed skirt though the light light yellow one I have now is working....
I hope Andrew doesn't get mad that I'd post pics of his bed to the world with LAMBIE on it! To save face, I will say that *I* made Andrew's bed today - and it was MY idea to put Lambie there. :) We bought Lambie when I was about 7 months pregnant with Andrew on a trip to England at a charming store in Cambridge. Lambie's 10 years old too:

Even the green curtains are working, I think. If I stumble upon inexpensive curtains, I may change them out - but for now, I'm liking this:

And what a difference having her own room has made for Anna!! The former Miss Mess has transformed into "I want to make my bed girl"!! :)

Her room still needs some cute girly curtains - and a bed skirt to hide the mess under her bed.

I had to take some pics of her room today because aside from me picking up a book or two from the floor and throwing out some scrap papers left over from crafting at her little table, this is how ANNA herself has managed to keep her room neat:

On a sad side note: her bed is not turning out well :( I painted an oak bed frame white without priming or sanding....and it seemed ok. So I slapped some polyurethane on it & called it quits. Just recently, the poly is turning the bed frame a yellowy color, and there are already a few knicks in the white paint job. Oh well, for now, I'm saying the bed is a shabby chic sepia tone with rustic elements! I think that's what they would say on HGTV! :)

My Thoughts on Blogging

So, I have this long list of blogs that I read now! I just added the list to my own blog profile so everyone can see what I'm reading - who I am "following". What fun ladies - most are people I don't even know but who are godly, some creative, some great cooks, some have much wisdom, some are just outright funny, many inspire me, and a few are my personal friends.

I recently read a post about "how to blog"....and really, it just comes down to doing whatever YOU want to do - it's YOUR blog afterall!

The author talked a little about the TONE of your blog.
So I started thinking about that (yeah, I pyscho-analyze most things to death). What IS my TONE?? Your tone is kind of like your voice. I don't really usually talk to real life people in the tone that I write in; however, my writing tone is not fake. Those are actual thoughts I have, but just presented a little differently. I actually am a very awkward speaker and have a hard time expressing myself unless I know someone really well. In some cases, I'm afraid to say too much - and in other cases, I do say too much and have potential to get in trouble! I want to balance "being real" with having discretion or at least being a non-wave-making person. What I love about my blog is I can always go back and edit, :) but it is also a place where my thoughts can just tumble out sometimes without me considering the consequences of my words too critically.

So, if you know me in real life, that is me (for the most part) - and here on my blog, that's the other side of me (does that make me schizophrenic?!). :)

The other part of my tone in blogging is to remember that I am not totally serious all the time. I have kind of a sarcastic edge - and I tend to see irony in situations instead of wanting to gloss everything over with Pollyanna paint! Take me with a grain of salt, I guess you'd say. I try to remember to put a :) when I think I've made a statement that could be misinterpreted...but mostly I hope my TONE just comes through on its own.

Another aspect of blogging is that some people have a THEME for their blog - strictly family updates or all recipes all the time or decorating inspiration or Bible study or random thoughts or a daily, rotating pattern of themes.....and so on. My THEME is totally random. I originally started out blogging daily to try to be accountable for 2 things: meal-planning and being thankful (not related ideas, obviously, just what I struggle with). THEN I started realizing what a neat outlet blogging was to my love of writing. It's like journaling - but a little more carefully considered because you're putting it out there on the INTERNET for the whole world to see! I don't do that because I think I'm such a great writer; I do it because I love input - and I do want to share my thoughts with those who might be interested. But mostly, I write my blog for my own entertainment (I'm easily amused). :)

At the recent Christian service conference we attended, I went to a session on "Dealing With Difficult People," and one of the teacher's first points was DO NOT blog about the difficult people in your life. Nothing like throwing all the ugliness out there for the whole internet world to see - and then to resolve your issue and regret that you ever wrote about it!! YIKES!! Almost daily I deal with things that are not to be talked about, and mostly, I keep my rash judgments to myself (because it is embarrassing to have to admit that I am not always apt to first give the benefit of the doubt to people). Working in a chuch environment, I have to be so so careful what I say and write! Would I be ok if my pastor read my blog? At this time, I think so! I hope so! (and let me insert right here that I love my pastor, his family, our church, our school, everyone!!) But there are times when the situations in my life are just kind of a vignette of amusement! I have to share, and I try to do so carefully. DISCERNMENT is the key, I believe.

There was one more element of blogging I had thought about - but now I'm blank. Aren't you lucky - wake up - this post is OVER. :) Have a nice day!

Praying ... Day 11

Pray that your husband will have a humble, teachable spirit and a servant’s heart before the Lord. Pray that he will listen to God and desire to do His will. (Prov. 15:33; Eph. 6:6)

Ministry is....

a mom who works in the church nursery and changes someone else's baby's diapers.

a person who serves warm meals at a Soup Kitchen.

a friend who calls to check on a friend.

the people who clean the church building - and those who stop to pick up a piece of trash and throw it away.

a class of children singing at the nursing home.

a missionary who heeds his calling.

a handshake or hug of greeting.

a church member who gives someone a ride to the service.

a meal delivered to a home in the time of sickness, sadness, or celebration.

a card in the mail - or by email - or on facebook!

a nurse who comforts a family in the ER.

setting up tables and chairs...and taking them down again.

a church secretary who prays over the phone with a stranger because that person has just been issued divorce papers.

a children's worker who is animated and excited about Jesus.

a ride to the airport.

a choir praising the Lord in song.

a pastor who visits the elderly and shut-in.

listening longer than you are interested.

a Bible verse reminder.

a store clerk's smile - or giving a smile to a harried store clerk.

fixing someone's dishwasher. ;)

an act of service done in secret.

going out of one's way for another.

a dollar slipped to someone in need.

a mom who sits by a sick child.

a dad who goes to work to provide.

a husband who listens.

a wife who prays.

a child that obeys.

As you have done it to the least of these, my brethern, you have done it unto ME.

What is YOUR ministry?

Praying for My Husband - Day 10

Day 10
Pray that your husband will cultivate strong integrity, and not compromise his convictions. Pray that his testimony will be genuine, that he will be honest in his business dealings, and will never do anything that he needs to hide from others. (Prov. 20:7; 1 Tim. 1:5, 3:7; Eph. 6:10-12)

Proverbs 20:7
A righteous man who walks in his integrity--How blessed are his sons after him.

Wow, what a fitting verse after just posting my story about Andrew, our son! How blessed BOTH our children are because they have a good dad!! :)

And I think I will pray this prayer for ME too - what a sobering statement that last one is...."never do anything that you need to hide from others." Good words to live by!

On the Road with My Son

Andrew has had a cold with an annoying cough and a low-grade fever since last Saturday night. Today he stayed home from school again, and since I had a doctor appointment in a town about an hour's drive away, he was my travel companion.

I love that my 10 year old still likes to be with me. Tonight when I tucked him in, he said something about how much he loved to "travel" with me. Maybe God sent him this little cold because He knew Andrew needed some "mommy time" today.

The drive there was amusing because Andrew has an old Garfield comic book that we found at a Goodwill (I always liked Garfield - maybe because I can relate to him??!), and it started out with Andrew reading the book and occasionally saying, "Mom, listen to this..." and reading me a comic strip. Then, "Mom, this is funny!" and reading me another comic strip. Finally, he was just reading everything to me (and describing the scenario to me if I didn't get it since I couldn't see the pictures). I love hearing him laugh and read and be carefree.

After my appointment, Andrew and I went to Target - and then to lunch. Andrew saw Outback Steakhouse and immediately started talking about how he'd NEVER in all his life (all his 10 years on the planet!) been to one. And you know what??! Just now at this very minute, I remembered that he actually HAD been to one - way back when we lived in Virginia, we took my cousin Siegrid to one while she was visiting us from Germany! I also remember that Andrew, who was about 2 1/2 years old at the time, had to be taken out to the car by daddy "for a talk" (and Daddy's talks usually don't involve many words)....hmmmmmmmmm, no wonder he doesn't remember that! But anyway: Outback was closed for lunch, so I took my son to Applebee's and bought him a small steak :) I had a bowl of broccoli cheese soup - and I hate to say this but it was even BETTER than Panera's!! Cheesier, big pieces of broccoli in it, creamier...

Then we hit Marshalls and Walgreens - which may not sound exciting to many - but to us who live in the middle of no where, it was just plain good times! We also went to Pet Smart - and I realized that my attention span is even shorter than a 10 year olds when it comes to looking at animals. I mean, they are cute and all, but enough already.

On the ride home we just listened to some music. One CD was from the choir at the Bible college & seminary that my parents' church has. Andrew was kind of reading again - but for the first song, he stopped reading and got a really serious look on his face. He listened to the whole song, and since it was a metaphoric song called "The Midnight Cry", I was ready for a serious conversation to follow about its meaning; in fact, I was kind of getting emotional that my son might actually be mulling over the powerful words of the song - and I could have this discussion with him about what it all meant to us as Christians. So, when the last note of the song faded out, I turned off the CD and looked over at Andrew, who was still pretty silent, looking pensive. And then he says, "Wow, Mom, that song was just kind of ... SCAREY", and he went back to reading. I let the teaching moment go...he's just not ready for a theological discussion on what is meant by The Midnight Cry. Probably his senses were dulled by reading too many Garfield comics. :)

Praying for My Husband - Day 9

Day 9
Pray that your husband handle finances wisely, will have discernment concerning budgeting and investments, and will be a good steward of his money in regard to giving to the Lord’s work. Pray that money will not become a source of discord in your family. (Prov. 23:4-5; Rom. 12:13; Heb. 13:5)

Wow, this prayer should actually be for ME. I don't worry too much about Dan spending our money unwisely. He was a Business major in college - and he knows what to do with money; he knows about investing and budgets (although that doesn't mean we've done all our finances perfectly, by any means).
I almost *failed* Economics I and Economics II....required courses for my major, which is too bad because they about kept me from graduating on time!! GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT (GNP)??! I still don't get it.

When Dan was deployed to Iraq, I think he spent maybe, MAYBE $100 for a whole year. Granted I sent him anything he wanted/needed, but he barely bought anything - unless it was something for me or the kids.
While he was gone, I bought a new car (I need to add: with his permission - but it was totally MY idea)!!!!! But that just goes to show how we are so different in this area.

We've both had our fair share of over-spending or purchasing crazy items in the past (anyone want to buy a time share??); but more often than not, I am the one guilty of overspending or of not really caring. Debt and credit cards don't scare me. Dan hates debt "hanging over his head."

The other thing is Dan is one of those people who would "give you the shirt off his back"(which wouldn't be a big loss because he gets them at the $1 sales at Goodwill these days - nice shirts though, brand names - how's that for FABULOUS FRUGAL LIVING?!).
Me? I'd give you my shirt only if it wasn't one of my favorites or if it absolutely matched nothing else I owned anyway. Just bein' honest. I'm naturally not very generous - and Dan's generous to a fault.

I guess I need to add to the prayer today that we would continue to balance each other out in this area of money (and that *I* will stick to our budget!).

Praying...Day 8

Day 8

Pray that your husband will work hard to provide for your family, to the best of his ability. Pray that the character qualities necessary for a successful career and ministry will be a growing part of his character—persistence, decisiveness, strength, an analytical mind, organizational skills, positive relationships with people, determination, etc. (Rom. 12:11; 1 Cor. 15:58 )

I totally "get" Moses...

In my Bible reading, I am now in Numbers chapter 11. Once again, Moses proves to be someone I can totally relate with.

As the Israelites start journeying again, they start complaining again. This time they complain about God's provision - the manna He gives them daily. They want "flavor": leeks, onions, garlic, cucumbers, and melons like they ate back in Egypt. I can't say I blame them, and I'm thinking if I were among them, I'd probably be complaining too. I'd rather have a garlicy-saucy meal at Olive Garden than cook Hamburger Helper at home!

Moses loses it at this point; he was "displeased". And he begins in on God with (paraphrased), "WHY have you been so hard on me? Why don't you like me? Why have you given me this burden?...Am I these peoples' parent (did I conceive them and bring them forth)? How can I satisfy these peoples' request for meat?"

This is a conversation that I have had with God too! Not necessarily in those words, but I remember wondering if God even LIKED me, and if He did, WHY did He put me in situations that were so hard?? Working in the school, I've wondered why God allowed some people to even be allowed to have children...when they apparently don't do right by them or don't take good care of them or hurt them in various ways by their own selfish behavior and neglect. And what do all these people want from me anyway; I can't do anything much for them either to change their circumstances?! Yep, I've been there, Moses.

(DISCLAIMER HERE: Moses was called - in Numbers 12:3 - very humble, more than any who was on the face of the earth. I CAN NOT compare myself to him there...I am just fascinated that a man who would be considered like this would struggle with something I have struggled with!).

I kind of chuckle at Moses' dramatics because in the midst of my own rantings about a situation I don't like, Dan tends to think I go way too far too!! Moses says in verse 15 to God, "So if Thou art going to deal thus with me, please kill me at once." My version of this is, "heaven is better than this." I have been known to say that when things around me get seemingly out of control! In the options of fight or flight, I choose flight every time (get me out of here, Lord!).

As with us, God doesn't let Moses completely abandon his task, in his case leading Israel. Instead, He gives him the option of having 70 capable people to help carry his burden! I think often my SELF SUFFICIENCY is what makes me not see that there are plenty of good Christians around me who can help me carry my "burdens" too.

As Moses begins to see these chosen helpers work (and prophesy), he is relieved & kind of wishes that all the Lord's people were prophets (vs. 29). Yes, the Christian life would be easier if every one of God's people did what was right! In Moses' case, the nation of Israel was God's chosen people, but they were a bunch of whiners and complainers and reluctant travelers. They were all for him when things were good but quick to backslide when the way got hard. Isn't that like us (me) as Christians today!! However, in the midst of seeing all the people who are so blatantly needy and whiney and making poor choices, I sometimes overlook and fail to remember that there are so many who ARE doing what is right, who have a good attitude, and who make wise decisions. God can and will take care of the rest.