Life These Days....

It's been a while since I last posted anything, so I thought I'd break down and write a bit while I had a "quiet" moment.  :)  With another year of 'Family Camp' under our belts it's time to hit hard getting school stuff organized... you know, daily routines, lesson plans, weekly meal plans, cleaning schedules, etc.  I know, for the 'normal' person all that planning and scheduling sounds rather overwhelming and a bit (or  a lot) restrictive, but to the weird one like me it's fun and liberating when it's all finished.  The hard part is sticking to the routine when there are so many other great things that come up in any given day/week.

So, with that said, I have accomplished goal #1: a bi-weekly menu plan!  (The plan only includes dinners.)  And I have to say that my husband is an amazing man for being on board with this b/c he does appreciate variety (hence the two-week plan).  So, here it is:

WEEK 1:

Sunday: Leftover Chili

Monday:  Mexican

Tuesday: Leftover Mexican

Wednesday:  Family meal at church

Thursday:  Crock pot- pork, w/ rice, steamed veggies and salad

Friday:  Brinner  (eggs, sausage, toast & juice)

Saturday:  Chili w/ Salad

WEEK 2:

Sunday:  Leftover Hamburger Soup

Monday:  Chinese- General Tsao's chicken & sweet & sour chicken, fried rice and salad

Tuesday:  Leftover Chinese

Wednesday:  Sandwiches, fruit and veggies

Thursday:  Pasta night!  Chicken alfredo and salad

Friday:  Homemade pizza night

Saturday:  Hamburger soup

Now, while this is the plan, dinners will vary a little depending on my dear husband's work schedule... homemade pizza night (one of his specialties) will probably be for his day off so he and the boys can make dinner together, etc.  Overall, I'm REALLY excited about this since I can have a standing grocery list and regular grocery day each week (the trick will be figuring out which day will be grocery day! lol).  

Phase 2 of my scheduling madness (and yes, it is madness) is a workable daily schedule and as I've written out most of our weekly activities, I've realized that life is just be BUSY and I need to quit complaining about it, embrace it and rejoice in and trust the fact that the Lord has given me the strength, endurance, and patience to go where we need to go and do what we need to do.  (Though I do long to return to the days when we were home all day most days and were out and about only a couple.) 

The problem with all this scheduling madness is that my husband is not much into scheduling and planning and is much more spontaneous and fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants than I have become.  (I used to be that way until having children forced me to become more structured.)  I have very often wondered why the Lord gave me such a husband that loves spontenaity (spelling???) when I find the most peace in structure and stability... probably since my own childhood could be characterized by unstability and chaos much of the time, so I learned to just go with the flow and fly under the radar so I wouldn't be noticed too much.  :)  So, with that said, I do need to keep an attitude of flexibility in the midst of all my scheduling madness.

All in all, I'm looking forward to another amazing school year!

The Awe Factor of God...

I saw this you-tube video of Francis Chan (author of Crazy Love) a while ago, and everytime I watch it, I get chills just thinking of how BIG our Creator is... 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ya12I036lg

Who God Is...

A recent conversation I had with a friend has spurred me on to really focusing on just Who God Is... versus who i am not and all the things i 'need to work on.'   So, I thought I'd start at the very beginning, the very best place to start... when we read we begin w/ A, B, C.  When we sing we ....  sorry, I should get on with it before I break out into song and dance here....


"In the beginning God..."  Genesis 1:1 


God... Elohim... was there in the beginning.  The name Elohim designates God as God.  'El' means "mighty" or "strong", and the 'him' ending of the name Elohim is a plural ending- more than one.  The triune God.  In the beginning there was nothing else just God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.  He is timeless.  He had no beginning like we did, He has always existed. 


"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."  Genesis 1:1


So, in the beginning there was God.  Nothing else.  Then.... God created... light out of darkness, form out of the formless, life where there was no life.


"The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters." Genesis 1:2


All He had to do was speak...


"Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light."   Genesis 1:3


He is our Creator... the Creator of all things- not just at the beginning, but everything and everyone since then- including you and including me.  I was created in this time, in this place, for His glory... and so were you...


"For you formed my inward parts;  You wove me in my mother's womb.  I will give thanks to you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;  wonderful are your works, and my soul knows it very well.  My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;  Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;  and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet, there were not one of them."  Psalm 139:13-16

The Hole in our Gospel

What does God expect of us?  Is our faith just about going to church, studying the Bible and avoiding the most serious sins -- or does God expect more?  Have we embraced the whole gospel or a gospel with a hole in it?

This is an excerpt from the back cover of Richard Stearns' book, "The Hole in our Gospel"  in which he explores these questions and challenges his readers to re-examine the depth of their faith, to step out and care for the widow and the orphan, the poor and needy of our world.  He begins the Prologue with an account of him sitting with a young boy of 13 years who was orphaned and caring for his younger brothers in Uganda... a powerful story that brings tears to your eyes.  Stearns then tells of how God called him to be the President of World Vision, his struggles and insecurities of leaving a lush, affluent lifestyle and a world he was familiar with to a life of complete surrender and service to the Lord - a world full of hunger, sickness, utter poverty.  The book ends with a Question and Answer section from Stearns' wife, as well as a Study Guide for personal use or use with a small group.  All in all, this was a deeply moving book and I would recommend it to everyone who longs to wholeheartedly follow Jesus.

I received this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their booksneeze.com book review bloggers program.  I was not required to post a favorable review- the opinions/review posted are my own.

Walk Like You Have Somewhere to Go

So, I've been reading "Walk Like You Have Somewhere to Go" by Lucille O'Neill, who happens to be the mother of famous NBA star Shaquille O'Neill.  The book was an easy read, written sort of like an extended journal entry of the author's difficult life and her journey from what she termed "mental welfare to mental health."  I have to say I was somewhat disappointed in the message Ms. O'Neill is sending to women who are keepers of the home and to those who are in less than satisfying marriages. 
To have the opportunity to have a husband, children and a home to care for is an amazing gift from the Lord, yet, the author consistently complained about how unfulfilling it all was for her - both in being a stay-at-home mother and also in her marriage.  Though I understand she was not at that time in her life seeking the Lord, I never did receive that one awesome 'God' moment, where the lightbulb went on and she sought after him with all her heart and was blessed for it.  Instead, she set out to prove her self-worth in going to college, divorcing her husband, and making it on her own... all of which she has done.

Radical...

At various times during a given year, I get really restless... I mean REALLY restless. From past experience, I have learned that many of my not-so-brilliant decisions have come during this time... those decisions are... well... radical... or reckless, if you prefer... I'm wondering maybe if I blog about it, it will subside sometime soon. If not, who knows... maybe we'll end up selling/giving away all our things and moving to the remote Outback of Australia, or to some remote African village or something. So, if you haven't found us for a few days, you know where to look. :)
I'm wondering what y'all do to tame the restlessness within?

Book Review

So I've been reading this book by Charles Stanley called, "How to Reach Your Full Potential for God- Never Settle for Less Than His Best." I was excited to have the opportunity to pick this book up and review it as I've appreciated the teachings I've heard from Charles Stanley on the radio, but I also met this book with a little hesitation. I wondered if it would turn out to be one of those books with the magic 3 steps to finding out from the Lord what His big plan is for one's life. I was pleasantly surprised. What I loved and appreciated the most is that the author did not leave out what the Christian life is to be centered around: relationship with Jesus Christ. He gives a great balance between a practical pathway to follow, and truly seeking the Lord through this process. All-in-all, if you're struggling in you walk and have gotten off track a bit, I would recommend this book along with its companion guide...