Burrr!

Y'all, I have been so cold lately and it isn't the winter yet. Today has been a blessing because I haven't had to put on a sweater in the morning and I didn't have to sleep in socks. But, the past few days have been SO COLD to me. I don't know why I am shivering the day away.

Chris and I were laughing the other day because it has been almost two years since I last felt this cold. Two winters ago I was pregnant and my internal thermostat was jacked up so high because of those hormones running amuk. I think Chris enjoyed that I never complained about being cold and I was HIS heater during the night. Last winter was pretty much the same. I wasn't pregnant but Caleb was still pretty small and I think my hormones were still keeping that internal thermostat way up. I think I barely wore my coat both winters.

Now, what the heck is going on now?? It isn't even November yet and I have been FREEZING. Burrr! On top of all this Chris and I are packing Caleb up along with Chris' sister and her husband and we are going to Rockford, Ill for Christmas. How crazy are we?!

What is the best solution to my cold self? Hmmm. I told Chris that I guess I should just get pregnant again! (wink wink) ;-)



P.S. I'm going to be getting Caleb ready soon for his first Pumpkin Patch Party at our church tonight. I hope to post pictures tomorrow of all the festivities. See you then!

In Other Words

"The Word of God well understood and religiously obeyed is the shortest route to spiritual perfection. And we must not select a few favorite passages to the exclusion of others. Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian."
~ A.W. Tozer ~

Spiritual growth, Sanctification, becoming more like Christ, or whatever you want to call it is a path that we Born-again, Bathed in the Blood, Saved, Followers of the One and Only Son of God are always trying to follow. It is such a hard thing to do, though. I mean the daily process of taking off the old and putting on the new seems like such an illusive process. With all that seems to be involved you would think we would need some kind of instruction manual. I mean how do we get rid of that awful sin and accept the cleansing power of Jesus? How do we seek forgiveness from others we have hurt? How do we honor our husbands and raise godly children? Geez! The list is endless. I need some HELP! Aaaaahhhhh!!!

Oh, wait! There is an instruction manual! Whoo! I thought I was about to lose my mind...or at least what's left of it. ;-) We have the BIBLE!!!!

It is amazing to me how so many people, me included mind you, that always seek out "spiritual perfection" through every discipline other than faithful reading of the Bible. We may journal (my most recent one), read devotional books, study theology, serve in the church, evangelize, fast, etc. all in the name of seeking sanctification. Now, all of those things mentioned above have their time and place as spiritual disciplines. But, why is it so easy to forget or avoid sitting down for a few minutes and reading the Bible? And yet all the answers we will ever need are right there...between the covers. It is the "shortest route to spiritual perfection."

I have read the entire Bible once in my life and that was during my years of seminary when reading it cover to cover was required reading. Imagine that! Since then I have made many attempts to follow a reading program and read it through again. I get about a quarter of the way and I burn out. I find that I have no time to pursue other spiritual disciplines and I find that reading my "assigned chapters" becomes another thing on my To-Do list. I am not convicted or built up by the reading.

I want to know the "whole Bible" and not just "a few favorite passages." I want to be that "whole Christian." Being that I believe this is a journey that I will always be on till I die or am raptured, I will continue to pursue it through the reading of my Bible. Except this time I will dedicate some time each day to reading a section of Scripture or a chapter a day so that I can soak it all in. I pray it won't be another thing on my To-Do List but a much anticipated appointment that won't ever be bumped by other things. I pray that God will birth in me a love affair with Scripture that I have never experienced before.

Check out Chocolate and Coffee for what others are saying about this cool manual Book.




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My Boy LOVES to Swing!

(This picture was taken back in July, but the expression on his face never changes)

The weather is finally getting cool down here in SE GA. We actually ran the heater last night for the first time this season. I was snuggled up so tight in my bed and slept so well.

Anyway, the weather has made for some great time outside playing with Caleb. One of the places we are frequenting is the little community park across the parking lot from our local library. If we are in town and we have enough time in our errands schedule, we will visit the park.

A couple weeks ago Chris and I were swinging Caleb and we heard him saying, "EEEEEEEE!" After a minute or two we noticed that he was actually trying to say, "Wheeeeeeee!" From then on it has stuck.

Today I was going to run into the library to return some books and check one out. I pulled into the parking lot and I heard a very loud, "EEEEEEEEE!" from the back seat. Caleb saw the swings and he was ready to GO! (I had already planned for a swing visit).

I am amazed at the rate that Caleb is soaking things in these days. He is my little sponge.

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt

THEME: PINK

This beautiful flower was located in Chris' Grandmother's yard in Poland. It is just one of many, many more. I was in awe of how beautiful her garden was.

LOVE This Bumper Sticker!

I am not a bit fan of bumper stickers just because they get stuck on your car and then you have a fading bumper sticker following you around everywhere. Political campaign ones are worse in my book because they get outdated. For example, what is up with all the John Kerry bumper stickers I still see around here?! YOU LOST!!! GET OVER IT!! But, I digress. Check out this new bumper sticker!! I think I could be convinced to put this on my car. Lindsey over at Enjoy the Journey put these together with a friend and I think she is doing everyone a service for sure. That bumper sticker pretty much describes my position so far in this election. Go on over there and make some orders so you can hand them out to all your friends.

I Know We Can Talk!

One thing I have learned since I started staying home with Caleb is that Mommies LOVE to chatter talk. We love to give each other advice--appreciated and sometimes unwarranted--talk about parenting techniques, and discuss the great products that work the best for us. There are so many new products that come out each year geared towards mothers and they try to convince you that you NEED them to properly raise your bundles of joy. But, when you talk to your Mommy friends you learn the truth about each thing and what works and doesn't and what really is essential and what is just a waste of money.

I also know that we SAHM's LOVE free stuff. We work so hard to keep a budget so that our Hubbies hard earned money isn't squandered away. What is better than free stuff?? Now, picture free stuff and the opportunity to talk about it. Isn't that cool?!

Check out ChatterJam.com . ChatterJam works to create word-of-mouth (a.k.a. chatter or talk) about products and services. It is geared towards the Christian market. That makes it even better. Here's how it works. A Jammer signs up and will receive products for FREE, be the first to hear about cool new stuff, and influence things from books to movies. You get to influence and guide what products are made more available to the general public and then you will receive special discounts in purchasing these products.

Hmmmm. Free stuff, chatter, discounts....sounds like a great deal for this SAHM. Go check them out!

Thankful Thursday--Rain

I am so thankful for rain. I am writing this a day early, Wednesday, and we have had rain all day long at varying levels of intensity. Sometimes it has been a light steady rain and other times it has been a heavy rain with those big raindrops. I am so thankful for this rain because I know it is such a precious commodity. Just north of us in our very own state (GA) is a SEVERE drought. Our Governor is even asking the President for many of the northern counties to be declared a disaster area because they have only a month or two of drinking water left...maybe even less than that. And then there are the terrible fires out in California. Such terrible situations that could so easily be fixed with something as simple as rain and my little town is being covered in it. I would package up some of this rain if I could and send it to those who need it more if I could.

Thank you, Lord for the rain but I pray that you give the rain to those who so desperately need it.

Bringing Him Respect

I have been doing a fair amount of soul searching lately about my role and position as a wife and mother. During my quite times I have found that for the past few years I have always been keeping my home somewhat clean and taking care of my husband and son. But, I was always looking outward for that one thing that I could do from home that would "validate" me staying home or help make the "home" work less monotonous. I was never content in my home and being my husband's helper. I wanted more. And since I wanted more my work at home was only done half-heartedly. The attitude was "I'll get it done, but I may not like it." I am committed to staying home with my son because I believe it is the right thing to do, but I was bored with all the things that went with it.

The Lord has been working on me in that area quite a lot lately. My home is quickly becoming my haven and staying home during the day is becoming less and less of a burden. In this journey home I came upon this letter from Laine's Letters that really struck a cord with me. It is called Bringing Him Respect: Ephesians 5:33. Ephesians 5:33 says, "And let the wife see to it that she respect her husband." Just like Laine, I know that I respect my husband in most areas. I always make a point to do so. But, have I been respecting my husband in my homemaking?? Hmmmm.

I have known for awhile that there was something lacking in my motivation to clean and keep up the house. It was a chore that had to be done and it was a burden because it always got in the way of the other things I wanted to be doing. I was always desperately behind. Laine said she had "Homemaking debt" and that was due to years of "Time Banishment" instead of Time management. Yep! That was me.

After reading Laine's Letter I have come to realize how much of keeping up this lovely home is giving my husband respect. I am respecting him by giving him a relaxing haven to come home to. I am respecting him by making sure he has a cool drink when he walks in the door and a warm dinner on the table. I bring him respect by making sure his clothes drawers are always full and his clothes are hanging nicely in the closet. I bring him respect by keeping his son safe and cared for during the day. I bring him respect by being careful with the budget and not overspending his hard-earned money. The biggest one for me, though, is that I bring him respect when he knows that I am not squandering my time away everyday, "time banishment," when he is working extra hard so that I can have the blessing of staying home.

I confess I have a "homemaking debt" that is not very pretty. I feel like I can't even see over the top of it. But, I have a brand new perspective on my home and what I am doing when I keep it properly. I am "Bringing Him Respect." So, Honey (I know you are reading this), from now on I am not going to banish my time, I am going to manage it. This is a HUGE project but with the Lord's help it can be done.

I will close with a quote from Bringing Him Respect: Ephesians 5:33:

I keep thinking of the verse in Proverbs 31 where her husband sits at the gate in the middle of all her work.

"Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land." Proverbs 31:23

Her work brings him respect in the gates among the people. The verse which always seemed so very out of place to me, now makes perfect sense. It is a beautiful picture of the laying down of one's life that the other might shine. She is shown working in the home throughout the passage; he is shown shining in the gates. She brings him respect.

That is how the Word of God works. It opens one's mind to understand that there is more than housework going on here. There is respect going on here. Not only that. There is also glory to God going on here. Oh, the joy, the incredible joy of bringing "Him" and him respect in our homes. And then seeing that respect result in the "washing of another's feet," or otherwise more well known as, "practicing hospitality." May He do it through us. May He do it through us!

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Clearing out My Links Bookmark Folder...

...Also some great reading!

How to Earn $1 Million by Not Watching TV

A Quick Word On My Way To The Mountains --A Great post by Beth Moore

The Church's Response To The Socialist Attack On The Family

Canada's Expectant Moms Heading to US To Deliver

They Love To Do Their Homework

Who Are You In Christ

Organizing For Success

Girl Talk: Friday Funnies

Going For A Swim??

I just HAD to post this picture because I laughed and laughed when I made this discovery. I knew Caleb had been playing in the bathroom and by the time I got the bathroom to pull him out there was no reason to think anything was odd. The toilet cover was even nicely put down. When I went into the bathroom to go...well, you know...I lifted the toilet cover and found this. I'm just glad I looked down first. That mouse (a.k.a Mousers to us) is the love of Eowyn's little heart. I put my needs to the side and ran for the camera and took some pictures. (Chris said the picture was kind of gross but I just couldn't resist sharing.) I pulled the mouse out by the tail which wasn't wet and carried it in a towel and dropped it into the washer for the next load. I know Eowyn is probably missing her dear friend and will be reunited very soon.

I'm just glad I didn't find this in my toilet.

"Their's was a Love Affair!"

UPDATE: The Reunion
Eowyn got Mousers back this morning after running the wash. Look how bright Mousers is now.
Eowyn kept sniffing and sniffing as if she was trying to find her scent.

The Only Donkey to Ever Steal My Heart

In Memorium

Gunner
The Minature Donkey

Who Knows When--2007

No one really knows how old Gunner was. We're thinking 50-something or somewhere around there. Gunner belonged to some very good friends of ours. Whenever we visited I had to go out and say hello to him. I loved hearing his "Hee Haw!" in the distance. I just can't believe I'll never hear it again. Gunner had a fine career as Mary's donkey in many Christmas plays and being loved on by kids. We loved him very much. But, no one loved him more than his Mama, Brandy. We will miss you, Gunner!!

Craziness

Hi! Remember me?

I'm sorry I haven't posted since Wednesday of last week. It has been crazy around here. Chris was in a wedding this weekend and he was doing his Groomsmen duties starting Thursday night and well into Saturday night. I missed him so much. But, it was beautiful wedding and we loved attending and supporting the couple in their new life together. Now they are off on their honeymoon to New York City! Whoo! Sounds like fun to me.

My Dad and Stepmom came for the weekend to watch Caleb while Chris and I did the wedding thing. I was getting ready for their stay starting Thursday. That required turning my laundry drying room/eBay staging area/extra storage room into a decent guest room. It took awhile but it turned out nice. Their stay was very nice even though I didn't get to see them enough for my taste. While Chris and I were at the wedding Caleb was taken to the mall for an Evening-O'-Fun. He ate Chick-fil-A and Dairy Queen and then played in the Soft Play area. Needless to say he was zonked when he got home.

Now Chris and I are home and enjoying our Sunday together. I promise to be back in full force starting tomorrow.

Laundry meets eBay

Okay, I found this over at Joy in the Morning. There is a mother of six children who is selling "Clothesline Fresh Pillowcases." Yep, she is selling a set of sheets she bought at Target, washed them , and then hung them out to dry on the clothesline. She says, "Experience a different era. Enjoy your country fresh pillowcases." She also offers some insight with her "Top Ten Questions I Have About Laundry." I know the joy that is line dried sheets and clothes. Aaaahh!! They smell so good. I just didn't know you could sell them on eBay. I give her credit for giving it a try. Maybe I should get in on the action. ;-) I've got a clothesline just waiting to go and we are in the country too!!

Ressurrecting the Journal

About two weeks ago I was thinking about my quiet/devotional time. That time when I spend a few quiet moments praying and learning from God's Word. I have come a long way in consistency and I pretty much have a quiet time every day.

The problem laid in the quality of the quiet time. I would often read from a devotional book and the Bible and then I would put my head back to pray. Well, you can probably figure out how that ended up. I would find myself WAKING up ten minutes later and one time, even an hour later! Not only had I slept through my prayer time but I also wasted that time not doing more productive things around the house. I always felt so guilty and the little naps were not that refreshing.

I know that there is grace for tired Mommies. The Lord understands our humanity and he knows how tired we can become. I also know that God loves children and he supports those who dedicate their time and energy to raising them to be Godly people. I do not feel guilty for the few times when I was just exhausted from staying up all night or chasing a fussy toddler and I just couldn't stay awake when sitting still.

It was the number of times I was allowing myself to fall asleep. I depended on the fact that "there is grace for tired Mommies." Every time I allowed myself to fall asleep and I woke up I just thought, "Oh well, I am so glad God understands." I know he understands, but I also know that he knows I was abusing his grace and using it to catch a nap. Not good. What could I do about this?

Well, enter the prayer journal. I have kept a prayer journal on and off for a number of years. I would journal with fervor for a few weeks and then stop for who knows how long. When I look back I can see that when I journal, those are the times that I grow the most. When I was considering starting my journaling up again, I even received a nice hard bound journal from Chris' mom. Hmmm. Could that have been confirmation?! I thought so.

I have been journal again for just over a week now and I'm loving it. Not only are my devotional times more meaningful, they are also shorter. I know there are times for a nice long devotional times. But, my quiet times these days are just more productive meaning that I pack far more into a shorter amount of time. My days at home are more productive because my thoughts are clearer. When I have something on my mind I write about it and/or pray about it in my journal and then it is gone at least for awhile. I can leave it at his feet by writing it out. Another benefit that I didn't see when beginning is that a lot of my blog entries start in my journal these days.

I am so thankful for my journal and that God pushed me just enough to get started. I am excited to see where this goes.




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The Blessing of Diapers

Like I said before, I've been learning a lot the past few days as I walk through this "valley" of tantrums and diaper rash. The Lord is really using this time to teach me some things.

On Thursday, I ran some errands with my Mother-in-Law because she was helping me out while my car was in the shop. We ran my errands first and then we went to Sam's Club. I love that place! Chris' mom was so generous and she bought me a BIG box of diapers for Caleb. I recently got my order of diapers from Amazon.com and I was set for the month but I NEVER turn down a box of diapers from anywhere. It was a real blessing to lug that box into the house and stack the diapers up on the changing table.

Little did I know that Caleb would come down with an upset tummy and go through ten diapers on Friday alone and who knows how many over the weekend and even now. I could have bought more diapers if needed but it would really stretch my grocery budget for the month. But, I was given a big box of diapers.

The Lord knew I would need extra diapers and He provided!! The Lord provides in the big things and he provides in the little things....even diapers. This is just one of the things I'm learning these days.



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An On-Line Shopper's Best Friend

I am always in awe at what the Internet has to offer these days. You can catch up to the minute news, keep a blog like this one, seek advice, and shop.

Anyone who reads this blog knows how much I LOVE to do my shopping on-line. Heck! If I lived in a big enough city I would do my grocery shopping on-line and have it delivered right to my door. No such luck out here in the country.

Anyway, I also really like the fact that you can also get your coupons or coupon codes on-line. You don't have to cut any newspapers up. You can find these type of deals all over the Internet. When I do my Christmas shopping this year, on-line of course, I will be sure to look for some proper coupons. For example, I might look up some Chadwick's coupons for my Step-Mom or I could look up some Petsmart coupons to find some great Petsmart disounts for Eowyn's present.

I don't know exactly what I am going to get everyone for Christmas but I do know that I can save as much as possible by just doing a little sleuthing on-line.

I Am Such A Needy Mom!

I have to say that I am really tired right now. I have been working steady in the house...cleaning, baking, laundry, etc. I have just now sat down to really enjoy my computer and blogging time. I can hear Caleb in his room making noises and that tells me that he probably won't be taking a very good afternoon nap today.

The past weekend has been something else. Caleb continues to have a very sore bottom even though the diapers are becoming less frequent. Changing his diaper is still quite hard but I think we are making progress. Either Caleb is learning to deal with the pain (seriously doubt it) or he is actually starting to feel better. Trying to take care of him and catch up with my much neglected house from the weekend is proving to be challenging. I am thankful, though, that I have the rest of the week to work on it. I don't have any major obligations this week and that makes me so happy.

In the midst of this chaos I have actually learned quite a lot. I am thankful that I have still been able to sit down each day for a few minutes to pray and ponder. One thing that God has made very clear to me is how needy I really am. I can't do this Mommy gig alone. I need His presence around me and this house each and every day. I need his strength. I need his wisdom.

One struggle I've had this week is actually being angry at Caleb for being sick. Why couldn't he let me change his diaper and give him medicine without a fight and scene? Didn't he know I was only trying to help him? Doesn't he know how much I love him and I would NEVER hurt him on purpose?? On Saturday, I think, I caught myself having these horrible thoughts and I prayed for God's strength and His patience. It was then that I started to see everything from Caleb's point of view. He was in pain and there was nothing he could do about it. He just needed a Mommy to understand and to love him through it. At that point I was ashamed of my previous thoughts and I realized how I am still a mere person who sins every single day....even as a mother. I can't rely on my own strength to get this job done. I need Him.

I think it is amazing how God can teach us things through even the simplest events. I have learned more about my need and dependence on God through my son's diaper rash than I have in so many other, bigger events. God is awesome like that, isn't He?!




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Starting a Business The Right Way!

For those who don't know this about me, one of the things I would like to do before I die is to start my own business. Perhaps it is for the pleasure of knowing that I can do it and that I actually did do it. I don't know what it is. I just know I want to have that little entity that is mine and I am in charge of it.

Right now I am totally immersed in taking care of Caleb who is becoming more and more of a handful. I have my little side ventures that help the family budget like eBay and blogging. But, they aren't organized or even really not that focused. That is one reason why I think a small business would be great. I am always thinking about what my product would be and how I would go about running my little venture.

I am thankful I have a husband who has already walked down the road of starting a small business. One thing he did right was go see an attorney to be sure he was always within the law. He learned about how an incorporated business has to hold regular meetings of the directors and shareholders and adopt bylaws. He got all the proper documents the IRS will want to see. All that was great but it did cost money.

Did you know you can now get the same help online. You can get free llc forms and also assistance making sure you do everything in the lawful manner. You may also want to know the difference between a corporation and a LLC.

I strongly believe that creating a proper system of operation and doing all the legal stuff at the very start of your business. It may be teeny tiny and only consist of one person (you) but you still need to be covered. You also need to have that system in place for when, God willing, your business grows. It may be tedious now but it is worth it in the future.