I am so thankful... overwhelmingly thankful for what God has given me. This morning I started thinking about how Jesus said we need to become like children again in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. I know there are many things we need to train our children to do, many ways in which the heart of a child is foolish... but the fact is, that Jesus said that the kingdom of Heaven is made of such as these.
I remember when my ds and dd were younger. We wore out 2 copies of "Goodnight, Moon". I'd finish it and they'd cry, "Again"! We'd go to the park, they'd swing and cry, "Again"! Any activity or thing that they saw... was immediately, "Again". They couldn't get enough of it.
Perhaps part of that enthusiasm is what we're exhorted to recapture by Jesus. I can almost picture God causing the sun to rise and set... and thinking "Again". His mercies are new every morning... and we need to appreciate that. We should be waking up and thinking, "Again!"
So... today, I'm thankful because:
1. His mercies ARE new today... Again!
2. I have the best husband in the world... Again!
3. I can run! Again!
4. I saw the sunrise. Again!
5. My children are growing as they should... Again!
For all those blessings... Lord, give me the heart of a child to appreciate and remember them even as they are repeated time and again.
Be Blessed!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
Menu Monday!
With the start of school last week, and dh's new job (Praise God!) now is the perfect time for me to get back in the habit of planning our weekly menus instead of flying by the seat of my pants at dinner time. The luxury of summer leisure is over... and organization must be restored. LOL!
So... the plan this week:
Monday: hand cut steaks, fresh asparagus, hm garlic parmesan bread
Tuesday: bratwurst, ww buns, sauerkraut
Wednesday: spaghetti
Thursday: pork chops, apple sauce, and grilled zucchini
Friday: beef brisket, greens, and ww bread
Saturday: brats again...
Sunday... sandwiches and fend for yourself!
What's cooking at your house?
So... the plan this week:
Monday: hand cut steaks, fresh asparagus, hm garlic parmesan bread
Tuesday: bratwurst, ww buns, sauerkraut
Wednesday: spaghetti
Thursday: pork chops, apple sauce, and grilled zucchini
Friday: beef brisket, greens, and ww bread
Saturday: brats again...
Sunday... sandwiches and fend for yourself!
What's cooking at your house?
Friday, August 22, 2008
Tragedy and Our Attempts to Keep it From Us!
Tragedy. The word strikes us. It is not comfortable to hear, or see or live through. We all want to keep it far from us. We want to be able to say, "Well, it's sad that family lost a child in a school shooting-- but that can't happen to us... we homeschool," or "How sad that the Unitarian Church was shot up... but that can't happen to us... we go to a real church," or "What a sad thing that this child has cancer...but that can't happen to us... we__________."
We want to be able it make it the fault of those who suffer. If we can make it their fault... then we think... it cannot happen to us. We can breathe a sigh of relief because we are safe. Are we though?
Have you read the Book of Job? Job was a good man. Job had God's favor. Job, in fact, did nothing wrong. Yet... can we read that book and not see tragedy? I can't. I'm struck by the pain that Job must have gone through-- his children, his home, his living-- gone.
What of Job's friends? What did they want to do-- what did they seek him out for? To offer help...? No. To offer a job? No. To offer a shoulder to cry on? Nope. They came to find out what Job had done wrong.
If they could learn that... they could prevent a similar disaster happening to themselves. They were not pleased that Job had no answer for them. In fact, they couldn't even accept it.
I understand the desire to find a way to make it the sufferer's fault because then we are safe ... but New Life Church in Colorado Springs was the scene of a shooting, an Amish school was the scene of a shooting. What had these done to deserve this? It wasn't a "godless" public school or church...
I guess I simply do not want to be Job's friend anymore. I am guilty of having been so in the past. I'm not sure why I feel so convinced of my error. I'm also not sure that anyone else will understand. What I do know though... is that... as always... my faith and trust must be in the Lord. I must not think that I am safe from tragedy, or that I can keep myself safe from tragedy.
That is in His capable hands.
Be Blessed!
Grace
We want to be able it make it the fault of those who suffer. If we can make it their fault... then we think... it cannot happen to us. We can breathe a sigh of relief because we are safe. Are we though?
Have you read the Book of Job? Job was a good man. Job had God's favor. Job, in fact, did nothing wrong. Yet... can we read that book and not see tragedy? I can't. I'm struck by the pain that Job must have gone through-- his children, his home, his living-- gone.
What of Job's friends? What did they want to do-- what did they seek him out for? To offer help...? No. To offer a job? No. To offer a shoulder to cry on? Nope. They came to find out what Job had done wrong.
If they could learn that... they could prevent a similar disaster happening to themselves. They were not pleased that Job had no answer for them. In fact, they couldn't even accept it.
I understand the desire to find a way to make it the sufferer's fault because then we are safe ... but New Life Church in Colorado Springs was the scene of a shooting, an Amish school was the scene of a shooting. What had these done to deserve this? It wasn't a "godless" public school or church...
I guess I simply do not want to be Job's friend anymore. I am guilty of having been so in the past. I'm not sure why I feel so convinced of my error. I'm also not sure that anyone else will understand. What I do know though... is that... as always... my faith and trust must be in the Lord. I must not think that I am safe from tragedy, or that I can keep myself safe from tragedy.
That is in His capable hands.
Be Blessed!
Grace
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Morning has Broken--
Wow... what a wonderful song that is!! I have it on my phone/MP3 player that I take with me on my runs in the morning. So after leaving the house in the pitch dark... just as the sun started to rise this a.m... it began to play.
What a joy that was! I really do treasure it. It reminded me of God's promise to us...that weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5 The question, of course, is how long is a night?
A night, it seems to me, is not necessarily a literal night. It means that long dark slog for the soul. Something we all, I think, go through... at different times and for different reasons, and likely to create different results. What a promise that we cling to though-- that joy cometh in the morning!
I ran this a.m. with my dd and we had a good chat about school, lunch, the clothes her friends were wearing etc. We laughed, and huffed and puffed. And before the run was over... we were both rejoicing... because the sun was up, because we were alive and running.
Yes... getting up is not fun... but... joy does come in the morning.
Thank you, Lord!
Be Blessed!!
What a joy that was! I really do treasure it. It reminded me of God's promise to us...that weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5 The question, of course, is how long is a night?
A night, it seems to me, is not necessarily a literal night. It means that long dark slog for the soul. Something we all, I think, go through... at different times and for different reasons, and likely to create different results. What a promise that we cling to though-- that joy cometh in the morning!
I ran this a.m. with my dd and we had a good chat about school, lunch, the clothes her friends were wearing etc. We laughed, and huffed and puffed. And before the run was over... we were both rejoicing... because the sun was up, because we were alive and running.
Yes... getting up is not fun... but... joy does come in the morning.
Thank you, Lord!
Be Blessed!!
Monday, August 18, 2008
An Update (Of Sorts)
Lately there are two passages of scripture that I am being drawn to, again and again. The first is Paul's letter to the Colossians. I am slowly studying it very extensively. I'm also being drawn to Psalm 91.
Those of you who are aware and praying for my nephew Josiah, the latest news is this. The doctors in Omaha agree that the colon polyp condition he has right now is not cancer. However, he is bleeding so much from the colon that he is anemic, and this will become cancer if allowed to go untreated. He is on two iron pills a day and that is giving his body the ability to keep up with the blood loss. Praise God!!
There are additional tests to be run, however, those can't be run until September because the specialist is on vacation. Josiah's and his family's faith is strong. They will need to either remove each individual polyp, or go in and remove a part of his colon at this point. So...again, if you'd continue to pray for Josiah... that would be most kind.
In other news, my Mom has moved to a new facility... it is in the town she lived in for so many years so in a lot of ways I am confident that she is quite content and comfortable. She is, of course, not happy to not be back at her home... but she is not capable of being alone for 10-12 hours a day. This is the best solution.
We're working on getting her some things that we think she might enjoy, a t.v., a plug and play Ms. Pacman, low salt roasted cashews, diet Coke, and of course, my father's flag. My siblings are a bit difficult. Then again, they always have been. Prayers for wisdom etc., are definitely needed. Mom's not dead yet... now isn't the time to divide up the spoils. *sigh* In fairness, only two of my siblings are all about that!!
Otherwise... the kids head back to school today... and my life frees up!! So... look for me on chat!! I'll prolly be there later on this afternoon.
Grace
Those of you who are aware and praying for my nephew Josiah, the latest news is this. The doctors in Omaha agree that the colon polyp condition he has right now is not cancer. However, he is bleeding so much from the colon that he is anemic, and this will become cancer if allowed to go untreated. He is on two iron pills a day and that is giving his body the ability to keep up with the blood loss. Praise God!!
There are additional tests to be run, however, those can't be run until September because the specialist is on vacation. Josiah's and his family's faith is strong. They will need to either remove each individual polyp, or go in and remove a part of his colon at this point. So...again, if you'd continue to pray for Josiah... that would be most kind.
In other news, my Mom has moved to a new facility... it is in the town she lived in for so many years so in a lot of ways I am confident that she is quite content and comfortable. She is, of course, not happy to not be back at her home... but she is not capable of being alone for 10-12 hours a day. This is the best solution.
We're working on getting her some things that we think she might enjoy, a t.v., a plug and play Ms. Pacman, low salt roasted cashews, diet Coke, and of course, my father's flag. My siblings are a bit difficult. Then again, they always have been. Prayers for wisdom etc., are definitely needed. Mom's not dead yet... now isn't the time to divide up the spoils. *sigh* In fairness, only two of my siblings are all about that!!
Otherwise... the kids head back to school today... and my life frees up!! So... look for me on chat!! I'll prolly be there later on this afternoon.
Grace
Monday, August 11, 2008
Running!
I am in love with this. I don't know why, or how, but it is a real joy to me. I feel both horrible and wonderful simultaneously. I am taking my body over, and making it mine.
I was able to run a full 5k on Friday. Can you believe it? Me, who couldn't even run a full city block in January... ran 3.24 miles on Friday. No breaks, no stopping for water, or to tie my shoe. Now, I'm not saying it was fast. I'm saying it was run. Took about an hour actually.
Game on people. Next year, I'm doing the Muddy Buddy somewhere... 7-8 miles of alternate biking/running and *ahem* slithering. Yep, an army crawl through the mud. LOL!! This is gonna be a blast. I'll have either Alex or Tasha as my partner.
Now we just have to decide where... personally, I'm for DisneyWorld!!
On another note... today is the day that Josiah (my nephew) will get his second opinion on the colon polyps, and possible actions to be taken. We'll be praying throughout the day that God blesses the doctors with wisdom and discernment, strengthens Tim and Sharon, his parents, and his sister Megan as well. If you feel moved to do so, please pray for Josiah as well.
Thanks and be blessed!
I was able to run a full 5k on Friday. Can you believe it? Me, who couldn't even run a full city block in January... ran 3.24 miles on Friday. No breaks, no stopping for water, or to tie my shoe. Now, I'm not saying it was fast. I'm saying it was run. Took about an hour actually.
Game on people. Next year, I'm doing the Muddy Buddy somewhere... 7-8 miles of alternate biking/running and *ahem* slithering. Yep, an army crawl through the mud. LOL!! This is gonna be a blast. I'll have either Alex or Tasha as my partner.
Now we just have to decide where... personally, I'm for DisneyWorld!!
On another note... today is the day that Josiah (my nephew) will get his second opinion on the colon polyps, and possible actions to be taken. We'll be praying throughout the day that God blesses the doctors with wisdom and discernment, strengthens Tim and Sharon, his parents, and his sister Megan as well. If you feel moved to do so, please pray for Josiah as well.
Thanks and be blessed!
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