A Little Bit of Everything Day

The second day of our "staycation" was quite an adventure. I'm beginning to think that everything one does with three children under 7 is an adventure. :-) We spent our morning making jam and pizza dough.

The fruit of our labors

After making a horrible mess in the kitchen, we went out to eat! :-) We ate a delicious buffet for the price we usually pay at McDonald's and we were stuffed! Even Jerrod wholeheartedly enjoyed himself (and also began playing patty cake today!).

We decided to finish up our spring nature walks since this is the last day to complete them for our pin. On the way, we had to stop and air the car tire because it almost went flat. (Well, it looked like it to me anyway!) Our GPS led us to a completely different place than we were supposed to go. My husband was following on his motorcycle and almost ran out of gas because we were wandering around trying to find the place. The kids kept a running commentary from the backseat:

"I will never trust that GPS again! Will you, Jeffery?"
"No!"
"We need to pray that we can get to a gas station on time. Will you help me pray, Jeffery?"
"Not right now, I'm busy driving my motorcycle." (accompanying motor noises)

(Female/male conversation patterns start early.)

"Dear Lord, We aren't asking you for food or anything. Just give Daddy some magic gas until we get to a gas station. Amen."

We did make it to a gas station and then decided to just go home. On the way home, we found the park. Go figure. When we got out of the car, Jerrod was sound asleep and it had started to sprinkle. We walked the mile trail anyway with my dear husband holding the baby in his arms.

After we got home, everyone recovered from their day...kids played in their room, Jeff played with the baby and I went shopping! Just for a short time, of course, but it was nice to be able to look at a store without an eye on children at the same time.

After our late supper of homemade pizza, the kids did sparklers on the porch.

I hope tomorrow has a little less adventure!

Top Ten Tuesday

My Top Ten Favorite Bloggers in No Particular Order
(aka The Blogs I Read If I Only Have Ten Minutes in My Reader)

• Generation Cedar
• Heavenly Homemakers
• Simple Mom
• The Stay-At-Home Missionary
• Health Begins With Mom
• Keeper of the Home
• Like Merchant Ships
• Making Home
• She Looketh Well
• Small Notebook

For more Top Ten Tuesday posts go to ohamanda.com

Strawberries and Waterfalls

Our first day of "staycation" went pretty well. I slept in an hour and half later than usual. It felt sort of weird and I had a lot of catch up to do, but the rest was good.

Our kids' top activity preference for the week was to go berry picking (they chose this over an amusement park or a science center). So, in the very last week of berry season, we packed up and drove a half an hour to one of the few strawberry patches left open. After finally getting the last child smeared with sunscreen, I was helping my husband get the baby into the carrier and noticed that his diaper--for the first time in his 9 months--had leaked all the way up his back! Although I had plenty of wipes, I did not have an extra set of clothes (of course), so we had to strip him and slather him with more sunscreen. I was able to save his pants, thankfully. All in all, it went well and we are looking forward to making jam together tomorrow.

Jessica, my little worker, diligently filled up a basket several times.

Jeffery probably trampled more strawberries than he picked. Here is a rare moment being still.

Jerrod, getting in on the action.

After a snack and a few detours (I found the neatest natural foods market!), we went on a nature hike. The kids found a bird nest in the parking lot and a beaver beside the falls at the end of our hike.The picture's not real great, but you can see the waterfall.

It was so pretty, Jerrod was mesmerized by it, so I had to snap this adorable picture.

About Me...and You!

I found this fun quiz over at Somewhere in the Middle by Missylou, so I considered myself tagged and hope you consider yourself tagged as well. Link up to this post if you want to join in the fun and do this on your blog. Or just e-mail me your answers if you don't have a blog! I'd love to get to know you either way.

~~~~~~~~~~FOOD-OLOGY~~~~~~~~~~~~
What is your salad dressing of choice? RANCH
What is your favorite sit-down restaurant? FIRST LADIES' TEA ROOM

What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of? GREEN SMOOTHIES
What are your pizza toppings of choice? CHICKEN AND TOMATO AND FRESH MOZARELLA
What do you like on your toast? BUTTER

Chocolate or Vanilla? BOTH

~~~~~~~~~~~~TECHNOLOGY~~~~~~~~~~~~
How many televisions are in your house? ZERO
What color cell phone do you have? PURPLE

Do you have a laptop? NO

~~~~~~~~~~~~BIOLOGY~~~~~~~~~~~~
Are you right-handed or left-handed? RIGHT
Have you ever had anything removed from your body? HALF MY THYROID AND THREE CHILDREN
What is the last heavy item you lifted? MY DUMBBELLS
Have you ever been knocked unconscious? NO, ALTHOUGH MY BROTHER TRIED LOL

~~~~~~~~~~~~DUMBOLOGY~~~~~~~~~~~~
How many pairs of flip-flops do you own? 0
Last person you talked to on the phone? SOMEONE FOR MY JOB
Last person you hugged? MY HUSBAND

~~~~~~~~~~~~FAVORITE-OLOGY~~~~~~~~~~~~
Season? SPRING
Holiday? CHRISTMAS
Day of the week? SUNDAY
Month? DECEMBER

~~~~~~~~~~~~CURRENT-OLOGY~~~~~~~~~~~~

Missing someone? UM....I DON'T THINK SO
Mood? ENERGIZED
What are you listening to? JERROD "TALKING"
Watching? COMPUTER SCREEN
Worrying about? PERSONAL

~~~~~~~~~~~~RANDOM-OLOGY~~~~~~~~~~~~

First place you went this morning? KITCHEN
What's the last movie you saw? NOT SURE, IT WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL
Do you smile often? I TRY TO
Do you always answer your phone? NO, ONLY IF I HAVE TIME TO TALK
If you could change your eye color what would it be? I WOULDN'T--CAN'T DO BETTER THAN GOD
What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic? NEVER BEEN THERE
Do you own a digital camera? YES
Have you ever had a pet fish? YES
Favorite Christmas song(s)? MERRY CHRISTMAS, WITH LOVE

What's on your wish list for your birthday ? NOT SURE--HAVEN'T THOUGHT ABOUT IT
Can you do push-ups? WORKING ON IT
Can you do a chin up? NEVER TRIED

Does the future make you more nervous or excited? USUALLY EXCITED BECAUSE IT'S IN GOD'S HANDS
Do you have any saved texts? NO, MY PHONE CAN ONLY HANDLE SO MUCH!
Ever been in a car wreck? YEAH
Do you have an accent? DEPENDS ON WHO YOU TALK TO--MY SOUTHERN AND ENGLISH FRIENDS WOULD SAY YES
What was the last song to make you cry? EVERYTHING TO ME (MARK SCHULTZ)
Plans tonight? MAYBE GROCERY SHOPPING
Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom? YES
Have you ever been given roses? YES

Met someone who changed your life? BESIDES MY PRECIOUS SAVIOR--MY HUSBAND
How did you bring in the new year? THIS IS AWFUL, BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER!
What song represents you? MAKE IT REAL
Would you go back in time if you were given a chance?JUST LONG ENOUGH TO CHANGE A FEW MISTAKES
Have you ever dated someone longer than a year? NOT REALLY--I DIDN'T REALLY DATE

Do you have any tattoos/piercings? NO
What songs do you sing in the shower? I GET BATHS LOL! AND NO, I DON'T SING, I APPRECIATE THE QUIET
Ever had someone sing to you? YES
Do you like to cuddle? YES, WITH MY HUSBAND AND KIDS
How fast can you run? NEVER CLOCKED IT, BUT IT PROBABLY MAKES A RECORD AS ONE OF THE SLOWEST TIMES
Have you held hands with anyone today? NOT YET
Who was the last person you took a picture of? MY KIDS AT THE FIRE STATION
What kind of music did you sing in elementary school? I HAVE NO IDEA
Are most of the friends in your life new or old? SOME OF BOTH
Do you like pulpy orange juice? I DON'T MIND IT

What is something your friends make fun of you for? MY FRIENDS ARE BASICALLY NICE SO THEY DON'T MAKE FUN OF ME (AT LEAST, TO MY FACE)
Have you ever ridden a elephant? I THINK I DID WHEN I WAS LITTLE
Do you like to play Scrabble? YES
What are you saving your money up for right now? FAMILY VACATION
When is the last time you ate peanut butter & jelly? NOT SURE, A FEW WEEKS AGO?
What were you doing at 12am last night? UH, YOU CAUGHT ME...FINISHING UP A BLOG POST
What was the first thing you thought when you woke up? WHAT DO I NEED TO DO FIRST?

TAG....YOU'RE IT!!!!!!!!!

Celebrating 6 months and Friday's Fave Five

Yes, I know, I look for any reason to get out of work celebrate! However, we are on "staycation" next week, and Sunday, July 5, is the 6-month anniversary of this blog, so I'm taking a bit of a break from the regular posting schedule. We'll have a little fun, a little serious and a little in between throughout the week next week. I hope you all will participate to multiply the fun!

Now for.....

Enjoying Summer Edition

1. Field trips. The fun of homeschooling is you can take field trips anytime, so we went on one with a homeschool group today. Can you believe it was my first ever time in a fire station? So I went around asking questions like all the other kids. What do you expect from a poor, sheltered conventionally-schooled kid? Relax, non-homeschoolers, I'm only kidding. Incidentally, does it seem ironic to anyone but me that they have banned fire poles from fire stations because too many fire fighters were getting hurt?

2. Free library programs. Yeah, I've actually ventured out of the house more than once this week! We love the summer reading program at our library where the kids read to enter for prizes. My kids already each won a prize. Each Thursday they do a program for the kids, too. So far we've seen Outback Ray's animal show (complete with the kids petting a crocodile), the Bubble Lady (my daughter got to be inside a huge bubble), and Rick Smith, Jr., a magician and card thrower (he's in Guinness Book of World Records and he came to our humble little library--everybody say "Wow!").

3. Watching kids run through the sprinkler. They've been dying for 80 degree weather--my personal criteria for getting wet outside--and we have sure had it this week! So, we packed up and went to my mom's for lunch one day and let 'em at it.

4. Green, living things. If you knew how we had struggled with getting tomato plants to thrive on our city lot, you would understand why I'm excited that our tomato plants are HUGE and that my miniature rose bush is blooming nicely along with the assorted flowers in our flowerbed.

5. Staycations. We are planning to go away later this year, but when my husband was able to get this week off, too, we decided to stay home and rest. Well, rest as much as 3 kids under 7 will allow! We plan to do a few fun things around the area and just enjoy our time off work. I will be posting ahead this weekend to the blog. Just be patient if I'm late replying to your e-mails and comments, I don't know how much I'll be on the computer next week.

For more Friday's Fave Five, go to Living to Tell The Story.

Perspective and Priorities

A lost shoe. Spilled juice. Dirty diaper. Two changes of clothes. Last minute phone call. Skinned knee. Search for bandaids. Car seat that refuses to latch. Stalled traffic. Ten minute detour. Late arrival in less than good humor.

This is the story of many Sunday mornings at our house. It is also the account of what makes up a bigger portion of my life than I'd like to admit. Even more importantly, it is a list of things that I will not remember 20 years from now.

I recently made a list of my 20 year goals. They look so nice and bright...so far removed from the nitty gritty of the day-to-day. However, I know intuitively that those daily happenings are what makes up the reality of where I will be in twenty years. Somehow I have to get from here to there and the way I spend my days now dictates whether I will reach those goals that seem like lofty dreams from the perspective of spit-up-stained clothes and queries about the tooth fairy.

Photo courtesy of D Sharon Pruitt

I could share my schedule with you, but half of you would scoff at my lack of structure and the other half would roll your eyes with a "look how organized she is". My schedule, even if I lived by it perfectly (which I don't!), would not fit your day and situation. Regardless, the schedule, routine or to-do list is only a means to an end.

Photo courtesy of ASurroca

What about you? You may be a single now, but in twenty years you may be married or involved in ministry (the career God has for you is always your ministry). What you do today will prepare you for that goal. You may be married with no children today, but in twenty years you may have children to train or you may be enjoying life serving with your husband. Your to-do list today, in part, will pave the way for those activities. If your children are small, like mine are, you may feel that you will forever be wiping noses and breaking up fights. However, my children will likely be away from home in twenty years. Are my actions today (and yours) preparing them for a life of service to God and others?

Photo courtesy of army.mil

If you stopped by today to get new insight into the perfect schedule for you, I'm afraid you've been disappointed. However, I hope I've left you with something better...deeper. The Bible says that without vision the people perish. It also says that it is appointed unto each of us to die. Life as we know it today is all too short. Let's make every moment count for eternity!

Links and Book Review: Time Management Edition

I was given an older book (written in the early '90s) titled It's About Time by Ken Smith. I almost didn't read it...another time management book? However, the author speaks from a perspective that not many books on the subject address. First of all, his testimony is of a chaotic life nearly ruined by addiction and how the Lord changed him into the time management expert that he was at the writing of the book. The theme of the book was not goals, priorities or schedules although he addresses each of these. It was the word obedience. He maintains that obedience in the little things of each day will bring one to a life of order and peace. I didn't expect the spiritual aspect of this book, but it was very helpful to me.

More links on managing time as keepers of our homes:

Simple Mom's 8 Ways to Find Motivation at Home
Stephanie at Keeper of the Home shares "How I 'Do It All' "
Ever feel like you're Drowning in Home Management?
The Value of Sketching a Schedule

Lessons from the Ant

My children love to listen to Jungle Jam stories. One of their favorites is the story of the day the members of the ant colony took a lesson from Gruffy Bear and decided to "be their own bear". The queen ant was away, so they stopped working and did whatever they felt like doing. When she returned and wondered where her worker ants were, someone told her that they were off "being their own bear". Her reply? "Oh, not again! Last year they were being their own sloth." Apparently this wasn't a new problem!



Proverbs 6 talks about the ant:

Go to the ant, thou suggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

The ants from the Jungle Jam story were indeed a work of fiction, because the Bible tells us that ants do their job--day in and day out, rain or shine--without anyone to tell them what to do. In the world, despite the anti-authority sentiment that is so popular today, everyone has to answer to someone. In high school, it is somewhat easy to be organized and get to class on time because there are consequences in the form of a bad report card or a disciplinary procedure from the teacher, if one does not do what he is supposed to do. In a place of employment, there is always someone higher to which to be accountable. Even if one is the president of the company, he must answer to a board of directors or something similar.

Being a housewife, stay-at-home mom, working mother or whatever other term you use to define yourself as the keeper of your home is very different. You have a job description, but it is not very clearly defined or spelled out for you. You don't have anyone stopping by to inspect your toilets to see if they are up to code (thank goodness!). You don't have an annual report to submit to an employer on the amount of laundry detergent used or the number of meals prepared. You don't even have an employer at all. You are totally on your own. The freedom this affords can seem to be a good thing, but if this attitude is taken too far it can only lead to laziness and frustration.

We hear a lot about "time management" these days. In trying to take seriously my job, which has "no guide, overseer or ruler", I have learned by sheer necessity that some structure has to be placed upon my days or I will accomplish nothing of value. Therein lies the key...what am I trying to accomplish? We'll talk more about that later this week.

What are some ways that you structure yourself and your home without an "overseer"?

Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today...Monday, June 22, 2009

Outside my window...sunny and calm

I am thinking...about what to fix for breakfast

From the learning rooms...we are READING for the summer library program

I am thankful for...my family

From the kitchen... froze a bunch of berries for smoothies, made homemade pizza with some help from my husband on a new kind, and strawberry lemonade

I am wearing... red flowered shirt and blue denim jumper (classic homeschool mama, right? ;-)

I am reading... More than Enough by Dave Ramsey

I am hoping...to finish some nagging chores this week

I am creating...order in my house today...make that attempting to

I am praying...for a friend to surrender to God

Around the house...I have two rooms of windows to clean and my spring cleaning will be officially done...took me long enough!

One of my favorite things...juicy summer peaches..will be freezing some today

A few plans for the rest of the week...fire station field trip with the kids and preparing for vacation (a staycation actually)

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

Right after Jeff finished cleaning his bike, hence the cleaning products in the background

Friday Fave Five

1. Giveaways. I finally won my first two blog giveaways although I enter them often. Thank you to Christian Frugal Mama and Health Begins With Mom!

2. Kids' drama. This from my three-year-old after getting in trouble for a minor offense yesterday afternoon: "This is a horrible day. It isn't what I expected."

3. Finding new parks. My friend, Charity, let me know about an awesome park for kids that has a white picket fence all the way around it with only one entrance/exit, a complete sandbox area, tons of climbing, swinging, sliding equipment, several baby areas and accessible bathrooms. We met there last week and our kids had a blast.

4. Babies that sleep until 8:30 A.M. I don't know how long this will last, but I thought I'd mention it here while it was still happening.

5. Date nights. We had to cancel reservations to an overnight getaway for our tenth anniversary since our littlest one cries--non-stop!--whenever we leave him with anyone but my mom and she's going to be out of town on our only free night. (Whew! Run on sentence.) We are happy to be able to get away for an evening, though, and know that this season passes only too quickly therefore the disappointment isn't as keen as one would think.

Thirteen Reasons I Love Being Married to My Husband

If you're visiting from Blissfully Domestic today, thanks for stopping by! I hope you'll look around my blog and get to know me a bit better before you leave. I'd also love to meet you and get to know you, so feel free to leave a comment as well. Now, for my My Husband Rocks post, originally part of:


1. He is the world's most handsome hunk!
2. He takes providing for his family seriously...and does it well.
3. He is a spiritual leader that helps keep me on track.
4. He loves me just the way I am...and always has.
5. He is a terrific father.
6. He has awesome good looks! (Oh, did I already say that?)
7. He is a real man of which I can be proud.
8. He treats me like his queen and appreciates what I do for him.
9. He never tells me to stop talking! (Yes, he is close to sainthood, as a matter of fact!)
10. He never forgets a special occasion and always treats them with importance.
11. He is simply gorgeous! (Oops...there it is again...can't help myself!)
12. He can cook. (Although I try not to take advantage of it, there is definitely a relief in knowing my children are getting more than Doritos and candy bars when I am in the hospital or otherwise incapacitated.)
13. I fall deeper in love with him every day!

For more Three Moms Thursday posts, go to www.happytobeathome.net

Links and Book Review: Growing Your Marriage

I finally read a copy of the e-book I had on my computer, Secrets of Fascinating Womanhood by Helena Andelin. You can download your own free copy here.

Even if you have a wonderful marriage, there are things to learn in this book to make it even better. Some of the things you have heard before, but others might surprise you. It is written in story form, but there are 10 secrets given in the story, as the subtitle says, "to show you how to unlock all the love and tenderness in your man." This is a must read especially if you have a struggling marriage.

I didn't wholeheartedly agree with the book. Although Mrs. Andelin stresses that men appreciate our natural appearance, I would take it a step or two further as a matter of my and my husband's personal choice. I also wasn't too sure about the last step on how to handle our anger towards our husband. My husband prefers that I talk to him about what is making me angry, but the secret almost sounded manipulative.

You'll have to tell me what you think after reading it. All in all, it's a great book and one that might save a lot of women a lot of grief (and men, too!) in their marriages.

Now a few links for you regarding growing your marriage. A good, Godly marriage is priceless! Cultivate and grow it as a top priority in your life.

• Michelle from She Looketh Well talks about Praying for our Man
• Courtney at Women Living Well gives us Five Steps for dealing with bitterness towards our husband
• Kelly from Generation Cedar answers the question, "Does Biblical marriage only work if your husband is nice?"
• Also from Kelly....Michelle Obama's marriage is making feminists mad?!?
• And one more from Kelly about what it means to be one flesh
  

How It All Began: The Romantic, The Terrible, The Hilarious

This week, my beloved husband and I will celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. I told you here how we met and about our engagement.

Let me just say that too many people focus on the wedding as the big event, but it is actually the marriage that is the event. A wedding is just a celebration of the beginning of what is truly important. It saddens me to hear of brides paying on the wedding long after the marriage has dissolved.

Another common sentiment that I have found to not be true is the "first year the hardest" theory. I guess the idea is you are getting used to each other and you have a lot of adjustments to make. We were so excited to be together that trying to "get through the first year" was laughable to us. We thoroughly enjoyed that year and every year since.

So are we special or did we do things exactly right in order to make it this far? Of course not. Only by the grace of God my husband and I are more in love now than we were on our wedding day. Putting two stubborn firstborns together who enjoy getting their own way could be a recipe for disaster, but God has been with us every step of the way, gently leading and correcting when the need arose. We are looking forward to what He wants to do in our lives for the next 10 years!

I'm not going to tell you every detail of our wedding day and those leading up to it, but I will tell you a few of the highlights and post pictures later this week.

The Terrible

• One of our singers got laryngitis the night before the wedding!
• I almost blew my blusher veil into the flame while blowing out the unity candle!
• Everyone who stayed at a local hotel conveniently disappeared at checkout time leaving my poor groom scrambling to find them in time to get to the church (and wondering if he was going to have to pay the bill!).
• Our car broke down the first weekend of our honeymoon so my parents had to deliver a part to us and my new husband spent some time underneath our car so we could get to our next destination.
  

The Hilarious

• My younger brother and sister got into a water fight in the bathroom while I was at home getting ready for the wedding and my parents were decorating the reception hall. I had to break it up, and did NOT think it was hilarious at the time!
• In my husband's desperate attempts to find his absent wedding party, he called our house and I answered the phone. The first words he spoke were, "I'm not supposed to be talking to you!" We had agreed to have no contact on our wedding day until I walked down the aisle.
• Since we spent every moment together on our honeymoon and had the same experiences, we had the same dream one night. A little freaky, but funny none-the-less!
  

The Romantic

• My husband-to-be left our house just before midnight the night before the wedding but not before scraping the bottom of my wedding shoes so they wouldn't be too slippery the next day.
• Jeff had my one red rose delivered the morning of our wedding along with a sweet note.
• I was "carried over the threshold" twice--once into the place we stayed our first night and once into our first home.
  

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY, June 15, 2009...

Outside my window...the sun is shining and it looks like it's going to be a beautiful day.

I am thinking...of my blog post for the week and the topic of marriage in general.

I am thankful for...time with my sister and her husband.

From the learning rooms...we have boxed up all our first grade books not to be seen for 3 more years.

From the kitchen...I am making waffles for breakfast.

I am wearing...a yellow top and blue and yellow flowered skirt.

I am creating...oh, I don't like this question....I just don't create much.

I am going...to a cookout at my mom's.

I am reading...Created to Be His Helpmeet by Debi Pearl.

I am hoping...to get some cleaning done today.

I am hearing...Jerrod's baby noises and Jeffery's incessant questions (directed to my husband this time!).

Around the house...I have some straightening to do from the weekend "dash and dump" routine. I also need to finish spring cleaning my bedroom and windows in all bedrooms.

One of my favorite things...cookouts with the whole family...we had one with Jeff's family last week and mine today.

A few plans for the rest of the week: cleaning, playing, working...nothing different...just the usual.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...
The first rose(s) of summer

Fiction Friday

Once upon a time there was a basket of freshly-gathered eggs sitting in the farm's
refrigerator. With nothing better to do, they began talking about what they wanted to
become.

One egg commented, "I hope that I will be poached in the microwave. It looks like
such a high-tech machine. I'm sure it would be a thrilling experience!"

"Not me!" another one spoke up. "The old fashioned way is the best for me. I want to be
hard-boiled on the stove top."

"The old fashioned way is nice, but boiling isn't much of an adventure," said
another. "I want to get out of my shell to be cooked. My dream is to be a fried egg!"

"I agree, I'd like to get out of my shell, but I also would like to mix with some others.
I want to be a scrambled egg."

The last egg had been very quiet throughout this exchange, but now it vehemently declared,
"I will not be cooked at all!"

"What?!" exclaimed the egg nearest.

"You cannot be eaten if you are not cooked!" chimed in another one.

"Exactly!" the rebellious egg affirmed. "I do not want to be eaten. What a waste!"

"But," sputtered the egg aspiring to be hard-boiled, "eggs were MADE to be eaten. That is
our purpose in life!" All the other eggs agreed.

"That's what THEY want you to believe!" the egg motioned to the refrigerator door. "After
all, they get all the benefits. They get to consume an excellent egg and think nothing of
it. But we, on the other hand, have nothing to show for it. We are simply gone and no one
remembers us at all after a few days."

The others looked at one another skeptically. Could it really be true? It was all just a
selfish ploy on the part of the people? Was there more to life for an egg? The egg hoping
to be poached in the microwave cried, "But don't you remember the question of which came first,
the chicken or the egg? We've always known that it was the chicken because that is where
we came from. God created the first chicken, and eggs have always been. God has always
allowed us to be eaten, at least those of us that didn't become chickens."

"It's a little late for that," the egg dreaming of frying interjected.

"But who said that anyway? How do we know that God created us or that He wanted us to be
eaten?" This question quite stymied the eggs, and they rested in their basket in silence
for a good while pondering it.

Finally, one brave egg exclaimed, "I don't know quite how we came to know it, but I know
it is true. After all, it works perfectly. Every good egg worth its' yolk aspires to be
cooked and eaten."

"Well I, for one, am going to be different!" the nonconformist egg replied. "You all may
waste away your life in the belly of a person, but I will get my fulfillment out of life.
Just watch!"

"But what do you plan to do?" asked one of the others.

"I will go away from the basket and no one will find me. I will do whatever I want, and
long after you are eaten, I will be fulfilling an egg's best dream."

"What could an egg possibly dream other than to be cooked and eaten?" muttered the
proponent of scrambling. But the stubborn egg had made up its' mind and was not to be
dissuaded by those "brainwashed, hard-shelled creatures." So, it made its way to the bottom
of the vegetable bin and was indeed missed the whole following week as the farmer's wife
used each of the other eggs.

The egg that desired the high-tech lifestyle was indeed poached and enjoyed providing such
a healthy meal for the farmer's lunch. The egg that wished to be hard-boiled the old
fashioned way, bobbled merrily in the rolling water and giggled as the farmer sprinkled
salt over its' new yolk. The next egg was fried to perfection and had a wonderful
conversation with the bacon who was happy to join him in providing a delightful breakfast
for the farmer before he went to work in the field. "Beats a pig sty any day!" were the
last words that little egg heard it say. The egg that enjoyed mixing with others, reveled
in the experience of joining the milk in the bowl and being whipped with a fork into a
lovely froth. They made a great team as they were pushed about the pan, and they were very
happy to meet the fresh-grated cheese the farmer's wife sprinkled atop them before placing
them on the farmer's plate. So it was that none of them ever did know the end of the
stubborn egg hiding away in the vegetable drawer.

That poor egg thought that everyone would respect it just because it was an egg,
but the onions and peppers only sneered. "Don't you know that eggs are meant to be eaten?"
The baking soda which graced the back of the refrigerator to fight odors told him that
being out in the cold refrigerator world sounded good at first, but after a while life got
a little stale. Refusing to listen, the egg tried to skip to the butter crock only to be
shoved out by a disgusted stick of butter. "Of all the things an egg can be, why would you
try to be something you're not designed to be? An egg can never become butter!" That shove
proved to be the end of that egg's aspiring dreams. The next morning, the farmer's wife
opened the door to see a horrific mess on the bottom of her squeaky clean refrigerator.
"Oh my! How did this happen? I'm sure I didn't drop any of the eggs." The last thing the
broken egg heard as he was put into the trash to rot was a sigh and the words,
"What a waste!"

Though humorous perhaps as it relates to eggs, this is the sad tale of many a
woman. Determining to "be her own person" and refusing to "waste her life on others", she
steps away from the role God graciously designed for her to fill. She becomes like the
stubborn egg trying to fill the roles designed for others. At best, she will spend her life
secretly thinking things are "a little stale". However, when she gets to the end of her
life and realizes that her life was lived only for herself and is broken and rotten, she
will be forced to admit, "What a waste!"

On the other hand, those women that embrace their roles of wife and mother find that life is far from boring or wasted. There are so many opportunities open to them as keepers of their homes. Perhaps they will do things the old fashioned way as did the hard-boiled egg. Or maybe they prefer the glamor of the high-tech like the poached egg. They may enjoy a solitary life of quiet or they may mix with other women sharing the joy of a life dedicated to their families. The possibilities for women are endless if they desire to be women as God created them to be.


For more fiction, simply click the button at the top of this post.

House Tour: Dining Room and Kitchen

Dining Room

Kitchen

Links and Book Review: Spring Cleaning Edition

I am using Tsh Oxenreider's (aka Simple Mom's) e-book as a guide for my cleaning this week. It's called Spring Cleaning for Normal People. I like it because it allows you ten days to get your cleaning done and you can do it any time of the year. (Although technically, it is still spring until June 21!) She has forms and charts and homemade cleaner recipes in it as well. A great resource for the domestically challenged, organized homemaker wannabes like me!

If you'd like something along these lines for free, go to this link for Christian Homekeeper's version. The website also has a lot of neat cleaning tips.

Links:
Keep Your House Spring Clean Fresh All Summer Long
Making Your Own Homemade Cleaners
Flylady.net
Complete Spring Cleaning Checklist

House Tour: Living Room

Note: This is Family Life week, but I am switching things around. I'm focusing on marriage next week because it is our tenth anniversary week. So...this is home week...

I have been telling you that I am spring cleaning. I missed the Spring Cleaning Party that Simple Mom had last month because we were busy finishing school. So, I decided to do it after school and thought it would be the best time to give you a tour of my home while it's clean (not sure how long it will stay that way although I have the best of intentions and schedules!). You all tell me you like pictures, so here goes...nothing fancy but it's our haven away from the world.

Front Entry

Not sure what's going on with the ceiling fan light. It isn't really fluorescent. If anyone has a clever idea for storing our shoes as we come in the door, I'd love to hear it! I've tried a basket and thought about a covered bench, but our space is limited as you can see.

The Other Side of the Room

The wall is blank because I took all my pictures down and I'm making a new wall arrangement. The basket holds Jerrod's toys--nice and portable to move wherever I need him to play while I work.

To the Left of the Front Door

This is my piano purchased from Steinway Hall right after we got married. No, it is not a Steinway, but at least it used to live next to one. :-) It is a little worse for the wear after 30-40 piano students over the years, but I love it. It's been the scene of heart-t0-hearts with students, "music time" with the kids and comfort at difficult times in my life.

The Fireplace

Our non-working fireplace and my husband's clock collection on the mantle.

In case you were wondering, no I did not do before pictures. I'm a pretty transparent blogger, but not THAT transparent. :-)

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY June 8, 2009...

Outside my window...I can hear my husband working and the kids playing in the yard and it looks like rain.

I am thinking...of which jobs I need to tackle today.

I am thankful for...a caring husband that takes providing for us seriously.

From the learning rooms...Jeffery is recognizing more of his letters and Jessica is busy creating stories...all unofficial "summer break" learning.

From the kitchen...I'm loving using my fresh herbs in our meals...so much fun! My kitchen still has a few stacks to deal with from my cleaning on Saturday.

I am wearing...my black skirt and black and white checked top.

I am creating...my menu plan and shopping list for the week.

I am going...to the grocery store.

I am reading...Fascinating Womanhood for blog review and Created to Be His Helpmeet with a friend.

I am hoping...to accomplish a lot today.

I am hearing...the weed whacker and kids laughing.

Around the house...my living room and dining room are finished and my kitchen well on their way. I will tackle the rest of my spring cleaning this week.

One of my favorite things...the first rose of summer on my old fashioned rose bush that my husband brings inside to me every year.

A few plans for the rest of the week: finishing my spring cleaning, getting out Jerrod's 12 month clothes and preparing for being away Sunday at my brother-in-law's ordination.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...I love these old-fashioned pictures from Allposters.com.

For others' posts like these, visit Simple Woman's Daybook.

Glimpses of Love

If you have been ill and felt the touch of your mother's hand...

If you have been afraid and ran to the strong arms of your daddy...

If you have stumbled, gotten up and heard the cheering of your parents...

If your heart has beat wildly when a "certain someone" entered the room...

If your sweetheart's profession of love has brought tears to your eyes and an ache to your chest...

If you have stroked the velvety softness of a newborn's cheek...


If you have watched your husband cradle that newborn in his arms and exclaim with shining eyes, "She's beautiful!"...

If you have inhaled the "baby smell" of a newborn's head, felt tiny fingers wrap around your own, seen your child's first smile, and heard the first word...



If you have seen a doctor's furrowed brow and cried inside, "Let it be me instead!"

If you have met a tired, dirty husband at the door as he comes home from a hard day's work...

If you have made a horrible choice and heard the words, "I forgive you"...

If you have felt the pain of a child's screamed, "I hate you!"...

If you have seen your teenager running from all that is good straight towards all that is evil and spent nights weeping...

If you welcome back the repentant child covered with the dust of sin and reeking of the stench of evil...

...than you have seen just a glimpse of the deep, deep love God has for YOU!

All photos by allposters.com

The Gospel According to Pinocchio (Part Three)

If you didn't read Part One and Two, please read those first.

When Pinocchio found the bottle with the message in it, it told him the lengths to which his father had gone in order to rescue his disobedient child. Remember the first time you were faced with Grace? When you saw the sacrifice made for you when you were no more deserving of it than a cockroach deserves to eat from the table of a King? Pinocchio began his choosing at that point. He could have turned his back on the sacrifice made by his father and returned to Pleasure Island. In doing so, he would have gone to the salt mines.

Many do the same thing. They are faced with Christ’s sacrificial death for us and turn their back, returning to the games of sin. Though it grieves the Father, He has given them their free will and they go to Hell of their own choosing. However, Pinocchio did not do that. Instead, he began to think of his father and came to the point where he was willing to go back to him on account of the sacrifice he had made. He swam into the mouth of the whale, facing death for his father. I find it interesting that his conscience was left outside. The quest for the Father becomes such a strong pull that a conscience is overshadowed by the Spirit’s wooing.

The time in the belly of the whale was a time of reunion with his father, but Pinocchio had not yet found life. He wanted to save himself in his own way. His efforts only saved him from one peril, the whale’s belly, and plunged him into another, the ocean and certain death.

Death is essential to love. God loved so He gave His Son. Christ loves so He died for us. We must love so much that we give our lives completely to God. Geppetto found Pinocchio’s lifeless form and wept. God knows that we must come to the point of death in order to love Him which is what He desires, but He loves us so much that it grieves Him to see us suffer even to that extent.

Geppetto took Pinocchio home. Withe the Blue Fairy's return and granting of life to him, the parallel to our own salvation is complete. The Holy Spirit sees that we die to sin and gives us spiritual life. Note that Pinocchio never reached school. Though we can try to attain to the Law, it is impossible in our depraved state. We will never measure up.

Do you remember when you woke from that death to see your home? And to see the Father? No mention was made of Pinocchio’s disobedience. He was more than just a changed Pinocchio with a blotted out past. He was new! The new Pinocchio had done no wrong. He was completely new with no past. It was as if his past rejection of his father had never happened. And so are we—new creatures in Christ Jesus with none of the old past hanging on to us.

Perhaps the best part of the story is that Jiminy Cricket moved on. When we are in a constant relationship of love with our Father, we no longer need a conscience or the Law. The Spirit dwells within us and writes His Law on our hearts and we are free— free from the Law, free from sin and free to love our Father. So, God’s wish—for fellowship with His creation—really can come true.

I'd love to hear your story of Grace. Care to share?

The Gospel According to Pinocchio (Part Two)

If you didn't read Part One, please read yesterday's post first.

Two phenomenal things happen in the story at this point: Geppetto begins to search for Pinocchio. So does our Father. We are lost and running from His love, but He seeks us. Then, in the very bondage of our own making, the Holy Spirit visits us.

Pinocchio was not ready to repent and love when the Blue Fairy found him in Stromboli’s cage, but his pride had been deflated and had gotten him into a mess from which he could not free himself. He tried to lie to the Blue Fairy, but just as the “One that guides into all truth”, she could not be fooled. She set him free but allowed him to keep his own free will.

When the fox and the cat met up with him again, he told them he was “going home to Papa”, but he never made it. They enticed him again, this time with pleasure. Pinocchio and his peers enjoyed all the forbidden things of Pleasure Island and forgot about school entirely. We’ve all been at that point—giving lust free reign with no regard to our nagging conscience or the Law that seems so far away—not to mention our Father and His love for us. But sin “makes a donkey out of us”, just as Pleasure Island did to Pinocchio. It reduces us to a braying fool clutching at the world’s “candy” and “trinkets” while being prepared for the salt mines of eternal bondage.

Though many lose themselves in sin and ultimately end up in the salt mines, or Hell, Pinocchio’s relentless conscience got him out before he was eternally lost. Running for his life, he dove off the cliff to the ocean below. That crisis experience is one we all must face on the way back to our Father. It is the time when we become sick of sin and rush from it for our very lives.

Tomorrow we will conclude with Part Three. Thanks for sticking with me on a little "deeper" topic this week!

The Gospel According to Pinocchio (Part One)

As I read Disney’s version of Pinocchio to my daughter for the fiftieth time, I began to see the classic story in a whole new light. I’m not sure what the author had in mind when he wrote Pinocchio’s adventure, but I see it as the tale of every man and his struggle with good and evil and the drama of the Law and Grace.

The story begins in the shop of a woodcarver named Geppetto. Man’s story began when God created in the Garden of Eden. And my story? It began when I was born into this world. And so did yours. Each man born since the Fall has possessed a great void, one that theologians call depravity and what we may call a “God-shaped” hole that nothing but He can fill. In that respect, we are little more than lifeless puppets at our creation, physical beings created in the image of God but with no spiritual life.

As Geppetto looked out his window on the night of Pinocchio’s creation and wished that he would become a real boy, God the Father looks at His creation and puts into motion a plan to woo man to Himself that he may receive life. When we are born, any spiritual activity is basically inert until we reach an age of accountability. We live physically, but we sit on the shelf, so to speak, as Pinocchio did. But, there comes a day when the Holy Spirit speaks to the heart with conviction and Truth.

In Pinocchio’s story, the Blue Fairy came and awakened Pinocchio, not to real life, but to the realization that he was not complete. This is continually brought to our mind by the receipt of our conscience, which to Pinocchio came in the form of Jiminy Cricket. Geppetto’s joy over Pinocchio’s coming to this partial life is not unlike God’s. He joys in the wooing of man just as he joys in our receiving spiritual life. Though He has omnipotence and can keep us in His “shop” where we will follow His every wish by force, He knows love is a choice. And, the choice to love God can only be made when we are set free to will what we choose and given the opportunity to reject Him.

Geppetto sent Pinocchio away, but he sent him to school. So God sends us to the schoolmaster of the Law, for He knows that unless we know the Law, we will never know our sin. And until we come face to face with our sin, we will never choose Him. From this point on, Pinocchio’s life represents a struggle. His conscience, the “inner law”, struggles with the outward influences of evil in his world. The fox and the cat represent Satan’s agents to draw us further and further from the Law and consequently, the Father. The first temptation they used to trap Pinocchio is fame—nothing more than an appeal to carnal pride. Pinocchio forsakes all thoughts of school to become a puppet for Stromboli. Many have sought fame and allowed their pride to make them mere puppets only to lock them in a cage of bondage in the end.

Come back tomorrow for Part Two...

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY, June 1, 2009...

Outside my window...my neighbor's American flag barely moving in the breeze.

I am thinking...of my to-do list for the week.

I am thankful for...a certain little boy sitting on my lap asking me questions.

From the learning rooms...nothing official. As part of my cleaning this week, we will be boxing up all the first grade things (for 3 more years) and school supplies and clearing off the "school shelf".

From the kitchen...need to start the dishwasher from breakfast dishes and put some rolls in the bread machine for supper.

I am wearing...my white shirt and favorite jean skirt.

I am creating...a list of questions for the doctor this afternoon (Jerrod's 9 month well child checkup).

I am going...to Jerrod's doctor appointment.

I am reading...It's About Time and Carbs from Heaven (yes, still! Not much time to read lately, and I got sidetracked with the other book).

I am hoping...the doctor can help with kids' food allergy questions I have.

I am hearing...Jeffery laughing and asking how many more minutes 'til he can play computer.

Around the house...straightening up today in preparation for spring cleaning the next two weeks.
One of my favorite things...Pearberry scent from Bath and Body--don't think they carry it anymore, but I have a mostly full set left.

A few plans for the rest of the week: spring cleaning! Finally, and for real this time! You'll hear more about it later.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...











For more daybook posts, go here.

Spiritual Life Week: Allegories

According to my new blog schedule, this is spiritual life week. I had something planned for this week, but as I was looking through some old files I found an article I wrote some time ago and began thinking of allegories. Since I'm doing something really different this week, I thought I owed you a post of explanation.

From John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress to C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia to Ted Dekker's Black, White and Red; I love stories that not only entertain but have application to my spiritual life. It's kind of like a treasure hunt for the mind: what's beneath the surface? My mind works rather strangely, I admit, but I have found some of Disney's works to be allegories. I know, Disney rewrote some classic fairy tales--they weren't all his original works. However, as a child, I enjoyed the "classic" Disney stories and have enjoyed reading them to my own children.

This week, I'm going to share in three parts my own interpretation of a story most, if not all, of us know well. What does this have to do with being a wife, mother, and keeper of the home? Much! Am I straying from my original purpose of this blog? Not at all. I firmly believe that if our spiritual life is not in order, we miss our whole purpose for marriage, parenting and keeping the home.

So, stay with me. The message of the story I will discuss this week may convict you, may anger you or may resonate with you from your own experience. You may want to prepare by raiding your child's bookshelf and reading again the story of.....