A Joke from Teddy...

as I helped him button his jeans. It is hard to do when he is afraid my hands are cold on his tummy! Why do they make little boy's jeans have such tight button-holes? I am hoping he can manage it fast enough later!
"What button cannot get unbuttoned? A belly button!"

It's is all about food...

and the comfort it brings!

Blueberry muffins for a Friday morning breakfast...
A treat from a friend who knows my love for all things chocolate and coffee!
Homemade rolls from Taste of Home for Italian beef sandwiches with friends.
Pasta salad to share with people who actually like veggies!

MMM...have a delicious weekend!

The golden hour...

7:30 p.m. on a Thursday night...children are tucked in their beds...all is quiet amid the golden glow of the candles. I will enjoy this hour as I wait for Ted to come safely home. I like this time...reviewing the day, relaxing for the night, and knowing tomorrow will be busy...but for now...it is cherished time for this Mommy...it is golden!

On the lighter side...

You know it is the end of January when...
The beautiful snow is marred by a cute, little dog. The kid's instruction has changed over the years (Don't eat yellow snow!) to a humor all their own. I commented on our backyard looking like the "Trail of....Chevy". One child called it the "Trail of Poo", one child laughed hysterically, and one child referred to it as a "Trail of Tootsie Rolls". I hardly think I can ever eat one of those again without first gagging and then chuckling. All this for my cousin...here's what you get to look forward to...poo in your yard! All you can think of doing is sleep! After two days of cat-napping, look who is sleeping whenever, wherever, in whatever! Oh to be cuddled with a blanket right about now!
Your car is so dirty that your children can sign their names on the doors and write phrases on the window. Their Daddy will be thrilled to see this!!! I had to laugh...it says "Queesn Car" (no, I did not misspell what was written!) I am so glad they didn't have time or room to write " Queesn of the Short Bus" (that is what they creatively call the van...their dream in life...to ride a bus!)
You are tired of tripping over boots at the door...and they are your own! The grit and salt is a daily irritant but a necessity!

You turn on every TV and radio station to hear the news of the Illinois governor in the process of being impeached...or how bad our economy is and is getting.

I wonder what February will bring!

Um...

it makes perfect sense! How could I be so dense? How can I expect them to do what we say...when I do what I do?! My husband is so patient...and he is right! "What you do is more important than what you say!"
Have you ever thought about it in "terms of motherhood"? I wasn't thinking about "how our children saw" what I was doing. We expect them to be dressed and ready for the day but I wasn't getting "dressed for the day" till after devotions, lunches were made, and they were served breakfast...some days*...today being one of them! No wonder daughter number one isn't thinking it is important to get moving and be ready on time...she was following my example...and I was irritated that I couldn't motivate her to "get a move on". Never mind the other lack of example...consistency!* It is a wonder sometimes that God saw fit to give me children and thinks that I can train them to do anything! It is a wonderful thing to have a husband point out my "messed up thinking or lack of thinking" and rebuke me for getting irritated with our daughter. There is no way that I can dispute the fact that our example is important! Even in the areas that I don't "think about"...it will hinder the obedience in my children...um, duh! So...I am going to be more alert to the "mixed messages" that I am sending to our children! And be thankful for a husband that can see the "whole picture"!

Things that made me glad today...

God's provision!
Warm slippers!
Hot coffee!
God's protection!
The new playlist with Godly music available!
A frozen container of pre-cooked hamburger meat in the freezer!
My breadmaker!
Answering machine playing my sister's voice!
Frozen cake pieces in the freezer!
Excited children!
Rubber dish gloves!
A loving husband!
After dealing with a little buddy with tummy troubles today and lots of tears, God blessed me with some little details to make the afternoon and evening a little easier! I was tickled to find I had stashed a container of pre-cooked hamburger in the freezer...as I went scouring the kitchen in answer to the question..."What's for supper?" Spaghetti! Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of having all the ingredients...didn't have to think too hard on substitutes! I was able to put the leftover focus into homemade breadsticks and a yummy dessert! Seems like such a simple thing to be excited about...but it really made my heart glad...and some days...it is the simple things!

How selfish am I?

"You will accomplish more by dying to your self, than living for your self!"
Looking back over a few days...very selfish...it is a daily battle to put others first. It is easy to take care of me, it requires a servant's heart to take care of others! No better place to see that than from a mother's perspective! It is not about me and my needs and wants! It should be about what others need...at home first! Clean clothes, a soft answer, yummy meals and treats, consistent discipline, picked up house, warm hugs and kisses, floors cleaned, a cozy and safe haven, clean bathrooms, and etc. If I am not caring for those basic needs first, I am not doing what God expects me to do..."keeper at home". I was reminded by the messages I listened to yesterday that I need to have a heart for my home and family. It is not a chore. It is not an interruption to my life. It is a ministry that God has given to me as a wife and mother. If I am not effective at home, why do I think I could be effective anywhere else?

Two parts to my Monday

Success #1: Freshly baked peanut butter cookies with extra peanutty goodness-peanut butter chips and Reeses Pieces!
#2: Bowtie Chicken Pasta for supper for a hardworking husband!

Lack of Success: Long nap for a little guy who keeps yawning and crying. Don't let the picture fool you...this only lasted for 30 minutes. Maybe today will be better!

WoW!!!

Just finished listening to Part 2 and 3 of the messages I referenced the other day! You will be challenged and encouraged!

Stirred in my heart...

as I sat in our morning service and listened as a man from Shepherd's Ministries sang "It Will Be Worth It All...When We See Jesus"! I couldn't help but let the tears flow...shame on me...with a healthy body and strong mind...for those times when I lose sight of that Heavenly goal! What an overwhelming blessing it was to have the men come and share that special ministry with us! I was rebuked with how selfish, lazy, and discontent I can be...there is no excuse! If Steve and his friends can do what is needful and necessary for each day...happily...then what is wrong with me!

You know it is Monday...

when you just want to lay down and take a nap!

***However...this little guy is refusing...quite loudly today! This picture was taken on Thursday...maybe it was the carpet...like in the commercial! 'Cause he ain't going for the comfy little pack and play! I need the nap...let me tell ya!***

Mommy and Wife...Need to be encouraged?

Go to sermonaudio.com and listen to the message "The Incredible Family (Part 1)" by Pastor Greg Locke from Global Vision Baptist Church in Nashville, TN. We were first introduced to this man at North Love when he would come for special meetings. He is fun to listen to and stomps all over your toes and you don't even realize it at first! Ted and I have been married for ten years now...and counting...and we are still learning about our marital relationship each and every day. We are wired differently! I am a weaker vessel to be sure and need my strong, loving husband to prop me up and call me out somedays! This message was a good one for me to hear! I am looking forward to listening to the other messages in this series! **Part 2 and 3 are listed on this site.**

I have been challenged over and over lately in my response to the authority/leadership that is in my life...Do I submit to it? Do I challenge it? Am I willing to change how I respond to it? Can I handle it if they fail? Is my response that big of a deal? Does it really affect me? Does it really affect our family? Should I be concerned with my attitude toward this? Will it be demonstrated in other areas of my life?
Greg Locke gave a "definition" of being filled with the Holy Spirit...which is the will of God! I have heard this many times before, but the reality of it hit me again...a spirit-filled marriage relationship. "The influence (impact) of the Holy Spirit on my life that gives me daily strength (productivity for the Lord) for daily life." When I am filled with the Holy Spirit and submitting to Him, then I am able to submit to the authority/leadership in my life...that being my husband which is in reality...God because my husband should be submitting to His leadership. I am thankful for the husband God has given me and the desire he has to do right...no matter what! (And if he ever isn't in that frame of mind...well, then God can get his attention better than a nagging wife or brawling woman or control freak...I am to be his "help meet"!) Our submission to God and to each other will affect our family...positively or negatively!
Take time to listen...you will be challenged and encouraged!