tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45574821553124042702024-03-05T07:25:33.329-05:00Lone Estrogen!Wife and Mom of 4 boys. I work, home school our 2 youngest boys. Normal, boring ole me. I have a great family that I love so much! I'm learning more about myself everyday and some days I don't like what I learn. It's a journey. Maybe you'll follow along and journey with me!Trishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503432666172714036noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4557482155312404270.post-39374326671401930752020-07-05T11:43:00.001-04:002020-07-05T11:43:06.106-04:00The Simple ThingsSitting out on my back porch this morning the little swallows are dive bombing and upset I am sitting close to their nest, that is resting the crook of my porch. The wind is slightly blowing and the sky overcast. It's been so hot lately that this seems like the perfect morning. I've forgotten the simple pleasures of life. The cool breeze, reading a book, the smell of fresh rain. Where did I get so off track? Wanting to be so important, climbing the corporate ladder, wanting to be more than I am that I have so forgotten who I am. The things I loved to do, before I became whoever it is that I am now. Who is this person? I don't know.<br />
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I honestly hate the electronic age. I feel like my family isn't even a family anymore. No one really talks to each other its all phones, tablets, laptops, video games. All day, every day. There is no interest in life outside of that. No interest in each other, just the games. I feel like I don't fit in my own family anymore. How did this happen? When did I get so tired of the fight that I just gave up.<br />
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I miss the simple things in life. I miss the simple life, itself. I miss human connections, board games, a good book, playing music on the porch. I think our world is much worse off without the simple things.Trishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503432666172714036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4557482155312404270.post-22950121420291470642020-07-04T12:38:00.000-04:002020-07-04T12:38:57.247-04:00The Changing of the GuardMy mom passed away. That one sentence by itself is enough to make the whole of my emotions collapse. It's been 3 weeks today and 1 week today since her memorial service. 3 weeks without my mom. There were times we didn't speak or see each other for years. We had a rocky relationship, to say the least, but we could talk if we wanted and now in the blink of eye that is gone. These are feelings and emotions I am familiar with and yet they are different in a way I can't even describe. I don't know how to go on in the life without her my "nemesis", cheerleader, favorite person to hate. The love, laughter, screaming it's all a part of who we were. This concept seems to have taken over my thoughts lately. That we must take the good with the bad, accept the everything we are a people to truly love one another and yet I did not do that with my mom. I was good a judging her, blaming her and thankfully near the end reconciling with her, loving her, and enjoying her. Damn, I miss her. It's a pain so deep and a hole so large no one will ever be able to fill it. I know that eventually life will go on and I will hurt less. I know this because I now have 2 of these holes in my heart, my daughter and my mom, but now is not that time. I don't want to enjoy life, right now. I don't want to not feel her loss. I don't want to be strong. Honestly, I don't want to do anything. It's a struggle to even get out of bed everyday, still, 3 weeks in and I feel like I can't breathe. It's made me question everything about myself. Did I spend so much time blaming her that I didn't see my own faults? No, I see my own faults, they are painfully obvious to me. I just don't know who I am now, without her. I don't know how to move on, without her. I don't know how to feel, without her. I don't know how to be, without her. I'm sorry, mom, for all the wasted days, months, years. I miss you, mom.Trishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503432666172714036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4557482155312404270.post-11729316696888351112017-01-30T12:41:00.000-05:002020-07-04T12:42:07.126-04:00<div>
50% of people no longer believe in Jesus of those 50% 25% no longer even have church affiliation</div>
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When you're filling out paperwork and you put what your religion is like Baptist Nazarene Catholic or None 78% of nones were raised in the church</div>
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Generationally 14% of baby boomers claim to have no religion </div>
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19% of the Gen X is which is like me claimed to have no religion and </div>
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35% of my milineals which is the upcoming generation have no religion. </div>
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So you can see where this trend is going higher and higher. </div>
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What do you think the Gen Z's which is like Colton, Micah and Ava what do you think the percentage is going to be for them. </div>
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51% of millennial parents which parents born between 1982 and 2004. Which thankfully a lot of not parents in the latter because Andrew was born in 2004 and we'd have a problem there right! But 51% of those parents say that moral truth is relative. And 74% of millennal parents agree or somewhat agree with the statement that whatever is right for your life is right. Just gonna let that sit for a minute. So 74% of up-and-coming parents say that whatever you want to do whatever makes you happy is OK. </div>
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We are losing ground quickly. We are called to create fertile soil we are called and commanded to create disciples. And not just disciples who are raised in the church and have a general knowledge of God we are called to create disciples that have a relational connection a deep intimate personal relationship with the Savior. It does not matter what age we are that call does not stop until we take our last breath on this earth. </div>
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Relationships are missing in the church it is all about programming and not enough about relationships. relationships with each other. relationships with Christ. We have a discipleship disconnect we are totally disconnected from the idea of discleship and sometimes don't even know how to disciple one another. There is this overwhelming busyness going on that we are so busy that we are literally overwhelmed with life. Lifelong discipleship that is the outcome that we should be looking for in our nursery in our children's church and our young adults in our teens and in our seniors. But what we are seeing is a moving away from the church. </div>
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We cannot tell each other and just teach other what change is.the more we talk about what change is the less change will see. the more we talk about and show who God is the more change we'll see. Because we don't change people, our programming doesn't change people, our speaking doesn't change people only the word of God, the Holy Spirit changes people. If you want to see kids change if you want see teens change if you want to see adults change lift Jesus up. </div>
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And we really need to see change. families are breaking down the church is breaking down. We have too many choices, our pace of life is way too fast and we are on complete overload and that includes in the church sometimes. Families are just unraveling at the seams. Slow down! In Mark 631 Jesus says come go with me and let's go let's rest it's OK to slow down. Go home and make a stop doing list. Take a pause minute to say who am I becoming. Take some time to find out whether you are anchored in fertile soil or whether you are anchored in some rocks that uprouting itself. It's not God who is disconnected with us it is us that is disconnected with God. </div>
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One of our general sessions speaker Melissa McDonald said that we are a mes! we live in a mess and we forget that we are called to something higher. we are free but we are not living free. Another one of our keynote speaker set Brian Lortiss said that God does not care about our competency he cares about our character. But our society that knows little about character if you go and you 20 milenanals what is character and how do you get it they won't know the answer! Go back to the statistic that says 74% of millennial parents think that whatever is right for your life is OK. Whatever is OK for your life whatever is right for your life is not OK. character by its very definition means the moral or ethical quality. an honorable character your moral or ethical quality. Character qualities are honesty courage integrity. How much of that do we really see you today. Integrity is one of the first things I fell in love about with Douglas he was a man of his word he is a man of integrity. </div>
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Instead of New Year's resolutions I pick and by pick up and pray about a word a word to focus on last year my word was rooted if I wanted to be rooted in the word I wanted to be routed more in my family and my relationship with Jesus and that's what I worked on last year. This year God has a sense of humor. The word I felt like God wanted me to choose this year was patience I told him no I'm not patient enough of that let's pick another word I am but don't know how often I prayed I still got the word patience. Something that the Lord showed me through Brian's session this is that being patient is not a passive resignation it is a active partnership. At some point we have to stop him being so upset having our pity parties we have to stop grumbling and grow up. patience is all about your attitude. Brian said that if we want a picture of patience we need to look to the prophets. Always let what you know about God trump what you're feeling. </div>
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I think our main key note speaker Bob Goff he said that we need to be moving kids to higher ground we need to be moving them to the feet of Jesus and I agree with him wholeheartedly but I I feel likethat applies to all of us. we are called to be disciples and to make disciples of the world we need to be moving each other up to higher ground we need to be moving each other up to the feet of Jesus. </div>
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So to finish us off I'm going to give us another statistic 40 to 50% of young people from good youth groups and families are drifting from God and the church after high school this research shows us that those who stay the course and flourish in the faith have multiple adult believers who are intentionally investing in their lives. Relationships discipleship it's all about Jesus it's all about intentionally investing in lives. </div>
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So while there were a ton of things that I left CPC excited about The pray for me campaign and some of the discipleship programs were the the things I'm the most excited about. discipling our kids is something I'm super passionate about. The pray for me campaign is something that I'm gonna come back and talk to you guys on a deeper level about its something that I'm really excited about getting us all together and praying for our kids and teens and is very specific way. Inter-generationally coming together as a church can never go wrong there can we. Thank you. </div>
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Trishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503432666172714036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4557482155312404270.post-16445085426238172442017-01-28T10:44:00.003-05:002020-07-04T12:40:58.026-04:00A wise womanA wise woman told me yesterday to slow down and enjoy this time with my boys. We were speaking about all my dreams and all this things that I want to do. She stopped me in my tracks with one sentence, " You will have time to all those things when the boys are grown". It took a minute for that to sink in, I only have a few years left with them. When I turned 40 somewhere in the depths of my brain this switch turned and I started to panic. I don't think I even realized it until that moment. The last three years have been a whirlwind of stuff, just busyness everyday, with very little time spent connecting and enjoying my boys. You know it's bad when your kids are happy that you unexpectedly lost your job, when the continual string of hugs last for hours. I've been gone, mentally, physically and emotionally. It's a hard thing to realize that you've been preaching don't check out on your kids to then figure out you've checked out. We focus so much on the fact that their formative years are birth-five years old that we neglect those very important preteen-teen years. I had to profoundly apologize and reassure you are important, you are cherished and loved, and I promise I'll be present. Reminding myself present doesn't mean in the room, house or general vicinity it means present; phone/ tablet down actively listening.Trishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503432666172714036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4557482155312404270.post-82628111696168470222012-09-08T23:17:00.000-04:002012-09-09T17:17:47.321-04:00Timeless TruthsA timeless truth is a wise saying is followed and applied to life, brings positive results to your efforts - orderliness, success, contentment, happiness, security.... The Proverbs in the Bible are more than just wise sayings; they are divine wisdom itself, for they come from the mind of God, who is the author and creator of life. Read & apply the timeless truths found in Proverbs, and you will not only experience positive results from your efforts, but these results will have eternal significance. God himself will shower you with divine blessings, give you guidance for your next move, offer discernment in difficult situations and help you see the difference between right and wrong, important and trivial, wise and foolish, temporary and eternal.<br />
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But it is not enough to just read and know these wise words we must live them out day by day. We must obey.<br />
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Proverbs 1:2 " The purpose of the provers is to teach people wisdom and discipline, and to help them understand wise sayings."<br />
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Prov. 1:23 "Come here and listen to me! I'll pour out the spirit of wisdom upon you and make you wise."<br />
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Prov. 2:1 "My child, listen to me and treasure my instruction."Trishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503432666172714036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4557482155312404270.post-65042686018956420842012-09-07T19:52:00.001-04:002012-09-08T23:20:26.776-04:00UnderstandingMost of us want spiritual understanding, but we aren't willing to pursue it any further than listening to a few sermons or rushing through ten minutes of Bible reading. Often our failure to understand God's Word is due to our unwillingness to invest time & energy in persistent, serious Bible study. If you really want to understand scripture, consider following a focused & systematic plan of study. Make a commitment to apply to your daily life whatever truth you learn. When God sees that we are serious about pursuing truth & wisdom He opens our minds to understand some of the magnificent mysteries of the Spiritual life. <br />
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Proverbs 2:2b-7 ..."concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight and understanding. Search for them as you would for lost money or hidden treasure. Then you will understand what it is to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God. For the Lord grants wisdom. He grants a treasure of good sense to the godly, He is their shield, protecting those who walk with integrity."Trishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503432666172714036noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4557482155312404270.post-85125157682864646922012-05-14T13:15:00.000-04:002012-05-14T13:23:33.746-04:00Mother of Pearl Day 6:<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: large;">He Will Walk With You by Carey Bailey</span></b><br />
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As a little girl, I loved baby dolls. Loved them! I played school, adoption agency, daycare operator and babysitter all day. <b>I felt like I was born to be a mama.</b> Therefore, I was a bit anxious when the ages, 22, 25, 28 and 32 came and went and there were no babies. Have you ever desired something so much and feared never getting it? That was me.<br />
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My day finally came at the age of 34. I soon realized that God knew what He was doing when He had me wait. To my shock, it wasn’t as easy as playing with dolls. I was surprised that it wasn’t the dream world I imagined it would be! I felt like life became a gigantic prayer.<br />
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“God, HELP me!”<br />
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“Please, God. Please, please, please make it all better. I can’t do this!”<br />
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“God, this feels impossible. Where are you?”<br />
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<b>While I adore motherhood, it is harder and there are more adjustments than I expected.</b> (I am hoping there are some nodding of heads and Amen’s being said out there in cyberworld.) Not only did I have a new life to care for, but my identity suddenly felt all scrambled up. It took me until my son was one to finally feel confident in my new role as a mother, confident that I could drop my child off at preschool without crying, confident that I could go out with the girls’ and the world wouldn’t fall apart, and confident that I could go on a date night and have conversations that didn’t revolve just around our son.<br />
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I was feeling settled in my new world and then WHAM! I discovered I was pregnant again. Can I be vulnerable with you? I actually cried when I found out. And they were not tears of joy. I feel awful saying that out loud, and I hope you will give me a moment to explain. It was not that I didn’t want another baby or feel like I couldn’t love a new life, it was just that I got scared. Discovering a little person was on the way sent a panic through me. Would my son still receive the love and attention that he deserved? How was my husband going to feel about my body changing again? Would I ever be able to pursue the vision I felt God had for me in writing and publishing? I was truly wondering if I was going to be able to handle another intense wave of identity crisis like the one I had just been through. I wasn’t sure.<br />
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God and I needed a serious talk. And in that conversation He carefully reminded me of this:<br />
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“<i>For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.</i>” Jeremiah 29:11<br />
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He reminded me in our time together that I, too, am His child and He has every intention of loving me, caring for me, and giving me the future that He has planned for me.<br />
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As mothers, we can get so caught up in parenting that we forget that we, too, have a spiritual parent who loves us as His child. He loves you as much as He loves the children He has given you. He will never forsake you. And on those days when motherhood seems too overwhelming and too impossible I step back and take a deep breath. Then I remember that this journey I am on, right now, is the one He has designed and create uniquely for me. I simply need to live in it, learn from it, and allow His love to sweep over and through me.<br />
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He will walk with me! He will walk with you! Grab His hand.<br />
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<i>Carey Bailey is a recovering perfectionist, wife, proud mama, and the Family Life Director for her church in Arizona. She hosts an online community for moms called Cravings: desiring God in the midst of motherhood where she strives to make God time easier. Not less meaningful, just easier. She is the author of Cravings {The Devotional} which is a set of forty devotional flashcards for the mama on the go.</i><br />
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<i> Visit Carey online blog: <a href="http://www.cravingstheblog.blogspot.com/">www.cravingstheblog.blogspot.com</a> Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/CravingsOnline">http://www.facebook.com/CravingsOnline</a> and Pinterest: <a href="http://pinterest.com/careycbailey/">http://pinterest.com/careycbailey/</a></i><br />
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<br />Trishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503432666172714036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4557482155312404270.post-53887253552932927392012-05-12T12:45:00.000-04:002012-05-12T12:47:26.321-04:00Mother of Pearl: Day 5<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: large;"><b>Stepping Out on Faith by Bonnie St. John</b></span><br />
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"Darcy . . .”<br />
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“Yeah, Mom?”<br />
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I momentarily held the undivided attention of my teenage daughter. Her thumbs, free of their ubiquitous texting keypad, quietly dangled by her side. Her computer and its omnipresent Facebook page were completely out of sight. I had almost forgotten what she looked like without all these adolescent accoutrements. As we sat down together on the burgundy leather sofa in our living room, I realized this fleeting state of electronic dislocation was my chance to hatch a plan I had been formu- lating for the past several weeks. Carpe diem.<br />
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<b><i>“How would you like to write a book together?”</i></b><br />
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“About what?” I asked my mom. Write a book? This was a real surprise. I felt a bit suspicious, but still curious. I love to write, and Mom kept telling me I was really good at it. I like writing poetry, fantasy, and sci-fi, though. The books Mom wrote were all nonfiction. I wondered what we could possibly do together.<br />
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“Well . . .” I hesitated. If I wanted her to commit to any extra work out- side her busy schedule at school—not to mention work alongside her mother—I had to make this really great. “It would be about women as leaders,” I continued, “a mother-daughter investigation into leadership styles and structures.”<br />
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“Leadership?” I blurted. It came out as if I had a bad taste in my mouth—which I did. I couldn’t imagine a more boring topic to write about. What is there to say about leadership anyway? When you’re in charge, you just get things done, right? Who wants to talk about that?<br />
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Her furrowed brow told me I was losing her fast. “Um . . . we could find women leaders all around the world!” I said impulsively, frantically casting the ultimate bait.<br />
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“Really? Would we get to travel a lot?” I hadn’t thought about that. Heck, I’d write about the mating habits of tsetse flies if I got to go to Africa to do it!<br />
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But this project wasn’t just about the influence it would have on Darcy. I wanted to do something that could have a potent impact on an alarming trend I had witnessed in workplaces across the country: far too many women appeared to be making a choice not to apply for top leadership positions when presented with the opportunities to do so.<br />
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This project, then, was a bit of a Trojan horse. On the one hand, the saga of a mother-daughter journey could seduce female readers, who might never bother to read the Harvard Business School dissertations on the subject, into a meaningful conversation about leadership. At the same time, if Darcy met a series of brilliant, accomplished women— people even a cynical teen would be in awe of—perhaps they could tell her all the things I’d like her to know—and more.<br />
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<b><i>And she just might listen.</i></b><br />
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But where to start? How would we make it work? I suggested we do most of our research by phone, as I did for <i>How Strong Women Pray</i>. My telephone interviews with a governor, some CEOs, actors, sports figures, a college president, and others yielded great stories and information. I promised my intrepid co-author, though, that we could punctuate these conversations with a few visits in person to exciting and exotic places—all with reasonably priced airfares.<br />
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“Why don’t we follow each subject as she goes about her daily life? That way our readers get to come along with us and get a behind- the-scenes look at what happens to them. Instead of just a boring interview, we—and our readers—get to hang around with these women, see them in their natural habitat, and even see how other people treat them.”<br />
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Although I agreed it was a wonderful approach, this idea of “job- shadowing” each featured subject wasn’t going to be easy. Would these high-powered, important women deign to allow us that kind of access? Would they be able to impart the kind of wisdom that would resonate with our readers and truly make a difference in their lives? We looked at each other, both of us hooked on a crazy idea that we weren’t sure we could pull off.<br />
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“It sounds impossible, Darcy,” I said. “We might as well get started.”<br />
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<b>And so, we stepped out . . . on faith.</b><br />
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<a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/560699_369358923115315_350275818356959_1066548_19676077_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/560699_369358923115315_350275818356959_1066548_19676077_n.jpg" width="120" /></a><i>Bonnie is a 1984 Paralympics silver medal winner in ski racing. Her education includes a degree with honors from Harvard, a Rhodes scholarship, and an M.Litt in Economics from Oxford. Her career includes positions as an award-winning sales rep for IBM and a Clinton White House member of staff. She now is a much-in-demand speaker, who makes nearly 100 speeches each year to corporations and civic groups. You can visit her on the Web at <a href="http://www.bonniestjohn.com/">www.bonniestjohn.com</a>.</i><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Re-printed with permission from <i>How Great Women Lead</i> by Bonnie St. John and Darcy Deane</span></div>
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<br />Trishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503432666172714036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4557482155312404270.post-12516091124758049402012-05-11T11:46:00.001-04:002012-05-11T11:48:26.531-04:00Mother of Pearl: Day 4<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: large;"><b>What I Am Not by Tricia Goyer</b></span><br />
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<i>Becoming a mother is a complicated thing. Not only am I trying to negotiate a relationship with my child, I am trying to negotiate a relationship with myself as I attempt to determine how I mother, how I feel about mothering, how I want to mother and how I wish I was mothered.</i><br />
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— Andrea J. Buchanan, in Mother Shock3</div>
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<b>Sometimes the easiest way to discover who we are is to know who we are not.</b><br />
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• <b>We are not our children.</b> We all know mothers who go overboard trying to make themselves look good by making their children look great. I saw one woman on the Oprah television show who had bought her preschool daughter more than twelve pairs of black shoes just so the girl could have different styles to go with her numerous outfits! Just as we -don’t get report cards for mothering, we also -don’t get graded on our child’s looks or accomplishments. While you want your children to do their best and succeed in life, your self-esteem -shouldn’t be wrapped up in your child.<br />
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<b>Life as I See It:</b><br />
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<i>My individuality will never end. There will be no one exactly like me, not even my child. She will be like me in some ways, but not at all in others. I -wouldn’t have it any other way.</i><br />
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— Desiree, Texas</div>
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• <b>We are not our mothers.</b> I remember the first time I heard my mother’s voice coming out of my mouth. The words “because I told you so . . .” escaped before I had a chance to squelch them.<br />
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It’s not until we have kids that we truly understand our mothers — all their frets, their nagging, and their worries.<br />
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It’s also then that we truly understand their love.<br />
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Since you are now a mother, it’s good to think back on how you were raised. If there were traditions or habits that now seem wise and useful, incorporate them into your parenting. You also have permission to sift out things you now know -weren’t good. Just because you’re a product of your mother, that -doesn’t mean you have to turn out just like her. Repeat after me, “I am not my mother.”<br />
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• <b>We are not like any other mother out there.</b> Sometimes you may feel like the world’s worst mother. After all, your friend never yells at her son — and sometimes you do. Then again, your friend may feel bad because you have a wonderful bedtime routine that includes stories and songs. In many cases, the moms you feel inferior to only look like they have it together. All moms feel they -don’t “measure up.” Instead of feeling unworthy, we should realize that everyone has strengths and weaknesses. The key is where we place our focus.<br />
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The Bible says, “<i>Let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without . . . comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we -aren’t</i>” (Romans 12:5 – 6, MESSAGE).<br />
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<b><i>The problem with comparison is, we always measure our weaknesses against the strengths of others</i></b>.<br />
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Instead, we need to thank God for our strengths. We can also ask God to help us overcome our weaknesses — not because we want to compare ourselves, or look good in someone else’s eyes, but because we want to be the best mom out there.<br />
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<i>Tricia Goyer is a CBA best-selling author and the winner of two American Christian Fiction Writers’ Book of the Year Awards (Night Song and Dawn of a Thousand Nights). She co-wrote 3:16 Teen Edition with Max Lucado and contributed to the Women of Faith Study Bible. Also a noted marriage and parenting writer, she lives with her husband and children in Arkansas. You can find her online at <a href="http://www.triciagoyer.com/">www.triciagoyer.com</a> or at her weekly radio show, <a href="http://toginet.com/shows/livinginspired" target="_blank">Living Inspired</a>.</i></div>
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</b></div>Trishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503432666172714036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4557482155312404270.post-87970953016908609772012-05-10T15:15:00.002-04:002012-05-11T11:48:26.538-04:00Mother of Pearl: Day 3<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #a64d79; font-size: large;">She’s…My Everything by Suzanne Woods Fisher</span><br />
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“<i>A mother is one who can take the place of all others, but whose place no one else can take.</i>”<br />
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--Cardinal Mermillod </div>
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Just a few more months. My mother was hoping Dad would hang on long enough so they could celebrate their sixtieth wedding anniversary in April. But on January 1st, as the sun rose on the new year, my dad’s worn out heart beat its last. Dad had battled Alzheimer’s Disease for ten years. As many of you know, AD is a long, hard journey. Hard on the one afflicted with the disease, hard on the caregivers.<br />
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<b><i>But not without its blessings.</i></b><br />
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Four years ago, as I began researching stories for <i>Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World</i>, my path crossed with a handful of Plain families who were coping with Alzheimer’s. It was just about the point when Dad’s illness was shifting from early to mid stages AD and the timing was a divine accident. I learned so much as I observed the calm acceptance of these families. Rather than waste time shaking a fist at God for allowing this disease to take their loved one, they put their energy into trusting God’s sovereignty. They didn’t deny the difficulties and complications and sadness of Alzheimer’s, but they didn’t dwell on them. “God has a plan,” one woman told me. “He always has a plan.” <br />
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Something else I noticed was how privileged my Amish friends felt about caring for their loved one. Caring for the elderly, they believe, is the time to give back to them.<br />
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Those encounters shaped my perspective of Dad’s illness. I started to pay attention to how God provided answers to new wrinkles created by Alzheimer’s, just in time. God may be slow, but He is never late.<br />
I started to cherish special moments or good days with Dad—just as he was at each point in his illness. Not mourning the past, not dreading the future.<br />
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I really miss my dad. I miss his scratchy whiskers and the way his eyebrows would wiggle at us, even as words failed him. Yet I have such peace in my heart that he was well loved and well cared for, right to the very end. And as hard as Dad’s end of life has been, it isn’t the end. We will meet again. As the saying goes, “Some may see a hopeless end, but as believers we rejoice in an endless hope.”<br />
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There’s a beautiful story that illustrates my parents’ 59-year marriage. This event happened about a year or two ago. My sister had accompanied our mother to the doctor appointment for Dad at the Stanford Memory Clinic.<br />
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Dad had declined quite a bit that month. He was weak and lethargic, even to the point of whispering, as if it took too much energy to project his voice. During the doctor's appointment, the doctor told my mother and sister that Dad was now in late stages of Alzheimer's. Dad didn’t have much vocabulary left, but when the doctor asked him who mom was, he whispered something back. The doctor looked at Mom and asked, "Did you hear what he just said?"<br />
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Mom shook her head.<br />
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"When I asked him who you were, he whispered, 'She's...my everything.'"<br />
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<i>Suzanne Woods Fisher is a writer of bestselling fiction and non-fiction books about the Old Order Amish. Her interest in the Plain People began with her grandfather, W. D. Benedict, who was raised Plain. Suzanne is the host of <a href="http://toginet.com/shows/amishwisdom" target="_blank">Amish Wisdom</a>, a weekly radio program on toginet.com, and writes a bi-monthly column for Christian Post. Suzanne can be found on-line at <a href="http://www.suzannewoodsfisher.com/">www.suzannewoodsfisher.com</a>.</i><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Re-printed with permission by <i>Cooking & Such</i>, www.sherrygorebooks.com.</span><br />
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Exciting News – the latest Pearl Girls book, Mother of Pearl: Luminous Legacies and Iridescent Faith will be released this month! Please visit the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PearlGirlsCommunity" target="_blank">Pearl Girls Facebook Page</a> (and LIKE us!) for more information! Thanks so much for your support!<br />
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<br />Trishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503432666172714036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4557482155312404270.post-63196321899335554242012-05-09T15:12:00.000-04:002012-05-11T11:48:26.534-04:00Mother Of Pearl: Day 2<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Welcome to Pearl Girls™ Mother of Pearl Mother's Day blog series - a week long celebration of moms and mothering. Each day will feature a new post by some of today's best writer's (Tricia Goyer, Sheila Walsh, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Bonnie St. John, and more). I hope you'll join us each day for another unique perspective on Mother's Day.</div>
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AND ... do enter the contest for a chance to win a beautiful hand crafted pearl necklace. To enter, just {<a href="https://docs.google.com/a/litfusegroup.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFgzaHdzWnRyZ3Z5M1BLVkJ5aGVYSnc6MQ#gid=0" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">CLICK THIS LINK</span></a>} and fill out the short form. Contest runs 5/6-5/13 and the winner will on 5/14. <i>Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents.</i><br />
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If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit <a href="http://www.pearlgirls.info/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">www.pearlgirls.info</span></a> and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of <i><a href="http://margaretmcsweeney.com/books/" target="_blank">Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace</a></i> or one of the Pearl Girls™ products (all GREAT Mother's Day gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.<br />
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<b>And to all you MOMS out there, Happy Mother's Day!</b><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #c27ba0; font-size: large;">Joy Comes from Perseverance by Sheila Walsh</span></b><br />
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<b><i>One of the most important lessons I have learned in my own life is the joy that comes from perseverance. </i></b>Eugene Peterson, borrowing a phrase from Friedrich Nietzsche, wrote his book “A Long Obedience in the Same Direction …Discipleship in an Instant Society.” He points to the Psalms as the way believers have always learned to pray what they live and live what they pray but it is not a short journey. <b>It is an intentional commitment to keep walking even when you are worn out.</b><br />
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*If we want to see lasting results in any area of life it’s important to keep walking in that direction.<br />
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*If we want to have a better understanding of the Gospel of John then it takes time and commitment to dig deeper day after day.<br />
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*If we want to be thinner this summer than last summer then the work begins now not then.<br />
So too in our relationship with Christ…..<br />
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*If we want to know Him at a more profoundly intimate level, that also takes an intentional seeking after Him every day.<br />
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As a grown woman I have come to love the beauty of this gift. Passing this “mined treasure” onto my son on the other hand has been an interesting challenge. We live in such a fast paced, attention-challenged culture where the latest thing can be delivered to your doorstep by tomorrow for a few dollars more. But, as you know, by the time it is delivered it has already been replaced or updated!<br />
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<b><i>How do we speak then into the lives of our children to help them understand and value perseverance?</i></b><br />
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For me…part of the puzzle meant a large piece of poster board, scissors, some photos and a bottle of Elmer’s glue. My son, Christian and I spread everything out on a sheet in the game room as I explained our project. “We’re going to make a family faith-tree,” I said. “These are photos of family on your dad’s side and on mine. Many of them have gone on to be with Jesus but the seeds they planted into our family continue to grow.” Then we wrote down their names and when they came to faith in Christ (as many as I knew). It was quite something to see when we were finished.<br />
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<b>“Your life matters Christian. Running your race well matters.”</b><br />
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That night we read these words from the writer to the Hebrews,<br />
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“<i>We are surrounded by a great cloud of people whose lives tell us what faith means. So let us run the race that is before us and never give up.</i>”<br />
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<i>Sheila Walsh is a Bible teacher, speaker, singer, and best-selling author with more than 4 million books sold. Sheila Walsh is the creator of the award-winning Gigi, God’s Little Princess® and her new series, Gabby, God's Little Angel. Meet Gabby in Gabby's Stick-to-It-Day. As a featured speaker with Women of Faith®, Sheila has reached more than 3.5 million women by artistically combining honesty, vulnerability and humor with God’s Word. She resides in Dallas with her husband Barry and son Christian. </i><i>Visit <a href="http://www.sheilawalsh.com/">www.sheilawalsh.com</a> for more information about Sheila, her other books or Women of Faith.</i><br />
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Exciting News – the latest Pearl Girls book, Mother of Pearl: Luminous Legacies and Iridescent Faith will be released this month! Please visit the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PearlGirlsCommunity" target="_blank">Pearl Girls Facebook Page</a> (and LIKE us!) for more information! Thanks so much for your support!<br />
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<br />Trishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503432666172714036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4557482155312404270.post-39121446731061045602012-05-09T05:35:00.000-04:002012-05-09T05:35:10.676-04:00Contemplating....Contemplating.... I've been doing that a lot lately. Seems the more some things come into focus other things seem to blur. Life decision flash through my mind and either bring more clarity or painful remorse. I suppose this is partly normal or at least I hope it is, otherwise I may be a tad nuttier than I suspect I am. Seems there are a lot of painful remorse decisions plaguing my mind's eye lately. As I sit here writing this I know in my head there is no condemnation in Christ there certainly is in the human heart. There are so many things that I don't want to miss out on. I don't want to miss any more opportunities to spend time with any of my boys. I don't want to miss Bryce's graduation, I don't want to miss Tyler's last 2 years of high school. I don't want to miss my kids playing with their grandparents, or miss my niece's ballets or Max's 2nd birthday. I don't want my kids to miss the chance to know their incredible Aunt. To know their super cool Gramps and to watch movies and have popcorn with their Gran.<br />
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How is it that we get so wrapped up in our business that we miss everything. We are glued to our phones, computers, and tv that we miss life. We think we have time. Time to spend with our kids, with our husbands, with our families. Suddenly the kids are grown, we are on separate pages with our husbands and what's left of our families lies in ruins. This is not even the worst part of it. The worst part is our separation from God. If we are too busy for our husbands, kids and families, we are mostly certainly to busy for God. He will of course understand our business, won't he? I mean after all we can't expect to really make quality time everyday for Him, we just have SO much going on.<br />
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What would happen if we actually gave God the time He deserves? What would happen if we were to pour over the Scriptures the way we pour over Google or spend as much time in prayer as we do watching tv? Would we suddenly watch less tv? Spend less time online? Would we worry as much as we do now? Would our children notice the difference? Would our children pull our their Bibles instead of their ds's? Would they flip on the Bible cd instead of the tv? Would our marriages start to show some love instead of selfishness? Would there be more listening and less finger pointing? How would it impact our work, our witness? Would we then begin to tell others about the love of Jesus? Would we be less afraid of what others think and more bold in Christ?<br />
<br />
If Christ came back tomorrow would you be with Him or would you be left behind? I think we will be surprised at who is gone and who is here when that day comes. I'm a nobody really, just a small town girl who has made an enormous amount of mistakes. In the world's eyes my voice has no real value, I'm not rich or famous, no one reads my blogs or really cares what I have to say. But I will say this I refuse to live like God doesn't matter, that He doesn't matter to me because He does. I refuse to miss out on anymore time with Him. I refuse to miss anymore time with my family.<br />
<br />
I am a follower of the ONE TRUE GOD. JESUS CHRIST IS MY LORD AND SAVIOR. I believe there is coming a time soon when we will not be able to write those words in public without fear of imprisonment or even death. When that time comes I pray I'll as bold then as now. I long for Christ to be more in the center of my heart and life and not on the outskirts. Lord help me to give You the time you deserve in my life. Help me to not turn our time together into something cheap and disposable. Help me to put You first, and my husband and family where they deserve also. Help me not to lose sight of what You have put me on this earth to do. Help me to use the talents you have given me to accomplish what You will to be done. I love you Lord with all my heart. Help me to show it more to those around me. Help me to bold about Your love for them. Help me to not wimp out on telling those that need you all about you. Thank you for loving me the unlovable and giving me this life that I so don't deserve. Trishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503432666172714036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4557482155312404270.post-4951154385836031562012-05-08T17:11:00.001-04:002012-05-08T17:25:22.640-04:00Mother Of Pearl: Day 1<br />
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Welcome to Pearl Girls™ Mother of Pearl Mother's Day blog series - a week long
celebration of moms and mothering. Each day will feature a new post by some of
today's best writer's (Tricia Goyer, Sheila Walsh, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Bonnie St.
John, and more). I hope you'll join us each day for another unique perspective on
Mother's Day.</h4>
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AND ... do enter the contest for a chance to win a beautiful hand crafted pearl necklace. To enter, just {<a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFgzaHdzWnRyZ3Z5M1BLVkJ5aGVYSnc6MQ#gid=0" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">CLICK THIS LINK</span></a>} and fill out the short form. Contest runs 5/6-5/13 and the winner will on 5/14. <i>Contest is only open to US and Canadian residents.</i><br />
<br />
If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit <a href="http://www.pearlgirls.info/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3d85c6;">www.pearlgirls.info</span></a> and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of <i><a href="http://margaretmcsweeney.com/books/" target="_blank">Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace</a></i> or one of the Pearl Girls™ products (all GREAT Mother's Day gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls.<br />
<br />
And to all you MOMS out there, Happy Mother's Day!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Priceless Treasure by Cindy K. Stiverson</span><br />
<br />
We've heard it said and often find it true:<br />
<i>You don't know the value of a treasure until you're without it. </i><br />
<br />
We take for granted the things in life that seem so readily available.<br />
A paperclip or rubber band, to hold things together.<br />
A tissue or napkin, to wipe our nose to clean our face, to absorb our
tears.<br />
A Bible to speak words of wisdom and instruction and life and
love.<br />
<br />
And a Mother, who is all these things and more.<br />
She is readily available.<br />
She holds things together.<br />
She wipes our nose, cleans our face (and our fingers, and,
well…everything else!)<br />
She absorbs our tears and calms our fears.<br />
"She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue."
(Proverbs 31:26)<br />
She loves.<br />
<br />
Within hours after my mother passed into the gates of our heavenly home, I
was missing her. Her quick wit…humor…charm. Her warm smile and melodious
laughter, which served her well to the very end, as did our Lord Jesus Christ, who so
graciously allowed her to slip quietly and peacefully into His arms.<br />
<br />
<i>She simply stopped breathing.</i><br />
<br />
As I stood at her bedside in those priceless moments after her passing, I wanted
to touch her skin as much as possible while there was still warmth in her body; to
nuzzle my nose against her head and breathe in the scent of her hair while she was
still there. Priceless treasures I was guilty of taking for granted, clouded by unmet
needs. I was so consumed with what she was not, that I never fully appreciated who
she was. It’s like I was blind, but now I see!<br />
<br />
I see her strength, her commitment. Her perseverance…sacrifice…her unspoken
love. I see how much she meant to me, how much she did for me, how much she
taught me, and how much of the good in me was modeled by her.<br />
<br />
She was a virtuous woman, as described in Proverbs 31 of the Bible.<br />
<i>“Her children stand and bless her… a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly
praised. Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise
(vs. 31).”</i><br />
<br />
This last verse of the poem serves as an epitaph for the woman of virtue. It speaks
of the legacy she leaves in her passing. It spurred me to write a personal epitaph for
my mother, which I read at her funeral.<br />
<br />
</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;">We publicly declare your praise today, </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;">and in the days to come,</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;">for you deserve to be praised and blessed,</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;">"We honor you, Mom, for all you have done!"</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;">In my earliest of memories, </span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;">You worked so hard, striving for the rest.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;">You persevered through great trials</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
and did your very best.</div>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;">I know you are being rewarded</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;">in ways far beyond our reach.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;">We honor you now by practicing what you've taught,</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
and even what you preached!</div>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;">You've stood for us for all these years,</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;">Today, we stand for you!</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;">I pray that our applause on earth</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
will reach your heavenly ears.</div>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;">
With the reading of this poem, I asked everyone to stand. We clapped our hands in
celebration and praise of the life of my mother, Margaret Alice Stiltner.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;">
Imagine our surprise to discover that she had left a poetic epitaph for us! She had
clipped it from an old magazine and framed it. I found it when I was cleaning her
home, on a nightstand by her bed. My mother was never versed at expressing
emotion. This was her sweet way of kissing us good-bye: a priceless treasure to
remember her by</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: small;">.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #c27ba0; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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</span><br />
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<br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;">Cynthia (Cindy) Stiverson is a speaker, writer, and artist. In 1998, she
founded Woven: Women of Virtue Network, a spiritual formation and friendship
ministry. She pastors the women at Newark Church of the Nazarene in Ohio.
She is currently working on her fourth Woven Workbook, and also a book for
mothers and daughters on the subject of sexual abuse. Cindy considers
raising her daughter, speaker/author Nicole Braddock Bromley, to be her greatest
achievement. She loves the men in her life, hubby Mark, grandbabes Jude and Isaac,
and son-in-law Matthew. You can find more of Cindy at <a href="http://%0awww.wovenwomen.blogspot.com/">www.WovenWomen.blogspot.com</a> and
<a href="http://www.cynthiastiverson.com/">www.CynthiaStiverson.com</a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
</i></span></h4>Trishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503432666172714036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4557482155312404270.post-27522457668988346532012-03-29T03:03:00.000-04:002012-03-29T03:07:26.850-04:00Tales from the CryptObviously I took a good long break from blogging, not really intentional, I just sorta lost my voice. I do that from time to time, have a lot of writer's block. Someone mentioned to me recently that I hadn't written and honestly the past month I've just been too sick to do any writing whatsoever. I prayed some days that I would just die! Okay Lord just take me, I really can't stand being sick anymore. I felt like I was on my death bed, in my own personal crypt. But alas I've made it, well almost, to the other side. I'm still a little bit sick, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I've been working on a project, a book, that has been swirling around in my head for a few years. I don't really have a great way with words like my sister or a friends daughter I know. The following is an unedited, extremely rough, almost incoherent excerpt from my book; tiled "Surviving my childhood and beyond"<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
For most of my life I’ve felt like life is just passing me
by. Almost like an out of body
experience where I was just watching my life and saying who is that and why are
we not going in a better direction. Weird
I know, but true none the less. There are so many things I wanted to do that I
STILL want to do. When did I lose that independent, outgoing, and no fear
person from my youth. When did I become this person who is essentially afraid to
leave my house, even some days out of my own bed. I was always a buck the system kind of gal,
never say die and the person who would stand up to anyone on just about any subject.
When did I lose that piece of me? When did I become this person that I do not recognize? I want to be out embracing life and making
memories with my kids. I can say a lot of negative things about my childhood,
but my parents did some cool things with us. We experienced parts of America.
We stood at the Grand Canyon, went up Pike’s Peak, and camped in the KOA’s. I can
remember our dad “waking” us up in the wee hours of the morning, gently guiding
us to the car where he had the turtle all packed and ready to go and beds for
us in the back. We would sleep and he would drive. My kids can’t say that about
us or me.<br />
<br />
What they can say is that most days I struggle to keep it all
together. It isn’t like this every day, but a lot of days are. Maybe they won’t
say that maybe they don’t really know the struggle that Mom is going through
every day, I pray they don’t. I try to tell them every day, many times, how
much I love them, how awesome they are and how proud I am of them. It’s
something I really want them to know and understand that Mom loves them and is
proud of them. I am still a little bit shocked when my Mom tells me she is
proud of me. I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve actually heard it
come out of her mouth (bearing in mind that my mind and memory is terrible).<br />
<br />
The
past few years have been really hard on me physically and emotionally. I’m
still battling both parts and although I seem to finally be getting control
over the physical the emotional is really taking it’s time to bounce back. I
lost a part of myself the summer between my eighth and ninth grade year that I can
never get back and in reality is seems that a lot of my life is like that. I
lost so many parts of myself so early on that when I look at myself, I sometimes
see, Humpty Dumpty. Like I’ve tried to glue myself back together with the
purple glue, you know the stuff, it’s purple until it dries and then becomes
clear. Except mine never dried and it’s still all purple. Slowly, ever so slowly, I am learning to hand
over those pieces that the only One that can turn the purple clear. It is an excruciatingly
slow process that I’m beginning to wonder if I’ll ever get it all done. “All the kings’ horses and all the kings’ men
couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty back to together again”.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I look back on my life what do I want to see? What will
I leave behind? What will people say about me? Did I do anything great? I
probably won’t by the world’s standards and that’s okay with me. Did I shine
the light of Jesus in this dark world? I’m not doing a great job of that now.
Something that I must change! Did I point my children toward the Savior and a
real relationship with Him? I can honestly say that I am trying to with
everything that is in me. There are still things I want to do, to see, to be
and to accomplish. The question is now how? If you know you want to too and you
know you need too but you just can’t quite seem to get there. Where do you go
from here? </div>Trishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503432666172714036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4557482155312404270.post-44172993579873860552011-10-27T09:19:00.002-04:002011-10-27T09:19:57.003-04:00I'm totally insane!I haven't had a day off in 2 weeks. Looks like I won't have one next week either. I've totally lost my mind. We had to buy a new ride since the saturn and the van have seen better days. We are trying to resurrect the van but the saturn is in the graveyard. So now we have to pay for this new ride, hence all the overtime. It's making me insane I tell ya. There are some other benefits to this crazy schedule I get to attend Avery's b-day party in Texas in just a few weeks and Doug and I get to go see Kamri and Evie in the Nutcracker Ballet in Dec. I'm totally stoked about both of those. I hope my rapid reward flying points add up fast with all this flying back and forth. <br />
<br />
We are entering week 3 of no smart phones. :( I'm totally going through withdrawals. My whole life was in that phone and I hate not having it. I blame this on myself as I had a momentary lapse in judgement and added teenagers to my cell plan. In the 3 years Doug and I have been with Verizon we've never gone over our mins our had an outrageous bill. The teens did it in a month. The younger boys will hate the older ones when it comes time for them to get cell phones, cause my first question will be. Do you have a job? No, well then you have no phone! Alex is already looking for work and he is 9! He asked our landlord if he had any jobs he could do that he needed to make $10 a month. I think he might have found something for him to do. Alex really wants that Lego Universe monthly subscription but mom's just not working overtime for that!<br />
<br />
<br />
Andy and I went to the Florida Aquarium on Tuesday with the home school
group. I was lots of fun and of course he really enjoyed it. Especially
getting to see the penguins so up close and personal, since they are his
favorite animal. I love our field trips we always have a good time and we get to do lots of fun stuff. I'm really looking for to January's field trip to Lego land! Hooray for group rates otherwise we couldn't go, it's like Disney expensive! <br />
<br />
So there is nothing new really going on. Just me trying to make it through each day without losing my mind.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYwrjTIWqTLrFrQBl5aIj0QR2HNnlkmf91xcgZ1iz0XfvHucYa2rZUCRBVNsXSzTtllaJmQ4IodoH1Pkx7as1wvDTcwr9_8pOyEE-E5gVWkkPhQkk970vjB4C0cnDZPNKIHC0x71pyCA/s1600/DSCF0746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibYwrjTIWqTLrFrQBl5aIj0QR2HNnlkmf91xcgZ1iz0XfvHucYa2rZUCRBVNsXSzTtllaJmQ4IodoH1Pkx7as1wvDTcwr9_8pOyEE-E5gVWkkPhQkk970vjB4C0cnDZPNKIHC0x71pyCA/s320/DSCF0746.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andy & I at the Aquarium</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2z8elc0_RKCrX-YldR_fwwOUsDPsGkVcm-Qz1TjxbjlwsswLvTLKDWbvTNR9mN5VigRSqo7lzL0n4vQHpud9VE30NEEHRCJjO4fbUgGEjPFWpi1Z0laGjHa19DQUGSRJQ2XGb_9P7qF0/s1600/DSCF0715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2z8elc0_RKCrX-YldR_fwwOUsDPsGkVcm-Qz1TjxbjlwsswLvTLKDWbvTNR9mN5VigRSqo7lzL0n4vQHpud9VE30NEEHRCJjO4fbUgGEjPFWpi1Z0laGjHa19DQUGSRJQ2XGb_9P7qF0/s320/DSCF0715.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting into the learning side of the Aquarium</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KeudMW0mCp4avuxzaQIJi-nepFrEtDLQ8wUGiHrFZY-h7QIZ5Qp6r6t0Zf6U3JtwOJF-aeHxSFKkPYlLj7J5n3wyPntPYV3Yh_YCDpFECb7i6TmSvQfTfysNw4obpxbpy93f3tVbD0U/s1600/DSCF0681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KeudMW0mCp4avuxzaQIJi-nepFrEtDLQ8wUGiHrFZY-h7QIZ5Qp6r6t0Zf6U3JtwOJF-aeHxSFKkPYlLj7J5n3wyPntPYV3Yh_YCDpFECb7i6TmSvQfTfysNw4obpxbpy93f3tVbD0U/s320/DSCF0681.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Touching the star fish! that water was COLD!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhms6QJv7x6MTN15ZKpn4xJLjscRs0A6bDyXj_Rc0Ws01Yf1CAADHA8DNEINYgTd0j-c5ad5lvKoCkcQUOFXihEqkhaYO0a2bxZXiZ7rX0Dg5Vvh9BfeQ0QpN4iiJbHiySxrn6_4VUrx60/s1600/DSCF0622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhms6QJv7x6MTN15ZKpn4xJLjscRs0A6bDyXj_Rc0Ws01Yf1CAADHA8DNEINYgTd0j-c5ad5lvKoCkcQUOFXihEqkhaYO0a2bxZXiZ7rX0Dg5Vvh9BfeQ0QpN4iiJbHiySxrn6_4VUrx60/s320/DSCF0622.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andy and his best friends Joel (left) and Jake (right)</td></tr>
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<br />Trishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503432666172714036noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4557482155312404270.post-83380748406050884212011-10-13T20:11:00.000-04:002011-10-13T20:11:18.536-04:00Just call me Laura StewartI'm having one of those moments when my chest is s a little puffed out and my head is the size of watermelon! I'm quite proud of myself. Maybe I should go back just a little bit. I found a link to a site called <a href="http://pinterest.com/">Pinterest</a>. There I found all kinds of things to distract me from the things I was supposed to be doing. Among them was this <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/310240859/">Pin</a> for sheet storage that I just thought was genius so Martha Stewart and it even had a link to the Martha Stewart video for fitted sheet folding which I promptly pinned. (pinterset lingo). I pulled out all the sheets and reorganized away. Now of course my sheets in their cases don't look that neat and nice but the concept works and it solved some problems I was having with sheet storage, so I'm happy.<br />
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For years I've been wanting to try my hand at making hand soap, laundry soap, candles and pretty much anything I can make on my own. I have this fascination with all things homemade. Well with rocketing prices I finally decided to try it. I had already research hundreds of recipes for laundry detergent and hand soap. So I had it narrowed down and honestly I took advice from several peoples posts, including my friend who posted her recipe on facebook, and kind made our own. Same with the hand soap. Last night armed with my recipes, all my ingredients and my hubby we ventured in to the world of Laura Ingles days of making your own soaps.<br />
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My liquid soap was a little runnier than I wanted but works really well. Works for dishes, hand soap and yes you could even bath the kids with it. It's wonderful! I stored in the cutest little Better Homes & Gardens canning jars. So cute Doug is designing little cute labels for them.<br />
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The liquid laundry soap turned out fabulous! I was so proud! I used it today and it is wonderful! It was easier than I thought it would be. <br />
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Next was the dishwasher powder, which by the way is fabulous! Super easy and to me easily rivals the name brands. <br />
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All in all it was I'd say it was a great success! I'm feeling very frugal and Martha Stewarty!<br />
Next on my list is fabric softener, Bug Spray (off) and anything else I can find to do! So, I'm totally addicted to Pinterest! There is a ton of cool stuff on there and I'm loving every second! <br />
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Here are some links that I pulled from in my search<br />
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<a href="http://www.diynatural.com/simple-easy-fast-effective-jabs-homemade-laundry-detergent/">Laundry Soap1 </a><br />
<a href="http://www.diynatural.com/simple-effective-jabs-homemade-dishwasher-detergent-rinse-agent/">Laundry Soap2 </a><br />
<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/310992798/">Dishwasher Powder1</a><br />
<a href="http://www.diynatural.com/simple-effective-jabs-homemade-dishwasher-detergent-rinse-agent/">Dishwasher Powder2</a><br />
<a href="http://www.hazeltreefarm.com/2010/08/really-really-easy-liquid-soap-recipe.html">Liquid Hand Soap</a> - in my research I found this was the easiest recipe out there for what I wanted. <br />
<br />Trishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503432666172714036noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4557482155312404270.post-87461387182569752832011-10-09T19:18:00.002-04:002011-10-09T19:20:44.141-04:00Crap that so backfired!So I'm trying to convince my seriously funny hubby to start a blog. His would be the blog that would probably become a national treasure. Don't ask me how I know, I just do. I am married to the man after all. There are only 2 conditions to this blog writing, for now at least, 1. he can't write about my pilates experiences and 2. he cant write about my zumba experiences. I, of course, mentioned this to him beforehand and he got the biggest grin. He actually giggles when thinking about this. Somehow I doubt it would stay out the blog. Apparently this is the equivalent to me mentioning my parking block fall to my sister, who still hysterically laughs nearly 20 years later.<br />
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I'm not doing a very good job at convincing him to blog. So I enlisted my sister to help out. Epic FAIL! That didn't work either.<br />
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A while passes and we're holding hands and his hands are crazy cold. I mention that blogging would help with this because all the fast typing would make his hands warmer.<br />
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Doug: I like my hands cold.<br />
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me: oh well forget it I really don't know what I'm talking about.<br />
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Doug See I don't need to blog, I'm not that funny.<br />
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me: Yes, yes you do your hysterical<br />
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Doug: You just said you don't know what your talking about! <br />
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me: Crap that so backfired.<br />
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The following are things he wrote when he a myspace account like a thousand years ago and are still funny!<br />
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<h2 class="post-title">Kids</h2>Dec 2006<br />
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<article class="post-body"><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">Have you really ever paid attention to what your kids do? I mean for the sum of us who have kids. This is a rich and rewarding time in SOME aspect. well I say some because today I finally fix the toilet. What does this have to do with my child you ask? GREAT question. </div><div></div><div style="text-align: left;">Well it started about two day's ago when we "my wife and I" were amusing ourselves to the delightful ways of the internet. The kids were posted up at the T.V. watching what we thought was Cars. Now don't get me wrong we check in on them for sure but some how the little one wanted to go potty so thinking nothing of it he politely lets us know what he is going to go do. I hear the toilet flush and think nothing of it. I hear it again and started to get a little upset, once more the toilet flushes and I scurry in to run him out scolding him of the values of the water bill as his little feet head out the bathroom at 90 miles an hour.</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">Well the next day the toilet started backing up. The water wouldn't go down properly so I take the ever so trusty Plunger and put it to good use, boy what a topic huh? The water hesitates but goes down. so by the fifth time of this I'm thinking this is crazy right? It never dawned on me that Andrew the day before was in there and might have done something to the toilet.</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">Finally today I am very sick no voice hardly and I just want to trim my beard and shave get a shower and try to have a peaceful day. My wife come's in and use's the bathroom, flushes it but it keeps running ... I didn't think nothing about it and actually wasn't paying any attention to it do to the fact of paying attention to my own duties. suddenly my feet are getting wet I turn and the toilet is flowing over with joy. Pissed i turn the water off now keep in mind I have no voice hardly and I'm doing my best to be heard. whelp I know what I have to do at this point. </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">I start working on taking the toilet up being sure to drain it before doing so. I look down the drain and see nothing I'm thinking WTH. So just for chits and giggles I turn the toilet over and look in the bottom , low and behold the momma of all back ups over the past day cause by a frickin McDonald's happy meal toy from the Incredibles, That's right my youngest got the Mcbrilliant idea of flushing a toy down the toilet. I clean the mess but got the wife to get the toy cause I wasn't touching it the big ole man I am and put the thrown of kids back in it's place. </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">I sit here and laugh at my own stupidity but wonder what was going through his mind at the point of entry 'splash down of Mr. Incredable, and if he really thought it would go away. How is it you can tell a child five times to get up and get ready for school and he doesn't budge but tell him Santa came before your through He's at the tree about to pee his pants to open a gift. How is it a child can not remember what you said not to do five seconds ago 'as he is doing it again' but he tells your pastor that you drank 3 beers swore five times while changing the spark plugs on a 1994 chevy C-15 V-8 automatic because he didn't set the gaps on the plugs right.</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">GO FIGURE!</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">Doug</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><h4 class="post-title" style="text-align: left;">Peace in Chaos</h4><h4 class="post-title" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">July 2007</span></h4><div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Whelp,</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here I am again facing the reality of the world as we all come to realize. Why is it that no matter where you are in life there are certain people that can hone in on how much of a pissy day your having? I mean just for a few examples, You had a bad weekend with the wife with a couple of fights that should have never happened go to work on Monday and out of the blue someone you work with who normally say's nothing to you just intensified the edge you carried over from the weekend. I mean whats the deal??? </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bill collectors will do it too. Your in life's mode having a very hard time but your coping with your troubles the best you can and trying very hard to survive and hold on to every piece of sanity you have to make it through and you think to your self, " Self all it's going to take is just one more thing", Low and behold the message was magically beamed to all your bill collectors and there you are holding a credit card bill for 3000 dollars, a financial statement for a house your behind on that you never owned, a 250.00 dollar electric bill you just payed threatening to turn off your lights, A vet bill for 500.00's for a pet snake named Mr. slithers you never touched and of course the kick between the legs, Your wife's Dr. think it would be a great time to play a practical joke and tell you your having triplets. All in less the 24 hours.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Heh, funny enough you then come to terms of your life as you see it in the moment and wonder if you can even afford the bullet it would take to end cruelty. Then you start to wonder with everything else happening you would probably miss and take out the Chevy bus to haul your triplets around in that you just went in debt for because the Dr. was a little late with her punch line. Yet we wonder why there are so many angry people in the world and so much violence. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Just about the time your fixing to rip the arms off the dude that just cut the line in front of you at wally world you get a tug on the pants and in the middle of your rage you look down with intense eye's and there stands your 3 year old with a smile, and he says daddy, that was nice of you to let him in line from the back. You then melt and everything that once was, the core of every angry moment becomes clear to you. For every mistake, for every bad timed punch line or debt owed. we over look the fact that no matter what, It's all how you deal with your situation. Also who is watching you deal with it as well. As you look into your wife's eye's and think how wonderful but chaotic your lives are, there is one thing that was perfect, your children.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">then the cashiers rings up a 300.00 dollar food bill when you only have 15 items</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">sigh so on so forth love is the key.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"></span></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
Doug</span></span></span></article><article class="post-body"><u><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></u></article><article class="post-body"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'm right aren't I? He needs a blog. He's funny and darn stinkin cute! What more could a girl want. Well there is that one thing... never mind~ :)</span></span></span></article><article class="post-body"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Anyhoo, he needs a blog and we all need to drive him insane until he starts one! </span></span></span><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></article>Trishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503432666172714036noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4557482155312404270.post-3866135939551155902011-10-02T00:22:00.004-04:002011-10-09T21:06:39.311-04:00WOW! My kid is cool!Our brilliant genius level son was nominated to travel with People to People in the summer of 2012. I had never heard of this program so I was a little surprised to get the letter in the mail. I had to go look it up. Alex was invited to travel through Europe in the UK & Ireland. What a cool opportunity! Although I'm not sure how I feel about letting my 5th grader (he would be by then) go to Europe without me. I think it's incredible that he was invited. It's also uber expensive, of course. This is definitely something that we have to pray about about but I just thought it was soooo cool!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My brilliant amazing 9 yr old son!</td></tr>
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From the People to People website:<br />
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The <a href="http://www.ptpi.org/" target="_blank">People to People movement</a> dates back more than half a century to its founding by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956. Eisenhower was acting on his firm belief that direct interaction between ordinary citizens around the world can promote cultural understanding and world peace.<br />
That proud legacy of hope lives on in People to People Ambassador Programs on seven continents. <br />
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Legends of the United Kingdom and Ireland <br />
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<tr> <td class="DestinationOverviewLabel">DESTINATION(S): <span class="DestinationOverviewText">ENGLAND, IRELAND, SCOTLAND, AND WALES</span></td> </tr>
<tr> <td class="DestinationOverviewLabel">DURATION: <span class="DestinationOverviewText">19 DAYS</span></td> </tr>
<tr> <td class="DestinationOverviewLabel">AUDIENCE: <span class="DestinationOverviewText">Grades 5<sup>th</sup> - 6<sup>th</sup></span></td> </tr>
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<b>London, England</b>Get to know the Beefeaters, official guards of the Tower of London, and learn about the tower’s 10 centuries of rich history. <br />
Gain an insider’s perspective on British government from a current or former Parliament or Cabinet member. <br />
Float past Big Ben and other iconic London landmarks on a Thames riverboat. <br />
Re-create life in the Middle Ages—complete with a medieval banquet. <br />
Experience the ceremonial changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. <br />
Catch a play or musical in the West End, considered the capital of the theater world. <br />
Soar high above the city in the London Eye, the world’s largest Ferris wheel. <br />
<h2>
<b>Oxford, England</b></h2>
Explore this famous college town and its blend of ancient architecture and modern business. <br />
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<b>Warwick, England</b></h2>
Spend an afternoon on the grounds of Warwick Castle, where a medieval encampment brims with music, games, and colorful characters ranging from knights to rat-catchers. <br />
Train to wage war as a knight, and watch the world’s largest trebuchet (catapult) in action. <br />
<h2>
<b>The Highlands, Scotland</b></h2>
Keep your eyes peeled for signs of Nessie, the legendary lake monster. <br />
Learn how sheepdog puppies are trained to watch over their flocks. <br />
Hike to discover hidden waterfalls and deep mountain pools in stunning Scottish scenery. <br />
Meet a traditional Scotsman, and learn how his regalia honor the country’s history and heritage. <br />
Try on a kilt and kick up your heels during an evening of Scottish culture. <br />
<h2>
<b>Edinburgh, Scotland</b></h2>
Experience Scotland’s commanding capital city, perched upon the crests of seven hills. <br />
Stroll the Royal Mile, and research the history of Scottish clans. <br />
Explore Edinburgh Castle, from its 12th-century chapel to the 1 o’clock gun. <br />
<h2>
<b>Blaenavon, Wales</b></h2>
Hear Welsh spoken by local craftsman while exploring St. Fagans, a 16th-century castle turned open-air museum. <br />
<h2>
<b>Dublin, Ireland</b></h2>
Explore the streets of Dublin, including areas like Grafton Street and Trinity College. <br />
Try your hand at Gaelic football in the Gaelic Athletic Museum. <br />
<h2>
<b>County Kerry, Ireland</b></h2>
Visit ancient Blarney Castle, and discover the Witch’s Kitchen and other Druid rock formations found on its grounds. <br />
View the breathtaking Gap of Dunloe from a horse-drawn jaunty car. <br />
Soak up the joyous Irish culture during a <i>céilidh</i><i>,</i> an evening of traditional music and dance. <br />
Admire the dramatic Cliffs of Moher, which plummet 650 feet straight down t<br />
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Trishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503432666172714036noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4557482155312404270.post-24056128780923603272011-09-29T01:48:00.000-04:002011-10-18T13:52:06.067-04:00My Best FriendI'm feeling a little nostalgic tonight. I listened to a song called <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCIQtwIwAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dn5-Q1zAhqpA&rct=j&q=7X70&ei=nQGETt-TEMSatweA4_zlAQ&usg=AFQjCNFda8GS2NuOYw2VImYxmfemzOgkPw&cad=rja">7X70 by Chris August</a>, excellent song. It reminds me partly of my hubby and his dad, who died about 10 yrs. ago. There was a lot of hurt there and Doug made peace with him, was able to see his father come to Christ, and spoke at his funeral. Although I was not able to be there with him through that time (this was the year before we started dating) I am so proud of him now. What courage, love, a mountain of other things it took to do that.<br />
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Honestly my best friend is pretty darn amazing. I could tell parts of his life story here although he might kill me but it's not really my story to tell. Some might see only the pain he has been through, but I see this amazing man that has overcome some huge hurts and is today the most loving, forgiving, patient man I know. I've watched him transform over the past (almost) 9 yrs and although it hasn't all be pretty it has been amazing. I'm so incredibly proud of him.<br />
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He accepts people as they are and with him what you see is what you get. He isn't a different person at home than he is in public. I love that about him. We don't always agree, we sometimes drive each other crazy but man oh man do I love this man.<br />
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He is a great dad who loves all the boys exactly the same. He usually knows just what to say to each of them just when they need to hear it. It's amazing to watch him interact with them. I love how our kids each look up to and respect him. That's saying a lot when you have teenagers!<br />
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I'm so incredibly blessed to have him as my husband. I'm thankful that he loves me for me (even the side of me that isn't so great!) I hope he knows just how much I love, adore, respect and admire him. I look forward to each day with him and watching our love and relationship grow over time.<br />
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He is truly amazing this best friend of mine!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://hphotos-sjc1.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/216769_2135463919650_1637658336_2095372_5349197_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://hphotos-sjc1.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/216769_2135463919650_1637658336_2095372_5349197_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love the way he looks at me! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/184187_2123873749903_1637658336_2080173_4430862_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/184187_2123873749903_1637658336_2080173_4430862_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My beautiful family! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>Trishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503432666172714036noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4557482155312404270.post-61432348435378716542011-09-28T00:40:00.000-04:002011-10-09T21:09:53.480-04:00Little Boys and Lots of RainI love love love my boys. I don't post as much about my kids. Other people have hysterical stories about their kids and the crazy things they do, I however don't. Maybe it's not so much that my kids aren't funny and don't do crazy cute things, Of course they do. However, let's face it, I'm stinking old and exhausted I just can't remember what they are later to blog about them. I try, I really do. I think oh man cute I'll blog later, sit down and yep it's gone. Gone like the wind! So my blog is most often whatever ramble I can put together on the days I can sit still and put two or more semi-intelligent thoughts together.<br />
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Today I even remembered to take a picture for this blog! Aren't we proud! This is my beautiful, funny, loving, huge hearted baby boy Andy. He will play inside most of the day and run outside late in the afternoon. This child has an it's about to rain meter buried somewhere deep inside. I kid you not 10 mins. after he is out the door it is pouring rain so hard you can't see in front of you. He is wet, outside and totally happy. He will be totally soaked then sit under the porch and watch the rain. It's a miracle he doesn't get sick but he doesn't and he loves it. My daughter Kaitlyn loved the rain too. In her very short time here, if it was raining she would cry until you took her out on the porch and suddenly she was quite. I like to think Andy got his love of the rain from his sister. I don't have the heart to make him come inside. So until the rainy season is over I guess he'll just be out in the rain in the afternoon. So if you drive by my house in the late afternoons expect to see Andy out watching the rain surrounded by a passel of neighbor hood kids that have decided our porch is the place to be. Isn't life grand!!<br />
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Trishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503432666172714036noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4557482155312404270.post-53208898354708766152011-09-26T13:56:00.007-04:002011-10-10T15:37:45.874-04:00From Mid-Life Crisis to ClarityMid-life crisis is so cliche, I think, but lately that's almost how it felt. I've been seeking God's will more and more, spending more time in His word, searching for the wisdom that I so desperately lack in decision making. Two Sundays ago Pastor Dumas preached and I was completely and totally convicted. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt he was preaching to me, I also knew I couldn't do anything about it. I was standing in my own way, I knew it, I had known it for a long time. I've felt for a while God saying I want to take you to new heights, to places we've never been before together; but I can't until you do this one thing. Isn't it always that one thing that gets you so torn up inside that you just can't go there. My husband sat next to me watching me knowing that I was struggling. He looked at me and I flat out told him I can't, I'm standing in my own way and I know it and I'm not going to do anything about it because I can't. (talk about stubborn disobedience) Doug in the Holy Spirit's wisdom told me I was telling God that I don't trust him among other things (that are a tad personal for a blog.) We went home and I was miserable. I knew I had to do what God was telling me to do. I knew I couldn't go any farther in my walk with God until I obeyed Him and trusted Him that in the end His way would mean life not death. (we are so short sighted, aren't we.) By that evening I was a mess and I knew it was all coming to head.<br />
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You see it's like the old saying you can run but you can't hide. Although God will never force His will on us, never force His love and grace on us if we are TRULY seeking what God wants in our lives then we must make the hard decision. Do we continue to live in misery or do we choose freedom. And let me tell you that freedom is ever so sweet, once we walk into it. During our Beth Moore study she said God can deliver you one of three ways.<br />
1. Deliverance from the fire - this is a faith builder<br />
2. Deliverance through the fire - our faith is refined<br />
3. Deliverance by the fire - our faith is perfected<br />
We all pray to be delivered from the fire. This is our very first prayer please Lord deliver me from this and trust me I prayed that.. Don't make me go through this fire because Lord I will no make it out. This was me not trusting him, I honestly believed I would not make it out. But it was not to be, I was going to have to walk into that fire and I knew it. Let me just say that this was not an easy walk and I had literally been running the other way for years, but the time had come. I was in bondage and I couldn't hobble my way along any longer. I needed to be free, deep down I wanted to be free. So head down I walked into the fire, I felt like I was walking before a firing squad and that this would be the end of life as I knew it. (In a way I was right) But just like with Sadrach, Meschach and Abednego I was not alone in the fire, there was one more. When I walked out the other side I didn't even smell like smoke!! The only thing burned here were the chains that had been holding me captive! (and I was deathly afraid of that fire.) I would walk out of that fire with more freedom than I had ever know. Jesus had stood with me in my fire and set me free! I am here to tell you there is NO other way. I got a lot of perspective that day and a whole lot of clarity. I just didn't know yet how much clarity. Remember I said I knew I couldn't go deeper until I faced that fire. Well today I'm deep sea diving!<br />
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This Sunday was incredible also but in totally different ways. The verse read before worship was the same verse Andy has been studying all last week. (these things are never a coincidence) So last night at work I opened up my journal and begin to write and then read. The following is an excerpt of my journal from last night.<br />
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9/25/2011<br />
<br />
I have been totally ungrateful about the things in my life. I want to have a grateful heart about everything that you give us. I want to have a good attitude about all things. I know my attitude is terrible and I really want to be better.<br />
Psalm 51:10 "Create in me a clean heart, O God, renew a right spirit within me."<br />
Forgive me Father for my lack of commitment to you.<br />
vs. 11-12 & 15 "Do not banish me from your presence and don't take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me again the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Unseal my lips, O Lord, that I may praise you." <br />
This is it! This is how I feel right now. Like maybe I've gone from a mid-life crisis to clarity. I just want to have a crazy close relationship with you! I've always felt like there was something missing, something deeper. That's what I want, the deeper uber personal relationship with you. The one where I can't get enough of you, I can't spend enough time in your presence, in your Word. I feel like a new woman, like these bondage chains have finally come off and I am finally free of this person I USED to be! Mold me into that new person you want (and already know) me to be!<br />
(And if that were not enough he gives me more love and conformation as I continue to read)<br />
<br />
Col. 1:9b "we ask God to give you a complete understanding of what he wants to do in your lives and we ask him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom."<br />
Yes Lord Yes!<br />
vs. 10 "Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord and you will continually do good, kind things for othera. All the while, you will learn to know God better and better."<br />
Yes! This is exactly it! A thousand times yes!!! (can I get an amen!)<br />
vs. 14b "And he has forgiven ALL your sins." (emphasis mine)<br />
Not just some but ALL<br />
Col 2:3 "In Him lie hidden all the the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."<br />
(bring on the treasure hunt!)<br />
Col 2:7 "Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him.... let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all his has done!<br />
Col 2:11 "When you came to Christ, you were circumcised, but not in a physical procedure - the cutting away of your sinful nature."<br />
(any of this sounding familiar? Verse 20-23 totally blows me away and this is my final thought of the day)<br />
<br />
Vs 20-23 "You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the evil powers of this world. So why do you keep on following rules of the world, such as don't handle, don't eat, don't touch. Such rules are mere human teaching about things that are gone as soon as we use them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, humility and severe bodily discipline. But they have no affect when it comes to conquering a person's evil thought and desires."<br />
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There is a whole other "book" I could write just from vs 20-23 but as I promised this is my last thought of the day. Why are we opening up the world's playbook everyday and trying to finish the race according to the world and it's views? Let me assure you the real playbook is far better and the freedom that comes from it passes all of our own understanding. Someday I will get to stand before the King of Heaven and thank Him in person for delivering me, this time, through the fire. Until then I'll thank Him everyday by going deeper and enjoying my uber personal relationship with Him. My sincerest hope is that you find the clarity you're looking for in your life. Don't be afraid to walk into your fire for the freedom on the other side is beyond what you can see or understand right now. He is here, He is with you and you are NOT ALONE!Trishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503432666172714036noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4557482155312404270.post-36850175374926231962011-09-24T01:05:00.001-04:002011-09-24T01:10:01.107-04:00Learning how to not be so OCDI never really thought of myself as ocd about some things, but as I am getting older I see that really I am. How do you unlearn ocd? That's a great question, wish I had the answer. Increasingly I'm seeing more and more things that I am ocd and controlling about. Now I realize these are really two separate issues but for this blog (and to make myself feel better) we'll call it one.<br />
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<br />
I guess in some ways this could be a good trait but apparently not in the ways that I have them. I can't look at my kids dresser drawers without wanting to cry or throw a big fat mommy tantrum. I know they have to learn to do these things on their own, but can't they at least do it my way!! *stomping my foot* Haven't they heard that if momma isn't happy no one is happy? I am not happy when I see those clothes like that. I know I should be happy they are doing their own laundry, and believe me I am, but if they could just attempt to put them away nicely I would feel so much better. <br />
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Also, I like my instructions to followed exactly as I have said them with no deviations what so ever. <br />
This is not so great with kids, but it really bothers me if they don't . I just don't like the slightest detail to be missed. How in the world do you stay sane as mother with this crazy trait? I feel like a mutant! <br />
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Honestly I really like most things done on my terms, in my time, just the way I imagine it. Doug says I just don't do well if things don't go the way I imagine them. Example: A couple of weeks ago I wanted to go downtown to the garage sale thing they had on the circle. When I saw it on my way home from work I was suddenly energized. It was a Saturday morning and we had no kids and I envisioned us walking hand in hand down through tables, laughing and talking. I get home and Doug was sleeping as it was 7 am. I excitedly begged him to get up and go with me. I go no where, he was out! Begrudgingly I got into bed and proceeded to sleep the day way.<br />
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Last Saturday was the car show, same circle downtown. I went to get stuff for pancakes and saw the car show. This time we had a house full of kids, our kids and a neighbor kid who had stayed the night. I rushed home threw some cinnamon rolls in the oven and gave my family no choice. They were going to this car show whether they liked it or not. ( ps car shows get more attention than garage sales.)<br />
We get there and Doug and are holding hands, laughing, talking (sound familiar yet?) when he tries to dart off with the boys for something. I promptly told him oh noooooo this day is going to go exactly as I envisioned it or else! Of course he laughs and shakes his head at me (cause he only laughs when I'm not being funny or I'm mad.)<br />
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It seems these days I look in the mirror and see all these things I really don't like about myself. I, of course, have wonderful traits also (please don't tell my family I have faults because I almost have them convinced that I am practically perfect in every way.) Maybe it's just the fine tuning of God, bringing out the things that need changing and helping me to recognize and free up the control in that area of my life, but it really stinks. I was perfectly happy in my own little world being ocd and not realizing it. Now it seems I have to let that go and somehow not be so controlling and well anal I guess. It would be easier if God just fixed everyone else but it seems that is not the case and apparently it's me that needs the fixing this time. Maybe someday I'll look back at this blog and laugh and be happy that I went through this process but for now I'm like the old family comic where the little boy was sent to the corner, as he sat there he announced to his mama; "I may be sittin down on the outside but I'm standing up on the inside."<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5r9UDic2juHqy4ZWyeuRzJlypjb1nJVqY_P4Y1SEjBf3bbt1HXOzU61lzbq5jAK2DDQdd1tnBSZ86JxOv1UfTEMUHz1G004SwTtKer6zDuc3uL2p1gijWShHCVEFlpXiUWXbvPPwGtrM/s1600/busy_fighting_my_ocd_mousepad-p144442825206518063trc6_152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5r9UDic2juHqy4ZWyeuRzJlypjb1nJVqY_P4Y1SEjBf3bbt1HXOzU61lzbq5jAK2DDQdd1tnBSZ86JxOv1UfTEMUHz1G004SwTtKer6zDuc3uL2p1gijWShHCVEFlpXiUWXbvPPwGtrM/s1600/busy_fighting_my_ocd_mousepad-p144442825206518063trc6_152.jpg" /></a></div>Trishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503432666172714036noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4557482155312404270.post-22645730565428269372011-09-16T16:04:00.003-04:002011-09-16T16:08:49.844-04:003 day weekend!I've officially been up 15 hours and I don't have to be back at work until Monday at 9:30 pm! Praise the Lord! Today I ordered the cage for the new pedigree rabbit, went to the tag office, paid an enormous fine at the library, had lunch with Andy and Doug, went to the laundromat and did some 13 loads of laundry. The was no stinking way I was doing all that laundry on the only weekend I've had off in months! No thank you! Tonight dinner with friends. <br />
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Tomorrow the new cage for the rabbit (thanks to amazon's prime shipping overnight for $3.99!!!) Which is a very good thing because I came in under budget and just in time. We make the drive to Lake Wales tomorrow to see Andy's new pedigree show bunny. That phrase still kills me! I mean really a pedigree bunny, but hey there could be worse things, at least he doesn't want a horse!<br />
Tomorrow night curl up and watch movies, which I am totally looking forward too. <br />
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Sunday is church. So we have a long weekend ahead but I am really looking forward to spending some good family time. Andy says to me today that he hasn't got to spend much time with me lately which is funny because he has seen me more than Doug or Alex. I don't ever get to see Doug anymore, just right before he leaves for work and right before I leave for work. Just passing each other in the doorway.<br />
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<br />
So I met this lady in the laundromat that does other peoples laundry. $10 bucks an hour and she washes, dries, folds and puts it all away. At this point that is sounding mighty awesome! I took her number not that I can really afford to have someone come do my laundry but it is every moms dream, right?<br />
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I have managed to get 95% of Andy's school done this week. With just a few minor assignments unfinished. OHHHH. Andy got his very first library card today! He is so cute with it! He signed the back and everything! He was so proud to show it to Daddy. Super cute! We may even hit the library tomorrow. Alex is home this week so life is almost complete. We are only missing 2 now. I sure do miss them.Trishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503432666172714036noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4557482155312404270.post-67335738334496414892011-09-14T14:09:00.001-04:002011-09-14T14:15:09.609-04:00Things I am coming to realizeThere are a few things that I am slowing coming to realize in this life of mine. Once again, as in my other useless lists, these are in no particular order.<br />
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1. There are not enough hours in the day<br />
2. My husband mostly pretends to hear what I say<br />
3. Life is harder than ever thought it would be<br />
4. My house will never clean itself and the laundry will never wash itself (sadly)<br />
5. I may never see the good things about me<br />
6. I'm more OCD than I want to admit<br />
7. I seriously dislike working nights and totally regret quitting at the church.<br />
8. I'm a compulsive complainer <br />
9. I'm apparently not as angry as I used to be. (or so my hubby says)<br />
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I'm sure there are probably more but honestly I'm just too darn tired to think them up right now.<br />
Here I am working overnights and there are a ton of things still to do during the day. I'm not a single person who can sleep all day and it doesn't really matter. I had no idea how hard this was going to be or how tired I would be. I had no idea how my house would suffer and bedroom might never be clean again. ACK! <br />
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Men have severely selective hearing. Enough said.<br />
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I never, ever, ever in a million years thought my life would be like it is now. This is not a neccessarly a bad observation. Sure there are things that I would do differently if I was given the chance to go back and change things but I would also not be where I am now if I did. And I can not imagine my life without Doug and the kids.<br />
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I didn't realize growing up how much work it takes to keep a house going and clean. This fact was somehow lost to me in my growing up years. Probably due to my highly selfish nature. This is actually exhausting and I am just horrible at it. <br />
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Sadly, I will probably never see the good things about myself. I look in the mirror now and think who is this chunky person with the grey hair? Do I know her? She sorta resembles someone I used to know but not really. I'm older, fatter, with less energy and even less motivation. I tend to see the negative in everything, especially myself. I honestly can't think of anything I really like about myself right now.<br />
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My closet is color coated and sorted into sections ( at least it is when Doug is not putting clothes away) and it drives me batty insane that he hangs my clothes in the wrong spot. Although I don't tell him that because he might stop doing what laundry he does do. I can't even look in the boys drawers anymore without freaking out since they started putting their own clothes away. It's just too terrible!<br />
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One of my major regrets of the past year is when I walked away from being the sec. at the church. Enough said. <br />
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I complain about everything. Not an attractive trait, something I am desperately working on.<br />
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Apparently I used to be worse off than I am now. That is truly a frightening thought. This has to be tangible proof that God isn't finished with me yet. That He is changing me and that I am making progress! If it isn't just leave them in that delusion please. neurotic thoughtsTrishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503432666172714036noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4557482155312404270.post-38323423680519582252011-09-12T11:55:00.001-04:002011-09-12T12:01:00.136-04:00Another School Year StartsAnother school year has started and we are off and running. Full plates this year!<br />
Bryce as a senior in high school (heaven only knows how that is possible)<br />
Tyler is a sophomore. Alex in 4th grade and Andy in 2nd. Of course this family can't do anything easy so we have 2 in Texas going to school, Alex in Heartland Christian and Andy homeschooled.<br />
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Alex and Andy are in 4-H this year. With Alex doing an art project and Andy doing a show rabbit project. Alex is running for president of their club and I can't wait to hear his speech and see how the vote goes. Should be interesting. 4-H is a whole lot more involved than I thought it would be but I think it will be good for the kids.<br />
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Andy is homeschooled so that means lesson plans for me, which I am not good at at all. We really wanted to go with Bigger Hearts for His Glory this year and were totally excited about it but finances got in the way and we pulled out the one we already had. I was quite proud of myself for getting the whole year all note booked out and lesson plans done through Nov. Even without the lesson plans I have the whole year planned out and ready to go. At the end of the year the notebook will be his portfolio and I won't have to do any extra work for that! Hooray!<br />
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One of the many things I really love about homeschool is the fabulous field trips we go on. Public school goes on field trips but the homeschool ones are just awesome! The kids had their first field trip of the year last Thursday (the 1st one I've ever missed and boy it was not one to miss). I'll take an excerpt from our homeschool group pres. blog <a href="http://beautifulthemess.com/">(Our Beautiful Mess</a>) about what they did on the field trip.<br />
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Our homeschool group had an island adventure with the Nature’s Academy on the Gulf Coast. We got to explore God’s creatures through a nature walk as well as dip netting into a sea grass bed.<br />
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We licked the mangrove leaves, saltiness and learned how healthy these trees made the estuary for the sea creatures. We ate a “salt wart” leaf….salty and lettuce like. The birds were perched on the boardwalk. The herrings seemed to be fine with our nature hike with our binoculars exploring as quietly as K-4th graders could! The fiddler crabs dug perfect circular holes moving quickly in the sand. We kicked seeds into the water saving those mangroves and continuing the circle of life in the Gulf. <br />
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We continued our tour with a shark dissection learning the parts of a shark. We felt the spine of the shark (hence vertebrates) and discovered how small their hearts really are.<br />
After we got on our water shoes we dug into the seabeds with nets bringing up 20 different sea creatures from the bottom, confirming that indeed this was a healthy place.<br />
Our day was finished as we picked up 45 pounds of trash in about the length of half a football field in less than 15 minutes! This was disappointing but the kids and adults could not believe how little time it took to clean up God’s Creation.<br />
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This was an amazing trip with the Nature’s Academy. Dana Pounds was such a blessing to our group as she had lost her leg to cancer and has a prosthetic leg. She explained her relation with Winter the Dolphin as they share the same gel that is used for Winter’s tail.<br />
What a great Homeschool Day!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW6nHfSf_73cK-Nplv_jDv8lWtI1NRcWOjg7s8GCNBT_sUXechGUUxbj17cm-zYu4ZznPYxhPNb1HVV_HPIgj_ZJ4XfH0En4uS9U9iu2X02RCzpLafxINKgCbpOst-82-35Kt6UbffUrA/s1600/IMAG0669.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW6nHfSf_73cK-Nplv_jDv8lWtI1NRcWOjg7s8GCNBT_sUXechGUUxbj17cm-zYu4ZznPYxhPNb1HVV_HPIgj_ZJ4XfH0En4uS9U9iu2X02RCzpLafxINKgCbpOst-82-35Kt6UbffUrA/s320/IMAG0669.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is just a few of our homeschool group kids.</td></tr>
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How awesome does that sound. It was a day I'm sure Andy won't forget anytime soon and I'm personally glad he got the chance to delve deep into God's creation for a moment to see just how AWESOME he really is.<br />
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I must say that I am extremely grateful for the chance to be a homeschool mom. My life has been so enriched by it. Not only by being able to watch closely as my child is learning and spending precious moments with him, as he is growing up way too fast, but also the privilege of getting to know the other kids, moms and dads that make up our group. These are some fantastic people that I am growing to love more with each passing event and social.Trishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04503432666172714036noreply@blogger.com2