Saturday, September 8, 2007

Even Small Candles Burn Brightly


The Bible says, "Let you light so shine before men that others might see Him" . Can't think of the chapter and verse at this moment. The Bible often likens being a witness to a candle burning in the dark. However, the Bible doesn't say that light has to be huge, it just had to be lit and not hidden.
This week in school Christopher had a class called guidance. In guidance they talked about faces, feelings and apparently share personal stories. And my beautiful son shared his faith in a simple, yet profound way without even realizing what he was doing. Trust in God comes natural to him, just like breathing. He told the whole group assembled about Allie(his little friend in Florida) when she jumped in the pool without a life jacket and how she almost drowned but God helped her get better. When he told me about it I was blown away. In his simple, childlike faith, he believe everyone knows and loves Jesus. So when he talks about people being sick or needing something he talks about prayer or asks people to pray. He also his first week of school asked his teacher to pray for him. He did not realize that "prayer no longer is allowed in public school". He only knows when you ask for prayer, people pray, or at least in the world he has known until now it has been that way. His teacher told us about it. She told him, she couldn't pray for him now but would at home. He was satisfied. So you see, sharing your faith does not have to be huge. My son is small and tiny, but his candle burns brightly and he is NOT ashamed to say he loves God and that God answers prayer. He is not ashamed to say grace or call on Jesus, even at school. I only hope we keep fostering that faith and his candle burns brighter and brighter. Oh if we adults only let our candles burn so openly, so freely and without hesitation. My heart is filled with awe because of what Jesus does through my little boy. God is using him mightily and he is just a little boy......what promise he holds in the Kingdom of God. Hannah too, she prays at the drop of a hat, without question. They are tiny but they are mighty in their faith and truly the warrior is a CHILD. I praise God for what He is doing in my children.

Friday, September 7, 2007

My Newest Endeavor

Is to attempt homeschool preschool with Hannah and my 4 year old nephew, Douglas. I am working this weekend on lesson plans and activities and the like. I am going to try this 3 days per week from 10 to 2 with a snack and a lunch break. Right now I am surfing the net for ideas, free curriculum and the like. I find a lot of sites that offer one free thing and the rest for astronomical prices. So the search is on. I have some stuff already and lots of ideas. I hope to keep a blog entry going about it and it will have the following heading:


This way if one wants to read it, they can or if they want to bypass the blogs on my preschool adventures they may.

I plan to start on Monday and we will see how it goes. I plan to have a lot of hands on stuff and fun because kids learn best through play.

Thursday, September 6, 2007

I am HERE! aka: Moving is an "adventure"

Okay, who ever thought moving through 2 states to arrive in the middle of the state of your final destination of the 3rd state would be easy and filled with butterflies and rainbows.....was wrong just plain wrong.

It all started on packing the truck day. My plans to have it all complete were not met. But for the most part it was done. We only had 3 other peo0ple show up to help my dh and 61 year old father in law pack the moving truck. It was a long, back breaking day. At one point, it looked as if we would not get all our stuff on the truck. But my husband rearranged and it went it with no problem. So we get to our first hotel that night and there was a problem with the Penske truck we rented to move with. My husband could not drive OVER 45 miles an hour. NOT good for a move from Florida to Tennesse. That is too long of a trip to be stuck at 45 miles per hour. My husband called the company and they sent out a mechanic who told us we might have to be sent another truck and have it repacked! I DO NOT think so. I told my husband you better tell them that is NOT an option, and they better find a way to fix it or his wife would take it up with them. Uh, they did listen. I did a lot of praying! Finallly, they fixed it and the next morning we were on our way. Still could not go over 65 because of some kind of governor they had on the older trucks. The kids did pretty well actually because somone GAVE us a dvd player for our van. I started ou in the van with the children and my inlaws while Mike drove the truck. My inlaws forgot what it is like to travel with children and did not figure in the length bathroom stops can take. And they chose Cracker barrel to eat at for almost every stop. Now I like Cracker Barrel but after 2.5 days of non stop Cracker barrel.....uh no.....over it. Finally, Mike put his foot down and said NO more cracker barrell. We also once stopped at a Waffle House but did not stay cause it was so DIRTY! Okay so the trip wasn't that bad but it was tiring. At some point I decided to get in the truck with my husband and strap the baby's car seat in the truck with us. Worked out pretty good but made gas up stops more intersting because they would not take the kids potty unless they asked. Unlike me who makes them try every stop. So, consequently 5 minutess after getting back on, someone would need to potty. My inlaws wanted to take long leisurely lunches, nice but not good for travel. I am greatful to them, don't get me wrong, they had just forgotten how it is to travel with little children. Once we got to more hilly regions travel slowed way down because of the truck trying to climb the hills. We went swimming at one hotel and Hannah scared me silly when she went face down in the water and I could not get to her very fast. She held her breath good and the life jacket thingy kept her afloat til I could get to her. But still it freaked me out, after my friend's daughter almost drowned. Then I noticed, I could not find my purse anywhere....we tore the van and truck apart to no avail. It was gone. I was freaking. We arrived in Tennessee on the hottest day in the region in YEARS! NO ac had been left on in our new apartment and it wa so hot. We only had 1 person to help my husband and my father in law could not help as he was feeling the effects of the heat. So my husband, myself and one football player sized teen unloaded the truck. We were exhausted, the kids were cranky and we had no food in the house. But we were done. The trip was over. The next morning my husband called the hotel in GA and they HAD my purse. They mailed it to me, completelyi intact! The phone company took from the Monday after we moved in to today to get our phone and dsl hooked up correctly and numerous phone calls and complaints. It has been an adventure not all bad, not all good but nothing major. In the middle of it, Christopher's asthma was flaring and we ran out of meds so we had to find a peditrician after we first got here. I never ran so much between all the things we had to do. We have gotten plugged into a wonderful church and are enjoying just being able to worship without any responsibility. So.....even though it wasn't all butterflies and rainbows it was filled with laughs admist the panic and groans. So I draw from the laughter and move on. Moving with 3 children, and 4 adults......really makes for family togetherness......LOL.

Friday, August 10, 2007

Life Boxes

We pack the truck on Monday. Time draws near for our big move to Tennessee. I truly go with peace in my heart but sad to leave behind friends. Life is an adventure. You never know what lays beyond the bend. As I have packed boxes that contain our lives it has made me think about the stuff we accumulate. Some of it, is irreplacable. Like the drawing Hannah made of a duck last week. Really the first recognizalbe animal she has ever drawn. How do you replace things like that? You dont. There there are those items that are irrevelant to life, like the 100th Macdonald's toy from the Cars Movie. After all, most times you go to Macdonald's your child gets the same toy, over and over and over again. Then there are those things that are important, tax papers, bills, yeah they follow you. When you look at your home after you have been packing, you realize your earthly life can be contained, boxed up and hidden away. Much like our emotions can be, BUT the things of real value, you can not put in a box. Faith, hope, love, kindness. Those things can't be boxed up, but they can be hidden if we don't let them out to touch others. All this "stuff" is disposable but character, love, faith, hope, compassion is not disposable. If we use it, it has a lasting effect on those we touch. How we use it, is just as important as when, where, and why we use it. Because used in the wrong way those same things can cause pain. So what is in my life boxes? Do I keep the real me hidden away in an box? Or do I let my life touch others? Do I hold value in the physical things that are corruptible and disposable or do I place more value in those things that really can not be held in a paste board box? When I look at my children do they know the things that matter? Am I teaching my children that the important things come from the heart and their character? If their lives and the things they can do could be put in a box, what would it look like when it was opened? Would it be a treasure or would it be just surface material? I want my life box to contain, love, faith, hope, kindness, compassioin and so much more. I want my life box to contain things that are incorruptible. Things that can be passed on for generations through my children, and my children's children. I want to matter to someone. I dont need wordly fame, wealth, or things. I need to know that I made a difference to someone. That I made someone KNOW they are loved. That I let others know that living for the Lord Jesus, isn't just words. That it is actions too. And that just because some in society give Christianity a bad view, not all of us do. That there are people out here who are Christians that DO love like Jesus wants us to. That we treat all our fellow man with HIS love and not for our own motives. I want to make a difference. When I stand in judgement and God opens the box of my life, I want it to be full of things that did not turn to dust. I want it to be full of the things He finds beautiful, which can not be measured with man's judgement. I hope my life box continues to fill up with beautiful things that matter and touch others.

Blogger Problems?

I dont know if anyone of my readers have had the same issues but everytime I try to comment on my fellow bloggers posts, it keeps refreshing and asking if I want to display the info. It is frustrating because there have been so many comments I've had to leave unsaid. So, if you aren't seeing comments from me, it isn't from lack of trying. I am a frustrated blogger, LOL. If you can comment, please let me know if you have had issues lately or not. If you can't, now I just will not know will I......LOL.

Monday, August 6, 2007

The Happy Period

Okay first I have to give credit where credit is due. I got this idea from my friend Tracy on The Mommy Lobby and had to run with it. Oh and be forwarned this DOES discuss a very womanly topic:







Always brand pads has a new slogan that you can have a "Happy Period" with their product, complete with wings and moisture proof lining. First and foremost, no one in their right minds would put the words happy and period together. Secondly, it had to be a man that came up with that slogan. And if it was a woman, she must have had temporary insanity. Because I have never ever had a remotely happy period. Not to mention,
whoever invented the wings and wants to talk about happy periods.....obviously NEVER had one of the wings come loose from the panties and attach to the hair on a certain part of your anatomy and have it slowly but surely rip out your hair as you search for a bathroom to remedy the situation....cause you know it ALWAYS(lol) happens in public.......so obviously they dont know there is no such thing as a happy period. Oh and those self same people that want to discuss happy periods, obviously never had aching boobs, raging hormones and cramps. They obviously never lived in reality or had an actual period because they sure ARE NOT happy in the slightest. Oh and whoever thinks a pad could be a happy thing during a period wings or not.......obviously never had to wear one in the Florida heat or feel like they were wearing a diaper. Yes, my dear friends, the happy period it is a myth, and that slogan has to by far be one of the dumbest slogans ever. Then again, it does stick in your brain because it is bold face lie.

Saturday, August 4, 2007

The Layers of Me Meme

Okay this meme is swiped from a blog as I wondered through blog land. LOL.
I will tag Shawna, Tina, and Deana.......if I can figure out how. LOL. Be as honest as you can or are comfortable with.........LOL. If you wish to skip a question.......plead the 5th..........LOL. and make us wonder about the answer. Here goes:

LAYER 1
Name: Thelma, born January 1st
Current staus: Happily marrieed
eye color: blue
hair color: brown with some natural(no dye) blonde highlights

Layer 2
My Heritage: a little of this, a little of that, a real melting pot of humanity...LOL
Fear: big dogs, spiders, heights
weaknesses: books, the computer, blogging, message boards
Perfect Pizza: hand tossed with pepperoni

LAYER 3
My thoughts first waking up :No, not yet, sleep 5 more minutes baby, give mommy 5 more minutes.....LOL
My bedtime : 11:30 to midnight or after depending on the baby's mood.
My most missed memory: my grandmothers, how they would have loved my children and my husband. How I wish I could have shared my life with them. I think they woudl have been proud of me.

LAYER 4
Pepsi or coke : neither, yuck...give me Dr. Pepper please
Single or group dates : I've never been on a group date, but have been on double dates with my twin. Those were fun
Adidas or Nike : really could care less......which is cheaper.....LOL
best ice cream flavor: without a doubt, chocolate

LAYER 5
Smoke : no, never have, never will
Curse : once in a blue moon but no F words or God's name in vain, mostly what people today don't even consider real cuss words.....LOL
Take a shower : yes

LAYER 6
Drank alcohol : once or twice.....had a strawberry margarita once that was so good, and I got a buzz, never drank one again.
Gone to the mall : uh.......yeah.......LOL
Been on stage : Yes, in high school....drama club and drama class
Eaten sushi : once...I did not care for it.
Dyed your hair : nope.

LAYER 7
Played a stripping game : not with anyone other than my husband after I was married......wink, wink........LOL
Changed who you were to fit in : Not really, you see who you get for the most part.

LAYER 8
Been Married : almost 8 years

LAYER 9
Best eye colour : blue, just look into my girl's eyes.....LOL
Best hair colour : really doesnt matter to me..
Short hair or long hair : in between.....LOL

LAYER 10
doing a minute ago : Doing this meme
doing an hour ago : watching food network cake challenge with the kids
Month ago : packing

LAYER 11
I love : my Lord, my family, my life....for I am blessed.
I feel : tired of packing
I hate : when the kids whine and when dh pretends he is helping but he isnt really.....LOL.
I hide : nothing
I miss : a goodnights sleep


Thoughts-n-Wonders
This Is Me
My Miracle Baby from pregnancy on...