Serenity?

I am sitting here at my desk and it is almost 9pm, which is about half an hour past my bedtime these days.  But despite my tiredness, I just had to share with you my little story of this evenings events.  We will title this little drama - "The mom, the bath, and the 6yr old".  Now you might be thinking that it is about a mom trying to give a 6yr old a bath; WRONG!

It is about a weary mama who has been working extremely hard at trying to get this house organized and cleaned, who decided that she would like to take a hot bubble bath this evening and have some alone time.  I know, what was I thinking!

I have spent the last two days cleaning out my garage, I am still not done but didn't get as far as I thought I would today because I believe I have given myself a hernia.  Seriously, I have a pain right below my belly button.  So I called it quits and walked back into the house with a forced smile on my face and quickly shoved the dogs off the couch and laid down to see if said pain would subside. It really hasn't and after awhile I did confess to my husband that I think I have pulled a muscle or possibly given myself a hernia and mumbled something to the extent of "While moving the full-size refrigerator in the garage by myself".  The look on his face was a mixture of "I'm sorry your hurting" and "You were doing what by yourself?".

Anyways, after I made it through dinner, I decided to try and take a relaxing bath and have some quiet time.  I honestly don't remember the last time I took a bath, probably at least 6 years ago and that would be if you count sitting in a few inches of hot water while very pregnant trying to ease the hemorrhoids.  Sorry, but I must speak the truth, you read this at your own risk.

I started the bath, put in my new bubble bath that I got for Christmas from my 6yr old, applied a great facial and slowly climbed in. Ahhh Serenity!!! I had my eyes closed for maybe a minute when this odd feeling came over me. I slowly opened one eye and realized that I was not alone.  How can this be? I specifically announced to the entire family, dogs included that I was going to go take a quiet bath and have some alone time and try to figure out if I had in fact given myself a hernia.

I look over to the side of the tub and there sits the 6yr old, with her bangs in her eyes, wearing the nightgown that she had put on at 4 o'clock this afternoon because she decided that she wasn't going to leave the house again and therefore it was a good idea. "Hi Mama" she said with a huge smile on her face, "Are you enjoying your quiet and alone bath?"

I smiled and gently reminded her that I wasn't alone if she was in there with me.  Her reply was "But I love my mama" now some of you rookies may think that those little words would melt my heart, not!  This was a total manipulation move on her part and both of us knew it.  The little twinkle in her eye was the dead giveaway, now before you think that I am ruthless, I know that she loves her mama and she knows that I know she loves her mama and we both know that this is the statement that she makes when she doesn't want to obey!  I gave her the look and pointed towards the exit and she pushed out her lower lip and headed for the door.

About 5 minutes later, I am trying to relax in the now warm water when I hear the door open and hear something crawling along the floor.  Yes, the 6yr old trying to be sneaky.  I lift my head so that I can see her and she looks up and says "I love you mama".  I take a deep breath and again try to explain to her that I need sometime alone.  By the time I am done explaining this fact she has made her way into the tub (well, at least her feet).  I then realize that the water is now tepid at best, there are no longer any bubbles remaining and we both can see all my fat rolls under water and I am pretty much convinced that I do have a hernia. This is when Daddy walks in and looks at me with sympathetic eyes and I shake my head to scolding he would have delivered and say "Never mind, it's not going to happen"

I am not mad or even really frustrated, that goes to show how far I have come in my quest for peace, in fact, as I am sitting here typing this out I have a smile on my face.  Even if I don't get that alone time very often I do have serenity in my spirit.  Now, who do I see about hernias?

Christmas

I am very much in the Christmas cheer mode right now.  I am realizing that all these steps that I have been taking - stepping back, seeking wisdom, taking time to be with the Lord, prioritizing my life, all these things are helping me to have an attitude of peace in my life.

Last year, I seriously dreaded this month.  But I realize now that it was because I was so focused on the negative stuff in my life - what we couldn't afford, what I wasn't getting done, who was irritating me the most :) etcetera etcetera.

I am definitely in a better place emotionally this year and I can be totally honest with you when I say - not much has changed since last year other than my attitude.  We are in the same place financially, same busyness (just a little bit different in tasks), and yes, some people still do irritate me :) etcetera etcetera.

But my attitude is a positive one - instead of focusing on what we can't afford, I am seeing what we can do; instead of being overwhelmed and frustrated, I am prioritizing and deciding what really needs to get accomplished (don't count on any Christmas cards going out!); instead of being irritated with others, the Lord is really giving me the spirit of love in my heart and reminding me that we are all God's children and need to treat each other that way, even if someone isn't treating me the way I want to be treated, I need to treat them the way God wants me to treat them.

It really makes a difference when we make these changes in our attitudes and refocus on what this season is really about.  Merry Christmas

Wisdom

I am on a quest, a little adventure so to speak.  I am in search of a great treasure that has been give to me but apparently I buried it somewhere in the midst of life.  I think it is located somewhere between trying to please others, worry, busyness and the laundry.

I am in search of Wisdom.  I have recently accepted the fact, that for me wisdom has been a fluke.  I understand a lot of things and I love to learn about a lot of things so I have knowledge.  But I had yet to grasp the concept of wisdom in my life.  I have realized this because the Lord told me so one day, that I need to stop taking other people's thoughts and using them for my own.  I need to give myself time on a daily basis to think and use this brain that God has so graciously given me and use it for myself.  He has so much to tell me and show me and teach me and yet I still put that time on the back burner.

I realized that I have been relying on others to satisfy this craving I have to be noticed and appreciated.  I use other peoples opinions or advice to help me make up my mind about what I believe instead of taking it before the throne. 

Nobody else has my children, my home, my life.  So why do I rely on others to tell me how to live it.  Granted you can learn things from others, especially those who have achieved wisdom, but that wisdom is something to ponder and pray about not just take for truth because someone said it.  We have to dwell on it and make sure that it is truth to us because God has given us the wisdom to believe it and hide it in our hearts. The Bible warns us not to be mislead or deceived, well the only way to do this is by letting the Holy Spirit lead us into what is truth.  I am not saying to question everything that is said to you but I do say that we need to pray about everything and if it is false then that will be revealed and if it is truth it will stay with you because you will have wisdom.

This may be confusing, I have been dealing with this topic for a couple of weeks now and I really wasn't sure how to write about it.  But I think a good example would be my walk with Christ.

I became a Christian was I was a child, but I really didn't understand what it meant for me.  My parents had spoken to me about it, I attended church every week, VBS in the summer, and I knew I should do it.  But I really didn't understand why until much later in life.  Now I think that it was ok that I accepted Christ this way, but I also realized that I needed to understand the "Why" before I could go past a certain point in my spiritual life.  I needed to develop the wisdom as to the importance of being a Christian and what it really meant to me, individually, not just why other people believed it and I agreed with it and that it was the right thing for me to do. 

I also think about my kids, and when I tell my 6 yr old something and get "why" and so many times I want to just say "because I said so" but I realize that sometimes she needs an explanation so that she can understand in her heart why she needs to do something or not do something.  We don't have a "because I said so" God, we have a God who wants an intimate relationship with us and who wants us to have wisdom.  Now sometimes we may not fully understand the "Why" or the response may be "Trust me, I love you and you will someday understand why" but He will explain that it is for our good and He explains that He loves us and wants us to trust Him and He gives us peace.

 I believe that wisdom happens in your mind and your heart.  I also believe that this gift is given to us concerning every aspect of our lives, little or large it doesn't matter.  God wants us to have wisdom, His wisdom, in every issue that we are going through.  The only way we can achieve this is to go before Him and ask for it - to open our minds and hearts to Him and not just others.  He may use others to help but in the end wisdom will come from Him.

I Choose Joy

The Lord is showing me so much these days that it makes me feel sad that I have wasted so much time in the past worrying, frustrated, overwhelmed etc.  Some of the lessons I'm learning are: to not allow myself to get overwhelmed, to forgive quickly, to not take on other people's offenses and most importantly - to choose joy.

Choosing joy was probably the hardest because it is the result of doing all those other things.  I am learning that instead of allowing our emotions and situations to control us we have a choice as to how we will react.  I can honestly say that I am learning how to choose joy.  James 1:2 talks about considering all our trials as opportunities for great joy.  We have a choice whether we are going to allow other people to irritate us, we have a choice about whether or not we are going to forgive or ask for forgiveness for a wrong we committed, we have a choice about whether or not we are going to say "no" to prevent getting too busy.  I have been learning the steps needed to have joy in my life and low and behold in order to have joy you also must have - Love, Peace, Grace and Mercy.  It is a package deal!

I have to admit that even though this last month or so has been very hectic I have probably had the most Joy in my life than I have ever had before.  I look at out situation daily and am very thankful for the blessings God has bestowed upon us.  I am very blessed to have my family, my friends, my job, my home.  I am learning that other people's reactions are not my responsibility, that other people's wants are not my responsibility and that if I have wronged someone I need to ask for forgiveness and move on, whether or not they give me forgiveness isn't my problem.   God will show me what He wants me to do and if it isn't what others want me to do that is ok. It is my life and I'm not going to waste it anymore with negative thoughts and emotions.

Joyfully Yours
Lisa

My Sanctuary

There is a little spot at our home that I absolutely love - but I never go there.  Not because it isn't easily accessible or far away. But because I am always to busy.  The Lord really spoke to me this last week about being to busy and not giving Him and myself quality time together.  So this weekend I claimed this little spot as my sanctuary.  I am determined to go there each day at some point with my Bible and read His word and just sit in His presence.
Here is my sanctuary - it is actually my front porch, although it is never used because everyone uses the side entrance off the kitchen. 

My little corner of the world

complete with wildly overgrown roses

and wildly rambunctious dogs - I know, they look calm here (it's a trick)



Something else the Lord has been showing me is this:

  I have been doing a leadership training course and in the last lesson (yes, LAST lesson, I have actually completed something) the instructor talked about how as a society and individuals, we are lacking in the "Thinking" area.  Not that we don't think but we have lost a form of thinking - when was the last time you just sat somewhere and where thinking, not looking info up on the computer, or asking a friend for advice, looking something up in a book; but just thinking about your situation and see if you can come up with a solution or a process for a solution.  I had forgotten how God has told us that He will give us the answers that we need  Matthew 7:8  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  I need to spend more time thinking in His presence instead of searching elsewhere for the answers that I need.  I need a clearer mind for dealing with daily issues and to be able to focus on my daily tasks.
Wisdom is one of the greatest attributes we can possess, Solomon asked for wisdom when the Lord spoke to him and offered to give him whatever he wanted.  Proverbs 8:12 says "I Wisdom, live together with good judgement. I know where to discover knowledge and discernment."

We won't posses wisdom if we don't commune with God and use our brains in the way in which He created them.  I'm always telling my girls to "stop & think" but really how often do I do that myself these days.  Or I think to much about things that I can't do anything about instead of "Thinking before the Lord".

Happy Thinking!

Pastor Appreciation

As a "Preacher's Kid" and someone who is also going into ministry myself, Pastor Appreciation month is one of those times in the year that is bittersweet.  It is all about attitude though and that is something that I need to work on.  Pastor Appreciation is the time of year when people openly and secretly express to their clergy how much these people mean to them.  It is a wonderful thing to hear how much you have touched someone through your calling in life.  However, it is hard to ignore when others say nothing - it isn't so much about getting recognition and being thanked (that would be prideful, right!) but more so about whether or not your hard work is making any kind of difference in someones spiritual life to the point that they would acknowledge this work.

It's not about gifts and cards, it's about knowing that these children of God, who He has brought to you, also feel that God brought you to them.  It's not about "Thank Yous" as much as it is about knowing in your heart that these very precious people that you pray for everyday are also praying for you.

A very good friend of mine shared with me this letter that she found from Focus on the Family and it made me cry and we will be reading it in church on Sunday, here it is:

Why Honor Pastors?

Why is it appropriate to set aside a special time each year to give recognition and affirmation to our clergy and their families? How are their needs and circumstances different from those of carpenters, grocers or dentists? One distinction lies in the nature of the service these leaders provide. God has entrusted to them one of the most precious of assignments—the spiritual well-being of His flock. When a pastor becomes ineffective, the very souls of his or her parishioners are endangered. When eternity is in the balance, we should all be concerned.
Another problem lies in the expectations placed on pastors. Numerous surveys have found that a very high percentage of pastors feel pressure to be the ideal role model of a Christian family—which is impossible, of course. As a result, four out of five pastors feel their families are negatively impacted by unrealistic expectations—whether self-imposed or congregation-imposed—and that ministry is an outright hazard to the health of their families. Indeed, the “pedestal” is not all it’s cracked up to be.
As pastors and their families try to please the God who called them to ministry while also trying to meet the expectations of their congregations, one result is dangerous stress. In fact, 75 percent of those surveyed reported experiencing a significant stress-related crisis at least once in their ministry.
Then, of course, there is the “fishbowl” aspect of ministry, whereby the entire lives of pastoral families seem to be on public display. Every private family situation quickly seems to become a congregational or community issue. This anxiety can only be heightened when financial pressures also come to bear, which is common since pastors typically make substantially less each year than their own board members and deacons. Nearly 70 percent of pastoral spouses work outside the home, most often due to financial need.
No one would choose to live life under these conditions unless they felt obliged to a higher, divine directive. Unfortunately, all too often, these are exactly the conditions under which pastoral families serve.
The good news is that we can make a difference! Clergy Appreciation Month is an attempt to counter the negative erosion in the lives of our spiritual leaders with positive affirmation. Content Provided By Focus on the Family

Thank You Daddy!

Stepping Back

Sometimes in our hectic lives we get so busy that we are on track for a catastrophe in our lives.  Now, when I say catastrophe I mean something terrible that happens to us that we are just thrown into the depths of despair.  One man's/woman's catastrophe may be anther's small trial.  But to the one going through it - it is a catastrophe.  No Judging!!!

I had this happen this week.  I have had it happen in the past and I get my life under control and then without paying attention my life gets crazy and out of control again, and it seems like the only way to get me focused again if for God to allow another catastrophe in my life.

I get so overwhelmed that I don't think straight anymore, I suffer, my husband suffers, my children suffer, etc.  I'm going in ten different directions - somethings I enjoy doing, some I don't, some I am doing because it is my job, others because they need to get done and no one else can or will do them.  Whatever the thing is, I'm doing it because I am a doer and I am good at it - but not all at once.

When I get this way I inevitably do something stupid that sends my world spiraling.  And that happened Friday - I won't go into details (the wound is still fresh) but it caused a horrible weekend and my husband needing to step in and put a stop to all this craziness in my life.  I had to tell people "no" not something I am good at, I had accept my limitations - again, not something I am good at, and I had to re-evaluate what is most important in my life and prioritize those things and walk away from the rest. 

Now I look back and even though I still want to cry about it and I'm sure my husband does too.  I can see that the Lord allowed it, because we needed to deal with some things in our lives.  We have both been overwhelmed lately and we needed to focus on each other a little bit more.  We have had some good ol' shouting matches and some good heart felt discussions since then and we will get past this little episode and move on.  That is how God works sometimes in our lives.

God Bless You
Non-superwoman Lisa

I want to cry!

Why? You ask. Well, let me tell you!  I have 2 very good friends that happen to be married to each other and after a very long time of me waiting patiently, they are finally having a baby.  We are having the baby shower at my house this Saturday!!!  Yeah, I can't wait.  My friend's sister and I have been planning it for months now and I am so excited.

I have also been desperately cleaning my house - remember post concerning acceptance and how I feel like I am always behind.  Yes, I'm trying to get the house in shape to have this baby shower that celebrates the fact that I no longer have to wait patiently for my dear friends to have their baby (the one I have been patiently waiting for).  So my house is probably the cleanest it has been since the one day after my parents moved out and the day before we moved in. I'll explain that in another post soon.

My laundry room floor is the least muddiest it has been for months,

and look no toys in the living room!

So why do I want to cry? At 4am this morning, my hubby and I were awakened by a ruckus outside - meet the reasons for this ruckus:

Yes, my  4 legged children - and what was said ruckus at 4am.  These precious creatures that God so lovingly bestowed upon our household had in fact discovered a black and white animal of the skunk nature and had decided to chase said animal of the skunk nature and get sprayed!  Then they preceded to run past me (who was running outside in my pj's with my trusty flashlight) and they ran into my house and into my bedroom.  Now I want to cry!!  My house- the very one that has never been cleaner now smells like skunk as do my dogs.  So at 7am this morning my daughter and I were catching these skunk smelled dogs and washing them out front in the plastic pool.  I am now in the process of re-shampooing my carpets, mopping the floors, and airing out the entire house so that by Saturday when we have dozens of people over to celebrate the baby that I have waited so patiently for - my house will not stink!  I know, you now want to cry too, don't you?

The Lies We Believe

We are doing The Truth Project by Focus on the Family at our Wednesday night Bible study.  After this weeks lesson (which is the second time I have seen this study) something really hit me.  I know that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  I know that the Holy Bible is the Truth.  I know what spiritual truth is. 

However, what hit me is the fact that we are faced with untruths constantly and don't even know it or pay attention.  Just look at the television or read the newspaper, internet stories etc.  Everything from diets to political issues these days are possibly lies.  How often after reading an article about the latest health study or diet do we consult the Word about whether or not this is true.  How often do we really pray about the latest products that are out there, what they can do for us, what companies are they supporting, etc.  How often have we been suckered into buying things because we think that it will make our lives easier when all that we really need is to look at what is written in the Bible.

The Bible talks about us being deceived - I know this is true in spiritual matters but what about those areas that we don't really think about as being areas that really matter.  Groceries, clothing, household items - let's face it, we live in a sinful world and people will tell you anything to get you to spend your hard earned money to buy their products.  Is that food really healthy?  Will those jeans really make me look thinner?  Will that cleaner really help me clean better? 

What about society?  Society really puts a lot of pressure these days on people, what your home should be like, what your children should involved in, what constitutes success.  It's no wonder that we live in a stressed out world.

What are the lies that you have been believing?  After asking myself this question, I got really depressed at first as I looked into my life and thought about what I accept these days without praying about it.  But then I felt God's peace come over me and remind me that we are not here to make these decisions alone.  Matthew 7:7 -  "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

This applies to life-changing decisions and little daily ones.  God does not want us to be deceived in any part of our lives. ASK - He may tell us that our decisions are ok, but at least we are learning to ask first just in case His answer is "no" on something.

Acceptance

I have had a hard day, actually I have had a hard month, alright - I have had a hard year! There I admit it, I am not Superwoman.  I think I lost my cape somewhere between motherhood and well, life.

I had a realization today, right about the time that I popped the second dose of aspirin for my migraine, which was after returning home from town with the girls and car load of groceries.  I walked into the kitchen to survey the disaster that had taken over - it was actually clean a mere 24hrs ago.  I think that I am an utter failure at this whole home manager position.  I can run a church but I can't seem to run my home.  The to-do-list seems to get longer every week, I haven't opened my school work in months (thank goodness it is self-paced), my clothes just move from one laundry basket to the one that is the next size up, I'm scared to look behind the milk in the refrigerator, and I honestly can't remember the original color of my carpet.  I don't think they make a brown/blue carpet but that is what I have. I was close to tears and reaching for the bag of Oreos when it dawned on me.

If God can accept me for my shortcomings why can't I accept myself.  No, I don't get everything done on my list (who am I kidding, I don't even have a list) but I make an effort to try and keep things cleaned up, I don't read my Bible everyday - but it is sitting there open on the table because at one point before the "Mama's" started that morning, I had intended too.  I do have my school work in an organized location so that if the chance to sit down for serious study time permits I won't be searching all over to try and find it.  I am desperately trying to raise my children to be conscious of cleaning up after themselves and to take initiative, just ask my neighbors, they hear me loudly explaining these concepts all the time.

I have good intentions but I realize that I make choices.  I choose to be outside working in the garden enjoying God's creation vs washing dishes. I choose to play hide-n-seek with my kids outside vs vacuuming or mopping.  I know that these tasks are important but I also need to remind myself that they can wait a little bit until a more manageable time.  No, my house isn't in tip top shape but then again I live in the country for a reason and with that glorious view and space comes dirt and bugs and weeds and weather.  So I have to accept that my house will need to be painted, that there is always weeding to be done and repairs made.  And yes, dust in my house and a brown/blue carpet. 

I need to work on accepting myself and accepting each day as it happens.  I need to decide each day what is important for that day and concentrate on that.  I have to learn how to relax instead of always thinking about what needs to be done and getting frustrated.  I need to accept that it is ok that the dishes don't get done every night, shoot just throw them in the oven if someone comes by unexpectedly, not that I have done that :) and I need to put the box of new knobs and handles for my newly painted kitchen cabinets in the laundry room instead of leaving them on the counter and beating myself up everyday that they are still not attached to the newly painted kitchen cabinets. I need to let go of the frustrations and grumpiness and accept the choices that I make.

Acceptance, that is what I need to strive for, acceptance of myself.  God Bless!

The Lion of The Tribe of Judah

You are probably wondering what this means - Jesus was named "The Lion of The Tribe of Judah" in the book of Revelation.  I have been reading a book about praying the names of Jesus.  "When you pray to Jesus as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, you are praying to the One with the power to banish all fear, to the One who watches over you with his fierce protecting love..." excerpt from Praying the Names of Jesus by Ann Spangler.

I have been praying this name of Jesus over our football team.  My husband is the head coach at the high school that both of us graduated from.  There was a time when this football team was a power house in 1A football here in southern AZ.  My husband was an assistant coach at that time and we were awesome.  After a few years we moved away to pursue college & careers and so did the other coaches.  Later the school hit hard times with budget issues and so forth and now the school is barely there.  When my husband and I moved back home a few years ago I could tell that he really wanted to get back into coaching.

Last year he was approached by a friend and asked if he wanted to be an assistant coach for the team.  I once again saw a light in his eyes that I hadn't seen for many years.  This is his passion.  This year he was asked to be the head coach, not surprisingly because frankly, he knows his stuff.  He has a football mind.  It isn't going to be easy. We, I say we because I also love H.S. football and I have a special place in my heart for this team, are pretty much rebuilding the football program from nothing.  We currently have 14 players, no booster club, no cheerleaders (I'm shocked because I was a cheerleader for this school 20 yrs ago), and no money. 

But I believe in miracles!! I believe that the Lord brought us back to this school for a reason and victory will be ours.  Not without hard work, ups & downs, and most assuredly tears along the way.  But we will be victorious.  So I pray LEON EK TOU PHYLES IOUDA over this team!  He will be glorified just like in the story of David & Goliath. Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah and He will lead our little team to victory - victory not just in winning games but in winning hearts for Him, in giving these kids determination in their hard work, humility in winning, confidence in being the underdog, and realization that others care!  But most importantly that With God All Things Are Possible!! Amen

Tomatoes

I have tomatoes, you might think that is a strange statement to make.  Let me tell you about my garden, last year I got the urge to see if I could start a garden.  I picked the perfect spot in the yard and decided to plant pumpkins - why pumpkins, I have no idea, I just liked the thought of planting pumpkins.  So I did - what a mistake! Granted I did get 3 good sized pumpkins out of my little plot of a pumpkin patch, but I didn't realize how much space pumpkins needed.  I spent a good portion of my fall months trying to keep pumpkin vines from completely covering my drive way and from growing into my garage.

I was not to be deterred however, so this year I decided to do smaller crops - I tried lettuce, peas, various herbs, strawberries - nothing, absolutely nothing.  Then my dear friend brought me 4 tomato plants, 2 died within weeks of planting them.  But the other 2 held on for dear life in the AZ winds and beginning of summer.  I didn't have much hope and had pretty much decided that my life as a prudent homemaker who grew her own veggies to feed her family was pretty much over.  But every morning I would check on my garden and those two little plants would still be green.  Then monsoons started and OH MY GOSH those little tomato plants exploded with life, in 2 months I now have about 20 tomatoes growing on them and this morning my girls and I saw RED. 

Yes! I have tomatoes and they are actually turning red! Success, sweet success.  I was so giddy this morning that I took pictures with my un-smart phone and texted them to my husband, brother, sister & friend!  I took the prettiest one to my friend who gave me the plants to begin with.  My 5yr old carried it around like it was a trophy, while my 12yr old followed her worried that she would drop it.  It made my day - I actually grew something that my family can eat - not that we will now be self-reliant or anything, my kids don't actually like tomatoes unless they are in spaghetti sauce.  But who cares, I did it (with God's help of course - He supplied the plants, rain, sunshine and dirt) woohooo, salsa anyone!!!!

My Four Legged Children

I finally figured out pictures (it wasn't really hard, I was just intimidated).

These are my doggie children, we are absolutely dog people.  We have four, and that is currently the limit because I made the rule in a moment of clarity that animals cannot out number the people in our family.  That was probably the most sensible decision I have made in a long time.  So without further ado please meet:
Tyler -  Jack Russell mix
Maggie Mae - Lab mix
Maxwell - Boxer mix
Tilly - Bull Mastiff

All but Tilly are rescues, Tilly is from dear friends whom we just fell in love with their dog - Tilly's mama and when she had puppies, I fell in love with Tilly!

Tyler is actually mine, Tilly is my husband's, Max is my 12yr old's & Maggie Mae belongs to the 5yr old.  Our friends crack up at our cozy little household.  These dogs are all unique also and how I ended up being mama to 4 dogs all with special needs is beyond me. Tyler is neurotic: scared to death of thunderstorms, wind, loud trucks and shiny water dishes.  Max is OCD: he has a major licker problem.  Maggie is ADHD she gets so hyper that she runs through the house and slides across the flooring, she jumps on people and if she wanted too she could jump right over our fence, I've been trying to talk my husband into entering her into dog racing - she is fast! Then there is sweet Tilly who is incontinent these days, she has the sweetest personality but because of her size (97lbs @ last check-up) she has spay incontinence.  Luckily she stays on the floor instead of the carpet and she is being treated for it so it is getting better.

We laugh at their personalities and how they interact with each other and all of us.  They know the rules and we are working hard at training them.  Otherwise my house would be in total chaos.

So now you have met the animal side of our family and when I blog about their crazy antics you will know who they are!

Family

I know, you thought I would call this "My Third Post" huh? 

I still haven't figured out how to do a picture yet.  Maybe tomorrow I'll mess around with it some more.

We had a great BBQ at my brother's house today,
my little brother's house,
my little brother-who is taller than me's house,
my little brother-who is married to one of my best friend's house, whom I will refer to as "sister"
 (so really it is her house). 

We had a great BBQ with a lot of family that we really hadn't spent time with for awhile.  We had seen this part of our family twice this summer, both times at funerals, both within a few weeks of each other.  I think it really hit us how sad it was that we really only see each other at funerals and weddings (and there hadn't been any weddings in the last few years).

My brother and sister (see above) hosted us all today and it was really special to reconnect.  I thought about how God does everything for a purpose, including His creative way of putting families together.  It isn't an accident, a coincidence, or even a mistake that you and I have the family that we have.  It is God's plan for a purpose.  We are the ones who mess it up.

So why am I saying all this (in a not so great because I am really tired way), because I realized this evening on our way home that I am truly blessed, and my family is truly blessed. We encompass a wide variety of personalities, educations, careers and personal situations and yet we can come together as a family and really enjoy spending time together. We've had ups and downs like all families, but as we grow older and mature we can accept each other for our differences and not let it interfere with just being a family. A family that God put together for a purpose.  Thank You Lord for my family!

My Second Post

Well, what else was I going to call it :)  I'm starting to get the hang of this whole blogging thing, I decided to read the "Getting Started" part (guess I should of read that first, huh).  Anyways, I might even post a picture soon, that is if I can figure out how and if I can find one that I like.  It may end up being one of my dogs.

I have to tell you about my 5yr old.  She is 5 going on 16.  She started Kinder this year, we are homeschooling but we go to our church twice a week for "Classroom" time.  It is really neat because we can bring our kids to the church and we have a teacher there who can tutor them in the areas where they need help, they get the social interaction with other kids and since I work at the church it works out perfectly! 

Anywho, back to the 5yr old.  We are having a difficult time getting her to DO school.  She has been there pretty much since the day she was born and has always just "hung around".  Well, now that it is time to start doing school work, we have come to realize that there is a fine line between not pushing too hard since she is only 5 (almost 6) but also getting her to understand that she needs to obey.  We aren't asking her to do too much but we are asking her to obey us when we ask her to do something.  My 5 yr old is what we (and the "we" is anyone who has ever met her) refer to as strong-willed and needless to say it has been a battle.  More so for me than for her teacher on "classroom" days, she tends to listen to her teacher a little better.

However, while I was out running errands this morning, she informed her teacher that she could not do Word Building (ACE for spelling) because it would waste too much lead in her pencil (apparently she was practicing the letter "G").  Now, I have to give her credit because I have been teaching the girls about not being wasteful.  I'm not sure what she has against the letter "G" but it amazes me that she would think to say that.  I will try again tomorrow with Word Building - but I'm giving her a crayon ;)

My First Post

OMGosh, I can't believe I finally did it!! I have thought about blogging for a long time now and today, I finally took the plunge.

Now please don't have any great expectations - I am who I am.  The best way to describe me is: shy (until I get to know you), sensitive, a recovering anxiety freak, and learning about life along the way.  I'm a country girl, who dreams of making my 5 little acres into a functional, efficient, little homestead for my family. Although, the only animals I currently raise are my four dogs! I have 2 beautiful daughters and a wonderful, hardworking husband, whom I have been married to for over 15yrs.

My official title is "Research Analyst in the field of child development and human relations" or "Mama" for short.  I am also a church administrator (I was promoted from the entry level position of  "Preacher's Kid") and currently a Bible college student.

Thank you so much for visitin' my blog!  I'll share more soon!!!