Being Alive...

Isn't awesome to know we have another breath?

We don't know if we get another one.

Are we doing all we need to be doing?

...all we should be doing?

...all we WANT to do?

(after all it is God who puts desires on our hearts, right?)

We have been set free from the bondage of sin. When you are born again you are more alive than you could have ever been before. God lets us experience life with open eyes, fresh perspective and a joy unknown to those outside His love and presence.

Thank God for the life He's given you.

Then, ENJOY IT!!

Take time to reflect today on all the blessings you have, including your heart - which is still beating. Do something a little cookey today, just to shake things up around you. (not to mention lighten yourself up a little too!) Allow your plans to be taken by God. Let Him give you His agenda and throw away your to do list. :-)

Today is a gift.
Receive it with open arms.

I smell change up ahead!

I've been busy (make that very busy) working on hubbys resume! Yep, there's a possibility that my hard working man just might have better hours and could be HOME more!!!!!! If you all only knew the prayers and tears. God does hear when we cry out to Him! This job in particular is almost like a dream because of the hours. They are SET. Which alone just makes me want to jump for joy. But, beyond that, they are GOOD hours...6:30-3:30 and only 5 minutes away from home. Not to mention there would be a pay increase.

Here's where we need prayer. The job post was taken offline last night. Not surprisingly because it had been up a month as of yesterday. My ambitious husband will be there with resume in hand at 8am tomorrow morning to inquire nonetheless. I don't know for sure if God has marked this job for him (although he seems to fit the bill pretty well), but I do know that He is moving in the area of hub's work. That alone makes me VERY excited!

Like I said, I've been working hard on his resume since I heard about the job. I am just now finishing it up. I am excited, even if this job does not pan out, because we are now fully prepared for whatever God has planned next.

God is good.

In times of thirst and in times of plenty.

He is always good.

Thank you for taking a moment to pray specifically for him. I will be stepping out in prayer, asking the Lord for this job. Only He knows, but it appears to fulfill (from my small brained perspective) my hearts desire to have my best friend around us more often. I'll keep you updated if/when God does place him in a new job.

Thanks again for your prayers!!

Happy Mothers Day!

Yeah, I know. As I'm writing this, it's almost midnight. So, I'm a little late. But, nonetheless, I hope you all have had a fantastic mothers day weekend!!

I did that's for sure.

Guess what I got?
Want a hint?

Awe, I'm tired. I'll just tell ya. (Ok, so the truth is, I couldn't think a good hint. You're right)

I thought about saying, "um, it rhymes with Fread Bechine", but I realized that idea was, well, dumb. And, that's when I decided to make the excuse of being tired.

Oh well. SO, did you get my lame hint?
I got a BREAD MACHINE!!!!!!!!!

Yes! My hubby is the best. Oh kay, it was from my kids, but you all understand. Somebody's gotta give them money & with money comes the idea of where to spend it. I love my family!

And, no, I still haven't made any bread. I can't wait tomorrow! We've been out all day & all of us have been talking about how excited we are to have some nice hot homemade bread!!!!

Yum. I can't wait!

How was your Mothers Day?

Rejoice!

Today is a day of celebration. Whatever else may be going on in your life today, put your eyes on the gift that God has given. What an awesome and amazing thing...God came to us, to become like us, and then to die for our sins. Thank You JESUS!!

If you happen across my blog today on this very blessed day and you don't know why all the excitement? Then you need to take a few minutes to ask yourself about what is going to happen to YOU when you die. Here's a few words on the subject...What happens when you die?

Happy Resurrection Day!!

And life just keeps on moving...

Got back late Friday night. Had a really good time. God had blessed us with out of the ordinary expenses and just in time to go shop. :-) I'm usually not much of a shopper, but give me some spending money & a mom who does like to shop...and...well, I'm buying things! We went to some outlet malls, which was neat. Little girl has PLENTY of clothes now, we'll just put it that way. This girl has been dressing sharp since she was an infant, but not because of me. I shop at Walmart. My sister in law is a shopper, a friend with a daughter the same age as mine, she shops too. Plus two sets of grandparents, and well, she's all decked out!

I could cry thinking about how blessed we are, really. I am thankful for all that God has done for us. :-) Ok, that crying part just might be hormones, but I really do appreciate how God has taken care of us. I know not everyone is able to have nice new beautiful clothes for their children. I've been there before.

While we're on the subject, I am so thankful for that extra money that came, because the book wasn't done in time to have it shipped regularly, so we had to spend $70 (yes, you read right) to get the book to us in time for Grandpa's birthday. Thank God for His provision!!

ANYWAY, we've been busy today and tomorrow is going to be a great day celebrating Jesus!

Hope your weekend has been blessed too!!

My *New* Bible

Yay!!

Here's what I got:

My Bible

And, I'm trying out my new html code too. :-D

Anyway, I'm excited. It's a hard bound, which I'm not used to. It's also bigger than I'm used to as well. I usually go for the pocket or compact. I'll get used to it. My bible sort of becomes a part of me. I take it everywhere. I guess it's nice when you talk to someone to have your Bible to show them where a scripture is at. Or for those small moments when you're waiting in the car, to read.

I started reading in Genesis last night. So, I'm trekking through the Bible once more. :-D

By the way, I think the cover is kind of ugly. Well, it's red & green. Seems a bit boyish to me. SO, I'm going to look around for some contact paper or maybe do the old paper bag trick with some pretty paper...Can't wait! Edited: Well, I've been looking it over and it's actually rubbing off on me. It does have a pretty flowery pattern on it that I hadn't noticed. And, the burgundy is a nice color. So, I think I'm going to keep it as is. :-D

If you only knew the agony I went through over here about WHICH Bible to get next. Oh how spoiled we are, aren't we? I mean here I am saying, no I don't want THAT one, the print is too small or whatever. Just amazing the abundance we have now, isn't it?

See you later, I'm off to read...

Today

I didn't work too much on Grandpa's book this weekend, so that's my main goal today. I want to get it totally done!! I need to get it done asap, but it's hard to keep focused. I don't have much to do, it's just keeping myself on task. So, hopefully I can get this done today so that I can get back to "real life" here soon. :-D

P.S. God is working miraculously in my life right now in some personal matters and I am SO thankful for answered prayers!! Especially those that I have been praying for for YEARS! (and in some ways my heart had given up...)

Thank God that He is faithful!!!!!!!!

Wonderful Weekend! (and meal planning)

God has blessed me with such a beautiful weekend!! Friday night my children spent the night with their grandparents. What a treat for them! They went swimming and my son rode an ATV (with grandma!). Their friends own one & let them ride it. As they had fun my husband willingly sat with me to plan out our menus!!! Yes, I did just say he helped me plan the meals. AMAZING I know. It's been awhile since we've done that & I'm so glad that we're at it again. Let me explain. God moved sometime at the end of last year & all of a sudden he was willing to help me out in this area! He is a bit picky (or maybe I just don't quite understand his tastes quite yet?) so cooking for him has been such a struggle for me. He likes gormet food, really. And, he makes a mean dish. I, on the otherhand am TERRIBLE in the cooking department. But, I'm home more often (obviously) so it makes more sense for me to do the cooking. However, my brain only works by a well thought out plan. Period! He would come home many times after work (around 7pm or so when I'm beat and ready to get my little munchkins to bed) with a sack full of groceries with a meal he had in his head he wanted me to cook. OH BOY! That was such a struggle for me!! Then, since my brains not working too well (I'm not a night person) I'd mess up the meal and his great idea for a fabulous meal is out the window. ugh. Oh did I pray. And, yes I admit I did beg him for a little different approach. He may have gotten tired of dealing with the situation or it could have been the small checks that showed up unexpectedly, or it very well could have been that a little bug spoke to him about the distress I was having on the situation? I just hope it wasn't my bad attitude that made him change his mind. Hmm... I'm not sure exactly how it happend, but somehow one day he came home and said we were off to Winco to shop & before we went he wanted us to sit together and decide on the meals we'd like to eat that week. I about fell off my chair! But, I wrote as he talked. And that's how our menu planning journey began. It actually became fun. Each Friday we'd go out to eat at a Mexican resturaunt, talk about the meals to make, then go shopping. I won't tell you about how all this took place well into the evening and many times we didn't step into the door until after midnight. Oh wait, I just did. Well, anyway, I did my BEST to make sure I was fufilling my duty once he began to do this with me, because it was such an answered prayer I didn't want to fall short & him not want to do this anymore with me. Eventually I may be able to take over the whole duty (with his approval of the meals of course first. :-D Oh maybe that's just my husband....). But for now, I feel VERY blessed to have my man willing to be this structured. Oh if you only knew what a miracle THAT is!!!

One other thing I want to mention before I go about this beautiful weekend. I got to FLY!! My dad always has wanted to fly planes since he was a young lad. :-D Well, one Christmas I was trying to figure out what to get him when someone told me about these flying lessons for $50. So, we did it. From that time on, he began a journey to become a pilot. And, eventually he bought a plane. Yesterday was the first time I had flown with him & it was so much fun. The beauty of a dream fufilled. How thankful I am that God led me that day to buy those lessons for him. May God bless his life with Eternal Life by the gratitude he has for what God has done. Amen.

Red Friday

Maybe you've recieved this via email, but this is such an amazing email I wanted to pass it on. Hope you don't mind.

MARINE
Last week, while traveling to Chicago on business, I noticed a Marine sergeant traveling with a folded flag, but did not put two and two together. After we boarded our flight, I turned to the sergeant, who'd been invited to sit in First Class (across from me), and inquired if he was heading home.
No, he responded.

Heading out I askedNo. I'm escorting a soldier home.

Going to pick him up?
No. He is with me right now.
He was killed in Iraq I'm taking him home to his family.The realization of what he had been asked to do hit me like a punch to the gut. It was an honor for him. He told me that, although he didn't know the soldier, he had delivered the news of his passing to the soldier's family and felt as if he knew them after many conversations in so few days. I turned back to him, extended my hand, and said, Thank you.
Thank you for doing what you do so my family and I can do what we do.Upon landing in Chicago the pilot stopped short of the gate and made the following announcement over the intercom."Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to note that we have had the honor of having SergeantSteeley of the United States Marine Corps join us on this flight. He is escorting a fallen comrade back home to his family. I ask that you please remain in your seats when we open the forward door to allow Sergeant Steeley to deplane and receive his fellow soldier. We will then turn off the seat belt sign."Without a sound, all went as requested. I noticed the sergeant saluting the casket as it was brought off the plane, and his action made me realize that I am proud to be an American.

So here's a public Thank You to our military Men and Women

for what you do so we can live the way we do.
signed: Stuart Margel -- Washington , D.C.

Also, here are two very touching photos honored at this years International Picture of the Year. First PlaceTodd Heisler The Rocky Mountain News When 2nd Lt. James Cathey's body arrived at the Reno Airport, Marines climbed into the cargo hold of the plane and draped the flag over his casket as passengers watched the family gather on the tarmac.During the arrival of another Marine's casket last year at Denver International Airport , Major Steve Beck described the scene as so powerful: "See the people in the windows They sat right there in the plane, watching those Marines. You gotta wonder what's going through their minds, knowing that they're on the plane that brought him home," he said. "They will remember being on that plane for the rest of their lives. They're going to remember bringing that Marine home. And they should."


Second PlaceSecond PlaceTodd Heisler The Rocky Mountain News The night before the burial of her husband's body, Katherine Cathey refused to leave the casket, asking to sleep next to his body for the last time. The Marines made a bed for her, tucking in the sheets below the flag. Before she fell asleep, she opened her laptop computer and played songs that reminded her of 'Cat,' and one of the Marines asked if she wanted them to continue standing watch as she slept. "I think it would be kind of nice if you kept doing it," she said. "I think that's what he would have wanted." PLEASE KEEP THIS GOING!"No arsenal, no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women."-- Ronald ReaganRed

Fridays.Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing Red every Friday. The reason, Americans who support our troops used to be called the "silent majority." We are no longer silent, and are voicing our love for God, country and home in record breaking numbers. We are not organized, boisterous or overbearing.Many Americans, like you, me and all our friends, simply want to recognize that the vast majority of America supports our troops. Our idea of showing solidarity and support for our troops with dignity and respect starts this Friday -- and continues each and every Friday until the troops all come home, sending a deafening message that ... every red-blooded American who supports our men and women afar, will wear something red.By word of mouth, press, TV -- let's make the United States on every Friday a sea of red much like a homecoming football game in the bleachers. If every one of us who loves this country will share this with acquaintances, coworkers, friends, and family, it will not be long before the USA is covered in RED and it will let our troops know the once "silent" majority is on their side more than ever, certainly more than the media lets on.The first thing a soldier says when asked "What can we do to make things better for you" is .."We need your support and your prayers." Let's get the word out and lead with class and dignity, by example, and

wear something red every Friday.

(I have to admit, it's a great idea, but I'm not so sure I'll participtate)

Ode to my friend, Betty!

I am so thankful for her friendship. She has 7 children, oops, she has one on the way - that makes 8! What a wealth of knowledge she is to me. Yesterday she showed up at my door with a box full of books to read. My heart thumped with excitement as I swallowed and said with a gulp, "thank you." Of course the first chance I got I settled down to take a close look at each one. As with every homeschooler, I L O V E, love, love, love Books!!

Here's the list of the few she brought that I am now currently reading:

A couple of Charlotte Mason books:
~For the Children's sake
~Charlotte Mason Study Guide

A couple of "school type" books:
~Ray's arithmetic
~ABC's and all their tricks

This one my friend Betty said she agrees with most of what she has to say, but thinks she goes a bit overboard in the s*x section. I've mostly skimmed it so far.
~The Way Home by Mary Pride

And, my VERY favorite out of the bunch:
~Pocketful of Pinecones
(I started reading it with my oldest, who is 7. I knew I would love the examples & inspiration to do our own nature walks. I'll update later on how those work out!)

That's it. She brought over a few others that she's currently using for me to glance at for a few minutes: the saxon math (I'd seen before & owned the k grade), First language lessons, AVKO sequential spelling (both of which I intend to buy at some point here soon).

What a treat! And, it seems God has mercy on me with each new book I get to read he always allows uninterrupted time to read. Last night my boys went to song practice and my daughter (who hadn't taken a nap all day yesterday) was falling asleep in her dinner chair at 7:30, so I spent the evening soaking up the blessing that a good friend shared.

When I get a chance I'll make an amazon link list on the side...

Silver Lining...

Today I am thankful.

Our oven died right before we left for our trip. Then, this morning we realized our fridge isn't working quite right. SO, we are transporting all of our perishables out into the freshly fallen snow! Although I think snow is lovely to look at I personally do not think it is fun to drive in or be in. And, I would be satisfied if it only snowed the week of Christmas.

But, today, I am thankful for it. :-D