Observing My Senses

For Today, January 30,2010...

I am seeing...clouds overhead. It's supposed to be a rainy weekend.

I am hearing...Dateline on ID (Investigation Discovery channel).

I am feeling...hungry - it's lunchtime. I'm gonna make burgers.

I am tasting...cranapple juice.

I am smelling...my clean home. The windows are closed because the winds are blowing and it smells like cow manure outside. Not pleasant.

It just takes a moment to see what's going on around you. Won't you join me?

The Week in Review

Monday - I was in recovery mode. It was a long, activity filled weekend, with the Cub Scout camporee all day Saturday, and Children's ministry on Sunday. I couldn't get a ton of rest, though, because my husband was due back from Central Florida after a week of preparing stores for opening this week. My husband works for a food distribution company, and as one of the supervisors he needs to be present when a new store stocks their shelves to make sure everything is presented in the proper way. He got home pretty late and unfortunately very tired after not being able to get much rest.

Tuesday - I was very worried about my hubby. He clearly wasn't feeling well, partly because he was exhausted, and partly because his blood pressure was up. I managed to get him a doctor's appointment, and she was very thorough. Blood tests, x-rays, EKG, the works. Turns out he has a sinus infection on top of everything else. She changed his blood pressure medicine and prescribed antibiotics, but the one thing that helped the most was getting some sleep. It's amazing how the body recovers after proper rest. That, and some soup. My hubby isn't one for eating out much. He missed having home cooked food.

Wednesday - What a great Bible study! We are studying the life of Elijah in 1 Kings, and it is so interesting to see that even a man of God could run scared (1 Kings 19). My son had a great time at Awana; despite the fact that memorization is so hard for him due to his dyslexia, I'm seeing how he's not just learning but understanding Scripture, and he asks so many questions! It drives me nuts sometimes I admit; but God reminds me that the only way anyone can learn is by asking, and it's my responsibility as his mom to get the answers. I'm blessed to have a child that wants to know Jesus like E does.

Thursday - Not a good day for me, I'm afraid. My hubby headed out for Central Florida again. The store openings start Friday and the owners wanted him there so he left in the afternoon. I miss him already! On the positive side, E had a veeeery successful night at Cub Scouts. He received 3 belt loops: archery, BB shooting, and he was the only one in his group to get citizenship. Then, because he participated in the skit, which took 3rd place out of 18 packs, the leader gave him (and the other boys as well) a walking stick which she made herself. She actually got choked up as she presented them. As if that wasn't all, he also got a badge for participating in the camporee activities, and one of those flashlights that you put on your head like miners have. The first thing he did when he got home was call Dad and tell him all about it. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful loving son.

Friday - Today is actually a good day. No, hubby won't be home till Sunday night. But my daughter is coming down for the weekend! Of course I'd prefer if the whole family were here, but Daddy got to spend time with her last week when he was up near her school, so it's our turn to be with A. I'm looking forward to some mommy-daughter time.

Hope everyone has a blessed weekend. We're anticipating lots of rain the next two days, but that's okay - there were plenty of board games under the tree this Christmas, so we won't be bored. God bless!

The Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today, January 25, 2010...

Outside my window...the sun is trying to peek out from behind the clouds. It poured earlier this morning (which we needed) and it might just rain again before the temps go down.

I am thinking...about my hubby who is due back home today from another trip to Central Florida.

I am thankful...for my family.

I am going...to get this house cleaned up before my hubby gets home (hopefully).

I am wearing...a brown linen blouse, taupe polka dotted skirt, and sandals.

I am remembering...the camporee this weekend. We ended up not sleeping over because I was having car trouble Friday, but we were there all day Saturday. My son's pack took 3rd place in their skit celebrating 100 years of Scouting. Yay!!

I am creating...a menu for this week. I know, I'm waaay behind!

I am reading...Numbers for morning devotions, John for SOAP devotions, Having a Mary Spirit by Joanna Weaver, finished Sense and Sensibility and planning to re-read Pride and Prejudice.

I am hoping...the weather cools off enough so I can open the windows again. The breeze today is too warm.

On my mind...a lot of issues that I'm praying through.

From the learning rooms...I totally forgot E had tutoring this morning, and he missed it. I hope they don't take him out of the program.

I am noticing that...I'm feeling better than last week, praise God.

I am pondering these words..."We can be living by the Spirit in one area (say, daily devotions) and still be totally controlled by the flesh in another area (for instance, our choice of entertainment or pattern of escape)." - Having a Mary Spirit. This really spoke to me!

From the kitchen today...tilapia.

Around the house...there's plenty to do.

One of my favorite things...is spending time with my boys. I miss my daughter so much, yet her being away gives me the chance to spend time just with the boys. There's such an age difference (R is almost 13 years older than E) that it makes our time together more interesting.

A few plans for the rest of the week: grocery shopping, a trip to Home Depot to look into tankless water heaters, Awana and Bible Study, library, Cub Scouts...I'm tired already!


Wanna join in the fun? Visit Peggy at the Simple Woman's Daybook. God bless.

Observing My Senses

For Today, January 24, 2010...

I am seeing...a cloudy sky - looks like it's gonna rain.

I am feeling...tired after a long day at Boy Scouts Camporee.

I am tasting...the bacon cheese burger I just had at Outback Steakhouse thanks to a generous gift certificate from the ladies at children's ministry. Yum-O!

I am hearing...the whirr of the ceiling fan and the wheels of the chair on the ground.

I am smelling...not a whole lot. Allergies acting up again; can't stop sneezing.

It takes just a moment to stop and observe what's going on around you. Won't you join me?

Time for a Little Laughter

This is one my musical daughter would appreciate :-).


In a college music theory class one warm spring day, the other students and I were having a hard time concentrating. The heat was oppressive and a wasp buzzed threateningly above our heads.

The teacher—oblivious to the dive-bombing menace—continued lecturing while the rest of us dodged and swatted at the invader. Finally, it landed on one student's open book. With a quick slap, he snapped the text shut, killing the wasp. The professor, startled, looked up. "What was that?" she asked, annoyed. Thinking quickly, the killer answered sheepishly, "A bee flat."

From ChristianityToday.com.

Parenting Rant

Here's a universal truth: people don't like taking blame for anything. I fall under this category too; I like to find a scapegoat whenever things don't turn out right. It started with Adam and Eve. Eve blamed the serpent for the fact that she'd eaten the fruit rather than accept responsibility for her own actions. Adam was worse: he actually blamed God! "The woman You put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." (Genesis 3:12).

Parents are especially guilty of blaming others when their kids don't turn out right. Rather than ask, "What am I doing wrong, and how can I make it right?", we look for ways to say it's the fault of everyone else around us. But God has been showing me different ways in which parents (myself included) often drop the ball when it comes to raising children. This is just a small rant of 5 points where parents need to stop pointing to others and start making changes in their parenting lives:

1. Role Models. We get so upset when one of our children's role models mess up. Athletes, television celebrities, and movie stars are expected to show our children how to live a model life. Even in the church, parents expect pastors and other church leaders to set the right example of living a godly life. Yet the Bible doesn't give that responsibility to outsiders. God expects parents to be the proper role models for their children. Want to be an effective parent and a good role model? Follow these instructions: "For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." - 2 Peter 1:5-8. We have to stop expecting others to be our kid's role models, and start living a life they'll want to emulate.
   
2. Schooling. Now, to those parents who say they can't homeschool for whatever reason, that's not what I'm talking about. This isn't about the basics that teachers teach in school, like reading, writing and arithmetic. It's about teaching morals, values, and behavior. How many parents expect teachers to keep their kids in line, and show them right from wrong. If a child is caught cheating on a test, or stealing from another pupil, the parent expects the teacher to keep the child after school or issue punishment through some kind of assignment. That way the teacher is the bad guy and the parents can wash their hands of the whole nasty business. But once again, it's not the teachers responsibility to teach our children what God expects of them; it's ours: "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." - Deuteronomy 6:6-7. When kids mess up, and they WILL mess up, the children need to hear from their parents what is acceptable and what isn't, and the parents must issue whatever discipline is called for. No, your children will not hate you for it. They'll respect you for it.
   
3. Materialism. We've turned into a very materialistic society. The value of a person is no longer viewed in terms of honesty and integrity; it's viewed by bank accounts and assets. If we show our children that money is what's most important, they will learn to value it above all else, even above us. "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." - Luke 16:13. Instead, let's teach our children about priorities. "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." - Matthew 6:33. This doesn't mean we should ignore the money issue - that would be equally irresponsible. We need to teach our children how to use money wisely (do you realize most children finish high school without having learned how to balance a checkbook?) but not to trust in it or overvalue it.
   
4. Guilt. This falls partially under the whole "materialism" rant. The media loves to show us all the latest everything, and make us feel as though we're the worst parents in the world if we don't give our children everything they want or everything we wanted as children but couldn't get. So we work and work and work just to be able to save a few bucks so we can take a two week vacation with our family, then get back to work work work to finish paying it off. Now there's even more guilt, because we're spending more time outside the home than with our family. Since when is the media our measurement for what is good for our family? Why do we allow the world to tell us what our family needs are? God gives each family the choice of how they will live, and we need to be influenced by Him, not by outside sources. "But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." - Joshua 24:15.
   
5. Promoting laziness. I know, many parents will disagree with this, saying, "I'm constantly looking for things for my child to do. They are in (fill in the blank: baseball, basketball, football, soccer, karate, dance, music). I spend most of my time chauffering them around town to all their activities." Ah, but when it comes time to do chores around the house, well, "We need to let kids be kids." Don't you see? Keeping them busy with activities is supposed to nurture teamwork, yet when it comes to helping out around the house, mom and (sometimes) dad are expected to be the "team". By driving them here, there and everywhere to do their fun activities, are we really teaching them not to be lazy? Let's face it: life isn't always fun. "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven." - Ecclesiates 3:1. We need to teach our children to have a good work ethic, and that starts in the home with chores. Whether you choose to reward their work with money is a personal matter; I personally believe children should help around the house because they live there. I also believe that when children are allowed to help around the house with chores, even if it's just taking out the trash, it gives them a feeling of belonging, of usefulness, and of gratitude for what the rest of the family does. Rather than teaching them that they deserve everything and therefore everything should be done for them, teach them to earn the respect of others by carrying out their responsibilities well.

Parents like to complain about children not coming with instructions. Actually, God has generously provided us with a manual for our lives and our children's lives. His Word outlines the best way to raise our children so that they can grow up to be godly, respectful, responsible adults. And the best way to start: by being godly, respectful, responsible adults ourselves.

The Simple Woman's Daybook

For Today, January 18, 2010...

Outside my window...it begins to feel like South Florida again. The sun is shining, temps are in the 70's, the ocean breezes are cool, and everyone everywhere wants to be here.

I am thinking...about a lot of things lately. As Patrick Star once said, "The inner machinations of my mind are an enigma."

I am thankful...for my Lord and Savior who gave His life for me, and who has given me such a wonderful life.

I am going...nowhere today. I love stay at home days.

I am wearing...my jammies. I'll change in a little while.

I am remembering...friends from my school days, one in particular who has a birthday today. It's funny that I can see them now but my mind still sees them as 17 and 18 year old girls. I guess in my heart we've never grown up.

I am creating...nothing today. It'll be a kind of slow day, I think.

I am reading...Numbers for morning devotions, John for SOAP devotions, Having a Mary Spirit by Joanna Weaver for personal study, and Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen because I love her books.

I am hoping...this weekend's Boy Scout Camporee goes well. E has a part in one of the skits that we'll be practicing all week.

On my mind...still praying about what I was praying about last week.

From the learning rooms...no school today, it's Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. I know alot of kids who are very happy.

I am noticing that...my kidneys have started hurting again. This happens whenever I take iron pills or vitamins with iron. I suffer from anemia, and the doctor wants me to take vitamins with iron, but after awhile I get terrible pains in my back and kidneys. I'll have to call her about it again.

I am pondering these words..."I can't imagine anything more terrible than getting to the end of my life only to discover that God had so much more in mind for me - more freedom, more joy, more peace, more true effectiveness. And I had missed it all, simply because I refused to change." - Joanna Weaver, Having a Mary Spirit.

From the kitchen today...Puertorican style empanadas. Another family favorite.

Around the house...mostly laundry.

One of my favorite things...is a good book. One I can learn from and enjoy.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Awana on Wednesday, Cub Scouts on Thursday. No school on Friday, so we can probably get an early start at the camporee. This will be interesting for me; I'm definitely not an outdoors type, and this will be my first time ever camping out. What an adventure!

From my picture journal...Christmas memories. My son E on the right giving a big thumbs-up with his cousins.

Wanna join in the fun? Visit Peggy at the Simple Woman's Daybook. God bless.