I'm tryin', Lord

Well, it's been a popsicle night.

For those of you that know me outside of this blog, you know what I mean. It either means supper was so horrible that my kids have resorted to about 15 popsicles afterward or that I was so "out of myself" that I was too disabled to fix supper and they had to resort to popsicles for nourishment. It's happened. I'll leave you to decide which actually happened.

Anyway, going back to work has been harder than I had imagined both emotionally and logistically. Rob has only been a real part of our family for about 35 hours in the last 7 days. This puts a real emotional and physical stress on me. We've also been trying to remodel the kids' bedrooms and are currently in the midst of chaos. I'm trying not to become discouraged about the coming school year with Rob and Tate going back to school. When Rob goes back, his time with us will be even more limited. Please pray for my strength. It may seem whiny and frivolous, but it is important. I need it. I commented on Amanda's blog about how I so admire single parents. I just don't have it in me.

Please also pray for Rob's safety. He is on the road a lot and many times, without much sleep. Sometimes I wonder why we thought this was such a good idea, but we have to remember that it is only a season and it will soon be over and we will forget what trouble it was.

Anyway (again), tomorrow Amanda, Kristi and I are headed to Searcy for a girl's overnighter to attend a Beth Moore simulcast. I need it BAD. There was actually a simulcast location in Jonesboro, but we thought a good excuse to spend the night was in order. And boy, did we know what we were doing when we thought of that!

Shalom out!

Friday Favorite

I've had an ipod for a few years now. Rob actually had one of the first, the mini. I recently upgraded to the Classic and I have loved it. Lucky me, I ran across this little dodad at Walmart on the clearance isle a few weeks ago. I can now enjoy my music in the bathroom while I dry my hair (might as well have cut my drying time in half as much as it keeps me entertained!) or at the pool. It doesn't get really loud without distorting the music a tad, but we are able to hear it fairly well if it is sitting near our chairs outside at the pool. The quality is great inside. I have loved it and it has already been well worth the $50. It also came with a little travel tote and the front piece where your ipod sits closes forward to fold the unit flat.

I've always felt like I couldn't use my ipod as much as I wanted to. I mean, it's a little hard to stick something in your ears and make the world go away when you have two children to tend to. But not anymore! So, go....... scrounge the clearance isle and free your ipod from the shackles to your ears and share the love :) So are you tired of my advertising yet? Too bad.

I do too, Avery.......

...btw, this video brought to you by the new Flip video. The thing is really neat. Thanks, Mandy.

The Beauty of Blogging

I fear sounding like a crazy person, but I must tell you. Blogging has changed my life. I mean, do you realize what blogs have done? I have been connected in the past year with people who I have never met in person but have given me some pretty amazing inspiration in so many areas of my life.

Have you realized that there is a blog for about every topic under the sun? Sadly, mine is just an eclectic mess, but it's who I am, what can I say? But I digress......

My first blog connections were mostly related to religious and spiritual journeys. These have inspired me in amazing ways and I still find them to be some of my favorites. I have even learned that some of my friends should really consider writing professionally. There are some gifted writers in this world and I have discovered that God is sure using the blogosphere for his glory!

I have also been able to keep up with family in friends in a deep and personal way. Where else but blogland can you find out what your cousin in Tennessee did this weekend, how her family felt about it, and see pictures at the same time. And all in the comfort of your own home without having to talk on the phone while your children try to rip off your clothing, try to change their own dirty diaper, and squirt toothpaste all over your bathroom floor. (Yes, this is what happens when I talk on the phone...)

My favorite new found blogs even have FASHION and DECORATING tips! How fabulous is that? I even found out tonight that you can hem a pair of jeans and actually keep the original hem intact! Can you believe that? Why hasn't this shorty heard of that before?


My favorite recent outcome of blogs has been our girls Bible study group that was formed through the inspiration of the LPM bloggers (or siestas). I don't know that the four of us would have ever hooked up for Bible study without it and we are able to share and learn so much about each other through blogging.

Speaking of Bible study, I haven't posted a complete summary, but, in a nutshell, we learned a lot, we ate a lot, we talked a lot, and we cried a little. It was an emotional night.

The thing that struck me most, was in Genesis 30 concerning the story of Rachel and Leah. This is what Kelly says in the book:

For Rachel, the idol of having children was so strong that it functioned as her life. Without them, she didn't want to live, so she had to do whatever it took to get children. They had become the "ultimate" thing, and people will do far crazier things when something threatens their ultimate thing......

.......We no longer need to be controlled by our cravings and lusts. We are no longer bound to jealousy and revenge and bitterness when something is taken from us, when we are mistreated, or when we experience loss. Why? Because Jesus Christ shows the incomparable riches of his grace to us along with His kindness. He becomes our ultimate thing, and the far lesser things that are threatened or compromised are nothing to be compared to who He is and what He can do for us.

It is rather contradictory to me to think that Rachel's desire for children was an idol. Children are wonderful, right? They are beautiful asset to our lives that God desires for us, right? But even though what she wanted was "good" it had overtaken her. Overtaken her to the point that she was desperate. How many times have we let our desires overcome our lives and the hope we have in Him? And, how many times have we led ourselves to believe that God would want us to become so wrapped up in it because it is surely something He wants for us. New jobs, children as in Rachel's case, a "better" church to worship, money...........

The beautiful thing about it is, however, that we can draw closer to Him when we realize that we may not get what we want. In our despair, we know that He is there and will comfort us. He knows we won't always understand and I believe he will ease our burden when we are disappointed.

So I must finish this now. I've been inspired to great things. If I could only just spend less time on the computer reading blogs.

Like I said "eclectic mess". Sorry......

Friday Favorite

Every Friday I am going to try to start posting a "favorite thing". I thought this might be a way for us girls to share those things we can't live without. I love sharing things I love. Although enjoying something myself is rather gratifying, I love to recommend things to my girls and hear that they love them, too!

Well, Angie over at Bring the Rain let me in on this little secret a few months back and I had to pick it up. Obviously, her post is not specifically about the cleaner but I thought, hey, if a cleaner can make you want to clean in that situation, then it must be sent from God, right? Well, boy was she right. I find myself wanting to clean my countertops at least 10 times a day just to release that intoxicating smell into my kitchen. I can't tell you that it is the most fabulous cleaner I have ever used, but it sure is the best smelling.

So run, don't walk, to Target and pick up some Method cleaner in the cucumber scent. Your home and your family will thank you.

PS.... we had another wonderful Bible Study experience this evening..... I'll post more later!

Guilty Pleasures
***update--I just had to tell you that tonight I had to transfer some "fundage" from savings to "tide me over" until payday on Friday. I told Rob so that he would hold me accountable for the payback. After hearing my story about the talking earrings, he asked if I thought that I was tempted by the earrings. I said, "Oh no, these earrings have crosses on them. I know Jesus wouldn't let that happen." Or would he? (I also told him about the amazing will power I was granted to pass up that purse--- Satan get thee behind me!)

I just had to share my super gluttonous purchase from my shopping excursion this evening. I mean, these darned earrings just screamed my name and would not stop calling me until I payed way too much for them and put them into my ears. Oh, they are super fabulous and they will go with oh so much. I think I just used the word "oh" two times in one sentence but it's the only way to justly describe the feeling of buying something you really love. Is that horrible? I did have to resist the perfect deal on a Kathy Zeeland purse at the Maxx due to my inability to ignore the call of the "two-toned-go-with-everything-they-even-have-some-bling" earrings. I'm sure it won't still be there next week. Oh, what a sacrafice....... I can't believe I just blogged about a pair of earrings. I love being a girl.

Heartbreaker



You've been to Build A Bear, right? You know how they stuff your bear and then put in a special heart and then sew him up? Well, Avery is annoyed that she can't get that heart out so this is the second bear that she has ripped open and torn the heart right out. Rob says, "Just like a woman........"

Doodle Monster

This is what happens when you hear, "Hey, Mom, I found my marker to my Doodle Monster...." and you don't get up and immediately take it away before a 2 year old gets a hold of it. She called it her "costume" and said "yook, I paint on my yip".***sigh***

Blackberry Season

Rob gets a little addicted to picking and seeing how many he can gather.


Avery ate more than she picked


MMMMmmmm. I've decided they are my favorite fruit.


I felt "domestic" and made some jam/preserves

Summer Bible Study Session Two - Pizza and Peace

I learned so much from this section's lesson about Sarah in Genesis. I hadn't thought about how much control Sarah tried to take over her situation and what complications arose from her trying to meet her own needs. This passage from Kelly's book spoke to me:

In Genesis 21 we see the fulfillment of God's plan, and this was going to happen with or without Hagar; with or without Ishmael; with or without Sarah's manipulation; with or without Abram's passiveness. But how nice if the story had simply been Isaac, without all the baggage.

How we complicate the process. I can't tell you how moved I was by this revelation last night, even on my crampled flight. God had this beautiful plan for Sarah in spite of how bleak things looked. Defitinely she was in a bind. She had genuine cause for concern. But that's always going to be the place where our faith is tested. If it all looks easy and doable, it doesnt require faith.

Certainly Sarah had waited a long time for a "life". But God had fully intended to give that to her. Not through Hagar. Not through Abraham. Not through Sarah's scheming. But through Himself. And of course we know He fulfilled this promise in Isaac. This gives me great encouragement to wait for God and keep my feisty little mitts off the process. It doesn't mean I sit around. There's plenty to do. It just means don't force the outcome.

How many time have I idolized the kind of control that Sarah so desired? I think control is especially hard for women. I mean, weren't we born to "fix boo boos"? It's hard to let God have control. But what I realized, is how actually "peaceful" it can be to give it to Him. Let him have it........ and wait........

This is the post I left on the LPM blog for our session update:

"Our group met last night in Pocahontas, AR (we are swapping between two small towns of Walnut Ridge and Pocahontas--about 15 miles apart). Three of the four of us were able to attend and enjoy the pizza, cheese bread, Greek cous cous salad, and cheesecake.....mmmmmmmm.

We identified our idols as success, control, worry, and happiness.

We were terrible at the acrostic and decided to take it on as homework.

We talked about our "laughable" moments of joy or turnaround delivered to us by God. One of the girls' husband has overcome some significant religious and family issues to bring their family to a deeper faith. One of us recalled a time that I just had to share with you.

About 4 years ago, the three of us bonded over your LPL meeting in Little Rock, AR. This was the event where "In Christ Alone" was the "theme" song. That song greatly impacted all of us and became a favorite. Little did I know, in just two months I would be facing the most difficult time in my life--the stillbirth of my daughter at 8 months pregnant. I don't know what I would have done without these ladies and my renewed faith in God. I played "In Christ Alone" at her funeral.

Almost 2 years to the day, we decided to attend another ladies conference together...... unfortunately I can't remember the name, but it was Priscilla Shirer, Angela Thomas, and Kelly Minter leading worship. We had another faith deepening experience and commented, after Priscilla's much needed lesson on discerning the voice of God, that we felt like things had come full circle-- like God was telling me in particular that it was time to heal that hurt. We also commented that it would be even more of a "moment" if we sang "In Christ Alone". Well, low and behold, guess what the next song was........ it was unbelieveable and all we could do was laugh and cry......

We are lovin' this study!

Stephanie"