Beauty

Me: "Heidi, what makes you attractive?"
Heidi: "Why?"
Me: "I just want to hear what you have to say."
Heidi: "Okay, but don't send it to anyone."
Me: "Okay, go ahead."
Heidi: "Um, long hair, fair skin, pretty eyes, cute clothes."
Me: "What makes you important?"
Heidi: "Being saved."
Me: "Being saved makes you important?"
Heidi: "Sort of"
Me: "Where you important before you were saved?"
Heidi: "I think so, but I am now more important."
Me: "What makes you beautiful?"
Heidi: "When I am nice, when I am not doing anything bad. Sometimes talents make you pretty."
******************
Me: "Reagan, what makes you attractive?"
Reagan: "Uh, um, maybe pretty shoes?"
Me: "You think people look at your shoes to see if you are pretty?"
Reagan: "haha, no..."
Reagan: "By putting pretty clothes on?"
Me: "What makes you beautiful?"
Reagan: "Ummm if you try to be pretty?"
Me: "Okay, what makes you important?"
Reagan: "cause I'm a good kid"
Me: *laughs* "Yes! What else?"
Reagan: **Smiles** "Cause I'm your kid!"
Me: "Okay...that's all."
********************
Me: "Alright, both of you...what makes you beautiful???"
Heidi: "When you are good inside your body."
Me: "Okay, so...what is the only good thing in you?"
Heidi: "Christ is the only good thing in us."
Me: "Now I am going to ask you again, what us makes us beautiful?"
Heidi: "Christ, he helps us to be good and that is how we are beautiful."
Me: "Yes, because he is constantly making us more like him. Now, is beauty the same as being attractive?"
Heidi: (Reagan is listening, Heidi is talking...as usual) "It can be, well, attractive means that you're pretty and sometimes that means you are handsome and it means you are nice in a lot of ways and it means that you can have a good heart."
*************************

Hmmm. I wondered what my kids were thinking on this topic. Of course, I have talked and talked to the kids on this topic and about how beauty is on the inside...etc. etc. This was another good talk. Another good time to teach my kids about what God thinks about beauty. Even though we talk a lot about this in our house, it's interesting how the world bombards them. I particularly like it when I am dealing with some ugly behavior between my girls and I ask them..."When your sister acts like that, do you see beauty? No? What DO you see??" But it has to be gone over, and over again. Sometimes I wonder if I myself am giving them mixed messages, I can only ask God to fill in where I fail miserably, I know He will. ;-)

Now I have to admit, I do love a beautiful pair of colorful stilettos and a nicely fitting outfit to go with it. I am spoiled that my husband affords me such pleasantries. Being in the right place at the right time and getting a great pair of fuschia heels for 5 bucks helps too!

Alright...here is a question. When people look at the way you dress, do they judge you? When people look at YOU, do they judge you? And if they judge you...how? By your looks, by the way you dress, by your actions?

Let's talk about that briefly. The world and everyone around you does judge whether you like it or not. It simply is what it is, I don't care what culture you come from. So Heidi was right in one degree on what she defined as "attractive." If you go to a job interview dressed like a slob, you won't be looking very attractive to that employer, and they won't want your slob self representing their company. So if you dress respectively, you might be attractive to them and get that job. But, besides job interviews, dressing appropriately (which is different from expensively)also helps give you a voice and helps people to be able to hear and respect what you have to say. So, does clothing help with attractiveness? Yes. It can.

Now. Let's talk about what our Christian eyes should see. Now, before I get into this, let me tell you that God has been working on me and has been molding me and I have been knocked FLAT on my rear-end and have eaten much humble pie for Him to help me see. When we see someone who we deem as "unattractive" we should see a human who is fearfully and wonderfully made by God Himself! Created in God's own image, loved by God and whom Christ died for. Do we think our souls are more important than anyone else's?

I volunteered at the Kitsap County Jail for women's Bible study a while back. Now, a lot of those ladies are considered to be some of the most unattractive both inside and out. But when you got in there and got to know them, those women have had such sad lives. Some of the most unfortunate stories I have ever heard. Their souls wrapped up in bondage from the most tender ages. My heart would break and I would just scream at Satan for his devious ways and my stomach would turn at how wretched sin is and what it does to the most innocent of lives.

Why should we be so concerned with what people look like or what they are wearing? There are souls to be won for Christ. We need to storm the gates of hell. We need to love people in all their conditions. Sometimes I find the hardest to love is someone who is considered by all to be magnificent in beauty, but has the most wretched attitude. No matter how beautiful, if you stink on the inside...you wreak all over. Yet, we are commanded to love ALL. In all conditions. Not those who are just the easiest to love.

Now, is it wrong for me to want to look nice? No. I like looking and dressing nice. I like when my husband thinks I look pretty. Nothing wrong with that. But what matters more is what you are on the inside. Do you love people? No matter what they look like, color, shape or size? God does. He created them, each and everyone in His image. He makes no mistakes. Everyone is beautiful to Him. He died for each one, He gave His life because each and everyone is worth it to Him. Each and everyone is beautiful to Him. So shouldn't we see or at least give our best efforts to see people like that also? In a world consumed with outward beauty, let's be different and let the only good thing in us (Christ! Who makes us beautiful because He makes us more like HIM!!!) shine through.

Skeletons in the closet

I want to share. This story was once a deep, deep wound. I don't share this story very much anymore, but at one time-- whether I liked it or not, it defined me, wrongly I believe, and not by my own choice of definition, really...but by others. Let me begin...

When I was in high school, I attended one of the best private schools available in Anchorage, Alaska. It wasn't a huge school, I think there were maybe 20 or so people in my senior class. I was very involved with church and school, and because the school was actually built onto the church...all of those activities were intermingled. I was a good kid, for the most part. I had a lot of immature Christian pride, but I could quote you chapter and verse, I knew right from wrong, I had a good head on my shoulders, I was a well respected senior girl. I played first trumpet in the pep band, I was a band nerd and loved it! I was a wrestling cheerleader, I competed in piano competitions, I had a very sweet and well respected best friend, and I had a good group of godly friends. It was a good life!

One Sunday in church, a young man caught my eye. I knew who he was, he was several years past high school graduation and use to volunteer coach for the Jr High wresting team at our school. He asked me out on a date, I accepted. Now of course, my parents approved or else I wouldn't have accepted, I did want their approval, I was not by any means a rebellious young lady. The relationship blossomed and things were really good for a while. He was very respectful, and I was captivated by him. I remember one time on a walk with him, his dog ran past and flicked mud on my nice shoes and he bent down and wiped it off, well...that was it, my heart was his!
Then things little by little started to change, and out on a date, he got a little carried away with me, I was extremely offended and told him to take me home, after all...I was NOT that type of girl. He did, he took me home and then dumped me the next day.

Two weeks later he was knocking on my door with flowers. Well, that meant he was truly sorry right? He wouldn't try it again, I was sure of it and once again my heart was sold. Well, it happened again. You'd think I would learn and just stay out of the entire ordeal and be done with it, but my heart was already invested. Again, he didn't get what he wanted and dumped me the next day. Two weeks later, he was back again with a gift, same song and dance. I fell for it again. Now, of course my parents hadn't a clue what all this back and forth was about, I would never tell them how far he was trying to push me, because they'd put an end to it for sure, and I was hoping he'd eventually just love me like I thought I loved him. This went on for more than 6 months...actually probably much longer. I eventually broke free from him and even dated a really great guy later on for a while hoping to end it all. But as soon as he saw that I was dating someone else he would do everything in his power to end it. There would be big bouquets at my door, phone calls, more flowers, he bombarded me with letters stating how much he loved and cared for me. Of course, now as a grown woman I can see how all of this is terribly, terribly wrong. But at the time it was flattering, and I loved his attention, I became addicted to the drama of the ups and downs of this extremely controlling and manipulative relationship.

He eventually won me back. Mainly because he captured my heart from the beginning. He continued to push me, and I finally gave into him. I really believed that if I just gave him what he wanted he would love me. So cliche...Satan knows exactly what thoughts to plant, there is nothing new under the sun. What an awful feeling of regret that immediately followed. Who had I turned into? He told me directly afterward that he did not love me and that he had no intentions of ever being with me or ever marrying me, and that if I was pregnant, that was my own problem. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I didn't want to believe it. My heart was shattered into a million pieces. It was a wound so deep that even as I type this 15 years later, I feel the ache of the scar it left.

I told my mom about it. She was very kind to me, no words of condemnation, she knew how broken I was. I was truly sorry. I felt hollow and empty. 3 months later (and he and I were not together during this time) my Principal who was also my Bible teacher (someone I still highly, highly respect) called me into his office. He said that he he knew me as a happy girl, constantly smiling, so he knew something recent in my life was horribly wrong. He asked me what was causing me to be so depressed and withdrawn? I was touched by his observation, but I didn't feel as though I could accept his help. Because going to a private school, you sign a contract of things you will not do just to be able to enter into that school. If any one of those sins were committed, then you were to be expelled. So I asked him to pray for me, but told him I could not share.

I told who I thought was a close friend in confidence hoping to relieve some guilt, and she told everyone else. I was a wrestling cheerleader, my brother a wrestler...things got out of hand at a wrestling tournament. My brother kicked a kid in the head in defending my honor, even though he knew nothing of what was going on with me. It knocked the kid completely out and ended up unconscious and bleeding out his ear. I felt that this was my fault too. The entire tournament stopped, an ambulance came to take him to the hospital. He turned out okay, but didn't know who he was for several hours. I knew for sure I couldn't conceal my guilt and sin any longer and we would be called into the Principal's office come Monday morning so the principal could deal with the guilty parties involved. I laid on my bed all weekend long, it felt like waiting for a death sentence. I knew now that everyone would know of my sin. I feared man. Because the church and the school were too interlinked, I wouldn't be able to escape. I'd seen others fall victim of cruel words and gossip for their mistakes, it terrified me to think that I was next.

Monday came. The principal had me in his office. He said there were some rumors going around that he needed to clear up. I could have lied. How could he prove it? But I respected him so much that I could not lie to him. I said to him..."Remember calling me into your office? Well, the rumors are true." then I told him what happened. I was uncontrollably sobbing, knowing that I was about to be expelled 2 months before graduation, I felt like I deserved it though, maybe after being punished I would be relieved of the guilt I carried. He asked me, "Sarah, do you think you are a bad person?" and this is exactly what I said, "Yes! Yes, I am horrible. Proverbs 32:10 says 'Who can find a virtuous woman for her price is far above rubies.'" and then he shared this, which has stayed with me to this very day "Sarah, the verse says virtuous...not virgin, your heart is good. Your heart is repentant, let God mold you, do not let Satan burden you and wrap you in bondage over guilt. Accept God's mercy. Rest in him." Then he said this was the hardest thing he ever had to do because of the situation, but that he had to expel me. They wrapped up some loose ends with my credits and classes and handed me my diploma. But I had to leave the school premises. They were so kind and gracious to do that for me, my heart always softens when I think of their kindness. Normally I would have had to go to summer school to finish, but they took care of things for me.

I was at the receiving end of gossip at church. I had a grown man who had 3 daughters of his own come up to me and ask me point blank if I had committed the sin of fornication. Feeling like I deserved that kind of treatment, I said yes. He then said, "That is too bad, you could have really done something with yourself, that is too bad." That was seared into my mind. I forgive him today, but I allowed and harbored wicked thoughts that wrapped me in tight bondage through a lot of even my married life. I basically wore a big red letter on my chest. But I also was on the receiving end of God's love through wonderful people. There are people I will never forget because of their kindness to me when I felt like I didn't deserve it. Sadly, there were more that were openly disgusted with me. Maybe they thought it was their job to some how discipline me but their prideful ways made deep, deep scars on my life. They will never know how disappointed I was with myself. I knew the Lord forgave me, but somehow I just could not forgive myself.

The story continues, but I won't share the rest. It gets uglier before it gets better. I will say that there is a happy ending that includes a prince charming. The Lord brought me my knight in shining armor, my husband who has nurtured and cared for this broken girl over the years, showing me God's love and I am eternally grateful and hopelessly in love!

Trials are often brought on by our own sin, when we are repentant...that creates fertile ground for the Lord to make a wonderful garden out of it! And he WILL!! It is amazing what God has done for me! Whenever I hear of young ladies that end up pregnant before marriage,(and they happen to come from a church background) that old scar that I have re-opens and aches all over for them. I want to wrap my arms around them, love them, show them God's mercy. For people that don't come from a church background and that sort of thing happens they usually don't have as hard of a time. I feel church people are even more sympathetic and giving to a single young pregnant lady, who is a non-church goer-- because how could she even know about right and wrong? They view them as un-taught. Many don't feel that way when it happens to one of our own church goers. We become puffed up with pride. We feel like the parents didn't do a good job of raising them, and if only they would have been raised the way THEY would have raised them, then things of and around that nature simply would not happen. I want to say...WAKE UP Christians!! There is a certain point where the parents are not responsible for their children's mistakes! You simply can NOT be the holy spirit for them! They have to have their own relationship with God, we can not do that for our kids. When someone does something wrong, forgive them. You have no idea what might be going on inside of them! Do not further Satan's mission of wrapping someone (or yourself!!) in bondage by being unforgiving or prideful towards them. Don't you know that you could easily be the one to fall? If you did fall, wouldn't you want that same grace and mercy shown to you? We are not above falling into temptation, and neither are any of our children. Christians, let's LOVE one another, pray for each other, and show each other mercy. Let's not let Satan have a foot hold in our lives.

Now, at the beginning I stated that this story once defined me. Several years after this incident in my life, my husband (fiance at the time) was coaching volley ball at the school I graduated from. One of the volley ball players who was very aware of my past asked Todd if he actually knew who I was. Todd was quick and sure to defend me. (I told you, he is my knight in shining armor!) And it was put to a stop, the malicious intending gossip that was meant to label me. Of course, I hung my head in shame for a long while, thinking I deserved that definition...but God has never thought of me that way. He sees Himself when he looks down at me and always has, I am His princess. So, I share my story today so you don't end up defining someone by their mistake. For all you know, their soul is probably as tortured as mine was. Don't be hard and refuse to see them as Christ does. Forgive. Have mercy. Value them as Christ values them, he gave his son for them and for you. If someone is reading this and you have a story like mine. Allow God to mold you, accept his mercy, accept his love and grace, don't let Satan bind you in chains of guilt, value yourself...you are a child of the King! Forgive yourself.
God bless.

Definition of Home Schooling?

We are a homeschooling family. I love that! I love everything about it, well...not everything...when you see yourself in your own kiddos and you know you have to change...that isn't fun, but a necessary part of growth spiritually and mentally.

Being a homeschooling family, you meet many, MANY other families that home school. There are all kinds of people that choose this life, and we all look different. We all have different ways of discipline, doing activities, dressing, and different ideas of how to go about educating our children at home. Are different methods wrong? I have seen all kinds of methods from Unschooling, home school co-ops, and everything in between. I'll share a secret. Okay...well, it's not a secret. Before I get to it I want to say that I don't really care what anyone thinks of me because here is the deal: 1) Scripturally, I am not wrong for doing things this way 2) Is it really anyone else's business how I go about my job in educating my kids? 3) We need to mind our own business and love and encourage each other as a whole. Homeschooling can be hard and we need the support and love from others, not bashing anyone else's methods.

Okay. Here is my secret. I am a CVA homeschooling mother! Yes...I really am! It's called Columbia Virtual Academy. Here are the basics of it...we are assigned a teacher, we check in with them once a week to share what we are learning, and once a month during the school year, we have to give a report of what each child is learning in each subject. Now...why would I go to such lengths with all this reporting...ah yes...there is money involved of course! I get approximately $1200 for Heidi and approx. $600 for Reagan (half day kindy.) What I do with that is...field trips, gymnastics lessons, music lessons (if I choose), Year passes to Pacific Science Center and the Aquarium in Seattle, I could buy curriculuum for my kids (as long as it is not religious based, but I don't use my money for this, I buy all of my own curriculuum.), and last...this year my kids got to do ski lessons that we would normally not be able to afford, it was awesome. Now this year, CVA is making a lot of changes about the reimbursement of funding, which makes things more difficult for us. I've signed up for another year, but if it isn't worth my time, I drop out. Simple as that. Question here: If I am using state funding for extra curricular activities, yet home school my kids, are my kids really home schooled?

The reason I ask that is because I ran into another homeschooling mom at the park yesterday. She is on one of the more popular home school websites (which I am not on, but sometimes attend their field trips) here in our Kitsap community and basically got slammed down because she is a CVA homeschooling mom--like myself. She was actually told that she wasn't to call herself a homeschooling mother. Because, by using CVA she was basically tainting the name of homeschooling and was ruining the purity of it. This really chaps my hide. I mean REALLY??? I didn't know there was a definition of the PROPER way to home school your child! Why such strong opinions? Why not just mind your own business, love your neighbor and get on with life?

There is so much typically that goes with that line of thinking of those who really think they have the corner on the market of what homeschooling SHOULD be and I am just DONE with that. I could write pages and pages on other ways of warped thinking with in the home schooling community, it can be almost cult like...like it's their own weird religion or something. But, enough folks. Just stop. Really. MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS. Let's love each other instead, eh? We need the entire body of Christ moving and working together as a well oiled unit. I don't care how you home school your kid. I really don't, I don't care how you school your kid PERIOD. Public, Private...who cares? So how about you try not to really care about how I home school mine or anyone else's? It makes for an much happier, drama free life.

Commercials

I want to talk a little this morning about commercials.

Yes. We have TV in the house. 2 huge flat screen TV gods in our house. We don't watch them much. I pre-record some of my favorite shows, which include cooking with Giada and for my girly side..."What Not to Wear," which is, for the most part, family friendly. I have a few other shows I like that I pre-record so the girls can sit down and watch with me, "The Dog Whisperer" is another favorite in the house. But the problem is, even if the show is okay for the kids to watch, the commercials, no matter WHAT time of day...are HORRENDOUS! Seriously!! They are awful! I feel like I am being assaulted in my own home.

Here is the trick...you have to have another show that you can bounce back and forth between and you mute the commercials to make sure they're little ears can't hear anything. But, if the show that you are bouncing back and forth between happens to go on commercial break at the same time, then it is mass scrambling to make sure the kids don't see anything inappropriate. Which, most of it is...especially in the evenings, but really no matter what time of day. So, it just is not worth it. If it's not pre-recorded, we don't watch.

If we watch a movie, the kids are not allowed to watch the previews, because...once again---inappropriate!
Even if it's "G" rated...does it mean that it's safe for your kids? You can't count on Hollywood or any other money-making film people to decide that for you. We must take responsibility for our own children and do the parenting ourselves. We don't need our kids having their innocence robbed from them by the TV because we are too lazy to parent.

I don't think that all of TV is bad. A lot of it can be good. I just pre-recorded a show about cameramen who film some incredible stuff, like the inside of a beehive and learning about all the bees and everything that goes on in there! How cool is that??? I love to sit and watch stuff like that with the kids. I'm just saying...that we have to be HYPER VIGILANT and extra sensitive to what our kids are watching, what WE AS PARENTS are allowing to go into their heads! One hour of bad information or filth can do some serious damage, or shall I say...one minute of a commercial that is for a movie (coming out this month in a theater near you!) that is filled with sex and violence can do some harm--and it's only a minute long!!! I just hate those commercials. HATE THEM!

But lets talk about something else that irritates me. If they aren't commercials for movies or TV shows that mostly have to do with sex, half naked women, or a lot of blood and horror...then they are commercials that mostly depict a man as being a mass idiot. It's like every commercial that has to do with any product placement in the home, whether it be from socks, to scent sprays to make your home smell better, they have to belittle the man. You NEVER see the woman belittled in any way. Just the man. I hate that. I don't want my daughters growing up thinking men are idiots! Yet every commercial's message is mostly about that! I want them to think of their father as dependable, smart, loyal, educated, capable and so much more. My husband is wonderful! He gets up really early to go to work, just to provide for this family. He went and got a degree that would help him out in the job market, just to provide for us, and he does it with a happy heart, and he comes home with a smile on his face, like he doesn't mind providing for us, putting a roof over our heads and food on the table. Isn't that heroic? Why would I want anyone else telling my little girls that men are idiots? Of course, there is a lack of responsibility amongst a lot of men today, but shouldn't we hold them to a higher standard and perhaps depict men as heroes? Maybe then they'd at least try to live up to those standards. Just sayin'....

And that, is my rant for today....

Prepared?

Have you noticed the price of gas lately?
It's rapidly rising.

But what does that mean? That it's JUST the gas prices that go up??? Ha! I wish.
If I can, just for a moment chant Sarah Palin's motto "Drill BABY, Drill!!"
I wish our country would stop relying on other countries for our fuel, when we have the resources RIGHT HERE. But...what can you say...we have a small group of EARTH WORSHIPPING hippy people that are all for going green and even though they are the minority, they impose their belief system upon the rest of us. And, it is indeed their own belief system--dare I say religion. Yeah, I dare...it's their religion.

Don't get me wrong people...I am ALL for being a good steward of the earth. It is our job to keep it clean and all of that. But, I worship the CREATOR, and NOT the CREATION. Big difference. So...um...if God gave us those resources to use...why not use the stuff we have on our OWN SOIL?? Where is the common sense these days??? I just don't get it! Makes me nuts. Don't even get me started on our money borrowing President who makes the matter worse.

Okay, so that's the other part...if the Republicans can do some good and chip away at this debt, our dollar might have a chance to stabilize. But...we shall see. I can't say I've been impressed with either party for any length of time. So, I hope they start making some big changes. Well, one party in particular, I've never been impressed with if I must say the whole truth.

So, back to gas prices...
Those prices really have an affect on everything. EVERYTHING.
So, to prepare...we are stocking up on canned goods and such...just in case. My guess is that by summer time, gas will be 5 bucks a gallon. That should put a dent in the grocery budget for the month. Who knows where America will be in the next 10 years. It used to be great, but every great nation falls.

Now, I have a question. I do know some Christians who really think that saving money is considered "hoarding" and that isn't putting your faith in God. But then, how do they pass over that verse "Look to the ant thou sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise." Proverbs 6:6? Ants actually do stock up for winter, and aren't we supposed to consider that? Didn't God reveal the king's dreams to Joseph and he knew there would be famine in the land, so during times of plenty, he stocked up, and was considered wise. So, is preparing for what seems to be harder times ahead and storing up canned goods and things...is that also hoarding? I don't see a difference. Truly. Sometimes I don't understand how my own kind think.

Anyways, just some things I've been thinking about lately.
Oh, and I am all about green...


haha, I love it!

Blast from the Past Thursdays!

I haven't done a Blast from the Past one in a while. I haven't been blogging much at all, so I thought I'd throw one in today...


This is a picture of Todd getting his MBA right before we moved from Alabama to Iowa. It really was amazing how that all worked out, the timing was impeccable...but isn't that the way God works? He was getting out of the Air force, we had to be moved out of base housing by a certain time, and Todd just happened to be wrapping up his Masters. Oh my goodness, that was a lot of hard work. Working full time and attending night classes...we didn't see each other much, and Heidi was a little baby then, I am very proud of his accomplishments! He is a hard worker and wonderful provider for our family! Oh my, and having that MBA has certainly opened doors for us later on in life!

Cake making!!

I had to make a dessert for going over to a friend's house for dinner tonight, so this is what I came up with. It's going to be awesome.

First let me share the ingredients...

2 boxes of Duncan Hines Butter Chocolate cake. I always use Duncan Hines for all my cakes. They are my favorite.

The filling is:


1 pint of whip cream
1 tbsp of instant vanilla pudding
1tbsp of karo syrup
about 8 crushed Oreo cookies

Whip together the first 3 ingredients until thick then add the crushed cookies...cover and put aside in the fridge until if firms up a bit.

I took my 10inch rounds and cut them in half.
Before laying the first layer on the cake plate, I put some frosting down first to act like glue. You don't want your cake sliding off...





First I put fudge down underneath the whipped topping. Just regular ice cream fudge from the store. It is thick and GOOEY and wonderful!!!
Then, I added my filling...




Then I put the top on...


Then more fudge...


Then more filling...


Then I cut my other cake in half. ***I should probably share with you about now that, before I even begin cutting in half, I cut the top round bubble off the freshly baked cakes...right out of the oven, because I want them to sit evenly and not be tipsy. So, when you layer, make sure that the very top layer is actually the BOTTOM that isn't a serrated part of the cake because if you put the serrated side on your very top piece, it isn't firm and doesn't hold up under the heavy icing on the top and will crumble.***
Then I begin a new layer...more fudge...



More filling...I start in the middle and spread out to the sides...




Then add the very top...which is actually the BOTTOM, flipped over on the top...




Then chocolate icing on the top and sides. I start on the top, work my way over to the sides, then down the sides of the cake. I use a cake spatula, and the trick is...don't pick up your spatula while spreading, it pulls the cake up and you get crumbs in your frosting---just a little tip for making it look prettier!



Hmmm....it still needs something....


There! Crushed Oreo's on the top make it look better!
Wa-la!! Pretty easy right??!! Maybe I should bring a jug of milk with me....

My children...they really BLESS me!!

Over the Christmas season, my kids really got into the spirit. Of course, how could you not?? Our tradition is to deck our house out (even the bathroom!) in Christmas decor the day after Thanksgiving. It's lovely...



..it makes me feel warm and cozy!

So, they started giving to each other with little surprises from their bedroom and putting presents to each other under the tree. Such a blessing to see them willingly giving each other their "treasures."

One of our rules in the house is...no toys in the living room. They have a nice big bedroom and play room they are allowed to have toys in, but none in the living room area. One night after finishing up cleaning the kitchen and sending the munchkins off to bed, I noticed a huge lego box next to the tree. Like a grinch, I holler up at the kids "Why is the lego box under the tree? Why are these toys down here?"
Reagan sheepishly comes out and tells me that she needed the lego box to put her present to Heidi in and then placed it under the tree. "Oh," I replied..."So, you dumped all the legos out of the box in your bedroom to use that box to put your gift in?"
..."Um, yeah"...It makes perfect and logical sense to a 5 year old, I can respect that...
"Well," I said, "I have a bag for you to put it in instead, you can do it in the morning, then pick up all the legos and put them away...okay kiddo?"
Giggling Reagan says "Okay mom!" and skips off to bed. Silly kid.
I still didn't know what she had given her sister. I gave her the bag, she put her gift in, taped it up and put it under the tree. Later on, Reagan comes to me and says..."Mom...Heidi asked to play with my Chloe baby doll again..."
"Oh, are you going to let her?"
"I can't, I put it in the bag for her Christmas present, she's going to like her gift, huh?" Reagan says, with her big one dimpled grin and blue eyes sparkling.
Such a thoughtful girl, she took the one thing from her toys that she knew her sister would love and generously placed it under the tree.
My heart melted. I am so blessed, those little ones...they bless me.

Later on in the month, Heidi...who was growing her bangs out, did not want me cutting her bangs. Not even for a Christmas picture. Ugh. She looked sloppy with them in her eyes, all 3 months of length in her face. Yuck. So, Meemaw...(my mom) bribed her with 5 dollars to let me cut her bangs and said she can grow them out after the holiday season. Heidi took the bait...smart Meemaw...why didn't I think of that?

Christmas Eve was spent in Aberdeen with my brother and darling sister in law and my parents, we hadn't seen my parents in almost a year! Heidi had asked on the way down if she could ask Meemaw for her money. I was a little irritated with her, I mean...ugh...so selfish! She hadn't seen her grandparents in nearly a year...why couldn't she just hug and kiss them and tell them how much she missed them? I told her, after a while of visiting, then she may ask. She was very good, and very polite and waited very patiently before asking. Meemaw happily handed her the 5 dollar bill. Heidi came up to me and said, "I'm giving this to Reagan for Christmas mom! I know she will be very happy!" So that is why she wanted her money! I was too quick to judge her. I have to ask...are these really MY children? I feel very undeserving and thankful, and blessed all at the same time.
Children, are truly a blessing from the Lord!


Aren't they JUST the sweetest???!!!

Learning

I've just been thinking a lot about the things that nag at my heart. Wanting to be more like Christ, but not wanting to give up myself in doing so. Today, before the breaking of the bread today in church, I really asked the Lord to search my heart and bring before me the things in which I need to lay down before him, repent and ask the Lord to restore me and make me more like Himself.

As the pastor was talking this morning, he said something that I have been hearing a lot of lately and something that the Lord has been bringing to my attention for a while now. He talked of loving people, and not just the ones that are easy to love...that is easy! But, to build Christ-like character, love the ones that are difficult to love. Okay...okay I give up!! I will work on loving those that are difficult for me to love this year. How though? The people that really get on my nerves, I don't spend time with...obviously...I run into them on occasion at the grocery store or at the orthodontist, and that is about it. I can pray for them, I will pray for them, because that is where it starts, I'm just waiting for the Lord to take away the feeling of irritation when I see them and have a loving and content spirit towards them. I can't change them, but the Lord can change ME!

I was arguing with God today as he was working on my attitude towards these people that get under my skin. Most of the argument really boiled down to me saying to God "But Lord, I want them to see me as equal! I want them to see that I love you JUST as much as they do! I want them to see me as the Christian that I know YOU know I am..." But you see...it really doesn't matter, not one single bit. I do not live for them, or what they think of me. I live for my Lord, and I live for Him to change me and make me a better person.

I am a Bible believing Christian. I love the Lord. I wear pants. I wear make-up. I encourage my kids to go to school to be whatever they want to be. I encourage my kids to first seek the Lord in their decisions. I home school, but I know that many Christians do not, and I am okay with that and I'd be happy to be friends with anyone that didn't. The Bible does not say to home school specifically...pluck whatever scripture you may out of the Bible, but I am sick and tired of pure legalism. Convictions are different than commandments and I realize that everyone has different things they are convicted by. We are under God's perfect Grace!

So anyone who reads this, this is just a sliver of who I am as a believer. No secrets and no hidden agenda. I don't really care anymore what any Christians think of me. My Lord knows me best, I am laying this down at his feet. Through Him I can love anyone, not on my own of course...but with His love through me. No more grudges and prejudices against different types of Christians. It's time we learn to love one another. I am ready to love the ones that seem to be unlovable!