Today has been full and it's not over. I give God glory! I've been a busy little bee today.

David had a game at noon. We had to be there by 10:30. M and R had a Bye Week.

Watched an awesome game, of course!

Worked concessions afterwards for about an hour.

Went to Walmart with my mom, M and R. Bought groceries for the week. Hopefully! I have growing boys.

Came home, put groceries away and cleaned the downstairs.

Cleaned two litter boxes and a turtle's cage.

Listen to my husband as he fussed over the oil filter on his bike.

Made some coffee.

Going upstairs to get some laundry down. Maybe straightening up each boys room as I look for dirty clothes.

Finishing the Book of Daniel. Emailing my girlfriend to see if she is gonna post about it. ;)

Oh, I can't forget dinner! Tonight everyone just took care of them self. Which is awesome. Except I'm the last one to eat. :( LOL

Read some of my new book that I just got from the library yesterday.

Spend some time with my man and reconnect.

Go to bed.

Yes, I'm busy. Every day.

I was thinking about the Proverbs 31 gal. She was a busy girl. Part of being a woman of God is to be busy, in my opinion. It just depends on what your doing that makes it of God or not. When we are busy with housework, taking care of the kids, tending to our husbands then we are doing what God wants us to do. If we are just running around like chickens with our heads cut off then I think we are not.

Now, I have some days where it seems like I've been moving all day but have stayed in the same spot. You know? I have to watch for days like that.

I know that some days I need to just be still. Nothing wrong with that either.

However sometimes I think we Christians get it messed up. We think having 3 hours of complete quiet time with God is spiritual and on fire. But really it's doing this life for His glory. Its taking care of the things He has entrusted us to take care of. It's the loads of laundry with a joyful heart. It's hearing the fifteenth story from our kid and not rushing them to finish.

I think the Devil tells us that we should "Not have a spirit of busyness." But I'm not so sure. I mean no we shouldn't be all frazzled and freaking out. But isn't that really a different heart issue then "being busy"?

God has allotted so much time for us a day. We should fill it up with the things that are important for that day. Things that we should take care of. Things that are pleasing to the Lord.

Perhaps this post doesn't even make sense and it's probably too long but I just gotta say ...

Being busy isn't bad. As long as we are busy doing things that are pleasing to the Lord.

yada yada yada

This is the part I don't understand. This is the part where I hold God's hand tighter.

JUST yesterday I told my girlfriend Bree that I may have some money for curriculum. No, we haven't bought anything yet. Just been doing it Old School. LOL Anyway.

I was very excited. I had posted some books on Craigslist and someone responded. Then I found a gentlemen who buys used textbooks. I emailed him. I felt very encouraged. I had a plan. I was going to sell some stuff and have money to buy the things I need. Things that I believe God told me to buy many months ago.

I even had a conversation with God about prioritizing the curriculum list. I would get the Language Arts stuff first then focus on actual math stuff at a later time.

By tonight everything went down hill. The lady texts me. She said that she couldn't get the books right now and to sell them to someone else. The guy emailed me back and said that he couldn't use the textbooks I had.

There went my plans. Now, I realize that "His ways are not our ways." I realize that the best way to make God laugh is to tell Him your plans.

Yada yada yada.

Seriously.

I felt my heart just sink in my chest. Stuff like this keeps happening. So close yet so far. Come here. No stay away. Take hold. Let go.

Over and over again. What am I missing?

Probably nothing.

I'm tired. My body aches. I know it's from stress. Monday night I went to bed crying because of back pain.

I haven't hurt this bad in years.

The pain is easing up since Tuesday. Glory!

I know that God is with us. I know that He is in charge. I am waiting on Him as patiently as I am able to. Which is actually a lot. I know things will turn around. God's word does not return void.

It's just harder some days then others.

I'm holding on to Psalm 16 which has been a favorite of mine for a couple of years now. Take a moment to read it here.

God bless and may He keep you safe.

Just a little something I said.

A few months ago, notice that with me? It takes a while for things to process in my spirit before I can share with you.

Anyway, a few months ago I started reading a book. It was a good book. It flowed and made a lot of sense. I enjoyed the characters and story line. I giggled and smiled and totally understood the main character.

I read the book of 500 or so pages in three days.

I first found the book on another christian gals website. When I viewed the author's website I realized that the author is a Mormon. Okay, well, I thought to myself that this wasn't exactly Christian fiction. Then I discovered that the book was being made into a movie. So I viewed the trailer. Oh, vampires. Well, there goes that.

However, like I said, I read the book in three days. Why? Because another girlfriend had the book. I got caught up. Yes, 31 years old and I got caught up in the excitement of a "good book" and a "movie night" with a girlfriend.

When I first read the book I did feel God ask me "Why are you reading this young lady?" I had no real answer. See, God had told me about 5 years or so ago to stop all things related to scary stuff. Like demonic movies and stories.

I know how real this stuff is. I've seen somethings in my time. For now, I'll leave it at that.

So I did. It was right before Oct 31, 2003. I haven't seen anything since. No desire to. I haven't read anything since. No desire to ... until a few months ago.

Like I said I read the book. In my spirit I knew I wasn't right. So I talked to my dear friend Bree. She asked me a lot of open ended questions. I got the message that I should leave it alone although she never said it specifically. :)

But I didn't. I started reading the next book.

I didn't read it with as much hunger for the pages. I read to about chapter 10 or 11. We went up to Bo's motorcycle mechanic (about 3 hours away) one weekend. I forgot the book. God used that time to really drive home to me that I should not be reading this series. I was a bit sad. There's the fight with flesh.

When I got home I rationalized my continuing reading because "Hey, I should finish the book. If I still feel this way then I won't read the last two."

I'm still having a conversation with the Holy Spirit when I open the book to the next chapter.

I read the title of the chapter. A broad smile came to my face.

"Okay Lord, I get it. I get it."

The title was "Cult".

I closed the book.

Now the question in my mind was how do I tell my friend. How do I let her know that I can't read this series because, well, it's demonic. It's an open door into my house for Satan to walk through. Add that to my family's history, I'm just messing with fire.

So my friend called to see if I was done with the second book. I said yes and said she could come over any time to get it. When she came over I handed her all the books. The whole conversation was like 2 minutes long. I told her that I couldn't read them anymore. She apologized for putting a stumbling block in my path. I assured her that wasn't the case. She didn't do anything wrong. I had simply walked away from my post.

Now, here we are a month or so later. A mom of a little boy from Ryan's team and I are good field friends. Our boys have been on a team together for two years. We both love to read. So we share a lot of authors and titles with each other. I had mentioned to her about the books but only that I thought they were great. I didn't share with her my struggles. I didn't tell her about giving the books back or anything I was going through.

She is an eleventh grade teacher. One day she asked me what I thought of the series because she has noticed that just about all her students are obsessed with the books. She said that during their free time in her class they are acting out parts. Groups of them refer to one other by the names of the characters.

I was sad.

She asked me if it was worth reading so that she could "keep up" with them.

I told her no. Well, what I actually said was this, "I didn't finish the second book because I was convicted by God that these books are not appropriate."

Her response: "Oh."

Me: "I mean, you know, they are about vampires."

That was the end. Something happened that was awesome on the field which got our attention.

We have never discussed the books again.

It's been a month or so since that conversation. I have no idea if she is reading the books. She hasn't brought any to practice. We've since discussed other books and authors.

I don't know where my field friend is with God but I'm sure she may understand where I am.

It was just a little something I said.

Week 7

I can't believe that we are starting on our 7th week of school. Consistent school work. I am a bit shocked. Honestly. Even though we started in the fall of 2003. So this is our 6th year. Is that right? I've been telling people 5. LOL. Let's count it out ... 03/04 is one, 04/05 is two, 05/06 is three, 06/07 is four, 07/08 is five, and this year ... Yeah, that's 6. WOW!

I suppose those of you who don't really know me all that well might be surprised that I am surprised.

In the past years I have really struggled with homeschooling. Not whether or not to homeschool but the actually "doing" of homeschool. It is tough. It is not for sissies! Over the past few years I have struggled with curriculum choices. I would buy the wrong thing, I'm sure you homeschool mamas can relate. But then I would either 1. not have any money left to buy what I needed or 2. become paralyzed for fear of wasting our money. Such a trap and strong hold.

But this year God has made the choices fairly easy. He has told me, confirmed, re-confirmed, and told me again. I praise God for the clarity.

I don't have the curricula yet. That's okay. It's in His timing. I know that I don't need to curriculum yet. The beauty of homeschool :)

Here is what I have been learning while waiting on Him.

• That I am capable of piecing together things.
• That I have some creativity.
• I don't need a set curricula to "do school"
• When focused and in a good mood, school only last about an hour and a half per kid.

God has broken my notions that I "can't do it". I can. There has been some tweaking along the way these past 7 weeks but it is all for His glory. Don't get me wrong. I know God has told us what to use but it's the mindset and heart attitude that He has been dealing with me about.

Here is our schedule, roughly. All subject to the Holy Spirit and PMS.

• I wake up around 6:15, yes in the morning!
• Devotions, prayers and coffee with Bo by 6:45. Yes, it takes me about 20 minutes to make myself get up.
• Boys start coming down stairs about 7:30.
• Breakfast, chit-chat with boys, emails and more coffee by 8:30.
• Lessons usually start between 8:30 and 9.
• Each kid one on one for about an hour and a half. While I'm working with one the other two are reading, using flash cards, maybe some math, or just doing something quiet.
• Lunch at noon.
• School with the last boy ends about 1 or 1:30.
• The rest of the day is open. Some days we go past 1:30ish because of extra stuff like learning about the different states or perhaps we read some books together.
• We have co-op on Tuesdays so our "school day" doesn't end until 3.
• School is Monday through Thursday. Friday is for sleeping in (boys), field trips and all day long playing with Bo, if he is home.

It is awesome. There is so much peace in our school day. Imagine that!

By George, I think I'm gettin' it.

What's my Harley-Davidson black purse say about me?

What Your Handbag Says About You

You tend to be relaxed throughout the day. You are naturally at peace. You are open and comfortable with who you are. You don't hide anything. You are an organized and together person. You are competent and successful. You are practical and down to earth. You tend to be a rather reserved and quiet person.

What Does Your Handbag Say About You?

Organized and together ... Hmmm, that is a nice thought. LOL

Tagged

I was tagged, by my friend Maricar, like a week ago! See what happens when you are busy in real life! LOL

Okay, so I skipped football practice to catch up on laundry. So I'm going to play along while I wait for the washer.

Okay, first the rules ....
Link the tagger and these rules on your blog.
Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a message on their blog.


Here are my 7 random facts.

1. I absolutely LOVE talk radio!

2. I make anywhere from 2 to 5 lists a day. Always updated and adding. I make new ones so that my paper is nice and neat looking.

3. I do not like to write with blue pens. I will do it but I don't care for it.

4. I am my mom's only child, my Dad's third child, and because my dad was married to my step mom for 25 plus years, my step sisters are really my sisters ... I am the youngest of 5. Did I confuse you?

5. I think receiving (in the mail) hand written letters or cards are just about the coolest thing.

6. With all three of my pregnancies I prayed for a boy. I explained to God why I wasn't comfortable having a daughter. However, I left the choice up to Him. LOL He knew my heart, He knew where I was in my life, He knew what I could and couldn't handle. Apparently, He agreed with me.

7. I truly, truly enjoy getting older. BTW ... my birthday is coming up in 63 days.

Okay, so now I have to tag 7 people. We'll see how close I get to that number. LOL I read a lot of blogs but don't the girls personally enough to "tag" them. So I picked 5 :)
Bree, Sarah, Lori, Shelby and Lisa :)

Bo and I have come up with a plan to get out of debt. We know that it is God's will for us, all of us, not to be in debt. Please partner with us in prayer. Thank you so much Prayer Warriors!

Please let me know if I can pray with you. You may leave a comment which will not be private. :) Or you may email me (link on the side) which I will keep private. Of course if you want your need to be posted but without personal detail I will do that too. Just let me know.

God Bless!

I'm here!

I'm here. Really I am.

God has been moving so mightily in my life that it has left me speechless.
I'm reaping a harvest in my life. All I can say right now is that God is faithful. His Word is truth. Stand firm and be on your knees.

Matthew 6:33
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

I have all intentions of posting regularly again. Just keep checking back. :)

Psalm 127

Unless the LORD builds the house,

its builders labor in vain.

Unless the LORD watches over the city,

the watchmen stand guard in vain.

In vain you rise early

and stay up late,

toiling for food to eat-

for he grants sleep to those he loves.

Sons are a heritage from the LORD,

children a reward from him.

Like arrows in the hands of a warrior

are sons born in one's youth.

Blessed is the man

whose quiver is full of them.

They will not be put to shame

when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

a bit of catch up

We have been doing so well with school which is why I haven't been posting! A well worth trade off.

I wanted to catch y'all up on football. LOL Yes, it is important you know what is going on!

Okay, this Saturday is game 4. Season is almost over. I am a bit sad, honestly. What happened to games 2 and 3 ... well, let me explain.

Game 2 was cancelled because of Hurricane Hanna. Who, by the way, didn't bother to really show up. Yeah, the wind blow and we did get some showers but that was it. Oh well. We spent the day steam cleaning our carpet and having our monthly fight night. So all was not lost. The make-up game will be November 1. I tell ya what, we were sooo looking forward to it. It's a game between our city's two teams! The other team took out an ad in our newspaper saying things like "They (the Knights) think they can set up in our city and beat us! We're playing for territory!" So needless to say we were fired up.

The third game was hot! It was the hottest day so far in September. Oh well. That's the price ya pay. Matthew's team won 20-0! They were so excited. Matthew made some great plays. It was wonderful. David's team suffered their first loss. The score was 21-6. It was sad. Ryan's team won too! Their score was 21-7. We found out at the last game that Ryan's first game was messed up. The refs were using flag football rules. Poor little guys. So now we know when things/penalties don't seem right we are going to ask the refs what rules they are using.

Okay so Junior Pee Wee (JPW) is 1-1
Mitey Mite 1 (MM1) is 1-1
Tiney Mite 1 (TM1) is 1-0-1 or 2-0 if you don't count the first game as a tie but win because the TM team actually scored a touch down but the REFS(!) took those points away.

This week the temp is suppose to be around 75*. I'm very happy. Matthew's team is having a pool party after their game. I'm taking M so that Bo won't miss R's game. He missed the first one. If it wouldn't have been a pool party I would have just sent M on his own. But a pool? Too risky for us. M and I should get back in time to watch D's game.

Okay, so now you know. :)

GO KNIGHTS!!

Commandment number 4

Exodus 20:8-11

Many of us know this one. Thou shalt keep the Sabbath holy. Basically it says that no one should be doing anything. That everyone should be resting. What does that mean?

I used to think that it meant I couldn't do anything. Well, of course I was breaking that commandment. Then I realized that God didn't rest because He was tired. He rested because He wanted to reflect on what He had created. He wanted to take a break and enjoy it all.

For Israel it was meant for them to stop everything. To eat left overs and give the help off. For us, I believe, it is for us to enjoy all that God has granted us. It's a means to shut out the world and enjoy a peaceful time with God.

I don't believe that God only wants the 'Sabbath' day. He wants us to do that every chance we get. God, our Creator, wants us to reflect daily on His goodness. He wants you to tell Him how beautiful the sunset is or how the sound of a child laughing brings a smile to your face. He wants to know that you have looked around and saw that 'it is good'.

The whole point about taking time to rest is that we are to rest in God. It's not just about ceasing from physical labor but a heart attitude focused on Christ.

Take some time to rest. God is waiting.



*previously posted sometime in 2006 :) Sorry about being MIA.

No pics :(

Well I totally forgot to take pictures of the boys' games. However, here is the run down.

We had to have Matthew on the field at noon for his 1:30 game. It was the hottest day of August this year. There was no shade except for under the bleachers. We had plenty of water and sunscreen. Both David and Ryan were also dressed out because David's game was at 3:30 on the same field. He had to report to his coaches at 2. Ryan's game was on another field, in a different city, at 4:15. He had to be on field at 3. So, yes I missed half of M's game and all of D's. But it's okay. We worked it all out last year so we are used to some games this way.

Thank God for cell phones.

Matthew's team was strong. They kept the offence from scoring but so did the other team. There were a few minutes left in the game when out of nowhere the other team scored 3 touch downs!! We couldn't believe it. Final 21-0 Saints

I had to leave half-time of M's game to get R to his game. We have to be on the field early for weigh-ins and warm up.

Here is the report from D's team. The score was 0-0 until the fourth quarter. During the third quarter it poured the rain. Which, in case you didn't know, FOOTBALL PLAYERS PLAY IN THE RAIN! So everyone was so excited. The final score 13-7! Knights

R's game was a bit cooler. Plus I found shade. :) He had a couple of awesome tackles. He also ran the ball far down the field. He can't wait to get his stickers. The coach is giving stickers out to the kids that make great plays. He'll get a few cross bones for the tackles and a couple of footballs for running it. Final 0-0

I'm very proud of them. Our family enjoys football so much. I must tell you that my chest swells with pride when other coaches, from other teams, know who my boys are. It makes my kids' chest swell up when the other coaches from opposing teams know their names.

All three boys play on both sides of the ball.

Well, there is the update! I'm sorry I didn't have pics. This Saturday they are all on the same field so no running around. I will try to get some great pictures. I don't have a camera that zooms in though. :( But if the boys are featured on the website I will link you up!

Butterflies

Everyone in my house has butterflies today!

We are getting ready to head out to the first games!!

WOO HOO

GO KNIGHTS!

Random stuff ...

Okay so I just have some random thoughts running through my head. There is no value, at least that I can tell, but I will share non the less. :O)

1. The boys' first game is this Saturday. You can not believe the excitement around here. They had their Jamboree last Saturday and it was a blast. We were out on the field for 9.5, yes nine point five, hours. Yes, I have sunburn on my face, neck, ankles and even my lips. Nope I didn't wear sunblock.

2. School starts soon and no we are not ready. It's been hard to sit and focus on the placement tests for the new curriculum. I'm not letting that discourage me.

3. I'm praying that my curriculum will arrive shortly after I place my order.

4. Yep, you read that right. I haven't ordered it yet.

5. I had a freak out moment today. It's been happening a lot more lately. Bo said something that stopped me in my tracks. He truly is listening to God more then he realizes. Anyway, he said
"You know how in the Bible it says that you can't lead a church if you can't lead your home?" Me "Yeah, but what does my life have to do with church?!" I say in tears. Bo "Well, your kids are your ministry. You can not lead your children if you can not lead yourself."

6. I wrote that on a piece of paper and taped it to my bathroom mirror.

7. I am thoroughly enjoying my devotional blog with my three dearest friends. We are studying the OT prophets right now. We started at the back of the book and are working our way up. The insight these gals have is inspiring and amazing. It tickles me to see how different we are. I seem to be the one who analyzes every verse and am always saying "Oh that speaks to Christ's first coming." or " Oh I think we are given a glimpse into His return."

8. I obeyed God about something. Not ready to share just yet.

9. My kids (particularly Matthew) are really interested in this presidential election. It's been a great way to discuss God and leaders.

10. I found out just recently that David is a bit unnerved by spiders. It was cute. We were working in the garden together. When he moved a stone there was a spider. He jumped back and then yelled, while jumping on it, "Kill it! Kill it!" I told him it was just a harmless spider. He said "Oh I know. I just wanted to do it." So I dismissed it. But after the third one that he jumped on I realized that he was not to keen on them. Oh another clue was when he said "I think spiders are creepy." LOL

11. There was a hawk on my neighbor's fence the other day. It was beautiful. I didn't take a picture because I didn't want to scare it. I only have a camera on my phone. :) The next day we saw it flying around our neighborhood with some crows. The boys and I thought that was kind of odd.

12. Bo gets his Harley back this weekend. We are driving up after the boys' games. We'll camp out at Danny's, his mechanic, and will camp, cook-out, and enjoy the mountains. I'm very excited and happy for him. Dream come true.

13. I'm sitting here waiting for my BFF to call me back. It's just after 9 at night her time ... I may give her a ring back so she'll know I'm still up. Waiting.

14. I'm really excited about the Fireproof movie.

15. It's late and I should go to bed. Or call Tina.

Hey Lisa!

136 As a 1930s husband, I am Very Superior Take the test!

Well, it looks like I may need to step up my game! Bo is a better 1930s hubby then I am wife. ;)

Fireproof

I can't wait for this movie to come out. Check out more about it at fireproofmymarriage.com

Make sure you turn off the music on my sidebar. Spread the word on your blog!

I'm average and I am okay with it.

52 As a 1930s wife, I am Average Take the test!

Well, I would have been an average housewife in the 1930s. I'm okay with it! LOL You can also have your hubby take the test. I wonder how Bo will do. I'll let you know if/when he takes it.

brain test (no, not checking if I have one!)

So I took this little brain test that I found at The Preacher's Wife. Here are my results ...


Terri, you are somewhat left-hemisphere dominant and show a preference for visual learning, although not extreme in either characteristic. You probably tend to do most things in moderation, but not always. Well, that sounds about right.


Your left-hemisphere dominance implies that your learning style is organized and structured, detail oriented and logical. Your visual preference, though, has you seeking stimulation and multiple data. Such an outlook can overwhelm structure and logic and create an almost continuous state of uncertainty and agitation. You may well suffer a feeling of continually trying to "catch up" with yourself. You bet I do!

Your tendency to be organized and logical and attend to details is reasonably well-established which should afford you success regardless of your chosen field of endeavor. You can "size up" situations and take in information rapidly. However, you must then subject that data to being classified and organized which causes you to "lose touch" with the immediacy of the problem. I'd say that is right.

Your logical and methodical nature hamper you in this regard though in the long run it may work to your advantage since you "learn from experience" and can go through the process more rapidly on subsequent occasions.
You remain predominantly functional in your orientation and practical. Abstraction and theory are secondary to application. In keeping with this, you focus on details until they manifest themselves in a unique pattern and only then work with the "larger whole." So true!


With regards to your career choices, you have a mentality that would be good as a scientist, coach, athlete, design consultant, or an engineering technician. You can "see where you want to go" and even be able to "tell yourself," but find that you are "fighting yourself" at the darnedest times. Oooh ... so true! Only the scientist and engineer sound good to me LOL. I have told Bo before that if I had chosen a career other then wife and mama it would have been in criminal forensics. I would have loved to be a detective even.

Y'all should take the test and let me know what you come up with. I love little fun stuff like this. If you find any good ones ... let me know.

Busy little girl!

Here I am on the computer when really there are things that should be done.

This weekend is going to be so fun and busy that I really don't have a moment to tell y'all about it. But since I want to tell y'all about it ... I will just have to hustle when I'm done.

So here is my list of things, errands to run and fun to do. :)

Friday:
*Clean up the house including the boys cleaning up their rooms.
Bo's baby sister Ashley is in town. She is planning on meeting us up at football practice and then head over to our home. However if they, her, her man and her son don't then they are coming tomorrow. Anyway, moving on.
*I have to hit Wal-Mart for some light groceries and party stuff.
*Football at 6.

Saturday:
*Pancake Breakfast for the Chesapeake Knights! We are to be there at 7:30 in the morning. :) Of course my brain won't realize anything until after 9! The boys are so excited about it. The coaches are cooking the food. Applebees up the road is hosting it for us. I think that is cool.
*Ashley and company between 11 -1p.
*Birthday party for the boys' friend, Jacob. 1:30-3:30p
*David's sleep over birthday party at 4p. I think there will be 11 or so boys here. Yes, I have ear plugs on my list. LOL Just teasing.

Sunday:
*Kids get picked by 10a. I hope. LOL
*Busch Gardens with Ashley and her family.

Perhaps Monday it will rain. If it rains in the morning I can sleep in because Bo will be home ... That would be nice.

Energized

I feel energized! I am getting really excited about this upcoming school year. I feel confident about the curriculum I have chosen. Tomorrow evening I have a steering meeting for co-op. My house has been cleaned out and organized. The boys are doing awesome in football. We (more Bo then me) moved his shop back home. Getting back to basics. Somewhere on here is a pic of his work truck and trailer, just cause I took the picture. :) Feels like old times, good times, simple times. We are so excited. When you walk in God's Will, you just know.













There are still things I need/would like to accomplish before school actually starts. Like finishing the three books I'm reading, and taking the placement tests for the new curriculum. I also need to finish my garden. Man is that hard and time consuming work! We'll get it done. I'm confident in that. :)

OH! I have to brag about the weather here. Usually we have temps over 100 with heat indexes of 110 or higher. The air doesn't move and it's very thick. It's miserable. Grown men cry. Bo adjusts his schedule from 7a-5p is to 4a-2p ish. The boys go out and play in 10 minute increments. It's just terrible. Our electric bill is the highest in August.

No so right now my friend! We have had temps in the low 90s with very low humidity!! One day it didn't get higher then 85! Get out of here! I have actually had the windows opened in the mornings. I love fresh air. The breeze (can you believe we have had a breeze?!) has been nice and cool. Football has been so wonderful. I've actually been able to sit out and enjoy it instead of retreating to my van with the AC running and praying for the boys. Sorry for all the !s I'm just so excited about the weather! ;)

The first night of practice I told some parents that I am praying that God gives us great weather. They were like "Umm, okay." But every night they say to me "I can not believe this weather!" I say " I know, God sure is blessing us today!"

God is so good and I feel great! :) Now, to go open the windows up again this morning!

Chip away

I can not tell you how many years my husband's loving advice to me has been "Chip away."

Me: Honey, I am so overwhelmed with school.
Bo: Do a little at a time. Chip away at it.

Me: Sweetheart, this house is such a mess. I don't even know where to start.
Bo: Start in one room and do a little at a time. Just chip away at it.

You get the message. We have had so many of these conversations over the past 11 years that I find myself saying those words not only to myself but to close friends who call me up overwhelmed with their life. I smile to myself as I say "Bo always says to chip away at it."

I have learned to chip away at things. However it seems like I could never get small pieces out of the chunk. So even though I started off well and good, I soon became overwhelmed again. Some times I wouldn't finish the job at all.

This week though something happened. Between much prayer, over many years, Bo's gentle advice to "chip away" and God's Divine Grace, I figured out something!

Monday I just couldn't take it any more. You know, our unorganized, clutter, broken toy infested house anymore! Of course, with tears in my eyes, I went to Bo.

"Chip away Sweetheart. Baby steps."

With a fresh cup of coffee in my hand I sat down with pen and paper. A master list. That's what I needed. So I wrote out all the things I would like to accomplish before school started. Then I prioritized the list. I thought that it was silly to have the boys take their placement tests if the table was completely covered in stuff. So I decided that de-cluttering, re-organizing, and taking care of little messes was the best place to start.

Next I made a smaller list for each day. I took one to three things from the master list and put them on each day. Depending on how large the job was. I also put on my every day list my every day stuff.

So here is what my week has looked like ...

Tuesday - Ryan's closet, keep up on house, laundry, straighten up my room, football at 6p.
Wednesday - Ryan's room, keep up on house, laundry, football at 6p.
Thursday - Matthew and David's room, keep up on house, football at 6p.
Friday - Toy closet, clean house, put pads in practice pants, football at 6p.

The items in bold I was not able to do. Oh well. On Thursday I simply ran out of time. Friday my plans were changed. My girlfriend from co-op emailed me saying that she had some flowers from her garden for me. She had yellow cannas and liriops. So after the toy closet I ran to her house. While on my way my best friend called. I sat at my co-op friend, Kim's driveway for 30 minutes talking with Tina. Then I sat for another 20 minutes at Kim's table chatting with her. By the time I got back home it was after 2 and the boys were home from Grandma's house. So all I did was clean up my kitchen and get their pads together.

I am not upset. I simply put the unfinished items from Friday onto Saturday's list. I had planned on helping Bo clean out our garage. However, I need to get our house in order. He agreed.

Here is my list for today ...
Clean the house
-Kitchen - just straighten up from breakfast.
-Dinning room - straighten and de-clutter
-Living room - straighten up, put stuff away
-Scrub all the bathrooms
-Straighten up my room
-Straighten up hallway - get all the toys in their proper homes in the toy closet
-Get trash taken out from my cleaning up
-Laundry
Help Bo with garage - if needed
Clean up our garden
-Weed it
-Plant my new perennials. I now have yellow cannas, liriops, and orange lilies. I will have to post a picture of our garden. :P God has blessed me with so much. If the plants I have weren't free then they were only $0.99! Like my purple (favorite color!) bush. It was only $0.99! Last year we bought flowers and bulbs from Home Depot. Even though we only spent about 20 bucks it was still a lot of money to me. So I prayed that God would send me deals. I asked Him to help me to realize I can do a little at a time. I didn't need an award winning garden right out the gate. Boy did He ever! I am so blessed by Him in so many different ways. I found out a few months back that bulbs can take up to 3 years to bloom. So I'm curious as to what my garden will look in the next few summers! I honestly can't remember what we planted. My desire is in the next few years to be able to bless other gardeners with my overflow. God is good!

I'm excited. I have more time today because there is no practice. Next week I will worry about next week. :)

The Big 9

Well today is finally David's 9th birthday! It seems that his birthday takes so long to come around. He was so excited today. David couldn't wait until he got to the field to let his coaches know.

David is a lot like me. It's a wonder that we don't have bruises from all our head butting. LOL He is my peace maker and reserved one. But don't let that fool you, he can be just as crazy as the rest of them.

When he was a little guy, around 4 or 5, he used to say "Oh the pain, the house!" LOL Not sure where he got that from but when ever the house (Bo and all the boys) got rowdy he would say it. It just cracks me up!

He has done so much growing this past year. I'm very proud of him. Between his physical growth and mental growth no one that meets us believes he is the middle and that he is (now) nine.

HAPPY 9th BIRTHDAY DAVID!

What in the world?!

I received an email a few days ago from Blogger that said my site was blocked. Not only that but it would be deleted in 20 days! I had to request to have my blog reviewed. I didn't trust the email so when I checked out my Dashboard, sure enough, it was blocked.

The reason it was blocked was for spam. Apparently Blogger has a program that scans all the blogs for spam. The computer program flagged my blog. So it put a hold on it until I requested the review or 20 days pass in which case it would be deleted.

So I requested the review. What Blogger does is have a real person click on the blog and check it out. If that person finds no spam or other things that are in violation of the Terms of Service then they unlock it.


So, here I am. Unlocked! :) At first I was a bit upset. I thought that my blog would be deleted. Then I thought what if God is using this blog to touch that person. Wouldn't that be cool? Talk about a Divine appointment.

Well, that's it. I was going to post about football (with pics) but I was blocked and I forgot to get pics at the first couple of practices. LOL This week I should have something.

It's crunch time around here. I want the boys' rooms, my closet, the toy closet, and our homeschool closet cleaned out well. I want to have the placement tests done (for the new curriculum I've chosen, more to come on that). I also want to finish a few good books. All before school starting which is going to be September 2. I have already discussed it with the boys. They think it's cool that their first football game is before school starting. I do too. :) I'm a sucker for the boys playing it.

Till tomorrow or the next day ...

Head First (Coffee and a View)

Head (no pun) over to my sweet friend Lisa's blog.

my Beloved

Today is my Beloved's birthday. This is the 11th birthday that we have shared together. I'm honored.

It was just after midnight last night when we went to bed. I looked at the time, snuggled up to him and in my best southern draw said "Happy berday Sweetheart. Ur til as perty as the day I marred ewe."

Well, it was funny to us. :)

Bo, you are an amazing man. I am so blessed to have spent all these birthdays with you. I pray that God allows me to spend a million more. I thank God for you every day. We've had some pretty bad storms in our life but I wouldn't want any one else to share my umbrella. You are sexy, funny, kind, sweet, smart, hardworking, bull headed (or wait, that's me), handsome, really the list goes on. You are the first person I think about in the morning, the last on my mind at night, the man I dream about, and the one I share my heart with.
YOU ARE STILL THE ONE!
Happy 32nd Birthday!

I'm sorry your bike wasn't back from Danny's. I know you would have loved to have been riding tonight. Soon Babe, soon.

Growing up (homeschool blog)

God is really calling me this year to growing up. Honestly.
The curricula that God has chosen requires me to be very hands on with the boys. Something in the past I haven't cherished. Don't misunderstand me. I have cherished the boys and I love playing with them but being serious and homeschooling, well, I have struggled.
I'm excited about what God is doing in my life. We have come so far together. It has been a privilege and an honor to be His daughter.
Something happened today that still brings tears to my eyes. Perhaps you won't understand but I am going to share any way! :)
I have been praying off and on for God to bring to us (the boys and I) some friends. We have great friends but they either have moved, don't homeschool, or have younger kids. I wanted to find a mom who homeschooled and had boys around my boys' ages. Oh yeah, and a mom who didn't mind meeting up twice or so a month.
Another thing I was praying about was a co-op of sorts. Now, co-ops scare me. I don't want to teach and I don't want to spend money. I have heard of some where you help out where you can like cleaning or organizing emails. Now, that doesn't seem so bad but I know that could quickly overwhelm my family time. So that is not really an option ... at this time.
Well, I received an email from this mom who has four boys. She and I have never met but she saw on one of my yahoo groups that I have three boys. Her kids are 11(almost 12), 9 (10 next month), 7 (just turned) and 5 (in two weeks). Can y'all believe it? Not only that but she teaches with her girlfriend a co-op. So we arranged to meet at the park. She lives just about 10 - 15 minutes away from me. I had express that I wasn't interested in a co-op but I would love to get her boys together with mine. Also, that I was looking for some fellowship too.
I kept praying all week that this would answer my prayer concerning friendships.
Today we met. It was so nice. We are very like-minded. From discipline, homeschooling and basically life in general. It was nice and refreshing. We talked about all sorts of things. Of course we kept coming back to homeschooling. She explained all about the co-op. She patiently answered my questions. Basically I just need to show up. ;) She teaches science (which Matthew has been begging me to do other then read books and go to the museum). Her friend teaches Virginia History. It's from 1 - 3p on Tuesdays. For the younger kids another mom is going to do history and science stuff with some crafts for about 15 to 20 minutes each hour. The rest of the time will be play time or coloring. She said that there are 3 other moms who come and hang out. And get this ... they ALL drink coffee! LOL She said that she is a huge coffee nut (or should I say bean? :)) and has all the fancy creamers! That sealed the deal for me!
Seriously though, my spirit was quickened. I knew that God has answered my prayer. And that of my boys. He is so awesome. I am so excited about this.
I'm not all sure what is going to come out of this friendship and co-op but I know I am going to be blessed. Who knows maybe in a few months I will tell y'all about how I am teaching the younger ones. :)
God has a way of growing us up. A way of stretching us. A way of answering us.
This year is going to be huge for me. I can feel it deep in my bones. I can't wait. For I know that if He has ordained it, it can only bring me pleasure and peace. Even if some things are hard and I want to give up, I know that I know it is all for His glory!

The Lord spoke to me :) (homeschool blog)

I had an interesting conversation with God this week. My spirit was quicken suddenly one day while talking to (at) my children.

God: "You used to never speak that way."

Me: "What way?"

God: "This way. This "just cause I said so" way."

Me: "What?"

God: "You used to explain things to them. You always had a reason for your actions or your discipline. You always made sure they understood things."

Me: "Well, sometimes it is "just because I said so."

God: "Yes, there are times that you can use your Mommy trump card but you were always so careful with it."

Me: "And now?"

God: "And now you play it almost all the time. Not only that but you are not as soft with your tone or words. When you call their names, you are a bit harsh. They tend to feel like they have done something wrong when it's really just lunch time."

Me: "Oh."

So, I have repented. I have repented to God and to my boys. I have changed it too. There is a loving mommy sweetness to my voice. I am now taking the time to explain things again. I'm calmer. I reason when needed and rebuke when needed. I'm quick to check my attitude before I say something. Thank you Lord.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your kind words of rebuke. Thank You for loving me and showing me. These boys are precious. May my thoughts, words and deeds be pleasing to Your sight. Quicken me sweet Lord. Pull me close and share with me what is on Your heart for my home. Glory to You my Savior. Thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Some good advice (homeschool blog)

The past two days God has brought to me some good advice.

First thing was yesterday. I was having 'one of those days'. I called my husband to tell him that I am just a failure at homeschooling. Tears streaming down my face, I explained all the ways I just blew it. In his loving way he said "Take a deep breath. You are not a failure. I think you should make a list of things you feel is wrong. Then make a list of how those things should be like. Next make another list of the ways you are going to change those areas."

What a great idea I thought. I love lists. :) Maybe putting things down on paper instead of them rolling around in my head ... well, I just may see the mole hill.

The boys and I went to the library before our co-op meeting. I was getting some books on Charlotte Mason. I stumbled upon this book; Homeschooling Take a Deep Breath - You Can Do This! by Terrie Lynn Bittner. Too funny I thought. So I added that to our pile.

This morning I was on the phone with my sweet friend Bree. I was explaining yesterday and what Bo had said to do. She then added that I should write a list every day of the things we did do. Like yesterday at the library I taught the boys how to locate the non-fiction books by using the call letters. She felt that basically I focus on what I haven't checked off and totally forget the things that 'just happen'.

So this evening I am reading that book by Mrs. Bittner. Listen to this ...She encourages keeping a homeschool journal. Every evening list the things that went right in the day. Start with the good stuff first because you could become discouraged! LOL Then she said that you can't write more negative stuff then you have written about positive stuff. For example, if you write 5 good things then you can't write more then 5 bad things. Next Terrie says to circle what you feel worries you the most and what you are most proud of. Take the good thing, write it on a index card or sticky note, and post it some where. After that you should come up with a solution for the problem. Isn't that neat?

She also said that you should word the problem correctly. Instead of saying that 'I have a terrible temper'. You should say 'I became upset when Jason dawdled during math.' Terrie said that you can't change your personal temper tantrum from earlier but you can think of a solution for the child who dawdles.

I thought that was so enlightening. Think about it ... my/your 'bad temper' is so vague and encompasses so much more then one issue. But looking at the event, the child who dawdles, it's easier to put into perspective.

It's funny to me looking back over the summer to now. God has been calling me to read, read and read in regards to homeschooling and now He is calling to me write, write and write. Perfect timing and nothing out of order. May His name be praised!

back to basics (homeschool blog)

Well, it seems to be that time of the year where I throw my hands up in the air and declare that I am failing.

Praise God for wonderful friends who are willing to listen. Thank you Lord for my friend Bree who doesn't mind telling me what to do!

I was complaining to Bree that one of my children is not really reading. One child wants to read but I'm not doing anything with it. Oh and another child should/could be reading more but I never push the issue.

So, in her wisdom, which truly does come from the Lord, said that I needed to take a week with the child who isn't reading and focus on phonics. Make sure he understands his sounds. Do little worksheets that enforce what he is learning.

Then she said that I just need to have the youngest read. Same with the oldest. LOL She used more tact then that but basically, yeah, I need to stop being so lazy. My words ... not hers.

So that was my plan. Bo was going out of town Wednesday morning and I thought "PERFECT!" I don't have to worry about any set times because 'Daddy' won't be coming home. So if we just have hot dogs and pop corn for dinner then great. :) If we are still doing lessons at 7 at night then great. :)

So that was my plan. That is as far as it got. However, all was not lost. We played Rummy all day. We all took turns being the score keeper. We all took turns announcing the scores after each hand. We laughed. We snacked on pop corn, cheese and crackers and drank a lot of Kool-aid.

Hey, come on, you know you can't beat that!

Today the boys were at my mom's. I used this time to organize some things and pray. I really spilled everything to Him today. I feel refreshed. I know that things are not as they seem. In my Bible study, which is on the power of speech, God revealed to me how I still have some areas of my thought life that is in ruins.

I do believe that is why there is a block with homeschooling. It's not that I am lazy (sure, sometimes I am) or that I am selfish with my time (well, sometimes I am) it's more about my thoughts. I don't believe I am capable of doing this. So "why bother" becomes a nagging banner hanging in my brain. Or "I can't do this" is the only phrase I can hear.

Glory to God though! I am taking my thoughts captive. I am tucking the lies under the belt of truth. Lining it up with God's Word. If it doesn't match then it is a lie and I will not tolerate it. Glory!

So ... how about you? Ever had the urge to get back to the basics in life?

Only a few days of July left

Where does the time go? Who comes and snatches it away?

This summer has been so relaxing. I really have enjoyed it. However now that it's almost August I sense that anxious feeling trying to rise up. Deadlines are starting to creep into my calendar. Appointments for various things need to be made. Projects that should be done by the first of the school year are just words on a paper. Football season starts this Monday.

I find myself wanting to hide in a good book. I find myself fighting with my flesh. My flesh wants to curl up with a great cup of coffee, a book, a telephone (so I don't have to get up) and just escape. I want the TV to babysit.

With all of that going on in my head/heart, I also find myself wanting to get things done. I want to paint things. I want to clean out things. I want to purge stuff. I want to vacuum under the beds. I want to dust the window sills. I want to organize our school year. I want do this ... I want to do that ...

It's a process. I was just thinking about last summer. How I couldn't drag myself out of bed before 10. Sad to say but the school year was like that too. My heart was so heavy. The yoke of perfectionism hung so heavy around my neck that most days I couldn't do anything. I begged God to change me. I would set my alarm for 6, then 6:30, then 6:50, then 7 ... each day I would wake up, look at the time and realize my failure. We were so unorganized. Nothing ever was taken care of. Sure the house was straightened. Laundry was done. But my boys were fending for themselves on most days. School? What school. We did a lot of hitting and missing. By the true grace of God they did very well on their end of year review.

So often I would pray that God would grow me up. "I'm so immature" is what I would begin and end every prayer with. My question to Him was often "What is wrong with me?". Then one day I realized something. Nothing. Nothing was wrong with me. I was just in the middle. I was in the process of maturing. Growing up. That in between stage of letting go of the old but not having a complete hold on the new.

This summer something happened. My internal clock set its alarm. For almost a month I have been up by 7:30. 8 o'clock the latest. I have gotten more intentional quiet time with God. Which has just be wonderful. I notice that I am not as flustered through the day. After about a week of getting up early I wasn't tired in the middle of the day anymore. I'm actually tired around 9 at night. LOL Who would have thought?!

I am so thankful for God's grace and mercy. I am really looking forward to the rest of the summer. I'm excited about football season and school starting. Things are starting to smooth out a bit. There are still somethings that I'm not sure about. Like a true schedule for our days. I'm thinking about selling Mary Kay. Bo is wanting to branch out a bit with our business. I really want to get involved in a Life Group. Things like that but I know that God is and will be there for me. I've aligned myself to His will and He will take care of the details.

There is peace and rest in my spirit.

I found a great site!!

So, the past few years I have really gotten into reading. I am eating up books and I am so happy. My struggle though is that I am kind of picky about what I will read. I want Christian mystery and/or history fiction. I don't want romance. I don't want secular. I don't want sci-fi. I don't want cult or occult. Let me tell you that it's not always easy. I wish the library just had a sectioned titled "Christian Fiction". Then I could skim the shelves for hours. But they don't so I am left to Google.
While I was googling :) I found this site Focus on Fiction. It gives you a list of reviewed fiction books by christian authors. There are interviews from the authors too. I have already found a book I want to read. Click HERE for the review. :) It's on hold at the library near my house. I can't wait for it to come in!!

What do you do?

What do you do when you have done all you can do?

Do you give up?

Do you do more?

Do you pout?

Do you blame others?

Or do you hold onto the promises of God?

I've been sitting here catching up on some blogs ... (homeschool blog)

I've been sitting here catching up on some blogs. Lately my heart has been away from the computer. Imagine that? Like most of us moms we have turned away from the TV just to be in another stronghold ... the Internet! Oh well, that is another post.

As you would imagine some of the posts I have been reading are homeschool blogs. Which, now that it is spring, has a lot to do with the P word. Moms all around the world are planning for the next school year. Not me of course but I've been reading.Actually I am a bit excited about it. I believe God for the breakthroughs that I need. I'm believing God when He says He knows what He is doing. I'm believing God that He called us to this. God has been so gracious and merciful over the last five years.

My life, like most of us, have not been all about homeschoolin'. We started homeschooling in the fall of 2003. That summer (of '03) God took me on a journey of cleaning out my heart and becoming the woman/wife/mother He called me to be. In December of 03 we started our business.Each of those things require a lot of prayer. A lot of attention. A lot of time.

I know that I will never be called to stop laboring (in much prayer) over each of those things, however I do believe God is shifting my priorities a bit. Being His daughter will always be number one but now I have a routine of getting in His Word, seeking His face. My heart is healing from many things and I am walking in victory in a lot of areas. Glory! Same with our business. God has blessed us with a very successful business. Bo is very business savvy. He is a great people person. He is very wise. I am so proud of him. God has truly blessed him with some great talent. Not to mention he is a man who is not afraid of hard labor. He thrives on it. He is the kind of guy who will never really retire. Not because of money but because he believes he will die if his hands aren't dirty. He blesses my soul.

Anyway, back to school. God has truly blessed me with it. Our years have been mostly playing around and hanging out with some lessons here and there, or so it seems. I really wouldn't trade it for the world. Not even when my boys scream that they hate each other or tell strangers that they can't read. They can, trust me they can. I wouldn't trade the easy going mornings. The rainy days of snuggling on the couch. I wouldn't give up the many trips to the library. I would give up the library fines. :) I wouldn't trade the ability to stop everything just so we could go outside and admire our neighbor's tree blooming. I wouldn't trade the fact that our mail man knows each boy by name. I wouldn't trade the innocence of my boys. I wouldn't trade the impromptu lunches at Applebee's. God is good.

As this school year is ending I have a sense in my spirit that God is stretching me again. I know next school year will be more focused on academics. I know I will really deal with some dying to my flesh. I'm ready. God is a good God. He is kind and helpful. If He has called me to it then I know He has made a way for it. I count it a joy and an honor to serve Him.

If you would like to read the articles that inspired this rambling, you can go here and here.


*originally posted on 4/16/08

You think me? Really? (Homeschool blog)

I am going to our state's homeschool convention! I am besides myself happy. For a brief moment I thought one of my dearest friends would join me. To be honest I had mixed feelings. LOL It's okay, she understands.


I'm actually going solo. Oh yes, you read that right. Alone. Me, myself and I. Well, okay, human wise I will be alone but God's coming too. Glory! I am so looking forward to some one on one time, apart from dirty dishes and fightin' boys. I will be gone for two nights and three days. Did I mention I will be alone? Yes, I am still going to go to the actual convention. LOL You silly people.

Here are my thoughts about the whole trip. I plan on absorbing all that I can and taking every free sample that I can. Then I plan on going back to my hotel room, laying everything out on the second bed and pouring over them in prayer. Plus I plan on having real quiet time with God. Of course fresh coffee at all times. :) I plan on leaving my clothes out and not worrying about someone moving my socks. I can't wait.

The convention has 6 workshops. Of course I picked out 13 or 14 different ones I wanted to go to. I felt God telling me to ask Bo. So I did. I gathered all my information and presented it to him. Cause that is what I do. I like to have all my ducks in a row. Anyway, I gave him the deadline of June 4. That is when I leave. Before he left for his trip this week he asked me to come into the office. I figured he was going to go over our monthly bills. Which he always does around the first five days of the month. We get the calender out and discuss up coming field trips, doctor visits and any mom night outs. Anyway, besides the point. So I head into the office with my coffee cup ready to go over everything. When I sit down I notice he has the paper I gave him two weeks ago in his hand. He said that he was ready to go over the workshops he feels I would benefit from. I was shocked. I quickly grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil. He then started telling me the different speakers he felt I should try to get to. The workshops are first come first serve so I may not be able to get to all the ones I want. I notice a theme among the workshops. I guess he must of seen that on my face or (and probably the truth) God heard my heart questioning it because Bo then began to explain his choices. He said, "I can see you leading a support group for homeschool moms. I think that you should take advantage of all the things that deal with the leadership aspect of it. Learn some tips, broaden your area of expertise." I was shocked. You think me? Really?

Every time I think about his words, the sincerity in his voice my heart flutters. To think that my man thinks that I can do something like this is wonderful.Part of my flesh was like "have you known me long?" but the other part, my spirit, knew that he had heard something from God. In the past few years God and I have talked about this type of thing. Not really for 'homeschoolin' but other things like that. I have lead a few small groups. Two with my husband and one by myself. I love it.

So I am very curious to see where God is taking me. What a ride! What a journey! What an arrival! He is good! Glory!

*originally posted 5/10/08

The results are in (homeschool blog)

We received the boys' test results. All of them did so well. I'm proud. :) I had no doubts.

It's funny because we have never been the type of parents that did not share things with them. I mean sure there are some things we don't share but their test scores are certainly not one of them. They know that if they fall below a certain number then we would have to work really hard for a few weeks to get the scores back up before I submitted them to the city. So needless to say that we are all curious to see how everyone did. Plus they enjoy the accolades from Daddy on a job well done. Well, I was reading posts from my Yahoo group. You would be surprise the number of parents who do not share the results other then to say "You did fine". I was a little bit shocked. To each is to own, really. I just didn't think about it.

We've home schooled the whole "school years". So my kiddos have never gotten report cards or progress reports. There are no real grades. They either know the material and we move on or they don't and we hang out in it until they do. If for some reason they are still struggling and I'm tired of it then we move on. :) Usually they figure it out once they are applying it in a different area. Anyway, that is just what we do around here.I'm glad we can officially close our school year. I'll get those results mailed out by August 1st. Why not sooner? Well, cause that's how I am. I tend to put things off. :) It's nice to be able to go to the convention without wondering what the actual scores were.

Good-bye school year 07/08.

Good-bye 4th grade. Good-bye 3rd grade. Good-bye 1st grade.


*originally posted June 3, 2008

Giving fair warning :)

The next few days I am going over my homeschool blog. I will be posting the ones that I don't feel like losing. So you, who visit both, may just wanna skip over them. I should be done by Tuesday.

Now consider yourself warned! :)

Make the list, check it twice

I know that I am a bit hormonal this week. I think that is why I am on freak out mode. You know what I'm talking about. My thoughts are consumed with what I think needs to be done, what I would like to have done and all other thoughts. I'm not happy but I'm not sad. I'm frustrated yet relaxed.

Chip away.

That's Bo's advice. Make a list and start chipping away at it.

Isn't he smart? I should make a list. I'm always making a list though. I'm always writing down my thoughts. Just to turn around and not have anything accomplished. I drive myself nuts. Honestly, I do.

Three of my sweetest girlfriends and I have started a Bible study this July. In fact today the first post is due. We're doing it in a blog format. Anyway, I started to journal my thoughts as I read our first book. I wrote the verse and what it spoke to me. Short and sweet. My everyday lists are the same. Short and sweet. It's my life changing lists that overwhelm me. Not the change or chore needed to be done but the process in which I do them or think they need to be done. Does that make sense? I'm not an executor. I'm a planner. I see the vision but have no idea how to get there. I should hire a team. LOL Wouldn't that be lovely?

So anyway, I'm in the kitchen washing dishes and sort of gripping in my spirit about the toys that need to be cleaned out. Fussing about the test results that need to be sent and so on. In that moment God spoke to me. He said that I should make my list but keep it short and sweet. Write out what I want like 'Clean/organize boys' rooms' but don't write the day/time or how. Just write it down and allow God to tell me the day/time and how. Give Him my list and stop freaking out over the details.

Isn't it hard? Isn't it hard to surrender all the time over every little thing? But that is exactly what He tells us to do.

Cast your cares ... be anxious for nothing ... pray without ceasing ...

Yes, He wants us to have a goal, a plan but He doesn't want those things to become a stronghold that keeps us up at night or keeps us tightly wound up. His grace is sufficient. He has just what I need just when I need it. It is perfect for me and for my situation.

So tonight I am going to sit down with a good cup of coffee, a notebook and pen. I'm going to gather my thoughts, take them captive and hand them, with my list, over to my God. Then I will sit back, rest in His presence and listen.

Football is here!

I am so excited. Football camp started today. It's three hours a day for five days. The official season starts August 1. My boys were so tired today. I am too. Football is such a passion for my boys. They are so focused. I'm a proud mama.

It was hot today. I don't even know what the temp will be tomorrow. I forgot sun screen, wore jeans and there was no shade in sight. My face and arms a bit red. Oh well.

I chatted the three hours away with one of the moms from Ryan's team last year. Ryan was happy to see his bud. We vowed to remember sunscreen, wear shorts and sit under a tree we spotted. She might even bring an umbrella if she can find it. Sweet! :)

This summer has been so wonderful.

GO KNIGHTS!

A few posts to catch up on.

Okay, so I have decided to delete my homeschool blog. So, I posted two (now three) entries today. I am going to look over my posts from my homeschool blog and see if any are worth re-posting on here. If you would like, feel free to head over to the picture He's painting to see if you missed anything. If something is worth re-posting here let me know. :)

I have had the thought that I just didn't need another blog for awhile now. I am a homeschoolin' mom. God uses homeschooling to teach/reach me as much as anything else in my life. I can't separate my walk with God from my homeschooling.

So, for those of you who do not homeschool I just wanted you to know that some posts may be about curricula and field trips. Cause it is what it is. :)

For those of you who only know me by my homeschooling blog ... Welcome to The Potter's Clay. Sit for a spell, check out the archives :)

Now the fun begins with adding more things to my side bar. Somethings I didn't have here that I did there. I think I will update later. I've spent close to two hours on the computer today! Too long. Time to go and enjoy 'em boys so more!!

Well, it's July. Now my mind is drifting back to homeschooling. I have to have the boys' results in by August 1st. My Notice of Intent needs to be in by August 15. I'd like to have all my curriculum by Sept 1st. It's all really just weeks away.

I was so refreshed by the convention. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I can't say that I met any new friends. I did bump into some friends from church. I ate my meals alone and stayed in my hotel alone. It was FABULOUS! It was a much needed break all a way around.

Bo helped me decide what speakers I would see. It's never ceases to amaze me how finite my mind is. I walked into one speaker after another thinking I knew what it was about. Thinking I was going to learn some head knowledge about how to support/encourage other homeschoolers. Some head knowledge on how to plan a solid day of lessons. But God had other plans. I walked out in tears. Deeply moved by how infinite God is. I was touched over and over again by God's grace and love that I could barely get to the bathroom to hide my mascara stained face fast enough.

I walked away with a stirring in my spirit to seize the day of homeschooling. Something that hasn't left me. Praise God. I walked away with a more refined vision for myself and the boys this upcoming school year.God leaves bread crumbs everywhere. He has been talking to me for months about certain issues. Diving deep into my heart and healing, renewing, restoring and planting some new things. Now I can see His hand all along. God speaks in the quietness of our souls. He speaks when we rest and are still. He reveals Himself in the dawning of new days. He is there in the darkness of the night. He is faithful to answer. I, however, am not always faithful to hear.

This June I was listening. This June I heard Him. I may not be clear on the details of everything but I know He knows. Things may be a little tough, in fact I am sure it will be. It has to be. Otherwise how will we grow? I know there will be days of whining and complaining (that's just from me!). I know that the kids and I will clash on certain things but I know that it will all work out for Him. His Will be done. My job is to do "the thing". My job is to put one foot in front of the other, arms around my sons and my eyes fixed on the One who calls me.

Fixer

I'm a fixer. I'm usually factual not emotional. I relate to the "cave" that men relate to. I do not talk about my problems but withdrawal and become quiet. Usually when I share something with a close friend I am weeks past the situation. If I complain about the grass needing cut it is because the grass needs to be cut. Not because I am upset with something else in my life.

I've always been this way. At least as far back as I can remember. I think it's both nurture and nature. Now at 31years of age I am completely okay with it.

I usually prefer ministry that is not relational. Sounds terrible I know but hear me out. :) When I was younger I wanted to be a Deliverance Minister. I wanted to meet someone, identify the demon/stronghold in their life/home, cast it out in Jesus' name (cause hello, who am I?), pray with them and then move on. I know that those precious people needed someone to come along side them for awhile and disciple them but I had no interest in that.

Now that I am getting older I do see the value in relationships. I think it is so important to have friends in Christ that you can disciple and be disciple, to laugh and cry with, to grow with. I have been blessed by such friendships and I am forever changed by their grace and love.

Okay, the point to this post. LOL

I was thinking about women's ministry, on Friday, and how I love women but can't always relate to them. I was thinking about how could I be used? I'm not fluffy and girly. I'm straight forward and some times (well, maybe a lot) harsh. God is working on me with that. He is teaching me to say things out of Christ's love for the person. Although my message may be "Get over it" I don't have to say it that way. :) I said to God "I'm a fixer Lord. Where is my place in your kingdom here on earth?"

On Saturday the woman who runs our women's ministry called. She wanted my help with the annual Ladies Tea. Fluffy, girly. :) But I was thrilled to be asked. She said "I'd like you to represent the women's ministry for the next three or four Sundays at the women's table." God You are so cool. I know that she called other women as well. But it still was a sweet answer from God that she thought of me out of the 50 plus women who help with our ministry.

"Represent the women's ministry". Yes, women need women fixers. Perhaps it's been too long since some gal said to another gal "Toughen up". We need Deborahs and Sarahs and Esters to rise up. *I'm not saying I am even close to any of those!!* We need women to take other women by the hand and say "You are the Daughter of the King. Now act like it." I am so excited.

Something else happened on Sunday that got me excited. A year or so ago God said to me about aligning myself with a certain pastor in our church. I have known him for almost 10 years. During the time that Bo and I have known him he was the pastor of college ministries. Well, I didn't go to college. My life was about birthing babies. :) I thought it was odd that God would want me to do anything with that ministry. So you guessed it, instead of praying about it I dropped it.

Well, this Sunday an announcement was made. Our pastor friend, whom God told me a year ago to partner with, is moving to equipping. Yep, that's right. He is now our equipping pastor. Another younger pastor is taking over our college ministry. My spirit jumped. "Oh Lord, I should have prayed more about that. I'm sorry."

Later Sunday evening God brought back to me my fixer thought. There are fixers needed in every ministry. Maybe God doesn't want me to just be with women cause I'm a girl. Maybe I'm being called to a coed ministry. I would be honored to be used by God. I get chills just thinking about it. All of it. I can picture Bo and I ... talking to men and women about God, sin, the Cross, redemption, marriage, parenting, the list goes on.

I know for now where I am. God is refining me. Holding me back from some things that I know are placed in me. He is holding me back so that I can gain my strength and let go of my pride. My girlfriend said something to me while we had gathered for prayer one evening. She said that I was like a bird with my wings clipped. That God has plans for me but He is not allowing me to do those things yet because I need to be strengthened. I need to learn some things. One day He will open the door and I will be strong and be able to fly out. Glory! I tell you what. Before she said that I had been talking to God about my lack of movement. I heard God say some things to me yet every where I turned a door was shut either beyond my control or in my spirit. I was frustrated because I couldn't understand. I was ready. If God told me to do it then why the wait?! When my sweet friend said that, my spirit was checked. God clipped my wings. So no matter how hard I flap my wings I can't fly. But one day, one day I will flap my wings and I will begin to rise. I'll see the opened door and I will head out. Glory!!

I am so excited about God. He is so amazing. It never ceases to amaze me that He took this wretched girl who was lost and broken and gave her meaning and healed her. God took a girl who was so lonely and gave her a family to have forever. God took this girl who would cut herself for years, who enjoyed the pain of the knife, who would smile at the blood as if some comfort was found there and cause her to cry out now if she gets a paper cut. God is a restorer of things lost. He causes hearts of stone to become hearts of flesh.

The most amazing thing God has done for this girl is that while I was still a sinner Christ died for me. (Romans 5:8)