Currently Reading (sort of)...

How come it takes 31 days to get it clean and like 3.5 seconds to reduce it to chaos?
(this book seems really good, but I found out you actually have to be home for 31 days to
make it work...may try again sometime)

Read a few chapters...more anxious than ever...probably need to start over.

Swenson really has his finger on the pulse of the typical American...
but I was so busy (hmmm) when I read it that I hardly remember what it said.
Need to start over.

This book was a gift from one of my kindergarten students who graduated from
the Learning to Read program in May.  It is a wake up call for those of us who claim to be
Christian yet find ourselves so wrapped up in the comforts of home, family, and the American
dream that we fail to live out our faith in practical, New Testament terms.
It's the only book I read cover to cover...and I find myself convicted. 

I'm pretty sure the "Currently Reading" list to your right has been unedited since the beginning of  summer.  That's pretty lame, considering the summer of 2011 was going to be the summer of books for me.  Now that I no longer spend my days changing diapers, nursing hungry mouths, scrubbing out spit-up stains, and potty training (wow..it's been over a year already???), I'm supposed to have time to kill...or so I thought.
 Instead, we filled our summer with other things, and the only substantial reading I completed was in my Bible.  I'm good with that, considering God's Word is the most important Book, but I sometimes I crave words of wisdom and encouragement from someone who is living the same crazy, hectic, hormonal life I'm living.  Someone who can help me organize my closet, understand my pre-teen, and be the amazing wife my husband deserves. 
So, I'm heading into fall with some pretty decent intentions.  Our Women of Worth group is doing Elizabeth George's A Woman After God's Own Heart Bible study, and I'm thrilled to go through that one again.  What a great book.  My online study group is tackling I John (I'm having a hard time keeping up, but I'm not giving up!), and I think I will add Cheri Fuller's Raising Motivated Kids to my fall lineup. 
Is there a favorite read you've picked up lately?  I'd love to hear about it!

Easiest Meatloaf Ever!

I may have posted this recipe earlier (not sure), and I love it!  I'm a decent cook, but I'm not crazy about using a bazillion ingredients, not to mention having a bazillion dishes to clean up afterward.  Plus, considering the limited amount of time that we are home, I need recipes that are quick and easy.  There are so many ways to make a good meatloaf, but this one eliminates lots of hassle without compromising taste.  My kids would agree.  :-)

Perspective of a 7-year-old...

"Mom, I think you should retire, stay home, get some stuff done, and make some money!" 

Sounds good. I'll take it under advisement.

Becoming A Princess...

One of my favorite questions to ask a little person is, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" The answers are fairly predictable...likely I will hear the words fireman, teacher, or mommy in the response. But every now and then, a little angel will say (with blushing cheeks, batting eyes, and a slight curtsy), "I'm going to be a princess when I grow up!" I always indulge them a bit, saying something like, "Wow! I bet you'll make a great princess!" If I have time for some interesting conversation, I may even ask, "Can you tell me what a princess does?" Inevitably the response includes, "She marries a handsome prince and wears beautiful dresses and tiaras!" Now that provides some perspective!

The wedding of Kate Middleton to Prince William in the early spring was the first glimpse of "real" princess life for my daughters, and the excitement in their eyes was contagious...it dramatically increased my own interest in the big event.  What girl wouldn't love a real life fairy tale? 

According to dictionary.com (which happens to be a favorite app of mine), a princess is defined as "a non-reigning female member of a royal family."  Royal family?  I Peter 2:9 says something about royalty, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."  What an amazing thought to realize that I am God's princess!  Not because I feel pretty, or have a wardrobe that would dazzle a commoner, but because He has chosen me, and I have accepted!  I didn't have to enter a contest, lose a hundred pounds, cover up my freckles, master an instrument, or be the perfect housewife.  I am simply because of Who He is! And I so needed that today!

I'm reminded, though, that being a princess isn't all about the glamour of the position.  It's about being an example.  It's about really being a part of the royal family...protecting it and advancing its cause. It's about being unable to exhibit more outward beauty than what I possess inwardly .   It's about spending a large part of my day doing the King's business...because, in fact, it's all about Him.  It's also about choosing each moment of each day to remember that I am different, that I am held to a higher standard.  People will be examining my life.  Period.  Would Kate say that her favorite part of being a princess is that she is watched all.the.time by people who adore her as well as people who can't wait to see her fail? Probably not, but she would also tell you that it comes with the turf.  And that if she keeps proper perspective and clear communication within the royal family, she can, with confidence, overcome all of it. 
My girls think it would be cool to be a princess.  I can't blame them...it's a girl's dream.  But to think that I get to train them to be princesses in God's royal family is just more than I can imagine!  What a responsibility, and what an honor. 
I've been scouring our local library and mediamobile for God-honoring materials to use as classroom supplements.  I came across a book that we will hopefully acquire for our own library.  Emilie Barnes is a fantastic author, and this book for little girls is a perfect fit.  I would recommend it for your own little princess!

Be blessed as you walk in royalty today!

Just Chillin'...

in this lovely fall weather!  The boys and Greg are at the church working on an extended project, and the girls and I are taking advantage of the peace and quiet.  Thank God for Fridays, candles, pjs, warm blankets, satellite radio, and (at least for this week) National Quartet Convention!  Although not an event I would particularly enjoy attending, picking up bits and pieces in my living room has been kind of nice.  It's also nice to be able to simply switch channels at will...some of the SG is just a little too S for me.  :-)
The library mediamobile was at school the other day, and another patron was chatting with the driver while I was browsing for a few books for my kindergarten classroom.  "I hate fall and everything about it," the patron said in dramatic fashion.  "Me too, " the driver piped in, "I love snow, but if it's gonna snow it better shut everything down!"
 I didn't feel like my opinion would be very welcome because fall is, without a doubt, my favorite time of year.  I know everything is dying, there is a bite in the air, and the days seem short, but nothing spells comfort like a pot of simmering soup, the scent of burning leaves, the beauty of mums and pumpkins, and the warmth of a cozy sweatshirt.
Fall beckons each of the senses and entices them to indulge extravagantly.   Go ahead...savor the season, and have a wonderfully relaxing weekend!

"A Day At The Sea...

...is worth a month in the city."

Miracles Are Happening...

I guess I'll take this moment to be a little transparent and share that this last week has been kind of difficult.  Nothing earthshattering has occured, but my emotions have been in the tank.  Every woman has a right to that now and then, I suppose.  But I'm not used to it, I don't like it, and I wish it would go away!  A lot of devastating things have happened recently, and because of social networking and other media, "burden-bearing" can become overwhelming.
This morning I read a story that brought me an extra dose of encouragement, and I wanted to share it.

photo from picture window

Dale was enjoying a swim in the ocean with his church youth group when he was taken by a rip tide.  He was gone for twenty minutes, but a miracle happened.  You can read the story by clicking this link- picture window.  The photos are amazing. 
Dale's friends have also set up a blog to report recent happenings - Prayers for Dale.  Although it's difficult to understand why God answers prayer in different ways - some through healing, some through suffering, some through death - He knows what is best. 
While I'm on topic, I would ask my friends to put Anna Lewis on their prayer list.  She the young wife of one of my childhood friends here in Lima.  She and Justin have a little boy, and Anna was getting close to delivering her little girl when she had a biking accident that forever changed her life.  This occurred approximately three weeks ago.  Most of you are thinking the same thing I thought, "Biking at 9 mos pregnant???"  They are avid bikers, and she had continued to do this throughout the pregnancy with no problems.  This particular day, she was following Justin, and he when he swerved to avoid a curb, she hit his back tire.  She immediately cradled her stomach with her arms, and the back of her skull hit the concrete twice.  The baby was taken by c-section, and Anna was kept in an induced coma, with brain trauma and without much hope.
Just two days ago, we received word that as she slowly was brought out of sedation, miracles began to occur.  She is responding (as much as possible with tubes, etc.), and Justin was able to tell her that she had been out for two weeks, had a baby girl, and had brain surgery.  He showed her a picture their little boy and the baby girl, and she was captivated.  He couldn't take it anymore, and brought the baby in for her to see.  She raised her head and kissed her little angel. 
The extent of permanent damage isn't yet known, but God is helping Anna, and she is going to have a story to tell, that's for sure!  Please keep her in your prayers.