Deals of the Week!

I'm having a difficult time accepting the fact that I am quickly becoming the shortest person in the family.  I was doing some work at Apollo the other day, and had Ryan and Evan in the lab with me.  As we were getting ready to walk out the door, the scale caught my eye, and we stepped back into the lab to do a weight/height check on the boys.  Amazing.  Ryan, who thought he was 129 lbs., checked out at 5 feet 5-1/2 inches in height, and 149 lbs. in weight!  He just turned 11 in November.  We decided that, since he was topping out the boys 8-18 sizes  in most department stores, we should take him to the men's department and see where we were as far as pants sizes.  While Greg had him in the dressing room, I was able to browse around the J.C. Penney clearance racks.  This is what I brought home (there was plenty left on the rack after I was done):

These are all St.John's Bay shirts, and were priced from $30-$45. We snagged some flannels, 3-button long-sleeved polos, and button down wrinkle-free casual shirts, and for 11 shirts, after coupons, we paid $10!  The verdict on pants:  32x30.  Wow.

2nd deal:

I made a quick trip into the drugstore last night to pick up some photos. Within just few minutes, I had a nice deal put together! I know, some of you do this all the time, but for lil' ole me, this was a steal! :)

3-American Greetings cards, 3-tubes of Aveeno Moisturizing Lotion, and 10-4x6 prints: after tax, $4.76. Received $5 back in store cash! I like it!

Renewed...

I am living proof that it is possible to be both exhausted and renewed.  Seems like quite the contradiction of terms, doesn't it?  I won't bore you with the details, but this week was supposed to be the calm (fewer commitments outside of work) after the storm (student convention/revival).
Well, life happens, and you might guess that things didn't turn out as planned! Consequently, I felt as though I was living in the spin cycle...simply being wrung out.
But it was in one of the few quiet moments that I realized that even though my mind and body were at the end of themselves, my spirit was rejuvenated with truth and peace.  Completely renewed. 
II Corinthians 4:16b says,  "Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day." Paul knew something of the aging process of the body.  He understood that time does a number on us, and we can't always expect to carry out the daily demands with the same level of energy that we had in youth.  He knew that we die a little bit each day, but he also knew that, even though our bodies are decaying, our spirits are preparing for an eternity. 
What then should be our focus?  It's important to take care of our bodies with proper rest, nutrition, exercise, and activity, but ultimately our bodies are not going to survive.  Soul maintenance should be our first priority.  It is the part of us that will live forever. 
If you're feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, frustrated with your human limitations, remember you are planning toward a better day.  Keep your spirit energized.  Keep your mind focused.  And keep your eye on the prize!

7 precious little pieces of my life!

"Matters of the Heart"

What a fitting theme for the 2010-2011 ACE conventions! Proverbs 4:23 issues a wise command, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." I honestly don't think that most of us fully comprehend the importance of the 'keeping of the heart', but I'm working on it, and I'm asking God to empower me to impart what He teaches me to those for whom I am responsible.
Sunday morning's message, taken from the 1st epistle (key word...lol) of Peter, instructed me to 1. Be who I am, 2. Be who God wants me to be, and 3. Be who I will wish I had been when I stand before God. Those three individual points will give me something to chew on for at least a week. Sunday evening's message challenged me to be holy, even as He is holy, noting what holiness is and what holiness isn't (some practical clarity to a doctrine that isn't nearly as confusing as some have tried to make it).
As I tried to allow my mind to rest Sunday night (something that has been rather difficult to do as of late), I reflected on the blessing of sound Bible teaching. Having it so readily available, in an even greater quantity than my mind can sometimes assimilate, is really a gift that I don't want to take for granted.
After a full week with this lively crew...

And my all-time favorite person...

We are now full swing into plans for Kaitlynn's 7th birthday, and then a full week of revival with Dan and Michelle Durkee! Looking forward to it immensely, and hoping no one gets sick. *I'm becoming a firm believer in cod liver oil. Aside from Allison's couple of feverish days - attributed to cutting molars - we have been healthy for almost three months! Woo hoo!

And the fun begins....

"Oh, we need him back to play checkers at 4 p.m. Yes, we know he is in archery, at the other end of campus, at that time, but we also need him here." Ahhh, the student convention rat race is well underway! And things were going rather smoothly until I realized that leaving the van lights on was not a positive move. Really...who would make a vehicle without an automatic shut off???? So...as I'm sitting here, waiting on my rescue team (Dad or Greg- both of which are up to their eyeballs in track and field and archery events), I'm trying to stay positive. Thank God for safe travels, beautiful weather, a good group of students, and a renewed sense of commitment to the work that God has given us to do. And next time, I won't forget to turn off the lights. :)

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Finally...A Price Break!

I was all excited to see that our Aldi stores have milk for $1.79 gal and lg eggs for .79 doz. When I stopped today (for 5 gal milk and 4 doz eggs) the cashier told me this price is in effect for 3 months! Now I have some cheap milk to go with all that chocolate!

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Where, oh where, have I left my brain?

It's one of those weeks. You know, the times when you are scared to death to say anything because you're quite sure it's not gonna come out right.  It may even come out really, really wrong.  The times when spell check saves you more than ever, and when it doesn't you look like an idiot.  The times you can't connect a thought if it contains more than two sentences.  The times your brain won't work, but then won't quit working so that you can get some sleep (which might help your brain to work).  Yeah, I'm going in circles here, but you get the point.  I'm there.  All the way.
Insomnia, indigestion, incompetence, incontinence (wait, no...not quite there yet) - this is the new me.  Ugh. 
And the next four days threaten to push me to the brink of insanity.  So, if you think about it, say an extra prayer for me this week.  It really is important that I squelch my ADD (and the urge to curl up in a fetal position and eat chocolate) long enough to focus on some very important tasks. 
And speaking of chocolate, is anyone else freaking out about the predicted chocolate shortage?  Yeah, I know it's 20 years out, but I will be like 55 by then and Lord knows, 55-year-old women need chocolate!  Anyway, it seems that the cocoa farmers on the Ivory Coast have decided they need more money for their beans, and some are calling it quits until prices rise. 

Another influencing factor is that more people are developing an affinity for dark chocolate, possibly because it is a healthier option. Dark chocolate requires more cocoa, causing a spike in demand.
Anyway, this situation requires a plan. I'm open for suggestions, but at this point I think I'll slow down on stockpiles of body wash, deodorant, and toilet paper, and instead opt for Butterfinger, Dove Dark, and Hershey Nuggets w/almonds. What's more important anyway? I suppose we could survive without t.p. Hmmmm...
And if you think a bunch of Wisconsin school teachers look like morons with bedhead, bare feet, bad breath, yelling union slogans and accepting bogus doctor's notes, just wait and see what a bunch of deprived chocoholics might do. Hopefully we'll have more class (wouldn't be too hard), but desperate times require desperate measures.

In the meantime, have a great weekend. And yes, have some chocolate...while you can still afford it!