A Testimony to God's Sovereignty

It was almost two months ago when we decided to sell our house and move. Though the housing market stinks right now I had confidence God would sell our house for us. I was praying for the family who would buy it, imagining a young girl who would fall in love with Elizabeth's room and a boy who would love the jungle in the boys' room. Knowing God knew the right family for our house, I prayed He would lead them to us.
We also realized it may be necessary for us to rent our house to someone, so while we were putting it "on the market," we also advertised it as "for rent."

One day a woman, a man, and two kids came to look at the house to rent. I was kind of staying out of the way but did notice the kids (a boy and a girl) seemed to really like the house. The man and the kids went outside and the woman stayed in to talk with Brian and I further. At that time she told me she was in the process of a divorce (The man with her was her brother, not her husband - as I had originally assumed.) and they were looking for a new home so they could start over. She told me about the struggle the past several months has been for them - particularly her son. I felt drawn to pray for, but as she sat down to fill out an application and then said she needed to get back to her kids outside, I chickened out and missed the opportunity. (So I thought.)
A day or two later, she knocked on my door. She came in and said she had a couple more questions and her son wanted to see the house again. I told her I was so glad she came because I'd wanted to pray for her the first time we met and was kicking myself for letting her go without praying. I asked if I could pray for her right then. She got a little teary and asked if her son could join us. He did.
I prayed for them, we hugged, she cried and we experienced God's love together. As this woman and I talked further, her son went outside and climbed up in the tree fort. She told me he really liked the house, especially the tree fort, and that is when I was sure I wanted them to live in our house. I knew this young man was struggling with his parents' divorce and it gave me a certain joy to think of him being able to climb up in that tree fort to just be alone with his thoughts in prayer, experiencing the love of his Heavenly Father.
While I wanted to sell the house, just so we could be "done" with it, more and more I was believing God meant for this woman and her children to live there. They needed a new start, free from the memories associated with their old house and I prayed that God would arrange things as He knew they should be.
Well, Saturday they moved in! This is part of the note she gave to us.

I want you to know that you have and still will be impacting my life and those of my children by renting us your home, by praying with [my son] and I that day, and by simply allowing God to use you in whatever way He will. You will never know how much it meant to me to find you and have everything fall into place so quickly.

We don't always have the privilege of seeing God's hand at work so clearly, but there was no missing it this time. I am so blessed and soooo thankful, and I couldn't not tell you about it.
Are you seeing His hand today?

BTW, TimeOut was great this weekend. I did get to meet Elisa Morgan - even sat by her at lunch. The best part was the conversation I had with my friend on the way home, all about Jesus and why I have faith in Him. Another example of the sovereignty of our God!

Real Quick!!!

I want to thank each of you for your prayers and encouraging words regarding last night's speaking engagement. In a word, it was Great! It was a lovely group of moms, they were very warm and welcoming to me, and God was definitely on the move.
I'm home only briefly now, as I'm leaving in an hour to go to the TimeOut for Women! conference in Grand Rapids. Since 1997 I have attended this conference with my mil, but this year she can't make it. Instead I am going with the woman who was each of my kids' first grade teacher. She's great and I'm really looking forward to it.
Tomorrow at the conference I will be able to meet Elisa Morgan. (Elisa is the CEO of Mothers Of Pre-Schoolers - for all you non-MOPS types who may not have known who she is...) I am very excited about this opportunity.
Gotta run,now. Have a great weekend!!!

In Expectation

Thursday morning I am flying to Wisconsin to speak for a MOPS group in the evening. Some of you may recall my post from yesterday mentioning Brian is out of town this week and, being the concerned women you are, you may be wondering who is going to watch my kids while I'm gone. This afternoon I was wondering that same thing.
I had made arrangements for someone to be here when the kids got home from school, and to stay with them until another friend is coming over to spend the night with them. I was so pleased at how it all came together. Yesterday I called to confirm these arrangements and when I finally spoke with the babysitter today I learned she is unable to be here after all.
I panicked.
I had already gone through my list of relatives for help with child care and no one was available. Now I didn't know what I was going to do. OK, I knew enough to cry and pray. Oh, did I pray! Lord, I know You know what I need to do. I know You know who will stay with my kids Thursday afternoon. I know You can work this out. I know You are able. I know it will all be OK. Father, please show me what to do!
And He did. I called my new neighbor who had welcomed me so kindly to the neighborhood, and who told me, "If you ever need help with anything, just ask!" Her son and daughter walk with Elizabeth to the bus stop each day and she was happy to step in for me Thursday afternoon. Whew! Crisis averted!

Needless to say, however, I was on the edge emotionally by this time. Plus, the unplanned time I spent trying to figure that situation out set me back on dinner preparation. Tonight was Curriculum Night at the boys' school so we needed to eat a little earlier to get to school on time. Great, I needed more pressure.
Dinner time brought its own stresses. Then, as we were walking out the door to go to school, I was looking in the mirror to make sure I had successfully wiped away the mascara which had been running with the tears down my cheeks. Elizabeth assured me I didn't look like I was crying. She's so sweet.
When we got home from Curriculum Night and I was saying goodnight to the kids, (and was looking at the dirty table and dishes I'd left behind in an attempt to get to school on time...) Brian called. I hadn't been crying for awhile, but I let it go with him. He prayed for me and the Lord reminded me of what is True. He IS bigger than my troubles. He WILL carry me through them. And one day He's coming back and He WILL remove me from them completely! This time the tears were happy tears.

So why am I calling this post "In Expectation"? Because I am reminded of previous times when I have been on the verge of a speaking engagement and it seemed like everything was falling apart, but then God did a wonderful work in the hearts of moms who are overwhelmed and broken just like me. I am expecting Him to do it again.

As I was writing this out tonight I thought, Man, I sound really pathetic. Guess what?
I am! I am a broken woman. I am absolutely hopeless without my Savior. But I am trusting Him to take this broken vessel named Karen and to use her to minister hope and healing to other broken moms Thursday night. Please pray with me to that end!

And I don't know if Becky (the coordinator of the group to whom I'm speaking Thursday) reads my blog, but if you are reading I hope I'm not freaking you out. I am going to be fine and we're going to have a wonderful evening. To God be the glory!!!

Now She's Up!

My day started out horribly, but ended wonderfully. Someone, please pass the Super Mom Award. LOL!
This morning Joshua was upset that he couldn't find a bug to feed his praying mantis and was concerned it was going to starve and die while he was at school. (Which, therefore, made school a terrible place to be.) He was upset with me because he didn't think I care as much about the praying mantis as he does. (Got me there!) He thought I was unreasonable for not going to the pet store to buy crickets to feed said mantis.
Well, the good news is Joshua found two grasshoppers at recess and since I had packed a snack for him in a ziploc bag he was able to use the bag to transport the bugs home. And I was given "credit" for helping him get bugs for the praying mantis. Bonus! Spot (the praying mantis) immediately enjoyed one of the grasshoppers, Joshua was happy, and I got placed back on his "good list." Oh, I'm happy!
Then Elizabeth told me she and a friend were talking about going to each other's house to make a cake for their class at school. In trying to decide whose kitchen they should use, Elizabeth's friend asked, "What's your mom like with messes?" Elizabeth said, "Oh, she's OK with it as long as you clean it up." And her friend said, "Then let's do it at your house. My mom is too picky."
What's this? Someone is preferring me as the less uptight option??? That makes me happy!
And when I tucked the kids into bed tonight, Joshua called me back into his room to tell me something *important.* In school today he had to write in a journal about what he's been doing lately. He wrote about the bugs he's been playing with. (For the record, Ring died and is now on the bug board. Spot is the new praying mantis. We have two grasshoppers - of the non-food-for-Spot variety - and one large dragonfly which used to be flying around Joshua's room and is now proudly displayed on the bug board.) Tonight he told me he also wrote he knows I love him because I'm letting him have these bugs in the house. Yep, for the love of Joshua. No way I'd allow it otherwise!
Honestly, I'm not real crazy about these critters, except it does give us opportunity to talk about God's creativity and attention to detail when we examine Jumper close up. More than that, though, it makes me very happy to know these little bugs in the house help Joshua know I love him so much!

One of *Those* Mornings!

This morning I did not like being a mother. Oh, I still love my kids like crazy, but this mothering thing...I was so ready to let it go!

Brian left yesterday afternoon for Denver. He's there this week receiving training for a new business he's opening soon. (It's a personal training franchise called Fitness Together. Yep, I'm thinking he should walk around with a t-shirt that says, "If you want a body like mine, you've got to train at Fitness Together." That'll bring the clients in!) Anyway, I'm flying solo this week and this morning I thought I was going to crash and burn.
I'll skip the details. It's probably enough to say Joshua was unhappy about everything, Matthew was mad at Joshua, and I was looking for somewhere to run away and hide. At one point, when two out of three of us were in tears and the other one was just grumbling, I honestly wondered if I should let them stay home from school. Not that I wanted to spend an entire day with this chaos, I just wasn't sure I wanted to send them out in this condition. Seriously, it was that bad of a morning.
Thankfully...
A lot of prayer and a nice walk to the bus stop seemed to help all of us.

At the bus stop I met another mom and as we were walking home she invited me in to her house for a visit. Oh, there is so much to get done today and I really thought I should pass on the invitation, but I went in anyway. I am so glad I did! We had a delightful conversation and after about an hour and a half of visiting, we found out we are very much alike. When I got home I found that no one had folded the laundry, cleaned up the kitchen, gone to the grocery store, or any of the other things I need to do today. Yep, those tasks are still here. And now I'm going to conquer them all, feeling a little refreshed from time spent with a new friend, and feeling hopeful that God will carry me through even my most difficult mothering moments.

I Bet This Won't Surprise You

A week ago I posted about the various critters we've had invading, I mean visiting, our house. One of those critters is a praying mantis the kids have named Ring. I mentioned Joshua is keeping Ring well fed (which is why we thought the bug was so fat) and I also referred to this particular bug as he. Well, well, well...
This morning Joshua called me excitedly and said, "Look what Ring made last night!" I went out and saw something that looked like a mini-wheat sitting on top of the cage. Although there was a box of Mini-Wheats on the breakfast table, I knew Joshua wasn't tricking me with cereal. Ring is a she, and she was fat because she had a bunch of eggs just waiting to be laid! Yep, that was an egg sac she made last night and now we have a slender bug. (I should have known it wasn't a male. Haven't all the males mated and been eaten by this time in the season?)

I got on the Internet to learn what I could about praying mantis egg sacs while the kids were in school today. I learned females lay their eggs in the fall (in sacs containing between 20-100 eggs!) and they hatch in the spring. I also learned that some people actually buy these eggs to put in their gardens because the adult praying mantis will eat pests. One site said, "Due to high demand praying mantis egg sacs are unavailable until 2008." Aren't we the lucky ones? We got an egg sac for free!
So the plan is, we're going to put the egg sac in a box in the garage for the winter and will put it among the flowers in the spring so the eggs can hatch and eat the pesty bugs around our yard. (I wonder if they'll eat the off-spring from one of the two bees that stung me the other day. That would make me happy!)
I think I might be as excited about this egg sac as the kids are. It really is amazing to think this thing was produced by a bug over night. And I'm glad for the "science lesson" God has just dropped in our laps. So long as we get them outside next spring before they hatch and take over the garage!

Once again, I live in a zoo.

To Amanda, mother of 4

Amanda, I am so glad you visited my blog and left a comment. First I would say, No! You are not alone. Second, I would love to talk further with you and am praying you'll stop by here again and will see this message. Please email me at Karen@IrritableMother.com.

In Hope,

Oh, No! It's Starting!

I have always known my children weren't going to stay little forever. I knew the day would come when they would grow up and wouldn't need me, and maybe wouldn't *sniff* even *sniff* want me. *sniff, sniff* But I thought they would at least be teenagers when that happened.

Elizabeth has been doing a wonderful job this week of getting up on her own (though she did forget to set her alarm last night and I had to wake her this morning). She gets herself ready, gets her breakfast, and leaves for the bus without any prompting from me. This behavior is such a change from last year, and I have admired how much she's grown up just over the summer. It did scare me a bit last night when we went to the shoe store though. The clerk measured Elizabeth's foot and, are you ready for this? (I wasn't!) My little girl's foot is a half size larger than mine!
OK, so she's really growing. But she's only eleven. What happened to waiting for her teen years before she started growing up???

Well, at least I still have my little boys, I thought. Then came this morning. Joshua asked, "Mom, do you have to walk us to the bus stop today?" (Background: Tuesday I went with them just so they could find it, but we had to turn several corners along the way and it seemed a bit confusing. So yesterday we went to a different one - maybe a slightly longer walk but waaaaay easier to navigate. I suggested this second bus stop specifically so they would be able to manage going by themselves, but I didn't expect Joshua to ask me to not go with them!) I asked him why he didn't want me to walk with them and he said, "I want to grow up a little." Oh!!! Matthew does want me to walk with them (he even holds my hand!) so I asked Joshua if it would be OK with him if I walked them to the bus today, but didn't tomorrow. He agreed.
So we're walking along this morning and I'm looking at Joshua - he's only 9! - and realizing he is growing up right before my eyes, too. We talked about school and bugs and the neighbor's cat, and I tried to cherish the moment. Then the bus came and even though he's growing up, even though his new friends were standing around, Joshua hugged me and gave me a kiss and told me he loves me. As he boarded the bus we even did our "You Rock!" routine. And as the bus drove away I saw both of my little boys sitting in the back of the bus, waving good-bye to me out the back window. Precious, I'm telling you. Absolutely precious!

I still don't know what to do about this "growing up" thing happening so far ahead of schedule, though!

I'm Doomed!

Yesterday was my kids' first day of school. Everyone got up and dressed and was excited to go to their new school. Our new neighbors came over to walk with Elizabeth to her bus stop, and about an hour later I walked with the boys to theirs. It was after school, when Elizabeth and I walked to meet the boys as they got off the bus, that I realized I'm doomed.
Also standing there, waiting for her son, was a neighbor I hadn't yet met. We chatted for a few minutes and she seemed quite nice. When the bus came and our boys all got off somehow the conversation turned to bugs and mice. (Go figure. Joshua comes upon the scene and there goes the conversation!) Something about this woman's demeanor made me think she wasn't so big on bugs and mice and she seemed eager to change the subject. However, before I could do anything about it Elizabeth told her we have pet mice, and she said something about wanting a rat. I thought, Great. Here goes any chance this woman will ever want to come visit our house!
But, no! She smiled and told us she loves rats, that she used to have one. Immediately Elizabeth engaged her in a conversation about the merits of having a rat for a pet and I practically stood there watching all my arguments against said pets, flying out the window. (OK, I really only have one argument. I think their tails look like snakes, and that just creeps me out!)
This woman's testimony about pet rats, coupled with the fact one of Joshua's pet mice died yesterday and the other one has got to be going any minute now, has me fearing I will soon be inundated with requests for a pet rat. This is why I think I'm doomed. A reasonable sounding adult said she likes rats, and my kids heard her say it. We're going to have an empty cage soon! Pray for me friends! I need to be strong. I must resist the temptation to give in to this insane request. I cannot say "Yes" to a rat. Besides, what will my mother say if I tell her I'm going to let my kids have a rat??? She'll never come to my house again! (OK, perhaps that's the real reason I don't want a rat. I'm almost 36 years old and I'm still trying to please my mother!)

I want to thank those of you who were praying for me and the women to whom I spoke last night. It was a great evening. If you are interested, I would love it if you checked out my schedule and prayed for each of the groups for whom I speak. My prayer is always that God would prepare the women for what He wants to say to them, that He would bring hope and healing to their hearts, and that He would reveal to each woman the ways He is using her struggles for good. I have a group of ladies from my church to whom I send out regular prayer requests for my speaking, but I was so encouraged by the comments and emails I received from you about praying that I wanted to share my schedule with you so you could continue praying. Thanks so much!

Party Time!

When we decided to move, my kids were understandably sad to be leaving their school and friends. We didn't move very far though, and we assured the kids they could still see their friends. Even so, they wanted to have a party to say goodbye.
That is, they wanted to throw themselves a going away party. As in, while I was in the midst of packing our stuff, cleaning and fixing up the house to get it ready to put on the market, and dealing with my own feelings about moving, the kids wanted me to invite over all their friends so they could say, Goodbye. Call me crazy but I thought that was a really bad idea.
Fortunately I was able to think fast and I suggested rather than having a "Moving Party," we should have a "Moved-in Party." I told the kids they could invite their friends over to our new house, and that way everyone would know where we live. (And I could buy myself some time!) The kids agreed, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

Well, as you know, we're in our new home. Starting about five minutes after we were here, the kids have been asking, "When can we have our 'Moved-in Party'?" This past week I was thinking about it, realizing school was just around the corner, and declared Sunday afternoon to be the official time for the Moved-in Party. I had the kids make a list of who they wanted to invite and I got on the phone to extend the invitations. We started brainstorming ideas for activities and went shopping to get some party supplies. (The shopping trip was another opportunity for me to be thankful that I have a creative and frugal daughter. She wanted to get a pinata for the party but we couldn't find one at the Dollar Store. The ones at WalMart were $15 and $16 and I just couldn't see spending that much money on something kids were going to destroy with a baseball bat. She said, "That's OK. I'll make one." So she decorated a brown paper bag and called it a pinata.)
Finally this afternoon, after a week of anticipating, fourteen of my kids' friends came over for an afternoon of games and fun. We had a three-legged race, batted the pinata, ate snacks, and played sardines. After the "organized" activities the kids gravitated to their respective groups (the little boys, the bigger boys, and the girls) and did their own things.
I walked in on the girls playing Truth or Dare and taught them how to play HaHa. (Did anyone else play that game at slumber parties?) The bigger boys enjoyed catching bugs, and Joshua thrilled them all by feeding Ring a moth. And the little boys climbed the trees and the sign in our front yard. It was a true joy to see them enjoying themselves so much.
In fact, Joshua just walked through the room and said, "This was a fun day."
Yes, some days I feel like I'm getting it "right." Some days the kids are happy with the things I do for them. Some days I'm a little more able to overlook the crumbs on the floor and the doors that keep getting left open, and I can just be happy that my kids are having fun. Today is one of those days, and I'm going to cherish it!

Nice Mom? Ya Think???

Thank you for the comments about me being a nice mom for letting the kids bring Lucky into our house. My "kind" act may seem a little less remarkable when I tell you the kids already have pet mice, so I'm used to them. (And, yes, I do hold them on occasion, and I even think they're cute!)

The ironic thing is, for most of the day today I have been feeling far from "nice." Maybe because I stayed up too late last night and had a headache for most of the day. Maybe because I took the kids with me on errands this morning and one or the other of them was constantly complaining or wandering off in another direction. Maybe because my husband has been working long hours this week and I'm tired of feeling like a single parent. (How do you single moms do it???) Or perhaps it's because I just moved into a new house, things are still kind of a mess and my emotional wick is shorter than usual.
Whatever the reason, for most of the day today I have been pretending to be nice. That is, I have been trying to behave contrary to my feelings. This is the kind of day when I have to take frequent deep breaths, when I rely on a lot of self-talk like, Relax, Karen. It isn't really a big deal, and when I must regularly remind myself of what is True.
Honestly, there were times today when I felt like the most rotten person on planet Earth. These kids are great. They are gifts. I am blessed to have three healthy children! How can I possibly be so irritated with them? What's wrong with me??? And so I battle with myself, fighting between who I am and who I long to be.
Over the past few mornings I have been reading about the events leading up to Jesus' crucifixion, marveling at His perfect love. He was betrayed and abandoned by His closest friends, yet His love never faltered. He was mistreated and ridiculed, but He never turned His back on those He came to save. I want to be like Him. I've had a line from a song running through my head lately, I'm so tired of me. Jesus, I want to be like You! Yes, that is my heart's desire.

I have my first speaking engagement of the year coming up Tuesday night. It's been three and a half months since I've spoken and I am so looking forward to getting back into it. The thought did cross my mind today, Perhaps God, in His goodness, is allowing me to have a day like today in order that I might be more ready to relate with the women to whom I'll be speaking next week. He is always working things out for His good purposes and perfect plan. It wouldn't surprise me if He were up to something good today.
Yes, even in the midst of my yuck, He is still good. I am so thankful God's goodness is not affected by my circumstance. Aren't you?

Not So Lucky

Do you remember Button? A few months ago Joshua rescued a fallen baby bird, and in spite of the fact I told him I thought it would die without it's mother, we took care of that baby and took it to a wildlife rescue center.
Well, Monday the kids went up to the playground at the boys' school and came home with another critter. Joshua was out of breath as he walked into the house and addressed each of my objections before I could even voice them. He ended with, "And remember, you didn't think Button would live, and we took care of her! So, can we keep it?"
It was a baby mouse they'd found at the playground, abandoned by its mother. I looked at the fire in his eyes, listened to the passion in his voice, and thought about Button. What could I say? "What are you going to name it?"
It's name was Lucky because Joshua said the baby mouse was lucky the kids had found it. Cute.
Joshua got out the heating pad to make a bed for Lucky and Elizabeth got online to research "how to care for a baby mouse with fur, whose eyes are not yet open." We went to the store and bought sweetened condensed milk and the kids nursed the orphan carefully. Once again, I loved seeing their compassion on display.
Lucky was with us for a couple days, but he died yesterday. Not so Lucky, I guess. Nonetheless, it was another good experience for the kids and I'm glad they got to experience it.

Lucky is just another of the various creatures we've had in our new home. Joshua had caught one butterfly which he wanted for the bug board he's making. He didn't want to kill it right away so I let him keep it in his room until it died. Then a friend of ours told Joshua he'd found a walking stick at his house, and Joshua asked if he could have it. So Twiggy was added to the mix. Then he found another butterfly. Those three have all since died and have been carefully tacked to the bug board.
The one living creature which remains (in a cage!) is a praying mantis. The day Joshua found Ring we were up at the playground and I watched Joshua stalking a grasshopper. He leaped for it, caught it, smiled at me and said, "Lunch!" Sure enough, when we came home Joshua put the (live) grasshopper in the cage and we watched Ring eat lunch. That's quite a sight.
I suppose if Joshua stops catching gourmet bugs for Ring, he'll become part of the bug board some day. Until then he'll remain a fattened bug. (And I'm glad he finally ate the cricket. I was getting tired of the chirping!)

Yes, I live in a zoo. There's never a dull moment!

A Kid at Heart

Our new house is about half a mile from the boys' elementary school and the kids have loved taking advantage of the sidewalk that goes the whole way from our house to school. They ride their bikes up and enjoy the playground. One of Joshua's greatest joys has been the small collection of fire crackers he has gathered at the playground which someone else left behind.
Today one of Joshua's friends came over to play and Joshua was anxious for Brian to get home because he wanted his friend to be able to see the fire crackers explode. When it looked as if Brian wasn't going to be home before his friend left, Joshua begged me to light a fire cracker. I did, the boys squealed with delight, and I enjoyed their response. Then Brian got home and the real show began.
Joshua ran up to Brian and asked him to pleeease light more fire crackers, which he readily agreed to. Matthew joined them outside, so Brian and the three boys yelled with excitement as another cracker exploded. With the next *bang* there was laughter and I learned it was because the noise scared a squirrel in the back yard so much that it jumped, dropped its walnut, and ran in the other direction. At that, the boys called Elizabeth and her friend up to see the show, and Brian came into the kitchen where I was making dinner. (And watching the show through the window!)
Brian saw an empty soup can on the counter, grabbed it and said, "Perfect!" Just as quickly as he'd appeared, Brian was back outside with his little following right by his side. I heard him say, "Now we'll make a rocket!"
Leaning over the counter and peering out the window, I saw what he was up to. Brian had put the can over the fire cracker, with just the wick peering out from underneath. With the kids safely behind him (I'm sure he knew his over-protective-always-worried-someone-will-get-hurt-are-you-sure-you-should-be-doing-this?-wife was watching!) Brian lit the wick and jumped back for 3-2-1-Blast off! The fire cracker exploded, the can flew into the air, and all the observers hollered with delight. I can't say for sure, but I think the "kid" who experienced the greatest amount of pleasure in seeing the "rocket" take flight was none other than my beloved husband.
Yes, this evening I believe I caught a glimpse of Brian when he was nine years old. It was wonderful!

Awww, Thanks!

Over the past couple of weeks, both Karen at Karen's Ramblings and Shawna at Scamp's Place told me they'd nominated me for an award. They told me to come check it out when I wasn't busy. I'm hardly settled in the new place, so I don't think I qualify as not busy, but I checked them out anyway. So glad I did!

Both Karen and Shawna think I'm nice.

I couldn't figure out how to copy the cute award icon, but this is what the award said:

This award will be awarded to those that are just nice people, good blog friends and those that inspire good feelings and inspiration! Those that care about others that are there to lend support or those that are just a positive influence in our blogging world!

Thanks so much, Karen and Shawna. I'm glad to know someone thinks I'm nice. (And, oh, the irony. I just told Matthew he can't have a snack so now he's yelling at me about how I'm so unfair and mean.) Yup, I really needed your encouragement today! LOL

I know I'm supposed to pass this award on to other nice bloggers, and I do know there are so many who are deserving. I hope you'll forgive me as I "drop the ball" on this one, though. Things are still quite crazy around here and I honestly don't have the emotional energy to put into it now.

Please know I love you all and appreciate how *nice* you've been to me over the past weeks with your prayers and words of encouragement!

Good to be Back

Time is such a funny thing. I can't believe it was just a week ago at this very moment we were moving into this house. In some ways it seems like so much has happened and I'm sure more than seven days have passed. In other ways I don't even feel like I'm moved in yet, so the fact we have been living here for a week seems impossible.
But we are here. And we have a new digital camera. So come along with me and I'll show you around a bit!

Last time, I told you about my spice rack...Here it is!
I love the kitchen. It has so much cupboard space! In our old house I had a "pantry" in the basement. That is, I had two racks of metal shelves in the basement, on which I stored extra food and paper products because the kitchen was so small. In this house I still have a cupboard I haven't filled yet.
And the oven is great, too. It actually beeps at me when it has finished pre-heating so I know it's ready to bake. I'm telling you, simple things make me happy. Like alphabetically stored spices!

The kitchen goes right into the family room. We had a fireplace in our first house, and I'm glad we have one again. Cold winter days are somehow more bearable when you can light a fire in the fireplace.
Right now the family room is pretty empty though. We had one family room in our old house which was quite full with a couch, glider, end table, TV and bookshelf. Now we have a family room and a living room and have split the furniture between the two, for two fairly empty rooms.
On the upside, with wood floors and not much furniture the family room has great acoustics. (like my shower!) Random fact about me: Barry Manilow is my favorite secular recording artist. So I have thoroughly enjoyed playing Barry's CD Singin' with the Big Bands while I'm singing and dancing around the empty family room.

This is a picture of the bar in our basement. Honestly, this feature is what "sold" me on the house. It's a fun place for the kids and we have all enjoyed sitting here playing games together. I have taught my kids the card game called Speed, which I grew up playing with my sister. As an incentive for the kids to get ready for bed quickly, I tell them we can have Speed Tournaments at the bar if everyone is ready on time. That form of motivation has been quite effective!
Elizabeth and her friend spent time turning this area into the "Pinto Ranch Bar" and served everyone lunch here. It was really cute.

Finally, this picture was taken from the room in the basement next to the bar, looking into the room containing the bar. From this view you can see the doorway to the room which will be our office and guest bedroom. (You're welcome to visit anytime!) From this view you can also see one of the reasons I'm so excited about having a finished basement. Those round red, blue and green things are bouncy balls my mil got my kids for Christmas last year. The kids love them, but whenever all three of them started bouncing around I was always afraid one of two things was going to happen. Either they would crash into the bookshelf and send things flying, or they would break through the floor and end up in the basement. Now they can bounce around as much as they want with no worries on my part! Ahhh. *heavy sigh*
So there you have it. A quick (albeit incomplete) tour of my new digs. Guess you'll have to come visit if you want to see the whole thing. How's that for bribery? *grin*

We got phone and internet service here Thursday, so I'm feeling a little more connected. (Literally.) I'll be around to visit your blogs soon and will be posting here on a more regular basis, too.
Ahhh, yes, it's good to be back!

We're In!

This is gonna be real quick, but I wanted to let you know the latest.

We successfully got everything out of our old house Saturday and put in the new one. (Notice I said "put in" and not "put away"!)

We won't have internet service there until Thursday. I'm at our old house now, where everything is still hooked up.

Two cool things I discovered at the new place:
1. I have a spice rack in the cupboard which allows me to arrange my spices alphabetically. The house is chaos, but I know right where my spices are.
2. My new shower has awesome acoustics!

I miss you all and hope to get back to normalcy and blog reading within a week.

Loving Jesus,

Checking In

I only have a few minutes until I need to leave for church, but this may be the last opportunity I have to be at my computer for the next week. I wanted to check in real quick to let you all know I'm still alive and the boxes haven't swallowed me up. Yet.

It's been a crazy week, with some anxious moments. But God delivered words of life through a dear friend's email just when I needed them.

The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth and even forevermore. Psalm 121:8

He is so good that way, and I love that He knows just what I need.

We're heading out of town this afternoon and will return Friday - to close on our new house and enroll the kids in their new school. Then, Saturday, we move. I've read some of your horror stories about getting internet in your new abode and am prepared to be missing it for awhile. However, there is a WiFi coffee shop "just around the corner" from where we'll be living. Nonetheless, it may be awhile until I post again.

Thanks so much for your prayers and encouragement for me through this process.

I love you!

Can I Have a...?

OK, is it "cheating" if I post another entry from the book I'm writing? I wanted to post something for you today but we're moving, you know...So I'm going with something I've already written. I pray you'll be blessed.

Can I Have a...?
My children love animals. They always have. Whether it’s some exotic species at the zoo, horses in a field by which we’re driving, or simply squirrels in the back yard, my kids will stop what they’re doing and look up immediately whenever someone says, “Look! It’s a…!” They just love God’s furry creatures.
When they were quite small my kids began wanting a pet, but I had always felt we weren’t ready for one. One day I realized they were outside catching bugs, putting them in containers, naming them, and calling the bugs their pets. Yes, they were resorting to bugs for companions! Oh, I thought, I really need to let them have a pet.
In time, we were in a pet store and I fell in love with the mice. Call me crazy if you wish, but I really did fall in love! At Christmas time the next year, we added pet mice to our family. The kids loved these little critters. They played with them, cleaned their cages and cared for them. And for awhile they were satisfied. Eventually, though, their minds began to wander. They began to want more.
This wanting was especially true of Elizabeth. She began asking for various new pets. A guinea pig. A hermit crab. Perhaps a lizard. She talked about which cage from the attic she could use, so she could get a new pet without buying a new cage. Sometimes she asked about getting books to study about the animals so as to be more knowledgeable and ready to care for said pet. I know, this behavior all seems very responsible and admirable but after I’d just gotten her a mouse I was hoping she’d be content with it. I was getting tired of this new line of questioning.
One particular day she was asking me how much I thought a hermit crab would cost at the pet store. “Honey, I have no idea,” was my reply. Elizabeth stated, “I think they’re probably only $1, since the mice are only $2, and hermit crabs are smaller than mice.” And she asked me again for my opinion. Slightly wary of the conversation, I just said, “I don’t know!”
Then my sweet little, persistent daughter looked at me with her big eyes and asked, “Mom, can I get a hermit crab?”
I looked back at her, a bit exasperated and just thought, Ugh! You wanted a pet and I got you a pet. Now you keep asking me for another pet. And you want me to tell you how much a hermit crab costs. I’m telling you, I don’t know! But that isn’t good enough for you. And now you want to know if I’ll buy you a hermit crab? Girl, you ask too many questions!
When I finished my internal tirade, it was as if God held a mirror up to my face and asked if I could see any similarities between my daughter and me. Oh, they were there! Besides the blue-green eyes, the brown hair, and the charming smile, I saw a woman who asks an awful lot of questions.
God, what should I do in this situation?
That woman really hurt me. How am I supposed to forgive her?
When is this trial going to be over?
I’m so confused, Lord. Will you please lead me through this valley?
Why does mothering have to be so hard?
Do You really know what You’re doing here?
God, why do I have to go through this situation?
Then I looked at the difference between my response to my daughter’s questions, and God’s response to mine. God doesn’t get bothered by my questions. When I ask Him things, He never says, “I don’t know!” He is perfectly willing to listen to me as I share my uncertainties with Him, and He never gets tired of the conversation. Rather, He looks at me and loves me while I’m asking. I pondered this picture for awhile and thought, How thankful I am that God doesn’t tire of my questions! Even when I ask the same ones over and over again.
Can you wrap your mind around the wonder of God’s patience? Although we may grow weary of our children peppering us with inquiries, He is not like us. He knows the concerns and desires of our hearts. He knows the questions filling our minds. None of it is news to Him, yet God patiently and lovingly listens to our requests. Over and over again. And in His perfect time He will give us His answer.

Your Turn:
Is there a question, or questions, you have been asking God repeatedly?
Do you think He gets tired of you asking, or that He patiently and lovingly listens?
Make a list of the questions burdening you today and present them to God. Spend time in prayer thanking Him for listening to you, for loving you, and for answering in His perfect time. Ask Him to speak to your heart and spend time just listening to Him. Perhaps today is the day He will give you some of the answers you have been seeking.

I'm Overwhelmed, but God is Good!

OK, Overwhelm is setting in.

First, we thought we were going away for a week (for hubby's job, but also good family time worked in) then coming home, closing on the new house and moving. Then we found out we had the dates wrong and wouldn't be going away until one week later. That change caused a few other changes but it gave us an extra week to pack, and that seemed good. Now, we've gotten the closing date moved up and are anticipating moving one week from today, before we leave for that week.
The decision to schedule things in this way was really an attempt to choose the lesser of two very stressful options. I hope we chose right!

There is so much going through my mind that most days lately, when I wake up I lay in bed for a minute just trying to figure out what day it is and running through a list of What do I need to do today?

So what am I doing blogging? Lunch break and the need to decompress. It always helps me gain perspective when I put my thoughts into words.

I am remembering in the midst of packing and wondering what to keep, what to throw away, and Where should I put this? Jesus is still good. He is not thrown off balance by my stress. He is my Rock. Oh, how I need Him!
A few nights ago I got the coolest image in my head. I truly don't know if I was dreaming or awake because I was in and out of sleep so many times. But this is what I saw: A very large hand, and little tiny yellow suitcases softly stacking up on the thumb. It was as if the hand was God's and the suitcases were all my burdens. (Did we choose right? What if Fitness Together doesn't take off? What if there are no kids near us in the neighborhood? Will our house sell? and on and on...) And it was like God was reminding me my burdens are not too difficult for Him. I don't need to worry. I just need to trust!

Even as I'm sitting here typing this out, God is speaking! I'm listening to Pandora.com and typed in Kathy Troccoli as my favorite artist. As I was beginning to type out my burdens, KT's song He Will Make a Way started playing. I love it when He does that!!!

So, break time is over. God is so good. And I'm getting back to packing!

Thanks so much for your prayers and words of encouragement to me. I so appreciate them all.

Much love,

Joy in Jesus

Ahhhh! I just had a wonderful time with the Lord and before I start on the rest of my day I want to take a minute to share with you.
I was reading John 11:1-45. Three times in the first three verses, it says Lazarus is sick.(Now a man named Lazarus was sick...This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick..."Lord, the one you love is sick.") I read over it a couple of times and thought, OK, Lazarus was definitely sick. I've got that. My mind went to so many people I know of who are sick right now and I began to pray for little Allie, big Allie, Izzy, Micah, Chloe, Ron, Heather, and Andrea. I realized and thanked God that he knows each one is sick, He knows what they need, and He loves them. As I reflected on Jesus' calm response to Lazarus' situation I thanked Him for His power and sovereignty in each of these other situations, too.
I considered Martha's faith, "'Lord,' Martha said to Jesus, 'if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.'" (v.21-22) And I prayed for the families surrounding these individuals. I asked God to cover them with His Spirit, to build their faith and to give them confidence in His perfect plan and perfect timing.
When I read about Jesus calling Lazarus out of his grave, I prayed and asked Him to call these individuals out of their sicknesses. And I sat praising and thanking Jesus for His power and His perfect plan. He knew just what He was doing when he delayed going to Lazarus. The whole situation was for His glory (v. 4). So I prayed that He be glorified because of little Allie, big Allie, Izzy, Micah, Chloe, Ron, Heather, and Andrea.

I am so full of joy this morning because of Who Jesus Is and because of what He can do, and I just wanted to share it with you!!!

Now it's time to eat, shower, and get back to packing.

Have a blessed day!