World Peace and 15% off at Kohl's

I love my mom. I love to talk to my mom. We haven't had a good mommy/daughter discussion in a while. Due to her "retirement" and my chaotic life. (She's busier now in her retirement than she ever was before.) Anyway, we got a little bit of face time in the car the other day on the way up to VA. She was looking forward to riding with my sis and her grandson to CT to deliver him to school. She was especially excited to have my sis all to herself on the way home. 10-12 hours in the car is alot of time to solve all sorts of things. That's what we do. That's what happens when best girlfriends get together and chat, and sometimes those best girlfriends are actually mothers and daughters in their "real lives".

Mom was talking about a lecture she recently attended where the speaker was a Palestinian man who has recently written a best seller and was giving a talk about peace. He talked about how we, as Americans, are so wealthy and sometimes have no knowledge of our wealth. He called for Americans to be "friends" to those nations who are portrayed in the media as not-so-nice, doesn't-play-well-with-others countries. I think about his country and the country they are in conflict with at the moment and how hard that must be to be amongst so much anger and begging for peace, and peace from other countries. This man spends his off time away from his homeland, where he has helped found many Christian schools for children, to come here and interrupt our tv schedules to talk about peace. I can't get it off of my mind.

I had a sweet lady at church say to me during our small group sign ups, "You and David are sooo busy, I don't know how you do it." Granted we have 5 kids and are very involved in our church, but I constantly think I still have too much idle time on my hands that can be used for something meaningful. I get that reaction a lot from so many people. It's funny though, the dynamic and different extremes I get. Because I am a SAHM I get things like, "well, we can't all be on the computer all the time like you can" or "you're off today, so you have time to.....(fill in the blank)." To the ever popular, "How do you find time to do anything?" Thanks to the government and my unwillingness to support filth on tv, my family doesn't watch tv anymore. It's been that way since June. Our reputations were already scarred before then when we got rid of our satelite and went to strictly those stations we could get by attenae, 4 major networks and PBS. So, it was inevitable that we would take the plunge to no tv. We watch movies every once in a while, but not a whole lot. I politely told the lady from church, "David and I don't have television and it's amazing the time we can now devote to other things, like what needs to be done at church." She didn't say much. It is true. Don't get me wrong here, I still fall off the wagon, like when I'm at my sister's where there is directv in several rooms and I can catch an entire marathon of ANTM. (Yea, really, I'm not kidding.)

I wonder if the gentleman from Palestine also wonders why "Desperate(ly wish we were actually) Housewives" and "Beverly Hills 9021-old Revisited" are more important that our quest for world peace and the global awareness of Christ. I can still see where I have moments during my day that I can use for His glory. I am trying to re-train my brain to let go of my plans and pray that God order my steps each day and that I am not filling my life with inconsequentials, so as to see and embrace those "God" distractions in my day. I want to be more Christ-like in wrapping my arms around those important bumps in the road.

As for those girlfriend talks with my mom, my sis, my peeps, they will still go on in our quest for peace and the perfect recipe for Homemade Chicken and Dumplins! I love my girly conversations. I love my mom. I love my sis. I love my Liz, Beth, and Tori and all my other girlfriends, cyber and uncybered. Here's to world peace! (Now is when you raise your margarita glass.)

Hey Father, I love ya and I want to be a better person. I want to be more peaceful and want to embrace what you have for me in my day in a way that exudes your glory to those around me. Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the quest for peace. Thank you for allowing us to experience both sides of peace to know that the Hope of Christ is the peace of the world. Peace in our hearts, not the easy way out, but the peace of you residing in my heart daily. Thank you God!

Leaves are changing in VA

I am enjoying some solitude amongst the chaos here in VA. You see, I am "watching" or "babysitting" my niece and nephew in VA, both in high school, while my sis is away hauling her oldest to college. I brought my two homeschoolers and my niece to hang out with their cousins, so really I'm just here to call 911 or make an emergency grocery run. Other than that there is no need for my presence to be known. So I find my solace on the porch watching the misty rain fall and contemplating the big questions in life.....

Why did Joyce and the girls go without me to WOF? Will they miss me soooo much that they'll have to email me and let me know just that? (hint, hint Alicia)

Why do scrambled eggs and cheese smell like wet dog?

Why do Jon and Kate hate each other enough to screw up their kids for the rest of their lives, thus screwing up a whole generation of children who have been watching them......Why do I care? Why? (JFTR, I don't watch tv.)

Why does pumpking spice creamer come out seasonally? There is no real pumpkin in there, ya know.

Why are babies scared of clowns and not scared of their parents who look like andriods missing half of their epidermis when holding a camera to their face for the first 10 years of their kids lives?

Why can't I feel "phat" instead of "fat"?

Why can't cats and dogs use a scrubby instead of their tounges?

How much coffee can I consume without becoming too obnoxious?......TOO LATE!

Well, I must go and continue my devotional time with Third Day "You Are Beautiful My Sweet, Sweet Song" blaring in my ears. Life is good. Darn good. Thank you God!

Jesus take the wheel...ok, great, now give it back.

Control...what is it? Why do I feel I need it ALL of the time? What is so bad about not being in control? I can understand when we are speaking of control of bodily functions....I live with 5 boys/men in my house. Believe me, I know. Not that control, but the control we seem to think we have over our plans for the day, the week, the month or the rest of our lives and for that matter, our children's lives. Control meaning any of these things or make up your own:

1. To exercise authoritative or dominating influence over; direct
2. To adjust to a requirement; regulate
3. To hold in restraint; check

We grieve over plans gone awry. Plans that we've made that come with the expectation of fulfillment. Of success. Of finishing something. Oh how frustrating it is to not have those expectations come to fruition. We cry, wail, scream, shake our fists, curl up in the corner, get angry, pull away, stop talking altogether, blame the almighty. Or do we move on, ignore it, start over, change our expectations to fit the moment, remain superficial in our own lives going day to day without ever changing or growing? Leaving our lives open for God's work in us is a tricky thing for us humans to do. We're so used to having our agendas, checking our PDA's or cell phones, syncing our calendars to our emails. I've had to ask myself where I've put God on my calendar. Is he penciled in? Did I use permanent ink? Did I even put him on there to begin with? I hope that God is my personal assistant, scheduling my days to bring his glory to the surface. I want to leave my life open for him, but wow does the world creep in without me knowing it....My control, or the illusion of control, is ultimately a futile attempt to validate me and my life. But when I decided to follow Christ as my Lord and my Savior I was to die of self and start my life with him living in his plan. I often forget that while standing in line at the grocery with a cart full of junk. In looking around my house at all the clutter and stuff I don't need. In the thoughts that invade my time, stealing away the precious moments that will never be recovered. How awesome a God he is that sent his only son to die for me on that timber cross. To provide the hope in him to provide my life to be one that shines his glory.

Thank you God for your mercy and patience in such an undeserving soul. Thank you for your love for me. Thank you for hanging in there until I showed up on your doorstep. Thank you Father for all you provide for me and my family. Watch over my friends and family as we go about our days. Order our steps, even when we're not listening, steer us gently in the way we need to go.

I was ready, willing and able to get wet!

Parenting can be so hard sometimes. We hit our knees and ask "why" alot! Having 5 children, I remember the days when they were small, all at the same time, and we had foster kids too and thinking...."what were we thinking?" Take one look at my handsome husband and well, the rest is history! Anyway, I do recall having to discipline someone several times an hour to keep each on the right path to less chaos in my home. I remember praying, "will this ever get easier?" Of course, I was always interrupted before getting my answer by someone screaming in pain or delight, whichever it was it sent me to my feet running to make sure I didn't need my biohazard kit to clean up.

Labor Day was a beautiful day! My dad kept saying, "this has been such a great day, a perfect day." He was right! Awesomeness! We slipped away from the parents house to take a dip in the community pool on its last day of operation before the winter set in. We took the kids, now 10 and up to 18, to play in the pool. My days of worrying about their safety in the pool are over which leaves me plenty of time to converse with my mom and observe people. This can be scary. Not talking to my mom....observing others.

As my mom and I were in deep discussion on how to solve world peace and what-not my ears perked up as a father from the neighborhood approached a mother with a squirt toy and said, "I've told your kid to stop spraying kids in the face and he won't, so I took this from him and you need to do something about your kid." He wasn't yelling or being inappropriate, he was quite calm about the whole thing. Way to go Mr. Mom! The mom took the squirty toy and of course took it to the lifeguard station and let them take it, because as we all know, it's the weapons fault not the shooter's inability to recognize right from wrong! She then proceeded very slowly to the side of the pool right next to our table and told her son that was not nice and he needed to get out of the pool so they could leave. "No!" This was the standard answer for every pleading command she spit out of her mouth. This went on for several minutes. My head turned so fast at the first sassy mouthed comment out of this child's dental oriphus that I couldn't really imagine that he was gonna get out alive. But he did. I was willing to jump in with ALL of my clothes and hand him over! He kept moving out of arms reach from his mom with that grin, the one that makes you want to just.....well anyway, he was smiling. Mom finally gave up and would repeatedly come back to the side of the pool to see if he was ready yet. You'll never guess what his answer was. Between visits from mom he continued to torture the other children in the pool. She must be so proud.

I really felt as though I was in the twilight zone with this woman. I wanted to feel sorry for her because she obviously didn't know the correct disciplinarian tactics to nip this in the bud. She must be a new mom, I thought. This little 3 or 4 yo must be her only spawn. Oh no, there are more. From teen to little damian in the pool there must have been 5 or so. Oh dear one!

As I searched for Nanny 911's number, email, whatever..... she snuck out the door with all kids in tow. I am glad I'm not a neighbor. I don't know if I could hold back discipline if I actually knew she wasn't gonna hit me or press charges for jerking her kid out of the pool. Paleez!

Friends, family, food, fun, swimming, football in the street, lemon bars, laughter and the adrenaline rush of possibly taking down a three year old.....priceless Labor Day! Dad was right, it was perfect!

God Bless all of us in our parenting. Bless the children as they learn along with us! Bless the lady from the pool and bless her kids!

Bless 'em Lord, bless 'em.

Homeschool attempt #5,432,000

Yes, I am a homeschool mom for two of my precious children. I have been doing this for one and a half years. The first year was a half year to finish off where they left of in public school and was success at laid back schooling to get the hang of it. The next year was a drowning attempt at trying to homeschool without a paddle. I must say that I kept going under and gasping for air and getting out of the pool and then jumping back in by not changing anything and expecting it to be different. Hmmmm....what is the definition of insanity? Oh yea! Anyway. We are starting our next year and I am timid and nervous and worried about screwing up my kids. Not in my definition but in the world around me. My kids are smart kids and wonderful kids and perfectly capable of doing all of this work on their own. They need guidance and I need to be able to give them that much.

So I ask for prayers and for ideas and for support. I ask that you approach this subject with as much care and concern you would have for a wounded animal....yea, I could strike at any moment! JK! I know what I am attempting to do could give them a head start in life in so many ways that they will not even understand until they are much older. I believe that the Lord is my saviour and that God created us and that we are His people made to care for this planet and everyone on it. That's it. That's my philosophy of life and that is what really matters. All of this other stuff is gravy.

I attended an awesome talk by MaryBeth Whalen tonight and was greatly inspired in the simplicity of it all. I know I overthink, like I'm giving birth for the first time and think that all of those books have more knowledge than my grandmother of 9 children. So here is a great activity for all of you moms, homeschool or not. Make a "what I do" list and "what I don't do" list.

Here's just a look into mine, be it all condensed:

I do:
laundry
my hair
cook
gardening

sing
teach my kids
devotionals
wow
small group
worship on sunday
love my kids, my hubby, my God
whine and moan

I don't:
do housework very well
eat bugs
grocery shop without whining
turn down a trip to starbucks often
do my nails; toes or fingers
ever know where I put my list

It's a list in progress and will change often I'm sure until I get it down to it's final draft. It's interesting when you start putting pen to paper about what you do and don't do. A tip from MB's hubby: List out your priorities and look at your to do list and if anything on their isn't on your priority list get it off of your to do list.

God Bless you all and your daily walk with your schedules and agendas and your life struggles and praises. God Bless you with peace!

P.S. My computer is being brought back from the dead soon from a miracle man! I can't wait! Soon I won't have to bootleg blog from someone else's computer!