Chldren Obey

Here is the group of kiddos singing their Bible verse for the week. It gets noisy in parts and it isn't very clear...sorry!!!

The Homemaking Meme

Aprons – Y/N? If Y, what does your favorite look like?
I actually do not own an apron, but I should. When I bake, I am messy and I get stuff all over myself.

Baking – Favorite thing to bake
I looooove baking. Right now, brownies are my favorite thing to bake. But cakes are fun too.

Clothesline – Y/N?
No, No, No.

Donuts – Have you ever made them?
LOL...nope....but sounds like a fun challenge.

Every day – One homemaking thing you do every day
Just one? Clean my kitchen....a few times a day actually.

Freezer – Do you have a separate deep freeze?
Nope

Garbage Disposal – Y/N?
If I didn't have a disposal, I wouldn't have a dishwasher. I would miss both desperately.

Handbook – What is your favorite homemaking resource?
Flylady has been helpful

Ironing – Love it or hate it? Or hate it but love the results?
Ironing? Hmmm . . . It's very time consuming, but sometimes it can be relaxing. And there is something satisfying about taking something all wrinkled and finishing with something pretty and smooth.

Junk drawer – Y/N? Where is it?
My closet....LOL. I used to have a junk shelf in one of my kitchen cabinets, but it is cleaned out and organized now.

Kitchen – Color and decorating scheme
I have cute Americana stuff in the kitchen...and it goes well with my blue Kitchenaid Mixer. :o)

Love – What is your favorite part of homemaking?
The end result....feeling like you really did accomplish something....and how having a clean home just makes it easier to relax.

Mop – Y/N?
Yep, 5 kids in a house all day long = Must Mop.


Nylons – Wash by hand or in the washing machine?
I washed them in the machine even though it said not to. Usually they held up okay.
I put it on the handwash cycle.

Oven – Do you use the window or open the oven to check?
Oh, I open the oven to check. I love being overwhelmed with the sweet aroma of whatever is baking. And I have to get close up and stick the toothpick in...all of that.

Pizza – What do you put on yours?
Just cheese for me.

Quiet – What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment?
What is a quiet moment like???? Just teasing....usually I am on the internet, reading a book or doing devotions.

Recipe card box – Y/N? What does it look like?
I have one, but it is too small. So I made myself a recipe binder. It is divided into sections...appetizers, side dishes, main dishes, desserts...and so forth. And then when I rip out recipes in magazines and such...they fit in the binder under their appropriate section.

Style of house – What style is your house?
I have a litte tri-level house...with a finished basement. It's cute...I like it. BUT, about 20 minutes away, is a GORGEOUS, HUGE Victorian style house and it's AMAZING! I want it!!!!! I will take a picture of it someday and show you all.
I love those Colonial style Victorian type houses. LOVE THEM!

Tablecloths and napkins – Y/N?
EH...not usually

Under the kitchen sink – Organized or toxic wasteland?
Toxic wasteland...well actually just lots of empty things that need to be thrown away. I should clean that out today actually. Thanks for the suggestion.

Vacuum – How many times per week?
Not enough.

Wash – How many loads of laundry do you do per week?
A week, maybe 4

X’s – Do you keep a daily list of things to do that you cross off?
My daily list is in my head.

Yard – Y/N? Who does what?
I leave the yard to the hubby. He mows, weeds, shovels. Maybe this spring I'll attempt some gardening. We'll see. I am not sure what color my thumb is though. Guess I'll find out.

Zzz’s – What is your last homemaking task for the day before going to bed?
Cleaning up the kitchen.

In Other Words

"Satan's ultimate lie is that you are capable of being the god of your own life, and his ultimate bondage is getting you to live as though his lie is truth."
~ Neil Anderson ~

I have been doing the Beth Moore devotion, David, 90 days with a heart like his. For the last several days, we have been looking at Saul's life. When I read this quote, I immediately thought about Saul. Many of his actions are great lessons for us. He shows us what happens when you act impulsively, don't follow God's will and try to set your own path for your future.
Sadly, I think we all may have some Saul tendencies at times. I know that I sometimes struggle with impulsiveness and surrendering complete control to God. Saul idolized himself. And it is oh, so easy, to become like him. When we are so self focused that we don't want to listen to God anymore, we are worshipping ourselves. We become our own idol.

And I can see how easy it is for Satan to make that, at first, seem so wonderful. How easy it becomes to justify actions that completely go against the word of God. It begins with sin. Then the justification comes to play, so that you won't feel convicted. Then your Bible finds a permanent place on the shelf where it begins to collect dust. Church outings don't happen anymore, because you KNOW God will just have that sermon speak to you and try to condemn you, so it's better to just sleep in and skip it. It's a vicious cycle and before you know it, you are caught up in the world and Satan has reined you in.

It happens often and it's scary. And really and truly, the end result is such unhappiness. The sinning becomes worse and worse. And so many people, including yourself, become horribly hurt in the process.

And, it is so easily preventable. Don't listen to satan's lies. YOU can't be the god of your own life. And why would you want to? There is a Father who wants to love you and wants your days to be blessed, joyful, peaceful. He wants to take your burdens. He wants to heal your marriage. He wants to listen to your prayers. He wants to answer them. He wants to give you eternal life.

So then why does the world and all of its anger, bitterness, loneliness, rejection, and sadness entice us at all?

Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love the world, you show that you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions. These are not from the Father. They are from this evil world. And this world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if you do the will of God, you will live forever.
1 John 2:15-17 NLT

Psalms Sunday #4

Today, we are looking at Psalm 4. This is the Psalm that first got me thinking about the idea of a meme to talk about the Psalms. One verse spoke out to me that afternoon, when I read it. I was about to come on here and blog all about it, when I decided, hey, what a great idea for a meme. Any ol' way..... you can bet, that that specific verse will be my focus today as I share to you what it means to me.

Psalm 4 (NKJV)

To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.
 1 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
         You have relieved me in my distress;
         Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.
         
 2 How long, O you sons of men,
         Will you turn my glory to shame?
         How long will you love worthlessness
         And seek falsehood?  Selah  
 3 But know that the LORD has set apart[a] for Himself him who is godly;
         The LORD will hear when I call to Him.
         
 4 Be angry, and do not sin.
         Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.  Selah  
 5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
         And put your trust in the LORD.
         
 6 There are many who say,
         “Who will show us any good?”
         LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us.
 7 You have put gladness in my heart,
         More than in the season that their grain and wine increased.
 8 I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
         For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

Anger and patience are two things I have definitely been struggling with lately, so it is no surprise that verse 4 grabbed my attention rather quickly. I grew up in a family where it was unusual if nobody was screaming. We conversed by shouting from one end of the house to another. And when we were angry, we made it very well known. I would scream on the top of my lungs and be so emotionally involved in my argument, that most of the time, I'd wind up just screaming to release everything, which would then be followed by sobbing.

I try very hard to make things in my home much different, but I still have my moments. There are times when I don't take a moment to think before responding. There are many times where I allow my sleepiness and my stress to get the best of me and I lose it. I scream, I shout, I stomp around. I slam cabinets in the kitchen, I grit my teeth at my daughter. It's bad...it's ugly. And there are some days when I wonder if I may not need some sort of anger management. So, needless to say, I was convicted greatly with verse 4.

I did do some research and I learned that the word used for anger in verse 4 is also the same word used in
Ephesians 4:26-27
Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun set on your anger, and do not leave room for the devil.

Leave room for the devil, eh? I feel that when I act out on my emotion of anger, I let the devil in and he has a field day, let me tell you. It is at those moments, where I need to stop, sit, pray, and humble myself before God. I need to ask myself at that moment, if God was visibly standing right next to me at this very second, how would I handle this current situation?
Many of my prayers lately, throughout the day have been...God, I am tired right now. I need your strength. I don't want to be impatient. I don't want to be quick to anger. Please fill me up with your love....with your patience. Help me to display your gentleness. Help me.

When I act out on my anger, especially around my little miss, and I do not do it in the right manner, I am not teaching her well. I want her to learn how important it is to take a time out, to breathe, to calm down. I want to teach her how important it is to talk things through calmly. I want her to see that it is sooo important to be loving and gentle. And when I let the devil in, when I get so infuriated that I am seriously out of breath and my heart is racing a mile a minute, my reactions are not teaching her properly...AT ALL!!!!!

I need to be still at those times. I need to be still and meditate on the Lord.

As far as meditating on your bed, I am sure, well at least I think, that David meant at night before sleep. Why? because that's when things are quiet and peaceful. Also, I am sure that that is when one can begin to think in that silence and be anxious. But the way I take it, for myself, to help me with my struggle with anger....is to at that moment focus so much on Him and His peace and gentleness, that although my child is screaming on the top of her lungs....and hasn't been listening to me alllll day, I am to meditate and be still as if everything around me was muted and faded....as if all was quiet and peaceful.






What about you? How did this Psalm speak to you today?

Thank you for contributing. I'll see you again next week for Psalm 5.

Look Who Is Sitting And Trying To Crawl

Blast From the not so distant past

I was tagged a few days ago by Laurel Wreath to do this fun little blog meme. So here goes......


This is a NEW meme to help get to know your bloggin' buds!!!
Here is how it works....
Here is a list of categories add the titles and links to previous posts that you feel fit these descriptions... and tell why if yah wanna!

FUNNY
I have two posts for this category.....

1. No Habla Espanol
So, tonight I went out to Safeway to get some travel items for DH to take with him on his trip. I then thought I'd be a sweetie and get him some magazines to read on the plane. Read More

2. Little List of Thankfulness
So, the day care kiddos are going to make a Thanksgiving garland tomorrow and on it will be the things that they are thankful for. So, yesterday afternoon I explained to them what Thanksgiving is and also what things we have in our lives we could be thankful for. After the miss listened to E (my 4 yr. old day care kiddo) list off what he was thankful for, I asked her what she was thankful for. She smiled and said, "Mommy." Continue On

SERIOUS

My Mother's Day Gift
Many of you already know about this, but I wanted to share bits and pieces from my weekend, because it has to do with my Mother's Day gift.
Anyway, this weekend was definitely a scary one that was very emotionally draining. On Saturday evening, the miss took quite a fall. She fell about 4 feet and landed face down, on her head on the sidewalk. Her forehead took the entire force of the fall. We went to the emergency room and she began vomiting, so they took her back to be checked out right away. More

THE UGLY
Okay, this is the best I could do....

Jekyll And Hyde
I admit it, this morning I have been Jekyll and Hyde. Can I blame my fits and mood swings on pregnancy? I call it lack of sleep. The rest of the story

ALL ABOUT ME


Soul Satisfying Survey


1) What is your life verse:

I honestly think that this is going to change soon. I mean all the time I am finding new verses that speak to me and where I am in my life right now. When I went away to a Christian College, I was asked by many what my life verse was. At that time, I didn't have one, nor did I really understand how to know which verse could classify as my life verse. I started going through verses that I had underlined in my Bible and I came to.....Want to read more?


And in meme fashion, I need to make some of you it.....

So, I tag Kim and Smurf

Catch A Wave

So, each Friday I will share with you a few blog posts that I came across during my recent surfing. These will be posts that I find too good not to share with all of you.

1. So, I found my way onto a blog I had never visited before, Mississippi Girl, and found this Gem. Seriously, what amazing tips she shared. This post should be bookmarked and used for reference throughout the years to come.

2. This video on Unseal My Lips, is soooo stinking cute. Oh, he's a doll.

3. Our Focus On Him discusses a parent's responsibility for their child's spiritual education. A great read and very important.

4. Finally, I read this one over at She Lives, several weeks ago. But it made me laugh so much. I've been meaning to link to it for awhile now.

So much to yap about

So, I just got back from the Women's Bible study tonight. I must say, I am blessed SOOOOO much when I go. I've only been twice now...and also to the retreat and every time....WOW! It's incredible! We are a small group of women with an amazing teacher leading us and we learn soooo much. I love it. And God is in that place. You feel His presence and it's just wonderful.

Anyway, I wrote a few days ago about how I don't want to do the day care anymore. Since then I have been scouring the want ads. I've applied to a few places. I have left two messages for the hotel I used to work with and some messages with a few other hotels. And I haven't heard a thing yet. Granted, it's only been a few days. But what's funny, in these past few days, I have received 6 calls from people asking me if I had any openings in my day care. Honestly, I only have room for one more full time and 2 before and after school. But personally, I don't think I could handle anymore....just yet. But the fact that I have received 6 calls in 3 days is crazy! I have gone months, and I mean months, without a call asking for care. When I first started up, it took me awhile to get any kids. I almost gave up. So after the last call I received this evening, I thought, okay God, are you trying to tell me something?

I began to then think that maybe I am supposed to be doing the day care right now. God has given me this position for a reason and entrusted these kids to me for a purpose. And tonight, at the Bible study, through the lesson, verses and discussion, it was confirmed.

To be completely honest, and I will admit it, I am the cause for the day care kiddos being so exhausting to me lately. I have been LAZY. I have been neglectful to my duties. I don't give it my 100%. I began to get burnt out and that excitement I once had for the day care and everything died. The only thing that is really structured are meal times and nap times, because they have to be. I don't always stick to a routine and there is way too much time spent in free play or watching movies and mainly for my benefit...or so I think. It actually doesn't benefit me because they act out and beat each other up and fight because of my laziness. Now, I know they are also really young, and that's what kids do, but at the same time, I can clearly see how my actions or lack thereof have produced the results lately that have been wearing me out.

So, tonight as I drove home from the study, I talked to God. I asked for Him to again confirm all of this if it is the case. And what I heard was.......

Erica, I have given you a job to do and you aren't doing it. You aren't giving it your all. You aren't working at it for me. You aren't doing it joyfully. You have not been showing those kids my love. You haven't been gentle always and patient always and you have been a time bomb with them. You get angered easily and once you begin to get stressed, you let them have the control. You know that these children don't live in true Christian environments. I chose these kids to be under your care for a reason. You want to have one on one time to teach your little girl. You want to start teaching her how to read. You want her to learn French. And most importantly, you want her to begin to memorize Bible verses. I want the day care kids to be learning those verses too.

Give it your all. Be prepared every day. You know you don't spend the time preparing and then the kids get bored while waiting for you to cut out their craft papers and get everything ready. It is then they act up. You know you need to take the time to be prepared.

Give this your all and then see how it goes.

So, that's what I am going to do. This weekend, I am going to put together a better schedule. I am going to work on their Bible Memory Verse poster. I am going to spend more time planning out the remaining letters and weeks of their current curriculum. I am going to remember that God has given me this task to do for Him and that I need to have that attitude, even when it is tough......even when I feel like I am talking to a wall instead of talking to the kiddos. And I need to remember that I can do ALL THINGS...because HE will give me the STRENGTH I need.

So, I am no longer bummed that the only calls I have gotten have been day care calls. Oh, how I'd jump when that phone rang and how how disappointed I was when it was the call it was.

But, ya know, I can do this. I can. My hubby asked me tonight, when I came home and told him all of this,...... so how long are you planning on doing it for?

Honestly, I am not too concerned with that right now. I mean I know that I'd like to be non-working in two years if possible, so that I really can focus on teaching just the miss and mister, since I do want to homeschool them for a little while. But until then, I'll just do what He has given me to do for now and follow His lead.

Thankful Thursday

I want to begin by apologizing to all of you who participated last week. I was sick, along with my entire family, and I wasn't able to make the rounds, read all your thankful posts and comment. I am sorry. Today, I will be visiting all of you.

I am thankful that I have the freedom and accessibility to read the Bible, especially in the comfort of my own home.

I am thankful that I was able to catch little naps over the past couple of weeks. It has really helped prepare me for nights like I had several nights back where the mister kept me up all night long.

I am thankful that the weather has been warming up a bit this week. It has been in the 40's with sunshine, which may still sound cold to some of you. But it was warm enough to allow the kiddos outdoor play time. And outside time is wonderful. It keeps them busy and gives us all some much needed fresh air.

I am thankful that I get to go to Women's Bible study this evening. I know I will be blessed by it and that I will walk away from it having learned something.

I am thankful for Gentle Naturals baby eczema cream that has really worked well on the mister's skin.

I am thankful that this winter has given me much needed practice with driving in ice and snow. My first winter here was very mild and I was very scared to drive in any little snow storm. This year, winter has been brutal, but I am much more confident with my ability to drive in it.

I am thankful for my kiddos' laughter.

I am thankful for my hubby's help around the house last night. He cooked dinner, cleaned dinner, held the mister quite a bit and put the miss to bed. It was a nice break last night.

On The Road To Retention

So, as I have stated below in the last two posts, I really want to focus on memorizing scripture. So, I am starting today. I've decided that I am going to start putting to memory each day a verse that I read that sticks out to me. I feel that usually a verse leaps out at you, if it is something that you currently relate to. Sometimes it is one that speaks to you in a way it may not have before. Maybe it is one that ends up ministering to you. This morning, one such verse caught my eye, and it will be the first verse I memorize.

Galatians 1:10 Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

This speaks to me the most in my timidness to witness to non-believers because I am a people-pleaser. I am non-confrontational, for the most part and I don't like to make others feel uncomfortable. So, I usually hold back during situations where I could really really witness to someone else. I hope that this verse will always speak to my heart during such situations as a reminder of what I am here to do. I am not here to please the world. I am not here to please man. I want to be truly concerned with how God sees me. Friends will come and go. So will my day to day acquaintances. But I will be with God for an eternity!

So, would you like to join me on my road to retention? Buy some index cards and a little box to keep them in. Write this verse down on a card and keep it in your box. Take it out every day.

Write, read, review, review, review and retain.

Ten

So, here are things I would like to accomplish over the next couple of years.

1. Memorize TONS of Bible verses and begin having my oldest memorize Bible Verses.
Here is a fun Site for Memory Verse Crafts

2. Learn how to sew. Take a sewing class. Buy an inexpensive sewing machine. Begin teaching the miss, once she is five, how to sew by having her sew simple patterns for her dolls.

3. Take a cake decorating class at Michael's. Start baking my kid's birthday cakes every year.

4. Teach my Miss how to read.

5. Start and finish the mister's quilt. The one I started preparing strips for in November. Make a larger quilt for the miss.

6. Get organized with the housework. Get some sort of system down and stick with it.

7. Finish The miss' scrapbooks so that I am completely up to date and caught up. Do the Mister's first scrapbook and begin his second one.

8. Create a large bulk of my faithbook.

9. Really become devoted to my prayer time. Spend much more time in prayer.

10. Volunteer at a Children's Hospital.

What 10 things would you like to accomplish over the next couple of years or so?????

Distant Melody

When I was six years old or so, I had a close friend, Brian. I found myself playing at his house often. He had an older sister named Emily. I remember one particular time, Emily had been chosen to play Wendy in her school's production of Peter Pan. She got to sing a song in the show entitled Distant Melody. I remember her teaching it to me and I remember listening to her practice it over and over again. This came to mind just a little bit ago, when I was sitting here rocking my little mister to sleep. I began to sing that song to him. I haven't heard that song since I was six years old, yet to this day I still remember it. Up above is a clip from another production of Peter Pan with the song, Distant Melody. It's a really pretty song.

Anyway, I have always been that way with music. I remember tons of songs from my childhood. I can easily recall their melodies and lyrics at the drop of a hat. In fact, I have always been great at memorization. That is how I scored so well on the majority of all of my tests in school.....memorization. I make hundreds upon hundreds of flashcards when studying and then review them until they are all memorized. Sometimes I just read my notes over and over again until they are memorized and when I take my tests, sometimes with certain questions, I can actually visualize the answer on my notes. I can see where I had it written and what everything around that word or subject said.

I am always getting tons of songs stuck in my head. I have sung and performed so many in my lifetime, that my brain has become a giant song storage unit. It's crazy how much one can remember.

So, where am I going with this? Sorry, I know that was a lot of rambling.

There are 30,442 verses in the Bible according to some Bible trivia site I just came across on the web. I can't say that I have yet to read all of them. I am working on it. But, I have read quite a bit of the Bible. I am lacking in the Old Testament department. I have read the entire New Testament. I have many verses that I love and have written down. There are many verses I have underlined with the goal of memorizing them. But sadly, if you asked me right now to spit off to you thirty verses including their book and chapter for reference, I probably couldn't do it.

That saddens me. Especially, when I think about how many random songs I can sing to you from off of the top of my head, including ones in German.

My goal for awhile has been to memorize, memorize, memorize scripture. I do know that there are times when the Spirit will give you the verse when speaking to someone. You'll spit out the verse and reference and be a little shocked and excited that you knew it. I have had that happen before. But, I do feel that Bible memorization is TRULY important. And tonight as I rocked the little mister and sang to him another childhood song, I really felt a tug in my heart to have just as many Bible verses come pouring out of me as I do songs.

So, that's my goal.

"How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word..... I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you" (Psalm 119:9, 11)

Pray For Our Country

So, I used to visit the Presidential Prayer Team site, that is linked on my sidebar, often. But honestly, it's been over a year since I have headed over to it. Shame on me. I do feel it is very important to pray for our leaders and our country. I went to the site this morning and decided to copy and paste for you the prayer requests listed.

"Pray for President Bush as he continues to prepare his State of the Union Address to be delivered on January 23, asking God’s complete guidance and help for him and members of his staff. Pray that he will cover the issues of greatest importance and that he will energize citizens and members of Congress alike as together we look to the future. Pray for members of his cabinet as they consult with the President on strategic initiatives.

Pray for God's mighty strength and endurance for President Bush as he continues to seek support for his new plan for Iraq. Pray that he will meet the cares of each day with God’s wisdom and energy, and that those who surround him with advice, service and support will also seek to have their hearts surrendered to God's will.

As violence continues to rage in Iraq, pray for the spirit of peace to come to that nation, its leaders and its cities, asking God to help and protect Iraqis who desire a peaceful democracy. Pray for success for Prime Minister Maliki, Iraqi militia and all leaders as they seek to get control of their nation. Pray for the success of the President's new initiative in Iraq, that troop increases and new strategies will succeed bringing peace to Iraq and enabling the eventual withdrawal of coalition troops.

Pray for Secretary of State Rice as she continues to work to gain support for peace negotiations in the Middle East and support for the President’s plan in Iraq, asking God to protect her and lead her in each step of her negotiations. Pray for her meetings in London on the final leg of this trip.

As much of the nation seeks to recover from devastating killer storms in recent days, pray for those who have lost loved ones to be comforted and for those who have lost property to be provided with what they need.

As each week brings more potential presidential candidates into the ring, pray for this process, asking God to guide each one considering this important venture, and praying for the sentiment and interest of the American people to be directed toward His will. Pray for candidates who will honor and serve God if they are elected.

As series of attacks on churches in North Carolina brings to light the need for protection and security for our nation’s churches, pray for their protection, asking that those who would plan and carry out attacks on churches will be stopped before they can succeed.

Give thanks for the many Christians currently serving at all levels on Capitol Hill, praying that those in whom Jesus Christ dwells will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to live confidently and boldly for Him. Pray that their influence will impact the Capitol for God and for good, and pray that relationships among staffers at every level will be strengthened.

As Japan and Thailand have confirmed cases of H5N1, the deadly avian flu virus, pray for success in battling the spread of this disease. Pray for Secretary of Health and Human Services Mike Leavitt and his team as they work to stop its spread.

Pray for all members of our military as they continue to serve with steadfastness and diligence, safeguarding our freedom and working to obtain it for millions more. Pray for those who will be deployed in support of the President's new plan--for their safety and protection, for each to have the resources they need to do their jobs well, and for their families who also sacrifice."

Psalms Sunday #3

I wanted to quickly thank Iris and Carol for the beautiful banner they created for me for Psalms Sunday. THANK YOU!!!

Psalm 3

A Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom his son.

1 LORD, how they have increased who trouble me!
Many are they who rise up against me.
2 Many are they who say of me,
“There is no help for him in God.” Selah

3 But You, O LORD, are a shield for me,
My glory and the One who lifts up my head.
4 I cried to the LORD with my voice,
And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah

5 I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the LORD sustained me.
6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have set themselves against me all around.

7 Arise, O LORD;
Save me, O my God!
For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone;
You have broken the teeth of the ungodly.
8 Salvation belongs to the LORD.
Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah

I don't know about you, but there are many nights that I have a hard time falling asleep. I can't seem to ever shut my mind off. Usually, it's not that I am anxious or worrying, it's just that I tend to think about my day, about what I have to accomplish tomorrow. I rehash conversations I had. I think about the people that I need to talk to the next day. Stuff like that. My husband is different, most of the time. I hear most men are like him. He hits the pillow and BOOM he's asleep. Oh, how I wish I could do that more often. Sorry, I strayed off topic a bit.

In this Psalm, David knows that there are 10,000 men after him. Yes, 10,000 men wanting to kill him. Not only that, but his son was the leader of that group. Not only did he have that to be concerned with, but this was his own son. He was emotionally anguished. His own son had turned many against him, including some of David's good friends. But, David didn't stay up all night worrying about it. He didn't spend hours trying to drift off to sleep while he thought about how he would handle everything. He didn't have to, because he had placed it in God's hands. And when night came, he was able to sleep peacefully, cradled in His father's arms.

I found a quote once that said...."When at night you can not sleep, talk to the Shepherd and stop counting sheep." I also feel though, that when you are done talking to Him, close your eyes and peacefully drift off to sleep. No problem is too big for Him. Let Him have it. You need your rest.

Digital Scrapbooking

So, yesterday, I received my new digital scrapbooking software. I am still a fan of regular scrapbooking, but I thought I'd use the digital stuff to create my faithbook. That way, I can order as many copies of it as I need, to pass down to my children. Anyway, I fiddled with it a little bit last night and for an hour or so today. I am just trying to get a feel for the software and everything. So, I am sure as I continue to work with it, my layouts will improve.

Anyway, here's what I've done so far. These aren't for my faithbook....just stuff I was fiddling around with.

Click on the thumbnails to view at a larger size.

I used Faith Hope and Love Add-On
Created by ©2006 Beth Nixon

Everyday Rambling

So, I have decided that it may just be time to stop doing the day care. My main plan with the day care was to be able to stay home with the kiddos and make an income. But, honestly, it has really been draining me lately. And although I am home with my kids, I feel like sometimes, I can't spend as much time with them as I would like, because my attention is divided between all of the kiddos.

Unfortunately, at the time being, I need to make some sort of an income. I worked on figures yesterday evening to figure out various scenarios. The money my DH makes pretty much pays our bills and leaves just a little leftover, but not nearly enough for groceries, gas and everyday things. So, I do need to work. Our biggest bills right now are our house and car. Unfortunately, we really can't lower either one at the current moment. We have a phenomenal interest rate on our house and if we refinance, we will lose that rate, so it really won't benefit us. And our car...LOL...we owe, maybe 23k or so and the blue book is 10-13K. So, well...we can't really do anything there either.

When we first moved out here, I worked an evening job at a hotel. I worked the front desk and did the night audit. It was a pretty easy job and sometimes relaxing, because I could bring a book or do some homework. It was a pretty quiet job. It isn't the most glorious job or the highest in pay, but it would give me enough to allow us to have the extra money we need. My goal is to work three nights a week from 5:30 - 11:00 and maybe Saturdays for 6-8 hours or so.

But this way, I can stay home with just my kids....focus one on one on teaching the miss....and have the freedom to leave the house...maybe visit faeryland mom and her kids.....take the miss to a museum.....and one of the bases out here has dance classes for really cheap...but they are on Wednesdays at like 10:00 A.M. So, I'd be able to do that too.

I just think this will be a better option all around. I left a message for my old manager, but she won't be in until tomorrow. I still have my uniform. They had me keep it when I left, because they kept me on their payroll for awhile and I agreed to help them out every once in awhile if they needed someone to work a night shift. And although I had already quit, I worked the desk for them on the evening of their Christmas party. so that they could all attend. I really enjoyed working with everyone there and quit because I had started up my day care. So hopefully, they are interested in having me back. Hopefully they have a position open. Fingers crossed..... We'll see.

In other news, My miss is pretty much fully potty trained. WONDERFUL!!! She slept for the first time in her underwear last night and she stayed dry! I am so glad to have her trained. It was definitely a long, bumpy road...and to finally be done, is wonderful.

Well, I have to run for now. I just wanted to blab for awhile. I do have something else in mind to share later today...from my Bible Study last night, so hopefully I get a chance to write some more later today.

Thankful Thursday

What a wonderful thing to focus on what you are thankful for.

Today, I am thankful for:

1. My little mister finally producing his signature smile tonight and giggling several times at his daddy.
It's been so hard to see him sick. Poor punkin.

2. The Miss' nighttime routine where I sing to her, You Are My Sunshine, pray with her and do a few other things. It always ends with her kissing my cheek and hollering to me that she loves me. It's too precious.

3. The Mr. Coffee pot that was on sale at Wal-Mart because having a yummy cup of coffee each morning really will make a difference.

4. Beth Moore's Bible studies...really and truly. What a blessing they are. What a blessing she is!!

5. The Women's Bible study group I recently became a part of. What an amazing group of gals.

6. Digital cameras. I couldn't imagine life without them.

7. Scrapbooking and my Creative Memories Consultant friend who makes it so much easier by allowing me the use of all of her stuff.

8. 4WD. It really has made a difference this winter with all of the snowstorms and such.

9. Having a home....Having Heat.....Having 2 cars.....Having two children.....Having a dishwasher....Having a Washer and dryer......Having clothes.....Having a kitchen full of food.....Really and truly I am soooo thankful and blessed.

10. I know I have said this a few times now, but I am so thankful for my friend, Tiffany. She is helping me through some things right now and she prays for me when I ask her to. We can laugh together, cry together and just chill together. She truly is a blessing in my life. She is also the gal mentioned in numero siete.

Little Petty Chaotic Things

So, I had a crazy afternoon for a bit...but I tell you it wore me out. My poor little mister is sick. He has been running about a 102.5 temp all day. Medicine isn't bringing it down yet. But, that could be a good thing if his body really needs to fight something. DH took him to the doctor this morning and they gave him some medicine, so hopefully he'll feel better soon.

When nap time started today for the kids, I tried to get the mister comfortable in his swing so that he would fall asleep and I could have a few minutes to myself. I NEED some peace for a few after a crazy morning with all the day care kids. But, the poor guy was crying and moving all around and scratching up his head like crazy. I trim his little nails as short as I can, yet he still finds ways to cut himself all up. So, I tried to get him calm and then one of my day care kiddos, who was resting downstairs in the finished basement, comes to me to tell me there is a mouse downstairs.

Sure enough, a little baby mouse is just sitting in the basement near the closet doors that hide the water heater and stuff. I am a tad concerned about the fact that we have a baby mouse, because I am fairly certain it means that there are more babies somewhere. Yay for us! So, I go upstairs to try to find something to try to catch him in and quickly make a pit stop to the little mister to try to calm him down, since he is still squirming all about, crying and making his head bleed.

As I head back into the kitchen to look for a container to catch him in, I realize my floor is sopping wet. Water was leaking from the dishwasher that I had running. GREAT! So I get a container and a trap, head downstairs, try to convince the mouse that he wants to crawl into the container with a little bit of peanut butter, but he doesn't like that idea. He runs under the water heater. I set a trap and head back upstairs. I again, try to calm the little man...but stop for a minute to wipe up the small flood in my kitchen.

So, finally, I get that done. I go over to the now screaming mister, to help him sleep when I hear the miss yelling to me about pooping or something. I go in her room, and she had decided to sit on top of her play chest to go to the bathroom and then cleaned it up with some of her clothes. You've got to be kidding me, right?

So, I pick that up, yell at her to go to bed, then head back downstairs to help the sick mister to sleep.

Flustered and desiring ever so much to relax, I call my friend, Faeryland Mom, to ask her to pray for me. I was feeling overwhelmed and at the end of my rope. When we finished praying, I then felt kinda dumb. I mean, there are people who have children who are dying and I am getting all stressed out over petty little things.

But then she told me that it's still good to go to God with the little things, that's what He wants. He blesses us for it. And it helps us remember to go to Him with the big things.

What I really wanted this afternoon though, was for God to send a lightning bolt to get the mouse, angels to sing lullabies to the mister to put him to sleep and the water on my floor to magically suck itself back up into the dishwasher.

But, getting some extra patience and calmness worked too, I think.

Random Pictures

So, I have just a few pictures to share. I am still waiting to get the pictures from the retreat, but I did take two pictures with my camera of some of the scenery.



There were massive icicles on the cabins. Beautiful, HUH?



This is the miss with one of the day care kiddos playing with her play castle. I thought this came out cute though, so I had to share.

Stranger Danger

So, you may or may not have noticed some changes to my blog. I took off anything that lets others know what city I reside in. I am also going to no longer use my children's names. They will be the miss and the mister. My hubby will be DH. I am still working on changing every post. I have maybe 100 more to go.
My email address was also removed due to the identifying information in it.
Why the sudden change? While at the retreat Friday night, a few of us got on the topic of blogs. One of the gals mentioned to me that the idea of having a blog scares her because of a case in California a family member of hers was involved in. A young child was horrifically attacked and murdered in her home. It was one of the worst cases in that city's history. The murderer first heard of and saw the child on a family member's blog. He was also able to find out where the child lived by piecing together the various clues placed throughout the blog. It's scary, folks. I mean, of course I knew from day one that anything I put on the internet is out there for all to see, but it didn't really worry me until Friday night. I need to keep my children safe.

Also, while on the topic of child safety, I urge parents of toddlers to start teaching your children now about strangers. Honestly, my little miss doesn't know yet to be scared of people she has never met before. We chat with sweet old ladies at the grocery store who may come up to us to compliment the kiddos. Every Sunday, she is left with a preschool teacher at church. She would most likely go with an adult if they asked her to, because she doesn't have any reason to see it as dangerous. I have every intention of teaching her about strangers and what not, but always thought of it as something that you do when they are a bit older.

But over the weekend, I also heard of another story that is producing some more changes in me. I heard the story of a gal who was abducted at the age of four. She willingly went with the man. She now goes around and talks to young kids about the danger of strangers and how to protect yourself.

So, please keep that in mind and talk to your 2, 3 and 4 year olds about it.

Psalms Sunday

I had assigned two Psalms today, Psalm 2 and Psalm 110. My Bible said that they go together. They are both royal Psalms and they point to the coming reign of the Lord's Messiah.

Psalm 2
Psalm 110

I know I chose lots of reading for today. I hope that didn't deter you from entering into His Word today for this week's Psalms Sunday. I was a little overwhelmed myself and lost at what to write about for today. Originally, I wanted to research these two Psalms and really give you an informative, educational post today. But this morning when I read the two Psalms again, something jumped out at me and I knew immediately what I was going to write.

Today I am focusing on Psalm 2:11-12


(image taken from heartlight)

...blessed are all who take refuge in Him.

What a beautiful promise. We will be blessed when He becomes our refuge.

Friday night I had the opportunity to sit amongst eleven other women during a small Women's retreat. During a time of worship, we began sharing our testimonies as the Lord led us. I must tell you, I have never before witnessed such an intense and amazing bonding experience as what took place that evening. So many opened up and shared all that they have been through in this lifetime. A couple of women shared some things that they mentioned they had only shared with a few people their entire lives. There were stories of multiple diseases, physically and emotionally abusive relationships, rape, child abduction, death of loved ones, and intense heartache. We wept for each other, we prayed for each other and we sang to our God. And in the midst of all of the tragic stories that were shared, one constant remained, JOY! We all had joy in our hearts, even those of us struggling. And that joy allowed for the ability to really minister to those whom were the most heavily burdened.

I remember one gal, who had been through emotional abuse, physical abuse, adultery, major operations, and terrible illness, told us that after years of trying to deal with it all on her own, she finally gave it to God. She no longer dwells on her past and she puts everything into His hands. And what a joyful spirit she has. She's an amazing testimony of what happens when you allow God to become your refuge. Although there was enough trauma in that room to create several lifetime movies, an outsider looking in would never know it. Because that room was filled with God-fearing, God-loving, God-surrendered women singing praises with joy in their hearts. The joy that comes from knowing that God can change lives, heal the broken hearted and use all situations, no matter how bad, to glorify Him.

HALLELUJAH!

Next week, join me as we look at Psalm 3.

Prayer and Praise

Well, I head out soon to the Ladies' Retreat. And I know GG is worried about us driving out there during our little storm. But, everything here is actually pretty good. Roads are in good condition and we received word that where the camp is, the sun is shining brightly. So, we will be fine. I am just doing last minute laundry and getting all packed up. I am also trying to straighten out a bit around here for the hubby who will be running the fort tonight and most of tomorrow. I am only leaving him with one child though, and taking the mister with me.

I am DEFINITELY looking forward to having time to meet and bond with some other gals and to spend time in the Word tonight and tomorrow.

Oh and one more thing, please pray for my friend, Faeryland Mom. She is the gal I am going on the retreat with. She has been having a rough week and an especially draining day today. Pray for her to be refreshed....for her spirit to be renewed. Pray also for our safety on our trip to and from the retreat. Thank you!

Now that I placed a request, it is time for a praise. Last week, we were told that DH was placed back onto a retraining list for the Air Force that would force him to turn in a retraining package and choose a new career field. This would mean time away for training, possible deployments and a move to a new base. Before getting that list, DH was planning on applying to become a recruiter possibly here or back in Arizona. A recruiter job would keep him at the same base for the remainder of his time left in the Air Force. It would also be a controlled tour, meaning that he wouldn't be deployed. So we were excited to go that route and were a bit bummed when we received word that he had to now retrain and all of that. Well, it turns out, as of today, that he is no longer on the list. Some higher ups revised the list to not include so many people. Since he was near the end of the list, he is now removed. So, that is definitely a blessing.

Oh and speaking of blessings, we have hot water again!! It only cost $95.00, lol...but the hot shower was worth it! Our home was built in '98 and has had the same water heater in it. The guy who came out, lit the pilot light, tightened a couple of things and also warned that we may have a faulty switch. I guess there is no way to test the switch, but if it is faulty, once it gets too hot, it turns the pilot light off. So, he said we may think about purchasing another water heater. Turns out, DH's boss just bought a larger water heater and will sell us his current one, that is only two years old, for $50.00. We would then only pay for the installation. That will definitely save us some money. And a newer water heater will help in resale too, if we do end up having to move soon.

Well, I am off to finish getting ready. I wish you all a blessed weekend. I'll try to come on Saturday night to post pictures and tell you all about the retreat. And then I'll see some of you here Sunday for Psalms Sunday!

In Other Words

"Wherever you are spiritually, whatever you have been through emotionally, you are already wrapped in the Lord's embrace. Held close by nail-scarred hands."(quote from 'Embrace Grace')
~ Liz Curtis Higgs ~



Up above is the video from BarlowGirl for their song Never Alone. I have always looooooved this song. I especially love the lyrics. I am sure we can all think of times where we felt burdened, stuck, confused, lost and we gave it to God. And maybe we didn't receive the answers right away. Maybe we didn't even feel like He had listened. How did we respond when that happened? Did we give up on Him? Did we put time constraints on His help? Or did we hold onto that faith inside, and know that everything would be okay...that our God would take care of us?

His nail-scarred hands are proof that He will do everything for us....that He loves us. He is there, He is walking with us, He is embracing us.

Just give it to Him. GIVE IT TO HIM! Let Him hold you today. Let go of all you are struggling with. Take His peace and His comfort. Fall into His arms.


"So I'll hold tight to what I know
You're here and I'm never alone"

Pictures

Okay, as promised, here are some photos. Oh, and they were taken right after nap time...so A has bed head. :o)

Here are The Miss and The Mister playing. He just loves her so much and gives her the biggest smiles.






Here is The Miss with one of my day care kiddos. They wore the same shirt today.


The little mister.

Psalms Sunday

Psalm 1 (NKJV)
1. Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.

3 He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

4 The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.


When I first read this Psalm, it was verse two that first stood out to me, because it has been on my heart lately to really spend much more time in the Word. I want the blessings that come from focusing on and studying the Bible. I want to know many verses by heart. I want to be able to minister to others on the spot by encouraging them with verses or defend my faith, if need be. I want to have the verses easily spring forth from my lips. This can only be done by knowing the Bible, by studying it and memorizing it.

But as I focused more on the Psalm, in preparation for today's post, it was verse three that really spoke to me.
How incredible it is to know that I was planted by God. He chose me, picked me, planted me, cared for me and He continually waters me through His word. And what a wonderful promise to know that I can withstand all the trials that come my way. My roots run deep. I will not be uprooted nor will I wither in the heat. My leaves will always be green and I will bear much fruit....... love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

There are a couple of other verses related to Psalm 1, which I have referenced below.

Jeremiah 17:8
For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.

Ezekial 47:12 Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine."

Military life can definitely pose challenges at times. We know that at anytime we can receive orders and we will have to pack up our house and move onto another location. There are certain times where we know that my hubby could be deployed to Iraq. On Friday, we received word that he may be selected to cross train into another career field, which would mean a move and a job given to him that could require deployment. The thing is, to be honest, I have yet to really worry about any of it to a point where it truly stresses me out. When my hubby came home on Friday and told me about the cross training, he was very worried about it all. And I just kept telling him that everything will be okay. Everything will work out. We will be fine. And really and truly, I believe that deep within my heart. God already knows where we will be and what will happen. So, there is no reason to worry. I mean, He is God. The Bible tells us to not be anxious about anything, but to pray about it and to also have that faith in God that He will take care of us.

My roots go deep. The hurricanes may come and they may shake me, but I will continue to stand firm. Droughts may come, but my leaves will not wither. Did you notice in the verse from Jeremiah that it states not to be anxious in the time of drought? The more I stay in the word and the more I hold onto God's promises, the less likely I am to have that tendency to worry or be anxious. The Word is the water that keeps my leaves green and that helps me to flourish. Which brings me back to verse two and how important it is for me to focus on His word day and night.






I hope that you all enjoyed your time in the Psalms this week and that the reading was a blessing to you. For next week, we will look at two Psalms which are related..... Psalm 2 and Psalm 110.

FYI- The code for the banner image can be found on the post just below.

Psalms Sunday Code

Okay, I think I did this right. In the box below, is the code for the Psalms Sunday banner image that will link back to my site.
Looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow.

<br /><br /><a href="http://butterflykiss21.blogspot.com"><img src="http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/8250/psalmssunday41gj8.jpg" alt="" /></a><br /><br />

muted joy

So, do you ever have times where you just feel blah for no apparent reason? I mean, really...things on this end are going well. I mean sure we have some money problems...but we always end up being okay, and really, I have never been one to let finances ruin my day. We have all been battling colds and such over the past couple of weeks, but really, we are all doing much better now. Things with the family are great. My life is wonderful and I am happy. So then, why do I feel so blah?

I just don't feel as filled as I would like to. I have been doing my devotions every day. Although, I don't spend as much time in the Word as I would like, I am still in it every day. And I've already begun to see how it has helped me, even in this past week, to have more patience and gentleness. This week has been wonderful.

So, again, why am I not walking around a pure example of the joy I have within me? Have I somehow not allowed the Spirit room to overflow me? Am I blocking the Spirit? Yesterday I had some free time and I spent it reading a bunch of celebrity gossip blogs. Why? Who knows. I get addicted to that stuff. It's sad, I know it. The whole time, I heard the Spirit telling me I had a much better way to spend my time, but I shrugged it off.

A couple of days ago, I was on the phone with a good friend who was telling me some struggles she had been having over the week with her kids. She was tired and drained. I heard the Spirit telling me to pray for her right there...on the phone with her. But I ignored it. Can I tell you how guilty I have felt for ignoring God?

But I ignore Him all of the time. When I spend free time browsing junk on the internet, watching television shows that don't in anyway glorify Him, while listening to music that doesn't speak of Him. And I am not saying that it is totally and completely wrong to do those things. But, I think if I am noticing myself shutting Him out and then allowing all of this other stuff to come in, the end result is what I have now.....blahness.

I need to be completely filled each and everyday...and every time the Spirit leads me a certain way and I ignore it, I deplete some of that which I am to be filled with.

I think it's time for me to open up my Bible, put on some Worship music and Praise my God who has blessed me so much and who loves me still even at times when I basically cover my ears and go "la, la, la" while He speaks to me.

Psalms Sunday

One day last month, the Christian Women Online's Motivation for Mom ticker on my site suggested picking a verse out of each Psalm and putting it up in the home somewhere. That afternoon I began reading through the Psalms and jotting down various verses that spoke to me. While doing this, there was one verse I came across that just convicted me in such a way. It was one of those times where the verse just fits what you are going through and ends up not only convicting you, but encouraging you as well. I was just about to sit down and blog all about it when I thought....hmmmm...I wonder if other people have had various verses from Psalms speak to them in the same way. And then I decided that it would be such a great idea for a Meme. So, I introduce to you....Psalms Sunday.

Each Sunday I will pick one or two Psalms (depending on length). If you would like to take part, after reading the Psalms, share in a post whatever you would like in regards to what you read. For example, what did you think of it? What does it mean to you? Do you have a story behind it? Can you teach us something about it? Do you relate to a portion of it? What verse from it spoke to you the most?

I will write my post as well on Sunday morning and include a mister linky so that all contributors can link to their posts.

For now, I am planning on doing the Psalms in order. So, if we all keep up with this...it could take a couple of years to complete. As time goes on, I may choose to skip around the book of Psalms. But for now, we will start at the very beginning.

So, meet me back here this Sunday for a look at Psalm 1.