Ayers Family Happenings

Randomness - my specialty

2012-02-02T23:16:00.005-05:00

I guess the weather around here has been typically Texas. Last Thursday I pulled the kids out of school early to go run and play in the woods! It was too beautiful a day to be cooped up in a classroom. We wore shorts. Then this morning we woke up freezing. You never know! We still haven't cross-fenced our property which means the horse has free-rein of the place & somebody has to get out rain or shine and open the gate for the car. It's a tough job some days...

This morning we were out of oats. We gave the horse about 1/2 her normal rations and I planned to stop by the feed store after I took the kids to school. She scarfed up her meager breakfast and proceeded to come to the front of the car and narrow her horsey eyes at me in anger. She said, "How dare you short me, I'll show you." And, as the kids opened the gate for the car she dashed out. She has never done this before, and I tell you, it was entirely intentional - to get back at me for the lack of food. Anyway after a good little run on the neighbor's property we were back and, she did, truly show me. It made for a fun morning.

The latest in four-legged fashion, pink zebra stripes. Gracie feels like a real vet with her colorful leg wraps. Maybe the pink zebra stripes, over-pampering, carrots, and treats have given her entitlement issues that are causing the attitude.

I LOVE LOVE Valentine's crafts. Especially cool handmade, creative Valentine's cards. Unfortunately, I've overdone the handmade element with the kids and they think they are too big for handmade and want the stinky store-bought cards. How boring is that? I always make them cool Valentine's from me, anyway. I've been looking longingly at the cute homemade Valentine's stuff on Pinterest. Someday they'll think back...

I never wanted to be a coffee addict. I've been drinking my cappuccino-kind of coffee drinks every morning off and on for a while now and I can't tell you how giddy I get when it is heated just right and I crawl up in my chair to read my Bible. Sigh. Awesomeness. Lately, I have seriously pondered a second cup. I think I might be an addict.

The kids are playing little dribblers. Two games each week x2 kids = four games every Saturday = re-dic-ulous! Evening practices in addition make for some tired kids!

I am starting Beth Moore's new James Bible study! So excited. I love James and I LOVE a good Beth Moore study. She presents some fun challenges in this study. I am going to try to write and memorize the book of James for the study. Anybody else want to do it with me? Can't wait to get into it!

My latest sign was kinda different. It will go in Byron's office. The wooden background has old book pages decoupaged on, the green background has the phrase, "You should not treat me as common or ordinary." Interspersed with Exodus 20. Kinda neat. I got the idea from somewhere, not sure where, but it was fun.

I have an incredible idea for helping our pack-rat middle child do a little clutter control. I can't wait to share it with you! I'll try it out on her and see if it works first! Have a wonderful week!

Where Have I Been?

2012-02-02T22:50:00.003-05:00

Sorry. Were you hoping I was going to tell you about my trip to somewhere great? Not quite. Apparently, I haven't been on this blog! I have been going no-where 100mph. I saw a quote today that said, Byron asked me last fall to help him out by getting him registered in his seminary classes for this spring term. I gladly got to work on it and didn't realize that I had gotten him into two classes that were not the usual 16 week courses, but super-speed 8 week graduate level classes. Can you say oops? So, things have been a bit hectic. I am trying to help him out and pick up the slack in other areas, but it will be a rough couple of weeks until he gets done.
Today I took the kids out of school early because... well, because the day was beautiful. I hated the thought of them being inside. I know that we all will be feeling some serious homeschool withdrawal when Spring hits and we can't stand to be indoors. There is nothing like schoolwork in a tree on a beautiful Spring day!
I'll try my best not to be so scarce!

Monday Musings

2012-01-23T09:21:00.002-05:00

Here's what happens when you leave your camera sitting around a 9 year old. There's this picture and about 80 more that are very similar.

Do you see what I don't see? My husband is a genius! The area directly behind our desk is our pantry. We had plenty of room in there for a couple of shelves, so my genius husband poked a hole in the wall and put in our computer tower, printer, and mass of cords. I love how clean and nice it looks!

I'm in to this robin egg blue-greeny color. I get like this sometimes with a color obsession. Aren't these just the most awesome dishes ever? I found them at Big Lots of all places for next to nothing. They are Jessica McClintock brand. Anybody know Jessica McClintock? I loved Jessica McClintock in the 80's. With my perm and my Aqua Net sprayed self. Some of ya'll know what I am talkin' about. She had a line of lacy dresses with puffy sleeves that were all the rage. I wore one to the prom one year. They were kinda pricey, but she had a line of patterns and my mom sewed me several for church. As a matter of fact I think my bridesmaids wore Jessica McClintock.

Anyway. I was rapturously mooning over my dishes, no one seemed to share my enthusiasm. Then Gracie suggested they might be more excited about the dishes if they held cookies. Later, when I added the cookies everyone oohhed and aahhed appropriately. Gotta do what ya gotta do.

Yep. Just a horse laying down. No story there. The girls love to catch her like this and curl up next to her like a colt and read a book. Byron started seminary classes again. He'll hopefully be on his last seminary class this time next year, and looking forward to graduating with his masters. It's a lot to do, but it goes better when you have a loving secretary to keep all your assignments in line and type your papers. :) I'm actually kind of enjoying hearing about all the interesting things he is learning. Have a blessed and wonderful week!

Some Views From 'Round Here

2012-01-18T12:49:00.002-05:00

We've had some amazing weather & fabulous days around here lately. We are loving some UNO Attack too! Here's a few shots of the way things look from where we sit!

Family Theme Songs and Phrases

2012-01-09T09:54:00.002-05:00

We have always had little phrases, verses, & themes we have quoted as a family. Not only does it help drill things into our kids brains & memories, but it's part of what makes us a "team." Every good team has chants & songs, right?
One of our most memorable: when the kids were toddlers we would say all together when we gave them crayons..."we only write on...paper!" and they would chime in on the ending. I guess it worked, we never had coloring on walls or books.

Now as they have gotten older we say, "people will always let you down, but God never will." A great motto - especially if you are a Junior High girl.
Songs are a huge part of who we are as a family. This is Daddy's influence really, that man has to have praise music all the time! Right now we are singing "Restoration" off the world mandate cd (not released on ITunes just yet -or I'd tell you to run & get it)! Here's a fair version:
"Your Great Name" by Natalie Grant is our other recent favorite. I love how it teaches the power of using God's name. That'll preach.

And..."God is Enough" by Lecrae - another awesome favorite family theme - especially for teens who are always pushing for more. The catchy repetition will stick with you and remind you that God is all you need. Love that! We love Lecrae.

We love to constantly quote the Word to our kids when they face difficulty, and to teach them to quote the Word for themselves. However, sometimes a song or a motto can stick in their memory and speak to their heart in a powerful way. We quote these things to our kids when they come to us with situations or conflicts. Some trials - especially pre-teen & junior high girl trials - might sometimes require some extra effort to overcome...and we need all the help we can get.

Legoland & and other fun

2012-01-06T20:44:00.004-05:00

We all loved the lazy river & the wave pool at Great Wolf Lodge

Legoland was a big hit with the boys. I'm a little unsure myself. It didn't look like it was worth the $15 discounted ticket price to me. It didn't look like there was much to it, really. But to a Lego-maniac like Daniel, it was pretty awesome.

He was pretty impressed with the mini-replicas of Dallas Landmarks. This is Ranger's stadium.

The boys watched a cool 4D Lego movie with snow and wind coming at them. Pretty cool. We had a great day, while the boys were at Legoland, the girls and I did some shopping at the Grapevine Mills mall and we are all now totally exhausted.

Since 2011 is now over, I was able to get this great "11" shirt at Old Navy on clearance! The perfect thing for a beautiful 11 year old to wear! This is a great photo of the lobby at Great Wolf Lodge - you can see the waterpark in the background. She loved these great trees in the lobby. We love the Great Wolf Lodge and we had an awesome time. Now, we are just completely worn out and ready for a relaxing weekend at home!

How to spend a cold January day

2012-01-05T19:44:00.001-05:00

Today my middler, Gracie turned 11 years old. We played hookie from school for two days & ran off to Great Wolf Lodge! We are swimmin' & slidin' & mom & dad are enjoyin' the hot tub. We are lookin forward to pajama story time and hot chocolate this evening. Followed by some loud games of UNO Attack & more of the same tomorrow . We are livin' it up & havin' lots of fun! I'll post more pictures of our adventures ... and tomorrow's trip to Legoland as soon as I can.

Happy birthday, Daniel!

2011-12-30T23:49:00.001-05:00

December birthday number two has come and gone. My baby is nine! We had a fabulous nerf war party & lots of fun!

Total Christmas Fail

2011-12-27T11:31:00.008-05:00

Okay I am going to excuse myself from partial responsibility for all my Christmas fails with the reasoning that I got sick about 4 days before and struggled to completely recover. But, in reality it isn't much of an excuse. Now, let me say, we had a beyond fabulous Christmas! Which goes to show you, no matter how good you are at organizing, making sure all "t's" are crossed and that kind of thing, it turns out okay in the end. Usually. It's called Grace.

Like most people I desire a magazine perfectly decorated house, amazing craft and project activities for the kids that dazzle minds, handmade gifts that I pull out and they are perfect. Wonderful music plays elegantly in the background, thoughtful, unexpected surprises I cleverly pop out to the the awe of my family and friends. Brilliant baked goods. Perfectly selected, thoughtful gifts, so artfully wrapped the recipient just stares and doesn't want to open it. Amazed gasps. Roaring applause. That kind of thing. Then - the unexpected guest drops by bringing a gift - you know, the person YOU didn't think of - and not to be caught off guard, I turn (with my supercape swirling in the breeze) to my special supermom closet of specially prepared "extra gifts" if you know what I mean, and pull out just the right thing, "Oh, yes, and here's your gift I was just about to bring it over to you!" Truth is my Christmas decoration planned for the front gate was a total fail when I spelled Believe wrong. I have a BA in English, ya'll. All my handmade projects were a total fail, I forgot gifts for like 6 people, INCLUDING, mind you, my parents! (To my credit, they always say "Don't buy us anything!" -but everyone knows you are not supposed to listen when your parents say that). I ended up running out for a past last minute gift for a much loved uncle, forgot most of the food I was supposed to bring to my in-laws, and ended up gaping empty handed a couple times when unexpected guests showed up -with no super cape at all. One of the kids wrapped the ONLY handmade gift (a decorated bird feeder) before I could scrape off the large label goo all over the side. And I didn't unwrap & fix it. Lovely. And Christmas cards? Well, I had the kids write, "from all of us" on their handmade cards. Does that count? I was doing pretty well at the beginning of December, how did this happen?

So, to all I forgot, maybe I'll send over a Ground Hog's Day present. I've never been very good at Christmas cards. Maybe I'll start sending Easter cards or something. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy a relaxing week and leave the super suit off for a while. It didn't fit too well anyway. Remind me to read this post again in early November and do better next year. But, I guess I did well with what really matters. We honored Jesus and there was plenty of peace and love in our home. It wasn't like I was stressed to get these things done. I was lost in some happy, air-headed fog and then at just the absolute wrong moment it hit me like a Homer Simpson, "Doh!" and that's it. So, it just goes to show you the wonders of Grace. Who wants to wear a super suit anyway? Very unflattering.

Candid Christmas Pictures

2011-12-27T11:12:00.005-05:00

These hats seem to be all the rage 'round here. Gracie has barely taken hers off since Christmas.

Here's what our house looks like at 6am on Christmas morning. Not a pretty sight, but a happy one.

Okay, Tomato soup always looks kinda gross cooking, but I love my new spoon holder. My husband loves gadgets like this and I think this one is genius! Now quickly look away from the poorly cleaned up ring around the burner of spilled chocolate from Christmas cooking and focus on the gadget. Keepin' it real.

The whole family absolutely LOVES the awesome checkerboard made by my brother & sister-in-law for our coffee table! They've been learning how to play and are having so much fun. I love to have games as a part of our living room.

Daniel and Dad got Airsoft guns this year. They are having fun with them, and they are quieter than a BB gun, which the horse likes better too.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T01:01:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas to you and your family! We had a great Christmas Eve celebration with family. We played games & ate tons of food. See the photo below of my parents (the grinch & Cindy Lou Who).
We attended our church candlelight service & had tons of relaxing fun all day. Lookin' forward to more fun tomorrow with Byron's family - and church - and Santa. Hope your Christmas is wonderful & blessed!

Christmas preparations

2011-12-22T19:33:00.001-05:00

We are officially done with our Christmas shopping. Now on to baking & other fun. Today was our dog's birthday - she is 3 years old today. We got her a rawhide card & lots of pampering today.
I have been sick today. I am so grateful to have my parents nearby. They took the kids (except Gracie who stayed behind to take care of me), they fed everyone, and let me rest.
I am hoping to be back feeling better & ready to get after all I need to accomplish. Hope your Christmas preparations are coming together as well. We are doing fun games with family again this year. I'll share later all the fun. May God bless your time!

Birthday weekend #1

2011-12-16T14:44:00.002-05:00

We are so deeply involved in birthday celebration and project overload this weekend! Christmas programs and activities are winding down to a managable pace and we are looking forward to a relaxing two weeks chillin at home.
My baby girl turned 14 this week! Hard to believe! She is a truly amazing kid with way too many talents and goodness to be squeezed into one person!
So for now heres some pictures of A LITTLE bit the fun!

Among the too- ambitious projects for too busy days - I also added a canopy-ish embellishment to Gracie's bed just for fun. Also, anything to hide the clutter this girl creates!

We added this awesome little reading nook in a dormer space - kind of as a surprise for Ally - who loves to snuggle up with a great book! It was really easy and a great project!

Kids Devotionals

2011-12-15T21:21:00.002-05:00

Gracie (age 11) is doing the Truth and Dare one year devotional for girls by Ann Margret Hovsepian and Daniel (age 9) is doing the Triple Dog Dare Devotional by Jeremy V. Jones. Both are available by David C. Cook and they are both similar in format and quality.

We are all LOVING these devotionals. They are really keeping their interest, and they are really well done. We've been through a lot of devotionals for kids around here, but I have to say these are some of my favorites. They have done more extensive Bible Studies for their quiet times, and some that were just a bit too much "fluff," if you know what I mean. These devotionals have great balance. They offer some neat depth and activity, AND our favorite part- at the end of the daily devotional, they offer 3 dares. The dares are ways to put the quality or concept discussed into practical action during the day. The devotional also encourages them to journal about what they did, which is a really great introduction to journaling. I also like that the devotionals continue on the weekend.

My kids starting getting serious about an independent, daily quiet time with God at around 9 years old. These devotionals could be done earlier with a parent's help, and they might even be appropriate for many younger teens who are just starting out with a quiet time.

I HIGHLY recommend these devotionals - even if they are a bit pricy at $14.99. For a year's worth of quality devos that will keep a kid's interest, that's a good deal. You can purchase them here for the boy's Triple Dog Dare devo and here for the Truth and Dare girl's devo.

I was given these books by David C. Cook and B&B Media group for the purposes of review only.

Test post

2011-12-11T23:29:00.002-05:00

So this is my first post from my I phone. We'll see how this works. Here are some recent photos from around here! We are so excited and looking forward to a crazy week ... Including the 14th birthday of a very beautiful oldest child. When did I get old enough to have a 14 year old?

Monday Musings on Friday

2011-12-09T12:17:00.006-05:00

I know! I just can't seem to get to this computer for blogging much lately! I think that might be because I have a new I phone 4S and I don't seem to use a computer much anymore! I suppose I need to start blogging from my phone. Wow. My phone has changed how I do everything. I didn't think I'd like it much, my old phone was pretty well, old. But... my lovely personal assistant, Siri and I have gotten really close. Yes, I might be one of "those" people who walk around Walmart with headphones on and seem to talk to no one in the cereal aisle. I'm sorry. I'm also listening to music and managing my grocery list by voice as I walk. Can you say geek? Yes.

Christmas shopping is going VERY slow. I am unbelievably behind. I don't buy too much, but I usually spread it out over several months for financial reasons. Didn't really do that this year. And, of course I have 3 birthdays to shop for also. I'm doing most of our shopping on-line this year partly because I am getting great deals and free shipping is easy to come by - but mostly because I live in the boonies.

I made these great mini donut muffins for breakfast this week and the kid's loved them. Not terribly healthy, but something about them was very donut hole like.

We've been kind of up in the air this week. Our local football team is in the playoffs and a win tonight will mean we'll go to state and play in the Dallas Cowboy's Stadium next week. It would also mean an extra day off of school, so the students are really behind the team! We are holding off on plans until we know! We wouldn't dare miss it!

We are listening to air one Christmas music. We always like air one online, but they have an all Christmas music station on-line only. Byron has this un-American dislike for Bing Crosby and pretty much all music recorded before his birth, so he can't stand the usual KLTY or KLOVE we listen to at Christmas time. They have some great, upbeat Christmas music on air one, though.

I also am on a bit of an organizing binge. I'd love to spend $100's on fancy organizing stuff, but it seems so silly. My favorite organizers right now? I'll tell you about some other projects later, but free boxes are awesome. AND - my favorite drawer organizers? Bible boxes - or those great sturdy boxes electronics -nooks, i-phones come in. A great free solution for junk drawer organization.
I hope all is Merry and Bright for you all this week! Love from the Ayers family!

Growing Children of Faith

2011-12-07T13:48:00.002-05:00

Through years of student ministry, Byron and I came to the realization a long time ago that the best way to grow children into adults with real, passionate faith is to be parents who really live out their faith. Simple as that. Simple? Well, okay, maybe not simple.

We have to remember we are fighting a battle when raising our kids and Satan really has it in for them. Satan also has some really crafty plans that are targeting our kids. Internet exposure is raising up a generation of students addicted to pornography just for one, insert Tara's soapbox of really, really long list here of all the really bad things technology and media are doing to lead our students astray. One of the largest results of these attacks that we have seen during our time in the ministry is emotional difficulties. Mainly depression. The Stranger in Your House by Gregory Lantz is a book I will keep to recommend to parents who are worried about this issue.

This book helps you to understand what is "normal" and what should really worry you. That's not too groundbreaking, but the way Lantz discusses these issues in light of faith is. I have a family member raised in a Christian home who is dealing with this issue currently. For a Godly Christian teen to become depressed is to see them reject all that they have been taught, seen modeled in their home, lived by - essentially to reject God -and that is what makes it truly difficult for their parents and family.

Lantz has some great general insight just for parents who are raising emotionally fit kids. It's a GREAT general primer for parents who say, "they became teens and now they are acting all different and strange!" I could quote this book all day, but here's one of my favorites; "When your teen asks spiritual questions and you always have a pat, definitive, this-is-the-way-it-is answer, whether you really feel that way or not, you're giving a fish. But when you start allowing your teen to see how you handle it when you don't have an answer - how you find one or how you learn to live and be patient without one - you're teaching your teen how to fish." I love that.

So often we hide doubts and struggles from our teens, but they really need to see you hanging on to your belief even when it is hard. Saying, "I don't know" is a healthy answer. Your teens need to watch you knowing that God never fails, even though you may fail. It has been our experience that teens who see parents living a, "Do as I say but not as I do" faith will rarely hang on to a strong faith later.

As youth ministers our number one pet peeve is when we talk to parents with teens experiencing problems and they shrug their shoulders and say with a defeated attitude, "she's a teenager" like that is some kind of excuse. I love what Nehemiah says in chapter 4:14, "Don't be afraid of them! Remember that the Lord is great and awesome! Fight for your families, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses!"(CEB version) Love that. Let's make that the motto for dealing with teens, shall we? Worship with them, love the mess out of them, pray your knees off for them, keep them away from the snares of the enemy, and get all in their business if you have to. It's messy work, but they are worth it.

I love this book. I'd highly recommend it. It is available from David C. Cook for $14.99 HERE It's also $9.99 on cbd :)

Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book for the purposes of review only.

Book Rant

2011-11-28T10:11:00.002-05:00

Okay, you are used to me doing book reviews here on the blog and this is not one of those!

I have a Nook and I pretty much love it. If I have a really great book I like to have the book in real life (not digital life) dog-ear the pages and underline and stuff, loan it out to friends, so it's okay for some books, but not all. I love the fact that I can occasionally get free books on my Nook. I chose the Nook because the Kindle doesn't allow you the mp3 downloads (audio or digital) from libraries or other sites. My dad chose the Kindle on the other hand because there are more free books to access off the Amazon site AND the Kindle has the feature of turning almost any book into an audiobook. What am I talking about features anyway? There are so many upgrades and new versions out just in the 6 months I've had mine I probably don't know what I am talking about anymore.

Anyway, I love my Nook. Barnes and Noble has this thing called Free Friday were you can get occasionally pretty good books for Free. I have cautiously downloaded a couple, and avoided or deleted many of the more questionable ones. A couple of times the free book has claimed to be Christian. Such was the case with For Time and Eternity by Allison Pittman. I was wary because it seemed to be about Mormanism and I didn't want to read a book that would be attempting to convert me or something. BUT this was a great book! Just a quick overview; girl from a harsh Christian home falls in love with a Morman boy and is sucked into his beliefs. Later she realizes the truth of the Bible and sees that she can not accept his beliefs. I LOVED the way the author revealed the truth of the Morman faith in light of the Bible. LOVED a lot of things. I have tried to read non-fiction about the Morman faith and it was mind-numbing - confusing. This book made it very clear. So, for that reason I would highly recommend it to someone trying to understand the Morman faith. But...

Sorry, Allison Pittman, but no self respecting author would leave a book so unresolved. There's a major part of the plot called the resolution, the conclusion and you left off that part. I understand a cliffhanger ending, but you didn't even reach the cliff yet.

I have experienced this about 3 times with these "free" books offered on the e-readers. The author writes a 1/2 finished book and you have to buy the sequel for $9.99 to get the rest of the story. I understand sequels. I get that. But a sequel is supposed to continue the main character's story not finish it. Is this a new trend in book writing? If so, I think I'll go back to the classics.

I did buy the sequel for $9.99 by the way, I had to, I hate an unfinished story! But it made me mad. It was good. She's a good writer, but I think it's trickery just to make a buck. I think I'll avoid free Fridays.

Monday Musings

2011-11-28T09:45:00.003-05:00

There is just something about the house all cozy with a Christmas tree. I just love it. I've been meaning to replace this tree every year for about 3 years. It is really a mass of dead lights. A pre-lit tree that doesn't pre-light. But every year I pack it up at the end of the season and every year I get it out at the beginning of the next and I don't have the heart to make the kids (or me) put off decorating until I go find a replacement. Plus, I always promise myself I'll hit the after Christmas sales. This year I resolve to throw it away and not pack it up so that I will be forced to replace it!

We enjoyed our relaxing little Thanksgiving meal at home. The food was wonderful and we actually still have a few leftovers. We used the good china, we had conversation starter questions everyone had to answer, and Gracie made placecards where we would all know where to sit.

Second to the big guy upstairs, I gotta say I give thanks for that guy over in that chair most of all. Wednesday will be 20 years of amazing marriage to an amazing guy. I'm still so crazy about him, he makes my heart all a-flutter.

We spent some time crafting and playing around with some Christmas craft ideas. We have a huge trashbag full of fabric scraps and the girls and I were trying to figure out how to use it.

We got to spend some time with good friends and play outside ALOT all week. We had some wonderful weather. It has dropped down to the 30's this morning though. It is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas. I have truly never been this behind on Christmas shopping, so I am hoping to get after some of that soon. Meanwhile, I hope you have a blessed week as we move into December already! Wow! We have to really be intentional not to get overwhelmed during December as we hit not only the normal church, work, family, and holiday activities, but also 2 kid's birthdays and the final one just a few days into January. I'll be praying for grace and peace!

Thanksgiving Menu

2011-11-22T12:22:00.005-05:00

"Come, let's sing out loud to the LORD! Let's raise a joyful shout to the rock of our salvation! Let's come before him with thanks! Let's shout songs of joy to him!" Psalm 95:1-2 (Common English Bible)

For us Thanksgiving looks alot like that verse! Shouting songs of joy to God is how we roll. It's loud, but we like it. Daddy and Gracie will be up early in the kitchen on Thanksgiving, Ipod jammin' with some great Christian music and lots of singing and cooking. The rest of us wander in and out and pretty much watch them work and take it easy. We'll be jammin' to our new favorite song, Halo by Manic Drive about not being ashamed of who you are in Christ, "Rockin' your halo" instead of hiding it! Love that. See our new favorite song on YouTube - Halo

We are going to be home with just our family for Thanksgiving it appears, although party crashers are certainly welcome. Byron's cooking and there should be plenty! We were talking with the kids and I was writing down what we are cooking, and the kids kept saying, "but we don't like that," "but, Daddy, your the only one that eats that." But, Daddy doesn't care. It's Thanksgiving and we are having Thanksgiving food, like it or not!

The menu actually looks like an all-carb cookbook: turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, rolls - why does a holiday meal that is so associated with the image of a pumpkin have so little to do with fruits and vegetables?

Byron makes really great dressing - my dad and his grandma make it just the same way, so all that experience can't be wrong. I always wonder why we don't eat dressing more often throughout the year. It will certainly be the cheapest food on the Thanksgiving table, and everybody loves it. Each kid in the family will be responsible for a different dish or dessert, and everyone enjoys gettin in the kitchen with daddy and making big messes for mom to clean up later. Hope you have a great Thanksgiving!

No fun Maifun

2011-11-17T13:06:00.004-05:00

I had an epic fail cooking experiment this week. I forgot that I was supposed to bring a salad to a ladies event. So, I quickly scrambled -'cause you just can't bring lettuce, you gotta jazz it up or something, right? So I remembered this Maifun we had in the pantry. Basically freaky chinese rice sticks. I heard that you fry them and they puff up kinda cool in a neat, crispy bird's nest looking monstrosity. I, as a rule never fry ... though not for nutritional reasons, it's just too messy & stinky. So, I thought I'd make some Terriakki chicken, lettuce, chick peas, soy sauce, + weird noodles = cool, Asian salad. I combined the noodles just before serving so they'd be crispy and they just kind of turned to hard-rock twigs. Not sure what happened there, but it was pretty yucky. After time (the next day - there were lots of leftovers) they got soft and were edible, but the point is they should be crispy & crunchy. Oh well. I find it best to lower potluck expectations for myself. And on the plus side I find I am rarely asked to serve on church kitchen or hospitality committees. Golden rule of potluck: Never experiment on people other than your immediate family. My poor family.

My Gracie got braces this week. It's been pretty rough - they hurt, but I like the way the dentist is taking it in stages. I can't imagine her getting top and bottom at the same time. She chose blue rubber bands and requested that daddy take off work to go with her to get them. He is such an amazing daddy and just has the insight to stop and speak the Word or pray with our kids and help them find peace from God in scary situations. Love that about him. I tend to be too much of a, "it'll be okay...get over it" kind of parent and I SO appreciate his compassion with our kids.

We spent some time snuggled up and reading together. We've been giving Gracie some extra attention and TLC. And lots of soup and yogurt.

Backyard Campout

2011-11-12T21:20:00.002-05:00

There's nothin better than a campout with the best of both worlds - roughing it close to the comforts of home!

Apparently, they would like to plan to stay outside the ENTIRE thanksgiving week and camp out every night. Not sure about that.

They - I say they because Ally and I were in the house in our cozy, soft beds - settled in by the fire to hear Gracie's latest story about a girl and a horse.

It's a chapter book of over 10 chapters so far, so it was a long story, but the boys enjoyed it. She is becoming a great writer.

Fire Pit

2011-11-08T21:03:00.000-05:00

Well, I haven't been very good at blogging lately, but there's been plenty going on.

We started work on our super-cool fire pit. We love big marshmallow roasts and I look forward to some hobo stew suppers!

The kids worked hard filling the holes with dirt and helping dad.

Other than huge winds, it was a beautiful day for some hard work around the farm.

Of course, we always try to make time for some Sumo Wrestling with the cousins... :)

While the rest of the family worked on the fire pit, I baked 2 batches of chocolate chip banana bread, 2 batches of chocolate chip waffles, and a double batch of pumpkin muffins, an apple pie, and a big pot of stew and corn bread. I looked around and we didn't have any thing exciting for lunch, so I decided on hot dogs. Unfortunately, we didn't have any buns. So, I quickly made some yeast roll dough and shaped it into oblong little loafs. We cut a slit in each and slipped the hot dog in - you have never in your life seen people more excited about hot dogs than my crew! They loved it! They were voted best hot dogs ever!

Caught in the act

2011-11-05T21:48:00.001-04:00

Saxie can take a lid off of a feed container in less than 30 seconds. After this picture, we had to move her feed into a shed. A few days ago someone left the shed door open and she opened the door, opened the feed containers and had herself a little snack before she was caught. She likes to open up dog food containers or trash can lids just to check to see if we might be hiding grain in there also. Just in case. :)

The Spirit Who Speaks

2011-11-03T21:40:00.001-04:00

I really, really enjoyed reading this book. The Spirit who Speaks was a really interesting book. I loved the simplicity of Peter's story. As a vicar in the Church of England, Peter began to turn to the Bible in search of something more in his walk with God. He began to see in God's word and experience for himself that God really does speak to us today.

I enjoyed reading this book because I appreciated Peter's purity in his search, it wasn't a denominational thing, or a desire to become more in God's eyes, it was just a pure, simple search to hear from God. He shared his failures and concerns in such an open and honest way. This book really made me hungry for more of God and gave me a desire to hear Him speak to me more.

A great spiritual read, supported with lots of scripture study and insight, and I would highly recommend it! It is excellent for pastors as well as the later part of the book becomes almost like a guide with practical information and Biblical guidelines. It was published after Peter Lawrence's death, but he has written several other books I'd like to look into reading as well.

You can buy the book HERE from David C. Cook for $14.99. That David C. Cook has some great books!

The Spirit who Speaks was given to me by David C. Cook and B&B Media and for the purposes of review only.

Bible Study

2011-11-02T10:06:00.002-04:00

God is always enough. No matter what the need. I know this. Yes, but ...sometimes I need a little extra help moving forward into my quiet time. Especially in the winter/fall! Something about colder weather makes me want to curl up and sleep later, just curl up under the covers and not get going! Cloudy, rainy days do that to me too. So... today it was a cappuccino with whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate. Smile. Yes, sir, that'll take your quiet time to a whole 'nother level!

God's messin' with my quiet time ... I guess I'll let him. I have always liked deep, digging studies like a good old Beth Moore, or deep Greek lexicon based something. Something that really breaks it down, challenging, makes me answer questions, analyze, test my knowledge, brain deep, but speaking to my spirit at the same time.

It was where God had me for a season, but lately it seems like God is asking me to listen more. It's not a brain thing, Tara, it's a heart thing. Meditate on the Word. Go deep, but not brain deep, heart deep. Be still and know.

I am part of a neat online mom's accountability group from Inspired to Action. My Waco friend Kat challenged moms to get up before their kids and do their quiet times, to be ready to face the day with God before you face your family. It is unique in that I check in daily with a Facebook group (it's a closed group so only that group sees our posts). We are supposed to check in done with our study before 7am. The group offered a super simple way to get started in a little e-book with a weekly scripture that you focus on each day in different ways and some basic things to journal. When I first saw it I thought, "this is for 'beginners.'" But, God really convicted me about interacting with His word differently, simply, and with my heart not my prideful head. There is no "beginners" reading of the Bible. Every time you open it, you are interacting with a living, Holy God and His word is active, and in you. Being quiet and listening are always difficult, for some of us more than others! But, I get it God, and I'm working on it!

40 Days to Better Living: Hypertension

2011-11-02T05:58:00.000-04:00

My mama should be given an honorary nursing degree. She has overseen the medical care of my sister, dad and grandmother and has learned by trial all about lots of things, especially livers and high blood pressure. My dad and sister have both had some pretty major blood pressure issues just recently. So, I gave her this book - and she told me what she thought of it. Here's what she said about it:

40 Days to Better Living: Hypertension would be good for ANYONE....not just people with hypertension (high blood pressure)...It is actually a workbook and takes you thru 40 days to manage your health...The problem with most people who may possibly have high blood pressure, is that there are never any symptoms to alert you or your Physician. It can only be detected by regular checkups, or by checking with a blood pressure machine, found in most pharmacies. IF you are diagnosed and put on blood pressure medication, it must be taken every day without fail to maintain proper levels.
"40 Days to Better Living..Hypertension" is written to be read daily, and follow the guidelines based on SEVEN STEPS , faith, medical, movement, work, emotional, family, and nutrition. The book follows through giving encouragement, and using real life stories of people who have made the journey to improve their lives and health. At the end of each day, there is a time for meditation, and prayer giving select scriptures to boost the spirit and enable you to continue the path to total wellness. This particular book was helpful to me, because my husband has been thru many "bad" episodes of high blood pressure mis-management, to the point that I rushed him to the emergency room with what we thought was a heart attack on two or three occasions, to only find out that his medication was not what he needed.

There are other books in this series, published by the Church Health Center in Memphis, Tenn, with founder, Dr. Scott Morris. They all address "40 Days to Better Living" and topics include Stress, Caregiving, Addiction, Depression, Weight Management, Diabetes, and others.

You can get a copy of 40 Days to Better Living: Hypertension HERE for $7.99

I was given this book for the purposes of review only.

Review: Letters to a Young Pastor

2011-10-30T07:24:00.002-04:00

Letters to a Young Pastor by Calvin Miller is a great guide to leading a church by a man with 25+ years as a pastor. It has some great pieces of advice. Byron has read several books like this, and this book was one of the most detailed and practical with advice on a depth of issues and some solid instruction. Calvin Miller gives instruction and personal stories without holding back. It seems to lack some of the love of some other books of this type Byron and I both have read. I think that is because it has a formality in the tone, like a college professor instead of a chat with a good friend, but it is balanced out by some amazing stories told with vulnerability. The stories of Calvin's struggles really made this book enjoyable to read. The letters have great honest, humor, and encouragement and this book is an excellent addition to Byron's ministry books.

I would highly recommend Letters to a Young Pastor -for a pastor of any age. It would be a great Christmas gift for a pastor with a gift card tucked in it for some extra love! ;)

You can purchase Letters to a Young Pastor for $14.99 from David C. Cook HERE.

I was given Letters to a Young Pastor by B& B Media group and David C. Cook for the purposes of review only.

Getting ready for the Spring!

2011-10-29T10:36:00.002-04:00

We've been consumed with so many projects lately! I haven't had much time for so many things I had planned for October! We have been doing a lot of clearing of our woods! We are so excited every time we manage to dispose of a nasty Mesquite tree! These pictures don't really do justice to the process since you can't see how thick it was "before." We still have a long way to go, but the burn ban was only lifted yesterday. Finally! We can now start burning the large piles of trees and brush, burning the nasty Mesquite stumps, and cooking out and roasting marshmallows! Yae! Because of the drought, even cooking with a charcoal grill has been outlawed around here since June or July, so we are so excited!

We're preparing our garden area for Spring. I sure hate to lose those cedar trees that have turned orange. Cedar trees don't really do that unless they are dead, but I'm still holding out hope that these babies will recover. We have about 5 of them turning orange at the perimeter of our property. They provide a lot of privacy and I sure hope they rebound. We are dumping lots of horse manure on the garden plot. Byron loves to play on that tractor. He had visions of working the soil with the tractor all winter to get it nice and ready for spring planting, but you have to think back before machines, chemicals, and science. God planned for things to grow - he made the leaves fall and the earth lay dormant during winter. All this serves a purpose. Microbes and pathogens and bugs and decay all need to do their thing in the winter. So, really the best way to prepare for spring planting is to do nothing. We'll cover the dirt with horse manure, dead leaves, and some mulchy stuff before winter. And... I am hoping to build some great compost bins. From what I have read, once we have planted we only need to use horse manure that has been properly composted. I worry about using Saxie's manure since one of her very favorite foods seems to be - Mesquite beans. I sure hope I am not fighting Mesquites out of the garden too!

And this nasty looking disaster is our pool. Yep. It's a mess! Best advice I could find on the Internet and pool store said that this is what you have to do to winterize your pool. Byron never liked the idea, but I pushed for it because, cover it up, and I am done till May. Done with all the chemicals and vacuuming and expense. Then we started talking to people around here who have pools. Nobody in our area really does this. Some do if they have a $300 water pump on the top of the cover, but most just keep chemicaling and vacuuming. So I guess we are going to scrap the pool cover fiasco and get back to it. Oh well, maybe I can plan a youth group polar plunge in January, float some candles in it at Christmas - get SOME use out of it.

Interruptions

2011-10-28T10:51:00.007-04:00

I saw a quote somewhere that really stuck with me, "An interrupted day is God's plan for a mother." Such a true statement! Especially when your kids are little, interruptions are what we do.

Unfortunately, as my kids have gotten older, the interruptions haven't stopped. Sure they know the basic boundaries - basic ones such as don't barge into the bathroom when mom's in there - be quiet when mom is on the phone. Some boundaries, however, are still difficult for them, like knocking and waiting to be told to come into mom & dad's room - instead of barging in with the old, "Mom!" shout.

A few nights ago I was cooking a new recipe, some brownie cookies. They weren't very good, not sweet enough - so I started to throw away the recipe. Then I remembered the 3 hours of distractions in making them and wondered if maybe I just left something out, some of the sugar perhaps? Highly possible. I was helping with homework, getting football pads into pants, saddling a horse, solving crimes, doctoring injuries, picking up and dropping off kids at various practices during which time the cookies were in progress on the counter.

The answer, truly is - to embrace it. To once again let go of your expectations, to understand that this is how it is, and love them all through it, interruptions included. We've still got to train them to respect our boundaries. We've still got to teach them not to interrupt when we are speaking, basic manners of not interrupting is all a part of learning patience. We've still got to keep making to- do lists and planning, just don't let it get to you when it doesn't all get accomplished in your ideal time frame.

I am loving my more relaxed role as a mother this year. Without kids at home all day, it has been kind of nice. But, I have been kind of testy with them in the evenings. They come home and my marvelous clean, serene house is no more. I didn't realize it until recently, but I sometimes find myself feeling frustrated and I always stop and check myself, try to trace it back and think, "Why am I feeling this way?" "Who or what was it that set me off?" Now that the kids aren't with me all day, I want the time that I do have with them to be sweet.

And, as I look back some of the sweetest moments we've ever had, some of the most special memories were those times when I DID embrace interruptions and go with the flow. And you know, it all goes back to expectations - interruptions are upsetting because the chores won't get done, or some other expectation based on what other people think won't be met. Kids are more important than that... Even if they are walking interruptions.

Around the Farm

2011-10-18T13:44:00.004-04:00

I hung my tree painting in my bedroom. I suppose I am pleased with the finished product, I didn't really feel like it was done, but I was tired of tripping over it. I like the symbolic nature of it - it is part prophetic. I feel like so much of what we do as student ministers is planting seeds in someone else's garden. We present the Word to students, but so often the rest is up to God. The emphasis of my tree is really the roots - I pray that the seeds we plant would go down deep into fertile soil and form strong roots. I think I got carried away and I ended up needing a larger canvas. I think this will be a picture I would like to do again, I love drawing trees anyway. I wrote on it, "Rooted in Love." Eph. 3:17-18. We need that reminder - it's all got to be rooted in Love, or what is it for?

We put the kids to work shoveling the poop which the horse has deposited all over the yard and moving it all over to the garden area. It was gettin' pretty nasty looking since the horse has free run of the yard and pasture area to get any grass that is left around here.

My dad taught Ally to jump onto the horse's back like an Indian.

Daniel's team paid tribute to one of the teammate's mothers who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. He didn't mind the pink, but he gladly gave the pink socks to Gracie after the game. He is loving playing football.

I don't know if you can tell, but it is pouring down rain in this picture. Gracie has really enjoyed taking care of Saxie. They have quickly become best buddies. Gracie is gobbling up all the Margerite Henry horse books she can find (Misty, Born to Trot). She just started Black Beauty. She is loving the beginning because it is written from the horse's viewpoint. I warned her that the book is meant to expose poor treatment of horses, but I know she is going to hate that book in the end, just like I did. Too much sadness.

Yae for RAIN! We've had 2 or 3 good rainy days around here finally. The cracks still haven't all closed up, but we shoved some of the plentiful horse poop into them hoping that would help. We are going to begin preparing our garden plot for the Spring.

Meanwhile, we are getting a lot of outside chores accomplished with the cooler temperatures! What we need now if for the burn ban to be lifted so we can enjoy some firepit marshmallow roasting and hot dog roasting! Love and God's peace to you all!

Loch Ness Monster Found in Local Pool

2011-10-07T23:02:00.003-04:00

Can you believe the size of this thing? It is enormous! I haven't googled it yet, but it looks like something you'd expect to see somebody getting out of the Amazon on the Nature channel! That's Ally's size 8's up next to it just for perspective. Nasty! We are currently getting about about 10-12 pretty large scorpions out of the pool skimmer each day. On tomorrow's agenda winterizing and covering the pool - which I am looking forward to. I am kind of tired of maintaining it - and pullin' stuff like this out of the skimmer. But... that also brings about the question, without the pool, where will all these nasty creatures go to hang out? Hmmm.

Sifted

2011-10-07T22:21:00.002-04:00

I've been seeing the book Sifted by Rick Lawrence in a lot of bookstores lately, and it looked really interesting, so I jumped at the chance to review it! The subtitle reads: "God's scandalous response to Satan's outrageous demand." It focuses on the story of Luke 22:2034 and Jesus' conversation with Peter when Jesus reveals some tough times ahead for Peter.

The themes of this book must be something God is trying to pound into my head because it seems to be recurring a lot lately. Byron is also teaching a series with the students this month called, "The Big God Questions," and of course, the biggest God question most people have is, "Why do bad things happen to good people." The author does an amazing job really digging into these kinds of questions. He really analyzes scripture and comes out with some great insight.

I love this quote from the book promo; "If we believe that Christians are still sifted today, why do we so often judge those who are experiencing hardships? They must have done something wrong. God must be punishing them. But suffering is inevitable, whether it comes in the form of life-shifting catastrophe or the drip-drip-dripping of daily troubles. Sifted will encourage those who are facing trouble now and those who will face it in the future. It will encourage us to see our pain as a means to greater knowledge and intimacy with Christ. Lawrence offers a rigorously honest, deeply challenging, yet powerfully comforting exploration of the trials that beat us down, the good God who allows our troubles, and the incredible beauty the process of sifting can reveal in us."

It's such a hard truth -this concept of Sifting. I think it is a passage of scripture a lot of pastors even avoid. It is a hard thing to talk about with students because in their narrow minds it just doesn't seem"fair." They struggle to see the down the road benefits of trails we face now. I am really enjoying Sifted, I really feel like I have really gained a lot by reading it. I would highly recommend this book, it is a complicated concept; yet it is readable and enjoyable. I think it is a book that I would like to have 3-5 copies of on my bookshelf to give away to those with these kinds of big questions. You can buy it HERE for $9.97. Rick Lawrence has a site with more information on the book, and a video of him talking about it HERE.

I was given a copy of Sifted by B&B Media and David C. Cook for the purpose of review only.

Cherished -book review

2011-10-05T23:03:00.003-04:00

You know, you know. Every time I review a Christian fiction novel I tell you what I hate about Christian fiction. Well, Cherished has none of that. It is an extremely well done novel. Kim Tate did a great job making this an enjoyable, well-written book that also really portrays Christian truths and illustrates the practical use of faith and God's love. Love that. Through the characters we see the themes of:

· Learning to forgive ourselves

· Choosing to forgive others and allowing God to change them

· Following the dreams God has for us

· Surrounding ourselves with Christian friends who will pray for and encourage us

· Understanding God’s unchanging love

I had a hard time putting this book down, then I loaned it out to my sister and niece and they really enjoyed it too.

Tate was a speaker for Women of Faith in both 2010 and 2011. She appeared as the cover girl for the May issue of Empowering Everyday Women and will be featured in the September edition of Significant Living. A song based on Cherished will be featured on the newest album for Da’ T.R.U.T.H., a Christian wrapper. Tate is also the founder of Colored in Christ Ministries. Her appeal as a Bible teacher and a “big sister” in ministry, as well as her messages of hope, is what attracts discerning fiction lovers worldwide.

Tate’s characters bring a reflection of our own poor choices. Readers walk away knowing that despite their worst mistakes, they are cherished by their Creator. “The enemy will try to make you feel guilty about your past, and he’ll use your own thoughts or he’ll use other people. But if you know who you are, he won’t succeed,” says Tate.

Love it. You can buy Cherished for $10.99 HERE. Kim's website is pretty great - she also has a book trailer that includes the song mentioned above and a neat interview with Da'TRUTH. I loved the Cherished song! I'm going to have to download it! I would highly recommend this novel and I'd like to read some more by Kim Cash Tate.

I was given a copy of Cherished by B&B Media and Thomas Nelson for the purposes of review only.

Craftiness

2011-10-05T13:24:00.004-04:00

I have avoided Pinterest. I've heard stories about its fabulousness. I knew I would love it. But, I try to limit my computer interests, not increase them. And I have TOO many interests - do I really need to pin up more? So, finally I couldn't stand it anymore & I had to go check it out. Oh mercy, what a crafty heaven! My crafty juices are flowin' and my hands are twitchin' to create some stuff! It's a medical condition with me I think - I almost get the shakes wanting to paint or craft something. I think I'll give up Facebook and replace it with Pinterest. So, I'm all crafty -inspired but so incredibly swamped with stuff to do this morning. I finally gave in and decided I would devote ONE hour to some craftiness - or risk some kind of craft-coma.

It actually took me less than an hour- hence the time to blog about it. Notice the nice garden fertilizer blessings in the background.

Add some flowers and weeds from the side yard and there you go. I think I might live to craft another day.

Now, can I just please keep the mums alive 'till maybe Thanksgiving?

Prayer Stations

2011-10-04T23:46:00.005-04:00

We had a great time during the planning and doing of our fall youth retreat. We called it Revolution Weekend instead of D'Now. We continued our Make War theme and really talked a lot about spiritual warfare and taking thoughts captive. This prayer center focused on places where restoration or healing is needed. Students had to tack a card on the wall with a prayer request on it.

Though it doesn't look like much from this picture, this was my favorite prayer station. It focused on the underground church and had lots of pictures and stories about people in places were talking about Jesus is against the law - and stories of persecuted Christians. We used a pop up tent only 1/2 way up so you had to kind of sneak in. It was pretty dark inside, with only candles for light.

In this station students were to pray about people who they need to tell about Jesus & write their names on a card and put in the basket. They also wrote some precious thank you notes to Jesus at this station too.

Okay, this one was half gone by the time I took this picture so it doesn't look too great. We had little battery operated tea lights and mirrors on the ground. Students were to pray about the church, write a prayer for the church, and pray about the church. I put out my wedding dress for decoration and the Bride of Christ symbolism.

I was busy leading a group and didn't get to put as much time into these as I had hoped. These things always spin around in my head much more elaborately than they turn out. And...I didn't have the benefit of working on these with the assistance of my brilliant husband. We do well working together on this kind of thing. I provide the artistic vision, and he provides the practical reason.

This one is the river.

At this station you read verses about worry, then pray, asking God to convict you of worry in your life. Then, you untie a knot as a symbol of letting it go, and ask God's forgiveness for worry.

Okay again, I was in a hurry and I totally free-handed this map. This map has prayer requests from missionaries around the world during the last 24 hours. Among them, prayers for the Key family in the Middle East during the soon to come birth of their new baby! Still prayin' Cara!
We had a few more stations, they went really well. I love the different approach to worship and the interactive-ness of this idea. I love to ask people to write or draw a prayer instead of say it. It worked well to keep our sleepy teenagers moving and praising instead of sitting.

We did some paint balling during the weekend as well. My husband set up 3 compass courses in the woods and students followed points to Bible study stations on Spiritual warfare, all the while being aggressed by the enemy. It was intense, but most of us had a great time. We still haven't fully recovered.

missiolife

2011-10-03T17:25:00.002-04:00

I recently had the opportunity to review a digital online curriculum for churches, which was right up my alley! I love a good curriculum. MissioLife is a little different than a normal curriculum, though. MissioLife is intended to be experienced together as a community. Unlike individual devotionals designed for only one person or one learning group, MissioLife is intentional about involving everyone in your faith community. MissioLife is divided into three learning groups: children, youth and adults. With the entire church community journeying through MissioLife together, families and multi-generational communities will be able to share in this formative experience together.

This resource is discussion-driven and easy-to-use. For adults (Breathe) and youth (Image), each week you get a 3-page in depth biblical reflection to help you engage in the story of God, a 2-page facilitator’s guide to equip the leader with weekly encounter sessions and community discussions, and a 1-page participant’s handout to help everyone join in the conversation.
Rhythms is the MissioLife small group resource for children. God’s heartbeat is the rhythm of a child’s life. Rhythms invites elementary children, ages 6-12, into the story of God.

I used the Rhythms children's curriculum and it really had some great elements. Using an easy-to-follow small group plan, Rhythms will help children explore a Bible story, be informed by the narrative, and be transformed through reflective questions, deeper thinking, and purposeful prayer to live into the mission of God.

MissioLife is easy to use and I really appreciate the way it is set up topically, growing on more advanced themes. It is all digital, so you download it off of your computer. I liked how discussion-centered it is. To really check it out, visit the website HERE. You'll find sample lessons, videos and tons of information there. It is around $60, and I initially thought that was pricey, but in light of the fact that it is actually curriculum for so many age groups, that's not so bad.

I recieved MissioLife from B&B Media Group for the purposes of review only.

Fun Pictures

2011-09-30T15:11:00.002-04:00

Gracie now has a mouth full of metal! This expander is taking some getting used to. So far she only likes to eat soup and oatmeal. We have to turn the bar to crank it out wider. She'll wear it 10 months. After that, on to braces. The hardest thing to say is s's and x's - which makes Saxie about the most difficult word for her to say.

I had my wedding dress out for a project - so the girls tried it on. They thought it was a little too 80's froo-froo for their tastes.

Have a great weekend!

A Place to Belong Review

2011-09-30T00:47:00.006-04:00

I had the chance to review the book A Place to Belong by Lisa Troyer. This is an ideal book for a mom's group or a women's group to do together. It is especially effective for that type of use because the format is broken down into 5 sections with questions for reflection at the end of each section. In addition, it would really be a good book to set kind of the foundations of an accountablity group - as the sections are based around the 5 basic ideas that a group of that sort should be based on. Troyer also has some excellent information and PDF downloads about women's small groups - or forming your own group on her website HERE. I liked this book. It is geared a believe toward women with difficult pasts, who have come to the Lord with issues and difficulties, or those who may feel insecure in who they are. It has some great Biblical content and it will be a book I will recommend to women who need it.

Here's a little bit from the press release, "Coupling her unique personal story with related accounts in Scripture, Troyer offers sound instructional advice and inspired application. In A Place to Belong, she explores five principles that address the heart-needs of women today:

Acceptance, embarking on adventure in relationship·

Authenticity, exchanging the familiar for the extraordinary·

Affirmation, enriching the lives of those around you·

Accountability, receiving the comfort of companionship·

Action, stepping into the journey and walking into the purpose

By learning to apply these concepts, women will not only experience freedom themselves but will also develop a biblical, transformational ministry to lead others within their own sphere of influence to freedom as well. Each section includes song lyrics, some penned by Troyer herself, and also discussion questions related to the song.

Interspersed throughout the book are testimonies from those who have been a part of their own circle of friends group. Resources provided at the back of the book, including a one-year Bible reading schedule, tips and goals for leading a small group, accountability questions and recommended reading, make A Place to Belong a truly beneficial multi-purpose book.

A Place to Belong has the potential of changing the way women think about themselves, about others and about doing God’s work in this world. Troyer challenges readers to connect to one another, comfort each other and affirm each other in using the gifts God has given them. Ultimately, A Place to Belong offers a healing dose of real hope that life can be rich, life can have purpose and no woman need ever be alone."

You can purchase the book for $14.99 from Barbour Publishing HERE On this site there are also some free music downloads and a free preview of the book. It's a neat website with lots of videos and resources.

This book was provided by B & B Media group and Barbour Publishing for the purposes of review only.

overwhelmed

2011-09-27T10:40:00.003-04:00

No, I didn't fall off the face of the earth! And I'm not lost - although I'd kind of like to be lost somewhere! I'm just a little overwhelmed! So much Student Ministry going on right now! Our Fall retreat is this weekend and we are in full swing non-stop craziness! Please be in prayer that it will be a powerful experience for our students!

So much to DO! In addition to the usual frenzy of preparation - we are doing some super creative prayer stations on Sunday morning - kinda like THESE - not nearly as fancy or elaborate as those - but interactive and out of the box! I'll share pictures & details next week.

Other than that my life has been pretty well consumed! Volleyball, Softball, Football, horseback riding -the kids are keepin' me goin' too. I'll post some pictures soon! AND I am going to tell you about an amazing book I am reading on Thursday.

In the meantime, we watched a cool movie on Netflix this week that I would highly recommend! We are enjoying not having a TV much more than I expected! I thought Byron would have caved to the desire for Cowboys football by now. He loves the no-TV and likes to listen to football on the radio or watch sometimes on the computer. Just having Netflix (we watch on the computer) has allowed us to choose our viewing more and it has really given us the opportunity to watch some quality Christian movies. The kids watched this one with us - and aside from one brief verbal description of a girl's abuse (not really graphic) it was a great movie for them to see! It made a strong impression on them & they have mentioned it several times since.

Giant Games!

2011-09-16T14:48:00.003-04:00

The life of a youth pastor's wife is rarely dull. This week I created giant games for an upcoming event! Although I didn't get to do what I really wanted, which was create a gigantic chess set with paper mache . Time got away from me, and that was kind of a daunting task anyway. Someday. I have strange ambitions, huh?

I settled for a giant checker set instead. Plates hot glued together worked wonderfully and I laminated it all myself with contact paper. Everythings on top of refigerator boxes to make it tough enough to store and use again.

This is a huge twister mat made out of canvas material my grandmother had. I'll be able to fold it up and keep it pretty nicely. Although my husband wasn't real crazy about the idea of twister with a mixed group - we'll police them pretty carefully. I didn't sew this - I duct taped several pieces together and made a duct tape border to make the edges look nice. This game will be a challenge because those dots are pretty far apart.

Last but not least - a huge (unfinished in this photo) Monopoly game. My favorite part is the Go square which reads, "In these here parts ain't nobody gettin' sumthin for nothin'! If ya'll is wanting $200 you better run yoself around this here gameboard 2X!"

Chance cards read: "Cows out on the road - lose turn." or "You just found out your girlfriend is your second cousin, go back 2 spaces." We are going to play some giant volleyball and eat giant amounts of junk food. Hope you have a blessed weekend!

Classic Randomness

2011-09-13T23:08:00.002-04:00

Every morning I tell my kids they are the HEAD and not the TAIL... but if you are going to be the tail, or have a tail...

You might as well make it look FABULOUS! Saxie did not like this little embellishment at all and went to work swishin' it out right away.

D had his first football game this week. He loves it, especially defense. He is usually a running back. I think. I try, but mostly I'm just there to yell, "Go Daniel!"

They royally lost their game, but it was still a lot of fun.

I seem to get easily side-tracked without the kids around to keep me constantly occupied. Without them around to force structure to my day there's just so many options! I tend to just kinda bounce around from one unfinished task to the next. A morning set aside for baking turned into an artistically decorated pantry. Oh well! I'm starting to get into the groove. But I've also realized I do need some kind of a schedule to keep myself on track!

I've actually got some really fun projects (mostly student ministry related) I'll share later on in the week!

Mirror Ball by Matt Redman

2011-09-09T22:22:00.000-04:00

If you know much about Christian music, you've probably heard the name Matt Redman. He wrote my very favorite song, "Blessed Be the Name." I absolutely love By the Tree's rendition. He wrote "The Heart of Worship," and so many other amazing worship songs. I like books like Mirror Ball. I like a book that is like a good friend talking about their faith and how God reveals Himself to them. Neat.
I also really loved the whole "mirror ball" analogy from which comes the title. I'm probably going to steal that for a youth message sometime too. Matt tells the story of a small mirror ball at a Passion conference where he realized it was not the effort of the ball that gave the dramatic effect of beautiful reflected light, but the light shined onto the ball. We are like a tiny mirror and our job is reflecting God. In and of ourselves we have no light. But in His bright and shining light we are transformed and begin to radiate the glories of our God to the world around us. You may be feeling totally inadequate for that task. But if so, you have simply forgotten the most important part of the equation. It is not about you and your best efforts. It is the light, power and love of Christ illuminating our fragile lives.

Mirror Ball is a great book, it's a book about worship with your whole heart and life. It is readable and entertaining, but draws you closer to God. Nuff Said. I highly recommend it.

Mirror Ball was published by David C. Cook - you can purchase the book on their site HERE for $12.99, but since they asked for my honest opinion and did not compensate me for this review, I have to tell you it is only $10 on Matt Redman's website. You can visit his website here and preview some of his amazing albums, videos, and even chord charts, oh yes, and buy the book too if you want.

I was given Mirror Ball for by David C. Cook and B&B Media for the purposes of review only.

Things I Love Tuesday

2011-09-06T11:29:00.006-04:00

My parents had this great cassette tape when I was a kid. Oh stop it with the "what is a cassette tape?! It was a dramatized recording of the book of Acts, and I loved it! When we were sick we would listen to it all day. I've always loved the book of Acts because of it. These 2 CD's are kind of like that. I have really enjoyed them and so have the kids. Byron doesn't like the lady's voice, he's peculiar that way, but it has really allowed me to read and understand the book of Revelation like never before and I am totally lovin' it. And this is not a product I am reviewing, just something I ran across that I love. The Jonah CD is short - and $9. The Revelation version is pricey, $25, but so worth it, this lady is reading both books word for word NIV and a full symphony orchestra plays behind her - way cool. This LINK will take you to her page and you can actually hear some sample audio clips.

I've got this caramel latte addiction and here's my latest love.

I'll admit I am rather taken with my new morning devotional partner too. :) Before I went to get my camera she was right up next to the porch. She's kind of nosey. Maybe she wants me to read my Bible aloud to her in the mornings?

Saxie's previous owners said she is full of personality. Last night we were running around inside getting everyone ready for bed and I noticed her straining her neck to look into the window at the back fence. I walked outside and she turned quickly, nosed her food bucket, nickered, and looked at me like, "Can you take care of this right away?" She had already eaten in the morning, so I'm not sure if she was truly hungry or just manipulative, but it is hard to say no to that clear of a request!

After being outside for a while this morning, my clothes smell strongly of smoke. Wildfires continue in surrounding counties, but all are out in my county. Must be pretty bad to bring smoke this far. Send rain, Lord! I hope you are having a blessed Tuesday where you are!

2011-09-04T22:09:00.003-04:00

I've shared with you before our desperate need for rain. Today it got even more serious. The wind picked up and much of our county raged with out of control wildfires. A nearby community began to be evacuated. We prepared our church to receive displaced families & we started to pray. During our prayer time in church tonight, the rain began to pour and we got a good soaking rain. My kids ran around in it acting like they had never seen rain before. They were praising God for answering their prayers.

It reminded us of one of our VERY FAVORITE family movies; Faith Like Potatoes. If you haven't seen it, you need to - it's such a great movie. Here's a clip from our favorite part:

Saxie

2011-09-04T16:52:00.002-04:00

Well, Saxie is smitten. She is in love with my kids. She follows all of them where ever they are going! And well, who can blame her? She loves to be groomed, which is good because she's getting groomed several times a day. She has also gotten several new hair-do's today.

She follows the kids when they open the gate to let the car out and stands beside them as the car passes. She looked like she was waiting by the fence for us to return from church this morning.

The Ultimate in Shopping with Shay

2011-09-03T14:47:00.003-04:00

My friend Shay is a master bargain finder! She loves to find bargains and share her findings with others! I told her my dilemma -we wanted a super cheap horse, but we also wanted a very kid-friendly beginner horse. Most horses advertised as "kid friendly" seemed to be either half -dead or WAY too expensive for our budget. So, my friend Shay heard about a horse needing a new home. This horse, named Saxie, turned out to be the perfect fit for our family! She is a beautiful horse, and of course, the kids fell instantly in love with her.
She hadn't been ridden in quite a while, but she did VERY well.

She is such a calm and friendly horse, and she is certainly going to get a lot of attention around here!
Even Daniel got to go for a ride. She reins and listens to commands so well, definitely an excellent beginner horse. Did I mentioned earlier that she was free? It was really important to her family that she go to a good home where she will get lots of love and attention. They didn't want to sell her to just anybody.

I think they made the right choice, and so did we. Is there such thing as too much love and attention? Can you say spoiled? She has already learned about the apple-flavored treats the kids have stuffed in their pockets. Poor horse is going to have to find a spot in the woods for some quiet time and to get away from everyone. I guess you know what we'll be up to on this long weekend!

Droughts and Floods

2011-09-01T13:28:00.004-04:00

Weather patterns are such spiritual things. The wind, the storm, one of my all time favorite Bible stories is the story of how God spoke to Elijah not of these amazing weather situations, but with a Still Small Voice. Love that.

Droughts and floods are such strong spiritual parables. I love to really get into a Bible story and think about the physical situations surrounding it! Despite a sprinkle once, we are basically around 70 days without any real rain. I know I've already posted some pictures of the terrible cracks all over my yard, but they just amaze me! We could literally make it a walk through maze out there, and they just keep getting wider and wider despite our best attempts to water. Most of the stock tanks (you might call 'em ponds) around here are dry and many of our friends have lost cattle or horses because they have gotten stuck in the muck trying to get to the remaining water.

It just brings new meaning to 2 Kings 17 - Elijah and the 3 years with no rain! How critical it would be without running water, backhoes to dig man-made ponds, and drills to dig deeper for water. Amazing to think about the implications of a period without rain to Biblical peoples isn't it?

It's so funny to drive down the road and spot in each yard the septic tank, the only green patch left!

Except these little evil boogers - Mesquite trees! Popping up and thriving everywhere! They're covered with thorns and not easy to pull up! Interestingly, they don't go much further north from this point in Texas. My dad was explaining that they originally were only in Mexico, and the cattle drives brought them north - they have little berries that were eaten by cattle, and thus became "planted" along the trip to the central Texas rail-lines. Interesting, huh?

These poor things are starving. They drank the sugar water from this picture in less than 3 days! We have about 6 -10 out there all day.

I was just have these deep, spiritual musings on the drought, when I read my friend's blog post about the same topic. Go HERE to read it. She and her AMAZING family are missionaries in the Middle East so drought is huge to them - physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

By the way - rain is predicted for Saturday AND Sunday! I am praying that God rain down his love, grace, and mercy on your family as well! My you experience a FLOOD of His presence!

First Day of School

2011-08-27T22:57:00.005-04:00

First Day of 8th Grade. Ally had a fun week! She encountered so many crazy things in only 5 days. Already experienced some secular philosophy from a teacher, is loving volleyball, and although it is going to be easy, she is having a great time.

5th Grade! Gracie would rather be homeschooled, but she is enjoying some experiences I hadn't thought of. After the first day she told me she didn't think she'd be going back. Sorry, Charlie. She is making some friends and coming around. I made the mistake of sending a juice box in her lunch. Apparently, I wasn't aware that that was uncool for 5th graders. Keep up, mom!

3rd Grade! Daniel had a pretty good week despite the snarl in this picture. All the girls are in love with him. All 3 kids are really over-tired. Not just because of school, but we've had many late nights this week. It has been a very long week! Here's some of what I've been up to this week. These are some large murals for the student ministry I loved havin' time for projects like these this week. What? You don't think Jesus has yellow, orange, and blue highlights?

school choices

2011-08-21T07:54:00.001-04:00

Byron and I have decided that this year the kids will be in public school. Now I know that freaks out an awful lot of our homeschool friends, but we decided that we would seek the Lord each year and do as he leads. He may lead us to private school in the future, to homeschool again, or to Africa for all we know. But, we will seek His leading each day, and prayerfully encounter each situation with His guidance. I always hesitate to classify myself as anything but a Christ-follower - are we a homeschool family? Am I stay at home mom? Am I a teacher? Am I a Texan? Maybe, unless God calls me tomorrow to be an Ohioan, or something different. Each day I am a Christ follower and that exciting path means that I am what He says I am in that day. Tomorrow He may ask me to go to a neighbor's house and be a plumber for all I know. Hopefully he'll grant me that ability and realize my weaknesses in that area. :) But, if led, I'll go. I'll still be blogging about homeschooling and sharing our journey with our schooling choice, and I'll be helping out my sister down the road in her homeschooling as well.

One of our major convictions has been that as student pastors we have really targeted the school system here- the only school system here -and set about to reach it for Christ. With this fresh, specific conviction laid on us by God, it seems at this point and time for us almost hypocritical not to have our kids in there too. Not only that, but this is THE one school system I feel almost comfortable with. A sweet, small school where so many teachers - 2 principals, the superintendent, members of the school board, and a large number of the students are related to my kids - and believe as we do.

I know I will desperately miss homeschooling this year. I will miss having the kids around me all day, teaching art, and reading the classics aloud. (Not that we won't do plenty of those things after school.) My favorite year of all is 3rd grade - we really get into some Biblical truths through history and science - and I will miss that, Daniel will miss it. My oldest is going to be terribly bored. Last year we kind of moved ahead academically to the next grade levels with her. For her at least, junior high was kind of redundant. Gracie, the middle child, is most reluctant, and after this year I will glad to teach her at home again if the Lord leads.
Here is an excellent article about homeschooling that really contains a lot of truths. Homeschooling is something I really believe in, and I plan to try to support and build homeschooling in this area. For now, there are just a handful of families in this area who homeschool. We've been so spoiled by the incredible homeschool community we had in Waco, with so many options and opportunities, and a constant stream of friends and programs to interact with.
So, I'll send them off next Monday, just like my parents sent me off - with a blessing pronounced over them, and some major prayers said on their behalf.

And what, pray tell, am I going to be doing? Wow. I am asking myself that question too. My eyes are wide with crafting and writing possibilities. I'm pretty sure I'll end up teaching some art classes somehow or another. First up - some major painting projects for our student ministry I can't wait to get my hands on. I'll be spending a couple days a week preparing for youth events and programs. I've always been Byron's creative muse, writing his scripts for dramas, and the creative things we do in our ministry. I love writing Bible studies for teens, so I'm going to tackle some of those -thinking about releasing some of that as an e-book or two. Quality devos; revelant, but Biblical are hard to find for teens. I have a book I am going to re-explore, and another one that has written itself in my head. Except for a year or 2 when I was teaching; I have NEVER been without kids at home in the last 13 years, so this is going to be an interesting time for me. I'll keep you updated... and I'll spend some extra time praying-uninterrupted prayer time mind you - for those of you I know homeschooling. It's an amazing and difficult life that I love and I know your challenges! Please send me requests, prayer or academic, and I would love to help you! I love creating curriculum and creative things! If you know me at all, you know that education is dear to me and I won't be away from it long - one way or another! I might get inspired and write up some homeschool curriculum! Only God knows!

Cooking!

2011-08-18T11:17:00.008-04:00

Boy, I haven't blogged about cooking in forever. No wait, I know why. Oh ya, I haven't cooked in forever. Right now my husband is on a very limited diet - so all my cooking creativity has gone into trying to make his 5-6 choices interesting. And, then well it is summer, it is 106 degrees, and yuck, who wants to cook?

However, this summer I have stumbled onto some really interesting things I am going to work on. First, making flour out of oats (just in the blender) and using it for pancake mix. Very interesting. Needs some further experimenting - and for me to get up earlier. For the first time this summer, my kids have all totally handled their own breakfasts. It has been wonderful, and I have gotten lazy.

The second very interesting cooking thing I am experimenting with is - I have eaten this summer two wonderful meals where the meat and vegetables were wonderfully prepared in a crockpot and then added over rice. I know this is not a new concept, but the two meals I ate were really wonderful - one being kind of gumbo-ish and one chickeny and tangy. Have you ever eaten something somewhere and thought about it for several weeks later? I do that. Usually by the time I figure it out, I forget where I had it.

So, those are my two cooking projects for the rest of August - to perfect those two ideas/meals. I am open to suggestions and recipes! I'll share my findings when I figure something out.

My inlaws gave my husband an awesome set of cast iron cooking stuff to make neat dutch oven meals outdoors in the fire pit this fall and winter and we can't wait to try that out. Right now, one spark might set the whole county on fire, so those recipes will have to wait.

I recently purchased a brand new breadmaker for $10 at a garage sale, and have been really enjoying breadmaking again. My previously well-loved breadmaker broke about 2 years ago, and although I have been making bread some the old fashioned way -breadmakers are just SO easy. I can grab a kid and have them dump everything in in 10 minutes. The kid part really makes it easy.

I have had two people ask me this week for my Taco Soup recipe - which is really strange because I cannot even think about any kind of soup in this heat. It is absolutely ridiculous here, the cracks in the ground are so big I worry we might lose the dog (or a kid). Anyway, here is the recipe. And you know...technically this would be a good summer recipe to put in the crockpot so you didn't heat up your whole kitchen. And, by the way, it is quite good over rice instead of chips. Mmmm....possibilities?

Tara's Taco Soup

Such a simple dump in a pot recipe! Works great in the crockpot too.

Brown 1 lb of ground beef with a chopped medium onion. I also sometimes use shredded chicken. When I am in a huge hurry, canned chicken makes this recipe less than 5 min. to prepare.

Add:

1 can of tomato sauce

1 can of pinto beans

1 can of Rotel (I use mild)

1 can petite diced tomatoes

1 can of Ranch Style beans (Texas style beans)

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1 pkg. ranch dressing mix

1 small jar picante

Optional things I add:

1 small can of chopped black olives

1 can of corn

Serve over tortilla chips, top with grated cheese and sour cream.

Young and In Love - A Review

2011-08-15T23:48:00.004-04:00

I absolutely LOVED this book by Ted Cunningham. The title is Young and In Love: Challenging the Unnecessary Delay of Marriage. The book contains very interesting ideas, however rather radical to most people. A lot of parents would freak out if they thought someone might give their children this kind of advice! Cunningham does an excellent job supporting his ideas with Biblical theology and practical advice. Not only do I love this book, I totally have lived it! One of the many reasons I believe my marriage of almost 20 years is so amazingly wonderful is that I married young. My parents did also and they would agree totally with the ideas behind this book. By marrying young, my husband and I not only grew into our ways of thinking together, but we also faced a lot of difficulties that have made our marriage much stronger.

Our society has this philosophy that in order to be successful we have to follow a standard progression that includes college graduation, financial stability, finding oneself, and then marriage. No wonder such a small percentage of college students make it to their graduation without compromising their purity!

I so agree with Ted Cunningham that one of the greatest hindrances to our young people having successful marriages is a vastly growing adolescent phase that we give them in their teen years and beyond, way beyond in many cases. We give them a time free from responsibility, to explore, and to experiment. The Bible has two phases, childhood and adulthood - no in between. Up until the late 1950's our society did as well. Suddenly we have created a new, idyllic period of life that is not like reality at all - we are setting them up for failure.

Man, I could go on and on about this book, so many ideas that I feel so strongly about. The author makes some excellent points about the way we as parents, the church, and society are downplaying, even discouraging marriage. We need to be honoring marriage, presenting it as good, desirable, and wonderful! I could so get carried away on several soapboxes here - you are just going to have to read it for yourself. I highly recommend this book.

You can see a book trailer - or buy the book for $14.99 HERE

I received Young and In Love from David C. Cook and B&B Media for the purposes of review only.

Why Students Need Student Ministry

2011-08-14T10:43:00.000-04:00

I have several friends who are not a part of a traditional church - they are part of a home church. Now, in all the cases I have encountered personally, these have been good situations, really embodying the Acts 2:42-47 challenge. I am not saying that these aren't good situations, but I would like to outline WHY teens need a youth group. Now, some youth groups, I know, do more harm than good, but I am talking about a good youth group. These are certainly things which can be gained without a youth group, if parents are intentional and work hard to really build their students spiritually, but I think each of these items is a real need students have that warrants some consideration by parents. Parents are so vital, but some things are so important that we need to pound them into their heads at home and away. Parents need to be reminded that in order to grow students with a faith that lasts - student ministry is meant to supplement what they are already teaching at home, not the other way around.

1. Students need help fitting cultural trends into their lives. A good student ministry should be tuned into students and the latest trends, music, and other junk. Students can be easily blinded by the flashy draw of the latest cultural trend and not have the spiritual sense to see the enemy's ploy to steal, kill, and destroy them.

2. A good student ministry will speak the hard things. Now, as a parent you should certainly speak to your child about the hard things - especially sex, & other tough stuff, these things are way too important to leave up to a student pastor or anyone else! However, we have learned that their are a lot of things that parents assume kids know, or just didn't realize they needed to say. For example, apparently, Bill Clinton's parents neglected to properly define what sex is - I am always amazed at how many kids have a similar view, if you catch my meaning. A good student ministry will be prepared to offer straight answers for students on a variety of topics.

3. A good Student ministry no matter how small, will offer some non-parent role models. They should have the opportunity to see these leaders interacting with God, sharing their faith, serving, and displaying the joy of the Lord in various circumstances. Ideally, they need to see others applying and considering spiritual concepts to their normal lives. You've heard it said that, "You are the only Bible most people will ever read?" That goes triple for teens - they need to see lots of walking Bibles in their lives to see that faith is real and it can be lived. Hopefully, they are walking with their parents and seeing these things too, and the influence of these other people will just be the icing on the cake that helps them develop their identity in Christ.

4. Students need CHRISTIAN community, a group they belong to and feel comfortable with. WAY, WAY too many Christian kids turn to an unsaved friend or worse yet, the Internet or Facebook when they have a problem. They need opportunities to get face to face & comfortable with a group of peers and a leader, be encouraged, be supported, and cry or work through problems with a Godview.

5. By-golly Students need to SERVE! They need to get off of their lazy technologically driven hineys and work. They need to sacrifice and give of themselves and submit to the authority of others, humble themselves for a greater good, and be needed. I think every student should go on at least one mission trip during their high school years - better yet one a year.

Whether you are in a church with a youth group or not, I hope you will analyze where your teen is headed and really be intentional about raising them up to have a faith that lasts. If you feel that your youth group is not meeting these needs, by all means, get yourself involved and make sure it happens, be the change. I've never met a youth minister that shunned help.

A Protected Life? Armed for Battle?

2011-08-09T13:11:00.005-04:00

Yeah. You thought this was going to be some spiritual post or something, didn't you? So not. Although I can see this turning into a great Ephesians 6 sermon illustration by my husband about wearing the full armor.Have you ever wondered what daily life is like for the football greats? Okay, me either. Maybe it might look a little like this... It doesn't look very comfortable to me. (I made him take off the helmet to eat, although I must say, he tried.) Boys will never cease to amaze or confuse me. From his early days when I complained to my husband about my boy's boyness, my husband always says, "Tara, when you're a boy, sometimes you've just got to ____" (fill in the blank here with various bone-head, daring, or otherwise puzzling activities). I guess the same logic applies here: When you are a boy, sometimes you've just got to wear your football pads and helmet all day. Okay then.

Pray For Rain

2011-08-08T10:01:00.002-04:00

Boy do we ever need rain. Our front yard is a criss-crossing maze of these huge cracks.

Many of them are big enough to stick your foot into. All of our friends and neighbors who raise cattle put up hay for the winter and have only been able to put up 1/3 of their usual amount. This means that lots of people are having to buy VERY expensive hay from other places, AND sell off some of their animals to make it through the winter.

On the upside, we just might be able to pick up a cheap horse this winter - if we can afford to keep it! Please pray for rain - and lots of it!

Summer can't be almost over!

2011-08-02T23:13:00.005-04:00

I guess all the cool kids are getting mohawks this summer. At least for a week or two till Dad shaves it off.

Can we just have one season of the year that is truly restful? You'd think it'd be summer, but the constant stream of camps and activities makes life pretty crazy. We just finished up Ally's busy summer activities, all that is left is VBS and a week of golf camp for Daniel. I resolve to set aside week long periods (at least 2) each season where we will be home every week day as a family. Well, except Wednesdays because of church.

Hanging out with cousins.

Daniel started football practices yesterday and proceeded to almost pass out on the field. Freaked his daddy out to have him go limp in his arms. I guess it was kinda my fault. I let him swim and didn't push fluids all day. If you are going to do anything in 109 degree heat, you'd better be prepared.

Our pool still feels pretty nice even though the water evaporates in bucketloads everyday. Have I mentioned it is crazy hot and hasn't rained in forever?
Gracie Pearl is too cool. She has started to hate the crispy way her hair feels after swimming so she swims with it up and doesn't go under. Daniel on the other hand is convinced that swimming means you don't have to shower. I can't believe the summer is actually winding down! It has gone way too fast. Fall has always been one of my favorite times, though, and I can't wait for cooler weather! Fall just has a predictable rhythm about it that other seasons don't have, yet there is still plenty of excitement and things to look forward to. I had hoped to be putting in a fall garden shortly, but the ground is so hard and dry I can't imagine anything growing!

Preteen Camp

2011-07-30T17:22:00.003-04:00

Gracie and I had a fabulous time at preteen camp this week. We are a wee bit worn out, me especially because I am old. I felt like a really old lady when I got a crick in my neck and I had to go to the nurse for Bengay...Lame-o. Some of the kids made comments around me like, what's that minty smell? I just pretended not too hear them. To my credit, it was a 2 inch thick mattress, and that was before I laid on it and flattened it to nothing.

I didn't let a little crick stop me from going down the wet willy, or paintballin', or zip-linin'.

Gracie LOVED the zipline! She did it almost every day. Our 3rd-6th graders really drew in close to the Lord and had a wonderful experience! I can't wait to go back next year, but next year I think I'll work on the old-lady camp kit: an air mattress, non-scented sports cream, and my husband's tried and true never go on a youth trip without-it - a secret stash of energy drinks.

Midnight's New Home

2011-07-27T10:03:00.000-04:00

Midnight finally found a place to hang around at our new house. Gracie loves that old, tired horse. She found a great shady spot under a horseapple tree.

Gracie and I are at preteen camp this week! By the time this post goes up, you should probably say a quick prayer for me - for strength and patience! ...And of course I had to include some pictures of the other two as well. Daniel is getting so brown. He had a great time with his dad on the mission trip to Colorado. He is starting pee wee football next week and golf camp is 2 weeks away, so he still has a lot going on.

Ally is going to her 2nd youth camp the day Gracie and I get back! She's had a pretty busy summer, but it has been lots of fun! She has taken care of the house all week with me gone - cooking and cleaning -of course I'm not home yet, so I am speaking in faith. She once got a tiny burn making cookies in the oven as a 2nd grader and has a terrible oven-phobia as a result. I am hoping she will conquer her kitchen fears this week.

Review: Optimal Health

2011-07-23T05:22:00.000-04:00

The book 40 Days to Better Living: Optimal Health by Dr. Scott Morris takes a different approach to helping people improve their health. With plenty of practical advice, spiritual encouragement, and real stories of those who have found a better life, this simple book inspires readers to customize their own path to wellness by using the 7-Step Model for Healthy Living as a guide:

Nutrition: pursuing smarter food choices and eating habits

Friends and family: giving and receiving support through relationships

Emotional life: understanding feelings and managing stress to better care for yourself

Work: appreciating your skills, talents, and gifts

Movement: discovering ways to enjoy physical activity

Medical care: partnering with health care providers to optimize medical care·

Faith life: building a relationship with God, neighbors, and self

It is a small book, just right for taking with you on the go. It has a morning reflection and an evening wrap-up for each day for 40 days, and a lot of scripture references and personal stories. I SO believe in this kind of complete approach to health - it's all about balance. Each day this book challenges you, or encourages you with suggestions for each of the 7 areas listed above.

I like this book, I'm in the middle of it now, and I have enjoyed the little reminders and I love integrating faith and health and nutrition - it just makes sense. I think it is geared for those who are just beginning to seek a more healthy life, or for older people. It is low intensity in the daily suggestions, for example it will recommend you try giving up soft drinks for a day, 10 minutes a day of moderate activity, or suggest unique little things that you can do throughout your day that you might never have thought of.

My favorite part of this book is that it also encourages you to journal. The book asks you regularly to make lists, set goals, or record fitness or nutrition information and ideas. I kind of expanded this in a separate journal where I have more room and I have gotten a lot out of it. There is some space to write in the book if you want to.

Overall, I LOVE the concept of this book. This is the first in a series of these books to be released bimonthly beginning this month. The remaining titles are subject specific like weight management, diabetes, anxiety, aging, depression, and many more. This book is produced by Dr. Morris and the staff of the Church Health Center in Memphis, Tennessee, a really unique faith-based clinic.

Go HERE to see a trailer about the book and you can find more information about the author and the Church Health Center. You can buy the book for $7.99 HERE.

I was given 40 Days to Better Living: Optimal Health by the Church Health Center and B&B Media Group for the purposes of review only.

Wordless Wednesday: Poor Dog

2011-07-20T17:43:00.003-04:00

Our Week Minus Boys

2011-07-16T18:27:00.002-04:00

The boys are still gone on a mission trip to Colorado, so the girls and I have had a fun week without them. It is amazing how much less laundry, cleanin, and cooking needs to be done with only two less people in the house. Is it because they are boys? We picked some wild grapes this week so my aunt could make some grape jelly. They were very sweet, but we either waited too late or they were up too high to get to - we didn't get very many.

We stood on ladders in the back of a truck, but we got all we could.

Before Ally came home Monday, Gracie and I had a great time shopping and eating frozen yogurt at 3 Spoons in Waco. Gracie is a hand-me-down kid with an older sister and lots of older girl cousins, so it is a rare thing that she gets to choose her clothes from a store. Most of her clothes come from the cousins in big, black trashbags! But, hey, we like that - there's usually some pretty great stuff in there!

We had to splurge and buy a pillow pet to get her excited about church camp in 2 weeks. Ally said all the cool kids had them this year. :)

That's about all that is happening here on the face of the sun (AKA Texas). It is unbearably hot, I think the pool might evaporate completely today - or boil off -one of the two. We have one week of summer normal before all kinds of crazy activity breaks out with another round of camps and other events.

Raising Parents

2011-07-14T09:41:00.001-04:00

I've never liked the phrase, "Raising teenagers is like pinning Jello to the wall." Who said that? I don't really agree with that at all. But - to really understand the phrase, you should try raising my parents. My word. I have never heard a more appropriate phrase to describe my parents than this. Jello they are: sweet, mysterious, and wonderful - but REALLY hard to pin down. In my house the kids know better than to include Max and Nana with "when" in the same question. Most conversations about my parents end in us all joining in a chorus of our famous family phrase, "You never know with Max and Nana!"

They will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary today. Probably very few couples have spent as much time together as they have...and stayed married. They have a really great marriage, and have been a model and help to many other marriages - especially mine. I still remember coming home from a date to find them cuddled up together on the couch. They'd still cuddle on the couch, but that wouldn't leave enough room for magnifying glasses, toothpicks, pens, tweezers, remote controls, sudoku puzzles, and laptops that take up most of their lap-space. So these days they opt for dual recliners with large floor lamps beside them.

They have always had a free-spirited lifestyle gallivanting all over on adventures and travels, their lives are full of interesting experiences! Most people their age are really old - but they are so incredibly young! My dad has never been old enough to be a grandpa or a pop or papaw, so the kids just call him Max.

We wanted to do something really great for them for this amazing anniversary. But - like I said. Jello. They can't be pinned down. They took off their anniversary week for California - I heard some talk about Canada and Alaska - which probably means I'll get a call from Pennsylvania or Florida in a couple of days.

We had a quick family get together and Mom dug out her original cake topper and her wedding dress - handmade by my grandmother (just so you know, it was once white).

We celebrated appropriately enough in the house where their reception was held 50 years ago. Someone suggest we turn off the air conditioning and pack in another 150 people for the authentic experience, but we just enjoyed a quiet night. Complete with a wedding cake face smash - just for fun. She smashed it in his face 50 years ago - so he got her back.

If I had my way we'd've had a splashy event, big party with all the people who love them, and we would've sent them on a cruise to Hawaii (the only US state they haven't visited) but... you know, one attribute they have exihbited their whole life is contentment. You never catch them saying, "I wish... or If only." Wait, maybe that's not the contentment - maybe that's because they don't wish - they just take off and do.

I'm teasing a bit, but if you've read my blog for any length of time, you know what an amazing blessing my parents are to me. So - to paraphrase the blessing my dad says on every special event; "Mom and Dad, May this be the MOST BLESSED year of your marriage so far - and only the beginning of all the wonderful things God has in store for you!" We Love you VERY much! Have fun in California, or Minnesota, or Florida - where ever you end up this week.

Random Stuff and LINKS

2011-07-11T14:39:00.001-04:00

I have been able to really enjoy some great books this summer! I think it is the Nook - it makes me want to read more. Right now I am lovin' reading the Lineage of Grace series by Francine Rivers. I love books that take me back to the Bible for more information.

Really cool -decorating/art idea using LEGOs -(our boy's favorite thing in the world) for a little boy's room. HERE at mini matisse.

I also loved this little tutorial for cooking meat on the grill - with an awesome test to determine if a steak is well done, medium, or rare. Way cool. HERE at giverslog. Giverslog always is a great blog for some neat ideas - especially for gifts! I love her idea for the perfect hostess gift! HERE What a great idea to bring your hostess something she can eat for breakfast! The last thing she wants to do is cook again in the morning!

I'm really stumped because I got a fired up email about how we should all boycott Home Depot because of all the terrible things they are doing. But, I really need some stuff. I've got some projects I'd like to do. The nearest home improvement store OTHER than Home Depot is like over an hour.

Here's a really neat link to a site where you can figure out your children's love languages! Really neat! Knowing my kids love language will really revolutionize your relationship.

Here's a neat to a great site for travel printables to keep kids entertained on the road in an old-fashioned non-electronic way.

Well, how's that for a random hodge-podge of stuff?

Motherhood

2011-07-10T14:55:00.001-04:00

As moms we often get caught up on all kinds of dumb stuff, don't we? As I was thinkin' about it, it is so much like our hangups we sometimes have with our relationship with God. Or is it just me?

We often pay more attention to what others think of us. We compare our child to everyone else's. And it's a no win: we either come out of the comparison prideful or insecure. It never really has a positive outcome. What should we do? Just seek the approval of God, and teach and model seeking that approval from God for our kids.

Kind of along the same lines, we often put appearance above relationship. I'll never forget my mother making me lick a Kleenex and wiping my face with it while sitting in church. It just possibly might of scarred me for life. No wonder I never buy Kleenexes. Sometimes to honor God, or to raise our children, we have to sacrifice appearance for the sake of relationship. And if that means you gotta spank the kid in the middle of aisle 5, so be it! If that means your 8 year old wears the same black plaid shirt to church for a solid month...hey, he is loving God, and he comes downstairs wearing it, and we say, "Man, buddy, you look so awesome."

And other times, you just have to let the house go and focus on a 3 day mind-numbing game of Horseopoly. Because, you know, my Gracie Pearl probably won't remember the dishes in the sink, but this marathon game of Horseopoly will probably live on in her memory forever. She's killin' me, by the way, she's got about $2000 horded away over there and I only have about $300.

Sometimes in our pursuit of perfection we try to find reward in the wrong things. We find reward in our children's performance, having our kids dressed "just so," in academic excellence, or sports, in the praise of men. God just wants us to find our reward in a peaceful heart. And sports skills don't always get passed down to the next generation, but for some reason peaceful hearts are highly contagious. Parents who model peace in Christ have kids who know the peace of God - and there is nothing more important than that.

Sometimes in our pursuit of perfection we perpetuate a lie and by doing so we spread disillusionment. I'm as guilty of this as anyone. Especially on this blog. I tend to tell you about all the neat, creative things we do and not how I slept in, yelled at the kids to make their own frozen waffles, and didn't have my quiet time until after lunch. And the girls and I got to thinking this weekend and we realized Daniel hadn't showered in almost 2 weeks. (He HAS been in the pool allot, does this count? Chlorine and all?) As moms AND as Christians we all need someone with whom we can be vulnerable with and honest. We need to not pretend we have it all together when we are falling apart.

Sorry to go missing so long on the blog! We had youth camp and other youth events going on! Summers are like that. Currently, Gracie and I are the only ones not gone on a mission trip. And man, am I filling that middle-child love-tank with some quality time like you wouldn't believe. We are having a blast. Tomorrow we are off shopping and we are going to have a special date at 3 Spoons! I told her we could eat lunch at any restaurant she wanted, I was hoping for some kinda fancy tea-room experience...but I think she wants to go to Wendy's. Oh well, it's about relationship, and as a middle child you so rarely get to make a choice without being pulled about by someone, so I will not try to sway her. Have a great day!

Our First Crop

2011-06-29T09:49:00.000-04:00

Okay, not really. We moved too late to do much planting this year. We are going to shoot for a fall/winter garden, though. We have some visions of sustainability; future fruit trees, a large garden, cows. However, this year looks like our only crop will be horseapples! I guess their real name is Osage Oranges, some people call 'em hedgeapples, but they are technically neither an apple or an orange. They are actually more like a mulberry tree. We have several of them, so I was wondering what in the world are they good for?

The kids love how they look like brains. They actually are an excellent insect repellent! They are a very good repellent for about 3 months. You can't eat them, but they have a sap that makes a great glue, and in some places apparently they sell for $2 each in grocery stores! Wow, maybe I could start an Internet business shipping them all over! I actually knew a lady who made a pretty good living shipping fresh mistletoe (a common Texas pest) all over the country at Christmas. Interesting, huh? These horseapple trees sure are annoying though, big old thorns - interestingly enough they used to be used as barbed wire before barbed wire was invented. AND...come to find out we'll have to get rid of all the ones on the back of our property because they are bad for horses and cows! Somehow they choke on them or something. Well, kids, there's your botany lesson for the day. Hey, anybody want to buy some horseapples? I think I've got some I can spare!

We are taking down these pens to make room for a fall garden.

Nosey neighbors! We love the privacy we've had here - with only eyes like these peeking at us on occasion! We were sitting outside the other night talking about how we have never really lived anywhere we didn't have neighbors all over around us. We are certainly enjoying the peacefulness! Hope you all have a blessed day!

Review: The Blackberry Bush

2011-06-27T09:02:00.007-04:00

My first thought after reading The Blackberry Bush was, "How in the world am I going to review that?" The Blackberry Bush is a new novel by David Housholder that uses a unique style. The book jumps from different characters, time periods, continents, and points of view. I don't know exactly how to review it, because I really liked it; but it also bothered the mess out of me at the same time. But I think the author kind of meant for it to. In the promotional information it called the book a treasure hunt, and that is a pretty accurate description.

You know this jumping around thing is being done more and more in books and movies and it is only the rare occasion that it is a good thing in my opinion. I don't mind a book going to many little storylines if there is a strong, clear climax that brings it all together. The Blackberry Bush DOES kind of come together in the end and it has a good conclusion. When I finish a book (or movie for that matter) with many storylines, I just kind of sit there at the end and have to think, okay, what happened to this loose end, and what about that situation? It just seems like it's laborious to resolve everything in my mind.

Overall, I enjoyed reading the book and it certainly had some great points - great quotes about life and faith. If I were writing this book it would be less about describing the characters in their brokenness, and more about them truly realizing who Jesus is and His role in bringing them wholeness. It does a good job expressing a strong Christian theology, it just seemed like it got so bogged down in the characters before it got there, I guess that's what happens with so many main characters. The end of the book contains questions for group discussion. Now, that would really be interesting! It is the kind of book you need someone else to read so you can talk about it with them. It is a good combination of easy to read and deep, with some major symbolic features! It also is appropriate -and would be excellent as a matter of fact for teens.

The author indicated in an interview at the end of the book that their will be more books in this series. I would definitely like to read them. The book is available from Summerside Press for $14.99 HERE this link will also take you to excerpts, a book trailer, and lots of other interesting information.

I was given a copy of The Blackberry Bush by Summerside Press and B&B Media group for the purposes of review only.

Things Happen...

2011-06-27T05:53:00.003-04:00

So, since we moved, the kids have jetted pretty much all over our property in Daddy's Mule, was it a good parenting decision? Hmm...I think so. They are having fun, feeling independent, outside, using their imaginations, learning to drive, even.

But then Gracie came in torn up with remorse over a little problem driving in reverse. Always our over-dramatic one, she laid in the floor crying, hid under her covers crying, almost hysterical with guilt, and she was certain we would be angry. What a great time to teach about forgiveness! and grace!

It's a pretty bad ding...or two. But I certainly have done worse. When I was 16 I was backing out of the driveway and tore up my car pretty bad on my dad's truck bumper. Bad stuff happens, but God always gives us grace and forgiveness no matter how terrible it is. Daddies and Mommies need to give it too. Our kids also need to see us not taking material things (and their damage) too seriously. Relationship is more important than image. Driving this car with all its little (and big) scrapes certainly does nothing for my image. As a matter of fact it kinda gives off the image - "you'd better get outta my way!" And actually, the way I drive, maybe that's best. I have a pretty bad scrape already on the back end of my car that I put there myself...backing out of a driveway...at age 30. I guess Gracie must take after me. We should take this in consideration when we someday purchase a car for her use. Maybe a big truck with metal bumpers and a special parking space away from our other vehicles? Ahh... grace, grace, wonderful grace. Aren't you glad you have grace too?

Pool pros and cons

2011-06-23T13:45:00.008-04:00

When we bought this house - the pool was kind of an afterthought. We loved the house, the location, and the land, but the pool didn't really figure into our choices. I knew having a pool would be wonderful! I pictured the great free entertainment for the whole family. I looked forward to having groups of friends, family, and students over for all kinds of get togethers. And it HAS been incredible, it certainly is a way to stay active and outside when it is unbearably hot. But, I don't think I even thought of the expense of maintaining a pool! The chemicals are running roughly $100 -150 a month. Maybe it would be less if I knew what I was doing. I'm learning. Maybe that estimate is high as some of the expense so far has been getting the pool started for the summer.

I didn't realize that the pool would also mean probably 1 load of laundry extra per day. The water bill must surely be affected with putting water in the pool and increased showers. Not to mention the $20 a month we are spending on sunscreen! Also, I don't know why but something about having a pool means you have to cook out more. I spend probably $30 a month more on steaks and hamburgers and things to grill outside. We grilled some fish in packets with a few veggies last week and they were wonderful!

If I was super frugal I could probably cut out a lot of these costs and make it more reasonable, and I could buy pool chemicals throughout the year for use in the summer to even out the summer budgeted amount. But overall, it is probably worth it. I think with a pool you stay at home more- a stay-cation is easy! The kids can't stand the thought of leaving the house for a day with no swimming! I'd much rather have them swimming than using any kind of electronics! Nobody has cared at all that we don't have a TV in this house, or that we haven't hooked up the wii.

Here's what they are up to when they AREN'T in the pool. The dog just looks at me with a miserable face, like, "Can't you make them let me inside so I can nap?"

This picture (with TV) was taken at my parent's house. I've never seen a kid so affected by what she reads! After The Secret Garden all she wanted to do was plant. After After reading the Little Princess, Gracie wanted a china doll, and suddenly she wants to wear dresses all the time. And she does chores with a "princess attitude." So she bought this doll with her own money at a junk shop.

Blessings - Part 1

2011-06-20T10:21:00.002-04:00

My parents blessed me. And that is the understatement of the century. If you have read my blog for any length of time, you might remember my mentioning HOW they blessed me. If not, you can read about it HERE.
I remember as a very young child having a fever and rebuking the devil, speaking to Satan and reminding him of his lack of authority in my life - claiming my rights as a child of God. We are talking 4 years old. I remember doing the same with bugs and other things that scared me. I remember quoting Genesis to bees I was scared of to remind them that God said we rule over them and they had no right to sting me. And, no surprise, they didn't.

My parents made this very intentional effort to bless me, but I'm not sure if they realized at the time the true blessing of that blessing. When you read about blessings in the Bible, they seem formal, a proclamation, a formality, I think of Isaac placing his hand on Jacob's head and giving him his blessing. It would seem that it was a passive thing, not really about teaching. However, the blessing they said over me stated to me, to God, and to Satan, my rights as a believer - "I am the head and not the tail...no weapon formed against me will prosper...I am a disciple taught of the Lord."

However, while they were saying it, all the while I was learning - this is who I am. This is who God is. I was receiving faith to know God will do what He says He will. I was learning my rights as a believer. I was learning spiritual warfare, and I was learning battle strategy. I was learning that the Word is a shield that we quote for defense and offense. I was learning that the Word is real and active, a powerful part of my life.
Wow. All that from a passive blessing. Come to find out, it wasn't so passive after all. What a gift! Happy Father's Day to my Daddy, but what gift can ever compare to that kind of thing?
...More on the blessing coming soon...

Father's Day Fishin

2011-06-19T21:30:00.002-04:00

Daniel and Dad went fishin on Father's Day. Daniel caught a 4 lb catfish. His grandpa gave him some tackle and he has been dying to try it out. Daddy had a great Father's Day with church, ribeyes cooked out on the grill, and a nice, long Sunday nap followed by father-son fishin'. You just can't beat that kind of day. We got him speakers to hook up to his cell phone to play music and a new Apologetics Bible.

The Great Divide - Part 2

2011-06-19T16:52:00.002-04:00

Daniel found a turtle. I don't have a problem with keeping strange animals found in the woods, but then there's that whole feeding them and not killing them thing. And really I'd really prefer not to have to catch various bugs to please a reptile's appetite. So, I had the brillant suggestion of destroying this poor animal's God given camoflauge by painting him with paint markers. THEN, we can let it go and maybe find it again. Kind of like a big, very hard game of hide and seek. For once a turtle might actually be fun to play with.

He even put his name and phone number on it so if anyone else found it, they could return it. He was happy, and we don't have a turtle.

The girls new room had not yet been divided into 2 separate rooms. We did this before at our old house by making a more "permanent" divider with plywood and dressers. Their new room has a larger area to divide (16ft), so it was a bit challenging. Notice Gracie's bed is still on the floor as I cook up an awesome plan for a platform/storage bed. We were pretty happy with the results of Daddy's genius. This solution being a bit less permanent, the girls can open it up when they need more room, or if they have a lot of company.

We used a 16ft closet rod held up with some pvc fittings screwed into the ceiling. We bought sheets for the divider. They wouldn't let me get too many pictures because their rooms were both pretty messy.

Fish Boy

2011-06-15T22:13:00.000-04:00

My boy is A FISH this summer!

Pearl's Palace

2011-06-14T22:45:00.005-04:00

My husband has a slight tendency to get a tad carried away when it comes to his kids and their building projects. It's a good quality, I guess.

Gracie Pearl wanted a fort to play in, but what he built was a little more than a fort. I mean the forts I had as a kid consisted of a board nailed into a tree that I sat on to read. My husband's ideas are a bit more elaborate. We made Gracie stay inside all morning until it was done, and then we surprised her with the finished product.

Ally painted her a sign for out front.

She was pretty excited.

He basically built her a 4x8 cabin! It's all screened in to keep bugs out. We used some recycled stuff and the boards we removed from a fence we took down in our back yard.

Is he an awesome daddy, or what?

What a great place for overnight campouts and lots of amazing pretend adventures - and just a quiet place to get away and read. The other 2 kids are placing orders for their forts - and I'm thinkin' that with just a few modifications -he could build me something like this for a pretty sweet chicken coop. Daddy's gonna take a break and go back to work, though. We worked him pretty hard today!

Hottness!

2011-06-14T10:58:00.000-04:00

We are lovin' our new house! Despite the 2 scorpions a day we find, and various other creepy country critters. I underestimated how awesome having a pool would be! I can't believe how much time we are spending in that thing - and it just makes outside chores a bit more bearable in 100+degree heat! When there are outside chores to do, we swim, work, and swim at regular intervals. I guess you just have to have realistic expectations about what you can do outside during a Texas summer. Clearing 4+acres of woods to make room for some pastureland is just not the kind of thing you try to do during the summer. Evening hours are the best times to get most things done.

We are SERIOUSLY in need of rain around here - it's super hot and dry!

Dad brought home some cool makings of an awesome fort! The kids can't wait to put it together. Poor Daddy's so greatly in demand. Moving -setting things up - and country chores - every kid - and me -has very long Daddy-Do-Lists. He just has such awesome skills & no one can do what he can around here! He is taking a day off of work today to get some little things done. On my list for him: installing a countertop in the laundry room, putting in shelving systems in like 4 closets, and finishing the girl's room divider. Of course, he'd rather go outside and build a cool fort with the kids, but you know, he's a firm believer in that old saying, "If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!"

Salsa!

2011-06-13T12:18:00.003-04:00

I totally love taking these out of the garden +a few peppers+onions+garlic

And turning it into THIS -
Yum! If it makes it to the canning jars later today, I'll be surprised. You know it's just hard to mess up hot sauce! Pretty much whatever you do with all those fresh ingredients, when you scoop it up on a chip, it just tastes amazing. I add very few spices.

Now onto some pickles. Last year I was the only one who liked the pickles I canned. I thought they tasted a little bit like kinda fancy Klausen pickles, but no, everyone else just thought they were just soggy and the kids said they tasted funny. I'm trying a different recipe, so we'll see. What else in the world are you supposed to do with this many cucumbers? My kids don't like cucumbers anyway.

I got these out of my dad's garden - I actually was beginning to wonder if he had planted some strange green zucchini squash because some of these things are HUGE! I have decided you should not plant cucumbers without a trellis for them to grow up, when you just let them go where ever they are so hard to find. Sorry, Dad, but the fact that your garden is a jungle doesn't help.

That's When I Talk to God Review

2011-06-10T14:09:00.001-04:00

That's When I Talk to God is the second book I have reviewed by husband and wife writing team Dan and Ali Morrow. The first book was That's Where God Is. Loved them both! Both books help explain the Christian life clearly to young children. This book is an excellent book for families to teach their children how vital prayer is and to disciple their children about how and when to pray.

I can't help but think that this would also be an excellent book for churches or Christian preschool programs to have available to teachers of young children. I love the way both books walk children carefully through concepts and include scripture as well!

Targeted to children four to eight, That’s When I Talk to God mirrors the day of the typical child, creating an opportunity for readers to put the practices in the story to use in their own lives. Through beautiful illustrations and an engaging, familiar character, readers can relate to That’s When I Talk to God. Children will learn to go to God with their fears, their joys, their questions, and their desires. They will also learn the hows, whens, and whys of praying to the Lord in a way they can easily apply to their own experiences. And adults will be reminded to communicate the benefit, simplicity, and beauty of prayer.

I loved the letter from Grandpa (Lee Strobel is Ali Morrow's father) at the back of the book. He talks about how to use the book to teach children and grandchildren to have a deeper faith in Christ.

I love this book - I would highly recommend it! I think I'd love anything by these authors because you can really feel that heart that they have for God (and kids) through their writing. You can buy That's When I Talk to God from David C. Cook for $12.99 - you can also watch a trailer for the book on that website link.

That's When I Talk to God was given to me by David C. Cook and B&B Media Group for the purposes of review only.

Review: Addie Slaughter - The Girl Who Met Geronimo

2011-06-10T01:01:00.000-04:00

Addie Slaughter The Girl Who Met Geronimo is the story of a young girl living in the Wild West in the late 1800's. The book is based on actual stories passed down through the Slaughter family. It contains a great glimpse into a fascinating period of history. The book is written so that it would be readable and interesting to young children and would be a great history supplement or the basis of a biography report. The Slaughter Ranch is an actual place you can visit today (in Arizona) with a museum and other attractions. I love a book that allows kids to connect with a site they can actually visit. The book also contains a brief curriculum guide which might be useful for homeschoolers or teachers. It would be interesting to study the main character's father, who was a historic rancher and sheriff, as well -in order to extend the historical significance a bit.

The book is short, 53 pages in length. It is well written, in the first person, with lots of photos and descriptive detail. Overall, it is your average pioneer story - nothing terribly earth-shattering. I was a bit disappointed in the meeting Geronimo part - it was a basically a paragraph of brief description of a 2-3 minute encounter - hardly title worthy, but I enjoyed the book in all.

This is a great book for readers 2-5th grades particularly, accessible and interesting, an excellent way to make history really come alive for students. You can buy the book HERE for $15.95 from Five Star Publications.

Addie Slaughter -The Girl Who Met Geronimo was given to me by MamaBuzz and Five Star Publications for the purposes of review only.

Book Review: Stories From Grandma's Attic

2011-06-09T23:45:00.001-04:00

In Grandma's Attic and More Stories From Grandma's Attic are two new books by Arleta Richardson. They are told from the author's own memories of her grandmother's stories about growing up on a 19th century farm. Both books would be excellent to have around for a go-to read aloud. The stories are fairly short - ideal for a 1 -2 minute bedtime story. They are a lot of fun and teach excellent lessons as well.

My kids loved these books, they particularly liked that they are actually true! These stories remind me of my own childhood and they should also remind us of the importance of passing down our own struggles and adventures to the next generation! Since the stories are about the adventures of the grandmother, the books are geared toward girls of all ages, but boys would enjoy them as well.

Remember when you were a child, when the entire world was new, and the smallest object a thing of wonder? Arleta Richardson remembered: the funny wearable wire contraption hidden in the dusty attic, the century-old schoolchild’s slate that belonged to Grandma, an ancient trunk filled with quilt pieces—each with its own special story—and the button basket, a miracle of mysteries. But best of all she remembered her remarkable grandmother who made magic of all she touched, bringing the past alive as only a born storyteller could.

So step inside the attic of Richardson’s grandmother. These stories will keep you laughing while teaching you valuable lessons. These marvelous tales faithfully recalled for the delight of young and old alike are a touchstone to another day when life was simpler, perhaps richer, and when the treasures of family life and love were passed from generation to generation by a child’s questions and the legends that followed enlarged our faith. The author is due to release 2 more additional books in this series soon!

Both books are available by David C. Cook and sell for $6.99. Each book has about 10-15 short stories, 144 pages.

These books were provided by David C. Cook and B&B Media for the purposes of review only.

God Calling

2011-06-09T13:03:00.003-04:00

My husband has repeatedly said that summer camp for students is more vital now that it ever was before. I know a lot of people my age have fond memories and spiritual breakthroughs that they recall from their camp years, but camp is so much more important now!

Camp is possibly the 1 time a year where students go an entire week totally unplugged! Forced into newfangled situations where actual face-to-face communication must take place, many students walk around trying to type out conversations on their palms. Many may need neck braces to hold their heads in a rare, upright position for more than 15 minutes. We are considering adding a morning exercise program to our camp schedule to allow for stretching unused hand muscles that have been continuously cupped around a cell phone for 365 days. Facebook withdrawal includes convulsions and tremors as it is extremely hazardous to go 7 days without knowing your friend's status updates, but I promise you it is all worth it.

Like the Lord said in Leviticus 26:13, "I am the Lord your god who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; (or technology); I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high."

That is our prayer for this summer - that students would discover a new beginning, a freedom from bondage, a greater faith, and a new outlook that changes their lives forever! If you have a teenager in your life - get them to camp however you can!

A week of busy-ness

2011-06-07T15:36:00.006-04:00

The last week, which included my 38th birthday - flew by at an incredible pace. We've moved into later summer bedtimes, and 2 out of 3 kids are mostly done with school. Poor Gracie has some lingering math lessons to suffer through for about 2 weeks. But we've been in summer mode for a long time now.

Look at that blond hair on that boy! It's about time for a summertime bur!

We had a flurry of activity with finishing school, get-togethers, church youth activities, and of course - softball! The kids have barely had enough time to spend 3+ hours in the pool each day, poor things.

We have not seen anymore monster snakes lately, but we watched baby birds learn to fly and leave the nest on our front porch. Our dog is still not well, which makes me wonder if toad poisoning wasn't the real issue.

I asked for one thing for my birthday, new, super springy-tennie shoes. My girls have learned my frugal ways and were appalled by my wastefullness. I have a pair of perfectly good, one year old tennie shoes already, and they just couldn't comprehend my needing more. They don't understand that -although God is my strength and the source of all things good, much of my superpowers come from the wearing of super-springy shoes. If you've followed my blog long, you've seen me explain it before. I put them on FIRST thing in the morning and I feel athletic-y and they make me just get moving. I guess I could justify it in that if I drank coffee for similar reasons, that would add up to at least the same amount I pay for a yearly new springy pair. ANYWAY - I am lovin' my new Sketchers! AND my in-laws gave me a Barnes n Noble giftcard to load up some wonderful things on my Nook - I am still contemplating a fabulous summer reading list!

Book Review: The Trigger

2011-06-02T00:55:00.008-04:00

As I hinted a few posts back, I have been asked to review a really interesting book this week. The Trigger by Hon Hoh is on my top 5 books I've read so far this year list. This was a really neat book. It really brought out a lot of theological thought and discussions around our house too. I kinda polled several people and was amazed at all the different views people have on the end times!

The idea behind this book is one of those theological mysteries that we just won't know until the end of time. That's just where I stand - I make no attempt to predict, I just trust in the Lord's leading and will honor him with my best attempts at holiness and he can handle the rest! I do enjoy a good book of fiction about the end times, but I must admit - studies and commentaries on the subject can be rather overwhelming to my little brain. The Trigger is a work of fiction that handles this topic in an excellent way. This is the kind of fiction I like - one that makes me want to dig deeper into my Bible, just to check things out for fun.

Many people believe we as Christians can help to usher in the Second Coming of Christ by reaching all unreached people groups all over the world. This comes from Matthew 24:14, "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." I believe this is true, but I am bothered when it is done to target or bring about the end - I believe that God calls people where He intends for them to go - and that He will lead certain people to go unto a people group, but to preach not the gospel, not to bring the end. You know what I am saying?

I thought I wasn't going to like this book because it sounds as if men were setting out of their own design to "trigger" the end times. However, that wasn't the case. This book really handled the theology here really well. The men in the book were just led by the Holy Spirit and did what they did because the Lord directed them, not in an attempt to force what God planned. I like the way the book handled the end time theory - it presents a post-tribulation view and it was a different take on the end times than other end time fiction like the Left Behind books. Interestingly, the main character in the book is a pastor who always taught a pre-triblation theory and it is neat to see how he looks at scripture as he begins to experience the tribulation. Are you with me here? Post-trib, pre-trib? Sounds kinda deep, huh?

Overall, this book would be a great one to add to your summer reading list and I would highly recommend it, even if you aren't interested in learning the deep things of Revelation! You can get the Trigger for $14.99 on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. You can visit Hon Hoh's website HERE - this website also has a neat trailer for the book and information on the author's other books about the book of Revelation.

I was sent a copy of the Trigger by B&B media group for the purposes of review only

Weekend Fun

2011-05-29T23:00:00.002-04:00

I spent entirely too much time this weekend cleaning up dog puke. Apparently, toads are really toxic to dogs. Ours had a little run in with one Thursday night and she immediately reacted - drooling, kinda foaming at the mouth and choking. She started throwing up and didn't stop till Sunday morning. I really didn't know if she would make it. She finally ate tonight and seems to be on the mend. I don't like getting up half the night with a sick kid - much less a sick dog! As much as I belly ache about the dog, I'd be really sad if we lost her. FYI - if you ever see your dog around a toad - you should immediately wash their mouth out with a water hose. A lot of dogs die from toad poisoning. Who knew!

That wasn't all of the adventures around here! My husband shot an almost 5 1/2 foot snake! Yipes! He calls all snakes copper-rattle-venom-mockisons and wouldn't rest until this one was dead. Gotta love that man! He shot a good part of the snake's head and body, so you can't really get a good idea of the real length, but he was a big en!

I need to look it up to see what kind it really is!

The snake crawled away under the tractor while Byron was mowing. The kids and dad stalked it to a cedar tree and had to set up a perimeter so it couldn't escape.

We found him perched up in the tree. I think this was probably a good lesson to make the kids a bit more cautious this summer in the woods! Now they know what's out there! Yipes! It has been an eventful weekend - with all this - plus an impromptu bathroom remodel in our new house when we discovered a water leak! Never a dull moment!

Random Thoughts

2011-05-27T09:56:00.001-04:00

I am looking forward to roastin' these extra large marshmallows this weekend! I am thinkin' they might not be the greatest invention - I suspect the center's not going to be gooey! We'll see...

Otherwise, you might find me here... I think we have figured out PH and Chlorine and Stabalizer and all that stuff.
But, most likely my husband is going to drag me out here and make me work cuttin' trees, hauling limbs, and sweating.

This Saturday is one day we have held onto with an iron fist to keep clear of all activity! It has been a struggle to hold on to it, but we have it - our first day full day in the new house without at least someone making 20 trips all over the world to do 900 things! We are ALL looking forward to it! The kids are worn out traveling back to Waco so much for sports & activities! I told Gracie we had to go somewhere this week and she just slumped into the floor and cried. Thankfully, Nana's been home up the road and so they didn't have to go quite every trip. We've tried to make an intentional effort to model thankfulness and thank God for the beautiful scenery as we go - but it has been hard for me to be thankful filling my gas tank up so often!

I saw this great quote a while back about prayer; "It is like going to the bank of Heaven when I go to God in prayer. I have nothing deposited there....if I go in my own name I will get absolutely nothing; but Jesus Christ has unlimited credit in Heaven, and He has granted to me the privilege of going to the bank with His name on my checks; and when I thus go, my prayers will be honored to any extent." R.A. Torey's How to Pray

I also love this one by Soren Kierkegaard, "A man prayed, and at first he thought that prayer was talking. But he became more and more quiet until in the end he realized that prayer is listening."

Love that thought! That's so hard for me - stopping and taking the time to listen and wait on the Lord!

I'll be back soon to review a really interesting book I've been reading which has brought up lots of deep theological questions around here.

VBS/ Sunday School gift idea

2011-05-23T10:16:00.003-04:00

My kids are so having a hard time realizing that summer is NOT here yet. Since our move, schoolwork has been a daily battle and I think maybe I am losing. They are much more interested in making daisy chains. Picking flowers. Exploring in the woods. Making forts.

And mostly swimming. I wonder if they will ever tire of this pool? It is like ice - I can't believe they are in it - but between church services yesterday they logged about 4+ hours. And I must admit I took a quick cannon ball dive after mowing and it felt nice!

Okay, this one is just my 2 minute prototype - but What a Cool Thing! I got the idea from one of my favorite blogs for printables and cutesy giveaways www.giverslog.com Look at her version - it is much cuter! Paired with a baggy of some inexpensive gumballs (of course hers were cute sewn bags, but who has time for that)? She had made it as a reading incentive, but I changed it as a neat concept to encourage kids to have their daily quiet time. I'm planning to make a bunch of these for our mission trip to do VBS at a church in Colorado this summer.

Lazy Day

2011-05-22T05:48:00.000-04:00

It's been this kind of a week. And I don't mind a bit. Don't you just wish you were a dog somedays? No, me either. I'm too grateful for toilet paper. But, I do wish I could be THAT lazy sometimes.

The Lightkeeper's Ball Review

2011-05-20T22:52:00.002-04:00

The Lightkeeper's Ball by Colleen Coble is the last novel in the Mercy Falls series. I haven't read the first two, The Lightkeeper's Daughter, and The Lightkeeper's Bride - but the book can be read on it's own. If you've read my blog for anytime, you know I am pretty critical of Christian romance. I am not the biggest fan - I think a lot of the time they are too heavy on the romance and the Christian part is just an afterthought.

I liked this book - it has some deeper elements - a really great mystery, with some suspense, a bit of history, and it is overall just well done. The romance isn't overdone, and I thought faith was well represented.

Here is the synopsis:

It is the dawn of a new century and Olivia Stewart is heiress to an empire. Her family numbers among the Four Hundred – those considered the wealthiest and most distinguished in America. Unfortunately their wealth has nearly disappeared, and now their security rests solely on the Stewart daughters’ marrying well.

Olivia’s sister, Eleanor, was engaged to Harrison Bennett, one of the nation’s wealthiest men, but has since died. Now the pressure is on Olivia to take her place, despite her suspicions about Eleanor’s fiancé. Using her family’s long-forgotten English title, Olivia travels to Mercy Falls, California, as Lady Devonworth, hoping to learn more before committing to marriage. There she finds that Eleanor’s death was no accident. And Harrison is not the man she thought he would be.

When Mercy Falls holds a charity ball masquerade to raise funds for the new lighthouse, secrets–and truths long hidden–will be revealed. But can Harrison really love Olivia when he finds her true identity? Can she live with the repercussions of failing her family, or will she finally realize that nothing–not money, family, or romance—will ever compare to God’s unconditional love?

You can purchase The Lightkeeper's Ball from Thomas Nelson for $14.99. You can visit Colleen Coble's website for more information about her books.

I was given The Lightkeeper's Ball by Thomas Nelson and B&B Media Group for the purposes of review only.

Today's Agenda

2011-05-17T12:00:00.002-04:00

A little working in the garden. It is getting LATE for planting - we've got to get going on that!

A little mowing.

A little blackberry picking. And... some swimming. Oh, yes, and we'll squeeze some school work in there as well! We finally got the chemicals just right in the pool. Now if only the water wasn't still cold! That doesn't stop my kids from gettin' in, though!

I just finished reading Heaven is For Real by Todd Burpo boy did I enjoy that book! You should definitely add it to your reading list if you haven't read it yet.

I'm Back! With Lots of Pictures

2011-05-13T17:41:00.006-04:00

It has taken about a week to get functional Internet out here in the country, but we finally did it! We are learning to take everything much slower! And we are learning to stock up so we don't have to go into town so much! Here are some pictures of what we've been up to around here: Unpacking and settling in mainly. I love beige sheer curtains that blow in the open windows!

Catching critters! The kids have spent most of their time exploring in the woods.

B and my dad cut some great trails through the woods with a tractor. It's pretty raggedy and rough back there on the back 6 acres.

There's a few cactus in the woods with some beautiful blooms - and LOTS of wild blackberry vines almost ripe.

Too many mesquite trees. It's going to take a lot to clear some land for horse pasture.

We've spent some time reading and doing school on the front porch.

A couple days ago Gracie ran into the house carrying this find - a newborn baby bunny! It's eyes aren't even open yet. She put it back and we've seen the mama with it twice so we think it will survive. We were worried the mom might reject it because of Gracie's scent, but it seems to be doing okay. The kids are keeping an eye out for hawks and buzzards (Daniel stood watch with his bb gun yesterday for most of the day). Gracie kept a lookout with her binoculars.

Gracie keeps a good watch on the neighbor's horses. She is hoping to be helpful and volunteer to exercise them (just to be a good neighbor and all).

This is the end of our driveway.

Daniel - protector from all evil birds of prey.

We had fun ripping up the old carpet and writing verses on the subfloor.

The whole family took a trip to Nana's house for supper. She lives less than 1 1/2 miles away.

We pulled down the fence around the pool. We wanted to be able to see some view behind it. The view which is scraggly at the moment, but will surely improve with time and some effort. Well, not my effort of course - that's B's department. On another note: pools are complicated, incredibly expensive, and possibly a bit of a pain! We have found 2 parts needing to be replaced in the pump already and figuring out the chemical balance has been a bit of a challenge to say the least. We attended pool school, but I felt like I was flunking high school chemistry.

We live at the end of the cutest little country lane. It is exactly .5 miles to the mailbox. Not a bad little 1 mile daily workout there and back. I'll be back with more adventures soon!

The Big Reveal

2011-05-02T00:39:00.005-04:00

I hinted before on the blog that we decided not to reveal the details about our new house to our kids for lots of reasons. Part of it was just for the JOY of it. It's been pretty hard to do - especially since we've known we loved this place for almost 2 months. We actually blindfolded them and led them to the gate and then let them look.

And run... They were VERY excited about the fact that the house has two stories! They went straight upstairs to check it out and they MISSED what was going on in the back yard!

A POOL! They were absolutely blown away!

Gracie cried great big tears of joy when she saw the Mimosa tree in the front yard. This is special to her because there is a special Mimosa tree in our current house that holds the much beloved Midnight the tire horse. She has been dreading leaving this tree - she took pictures, drew it, pressed its flowers - it has been traumatic. This new tree she has now named Junior and she vows to weed and water it like crazy so that it will grow big and strong!

Of course everyone had to go for a swim. Everyone of course except the dog! The dog is not a big fan of the new house. There's too much activity. Too far to walk. Too many dangers to keep everyone safe from. Too much pressure - her workload has quadrupled and it's just too much for her. She really wishes everyone would just come inside and sit in the A/C.

Daniel started cleaning the pool at 6am! How long do you suppose that will last?

Here's a picture of the outside. There are 7 acres to explore in the back - and room for a real chicken coop and nice garden!

We did a little bit of painting. The house has lots of neat storage cubby-closets.

Daniel's room we painted this nice, deep blue. Oops. I think I might see some spots we missed there.

The girls have a big room to split. They chose their own paint colors. The colors look nice, but Dad commented that it will be like being inside an Easter egg. They like it.

We spent the weekend painting and cleaning. Now comes the task of moving the stuff in it! That's going to take all week - and it was already a busy week to start with. Tomorrow they are disconnecting my Internet and we are going to take our time. I'll take 5-6 days of blogging to get all settled - but I'll be back with lots of pictures! The settling in and redecorating part is my favorite! My goal is to be all settled in by Sunday so we can take a REAL day of rest. Maybe that will happen!

Review: A Cowboys Touch

2011-04-29T07:43:00.002-04:00

Abigail was bored anyway, so no harm in helping out a neighbor. But her new charge is growing on her, to say nothing of her ruggedly handsome boss. Abigail may be mesmerized by Wade’s denim blue eyes, but can she really trust him? She is the truthseeker, after all, so shouldn’t she be able to stay objective and discover the truth about Wade? But what if she is missing the truth altogether? What if her past mistakes prevent her from finding the love of her future? Or, perhaps her relationship with Christ could give her the answers she is seeking. But “instead of pursuing Him, she’d been pursuing her career. Chasing story after story as if finding the next truth would somehow scratch an itch that never went away,” she thought

As the first book in the Big Sky Romance series, A Cowboy’s Touch is the story about a truthseeker who ends up discovering the real truth and a cowboy who learns to let go of his past. . This heartwarming romance is a story of love, pain and forgiveness. It has also been named a Women of Faith novel for 2011.

A Cowboy's Touch was a pretty good read with some great characters. My big pet peeves with Christian romance novels are the lack of Christian and too much romance. This book held a fairly good balance. Nothing makes me madder than a Christian novel that only calls itself Christian because of a paragraph or two of preaching that takes place at some point. A Cowboy's Touch does a good job of presenting some characters with a Christian worldview and some actual decision making based on faith. Overall I would recommend this book.

You can find it at http://www.thomasnelson.com/ for $14.99 - and you can check out Denise Hunter's website at http://www.denisehunterbooks.com/ you can even read a sample chapter on her site and see pictures of the Montana scenery that inspired the book.

What We've Been Up To...

2011-04-27T03:44:00.000-04:00

Life has been kind of crazy lately! Our living room has looked like THIS for far too long. Our closing on our house was put off - the whole process has been kinda stressful. But, we are set to close on our wonderful new house tomorrow! God is good! These boxes are actually mostly empty, so there is still much to do! We spent a few hours in the hallway last night while tornado threats surrounded us. The dog enjoyed it.
Coach pitch is in full swing!

Spending time with Besties!

Byron has been driving an hour each Wednesday night to work with the students in our new church. It'll be so much easier when we are living there.

School is creeping on at a snails pace. My boy has become difficultly reluctant and highly distracted. We are all kind of distracted, I guess. We will finish many of our subjects this week, which will be nice.

Our dog is on a diet & exercise plan - the vet said she is too fat - which doesn't help her hips.

We've had some fun times with cousins and grandparents.

We found a few Easter eggs. The biggest joy of Easter for us is that our debt is paid! I mean that spiritually and financially! Our IRS debt is paid! Yae! This was a huge Easter blessing to us! We've struggled with this for years - thank you Lord for your MANY blessings!

And we have a crazy schedule of plays, projects, end of the year stuff, sports, church, and ... too much. I am ready for the summer! I almost bought a 1000 piece puzzle last week kind of as a symbol of the slow pace I desire for the summer. Puzzles are for lazy days when there is NOTHING better to do. The town we are moving to is notorious for crazy long trains trapping you for long periods of time. If you are in a hurry - too bad. We have talked a lot about life slowing down to the speed of one of those slow moving trains. It's a good thing! Slow speeds ahead!

Dog Tired

2011-04-25T06:36:00.000-04:00

I'll be taking a little break from blogging! I hope you have a blessed Easter with your family!

Misunderstood

2011-04-19T11:09:00.004-04:00

Smart people sometimes have a problem being understood. My sometimes jumbed, creative mind doesn't always function on the same plane as everyone elses. No one knows this better than my husband, who sometimes says, "You know you just said that out loud, right?"

It's a terrible feeling to be misunderstood. When you meant something one way, and people don't take it that way? When you say something with a different meaning, and no one gets it? It's got to be one of the worst feelings in the world. It was one of the most frustrating things for me teaching high school - it seems like you are all day facing these blank stares of lost confusion.

In addition to all the other physical pains and emotions going through his head, Jesus experienced the frustrating feeling of being misunderstood as he hung on the cross. In Mark 15:29, people were shouting at Jesus, they yelled at him, "You said you were going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, save yourself and come down from the cross." This chapter goes on and mentioned other comments made by priests, "he can't save himself!" and even his last words, as it says in Mark 15:35 - "Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah." Being misunderstood is so frustrating especially when you are tired and cranky. I would just want to lash out in anger - You people don't get it! Why are you so dumb? Or at least rolling my eyes in frustration and thinking, "I can't wait to get back to Heaven."

Jesus didn't feel those things I would feel. Jesus just looked at those people with love and kindness, even though they were ridiculous and wrong. Among other reasons for this attitude, Jesus didn't have my pride. That is the root cause of the kind of frustration with people I am talking about. It just brings home to me a whole new level of being like Jesus - it makes me aware of a level of patience I need to have. It gives me a whole new awareness of "dying to myself" and denying my own feelings.

I hope you make the time this week to really dig into the story of Jesus and his last days on Earth!

FFH Song - Lord Move

2011-04-14T13:25:00.001-04:00

This is such a great song by FFH - You've got to read the words!

Review: The Grandfather's DVD

2011-04-13T07:43:00.007-04:00

I was given the opportunity to review the new movie, The Grandfathers. You have probably heard of The End of the Spear -the powerful story of 5 missionaries killed in Ecuador, most widely known of whom were Jim Elliot and Nate Saint. The Grandfathers is kind of a follow up on the story from the point of view of the grandson of Nate Saint, Jesse Saint. This is an amazing movie which was an interesting narration of many clips, photos, and movies, actually you'd probably classify it as a documentary, but it was too interesting to be called that. :) In the movie Jesse Saint tells the story of really the burden of his family legacy and how he eventually adopted the men who killed his grandfather as his own grandfathers. It is a great story of forgiveness and God's grace and redemption.

This movie is actually being called the last of a trilogy including The End of the Spear and the documentary -Beyond the Gates of Splendor. I have never seen the second movie in this series, so I am anxious to get it on Netflix. I really enjoyed this movie and I would highly recommend it for your family! It is rated PG for some violence, there are some images and discussion of spearing, maybe some slight glimpses of some underdressed natives, but nothing at all graphic. It has been awarded the Dove Foundation seal of approval. If you go to THIS SITE you can see the movie trailer as well as purchase the movie for $19.95.

I was sent The Grandfathers by B&B Media group and EGM Films for review purposes only.

Sinful

2011-04-07T10:09:00.004-04:00

I made a rare trip to the mall to get my hair cut last weekend. I hate taking the kids to the mall - mainly because there are shops like Victoria Secret or Abecrombe with pictures and mannequins of people that are practically naked. As a family, we have a pretty long list of stores and brands we won't buy from because of various reasons. If my kids ever feel the need to keep up with the latest fashions - they'll be out of luck! I got a good look at some pretty terrible subtle sexual references on American Eagle shirts as a teacher and that's just one example.

But what I saw Saturday really surprised me. The Buckle had a huge display in the window of pretty, rhinestone shirts that all said "sinful." Wow. I did a doubletake. Did those shirts really say that? Now, we've seen shirts that say "naughty" or "bad girl" but, sinful - that's a religious word that implies, "I am full of everything God hates." And to flaunt it in rhinestones on your chest. Apparently Sinful is a whole brand name they carry - all of the Sinful line has the word written in large letters across the front.

Now, I am certainly not without sin myself. And we all need to realize our sinfulness; with conviction and humility - but realization of the cost of that sinfulness is what our generation needs to know. The consequences are huge - death and eternal separation from God. Like it says in Mark 8:38, "For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” That should be a scary thought!

Thankfully, there is a solution. Being sinful isn't a permanent condition. God loves us even when we are sinful and it says in I John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

What a terrible thing for a shirt to promote! But, I would love to run into someone wearing one. I would ask, "Are you sinful?" And I think it would be a great opening into an important discussion.

Painting Like Pollock

2011-04-06T18:32:00.001-04:00

We had a good time in Art Class making messy Jackson Pollock splattery, drippy paintings. We are learning about abstract art this month. The wind made this a tough project, but it was fun.

Bird Watching

2011-04-04T17:33:00.007-04:00

Last year we had so much fun learning about owls as we watched a nest of owlets on a live webcam from California. Now we are watching a cool webcam of an eagle family in Iowa. The babies have all not quite hatched - 1 egg is remaining - it should be hatching any day. The video footage is really great and it is so neat to watch the parents feeding and taking care of the babies. We have it on full screen as we go about our day.

Daniel is doing Apologia Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day so he has really learned a lot about birds this year.

Because Easter should be more important than Christmas

2011-04-04T07:32:00.002-04:00

Easter really should be more important than Christmas. Jesus' resurrection should be the most important thing we celebrate all year. I've tried to give all the egg-stuff a meaningful, devotional spin, but it's a far reach by any means. My kids feel a deep reverence for Easter and its meanings, they resent the Easter Bunny's attempts to take us from the real meaning of it. We did some egg painting and hunting when they were younger, we have several other traditions that are important to us.

I don't want Easter to be a day I force them into nice clothes that they say are itchy and we have a big lunch with family after church. My husband and I have always struggled with really making Easter a time of importance and spiritual significance. For us, the best way to do this is with several weeks of Bible lessons or special devotional times together.

We've done several neat Easter devotionals in the past - We've done an extended RESURECTION EGG devotional, and various other things. I love Benjamin's Box - there are tons of really great children's books available.

I like this 17 Day EASTER DEVOTIONAL available as a free download from A Holy Experience.

Just reading through the life of Jesus in Children's Bible and discussing it is a great option.

I've shared on the blog before my VERY FAVORITE special Easter breakfast - which is a big family tradition for us. I've made these as an Easter lesson in Sunday School with groups as large as 100.

Today marks 20 days 'till Easter. As my children have gotten older, they have gained an understanding of the importance of sacrifice. They have really gained a lot from some experiences with fasting, not from food generally, but from some activities or extras. We will discuss as a family how we can best honor God in this season, and allow the kids to make recommendations based on their own convictions. I am wanting to go through The Sparking Gems from the Greek devotions for March & April as a family. I love these! This is an adult devotional, but it has some really great insights into the Easter story. We'll go through and pick out some of our favorite "gems." How can YOU make Easter more meaningful for your family? I'd love to hear some of your ideas!

Organizin' and Prioritizin'

2011-03-29T17:01:00.000-04:00

My April calendar is a sea of scribbles and activity. It makes me cross-eyed just to look at it. But, it's all good. Married as I am to the man I am - I've come to expect April to be like this. Ball season and so much more is upon us. My husband coaches two teams. Spring fever hits and active schedules make for some tired, cranky kids. As a mom, I have to take all my planning and organization up a notch to keep everyone functioning. Here's some of the things I do:

First things first - Ask yourself - what can I do about this schedule? Do we really have to do THAT THIS month? What can we eliminate? Can I get some help carpooling kids so I don't have to drive around like a maniac? What nights are currently unscheduled that we can declare off limits for further activity?

MORE menu planning - realistic planning - which for me means bring realistic about what nights we are eating out and realizing that it's okay to plan for popcorn and apples as a meal - and cereal night if it brings me more peace. AND I need to plan for the whole month instead of just 2 weeks. AND when I do cook, I need to double or triple it because I'm not going to be spending much time in the kitchen. Note to self: Store up some freezer food next March.

BAGS - I've got about 3 bags with various items we need for various places we will regularly go. My waiting at sports practice bag has granola bars and other snacks and some entertainment items, extra water, sunglasses, and other items that might be useful. I don't really have time to be Ms. Coupon clipper right now, so I have a bag that I shove all the deals and useful adds into. So yes, I am probably THAT chick in Walmart blocking the aisle saying, "Didn't I have a coupon for that?"

Careful planned leave times and more time for getting out the door. I have to know when I am walking out the door and spend the 20 minutes before making sure everyone has it together. I yell a loud 10 minute warning, and my kids know they better get themselves together.

Let it go. Let it go. Let it go. I can let myself relax some of my standards in housecleaning -(I'm sure my husband's laughing right now at that one). I now declare April no company month - so don't come to visit our house this month, I won't let you in- and so there you go - it won't be "company clean." There are currently a lot of moving boxes that have to be navigated through anyway.

As part of prioritizing, I have to realize the priorities of other members of my family. Baseball and softball come just below God and church to many members of this family. So at the top of my list is keeping all sporting clothing clean and quickly available in a bag on a hook in the laundry room. My husband also insists that children are incredibly early and excessively prepared for each practice and game. I submit to that ruling - though it is not something I particularly feel strongly about - for this month it's high on my priority list just because it is high on his!

Finally, oxygen mask. oxygen mask. oxygen mask. You know, they tell you on planes if there is a crash mom's goes on first - then you can help the children. Find your oxygen mask this month and make time for it. Quiet time with God may have to start earlier - or come while waiting for kids at practice - or both. I gotta make sure I stock plenty of that fancy vanilla caramel latte stuff I love - and just for this month I may need a secret, hidden stash of chocolate kisses and Coca Cola. And don't even think I'm sharing them!

This too will pass - I am just holding out for some lazy summer days! Bring it on!