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Jun. 4, 2008
My Homebirths
Posted in Lessons I Have Learned
Jimmy Carter was the first president to be born in a hospital, all those before him had been born at home. My son
I was talking to a new mom the other day at the McDonald's Playland and the topic of homebirth came up. While we were talking I started thinking how weird it is that I have never blogged about my homebirth experiences. Having my babies at home are some of my most treasured memories, so I guess it is time to share my experiences with others.
First off, I want to point out that having a baby at home is NOT as weird as you might be thinking! Hospital birth is a relatively new thing! For example I was a first generation hospital birth on my Mom’s side of the family and a second generation hospital birth on my dad’s side of the family. (Meaning my mom was born at home and my dad was the first generation not to be born at home. However, I am pretty sure most of my Dad's older siblings were born at home.) Women were birthing babies long before hospitals were invented!
My first child was born in the hospital. It was 1994 and honestly I had never heard of homebirth. I never considered any method of having a baby other than going to the hospital. However, from the moment I conceived I dreaded that I was going to have to go to the hospital for the birth. I am not a big fan of hospitals or western medicine. I associate hospitals with sickness and I in NO WAY think of giving birth as a sickness! To me birth is a wonderful, beautiful things designed by God. It is completely natural and a what my body is designed to know exactly how to do it. So I lived in dread of the hospital. When the time came to actually go to the hospital it was even worse than I expected! Instead of being empowered to do what my body was designed for, I was powerless! I was seen as “the patient” and I was “dealt with”. Procedures were "done on me" and I was not ever part of the decision making process. I am a very independent person and this was SO miserable for me! I went into the whole thing thinking that I could and would have natural childbirth. I quickly learned that my husband and I were the only ones there interested in my having this child naturally. My husband and I were intimidated and bullied until I submitted to a epidural. Everything was out of my control and I was frightened and tramatized. I had purposely picked a small practice with a low C-section rate. But, little did I know that my doctor, nor his partner, nor the backup doctor would make it a priority to get to the hospital. (Yep, my baby was delivered by a complete stranger! And it wasn't because I it wasa fast delivery. I actually ended up in the hospital 5 days before the baby came and never once saw my doctor or the same doctor twice.) Once my child was born he was quickly whisked away from me. I was not allowed to see or hold him for 24 hours! He had a reaction to the medications that were forced upon me in the hospital and was having breathing difficulties. (What a horrible experience that was for me! If it had not been for the compassionate Christan lady I shared a room with I cannot imagine how I would have made it through that first night!) Before we ever left the hospital I vowed to myself that if by some miracle we ever had another child I would NEVER come back to the hospital. I would never allow myself to be disrespected the way I was during my first child’s birth. I had no idea what other options I had, but I knew the next time had to be different. Even to this day, almost 14 years later it is still painful for me to write about that time. A time that should have been completely filled with joy is one of my most painful memories.
After my first child was born we moved from Los Angeles to Northern California. Not long after we moved there was an article in the Sacramento newspaper about homebirth. I wept as I read it! I could not believe the difference between what I had been put through to what I was reading. The article talked about the beauty of the birthing process. It talked about the husband and wife sharing the experience with as little interference as possible. It focused on the power of the woman’s body and the joy of the experience! I was immediately hooked! As time passed I started meeting people who had their children at home. These were not wackos that didn’t know any better. These were intelligent women who trusted their bodies to do what it had been created to do. I listened to their stories and knew that if I was ever blessed to give birth again I wanted to do it in the privacy of my own home.
Praise God! In 2000 I found out that I was expecting again! Right from the start I was excited about the actual birth process. I contacted the Midwives that several of my friends had used and set up our first appointment. At this point my husband was not completely committed to the home birth idea. He agreed that our hospital birth had been a fiasco, but, the idea of homebirth was a little scary to him. After 10 minutes talking to the midwife we met with that day he was completely at ease. Honestly after talking with her we both believed that home was the safest place to have our baby! She was confident and experienced (She had been assisting women in birth for over 25 years!) She put us both completely at ease. This was not a wacko thing to do! And so began our journey into homebirth.
And what a journey it was!
With homebirth the whole process starts from the time we contacted the midwives. It was not just about checking my health to see if I could have the baby safely. It was about building a relationship with the wonderful women (There were 3 of them Tosi, Claudia and Rachel.) who would be there to assist in our birth. From the beginning they made it clear that they were there to assist. The birth was ours and they were not there to “deliver” the baby. They made it clear that as the mom, I was the only one with the power to deliver this baby into the world! They brought the children and I books to read. They loaned us videos to watch. We laughed at every appointment! They would come to my house for at least an hour each month. I had all 3 of their pager numbers! They fell in love with my baby as it grew inside me! They looked forward to the day the baby would be born just like we did! (And NO WAY would they miss it!)
The day that my daughter was born was filled with joy! I knew early on that I wanted a water birth. So a few days before my daughter came along a birthing tub was delivered to my house. I woke up the morning of my daughters due date with contractions. We called midwifes and let them know the day had arrived! From that point on it was all about our family being together. I sat in the Jacuzzi with the jets massaging my back. My 6 year old son sat in the empty birthing tub next to me reading the Hardy Boys! LOL (It didn't have water in it yet!) We laughed, we ate, we drank frozen lemonade, we listened to music, we walked outside! My husband put a loaf of bread in the bread maker so we would have something to feed the midwives once the baby was born. To this day when I smell fresh baked bread I fondly remember that day. My oldest son was there to support me. He was SO excited! He could not wait to finally be a big brother! ( We have some really funny video of him jumping on the bed while I was having a contraction. I have no memory of it and laughed my head off when I saw the video!) He patted my hand rubbed my back and encouraged me all the way. (Yes, he was a bit nervous too. He actually chose to be in the other room during the last few minutes I was pushing. We left the choice up to him. I wanted him to have as much choice in his part of the birth as I did.) The midwives were there the whole time, but they made themselves scarce. This was our time. They came in and out of the room checking the baby’s heartbeat and my blood pressure. They brought me food and drinks. They answered the phone so we would not be disturbed. They sat next to me holding my hand and rubbing my back as the time drew closer. They truly proved that the word Midwife, which means “with women”, is the appropriate name for their calling!
Waiting in the birthing tub!
At about 8:00 in the evening on February 25th, 2001 our daughter entered the world. There were no bright lights or loud sounding equipment to greet her, just a tub of warm water that both her parents were in. Her big brother was called in from the other room to announce whether he had a brother or a sister. (Everyone was put under strict orders not to “look” until he did so he would be the first to know and could make the announcement!) She was not whisked away from us! She was SO alert and responsive since she was free of all drugs! I was gently moved to the bed while her father held her. (And she tried to nurse from him! LOL That is a very funny memory I only knew about because one of the midwives grabbed the camera and got a picture! Is it any wonder this child nursed until she was 3 1/2? LOL)
Got Milk?
Our family spent hours together cuddled up in the bed. There was no rush to do anything. If any of the midwives had anything else on their minds that night we would have never known it. When we were ready she was weighed and checked out. A beautiful 9 pound 6 ounce baby girl! While we cuddled and nursed the midwives prepared use a meal. (Including that yummy loaf of bread which we all shared!) They carried the dinner into the room with a candle lit on the tray, singing happy birthday to our new born baby. Everything was exactly the way I wanted it to be. The midwives cleaned everything up, tucked us all into bed and left around midnight. The warm and wonderful feelings of that night follow me to this day.
Me and my girl!
In the following days we saw the midwives frequently. They came to check on the baby and me for 6 weeks. What love and care they gave us! They are truly our friends and we think of them as family. (They have a potluck 4 times a year and we wish we could make it to California for more of them! How fun it is to show off our growing children to them!)
Claudia and my son dressing his new sister.
In 2003 we were again blessed beyond belief to find that we were expecting our third child! This time we had no reservations. We knew we would have a homebirth! I remember calling Tosi a few hours after I knew I was expecting and we celebrated together over the phone! I also have a precious memory of going to my sonogram appointment with Claudia. (Yes, you can have all the test you want and still have a homebirth!) I also have such sweet memories of time spent with Rachel. She is such a sweet, calm, supportive person. She taught me to have great confidence in myself to give birth!
My 3rd child’s birth was a lot more stressful due to circumstances in our lives. About halfway through the pregnancy we learned we would be moving out to Las Vegas in few weeks after his birth. I was stressed beyond belief! However, the birth was as beautiful as his sisters had been. This time we had 2 kids to share it with. I had prayed that it would happen during the night while my 2 year old slept. And true to form God answered that prayer! My water broke while I was nursing my daughter to sleep that night. She was moved to her bed and I labored through the night. It was a MUCH harder labor and delivery. Not only did my little man enter the world weighing 11 pounds 8 ounces, but he thought he should come out elbow first! YIKES! However, this posed no problem for the midwives. Once they realized what position he was in they gave me a few directions on how to position myself and out he came! (Praise the Lord for gravity! LOL) On December 15, 2003 we welcomed the final member of our family! You have never seen a BIGGER newborn! LOL I have such wonderful memories of my oldest son being with me during his brothers birth. This time he was cool as a cucumber! He was a seasoned homebirth veteran at 9 years old! LOL He was there for me every minute, but instead of worrying about me and whether he should be in the room, he spent most of the night laying in my bed watching cartoons! LOL What wonderful memories I have of sharing that time with my husband and son! And then as the sun came up and my youngest son was born in walked my 2 year old! I will never forget seeing her standing there in her blue paddy footed pajama’s and hearing her say “Hey guys whatcha doing?” Before anyone else could respond my son said “Mom had the baby! Come look, we have a brother!” Only in God’s perfect timing could all of this played out to such perfection. Again I was gently moved to the bed and this time we were more anxious to weigh the baby. We knew he was a record breaker! LOL The midwives were delighted with his weight! (Midwives pride themselves in bringing BIG healthy babies into the world!) Again the midwives took care of everything, prepared the meal and sang our child’s first song to him. “Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear baby happy birthday to you!” Soon the midwives left for the day and there we were. A family of FIVE all tucked into bed together! We spent the day snoozing, laughing, celebrating and making phone calls. There was no rush, no place to go, nothing that needed to be done. We were all finally home! We spent time bonding and learning what it meant to be complete. The joy of that day will be with us all forever.
Tosi and our BIG boy!
Rachel loving on the baby.
As I look back over my birth experiences I praise God for every moment of it. My birth experiences were the most empowering things that have ever happened to me! Even though my hospital birth was not what I wanted it to be, it grew me into knowing that I could take the power in my hands and create the birth experiences I wanted. This is only a brief sketch of all that we experienced. A few weeks ago I was unpacking the kids baby books and I came across a letter our midwives sent to me along with our 3rd child’s birth records. It read...
We hope Las Vegas is treating you well! Remember that these pages are only a mere outline of the hard work, love and courage you poured into your child’s birth. You were magnificent! Thank you once again for inviting us to be your midwives. We have truly enjoyed getting to be with your family at such an important time in the life of your family. We are so sorry to have lost you to another state, but we are your midwives forever!
Wow! I don’t think anyone else has ever called me magnificent! And honestly that is how I felt after my homebirths! I felt so empowered. I felt a closeness to God like I had never know before. I literally rejoiced not just about the babies but about the amazing experience I had. There are no words to express how grateful I am that I was given the opportunity to see the potential God built into my body be put to use.
Me and my BIG BOY!
I know there are many women who have wonderful memories of their hospital births. It is not my intention in any way to disregard or disrespect those births. One of the reasons I have probably not written this before is I would NEVER want my oldest son to think that his birth was any less joyful to me than that of his siblings. I talked with him about this yesterday. I wanted to make sure he was okay with me writing this post. He assured me he completely understood how I felt. He also said he is grateful we had his siblings at home so he could be such a BIG part of it all! I assured him that although the process of being hospitalized was less than joyful the end result was meeting him and NOTHING could have taken the joy out of that! However, my homebirth experiences were life changing over the top experiences! I doubt that is all my life anything will ever compare to them!
My precious kids! Just moments after they met all met for the first time.
I told you I was outside the box! 
If you would like to learn more about homebirth I highly recommend the book Homebirth by Sheila Kitzinger. For kids I recommend the book Welcome With Love by Jenni Overend.
Click HERE to read my oldest sons story of the day his baby sister was born.
May. 22, 2008
Dolphins in the Desert
Posted in Lessons I Have Learned
I figure since we have moved many, many miles from our last location it is now alright to reveal where we have been living for the last 4 years.
So sit down and get ready!
Yep, Las Vegas Baby! Now, I am sure you are probably wondering how a conservative Christian homeschool family ever ended up in Las Vegas! Well, I will tell you it was NOT my idea! I went there kicking and screaming! Everything in my mind, body and soul told me NOT to go to Las Vegas. However, my husband had a different view. His job wanted to transfer him and it seemed like a good career opportunity at the time. I had always told him I would follow his job anywhere since it allowed me to stay home, but I didn't mean LAS VEGAS!!! However, no matter how much I heard no, he heard yes and eventually I did the only thing I could. I submitted to my husband. So with our 9 year old, 2 year old and 3 week old we headed off to Sin City. I was sure my children would be ruined for life!
To say I was terrified was an understatement. I had been to Las Vegas a few time. (My husband and I were married there 15 years earlier.) and although there were a few fun things to do is was certainly not a place I wanted to expose my children to! However, I had to trust God and my husband.
One day shortly after we had moved I was in my "making the best of it" mode. I took the kids to the Mirage Casino to go see the dolphins and other exotic animals they have there. The exhibit is really nice, but of course you have to walk through the whole Casino to get through it. After we had been there watching the dolphins awhile my then 9 year old son said to me "You know Mom, we are just like these dolphins in the desert. As Christians we don't really feel we belong here, but we just have to make the best of it, trust God and try to adjust." WOW! From the mouths of babes! From that point on I always considered us "dolphins in the desert." We may not feel we belonged there, but we could survive and God would provide what we needed to get us through a challenging time.
And provide He did! I cannot say that my heart turned around and I got a good attitude about living in Las Vegas right then and there. Trust me I continued to argue with both my husband and God about what we were doing there. But, God did provide the most amazing people to love and support us. It never occurred to me back then that someday when we did leave I would actually MISS people from Las Vegas! I never imagined the amazing Christians I would meet there that would teach me so much. I never dreamed the lessons He was going to teach me or the changes He would make in me along the way. Much of the journey was NOT pretty. I am not necessarily proud of my attitude or actions along the way. But, I did learn more in those 4 uncomfortable years that I ever could of if He had left me in my comfortable place where I yearned to stay.
In the end I am glad He loved me enough to take me down a REALLY tough path. Our pastor in California use to say "God loves you just the way you are, as a matter of fact he loves you too much to leave you there!" I am glad for the pain and sorrow. I learned to trust and love both God and my husband in a whole new way. I now know for sure that both of them did it for my own good. They were doing what needed to be done, even when I didn't want them to.
As for all the harm I thought would come to my kids? They have pretty much come out of Las Vegas unharmed. I have had to explain a few things to my oldest that I would have preferred not to. (But, in this day and age it is probably a blessing he learned these things from Mom and Dad!) He did not turn into the hard core sinner I thought he would! LOL The Little's are pretty much unaware of the Sin part of Sin City. They associate Las Vegas with home, friends, church and buffets! LOL (If anyone asks my now 7 year old if she liked Las Vegas she says "I LOVED the buffets!" LOL)
So what did I learn in my four years in the desert? (I like to think I am in good company with being sent to the desert by God!)
- I learned that no matter where you go God is there. I know as a Christian of nearly 30 years I should have already known that! The truth is that I would have said I knew it, but now I really do know it deep in my heart
- I learned that sometimes God does His best work when we are at our lowest point. - Honestly, I could not have learned the things I did had we not have moved away from California. I was so comfortable there. I loved my life and even though it revolved around church, it wasn’t always about God. I really thought I had it much more together than I did and I didn’t even realize how much he still had to teach me!
- I learned that I can get mad at God and He will still love me. I mean really mad. There were times I was amazed He did not send a lightening bolt for me! I learned that people in the Bible argued with God. (Moses and Lot both come to mind.)
- I learned that I need to be less judgemental and accept and love people. Even if I don't approve of someone actions they are just as much a child of God as I am. Sometimes I don’t even think there is that much more sin in Las Vegas than in any little town. I just think that when you live in a place that proudly calls itself “Sin City” is is more socially acceptable to be open about your sin. I have seen such brokenness in the lives of so many people in Las Vegas. It is really heart breaking. I really did learn to see beyond the brokenness and love people in a different way during the time we spent in Las Vegas. Not only is sin more acceptable, there is also a LOT more temptations! Staying pure in Las Vegas is not an easy task.
- I learned that God will protect my children even better than I can! – Wow, the fact that my kids came out pretty much unscathed from our 4 years in Las Vegas I can only attribute to Him! We learned pretty quickly to stay away from the Strip. (Although you can’t live there and avoid it completely.) So many times I was amazed as I would see some sign on a taxi or billboard that horrified me and I would look back at my kids in the car and they were minding their own business blissfully unaware of what was happening outside the car windows. If that is not divine intervention I don't know what is!
- I learned that God will get his point across! Even if it means your husband’s time in the desert is over, God will keep you in the desert another year to figure out what you are suppose to learn! - After my husband left to start his new job I knew this is what God was up to! (The humor of my husband wanting to go there and me being stuck there was NOT lost on me! LOL) I knew as the saying goes that “God isn’t finished with me yet!” So while the kids and I stayed behind waiting for the house to sell I adjusted my attitude! I began to pray that God would not let us leave until I had learned whatever it was He had sent me there to learn! (YIKES) I began to dive into Bible study and church. I applied myself like I never had before! And yes, I did learn what He wanted me to in that last year. I wish I could say is was something earth shattering, well it was for me! But, all I can say is this list is what He need me to really get into my heart. I have no idea where God is going to take me from here. But, I do know I am a better person for the 4 years I spent in Las Vegas. I love the Lord even more and I love others more too! That is a lesson worth learning!
One last thing...During the years we were in Las Vegas whenever we would travel people would always ask me "What is the weirdest thing about living in Las Vegas?" I would always reply "The weirdest thing about living in Las Vegas is that people who live there don't realize it is weird to live in Las Vegas!" LOL
If you would like to read more about what God is doing in Las Vegas I would highly recommend the book Stripped: Uncensored Grace on the Streets of Vegas. It was written by a Las Vegas pastor and it is awesome!
Mar. 20, 2008
The Case for Easter
Posted in Lessons I Have Learned
I was given the book The Case for Easter a last year at Easter. At first I was not very excited about reading it. I had read The Case for Christ a few years earlier as a part of a Book Club//Bible Study I was in. Boy, was it hard to read! But, this one at least is very small! LOL
So here is what I thought of The Case for Easter....It is GREAT!!!!
It is 3 chapters plus an introduction and a conclusion.
The 3 chapters are:
1. The Medical Evidence: Was Jesus' Death a Sham and his Resurrection a Hoax?
2. The Evidence of the Missing Body: Was Jesus' Body Really Absent From His Tomb?
3. The Evidence of His Appearance: Was Jesus Alive After His Death on the Cross?
Now, I have to admit that i have never doubted any of these things before. I grew up in a church going home and the crucifixion, burial and resurrection have always been very believable to me. This book really did point out some amazing scientific and historical evidence for the things I have always believed. The Author, Lee Strobel, is an Investigative Journalist. He researches his books just like he would a News story. Just looking at the facts. I found this approach very interesting. He actually started investigating Christianity because he was not a believer and his wife became a Christian. He thought he could disprove it. The book gave me a lot of things to think about that I had not considered before. It convinced me on a more Intellectual level that what I believe about Jesus is true. In the conclusion of the book when he talks about his 5 year old daughters response to the changes in him once he accepted Christ made my eyes fill with tears!
I may have to go back and give The Case for Christ a second chance!
Jan. 28, 2008
Confessions & Changes
Jan. 10, 2008
Keeping Dad Informed
Posted in Lessons I Have Learned
When we first started homeschooling my husband wasn't completely convinced that homeschooling was the best thing to do. After all, we had both been educated in either public or private schools and we came out alright. But, God had really laid it on my heart to homeschool, so he agreed we could try it.
I realized right away that he really had no idea what we did all day. He would come home from work and ask my son what we had done that day and at 4 he was more likely to say "We played!" than anything else. Now, as a homeschooling Mom I am thrilled when I my kids think learning is "play", but it probably impresses Dad less. LOL Then Dad would ask me what we had done and most of the time honestly I would draw a blank. I mean I had moved on to dinner, laundry, Awana, meetings at church, relaxing, etc. What we had done at 10:00 that morning was gone from my mind. (I knew we were doing good "stuff" but when put on the spot I couldn't always remember the details.)
I decided we needed a system to keep Dad informed. So I set down to the computer and made up a form. I made my form to be one page for a week, but you could do it daily or monthly, whatever works for you. On the form I made a space for each day of the week and each subject I was teaching at the time. Math, Science, Reading, Bible, P.E., etc. Then each day before Dad got home from work I would sit down and go through our day and fill in the blanks. I would list what books we had read, board games we had played, bike rides to the park, etc. fitting them each into the proper categories.
At the end of the week, when it was filled in, I would leave the form on the dinner room table. Dad would take a look at it when we came home and was looking through the mail. Soon I noticed Dad was a lot more comfortable with our homeschooling. You know it makes complete sense to me now that I look back. Can you imagine Mom if you were the one that was go off all day and someone else was going to teach your kids? You had no idea what they were learning or how they were doing? It would be nerve wracking!
A side benefit of this system is I have great records of what we did in those early years! LOL Another thing is I really felt my confidence grow as I was able to look back at all the great things we were doing day to day. Instead of feeling like "Well, I am sure we have done something educational latley?" I could look as see exactly what we had been doing and learning.
At the end of each month I would look back over what we had done and write out a little assesment of the month. I would note what things had been learned and what things needed to be worked on.
How long did I do this? For several years. When my oldest was in 2nd grade we started using Sonlight and I had the teachers manual to show what we were doing. After a couple of years I think my husband stopped looking at them. Once our oldest was getting a little older and he could see that he was learning and doing great he stopped thinking about whether homeschooling was going to work. He saw that is was working.
With todays technology.you could do something like this on a blog and have Dad check in their to see what you are doing. I know nowadays my husband gets the bulk of his information about what we are up to with school by reading my blog.
Occasionally my husband will say something like "Just don't worry about it, the kids are all doing fine. If you need to take a break for a few days or weeks eveything will be just fine." :^) That makes me HAPPY! I have earned his trust through the years as the teacher of our children.
I don't think either one of us could imagine educating our children any other way at this point.
Jan. 8, 2008
Spiritual Gifts Test
Posted in Lessons I Have Learned
Many years ago my husband and I took a Discovering My Spiritual Gifts class at church. Of all the classes we have taken at church this one has been the most helpful to me. It is really great to understand what gifts I have in order to make wise choices in serving in ministry. This has helped me so many times to know when to say "yes" and when to say "no".
Recently my husband found a test similar to the one we took in our class is online. One really exciting thing about the online version is that it is also available for kids! Wow, how great would it be to know what areas God has gifted you right when you start serving!
"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them."
Ephesians 2:10
Posted in Lessons I Have Learned
Today is my Dad's birthday. He passed away in 1996, but this day is always a special day for me. A time to remember my Dad...
I was totally blessed to have a WONDERFUL Dad. My dad was the ultimate family man. He LOVED his family and put us before everything else. If he had other interests he never let them show. He did everything for us and with us.
Here are a couple of fun memories I have of my Dad:
My Dad loved to swim, but he would not put his head in the water! LOL He would splash around with us and it was so much fun! He also wore the same red swimsuit for as long as I can remember!
My Dad was an excellent Roller Skater. He could skate backwards and he would hold my sister and my hands so we could skate forwards with him.
My Dad was a quiet man. (This may have been the result of having 5 sister and then marrying and having 2 daughters. The poor man didn't get much chance to talk! LOL)
My Dad always had a compliment for everyone. He told my Mom, sister and I how beautiful we were on a continual basis. He never missed a chance to tell us he liked our hair, clothes. etc.
My Dad was funny! He had a dry sense of humor though. One funny thing I remember was one time my Mom mentioned that she was going to take a shower but didn't want to get her hair wet for some reason. My Dad snuck in the bathroom and dumped water over the top of the shower curtain to drench my Mom! LOL (My Mom retaliated by switching his aerosol deodorant with her hairspray!) It was a fun house to grow up in!
My Dad had this weird obsession with matching socks. He was a very neat and tidy man and it drove him crazy that he could put 6 socks in the dryer and get 5 back. (I think there are black holes in dryers personally! LOL) Anyway, at one point my Dad actually sewed snaps on all his socks to keep them together in the dryer!
My Dad had a thing for Duct Tape. He fixed anything and everything with Duct Tape. (Yep, that is where I get my Duct Tape obsession from!)
It never bothered my Dad to carry my Mom's purse for her! If we were out shopping and my Mom was trying on clothes or just needed her hands to shop Dad would carry her purse! I know this is a funny thing to remember. It always impressed me that he was confident enough not to be embarrassed to carry his wifes purse!
My Dad made the BEST salads! He was a very patient man and when he would cut up a salads he would cut everything into tiny little pieces that were all the exact same size. My sister and I called them Dad Salads. and I miss them to this day!
My Dad LOVED ice cream! He really loved Dairy Queen. He would have taken us every day if we wanted to go! I remember once several years after my Dad had died I ran into a friend who lived across the street from us growing up. She told me that she loved living by us because she knew anytime she wanted to go to Dairy Queen my Dad would take her! LOL All she had to do was appear at our house and mention ice cream and off we would go in the car!
My Dad LOVED Christmas! Both my parents did. Our house was always decorated from top to bottom! It was very appropriate that his birthday was in December.
Years ago I heard it said that "We don't remember days, we remember moments." Now that my Dad has been gone for so long I find this so true! It is not the big family celebrations, the holidays or the birthdays I remember. It is the little things. The little moments like seeing him barefoot reading a book in his chair, cutting up a Dad salad, going on a walk. The moments are what I really remember!
Happy Birthday Dad! I love you!!!
My and my Dad 1989
He Was My Dad
He was my dad,
He was always there for me.
He made me laugh and listened to every word I said.
He was my dad,
He complimented me daily.
He believed in me.
He was my dad,
I knew it was the most important thing in the world to him.
I probably took him a little for granted,
Although I somehow always knew he was the cream of the crop!
He was my dad,
I loved to hear him sing in church,
And smell his cologne,
And make him proud...
He was my dad
I never had to wonder if he loved me.
He told me he did everyday.
He lived his life in a way
That proved his family was the most important thing to him.
He was my dad
And if I ever disappointed him
He never let it show.
He was my dad and
Being with him was always something I cherished.
He was my dad,
He loved my Mom
Together they showed me what marriage should be like.
He was my dad,
I pray that I am a bit like him.
I hope that even though my kids never knew him
They see a part of him in me everyday.
He was my dad,
I know without a doubt that I was blessed.
He taught me so much
About being the person I want to be.
He was my dad,
I am so glad he loved the Lord,
Because I know
That someday we will meet again.
He was my dad,
And that made all
The difference in my life...
Thank you dad!
Copyright © 2006 jaminacema. All Rights Reserved. This document may not be printed, reproduced and distributed without permission. Please write to jaminacema@earthlink.net for further information.
Dec. 6, 2007
Jesus vs. Santa
Posted in Lessons I Have Learned
Why Jesus is Better Than Santa Claus
By Rev. James Spellman of Ohio
*Santa lives at the North Pole... JESUS is everywhere.
*Santa rides in a sleigh... JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water.
*Santa comes but once a year... JESUS is an ever present help.
*Santa fills your stockings with goodies... JESUS supplies all your needs.
*You have to wait in line to see Santa... JESUS is as close as the mention of His name.
*Santa lets you sit on his lap... JESUS lets you rest in His arms.
*Santa doesn't know your name, all he can say is "Hi little boy or girl, what's your name?"... JESUS knew our name before we did. Not only does He know our name, He knows our address too. He knows our history and future and He even knows how many hairs are on our head.
*Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly... JESUS has a heart full of love.
*All Santa can offer is HO HO HO... JESUS offers health, help and hope.
*Santa says "You better not cry"... JESUS says "Cast all your cares on me for I care for you."
*Santa's little helpers make toys... JESUS makes new life, mends wounded hearts, repairs broken homes and builds mansions.
*Santa may make you chuckle but...JESUS gives you a joy that is your strength.
*While Santa puts gifts under your tree... JESUS became our gift and died on the tree.
Its obvious there is really no comparison! Jesus is still the reason for the season. Yes, Jesus is better, he is even better than Santa Claus.
I found this poem over at the 1+1+1=1 blog. It is part of a lovely FREE Christmas Symbols lapbook she has put together! I just LOVE the poem! It completely speaks to how I feel about Christmas in my heart! Make sure to spot by the 1+1+1=1 blog and thank her for the great lapbook if you use it!
Nov. 28, 2007
Total Blogger
Posted in Lessons I Have Learned
Your Results
You're a full-blown blogger!
Congratulations! It's a blog!
You don't just have a blog, you are your blog.
LOL, I don't know why but I love doing these weird little quizzes online! Whenever I see one on someones sidebar, I just have to click over and take the quiz! Most of them I don't think too much of, but this one had meaning to me! Why? Because it agreed with how I feel about my blog! LOL My blog is me!
People who know me tell me this all the time. I write just like I talk. And I talk non-stop! LOL I can switch from one topic to the next without so much as a thought. Just like my blog might have something deep and meaningful one day a silly post the next...That is sooooo me! LOL You just never know what you are going to get with me!
I have been blogging for almost 2 years now and honestly I don't know how I lived before blogging! I think through my blog! I am one of those people that HAS to write. My mind is always going a mile a minute! After a couple years of blogging I now think in blog! LOL I find myself composing blog posts in the drive thru of Wendy's! LOL I have dreamed blog posts! Something will happen at our house and the kids will say "Mom's gonna blog that!" LOL
So when you all ask me how I can blog every single day, I just have to laugh! Blogging is the thing that keeps me sane sometimes! It helps me sort out the zillions of thoughts that are constantly in my head!
So if you were ever wondering what I am really like....Now you know. I am just like my blog!
(Hey, at least I look like my blog and not my dog!!! hehehe)
Now the fact that you all actually read what I am thinking.....THAT is what amazes me!
Posted in Lessons I Have Learned
Yesterday was the final day of the Beth Moore Bible Study I mentioned I was taking a few months ago. What a blessing this study was to me!
I have a confession to make...I have avoided Beth Moore studies for years! Why you ask? Well...I have always heard wonderful things about Beth Moore studies. However, every time someone has told me how great the studies are they follow up with "There is a lot of homework!" Now come on. I don't have time for a lot of homework! So, I automatically excused myself from it! I mean I am a homeschooling Mom, God would surely understand!
Well....Last year our homeschool group started offering a Bible Study for Mom's during the week at the same time as the kids had co-op classes. I was so thrilled when I heard they were doing this! I mean the kids could be learning at the same time I was! Excellent! Then I heard it was going to be a Beth Moore study! humph!!! Had I not already told God I was too busy for this??? I really wanted to get together with a bunch of other homeschool Mom's for a Bible Study so I went ahead and signed up. I told myself I just wouldn't do the homework. God would understand! So, I go to the 1st class and as "luck" would have it the study was "Living Free". It is what I would call "Beth Moore Lite" It was actually a follow up to another one of her studies called Breaking Free. The main point of the study was learning how to pray God's Word back to Him. It was wonderful! I went to the 1st class and learned that this study only required about a hour a week for homework! That I could do! So I did every bit of it! God blessed me so much through that little study! I could feel Him tugging at my heart in ways I had never felt before in my whole life. I wanted MORE!!!
Shortly after the 1st study ended I learned there was going to be another Bible Study during co-op. I decided the first study was such a good experience I would sign up for the next one....even though I didn't know what they were studying! LOL
I show up the day of the study to find out we are doing another BETH MOORE! LOL And this one is NOT Lite! Nope, this one is a study of the book of Genesis and requires about an hour a day of homework! I could not wait to get started!!!
I have to tell you all this. If you hear that your church, a friends church any church is offering a Beth Moore study....RUN, don't walk to sign up! This woman has the most amazing, challenging, life changing way of teaching God's word! I don't want to lead anyone to think I have not done Bible Studies before. I have done many of them! When we lived in California I was in a Womens Bible study for 6 years straight. I was blessed by all of them, but none of them filled me up the way this one did!
And about that homework....I am here to tell you that the hours I have spent over the last 10 weeks studying God's word with the Beth Moore study guide have been the most wonderful moments I could imagine! Not only did I manage to do all the homework I looked forward to every minute of it! I scheduled it in. I looked forward to it and thought of it as my time of rest and relaxation. Much of it was hard work! This material forced me to struggle with God in a way I had never done before! But, I have made it to the other side so much stronger in my beliefs. So much more convinced that God was thinking of me way back when The Patriarchs walked this earth! The book of Genesis may have taken place many years ago. But I can tell you it is as fresh and new today as it was back then!
I wish I was more eloquent in telling you all I learned! Honestly I don't think it can even be put into words! I think that only I can understand the blessings I got from this study, because only I have been on this journey call "my life". Each of us are on such a different path but God is there with each and every one of us on our journey. I know he has as much to teach you as He did me even though the actual lessons may be very different!
It is my prayer that this post will encourage someone to take the step and find a Beth Moore study to dive into. I guarantee you....You will be BLESSED!
Here is the link to Beth Moore's webiste Living Proof
http://www.lproof.org/default.asp
Here is a link where you can listen to Beth Moore online.
http://www.lproof.org/internet_tv.asp
Here is a link to an online Beth Moore study - Believing God
http://www.lifeway.com/believinggod/
Here is a link to another online Beth Moore Study - Living Beyond Yourself
http://www.lifeway.com/lby/
Here is a link to the Living Proof Store where you can buy studies on CD & Books and MORE!
http://www.lproof.org/store_show_home.asp
The next thing I am doing is reading Beth's book Get Out of That Pit with the accompanying 40 Day Devotional Journal. I challenge you to join me!
"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."
Psalm 119:105
Nov. 15, 2007
My Brushes with Fame
Posted in Lessons I Have Learned
Before I had kids I lived in Los Angeles and worked for The ABC Television Network. Last night my kids were asking me about what famous people I had encountered during my ABC days. Most of them they had never heard of because they are too young! LOL But it got me reminiscing...here are some of my memories...
- I worked with Buzz Aldrin's X-wife. (The one he was married to when he walked on the Moon!) - I worked with her mostly over the phone. But it never ceased to amaze me that I knew her. I would picture myself a 4 year old girl in my cousins living room wondering what these men's family thought of them walking on the moon...and here I was talking to one of their wives 20 some years later! Amazing! (I like History more than movies and TV so this one is my favorite encounters!)
- I was once stuck in traffic next to Whoopi Goldberg. - It was weird. I tried not to look at her too much, When I did it would make me laugh! I probably sat right next to her for 30 minutes feeling really odd!
- I met Neil Diamond and shook his hand! This is actually a funny story. This was during the time I worked for Good Morning America. Neil Diamond was going to do a special for The Home Show and all the women in my office who were older than me were dying to go. I told them all I would stay in the office and catch the phones so they could all go. (I was too young to really be in to Neil Diamond.) They all got tickets months in advance. About 10 minutes before the show was to start the Executive Producer of GMA buzzed me and said "Put the phones to go to voicemail we are going on a walk." Well, he was the boss so of we went! (I thought we were going to meeting or something! LOL) We end up backstage with Neil Diamond! We are introduced and treated like royalty! All the while I guess they had the cameras on so the audience (Almost all ABC employees.) could see backstage. All the women in the office were ready to KILL me! I felt awful! I don't think they ever believed me that it was not my idea! (My daughter was funny when I was telling the kids this one. She said "Who's Neil Diamond? Did he walk on the Sun??" LOL My kids are really not impressed with any of this! LOL)
- I ate lunch at a table next to Janet Leigh and Jamie Lee Curtis. This was a cool one. One day friend and I were at lunch at the Century City Mall Food Court. It was packed. The tables are about a foot apart. We are sitting there and someone says "We can sit here Mom." We look up and it is Jamie Lee Curtis! They seemed like the most normal Mom and Daughter in the world! We tried to ignore them and give them their privacy.
- I talked on the phone (many times) with Cheryl Gates McFadden better known as Dr. Beverly Crusher from Start Trek, The Next Generation. One of the women I worked with was best friends with her. They talked on the phone all the time. It was soooo weird to pick up the phone and hear that very distinct voice!
- I knew the great grandson of Ralph Waldo Emerson. (He even wrote me a poem once! Which I seem to have lost. Bummer!)
- I was stuck in a room once with Sylvester Stallone! This was a weird day. I had gone over to the local TV Station to get some papers signed. When I came out of an office and into the Lobby there was Sylvester Stallone and his body guards! They were keeping him there because a audience was leaving the studio and they didn't want him seen. They asked me to please not leave (And his body guards were BIG so I listened! LOL) so I just stood there waiting with Sylvester Stallone like 3 feet from me. I was too embarrassed to talk to him. He was soooo good looking though and he smiled at me. What more could a girl want?
- I rode in a elevator with Bob Barker. (My 13 year olds says this is his favorite story...because it's short!" LOL)
- I worked with a temp who was Elvis Presley's hairdresser the last 7 years of his life. She was fun and full of great stories!
- A close friend of mine was a close friend with Alley Mills, the Mom from The Wonder Years. The two of them had gone on a trip to Japan together. One night I met my friend to see the pictures of her trip. The next morning I am walking into my office building and there was Alley Mills waiting for the elevator. I usually would not talk to stars. I mean they don't know me, why would they want to talk to me? But just for fun I said to her "I know you!" She said, "Yeah, I know." and I said "No, last night I saw your pictures from Japan! I am friends with Olga." She thought that was so funny! She said, "Well that is way different that what I expected to hear!" This was during the heyday of The Wonder Years so it was fun meeting her. LOL
- I ran into Jay Leno 3 times in my Hollywood years. All 3 times were in Fast Food Restaurants! LOL
- I was stuck in traffic for 4 hours on the 405 freeway the morning Bill Cosby's son Ennis was killed. I was driving a friends car and he didn't have a radio. For 4 hours I had no idea what was going on! (I didn't have a cellphone back then!) When I finally got to an exit I stopped and called my husband. He told me what had happened. I was so grief stricken when I found out what the traffic was all about! It is a terrible sad day I will never forget. (This was actually after I had left Hollywood and I was back visiting with my 3 year old son.)
- I once was in line behind Carrie Fisher in the Mall. She had her daughter Billie with her in a shopping cart. ( I am not sure where she found a shopping cart in a Mall?) The baby was little probably about a year old and she kept saying "Bille do you want a lollie??" in a strange British accent. I didn't realize who she was, I thought she was a strange lady from a galaxy far far away! (Sorry I couldn't resist.) Then when she left and everyone in the store started talking about her. It was probably my strangest star encounter.
- I saw Lyle Alzado in 1992 a few months before he died. I had seen him about 3 years before in the same building. (The building I worked at in the time also housed a lot of entertainment Lawyers. I think that is why he was there so often.) It was amazing to see how much he changed in a very short period of time. Steroids are not our friends folks!
- This is my husbands favorite story! One year we got to go to The Academy Awards! We were back stage. It was really crowded and complete mayhem! My boss was trying to move us through the crowd. He had one of my hands and my husband had the other hand. My boss said to me "Follow me and don't let go!" So we were this snake of 3 people pushing our way through the crowd. My husband let's go of my hand! We go over to the wall to wait for him. When he catches up I said "Why did you let go?" He says "You were about to drag me into Gregory Peck!" LOL He still teases me about trying to take out Gregory Peck! The poor man was nearly 80 at the time! We saw a ton of stars backstage that night. The 2 most memorial for me were...Liza Minnelli and Barbara Streisand!
Well there they are. Some of my stories from "back in the day" archived so I will never forget them. Those were strange and wonderful days! I would not trade my simple homeschool Mom life for all the Stars in Hollywood!
Posted in Lessons I Have Learned
Guilt? What in the world would a homeschool Mom have to feel guilty about???? I am writing this post because of the large number of emails I got after my post about not playing with my 3 year old. (Interestingly that post does not have one comment at the time of this writing, but generated more emails than anything else I have ever posted!)
So what do we have to feel guilty about? We stay home 24/7 with our kids. We are there for their every need. We choose their curruiculum. (We even change curriculum mid year if what we chose isn't working) We cook their meals, rub their backs, wash their clothes, take them to classes, check their papers, read to them. We pray with them and for them. We are there to pick them up and dust them off whether they fall off the swing set or are pushed down by the world. We do our best, right? But there it is...that "why can't I do more" guilt!
You know what? I suffer from it too! There is SO MUCH to be done as a Homeschooling Mom! No matter how much we do we see what still isn't done! If the house is clean the schoolwork is behind. If the schoolwork is right on track the laundry hampers are bulging at the seams! If we get down and play with the kids we know we are NOT doing something else we should be doing!
I remember years ago when I was a new Mom with one child I met a lady who had 5 kids under 7. She was BUSY. One day we were talking and she said something to me that I remember (and use) to this day. She said "Sometimes when I am pulled in a zillion directions and feel like I cannot take it anymore I stop and I say out loud to myself. "I am not all things! But I am enough!" " Wow! I am enough! That's right. God gave us these precious lives to mold and He made us the perfect parent for them. We are enough!
So the next time you feel guilty for the things that go undone remember.
- You are not the only one! Others feel this way too!
- You are not alone! God is with you!
- You are not inadequate....You are enough!
I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.
Phillipians 4:13
Posted in Lessons I Have Learned
Last night my 3 year old and I built a "clubhouse" out of Big Blocks. Once we got it built I sat inside and he came by (repeatedly) "trick-or-treating". He LOVED it! (Even though he was getting candy right out of the bag he had collected at Harvest Festival! LOL ) After we had played for awhile he said to me "Thanks for playing with me Mom. You never play with me!" At first I started to defend myself. "What do you mean I never play with you?? I am here all the time. I never leave you, of course I play with you!!!" But as I thought about it I realized he was right! Don't get me wrong. I read with him, do crafts, take him on field trips, take him to the park, love and cuddle him, etc., etc,, etc. But for me to get down on the floor and "play" is rare! This was not always the case...My oldest child was an "only" child for 6 1/2 years and I was his primary play mate! I was on the floor with him all the time. (Of course my 42 year old body was 10 years younger back then too! LOL) We played blocks, Bionicles, Batman. You name it! I knew more about "boy toys" than I ever cared to! LOL My youngest doesn't really need me to play with him! It is rare for him even to ask me to play with him! He has his sister who is 2 1/2 years older than him who LIVES to play with him. He has his brother who is 10 year older than him who LOVES to play with all those "boy toys" one more time. Things have changed!
All this got me thinking about how I really am a different parent to each of my children. This is not a bad thing! I honestly believe God has given me just what I need to be the best parent I can to each of these kids. My oldest needed all that attention. My other 2 are much less high need than my oldest was/is. It is awesome to see how God has used all my stresses, strains and inadequacies to make me the Mom He wants me to be. I don't always get it right. But, I do see how God has equip me with what I need each day and how He has given me the perfect children at the perfect time.
God is good!
Oct. 25, 2007
New Glasses
Posted in Lessons I Have Learned
I GOT NEW GLASSES!!! HOORAY!!!!
Okay, you all know there is a story to go along with these! LOL My other glasses broke in April. I went the day they broke and tried to get them fixed. I had bought them at Sears 3 months before (Well 3 months and 1 day before actually!) Sears informed me that they guarantee the glasses for 3 months. Period! Now I had paid OVER $500.00 for those glasses! I was NOT happy!!!! So I took my insurance card and went to all 3 places that it said online would take my insurance. (We had different insurance at this point than we did 3 months before when I got the glasses at Sears.) All three places said they didn't take the insurance. Arghhhhh!!!! So I fixed the glasses myself... with duct tape! ROFL!!!!!! Yep, that is just the resourceful kind of girl I am! (My Daddy would be so proud, I learned this type of behavior from him! LOL) At first it really bugged me....I tried to convince everyone that "Duct tape is the new gold!" But I didn't get any takers! LOL Then in about July I found color duct tape! My problem was solved. I am telling you that you could barely tell they were broken once I fixed them with the brown duct tape! (Or at least people were kind to me and told me that! LOL) Well, day before yesterday we got NEW INSURANCE and this one was good at Lenscrafters! Hooray! I could not get there fast enough! LOL
So I have a new look. The kids say I look weird. I keep telling them I just look smart and they are not use to me looking smart! It is great not having my glasses fall off my face every time I look down!
It was interesting though. I took the kids with me to pick out the glasses. The lady who waited on us just could not get over how much fun we were all having together picking out the glasses. She told me "All we ever see in here are bad parents and bratty kids!" She couldn't believe I had made a sacrifice like wearing glasses with duct tape on the for 6 months! She kept telling me "You are so amazing....You get along so well with your kids. You don't mind making sacrifices for them. I never met a Mom like you!" When I told her we homeschool I thought she was going to cry! I think she was more excited for me to get new glasses that I was. She was telling the other ladies in the store when I came back an hour later to pick them up. "This is a really big treat for this lady because she puts her kids first! She really deserves these nice glasses! They were all fussing over me like I had hung the moon!" It was really a blessing to get to share a little with her on my parenting philosophy and my beliefs that my kids are a gift from God. Who knows what seeds were planted...
Here is my 6 year old daughters interpretation of my new look...
I don't think I have ever looked better!
Oct. 24, 2007
One Sided Relationships
Posted in Lessons I Have Learned
I love blogging, but there is one thing that bugs me about it. Blogging is a very one sided relationship! LOL I frequently find when I am having a conversation with someone I know they will stop me and say "Oh yeah, I read that on your blog!" It isn't even as much fun to talk to my own Mother now that most of what I say to her is a re-run! LOL (Just kidding Mom!)
This has gotten me thinking about a couple of things....
I wonder how many people who read my blog may think they know me, yet I know there are MANY things about my life I don't share here. 30 years ago when I accepted Christ as my Saviour I thought I knew who God was. I now know that no many how many times I read His Word He still has new things in there to teach me! (The Bible is an amazing book!) So even though I have been studying God's Word for years it does not mean I know all about Him. It means I still have SO MUCH MORE TO LEARN! I have found people will have a better idea of who I am if they read my blog and talk to me. I have also learned that the longer I read what He is saying & talk to Him in prayer the more pieces I put together. This gives me a much better picture I have of who God really is. (Not to mention what it is He wants for my life...)
The second point I was thinking about the one sided nature of blogging and I started wondering if God might sometimes feel this way too. Does He ever feel that He and I have a one sided relationship? How many times does He start teaching me something and I respond "Hey God, I have been reading Your book for 30 years and I know all about You. Sorry gotta go!" I mean He is always there. He is always wanting to talk and interact with me, yet how many times do I shut Him down? How many times does He have a whole new lesson for me to learn yet I am quick to tell Him that I'm busy and I already know what He was going to say anyway? Maybe He is trying to tell me to listen even when I think I know what He's going to say???
Blogging teaches me SO much!
BTW, I LOVE comments and I LOVE emails from people who read my blog! It was actually a conversation with a 2 readers/friends today that got me thinking about all this.
Oct. 22, 2007
Lip Gloss and Handbags
Posted in Lessons I Have Learned
Okay, I am going to warn you up front. This is going to be a post about Lip Gloss and Expensive Handbags. I wish I could tell you there was going to be some deep philosophical revelation at the end of the post...But. it ain't happening! LOL
1st - Lip Gloss
In 1973 when I was 8 years old Bonnie Bell introduced the very 1st flavored lip gloss ~ Lip Smackers! I LOVE Lip Smackers! Not long after this product was introduced my friend Kathy and I discovered it. We use to save every penny we could to go to town and buy a new tube! I have been using this product for over 30 years now and I never smear the deliciousness on my lips without thinking of my friend Kathy! This weekend I got a very rare chance to take just my daughter shopping and I introduced her to Lip Smackers! She got Strawberry and I got another tube of my favorite...Watermelon! (My 3 year old got into mine last week and destroyed it, so I needed a new tube.) This is just one of those "I enjoy being a girl!" type products for me and the fact that it reminds me of the happy days of my childhood is a real bonus! I hope my daughter is still loving Lip Smackers and remembering a fun shopping trip with Mom when she is 42!
2nd - Expensive Handbags
If money were no object I would have a closet full of expensive handbags! I would probably still buy my clothes at K-Mart, Wal-Mart and Thrift Stores, but I would carry a great handbag every day! LOL There is just something about a really nice handbag. Back in the days before kids I actually bought several really nice handbags. One Dooney and Bourke and 2 Coach. I have owned these bags for over 13 years and they are still beautiful and in great shape! (I bet you never expected that a person who makes purses from Capri Sun Pouches would love expensive handbags! LOL) Anyway all this purse talk came about because I found this really cool website recently where you can rent high end handbags! LOL It is called Bag Borrow or Steal. The website claims you can borrow from hundreds of designer handbags for prices as low as $15.00 a week! (Of course I did see some that were as much as $850.00 a month! LOL) Now, I won't be renting any designer hand bags in the near future. But, someday my kids will be grown. My youngest should finish homeschooling before I am 60 (hehehe) so just watch out! One of these days I am going to be scooting around town in my wheelchair with a Vintage Gucci handbag perched on my lap! (And of course I will have several tubes of Lip Smackers tucked inside!)
Who says we homeschoolers won't know what to do with ourselves once our children are grown! LOL
When I have a brand new hairdo
With my eyelashes all in curl,
I float as the clouds on air do,
I enjoy being a girl!
Oscar Hammerstein
Okay, tomorrow I promise to try to come up with something a little more mentally stimulating than I did today!
Oh, and speaking of handbags...if anyone wants to know what I want for from Santa this year you can find out HERE!
Oct. 20, 2007
So Long Self
Posted in Lessons I Have Learned
God and I have been having a difference of opinion lately. You see I am a strong willed person! I like having things my way! It is just the way God made me! (Yeah, I have tried to convince Him of that too with no success! LOL) He has made it painfully clear over the past few years that His way is not my way. So I found it quite interesting when I came across this song this week...
So Long Self
By: Mercy Me
Well if I come across a little bit distant
It's just because I am
Things just seem to feel a little bit different
You understand
Believe it or not but life is not apparently
About me anyways
But I have met the One who really is worthy
So let me say
Chorus:
So long self
Well it's been fun, but I have found somebody else
So long self
There's just no room for two
So you are gonna have to move
So long self
Don't take this wrong but you are wrong for me farewell
Oh well, Goodbye, don't cry
So Long Self
Stop right there because I know what your thinking
But no we can't be friends
And even though I know your heart is breaking
This has to end
And come to think of it the blame for all of this
Simply falls on me
For wanting something more in life than all of this
Oh, can't you see
Chorus:
Don't feel so bad(don't feel so bad)
There'll be better days(there'll be better days)
Don't go away mad(but by all means just go away)
go away
(4x’s)
Farewell, Goodbye
Oh so long self
So long self! Yes, I am going to have to back off and let God be God! His ways are not my ways. But His ways are perfect, and my ways are incredibly humanly flawed. So even though I have been feeling like the dog who is shut behind the gate for his own good lately, I know I need to let my will go and let His will be done! So, now that I have this concept into my head I hope I can somehow get it into my heart! Apparently not only am I strong willed but I am also a very slow learner! LOL Truly, I am trying!
Your continued prayers would be greatly appreciated!
In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.- 1 Th 5:18
Oct. 12, 2007
Biblical Lessons Learned from our Pets!
Posted in Lessons I Have Learned
Steve over at Walden's Wit posted yesterday about what his cat Tux has taught him about how we frequently relate to God. I found it ironic because the kids and I have also been discussing how our dog (A Bichon) is the perfect example of how we should worship God! This dog absolutely loves us, he adores us and he yearns to spend time with us. He is particularly fond of ME! He follows ME everywhere! I have to shut him in the family room behind a baby gate at night to keep him from licking my face all night! He cries when we leave him and literally rejoices when we return to him. He trusts us completely! He never doubts that we that we love him or that we are doing what is best to him. He worships us!
Wow! What if treated God the way my dog treats me? What if I woke up ever morning and my 1st thought was about God, instead of making breakfast & my ultra long to-do list? What if I yearned to do my Bible study, pray and meditate instead of scheduling it in and just "getting it done"? (Checked that off my list...) What if I "climbed into God's lap" so to speak every time I possibly could? What if I really trusted that He always had my best interest in mind! (Even when he did something I couldn't understand, like lock me in the backyard when groceries were being carried in so I wouldn't get out and get hit by a car!) What if I never doubted His ways but just kept on praising and worshiping Him? I can't even imagine the blessings I would receive!
Here is a prayer I thought I would never pray:
Dear God,
Please let me be more like my dog, and help me not to be like Steve's cat!
Amen!
"As John 4:23 says, Its time, as worshipers of God, to give him all we have. For when he is exalted, everything about me is decreased. So many times we stand in the way of really stepping into the secret place of worship with God. Just abandon tradition and the "expected" ways of Praise & Worship and get lost in the holy of holies with the sole intention of blessing the Fathers heart."
Jessica Leah Springer
- John 4:23
- "But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers
- will worship the Father in spirit and truth;
- for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.
Sep. 15, 2007
When I Grow Up
Posted in Lessons I Have Learned
My 6 year old daughter asked me the other day what I wanted to be when I grew up back when I was a kid. Without even thinking about it I answered:
1. A wife
2. A mother
3. A teacher
4. A writer
As soon as I finished rattling off my list she replied "No, Mom those are all the things you really are, what did you want to be?" WOW, she is right I am all those things and believe it or not that is REALLY what I wanted to be! God is good!
Wife & Mother - When I was a kid I wanted nothing more that to be a wife and mother. It was not | | |
