It has been an absolutely beautiful day in southern Arkansas today.
I slept late and when I awoke I reminded myself that I had beaten all of my children and my husband at bowling last night. Yes, me! I won a game! I never win a game. Especially one that requires physical ability. But the skills I learned in my college archery/bowling class came in handy last night and I beat them all soundly.
It was a good feeling this morning.
We then headed to buy baseball pants and other a sundry items for the sport. After spending 60 on said items we headed home. We were going to eat lunch out, but I decided it would be best if we just ate groceries we had already paid for. Stephen would be so proud!
And then I spent a couple of hours on my patio with a coke and my Kindle. The kids were running around the yard having a good time, and I enjoyed watching them. It was a wonderful Saturday afternoon.
Now, I'm off to cook dinner and prepare for tomorrow morning. Re-read my Sunday School lesson and iron clothes. Tomorrow will be one of those long days at church. The youth are having a lunch and a pie/sweets auction after morning worship and tomorrow night is our monthly potluck.
I love our church. We have such wonderful people that do great things to insure that Gods love is shared.
Happy Saturday!
Showing posts with label musings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label musings. Show all posts
April 10, 2010
March 29, 2010
I read several blogs daily. One that I read faithfully is written by a mom of triplets. She writes every night, so usually before I go to bed I check to see what wisdom she has decided to share.
And it is wisdom most days. The way she acts out her faith is a challenge to me. No, I don't know her personally, but I'm pretty sure that she is the real deal.
Well, over the last year and a half she has talked about a friend that has cancer. He was a young guy, early thirties, married, no children. He and his wife worked tirelessly with Young Life. They had devoted their lives to this. And they loved it.
The blogger would write about his battle and the faith that both he and his wife held to during their most trying times. She would share a link to his caring bridge website, but I decided to not get involved in that. I didn't want to have to think about that. (I know, real christian of me, I know!)
Well, today her friend died. They had been praying for a miracle. Over the last few weeks I had been praying for a miracle for him. We didn't get the miracle that we asked for, but he is with Jesus tonight, and that is a miracle in itself.
I have read many comments that were left for he and his wife today. And let me just say that I was moved to tears. Tears. Daniel even came in and asked if I wanted him to call Stephen and tell him that I was sad. Such a sweet kid.
The blogger, and the couple, lived in the moment. They didn't stay bogged down in the disease and the pain, and the inconvenience. They instead, chose to live out their faith. They didn't waiver, they never posted any pity party posts. They stood strong, asking for a miracle and knowing that it may not be granted. And it wasn't.
But, oh the faith they showed. The love of Christ they showed to any that would read and listen was unbelievable.
I never want to go down the road they were on. But if I have to, I prayed today that I go through it like they did. What a beautiful testimony of Gods love and faithfulness to His people.
God loves you. He loves you when you screw up, when you yell at your kids, when you speed down the road, when you want to run away from it all. He loves you.
My question the last few days has been Do I love Him like that? Am I in love with Jesus? Or do I just speak words?
I love Him!!! And I want to show it! How about you?
And it is wisdom most days. The way she acts out her faith is a challenge to me. No, I don't know her personally, but I'm pretty sure that she is the real deal.
Well, over the last year and a half she has talked about a friend that has cancer. He was a young guy, early thirties, married, no children. He and his wife worked tirelessly with Young Life. They had devoted their lives to this. And they loved it.
The blogger would write about his battle and the faith that both he and his wife held to during their most trying times. She would share a link to his caring bridge website, but I decided to not get involved in that. I didn't want to have to think about that. (I know, real christian of me, I know!)
Well, today her friend died. They had been praying for a miracle. Over the last few weeks I had been praying for a miracle for him. We didn't get the miracle that we asked for, but he is with Jesus tonight, and that is a miracle in itself.
I have read many comments that were left for he and his wife today. And let me just say that I was moved to tears. Tears. Daniel even came in and asked if I wanted him to call Stephen and tell him that I was sad. Such a sweet kid.
The blogger, and the couple, lived in the moment. They didn't stay bogged down in the disease and the pain, and the inconvenience. They instead, chose to live out their faith. They didn't waiver, they never posted any pity party posts. They stood strong, asking for a miracle and knowing that it may not be granted. And it wasn't.
But, oh the faith they showed. The love of Christ they showed to any that would read and listen was unbelievable.
I never want to go down the road they were on. But if I have to, I prayed today that I go through it like they did. What a beautiful testimony of Gods love and faithfulness to His people.
God loves you. He loves you when you screw up, when you yell at your kids, when you speed down the road, when you want to run away from it all. He loves you.
My question the last few days has been Do I love Him like that? Am I in love with Jesus? Or do I just speak words?
I love Him!!! And I want to show it! How about you?
March 4, 2010
Curling, A Chore?
I love a list.
I love to make a list.
I love to mark things off of a list. In fact sometimes I add things to it that I've already done just so I can mark them off.
I'm not the only one right?
Well, Monday I made a list. Not my best one ever. Nothing lofty on this list. Here's a sample.
clean refrig
hang and tag clothes for DDG
mop floors
sweep garage
take clothes to a&e's
hang Samuel's shelf
It is now Thursday and I have marked one thing off the list. Just one thing. I haven't even added anything to mark off.
And it isn't that I haven't done anything this week. Because I have. I really have. Just nothing list worthy I guess.
So today, I'm on a mission to complete my list. I will do it. I will!
Oh! The one item I completed? Mopping. Its my new favorite chore. It reminds me of my new most favorite Olympic sport-Curling. You should see me go. I think I could take that girl from Canada on!
Do you make lists?
I love to make a list.
I love to mark things off of a list. In fact sometimes I add things to it that I've already done just so I can mark them off.
I'm not the only one right?
Well, Monday I made a list. Not my best one ever. Nothing lofty on this list. Here's a sample.
clean refrig
hang and tag clothes for DDG
mop floors
sweep garage
take clothes to a&e's
hang Samuel's shelf
It is now Thursday and I have marked one thing off the list. Just one thing. I haven't even added anything to mark off.
And it isn't that I haven't done anything this week. Because I have. I really have. Just nothing list worthy I guess.
So today, I'm on a mission to complete my list. I will do it. I will!
Oh! The one item I completed? Mopping. Its my new favorite chore. It reminds me of my new most favorite Olympic sport-Curling. You should see me go. I think I could take that girl from Canada on!
Do you make lists?
January 5, 2010
A Funeral
I went to my first funeral since 2002 yesterday.
In 2002 my grandmother died and my mom just happened to be visiting and was able to keep my kids for me while Stephen and I went to the funeral.
Since then, many people have died but I have not attended their funerals. Many special people in the churches we have served in have died and I have stayed home with the kids while Stephen went and not only represented our family but also, most times, preached the funeral.
We take the kids to visitations the night before the funerals, that seems to always be a more casual, yet more emotional, time. The kids usually stay in the lobby and don't cause any trouble.
A funeral is different. As you can understand.
Over the weekend a beautiful, Christian lady in our church died. She was a mentor to so many women and a living example of a Godly woman for so many to emulate.
Stephen asked me to go to the funeral. It is the first time he has asked me to go to a funeral, not quite like a date, but still he wanted to be with me. How sweet. A funeral date.
Anyway. More about this lady.
She had written all of her funeral plans out and put them in a special place to be opened at the time of her death. Her family remembered this and did so.
She had let them know what dress she wanted to be buried in, what pall bearers she wanted, who she wanted to preach the funeral, and where she wanted the funeral to be held. It helped the family so much that she had already made these decisions for them.
Everytime we move I plan Stephen's funeral in my head. I know it sounds morbid, but I don't think of it that way. I think of it as being prepared.
I've decided, since I heard about this woman and her funeral plan, that I too will write down my wishes for my funeral. She wrote hers 8 years ago. Thankfully the dress she wanted to wear still fit! I don't know that I will be able to be so specific about my clothing. As much as I like to shop, I would be getting into that envelope all the time and changing my outfit!!
What do you think about that? Will you make funeral plans before hand?
In 2002 my grandmother died and my mom just happened to be visiting and was able to keep my kids for me while Stephen and I went to the funeral.
Since then, many people have died but I have not attended their funerals. Many special people in the churches we have served in have died and I have stayed home with the kids while Stephen went and not only represented our family but also, most times, preached the funeral.
We take the kids to visitations the night before the funerals, that seems to always be a more casual, yet more emotional, time. The kids usually stay in the lobby and don't cause any trouble.
A funeral is different. As you can understand.
Over the weekend a beautiful, Christian lady in our church died. She was a mentor to so many women and a living example of a Godly woman for so many to emulate.
Stephen asked me to go to the funeral. It is the first time he has asked me to go to a funeral, not quite like a date, but still he wanted to be with me. How sweet. A funeral date.
Anyway. More about this lady.
She had written all of her funeral plans out and put them in a special place to be opened at the time of her death. Her family remembered this and did so.
She had let them know what dress she wanted to be buried in, what pall bearers she wanted, who she wanted to preach the funeral, and where she wanted the funeral to be held. It helped the family so much that she had already made these decisions for them.
Everytime we move I plan Stephen's funeral in my head. I know it sounds morbid, but I don't think of it that way. I think of it as being prepared.
I've decided, since I heard about this woman and her funeral plan, that I too will write down my wishes for my funeral. She wrote hers 8 years ago. Thankfully the dress she wanted to wear still fit! I don't know that I will be able to be so specific about my clothing. As much as I like to shop, I would be getting into that envelope all the time and changing my outfit!!
What do you think about that? Will you make funeral plans before hand?
May 5, 2009
I miss the tanning bed
I love to tan.
I love the tanning bed.
I love the feeling of the heat on my skin, the whirring sound of the bed, the feel of the fan on my face, the smell of the acelerator lotion on my body.
I love that my children cannot bother me while I'm in the tanning bed. That could be the best thing!
It has been 4 years since I have been in a tanning bed. 4 years! That is just too long.
I have been tanning in my back yard underneath the good ole sun for all these years.
I'm used to tanning the old fashioned way. When I was growing up I would lather myself up with crisco and tan in my backyard. Ok, so maybe tan isn't the correct word. Burn was more like it.
I have matured a lot since those days. I don't put crisco on my body anymore (mainly because Stephen still makes fun of those burned days in high school!) Thank heavens for the ability to mature and learn from mistakes of the past.
I do however love to sit under the blazing sun and tan. It is probably my favorite thing to do in the summer.
I try to begin my tanning in April. (let me clear something up real quick. When I say I tan in the back yard, I mean I am sitting in a chair with short and a shirt on. I'm not laying in a lawn chair in my backyard with a bikini on.) But this year things have been different. April was cold and May has been too rainy.
I haven't been this white in May in years. YEARS!
I want a tan. I want a tan now. I want a tan right now.
Sun please shine! Please!
I love the tanning bed.
I love the feeling of the heat on my skin, the whirring sound of the bed, the feel of the fan on my face, the smell of the acelerator lotion on my body.
I love that my children cannot bother me while I'm in the tanning bed. That could be the best thing!
It has been 4 years since I have been in a tanning bed. 4 years! That is just too long.
I have been tanning in my back yard underneath the good ole sun for all these years.
I'm used to tanning the old fashioned way. When I was growing up I would lather myself up with crisco and tan in my backyard. Ok, so maybe tan isn't the correct word. Burn was more like it.
I have matured a lot since those days. I don't put crisco on my body anymore (mainly because Stephen still makes fun of those burned days in high school!) Thank heavens for the ability to mature and learn from mistakes of the past.
I do however love to sit under the blazing sun and tan. It is probably my favorite thing to do in the summer.
I try to begin my tanning in April. (let me clear something up real quick. When I say I tan in the back yard, I mean I am sitting in a chair with short and a shirt on. I'm not laying in a lawn chair in my backyard with a bikini on.) But this year things have been different. April was cold and May has been too rainy.
I haven't been this white in May in years. YEARS!
I want a tan. I want a tan now. I want a tan right now.
Sun please shine! Please!
April 15, 2009
Griping
If you don't want to read my griping you should just go and do something else.
This post is all about me complaining, and whining. Just like I got onto my kids for doing yesterday.
I love being a parent!
Our family has been involved in summer baseball for 7 years. When I write that it doesn't seem very long, but as I have lived it, it seems like a very long time.
I have enjoyed summer baseball very much. As much as I complain about the 37 games we will play this year, I love it all. I love the activity of practices, having to find something for supper that is quick and easy, and sitting at games that go on and on and on.
So enough of that. On to the complaining and griping!
All four of the kids are playing baseball this year. ( I am not complaining about that, we have looked forward to this for several years.)
And it is expensive.(This is where I begin complaining)
Here is a rundown of expenses:
$175 for sign up because we have more than one child we got a price break! Woo!Hoo!
$14x5= $70 for uniforms which only include the shirt and hat
$20 for belts and socks Anna and Samuel didn't get socks or a belt
$8.50 for pants and cleats I got these at the local resale shop
$25 dues so Stephen can coach a team. Yes, he gets to pay to coach!
$2 x 21 games =$42 what I have to pay to get in the games
$1 x 19 = $41 I know that doesn't look like it equals but the kids have to pay $1 when
they attend a game they aren't playing.
$2 x 9=$18 what Stephen has to pay to get in games when he isn't coaching
$33 for popcorn. it is 75 cents each, and most games I will be buying 2 bags!
$??? for gatorades for our kids and drinks and snacks when we are game
parents for Anna's game.
Grand total!
$432.50
I don't mind having to pay for the uniform.
Well, I take that back. I do mind. My registration money should provide for uniforms.
But I do mind having to pay for my kids to get in to watch part of a baseball game and then run around, play in the woods, and ask when we can go home.
Is anyone with me? Shouldn't baseball be cheaper?
It has been cheaper before. We have played when the league bought uniforms, and there was no charge for anyone to get in the games.
There are ways to make it cheaper. Why don't they ask me?
Do you think it is because I would gripe, whine, and complain?
Yes, I do too!
Ok, now you can go on and do something more productive than read my rantings! And I will go do something more productive.
Like laundry!
This post is all about me complaining, and whining. Just like I got onto my kids for doing yesterday.
I love being a parent!
Our family has been involved in summer baseball for 7 years. When I write that it doesn't seem very long, but as I have lived it, it seems like a very long time.
I have enjoyed summer baseball very much. As much as I complain about the 37 games we will play this year, I love it all. I love the activity of practices, having to find something for supper that is quick and easy, and sitting at games that go on and on and on.
So enough of that. On to the complaining and griping!
All four of the kids are playing baseball this year. ( I am not complaining about that, we have looked forward to this for several years.)
And it is expensive.(This is where I begin complaining)
Here is a rundown of expenses:
$175 for sign up because we have more than one child we got a price break! Woo!Hoo!
$14x5= $70 for uniforms which only include the shirt and hat
$20 for belts and socks Anna and Samuel didn't get socks or a belt
$8.50 for pants and cleats I got these at the local resale shop
$25 dues so Stephen can coach a team. Yes, he gets to pay to coach!
$2 x 21 games =$42 what I have to pay to get in the games
$1 x 19 = $41 I know that doesn't look like it equals but the kids have to pay $1 when
they attend a game they aren't playing.
$2 x 9=$18 what Stephen has to pay to get in games when he isn't coaching
$33 for popcorn. it is 75 cents each, and most games I will be buying 2 bags!
$??? for gatorades for our kids and drinks and snacks when we are game
parents for Anna's game.
Grand total!
$432.50
I don't mind having to pay for the uniform.
Well, I take that back. I do mind. My registration money should provide for uniforms.
But I do mind having to pay for my kids to get in to watch part of a baseball game and then run around, play in the woods, and ask when we can go home.
Is anyone with me? Shouldn't baseball be cheaper?
It has been cheaper before. We have played when the league bought uniforms, and there was no charge for anyone to get in the games.
There are ways to make it cheaper. Why don't they ask me?
Do you think it is because I would gripe, whine, and complain?
Yes, I do too!
Ok, now you can go on and do something more productive than read my rantings! And I will go do something more productive.
Like laundry!
March 24, 2009
A great visit
Today my friend Debbie came to town.
She and I have met a few times, but we became friends through email. Email really allows me to be "who" I am more so than when I am face to face with someone. Being face to face makes me nervous. Writing isn't my strong suit either, but I do tend to be better at it than chit chatting face to face.
I have never been good at small talk. I usually go on and on and tell way to much, or laugh at the strangest places or try to fill in the pauses.
I know better than to do this. I have been to many classes that have taught me better than this, yet I still talk and talk and talk.
I know you are thinking that I obviously write like that too! I can hear you!
Anyway, back to Debbie.
She came to town, I took her on a quick tour (it doesn't take too long to see the high points, we just have 1 stop light), and then we went to lunch at the sandwich shop at the Village. I love the village. We talked(I talked), we laughed. She shared information with me that I needed, and gave me advice that I desired.
But better than all that, she prayed for me. At the end of our visit, when it was time for her to leave and go back to her big city, she prayed for me and with me. We have shared prayer requests back and forth for the last few months. She not only remembered, but I was able to hear her voice a prayer regarding those very things.
There is nothing quite like having a friend pray for you. I regret not voicing a prayer for her.
I will remember today for a long time.
A special friend, a special prayer, a special time.
She and I have met a few times, but we became friends through email. Email really allows me to be "who" I am more so than when I am face to face with someone. Being face to face makes me nervous. Writing isn't my strong suit either, but I do tend to be better at it than chit chatting face to face.
I have never been good at small talk. I usually go on and on and tell way to much, or laugh at the strangest places or try to fill in the pauses.
I know better than to do this. I have been to many classes that have taught me better than this, yet I still talk and talk and talk.
I know you are thinking that I obviously write like that too! I can hear you!
Anyway, back to Debbie.
She came to town, I took her on a quick tour (it doesn't take too long to see the high points, we just have 1 stop light), and then we went to lunch at the sandwich shop at the Village. I love the village. We talked(I talked), we laughed. She shared information with me that I needed, and gave me advice that I desired.
But better than all that, she prayed for me. At the end of our visit, when it was time for her to leave and go back to her big city, she prayed for me and with me. We have shared prayer requests back and forth for the last few months. She not only remembered, but I was able to hear her voice a prayer regarding those very things.
There is nothing quite like having a friend pray for you. I regret not voicing a prayer for her.
I will remember today for a long time.
A special friend, a special prayer, a special time.
March 11, 2009
Awake!
It is 12:53AM and I'm awake.
This is becoming a bit of a habit and I don't like it a bit.
I need sleep. I require sleep. And lately I'm up for 3 hours in the middle of the night at least one night a week, sometimes 2.
I watch tv, read blogs, mop floors, fold clothes. And all of that is after I have prayed, while still lying in bed, that God will help me fall back to sleep.
There isn't anything on my mind. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not excited or anxious about anything. I just can't sleep.
My legs get restless and I think I'm bothering Stephen. So I get up and wander around the house. I don't enjoy this.
This isn't fun.
It's 12:57 and I'm STILL awake!
This is becoming a bit of a habit and I don't like it a bit.
I need sleep. I require sleep. And lately I'm up for 3 hours in the middle of the night at least one night a week, sometimes 2.
I watch tv, read blogs, mop floors, fold clothes. And all of that is after I have prayed, while still lying in bed, that God will help me fall back to sleep.
There isn't anything on my mind. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not excited or anxious about anything. I just can't sleep.
My legs get restless and I think I'm bothering Stephen. So I get up and wander around the house. I don't enjoy this.
This isn't fun.
It's 12:57 and I'm STILL awake!
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