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faith...{certain of what we do not see}

2012-02-18T09:11:00.000-05:00

i cross this bridge every day. i look forward to the artistic display of God each morning as i drive across, and this is what i witnessed one day.

fog. deep, thick, immense. flooding my vision.

the bridge was not seen. yet i kept driving.

why?

i drove because i have been here before. i remember what is there. and i am i certain that it is still there, holding me up. even though i can not see.

i see runners coming across from the opposite direction. with each footstep, they say, "go, it is there, you know that. i've been there, too. you will be ok...".

faith is like that fog. we know that He is there. we've been this path before. friends remind us of our journeys, their journeys. so why are we so hesitant? why will i drive across that bridge, but so quickly fail to see my Lord in times of fog?

build my faith, Lord, that as i cross through the waters to you, i will not lose my vision...hebrews 11:1...

in all things...{billboards, too}

2012-02-07T11:17:00.000-05:00

so as i was traveling down the interstate towards school one morning last week, i was sharing with God just how frustrated i was with myself.

with my inability to focus on His word.
with my apathy towards prayer.
with my lack of discipline in my spiritual life.

i was crying out to my Father for reassurance as i was flying down the road at 60 mph, but going nowhere.

and as i looked up, He spoke to me through billboards. four billboards, one right after another.
{no joke, so don't laugh.}

i have no photos, so words will have to explain...

first...a beautiful collection of blue butterflies, taking off...it said "transformed".

second...a crumpled piece of paper on one half of the billboard, which said "before"...and a smooth, wrinkle-free sheet on the other half that said "after".

third...one half of the billboard showed a boy's hands playing a video game. the other half showed the boy's hands holding a turtle. and it said "unplug".

fourth and final...the words "get insulated".

words from God where i needed them, fast and furious glimpes on the highway.
telling me i am His. i am worthy. i am not of this world.
reminding me i am loved. i am new. i am capable of breaking free.

"teach me your way, oh Lord, that i may trust in you; give me an undivided heart that i may fear your name..." ps 86:11

seeing the graces...{thank you}

2012-01-19T21:54:00.001-05:00

coming over a bridge, slowly creeping in traffic, that i normally try to avoid...

i see it first through the passenger side window...

then i feel its warmth and morning glow.

a grace experienced because i traveled by a different way,

a grace given in the midst of waiting in traffic.

a grace received, as always, that i did not deserve nor expect.

it is a good day.

what's for dinner...{per request}

2012-01-09T18:22:00.001-05:00

jacob requested meatballs and spaghetti for dinner. and this recipe was in the sunday paper.

easy and yummy! best part? cook them all day in your slow cooker and dinner is DONE.

photo via dashrecipes.com

girls night...{while the guys went to a movie}

2011-12-30T16:30:00.000-05:00

the day after...{looking back}

2011-12-26T13:35:00.000-05:00

did you and yours have a merry little christmas?

easy-to-do gift tags...{all you need is a photo}

2011-12-21T11:44:00.000-05:00

i have made these for several years now, and it's an easy and creative way to label your gifts...

choose a family photo...print them in wallet size on your computer...

cut and label with the name of your recepient!

just wanted to share...merry christmas!

100 in 100...{complete!}

2011-12-20T11:26:00.000-05:00

and so, it is finished! at least for the last 100 days of 2011.

we have officially rid ourselves of {over} 100 items. and it was actually easy and liberating. the last 17 items consisted of...

corkscrew, christmas wreath, 7 items of clothing, 2 pillows, television, bag of clothing, doll crib, computer monitor and keyboard, and dressing table...

ta-da!

what i have learned from 100 in 100...
* i am now more conscientious of what i bring into our home...i find myself replacing item for item and really thinking about whether or not i need something.
* i don't need half the stuff i think i do...
* there is a sense of relief when you toss items and have less to worry about, less to clean, and space to breathe...
* i find real worth in the things i DO have, because they serve a purpose (or two or three, now that i am living with less)...
* i realize the capacity i have to bless people with things that i have, or with the time/money that i have now that i live with less...

so, what's next?
i've been thinking about doing the 30 day clothing fast again, to see if i can weed more out of my closet. i've also thought about going on a spending fast, trying to only buy what we absolutely have to have. that would be a challenge, since we *really* need mcdonald's french fries about once a week it seems. one thing for sure, i will continue to rid my home of items in 2012!

any thoughts on what i could do next?

twelve dates...{five and six and seven}

2011-12-17T21:35:00.001-05:00

date five of twelve was a family date to sesame burgers on half-price burger night. we all love that place. it's hard to go and not take the kids with us. {they'd be sad.} then coach sal and i sent them home via david, the-child-who-can-drive, and we did a wee bit of christmas shopping. alone. aaahhh.

date six of twelve was to hash-out the rest of our christmas giving list without ears to hear us...so we retreated to t-bonz {and used a gift certificate...bonus!} to talk and eat. after some thinking and adding, we realized that we had enough b&n gift cards {given to use by generous students} to purchase a nook! so off to b&n we went. grand total we spent = $1.68. awesomeness! now we own a kindle and a nook. summer and beach reading can not get here soon enough.

date seven was to adona and bill's card game christmas party. we've been invited for many years but have never been able to attend until this year. we played crazy poker with friends from our church and ate yummy food and did a white elephant gift exchange. it was a nice way to end the school week and start our christmas vacation- hanging out with *big people*!

update...{on dates three & four}

2011-12-12T22:01:00.000-05:00

so, date three was to hubee d's. never been before, heard it was good. and it was! then coach sal and i went to target and bought my dad a kindle for his 70th birthday. {you are only 70 years old once.}

date four was to lessons and carols for our school. it was not only a beautiful beginning to the christmas season, but all three of our children participated {david for the last time}. i shed tears a few times for a few different reasons...

and then date four ended at hubee d's, ironically. this time with our three children.

lessons and carols, 2009

date two...{and a wish list}

2011-12-09T17:02:00.000-05:00

our second date of our twelve dates of christmas was to one of our favorite places...barnes and noble! ever heard the saying, "not everyone who wanders is lost"? well, yeah, that's coach sal and i in b&n. we could wander for hours, yet we always seem to find each other to compare notes about our discoveries. as i wandered this evening, i found so many marvelous things that made me smile that i took photos for you so you could see...

the fisher-price music box record player!!! i actually picked this up and hugged it...i had one! did you??

i think my brother would love this...it teaches you how to speak wookiee by pushing the sound buttons for various situations, like socializing in the canteen or flying the millenium falcon. very practical.

my boys loved playmobil, and i'm diggin' the rv! brought back some good memories from our xc trip in 2005...

with modern masterpieces you get to recreate artwork from picasso and other artists. i love to color.

i have been wanting to read this book since discovering katie's website...

...and right next to katie's book was the other book i want to read! so i read the first chapter...oh.my. moving. this author has a wonderful writing style and a story to tell.

i have found myself searching for better picture books that tell the christmas story, and this one is so so sweet. a must have!

i am totally buying this book for my nephew! as a teacher who is frustrated with all the technology our kids are plugged into, this book is hilarious and fun! you "press" the yellow dot and turn the page to find something has changed and there are new directions...instant gratification and multimedia old style- a book!

these hedgehog babies were rockin' the hair!

christmas around the world, a pop-up book was so incredibly beautiful and intricate...

yah yah! christmas shrinky-dinks! {i had those, too. all good moms let their kids do shrinky-dinks.}

wreck the halls makes you laugh out loud in store.

the harry potter sweet shoppe kit includes directions for making all the delicious delights from the harry potter books....

national geographic is amazing. the photographs are a beautiful way to see a small part of God's glory.

have you found anything worth reading in b&n lately?

the twelve dates of christmas...{or how to get time alone}...

2011-12-06T17:51:00.000-05:00

so i read on this blog....rockstar diaries...about this fun idea called the twelve "dates" of christmas, where you and your significant other have twelve dates leading up to christmas. i *love* that idea! so coach sal and i are going to try it, and we are leaning toward finishing them up by epiphany, just to give us a bit more time.

so, our first date was to moe's, which is a pretty typical date for us. we go there often on date nights because our children are not huge fans, but we are.

we are going to try to come up with different ideas for each one, not always being food! some ideas are...

* browse b&n
* drive around and look at christmas lights
* movies
* local play or concert
* coffee!

any other ideas for fun date nights? especially *thrifty* ones?

what i did tonight...

2011-11-28T21:51:00.000-05:00

* made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies...
* watched the sing-off finale...{please win dartmouth aires! still waiting to see...}
* downloaded god is in the manger and read the first two days...

good evening.

just for you...{kim}...

2011-11-27T12:59:00.000-05:00

so i *may* try to start posting more often...but no promises. not sure why it's difficult. sometimes i know it's because of life happening. and sometimes it's because i have nothing to tell. so let's see what i can share right now...

courtesy of julie abbott art

love love love this print...i saw it yesterday at carolina girls and almost bought it until i saw the price tag. so i went home and told larry that i want it for christmas. :o)

on to christmas...we chose our tree at lowe's yesterday. choosing the tree has actually become more difficult as the kids have gotten older, because it is a competition to see who picks *THE tree*. that said, mom still gets the final say. but it is some sort of honor to have mom choose the tree YOU pulled out of the stack.

decorating commenced as we watched the carolina-clemson game...

the tree has a fantastic shape, we love it! and we have new stockings this year, which i also love. {notice the dog has two}.

this is on our front door. normally we have a wreath, but i wanted something new and different. i use this bucket every season and just change the flowers, so why not for christmas? frugal me...this cost a grand total of $6! bought it all at the dollar store, yah!

my flamingo tree, sporting new pink lights that i got for 75% off at the end of last year!

we have several old ornaments that belonged to either larry's parents or grandparents. this year i thought i'd put a few on the tree...

and this is my playmobil nativity scene...david and jacob loved these toys when they were little, so we've had this set for many years. {surprised to see the only piece lost thus far is the angel's halo} the wooden barn, though, i bought this year at target for $2.50. the set came with a cardboard one that is falling apart, and i thought the little wooden one was perfect!

now i know why i don't blog like i used to...i have two of my three children asking "when will you be done??"
and the dryer is buzzing...

time up. peace out.

day 47...{getting closer}...

2011-11-14T16:21:00.000-05:00

1 pair of boots...gone.
7 scarves...gone.

ttd...83!

day 64...{inspired}...

2011-10-29T09:27:00.000-04:00

after typing yesterday's post, i decided to clean out the arts/crafts/school supplies...and ended with tossing out 10 more items!

75 and counting...

where i'm at {65 days to go}...

2011-10-28T16:41:00.001-04:00

item 51...

item 52...

53...

54...

55...(counting these frames as one item)

56...

57 and 58...

59, 60, 61, 62, 63...(aren't you glad i can count?)

"item" 64...

item 65...(sadly failed attempt at new exercise)

so...that leaves me with 64 days and 35 items still left to lose! an item every other day...i can do this!

a ton on 91...

2011-10-01T21:27:00.000-04:00

let's see...

12 items from the shed, tossed in garbage can
16 books, all looking for new homes on facebook (coach sal got rid of quite a few, too)
a pile of cds
a few dvds

i'm going to call it 30 items...

ttd...50 items...half way there...

1 on 96...

2011-09-26T09:21:00.000-04:00

one large suitcase...sold.

ttd...20 and counting!

9 on 98...

2011-09-24T22:24:00.000-04:00

today i rid myself of...
6 more articles of clothing
2 tote bags
1 pile of 11 necklaces (if i count each one, i'd be to 100 by next week...so i will challenge myself)

and today, two of the three children joined in! jacob was serious and handed me a box of 50 items. he will get paid slowly but surely. and mary elizabeth rid herself of 26 items and a ton of trash. she kept remarking about how *clean* her room looked...and we aren't finished yet!

* as we threw away all the trash in mary elizabeth's room, it reminded me about how important it is to keep paper out of your house. i actually stand in the garage by the trash can and recycling bin and go through the mail each day before i walk in the house. easy.

ttd...19 items and counting...how's it going for you?

10 on day 100...

2011-09-22T23:04:00.000-04:00

tonight i rid myself of....
* 7 articles of clothing
* 3 purses
in all of about 30 seconds.

i literally thought quick and grabbed out items that i have not worn all summer. if i didn't wear it this summer, chances are i won't wear it a year from now.

here are some other ideas for purging clothing that i have tried...
* project 333...i wore 30 items of clothing for 30 days back in january. it really worked! it not only helped me rid my closet of unworn clothing (i must have cleaned out about 30+ items, which is really embarassing to admit), it helped me to determine what colors i like and wear (and now i only buy items in that color scheme, so most everything in my closet coordinates).
* put everything on white hangers. as you wash and wear, use a colored hanger. then after a month or two you can see what you are not wearing. or, you can flip the hanger backwards as you wear items- then purge items on hangers facing inward (does that make sense??)
* wear items of clothing only once during a two week period and then set aside. at the end of the two weeks, see what's still in the closet and purge (because you have already worn and set aside your favorite 14 outfits/articles of clothing).

what have you tried to help you purge? or to NOT add more to your closet?

losing 100 in 100...

2011-09-20T22:02:00.002-04:00

as we are constantly purging and organizing our stuff, coach sal and i have always laughed and said that we are going to write a book one day titled stuff will kill you. (we also want to write a book titled rock paper scissors saved our marriage....but that's a topic for another day.) we both love systems, and everything we own tends to fit into some sort of a system- if not, then it tends to get on our nerves and we do something about it.

so, lately i have been doing a lot of reading about simple living/minimualism and have been inspired by how a lot of people are living with very little. and living with very little stress. which is extremely appealing to me. (check out tiny houses if you want to be *really* inspired!)

100 in 100 is going to be the loss of 100 items in 100 days. and it will begin on thursday, which means it will end on december 31st, just in time to start 2012 with less stuff. Which also means less to put away; less to clean; less to worry about; less to store; less decisions to make; less stress! and to be honest, i went through my kitchen a few weeks ago and purged, and i also have empty shelves. it is freeing.

i am also going to get two of my three children involved by paying them a dollar for each item they lose (the third child said no way, not doing it...i'll clean out his stuff when he leaves for college next year :o).

and the goal is 100 items over 100 days, not an item a day. so we will keep track as we go, with a goal in mind! and i'm going to give items to friends; donate items; and possibly sell items as well.

here are the items that i am purging first...
* clothes
* purses
* shoes
* jewelry/accessories
* scrapbook supplies
* dvds
* cds
* art/craft/school supplies
* paperwork/files

thoughts for my list? thoughts for my idea? wanna join me?

thoughts for the moment...

2011-09-15T16:18:00.000-04:00

school is back. fall is almost here. summer was completely and utterly awesome. a lot of {stuff} has been happening in our lives, some good and some sad...nothing bad. i've been thinking and praying a lot, listening to God's Word and trying to discern. here are some thoughts...

* God's plan will prevail, even through our foolishness.
* we may *think* we know what the purpose is for what we are doing in our lives, yet we can not see past time and space. God can. and He is way cool.
* God is the potter. i am the clay. being molded hurts. as does pruning. but the end result is magnificent because it brings glory.
* my favorite verse, luke 9:23-24, is about carrying a cross daily. when we finally decide to lose our life and carry that cross, we'd better be ready.
* the Word and prayer sure can heal...everything. i crave them.

i remain confident of this: i will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. wait for the Lord; be strong, take heart, and wait for the Lord. psalm 27: 13

a good cause...

2011-06-24T20:38:00.000-04:00

i've heard about toms shoes and thought the concept was very cool, and then i did some research. not only are they not a non-profit organization, but the shoes they give away are not like the ones we can buy here in the states, the shoes are very expensive for my budget, and they are not an outwardly christian organization. but today i discovered that payless is working together with world vision to give a pair of shoes to a child for each pair of "hope" airwalks you buy for $19.99! nice...

the good shoe project....check it out!

love this place {time to pack and go}...

2011-06-08T17:59:00.000-04:00

we are heading to one of our favorite places on this earth....palmetto bible camp! this photo (of my brother, looking over the lake at camp) was taken a few years ago in the fall (which is why there are no leaves on the trees!). we spend a week at camp each summer, when it tends to be very green and very warm!

although this photo is not one of the most beautiful of camp, it's not so much the beauty of the campus that i love and look forward to each summer. don't get me wrong, camp is truly a wonderfully glorious piece of property, nestled in the mountain foothills and situated near a huge lake. i especially love camp in autumn, for here (unlike the coast where i live) the tree leaves actually paint the sky with shades of auburn, crimson, and gold and the air is crisp and cool.

what i love about going to camp, the anticipation that builds over weeks, days, and then hours as we wind our way down the roads that lead us there, are the people. i love my brothers and sisters and the relationship we share in Christ and i experience true joy when i get to see each one and greet them again. they are beautiful people, radiating God's love.

Our mouths were filled with laughter,
   our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
   “The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us,
   and we are filled with joy.
psalm 126:2-3

see and know {it is good}...

2011-06-02T17:24:00.006-04:00

as i lay on the beach today, enjoying what will be the first of many warm and sunny summer days ahead, a dear friend of mine was traveling through oregon with her sweet boys and hubby, on their way to WA. she posted this photo...

it's SNOWING in oregon!

and i was reminded about just how very awesome is our God...

I will put in the desert
the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive.
I will set junipers in the wasteland,
the fir and the cypress together,
so that people may see and know,
may consider and understand,
that the hand of the LORD has done this,
that the Holy One of Israel has created it.
isaiah 41:19-21

my Lord God is near...

2011-06-01T10:13:00.001-04:00

See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the Lord my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people." What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way our Lord God is near us whenever we pray to him? And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today? Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. Deuteronomy 4:5-9

and then...

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they may accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. 1Peter 2:9-12

**********
i read the deuteronomy passage twice this morning, in two totally different place/contexts {God obviously had something He wanted me to hear and see and learn this morning}. so here are my thoughts...

* God is the same today as he was yesterday. His word in Deuteronomy is his word in 1Peter is his word alive and working in me right now, today.
* I must live as a part of his nation, his people every day, because my decisions affect not only me but show others who he is. I am responsible for others knowing that my God is an awesome God.
* I must guard my heart and soul and dwell in his word every moment of every day. I can not forget.

I've been weary. God is my strength, and He alone sustains me. His word truly is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path....

morning run {getting moving in the a.m.}...

2011-05-31T08:28:00.000-04:00

i'm not a morning person. i usually run in the late afternoon or early evening, right after school. it seems like my body responds better when it's been allowed to wake up. funny how that works.

for the past two days, however, i have run in the morning, around 7:30. i actually have found that after a brisk minute of walking, i'm able to start shuffling my feet and the run feels good! the morning air has been easier on my lungs and my legs have gotten into that runner's groove that i hear about but never seem to experience.

i'm finding too that early morning gives me time to worship as i run and then study in the quiet of my house with my java before the mad rush hits {ie, three children and a dog}.

thursday i may try the bridge in the a.m....

summer is upon us...

2011-05-30T08:49:00.003-04:00

summer is here, at least in the sense of the encroaching heat and freedom from school and work. maybe not officially on the calendar, but definitely in our minds.

summer means maybe (don't hold me to it) i'll blog more often. it also means that i am extremely busy, but with things i choose to be busy with. like palmetto bible camp. and our 12 day youth mission trip. and a bahamas cruise. and books to read and study. and plenty of beach days.

at least i'll have something to blog about...

{photo taken with holga in bahamas, 2009)

love me some andrew peterson...

2011-03-27T23:35:00.000-04:00

especially when all i want to do is go somewhere far away...this song reminds me that adventure lies right in my own backyard...

{but i still want to travel the world, too} :o)

stuff you probably already know {but just in case}...

2011-02-23T19:07:00.000-05:00

ok, a few things...

1. i love to travel. i {love} to cruise. went xc in an rv for 30 days with our kids in 2007 and it was the best thing we've ever done. 22 states and 5 national parks.
2. would love to live in rome or nyc. or tahiti. have only lived in one other city besides charleston, sc.
3. krispy kreme doughnuts are hard to resist.
4. i like to talk. i'm not a good listener. {sorry}
5. adore the color pink and clothing with ruffles.
6. have three children. one hubs. teach four year olds.
7. summer can't come soon enough. i like flipflops, sundresses, and sand between my toes.
8. i coupon like a crazy woman, usually saving up to 60% off our groceries each week.
9. i'm told often that i look a lot younger than i am.
10. my hubs was my first and only date. we've been married 20 years.
that's me..:o)

happy hearts day {love someone today}...

2011-02-14T17:44:00.000-05:00

the word love appears in the Bible over 500 times...

love is an action verb...

we are told that the two greatest commandments are to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind" and to "love your neighbor as yourself"...Matthew 2:37-39

"God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us"...Romans 5:8

hope your {hearts} day was a happy one!

oh yummers {i ate one too many}...

2011-02-12T18:17:00.001-05:00

so these photos were taken from the most wonderful-est cupcake shop in the world...cupcake!

these are my three favorites for right now...it can always change! i treated my family on friday and brought home a half dozen of delicious yumminess...and promptly made myself too full on just ONE! the icing is so rich and sweet. i did myself in. {it was worth it}.

valentine hearts {smiles guaranteed}...

2011-02-07T20:35:00.001-05:00

aren't they the cutest?

(told ya you'd smile!)

we came, we played, we conquered {trivia, that is}...

2011-02-06T14:47:00.001-05:00

last night we returned to sesame burgers and beer and played trivia as a family. our team name, developed over about 30 minutes of deep thought by our son as we ran a quick errand in target before dinner, is "results may vary" (and if you know us, you know this can be true).

but the best part of the evening?...we won second place and a $20 tab! yah us! thankfully being teachers (which means you tend to run into all kinds of interesting novelties and facts) as well as our childrens' wonderful private school education came in handy and was put to good use.

the possible worst part? after playing for two and half hours, our bill was $77 for a family of five and we now have to go back soon and defend our title. maybe next time we'll win first and $30...

favorite verse {in numbers to wear}...

2011-02-01T17:55:00.000-05:00

found this on etsy today and i am IN LOVE...(yes, i used caps). the shop is called this word's for you...

she makes necklaces and other pieces using the numbers from bible verses! i am going to have to figure out my favorite...actually, i probably have more than one! LOVED this idea...a beautiful reminder every day.

happy birthday {dear coach sal}...

2011-01-31T06:00:00.002-05:00

happy birthday to you!
love you so so so much...
{me}

good food...{best burger in town}

2011-01-30T20:23:00.003-05:00

last night after the daughter's wonderful performance in her middle school musical, we headed over to the best place in town for a burger, sesame burgers and beer. it was also trivia night (team salley did pretty well, thanks to coach sal) and it was really nice to just be a family of five and spend time with our children, who are growing up way too fast.

hope your weekend was fantabulous!

random thoughts...{i'm avoiding cleaning my house}...

2011-01-09T14:42:00.000-05:00

* it may "snow-ow-ow, right here in dixie" tonight! i don't care if it's snow or sleet and ice, i just want them to close school tomorrow and let me hang out in my pjs and drink hot joe and be with my family...wouldn't it be nice?

* i'm doing a 30 day-30 clothing item challenge (of sorts)...i saw it on someone else's blog and so i'm trying it on my own. i say sort-of because i've broken a couple of the "rules"...30 items only, including shoes (i'm running around 35) and no shopping (i have to thrift, it's my outlet). so far so good, and i've noticed some things about my wardrobe...

* i wear a lot of black, gray, white, brown, mixed with reds, purples/plums, mauves and pinks. which has made me decide to shop in these color ranges to see if i can develop a wardrobe that mixes well. i'm excited about really purging some things out at the end of this challenge and having a limited wardrobe.

* i am avoiding cleaning my house for our life group tonight. my hubs is waiting for me. {sigh} gotta go.

happy Lord's day!

happy memories {goodbye 2010}....

2010-12-31T08:39:00.000-05:00

1. snow in january, enough to play in...and then snow again in december!
2. my boys turn 16 and 13....weren't they just 6 and 3???
3. i go to nyc with two besties and my 16 yo son to be a hair model at ouidad for the weekend and see mary poppins on broadway...awesome-ness! {i wanna move to nyc}
4. palmetto bible camp in june...
5. we cruise in july to the bahamas for the third time, taking our three children with us {i wanna move to a tropical island, preferably tahiti}
6. the hubs and i celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary in august...{time flies}
7. i read francis chan's crazy love for the third time and we teach it at church and His people start movin' {and our hearts are forever changed}
8. new school, teaching fours...
9. my keurig! {be thankful even for little blessings}
10. i turned 40 this year and was treated like a princess...{i love my friends and family}

God is good, and through all these things i see His face and His blessings...what will we do for Him and His kingdom in 2011?

{i can't wait!!!}

happy list, christmas version...

2010-12-22T09:10:00.002-05:00

1. no school for two weeks
2. shopping is d.o.n.e.
3. baked goodies
4. wrapped gifts under the tree
5. gettting to sit and relax and drink hot coffee from my keurig all day
6. christmas music (have you downloaded the free music from target? click here!)
7. giving and helping others
8. christmas movies (today will be "the santa clause" marathon, one two and three)
9. christmas lights on all the time, from the front porch to the tree!
10. jesus, the light of the world

what makes you happy this time of year?

33 chilean miners...

2010-10-13T21:44:00.003-04:00

today's news was amazing and wonderful! the world watching God's work unfold was awesome...and i went to His Word to see what He would say to me.

and i found...

"Hear my prayer, Lord;
listen to my cry for mercy.
When I am in distress, I call to you,
because you answer me.

Among the gods there is none like you, Lord;
no deeds can compare with yours.
All the nations you have made
will come and worship before you, Lord;
they will bring glory to your name.
For you are great and do marvelous deeds;
you alone are God."

psalm 86:6-10

monday morning reading...

2010-10-11T16:40:00.003-04:00

this morning i was drawn to hosea. i know, weird book, but God brought me to it and He spoke. and i listened....here's what came to me.

chapter two.
it's about me and the Lord.

vs. 5..."she said, i will go after my lovers, who give me my food and my water, my wool and my linen, my olive oil and my drink"...me, chasing after things of this world, stuff i don't need, time i spend recklessly...

vs. 7..."she will chase after her lovers but not catch them; she will look for them but not find them."...me, never content with what i have, always looking for the next deal, the next thing, another time stealer...a God-sized hole will not be filled with things of this world...

vs. 8..."she has not acknowledged that I was the one..."...me, who needs to give more praise, more thanks, more time to God...

vs. 9-13..."I will take back...I will expose...I will stop...I will ruin...I will punish..."...me, when God needs to discipline...

vs. 15..."I will give her back her vineyards and will make the Valley...a door of hope."...me, so very thankful that His mercies are new every morning!

vs. 16..."you will call me 'my husband', you will no longer call me 'my master'"...because i am learning to fall in love with Him and who He is...

vs. 19-20..."I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the Lord."

vs. 23..."and they will say, "You are my God".

i've been tagged...

2010-09-30T17:15:00.001-04:00

good evening!

michele over at imperfectly wonderful world tagged me to answer some really fun questions...get ready, here we go!

1. how did you meet your husband? he bagged my mother's groceries on fridays at the grocery store. he was 17, i was 15. he tried to talk to me, but i was very quiet and shy. after about 6 months, he spotted me one day while i was working at the library and talked to me for about an hour. i then realized that i actually kinda liked him (i know, i'm slow...). he called and asked me out a few days later and 4 years of dating and 20 years of marriage later, here we are!

2. if you could splurge on something for yourself, what would it be? right now i really want a keurig coffee maker (LOOVE those cute little coffee choice things!), a new small camera (mine is slowly dying), and then i guess next on my list is a 10 day cruise from san paulo!!!

3. are you a morning person or a night owl? oh, night owl for sure!!

4. what's your favorite tv show? what not to wear (so sad it's gone right now!) and the biggest loser.

5. what's your least favorite chore? can i say ALL of them??? :o) my husband and i decided we are neat people (we like to organize and pick up), but we hate to clean. ugh.

6. what is your favorite bible story? when i think of stories in the bible that inspire me and give me hope, david and paul are awesome. an adulterer and a murderer...and as paul said so well, "but God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of His great patience with even the worst sinners. then others will realize that they, too, can believe in Him and receive eternal life" (1 timothy 1:16) now THAT is real hope! at this point in my life right now, i also relate well to esther....for such a time as this. she demonstrated her incredible faith in God and did not let her fear keep her from doing His will. LOVE it. and of course, the gospel story is THE story of all time...the best story in the bible!!!

7. what is your favorite comfort food? a starbucks coffee helps a lot. i like food, but i don't really have one that i run to. i guess a comfort for a weary mom can be any kind of takeout...i take comfort sometimes in not having to cook!

8. list the top 5 places you would visit or revisit. i've been to rome, italy and nyc, and i would LOOOVE to go back or better yet, live there! i also would love to visit turkey and greece. any remote deserted island surrounded by crystal clear water and beautiful sunsets would suffice as my fifth choice!

so there you are...a peek at me! thanks, michele!

thrifted thursday...

2010-09-30T08:02:00.001-04:00

found these 1969-1970 magazines in mint condition...the family circle and woman's day are from the month i was born! i couldn't resist!

check it out:

home decorating...

fashion...

tupperware!...

check out the coupon!...

brings back memories...

can you believe this kitchen??....

yum, a jello mold!...

hair styles...

remember madge???....

carpeted bathrooms...

lovin' these looks!...

look! raquel welch!...

and these are my favorites...hard to believe these are FORTY years old! they look like they could have come out of magazines from this summer! everything old is new again...

wordless wednesday...

2010-09-29T08:00:00.001-04:00

two on tuesday...

2010-09-28T17:00:00.002-04:00

ok, so everyone else does "ten on tuesday"...but i have to be honest and say i'm not sure i will always have ten things to tell. but i think i can handle two, so here goes...

1. i love jars of clay. and this is a song i have loved for a long time, and its words seem to ring in my ears this week as i try to live out the first three chapters of crazy love. "He didn't die for nothing..."

2. i sure love to eat, but golly, i hate working out...{sigh}...gotta go run.

favorites friday...

2010-09-24T09:00:00.001-04:00

how can you not see a rainbow collection of tights and leggings and not feel like a kid in a candy store???

oh my. i need one in every color.

thrifted thursday...

2010-09-23T09:00:00.002-04:00

here is one of my bestest finds ever!!!

thankfully i was with my bestest friend when i found this, because she had to convince me that "yes, this is the perfect sofa, perfect style for your 60's ranch house, perfect size for the small room, perfect colors, and it looks BRAND NEW!!!" and it was $74.99.

words of reason are always so helpful.

after measuring and realizing it would fit into my van, i brought it home and into my den where i loved it more and more. the label (bernhardt) shows it is a rather good brand of wood furniture, and it was manufactured in 2008. not a tear, stain, smell. new, but looks retro. love love love it.

yah me!

wordless wednesday...

2010-09-22T21:33:00.002-04:00

favorites friday...

2010-09-17T07:00:00.002-04:00

i read crazy love by francis chan for the first time in november 2009. i read it again this summer, and now coach sal and i are teaching a class at our church this quarter, using this book. so i am reading it for the third time.

if you want to really fall in love with God, read it. if you want to rethink how you live for Him, read it. it will make you change the way you think and live each day. be ready.

thrifted thursday...

2010-09-16T16:54:00.000-04:00

ooo, was i in love when i found these! i was getting ready to buy some on etsy when i found these while thrifting! visit me at my style blog, B.A.B.E.S. to see them paired with my favorite dress!

wordless wednesday...

2010-09-15T22:14:00.000-04:00

favorites friday...

2010-09-10T08:13:00.000-04:00

these owl canisters were made by my aunt dot for her sister margie (my meme) in 1985, when ceramics were the thing. i kept them when my meme died in 2000 and i just recently pulled them out. they are super-awesome! i love them. they are a little part of my history.

another favorite is right behind them, coach sal's aunt's yarn floral pictures. i know there is a name for the stitching, but i can't recall what it is. i got these from coach sal's grandmother when she moved into assisted living about a year ago and didn't have room for them. she knew that i loved them. another bit of family history...

thrifted thursday

2010-09-09T08:09:00.004-04:00

found these six small bowls for $2.99. loved the flowers, of course! i am a die-hard girl for all that so-called tacky 60s/70s stuff! when i flipped them and saw the label, had to have them.

went home and googled...georges briard was born in the 30's and designed in the 50s-70s. very cool.

wordless wednesday...

2010-09-08T17:36:00.001-04:00

(head over to b.a.b.e.s. to see what i wore wednesday...)

new thoughts coming...

2010-09-06T22:11:00.002-04:00

summer has come and gone...school has started.
trying to think of new ideas for blogging...

wordless wednesdays...

thrifty thursdays...

favorites fridays...

those are my thoughts so far. hoping that having some themes will inspire and organize me!

be sure too to check out my other blogs, five inside my mind (my preschool blog) and b.a.b.e.s. (my fashion blog). i'll be using these themes there too.

mondays?...tuesdays?? ideas needed!

say hello to spanky...

2010-07-21T10:00:00.005-04:00

well, mary e wore us down.

we said no more dogs...but she's been pretty persistent since buddy died that we get another dog. "how about for my birthday???" she asks coach sal...at a weak moment.

so...we went to pethelpers (just to look, mind you), and came home with spanky!

he was found roaming around with another dog and was brought to the shelter. it was obvious that he'd had a previous owner. sweet and friendly and about 5 years old...

too cute!

bahamas, baby!

2010-07-21T09:13:00.016-04:00

on the ship, first afternoon...

coach sal wins trivia...after being asked to step away from the buzzer and let others score! (that's my babe!)

formal night, mary e by the ocean...

first port of call, freeport...not our favorite, but a new place to visit...

david and jacob wanted to experience something new this trip, so yes, i let them get on one of these things...they turned comepletely over three times, and i prayed about 300! when they got back to shore, they said it was GREAT! {sigh...}

port of call two, nassau! this was coach sal and i's third visit, and we LOVE nassau!

three carnival ships in a row...

we love cruising...the beautiful turquoise ocean, the white sand, the fun and the festivity!

i think i will retire to a cruise ship...

the day before the 4th of july...

2010-07-08T22:10:00.009-04:00

chad and the girls came for the weekend, just like last summer! we went to folly on saturday (my brother tommy joined us) and it was CrAzY windy...the waves were blowing sideways, it made for some tough boogie boarding. afterwards we hit jack's cosmic dogs for loaded doggies...awesome!

so far away...

2010-07-08T22:03:00.002-04:00

i can hardly believe that a month has gone by. a lot has happened.

church camp.
school camp.
beach days at folly.
sleeping in.
staying up.
lots of reading. books books and more books.
grilling out.
friends visiting.
celebrating freedom.

but no blogging. i just didn't feel like it. call it the lazy days of summer...

i will post a few photos, to catch you up. me up.

off to a busy start...

2010-06-07T20:39:00.004-04:00

sunday was a day of rest and worship and fellowship with old friends and some shoe shopping for church camp and some more worship and fellowship and teen friends spending the night and playing xbox. sunday mornings i wake up with a hum in my heart...no wonder.

monday brought busyness...gym workout and running kids to and from church activities and practice driving with the oldest son and library and bank and returning shoes that didn't fit and going to a retina specialist to discover i have a cotton wool spot in my eye and then dinner with dialation (hard to see...) and take middle son to grandparents to cut grass and play three games of cornhole (i won one)...time to relax.

why can't every day be sunday?...

saturday night's all right...

2010-06-05T23:23:00.005-04:00

today...

we went to my nephew's 12th birthday party. some of us bowled.

i went to the grocery store and bought $129 worth of groceries for $53. {insert yahOOO!}

i continued my quest for photo organization. and looked at some old photos and brought back some sweet memories.

coach sal and i had a date night. we went to chick-fil-a and i tried the new spicy chicken sandwich. wowza. then we went to look for new tevas for camp but the fire alarm went off in the store and we all had to leave. exciting date night, eh??

i ate a box of lilly pulitzer animal crackers (the box was way cute, the crackers still look the same) while i waited on jacob to return from the bare naked ladies concert. he said it was loud. he proved it when he played back what he recorded on his phone. ouch.

and i didn't take a single photo. but i have the memories.

goodnight john boy!

holga goes bahamas...

2010-06-05T08:32:00.005-04:00

aren't these images so dreamy?...i love how the holga makes everything look like you were imagining...but it's not an image, it's a memory!

going back in july, and taking all three kiddos with us, hooray!!!

summer oasis...

2010-06-04T21:11:00.004-04:00

i hope to sit here soon, in my splendid summer oasis, if it will ever stop raining...

yesterday we went to the beach...nice.

today becky and i worked on lessons for church camp and then i took her to her birthday lunch at ladles. i've also been organizing all my photographs and scrapbooking supplies...that is taking forever...{sigh}...

but i did find my holga photos from the bahamas last summer! i will share those soon.

wish for no rain. and no mosquitos. those guys are pesky.

summer's here...

2010-06-02T21:15:00.002-04:00

and i am going to be sure i keep track of how i spend it.

it's going to go by...i don't want to wonder what did i do with it?

on may 31st we celebrated the holiday at a cookout at tommy and becky's.

on june 1st, i helped becky learn how to coupon and grocery shop (in the pouring rain). i also saw erica and jonah's new home.

today i took david to renew his driver's permit. i took mary e to cut her hair for locks of love (it looks so cute in a short asymetrical bob!). i cleaned and organized my bedroom and closet. and i saw shrek forever after (funny!) with coach sal and jacob.

what else is in store?...

nyc...

2010-06-02T21:03:00.008-04:00

we came, we saw, we were ouidad hair models...

we wished we could stay...

the end...

on my way...

2010-05-13T21:59:00.003-04:00

a round trip flight to new york city...$130.

tickets to see mary poppins on broadway...$86.50.

a weekend with friends as hair models for ouidad...priceless.

i {heart} ny...

2010-05-11T20:42:00.003-04:00

aren't these the best??? check it out here...

will be so glad...

2010-05-10T19:12:00.002-04:00

i can hardly wait for all this to be gone.

gone, gone, GONE. come on, summer!

just love green...

2010-05-09T15:34:00.005-04:00

ok, becky is going to say, "I TOLD YOU SO!"

i saw this bag at target. and i loved it. and i left it.
then i went back today and i got it.

becky says i do this all the time with shoes...and she's right. but when i wait to make a purchase, i find that i really love the item and i really use the item. that's my defense. (smile.)

and better yet...this beauty is going to NYC with me next weekend!!!

more to come...

my sister, RN...

2010-05-06T23:33:00.002-04:00

my sister graduated from nursing school tonight, top of her class...i am so proud of her!!!

i could never do what she just did...amazing...

and her peers chose her to give the commencement speech, very cool!

watch out, there's a new RN in the house!

what a find...

2010-05-06T23:28:00.002-04:00

look at this awesome old swivel stool i happened upon today as i browsed a second-hand store...

it will be so cute in my classroom...

question...to paint or not to paint?...and what color?

a quarter in review...

2010-05-04T21:40:00.006-04:00

time to time travel...

in april, we had our first annual "peeps in the pit" party...we had plenty to burn! and they actually made really good s'mores!

at the end of march we visited chad and the girls in n.c. for a few days...i let my children go out in a kayak, what was i thinking??? (i could barely watch.)

easter came in april...the only photo i got.

in march, mary e had a lead role in her school musical...so proud! she loves to sing...

and in february, it snow-ow-owed, right here in dixie!!! it hasn't snowed since january 2000...mary e was 5 months old! this is the first snow she (and jacob) remember seeing.

can you believe that these are pretty much ALL the photos i have taken in 2010??? i think my 365 photo project last year drained me. this year, i'm trying more to just enjoy the moment...

want to see...

2010-04-30T16:52:00.002-04:00

here's my want-to-see movie list for the next few weeks...

iron man 2, may 7

letters to juliet, may 14

shrek 3, may 21

toy story 3, june 18

what's on your viewing list?

ps, i have some other things to share and update you on...so more will hopefully be coming soon.

it's all happiness...

2010-04-14T19:20:00.003-04:00

happy list for today...

1. new red shoes
2. biscuits for dinner
3. organizing
4. a closet all to myself
5. knowing i am loved
6. hot showers
7. children's books
8. blue sky spring days
9. family and friends
10. 27 days of school until summer

what makes you happy today?

are you still here? please leave me a post to let me know if you still come around. i'm sorry i'm so absent. thanks for still dropping by!

still around...

2010-03-21T22:54:00.004-04:00

i've been trying to become a master at some of the things on my list below...operative word, TRYING.

sigh.

anyhow, i am still around. figuratively.

visit my sweet friend's blog {here}. it's worth the read~

see you around!

where two are gathered...

2010-03-03T22:34:00.001-05:00

We are yours Lord and we love you.
We thank you for this day. Let us rejoice and be glad IN it.
We thank you for our jobs and our students.
We ask that you rid us of all fear and grow our faith.
We ask that you place us in positions that bring glory to your name and honor to your kingdom.
We want what YOU want for us.
We pray for your wisdom and insight.
We pray for open ears, open eyes, and open hearts.
We pray for our daily bread.
We ask that you fill us with your peace and strength.
Help us to see our blessings and to praise you today.
Amen.

awarded...

2010-02-20T11:05:00.002-05:00

i was chosen by my blogworld friend, whitney, at the king and i, to post 6 things i am a master at.

this ought to be interesting. :o) can "very good at" count?

let's see...

* i am a master at doing the laundry. or at least my family thinks i am, because they let me do all of it myself.

* i am a master at never finding jeans that truly fit. even when i think they do and buy them, i get them home and they don't fit a week later.

* i am a master at being frugal. i will make my family go without ice cream if it's not buy-one-get-one free WITH a coupon. or two.

* i am a master lurker. i read blogs but rarely post.

* i am a master at teaching early childhood. it's my passion.

* i am a master at doing nothing. i love to sit and decompress. and sleep.

now, i'm going to take it a step further...here are things i wish i was a master at...

* i wish i was a master at getting enough sleep.

* i wish i was a master at getting enough exercise.

* i wish i was a master at being more loving and forgiving.

* i wish i was a master at knowing my Master.

* i wish i was a master at not stressing out.

* i wish i was a master of mustard seed faith.

so...your turn! what are YOU a master at? and what do you wish you did more/better?

not by human power...

2010-02-16T19:55:00.001-05:00

in galatians, i noticed an underlying theme...not by human power. of course this runs through most of the bible, but it really stood out to me in the following verses...

"paul, an apostle- sent not with a human commission nor by human authority, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father..." ch. 1 vs. 1...not by human power.

" and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age..." ch. 1 vs. 3-4...not by human power.

"i want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel i preached is not of human origin. i did not receive it from any human source, nor was i taught it; rather, i received it by revelation from Jesus Christ." ch. 1 vs. 11-12...not by human power.

"but when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that i might preach him among the Gentiles..." ch. 1 vs. 15-16...not by human power.

"for God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at work in me as an apostle to the Gentiles." ch. 2 vs. 8...not by human power.

"so we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified." ch.2 vs. 16... not by human power.

"i have been crucified with Christ and i no longer live but Christ lives in me." ch. 2 vs. 20...not by human power.

"after beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by human effort?" ch.3 vs.3...not by human power.

"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us..." ch.3 vs.13...not by human power.

"...for if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law." ch. 3 vs.22...not by human power.

"...for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." ch.3 vs. 27...not by human power.

"...God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts..." ch.4 vs. 6...not by human power.

"his son by the slave woman was born as a result of human effort, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise." ch.4 vs. 23...not by human power.

"...that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be no value to you at all." ch.5 vs. 2...not by human power.

"so i say walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature." ch.5 vs. 16...not by human power.

"since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." ch.5 vs. 25...not by human power.

"may i never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and i to the world." ch.5 vs. 14...not by human power.

wow.

it is very evident that...

i am weak and He is strong.
i need thee every hour.
nothing but the blood of Jesus.
i am mine no more.

help me, Lord, to let you reign and to let your Spirit work in me. for without you, i am nothing.

i have to believe...

2010-02-12T16:02:00.002-05:00

heard this song today and immediately saw the haitian people in my mind...

I have to believe
He sees my darkness,
I have to believe
He knows my pain,
I have to lift up
my hands to worship,
worship his name...

I have to declare
that He is my refuge,
I have to deny
that I am alone,
I have to lift up
my eyes to the mountains,
that's where my help,
it comes from...

He said that He's forever faithful
He said that He's forever true
He said that He can move mountains
If He can move mountains
He can move my mountain, He can move your mountain, too...

I have to stand tall
when the wind blows me over,
I have to stand strong
when I'm weak and afraid,
I have to grab hold,
a hold of the garments, the garments of praise

He said that He's forever faithful
He said that He's forever true
He said that He can move mountains
If he can move mountains
He can move my mountain, He can move your mountain, too..

I have to sing praise
when the hour is midnight,
He unlocks these chains
that bind up my soul,
my sin and my shame he has forgiven
and made me whole

He said that He's forever faithful
He said that He's forever true
He said that He can move mountains
If he can move mountains
He can move my mountain, He can move your mountain, too..

He's got everything under control
I have to believe...
Lord I believe, help my unbelief
I have to believe in you,
I have to believe...

{rita springer}

not without you...

2010-02-11T16:55:00.003-05:00

i've been following the blog of a family in the process of bringing their adopted son home from haiti via humanitarian parole, and the struggles they faced getting him to the united states. after the young boy was denied a flight to the u.s. on a c-17 because of missing paperwork, his father decided to go to haiti and get him. it proved to be a long enduring week as the two of them slept on the floor of the embassy and dealt with the legal bureaucracy of paperwork.

my heart cried out to God for them as i followed his updates and his frustration. he mentioned that each day his son would ask, "we go home now?" and his answer was no. and then his son would ask, "you go home now?" and he would answer, "not without you".

this story made me think about the father-child relationship. our Father-child relationship.

not without you. our Father would go to the ends of the earth to be with us, to get us, to bring us back.

"for this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them...I will rescue them from all the places where they were scatttered on a day of clouds and darkness." ezekiel 34:11-12

"...but while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him, and kissed him." luke 15:20

our Father is waiting for us. our Father is waiting with us.

"the Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 peter 3:9

"the Lord watches over you- the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night." psalm 121:5-6

our Father fought the battle for us and won.

"and having disarmed the the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross." colossians 2:15

He loves us so so so much.

like a child...

2010-02-09T22:31:00.002-05:00

our youngest child and only daughter told me one night at bedtime a few weeks ago that she thought she was ready to be baptized...but she wasn't sure she was ready.

"why do you think you aren't ready?" i asked.

through tears, she says, "because i don't know everything and i'm not sure i can be good enough..."

aren't you glad we don't have to know everything? if baptism and forgiveness were a test, we'd never pass, no matter how hard we tried.

aren't you glad that we don't have to be good enough? if it was about being good enough, we'd never get that right, either.

i told her that we are always learning more about God, and that it's because we aren't good enough and can't be that we need God's forgiveness...and i told her the fact that she was taking this so seriously showed that she was ready.

and He said, " truly i tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. therefore, whoever takes a humble place- becoming like this child- is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." matthew 18:3-4

lost...

2010-02-08T21:07:00.003-05:00

also in soul graffiti, mark scandrette proposes "experiments" at the end of each chapter. here is one that piqued my interest...

most of us have looked around the religious landscape and wondered, "why can't it be different than it is?" on a sheet of paper, brainstorm ten words you would use to describe your dream faith community. if you can imagine it, maybe it can happen. what can you do to take the first step to initiate it?

maybe i like lists (well, i know that i like lists), so i immediately made a list. i also was curious as to what ten words would come to mind first.

sharing.
giving.
faith-filled.
fearless.
focussed.
open.
community-building.
loving.
ethereal.
humble.
hospitable.

funny, looking back at this list (which i made over a week ago), i now have new words come to mind...

forgiving.
spirit-filled.
embracing.
teaching.
feeding.
helping.
caring.
worshipping.
patient.

when i think about my list, i realize that the list i created is what i want myself to be.

imagine if what we all wanted from our church, WE, the church, were willing to live. every day. with no fear, only faith.

"for whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it." matthew 16:25

let's get lost.

living...

2010-02-07T23:27:00.003-05:00

i just finished reading soul graffiti by mark scandrette, and these thoughts of his caught my attention...

"our society's preoccupation with celebrity can often make us feel the best of life is happening somewhere else...it can be tempting to live vicariously through the experiences of others. in a media-drenched culture you run the risk of knowing more about someone you've never lived met than someone you live with, or the somebody that you are... sometimes we become paralyzed by thinking of what might have been...a sense of scarcity fuels our jealousies and insecurities, and inhibits us from receiving the gifts of creation with gratefulness...the journey back to God involves recovery of our sense of abundance and trust in the Creator's provision. we choose whether to be ruled by wanting or thankfulness."

i have found myself spending too much time reading blogs about other's lives and feeling like i've missed something in mine, feeling like maybe i haven't heeded God's calling. that maybe there's more i should be doing. feelings of longing and maybe even guilt...

yet i know that i am where i am in my life right now because of God. that He placed me where i am for a reason.

so i declare this week a no-blog-reading week. i need to step away from the lives of others and focus on my own. and my family. and things on my heart.

i will be posting, just not reading. for this week.

but i do love you all!

no fear, only faith...

2010-02-01T21:33:00.004-05:00

these verses spoke to me recently in a way like never before...

"anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on a solid rock. thought the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the wind beats against that house, it won't collapse because it is build on bedrock. but anyone who hears my teaching and doesn't obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. when the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash."

you know, i always read this parable and thought, "oh yes, because i chose jesus, i will be ok. when things get 'bad' i will have Him to lean on." that's ok, but think of it this way...

He says whoever listens and follows His teachings...not just chooses Him. action. like the verses that say, "prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. don't just say to each other ' we are safe'...yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire." matthew 3:8-10

then think about this...i think when He talks of the rain, the floods, the wind...He's not talking about just physical stuff like illness and joblessness and money and marriage problems that come at us. i think He's speaking directly to our fear and faithlessness. He's telling me if i listen and follow His teachings and obey Him and let His Spirit lead me, then when the questions of "what if" and "how will we" and "what will people think" come into our minds, we can know what we built on. and that it is enough.

worries plus wealth equals no fruit.

like a mustard seed...

2010-01-28T22:04:00.002-05:00

shane claiborne's the irrestible revolution has a chapter about the mustard seed and the parables, and it got me thinking...

"...if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'move from here to there', and it will move. nothing will be impossible for you." matthew 17:20-21

faith...as small as a seed. a seed that starts small, but grows big. really big. and wild.

and you can tell mountains- big ugly everyday junk that gets in your way to move- and it will move.

nothing is impossible with faith like a mustard seed. wow.

even better....
"...the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed which a man took and planted in his field. though it's the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches."

the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed...a seed that starts small, but grows big. really big. and wild. and we are that kingdom.

that seed has to be planted in order to grow. have i been sowing lately? getting my hands dirty?

the birds even know where to go for food and shelter. didn't He promise that if He took care of the birds, He would care for us even more?

mustard seed faith...nothing is impossible.

let's start sowing.

among the thorns...

2010-01-27T16:21:00.002-05:00

i was reading the parable of the farmer sowing seeds. i was invited to look at these verses with new eyes...

"...the seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God's word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced..." matthew 13:22

oh my. that is me.

but aren't we the seeds on the good soil? those verses say that we hear and understand God's word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times what was planted. (vs.23)

worries of this life...no money, illness, family and marriage issues, friendships, disasters, politics, etc etc etc...keep us from God. keep us from trusting. clutter our mind with what ifs...

the lure of wealth...wanting more money, feeling like we need more money, worry about having enough and saving enough...these things diminish our focus and faith on God. we can handle this. we need to save more, work more, get a better job, get more schooling...

if my mind is tied up in worries and wealth, then where is my heart? i'm so busy choking, there's no way i can grow and produce...in my faith. in my trust. in my love for God and others.

worries plus wealth equal no fruit. NO FRUIT.

i'm trying now to prepare my fields. it's time to plant. it's time to harvest.

no more thorns.

eyes unveiled...

2010-01-26T20:27:00.001-05:00

this post may ramble. i have a lot on my mind.

ever since i read crazylove, i have had a whole different attitude. about life. about people. about me.

the spirit made me do it. and i am so so so grateful.

after reading the book, i dove into my bible. and i read verses that i have read many times in a whole new way. i believe through unveiled eyes. through His eyes.

i have been existing for Him. nice, but not enough. i realize that what He calls me, us, to do is live for Him. completely. all or nothing. no fear, all faith.

i had been going through each day, believing i was giving my all. i studied. i prayed. i thought about God. i thought about others. i went to church. i was good. wasn't i?...

then as i read forgotten God and then read the irrestible revolution, and it caused me to study more and more, i have really felt a strong resolve to make my life HIS. and to pray for open eyes, open ears, open heart. i need Him and i need to stop doing life my way and stop quenching His Spirit with my sad excuses and pitiful attempts to do it myself.

i have prayed for His voice and His leading and no fear and all faith. i want doors opened and i am ready to go.

i have felt Him calling. me. us. our family. to something. somewhere? not sure. maybe? maybe He's calling me to simply be open to His calling. maybe He's wanting me to just be willing. i know He's working in me like never before. every day i look and listen. every day i want to know Him better, want to drown out the noise of this world.

suddenly nothing matters but pleasing Him. and it feels so good. it feels so right. and yet, believe me, it's not easy. but i have to say, it is peaceful.

loving your enemies...it's not easy.
loving those who hate you...not easy.
giving to the ungrateful...not easy.
keeping your thoughts on things above...not easy.

but living Spirit-filled...priceless.
serving Him...priceless.
living the great commands...priceless.
having peace that passes all understanding...priceless.

more on this. brain needs to reboot.

soul clutter...

2010-01-17T00:00:00.003-05:00

my soul has been heavy lately. i'm sure yours has been too.

it is so so difficult to read the news and not just want to reach through the screen and do something. my soul cries out to the people of haiti and i hurt so much for them. i feel like anything i do right now is just not enough. not enough... it feels like 9/11 all over again. that feeling of deep helplessness and disbelief...

i try to take comfort in the knowledge that our Father is there. He is there when i can't be. He hears their cries and ours.

pray. give. pray some more.

here's one of my favorite psalms, which we have hanging in our hallway near our bedrooms...

"i lift up my eyes to the mountains-
where does my help come from?
my help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip-
He who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, He who watches over israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

the Lord watches over you-
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

the Lord will keep you from all harm-
He will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forvermore."

psalm 121~

in Him...

2010-01-07T22:04:00.003-05:00

it's been a busy week.

but through it i have been trying to give Him space and voice, by breathing and listening and studying and praying. and it's brought great peace.

my God is so wonderful. i am thrilled with being in His presence.

what are you going do?...

2010-01-03T16:00:00.004-05:00

...in 2010?

...sleep more?
...wake earlier?
...eat healthier?
...run further?
...travel farther?
...study harder?
...give irrationally?
...love unconditionally?

i dare you. try.

it can't hurt. it might even help.

"and whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him>" Colossians 3:17

reading lit a fire...

2010-01-01T22:55:00.003-05:00

i discovered the bloom book club a week ago. i went and purchased their first book...

crazy love by francis chan. and it was eye-opening.

God is awesome. really really awesome. and crazy-in-love with us.

i am lukewarm. i am serving Him leftovers.

the greatest commandments? to love God. to love others. every day. every way.

i desire to be in love and obsessed. i need to live for Him and nothing else.

you have to read this book. it will fire you up and motivate you to live for Him in a whole new way. the way that we need to...fully and wholly.

check out this article i found about the author at christianity today.

can you tell i'm excited? i can't wait to see what 2010 brings and what i can do for Him and others this year...

word of the year...

2010-01-01T22:43:00.005-05:00

we have been studying peace in our life group. i decided to make it my focus for 2010. i have been purchasing ornaments to hang in my home as visual reminders.

there are so so many ways i do not show peace or feel peace. in my dealings with people...at work and at home. in my head thoughts...worried, anxious, fearful about illness, hurt, pain, death. place everything at christ eternal is the acronym i came up with for peace.

when i don't trust, i show a lack of faith. i show i that i want to be in control.

oh Lord, i know when you are in control, my life is what YOU want it to be, which is infinitely better than what i could ever come up with.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me...Peace I leave you; my peace I give you." John 14:1 & 27

the first day of 2010...

2010-01-01T22:40:00.002-05:00

i spent today in my jammies...all day long. i think the last time i did this i was sick.

it was rainy and cold. coach sal was returning from helping our bro-in-law run a 12 hour marathon (bro-in-law ran 55+ miles) in north carolina. awesome way to start 2010!

we ate cinnamon rolls at noon. we read books, watched tv, and played games.

and now i'm blogging before bed.

i have a few things to share...

new years eve...

2009-12-31T22:37:00.002-05:00

we had a beautiful blue moon to send us off into 2010...

i know 2010 is going to be a great year, full of new possibilities.

are you ready?

for your viewing pleasure...

2009-12-25T21:49:00.002-05:00

merry merry twenty-fifth...

2009-12-25T21:42:00.003-05:00

merry merry mess of joy...

merry merry morning breakfast...

merry merry christmas lunch cooking...

no more merry left under the tree...(sigh)...

hope your day was merry and bright!

december twenty-fourth...

2009-12-24T21:38:00.001-05:00

surprising family at the airport...

surprising family with gifts...

spending time with family, celebrating with traditions...

the twenty-third thing i love...

2009-12-23T12:57:00.002-05:00

christmas lights at the county park and santa cow!