Hey y'all,
I'm a little late in letting you know about it, but if you like crafting, especially card making, go check out At Studio D's 25 days of Christmas. Damaris is one ultra talented lady at what she does. Seriously. Go check. Today is day 7 and I absolutely fell in love with her vintage inspired card. She's giving away lots of nice little goodies too, so if you're interested, follow her simple directions and maybe you'll be a winner. I was one of her winners last year, and I'm having fun playing with the stamps and others goodies she sent me. Even if you don't want to enter the contest,but just need some inspiration for your Christmas cards, go take a look around here At Studio D.
In just a few short days, many of us will be gathering around a table laden with lots of delicious food, laughing and chatting, reminiscing with family and friends. We'll say grace, eat too much, watch football, nap, relax and enjoy a day of Thanksgiving.
Minus the football, mine will be much the same. I'll see an aunt I've not seen in a few years. My mother is overjoyed to have her sister with her for at least one holiday. She'll be sad that some family members can't make it this year, and I'll try to drag her back to realizing the blessing of what she has now--all the while finishing up the cooking, making plates for the Hubby and his two co workers, and send him out the door to his job after eating a bit.
Many times I wish for the huge family gatherings and I grow misty eyed when I watch old Walton's reruns, especially the Christmas and Thanksgiving episodes.But reality sets in and these days I'm more thankful when the get togethers are small around us. J is not at his best in crowds. He gets quite anxious, truthfully, and it takes him awhile to warm up to people he doesn't see often. Too much noise and activity can send him into a nasty meltdown because he doesn't have the words to say"Enough. I need quiet. I need space."
Looking at my life, I don't live a typical one, if there is any such thing. I am a homemaker, albeit a struggling one. My husband works at a job where his hours are 4pm to 12 am and his weekend is Tuesday and Wednesday. Our son has autism and a few other diagnoses that tag along for the ride. He's nonverbal but in most cases manages to communicate what he wants or needs. There are nights that no one gets to bed before three in the morning because J is wide awake and thrilled to be so.
My house is almost never spotless. In fact, on most days if you come in you're likely to find things scattered on the floor, a child scurrying to find clothes to put on because he has gone through just about everything in his closet (in one day, mind you, never mind the reason why) and two cats rushing out of his way. The dishes and the laundry are multiplying. Someone online or on the phone needs my attention at the same time the Hubs asks where his work shirt is and all the while my mind is racing with projects, budgets, and schedules. Oh my!
But you know what? No matter how much I want to tear my hair out or how much I complain, and sometimes need a break from it all, I love it. This is my crazy, wild, chaotic life and I love it. I'm so thankful for all of it, to be honest. Maybe not all the time, but I do enjoy it about 95% of the time. Give or take. I am grateful for chaos J brings to my life because he fills my heart with love. I am thankful he's no longer on behavior medicine because even though he's more wound up during the day, more of him shines through. He's more apt to give hugs, more apt to interact with me.
I'm thankful for a roof over my head, my husband's job, a car that runs, all of that. But I'm especially thankful to God for the family he has given me, and this includes those adopted and grafted into my life from all different directions. Some I wish I could see and hug again, others I wish I could meet just once but family they are indeed. And last but certainly not least, I'm thankful to you who reads this blog and encourages me with your messages.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all. What are you grateful for today? I'd love to hear from you.
This post is linked to Heavenly Homemakers. Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!
In the whole bible, besides John 3:16, what verse comes to mind that everyone quotes (and misquotes)? Do not judge. I've heard many, many people use that as a get out of jail free card. "The Bible says don't judge". "Jesus said don't judge". If you ask most of them where that verse is found, they couldn't say. They don't know (nor do some of them care) what the verses surrounding that one says or means. They just know it's in there and that is supposed to end the conversation. In case you're wondering, here it is: Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
Luk_6:37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
Joh_7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
In most conversations, the reason that particular phrase is brought up is sin. Someone is committing adultery, having (or had) an abortion, got caught lying, stealing, etc. It doesn't matter. Sin is sin. And while Jesus did say, "Judge not" he was not one to excuse sin or sweep it under the rug. He called out the sinner, pointed it out, and to some he said "Go and sin no more". He didn't do any of this hatefully or spitefully, but in love.
When it comes to sin, God does not tolerate it, whether its a "little" sin or a "big" sin. Truthfully, from God's perspective there is no sin hierarchy. To him it's all the same and we are all guilty of it. We humans were the ones to decide that lying to spare one's feelings is okay and murder is worse than adultery or fornication.
So, when we see someone going down the wrong path, should we just look the other way? Pretend it's okay? Not say anything because we don't want to be accused of judging? If I saw a huge 18 wheeler barreling down the highway and you were in it's path unaware, would you want me to tell you? I'm willing to guess that you'd want to know, and you'd want me to help you get out of the way as quickly as possible. Sin in that 18 wheeler. The end result in both cases is death.
When we encounter a situation (sin) that needs addressing, we need to be prayerful and introspective about it. Is my life in order? Am I doing the same thing or something that needs to be taken care of first? Go to the person alone. Do not discuss Susie's adultery with Heather and Jane "out of concern." Talk to Susie about your concerns. Let her know you're worried about her.
If Susie repents, great! Continue loving her, continue being there for her. If she doesn't? Continue loving her, continue praying for her, continue being there for her (except in helping her to sin). Go to the church elders or the minister to voice your concern. We should judge the sin, and try to vanquish it from our lives.
But what if it's not a sin, but a "character flaw"? Max is overweight, he must not eat healthy or he eats too much. Sally is the world's worst housekeeper. Her place is always a mess; how can she live like that? Yes folks, that is judging and it is mean, and in this author's opinion it's one of the worst forms of judging. Have a heart, folks! This applies to me as well. I too, have been guilty of criticizing others.
Look deeper at the person you are attacking. Is Max really eating only junkfood and lots of it? Is he doing it because he's lonely or depressed? Reach out to him. Be his friend. And Sally. Why is her house a mess? Is it because she doesn't care and prefers to live in a messy environment, or is there an underlying problem? Perhaps she's overwhelmed and doesn't know where to start. Perhaps she's just too tired to pick up after chasing the kids all day. Maybe she just doesn't have the organization gene that you do. Instead of picking at her or throwing advice or throwing a social worker at her, GO HELP. Offer to take the kids for an hour or two so Sally can get some work done. Shoo her out of the kitchen and wash the dishes for her. Offer her an hour of your time and help her figure out how to organize. And again, continue loving Max and Sally. Don't go running off to Heather and Jane to discuss it.
We all have our sins. We all have our character flaws. Help one another. Be someone's life line. But do it in love.
I had a heated debate conversation with a friend today. She and I are polar opposites in our political leanings. The things she had to say didn't surprise me, and most of (on both sides) was simply a rehash of what we both believe to be true. One thing in particular, however, really stuck in my craw. She accused conservatives in general, of being sexist. I asked her why and she replied, Because they would rather tell a raped woman she can't have an abortion.
Okay, first of all, very few women get pregnant after a rape. If you read here only 1 in 15 rapes end in pregnancy. And though this is controversial, at the hospital after you've reported the rape you can get the morning after pill, if you so desire. (For the record, I don't think I would.) In my mind, it should be a non issue. But if the pregnancy does occur, why would the baby be the one punished? He or she was only conceived. I can understand if a mother absolutely cannot face the thought of raising a child conceived in rape. I cannot understand destroying an innocent child's life because of it. Adoption is a far better answer.
However, this post isn't necessarily about rape. Let's give another scenario. The Democratic campaign had commercials such as "lose your voting virginity". They worded arguments aimed at women to focus only on their "right" to abortions and free birth control. Do we only think with our uterus, ladies? Can we not handle the other issues that are important? What sounds more sexist to you?
The election is over and what's done is done. I dont want to rehash any of it, what's done is done. I just wanted to speak my peace on this one matter.
It's nearly 5 o'clock in the morning. I've been awake since three, when my (dare I say it?) middle aged body woke me up out of a strange dream to deliver some important news: get moving. If you're my age or so, you probably understand what needed to happen in the middle of the night and why a light in the hallway is usually important. The tea the night before brought this about, I'm sure.
I tried going back to sleep, but so far am wide awake. The readout from the weather channel on my computer says its 70 degrees. My internal thermometer says its 90. AC is currently on.
But I digress. You aren't here to keep up with my body's life of its own. At least, I hope not. What brought you in here was the title of this post. I'm a reader. Have been for as long as I can remember. I read the bible (not nearly as often as I should but I'm working on that), mysteries, love stories now and again, cookbooks, chick lit, Archie comics, the sides of cereal boxes... you get the picture. When I'm not writing, I can usually be found with my nose stuck in a book.
Since I couldn't go back to sleep I grabbed the latest book I've been reading. It's called The Potluck Club, by Linda Evans Shepherd and Eva Marie Everson. It was published in 2005 but I hadn't heard of it til now. I found it by accident, at a yard sale. The Potluck Club is six women who come together once a month to pray together. It started out as just two best friends who got together to pray and have dessert, and grew from there. Each of the women have their own story to tell, interweaved in the main story. One wants to take over as president of the club even though she's the newest (self invited) member. One has a secret past that even her best friend never knew. One has a failing marriage. One doesn't believe in prayer, much less God but has her own reasons for being in the club.
Each of the six women are facing their own difficulties, and they do it separately and together. I love that the authors used scripture throughout the book as the women learned more about themselves and grew closer to God. As with any book I can truly immerse myself in, I laughed with the ladies, cried with them, sympathized at times. I hated to see the story end. Although the book is finished, I was thrilled to discover that there is a series of The Potluck Club books, each concerning these six women. The second in the series is The Potluck Club: Trouble's Brewing and I can't wait to order that one.
If you enjoy women's stories like Steel Magnolias, or Fannie Flagg's books, with a Christian perspective, I think you will love The Potluck Club and the ladies in it: Evangeline, Donna, Vonnie, Lisa Lean, Lizzie, and Goldie. Bonus: there are lots of yummy recipes included!
Grab a copy and let me know what you think. I enjoy discussing books with friends. Meanwhile, your turn. Do you have a book or two that you recommend? I'd love to hear from you.
Ok, if you received this without a title, it's because it was written last night around midnight when I should have gone to bed. Fun fun.
Can you believe September is already gone? Time sure flies, doesn't it? I haven't written as much as I would have liked this month, but for me, family comes first. So, what have you been up to lately? I'll catch you up a little and give a few tidbits if you'll share with me how it's going with you. Deal?
Remember Heavenly Homemakers Funky Fresh Kitchen Challenge? I didn't blog as much about it as I'd meant to, but I tried keeping up with Laura. As for me, I nearly gave myself a big, fat FAIL on the month long challenge series, but I decided to be lenient and give myself a D. A lot of the challenges I ended up putting a "to be continued" label on them for one reason or another. That's okay. I haven't given up on doing those things. But I did decide to try menu planning again, which is a step in the right direction, and I got my pantry area cleaned out and functional. So woohoo there! Sorry, no pictures. Need to replace my camera at some point in the future.
I decided earlier to put myself through Home Ec 101 and get my act together in a few areas. It's still a work in progress. I have a friend now (Hi, Sharon!) who encourages me each week to declutter and organize. We chat via private message on Facebook on Mondays, and sometimes one other day during the week. We tell each other what we are working on that particular day, and I think it's beneficial for both of us.
As I mentioned earlier I'm trying to master the art of menu planning. It comes so simply to so many, but I struggle with it. I know basically what my family eats, and I'm learning to keep a list of pantry items so I can come up with nutritious meals. I am even learning to take into account the schedule so I can figure out if we need to eat out on a certain day because of doctor appointments, or whether I can figure out another way to make sure we're fed while on the road.
J continues to do well without the behavior medications, but I've found that he still needs melatonin to help him sleep. He's currently dealing with insomnia. O joy of joys. So this early bird has had to adjust her sleep schedule a wee bit to accommodate the situation. (Whew! Took three tries to spell accommodate correctly.)
Also, I'm in house hunting mode. I have a scout in the area we'd like to live in, both for financial and work reasons, and I've been doing some searching on the net to see what is out there that we could possibly afford. I'm seeing a few prospects. The biggest thing now is to look at the houses, set the ball in motion, and trust that God will lead us to the home that is right for us. I'm praying for this. There has already been a blessing in this: I'm getting to better know an old friend from school, and I have a new friend in his wife as well. I am really hoping and praying this works out because it has been so long since I lived close to a friend so I could visit and talk. Bonus: I'd have more motivation to keep the house organized and clean! I don't know about you, but knowing company may show up is a HUGE motivator in housekeeping.
Something new, something new.A Proverbs Wife is beginning a weeklong reading of Colossians today (October 1). It runs through Sunday, October 7. I hope you'll join the discussion there.
Well, that's all the news for now on my end. What about you? What have you been up to lately? Are you accomplishing all the goals you set for yourself? I'd love to hear from you.
I have a habit, like most people, of checking Facebook once or twice a day. I want to see what my family and friends are doing, thinking, posting. One particular friend was on a rant because another friend told her he didn't care for some of the things she posted. I'd be a little perturbed if someone told me they didn't like what I posted. Then again, sometimes I'd be a little shocked that someone actually read any of my postings. I agreed that the person shouldn't have told her that. Personally, I think that's what the delete button is for. Get enough of it, delete the person. Or at least remove the person from your daily feed.
But my friend said something else. What she said was , if you don't love all of me then delete me.
Well, let's think about that for a moment.Can you love every single aspect of a person, as in every part of their life? Can you love the person and not like parts of their lives?
A popular statement these days just happens to be, if you love me you have to accept all of me. God loves us in the truest form, and He doesn't even do that. He tells us in His Word there are things He cannot and will not abide: lying, adultery, fornication, homosexuality, murder to name a few. Every single person who lives, ever has lived, and ever will live on this earth has sinned or will sin. Does this mean God hates us? Not at all! God loves us, and hates the sin!
Example two: I love my sister, but she smokes. I don't like that part of her life. If she were to come visit, the cigarettes have to stay outside. The smell makes me ill and I don't want that nasty stuff in my house. Does this mean I don't love my sister or that I love her any less? No way!
Love isn't and shouldn't be conditional. I don't know anyone who would ever say "I will love you if...". You either love someone or you don't. Conditional love is wrong, on both sides of the street. Telling someone that they have to accept a behavior or activity or they don't love you is just as wrong. Both types of behavior should have been outgrown at least by junior high.
Bottom line? Facebook, at the end of the day, is really not much more than a virtual "I Love Me" wall. You post on there things that are important to you, that mean something to you. You're sharing yourself in a way that is safe because for the most part, you control who sees "you." That's the easy part. What you cannot and should not even try to control is how someone feels when they see what you post. Some will like it, others won't. Some will hit the delete button and move on, some will give feedback. Those we have on our friends list are there for a reason. While sometimes it is our first instinct to get angry and defensive when someone disagrees, perhaps we should just go ahead and talk with the person. Learn something. Gain a new perspective. Or just shrug and agree to disagree on that point.
Love one another as we are commanded. Jesus is our greatest example of how to love. He loved the people. He didn't love what they did.
