Last Tuesday Wondergirl and I worked with a team of wonderful ladies who form an outreach team for our church. We go where needed to help other ladies with a variety of things around the home. The needs vary from cleaning to painting to light repair work. Last week we helped a wonderful lady who was just feeling a bit overwhelmed by the first spring without her husband who passed on last fall. Talk about a joy. Mrs. J was an absolute delight! That was so much fun.
Tomorrow we help another team paint a kitchen. I cannot tell you how much this thrills us. First of all, we are working with some of the most wonderful women you could ever want to meet. Second, it is a joy to have WonderGirl with me. She has such a heart of service, and it shows. I really enjoy her, and I cannot tell you how much it blesses me that others enjoy her, too. She is just completely precious. Third, we love this stuff! I know it sounds weird, but we love hanging with others and loving on folk. Does life get better than that?
Tomorrow is also very thrilling for me because we are using it as a "pilot program". Sarah, the director, and I are praying that the Lord uses this outreach to help bring families together. We are hoping to develop an outreach team of moms and children.
Today I had a chance to talk to Sarah, and she asked me what my vision for this group is. I shared my heart as I could articulate it at the moment. In short, my desire is to help families learn to work as a unit and not cohabitate as a bunch of individuals. Simple enough.
On a larger scale, though, I want to see healing in families on a group as well as individual level. I find it sad and disturbing that so many people in this world do not know the simple concept of value. It is my heart for each person to realize God created each of them with more value than we can imagine. As individuals, we are invaluable, and society is good at capitalizing on the idea that we each have a call and each have gifts. Too often we become so caught up in our individual value that we miss the joy of our value within the groups of those who love us, those with whom we share our lives. We become so focused on our individual jobs, responsibilities, and goals that we forget that we are also put within our families because God has a plan not only to raise godly offspring but to bless and impact this world with our families as a whole.
God looked at Adam and said it wasn't good for man to be alone. Adam needed a helper. He needed to be part of something larger than himself and what he was able to do. That has not changed. We all need helpers, and we all need to be a helper. The family is the perfect place for that to happen, but it will only happen when we realize the value of those involved and act in accordance with that truth.
I think if I could give people anything in the world, save salvation of course, it would be the knowledge of how valuable they are and how much value they are able to speak into others' lives.
Prayerfully, our outreach group will demonstrate our value of people, not just the owners of the home where we work but the value of those working as well....
Monday, February 26, 2007
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Childlike
The Man of My Dreams won tickets to the Daytona 500 in Florida, and since we could not find a sitter for the whole weekend, we opted to split the children between us and give them special child/parent time.
Because I didn't want WonderBoy to feel like he was missing wonderful things on the trip, I planned certain things that I know he loves. Our weekend has gone like this:
Man of my Dreams and WonderGirl left at 6:30 am Saturday morning. For breakfast, WonderBoy and I headed to our favorite Starbuck's where they know us by name. Then we headed home and started playing with clay, which we did for over two hours. For lunch we had a load of crinkle fries and ketchup with sandwiches on the side (the sandwiches made my conscience feel better). Then I took a 30 minute nap and sewed up some pants I needed to make while Robert played with his new clay creations. Then we jumped on the trampoline for about 30 minutes before heading in for our showers. When we were done with our showers, we loaded up and went to friends' for play time and dinner before all of us headed out to church. On the way home from church, we grabbed cookies and chocolate covered donuts. At home, we watched "The Perils of Penelope Pitstop" and dipped cookies into our milk. We topped off the night by camping on the living room floor.
This morning we woke up with the sun and enjoyed donuts and milk for breakfast. Then we spent another few hours sculpting with clay before we ate leftover pizza for lunch. After lunch we headed to the science museum where we played for a little while and then watched the documentary "Dolphins". WonderBoy loves dolphins, and this was fantastic. At that point, we were hungry, so we headed toward home, stopping by Starbuck's (where they don't know us) for a shared treat, and then walking two doors down to one of our favorite craft places to get some more clay. With clay in hand, we came home for dinner. After which, we jumped on the trampoline a bit more. When it became too dark to jump on the trampoline, WonderBoy slid into a warm tub of bubbles and played. Right now he is watching some television while I write this. Then we'll both head off to bed and get ready for tomorrow.
Tomorrow our friend Vicki is coming over to play clay (can you tell WonderBoy LOVES sculpting?), and we are going to a Mongolian restaurant for lunch. WonderBoy is the adventuresome eater in the family, and he has never been to a restaurant like that, so this will be fun. After lunch, we are going to one of his favorite parks where he can play and we can all play tennis.
I'm telling you, I really tried to make this a great weekend or him.
As we talked about the weekend, he said, "Mom, all the things we've done have been really nice and fun, but that isn't what made it great."
"Really?" I asked. "What made it great?"
"I had you all to myself. I loved just having your attention and having you all to myself."
Yes, that melted my mother's heart. It also touched my child's heart that wants my Father's attention to be enough instead of getting all wound up in what He is doing for me or giving to me.
Praying to be more childlike so I can see the joy and delight of having a Father and His attention more than anything else....
Because I didn't want WonderBoy to feel like he was missing wonderful things on the trip, I planned certain things that I know he loves. Our weekend has gone like this:
Man of my Dreams and WonderGirl left at 6:30 am Saturday morning. For breakfast, WonderBoy and I headed to our favorite Starbuck's where they know us by name. Then we headed home and started playing with clay, which we did for over two hours. For lunch we had a load of crinkle fries and ketchup with sandwiches on the side (the sandwiches made my conscience feel better). Then I took a 30 minute nap and sewed up some pants I needed to make while Robert played with his new clay creations. Then we jumped on the trampoline for about 30 minutes before heading in for our showers. When we were done with our showers, we loaded up and went to friends' for play time and dinner before all of us headed out to church. On the way home from church, we grabbed cookies and chocolate covered donuts. At home, we watched "The Perils of Penelope Pitstop" and dipped cookies into our milk. We topped off the night by camping on the living room floor.
This morning we woke up with the sun and enjoyed donuts and milk for breakfast. Then we spent another few hours sculpting with clay before we ate leftover pizza for lunch. After lunch we headed to the science museum where we played for a little while and then watched the documentary "Dolphins". WonderBoy loves dolphins, and this was fantastic. At that point, we were hungry, so we headed toward home, stopping by Starbuck's (where they don't know us) for a shared treat, and then walking two doors down to one of our favorite craft places to get some more clay. With clay in hand, we came home for dinner. After which, we jumped on the trampoline a bit more. When it became too dark to jump on the trampoline, WonderBoy slid into a warm tub of bubbles and played. Right now he is watching some television while I write this. Then we'll both head off to bed and get ready for tomorrow.
Tomorrow our friend Vicki is coming over to play clay (can you tell WonderBoy LOVES sculpting?), and we are going to a Mongolian restaurant for lunch. WonderBoy is the adventuresome eater in the family, and he has never been to a restaurant like that, so this will be fun. After lunch, we are going to one of his favorite parks where he can play and we can all play tennis.
I'm telling you, I really tried to make this a great weekend or him.
As we talked about the weekend, he said, "Mom, all the things we've done have been really nice and fun, but that isn't what made it great."
"Really?" I asked. "What made it great?"
"I had you all to myself. I loved just having your attention and having you all to myself."
Yes, that melted my mother's heart. It also touched my child's heart that wants my Father's attention to be enough instead of getting all wound up in what He is doing for me or giving to me.
Praying to be more childlike so I can see the joy and delight of having a Father and His attention more than anything else....
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Fred Tails
Several folks have been asking about Fred. It occurred to me that I have not given updates on Fred in months. For those who do not know about our Fred Tails, let me get you up to speed.
Last March, our beloved Gummie died at that age of 14. Gummie was a precious 5-pound toy poodle, and she was a joy to our family. Needless to say, we missed her, so we chose to adopt a dog. I had planned on getting an adult dog, but the children became enthralled with the idea of a puppy. For reasons we are still unable to explain, we went with that. As a result, we adopted three beautiful puppies. Tristan was mine. Ginger belonged to our daughter, and Fred belonged to our son. Tristan would be a pretty good size dog, but Ginger and Fred were Beagle litter-mates, and they would be fairly small, only 15 pounds. It would work out.
Sadly, it didn't. Ten days after we brought them home, we had to make the choice to humanely put down Ginger and Tristan due to distemper. Fred, on the other hand, had a natural immunity, and with a boost from the vet, Fred made it through.
That was last June.
In July we had another Fred Tail scare. Fred began mutilating his tail. There was a strong possibility he would lose his tail, and there was concern that the distemper had affected his brain. Even if we saved his tail, could Fred still be saved? Again, God did wondrous things for Fred. Blessed with good veterinary care, our then 20 pound Fred got to keep his tail, and there is no sign of neuropathy.
When we had him neutered in September, our 30 pound Fred came through it with flying colors. Our vet also gave us some good news. Fred was nearly done growing.
At Christmas, we decided to see how much Fred weighed since we were sure he had grown since September. While we don't have an exact number, we know our daughter weighs over 70 pounds, and Fred weighs more than Anna.
Wondering how our "Beagle" got that big? Well, a Beagle doesn't get that big, but a Jack Russell/Lab mix does.
I won't lie to you. We never intended to have a dog that is closing in on 80 pounds. His head can lie on our kitchen table while all four of his paws are on the floor. Frankly, it has been a hard road. The dog looks full-grown, but he is a puppy. He eats things like a puppy. He destroys things like a puppy. He destroyed my large watering can. He can take a chew toy for a 60-pound dog and destroy it in less than 15 minutes. One day Rob took him to a park with a cement walking track that is approximatly 1/3 mile in length. Rob wore skates and held on to Fred's leash. Fred took off at a hard run. Six laps later, Rob's skates were no longer functional. They had disintegrated. Fred, however, was ready to play fetch.
Does that sound a bit daunting? If you aren't used to big dogs, it probably does.
Granted, we were not prepared for how big Fred has grown, and I'm not sure we were prepared for how big of a blessing he is either. When you look past his size, you find a dog with the sweetest temperament in the world. He loves his family, and he tries to please us. He is magnificent with the children, although he is still learning they are authority and not puppies. He and I have a routine. First thing in the morning, I let him out of his crate, and while I have my quiet time on the couch, he lies beside me with his head on my lap. I scratch behind his ears, read my Bible, and/or pray. We hang out, and it is exactly what I had wanted in a dog, even if this dog takes up 2/3 of the couch. At night, the children go to bed. Rob works on something computer oriented, and Fred and I are back on the couch. He isn't really a lap-dog, but he is a snuggle buddy, and if your toes are cold, you can't find a better heater.
But isn't that like a lot of our blessings? When we quit being bothered that they don't look exactly like we think they should, we have the opportunity to see just how big they are, and Fred is pretty big.
Praying your blessings are big...
Last March, our beloved Gummie died at that age of 14. Gummie was a precious 5-pound toy poodle, and she was a joy to our family. Needless to say, we missed her, so we chose to adopt a dog. I had planned on getting an adult dog, but the children became enthralled with the idea of a puppy. For reasons we are still unable to explain, we went with that. As a result, we adopted three beautiful puppies. Tristan was mine. Ginger belonged to our daughter, and Fred belonged to our son. Tristan would be a pretty good size dog, but Ginger and Fred were Beagle litter-mates, and they would be fairly small, only 15 pounds. It would work out.
Sadly, it didn't. Ten days after we brought them home, we had to make the choice to humanely put down Ginger and Tristan due to distemper. Fred, on the other hand, had a natural immunity, and with a boost from the vet, Fred made it through.
That was last June.
In July we had another Fred Tail scare. Fred began mutilating his tail. There was a strong possibility he would lose his tail, and there was concern that the distemper had affected his brain. Even if we saved his tail, could Fred still be saved? Again, God did wondrous things for Fred. Blessed with good veterinary care, our then 20 pound Fred got to keep his tail, and there is no sign of neuropathy.
When we had him neutered in September, our 30 pound Fred came through it with flying colors. Our vet also gave us some good news. Fred was nearly done growing.
At Christmas, we decided to see how much Fred weighed since we were sure he had grown since September. While we don't have an exact number, we know our daughter weighs over 70 pounds, and Fred weighs more than Anna.
Wondering how our "Beagle" got that big? Well, a Beagle doesn't get that big, but a Jack Russell/Lab mix does.
I won't lie to you. We never intended to have a dog that is closing in on 80 pounds. His head can lie on our kitchen table while all four of his paws are on the floor. Frankly, it has been a hard road. The dog looks full-grown, but he is a puppy. He eats things like a puppy. He destroys things like a puppy. He destroyed my large watering can. He can take a chew toy for a 60-pound dog and destroy it in less than 15 minutes. One day Rob took him to a park with a cement walking track that is approximatly 1/3 mile in length. Rob wore skates and held on to Fred's leash. Fred took off at a hard run. Six laps later, Rob's skates were no longer functional. They had disintegrated. Fred, however, was ready to play fetch.
Does that sound a bit daunting? If you aren't used to big dogs, it probably does.
Granted, we were not prepared for how big Fred has grown, and I'm not sure we were prepared for how big of a blessing he is either. When you look past his size, you find a dog with the sweetest temperament in the world. He loves his family, and he tries to please us. He is magnificent with the children, although he is still learning they are authority and not puppies. He and I have a routine. First thing in the morning, I let him out of his crate, and while I have my quiet time on the couch, he lies beside me with his head on my lap. I scratch behind his ears, read my Bible, and/or pray. We hang out, and it is exactly what I had wanted in a dog, even if this dog takes up 2/3 of the couch. At night, the children go to bed. Rob works on something computer oriented, and Fred and I are back on the couch. He isn't really a lap-dog, but he is a snuggle buddy, and if your toes are cold, you can't find a better heater.
But isn't that like a lot of our blessings? When we quit being bothered that they don't look exactly like we think they should, we have the opportunity to see just how big they are, and Fred is pretty big.
Praying your blessings are big...
Friday, February 2, 2007
Let's Say Thanks
Several months ago I mentioned a website I frequent. It is a site that allows you to send beautiful cards to soldiers around the world. In all seriousness, in less than 10 seconds, you could send a lovely card to a very appreciative soldier.
First you pick a design, and there are several beautiful ones. Then you type in your name (tab) your state (tab) and either choose a message that is prepared for you or take the time to write your own. Then hit the "Submit" button.
I have a quick link on my computer, and any time I surf, I start at that site and send a card. Sometimes I send one card a day, and days like today when I am doing a lot of research for homeschool, I send several. I don't think there is a limit on how many you send.
The site is http://www.letssaythanks.com/Home1280.html
If you wonder if it makes a difference, check out some of the comments and see the pictures.
To put this in perspective for you, in the time you spend surfing channels during a commercial break, you could easily send four cards, maybe more. In the time it took you to read this post, you could have sent 4-10 cards. I appreciate your reading my blog. They appreciate your cards, too, so jump over there and give them a bit of your time, okay?
Thank you.
This is a comment from the website:
A letter from an Army Specialist:
As I was leaving an un-eventful Valentine's Day today, one of the mail clerks yelled "Adams!! You have a package!!" A package, I thought to myself. I'm not expecting anything. What could this be? I took the box into my office and closed the door. As I opened the box, a flood of joy came over me as I looked over the cards from you and the young ones, one of my co-workers walked in to see tears rolling down my eyes. I had never received a gift with this much love, packed into one little place from someone that I've never known.
As I thought about what the cards talked about with soldiers giving their lives and privileges up to ensure the freedom of Americans, it was nice to know that someone out there does not take it for granted. I don't know who you are, but you are truly a gift from God. The gift that gives me the drive to serve my country proudly. As you pray that the Lord keeps the soldiers here safe and brings us home, I pray to the Lord that people like you do not die off from this world. Your contributions are nowhere near inadequate. Please never forget what this means to a soldier. Thank you for your love and thoughts.
First you pick a design, and there are several beautiful ones. Then you type in your name (tab) your state (tab) and either choose a message that is prepared for you or take the time to write your own. Then hit the "Submit" button.
I have a quick link on my computer, and any time I surf, I start at that site and send a card. Sometimes I send one card a day, and days like today when I am doing a lot of research for homeschool, I send several. I don't think there is a limit on how many you send.
The site is http://www.letssaythanks.com/Home1280.html
If you wonder if it makes a difference, check out some of the comments and see the pictures.
To put this in perspective for you, in the time you spend surfing channels during a commercial break, you could easily send four cards, maybe more. In the time it took you to read this post, you could have sent 4-10 cards. I appreciate your reading my blog. They appreciate your cards, too, so jump over there and give them a bit of your time, okay?
Thank you.
This is a comment from the website:
A letter from an Army Specialist:
As I was leaving an un-eventful Valentine's Day today, one of the mail clerks yelled "Adams!! You have a package!!" A package, I thought to myself. I'm not expecting anything. What could this be? I took the box into my office and closed the door. As I opened the box, a flood of joy came over me as I looked over the cards from you and the young ones, one of my co-workers walked in to see tears rolling down my eyes. I had never received a gift with this much love, packed into one little place from someone that I've never known.
As I thought about what the cards talked about with soldiers giving their lives and privileges up to ensure the freedom of Americans, it was nice to know that someone out there does not take it for granted. I don't know who you are, but you are truly a gift from God. The gift that gives me the drive to serve my country proudly. As you pray that the Lord keeps the soldiers here safe and brings us home, I pray to the Lord that people like you do not die off from this world. Your contributions are nowhere near inadequate. Please never forget what this means to a soldier. Thank you for your love and thoughts.
Thursday, February 1, 2007
Different
Well, I have been avoiding my blog because I couldn't figure out how to make the title appear again. I changed from the old version to the new, and my titles disappeared. Being the computer semi-literate that I am, I spent an obnoxious amount of time trying to fix it only to end up muttering under my breath while threatening the safety of an inanimate object. THEN, this incredibly handsome (and smart, I also love him for his brains) man I live with took a look at it, and two minutes later, he hands me my computer with title intact. Just another reason I thank God that wonderful man's title is My Husband.
Anyway, isn't it funny where a week can take you? I'll level with you. I was struggling last week. Physically I was exhausted. My children had been sick with a respiratory thing going around. My son required a middle-of-the-night trip to the ER to deal with a double ear infection that left him screaming in pain. About the time they were sleeping well and we weren't alternating between steamy bathrooms and the deck where it was a nice 60% humidity and mid-30s temp, My Husband got hit. Now, WonderMan (and he is) is not whimp. The whole thing about how men are babies when they are sick does not apply to Wonder Man. This stuff knocked him for a loop. Usually, if the kids are sick, one of us will go to church and the other stays home with the kids. The kids still weren't up for church, and Rob was not up to taking care of them, not even sitting up and watching a movie. My Man was sick. It took about three days for him to breathe without being wheezy, and then...yep...I got it. I don't think I've been as sick as anyone else in the family, but my head has hurt, and breathing has been challenging. So, physically, I was exhausted.
Mentally, I was exhausted. Mental and physical exhaustion are hard to separate as you most likely know.
Emotionally, I don't even have an adjective. The only thing that came to mind was "raw", but I think I was pretty shut down. Granted, I was very easily affected, but is that really "raw"?
Spiritually, well, spiritually is always what seems to determine how much the first three interact, and I have to say the interaction wasn't good. Now, I didn't say I wasn't in a good place spiritually. Sometimes you can be a in good place and it still be hard. When a person is pouring forth before God and seeking the Lord and the Lord is doing a mighty work of healing or cleaning or drawing or really any kind of speaking, it can be intense. I have had a few really intense weeks.
Thankfully, I finally got a breakthrough that totally rocked me today. I've been struggling in an area, and I couldn't figure out the root. I had pretty much shut down in a lot of ways, and I couldn't pinpoint the cause. I didn't know where it had started, and I wasn't sure how to come out of it. Well, yesterday I felt like the Lord gave me the strategy for coming out of it, and today I started implementing it in faith. The Lord honored that, and today He revealed the source of the issue and then confirmed it by bringing to mind a pointed prophetic word of healing I received last fall. So now, I am sleepy but beaming. Truly, it is amazing the difference a week makes.
Actually, you know what? The week had nothing to do with it. The issue started over a year ago. A week did not break the hold. The real truth is what a difference an encounter with God makes. If you've ever been at a place of desperation where He intervened, you know what I mean. If you are pouring out before Him and pleading for help and are waiting, you know what I mean. If you have never known that kind of desperation or that kind of passionate seeking or if you've never had that kind of encounter with God, you need one. When you've had one, you'll know what I mean. There is nothing like it, and you won't be like you are after you've had it.
Isn't it glorious the difference an encounter with God can make?
Praying that wherever you are and whatever you need you will have the encounter with God that makes the difference....
Anyway, isn't it funny where a week can take you? I'll level with you. I was struggling last week. Physically I was exhausted. My children had been sick with a respiratory thing going around. My son required a middle-of-the-night trip to the ER to deal with a double ear infection that left him screaming in pain. About the time they were sleeping well and we weren't alternating between steamy bathrooms and the deck where it was a nice 60% humidity and mid-30s temp, My Husband got hit. Now, WonderMan (and he is) is not whimp. The whole thing about how men are babies when they are sick does not apply to Wonder Man. This stuff knocked him for a loop. Usually, if the kids are sick, one of us will go to church and the other stays home with the kids. The kids still weren't up for church, and Rob was not up to taking care of them, not even sitting up and watching a movie. My Man was sick. It took about three days for him to breathe without being wheezy, and then...yep...I got it. I don't think I've been as sick as anyone else in the family, but my head has hurt, and breathing has been challenging. So, physically, I was exhausted.
Mentally, I was exhausted. Mental and physical exhaustion are hard to separate as you most likely know.
Emotionally, I don't even have an adjective. The only thing that came to mind was "raw", but I think I was pretty shut down. Granted, I was very easily affected, but is that really "raw"?
Spiritually, well, spiritually is always what seems to determine how much the first three interact, and I have to say the interaction wasn't good. Now, I didn't say I wasn't in a good place spiritually. Sometimes you can be a in good place and it still be hard. When a person is pouring forth before God and seeking the Lord and the Lord is doing a mighty work of healing or cleaning or drawing or really any kind of speaking, it can be intense. I have had a few really intense weeks.
Thankfully, I finally got a breakthrough that totally rocked me today. I've been struggling in an area, and I couldn't figure out the root. I had pretty much shut down in a lot of ways, and I couldn't pinpoint the cause. I didn't know where it had started, and I wasn't sure how to come out of it. Well, yesterday I felt like the Lord gave me the strategy for coming out of it, and today I started implementing it in faith. The Lord honored that, and today He revealed the source of the issue and then confirmed it by bringing to mind a pointed prophetic word of healing I received last fall. So now, I am sleepy but beaming. Truly, it is amazing the difference a week makes.
Actually, you know what? The week had nothing to do with it. The issue started over a year ago. A week did not break the hold. The real truth is what a difference an encounter with God makes. If you've ever been at a place of desperation where He intervened, you know what I mean. If you are pouring out before Him and pleading for help and are waiting, you know what I mean. If you have never known that kind of desperation or that kind of passionate seeking or if you've never had that kind of encounter with God, you need one. When you've had one, you'll know what I mean. There is nothing like it, and you won't be like you are after you've had it.
Isn't it glorious the difference an encounter with God can make?
Praying that wherever you are and whatever you need you will have the encounter with God that makes the difference....
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