One of my new favorite verses...

I've been working on a Bible Study we're doing with our Ladies' Group soon...It started out as a study on Dorcas--she was a disciple and a servant to others. It's morphing into a study on Dorcas, Mary, and Martha--not sure how it's all going to come together quite yet, but I've got a couple of more weeks yet! I've been scouring commentaries and taking notes for a couple of days now. I've also gone back to Joanna Weaver's book, Having a Mary Spirit in a Martha World. This book is such a blessing to me (probably because I suffer from the Martha syndrome and spend way too much time in the kitchen and not enough in the Living Room with God!)

As I skimmed the book this morning, the Lord reminded me of a verse that is such an encouragement to me! As a mom, I struggle so much knowing what is the right thing to do with my children. As a wife, what things do I take to Brent or what do I figure out on my own. As a friend, what do I say to this lady who is hurting or needs help. What do I jump in and volunteer to do or what should I leave for someone else to do? LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Isaiah 30: 21, "And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,' when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left." I don't need to stress about what to do! If I'm walking with the Lord, He's there telling me what to do and where to go! Decisons that need to be made? The Lord wants to help me, but I must make sure that I align myself with Him daily so that I can hear Him say, "This is the way, walk in it!" What a blessing this is to me!

On another note...Sarah's completley better today! Well...not completely, but I haven't even had to wipe her nose one time. Her fever's gone and she's hardly even sniffled. I'm wondering if this might be the fever that preceeds her bout of Fifth Disease that the other 2 had. There are 4 other kids in school that have it now. I guess I'll be looking for a rash to appear on Sarah's face soon--Fun times for sure!

My poor baby!

How pathetic is this face? Sarah has a bad cold, and her eyes and nose are faucets! She's miserable you can tell just by looking at her. She's been in my bed watching cartoons for a good part of the day. She's letting out a moan every once in a while...it's so sad! The worst part is they've taken all the over the counter medicine off the shelf so there is absolutely nothing I can give her. The fact that she's being still is enough to let anyone who knows her realize how badly she must be feeling.

I might just bust!

Here at Northland they have what is called "Works of God chapels" on Mondays. It's an opportunity for the studnets to stand up and share what they've seen the Lord doing in their personal lives, extensions, families, etc. While I've never been able to attend one, they are among some of the Northland Alumni favorite things to recollect. I just have to share some of the neat things the Lord's been doing for me lately--it's like a mini Works of God Chapel coming your way!

Our 10th anniversary is coming up and Brent and I were hoping to get away for something special to celebrate. It was really looking like it wouldn't work out and I was so discouraged to the point of tears yesterday. I was so convicted that my first thought was not to talk with the Lord about it, but the Holy Spirit worked in my heart and I spent the rest of the day pouring my heart out to the Lord asking Him to help me get over the disappointment and even for Him to maybe work it out if that was best. (I know...such a flair for the dramatic!) But you know what...He did! We're going to be able to get away the weekend after our anniversary! Such a simple thing in the light of eternity but what an amazing reminder that as our heavenly Father, God delights in doing good things for His children. He's promised to meet our needs, but what a special way for Him to remind me of His love--giving us so much more than just our needs!

I've been praying about some paper crafting things that I wanted to get to use for Christmas gifts--a couple of stamp sets in particular. I went to teach piano lessons last night for a friend of mine who is AMAZING in the card industry--get this--she makes cards for HGTV!!! That's impressive, even to someone who doesn't stamp or care anything about it! She has been so very generous in the past and the Lord has used her to encourage my heart countless times. She and I were chatting about her latest projects and whatnot...had not said a thing to her about what I was praying about. She sent her son downstairs to get some things...I walked out with exactly what I needed for one of the projects...exactly what I had been talking with the Lord about and then some! And it was free! Again, did I need these things? Absolutely not--total want--even above what I would have thought to ask for! (Let's see if I can use any more exclamation points, heh?!?)

And then I came home and checked blogs on my google reader. I missed one of the online events I had been hoping to get to, but there were a ton of blog posts about the event. I have been praying for wisdom to know when to buy something I want to use to make Christmas gifts. The thing (I can't give it away...too many people who will be getting the "projects" are reading this!) was $24 and not exactly what I was wanting. The company released a second edition of it--perfectly meets my needs for the project with nothing extra I can't use--for only $15! I'm telling you...God has been showing me so much about His love and genuine care for me that I might just bust! Talk about overflowing! Poor Brent...he was asleep when I got home (it was a late night by the time I got my grocery shopping done and put away) I waited until this morning to tell him...talk about rambling on and on in a stream of consciousness sort of way! But he just patiently listened and smiled as I got more and more excited and remembered more and more things to tell him about how the Lord was working! And there's several other things the Lord has been showing Himself strong to me about but I won't bore you any more!

I could have just written that God is good and is doing some neat things for me...(Brent would be much more concise and to the point)but anyone who knows me will understand the amount of constraint I'm using to stop going on and on even longer after this novel I've written! God is so good and does so much more for me than I could ever come close to deserving...oh that I would learn to hope in God who is the help of countenance and my God!

Trying...trying..trying for a good shot!

Our bon fire from Friday Night

Make a Smilebox slideshow

This is a link to an amazing blog of friends of ours. They are going through a real trial with their new baby. I'd encourage you to take a few minutes and read through their journal entries starting with the first one to help get the complete story. There are not that many and they are short. And then please pray for them. I know they will appreciate your prayers for them.

They're growing up so fast!

I can deny it no longer...Pictures don't lie!

As I was looking through these pictures I took this afternoon with the kids outside after their jogathon, my first thought at this one was, "This one's not too bad!" I pulled it up to look at it closer and was amazed by the crows' feet around my eyes! I've never noticed them before! But I have to say pictures don't lie...they're really there! I am getting old! Sad but true...it's time to start acting like a grown up!

A helpful URL to check out

http://www.sonicwall.com/phishing/

This is a link to a really helpful online quiz to educate yourself about phishing scams and spam. It gives you your score at the end and then points out the things to look out for in the scams that you may or may not have missed. Yes...I got 100% accurate on it...not sure what that says about how much time I spend on the computer, but at least Brent doesn't have to worry about me giving out our credit card numbers to anyone I don't know...unless it's a really good deal I can't pass up! I'm only kidding...

When I'm an Old Lady...

When I'm an old lady, I'll live with each kid, And bring so much happiness...just as they did. I want to pay back all the joy they've provided. Returning each deed! Oh, they'll be so excited! (When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

I'll write on the wall with reds, whites and blues, And I'll bounce on the furniture...wearing my shoes. I'll drink from the carton and then leave it out. I'll stuff all the toilets and oh, how they'll shout! (When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

When they're on the phone and just out of reach, I'll get into things like sugar and bleach. Oh, they'll snap their fingers and then shake their head, (When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

When they cook dinner and call me to eat, I'll not eat my green beans or salad or meat, I'll gag on my okra, spill milk on the table, And when they get angry...I'll run...if I'm able! (When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

I'll sit close to the TV, through the channels I'll click, I'll cross both eyes just to see if they stick. I'll take off my socks and throw one away, And play in the mud 'til the end of the day! (When I'm an old lady and live with my kids)

And later in bed, I'll lay back and sigh, I'll thank God in prayer and then close my eyes. My kids will look down with a smile slowly creeping, And say with a groan, 'She's so sweet when she's sleeping!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Random thoughts this morning...

Just a hodge podge of things to say this morning...

It's 28 degrees here--a very heavy frost is covering the ground. At first glance it looks like snow. It is way too early to be thinking about snow!

We had a group of students over last night and had a great bonfire! We made a firepit and roasted hotdogs and had smores. It was such a clear night, too! The best part? After I came back from taking the students back to campus, Brent built the fire back up and the 2 of us sat around the fire and talked for hours! And amazingly enough, I only thought about what I would do if a wild animal came out of the woods a couple of times. I would say after 4 years of living here, I'm adapting rather nicely to country life. And after such a great evening, I'm actually preferring the country life...now if we could only get the mall a bit closer!

Hannah got in the car Wednesday afternoon without her barrette...her bangs were in her face to the tip of her nose. We've been telling her that if she didn't take care of her long hair better, we would force her to get it cut. I reminded her of that (rather emphatically) on the way home, and much to my surprise she said she wanted it cut! I actually tried to talk her out of it, but she was adament! So Wednesday afternoon, I cut her hair and the struggle to grow her bangs out has ended. I like her hair both ways. She looks so much older than 6 with it long. Now, she looks like Dora again--the way every 6 year old dark-haired girl should look! And she loves it! She's bouncing all around swinging her hair back and forth. And loving the lack of tangles and the ease of doing it in the morning!

Hannah woke up yesterday morning with a strange rash on her face. It was only on her face. It was warm to the touch and almost scaly. I put some anti-itch medicine on it, and it seemed to change it. She cried when she found out she had to stay home from school. I'm not sure if it was because she couldn't show off her new hair do or if she really likes school that much! The rash got progressively better as the day wore on. The only thing I can think of that she had to eat that was different was Sunny Delight. She's never been allergic to anything before, but she drank quite a bit of Sunny D at dinner Wednesday night. Any thoughts? A couple of the students said they were allergic to anything that has Vitamin C added to it--Sunny D being one of them. Regular orange juice with natural Vitamin C is fine for them, but anything from concentrate or "fake" causes them to break out in a rash, too. Anyone ever seen anything like this before? I'm on my way to wake them up for school...hopefully it hasn't come back! I'll try to get a picture of her hair if her face isn't all splotchy!

Happy Friday! I'm curling up with a big ol' cup of coffee and having my devotions while I watch the frost melt away...

Daniel turns 9!

I'll post more pictures of Daniel's birthday in the next couple of days. He is so into Star Wars and this is the best cake I could come up with for him...It's supposed to be a light sabre if you couldn't tell. He was thrilled with it!

Ready for church

Collecting for a centerpiece

Hannah's been bringing her leaf collection to me for the last few days and it's been pretty sad. She's just been getting the green little leaves off our weeping willow tree. So I've been telling her that I'd take her into the woods and show her how to find the really pretty ones. Thursday when they came home from school and the homework was all checked, we decided to go for a hike. I had the idea to scatter real leaves around the table for a ladies' fellowship I was having that night so we went looking for beautiful leaves...they are everywhere around here right now! I can't believe how pretty the colors are this year! Makes me love living here even more!




The fruits of our labor...there are a ton of fallen white birch trees in our woods right now. I got the idea to try to peel some of the bark off for an added accent and the entire piece came off in my hands! So the base fo the centerpiece is a big piece of white birch bark. On my way out of the woods I noticed a big patch of moss growing, and it looked just like the kind in the bags I always buy for flower arranging. I wondered how difficult it would be to pry off the rock it was growing on and was quite surprised that it came off in one huge piece without any extra effort. I loved how it turned out! I usually don't go to this much trouble for the Thursday night prayer and shares, but this was so much fun to put together. I need to do this type of thing more often...I really enjoy it and loved the outcome.

Some of the cutest pics ever, I must admit!

I took Sarah outside to get some pics this afternoon with the beautiful trees in our yard. I didn't get many good shots of the trees, but I do have to say of the 26 pics I took, there were a few that were a bit too precious to keep to myself! They're so much better if you know her...you can really see that mischievous sparkle in her eye in some of these.

I do have to say this is her, "Mom...come on...you know we both want a good game of chase and fall down giggling and tickling...come get me!" look.
Sarah loves to touch anything and everything outside. I wasn't the least bit surprised when she wanted to touch the branch of leaves I pulled down into her reach...but I was a bit surprised when she reached out with her tongue to taste the leaf! I can't believe I caught it in a picture, too!
I laid down in the grass to get a better angle of her...she climbed into my lap, and this is the angle I managed to get! Gotta love those cute pudgy cheeks!

She must always stop and touch flowers especially. she doesn't pick them...just touches them.

More pics from around the house

Around the house...well, the kitchen

Are you as confused about Labor Day as I am?!?

Brent and I were talking last night about what Labor Day is and neither of us knew what we were celebrating. So I googled it...one of our family's favorite past times, and was surprised to see that it really celebrates nothing. The entire nation gets a day off just because! I was wondering if they could give us a day off sometime in March, too, because there's nothing to celebrate in that month either!Here's what Wikipedia says about Labor Day in case you were wondering:

Today, Labor Day is often regarded as a day of rest and parades. Speeches or political demonstrations are more low-key than May 1 Labour Day celebrations in most countries, although events held by labor organizations often feature political themes and appearances by candidates for office, especially in election years. Forms of celebration include picnics, barbecues, fireworks displays, water sports, and public art events. Families with school-age children take it as the last chance to travel before the end of summer. Some teenagers and young adults view it as the last weekend for parties before returning to school. However, as of late, schools have begun well before Labor Day, as early as July 24th in many urban districts, including major southern cities in the United States such as Atlanta, Miami, and Los Angeles. In addition, Labor Day marks the beginning of the season for the National Football League and NCAA College Football. The NCAA usually plays their first games the week before Labor day, with the NFL traditionally playing their first game the Thursday following Labor Day.

So happy Labor Day...which if I understand it right really means happy day to be lazy and do nothing day! I think I'll take that to heart!

First Day of School!