Appalachia is the teacher this week.....

This week once again finds me sonless. I got my kids all back in the house last weekend for the first time in a month and they, the boys, left Monday a.m. to head off for a mission trip with the church. Oh well, house is quiet again. Sarah's home, sort of, but off to grandma's for bible school. Whatever will I do to fill my time? ............................... Oh, sorry, I was daydreaming a bit....

It was the first time all four of the boys have been away together and away on a mission trip. The oldest was going in a leadership capacity. The 17 yo is going on his third mission trip and the younger two are on their maiden voyage as mission volunteers. As I have been looking forward to their trip this week all summer it makes me want to be there. Not participating or combing their hair out of their eyes or making sure they eat their veggies or take a shower (cause there isn't one, they're bathing in the creek!) But in the capacity of the proverbial fly on the wall. You know, to see if anything my hubby and I have been trying to impress upon them has actually sunk in and might be utilized in some way. Like, comb the hair out of your eyes, eat your veggies, take a shower, share the Good News, help out your fellow man unselfishly and without judgement, serve and be served. You know, the small stuff. I am in hopes that the wonderful work of the Lord not only pulsates through their hearts but through their throbbing sore fingers and muscles to the people of the Appalachia and their hearts.

My boys are beautiful people from their very marrow to the outside cells of the last layer of their skin that is warmed by the sunlight of everyday that God gifts to them. I am proud of each and every one of them for who they are and what they are becoming each day. All are Price boys and all are one unit, but all are so different, but they are painted and stained with the tatoo of the Heavenly Father.

I pray for blessings on Mrs. Becky Simpson and her ministry with the Appalachian residents. Bless their ministry beyond belief. Heap the blessings to meet each need there today, Lord. Bless each of those residents with the longing of you if they don't know you and the constant Hope in those that seek you daily. I thank you God for the gift of these boys who are becoming men each day. I thank you Almighty Father for placing them in my heart for a lifetime and in my presence for what seems to be a blink of an eye. I thank you for how you bless them when they have no idea. I thank you for how you bless me as I watch them come to know you. This eternal life is beautiful! Thank you God!

Harvest what you sow....then eat!

Let's have a moment of silence for those who have given of themselves in the name of the best BLT on the planet and some stinkin' awesome salsa fresca! Thank you God for garden fresh tomatoes! You are an awesome God!

Fuzzy Brain

I am suffering from mold growth on my cerebral gray matter and it's ticking me off! Things are itching to get out of there and I can't seem to find the time and patience to let them breath on the cyber pages of my blog. I am hindered by the ignorance of not knowing the mac and its idiosyncrocies and missing my ibm and longing for a new computer that moves faster than the speed of snail.

My garden is insane! Lovin' the fruits and hating the bugs. Wanting to keep it organic but am having fantasies about inihilating insects with the most powerful poison I can find! Kind of like the time you realize what happens in the chemical reaction between salt and slugs.................oh sorry.........I was just thinking.....nevermind.

Life is a puke inducing roller coaster right now. I don't want to get off but parts of it make me technicolor yawn. I just feel sorry for the chap who sits behind me! Whatch OUT! Too late. My kids are growing up and off on their own alot this summer with mission trips, camp, visits to grandma and grandpa in CO and I am missing them. I have those moments in every hour where I do inventory of where my kids are today. Don't want to leave one somewhere....again....oops...did I say that out loud? Don't worry we found him. I think that's why my thoughts are so fuzzy right now. My family is not together but far apart doing its own thing and loving it I'm sure.

My brain however has a hard time functioning in the mode of constant checking and rechecking on where I left my babies. I've tried to put the milk in the cabinet and the cat in the dishwasher and the tupperware on the clothesline, but I think I'll be ok. Soon the boys will be altogether and off together on a mission trip with church, but again altogether. Little Sarah will be home from camp and off to bible school with grandma. My brain will loosen its preparation H grip it has on my frontal lobe and I will be able to function without washing the cat!

God please be with my family during this time of awe and wonder as we move through this life walking where you ask us to tread. I ask that you watch over them and me as we are apart and wrap your loving arms around our hearts and warm us fromt he inside out as we go about your work and your will. We love you! God Bless!

I lift mine eyes to the hills, from whence my help comes.

The thing about community is that you're not in it alone. It's hard to play tennis by yourself ya know. So I'm in the final spin of my hectic week and as I am realizing how rung out I am, I am also taking stock of how I've come through these last couple weeks and how it has softened my heart. My hubby and I were doing a devotional the other day in I John and one of the discussion questions casually asked what personality traits we thought we got from our father. As I started to think about it and apply it to how I just walked through the fire what I thought I was, was not the case. I feel as though one of my traits is strength beyond strength. Tough, nail biting, "I am woman, hear me roar!" Ha! Double ha! But I've had to be strong, very strong, so where did it come from? For the first time in our lives my husband and I had to be completely submissive to God's plan. We have been prayerful and watchful in the past, but now we know we hit our knees to the floor before our feet. So as I look back to wonder how God pulled this off with two of the most unlikely people......it's amazing to see things unfold. My strength was fed through those people that God decided I needed in my life years ago. He brought them altogether to lift me up and gird my legs and not let me get down and doubt what God was doing in my life. I am humbled to those who gave up their sleep (Neesey and Mel), to hugs and come-to-Jesus talks (Lizbeff) and phone calls and hugs and offering food (Beth), offerings of places to lay our heads (JC and Ro), and a stinkin' awesome yard sale (JC, Neesey and Mel)! You will NEVER know how much you strengthened me and my relationship with my God by watching you take care of me in and out. It helped to make the circumstances easy therefore watching God work without the distractions of life getting in the way. David and I are better people because of all of you and will never forget your generosity in time and love. I hope your life feels as blessed as you have made mine. I'm a lucky girl! I pray for blessing to be heaped on you and your families beyond belief. Heaven is gonna be a fun place to be with all my sisters! I love you all! God Bless!

Do you want fries with that?

I have come to the conclusion that I do not have a well defined skill set. I know most of you are quite shocked at this point. Recent matters have made me aware that I may have to go back into the workforce and thus I am trying to revamp my resume to get the best job possible with the abilities I posess. So far my skills open up the world of fast food preparation and prison laundry worker. Either way my financial stability is looking up for sure! NOT! But seriously, many women and some really smart men have drawn attention to the fact that a SAHM is extremely qualified for many corporate level positions but severely underpaid monetarily and without parchment on the walls to prove it, no promotion coming soon. Now, back to my skill set or lack there of. I once waited tables in high school, college and some during my kids early years. Worked in a very upscale boutique. I worked in a hardware store as a merchandising manager. Worked in an ambulance service/rural clinic in the finance office. Ok so what in the world can I do????? As I am polishing that document that will give me worth and credibility with the next pimple faced prepubescent night shift manager I wonder which way it should sway....You know like.....SAHM really means I can do most anything, not get paid, do it without being noticed by anyone and do it all at the same time. I know I have the job now! I just have to decide where to fill out the application first, yea, that might help!

With God's help and understanding I know that the right thing will come along and I won't have to get out the silver polish to help out my resume. I know that God is going to use my mess to make something so beautiful. I am faithful. I am sad, but faithful. I am looking up and praising Him and keeping my focus on Him. Thank you God for the blessings you have given me eventhough I don't always deserve those. Thank you God for not giving me what I actually deserve! Thank you God for mercy! Thank you God for loving little ole me.

And He's Off.....One More Tour of Duty.....

So, here he goes again. For the third time since the war in Iraq started, my bil is headed back. This time in Northern Iraq. Everytime he leaves its gut wrenchingly hard to say goodbye, but we all know that he loves being in the armed forces and feels it nothing less than an honor to serve our country in whatever capacity he is called to. This time he's the big wig, the commander and in charge of the unit. The unit, of which half have never been deployed. It was hard to watch those first timers clinging to the last few minutes of normalcy and physical touch they'd have in more than a year. My daughter is so in awe of her Uncle. The last time he was deployed he bought her a digi camo jacket/pants/hat outfit with bars and pins, too. She wears that outfit all the time, in the heat of the summer and the cold of the winter. She will wear that until they're capris. Oh how she loves her uncle. He is a police officer and let her run the lights and listen to the radio the last visit.

So he will be headed overseas the last of July, but in the meantime is on base away from the fam for training. He gets to attend his son's graduation but only for a day or two then back to the base. Although he will be missed tremendously we all know that he feels that this is what he was made to be. He is one of the most wonderful fathers, loving husbands and awesome men that God blessed this earth with. We will miss you T! You and your unit are in our hearts, thoughts and prayers!

Pray for the troops no matter what you feel about this war, pray for those who are away from their familes. Pray for those left behind to wait and wonder and worry. Pray. Pray. Then pray again.

My Garden

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