Snow Daze...

{credit}

I love snow days.  Not because I hate my job, but because I love the opportunity to catch up on household stuff and pretend to be normal!  Last night we had the "perfect storm."  It was perfect because it came on the heels of a overwhelmingly busy but very blessed week of special services at church.  God is so good, and He provided our family with health and the ability to be in a place where we could be a sponge for practical, soul-searching truths that will benefit us for months and years to come. 

Back in February, Greg was scheduled to take a business trip.  The company he was supposed to visit didn't end up being ready to implement the program he was helping to represent, so the trip was put on hold.  When it was rescheduled, it was right smack in the middle of our revival week.  He would miss Wednesday through Friday.  I was sick about it, but we knew that it was something that was out of our hands. We both began to pray that God would work His will, but I'll have to be honest and say that my faith was pretty weak.  The plane tickets had been purchased, and hotel reservations made. 
In spite of my waning faith, God showed me something pretty special. He again let me know that He always has our best interest at heart, and He knows exactly what we need.  About ten days before the trip was supposed to happen, Greg was notified that it had been put on hold again.  That was only the first of several "miracles" that I specifically witnessed last week, and I'm smiling as I think about how the presence of God was so near and strong, especially in our Sunday morning service.  It was everything we had prayed for, yet so much more than we even realized was possible!   The lyrics to Gaither's We Are So Blessed come to mind, "When we're empty You fill us till we overflow..."    And that's exactly what happened.  Back to the snow day...

God gave us good weather right up until the end of our week of services, then He dumped about 8 inches of snow in our driveway and tucked us in for an extra day.  Although I'm as ready for spring as anyone, the beauty of a snow storm still has me somewhat enamored, and throughout the night and most of today I've been able to catch glimpses of it while cleaning, organizing, and surfing the web. 

{credit}

If today is the last snow day of the year (who knows...we are in Ohio!), I'll be able to say that I did it justice.  Now it's time to blow out the candles, turn off the coffee pot, and secure a night of rest. 

Today I'm thankful for:

• A warm, comfortable home
• Pumpkin/vanilla candles from Swan Creek Candle Co.
• A God who loves us more than we can even comprehend
• Grace that is greater than sin
• A husband who is sensitive to God's will in his life and career
• Children who are growing, learning, achieving, and recognizing the voice of God
• Snowflakes that multiply times a trillion and give us snow days  :-) 

Worth the time...

As I was perusing Family Christian Stores a couple of weeks ago, the current issue of life:beautiful captured my attention. I picked it up, and noticed that a topic I had been studying was mentioned in one of the articles. Since I was having trouble finding practical information on the particular subject, I decided to part with $5 and buy the magazine. A couple of years ago I picked one up - mostly intrigued by the appeal of the cover - but wasn't so eager to put down the money, so I left the store without it. :-)

lifebeautifulmagazine.com

This week I was finally able to really spend some time with this beautiful piece of art. In addition to the variety of faith-building articles, decorating tips, tasty recipes, DIY ideas (with free online templates), and large photo spreads, it is like a vacation for the eyes. The spectrum of colors presented in the tastefully designed pages really take the reader away for awhile. I'm guessing it is maybe 10x13 in size, and is flat out easy to read. Best of all, in this 97 page issue, there is not one advertisement!

I don't subscribe to many magazines. In fact, I'll get Women's Day if it's free or nearly free (ever notice they put a monthly Scripture verse on page 2?), and maybe a hunting mag for the guys if there isn't much cost involved. Magazines are mostly filled with vanity, Hollywood gossip (trash), or ads these days, so it's really nice to find one that values the reader and offers a pleasing presentation that grabs ones senses.

life:beautiful is published quarterly and is $4.95 per issue or $18.95 per year. Let me know if you have enjoyed this magazine or would like to borrow my copy! :-)

Yawn...

It's quiet. Everyone else is in bed.

My mind is running a thousand miles an hour.

I have so much to do, yet...

I seriously just spent 2 hours reading blogs and pinterest.

Now that's what I call time management. Or whatever.

Anyone wanna cast the first stone?  {lol}

I'm gonna head on to bed with a headache (too much screen time) and heartburn (who knew a late dinner of leftover lasagna could feel this yuck).  My husband can't wait until school starts and his night owl once again goes to bed at a semi-decent time.  Until then, there will likely be midnight posts, and yeah, probably a little heartburn.  :-)

In other news, tomorrow brings the blast off of our VBS -

and it's making me both excited and exhausted just to think about all the work between now and then!  Fortunately, we have about the coolest team anyone could ask for, and they are all working their tushies off to make this the best VBS ever.  Anytime I participate in a group project like this, I have a new appreciation for the variety of gifts represented in the church.  I don't just mean my church, but any church that is comprised of people who are willing to sacrifice a little (or a lot) to make something worthwhile happen.  And amazing things can happen when different people with different ideas, different gifts, and even different opinions unify toward a cause. 

I know VBS isn't up everyone's alley of interest, but I will try to post a few pics as the week progresses to show our set and our stations.  This is our 3rd year to use the Answers in Genesis VBS curriculum, and since I didn't find this wonderful stuff until 2010, this year we are catching up and using the 2009 kit (the first one AIG put out).  If you are interested in hearing my perspective on the AIG curriculum, you can shoot me an email, and I'll be happy to help you as much as I can.

Now that it's offically morning, I'm off to find the Tums and my pillow.

Mahvalous Monday to ya!