The last time I wrote in my blog a friend suggested that I relate desserts to sin and how tempting it is. I love to talk about desserts so I thought the idea had some merit.
My favorite desserts are chocolate.I love practically anything chocolate. If I had to pick a "healthier" dessert it would be strawberries. Strawberry Shortcake, strawberries and cool whip, plain strawberries, chocolate covered strawberries. They all are absolutely wonderful! There are really so many desserts that are appealing but not as tasty as strawberries and chocolate.
mmmmm.......mmmmm......mmmmmmmmmm.... good....... :)
If someone offered me a yummy wonderful dessert would I turn it down? most likely not! Now if someone offered me liver and onions, or cow's tongue, or ham hocks then NO WAY! please take the away before I get sick! But desserts....... mmmmm too good to dismiss without trying. You know that if you try a dessert that you absolutely love no matter how much willpower you have you will most likely finish that dessert. I know I would.
Ever think of sin like that? Do you think Satan would offer you some gross things to entice you with? Things that would turn your stomach and make you sick. That would not be tempting in the least. Temptation is defined as "something that seduces or has the quality to seduce". Seduce is defined as "to lead astray usually by persuasion or false promises." So by definition temptation is desirable. Satan knows this. He knows what is desirable to me and what is desirable to you. It may or may not be the same thing. Just like we all love different desserts (Mike hates strawberries and will not touch them!) sin is also different for each of us. My sin issues are different then yours are. Just like my dessert choices are also different then yours.
I know that if I eat chocolate I find it very hard to stop eating it if there is any left. I LOVE chocolate, ask Mike. I am notorious for taking any chocolate that is left in the house, even if he bought it for himself. I justify taking it because I think that when I go to the store I will buy him replacement candy bar.
But what does that chocolate really do to me? It is a quick, yummy treat, true. But it also has high fat content and high calorie content. It is low in nutritional value which means that it isn't really healhty for us. It is a treat, plain and simple. If I ate only treats and no normal food, no veggies or meats, no fruits or breads I would be missing a lot of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. That loss of important building blocks can increase our inability to fight off sicknesses and make us more lethargic. We are unable to fight off sicknesses and to stay strong and healthy.
Sin is like that. If we indulge in sin we loose the ability to think clearly on God's desire for us. We become lethargic in our faith and sluggish in our response to correction from God. We become more suseptibale to fall into sin. Is that what you want for you life? It's not what I want that is for sure!
I would rather feel healthy, strong and energetic. I love having the passion for life and the energy to spread that passion. With a good daily helping of God's Word and prayer (conversations with the Saviour) my day is filled with so much more then I could have ever imagined. I am energetic to spread His word and His love. I am strong to resist the attacks of sin that can be overwhelming to a weaker person. I look forward to eating more healthy foods.
So have a bit of chocolate but keep it minimal as it is easy to over indulge. :)
God's goal for you in life.
Life goes on, move with it
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
so many people in the world
Wow, the world population is now 6,871,328,019 and the U.S. population is 310,344,759 according to US Census Bureau @ 20:07 UTC (EST+5) on Sep 26, 2010.
HOLY COW!!! now that is a lot of people.
Those with Moebius - 2,500 world wide
Bell's Pasly - 75,000 world wide
Disabled in some way: 100,000,000 world wide
Autism of some form: 1 in 150 (2,068,962 in the US)
Blind: 40,000,000 world wide
Hearing Impaired to some degree: 33,487,702 world wide
Depression: 120,000,000 world wide
NOTE: ALL NUMBERS ARE APPROXIMATIONS. All numbers were acquired through reputable websites siting researched data.
So, why do you care about these numbers? Why do I care about these numbers? Well, with all these people on Earth, and all the technology we have here on Earth (and in orbit of Earth) how come we still have these medical problems? We should be able to fight these problems with better results one would think. At least, I would think.
Another common question is if there really is a God and he is loving, why do we still have all these problems/ Why has He allowed (or in some accusations caused) these problems to exists?
Honestly, I don't have all the answers, however, I have a theory.
It all started with Adam and Eve. Yes, I know here we go again. blaming it all on the first sin in the garden. Think of it though, that is really how this whole thing started....
Adam and Eve were made in God's own image. That means they were like God. Healthy, without faults, with out defects. Yes, you heard me right. Humans are defective, whether you have a disability or not. When He created us, we had nothing wrong with us, no defects at all. So how did it happen to come that there are so many people with physical or mental difficulties? How come we as the human race have so many defects?
Sin has crept into our lives so much that we barely see it for what it honestly is, sin. No, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that if you are sick or have some sort of disease that you are in sin and correcting that sin will get rid of the problem you are having. What I am saying i that in order to have the close relationship with Christ. We need to be honest with ourselves and with God, as to what our sin is and repent of it.
I for one, want to admit to God and to the world, that I have sinned and continue to do so without intent or maliciousness. I pray that God restores me to my former beauty as he designed originally. Will you do that same? He desires a close relationship with you. All it takes is humbling yourself to admit your a sinful person and He is the only one that can clean you. :)
HOLY COW!!! now that is a lot of people.
Those with Moebius - 2,500 world wide
Bell's Pasly - 75,000 world wide
Disabled in some way: 100,000,000 world wide
Autism of some form: 1 in 150 (2,068,962 in the US)
Blind: 40,000,000 world wide
Hearing Impaired to some degree: 33,487,702 world wide
Depression: 120,000,000 world wide
NOTE: ALL NUMBERS ARE APPROXIMATIONS. All numbers were acquired through reputable websites siting researched data.
So, why do you care about these numbers? Why do I care about these numbers? Well, with all these people on Earth, and all the technology we have here on Earth (and in orbit of Earth) how come we still have these medical problems? We should be able to fight these problems with better results one would think. At least, I would think.
Another common question is if there really is a God and he is loving, why do we still have all these problems/ Why has He allowed (or in some accusations caused) these problems to exists?
Honestly, I don't have all the answers, however, I have a theory.
It all started with Adam and Eve. Yes, I know here we go again. blaming it all on the first sin in the garden. Think of it though, that is really how this whole thing started....
Adam and Eve were made in God's own image. That means they were like God. Healthy, without faults, with out defects. Yes, you heard me right. Humans are defective, whether you have a disability or not. When He created us, we had nothing wrong with us, no defects at all. So how did it happen to come that there are so many people with physical or mental difficulties? How come we as the human race have so many defects?
Sin has crept into our lives so much that we barely see it for what it honestly is, sin. No, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that if you are sick or have some sort of disease that you are in sin and correcting that sin will get rid of the problem you are having. What I am saying i that in order to have the close relationship with Christ. We need to be honest with ourselves and with God, as to what our sin is and repent of it.
I for one, want to admit to God and to the world, that I have sinned and continue to do so without intent or maliciousness. I pray that God restores me to my former beauty as he designed originally. Will you do that same? He desires a close relationship with you. All it takes is humbling yourself to admit your a sinful person and He is the only one that can clean you. :)
Sunday, September 26, 2010
today happened.........
Ok, so today was busy. First, we woke up, feeling relaxed and not rushed. We spent some time together as a family, which we rarely are able to do first thing in the morning. I made eggs and toast for breakfast. (yummy!!!) I liked this family time a lot! Then Mike and I went to church for the prayer time. I never thought prayer could make me feel so good. I feel in awe at prayer. I know, I know, I know... I should have started going years ago. But I didn't so I shouldn't complain over things in which I have no control of. It certainly is not like I can go back and change things. I do think I did the right thing by postponing attend the prayer meetings though. Mike, now Mike and I, carpool to prayer with his long time friend, Terry. I know my husband rarely gets time to socialize with other men and I know he cherishes that time with Terry. I did not want to impose on that time. I still do not, but going to prayer has tunred out to be a blessing in more ways then I could imagine.
After prayer we moved some supplies around at church and then went to Wal-Mart. We finally arrived home later then I had hoped. I was beat! My amazingly wonderful husband allowed me to sleep for nearly 2 hours when we arrived home. :) I really needed that nap.
Now here is the biggest event of the day. The person I was blogging about before, the one that I got into an argument about, well, I called her. We talked for over an hour. Although some of the talk was heated some it was good. I have learned over the years to let things go. It's a hard lesson to learn but one that everyone must learn at one point or another. Sometimes it is better to let go then continue to argue. Being right isn't always the most important thing. (Not saying I was -or ever will be- COMPLETELY right, mind you.) But being right is't all it's cracked up to be at times.
It got me thinking, why isn't it the best thing? You know, when you were a kid you would argue with your friends or siblings as to who was right? Back then being right was awesome! Being right gave you some aura of superiority, almost like standing on ground above those you are arguing with. But you see? There in lies the problem. You are above others, alone, singled out, set aside. For what? What do you really have to gain by being set apart, by being right? Well, for one, you have a great feeling of superiority. You also are proud of your stature. You are looked up to. But you are alone. ALONE. When you put yourself above others, in anyway, you loose sense of reality. You become egocentric, whether you believe me or not, you do.
How can we protect ourselves from such a place but not always give in to others' way of thinking? I have really only found one way. I have tried other ways. I have tried convincing others to see things my way. I have tried to justify my way. I have stayed solid in my belief and bold in stating them, therefore lost friends. I have not succeeded in protecting myself. I have only succeeded on hurting myself in the long run. People could tend to think that I might be snobbish, conceited, judgmental, rude, or pushy. At times people have thought that. And at times, they have been right. So again, how can we protect ourselves from people thinking that and still be right? Easy. Humble your self and give God the reins to guide your words. Now, this is not easy to do. But it is necessary if we want to keep our witness and keep our friends. As humans we want to do things our own way. We want to be in control, just like we want be right. As an example, think of children. They always want to be right. Remember when you were a kid? You always thought your parents were too hard, they were wrong and you were right, they were mean, they were punishing you for no reason and so on. I know I did at times. I pretty sure you did at times also. Now that we are adults, or almost in some cases, you can see the error of your ways. you can see how your attitude contributed in escalating the punishment or correction, even if you were right. It doesn't matter if you are right. It matters how you express that, or if you express that at all. Sometimes it does not needed to be pointed out.
Handing God the reins to guide our words keep us in check. It helps us stay humble and realize that to keep a good friend you have to be a good friend. Sometimes that means shutting your mouth and not pointing out all their faults.
That was my mistake. Yes my part of the argument was, in my eyes and in my memory, correct. Pointing that out caused a huge argument. I did follow the Scriptures about helping your brother if he is in sin. I did follow the Scriptures to do so in love. However, pointing out everything is not so good an idea... sometimes you need to stop in your tracks and start taking baby steps. We all needed to learn in baby steps when were young. Non-believers and young Christians alike, need do that too. Just like you cannot make a baby walk before their time you can not point things out to someone who refuses to see them. God will show them in His time. Until then, just be a friend. Humble yourself, I'm speaking to myself here too, before God and allow Him to take the reins in your relationships. You'll be glad you did.
After prayer we moved some supplies around at church and then went to Wal-Mart. We finally arrived home later then I had hoped. I was beat! My amazingly wonderful husband allowed me to sleep for nearly 2 hours when we arrived home. :) I really needed that nap.
Now here is the biggest event of the day. The person I was blogging about before, the one that I got into an argument about, well, I called her. We talked for over an hour. Although some of the talk was heated some it was good. I have learned over the years to let things go. It's a hard lesson to learn but one that everyone must learn at one point or another. Sometimes it is better to let go then continue to argue. Being right isn't always the most important thing. (Not saying I was -or ever will be- COMPLETELY right, mind you.) But being right is't all it's cracked up to be at times.
It got me thinking, why isn't it the best thing? You know, when you were a kid you would argue with your friends or siblings as to who was right? Back then being right was awesome! Being right gave you some aura of superiority, almost like standing on ground above those you are arguing with. But you see? There in lies the problem. You are above others, alone, singled out, set aside. For what? What do you really have to gain by being set apart, by being right? Well, for one, you have a great feeling of superiority. You also are proud of your stature. You are looked up to. But you are alone. ALONE. When you put yourself above others, in anyway, you loose sense of reality. You become egocentric, whether you believe me or not, you do.
How can we protect ourselves from such a place but not always give in to others' way of thinking? I have really only found one way. I have tried other ways. I have tried convincing others to see things my way. I have tried to justify my way. I have stayed solid in my belief and bold in stating them, therefore lost friends. I have not succeeded in protecting myself. I have only succeeded on hurting myself in the long run. People could tend to think that I might be snobbish, conceited, judgmental, rude, or pushy. At times people have thought that. And at times, they have been right. So again, how can we protect ourselves from people thinking that and still be right? Easy. Humble your self and give God the reins to guide your words. Now, this is not easy to do. But it is necessary if we want to keep our witness and keep our friends. As humans we want to do things our own way. We want to be in control, just like we want be right. As an example, think of children. They always want to be right. Remember when you were a kid? You always thought your parents were too hard, they were wrong and you were right, they were mean, they were punishing you for no reason and so on. I know I did at times. I pretty sure you did at times also. Now that we are adults, or almost in some cases, you can see the error of your ways. you can see how your attitude contributed in escalating the punishment or correction, even if you were right. It doesn't matter if you are right. It matters how you express that, or if you express that at all. Sometimes it does not needed to be pointed out.
Handing God the reins to guide our words keep us in check. It helps us stay humble and realize that to keep a good friend you have to be a good friend. Sometimes that means shutting your mouth and not pointing out all their faults.
That was my mistake. Yes my part of the argument was, in my eyes and in my memory, correct. Pointing that out caused a huge argument. I did follow the Scriptures about helping your brother if he is in sin. I did follow the Scriptures to do so in love. However, pointing out everything is not so good an idea... sometimes you need to stop in your tracks and start taking baby steps. We all needed to learn in baby steps when were young. Non-believers and young Christians alike, need do that too. Just like you cannot make a baby walk before their time you can not point things out to someone who refuses to see them. God will show them in His time. Until then, just be a friend. Humble yourself, I'm speaking to myself here too, before God and allow Him to take the reins in your relationships. You'll be glad you did.
Friday, September 24, 2010
not sure what to say
Boy these last couple of days have been pretty nuts here. Not in the usual way either. I mean in ways that I am not used to, I mean arguing. Yes, I know we all have arguments from time to time but they come and go and you move past them. This argument isn't one I can move past very easily. You see it is very complex and very frustrating.
When you are a Christian you ask Christ to save your from your sins, to guide you in your life, each and everyday. You desire to learn more about Him. You desire to be around others of like minds. Those that love Christ want to be around others that love Christ. They want to continue to learn and grow closer to the Saviour. Their conscience keeps their hearts focused on Christ which keeps them more aware of when they sin. Sin is confessed and your heart is cleansed through forgiveness like only Christ can give.
But what if you know someone who is not following that but insists that they are saved? Well, scriptures tell us to go to our brother if we have a problem. It also says to guide those that need it. But it emphases to do so in love without condemnation.
Matthew 18:15-16 (King James Version)
Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
Galations 6:1
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
http://webhosting.mastertemplates.com/webhosting/division-within-the-body-of-christ-part-two.html )
I am trying really hard not to judge this person who I argued with. I do not want to judge them as individuals but rather show them their sin issue and have them correct that, with my help if they desire. Is that so wrong? Not according to the Scriptures, from what I read.
So, I guess this my argument with this particular person. They asked me what was wrong, why I was frustrated with them. I told them as nice as I could with as much love as I could, that their actions were affecting our relationship and more importantly it was affecting their relationship with Christ. I was worried for their salvation and their Christian walk.
OH MY WORD! You would think this person thought I was going to literally kill them!
This person got so defensive and upset. I feel horrible for upsetting them but at the same time I do not. You see I am torn. I did not intend for this person to take offense to my words or my pointing things out, but I also felt led to point these things out knowing this person would not like it very much. I did what I felt I had to do according to the Scriptures. Am I wrong for that? I do not believe so. Would I change my actions and the way I worded my letter to this person if I could? No, I wouldn't despite knowing how angry they are with me right now. You see, to me my relationship with Christ is more important to me then any other relationship I have with anyone here on Earth, even my husband and my children whom I love more then any other human being.
Ok, so if I knew ahead of time that this person would be so angry at me and that my saying something would ruin the friendship I have with them why would I go ahead and say it? You know, you come to a realization in life that Christ's way is the only answer and you have to follow it, not because you are being asked to or made to but because you want to make you Father happy and pleased with you. You see, the relationship I have with this person is only temporary, for as long as I live here on Earth. However, my relationship with Christ is for eternity, longer then I can ever imagine...... :) Which relationship is really worth in the end? Which one will make me happier in the end? I think you know the answer to that one but I will spell it out for you. The relationship with Christ is more important to me then any other relationship I could ever dream of having here on Earth. It is one to be cherished moment by moment and have every attempt to make it stronger and stronger each day.
I am deeply sorry this person is angry at me. Please always know that I love this person dearly. They do mean a lot to me and I would never change the experiences I have with this person as they make me what I am today. :)
Ok, so now you now my life story! lol Have a great night!
Thursday, September 23, 2010
a spur of the moment
I was sitting at my computer earlier today and thought of this poem. Just a random thought at the spur of the moment. :)
My life to Him I give,
For it’s He that makes me live.
In ways I could never dream or see,
On my own I’m without humility.
I trip over every branch and stone,
Since my life I make my own.
Giving it away to thee
Is the only way to make me free.
My life to Him I give,
For it’s He that makes me live.
In ways I could never dream or see,
On my own I’m without humility.
I trip over every branch and stone,
Since my life I make my own.
Giving it away to thee
Is the only way to make me free.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
my favorite desserts
The last time I wrote in my blog a friend suggested that I relate desserts to sin and how tempting it is. I love to talk about desserts so I thought the idea had some merit.
My favorite desserts are chocolate.I love practically anything chocolate. If I had to pick a "healthier" dessert it would be strawberries. Strawberry Shortcake, strawberries and cool whip, plain strawberries, chocolate covered strawberries. They all are absolutely wonderful! There are really so many desserts that are appealing but not as tasty as strawberries and chocolate.
If someone offered me a yummy, wonderful dessert would I turn it down? Most likely not! Now if someone offered me liver and onions, or cow's tongue, or ham hocks then NO WAY! Please take the away before I get sick! But desserts....... mmmmm, too good to dismiss without trying. You know that if you try a dessert that you absolutely love no matter how much willpower you have you will most likely finish that dessert. I know I would.
Ever think of sin like that? Do you think Satan would offer you some gross things to entice you with? Things that would turn your stomach and make you sick. That would not be tempting in the least. Temptation is defined as "something that seduces or has the quality to seduce". Seduce is defined as "to lead astray usually by persuasion or false promises." So by definition temptation is desirable. Satan knows this. He knows what is desirable to me and what is desirable to you. It may or may not be the same thing. Just like we all love different desserts (Mike hates strawberries and will not touch them!) sin is also different for each of us. My sin issues are different then yours are. Just like my dessert choices are also different then yours.
I know that if I eat chocolate I have a hard time stopping if there is any left. I LOVE chocolate, ask Mike. I an notorious for taking any chocolate that is left in the house, even if he bought it for himself. I justify taking it because I think that when I go to the store I will buy him replacement candy bar. No harm done. Or is there?
But what does that chocolate really do to me? It is a quick, yummy treat. It lasts only a few moments and then is digested. It turns into fat. Fat that goes right around my waste! Now even though the chocolate was yummy and I enjoyed it I do not particularly like the results of added weight.
Think about sin like that. Sin is tempting, enjoyable and seducing at first. It feels good and it feels right (sometimes) but afterward you are left with guilt, shame and regret. You may wish that you could go back in time and not commit that sin. No matter how tempting it was at the time you now know the result of committing it. You can't get rid of the dessert that you ate without making your self sick. You can' go back and redo events to not commit that sin.
But there is hope! Just like exercise helps you loose the extra weight you have gained from all the desserts, Jesus helps you feel better by forgiving you when you repent from the sin you fell into temptation with.
I hope that when you regretfully indulge in sin that you go to get your spiritual exercise by talking to our Lord and Savior. Ask him to cleanse you. :)
My favorite desserts are chocolate.I love practically anything chocolate. If I had to pick a "healthier" dessert it would be strawberries. Strawberry Shortcake, strawberries and cool whip, plain strawberries, chocolate covered strawberries. They all are absolutely wonderful! There are really so many desserts that are appealing but not as tasty as strawberries and chocolate.
mmmmm.......mmmmm......mmmmmmmmmm.... good....... :)
If someone offered me a yummy, wonderful dessert would I turn it down? Most likely not! Now if someone offered me liver and onions, or cow's tongue, or ham hocks then NO WAY! Please take the away before I get sick! But desserts....... mmmmm, too good to dismiss without trying. You know that if you try a dessert that you absolutely love no matter how much willpower you have you will most likely finish that dessert. I know I would.
Ever think of sin like that? Do you think Satan would offer you some gross things to entice you with? Things that would turn your stomach and make you sick. That would not be tempting in the least. Temptation is defined as "something that seduces or has the quality to seduce". Seduce is defined as "to lead astray usually by persuasion or false promises." So by definition temptation is desirable. Satan knows this. He knows what is desirable to me and what is desirable to you. It may or may not be the same thing. Just like we all love different desserts (Mike hates strawberries and will not touch them!) sin is also different for each of us. My sin issues are different then yours are. Just like my dessert choices are also different then yours.
I know that if I eat chocolate I have a hard time stopping if there is any left. I LOVE chocolate, ask Mike. I an notorious for taking any chocolate that is left in the house, even if he bought it for himself. I justify taking it because I think that when I go to the store I will buy him replacement candy bar. No harm done. Or is there?
But what does that chocolate really do to me? It is a quick, yummy treat. It lasts only a few moments and then is digested. It turns into fat. Fat that goes right around my waste! Now even though the chocolate was yummy and I enjoyed it I do not particularly like the results of added weight.
Think about sin like that. Sin is tempting, enjoyable and seducing at first. It feels good and it feels right (sometimes) but afterward you are left with guilt, shame and regret. You may wish that you could go back in time and not commit that sin. No matter how tempting it was at the time you now know the result of committing it. You can't get rid of the dessert that you ate without making your self sick. You can' go back and redo events to not commit that sin.
But there is hope! Just like exercise helps you loose the extra weight you have gained from all the desserts, Jesus helps you feel better by forgiving you when you repent from the sin you fell into temptation with.
~~ Jesus is like execise for the soul. :) ~~
I hope that when you regretfully indulge in sin that you go to get your spiritual exercise by talking to our Lord and Savior. Ask him to cleanse you. :)
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
workboxes!
Ok, so today is officially the 2nd day with the workbox system. I Love LOVE, LOVE it!! I'm not sure how the kids feel about it but it worked well for us for today. The weekly schedule leaves me free from scheduling the remainder of the week. It also lets the kids take charge of some of their own time and school work.
I think we may change Literature for Adam though. It is a bit above his understanding and a huge amount of reading out loud for me considering that I read Biology, History and Literature out loud to both boys. By the end of the day my voice should be hoarse! lol
I want to put some pictures on here about the workboxes but I have two small problems; one is I have no idea how to do it and secondly I have no pictures taken yet. lol My batteries are charging so I can take pictures soon.
So far the workboxes are set up, instead of drawers the way Sue Patrick designed it, as binders. Each kid has two binders. one binder is for this week we are working in. The second binder is for completed and graded work. In each binder each subject has it's own folder. Int he "this week's" binder the work to be completed goes in the left pocket. Once it is completed it is then moved to the right pocket. at the end of each week there should be nothing in the left pockets. Once all the work is graded the kids put it in their completed work binder in that subjects folder. In the front of each "this week's" binder each kid has their assignments listed for the whole week. It is up to them to make sure the work gets completed. They can do it in any order they want as long as it is all done by Friday afternoon.
Each kid gets a drawer to put their binder and pencils/pens in so they know right where their supplies are. We use a bookshelf for all the text and work books and their completed work binder. Each child gets their own shelf also. Their text/work books stay on their shelf. All the teacher's manuals are on a shelf for me. Everything is easy to find and in clear site.
this has made my mind clearer then it was last year. Last year we went day by day. I know it wasn't a good system but I was just to lazy to figure it out and to plan ahead. This year I am determined to plan ahead. lol
The original system can be found at http://www.workboxsystem.com/ .As you ca see I have adapted it to use binders instead of drawers so it would work in the small space we have and so the kids would be more interested in using it. I thought they might think it was babyish if I used drawers for each subject. After talking to them about it I was right. They said no way... hahaha
You can also google workboxes and find ways others have adapted it.
Well, I think that is all for this post. I will keep you posted as to how it continues to wrk (or not work) for us.
Always make your homeschool cool for you and your family. Don't make it a school but a place of learning. :)
I think we may change Literature for Adam though. It is a bit above his understanding and a huge amount of reading out loud for me considering that I read Biology, History and Literature out loud to both boys. By the end of the day my voice should be hoarse! lol
I want to put some pictures on here about the workboxes but I have two small problems; one is I have no idea how to do it and secondly I have no pictures taken yet. lol My batteries are charging so I can take pictures soon.
So far the workboxes are set up, instead of drawers the way Sue Patrick designed it, as binders. Each kid has two binders. one binder is for this week we are working in. The second binder is for completed and graded work. In each binder each subject has it's own folder. Int he "this week's" binder the work to be completed goes in the left pocket. Once it is completed it is then moved to the right pocket. at the end of each week there should be nothing in the left pockets. Once all the work is graded the kids put it in their completed work binder in that subjects folder. In the front of each "this week's" binder each kid has their assignments listed for the whole week. It is up to them to make sure the work gets completed. They can do it in any order they want as long as it is all done by Friday afternoon.
Each kid gets a drawer to put their binder and pencils/pens in so they know right where their supplies are. We use a bookshelf for all the text and work books and their completed work binder. Each child gets their own shelf also. Their text/work books stay on their shelf. All the teacher's manuals are on a shelf for me. Everything is easy to find and in clear site.
this has made my mind clearer then it was last year. Last year we went day by day. I know it wasn't a good system but I was just to lazy to figure it out and to plan ahead. This year I am determined to plan ahead. lol
The original system can be found at http://www.workboxsystem.com/ .As you ca see I have adapted it to use binders instead of drawers so it would work in the small space we have and so the kids would be more interested in using it. I thought they might think it was babyish if I used drawers for each subject. After talking to them about it I was right. They said no way... hahaha
You can also google workboxes and find ways others have adapted it.
Well, I think that is all for this post. I will keep you posted as to how it continues to wrk (or not work) for us.
Always make your homeschool cool for you and your family. Don't make it a school but a place of learning. :)
a few things on my mind
First and fore most may I say that my husband has got to be the most wonderful husband there is! Why do I say this? Not because he did something special like get me flowers or chocolates. He didn't take me to dinner, in fact I cooked for him. He didn't need to discipline the kids for me either as they have been great all day. :) I just think he is a wonderful husband because I love him so much. He loves me and shows me each day with the little things he does. Each morning, whether I am awake or not he has kissed my cheek before leaving for work. He calls me each day on his lunch break just to say hi. The first thing he does upon entering our home after work is give me a hug and kiss and ask me how my day was. There is so much for him that I could do but since I get wrapped up in my own life I don't always show him the attention I should. So, I would like to shout to the world that my husband is awesome!!!
I was going to write a few other things on other subjects, in the blog today but I want to keep this particular entry just about my husband. It's the least I could do seeing as how much he does for me.
So Mike, I love you!!!!
I was going to write a few other things on other subjects, in the blog today but I want to keep this particular entry just about my husband. It's the least I could do seeing as how much he does for me.
So Mike, I love you!!!!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
How to Identify a Fool
This is originally posted on FaceBook by Ellen Gerwitz. Thank you for allowing me to repost it Ellen. :)
We've been studying Proverbs on Sunday mornings and this morning I had the thought that it might be interesting to put together a "checklist" if you will of the characteristics of fools so as to identify them more easily. Below is my result. I've included the scripture references, but have only summarized the concept of each verse. It was convicting on a few points. Let me know what you think!
How to Identify a Fool
Pro 1:7 Despises wisdom and instruction.
Pro 1:22 Hates knowledge.
Pro 1:32 Prosperity will destroy him.
Pro 3:35 Inherits shame.
Pro 10:1 Causes his mother grief.
Pro 10:14 Speech is full of foolishness.
Pro 10:18 Hides hatred with lies and slanders others.
Pro 10:21 Dies for lack of wisdom.
Pro 10:23 Finds getting into mischief entertaining.
Pro 11:29 Causes trouble in his own house.
Pro 12:15 Thinks he's always right.
Pro 12:16 Shows his anger.
Pro 12:23 Heart proclaims foolishness.
Pro 13:16 Shows his foolishness.
Pro 13:19 Hates to depart from evil.
Pro 13:20 Companions will be destroyed.
Pro 14:3 Has prideful speech.
Pro 14:8 Deceives himself.
Pro 14:9 Mocks sin.
Pro 14:16 Continues bad actions, despite being warned.
Pro 14:24 Wastes time with his foolishness.
Pro 14:33 Shares his foolishness with the whole world.
Pro 15:2 Mouth pours out foolishness.
Pro 15:5 Hates being instructed by his parents.
Pro 15:7 Does not speak with knowledge.
Pro 15:14 Loves to talk about foolishness.
Pro 15:20 Hates his mother.
Pro 16:22 Instructing him is a waste of time.
Pro 17:16 Has no desire to gain wisdom or knowledge.
Pro 17:21 Causes parents grief.
Pro 17:24 Focuses on anything except wisdom.
Pro 17:25 Causes grief and bitterness to parents.
Pro 18:2 Doesn't want to understand anything, focuses only on himself.
Pro 18:6 Constantly argues and seeks violence.
Pro 18:7 Mouth gets him in trouble.
Pro 19:13 Causes disaster to his father.
Pro 19:29 Constantly in need of punishment.
Pro 20:3 Seeks out strife.
Pro 21:20 Wastes resources.
Pro 23:9 Despises words of wisdom.
Pro 26:7 What he says is not reliable.
Pro 26:9 What he says causes pain.
Pro 26:11 Continually returns to the same behavior over and over again.
Pro 29:9 Argues and contends in every situation.
Pro 29:11 Speaks his mind all the time even when it's inappropriate.
We've been studying Proverbs on Sunday mornings and this morning I had the thought that it might be interesting to put together a "checklist" if you will of the characteristics of fools so as to identify them more easily. Below is my result. I've included the scripture references, but have only summarized the concept of each verse. It was convicting on a few points. Let me know what you think!
How to Identify a Fool
Pro 1:7 Despises wisdom and instruction.
Pro 1:22 Hates knowledge.
Pro 1:32 Prosperity will destroy him.
Pro 3:35 Inherits shame.
Pro 10:1 Causes his mother grief.
Pro 10:14 Speech is full of foolishness.
Pro 10:18 Hides hatred with lies and slanders others.
Pro 10:21 Dies for lack of wisdom.
Pro 10:23 Finds getting into mischief entertaining.
Pro 11:29 Causes trouble in his own house.
Pro 12:15 Thinks he's always right.
Pro 12:16 Shows his anger.
Pro 12:23 Heart proclaims foolishness.
Pro 13:16 Shows his foolishness.
Pro 13:19 Hates to depart from evil.
Pro 13:20 Companions will be destroyed.
Pro 14:3 Has prideful speech.
Pro 14:8 Deceives himself.
Pro 14:9 Mocks sin.
Pro 14:16 Continues bad actions, despite being warned.
Pro 14:24 Wastes time with his foolishness.
Pro 14:33 Shares his foolishness with the whole world.
Pro 15:2 Mouth pours out foolishness.
Pro 15:5 Hates being instructed by his parents.
Pro 15:7 Does not speak with knowledge.
Pro 15:14 Loves to talk about foolishness.
Pro 15:20 Hates his mother.
Pro 16:22 Instructing him is a waste of time.
Pro 17:16 Has no desire to gain wisdom or knowledge.
Pro 17:21 Causes parents grief.
Pro 17:24 Focuses on anything except wisdom.
Pro 17:25 Causes grief and bitterness to parents.
Pro 18:2 Doesn't want to understand anything, focuses only on himself.
Pro 18:6 Constantly argues and seeks violence.
Pro 18:7 Mouth gets him in trouble.
Pro 19:13 Causes disaster to his father.
Pro 19:29 Constantly in need of punishment.
Pro 20:3 Seeks out strife.
Pro 21:20 Wastes resources.
Pro 23:9 Despises words of wisdom.
Pro 26:7 What he says is not reliable.
Pro 26:9 What he says causes pain.
Pro 26:11 Continually returns to the same behavior over and over again.
Pro 29:9 Argues and contends in every situation.
Pro 29:11 Speaks his mind all the time even when it's inappropriate.
too scared to be near it
Hi. Right now my kids are playing with their Nerf blow dart guns their father made for them. To see my kids laughing and playing, and their father being silly with them, has sure made this day wonderful!
Adam, my oldest, has been suffering all weekend with side pain and nausea due to a kidney infection. Daniel, my youngest, was sick this morning also. :( I hate when the kids are sick.
Anyhow, today Mike and I went to church by ourselves because both boys were sick. It was an enjoyable teaching but I did miss my children. The teachings at church have been phenomenal lately. I have learned so much! My pastor's wife, Ellen, has come up with a list of foolish traits one might have in regards to their relationship with Christ, as found in Proverbs. I will include that list in another blog. Right now I want to tell you what happened to me on the way home from church. It scared me beyond my imagination. I feel quite stupid about it but I wanted to share because I had a thought when it happened that I got excited about. ~~~ If only....... mmmmmmmmmm (sorry daydreaming! lol) ~~~~~
Ok, I'm awake now. We own a Dodge Caravan, gold in color. It has bucket seats in the front and two benches in the back. I was sitting in the front (bucket) passenger seat and Mike, of course, was driving. We were going along with no problems when I happened to look down at my lap. OM MY GOODNESS!!!!!
If you know me you know I hate spiders. I have tried and tried and tried till I am blue in the face not to be and I have gotten much better over the years. I am not sure why they freak me out so much as I know that I am bigger then then and I can kill them with barely a thought but for some illogical reason they still scare me.
Right next to my leg was a small hairy, black and yellow (or so it looked) spider. If you can imagine this happening to someone who hates spiders, but trying to be brave, you can see how I would feel. I was trying to keep "brave" and not be squeamish, just gasped a little bit. (Enough for Mike to look over at me though.) then it happened!
IT JUMPED!!!! on to my LEG!!!!!!! That was it! I shot across -- towards mike, who is driving, -- the passenger seat until less that half my body is on the seat. Most of it was suspended in the air between the seats. I was not happy at this moment. In fact, much to my dismay (and embarrassment) I was terrified. I have no reasonable reason though as I know I m bigger then this spider.
So, Mike pulled over, being the wonderful husband that he is, and spider killer to boot. He got out of the car, opened my door while I jumped into the driver seat, to kill that big (rather tiny actually) ugly, hairy. jumping spider. Only he couldn't find that stupid icky spider!!!!! So, I trying again to be brave feeling stupidly scared, move back to my seat and he gets in his seat. We start to drive home. Then, as I am taking a sip of my water, I see the spider again, close to me! My heart races, I gasp again and jump towards Mike. My lovely, wonderfully supportive husband again pulls over to get the mean ole spider. This time he finds it and swooshes it out of the car, freeing me from it's terror. Meanwhile, I am having a hard time keeping my breath steady and almost on the verge of tears, again, feel so stupid while sitting in the driver's seat again.
All the way home I am peeking everywhere I can see from my seat while I am buckled safely in, and UNABLE to jump out of the way if a wayward spider decides to scare me again. My breathe is not steady and my heart is beating out of my chest. I am left feeling scared and worried and much to my embarrased thoughts, feeling really stupid for being scared.
So why am I talking about all this if it embarrassing? Well, because of the thought that crossed my mind on the way home of course! lol
What if we could jump out of the way of sin when it comes near us? it sure would save us a lot of time, energy wasted on the sin and the frustrating, humbling time picking up ourselves after the sin is done. If only we could just, like Mike, swoosh it out of the way. That would be so nice! It would be much easier for us to keep the relationship with Christ free and clear so we can be more intimate with Him.
I would love to be able to wake up one morning and not have to worry about if I sin that day. I could just look at the day and jump out of the way of sin that is trying to distract me from my Saviour. :)
If only.... I would love to be too scared to be near it. wouldn't you?
Adam, my oldest, has been suffering all weekend with side pain and nausea due to a kidney infection. Daniel, my youngest, was sick this morning also. :( I hate when the kids are sick.
Anyhow, today Mike and I went to church by ourselves because both boys were sick. It was an enjoyable teaching but I did miss my children. The teachings at church have been phenomenal lately. I have learned so much! My pastor's wife, Ellen, has come up with a list of foolish traits one might have in regards to their relationship with Christ, as found in Proverbs. I will include that list in another blog. Right now I want to tell you what happened to me on the way home from church. It scared me beyond my imagination. I feel quite stupid about it but I wanted to share because I had a thought when it happened that I got excited about. ~~~ If only....... mmmmmmmmmm (sorry daydreaming! lol) ~~~~~
Ok, I'm awake now. We own a Dodge Caravan, gold in color. It has bucket seats in the front and two benches in the back. I was sitting in the front (bucket) passenger seat and Mike, of course, was driving. We were going along with no problems when I happened to look down at my lap. OM MY GOODNESS!!!!!
If you know me you know I hate spiders. I have tried and tried and tried till I am blue in the face not to be and I have gotten much better over the years. I am not sure why they freak me out so much as I know that I am bigger then then and I can kill them with barely a thought but for some illogical reason they still scare me.
Right next to my leg was a small hairy, black and yellow (or so it looked) spider. If you can imagine this happening to someone who hates spiders, but trying to be brave, you can see how I would feel. I was trying to keep "brave" and not be squeamish, just gasped a little bit. (Enough for Mike to look over at me though.) then it happened!
IT JUMPED!!!! on to my LEG!!!!!!! That was it! I shot across -- towards mike, who is driving, -- the passenger seat until less that half my body is on the seat. Most of it was suspended in the air between the seats. I was not happy at this moment. In fact, much to my dismay (and embarrassment) I was terrified. I have no reasonable reason though as I know I m bigger then this spider.
So, Mike pulled over, being the wonderful husband that he is, and spider killer to boot. He got out of the car, opened my door while I jumped into the driver seat, to kill that big (rather tiny actually) ugly, hairy. jumping spider. Only he couldn't find that stupid icky spider!!!!! So, I trying again to be brave feeling stupidly scared, move back to my seat and he gets in his seat. We start to drive home. Then, as I am taking a sip of my water, I see the spider again, close to me! My heart races, I gasp again and jump towards Mike. My lovely, wonderfully supportive husband again pulls over to get the mean ole spider. This time he finds it and swooshes it out of the car, freeing me from it's terror. Meanwhile, I am having a hard time keeping my breath steady and almost on the verge of tears, again, feel so stupid while sitting in the driver's seat again.
All the way home I am peeking everywhere I can see from my seat while I am buckled safely in, and UNABLE to jump out of the way if a wayward spider decides to scare me again. My breathe is not steady and my heart is beating out of my chest. I am left feeling scared and worried and much to my embarrased thoughts, feeling really stupid for being scared.
So why am I talking about all this if it embarrassing? Well, because of the thought that crossed my mind on the way home of course! lol
What if we could jump out of the way of sin when it comes near us? it sure would save us a lot of time, energy wasted on the sin and the frustrating, humbling time picking up ourselves after the sin is done. If only we could just, like Mike, swoosh it out of the way. That would be so nice! It would be much easier for us to keep the relationship with Christ free and clear so we can be more intimate with Him.
I would love to be able to wake up one morning and not have to worry about if I sin that day. I could just look at the day and jump out of the way of sin that is trying to distract me from my Saviour. :)
If only.... I would love to be too scared to be near it. wouldn't you?
Friday, September 17, 2010
what a day. :)
So, today I woke up feeling fairly good for a change. So many things have gone on in my life recently that I feel as though I barely have anytime to breathe. :) Although this week did not go as I had planned, or at least had hoped it would go, I am here to tell you all about it now. This week consisted of a migraine, a trip to the docs for me to get rid of my migraine, some school (although not nearly as much as I had hoped), lots of phone calls (way too many!), cleaning house, laundry, going through curriculum books, organizing the school bookcase, a major (MAJOR) fight with Adam, friends visiting (love ya Jennie!!), Adam's doctor appointment, Wal-Mart a couple of times, library a couple of times, baby sitting, blood work, and finally a cranky teenage boy in pain with a kidney infection. I think that about sums up my week. Oh! Did I mention Adam's bike got stolen? lol Oh MY! What a week we have had here!
So what did I get out of this week? Make the most of what I am given each day, despite how I felt physically. I was able to breathe. I was able to walk. I was able to cook a wide variety of foods to satisfy my family. I had clothes (too many Mike would say!) to keep me warm. A roof over my head that keeps me dry when it rains and in the shade when the sun shines. Medicine to make me feel better and a family to love me.
All in all, I think it was a pretty good week.
I know each of us has our bad days, some more then others. I also know some of us aren't as lucky (actually blessed) as others to have all the things that we have. But, I also know that if you are reading this you are alive and that is something to be thankful for!
You know, you might look at my life and think what does she have to be unhappy for? She's happily married, has a nice place to live, goes to church and has great friends. How could she relate to the life I have? Well, there is so much you do not know about me and tonight I feel led to share.
When I was a wee babe I lived with my biological mom and dad and 5 siblings. We lived in a run down house that we rented, in a crime ridden, cockroach infested part of the city. I was beaten so bad that I should have died. I have had all the bones in my body broken at least once, including my neck. Actually we all were, all six of us kids. When I was 7 my whole world fell apart.
My father and mother had signed all of their kids over to the State of NY. They didn't want us anymore, or so it felt at the time. All 6 of us kids were placed in foster homes. God blessed me with two wonderful things that year. One, that I was one of only two of the 6 kids to live with a sibling. The other one was my older sister, Loana. We lived, for the next 14 years, with our foster parents. They were amazing parents. I never went hungry anymore, I always had fresh clean clothes that actually fit me and were not hand me downs with tons of stains and holes, I went to a nice school where I did not get ridiculed each day, I was no longer beaten daily, and most of all I learned that Jesus died to save my soul.
When I turned 21 I married the most wonderful man I had ever met. Our life started out great, so I thought. I had a horrible pregnancy with my oldest son right after we got married. I had always had muscle and joint pains but now they were getting much, much worse. I couldn't take care of my family like I needed to because of the pain and the post-postpartum depression. I started my marriage thinking life would be glorious once I got married. Boy, was I wrong! Having all these new responsibilities, having a new baby and being in more pain then before all the time was a bit too much for me. My new husband had no idea what he had got himself into either! He thought he was marrying someone that was healthy only to find out she (me) had one medical problem after another.I found out I had Fibromyalgia and Endometriosis. I have had a complete hysterectomy and two foot surgeries. I am on meds for the rest of my life for health issues and pain. We had unresolved issues for a long time. After while we started to talk about the issues and, with God's guidance, we were able to work things out.
As the years have gone on we have not only grown closer to each other but, more importantly, grown closer to God. It takes each day waking up and putting God first in your life, in your marriage, in your parenting to stay close to Him and have a happy marriage. Parenting isn't all it's cracked up to be either! I thought when I had kids things would be ok. We would live the normal "2.5 kids, a house and a dog" lifestyle that is so common in the US. After that first rough pregnancy and delivery Mike wanted no mare kids. Adam was a handful too, so having kids right away wasn't really an option for either one of us. Then after a bit we changed our minds (and God creates in woman the ability to forget what having a baby is really like!) and we had Daniel. Now I thought Adam was a handful. I had no idea what having Daniel would be like.
Both my kids have special needs that each have their own challenges. Adam has severe learning disabilities with reading and writing, Asperger's, Sensory Processing issues, and hypermobility. Daniel has Moebius, Sensory Processing Issues and Anxieties. Daniel was also born with a malformed kidney that needed to be removed when he was 10 months old. Between both kids we have seen a ton of doctor's and read a ton of books. We have talked to other parents that have kids like ours and gleamed a lot of useful information. But no matter what help you get, having special needs children requires a lot of time and effort. Now we are homeschooling both boys again after having 3 - 4 years off (they were in public school).
So you see, life isn't all peachy keen and a bed of roses. Life is hard, for everyone. I know life can give you lemons and you should make lemonade with them. Easier said then done! lol With God though, things sort of fall in to place and He provides help and comfort from the oddest places.
I know life can be rough. Alright, it can be down right crappy at times! But God is there through it all. He is waiting for you to take His hand and let Him lead you. I guess that is why, after such a horrible week, I am thrilled to have experienced it. God has been great to me this week. I still have my health (even if that has problems too), my wonderful family, a great place to live, clothes on my back, food to eat, and a car to drive. I could go on and on and on with the blessings God gives me each day but I think you get the point.
So, think about what God has given you the next time you think life is rough. Think of those that are less fortunate then you. Remember that God loves you so much that He doesn't want you to suffer. All He asks in return is for you to love Him back and follow His lead. I hope you do that. I know I will!
So what did I get out of this week? Make the most of what I am given each day, despite how I felt physically. I was able to breathe. I was able to walk. I was able to cook a wide variety of foods to satisfy my family. I had clothes (too many Mike would say!) to keep me warm. A roof over my head that keeps me dry when it rains and in the shade when the sun shines. Medicine to make me feel better and a family to love me.
All in all, I think it was a pretty good week.
I know each of us has our bad days, some more then others. I also know some of us aren't as lucky (actually blessed) as others to have all the things that we have. But, I also know that if you are reading this you are alive and that is something to be thankful for!
You know, you might look at my life and think what does she have to be unhappy for? She's happily married, has a nice place to live, goes to church and has great friends. How could she relate to the life I have? Well, there is so much you do not know about me and tonight I feel led to share.
When I was a wee babe I lived with my biological mom and dad and 5 siblings. We lived in a run down house that we rented, in a crime ridden, cockroach infested part of the city. I was beaten so bad that I should have died. I have had all the bones in my body broken at least once, including my neck. Actually we all were, all six of us kids. When I was 7 my whole world fell apart.
My father and mother had signed all of their kids over to the State of NY. They didn't want us anymore, or so it felt at the time. All 6 of us kids were placed in foster homes. God blessed me with two wonderful things that year. One, that I was one of only two of the 6 kids to live with a sibling. The other one was my older sister, Loana. We lived, for the next 14 years, with our foster parents. They were amazing parents. I never went hungry anymore, I always had fresh clean clothes that actually fit me and were not hand me downs with tons of stains and holes, I went to a nice school where I did not get ridiculed each day, I was no longer beaten daily, and most of all I learned that Jesus died to save my soul.
When I turned 21 I married the most wonderful man I had ever met. Our life started out great, so I thought. I had a horrible pregnancy with my oldest son right after we got married. I had always had muscle and joint pains but now they were getting much, much worse. I couldn't take care of my family like I needed to because of the pain and the post-postpartum depression. I started my marriage thinking life would be glorious once I got married. Boy, was I wrong! Having all these new responsibilities, having a new baby and being in more pain then before all the time was a bit too much for me. My new husband had no idea what he had got himself into either! He thought he was marrying someone that was healthy only to find out she (me) had one medical problem after another.I found out I had Fibromyalgia and Endometriosis. I have had a complete hysterectomy and two foot surgeries. I am on meds for the rest of my life for health issues and pain. We had unresolved issues for a long time. After while we started to talk about the issues and, with God's guidance, we were able to work things out.
As the years have gone on we have not only grown closer to each other but, more importantly, grown closer to God. It takes each day waking up and putting God first in your life, in your marriage, in your parenting to stay close to Him and have a happy marriage. Parenting isn't all it's cracked up to be either! I thought when I had kids things would be ok. We would live the normal "2.5 kids, a house and a dog" lifestyle that is so common in the US. After that first rough pregnancy and delivery Mike wanted no mare kids. Adam was a handful too, so having kids right away wasn't really an option for either one of us. Then after a bit we changed our minds (and God creates in woman the ability to forget what having a baby is really like!) and we had Daniel. Now I thought Adam was a handful. I had no idea what having Daniel would be like.
Both my kids have special needs that each have their own challenges. Adam has severe learning disabilities with reading and writing, Asperger's, Sensory Processing issues, and hypermobility. Daniel has Moebius, Sensory Processing Issues and Anxieties. Daniel was also born with a malformed kidney that needed to be removed when he was 10 months old. Between both kids we have seen a ton of doctor's and read a ton of books. We have talked to other parents that have kids like ours and gleamed a lot of useful information. But no matter what help you get, having special needs children requires a lot of time and effort. Now we are homeschooling both boys again after having 3 - 4 years off (they were in public school).
So you see, life isn't all peachy keen and a bed of roses. Life is hard, for everyone. I know life can give you lemons and you should make lemonade with them. Easier said then done! lol With God though, things sort of fall in to place and He provides help and comfort from the oddest places.
I know life can be rough. Alright, it can be down right crappy at times! But God is there through it all. He is waiting for you to take His hand and let Him lead you. I guess that is why, after such a horrible week, I am thrilled to have experienced it. God has been great to me this week. I still have my health (even if that has problems too), my wonderful family, a great place to live, clothes on my back, food to eat, and a car to drive. I could go on and on and on with the blessings God gives me each day but I think you get the point.
So, think about what God has given you the next time you think life is rough. Think of those that are less fortunate then you. Remember that God loves you so much that He doesn't want you to suffer. All He asks in return is for you to love Him back and follow His lead. I hope you do that. I know I will!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
what to feel
I'm not sure what to write today but I feel as though it might help me to feel better, so here I am. I am still feeling down since Adam's fit the other day. That was the worst I have ever seen him. Part of me is numb I guess, not wanting to believe he can act that way. Part of me is not surprised though. I think about his attitude and then I am reminded of our attitude to God. There really isn't a difference at times.
What does God think of us?!?!?!? We reject his guidance more often then not and we argue with Him just as much. He is our Father! We are supposed to obey, with out question, with out hesitation. Yet we don't. How must He feel about us when we behave that way?
Thinking about this makes me disgusted with myself. I guess that is part of what is making me feel so down today.
Dear Lord Jesus,
I am an ugly animated dirt ball. I am not worth the love and care you give me, but still you give it freely. Lord, I do not understand your love. It is unconditional, never ending, and all encompassing. I know my love for my children is nothing like that. I want it to be but reality sets in and although I love my child in my mind my heart rebels and at times, wants nothing to do with them. If only I had your kind of love to give them. I know I do. It is free for the asking. I really want it but then the feeling of not deserving it steps in and refuses to let me take a hold of your love.
We are only human. We are sinful, disgusting, bratty children in your eyes. But still you love us no matter what we do. I do not understand. with these human eyes I am not able to understand. wth this human mind I can not comprehend.
Lord, let me see with your eyes, let me feel with your heart, let me be like you. Only then can I truly be happy.
Thank you for loving me no matter how crappy I behave. Thank you for forgiving me no matter what the sin was that I committed. Thank you for never forsaking me, always being by my side patiently waiting for me to return to you.
Love your daughter, Trisha
What does God think of us?!?!?!? We reject his guidance more often then not and we argue with Him just as much. He is our Father! We are supposed to obey, with out question, with out hesitation. Yet we don't. How must He feel about us when we behave that way?
Thinking about this makes me disgusted with myself. I guess that is part of what is making me feel so down today.
Dear Lord Jesus,
I am an ugly animated dirt ball. I am not worth the love and care you give me, but still you give it freely. Lord, I do not understand your love. It is unconditional, never ending, and all encompassing. I know my love for my children is nothing like that. I want it to be but reality sets in and although I love my child in my mind my heart rebels and at times, wants nothing to do with them. If only I had your kind of love to give them. I know I do. It is free for the asking. I really want it but then the feeling of not deserving it steps in and refuses to let me take a hold of your love.
We are only human. We are sinful, disgusting, bratty children in your eyes. But still you love us no matter what we do. I do not understand. with these human eyes I am not able to understand. wth this human mind I can not comprehend.
Lord, let me see with your eyes, let me feel with your heart, let me be like you. Only then can I truly be happy.
Thank you for loving me no matter how crappy I behave. Thank you for forgiving me no matter what the sin was that I committed. Thank you for never forsaking me, always being by my side patiently waiting for me to return to you.
Love your daughter, Trisha
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
the kids are in bed
You ever feel so angry or disappointed in your children that you can't wait for them to go to bed? Sometimes it's hard to even look at them when you get that upset at them. Well, that was sort of how I felt today. No I did not hate my child, nor was I rude to him, but I was not interested in being around him today.
Adam is in a stage of life that we all have been in. He is trying to find his place in the world and trying to find out his status in society. He is a teenager.
All day this has been irritating me, nipping at my emotions, making me upset and feeling hurt. Tonight, however, I am left feeling somewhat different. I am left hinting of questions whose answers bother me a great deal.
Do we ever really grow up? Aren't well teenagers in God's eyes? Yes and no. Yes, I think that no matter how old we get we will always have more to learn from God. We will always need to be corrected by our Father. Yes, I feel that in some respects we all act like spoiled teenagers at some point in ours lives. Some of us (this is the no part) do learn and humble ourselves before God. Some of us, like my son Adam, have a really hard time with that. humbleness makes you realize that no matter how important you feel you are there is always someone you are accountable to. Someone is in authority over you... That is something you can never escape.
Today I think Adam has started to understnad that no matter what he feels is right we will not abide by his interpretation of how the world works. He feels that God put us all equal. That the Constitution states we are all equal. Well, after lots of research tonight I came to find out that it really doesn't say that at all. The Declaration of Independence does but not in the context Adam is thinking.
You see what dawned on me tonight is that we all act like Adam at some point in our loves. How many times have you stuck to your own thoughts about something because you feel you are right? How many times have we 'manipulated' things to make it fit what we want it to fit? I know I have. I know you have also at one point or another.
What does God think of all that? WE ARE ALL SINNERS. No matter what sin we commit, it is all sin. But, just like I will eventually forgive my son for his attitude God forgives us even more so each time we sin. All we have to do is believe in Him, follow Him, and ask him to forgive our sinfulness.
For that to happen though we have to humble ourselves and submit ourselves to His authority. Tonight, I am doing that.... are you? Will Adam? I do not know what the answers to those questions are but I do now that one day we will all have to submit to God whether we like it or not. It's just easier to do it willingly.
Adam is in a stage of life that we all have been in. He is trying to find his place in the world and trying to find out his status in society. He is a teenager.
All day this has been irritating me, nipping at my emotions, making me upset and feeling hurt. Tonight, however, I am left feeling somewhat different. I am left hinting of questions whose answers bother me a great deal.
Do we ever really grow up? Aren't well teenagers in God's eyes? Yes and no. Yes, I think that no matter how old we get we will always have more to learn from God. We will always need to be corrected by our Father. Yes, I feel that in some respects we all act like spoiled teenagers at some point in ours lives. Some of us (this is the no part) do learn and humble ourselves before God. Some of us, like my son Adam, have a really hard time with that. humbleness makes you realize that no matter how important you feel you are there is always someone you are accountable to. Someone is in authority over you... That is something you can never escape.
Today I think Adam has started to understnad that no matter what he feels is right we will not abide by his interpretation of how the world works. He feels that God put us all equal. That the Constitution states we are all equal. Well, after lots of research tonight I came to find out that it really doesn't say that at all. The Declaration of Independence does but not in the context Adam is thinking.
You see what dawned on me tonight is that we all act like Adam at some point in our loves. How many times have you stuck to your own thoughts about something because you feel you are right? How many times have we 'manipulated' things to make it fit what we want it to fit? I know I have. I know you have also at one point or another.
What does God think of all that? WE ARE ALL SINNERS. No matter what sin we commit, it is all sin. But, just like I will eventually forgive my son for his attitude God forgives us even more so each time we sin. All we have to do is believe in Him, follow Him, and ask him to forgive our sinfulness.
For that to happen though we have to humble ourselves and submit ourselves to His authority. Tonight, I am doing that.... are you? Will Adam? I do not know what the answers to those questions are but I do now that one day we will all have to submit to God whether we like it or not. It's just easier to do it willingly.
today is almost done - good
ok, so now it is 5:32 and I can not wait till bed time. Yesterday was a horrible day despite my best friend coming to visit with me. Although I totally enjoy her visits my son's do not always share my thoughts. My oldest is in a rebellious stage where he feels he is always right and therefore doesn't have to respect me or obey me. My youngest is one who likes to be active so sitting around and chatting is not to his tastes.
Yesterday started our with a huge migraine. Then I went to the doctor's for two shots to get rid of the migraine and that made my arms hurt a great deal. Today my one arm, the right of course! hurts even more then before. After arriving home from that my son starts up with this attitude of "I'm not doing anything you say, do it yourself." So now I am tired, sore, embarrassed in front of my friends and upset. Not a good mix of feelings.
Mike arrived home to an angry house. He dealt with it and now he is frustrated and depressed. Today we are feeling the same way as we did when we went to bed, worn out and unmotivated. Adam's behavior is better today but he is still in an upset mood also. At least he is obeying now.Daniel was fine from the beginning and has been helpful yesterday and today.
I'm not sure why I am writing this except to ask for prayer. What is rebellion and what is asperger's? What disciplines work for our son? I know every person has their price and we have to find that price for Adam. Right now he has no privileges (computer ps2 friends...) and he was punished last night too. I just pray this helps.
I am worn out and ready for bed now... and it's only 5:40.........
Yesterday started our with a huge migraine. Then I went to the doctor's for two shots to get rid of the migraine and that made my arms hurt a great deal. Today my one arm, the right of course! hurts even more then before. After arriving home from that my son starts up with this attitude of "I'm not doing anything you say, do it yourself." So now I am tired, sore, embarrassed in front of my friends and upset. Not a good mix of feelings.
Mike arrived home to an angry house. He dealt with it and now he is frustrated and depressed. Today we are feeling the same way as we did when we went to bed, worn out and unmotivated. Adam's behavior is better today but he is still in an upset mood also. At least he is obeying now.Daniel was fine from the beginning and has been helpful yesterday and today.
I'm not sure why I am writing this except to ask for prayer. What is rebellion and what is asperger's? What disciplines work for our son? I know every person has their price and we have to find that price for Adam. Right now he has no privileges (computer ps2 friends...) and he was punished last night too. I just pray this helps.
I am worn out and ready for bed now... and it's only 5:40.........
Monday, September 13, 2010
being healthy
Today feels like a long tiring day but there really is no reason for that to be. The house has been straightened up a lot over the last couple of days, and this morning. The laundry is folded and put away, except the socks which I will fold this afternoon. The dishes are all done and the kitchen is clean. So I feel like I have been productive. No wonder I am tried right? Nope, you are not correct. Yes, I have done lots of things over the last few days between helping with a birthday party, cleaning house and getting ready to start school today with my boys.
I think I am tired because all of these things are mundane, boring meaningless mind-numbing tasks... My brain is tired which makes my body tired.
What do you to when you are physically or emotionally tired? I don't know about you but I do one of two things, eat junk foods or fall asleep. So, what do you do when you are spiritually tired? I usually "eat" "junk food"or sleep. Again, neither are beneficial to my over all, long term health
We all know what junk food is, you know chips, cookies, drive thru fast food, high carbs and high salts usually. So what is spiritual junk food? It can't be cookies or candy, can it? Actually metaphorically, yes it can. Things such as listening to the world's way of solving our problems, always taking meds for things rather then finding out the rot of the problem, getting therapy instead of talking to God, reading self help books, not disciplining our children so we do not ruin their self esteem, you get the idea.
I know plenty of people who would disagree with me on this and that is ok. They have every right to disagree but that doesn't make them right. Based off the Word of God being a Christian is not always easy. He never promised us an easy road thru life. Narrow is that way, thru the eye of a needle, those who are persecuted for my sake, brother against brother sister against sister, etc... etc...
Think ofit this way, if you could switch bodies with anyone in the world for a day, (they had your body and you had theirs), how would you want your body treated? Would u want this other person taking care of it or woul you mind if they gorged themselves with all the unhealthiest of foods, smoked, did drugs and drank? Of course you would mind! After all, it is your body that you live in. You will be getting it back and you want to make sure it is in good shape when it is returned to you, right?
Well, think of it this way. God lives in us, He has given these bodies to us to use while we were here on Earth. We will one day be returning them to Him to do with as He wishes. Do you want to give him a crappy, run down, dilapidated body that died early from the addictions you allowed it to get into? Or do you want to give God back this body well taken care of and working good?
Me? I want to hear Him say "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have treated this vessel with care. Thank you."
I know some days I do not eat healthy physically or spiritually, but I do try to make sure my over all eating habits stay healthy. I hope you do too. :)
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