Can't Wait To Read...

So...I don't have a huge affinity for housework.  I have figured out that I would probably be (psychologically) better off to hire a sitter outside my home for about 2 hours a week while I do the dirty work.  Cleaning is much more fulfilling and enjoyable when you know you will get the whole thing done and actually have a couple of minutes to bask in the accomplishment before the messes begin again.  :) Maybe the pages of this read will inspire me with a new method or mindset.  Either way, I'm always open for insight in this department!
***And you can obtain your own copy of the book by clicking this link:
 http://31daystoclean.com/?page_id=90

Knowing the Name...

It was probably three years ago that Julia Stetler came to our church with a Hobe Sound PR group. Common occurrence, right? After all, Julia has been traveling with HSBC for about 15 years now. :) But there was something a little extraordinary about her, at least in the eyes of 4-year-old Kaitlynn. Julia had a winning smile, beautiful red hair, and voice that was to die for. And she wore heels. How cool is that! Julia paid special attention to Kaitlynn, and that is something Kait would never forget. Anytime a group would come, the first question would be, "Is Julia with them?" At camp we would have to race over to hear Julia. And last year at IHC, when Julia sang a solo, well, you would have thought it was a famous, award-winning artist behind that mic. Julia did just as well as any famous, award-winning artist, I might add. We don't encourage our kids to idolize people, and I was laughing to someone about how ironic it was that Kaitlynn had such an affinity for Julia. That friend said, "Hey, better her than Hannah Montana." Wow, she was right. Thank God for positive role models!

This year, we decided that Julia would stay at our house when the choir came to town. For a couple of weeks, it was all about Julia, Julia, Julia.
One day, Allison came to me and said, "I LUUUUUUV Julia!" I laughed and said, "Silly girl, you don't even KNOW Julia!" With a sparkle in her eye and conviction in her voice, Allison replied, "Yeah, but I KNOW HER NAME!"
It was a cute moment, but I was instantly overwhelmed by a greater message that emerged in my soul. One about the power of influence. Allison adores Kaitlynn. If Kaitlynn thinks Julia is really all that, then that's enough for Allison. She only needs to know the name.

The spiritual application for that little scenario is pretty clear. How often do I mention the Name of Jesus? Do I praise His attributes aloud with my lips? Do those around me respect the Name, simply because I speak it? Can a troubled friend speak His Name, whether or not they have a relationship with Him, but because I know Him and I have represented Him well?

Something to think about as we head into a rainy weekend in April. Hope yours is blessed!

As a special treat at the completion of our phonics program,
I took my kindergarten class to a McDonald's with a huge
indoor play center.  They had so much fun, and I am officially
dubbed "The Coolest Teacher Ever"!  Had I known that is all
it would take, we would have gone to McD's on August 25th! 

Sweet faces...oh, the potential!

Fantastic Ice Cream Dessert

"In the Kitchen" I have posted one of our very favorite dessert recipes. If you have a variation that I might be interested in trying, drop a comment! Oh, and I love chocolate, so that's always an option...

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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