Laundry Queen

January Joy Dare...25th and 26th

2012-01-26T13:54:00.000-07:00

72. One grace borrowed: Library books! What would we do without our local library?!!

73. One grace found: Oh the wonder of a nice green blade of grass. No, I didn't find one, but I sure will dream about it. :)

74. One grace inherited: The sarcastic sense of humor from both my mom and dad.

75. A gift before 9am: Well, all this week it's been sleep. I've been getting up late due to my meds but have been granted the gift of sleep for which I'm grateful!

76. A gift before noon: I actually got chores organized today in a way that makes sense to us all. I'm thankful the kids are being a big help to me these last couple weeks.

77. A gift after dark: I'll be back later for that one. ( but I'm hoping it will be mu hubby coming home from being away at work all week.)

A Simple Woman's Daybook

2012-01-25T10:44:00.000-07:00

Outside my window... awaits a beautiful day for me.

I am thinking... I should get outside today and enjoy it.

I am thankful... for the health of my family.

In the kitchen... I sit here and ponder what is what with this simple woman I call "I."

I am wearing... A dressing gown.

I am creating... My blog.

I am going... to have to bow out of AWANA tonight. Makes me sad but I just can't do it tonight.

I am wondering... if my siatica will heal on it's own and when.

I am reading... Made to Crave by Lisa Terkeursta and In Plain Sight by Elena McCourtney
Both of them excellent so far.

I am hoping... that I will soon not to have to take pain killers. They are messing me up in other areas. Oh, the joys of side effects.

I am looking forward to... a no pain day. You know I appreciate my health much more and even though I am suffering on going pain, I still don't understand why some people complian about it all day. Con't next one.

I am learning....pain in itself is enough to get a person down and depressed never mind complaining about it all the time. I understand to share is important, it gets people praying and I fall short of the sharing part but at the same time, I don't know. I just really have difficulties with all the complaining we do in our lives.

Around the house... I got enough stuff done yesterday that today I'm working on laundry. The kids will put clothes in the washer and dryer and I will fold. Bathroom needs to get done today too.

I am pondering... Birthdays are coming up in a few short weeks. My boys will soon be 15 and 12. That's crazy!!!

A favorite quote for today...Just because you are having a bad day, it doesn't mean you have a bad life; move on, today is a new day.

One of my favorite things... My Kindle

A few plans for the rest of the week: Rest, rest, bathroom, laundry, rest, other household chores, and more rest.

A peek into my day... Folding laundry, cleaning bathroom, napping and reading.

Jan 24 Joy Dare

2012-01-24T18:37:00.000-07:00

Three Things Blue:

69. It was a beautiful crispy day...the sky was a beautiful BLUE.

70. The beautiful blue flowers that are part of the beautiful Valentine Bouquet from my hubby.

71. How about the literal " blues " I get from being in pain. Can I be thankful for that? I can be more understanding of others because of it.

Jan 22 and 23 Joy Dare Challenge

2012-01-23T17:45:00.000-07:00

63. One grace wrinkled: The seniors in my life. I'm very thankful to still have a Grandmother who will be 90 very soon.

64. One grace smoothed: staying in the age thing, I did Children's church. There were only 5 of them but it seemed like 15. One in particular wanted something everyone had but once he found something that brought him a little one on one time he stayed focused for a couple minutes even showing one of the girls how the toy worked. It was interesting.

65. One grace unfolded: prescription for meds.

3 Gifts found in Christ:

66. Rest

67. Strength

68. Thanksgiving

LIGHT UNDER THE HOUSE BLOG TOUR with author, Aaron L

2012-01-22T10:55:00.000-07:00

What inspired you to write this story?
I feel very strongly about the breakdown of the family and fatherlessness and how there is much dysfunction and despair because of it. I wanted to tell a story to shed some light on the situations that many face and hopefully bring some type of reversal to the current dynamic in whatever small way I could. I wanted to challenge men, fathers especially, to be who they were created to be ... its certainly a challenge I face myself daily. A challenge that I often fail at but keeping picking myself up to start again.

Did you model any of the characters after people you know?
I used many things to model the characters ... people I know, other literary figures, actors, biblical characters, celebrities ... the characters are a combination of all of these. I wanted them to be new and familiar at the same time, universal.

Why did you choose the Dallas/Ft Worth area as your primary setting?
First of all, the south has a certain reputation for is deep spiritual roots (bible belt and all). I patterned the book in part after GONE WITH THE WIND (another book set in the south) ... not in the sense of a love story but in the sense of "here is civilization that is about to cease to exist, come see it before its gone". In the case of my novel it is a spiritual civilization on the brink. Dallas just seemed to have everything I needed to make the story work from both a symbolic and technical standpoint.

Do you have plans to write more books?
i have an idea or two floating around ... nothing concrete yet.

What sort of research did you do for the historical portions of your book? What did you like best about the research? The least?
My co-author and I researched deeply into ancient history for some aspects of the book ... I learned a lot of things ... some things I'd rather forget but most of it was enlightening. What I liked best was that it confirmed for me mostly what I already knew, there really is nothing new under the sun.

Where can we find out about more opportunities for a free copy of this book?
Follow @ChristianSpkrs on Twitter. You can purchase the book through Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Light-Under-the-House-ebook/dp/B0060C2O92.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for posting the author’s interview on my blog. This blog tour is managed by Christian Speakers Services (http://ChristianSpeakersServices.com).

Joy Dare Jan 20 and 21

2012-01-21T14:14:00.000-07:00

3 Gifts you saw only when you got close up:

57. My face wrinkles. :) Surely they represent my wisdom. :) Luckily, you can only see them close up. :)

58. Scars of the past. You have to look real close to see them but often times, they play over and over in my head. I've learned to embrace them and one day get a chance to share them.

59. Pain, I will not let you see my pain. I'm still learning to embrace it.

60. One thing in the sky: WHITE! That's all it is...white.

61. One thing from my memory: Mona's Mother's Mother's best friend's favorite cookies. LOL That is what they were called. Seriously. They were an oatmeal cookie.

62. One thing that's ugly-beautiful: The snow. I have such a love hate relationship with it. I hate the cold it beings and yet the beauty is astounding.

Jan 18 Joy Dare!

2012-01-19T19:06:00.000-07:00

54. A grace in the kitchen: Sure do appreciate my new fridge that I got a couple weeks ago.

55. A grace in the weather: This is a hard one to find these days, especially this week. It has been bitterly cold and has added to my pain but PRAISE GOD, tomorrow is supposed to be -14 and from there it is suppose to get warmer. The one thing I do love about bitterly cold weather is our fireplace AND the smell of the fire burning. I love how the scent lingers as the smoke comes out of the chimney. I guess I can say, it is my very favorite smell ever. :)

56. A grace that might have never have been: My children. I have had several miscarriages. If I hadn't have had them, I would not have my kids. It's all in timing, God's timing and God's perfect plan. Yes, I mourn my unborn babes and yet I know one day I will meet them. But for today, I'm very thankful for Greg and Danny.

Jan 17th and 18th Joy Dare!

2012-01-18T17:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a rough day, kind of blurry actually so I'll take the next gifts out of what I remember yesterday and today. :)

49. One gift that made me laugh: My crazy dogs eating....Nigel is such a messy eater and spills the food everywhere and Duke cleans up after him. What a set up. :)

50. One gift that made me pray: Pain. Not that I would call it a gift but I'm trying to look at it as a gift and an opportunity to draw closer to God. It's really hard. :(

51. One gift that made you quiet: Knowing that my pain is so little, compared to others. The hospital emergency room is an interesting place to be.

Three Gifts From God's Word:

50. I was chosen by God before I was even thought of by my parents.

51. I was adopted by God.

52. He has a plan and a purpose for me.

Jan 16 Joy Dare

2012-01-16T16:58:00.000-07:00

3 Ways you witnessed Happiness today!

46. Managed to get up and see my man off to work AND actually stay up and enjoy the rest of the time before the kiddlets got up.

47. Had a rousing game of Phase 10 with the boys.

48. Listening to the boys get along. YESSSSSSSSS

Jan 15th Joy Dare

2012-01-15T17:21:00.000-07:00

43. One thing you wore: 2 pairs of socks. It's freezing out there now!

44. One thing you gave away: I gave away a couple of my favorite hidden chocolates. ( oops, don't tell and I'll share with you too. )

45. One thing you shared: The truth...it was a rough week BUT it's ok. God is GOOD! :)

English-Spanish-French etc. Does it matter?

2012-01-15T17:06:00.001-07:00

Does language matter when we Worship God? Do we all have to speak the same language to be ministered to by God? If we are sitting in a service, can I be ministered by God through something I don't understand? Is there any limit to what God can do?

What a great afternoon in Church, As always, Pastor Iran preached right from the scriptures on how as Christians ( as Jesus followers) ( as people who live with Jesus in our hearts) ( however you say it)....we are to let His Light shine here, now today. We are to copy Jesus in what is good, righteous and true. And they'll know we are Christians.

We sang a song today in church that really ministered to me. I have no idea what it was called or what the Spanish words meant but I felt God and I felt His peace within me which is good because I didn't take a pain pill with me to church ( which is around the time I should have taken one) and I was in much pain. Even in the midst of pain and not understanding...God ministered to me.

Once again I ask: Does language matter when we Worship God? NO Do we all have to speak the same language to be ministered to by God? NO If we are sitting in a service, can I be ministered by God through something I don't understand? YES Is there any limit to what God can do? NO!!

And they'll know we are Christians...Do they know you are a Christan?

Blessings Galore to you my friends. Have a wonderful and awesome God filled week!

Jan 14th Joy Dare

2012-01-14T14:53:00.000-07:00

3 Ways You Glimpsed the Startling Grace of God:

40. I got up this morning. :) I've been in a lot of pain these days and frankly let me say, it's a great day that I can get up.

41. My hubby is off all day and we can just putter at home and do our thing. I do love spending time with him.

42. Even when I have to punish my doggies for wandering away, they still love me. Makes me realize that even when I do something wrong and even if there are consequences I have to suffer from it, God's love never changes for me. Yes...that's Grace. That's Love.

Jan 13: Joy Dare from Yesterday and Today!

2012-01-13T15:14:00.002-07:00

Sorry, I'm a day late. Yesterday was rough but today is new and God is STILL GOOD!!!!

Jan 12:

34. Something Above You: Hello, my 6 FOOT 5 hubby of course!!

35. Something Below You: My dog Duke, got a hair cut today!

36. Something Beside You: My coffee....looks like I need another one. :)

THREE SOUNDS YOU HEAR:

37. The traffic from the highway as I sit in my room with the window open and the soft breeze coming in.

38. I'm thankful for my animals as the cat sits here and growls at the dog. We know who rules this roost and it aint the dogs! :)

39. The beauty of the sound of silence. I haven't been feeling that great and it's nice that the kids are giving me a rest. They rock, when they are loud and when the are "silent"

Jan 11: Joy Dare!!!!

2012-01-11T08:09:00.000-07:00

3 yellow things that strike me as fresh Mercy:

31. Mixed with not only the yellow, is the beauty of a sunrise. New Mercies every morning. Great is His Faithfulness.

32. I love the color yellow in a house. Unfortunately we don't have any, but we do have two yellow chairs sitting in our living room. They are bright and they are summer chairs so they remind me of the newness of a season.

33. Bring on the lemonade. My very favorite drink especially if it's fresh. Love love!

Jan 10: Joy Dare!

2012-01-10T12:35:00.000-07:00

28. A gift that is sour: hmmmm. ok, I admit it, I LOVE sour gummy worms. :)

29. A gift that is sweet: I normally drink my tea with a little honey, but there are times, there is nothing better than a cup of tea sweetened with a little too much sugar and some milk. Comfort at it's best.

30. A gift that is just right: Sticking with my food theme, I had for lunch, cheese scones with butter. They were JUST right!!!

Too bad I didn't have any sour gummy worms, today could have been the PERFECT eating day! :)

Jan 9: Joy Dare Challenge

2012-01-09T11:52:00.000-07:00

25. A gift in your hand: So thankful for Worship...the chance to hold my hands high and open as I praise my mighty GOD and give Him ALL I have.


26. The gift of love and friendship. The Cross from my son Danny and the Angels form Kim and Alma and the Cardinal from my other friend Alma. Love and friendship.

27. A gift you sat with: My youngest son Danny, as he did his school work. You will see many pics of him yet.

A Simple Woman's Daybook

2012-01-09T11:29:00.001-07:00

FOR TODAY

Outside my window... is a nonwinter wonderland. There is next to NO snow which is so unusual for this time of year.

I am thinking... the kids are working really well today for being back to school.

I am thankful... that they are working well and so far, getting along well. :)

In the kitchen... I sit at my computer, Danny sits with his watching brainpop. The kitchen, the main room in the house.

I am wearing... Jeans? Yip, dressed, right up to my running shoes. :)

I am creating...

I am going... into town later to stock up on water. Yeah, we do what we need to do.

I am wondering... how certain things will happen in the next week or so. We need some miracles and I need to put my trust in God. Sometimes it's hard not to worry. Luckily, nothing is too too serious and life threatening but some miracles, nonetheless.

I am reading... several devotionals and will be starting Ted Dekker's Heaven Trilogy today.

I am hoping... that I will be stronger in my faith. I feel so weak sometimes.

I am looking forward to... the weekend ( is that bad?) lol

I am learning... to not sweat the small things.

Around the house... We got a new refrigerator this week and I'm hoping to get all my cabinets cleaned this week. Laundry is spinning and not much changes around here.

I am pondering... God will provide a way. He always does.

A favorite quote for today... Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase. ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

One of my favorite things... raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens ( lol, jk) My camera

A few plans for the rest of the week... nothing out of the ordinary. School, shopping, the gym, hanging out.

A peek into my day: I was up at 7 and we started school around 9. My youngest is almost done and and my oldest has studying yet to do. I have laundry on the go, I have done my dishes and the dogs and kidlets have all been fed and watered for about 10 minutes ( until they are hungry again. lol) This afternoon will entail and trip into town to drop my oldest off at hubby's shop so they can go into Red Deer for football. No plans this evening. I do hope to get the inside of my bottom shelves done today. I wish I was a more exciting person but this, my friends, is my life. lol :) Frankly, I'm content with it.

My view this morning!!

Jan 8: Jan Joy Dare ( this one is about church)

2012-01-08T23:00:00.000-07:00

Today's challenge is: light that caught you, a reflection that surprised you, a shadow that fell lovely.

I'm going to be honest with you. I understand the reflection one but not the other two. I like to think that I can be pretty deep about some things and well, I can, but I'm stuck here so I will pick my own three
( because I can and there is no real rules here ). Tee hee

Three things at church that brought me joy: It's been a few weeks since we have been there and so I'll start there.

22. It was so nice to come home today. I honestly felt that when I saw my church family today that I had come home. It was awesome.

23. My youngest son Danny will be 12 in Feb and he is the helper at Children's Church. They usually pray for the kids before they go off to their class and the teacher said that Danny would pray for them today. He was so caught off guard. But that boy went to the microphone and said a short little prayer. I don't remember the exact words but he talked about the kids spreading God's grace. You know, I felt it was a pretty mature prayer and good for Danny...he is like me when it comes to situations like that. I'm sure ( I know ) he was freaking out inside but he did it. God Bless my little man. He is definitely growing up. *** sniff sniff ***

24. For the first time since we have been attending this church, we had Communion with our church family. It was beautiful and, in my opinion, is worthy of it's own post which hopefully will come this week.

To finish up, I'm buckling down in practicing my Spanish. I'm being taught Spanish by a man in our church. We usually take a little time after church for a little lesson. So, while my kids get back to the books this week, so then will I. My other Spanish goal is to learn the song Mighty to Save ( in Spanish) by heart in two weeks ( well, maybe three ). On that note:

God Bless you my friends and thanks so much for taking the time to read my blog!!!

Jan 7 : January Joy Dare

2012-01-07T14:11:00.000-07:00

Today's Gifts are: 3 Graces From People You Love:

19. I'm using the same person for all three. Remember, no rules! :) My husband Wally is such an awesome provider. He has worked so hard over the years so I can stay home with the kids. He is such a hard worker and has always given his all.

20. Wally is such an awesome dad. He knows how to talk to the kids about issues that are so huge in today's world of raising kids.

21. Wally is an awesome husband. We have gone through some hard times and yet they have made us that much closer. I can honestly say that I love him more today than I ever thought possible. I continue to look forward to our years ahead.

Jan 6th: January Joy Dare

2012-01-06T14:39:00.000-07:00

16. One Thing in Your Bag:

Very thankful for the Kindle I got for Christmas from my family. :)

17. One Thing in Your Fridge:

Even though it's fat free I know it isn't that great for you, but I do enjoy it and don't drink lots of coffee or tea anyway. :)

18. Something in Your Heart: I'm feeling very blessed that every two weeks I get to visit with my mom and her friend. We meet half way. I get fresh eggs for them. It is really cool getting to know my mom, in a sense, through the eyes of a friend. Meaning, we as moms, act different when we are visiting with our friends than we do with our kids. There might be things that are just too weird to share with your mom/daughter but when you throw in a friend ( who I had never met until now) it's different and I like it. " Love you Mom! "

Jan 5th "January's Joy Dare!"

2012-01-05T15:04:00.001-07:00

Interesting isn't it? I didn't set any resolutions but I sure got confused with everything out there that there is to "start!" In fact, I'm starting something new today. I won't do the first 4 days and I won't even promise to post it daily for I plan to do it in my own journal too. I'll post the link at the end of the blog. Basically it is based on the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. By writing down three things daily what you are thankful for it comes to 1,000...approx. The challenge here is to look for certain gifts under gifts...for instance, today's gifts are: something you are reading, you're making, you're seeing. It's like this throughout the year. Other examples coming up this month are, 3 sounds your hear, 3 things blue, 3 graces found in our friends etc. I like the idea of searching it out a bit. Sometimes, in the busiest of my mind it is nice to focus on something for a bit and do things that way. My brain seems to go a mile a minute so I'm hoping this is something that will slow it down sometimes, anyway. :) Keep in mind the theme JOY!!!! Here is the link and to follow will be my today's GIFTS!

http://www.aholyexperience.com/2012/01/the-1-habit-your-new-year-cant-do-without-giveaway/

January 5's JOY Gifts!

13. Something you are Reading: My devotional today talks about Thanksgiving and here's what Joyce Meyer says: The Bible says that we are to enter God's courts with praise and thanksgiving. You and I need to make it a daily goal to live a life of thanksgiving. Let's be as positive and grateful as possible.

14. Something you're making: I'm soon making supper and I found the coolest tin of hot red peppers in tomato sauce that I will add to my macaroni goulash. ( Ok...surely there is no rules that say I can't be thankful for that..lol )

( Truly no rules...whatever brings you JOY and btw I almost lost my whole post. Praise God for the UNDO arrow!!)

15. Something you're seeing: My kidlets and even better, they aren't fighting!!!! Oh YES!!!

So, this is what I mean. Hopefully it will cause me to blog more, to share more.
Bless you my precious friends!!! God Bless us, EVERYONE!!

Diary of Five

2012-01-02T15:49:00.000-07:00

I am seeing...The sun shining through my dirty windows. :)

I am hearing... My kids talking calmly to each other.

I am smelling.. The orange I just ate.

I tasted... That same orange...

I am feeling... Cautious but optimistic.

My Favorite Time of the Year!

2011-12-29T11:44:00.000-07:00

I love the time between Christmas and New Years. I am making final decisions as to some of my yearly goals. I always like to change up my Bible Reading Plan and use a different Bible version.

I have such high hopes of getting organized. Sometimes I find good plans, and sometimes I don't but this year I think I hit pay dirt! YESSSSS.

Of course the usual getting more exercise and eating better...I feel so much better about that part of my life even going into the New Year. It's a matter of taking it a step further.

Let's not forget my intention of blogging more and becoming more vulnerable. That works for a while and then all of a sudden things happen that I'm not proud of sharing. YES, pride gets in the way so often. It makes me crazy being such a sinner at times.

Let's not forget other goals and plans for the year. I've decided this year I'm leaving it at this and saying..

God, use me as you will....Your time, not mine; Your plan, not mine.

I want to be available to Him anytime and won't get mixed up with my own ideas. So, I think that's where I'm at and I'm looking forward to the New Year.

M'Cheyne One Year Reading Plan » 1 Year: This plan is based on the M’Cheyne reading system, featuring four different readings for use in both family and personal devotions. Each day has two passages from the Old Testament, one from the New Testament, and one from either the Psalms or the Gospels. In one year, you read the Old Testament once and the New Testament and Psalms twice.( this is the Bible Reading plan I am doing this year. You can see more of it at http://www.youversion.com/ and I'm reading the Recovery Version of the Bible) More information on the version and the notes at this website: http://www.lsm.org/

I came across the coolest decluttering calendar. It is on this website and it is free. http://www.mysimplerlife.com/ I'm thinking adding the daily decluttering to my big calendar will work great.

I'm starting the New Year off by making a Dr. appt and continuing my working out. I need to incorporate Clean Eating into more aspects into our lives and do it way better. Snacking and meals which means meal planning too. That is something that I've had problems sticking with. I don't know why especially since it makes my life way easier. NUTS! I've been in much pain lately with what I think is my sciatic nerve and ham strings so I have some major work to do. I've never been a big lover of pain so I guess I will do what I must. :)

Bring on the blogging. I'll make more of an effort to share. My writing goes along with my blogging. I'm hoping to take them both up a notch as well.

I hope to find myself deep in the Word this year. I strive to seek Him in all I do but so often I fail. I'm so thankful for grace!!! I have found some great devotionals I have downloaded onto my Kindle that I have started and that I'm looking forward to starting.

So, that's where I'm at. I pray I can be more of blessing, not only to my readers on my blog, but in my daily life. I pray that I can and will make God proud of me...YES, 2012 will be a GREAT year!!!

Win a NLT Bible!

2011-12-15T17:17:00.000-07:00

Go to this link and check out how you can win an Ipad as well!

God Bless you my friends! HUGSSSS

http://www.nltblog.com/index.php/2011/12/nlt-thursday-giveaway-life-application-study-bible-nlt-browntan/

THE ART OF HELPING BLOG TOUR with author, Lauren Littauer Briggs

2011-11-12T22:16:00.000-07:00

All of us want to offer comfort and support to someone who is hurting, but we often don’t know what to say or do. The Art of Helping—What to Say and Do When Someone is Hurting addresses 30 of the most common heartaches people face and takes away your fear of involvement by helping you understand what people are feeling and going through. From over 100 interviews and her own life experiences, author Lauren Briggs shares proven advice and offers practical help with a list of what to say— and do.

Why should I read The Art of Helping?

Do you know someone who is facing a crisis and wondered what you could do to help? Have you ever faced a difficult time and wished your family and friends knew what you were going through and knew how to help you?

I found that during my darkest hours, no one knew how much I was hurting, what I was going through or how they might help.

This is a book you’ll want to read before you need it—so that you will have ideas of what you can do and how you can respond—when you first hear the news. We want to help our family and friends through the hard times, but the right words or actions just don’t come to mind. The Art of Helping will give you the tools and enable you to turn thoughts into action.

How will The Art of Helping change me?

The Art of Helping is your go to book when life gets tough. It is a social Bible filled with concrete, tangible action items to empower you to make a difference at times when we would otherwise feel helpless. When people get this book in their hands, they always say, “How I wish I had this book when my friend needed help.”

What are some basic Do’s and Don’ts I need to know?

DON’T wait before you make contact.
DO Respond as soon as you hear the news.

DON’T SAY “If there’s anything you need, give me a call.”
DO Offer a specific thing you can do.

DON’T put pressure on yourself to do something you don’t like to do.
DO use your gifts and talents to help.

DON’T minimize what they are going through.
DO offer caring statements of acknowledgement.

DON’T ASK “When will you be your old self again? or Aren’t you over it yet?”
DO understand that once their life is touched by tragedy, they will never be their “old self” again. They will eventually reach a “new normal” but life will never be the same.

What are some of your favorite creative suggestions in The Art of Helping?

A mother of two young children picked up a hurting family’s laundry on Mondays, took it home and returned it all laundered and folded on Thursdays.
A man volunteered to come mow the lawn once a week and do some simple “honey do” chores.
My sons brought their game boy to the hospital for a friend going through chemo therapy. Every few days they would bring a different game to swap.

How can I learn more about The Art of Helping?

The Art of Helping is reshaping the way people reach out to others. To view more information, visit my website: www.laurenbriggs.com. You can follow me on Facebook as Lauren Littauer Briggs and on Twitter as @Laurenbrgs. The Art of Helping is available in e-book and paperback formats through Amazon.com. If you would like an autographed copy of The Art of Helping, email me at Laurenbrgs@aol.com.

Nano Day 10 Finished AND

2011-11-10T22:52:00.001-07:00

it's only 10:50. Yes...and I'm on track. I had to write an extra 1000 words today. Thank God it came easy today. I love those days. So Wendy will be studying " Who I am in Christ " with Pastor Bob. I'm looking forward to that study myself. Its always a great reminder even for us who have been Christians a long time. This is what I will use and then my own notes as we study each scripture. I'm looking forward to it. We will also be studying forgiveness as Wendy has to forgive her family for the pain they inflicted on her. It will be a tough road but with Christ, all things are possible.

Good night friends and God Bless!!! By the way 16744 Words. Yay Baby! :)

Who I Am In Christ

Why do I need to know who I am in Christ?

You need to know who you are in Christ so that you can live a successful Christian life.
The more you agree with God about your identity in Christ, the more your behaviour will reflect your God given identity.
Learn to see yourself as God sees you. Accept what God says about you and become the spiritual person you are. God's opinion is the one
that counts.
Understanding who you are in Christ will give you a strong foundation to
build your life on. Knowing who you
are in Jesus is the key to a successful Christian life.
Your identity doesn't depend on something you do or have done. Your true identity is who you are in Christ.
When you are in Christ you are a new creation, the old has passed away. It's time to stop living out of who people say you are and take hold of the truth of God's word.

You need to know who you are in Christ so that you can know
what to do, when to do it, where to go, and how to do it

Who I am in Christ

Because you are in Christ, every one of these statements is true of you.

I am loved 1John 3:3
I am accepted Ephesians 1:6
I am a child of God John 1:12
I am Jesus' friend John 15:14
I am a joint heir with Jesus, sharing His inheritance with Him Romans 8:17
I am united with God and one spirit with Him 1Corinthians 6:17
I am a temple of God. His spirit and his life live in me 1 Corinthians 6:19
I am a member of Christ's body. 1 Corinthians 12:27
I am a Saint Ephesians 1:1
I am redeemed and forgiven Colossians 1:14
I am complete in Jesus Christ Colossians 2:10
I am free from condemnation Romans 8:1
I am a new creation because I am in Christ 2Corinthians 5:17
I am chosen of God, holy and dearly loved Colossians 3:12
I am established, anointed, and sealed by God 2Corinthians 1:21
I do not have a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind 2Timothy 1:7
I am God's co-worker 2Corinthians 6:1
I am seated in heavenly places with Christ Eph 2:6
I have direct access to God Ephesians 2:18
I am chosen to bear fruit John 15:16
I am one of God's living stones, being built up in Christ as a spiritual house 1 Peter 2:5
I have been given exceedingly great and precious promises by God by which I share His nature 2 Peter 1:4
I can always know the presence of God because He never leaves me Hebrews 13:5
God works in me to help me do the things He wants me to do Philippians 2:13
I can ask God for wisdom and He will give me what I need James 1:5

Simply choose to believe what God says about you.

"How can two walk together unless they agree?" Amos 3:3

Try reading the above list every day for a month, preferably out loud. The more you know who you are in Christ, the more your behaviour will reflect your true identity.

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" Romans 12:2

To live an effective Christian life you need to know and believe who you are in Christ. Understanding your identity in Christ is crucial to your success.
The best way to renew your mind and experience transformation
is by knowing, thinking and speaking who you are in ChristTrain yourself to say the same things that God says in His word. Become who you are in Christ. God wants to do more in your life than you imagine.
For a more comprehensive list of "who you are in Christ" visit Freedom in Christ Ministries

Day 9 of NaNoWriMo

2011-11-09T13:39:00.001-07:00

Today's goal is up to a total 15004 words. I'm 1000 words away and would like to have it done by this evening.

I'm amazed at how much I love some of my characters. I'm thrilled that today, my main character, Wendy, accepted Jesus as he personal Savior. I saw it coming ( of course ) and I didn't sleep well last night because I was excited. I was thrilled this morning when she finally did choose to do it. Like I am learning, I'm sometimes surprised as to what my characters will do and I get sad when I think of their futures and yet, like in real life, none of us know when our lives will come to an end and that doesn't stop us from attempting to be a blessing to others. It doesn't stop us from using the time we have ( however long that might be) to do all we can to glorify God. I will keep that in mind as my characters face some tough times with The 61Ave Brutes and Gramma Aggie's daughter Ruthie, who is very very angry ( as well as a top notch drug dealer to the gangs in the city).

I am on page 23.

Day 6 and other things....

2011-11-06T23:07:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to say I'm going into the week 38 words ahead. It is so behind compared to so many others but I refuse to get caught up in that. I figure if I can do my 1667 words a day then I am doing just fine!!!

What a great weekend. We have a busy week ahead I'm thinking as we look forward to leaving on vacation on Saturday. There is only a 4 day week but....none the less. Tomorrow our facilitator is coming. This year we only need to discuss Danny and phys ed for Greg so it will be an easy stress free visit. She is an absolute gem so that helps a lot.

I studied Luke 12:6-7 and started John 3:16 today for my MC Wendy. I guess she will think like me after all I don't know how else to think when it comes to studying verses. How wonderful to know that I'm so loved that my very true value comes from my Creator, God Himself not the people around me. I need to live to please HIM. I'm also finding it hard to convince a character in my head about how much she is loved. You know, we sometimes feel so beat up and dirty from life; whether it's from the past or the present, that its' hard to believe that He truly loves us. The Truth is, He does love us. We need to know that and we need to believe that. I find it funny I don't know how to convince a person who doesn't even exist what the Truth is. :)

I also need to think of some real twists and turns this week. I don't want it to get boring. :))) Maybe the Lord will bring it to me in a dream tonight. How sweet would that be.

Well friends, as you go into a week...a pray that you will know that you precious to God. He made you, He created you so he could love you...you belong to Him. Allow Him to be your friend and lover of your life. God Bless!!!

Nanowrimo update Day 5

2011-11-06T01:02:00.001-06:00

It seems that my brain won't let my body sleep until I blog. This whole Nano thing has made blogging so much easier and for some reason, even easier to share. It's just what I needed and something I hope to continue after this month is over. I only need to write 800 words or so tomorrow and I'm on track so today was a great writing day. My word count is 9289.

Once again I learned something about me. Some of the insecurities I talked about yesterday came out today. I enjoyed that my research today was in the Bible and not gang related and yet at the same time, I didn't know what to use. I feel inadequate as a Christian and yet knowing everything in my Bible and where it is isn't what makes me a Christian. I know that and I fight it. Take for example at AWANA this week I was talking to a sweet grade 3 girl. We were talking about what it means to trust Jesus, and what it means to have Him as your Savior. I couldn't believe that as someone who has been a Christian as long as I had problems talking about this with a 9 year old. As it turned out she had asked Jesus into her heard when she was 4. I guess what I'm trying to say is I wish I knew more. I wish I wasn't so afraid to talk about Him more. I wish my brain wasn't so complicated so I could get around my head somehow. lol Anyway, I guess God made me this way. I will continue to learn and I will continue to write for as I'm finding out, I'm learning a lot by writing. :)

Good night and God Bless!!!

Day 4 of NaNoWriMo

2011-11-04T22:20:00.000-06:00

Like in every area of my life, I really try to follow the lead of God and what He wants of me. So many directions I was going to go in the story, just didn't work. So I just wrote and followed my writing to see where it would take me. Not only do I want to glorify God but I was my writing to bless others in a way that they know and they are learning that God is good and He is the only living God. So many people I know have embraced other Gods, other religions so to speak. I want to be a witness for Him. I want to be a way better witness for Him than what I have become. It's easy to become worldly in this day and age. Way too easy. That all being said....Wendy is going to learn about the loving God. The God who loved her even as she was being abused from her family all her life, the God who showed his love through her Grammy and Pappy and now through Gramma Aggie, Director of Ruth's Home for Girls and the lovable twins, Kit and Kat, the God who will take care of her friend Molly as she becomes a girl of Killa, one of The 61Ave Brutes. I'm looking forward to how God will shape and mold Wendy. She could easily be a good friend of mine. She could easily be me in the insecurities that she faces about who she is and who she is in God and who she will become. She could be you too as she faces fear of letting people love her and letting God become the lover of her life.

I'm very excited!

As the day goes by...

2011-11-03T18:24:00.001-06:00

and I think about my writing session tonight my mind changes so often about what direction I want my MC ( Main Character...Wendy is her name) to go in. I hate the idea of my original ideas for several reasons one being I don't know enough about the lifestyle to pull it off. I can only do so much research and I don't like to go on certain sites so I'm kind of debating what I can do. At this point it can go in any direction and possibly still work and frankly there is nothing stopping me from editing after November is over to change things at the beginning. I don't know. It's something to think about anyway.

I enjoyed watching my Danny sparring with his trainer today. Travis says that Danny is really good and that he has caught on quickly. I imagine in a couple years or so we will look further into The Red Deer Boxing Club. I kind of like the looks of it and how they do things...so....though, the idea of watching my so get beat up and him beat someone else up but if he wants to do it and it keeps him fit, why not?

On another note, I am sure looking forward to our vacation coming up. We are leaving a week from Saturday to Fairmont Hot Springs for a week. It will be our first family vacation ever. The boys will be doing school but it will still be a good time for them.

Well, 3.5 hours or so and I will sit and write in the quiet ( I hope )....yip, it's all good and I can't but thank my God for the opportunities I have. Wow....I'm blessed!

Arggggg Nanowrimo Day 2

2011-11-02T21:39:00.001-06:00

I'm seeing the advantage of having an idea and plot etc before Nanowrimo starts. Today my family did not work with me. lol They needed me. Imagine that...:) If they didn't need me they were noisy and talked....WHAT...14 and 11 year old boys talk???!! Come now....PLUS...hubby got called away to work so I packed him up. Yes...I love my job at home but trying to write through today did not work. I did research though.....which brings me to say...yes, it would have been nice to have all this done before I started. For example, when you are writing about a city you don't know and content you don't know, you need to find out about it. Praise God for the internet. I was able to get some info that could take me though for a couple days maybe but at the same time I'm attempting to sit and write now, I need more info. This research is not part of my word count so that means I still need to get my words in and I have approx 2.5 hours. I feel totally out of my league as far as my writing goes today and part of me is pretty sad because of what my MC ( main character ) will have to go through. It's hard to write that kind of stuff. Makes me feel sad. Anyway....that's where I'm at tonight. I might check in with a word count, I might not. Toodles!!!

NaNoWriMo Day 1

2011-11-01T14:17:00.004-06:00

Wow, can I first say, that my minimum word count, that is 1667 words a day, is not that much. It seems like even less when you are on a writing roll. Today's writing has been sporadic. I hope it isn't always that way but I need to learn to write down notes throughout the day as ideas come up. It's so funny, the first two paragraphs I wrote are prayers to God for ideas to write about and the third paragraph I started writing. I have so much to learn about writing an actual book but I think I'm in the right place to do that right now. So far I typed 1901 words and there is just under 10 hours left in my day. I hope to get in more writing time. I can see how a person can be consumed in getting to know their characters. I'm looking forward to getting to know mine as the month goes on. I can also see how life may get in the way of my writing. lol I pray for lots of patience for me toward my family. Now, Danny and I will go to work out...TOODLES!

Day 1: TOTAL SUCCCESS.......THANK YOU JESUS!

Link for this is on my main page!

Friday Night...Oct 28th

2011-10-28T22:31:00.002-06:00

It's a cool night. We have the fire in the fireplace and are enjoying the warmth and smell of a nice Autumn evening. Greg had football practice. Tomorrow is a semi final game. If they win it they are in the final game for the League. Last year they won it. It's been a good season for them even though they lost the first two games. They have been on fire ever since. Tomorrow, like in the World Series Game tonight, the one who wants it the most...will get it! :))))

Homeschool has been a little rough this year. Yes, way worse than last year but then again, if Greg wants to play football next year, this will be my last year of homeschooling him. Some days are so discouraging and I cry and other days like today, are amazing and I shout with JOY! Homeschooling is like being on a roller coaster. I will leave it at that.

I have signed up for the craziest thing ever. NaNoWriMo. That stands for National November Writing Month. Writers from all over the world ( and want to be writers like me) will join together and attempt to write 50,000 words in the month of November which is the size of a novel. Yip. How else to get over my fear of following a dream that to jump in with to feet. God's timing? Hello! I know so. I'm been praying and praying for what to write about. I have three days...er, God has three days to let me know. LOL I'm going in there with the attitude that I will do this the best I can. I will not beat myself up and even if I don't get the 50,000 words, at least I will have an idea of what kind of writing schedule I will need to have in the future. :)))))

Ahhhh my Faithful and loving God...thank you for being by my side. Thank you for letting me lean on you during the tough days and thank you for rejoicing with me on the awesome days. Oh Lord, you have a plan for my life, for Greg`s life, For Danny`s life and for Wally`s life. I thank you in advance for what you will do and I pray that we will be willing. Thank you Jesus...I LOVE you so much!!!

Destined to Live, Despite Me by Yolanda Shanks

2011-10-28T22:09:00.003-06:00

I recently received a review copy of Destined to Live, Despite Me by Yolanda Shanks. If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or are helping someone who is, this is a useful resource. Shanks uses her own testimony of conquering suicide as the foundation for a strong theological stance on life and healing. Here’s what she has to say about her book.

What was your purpose for writing and who is the intended audience for Destined To Live, Despite Me?
I thought my intended audience was solely attempted suicide survivors, but as the book progressed, it became clear that absolutely every person has a breaking point.
My purpose for writing this book then became to use my testimony to assist others, regardless of their story. Assisting others in choosing to deliberately live life in abundance — not an abundance of things or money — but of abundant joy, peace, and hope found in Christ Jesus.
You discuss having a breaking point. Will you share more about that?
I definitely had a breaking point. We all do. My particular one is not the important issue. The important issue is that everyone has one. It can be any emotional event that leaves a person broken and destroyed, such as:

a car accident
a divorce after 20 year and the wife has to find a job
a child blaming themselves for the divorce
financial difficulties

That is why it is so important to understand the signs to save your family members, your neighbors, and your friends. I have a list of warning signs on page 131 of the book.
The stats reveals that suicide is the third leading cause of death in the age group 15 to 24. What message of encouragement would you give to our young people today?
Know WHO you are and WHOSE you are. If I can elaborate, I want our next generation to NOT define themselves by the standard of this world – not by the cars, clothes, the tangibles. Let’s consider our whole-man: mind, body, and soul. Chose to use the standard in which God defines you.
If you have surrendered your life to Christ, you are His child, a co-heir with Christ. You can stand on all of God’s promises in the Bible because you are sons and daughters of the Creator Himself. So do not walk defeated!
Chose to live this life deliberately – know that each morning you are alive, God has purpose for you.
Will the struggle ever end for people who have survived? Or, is it always a constant that they could fall back into feeling the hopelessness?
Struggles are a part of life. What matters most, is how we learn respond to life struggles!
For anyone still considering suicide, first there has to be an elimination of this mindset as a workable alternative. Assistance is available by contacting a mental health professional or by calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
For those who have survived a previous attempt and no longer struggle with thoughts of suicide but continue to live under the guilt and shame associated with their past actions; I am here to say that there is freedom in Christ Jesus! It is time for you to build a spiritual foundation for deliberate living. Pick up my book, learn how to shake off the unnecessary baggage, and gladly receive the Lover of your soul … Jesus Christ … who offers you hope, joy, and peace.
For those who have not considered suicide but are trapped in feelings of constant negativity, pick up my book as well. We are a hurting generation and people who have been hurt tend to hurt others; let’s chose to receive healing. I am a living proof that one can overcome the battle with feelings of hopelessness to the point of despair.
How would you sum up the book?
The book is my story, written for you. I am sharing my private life, my disappointments, my fears, my un-loveliness. Yes it started out hard for me, but the Lord poured out of me some of the things that had been holding me down.

I know now, that I can be alone; but I don’t have to be lonely,
I sometimes feel unloved; but God loves me unconditionally.
I can be financially broke; but God will provide.
I can be friendless; but Jesus is longing to be my friend.
My life can be broken; and He will put it back together again.
I can be a sinner. Jesus died for my sins, and your sins. He already paid the price

I will sum it up…….BUT GOD!

I was given a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for posting the author’s interview on my blog. This blog tour is managed by Christian Speakers Services.

I just can't help it!

2011-10-09T16:28:00.001-06:00

I'm Thankful! I was moved, again, in church today. No, not moved to another place; moved to tears. I'm amazed at what the Holy Spirit does especially in times that I don't understand, literally. The church I go to is Spanish speaking ( a little English ) and I don't understand Spanish. We have a translator who translates through head sets so we can understand the message. Sometimes it's hard to understand with his voice and with hearing our Pastor too but you can always get the gist of it. This weekend is Thankgiving in Canada. Of course then, our sermon was on giving thanks to God...literally...as a verb....as an action. I like a good sermon that makes me go hmmmmm. :) Anyway, we then closed the service with one last Spanish song on thankfulness ( I'm assuming that's what it was on. :) ). I've gotten pretty good at reading and singing Spanish even though I don't understand it. I've also learned that I don't have to understand it for God to do His thing in me. The Holy Spirit overcame me and all I wanted to do was weep. You know what I have learned? It isn't about me at all. It isn't about what I can understand or what I don't get. It isn't about what it seems to me. It isn't even about YOU or what you think of me or what I think of you. It is about Jesus and what He wants to accomplish in us, through us. We just have to be willing. We had a conversation on our way home from church about moving to Red Deer. I KNOW without a shadow of a doubt that God knows our hearts. He knows our desires and how we want to serve Him. He knows that we want to be involved in our church more and the people there but at the same time....He knows the plan that is right for us. The fact that there will be a Spanish Christmas in Lacombe...a vision our Pastor has, isn't something that just happened because. It is in our back yard, it is an opportunity for us and for us NOT to jump all over it is just plain silliness. NO...it isn't about me at all. That is hard to remember sometimes. It's easy to get caught up in my life and my issues. It's human. :) YES....it's all about Jesus. THAT is what I have learned this Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Overview

2011-09-27T13:15:00.001-06:00

Wow, it's been a month since I last posted and like everything else on the internet, blogger seems to have some changes. I'll have to see if I like them or not though I guess it doesn't matter really, it is what it is.

Summer is over and Fall is in full swing. The farmers are out there getting their crops off and the weather is absolutely beautiful. The Fall colors are beautiful and vibrant. What else goes with Fall? School. Yip, we are full swing and it's going alright. It's all mainly online and I'm their cheerleader. Seems they needs me often. :)

This coming weekend I'm off to Camp Silversides for a Ladies' retreat and on Sunday, Wally and the boys will pick me up and off to church to watch our Danny get baptized. Oh yes, exciting times for all of us and he is so excited. I see a maturity happening in Danny that in some ways makes me sad because my baby is growing up, and yet, I'm excited to see what kind of man he will be one day.

Greg is playing football and loving it. He is doing very well this year and plays quite a bit. He's in his glory when he is playing football. :)

This is a bit of an overview. I plan to be in here again more often. I miss it. :)

The Vast Universe

2011-08-25T10:59:00.001-06:00

Late last night while I was waiting for Wally to come home from work, I was outside admiring the sky. It was late, close to midnight and at first stepping outside it was so dark you could hardly see. After being outside a bit it was lighter out (so it seemed). I looked up and it was a clear beautiful night and the stars were sparkling. You could even see The Milky Way. I love nights like that.

My first thought was, “WOW! This is so big, so huge! It is so gorgeous…amazing!” Then in my next thought,” there are people that pray to the universe. They look up to the clouds, to the stars, to the moons, the planets, etc and they pray to it.” I made a promise, then and there; to God the Creator never would I Worship the universe. I vow and promise to Worship the One who created the vast beautiful universe.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. ~ Genesis 1:1 ~

⁶ And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” ⁷ So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. ⁸ God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day. ~ Genesis 1: 6-8 ~

¹⁴ And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, ¹⁵ and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. ¹⁶ God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. ¹⁷ God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, ¹⁸ to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. ~Genesis 1: 14-18 ~

He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe. ~Ephesians 4:10~

but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. ~Hebrews 1:2 ~

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. ~Hebrews 11:13 ~

So, not only did God create the universe, He breathed the universe. He said, and it was so.

God created me. He knows every part of me including every hair on my head. He had me planned before I was even thought of by my mom and dad, before my parents were even born. He had me in mind before He breathed the universe. I would much rather pray to Someone who loves me enough to create me as unique as I am, who loves me enough to send His Son to die for me so I don’t have to spend eternity in hell, than a great big beautiful vast universe that was breather by the Creator.

I thank God daily for all the things He has made for me to look upon with awe…whether it be the dark dark night sky or the early evening sunset.

Think about who you pray to. Would you rather pray to something that has been created or The One who has created it?

¹ I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
² My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth. ~Psalm 121: 1-2 ~

It's Coming to an end....

2011-08-13T12:57:00.000-06:00

summer, that is and a good one it has been. We haven't done a lot or gone anywhere but it was nice. Greg will be finishing up 4 weeks of camp ( give or take a couple days ) this coming week and then football starts, the sure sign of Fall, to say the least. Orientation for online classes, are August 30, 31, September 1,2 and school starts on the 6th. A second sure sign of Fall. Danny stayed home with me and we started working out. You can find posts of that previously if you choose. It was good and we plan to continue. Danny's favorite is of course boxing which has now turned into MMA ( Mixed Martial Art) so he is learning the kicks and whatever else comes with it was well. As well for Danny, I'd like to look into some Archery Lessons because he is saving for a Compound Bow. I'm not sure what he will do with it, but we will help him toward his goal and encourage him as we can.

So, as the Fall starts in a couple week, I foresee a busy time. School wise, the only classes I'm actually teaching the kids this year ( actually just Danny ) is Social Studies and Science, so I will have time to make sure the kids stay caught up with their school work online and hopefully find some fun for us. I think it might be a big year for Greg he will decide if he wants to homeschool in grade 10 or go to Lacombe High School. I guess too that will depend on how much he loves football this year too.

I'm hoping to find some time to reflect on what my direction is. I know for now it is to be available to my husband and kids first and foremost but I'd like to do something else. I've been putting off writing due to fear( that I'm working through) so I'm wanting to get that going as well and continue to work out and get and be healthy for me and my family. I have a lot on my plate. I don't know why I'm looking for more. The answers I have to that just cause me to think more so I won't go there yet.

I'm blessed. I'm so blessed....not only because of the wonderful family I have....but mostly because of the God I serve. He is Someone I can pray to and know that He is there....He isn't a thing like a universe. I don't understand how people can pray to the universe and yet I know several who do. How can a thing not only answer your prayers ( or not ) but talk back to you? Anyway...that's a whole different blog. I'm signing off now...BLESSED!

Picture Post

2011-08-05T21:10:00.000-06:00

First week of August is...

2011-08-05T17:59:00.001-06:00

DONE! Pretty much. Wow, I can't believe we are into it already. This week has been something else let me tell you. Wally had Monday and Tuesday off and on Tuesday we went to For Edmonton. I can't even show you pictures right now because they are on the other computer. I guess my next blog will be a picture one!! :) It was a fun day though. We got to spend time in the Early 1800's to the Early 1900"s. It was nice. It was a full day. Then we came home and picked up our new puppy. ( pictures in the next blog.) He is about 3 months old and is a Labanard which is a cross between a Labrador and a St. Bernard. He will have a really big boy on our hands. LOL He is doing so good though. I'm happy about that considering he is Wally's dog and Wally is not here. " hello!!" LOL Oh well, Wally knows me well.

We have been working up a storm this week. I went on Sunday and Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Greg went with us this week and I bought him a month membership as well. Today Danny's trainer gave him a new program/routine that he can do without her and tomorrow we are going to buy him some boxing gloves so he can practice at the gym when the trainers aren't there. I guess we will soon get a boxing bag for here at home. He loves it. I've been upping my weights and next week will continue to. Next Friday Leah will introduce me to some more machines so we can change things up a bit. My legs are definitely the hardest for me. I'm embarrassed to say that 10 minutes on the treadmill about kills me. I guess that tells you how out of shape I am and this week in the evenings....OH MY GOSH....I thought I'd was dying. Last night I was asking myself " Self, how will you ever be able to work out tomorrow. Your legs are so sore!!" sigh! I woke up feeling so yucky....by the time it came to go to the gym, I was feeling fine. My legs weren't bothering me and they still aren't as painful as they have been,really not even sore at all. I guess I need to give it time. It's only been two full weeks now since we have been working out. I was telling some friends that when we signed up for this I prayed to God that this would be something that Danny would LOVE. I am in turn being blessed and finding that I am loving it. Today was a little harder for Danny so I think it's important that him and I go on Sunday so he can work his routine on his own to try it, to know he can do it. We'll see what happens.

I've also been so blessed by a Bible Study I've been doing. Here is an interview on it that I did on my last blog and once I'm done the Study I will do a personal review. It's by Grace Fox and it's called Moving From Fear to Freedom. I can't believe someone did a Bible Study just for me. ( so it seems). So so good.

http://alexis-crazymomma.blogspot.com/2011/08/moving-from-fear-to-freedom-woman-to.html

Well, I'm off now. We have a family bbq tomorrow at my Mom and Dad's that I'm looking forward to. It will be nice to see everyone again...though I'll miss my Wally. Next time perhaps. Have a blessed weekend my friends and watch for some pictures soon.

God Bless!!!

"If you like to think in terms of your cell phone- when you call to Him- these are calls that NEVER drop. It’s a secure connection." - Beth Moore

MOVING FROM FEAR TO FREEDOM: A Woman-to-Woman Conversation BLOG TOUR with author, Grace Fox

2011-08-03T10:26:00.001-06:00

Interview with Grace Fox

Has fear kept you awake at night? Has it hindered you from saying yes to a new opportunity? Has it caused you to make impulsive choices you later regretted? If so, you’re not alone! Fear is a big deal for many women. If left unchecked, it can prevent us from fulfilling God’s purpose for our lives. So, what’s the answer? How can we move beyond fear into freedom?

Author Grace Fox has partnered with Stonecroft Ministries to write a small group resource titled Moving from Fear to Freedom: A Woman-to-Woman Conversation. This resource addresses women’s common fears and gives biblical and practical strategies to move beyond them.

Fear seems to be an ever-present theme throughout the Bible. Describe the difference between healthy and unhealthy fear.

Healthy fear steers us toward wise decisions and actions. It promotes self-preservation. For example, we look both ways before crossing the street for fear of getting hit by a car. In contrast, unhealthy fear hinders our ability to fully embrace life because it consumes us with negative thinking and what-ifs. The effects can literally make us sick.

How does destructive fear stunt our emotional or spiritual growth?

Destructive fear—the fear of rejection, for instance—might keep us from admitting to someone that we’ve been physically or sexually abused. Without receiving the help we need to deal with those issues, we never experience freedom. Our struggles might seriously hamper our ability to truly love and receive love in a marital relationship. This is just one example among many of how our emotional growth is affected.
Spiritually, fear can cause us to say no to God-given dreams or assignments because we’re afraid of personal inadequacy or financial insecurity. If we never step out in faith, then we never experience God’s ability to equip and provide in amazing ways. Spiritual growth comes when we say yes to God and “do it afraid.”
You suggest we need to place our focus on God and not on fear. In practical terms, how do we do this?

Several strategies that I’ve found helpful…

Memorize Scripture promises and meditate on them throughout the day and as we fall asleep at night. We are transformed as our mind is renewed.

Fill our homes with praise and worship music.
Spend time in God’s word on a regular basis, not just when we’re in a panic. The more we do so, the more familiar we become with His promises and the better prepared we are to face frightening circumstances when they come.
Talk to the Lord throughout the day. Invite Him into the mundane. Practice His presence. The more we get to know Him, the more we’re able to trust Him in the face of fear.

Most of us feel inadequate at times. You suggest we cannot use our inadequacies as an excuse for not participating with God’s purposes. How do we get past this?

We get past our fear of inadequacy by admitting we have it. Then we need to retrain our thinking to focus on God’s adequacies rather than our inadequacies.

Tell God how we feel. "Help! I don't think I can do such-and-such."
Tell a trusted friend and ask her to pray for us.
Move forward. Do it afraid and expect God to equip us.

Describe this resource and how participants can receive the greatest benefit as they use it.

It’s a seven-week study filled with biblical teaching and personal anecdotes that can be used easily by either a small group of friends in a private home setting or a large women’s ministry. Each session begins by viewing a 25-30 minute teaching video. When the video ends, participants follow suggested Table Talk questions for about 15 minutes. Then they do the Bible study questions together. Each participant uses her own guide book so she can take notes and write answers. Facilitator’s notes are included. The study covers these topics:

an overview of fear
fear for our loved ones' well-being
fear of personal inadequacy
fear of rejection
fear of facing the ghosts of our past
fear of the storms of life
fear of the unknown future

Where can I buy this study?

It’s available through your local Christian book store, on Amazon, www.barnesandnoble.com, www.christianbooks.com, www.stl-distribution.com, www.winepressbooks.com, and of course, on Grace’s website, where group discounts apply. www.gracefox.com. Visit Grace’s website for more information about her other books and speaking ministry. www.gracefox.com.

For more opportunities for a FREE copy of this DVD & Study Guide set of MOVING FROM FEAR TO FREEDOM, please follow this CSS Virtual Book Tour on Twitter (@Christianspkrs) or Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/CSSVBT.GraceFox.MovingFromFeartoFreedom)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eu3hx8b2DM&feature=youtu.

( This is a link for the trailer of the video. Sorry, I wasn't able to the video itself on here )

I was given a complimentary copy of this DVD & Study Guide set from the author in exchange for posting the author’s interview on my blog. This blog tour is managed by Christian Speaker Services (www.ChristianSpeakerServices.com).

The End of Another Week!

2011-07-29T16:33:00.000-06:00

Not only is it just the end, but the end of mine and Danny's first week working out! I was done mine in time ( since I started 10 minutes sooner) to watch Danny and Travis box. Danny is in his GLORY! He really enjoys it when Travis trains with Leah, but he really enjoys Leah too, so that's good. I upped my weights today by 5 lbs each and the one by 10 lbs since that's how it went. I went faster on the treat mill and even upped my other cardio by a bit. I really felt it. lol YIKES. So, for the month of August I will stick with this and up it as necessary and in Sept Leah figures I will be ready for the next level, whatever that is. It's all good and I feel good, when I don't hurt bad. :)

Working out is a great distraction from the head games that want to be played. I'm not impressed. :( It is what it is I guess and I'm in process of trying to change my focus. I had my heart set on something that won't happen for a while. That's fine...that's life. It's the games that come with it that make me crazy. There's a part of me that like to know what's coming. I want to follow God's will for my life, problem is my head and heart are talking way different that my circumstances so I don't know what that's all about. I believe I have a ministry in Red Deer and to do it, I need to live there. Makes sense. Well, we can't move for a while yet. We have some unfinished things here that could have us here for quite a long time yet. BUT....God is still telling me " Red Deer." What do you do? It's so weird. Major head games. So I figured last night when I couldn't sleep that I would just work out harder and take it out that way. lol Of course I didn't think about that while working out I was too busy pleading with God, " help me do this! help me do this!!!" lol What is life if it isn't a little NUTS!

Coming into August and in just 2.5 weeks, football starts. I'm looking forward to it and then shortly after that....school. Wow, I hope we get some more nice weather and less rain. Wally went and wrapped up our hose last night so I could lock the doggy door and forgot to unplug the sump pump. The ground must be pretty saturated quite a ways down because all of a sudden I heard water going into the basement. The pump started going and was coming out the rolled up hose back into the basement. Luckily I heard it before it got too bad. I'm sure it is still pumping away outside.

Well, that should be good for today. Have a blessed weekend my friends. It is a long-weekend here in Canada and we plan to enjoy it ( even if Wally gets called to work). TOODLES!

Work Out Day 2

2011-07-27T14:18:00.000-06:00

So I did my program for the first time by myself today. The difference between today and Monday is I started with 10 minutes on the treadmill instead of 5 that I did Monday. THAT makes a huge difference in my whole work out. Seriously, I am feeling it in my legs today far more than Monday. It helps that I was concentrating on working out, and just that. I WILL be sore tomorrow I think, way more than yesterday. So we we payed for it all today and while I did that I THANKED GOD for the fact that we homeschool so we get this money back. It's a HUGE blessing. Danny had a good workout with Leah and enjoyed himself a lot. He didn't get a chance to box since the other trainer was busy but he will on Friday.

So, while we were paying Leah was telling us how important it is to go and eat lunch at this time. I found by the time I got home I wasn't feeling very good and I knew I NEEDED to eat. I was better after having a handful of carrots and a yogurt, then I had a burrito. On Friday I will bring carrots with me to eat on the way home. It's kind of weird working out at noon. One just doesn't know when to eat. I was up at 6:30 this morning and had a banana and coffee so I was ready to eat. I feel MUCH better now. It's all about learning. In September I will have a session with Leah and she will give me nutrition hints and ideas, so that will be good. For now, we will coast along as we are.

Well, it is 2 pm. I'm going for a nap. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

One more thing....there was this old man working out the same time I was and I went on the ab crunch machine after him. I am crunching 100lbs...he had it at 200lbs!!! He was old, and he was skinny and wow...he was obviously strong. THAT to me was awesome! and YIKERS!!!!

First Day of a New Journey: Work Out Day!

2011-07-25T16:04:00.000-06:00

What a day it was! I had NO idea what to expect because I've never worked out in a gym. Years and years ago when I was in high school there was a gym called Courts North ( I think that's what it was called) but all I really did there was aerobics. Anyway....Danny and I embarked a new journey!

Danny was in his GLORY! Leah ( our trainer ) worked with me today to get me familiar with my work out that I'll be doing by myself. I'm pretty confident that I can do this on my own and even up weights in some of them during the month. As time goes on, she will give me more things to do but for now...well, I'll explain more later. As I was saying....while Leah was working with me, the other trainer was with Danny and the first thing they did was box. Travis' ( trainer ) bio says he is a highly acclaimed athlete in boxing so he knows his stuff. After they were done the boxing Danny and Travis showed Leah and I and Leah said to me that Danny had caught on very quick. I'm not surprised. If Danny wants to learn something and he loves it, he was catch on QUICK. He loved his workout today. They did some bball and some machines as well.

I did most of my work out on machines except for two. The cardio parts I did I used the rowing machine, treadmill, bike, some machine that had your legs moving like cross country skiing and my very favorite, the stair master. In between those I used the machine bench press, machine row, beginner crunch machine ( this is so much cooler than sit ups!! )lol, goblet squat(not a machine), hip ups on a mat( not a machine). I started and ended on the treadmill. I would say it was about 50-60 minute work out. I have the freedom to up the weights by 5 lbs at a time and once I get that, up it again. I can see myself, even this month, going from 3 to at least 4 days a week.

It felt good. I will be sore tomorrow...that's ok though. I feel like I have accomplished something good today and that God is happy with me that I was finally able to make this move. There are so many head games I have to to watch for and deal with but I will take this one day at a time.

TODAY....I thank God for Leah and Travis our trainers and thank God for the strength and will power that He gave me to make this move for us. I thank God that Danny was so excited and is excited about this. This venture, this journey can only be good. Next week Greg will join us in the gym...not with a trainer but to start getting ready for football.

Thank you too to all my friends and family that have been so supportive. It's such an encouragement to me to know that you are praying for us. God Bless Us...EVERYONE!!

Thinking Tonight....

2011-07-10T21:38:00.000-06:00

Pondering life, if you will. It isn't always a good thing for me to do. Much comes out of my head, too much. lol I put up a status update tonight and it said this:

~ Do you ever wish you weren't a certain way or wished you didn't have a certain characteristic? I'm feeling that way this evening. I've tried changing it but it just isn't me. I guess a person needs to somehow come to terms with the way that God made us and work with it, right? ~ Melancholy tonight.

Someone commented that we all feel that at times and I agree. Surely even the most confident of us have moments that we wish something about us wasn't so. Surely I'm not one of the few that feels that way....I might be one of the few that admit it? I think in pondering a thought such as this it causes us to look at ourselves and in my case, it causes me to look to God and ask Him, " What do You want of me? Where do You want me? Who am I ? " None of these are bad questions. As we grow we must ask God these questions. Then what? We need to listen. Whether you are attending a new church, or dreaming dreams that seem far away, we need to stay in tune with God. In my case, it's frustrating when a characteristic of mine that is quite strong gets in the way of the dreams I have for my life. But at the same time, I believe that God's dream for my life is the same so then, if I believe that, I need to believe that He will work things out and it will be GOOD! For the most part I believe this but then I get into a pondering mood and then, well, since I'm a major over thinker...( which just so happens to be a characteristic of myself I like even though it's annoying as well), I go overboard.

All in all tonight, I spoke in riddles. lol I'm sorry.

So, Greg is back at camp and it's just Danny and I until Wally gets home from work tomorrow night. It's been a good weekend. I see Danny with some of my characteristics that I fight so much so I have to be careful. I can so understand when he is afraid to do something or to talk to someone. Hell be okay though. God has big plans for that boy.

Well, good night and have a blessed week my friends.

School Days ( Take 2 )

2011-07-09T18:13:00.000-06:00

I lost it all all last time I tried so I took a scream break. :) Now I am back with a Vanilla Carmel Latte and will try this again.

School Days are a way away yet. ( hmm that sounds weird...lol ). My kids start their online orientation August 30-September 2 and start their first day back on the 6th. They have to take the orientation every year to re-familiarize themselves with FirstClass program they use. They are entering grades 6 and 9.

Danny is going into grade 6 and is doing math and language arts online. Greg did that in grade 6 as well. I think these will be good for Danny. I will be teaching him social studies and science. In science we are doing A Reason for Science and will concentrate mainly on the experiments. I ordered the box of experiment supplies so it will be good. For social studies we will focus on current events and he is wanting to learn about some groups like Apaches ( mainly so he can make some weapons). He even told me he found a book at Chapters that would be great. hmmmmm Typical boy I'm thinking. lol

Greg is going into grade 9. Oh the memories ( and not ) I have of grade 9. It was in some ways the best year ever and in some ways the worse year ever. Oy vey. Can I just say I'm thankful we are homeschooling. Greg is taking all 4 of his core subjects online. This will determine if he will want to homeschool in high school or not because he would be going through high school all online.

The drawback for the coming year is the Provincial Exams ( PATS). Going through CFL they have no choice but to do the testing so Greg will have 4 of them and Danny 2 of them. Luckily St. Paul's Academy teaches according to the testing so that's a good thing I guess.

I am looking into other things for the kids too. Critical thinking for both the kids, Spiritual Leadership for Young Men for Greg and An Honorable Boy for Danny. I also ordered a book called: Becoming a World Changing Family. The beautiful thing about homeschooling is once the cores are determined, the sky is the limit for other things.

So, I won't sit here and wish for school ( it will come soon enough ). I will enjoy my summer as Greg goes to camp and starts football and as Danny and I start to play tennis and find other things to do as well. I'm hoping for a little getaway or two but those would only be the cherry on top of a fabulous summer.

I hope to become closer to my Father, to get some writing done and be inspired by the people that God puts into my life. I look forward to my continued story written by my favorite Author.

Have a FABULOUS SUMMER!!!

A few thoughts....

2011-07-03T22:36:00.001-06:00

Camp: Tuesday morning Greg goes to camp. He is there until Friday night and back again Sunday for the next two weeks to work there. I'm so happy and excited for Him....my prayer for Greg is that he will find his personal Faith...and put it in his personal God. That he can step away from our faith ( as his parents ) and make it his own.

Facebook: I saw a major disadvantage of facebook this weekend. I see much drama and hurt on on the horizon for some people and it grieves me. Maybe we shouldn't all have facebook? I am in prayer for several people. :(

Writing: God has given me a story to write and I'm excited about it. My prayer for it is it will lead me sharing my own story. :)

Language: I spent some time with a new friend on Saturday from El Salvidor. She needed someone to practice English on and I'm thinking of hiring myself out to more ladies for free. LOL Today in church she brought me a book to learn Spanish. It's an old text book type book, in fact, her son joked ( maybe he wasn't joking ) he used it when he was 5 years old. lol First copy write year is 1948 and this one is the 62nd edition and it's copy write is 1975. HILARIOUS!

Days off: Oh how I enjoyed having my husband home this weekend. Three whole days. Who knows when that will happen again, but for today....I'm so thankful!

My Life Changed....

2011-06-30T22:04:00.000-06:00

I have changed. Frankly, I don't know what to do with it, but one thing I did start doing today is writing. I heard a story....a life story. A story that is filled with hopelessness, tragedy, pain, drugs, alcohol....and then some hope and courage mixed in. These kinds of stories were always so far away from me. I heard others who knew others but I never knew personally a story such as this. It has changed me. I'm numb and yet thankful. This story that I heard today has made me want to hear others. Not only that, has made me want to become part of some of the stories. I want to bring Jesus into their stories....into their lives. I want for them to feel the hope in the midst of the pain and tragecy....I want them to know they are not alone. I want to be the love of Jesus in skin to the women who need to know they are loved....because they are.

Oh Lord, I know NOT your plan for me but you know my heart. Move me.....

Good Morning Girls...Wednesday Link up

2011-05-18T08:04:00.000-06:00

Interestingly enough I was tempted to read other blogs before I wrote mine. Then I laughed. Yesterday my group and I ( there are two of us and I'll call her G ) were discussing our emails to each other. I email her after I do my verse of the day and give my thoughts on it and she reciprocates. I was telling her when I read hers that " man, she sounds so much more ( I had forgotten the word yesterday but) eloquent than I." I feel my writing is crude. I'm not smooth necessarily at sharing what I want. I write the way I talk. :)))) So, that all being said, I decided NOT to read the others as I'm not really in the mood to compare myself before I write. I'll save that for after. LOL

The verses this week have been Psalm 127:1, John 15: 4-5, and today was Matt 6:33. Their themes are very much the same and I got the message loud and clear...seek Him first. Yip. I do that everyday! NOT. I do not seek Him first unfortunately. In some things I do and in those things it comes naturally, but in other areas, He isn't even a thought. Man, what a lousy Christian, huh? I'm probably not alone in all honesty, in fact, I KNOW I'm not alone. My prayer this week for myself in this regard has been.... " Help me to be obedient to Your Word and to seek You first in ALL things." I start off the day great and I fail much throughout the day, BUT BUT BUT like I said to G ( which stands for Gorgeous by the way ) this morning... Thank God we serve a God of grace and forgiveness. Praise the Name of Jesus....lift your hands in Praise! Know that you are loved. Have a wonderful and blessed day!

Sunday night...do you know where your children are????

2011-05-15T20:14:00.000-06:00

LOL! Think of scary music to go with that too. :)))))

Tomorrow is our last visit with the facilitator this school year. It's hard to believe that the end of the school year is here and only a few short weeks away. Time just seemed to have sped up so fast this year. Next year I will do all my notes on the laptop and not paper. My notes are in three different books it seems. It's crazy. Oh well. I have about 1/2 hour more to do tonight and I've done all I can do.

http://www.goodmorninggirls.org/2011/05/welcome-lets-get-started/

Also, tomorrow I'm starting this ( check out link ) book/Bible Study. My friend and I are doing it together and we are not signing up as a group though we plan to follow the study and see what it's all about. This is a nice way for my friend and I stay in touch and be accountable to each other as well. I do enjoy Sally Clarkson very much and I had the book " Ministry of Motherhood " I just have never read it before so it will be a great way to read it. Apparently over 1000 women have signed up ( never mind the ones like us that haven't ). I am familiar with the SOAP method of studying the Bible so that is a bonus too.

Church today was great. It's really quite interesting going to a new church, never mind one that is mainly Spanish speaking. Bless their hearts....they are all learning English and doing so well. Gives me hope that I can learn Spanish. Sometimes I think I'm too old to learn a new language, and then I remember a conversation I had with my friend Diane. Yes...there are some comments and conversations we have that are great for accountability. LOL

I'll try to become better about blogging again. I should be here again Wednesday for sure....maybe before.

God Bless you my friends....everyone!!!!!

Ok...I'll admit it

2011-04-26T09:33:00.000-06:00

I will admit several things in my blog today. The first being....

.....it's been a while since I have blogged? Why? Well, it has to do with other things I might admit and it doesn't. Truth is, it's my blog and I'll write when I feel like it. Often times, I want to write but I know I mustn't because I will regret the words. lol At least I usually know that by now.

.....I'm cold. I'm on my back deck, in the shade with my poncho on. I will say, I'm enjoying sitting out here, on my laptop, drinking some fresh hot earl grey. Never mind Jango playing in the back ground. This is the life. One boy sleeping, one boy awake, one boy at work and mother in law Mary and her husband Henry soon to come over. Life is good. I really have nothing to complain about...I admit though....I do complain.

.....it's been one of the driest Easters ever...Spiritually. That saddens me but it is what it is...the truth. Speaking of Truth though, when I was sharing this with Wally last night, I was telling him how used I am to my emotions and feelings being how I could distinguish my faith. I'm a feeling kind of person and I hate not feeling but like Wally said, doesn't mean God didn't raise to life..for me. That is so true. My lack of emotions and feeling don't change the Truth. Praise God for THAT!!!! God is TRUTH!!!! No matter what!! THAT, I will admit to the whole world and I'm banking on that Truth right now. His love doesn't change for me because I feel nothing. I admit I really love that. I love that a lot. :)))))

....I'm really glad we are on Easter Holidays. I'm so tired of school. lol Just a few weeks left...6 or so give or take. WOOHOO!!!!

Well, since I'm admitting things and not having confession time, I will stop at that. LOL

Have a wonderful day my friends!!!!

Come and Make My Heart Your Home

2011-04-10T21:40:00.000-06:00

I was looking for this song at at you tube. It is a song that I learned this weekend at the retreat. The video is a GEM! It is God! It is confirmation for me that we are on the path, well we are at the SPOT that God wants( even though the future is a total blur). The confirmation is the Spanish words to the song in the last half of the video. That just really really rocks. More will come about this (and possibly the retreat ) in coming days/weeks on my blog. I pray you love this video and the words as much as I. God Bless!!

Reading the Bible in 90 Days

2011-04-02T16:30:00.001-06:00

I did it...I finished it! It was so much harder than I thought and truthfully, for that reason alone I feel guilty. Why is it so hard to read so much of the Bible in a day when I can read that much more and more of any good book I'm reading? There were times I had to literally MAKE myself read it and yes, I got behind a few times and catch up was painful!!! In all honestly, my goal in doing this was to do it....I read too fast to study the Bible so I'm looking forward to starting to read the Gospels with Mom's Toolbox next.

My group leader Laura was so encouraging and what can I say about Amy....she is awesome and such a cheerleader! I feel like I accomplished something big here and praise God...only because of Him and his pushing...along with encouragement from others was I able to do this reading. It's a great lesson in self discipline if you are anything like me and have issues with that.

Come on, give it a try! I challenge you.....

Toodles

April and Other Musings

2011-04-02T16:01:00.000-06:00

Wow, as it was pointed out to me this week, the year is 1/4 over. Where does the time go and when did it start going so fast? I don't remember the transitions. :( It is my hubby's birthday this month that reminds me that with time, we age. Luckily, him faster than me, just by a few months though.

We are in an interesting time in our life. Those that don't go to church regularly may not get it....but, when it comes down to my life, the people in them mostly are people who go to my church. My social life has revolved more around my church family and friends than even my husband in the different things I have been involved in over the years. Man, I got some really great experiences and made some super duper friends who will be part of my life forever, I hope. :D This past year has been hard and we have learned some other interesting lessons in our church. Many of the lessons hurting me big time but at the same time, God has used them for His glory. It wasn't that long ago that we would say over and over " we are NEVER leaving this church...NEVER" as we watched people walk out for various reasons. Well, when you are on the receiving end of being hurt things look different. Not ALL bad at all. God gave me different eyes to see that things aren't like I thought they were. He used this year to teach Wally and I some valuable lessons. He showed us that the passions of our hearts wouldn't come to grow and ripen if we stayed in this church. Not because it's a bad place, but because the resources weren't there...whatever that means. I'm grateful and thankful for God showing us this. It is a bittersweet time for me. I have some good friends there and I'll admit, I was so worried and afraid of losing their friendship. I'm so thankful for friendships that are build on solid ground and love and respect for each other, not just because we go to the same church. I expect these friendships will continue. Not only that....there are some wonderful people there who I will really really miss. One moment I will be excited and nervous about our future ( and so ready to move forward ) and the next moment sad....because it's hard to say good bye. :( This Sunday is our last day there. The kids will finish off Sunday School until the end of May ( when it's over I think ) and we will finish AWANA and hopefully be able to volunteer for it next year IF it's where God wants us.

We will start our new church and our new journey and purpose at the International E Free Church in Red Deer. I have a retreat next weekend so it will probably be the following. There are a lot ( if not mainly ) Spanish speaking folks there and will give the kids and I a chance to see how Rosetta Stone is working for us. :) I have some healing and some resting to do and lots to go through in my mumbled up brain....but it will all start there and it's exciting. It's scary too. I'm not very good at meeting new people though we do know several people who attend there and it is a place that exudes safety for me, which is what I need most right now. So....that's where we are at. I'm not into any mudslinging. It's not worth it to me. It just doesn't matter what has happened in the past, all is forgiven!....Praise God....He has used it for HIS glory and this gal is ready to move forward. It is time!!

Snow Days or Something Like It

2011-03-24T08:44:00.000-06:00

What a week this has been. I warn you now, I will be complaining in this post. I just need to get it out. I'm so sick of the snow. There is way too much of it and I need to see some Spring....I need to see the start of renewal and new life. I just feel the need. I know just because I feel that way, it doesn't happen and from what I can see in the forecast for the coming week or so and beyond, it doesn't look encouraging that way. I also know that things can be so much worse, so very very much worse in so many ways. I know I have no right to complain. I know I know I know!! I wanted so bad to come on here last night and blog but I also knew that the things that would come out, well, I'd regret. Night time seems so much worse than day time as far as my thoughts go when I'm feeling like this. SO....

Today I decided I need to dig into the WORD to find encouragement. I have this book called " The Complete Personalized Promise Bible for Women."   One verse that I found was :

The minute I said, "I'm slipping, I'm falling,"
      your love, God, took hold and held me fast.
   When I was upset and beside myself,
      you calmed me down and cheered me up. THE MSG ( Psalm 94: 18-19 )

The declaration of faith that follows it is: When fear and anxiety comes against me, I find consolation in God. In Him, I find joy in every circumstance. In a perfect world, maybe I could actually do this. I do try to but unfortunately it is something I fail it but hey, I know that in Him and only in Him will I find that joy and eventually I do find it again. I'm just so thankful that He loves me. I still struggle with that concept even though I know it's true. A verse I found this morning that brings me comfort in regards to God's love for me is also found in the Psalms.

   Teach me how to live to please you,
      because you're my God.
   Lead me by your blessed Spirit
      into cleared and level pastureland. THE MSG ( Psalm 143:8)

The declaration of faith says: The very morning brings me word of my Father's unfailing love for me. He never fails to be there for me. He makes certain that I understand the direction I must take.

⁷ The LORD is good,
   a refuge in times of trouble.
He cares for those who trust in him, NIV ( Nahum 1:7 )

My Father sure does love me. He cares for me continually and does good by me. He is not good to me just some of the time, but all the time. He is my refuge in times of trouble. I will trust Him and not be afraid.

You get my gist. There are days and times in our lives when we just feel down right lousy. We can choose to continue down that road or look to the One that offers us encouragement in all circumstances. It's not easy to make this choice especially if you are used to your feelings leading you but NOTHING is impossible with God. We need to reach for Him, talk to Him, desire for Him....He is there for us. So today, this week, I will choose to find my encouragement through my Lord Christ. Never will He let me down and never do I have to feel lonely and alone. One day things will turn around...one day Spring and renewal will come and in the meantime I will rest in Jesus.

What will you choose to do today?

Reading....

2011-03-21T09:49:00.000-06:00

Talking to the kids this morning about an online writing course they are taking called "Writing For Success," Danny asks me when they are done doing outlines ( which of course I do not have the answer to ). He said he is looking forward to writing paragraphs again because he is good at that PLUS since he is reading he is learning new words. The example he gave was " recall. " That is so cool that he is thinking this way as he is reading.
Once again, I'm so thankful he has found some books and an author he loves. Alton Gansky.

On another topic....it's snowing again and still! Nuts, Nuts, Nuts!

Supper: March 14

2011-03-15T13:06:00.000-06:00

A new recipe....totally easy and totally loved by my family:

Tator Tot Casserole


2 lbs of Hamburger and an onion


Spread in bottom of Casserole Dish

2 Cans of Mushroom Soup or any kind of cream soup. I know they are full of sodium...I'm sure homemade cream soup would be awesome as well. I'm not sure how to make them yet. :)

Spread on meat

1 KG bag of Tator Tots

Shredded Cheese to your liking. Is used about 2 cups.

Cook 40 minutes on 400 degrees.

Sprinkle with Shredded Cheese.

Cook 5 more minutes and voila!

Ready for School! Sort of!!!

2011-03-14T16:50:00.001-06:00

I think I am all set for the kids next year for school. I haven't bought my books yet but....I think we are ready. Luckily with Greg taking all his classes online next year and Danny doing Math and LA online, the books will get sent to us from the school. YAY....wonder if we have a bus depot? We didn't this last summer and Fall. I know that because they had to courier it to my Mom and Dad's in Red Deer so hopefully this year it can come to Lacombe. We only have a box number and they won't deliver here. Maybe they are like The Red Deer Advocate and can't find us. LOL ( newspaper who used to phone me every year to deliver here and then could never find it. I had to be very forceful with them to tell them to take off all their calling list. HELLO!!! )

ANYWAY....a rabbit trail. LOL

We were talking school. Besides his usual courses Greg will take Study Skills one semester and a Career option the next semester. I think both classes will be good for him. I'm also going to pick him up a CSI Expert Book and experiments that we will do with Danny and a Detective Science book for him as well. I'm not sure how they will fit into school, if they do....it may just be a fun thing since they are interested in that, especially Greg. So...that is what Greg will do.

For Danny in Social Studies we will continue with Current events because he loves in so much but I will go more in depth next year. We will also study Greece. For Science we will continue with Life Packs and I have been trying to remember the name of the science experiments. It is a GREAT big container of experiments with everything we need included. And we will also do The Science Chef where he will do some cooking and experimenting with food.

This is where we are at right now....we are also looking into buying Greg his own lap top since he will need it for all of his classes. It just makes more sense to have all of his stuff on his own computer and Danny's on another one. We will see what we end up doing. :) It is fun planning for school...esp when you have some ideas of what you want. It doesn't always work out as I have learned over the years.....but all we can do is try different things and find what fits best for the kids and for me. THAT is the beauty of homeschooling!!!!

Toodles!!!!

March 7: Homeschool

2011-03-07T21:45:00.000-07:00

What a day...what a very encouraging day. Today was our visit from our homeschool facilitator. I'm always very grumpy those days and not popular with the kids....but after she leaves I am so encouraged and so nice...I'm sure they must thing I'm like Dr Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. LOL My facilitator's name is Carol and she is such an encouragement to me. Whatever problems I am having ...whatever concerns....she can take care of them by sharing with me her experiences. It is so obvious she loves kids. Today she passed the responsibility back on Greg for getting some of his work done by the end of the year and told him how important it was that he finished it...esp for grade nine next year. I think he got the message. It is sometimes better when it comes from someone else other than mom. Yes....today is a good day.

March 2....yikes

2011-03-02T08:29:00.000-07:00

and cold!! We are in a deep freeze here and I'm so looking forward to Spring!! Spring this year is also bringing new beginnings for my family and I which I hope to start sharing next week. We have gotten some direction from God and by golly....we are excited ( and scared ). God had been silent for so long I was getting worried I wouldn't hear His voice when He spoke but I needn't have worried. He spoke loud and He spoke clear. I expect in the next month or so we will hear more but for now, we have a new direction. YAY....stay tuned next week.

Next week will also bring our Home School Facilitator. This is usually the visit I dread and well, it is still the visit I dread. Even though I know homeschooling is the best thing for my children, I'm not always confident in myself as their teacher and yet....who knows them best? Next year we will do more online courses. It just works better for those strong-willed moments that are hard to handle. I'm not a "teacher" by trade and that does make it harder in my opinion, but we continue to persevere. Sure, there are days I'd love for my kids to be in school. Do I usually feel guilty for thinking that....yes, but I don't dwell on it. School...whether it's public, Christian, Catholic, private, big, small etc etc has it's downsides just as homeschooling does so....whatever. It is what it is and it is up to me do do as God would have us do and so we do. :) But, I still don't like this particular visit....at least she is one the most wonderful beautiful people I know...that helps bunches!!!

I'm just getting over being sick. I actually have energy today so I expect to get most of my laundry done. I was going to go for lunch today but the wonderful dear sweetheart I was going with canceled when she found out I had been sick. I think she was worried about getting sick and also, she wanted me to recover as well so needless to say, lunch will be at home today...which is just as well. I see it is 8:22. My time on the computer for this time of morning is almost up. It is time to shower and get moving. I do enjoy getting up early so I can have this time....quiet. Since my computer is on all day and periodically I go on it. esp when notifications come to my phone....it sometimes feels like it's all I do and (looks like it too, unfortunately). Today though, I need to catch up on some housework. Unfortunately when mom is sick...well, things don't get done so much. Ah....at least they love me enough not to take my chores away...right? LOL

Anyway....toodles everyone. Have a blessed day and hey, a heads up to those on facebook:

Mark Hall of Casting Crowns is doing a video Bible Study on James. Today is the third day and it's been so awesome. Here is link to their page. Just LIKE them and watch the videos. Blessings!!!!

http://www.facebook.com/saharmuja#!/castingcrowns

God is so very very good

2011-02-22T20:32:00.000-07:00

He is good all the time so why is it that when life is good or things are going well we say it, and during other times, we don't? Human nature hey.

It happened today. A breakthrough to my heart. I feel joy once again. It's been missing for almost a year. I feel relief and I even got an amazing answer to prayer today.....and it is even a "date" per sae. So much I can't say right now, but what I can say is Jesus is just so so amazing. I deserve so little yet have so much and only because He chose to die for me. Wow. God is on the move in the life of our family. Changes are on the horizon and I mean horizon and I'm excited!!!!

Praise God!!!! What else can I say? God is Great!

Blogging from the Hotel....

2011-02-18T22:50:00.000-07:00

Wally is sleeping since he has to get up at 3:30 am and here I am...laptop in bed and watching the Food Network. I'm in my glory. LOL I'd love to be able to watch this at home. But, since I can't, I will enjoy it here. We are staying at The Days Inn in Leduc and we had supper tonight at The Slate. It is the lounge here and it was awesome. Poor Wally, his supper was so hot he was sweating. lol It was a Vietnamese dish. I tried a little taste of it and it took a good 7 minutes for me to taste my meal. lol I stuck with a steak sandwich and we had some dried ribs that were yummy. Our waitress was a little sweetie that could barely understand English. It was so fun. It helps that she thought I was so " cute. " She tried so hard. lol She is expecting us to come for the continental breakfast in the morning. :)

Yummy...they are making donuts on TV. I'm so NOT hungry which makes it so much easier to watch this channel. So......

My 14 year old son got his learners license this week. I actually let him drive this week too; that was so mind blowing to me....yikes. My poor nerves. I pray he will be a good driver. What else can I do?

Krispy Kreme Donuts baby! I've never actually had a real one. They sure look good though. Oh man, I could just sit here all night and share my thoughts on the Food Network . I won' t though. LOL Chocolate Donut Flavor Beer. I might try it, but it doesn't sound appetizing to me. I would try it though. BTW that is what they are talking about on the channel...it's not just a random weird thought/idea. lol

Well, I will sign off now. I'm already getting carried away. I will enjoy my tv watching for a while longer. Good night everyone. God Bless!!!!

I made an omelet

2011-02-14T10:25:00.000-07:00

the right way this morning! Yep, this weekend I watched some Julia Child you tube videos and I am a reformed omelet maker. Danny likes them the old way...and I will continue with it, but as for me...I will enjoy it Julia's way!

" Worship Me" Part 2

2011-02-08T17:19:00.000-07:00

This is the song that was sung in church and danced to that really spoke to me. " His arms are open wide." You know, even if it's hard, and we don't want to come back to what I'll call the basics, it is so worth it. You will never get hurt by God.....never. Here's a song called " Come Home Running," by Chris Tomlin. I pray that it will bless you and touch you as I have been. God bless you....

He softly replied " WORSHIP ME!"

2011-02-08T13:47:00.000-07:00

That is what I heard in church this weekend. I've been struggling with doing things. I think that for quite a while I was getting my worth from what I was dong in church. For quite a while there, I was very busy there....man, getting lots of jewels in my crown I'm sure ( tongue in cheek ). Coming up a year ago, a little incident happened. Nothing major in the scheme of anyone else's life but huge in mine and Wally's. It changed us...not only physically, but spiritually too. I can't talk for Wally so I won't, but for me, I got mad. I've been annoyed with God for the path He's had us on....not hearing us, and generally, just feeling alone. It came to my attention, by God, that I left Him....NOT vise versa. I know how it talks about that in the Bible, but to actually have to acknowledge the fact that I, ALEXIS, would get so annoyed with God that I back off....that's so humbling and it makes me so sad. it also bugs me that I equated "church" issues with my relationship with Christ. That is so wrong but it was all done out of emotion and feelings of hurt. It doesn't make it right, but it is what it is and I am who I am. BUT....He has been waiting for me all year to come back to Him. His arms have been wide open and I have chosen to ignore them. I think that is why I've had problems understanding some things that my friend " H " has been trying to say to me. When you block God...does He not block us too? Wouldn't surprise me? I mean come on....if the only time I go to Him is when I think I should and even then, it isn't with my whole heart, doesn't it make sense that he would " stay quiet for a while?" Just saying.

So, in church, during the last prayer our Pastor asks us to " ask God what task He would like us to do that week and ask Him for the strength to do it." God whispered softly " Worship Me!" It isn't a task persae, but a heart condition that needs healing. How do I do it? Rest in Him in thankfulness and WORSHIP. Acknowledge that He is King of my life and let go of all other things. My worth comes from Jesus Christ and I need to pass that on to my boys. This song explains it in ways I can't. I am just so thankful for my God that He comes running to me, when I'm ready( even when i don't think I'm ready).....Thank you Lord. " Give me the strength to Worship you daily....the desire. Lord, give me courage to do what I need to do...for you and for you only. Lord, help me to teach my kids about You so they will put you first and live for only You. I want you to be the King of my life and I want others to see You in me....please, guide me, teach me, show me...Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!

Sharing with the Kids

2011-02-04T15:38:00.000-07:00

I shared something with the kids this morning. It is something that I felt it was time that they knew, even if they don't fully understand it....who does???? Anyway...I asked the kids if they knew what a miscarriage was? They didn't ( of course ) and I kept it simple telling them that it is when the baby mom is carrying in her womb dies before it is born. I know it is more but for my kids, this was good for them to know. I told them that I had miscarried several times....4 times in fact. Greg was a little stunned for a minute. They asked all kinds of questions..."you mean you almost had 6 kids/ oh good, I'm not the youngest /and from Greg, you wanted more kids? lol I did share with Danny that he wouldn't have been the youngest and he said, " oh I was 2 minutes older," no no no...not triplets. yikes. lol It was a really good talk( with funny moments) and I could share that one day they would meet their siblings in Heaven. I don't know if they will remember the conversation, but I will. It was nice to be able to acknowledge the babes in Heaven, esp this time of year when three of them happened. between the end of Jan - April. I'm glad I'm in a place where I can look forward to meeting them one day and at the same time, look forward to being mom on earth to Greg and Danny and being good with it all. God is faithful. It doesn't matter that I'm messed in some areas, He is still faithful and for that I am so Thankful.

Getting on my Nerves

2011-02-03T07:26:00.000-07:00

LITERALLY! I hate that I get so nervous. I know most times it's about insecurity because I get nervous about the dumbest things. I even get nervous when I think about things that " could be " or " might be " no matter how far fetched they are. It doesn't even matter if I KNOW it won't happen because I know it is a thought from satan, I still get nervous about it. It drives me nuts that I am like that. Most times, fortunately, it doesn't stop me from doing something. If it did, I wouldn't do anything. I'd become an eccentric hermit. :D Let me rephrase that, an " eccentric half mad hermit " ( because I homeschool and I'm with my kids all day...lol ). It is still a pain. So, for today, I will be nervous and most likely worry ( which is so dumb because I know it is wrong ) until late tonight. Sometimes I just shake my head at me... :D

Whew...made to to February!

2011-02-02T08:20:00.000-07:00

Now, to make it through the next couple weeks and I'll be laughing. It's a funny and sometimes weird time of year for me. It brings memories of miscarriages as well as birthday parties. At a time of year that could be sad and depressing, it is filled with fun, parties and celebrations. Only God. Only God. This Friday ( Feb 4 ) Greg turns 14 and on Saturday. He is the suave and confident man child. From the time he quit talking when he was around 3 because of losing all self confidence...to this day is just amazing. Only God He knows who he is and what he wants and isn't afraid to tell you. His delivery method needs work though. :D   He is having a party with several of his friends coming over. Only God AND Only God will get me through the party day. lol Years when the boys were little, I did birthday parties for them during the day usually and daddy was usually exempt from them. No more! Way too much testosterone for this girl so Wally has to be around and at home for the parties and luckily, he wants to. It is suppose to be a nice day so we will have a fire for supper...roast wieners and marshmallows....tonnes of hot chocolate. Since video gaming is so big ( unfortunately ) they will be doing lots of that too...hence comes the pop and chips ( of course more food ) and not to forget the birthday cake....ice cream cake of course. Yes...it will be ( using the most popular word in our house these days) an EPIC day!! :D

One week from today ( Feb 9 ) my Daniel..Danny ( shh don't tell him I told you his REAL name) lol, is turning 11. He's the artistic child. Oh he dreams, oh he dreams. He is a great mixture of Wally and I. Everyday he has new ideas and plans and he is so excited about life and every thing it has to offer. There is no mediocre with Danny. He is either off or on.....100%.   We are looking at having his party at Boston Pizza this year. Possible date on the 11th. He doesn't have to be part of a big group for it to seem really busy so again, daddy will be there. lol

This is what I foresee in the next week and a half. Party time, memory time, whatever time....it is all good and most of all and BEST of all....SO IS GOD!!!!!   Toodles!

Another Snowy Saturday Night...

2011-01-29T17:49:00.000-07:00

It was so beautiful out this week. It got up to not quite +8 and Friday, the snow started again and it got colder. it is, after all, Jan still. It's been an interesting week and once again, as with other weeks, lessons were learned.

I learned that people change.... not just people, we do, in particular. Sometimes when a group of people get together after it has been a year or so, it isn't the same. This year has really been a strange one for Wally and I and it has changed us in some ways. I won't say all for the best, but I will say, in spite of how we have reacted to things, God still uses us. All of a sudden when you get back together with your friends, you realize that there has been a huge paradigm switch. Do they know it? Most likely they do, but can't figure it out. They just think you're nuts! Wally and I never did fit the mold for "Christians." I'm talking about the " mold" that people use. When they start talking about the mold and how it should look....whether it's friends talking or maybe perhaps, Charles Stanley, all of a sudden, it is so obvious that you don't fit them mold that guilt seeps in. Friends, I don't need anyone's help in making me feel guilty. I do it well enough on my own, which is NOT right, BUT when I sense someone else doing it, whether it's purposely or not ( in this case, not), I'm so outta there. This girl is messed up enough, don't need anymore help, thank you. So, I'm thinking this week might be an interesting one. I'm passed the point of explaining myself to people. I'm just tired of people. :)

I'm trying to go through certain books and magazines in my house. Namely, cookbooks. AND as it turns out, I have two more coming in the mail. Yip....like I need it. I'm hoping to get things sorted out in a way that we are all ready for our landlord to come into our house and do some renos. There is a lot of work to do and he promised us he would do it this spring...though, maybe we can get him to come in just a little before. I'm hoping for new cupboards, tonnes of painting, all the floors and and windows and make the basement livable so Greg can move downstairs. Wally is planning on doing major landscaping as well. We live on a hill but Wally says we live on a volcano and we are on the very top of it, well, in the crater. lol Anyway....it is something to look forward to never mind my new China Cabinet for my dishes.

Well, that's where things stand right about now. It's been a great day. Didn't do too much. We all just hung out at home. Perfect!!!

Blessings to you my Friends....have a GREAT weekend!

Chicken Macaroni Casserole

2011-01-27T16:08:00.000-07:00

Milk, Mayo, Cubed Chicken, Cream of Chicken Soup, Milk and of course Macaroni. I forgot to put the Vinegar out.

Cook Macaroni

Put all in one bowl

and mix

Put in your casserole dish


Since I'm not cooking it for another hour or so, I put a sticky not up with further instructions.

Special Notes: I doubled the amount of macaroni and used more chicken.

Here is the full written out recipe. It is so so easy and so so quick and who doesn't like chicken and macaroni. Most kids do anyway.

Prep - 15 mins
Cook - 25 mins
Difficulty Level: Easy
Servings: 6
1 1 / 2 c Dry Macaroni (cooked and drained)
1 / 2 t Vinegar
1 can Cream Of Chicken Soup (10 3/4 oz)
1 / 2 c Milk
1 c Chicken (cubed and cooked)
1 / 2 c Mayonnaise
Directions:
Mix above ingredients and place in casserole.
Cover tightly with foil.
Bake in 325-degree oven for 25-30 minutes

Trying to organize my blog a bit

2011-01-26T14:57:00.000-07:00

I'm learning more and more about blogger. I discovered how PAGES ( and adding up to 10 of them) work but now I need to figure out how to change the name of my pages....the only two I have at this time. Starting now I will use them but I won't go back and reorganize. We will start from today.

For some reason I am so tired today. It took me a while to go to sleep last night but when I did, I sure crashed. Wally isn't sleeping so good, so that's probably why I'm not.

I don't have too much to add today. I guess I don't have much to say. There is lots I'd like to say, but I just can't. Too bad. Guess that stuff stays between God and I and maybe most likely where it belongs.

TOODLES!

Let's not forget Dessert!

2011-01-24T18:32:00.001-07:00

Rice Cakes with Whipped Peanut Butter and a Glass of Milk

Pork and Bean Casserole

2011-01-24T18:12:00.003-07:00


Worcestershire sauce ( 1 tsp), vinegar ( 2 tsp), taco seasoning ( 2 tsp) ( I was out so I made my own) and crushed potato chips( 2 cups)

Ground Beef...recipe called for 1 LB but I used 2 LBS

Pork and Beans ( recipe called for 2 tins, but added 3...growing boys), Tin of Tomato Soup

Mix everything together

Top with Potato Chips


Bake for 25 minutes in a 350 degree oven

Special Notes: I forgot to put the sugar in and it was just fine. Danny loved it!

Prep - 10 mins
Cook - 25 mins
Difficulty Level: Easy
Servings: 6
1 lb. Ground Beef (cooked)
4 t Sugar
2 t Taco Seasoning Mix
1 t Molasses (optional)
2 t White Vinegar
1 t Worcestershire Sauce
2 can Pork & Beans (16 oz.)
1 can Tomato Soup (10 3/4 oz)
2 c Potato Chips (crushed)
Directions:
Mix ingredients in 9” x 13” casserole dish; top with potato chips.
Bake at 350 degrees, 25-30 minutes.

Super easy, super yummy. Boys love pork and beans. :)

BON APPETITE!!!!

Realizations...ARG

2011-01-24T15:31:00.001-07:00

I realized something at church yesterday and it wasn't good. Maybe it was good that realized it, but it sure isn't good that it has come to this. I can play the blame game if I want and blame all the situations of the last year or so....but it's not about the situation it's about how I handled it and well, I guess I didn't do so good.

I find myself feeling quite separated from God. I find myself almost mad at him which is really really bazaar because I didn't even know it. I found myself holding in certain thoughts...deep so they don't come out and make me vulnerable and open. It's like I have rebuilt a wall that was there years ago.

I truly don't like what I have become. I'm thankful for the knowledge I have in my head, but it seems like my heart has been iced over like the Grinch's or shrunk or something. I guess that is the best way to explain it.

So here I sit, really at quite the loss. I'm not sure what to do. Seems I have some cleaning up to do in my heart. Now that is convicting stuff! I'll let you know what I decide to do. :?

Genesis 22: 1-15 : Questions and Thoughts

2011-01-21T07:42:00.000-07:00

Genesis 22

Abraham’s Faith Tested

¹ Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called.

“Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.”

² “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”

³ The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about. ⁴ On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. ⁵ “Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told the servants. “The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back.”

⁶ So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac’s shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on together, ⁷ Isaac turned to Abraham and said, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“We have the fire and the wood,” the boy said, “but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?”

⁸ “God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham answered. And they both walked on together.

⁹ When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. ¹⁰ And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. ¹¹ At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!”

¹² “Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.”

¹³ Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son. ¹⁴ Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the Lord will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

¹⁵ Then the angel of the Lord called again to Abraham from heaven. ¹⁶ “This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that ¹⁷ I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants^[a] beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. ¹⁸ And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me.”

This is what I read in my chronological reading today. I've read it many times. I had some thoughts today after I had read it. Obviously Isaac was old enough to ask questions as he asked where the sheep was for the burnt offering. So, I'm curious, how did Isaac react to all those. Some say he was like 20 years old but if he was, why would he allow his dad to tie him up. Wouldn't he be fighting him. That is how anyone else would react. When God spoke down to Abraham saying " stop stop..don't lay a hand on the boy!" did Isaac hear that and have an ah ha moment, " ah..so that's the deal...I can live with it?" Then did he go home, " mom, mom, you will never guess what dad almost did to me!" How did Sarai react. I'd have been soooo mad. Obviously none of this is relevant because it isn't in the Bible but the mom in me is curious. Plus, it's fun to think about. :) I'm looking forward to one day asking Sarai and Isaac about it.

Hmmmm Going weird?

2011-01-20T08:58:00.000-07:00

When I came on here today it said the bandwidth had been exceeded ( meaning the band width of the creator of my blog template that I just love!!!) So, I started looking for some new ones etc and now all of a sudden, it's back. Yay! Please do let me know if you come to my blog and it has little squares that say " band width exceeded" instead of the proper picture or template. You will know it is wrong. Trust me.

So, I ventured out last night into the big bad world. Yip, I did. I took Danny to bball and left him there. He's such a sweetie. He looks like he is so much older than he is because of his size but really in some ways, he is such a little boy at heart. I love his sensitive heart and I only pray that he is able to hold onto some of that as he grows up. He will be 11 years old Feb 9th. Hard to believe. He then came to AWANA ( Wally picked him up) and declared to the people in the room, loudly I might add, " Don't worry....I'm here!!!!" After AWANA he had guitar. Yes, is was a busy night for him but he was a very happy boy!!!!

Greg, my oldest, will be 14years old Feb 4th. He has started working with his dad a bit and the hope and plan is that it will happen more. Time will tell. Wally says he is doing sooooo good and Greg really does love it. That is so cool. He is talking about getting his Learners License. Yikes, I know the time would come eventually but....oh man. I can sure see some benefits of him being 16 and driving on his own. We have a car in our yard that Greg and Wally will fix up for Greg. My kids are sure growing up fast.

As for me. I'm hanging in there. Going to visit a friend today and trying to get back into the swing of life. I'm so out of the loop in so many ways and yet, life at home has never been better. It's been fantastic concentrating on those I love the most. I'm really so blessed.

So, I'll sign off for now and hopefully will be back soon with some wisdom, wit and wonderful wonders for you. :D God Bless you my friends, EVERYONE!

A New Thought

2011-01-13T07:45:00.000-07:00

I'm so thankful for the wisdom of my husband. We were talking a while last night before we went to sleep about some of the things that are/or have happened in our lives recently. I commented that I still hadn't gotten back what was kicked out from under me almost a year ago and I feel like I'm wandering in the desert. He said to me " have you thought maybe that you aren't suppose to get that back? It's called pruning." He used the analogy of him pruning in the Springtime that is his favorite thing to do, by the way. "Sometimes so much is pruned off it hurts. Sometimes they are really big branches that need pruning." This is a totally new thought for me. Here I have been thinking about " getting it back." I liked where I was at that time. I liked how I felt. I was on a roll, on my way, so to speak. Maybe, just maybe, it was time to change course. Maybe I liked it too much...maybe I was proud and not humble enough. I don't know. It doesn't really matter how I was back then anyway, what matters is who I am today and what will I become and Who will I let take me there?

I think my husband's wisdom was the first step out of this pit. It gives me something else to meditate/pray about. It gives me a focus. Wow, my man ROCKS!!! :)

Numbers..wow

2011-01-12T16:04:00.000-07:00

I actually stopped in the midst of reading Numbers well, for two reasons.

1. I'm done Leviticus (YAY)

2. I'm like totally astounded by the numbers in Numbers. It wasn't just a couple thousand people in the desert with Moses.... think about it....there were 603, 550 men 20 and over who could fight in war. Never mind the men too old to fight or too young. Also, don't forget all the women and Levites aren't included in this number. I always wondered why God put so many rules on them. Come on, with that many people some rules are needed, right?

Now, back to my reading. toodles!!!

Read the Bible in 90 Days

2011-01-10T12:31:00.001-07:00

It's been a week now that I've been doing it and I'm caught up. I haven't done today's reading yet. I usually do it around 3 pm. I take a cup of tea and an afternoon snack and sit in the chair in my bedroom and read it. It's a good time for me because at that time I really need to focus. The weekend was a little tougher with Wally home. The routine is so different.

It wasn't easy getting through the last part of Exodus and I'm not really looking forward to Leviticus but because this is a 90 day program, we are only on that book for a couple days so I like that. : D

I'm also THRILLED that I figured out a way to chat on twitter with the hundreds of other people that are doing this study. I will luckily go onto chat tonight. There is something pretty special about so many other people doing the same studies/readings as you.

Here's a link for you:

http://www.momstoolbox.com/blog/bible-in-90-days-reading-schedule/
Toodles Friends!!!

Couple Snow pics

2011-01-10T10:57:00.000-07:00

A New Week

2011-01-10T08:21:00.000-07:00

and may I say I am caught up with all three of my Bible Readings. WOOHOO! It is also my second week of getting up with Wally, doing two of my Bible Readings and Devotions and getting ready for the day before the kidlets are up. It's been working swell.

This last weekend we were pretty much snowed in. A lot of things STOPPED and church was even canceled which is a first for me. This week is suppose to be really cold and snowy. It is January, what can you expect. Also, school starts today for my kids though they did some on line stuff last week. Even though Lacombe has no school, my kids will have Math, finish up their online writing and some Spanish as well. Not a lot. Mondays are usually pretty easy days though they think it's soooooo hard. :)))))))))

I'll be back in a little while to post some snow pictures. Nothing too exciting but snow. Some people find snow exciting. LOL You know who are are and that is AOK.

Well off I go. This week I am planning to work on my attitude and self talk. Lord help me! :D

TOODLES

Being a Hermit

2011-01-07T11:17:00.000-07:00

It has been so nice. You know, I think one of the reasons that God allowed me to have children is so I couldn't be a hermit fulltime. I would like to be. If I could I would stay at home all the time, do my shopping online and see no one. I know that's very unhealthy. That's why I don't do it, plus other reasons too. I'm sure there is even a mental disorder for this, but why not add another one to the mix? lol Seriously though, with all I've done in my life so far, it hasn't made this easier for me by a long shot. In fact, if I were to be honest, it probably made it worse. That's what criticism does to a person. No...I haven't gotten a lot of criticism in my life really, but enough to discourage me. That is okay though. It is what it is and I'm just so thankful for my God who will use me anyway. Even though I may feel like a zero ( not everyday, but these days, more than usual ) and I may feel like there is absolutely no purpose for my life ( again...not all the time ) BUT I do know these are all feelings and they aren't true and that the way I want to react is also a lie.

So, next week real life begins again. Am I looking forward to it? No. Will I embrace it? Yes! Why not?!!! The battles continue but Praise God, I'm on the winning side.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, love, and a sound mind (II Timothy 1:7)

Live Free

2011-01-06T07:50:00.000-07:00

Ahhh the good old past and insecurities of the past. It's disappointing and just a tad bit annoying how past issues and FEELINGS come to haunt us. It's how satan works. Somewhere along in the past few months I have let my guard down. I've been vulnerable way too often to attacks and now it seems I'm dealing with yet another one. The difference between the attack now and the ones in the past though, is the fact that I am more grounded in the TRUTH. Compared to years ago, this is a breeze but compared to life as I know it now or knew it, it's a really hard time right now. The beautiful thing is, God will bring something good out of all this. He will because that is who He is and He is glorified.

I am reading a book called " Living Free in Christ...The Truth About Who You Are and How Christ Can Meet Your Deepest Needs," by Neil T Anderson. It is written very much like a devotional which is how I am reading it. One Chapter a day. This is stuff I know and have read and yet right now, I need it more than ever. I need to believe it more than ever. I'm fighting a lot of demons right now, and yet I don't feel alone in this fight. God presence isn't mega strong like it has been in my life before, but it's strong enough that I don't feel totally alone and I'm good with that. It is what it is. :D

So, I will live for today. I will fuss over Greg who isn't feeling good ( threw up early this morning ). I will get school ready for the kidlets for next week and possibly play some games with them if they are up to it. I will do laundry so my family doesn't have to go naked. I will possibly have a little nap so we can all live together in harmony, today. I will raise my hands in submission to my Father...and squash the demons, for He has given me that authority. Today I will attempt to Live Free. :D

So many Plans/Ideas

2011-01-03T21:45:00.001-07:00

Getting up early, reading my Bible, praying, studying, cleaning, cooking, saving,( and all the things in between) ....all this to be a better wife, a better mom/teacher and better yet, a better daughter in Christ.

Reading the Bible in 90 Days

Chronological Bible Reading

Three Year Bible Reading Plan

From Chaos to Calm

Fixing Your Heart on Titus 2

The Travelers Gift

I do so much want to live my life for Christ. I know it isn't in what we do that our love is measured, but the more I know Him, the more I get to know Him, the more I want to do for Him. This might look like a lot but really it's not. I believe they all go together.

Now, maybe that's enough blogs for today. LOL

Reading the Bible in 90 Days

2011-01-03T20:14:00.001-07:00

Yes I am and I'm looking forward to this challenge. Today was Day 1 and I learned a lot about how this might work into my life. It took me three readings today to read all 16 and some verses. It doesn't help that we got home from Christmas Holidays late last night but it is 8:10 and I have one more Chapter to read. I'm looking forward to this. It think it will be a great exercise for my self control too, which I need help with.

So, check it out if you want. I'll try to post here every Monday to let you know HOW I'm doing....maybe even more if I can. Check out the link to read more about the Challenge.

Today's reading was Genesis 1-16:16.

I cannot ever BELIEVE it!

2011-01-03T16:50:00.000-07:00

I'm going into this New Year so disorganized and stressed. Usually by now...all is good. I know this too will pass but, it is still frustrating.

We just got home late last night from Manitoba ( Winnipeg area). We were there for about 5 days visiting Wally's family. We had a wonderful time and the best host and hostess ever ( huh, hon ? lol ). Aside from spending time with family...I got some shopping in and made a bracelet and earrings. I discovered I really do enjoy making it so hopefully in the not to distant future I will start on some jewelery making. It really was a nice holiday all in all.

But now, I am home. Online school starts for the kids this week. The rest we will start next week. It gives me a week to get organized and even get ahead of the kids. I so need to figure out how to get everything organized with as little stress as possible. I need to figure out even more NOT to be stressed about it. One moment at a time, right? As much as I have plans for the New Year, I'm also going into it with much confusion of our future in certain areas. That is maybe part of the stress. I know all about leaning on God, and giving it to Him and I try to go that daily, momentarily at times....but sometimes, I fail. Right now is one of those moments. Ahhh yes. :D

Well, I plan to enjoy the rest of my day, maybe get a start on laundry. I also plan to take some time to read the Bible. I'm doing three different reading plans. Luckily, the first week they are all fairly close so that helps and of course, who doesn't LOVE Genesis. It is my favorite book of the Bible for reading. I can read it over and over and over again. Yes, I do have the tendency to do things like that. lol

Friends....have a blessed day.....have a blessed evening. You may see me more on my blog. Yes, that is a warning. LOL Toodles!!!

Goin' to Winnipeg and beyond....

2010-12-26T19:57:00.000-07:00

Today has been a busy day getting laundry done and packing. The kids are totally packed now which makes things so much easier. The last load is in the dryer and then Wally and I will be able to finish up...never mind getting the laptops etc all ready. Can't leave home with out them now, can we?

Right now we are in my favorite time of year I would say. I love the days between Christmas and New Years. I love making plans for the New Year. Nailing down a "song of the year" and a " theme of the year." I also plan my Bible Readings. This year I'm doing three different plans. Very very excited....Did I say I love this time of year? I'm hoping to stop at Chapters in Winnipeg on Tuesday before we go beyond ( Wally's family), so I can pick up a book and journal. I'm very excited about sharing my plans this year and even hoping to share more about them throughout the year but as I have learned, I won't promise that. LOL

So my friends.....Happy New Year! I probably won't be here until 2011....but one never knows. God Bless you EVERYONE!!!!! TOODLES

The Christmas Story as told in Revelation 12

2010-12-24T11:25:00.000-07:00

Wally reads this out loud every year Christmas Eve. It is a version of the Christmas story the boys look forward to hearing. It is way different than the depicted in plays this time of year though. Merry Christmas Friends.....

Revelation 12 (The Message)

Revelation 12

The Woman, Her Son, and the Dragon

^1-2A great Sign appeared in Heaven: a Woman dressed all in sunlight, standing on the moon, and crowned with Twelve Stars. She was giving birth to a Child and cried out in the pain of childbirth.

^3-4And then another Sign alongside the first: a huge and fiery Dragon! It had seven heads and ten horns, a crown on each of the seven heads. With one flick of its tail it knocked a third of the Stars from the sky and dumped them on earth. The Dragon crouched before the Woman in childbirth, poised to eat up the Child when it came.

^5-6The Woman gave birth to a Son who will shepherd all nations with an iron rod. Her Son was seized and placed safely before God on his Throne. The Woman herself escaped to the desert to a place of safety prepared by God, all comforts provided her for 1,260 days.

^7-12War broke out in Heaven. Michael and his Angels fought the Dragon. The Dragon and his Angels fought back, but were no match for Michael. They were cleared out of Heaven, not a sign of them left. The great Dragon—ancient Serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, the one who led the whole earth astray—thrown out, and all his Angels thrown out with him, thrown down to earth. Then I heard a strong voice out of Heaven saying,

   Salvation and power are established!
      Kingdom of our God, authority of his Messiah!
   The Accuser of our brothers and sisters thrown out,
      who accused them day and night before God.
   They defeated him through the blood of the Lamb
      and the bold word of their witness.
   They weren't in love with themselves;
      they were willing to die for Christ.
   So rejoice, O Heavens, and all who live there,
      but doom to earth and sea,
   For the Devil's come down on you with both feet;
      he's had a great fall;
   He's wild and raging with anger;
      he hasn't much time and he knows it.

^13-17When the Dragon saw he'd been thrown to earth, he went after the Woman who had given birth to the Man-Child. The Woman was given wings of a great eagle to fly to a place in the desert to be kept in safety and comfort for a time and times and half a time, safe and sound from the Serpent. The Serpent vomited a river of water to swamp and drown her, but earth came to her help, swallowing the water the Dragon spewed from its mouth. Helpless with rage, the Dragon raged at the Woman, then went off to make war with the rest of her children, the children who keep God's commands and hold firm to the witness of Jesus.

Two BLOGS you have to read and pray about....

2010-12-23T18:54:00.000-07:00

The first link is Beth's Blog. Her and her family are dealing with their 5 year old son, Jacob who has cancer. He just had surgery a couple days ago.....The second link is Mary's Blog. Mary is Beth's mom. Wow. Not only are they courageous amazing women, but amazing writers. Please pray with me this Christmas Season for 5 year old Jacob.

http://trenchesofmommyhood.blogspot.com/

http://marypotterkenyon.wordpress.com/

As you going through the next couple days...think about Jacob, pray for him. Think about his family. God Bless Jacob....praying for you little guy. Everyday.....

Losing my touch?

2010-12-20T10:14:00.000-07:00

If I even had it? I was annoyed yesterday and have been a little bit this week at all the complaining and grumbling I hear about the Christmas Season. I understand that this time of year is hard for some people. I'm not that cold. What annoys me is how people catch on to the whining and complaining of others and find reasons to join in. Think about it....if we spent as much time rejoicing and telling the world how amazing Jesus is as we did grumbling....can you even imagine all the people that can come and know Jesus?

Someone I know and love mentioned balance and I agree. At the same time, as humans, we aren't very good at keeping balance. We try but it isn't the most successful thing in life though striving for it is important. She mentioned acknowledging our feelings and then moving on and not wallowing in them. ( I hope you don't mind I'm quoting you...you know who you are. :D ) I agree with that too....but we have to remember not to let our feelings dictate our lives. YES...they are important, they are ours...but they aren't always the Truth...in fact, they are more NOT TRUTHFUL than TRUTH. Our feelings are based on our circumstances which are TRUE. This is when decisions come in. I'm not denying anyone the choice to feel bad, to feel hurt to feel hopeless....we are human BUT what are we doing with it? Are we grumbling and in turn enabling others to do the same? Are we turning to God with our burdens and hurts every day, every moment and in turn praising Him? These are the NIV and The Message translations out of 1 Thessalonians 5. I for one am not going to argue with the Bible.

¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

^16-18Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.

People are watching us....non believers at that never mind Christians. The world is looking for ways to turn us worldly and they are doing a good job. Tell me, what will you do to fight this epidemic?

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit, this Christmas Season.

Married Life and Saturday Nights.

2010-12-18T22:23:00.000-07:00

Interesting concept...both of them. Here it is Saturday night. Wally and I have been holed up in the bedroom for a couple hours...no, not doing that, BUT....being technical. I'm on one laptop( using it ); just finished watching a movie and in the meantime, checking my phone. Wally is on his laptop ( not literally) and has two phones in his hands. He got a new work phone and is trying to figure it out and transferring contacts. Frankly, I see nothing wrong with this picture. The kids are old enough to hang out and know when to go to bed and watch a movie. As for me....I'll enjoy this Saturday night with my man. He is not only my husband, but he is my best friend too. Man....I do love married life and Saturday nights. ;)

You shouldn`t doubt in the darkness what God has shown you in the light.

2010-12-15T23:28:00.001-07:00

My friend posted this on facebook today and it totally spoke to me. First of all, I believe it 100% because I lived through it and still am on a few different levels. Let me share with you what I can.

An incident happened in our ( dh and mine) lives a few months ago....March maybe????? I can't get into that but it totally blew my SOCKS off. I was totally shocked and I went into hiding for awhile. I felt so hurt and betrayed and I couldn't believe how fast the "bad" thoughts move in....the "dark" cloud. When it is there, it is so hard to get rid of and to find the strength to live through. Luckily I had a good friend through these months who I'm sure thought I had totally lost it. Thank God for friends/for mentors who you know really do care. Anyway....during these times, I held on to the Promises of God:

Psalm 94:14 God will never walk away from his people, never desert his precious people.

Joshua 1:9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Jeremiah 29: 11 I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.

These are just a few of His promises that I dwell on often. You know this incident and the things that have happened since still leave a bad taste in my mouth and I have to admit, even though I don't like too, I'm sometimes so tempted to give into the dark cloud and the despair. In some ways, it feels like an old friend is welcoming me back and yet if I do give in to it, I will miss out on my even better friend...my Jesus. He has my back and knows my limitations and is there when I need Him. I've learned all this when my brain was clear, when life was exciting so I know that it is still there and that it still stands when life isn't so great. Man...I'm blessed to be a believer...to know that HIS way is the BIBLE Truth.

Encouragement for my Heart this Morning

2010-12-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

That is what I read. Yes, I'm on a roll in blogging and it seems there is no rhyme or reason, but alas, there is no rhyme and reason to my brain either so this is me. :) Here's a link to a blog I read this morning:

http://www.aholyexperience.com/2010/12/can-words-really-change-the-world/

I really encourage you to read it. You know, if you are anything like me ( Bless you if you are), you are too deep in some areas, especially when it comes to "self " and seem to spend so much time on what you can do or should do. Today I will talk about ME...again. :)

I won't get into repeating what Holley said because I know you can read, but this blog offered me freedom. So often I am looking for something to DO to glorify God. I see around me what everyone does and a part of me feels so inadequate. I know my place is at home with my kids right now and I'm good with that, but sometimes the overwhelming sensation of NOT DOING ENOUGH and NOT BEING GOOD ENOUGH comes over me. The title itself is amazing to me : Can Our Words Really Change the World? With all my heart I want to write. I'm not very eloquent and not that great at grammar ( even though I teach it to my kids...thank God for books!). So often I write my words the way they come out of my head and frankly, that's how I like it. How can you really know me if I'm not allowed to write the way I want, the way I think? That's the beauty about blogging. It's my blog and my writing style. Some days I forget to edit and it can be a real disaster. YIKERS!

This all being said, I may not have the resources, the time, the money and whatever else it takes to do certain things to glorify God, but what I can do is write and blog. I know I can do more, but right now we are talking writing. I can share my heart and life experiences. I can give you cooking tips...lol. I can do book reviews and most of all, I can share with you, my God...my Jesus. Yes...I have been set free of thinking about what others are doing and saying....I will live for my Jesus and pray that in some small way, you will be blessed by my writings. God Bless you my friends.

A Bloggers Prayer

I am so boring!

2010-12-13T21:44:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here thinking about all the blogs I read. Man, there are some really great and amazing women out there filled with so much wisdom. It seems like they can get everything done good and still be a good writer at the end of the day. Their lives sound so exciting...almost exotic. lol They are super busy with their kids....great moms that play games with their kids all the time, and have school down to a T. If they don't homeschool, they either work outside the home or have a job at home that they thrive in and their family lives are amazing. They never seem to fight with their husbands either. Wow...some days I would love a life like that but I'll be honest with you, I get tired about even reading of such people. Either I'm tired because I just lived their day with them or I'm tired because I was comparing myself too much. Ever done that?

Well, I'm tired right now so when I get tired I over think so here I go. lol When you really think about my life is really boring. My days go pretty much the same....I get up, I teach my children, go on the computer, do laundry and dishes and other around the house chores. If the kids are going somewhere, I drives them....my life pretty much revolves around my kids. When my husband comes home from work, my life revolves around him. Though during the day, anytime he needs me, I'm there. I have no issues with this at all. It is my life. Some days I go and visit my friend Diane or Gayle, or go for coffee in the evening with other friends. I do AWANA Wed night with the kids and LOVE LOVE LOVE it! My friends are important to me too. So, this is it..... my life. Things that happen in the background of my mind, I can't always share here ( like a big issue right now ).....and that is sometimes hard because I get pretty consumed. But that is okay too. I have 1 or 2 friends that I can discuss some of these issues with that are too close to my heart to share here.

My biggest true love though is my Savior. I wish I was better with words so that I can explain from the depths of my heart of how much I love Him. He saved my life on so many levels and still does. He reigns me in and tells me when it's time to soar. He says STOP and He says GO! He says YEA and NAY. He speaks sweet Words and scripture to my heart when I really need it. He knows what I need, when I need it. He is always on time and NEVER late. He is RIGHT and never WRONG. He leads me down the narrow path and off the path that is busiest. He guides me through my life and in my life in all I do and say, even though I'm a lousy follower and even a lousier listener. He doesn't give up on me when I want to give up on me. He gives me the strength to go on. It is such a privilege to get to celebrate His birth this Christmas. And you know what? My life may be boring and may not measure up to some...BUT my life and I were not made so we can measure up to people, but so we can live a purpose filled life...a life of loving Him on purpose...a life that was made by my biggest and greatest true LOVE.

Thank YOU Jesus for my boring life!!!!

A Moment from Perfection

2010-12-13T20:37:00.000-07:00

That was today on so many levels. Normally on a Monday I like to be low key and no friends ( for the kids ) and esp with Wally being away...I just wanted to stay caught up in life. LOL Well, our plans are not always what is meant to be. This is how today went:
It started with one of Greg's friends coming over and then a couple others. They played outside and had rides on the snowmobile. They were out there quite a while so I prepared a pot full of hot chocolate ( literally ) and had oranges, candy and caramel and regular popcorn twists out. Oh, they did great. LOL While all this was going on....I ended up making, by the end of the day....two trays of Oreo bark ( white and milk chocolate mixed), two trays of peppermint bark and I ended up caramelizing 5 bags of popcorn twists. Oh yes and never-mind the fact that the kids did gingerbread houses and people today too. I did soooo many dishes today. I am one of the few in North America that doesn't have a dishwasher. lol

Why a moment from perfection? My hubby is working out of two for two days. If he had been home, today would have been TRULY a perfect day. I'm so thankful to be a SAHM...a SAHM Homeschool Mom....I would not trade in any of these years, these days of anything! Thank you Jesus!

A week later and one more to go....

2010-12-10T15:02:00.000-07:00

until Christmas vacation. I feel like I'm back in school counting down the day with anticipation. There was a few years I dreaded it....lol, then I began homeschooling. Yes...one more week to go. We really don't have a lot to do and I will do the last week quite differently I usually do things but it will go good. Different is good.

Looks like we are heading East for some of our Christmas vacay. I'm not sure when, really. It's complicated but it will be good to see the family in Manitoba again. God willing, it all goes well and we end up there.

Tonight Wally, Danny and I will finish our shopping while Greg is at Youth. Luckily, I know what we are buying and for Greg too so it will be a stressful shopping night and I suppose I should wrap as well tonight. This weekend I will round up the things I need to do my baking Monday and Tuesday while Wally is in Yellowknife and then that's it, I'll be done. Yay!

It's been kind of an up and down week. I guess the unknown gets to me...I guess I need too much control over what's happening in my life. Funny how God teaches us these lessons, isn't it? Well, not too funny, but it's a teaching method anyway. I think too I've been concentrating too much on what I don't understand and get ( and frankly, never will) instead of what is Right and what is True. Why do I worry so much about how people think? It's a perk of being ME! lol

Anyway...I will go off and finish up my laundry and housework and get all ready to have a wonderful weekend with my family. Have a blessed weekend my friends and don't forget....I know you have heard it but here's a reminder, the REASON for the SEASON....Jesus Christ. Yip, it's okay to say HIS name and Praise HIS name. Go for it....

Overwhelmed with SELF?

2010-12-03T12:45:00.000-07:00

Arggggggg!!!!!! Over thinking my life again. Actually, what I think is happening is I stopped taking my B12 vitamins a couple weeks ago...bad mistake. I started again yesterday. They really do make a difference. In a couple days all will be good again except for the times I think too deep about matters that I can't control.

I do wish that God would give us some answers in certain areas. I feel like things are just hanging and frankly, I'm getting tired of it all. I just wish I could visualize how things need to look. Oh well, another case of something I can't control.

Homeschooling is going well though we have our moments. In some ways I'd love to send Greg to school next year for grade nine, but I know that isn't right. One more year with him. He's a great kid but.....he needs more authority figures in his life. Danny is doing well too. He just started guitar this year and loves it. I know it's only one week but I can see this as being something that he will like. Maybe even his niche? I hope so. He also started Bball in January for three months which will be so good for him.

Well, off I go. I need to run into town for eggs and a couple other things, library, and get home so the kids can get the garbage ready for the dump. Wally is coming home early and heading out later tonight for work overnight. So....I guess it will be another late night. :)))))))))

Toodles!!!!!

Goodnight

2010-12-02T23:33:00.003-07:00

I'm going to bed so I can attempt to solve my issues. LOL What else is bedtime for. Anyway...good night and hope this tag is best....the right color, anyway! Toodles!

New Signature

2010-12-02T23:22:00.000-07:00

I noticed these were getting pretty popular on blogs so I had to make my own signature. Here's where I did it!!!! I plan to have fun with it. Goodnight!

http://mylivesignature.com/index.php

Laundry Queen

January Joy Dare...25th and 26th

A Simple Woman's Daybook

Jan 24 Joy Dare

Jan 22 and 23 Joy Dare Challenge

LIGHT UNDER THE HOUSE BLOG TOUR with author, Aaron L

Joy Dare Jan 20 and 21

Jan 18 Joy Dare!

Jan 17th and 18th Joy Dare!

Jan 16 Joy Dare

Jan 15th Joy Dare

English-Spanish-French etc. Does it matter?

Jan 14th Joy Dare

Jan 13: Joy Dare from Yesterday and Today!

Jan 11: Joy Dare!!!!

Jan 10: Joy Dare!

Jan 9: Joy Dare Challenge

A Simple Woman's Daybook

Jan 8: Jan Joy Dare ( this one is about church)

Jan 7 : January Joy Dare

Jan 6th: January Joy Dare

Jan 5th "January's Joy Dare!"

Diary of Five

My Favorite Time of the Year!

I came across the coolest decluttering calendar. It is on this website and it is free. http://www.mysimplerlife.com/ I'm thinking adding the daily decluttering to my big calendar will work great.

Bring on the blogging. I'll make more of an effort to share. My writing goes along with my blogging. I'm hoping to take them both up a notch as well.

I hope to find myself deep in the Word this year. I strive to seek Him in all I do but so often I fail. I'm so thankful for grace!!! I have found some great devotionals I have downloaded onto my Kindle that I have started and that I'm looking forward to starting.

So, that's where I'm at. I pray I can be more of blessing, not only to my readers on my blog, but in my daily life. I pray that I can and will make God proud of me...YES, 2012 will be a GREAT year!!!

Win a NLT Bible!

THE ART OF HELPING BLOG TOUR with author, Lauren Littauer Briggs

Nano Day 10 Finished AND

Who I Am In Christ

Why do I need to know who I am in Christ?

You need to know who you are in Christ so that you can know what to do, when to do it, where to go, and how to do it

Who I am in Christ

Day 9 of NaNoWriMo

Day 6 and other things....

Nanowrimo update Day 5

Day 4 of NaNoWriMo

As the day goes by...

Arggggg Nanowrimo Day 2

NaNoWriMo Day 1

Friday Night...Oct 28th

Destined to Live, Despite Me by Yolanda Shanks

I just can't help it!

Overview

The Vast Universe

It's Coming to an end....

Picture Post

First week of August is...

"If you like to think in terms of your cell phone- when you call to Him- these are calls that NEVER drop. It’s a secure connection." - Beth Moore

MOVING FROM FEAR TO FREEDOM: A Woman-to-Woman Conversation BLOG TOUR with author, Grace Fox

Interview with Grace Fox

The End of Another Week!

Work Out Day 2

First Day of a New Journey: Work Out Day!

Thinking Tonight....

School Days ( Take 2 )

A few thoughts....

My Life Changed....

Good Morning Girls...Wednesday Link up

Sunday night...do you know where your children are????

Ok...I'll admit it

Come and Make My Heart Your Home

Reading the Bible in 90 Days

April and Other Musings

Snow Days or Something Like It

Reading....

Supper: March 14

Ready for School! Sort of!!!

March 7: Homeschool

March 2....yikes

God is so very very good

Blogging from the Hotel....

I made an omelet

" Worship Me" Part 2

He softly replied " WORSHIP ME!"

Sharing with the Kids

Getting on my Nerves

Whew...made to to February!

You need to know who you are in Christ so that you can know
what to do, when to do it, where to go, and how to do it