In His time.

I think it no strange coincidence that today is one of the open house saturdays for us. We had 6 graduates this year in our youth group - which, means we have 6 open houses to visit and celebrate. On top of it being an open house saturday it's also the first saturday in our "survivor month" menu plan. If you aren't familiar with that - all it means is, we eat what we have already in the house. Little to no money will be spent on groceries (except milk and maybe some produce). It helps when times are tight - and, challenges me to get creative. But I couldn't help but feel a teeny tiny bit discouraged as I rummaged through our freezer and cupboard to realize...it's a little depressing in there. Ha! The Lord is good, always. He knew this month would be tight for us - and I am so thankful for His provision of this Saturday of open houses. We get lunch and dinner out! What a treat!

I'm so thankful today for just how often the Holy Spirit calls to my mind these kinds of "circumstances". My God cares. My God sees. My God is always good and provides in His time. We are a grateful people today.

Yikes! This is a BIG task

This weekend I had another one of "those" moments. The kind where you step back away from yourself and wherever you are and you get a glance... a look at your life. Now, when I say things like this to people I get a lot of weird looks. Hopefully I'm understood today. :) Sitting at Thomas Mitchell park this weekend watching my family just about took my breath away. We are right in the full and heavy part of the most amazing portion of life. Children are small and active and fun, husband is young and strong and handsome as ever...

Life is good.
My husband is faithful, Godly, patient and wonderful all rolled into one. My children are beautiful, healthy and FULL of life. We live in a safe, strong, happy, home. I have nothing to complain about. Really.

And yet, I manage to find things...
For example, yesterday. My neighbors {the ones with the annoying dogs, one of which bit the kid I babysit} bought 4 baby chicks a few weeks ago. They have been raising them - I guess - to sell. We live 2 mins from downtown so I am SURE they weren't for food. Also...did I mention we DON'T live on a farm?
Anyway, they have these chicks. And I admit they were cute in all their yellow fuzziness and chips and chirps. But then after a few days they were just ugly chickens. Mini chickens. I have had to call the police {Animal rescue} 3 times on these neighbors. They don't care for animals well, and I'm not the kind of person to sit around and watch animals suffer and die. Though I am also not a "save the animals" kind of person outside of this realm. Jus' sayin. Yesterday they left the chickens out for the entire day in a metal cage in 90 degree weather. Imagine my horror to look up from washing dishes at the sink to see not 1, not 2, but all 4 chickens DEAD from heat. I cried. I was so severely frustrated and angry with these people who are so lazy and uncaring. How could you think for 2 seconds that animals could live in a HOT, METAL, cage all day in this heat?! And I felt sorry for the dumb chickens... But I was enraged that my daughter had to see that, and I was horrified that I was crying over dead chickens and that things like this keep happening with these neighbor people! So my husband was greeted by teary eyes (from me) and a frantic toddler explaining "da chickens are all dead, what happened? What happened? Why is mommy crying?" Lovely.

And then I remember. Life is still good. Well, not for the chickens. But, still good. And then I look and see my girl acting JUST LIKE ME... all spazzy and crazy over the situation and it dawns on me... she's simply imitating. Am I even handling this situation the right way? Answer = no. She heard me bash and grumble about "the neighbors" and she watched my expressions and overreactions and...but she also saw my tears and we had a good talk about why we take care of animals. God gave us authority and dominion over them - to care for them and use them correctly. It was a YIKES moment. This momma thing, this parenting job, is a HUGE deal. And it's these silly little moments in life that seem to impact the most. So now I'm backtracking and reteaching. I can't take back my initial reactions - but, Ava is open to learning and I hope to explain how I was wrong and teach her how to make it right. In doing so... wow have I learned some things.

But, can I throw in one more thing here?
PLEASE shade and water your animals. For the love of all things!

Happy Homemaker Monday

 

Happy Monday! Hopefully if you are a Momma or have a Momma here on this earth, you enjoyed celebrating her...or, let your family celebrate you! Now it's Monday and back to the ol' grindstone. :) But first, some HHM. 

The weather:::

Well, looks like we'll be in the 80's all week! Woot Woot for summer! I'm planning to meet up with a friend and have some time at the park with kiddos this week.   

 
On my reading pile:::  
Going to start "Strong Women Soft Hearts" by Paula Rinehart this week. Read it in college and looking forward to busting it back out after a few years of life experience now. :)

On my TV:::

Nickelodeon is having a Max & Ruby morning marathon - I admit, I love that little kids show. :) It's adorable and my biggest girl enjoys it with me!

On the menu for this week:::

 Monday -   Mac n' cheese from scratch, steamed broccoli
Tuesday -
Wednesday - 
Thursday -  
Friday - 
Saturday -  
Sunday -  
Didn't get any grocery shopping done being mothers day weekend and all....  so, not sure what the menu has down for the rest of the week.

On my to do list:::

Load dishwasher
Laundry
Vacuum living room
Kitchen floor
Shower :) 

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::

Working on a super cute button monogram thing for my little ones nursery. Found the idea on pinterest, of course. We'll see if I can come across a HUGE amount of buttons stat. Ours will be on a pink canvas!

Looking around the house:::

My {almost} 1 year old is climbing on her new princess chair she got yesterday at a birthday party. 3 year old dancing in her nightgown. New birthday books are on the floor - its a Monday around here.

Something fun to share:::

Hmmm...actually, looking for some easy to make water table ideas for kids. Anyone have any??

On my prayer list:::
Endurance to finish the next two weeks STRONG and get to SUMMER!  

Bible verse, Devotional:::
Started on Ezekiel...weird book but still really cool. 

The Countdown

 

So it's May 12th and I have a count down going on internally.
My baby turns 1 next week. {sniff, sniff}
We have graduations, open houses and parties all this weekend and the next two to follow.
I am done babysitting full time in 8 days.
We will travel to Ohio at the end of the month.

Wow. While this time of the year seems to slow down for so many, it sure picks up in speed for this family. The count down is on to end so many things - but, at the same time, begin new things.
My hubby leaves for Haiti with our teen mission team in a month-ish.
We have vacation bible school coming up at church.
We'll head to Michigan to take our teens to camp and a week of family vacation.
Crazy.

Something I've been learning A LOT lately is that flexibility and good attitudes are so helpful when things are crazy busy. I've been convicted and shown several times that when Momma is grumpy and whiny about things - the kids will be too! It's amazing to me how the Lord uses my children to continually teach me things. Things you'd think I'd already have learned over these last 29 years!

Ah, countdowns.
What are you counting down in your home? Anything exciting coming up?

Up in here.

"Busy" would be an inappropriate description of our lives lately.
"Nuts" would probably more fit the bill.

All in one week we had...
a music pastor candidate come in, seniors weekend for our grads, a visit from my mother-in-law, sick kids, and...life.

I'm now in recovery mode.
Be back when I can breathe. :)

Real thoughts

Tonight I sat near the back of the youth room. We had a 5th grade preview night for our up and coming 6th graders-to-be. Here in this part of the world Student Ministries starts in 6th grade. Sixth grade!!! I can clearly remember myself in 6th grade - my waist long hair, lack of style {some things never change...}, insecurities, intense interest in wanting to be loved by a boy, not understanding school and not knowing what to do about it, and not having many friends. My home foundation was STRONG and for that I'm forever grateful. I know that is one of the things the Lord used in my life to save and protect me from many, many, possible stupidities. I went to a Christian school in WV where I was teased about how I dressed, how I spoke {had an Ohio accent?}, the kind of car my parents drove...by the way we were in Bible College for my dad, and drove whatever the Lord provided. At that moment it was an army green VW rabbit. {ugh}But we sure were grateful for it!

 I just remember absorbing so much. I was understanding that "Christian" in title didn't mean Christian in life - and, I'm not hear to bash on Christian education... that would be another post entirely - and not bashing, just....thoughts. But I guess it was an awakening to me - in that complex and formative year in my life. After an entire year I had tried anything and everything to find my niche. Skater girl with baggy pants and green, yes, green lipstick. Preppy, cheerleader, sporty girl - only, we couldn't afford name brand sports gear or clothes, so, that didn't work either. Book lover - wha???? Babysitters club. That didn't last long as I always seemed to doze off. Anyway, I just couldn't figure out WHO I was. I felt myself grasping at any kind of acceptance. My heart is forever soft for 6th grade girls now.

Fast forward back to tonight. I'm sitting in the back row and out of the corner of my eye I see it... "she" is watching me. This precious, beautiful 5th grade girl eyes wide with excitement to be in YOUTH GROUP. She was soaking everything in and I could just sense her every thought. So as not to embarrass her I do a quick grin and look back to our speaker for the evening. But I feel her eyes watching the rest of the night. Watching how I sat {and mimicking that}, watching how I opened my bible and highlighted and took notes. When I would laugh or clap at an appropriate moment - she would watch. And it struck me again at just how mighty this calling in my life is. These children are watching me. They are looking for validation, fulfillment, acceptance and love... they are looking for Jesus. He is the only one who can fill those voids, truly. I wanted to throw my arms around her and tell her a million things...

That Jesus loves her...

That no boy is worth a broken heart so young. 

That friends will come and go and it hurts...but, that's how we grow. She will survive.

That people are not kind. They say mean words and act weird just when you think you have them figured out...but that's ok {again} Because she is loved by an almighty God! 

That being a teenager doesn't last forever...but the memory of those days DO, and to choose how she makes those memories so so wisely. 

Ah, I love these teenagers. I genuinely, deep down, heart-on-my-sleeve love them. I ache for the ones choosing the easy path instead of standing up for the God who died for them. I cry for the ones hurting and alone. My chest puffs out like a proud Momma when I see the light bulb go off...and they act on what they've learned. In this very raw and fresh moment in my mind I'm so challenged - do these kids see Jesus in me? Am I pointing towards Him in how I live? If not... what's the point?! If you have a few minutes - let this song/video speak to you. It is such a challenge to me each time I hear it. Praise God for using imperfect but willing people. And, pray for me. Pray that those little eyes watching my life will see Christ.

Bounty

I'm feeling so full lately. 

Full of questions.

Full of thoughts and ideas.

Full of wonderings.

It's really a bounty of brain, I suppose.

I'm reading some really great books on top of really getting into the Word of God.

There is SO MUCH to think about.

So much bounty.

My children are growing and changing.

They are full of life.

There is joy.

My marriage is growing and changing.

We seem to learn something about one another day by day lately.

I'm so thankful for the one God paired me with!

Praise God for his bounty in my life! 

Praise Him for the good times as well as the intensely stressful.

His love is never small - always plenty.