What is goin' on??

My car needs fixed. We have already talked to Adam about some stuff and he is lining up the parts and will be fixing them soon. Now, my heater is not sure if it really wants to put out the effort to heat the car so about 90% of the time it blows cold air, I will get a minute or two of warm air so I blast it and then it turns cold. Now it is doing this weird power surge thing. My lights will dim and brighten as I drive, sometimes the windshield wipers are normal, sometimes they are in slow-mo, and now the blower in my heater is surging. I am sure there will be more things added to the repair list.

I went to cook dinner the other night and the oven is out. Bob is going to try to figure out what is wrong and order the parts.

I have had a headache and cough for about three days. Today it hit my stomach. While I was in the middle of my training siminar. Not good for anyone.

All the groceries I bought need to be cooked in the oven so we are eating PB& J. Ok, I get it...we HAVE PB&J, so why complain...many people have so very much less. Guess I will have to take this off the trial list.

I agreed to do a trunk for Trunk or Treat. Normally not a bad thing but if you know me you know I hate being roped in to one location for several hours. Ok, so this one isn't technically a trial either...just feels that way! :)

What is goin' on?

Seems there may be something important that I, Bob or a combination of both, will be doing for God and satan is trying to distract. Mmmmmm...sucks for him huh? I used to get so focused on how horrid things are going when any one of the above thing would happen, much less all this in the space of a few days. Guess my perspective is changing. Now I am just wondering and watching for what God has to come for us.

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Luke 12:34 (NIV)

I forgot to schedule time to rest this weekend!

Tomorrow I will be heading to St. Louis for the Revolve Girls Tour. It is a wonderful weekend where teen girls can learn about true beauty, what it means to have the greatest romance of all, how important friendships are, and just have a great time getting to know each other better.

We will be leaving around three and getting back Saturday afternoon. I am really excited even though we have a small number of girls going. I am looking at this as a time to really pour into the ones that ARE going. Also, I won't lie... God always has something for me at each and every teen event I have attended. I can't wait to learn what He wants me to know this weekend!

The only tear in my happy bubble is that it is also the same weekend as our church's ladies retreat. It would have been fun to spend the time away with the ladies but I will console myself by praying for them to have a great weekend of fellowship, renewal and connection.

Sunday will be packed with activites as well. After church I will make a fast stop at the chilifest to pick up my bow and headband I ordered from my friend who will have a booth there, then back to the chuch for a babyshower for one of the girls in my youth group, then over to the common area for married life small groups unified game night. I will be looking forward to the work week beginning so that I can rest up from the weekend!

Georgous Quilt Giveaway!

Ok...I really want this quilt but because I have been taught to be fair (and not greedy either) I am posting a link to the blog that could win you the beautiful quilt pictured in my side bar.

Just follow this link and you are on your way!

I'm itch-itch-itching to get started!

I LOVE scrapbooking! I have not done it for awhile, but I have been piecing out my spreads so that when I have the opportunity to get together with some of my friends I will be ready to go. I have so many! I have enough to keep me going for a full day anyway.

I went to Hobby Lobby today to price a scrapbook as a baby shower gift and just happened to drift up and down the isles. Yep, you guessed it... I am in full blown scrapbooking itch! Anyone else get that crafty itch in the fall?

April and Missy, if you read this, call me ASAP! Anyone else that scrapbooks and reads this...You need a buddy? Let's get a move on!

How did I get over here?

Wow.......God is so amazing and the fact that he can so completely speak to me in two little verses is just mind-blowing.

"So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong." Hebrews 12:12-13

"Take a new grip" for me is all about reconnecting to God in his word. I have been winging it with the "necessary" or as a refresher...but not as a firm grip on God's will for my life.

"Mark out a straight path" is telling me to focus in on what is good and right and holy. My children, and others, will be following where I have walked and I need to leave them a path that is not confusing or obstructed. My walk is about connecting with God first and foremost, but the other intention of God is for me to bring others to Him.

You may be thinking, "Wow! I figured that stuff out in 3rd grade!" It's probably true and I probably should have, but sometimes you take a little step off the path and then hop back on immediately, but sometimes, we take a step off the path and are so distracted by life and problems and struggles that we don't pay attention until we are off in the wilderness trying to figure out where we are. We need to then focus on where we have been and where we stepped off the path so that we can return to the path and begin a journey that is straight and true.

What a great way to end the day.

This Cat IS All That

Jenn texted me yesterday afternoon that we had left Abby's stuffed kitty at the Barn when we left. I told Jenn that I would just pick her up on my way to work this morning and she texted me back that she thought Kitty was a must have. I told her we would be fine for one day.

Uhhhh...wrong.

Abby was up most of the night. Every time I would think she was asleep, nope. There would come a noise or a soft self-chatter from her room. I went to bed around 2:40 and she was still up. Then I was told today that she barely had a nap. I am so sorry that I doubted Kitty's ability to comfort and sooth her to sleep.

This afternoon when I brought Abby home I had taken Kitty and put her on the couch where she "waited" for Abby to see her. This is the reunion picture.

Kitty lives right there, under Abby's arm. I didn't get pictures of the 10-15 kisses that Kitty got.

And the little princess? Oh, she's already asleep, kitty keeping watch from her side.

Fun Website

Am I the only one that has never heard of Blissfully Dosmestic?

What a great resource! I was on it forever today and didn't even make a dent.

Just wanted to pass along an fun find that is new to me!

Rambly Ramblin'

I was recently shopping for a Halloween costume and had several observations that made me really sad...
The costume industry considers a costume to be sized XL if you are a size 12-14. This is the average size of the American Woman. How sad that we are telling a woman that her weight, although healthy and beautiful fo her body, is not thin enough for the masses. Cheryl Burke from Dancing With the Stars put on a little weight, all the way up to a size four, and she is receiving emails telling her she needs to lose weight. What is WRONG with people?!
Costumes clearly marked "Teen Trends" had skirts so short that special underwear would have to be purchased to be worn with it, and so little material on top that 99% of her body would NOT have been left to the imagination. They had titles like "naughty", "sexy", and "hot". When did it become acceptable to allow our daughters to aspire to these images? Lord, please make me the very epitome of the uncool mom. Help me to teach my daughter to stand against these trends and to become a great woman of integrity and modesty.
In a time of economic seesawing...apparently people are still willing to spend $50-$100 on a costume that will be worn exactly one evening a year. I think we all need a Dave Ramsey in our pocket, and definately a Dave Ramsey helping to set prices in the supermarkets, stores and retailers!
After all this...I still don't have a costume!

Abby has definately gotten my temper, patience and attitude. Today alone she has fallen out of her crib (agian!) because she didn't want to wait for someone ot get her out, she fusses at us and bats at our hand when we try to help her do something because she is already "Miss Independent", she was tired but not willing to admit defeat so she continued to play, getting frustrated, angry and sleepier as she went. I finally placed her in prison (otherwise known as her bed) after she got angry that I tried to help her up and she bit and hit her piano. Ahhh...the best is still to come I hear. Oh mercy!

It is the middle of October and the trees are starting to turn colors. I am such a seasonal tourist! As soon as signs start to show of the change of season (autumn especially) I get all excited and happy and want to head out to see what God is up to. I love autumn the best because I love the cooler weather and wearing sweatshirts, college football (Go Razorbacks!), pumpkin patches and corn mazes, and decorating for the fall harvest look. I even pull out some recipes that I only make in the fall like beef stew, veggie soup, haystacks and chili. I like to be home more cuddled under a blankie and watching a movie or TV with the kids. ( I have to admit I am looking forward to that game system that we heard Santa was bringing this year. Great bonding time with the kiddo!) Next weekend we have a local festival called Chili-fest. I can't wait to hit the town square and check out the booths and get me some of that award winning (mild) chili!

I have been re-reading some books that I didn't pay that much attention to the first time. Creative Correction by Lisa Welchel, Bringing Up Boys by Dr. James Dobson and the new Strong Willed Child by Dr. Dobson. With all the refocusing, I have discovered that I have let several attitudes, habits and such get way out of hand. How true (now looking back with 20/20 vision) that it is much easier to head off the undesired behavior than to break them of the well established one!

Speaking of 20/20 vision...I am looking to retire the purple glasses. I am pretty sure that they have shrunk. No, I don't know how and I can't explain why I think so, I am just pretty sure they have. I plan to head to my handy dandy Wal-mart and let my dear friend Susie get me into some fun new wire frames.

I am in full couch potato mode. I have way to many shows that I don't want to miss! I have a housework system that actually keeps me on track and I get more done while I am watching TV. I try to see how much I can squeeze in during the commercial breaks. You would be absolutely shocked how much housework can get done in one evening of TV. (plus, I save putting the laundry away and folding the towels and whites until my shows are on. Then, I can kill two birds with one stone. Actually three, the time I would have spent doing that earlier I can spend helping Kevin with his homework or chasing Abby around making weird noises and sayin' Gonna Getcha. Oh ya, it's high class all the way around here!

Something about the fall makes me feel really crafty. I have been inspired to scrapbook, buy paint and get out the hot glue gun. I have even got paint waiting for me to tackle the bedroom. Like I said, I LOVE the autumn time!

Willing to Change

Ask a question and be willing to change to meet the answer. This is my new mantra.

For quite some time I have been feeling very scattered. Overwhelmed by too much and not sure where to start to make sense of it all. God hears every prayer. Even those that are half-way flung and partially muttered. All of a sudden, I was reading so many scriptures that all were directing me into God’s plan for me, but I was unwilling to change. So, God met me in more places in more obvious ways. I was looking for confirmation that I was doing a good job and God would bless my current path. It took him awhile to finally get it through to me that to find the answer to my prayer I would have to completely re-assess my priorities.

For the last two years I have been a very active sponsor in our youth group. I absolutely love working with them and feel that I have found my niche leading the high school girl’s small group. By no means is it an easy, or usually even gratifying, ministry. There is usually more frustration and heartache that I would wish for. I have put countless hours into mentoring, listening, directing, correcting, loving, caring and praying for these girls. I wouldn’t change where I am now for anything. I just didn’t realize that I left my first two ministries, my marriage and my kids, in a very distant second and third on the priority list. In several ways over the past few months God has reached out to both me and Bob, trying to show us that we were not doing what He had planned. The first thing that really woke us up was our first parent-teacher meeting of the year with Kevin’s teacher. We were informed that Kevin, who is in third grade, is reading on a kindergarten level. We both knew that he was struggling with reading, that he has several learning disabilities. We placed him in an afterschool program that was to help him with his homework. He works with a resource teacher throughout the day and we have taken him for speech/reading therapy. We thought that was fine. We allowed ourselves to believe we had the problem under control. Until our meeting. It became very clear that we had completely failed to meet the standards that were ours, as parents, to meet. We had allowed others to work the problem so that we could have time to do what we wanted. Plus the fact they got the stress of working with him and struggling to find ways to meet his needs and help him learn while keep him from getting so frustrated that he just gave up.

The second thing that really opened my eyes to how far off the mark I had gotten was when our friend (also conveniently the youth pastor) met with us. One of his questions was to find out how we were doing in our bible study time. I thought that I was in great shape there. I was in my bible all the time, looking things up, studying topics, coming up with lessons for my small group. He then talked to us about the fact that we were spending all our time in the bible looking for things to help others, not to deepen our relationship with God and find direction for our own life. This was such an unexpected observation that it took me a few days to process it. How right he was. I have absolutely no idea how to study the bible for myself. I have been so concerned with being prepared to meet others needs that I have never taken the time to find out what God wants for ME.

Finally, I saw a backward trend in the way Bob and I were relating to each other. I had gotten back into the frustrated/angry responses instead of trying to sit down and think out what I wanted to say. I hadn’t put him first in my life in so long that I didn’t really know how to get back in the habit of meeting his needs. I have always said that when he walks in the door, no matter how bad my day has been, I feel relieved because I know he is there to shoulder the weight of the things that overwhelm me. He has always made me feel protected and loved, but by not putting him first, I was not meeting his needs in the same way. I have been more interested in going and doing and running and being busy busy busy than I have in wanting to connect with my husband. God put us together to be a compliment to each others strengths and a support for each others weaknesses but we have not been connecting on either point.

So, what has God had to say on the subject?

Exodus 14:14
“I will fight for you says the Lord. You need only to be still.”

Proverbs 31:10-12“Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies. Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich is life. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.”

Proverbs 31:28
“Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her.”

Titus 2:4-5
“These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God.”

Ephesians 6:4
“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.”

This is just a sample of what God has put before me in the past weeks. It hasn’t just been in my bible studies because, to be honest, I am still struggling to make being in the Bible every day a priority. It has been from friends, devotions, books, even a coffee mug. Sounds crazy, but God will get his desire across any way He sees fit.

So, we have made a commitment to re-prioritize. It is really hard because, to be honest, it is fun to hang out with teenagers. They are funny, energetic and smart. We do fun activities and get to go on weekend retreats and week-long camps. It is just fun. But, God wants us to scale back on the time and funds we put into this ministry. I have struggled to really let go of my desire to go and run and do all the time. It has been so worth it though. I still get to spend time with the teens but I am putting the bulk of my commitment back into my family. I have already noticed a difference in how Bob and I are relating and connecting and I hope that it will have a positive impact on Kevin’s grades as well. I am even starting to lose that scattered and overwhelmed feeling. I can concentrate on the moment I am in instead of trying to plan for the next thing on my to-do list or activity on my calendar.

That's where I have been the last few weeks. Thanks for being there with your prayers and support and encouragement.

It took me a little bit to be willing to change to meet the answer God provided to my prayers, but I am so glad I am working on it. We are still trying to balance and be flexible and open to God’s leading, but by doing so we are building a more stable, God-designed foundation to our marriage, our family and our ministry.

Free Handbags from Handbag Planet!

Ladies...

Ok. Time to confess my secret addiction. I LOVE purses. And handbags. And messenger bags. And overnight bags. Any kind of bag. Oh, mercy...it is not healthy. But I do love them and that is why I have to tell you about the free giveaway at Handbag Planet.

Ladies, this is a brand new website and the idea of a FREE bag makes me so happy! They are giving away one free handbag every hour for 24 hours! Go register for one!

Happy Handbags y'all!