Tis the Season

I read a fantastic idea on another blog that The White House will be stealing for this new year. We are going to take all the holiday cards we receive this season, draw one each week (or month depending on how many we get), and spend that week or month in prayer for that family. So, if we are on your christmas card list~know that The White House will be covering you in prayer in the new year.

Education money can't buy

I survived my first week of being a lunchroom monitor at B.'s school. Here are the things I learned this week...

1. School cafeterias love fried anything. And sticking lettuce on the tray counts as a well balanced meal.

2. Kids get as excited for the weekend as we adults do.

3. Kindergarten through 3rd grade loves everything you do, what you wear, and thinks you are ever so pretty.

4. They also think you are older than dirt, are mean if you won't let them eat only their ice cream and point out every flaw you have every single day.

5. Fourth graders think they are too cool for everything. And love to make fun of each other mercilessly.

6. Fifth grade boys have discovered Axe bodyspray, but not the shower. They also believe they are Rico Suavee.

7. Kids LOOOOVVVEEE it when their parents come to have lunch with them. That 20-30 minutes changes their whole day.

8. Very few children have parents who pack them a good lunch or write them a sweet note or stick in a favorite treat once in a while.

9. Southern women really do call EVERYONE baby.

10. That when told they can dress up like what they want to be when they grow up, most chose a rapper or popstar. {SCARY}

I won! I won! I won!

A while back my friend Suzi had a giveaway. For her 10,000 hit on her blog she was making something "quilty". I left my comment and crossed my fingers. And I WON! A few short weeks after that arrived a package containing an ADORABLE scarecrow quilt. It has been the talk of all who have entered my house and I just love it. Since I am a bit of a computer dummy, I cannot figure how to get the picture of it off my camera and onto the computer, so you can see it here. She also has an Etsy shop with all her quilty goodies. So, check her out. Thank you Suzi! And congratulations on 10,000 hits in one year! You've inspired me to give something away when I reach that milestone. Guess I better learn how to do something;)

Count your blessings

I have had this song in my head a lot lately. Mostly because I have been flooded with blessings and I am seeing God working on a daily basis. As you may, or may not, know The President and I ventured into the world of home~based business. NOT in our comfort area at all! We are not natural born motivators, or polished "salesmen", or even able to jump into a conversation with complete strangers. But, we want to be able to put B. through college {without her being saddled with mind~blowing debt}, I'd love for his back to not be further crippled by his job, and we want to be able to make mission trips where we support ourselves and do things for the Kingdom we haven't been able to fathom to this point. Our hope for the future overrode our doubts. For awhile. Family wouldn't help us, friends hardly listened to us, and co~workers were skeptical. We let it get to us. We were saddened by the lack of support, disappointed in our abilities, and our hearts were hardening to the whole thing. Then our friends {the ones who shared the opportunity with us} called one afternoon. They wanted to come by to show us something. They had just been to the yearly big conference and I knew it had something to do with Ambit. I really wasn't in the mood. I was done. I'd written it off as a dumb move and was just "waiting" it out until The President decided to pull the plug. I didn't want to hear a motivational speech or any cheerleading. I was stone~cold on it. They rang the doorbell and asked us to come out. I sure wasn't in the mood to stand outside in the blaring sun and listen. As I rounded the corner toward my driveway I noticed a brand~new shiny car. "Oh! You got a new car. I didn't know you were planning on getting a new car" I said with relief. With giant grins on their faces they said "We weren't! We WON it at AMBITION!!" They didn't just win any ol' car either. They won a $40k, brand new Lexus. We were thrilled for them. What an awesome gift. The President and I spent the afternon talking about our efforts for our business. Had we been doing all we could? I realized that day, that we were leaving out the most important part of our business...God! We had allowed our faith in Him to be waivered by other people's negativity. We had dropped Him at the first sign of struggle. The President and I decided to make God the center of our business from then on and give it a whole~hearted try. A few days later we got a call from our Lexus driving friends who said they wanted to give us their van. GIVE US THEIR VAN! I sat with tears streaming down my face as we talked on the phone. We have lived with one car for years and years. {We have a wonderful set of friends who often let us use their cars or trucks many many times, but we only had one permanent car.} They gave me a laundry list of everything "wrong" with it but wanted us to have it if we thought we could use it. So, now we are driving a "new" van. The unselfishness they have shown is such a blessing. Their generousity, a wonderful example. We started going to meetings, making calls, ordering cards and car door magnets. We prayed for opportunities, and for resiliency, and for courage. We have had people going to meetings with us, people wanting to hear the opportunity, and people interested in becoming customers. I was still praying hard. And thanking God for each opportunity. But, as I sat watching Facing The Giants, I was struck by something. Something I had never thought of before. The main characters in the movie had been praying for a baby for years but were having tremendous difficulty conceiving. The husband asks his wife "what if God's answer is no". She responds that she will have to accept His answer. He replies "but will you still love Him". Ding Ding Ding, a light bulb went off in my heart. I began to really search myself. And, ashamedly, found I am guilty of "conditionally loving God". I pray to Him, beg Him, and praise Him, but I have let my love be chipped away when I don't get my way. I swell with love when He answers with a yes. But, when He challenges me, works on me, or worse~says no...I pout, get upset, even stop talking to Him. I do not know what God has planned for our business, if we will find financial freedom, if The President can quit that back~breaking job, if we can go on self~funded mission trips, if B. will get to go to college free and clear. But, it really doesn't matter. We will do our best, we will keep praying, we will keep praising, and we will love LOVE HIM. No matter what. Who would have ever thought God would use someonelse's Lexus to wake me up?

AUNT LAVERN

Several weeks ago my mom called to say my Aunt Lavern had been taken to the hospital. She had been having some kind of heart issue and her blood pressure was dipping dangerously low. In all the testing, a spot was discovered in her lungs. The doctor said they would continue to test, but seemed cautiously convinced it was cancer. Testing proved what we all feared. It was lung cancer. My aunt chose not to have any kind of treatment {she was a nurse and knew first hand what treatment, and lack there of, would entail}. Her daughter moved her in with her, and many of her siblings were able to see her. On Monday, I was informed she was back in the hospital and would be having a bone scan. It was thought the cancer was in her entire body and having a scan would help in focusing on pain management for my aunt. She was dying. The goal was to keep her as comfortable as possible. We didn't know how long she had or how bad it really was. It was all happening so fast. Last night, as I walked in the door from a whirlwind day of meetings, homework, ballet practice, housework, PTA responsibilities, cooking, etc...etc..., the phone was ringing. It was mom saying my aunt had died. The inevitable had happened. So much sooner than we all had selfishly hoped. I am grateful she did not suffer through a long drawn out ordeal. That she spent those last days with her children and her little brothers and sisters. That she was surrounded by love.

My memories of my aunt have been flooding my mind. She loved to play poker. And she would sit quietly, playing for hours, making bets that was just giving her money away. She loved getting together with family. She was great with children. She was gentle, quiet, laid back, calm, and kind. She always smiled, was patient {she would let me "perform" my "concerts" as a kid as many times as I wanted}, and made the world's best peanut brittle. I love my Aunt Lavern. And as grateful as I am for her quick passing, I am so deeply saddened. I will miss her so very much. She was a wonderful part of my life for 36 years and I thank my Lord above for her. I thank Him for blessing our family with Aunt Lavern.

Friday Funnies

B. and I were driving home from school listening to Acapella's "Roll the stone away" on the tape player {yes, I said tapeplayer, they didn't put Cd players in cars when ours was made 13+ years ago}. From the back seat I hear my sweet daughters high pitched, off~key voice singing, "roll the cr** away, roll the cr** away, Lord God all nighty gonna roll the cr** away"...

Most of us, when trying to get someones attention, will say their name..."George". They may say back, to show they know who they are talking to, "Bob". Here is B.'s version of that. B. "Daddy", The President "B.", B. "What?"

B. asked me to babysit her dolly while she was in school...here are her instructions. "You can just leave her here in the car. She likes that. You don't have to change her diaper. Even if she gets smelly. I'll do it when I get home. I don't want to pay you for changing her. Don't let her get out of the car to watch TV. Don't forget to bring her when you come to pick me up, I know she'll be stinky by then". Poor baby!

This video is from a christian comedian, who I think is hilarious. For my 1.2 male readers, this video is for you. {and ladies, you'll get a big kick too}

Happy Friday!!

That Day...

I have never been a real political gal. I have never really believed much of what comes out of politicians mouths. I vote on specific moral issues, and have never enjoyed the banter of policy talk and heated debates and smear campaigns. But, as I sat in my bedroom, putting on my makeup for work...I was forever changed. I watched in disbelief as something hit one of the world trade centers. I had been up early that day as I was nauseous {I was pregnant...we just had no clue yet} and decided to watch a morning news program {something I NEVER did}, and there it was. This almost incomprehensible tragedy. My eyes welled up, my heart broke, and I felt a fear, and sadness, and anger I had never felt before and pray I never feel again. That day has had an immeasurable impact. Even for those of us who do not live in New York, or know anyone who was on one of the planes, or in one of the towers. It has defined a presidency, sent brave men and women {like my step-son}into a foreign tumultuous land, brought a nation together in mourning and renewed patriotism, produced a baby~boom, caused people to take stock of their lives, made us appreciate "the small things" more, and sent people on a path to find God. Time has faded these things, I am afraid. Our resiliency as a nation has led some to forget {and excuse} the horrors of that day. My prayer is that God bless the USA. That He will spur voters into poll booths, that He will guide candidates as they campaign, that He will only allow the best man for our country to become president, and bless that man with wisdom in all those areas I never cared about 7 years ago. I pray that we, as Americans, will remember the lives lost, both on that day and on the battle fields. That we will remember the lessons learned on September 11. That we will praise Him for the wonderful country He has blessed us with.