Why I Blog

I was tagged by Butterflykiss21 with a meme to list 5 reasons why I blog.

1. I signed up for a Blogger account over a year ago, but I didn't know anyone else that blogged and so I stopped. I started to see that a lot of the Moms that are a part a homeschool group that I belong to have great blogs and so I had the encouragement to get mine started.

2. I orginally thought of using this blog to keep track of the things that we do as a part of our homeschool and eventually plan to get around to that. :-)

3. I love meeting through the blog world, and the best way to meet them is to share your thoughts and then have them comment.

4. Blogging provides an outlet for me to share some of my feelings and it allows me to see that there are actually a lot of people who feel the same way. They may live in New Zealand, but they feel the same way. :-)

5. Being at home with the kids most of the day, it provides a nice outlet to mingle with people of like (and sometimes different) minds.

Now I tag, Ann, Shereen, Rona, Laura and Justice Fergie

Don't Throw Out That Shampoo!

Have you ever bought a new shampoo only to realize that it just doesn't work the way you thought it would?

Well don't throw it out. Use it to clean your bathroom. That stuff that's that's in the tub is the same stuff that in your hair, so use the shampoo to clean it!

It works for me!

For more ideas that work, visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer.

Looking Past The Anger To See The Hurt

I have Praise Team rehearsals on Monday nights. I'm the leader and last night was one of those nights that I wanted to just come home and type up my resignation. I normally plan out the songs for the month, but for whatever reason I hadn't done the songs for March yet, including the songs for this Sabbath. So the beginning of the stresses was trying at the last minute to think of songs that don't require much rehearsal time.

One of the Praise Team Members gets to rehearsal and immediately she is confrontational. "Where is the musician? Why do we have rehearsal at 7 if we are not going to start until 7:15. We might as well start at 7:30, and on and on and on throughout the entire rehearsal.

By the end of the rehearsal my patience had thinned and so I decided to call her on my 30 minute drive home. God would have it that her husband would have her cell phone and I would have to wait until he made it home to speak with her.

About 15 minutes later she called me back. I begin by telling her that I'm not trying to be confrontational, I just need to get some things strait. At this point I am still very upset, but not looking to make matters worse, so I took a deep breath, said a quick prayer and went on to tell her how I felt about how the rehearsal had gone.

She apologized for being negative and unsupportive. I then asked her if she had any issues with me in particular that she wanted to discuss. She said no and went on to say that she was having a very bad day.

I asked her if it was anything that she wanted to talk about and she went on to tell me that today was the date that her Mother was murdered. She went on to say that February's are very hard for her and November's as well (her Mother's birthday).

I prayed with her before we got off the phone and let her know that she could call if she needed to talk.

I'm writing this post to say that often times we get so caught up in our own problems and issues, that we forget that other people have struggles as well. As Christians, we must take time to look past the obvious anger of others and be able to see the hurt that is buried deep within.

Those who hurt others do so because they are hurting inside. I could have very easily called her and given her a piece of my mind, and don't get me wrong, if she had answered the phone when I called, I probably would have. But what in the world would that have accomplished? Has God now been glorified? Has she seen Jesus in me?

In order to separate ourselves from the world and be Christians in the truest sense, we must show love to those who seem unlovable. We must have enough Christ in us to be able to see the hurt and love them in spite of the anger they so readily display.

For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. Luke 6:32

Show love today to someone who is undeserving. It's what Christ does for us.

Cup Stacking-A New Sport

My husband was watching the news the other day and there was a story on about a competition for cup stacking.

In this sport, cups of identical size are used to stack the cups in different sequences. So for example in the 3-3-3, there are 3 sets of 3 cups each. Each set of cups is stacked in a pyramid in a particular order, in as little time as possible.

This sport uses both sides of the body as well as both sides of the brain and improves gross motor skills as well as concentration.

The pack to get started is 29.99, which can be a little pricey if you have several kids, but it includes 12 cups, a bag to hold the cups, a stacking mat and a timer. I'm going to order a set for my kids to help with hand eye coordination.

You can check it out at the Speed Stacks website. Get ready to be amazed! I'm still in awe at how fast those kids can stack the cups. :-)

Psalms Sunday #8

Psalm 8

1O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
2Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
3When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
4What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
5For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
6Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
7All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;
8The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
9O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

When I consider thy heavens...what is man that thou art mindful of him?

My daughter and I learned some facts about stars once. Did you know that there are stars that are larger than the distance between the earth and the sun. The earth is more than 90 million miles from the sun!!

I don't even know what to say. God has created galaxies upon galaxies, trillions of millions of miles deep and wide, and yet He cares about the intricate, sometimes seemingly meaningless details of my life. What an Awesome God we serve!!

We ought to tell more people about Him. :-)

Baby Shower Game Ideas

I am helping with a baby shower for a friend of mine from church. Does anyone have a game that they really enjoy playing at a baby shower? I'm looking for some great ideas. My favorite game is the one where you put tiny safety pins in a bowl with rice. The game player has to separate the pins from the rice. Oh my goodness, you would think that would be easy right?? Well it's not! I forgot to mention that the player is blindfolded. :-)

Post your favorite games and I'll let you know how the shower goes.

Menu Plan Monday

Sunday-Chana Daal and rice

Monday -Chick pea salad Sandwiches
Tuesday-Stirfry w/ Morning Star Veggie Chicken Strips and Rice
Wednesday-Spaghetti
Thursday- Homemade Pizza
Friday-Tofu and Pecan patties with Mixed Vegetables
Sabbath-Grillers Prime with Gravy and Garlic Mashed Potatoes

For more menus, visit the Organized Junkie

Psalms Sunday #7

Psalm 7

1O LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me:
2Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver.
3O LORD my God, If I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands;
4If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me; (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy:)
5Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah.
6Arise, O LORD, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies: and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded.
7So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about: for their sakes therefore return thou on high.
8The LORD shall judge the people: judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me.
9Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.
10My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart.
11God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.
12If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready.
13He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors.
14Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.
15He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made.
16His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.
17I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.

I love this Psalm because David begins it by affirming his trust in the Lord. He knows that God has the power to deliver him from his enemies and he knows that it is not his place to try to deal with them himself.

I thought about this and I wondered, Why do we take matters into our own hands when it comes to our enemies, or any situation for that matter? Is it because we don't trust that God is able to handle our problems? Do we think that He doesn't know what is going on? Or maybe we are just not thinking at all.

God has told us to trust in Him and lean not unto our own understanding. We should acknowledge Him and He will direct our paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

So the conclusion that I come to is that if God is not directing our path (and seeking revenge on our enemies would certainly not be in that path) it is because we are not trusting in Him, but are yet leaning on our own understanding.

I thank God that He allows us and really wants us to lean on His undertanding.

New Specs for Me

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I have a doctor's appointment in March for new eyeglasses. I have taken some pictures in different frames. Please vote and tell me which frames you like best.

Quilting Class

I signed up for a quilting class at my church that starts this Sunday. I started making a quilt for my Grandmother for her 70th birthday which was the September before last. So yes you guessed it, I am a procrastinator. Isn't that terrible?

Well at any rate, Iplan to finish the quilt this month. Gotta start somewhere, right?

I will post a picture once I finish.

Now the next step will be to get it mailed to her. I'll set that goal once the quilt is finished. :-)

Happy Valentines Day To Those That I Love

Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails

I Corinthians 13:4-8

Seeing As Others See Me

I often think of how people look at my daughter and immediately say, "She looks just like you. She's beautiful." Now the wheels in my head are turning. Does that mean they think I'm beautiful too? Is that what they see when they look at me?

It's weird how we can look at our children every single day and never see ourselves (physically) in them. What is it about the way we see ourselves that keeps us from being able to see our own similarities? Certainly we can look at other children and see when they look just like their parents.

I had a dream one night of people passing by me, looking at me. After each person passed , I would look into the mirror to see if I could see what they saw. What is it they are looking at I thought? Exactly what is it they see when they look at me?

A few days after I had this dream, I was asked to sing for Sabbath School. I went to the Family Christian Bookstore and found a song with these lyrics:

Is the face that I see in the mirror
The one I want others to see
Do I show in the way that I walk in my life
The love that You've given to me?

My heart's desire is to be like You
In all that I do all I am

Do they see Jesus in me
Do they recognize Your face
Do I communicate your love and Your grace
Do I reflect who you are
In the way I choose to be
Do they see Jesus, Jesus in me

So I have to ask myself as I go about my day; as I dress, as I converse with others, as I meditate upon thoughts...Am I reflecting Him? What is that others are seeing right now? And the most important question of all, What is it that God sees when He looks at me?

It is my prayer that He sees only the blood of Jesus.

Menu Plan Monday (Vegetarian)

Sunday-Haystacks (Chili, served over cornchips and topped with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, olives, salsa, etc.)

Monday- Basil Pasta, Salad, Garlic Bread

Tuesday-Tacos

Wednesday-Pigs in a Blanket (Hot dogs cut into quarters and wrapped in a cresent roll), Mixed Vegetables, Salad

Thursday-Spaghetti, Mixed Vegetables and Salad

Friday-Hot Dogs

Saturday-Black Beans and Rice, Cornbread, Salad

Our family is vegetarian, mostly vegan. My son is allergic to milk, and the more I learn about my body, it seems that I have some type of allergy as well. When I have food with milk in it, I can't breathe at night (asthma), so I'm working to eliminate it completely from our diet.

For more menu idea, visit the Organizing Junkie.

Psalm Sunday #6

Psalm 6
1O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
2Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed.
3My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD, how long?
4Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies' sake.
5For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?
6I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.
7Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies.
8Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping.
9The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer.
10Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed: let them return and be ashamed suddenly.

David is asking the Lord to have mercy on him; to take away his grief now while he is still alive because once he dies, he won't be praising the Lord in the sleep of death.

The Psalms like these are great because they allow us deep into David's heart. Here he is obviously sad and is telling God all about his weariness. In verse 6, he says that he has groaned so much that he is weary. He can't even sleep at night, and he can't seem to stop crying.

But praise God! In verse 9, the Lord hears his prayer.

I am so glad that God hears our prayers and has mercy upon us! :-)

For more views on Psalms 6, visit Butterflykiss21

New Specs for Jasmine

My daughter has been squinting for a couple of months now. When I first mentioned to her that she probably needed glasses, she started crying and went on about how her friends would make fun of her and call her four eyes.

Kids really can be cruel sometimes, but I assured her that her "real friends" would never call her names or make fun of her glasses. She agreed and so we set the appointment.

She had a great time, except for when it was time to get her eyes dialated. She did not find that part fun at all.

Picking frames was fun. She coincidentally picked the "Jasmine" frames from the Disney Princess collection. Those are the ones she is wearing in the picture.

She said "You know Mom, these glasses don't help me see one bit!" So I had to explain how her glasses have to be made specially for her and these are just for her to try on. How funny. She was so serious.

My New Camera Came!

My new camera came on Thursday. I was trying not to get too excited since last time the camera didn't work. I was pleasantly surprised. I put the batteries in the camera, pushed the on button and voila, it works fine.

I will post some pictures soon!

Psalm Sunday #5

So sorry that I am late with my post.

Psalm 5

1Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.
2Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.
3My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
4For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.
5The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
6Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
7But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.
8Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.
9For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.
10Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.
11But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
12For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

I read this Psalm and while the whole Psalm speaks to my heart, it is the last verse that stands out to me the most. It speaks of unmerited favor.

December 2005, I went to the wedding of a very good friend of mine. I considered not going because I didn't think that I could afford the trip. The price of the airline ticket alone was more than $350 and that didn't include hotel, rental car and food. I didn't even have anything all that nice to wear to the wedding.

I really wanted to go and so I prayed to God that if He wanted me there He would work it out. I was at my Dad's house for Thanksgiving, two weeks before the wedding, sitting at the computer, when I got a popup on my computer for airfares. This same airfare that was more than $350 was now being offered to me for $130 including all taxes!!

And it doesn't stop there. I got a rental car for the whole weekend for less than $45.

I get to the rental counter and the lady says "Is a silver mustang ok"? The guy next to me says "How in the world did you manage to get a silver mustang??"

I respond "Unmerited favor from the Lord!"

Needless to say, the whole weekend was one of the most fabulous weekends of my whole life. I thank God for favor...unmerited favor.

Visit Butterflykiss21 for more on Psalms Sunday.