I Just Wanted A Day To Relax

All I wanted was a day I could finally do nothing or go nowhere. Today was supposed to be it, but like that was going to happen. My days have been so packed with ministry at church and in our home, along with the daily chores and being a mom to three energetic boys, I just wanted to leave today open for relaxing and having fun. It started out great with my husband letting me and Drama King sleep in while he took the boys to school. That was wonderful. With all the craziness of our schedules lately I have just been crashing in the evening.

Then I awoke to a raviness 5 year old on the prowl for breakfast but there was none. I looked through all our cupboards and they were empty. So I made a mad dash to the grocery store. To make up for a breakfast I let Drama King pick out a Kids Cuisine meal for lunch. Something special I don't usually do. I grabbed breakfast and some hair coloring. I thought it would be a great day to do my hair. I haven't colored it in a year so it would be a nice change. Nothing dramatic just a little color to get the dullness out. So back home we went. We had breakfast and even put two puzzles together while my hair was twisted up and changing color. The timer went off and I let Drama King go down to watch a cartoon while I dove into the shower to rinse the hair color out and shave my hairy legs. Things seemed to be going along swimmingly.

As I put conditioner in my hair and finished shaving one of my legs Drama King bursts into the bathroom and lets me know his lunch doesn't look right. My brain was trying hard to figure out what this interruption was all about. I still had not had any coffee for the morning so I was only running on a few cylinders at this point. Then he poked his head into the shower and told me that he had put his Kids Cuisine in the microwave and nothing was happening. Shear terror hit as I realized he was using the microwave unsupervised. I was not happy as I quickly jumped out of the shower grabbed a towel and dashed to the Kitchen. There it was, his lunch in the microwave, still in the box turning around and around. I turned the microwave off and tossed the smoking box to the counter. Mad is probably not the word I would use to describe my emotions by this point. I yelled very loudly and then realized I was standing in front of all my open windows wrapped in a towel, dripping with water. I had left soapy foot prints throughout the house.

I headed back to the shower. Now the soap was dripping into my eyes and I was slowly losing my vision. Some time in the chaotic bolt back to the bathroom I grabbed Drama King and plopped him by the door. There I finished rinsing and quickly shaved the other leg. During this whole time I was back in the shower I had to listen to Drama King sobbing and telling me "I will never eat Kids Cuisine again. I will never eat Kids Cuisine again." The shower helped to calm me down as I thanked the Lord over and over for protecting us. All I could envision was running out of my house wrapped in a towel with my 5 year old flung over my shoulder and our house blowing up or something.

We both took a few deep breaths, forgave one another and now Drama King sleeps peacefully as he naps. Oh, yes the lunch was savable, just extra crispy. I realized we had never set down rules for the microwave with Drama King. We had with the older two and I guess I thought it was just an unspoken rule. So in some ways I had to apologize for my over reaction and not telling him ahead of time not to use the microwave without daddy or mommy helping him. Now I will try to do something really relaxing and take a nap myself. I don't think I will set aside another day to do nothing because knowing my family it will be filled quickly with something crazy. I think I might actually try a spa sometime with no kids!!!!!

A Belated Valentine From Rocker

I was riffling through some papers Rockers teacher had sent home for the month of February. It was a bunch of Center Time projects he had finished throughout this month. On one of the papers for his Writing Center he had to compose a paragraph that had something to do with Valentine's Day. This is what he wrote...

" I love my mom and dad because you give me support. I love you because you give me food. God gives me love to give to mom and dad. They read to me. They help me when I need help on Donkey Kong. My mom helps me draw. My dad helps me when I need something to do."

It might not be Shakespeare or Longfellow but I love it so.

Lessons from the Paddock: cont'

Back to our sheep farm story... My dad needed to repair some of the fence that composed Abraham's paddock. Now my father is 6 ft something tall. He was never intimidated by animals because of his height and stature. He was a strong man. So to him Abraham was no problem. I really think he saw this issue as another whole male dominance thing. He was the master and the sheep had to listen. Anytime Abraham would challenge my dad by either stomping the ground or lowering his head my father would do the same thing back. Quite silly at times watching a grown man challenging a sheep.

So into the pen my father went with all his tools. We asked if he needed assistance and we were told no, so we headed back inside the house. My mother was cleaning the kitchen at the time and had a great view of Abraham's paddock. I remember standing there at the window watching also. My dad chased Abraham down to the other end away from where he was working. For a few minutes Abraham reluctantly stood in his corner. Then my father did it. He turned his back on the ram and bent down to fix the fence. Abraham did an about face targeting my dad's rear. My mom just started laughing. I asked if I should go warn him and my mom responded with "No your dad is so stubborn. He has to learn the hard way." I could tell my mother was getting pure enjoyment from watching this whole thing. Well Abraham started stomping the ground, which for a sheep is a sign of "I am challenging you to a duel". Then he lowered his head and broke out into a full gallop. I still till this day can't figure out why my dad didn't hear the sound of his feet galloping towards him. He is no horse but he was fat enough you should have heard something.

With one swift butt to the rear my dad went flying. This 6 ft some man went head over heels into the fence. Was he ever mad. By this time my mom was rolling and had moved to the back door. I think she knew her husband more than we kids gave her credit for. My dad turned around beat red with fury and lifted the hammer up to the poor old ram. My mother threw open the back door and yelled "Don't you even think about it. If you hurt that sheep you aren't coming back in here." Yes you could feel the love. From that day on my father never turned his back on dear old Abraham. Abraham finally died before his 14th birthday. My dad and I actually skinned the poor old guy. I know that sounds gross but my parents still have his pelt as a rug. It makes for great conversations. People always ask "What is that?" and we would reply with "Oh, that's just Abraham."

I Can Do Boots

I haven't posted anything to deep or personal lately. I feel like a chicken with my head cut off right now. I am at church more than I should be and working with the boys on two big school projects. So here is a cool test I found at Notes From the Laundry Pile. It's funny being a retired barrel racer and advid horse lover I find the shoe choice ironic. I haven't put on cowboy boots in years, maybe I should get a new pair.:)

You Are Cowboy Boots

This doesn't mean you're country, just funky. You've got a ton of attitude and confidence. You're unique, expressive, and even a little bit wacky. You wear whatever you feel like – and you have your own sense of style. You are straight shooting and honest. You tell people how it is. Low maintenance and free wheeling, you're always up for an adventure. You should live: Where you can at least get to wide open spaces You should work: In a job that allows you to take change

What Kind of Shoe Are You?

Do You Have Dreams?

Inspired by Beautiful Grace I wanted to ask do you have dreams? I have been thinking a lot lately about unfulfilled dreams or what I feel are unattainable dreams. Will they ever be accomplished, will I see them fulfilled? There are dreams the Lord has laid in my heart for mighty Kingdom purposes and those that He has given me for fun. Do you still have dreams that you yet have seen come into fruition?

Here is another post I ask questions and would love to hear from you. All are welcome to answer even the lurkers or first time happen to stumble upon this blog, bloggers. I am a person that goes after my dreams and wants to see them accomplished even in the midst of great odds. Some of my dreams are to travel the world and develop children's conferences for those who have never heard about Jesus. To become a missionary to missionaries. To reach the untouchables in our society. To publish and illustrate a children's book I am currently working on. A more fun dream is to learn to weld and use it as a means of artistic expression. I would also like to take more art classes this coming fall and use those gifts to encourage young people through art and Christ. So what about you?

1. Do you have a dream you have put on the shelf?
2. If there was one thing you really wanted to do in your life time what would it be?
3. If you could travel any where in the world where would you go and why?
4. Do you have a dream the Lord has given you that seems too large or impossible?
5. Was there something you wanted to do as a child and have never been able to see it fulfilled
yet, but still hold on to it.?

Don't put your dreams on hold because of the circumstances around you. You each have such mighty purposes and destinies nothing is impossible for God. Feel free to share and encourage each other to come alive in our dreams the Lord has given us. You can answer all or some of these questions. I tend to be a listener more than a talker so hearing from you all blesses me tremendously. Nothing is too small, insignificant or too big for our God. Dream Again!!!

Lessons from the Paddock

Todays story is about Abraham. No not Father Abraham from the Bible but our ram Abraham. He was our first breeding ram when my family started a small farm in New Jersey. We raised over 50 sheep, several beef steers, chickens, 2 ducks, cats, pigs and horses. A little bit of everything I guess. Well Abraham was a Romney Ram lamb when we first brought him home. Very cute and very woolly.

He had a great disposition. He was docile, playful and all around good natured. With rams this is a blessing because you can get some really cranky ones out there who just want to butt you every time you get near them. We all became very attached to Abraham so when his fathering days were over we did not send him to market but let him retire peacefully in his own little paddock. See we had to keep him away from the other rams we brought in for breeding purposes or we would have fights break out in the fields. Abraham was old (in sheep years that is) but he still saw himself as the dominant one.

Well the poor old fellow got up there in years. He reached a full 13 years old. That is great for sheep. However, his pleasant disposition soon gave way to crankiness and just down right mean. He would butt you clear out of his paddock if you stepped one foot in. We had to keep filling his water and cleaning his shed so our daily chores consisted of one of us kids running madly around with Abraham in hot pursuit while another quickly finished the chores. One of the times I was the runner I remember my brother started playing in the water instead of cleaning out the trough and putting the fresh water in. I started screaming at him and began running closer. As soon as he saw me bringing Abraham right to him he finished up, gave the pails a heave and cleared the fence. I too then took to the fence and hurdled myself to safety.

My dad never believed us about Abraham becoming so aggressive. He would always laugh at us. But one day we had the last laugh......

If Shaggy Was A Car....

I'm a Ford Mustang!

You're an American classic -- fast, strong, and bold. You're not snobby or pretentious, but you have what it takes to give anyone a run for their money.

"Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

If Drama King Was A Car....

I might not agree completely but who can say, he's 5!!!

I'm a Porsche 911!

You have a classic style, but you're up-to-date with the latest technology. You're ambitious, competitive, and you love to win. Performance, precision, and prestige - you're one of the elite,and you know it.

Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

If Rocker Was A Car ....

I'm a Lamborghini Murcielago!

You're not subtle, but you don't want to be. Fast, loud, and dramatic, you want people to notice you, and then get out of the way. In a world full of sheep, you're a raging bull.

Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

I Took the Car Test TOO!

Yes I would go bungee jumping with Classic Mama too. She's my hero1:)

I'm a Honda S2000!

You live on the edge, and you live for the adrenaline rush. You don't need luxuries, snob appeal, or superfluous gadgets. You put your top down, get your motor revving, and take all the curves that life throws at you at full speed. So what if you spin out occasionally?

Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

Kids Arts & Crafts : Popsicle Stick Weaving

A little detour to the Arts & Crafts corner of my world. I will be posting fun ideas for families to inspire creativity here and there. Our house explodes with imagination and artistic expression ergo the post Creative Mess.

Toady is Kids Weaving 101: Adult supervision needed.

Supply List: Craft/Popsicle sticks
4 Large Sticks
11 Small Sticks
Glue (Heavy Duty Craft or Hot Glue Gun)
Yarn
21 Strands (2-3yards long)
Skein to weave with (the extra ball of yarn you will weave back & forth)

A) Take the small craft sticks and punch or drill holes in the center of each stick.

B) Glue the 11 small craft sticks onto 2 of the Larger ones creating a box shape. Leave plenty of space in between each stick.C) Glue the last 2 remaining Large Craft Sticks to the exposed side of the smaller sticks. Now the front and back has the Large Sticks covering the ends.

D) As the picture shows thread each strand of yarn through a hole or slat. Example one through hole, next strand through slat and so on until each is threaded. Tie off each end.

E) With an extra piece of yarn tie one end to chair and one end to child. Have your son/daughter pull the yarn tight without pulling the chair over.

To Weave simply pull the loom towards you. Pull up or push down to create the path to weave your skien through. Alternate up and down as you weave. Pull back on the loom to push the woven yarn tightly in place.
Have fun and don't get frustrated. Weaving takes time and practice.

I also want to send a special thanks to my Drama King for modeling for my pics!!!! Mommy loves you kiddo. :)

I Am Going Green & Stretchy This Spring

Do you remember Gumby and his pal Pokey? I do but was never a big fan. It aired only 223 episodes on TV. Well this is the picture the Lord gave me of myself. Yea, weird I know. Lately things are happening all around me that are totally stretching me, hence the elastic humanoid. If you briefly look on my side bar you will see a Personality Test. Many of you took this last year and I saw many of them posted on the sites. It was fun and interesting. But after the test I looked up towards the Lord and said "See! Do you see this God? I am an introvert, not outgoing. Why are you doing this to me? If this is how you made me why are you going against your own design?" At this point I was pretty ticked. You see I am no longer being allowed to hide my head in a hole or under a rock. The Lord has put my husband and I in a position that has opened us up to various ministry opportunities, all requiring me to reach out to others. Our house has become a gathering place. Every week now we have two to three families over for dinner and ministry time. Is it great? Is it exciting to see God working in and through us? Yes but not fun for my flesh.

After I asked the Lord why was He doing this I felt His giant hands scoop me up into his warm embrace. Even with my ticked off attitude a smile broke across His face. He told me "This is not who I made you to be,pointing to the Test, but who the world has told you, you are. You are now coming into My design and purpose. I do not go against My creation." Ouch!! But True. He showed my pictures of when I was a child, outgoing and ready to take on the world. That is my destiny. What I am now is a cowering adult tired of Satan beating the crap out of me, willing to just lay down and take it. What good is that? I remembered a specific time when a German Shepherd broke into our sheep paddocks and began to tear into our flock. One tired lamb, exhausted from the chase laid quietly down as the dog tore her into pieces. I ran and beat the ever living life out of that dog but even in it's last dying moments the lamb never fought off her attacker.

I was becoming this lamb. It is time I begin to fight back. Not against those around me but the accuser himself. So what will this look like? I don't know. Right now it looks like a mess because I am moving forward and fighting flesh at the same time. Instead of the Lord taking the clay and forming the clump into another earthen vessel (Isaiah 64:8 & Jeremiah 18:3-4) I see the Lord taking that clay placing it in a mold and out comes Gumby. Pliable, flexible and ready to be used by Him no matter what I am stretched into. So get ready world, Livin' is going green and bendy.

A Great Big Thank You!!

Just wanted to send out a great big Thank You to all who commented on my post To Blog or Not To Blog... . It was an overwhelming response and your thoughts and insights were much appreciated. If you commented early on the post I encourage you to take time and read through the rest they are all jam packed with honesty and heart. You all had so much to share and I just wanted to personally thank you for being gracious and kind in your replies. To Christy I thank you for telling me I wasn't out of my league, although being encircled by such talented writers in my blogging sphere I tend to not see this as an in-depth, exciting blog therefore my reference to a "humble blob". Your site totally rocks where as I see mine as a run of the mill blog. To Seriously... I totally hear you. Right now I am fortunate to not have family on my blog to keep me from being too open. My husband is on my blog list but he gets it all at home so nothing shocks him. :)

Thank you again I enjoyed hearing the hearts of so many.

Beauty From Pain

Taking the weekend off Blogging to go on an introspective journey with the Lord. I need some answers and some help from the Father. Here are two videos I really love. They are clips of my all time favorite authors turned movies and my favorite music groups. This one represents my past journey through the pain and the other is my current battle with rejection. Feel free to view and have an awesome weekend with all your families!!

Faramir - Porcelain Heart

This is a video I found on YouTube. My two favorite things meshed together into one cool video. I love Tolkien and Barlow Girls. It is very representative of my life and how I have felt dealing with a family that rejects their own daughter, sister, niece and grand daughter because I have choosen to serve the Lord and walk a path they do not want too. May the Lord of Redemption reign victorious in this one day.

To Blog or Not To Blog, That is the Question

Well that's not quite the question but close. Why do you blog is the question? I have been pondering this for a few days now. You see a couple of days ago I went to this Big Bloggy Move site. It was cool and there was a place to sign up if you recently started blogging or redesigned your blog. So I signed up. I was lured in by a giveaway. Anyway I noticed some ladies who I have never met posted comments on my site via this Big Bloggy Move site. After I explored their sites I realized I was totally out of my league. These were mega blog sites. Uh, Oh. So then after going off my normal bloggy beaten path I started to see there are a veritable plethora of bloggs out there. Anything ranging from ministry blogs, personal blogs, mega blogs to blogs dedicated to Whitney Houston (OK not one I am going to add to my personal favorite list).

So why do I blog? Is it for fame and fortune, just connecting with others or journaling my life experiences? I don't know. I started blogging because I wanted to connect with other women and it turned out to be a great way to journal. So now I ask all of you to answer any or all of the following questions while I continue to wrestle with this ....

• Why did you start blogging?
• Why do you continue?
• What makes a great blog site?
• Do you one day want to achieve bloggy greatness?
• What makes up a favorite blogg?
• Do you like mega blogs or humble personal "Blobs" (ex. Mine)?

Well for anyone who might have stumbled onto my humble "blob" for the first time and to all my "blobbing" friends please leave your remarks and comments. I am really interested in finding out the all elusive answer to the question of the meaning of blogs.

What do we do on Snow Days? Have Fun of Course!

Yes we bundle up and head out to enjoy the winter wonderland.
Mommy even gets in on the fun. We build forts, have snowball
fights, sled and make snow angels. Than after our great snowy
adventure is over we rush in to rich & creamy hot chocolate (with
marshmallows) to warm our frozen bodies.
What do you do on a snow day?

Asking "What will it take?" and hearing "How much are you willing to give?"

I have been asking a question lately over and over again to the Lord. "What will it take Lord?" What will it take for me to see more of You? What will it take to move into the next level with You? I am ready Lord do it what ever it takes. Push me off the cliff if You have too. The Father responded differently than I had anticipated. He answered with a question. "How much are you willing to give?" I wasn't sure about this question. I thought I had been giving all I have. What else do you want?

This post is not for the faint of heart. It is not for those who are comfortable with life.

The Lord got right in my face and said "I want it all! Your time, gifts, your intimacy, your children, your husband, your thoughts, your dreams. I want whatever you will give Me. I am waiting for you to jump into this next level but are you willing to do what it takes?" Ouch!! The finger of the Lord was on my heart and the pressure was so intense. I knew I had to begin to look at those areas in my life where I was still not willing to give up. Even in areas that I had given up, He was calling me into something deeper.

I guess the reason I am writing this post is not to condemn any one else, I know this was a word for our family and myself, but to encourage others. I want the Body of Christ to be a living , tangible, powerful expression of our Lord. I have agreed with the Father that I will sacrifice, give and listen to whatever He says to usher in these new anointtings and outpourings. I want my children to see the real power of Jesus and not just know the stories. I want the Holy Spirit to be always with us guiding our footsteps. I want the world to know He is alive and powerful and ready to take back a generation for His Bride. He has come and His heavenly visitations are becoming more frequent. I will do whatever it takes and give whatever He needs me to give.

A Total Slacker

I am a total slacker this Valentine's Day. Every year I painstakingly make Valentine goodies with my kids for their school friends, but this year I just couldn't. Each of the boys brought home a list of the names of all their class mates and it totaled over 75 children. No matter how hard I stared at that list it was just too many. This was my first year with all three needing goodies for Valentine's parties.

So humbly and very defeated I headed to Target for two boxes of Valentine cards and candy. The boys were happy with Spiderman and Star Wars Valentines. Yesterday we inserted tattoo's (each came with their own little tattoo) and taped candy to the outside. That in and of itself was tedious and time consuming enough. I just can't imagine making over 75 Valentine's Cards. Last year our total came to 50 and I was at my limit even with great crafter's like my boys. Well, I know Martha will not be happy with me and my chances of ever becoming President of the Martha Fan Club have now been destroyed. OH, Well. Now I have tons of little left over tattoo's I can stick to my arm and pretend to have real ones. Although my Knight doesn't think tattoo's of spider webs and Yoda are really attractive.:)

Fearfully & Wonderfully Made

Last year I taught an art class at our church for Children's Ministry. It was so much fun. I took various art mediums and applied them to Kingdom principles. We learned pottery, weaving, painting, drawing and oragomi. Each week and each project would emphasize a Kingdom principle like: we are the clay in the potters hand or we need to allow God to transform us through the renewing of our minds. The weaving really brought me back to an old love of mine that I don't regularly do any more. I wanted to share some things the Lord shared with me about weaving through this class experience.

Here is a picture of my loom. In Psalm 139 the Bible talks about being woven or knitted in your mothers womb. Do you realize all that that means? When starting a project a weaver must first design their project. You take calculations and begin to figure out patterns, color and length/width. You can make anything from a table runner to cloth that will be sewn into a garment. I had a local artisian I apprenticed under who wove an entire suit of silk. It was beautiful.

So now that you have the calculations and design you measure every strand of yarn. Now that might not sound serious but take into the fact that most woven pieces have threads ranging from 100's into the 1,000's. My largest project took over 2,000 strands of yarn.

After you have measured you now thread each one individually following specific patterns. This can take hours up to days worth of work. After you have finished threading you now begin to weave.

See God not only wove you and I but he painstakingly designed & threaded you by His mighty hand. Like I told the children not one project is the same. Each is unique. Think of the time and effort God took to make you. Never doubt how wonderfully you are made. We are part of His awesome workmanship (Eph. 2:10) I know, I am preaching to myself too.:)

There you go just a little lesson about weaving and the Bible. My two favorite subjects. Hopefully by this spring TCC can teach me how to do this Bloggy Giveaway thing and I can give a hand woven table runner or rug away. Do you think some body would sign up for it?

I would love to start a fiber arts guild in the area with weavers, spinners, knitters and such but I don't really think I could squeeze one more thing into my schedule. I am getting the bug to start weaving again and thankfully Rocker is very interested. This would help to have someone encouraging me to weave once more.

Who Will Marry My Drama King?

No I am not trying to get rid of my kids too early in life it is just the repetitive question that Drama King brings up all the time. He is so concerned about who will he marry. I am not sure where this even came from. Yesterday was no exception. He went on and on about how he needs to find a wife. He asked our Children's Ministry Director's daughter a few months ago if she would marry him and she told him she was engaged to another little boy. They are both 5 years old. Oh the sadness of rejection I had to deal with. Drama King is not called Drama King for nothing you know.

So yesterday we went down this same road of "How will I find her. I don't know if I want to be married. I want to marry you mommy because you are the perfect woman." That cracked me up. I the perfect woman, oh boy. So he assured me he had decided I was going to be his wife when he grew up. That just makes me laugh and makes my heart melt at the same time. I have tried all the tricks of the trade telling him he doesn't have to worry about this. God will take care of him. He doesn't even have to know right now who he will marry. But it is to no avail. We constantly debate this issue at least once a month. My poor boy. I am at a loss to know what to do other than keep going around this same mountain every time. One day Drama King will have a wife and I will have the best time sitting down and telling his precious bride how he pined for her even before he knew her.

How I Met My Knight

In honor of our 10th Wedding anniversary tomorrow I thought I would reminisce about how we met. It's such an amazing, dramatic love story. NOT!!

My sophmore year of college my roommates decided they were going to hook me up with someone. They once had tried unsuccessfully already and I was very leery about doing this again. In the mean time I discovered a motorcycle started showing up on the campus and parking in the same lot that I had to park in. Oh, boy! I knew right away this was the man of my dreams. At my roommates prompting we all made a list of what we wanted in a husband at the beginning of the year. I think, because they were very sincere Christian women, they were looking for something with more depth then my list but this is what I wrote...

1. Tall at least 6 feet
2. Dark hair, rough looking
3. Biker dude, a must
4. Outdoors type
5. Tattoo's, arm sleeve, arm band
6. Must have rebuilt a car or truck
7. Athletic
8. Love God
9. Wants to be a Pastor (don't ask where this came from, maybe the Lord)

So there you have it. I knew this mysterious motorcycle dude was the man of my dream list. I began to park my little WV next to his bike and truck so I could possibly run into him. Weeks I waited and no guy. One time my friend Mumbe (she was from Kenya) and I were jogging and the motorcycle guy rode past us. Mumbe bumped my arm and said "There he goes, run and catch him." Totally out of my norm but completely love stricken I ran after this guy on the motorcycle yelling and flailing my arms about. He must have seen me and he kicked the bike into a higher gear and sped off. I was not discouraged though. I knew this was my man and I would get him eventually!:)

So my roommates finally arranged for a mystery phone call instead of a blind date. Low and behold it was the motorcycle guy. We had a great talk and his voice confirmed my suspicions that this truly was the man of my dreams. Well he got cold feet and didn't call again. Now my roommates and a friend of theirs arranged a meeting for us. It was a surprise for the both of us. I was to meet my roommates guy friend to get her frying pan back and they convinced the motorcycle dude to take the frying pan back to my roommate.

I go to the designated meeting place and here comes this short dorky guy. OK this isn't Todd. He introduces himself and says he's looking for Christie my roommate. So now we both get the idea of whats going on. He informs me he is the guy who I talked to one the phone with. As I stare at him all my dreams of this hunky motorcycle guy came crashing to an end. He on the other hand (I found this out later) realizes I am not the woman he had pictured on the phone. Apparently he was looking for a short, dainty, brunette and here I was blond and taller then him. I am also in no way dainty! We talked about the bike and not too much else. He was athletic but a cross country runner which I don't like running long distances and I told him I played La Cross and he told me he didn't know anything about La Cross. What a way to start this relationship.

He finally asked me out a month later. We went to a Christian Fellowship meeting on campus where they did a feet washing ceremony. Very weird to me. My knight actually washed my feet on our first date. I think it was more prophetic then we realized at the time. We dated some more. I took him Fly Fishing which I love. I actually got him interested in it and we fished a lot together. We took lots of rides on his motorcycle and slowly but surely my mental picture of my dream husband faded away and I began to fall in love with this guy. He felt the same after he got over the height, hair and dainty issues. And so we have been happily married for 10 years tomorrow! Jane Austin eat your heart out!!!!

My Knight & I at a Children's Ministry Function.

The Substitute Teacher

The Shag Man can home yesterday less then happy about his day. Let me say a little disturbed about his day at school. I began to inquire what the issue was when he told me his class had a substitute teacher. Naturally I thought, OK he really likes Mr. Kinney so I guess he would be bummed if he wasn't there, but something nagged at me. So I continued to press the issue asking Shaggy what specifically was the problem with this Sub. What I got for an answer shocked me and threw me into immediate action.

Let me preface this situation with the knowledge that I really like our school district and the staff at our Elementary School. With all that said I now know how much prayer covering you need for your children at public schools. Shaggy said the substitute teacher was over all nice, but she was a little weird. How weird? Shaggy said she kept talking about a book she was writing, about a dream she had and it made the class scared. He would not go into detail just tried to brush it all off with, she seems nice though. I pushed on and he finally told me during science class she sat back in a chair and got up quickly exclaiming to the class someone had touched her. Shaggy said no one was there and the kids were confused. She then told everyone with a smile on her face that it was only the devil but that is OK because the devil is always with her!

Mommy alarms were going off all around me. I couldn't believe this. Shaggy said this woman told the class she was a child of the devil but it was OK because he was a good guy. Oh My Goodness, I swung into action calling the school and talking to the Principle. They staff was in shock and said they would investigate promptly. The next day I was informed that this woman was banned from another elementary school in our district. Actually the same school a friend of mine has her children go to. My friend informed me her oldest daughter had this same woman in her class, told them the same thing and then had the class all get on their knees beside their chairs and speak stuff over them.

Wow, I am still reeling over this one. She is now banned from our schools and hopefully district wide. I now feel a great prompting to start the Mom's in Touch group I have been putting off for far too long. After finishing my discussion with Shaggy, my Knight and I realized how much the Lord was protecting him. He said he knew in his heart the devil was really there but he said he knew Jesus was bigger inside of him. Thank you Jesus!!! It just makes me pray more fervently for all public schools across our nation.

He Finally Posted!!!

Just to let you all know my Knight finally posted. Don't hold your breath for the next post it might be awhile. I told him if he didn't start soon I would start posting for him. I guess that got the fire burning!!!:) Don't worry we both read each others stuff now nothing is sacred to me anymore.

Newest Adventure

I have really appreciated Like I was Saying's.... new political blog. It's funny how just before she released her new endeavor the Lord was stirring me into something new too. Not political or maybe not as exciting to others, but a passion the Lord has recently ignited in me. I like her post It's not an ark.... because she talked about what we do when the Lord puts something in our heart. Are we passionate enough to move into that new endeavor or do we just brush it off? She inspired me greatly!!!!

I have stepped down from our Preschool Ministry at CCC and was asked to head up and coordinate a Special Needs division of Children's Ministry. Our church has recently been growing in that area and it has become a needed ministry at CCC. It is wonderful that these families are coming but we began to really struggle with how to meet their individual needs within the existing Children's Ministry structure. I thought I would be the last person they would ask to head this up. Referring to my Drowning Out the Other Voices post I felt that I was not qualified enough.

Our Ministry Director told me during our meeting that it is not all about education but passion and God's choice. Someone can have all the education in the world but if they are passionless in their work then they can be just as useless as someone without the educational experience. She told me she sees the passion in me and the church would help me get the training I would need. She said she knows I am the Lord's choice.

So here I am researching into the night, finding out all I can about Special Needs Children's Ministry and the Lord just begins to download ideas and strategies. I didn't really believe I could do this but I now see that the Lord will show me how. This is an exciting adventure He has me on and my heart loves dearly these precious littles ones and their amazing families. I believe they have more to offer us then we actually have to offer them. So if you think of it keep me in your prayers as I begin a new chapter of my life and as my family and I are stretched into a new ministry opportunity.

Justice Vs. Mercy

I have always been a big fan of Les Miserables. The book by Victor Hugo is an amazing contrast between Justice and Mercy. More recently they came out with a movie version that I thought was a good portrayal of the book/musical. Beyond theatrical interpretations my heart is still stirred with the struggle between Jean Valjean (Mercy) and Javert (Justice). Our heavenly Father is both referred to as a God of Justice and of Mercy. As followers how do we extend our hand in one or the other because they are so opposites?

I am typically a very mercy driven person. My heart naturally flows out of mercy but because of the abuse I have walked through I can react out of a justice heart. When I see injustice occur I immediately turn into JUSTICE WOMEN. I want to see punishment dealt and vindication made. But the more the Lord works on me the more I need to stop and pray.

I myself wanted justice for those times when my innocence was torn from me. Now I look back and realize those people need Jesus as much as I do. Back to the book Jean Valjean was once a criminal who's life was transformed by an act of mercy. He himself begins to reflect a life of mercy. Javert is a police detective who hotly pursues Valjean because Valjean broke his probation to live freely. Javert must see justice dealt at all costs. We were once like Valjean before we knew Jesus. When we asked Jesus to enter our lives this act of mercy allowed us to become free.

Our Father is a Just God, but through His Son Jesus mercy can now be extended. Jesus is mercy. On the cross Jesus could have ended it all; all the pain, all the suffering of his mortal body but he chose mercy. He extended forgiveness when no one deserved it. He took on all the sin of the world when he himself was sinless. That is the problem with mercy it costs us something to give it. Justice comes at no cost to us, but to the individual that committed the "crime". Mercy makes us sacrifice ourselves and it becomes truly an act of God through us. All that is within us shouts Justice, but our spirit lines up with God and He reaches down through us to touch others with His hand of Mercy.

In the end of the movie Javert speaks to Valjean about how he tried his entire life to never break the rules and then plunges into the river with his hands tied. He could no longer live because Valjean (Mercy) kept defeating him at every turn. His struggle with Valjean was because mercy is over-powering and wipes out the need for justice. The Lord has been asking me, am I willing to lay down justice and pick up mercy for all His children? I desire this more than anything but I know it will be a process of overcoming my flesh. I will have to overcome those areas in my life where I still cry out for justice instead of mercy.

Do You Ever Go To La,La Land?

OK. I have enjoyed sharing my testimony but after a week I personally need a pick me up so now on to something less serious and hopefully more amusing. "Laughter is good like medicine."

So how many of you guys go to La, La Land? You know that place where your brain racks up all those frequent flyer miles. Well I do. Since having children I vacation there quite a bit. I wonder if I am more like the Scarecrow in Wizard of Oz than I realize because I am always singing "If I only had a brain."
La, La, Land is the place your brain goes to escape the craziness of your day and schedules and children sometime. Mine does at least. Here your brain basks in the sun drenched beaches of a tropical paradise while your body is still mechanically working accomplishing tasks. All though great as it might sound, there is a problem with this type of adventure. Most of the time you start making mistakes because your brain is relaxing and giving your body no info or direction. Let me give you an example of some times my brain has wondered off on it's on.

1) You wake in the morning from very little sleep and a hectic weeks schedule. As those around scurry for food and clothes you stumble to the bathroom. Your brain has now just left via jet express to La, La Land. You grab your toothbrush and begin brushing as your brain relaxes under a palm tree. Then as quickly as it left you your brain is back telling you that your toothpaste is not minty fresh tasting. Yuck!! You spit it out to realize you put Preparation H on your brush and not Colgate.

2)Then you try to recover and head to the table. OOO, breakfast that will help. You sit to eat and listen to the endless chatter around you. Your brain again abandons you for La, La Land. The frugal mom that you are picks up the scattered pieces of cereal and places them in your bowl. Minutes later your taste buds tell you this isn't cereal. Your brain comes back and you see that one of your kids tore the tab off the cereal box and left the pieces on the table. Breakfast has ended!

3)You race around getting back packs, kissing kids and husband and cleaning up the table. Once you have rushed everyone off you desire some COFFEE!! That will help. You open the fridge and see cereal boxes on the fridge shelf and no sign of the milk. You replace the boxes back where they belong to find the milk you were missing snuggled up with can goods. UHGGGGG!

4)After cleaning up your house so people won't come to believe this is where clothes go to die you begin supper. You need pie crusts and you begin rolling them out. Children enter stage right, husband stage left and brain exit hidden trap door. When you return from some cry in the other room you see one pie crust but wheres the other one? No one confesses to ingesting it so where can that blasted thing be? You go to get a glass for water and as you reach in you touch something sticky. Well there it is among the glasses and bowls.

So does anyone have days like this or has a brain that is racking up frequent flyer miles?
Mine definately does. So don't call me crazy or call for a psychologist for me. Just pray for me and remember "It could be worse." Oh, yes these things did happen!!

PS Please forgive the vast amount of misspellings. The spell check is not working on my posts and I can't spell worth beans!!