God First, Family Second, Church Third, Work last

I cannot tell you how much this is working for me. Now, I have "preached" this for as long as I can remember but somehow got out of the practice. Typical. In my new "world" that I live in which is getting newer every day, this every day practice is saving my life.

This along with the other great and PRACTICAL APPLICATION truth that Doug taught...do the natural, let God do the miraculous.

If you can get ahold of that truth, then you really CAN be free of worry. Do all you can in the natural; read God's Word, Pray, attend church faithfully and and with an open and teachable spirit, follow God's tenets and follow the 4 step plan. God, Family, Church, Work.

I have had opportunity to follow this plan multiple times since I majorly re-committed to it only just a few days ago. Multiple times when I was doing one thing and another HIGHER priority thing came into play, I had to make a choice. WOW.

After a long talk with Tif yesterday morning (thanks Tif) we had our first day of school with my totally being present the entire time. (present meaning I was all there in my mind) and a good long and fruitful bible study to boot. I quit worrying about ALL I HAD TO DO and made the priority actually BE a priority. If something truly has priority status then nothing will get in its way of being done. I stepped out in the natural, the priority of my children and school! The relief I feel is tremendous but worry not, I recognize that it is only day one.
Blue Chip day as it were. ;)

So if you are looking for a prayer to meditate on...nay, I beseech you to pray daily for us brethren; that I can follow and STICK TO God's plan for me to follow His priorities.

So today, if following the schedule, I will have another full day with the kids.
The plan is to do kids most of the day each day, work in the evenings and on the weekends. If I can follow that for awhile I likely can work on Fridays a bit as well...we'll have to see.

Limit myself to as few meetings as possible during the week...only the absolutely necessary ones. Limit my attendance at events...only the most absolutely fruitful ones...and then, TRUST GOD for the rest. Trust that He will do whatever else needs doing. Imbalance comes from not following priorities.

Funny, as I am re-reading this I realize that this is how I always pictured the magazine as being; PART TIME. LOL!!!! Evenings, weekends, you know...as a side job. We literally called it that. Looking at the "new schedule" I see that I now have it scheduled in as a "side job". God will HAVE to do the rest now!

So: If I trust in God and His plan, then I know that I am a part of it. Do I want to be a willing, active participant? Watching God at work in my life and others'? Seeing or at least knowing that I am being used? Or do I want to be an unwitting pawn? Saved- but simply moved about as I live from self instead of from Savior? As long as I earnestly and openly do the natural (what I can) with God as my center through whom I live , and move and through whom I have my very being, then and only then, will I live victoriously.

Postscript: I did my bible study after blogging this morning (normally a NO-NO) and God specifically directed me to Psalm 146. I LOVE when He does that. I had already read everyone's blog as well and had seen worrying or potential cause to worry going on there as well.
Check out God's amazing plan for our worry in:

Psalm 146!

Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul.

I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.
When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—the LORD, who remains faithful forever.

He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free, the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous.

The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. The LORD reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD.

God's Hand at work

May not seem like much to you...but the coolest thing happened with God this morning.

I got up and as I go through yet again another spiritual renewal, gain, increase...whatever one would call it, I was blessed to be in His presence this morning.

I woke up and had to start early on documents I needed to finish before my first 7:45 meeting, etc. etc. and got the immediate prompt not to forego bible study. So off I go and could only find Rachel's Little Women of Faith Bible. But God's Word is God's Word right?

So I open to this little mini-study on the "River of Delights" that God promises...and it is a beautiful little study on God's love and as I was praying I was hearing directly from the Lord to focus on what I had been being shown lately. God first, Family Second, Church Third, Work fourth.

So I was doing bible study and just finished up when I hear MOMMY! Kate's up. SO much for work. BUT_ Family Second was fresh in my mind so whatever will be was to be.

I told her to come downstairs and she wanted a sippy cup and then wanted to go back to bed. Now, she has NEVER once done this. I even asked her if she wanted to go to the living room but she said no, back to bed!!! So I brought her back up and she layed down and totally dumbfounded I came down to finish my "work".

Wow, God orders man's steps.

I am blessed.

Doug said I stink!

Well, I couldn't resist that one.

I guess if I had to be TOTALLY honest, he didn't EXACTLY call me stinky.

He didn't come-right-out-and -say STEPH, BEAT IT to Celebrate Recovery because You are some kind of stinky!

Lol but as the world grew strangely dim around me and then Kay somehow got me after church and talked so intimately about CR that I suspected she was a plant...that I knew it.was.for.me.

(I got that period thing from Lisa T., works strangely enough)

I fell into the category of risen Lazerus with stinky grave clothes on.

Can I stop saying stinky now because you know what? In REAL life I don't ACTUALLY stink and it is making me somewhat uncomfortable to continue using that word. Somewhat like Tif's favorite word. Lol

SO shock value over, the truth is that I come out of church and say to Jeff... "Ok, confession time. What did you think of the sermon? You are the one I trust so I confess X,Y,Z....were you just pointing your finger at me the whole time???"

an HE goes:

"YOU? I was thinking it was me the whole time. I've got my own issues!"

We both laughed as we realized we both were thinking the same thing and feeling somewhat embarassed that the spotlight was on ourselves when likely everyone in the room was in some way, shape or form, if they were being honest, that person.

I am not sure what CR has that church and regular bible study doesn't. And I am also not comfortable AT ALL talking about myself in front of others in such an intimate way which is likely why I don't go. I don't think for me that confessing every little sin to a group of people is my idea of freedom. God's idea you say?

Hmmm, not sure. BUt my point is that I did confess the thing and I felt a bit better though I am not sure Jeff really COUNTS. Lol But I may give CR a try still.

I think I keep waiting for Marcia to get home. I don't know, I think I have as this picture in my mind as a spiritual mentor of sorts. And I don't know her at all so I could have that totally wrong.

So, thanks for the compliment Doug. I skulked out of there aware of my grave clothes more than ever but wanting to shed them ever so much more.

I confess I cannot pray the "Whatever it takes" prayer as I am so terrified of what that may mean! I mean, what if means something really HUGE and scary??

Yeah, big bad Steph afraid of God. YOU GOT THAT RIGHT!

I am old testament girl! LOL I KNOW what the wrath of God is like!

No I'm kidding, if we really knew, we wouldn't dare fall into sin...would we? I don't know Adam and Eve walked with the Lord and still did.

Maybe the new covenant God is about grace and mercy and letting His life flow through yours in an outpouring of living sacrifice?

Sigh. I'll likely never get it right. But it won't be for a lack of trying.

I love the idea of we do the grunt word and let Him do the God work. We just step out in faith and do the real stuff that we can do (pray, confess, go to CR, have FAITH!) and then let the miracles occur. That was comforting and then some. Even later at home, when I was feeling very unstable with Kate sick...scared...the world is so big and scary and what if what if what if...and then Doug's words came back to me...just step out what I know to be true Steph...

Pray, give it God, stop worrying about what may happen over the next week to work if your child's sick...just do God first, Family Second, Church third and the rest will fall into place because your Big Daddy promises to deliver! Can I get an AMEN? or a woohoo is fine too. Lol

Loved the sermon guys, that's my point. And....maybe it's true that Doug didn't really say I was a risen-from-the-grave stinko, but I DO know that the teaching seemed to single ME right out!!! :)

Children's Chapel Chat

What fun with my little cohorts this morning. They are so amazing. I can't help myself. It is my goal in life to teach kids bible with PASSION and FUN. It's the only way. I imagine all the parents thinking that all we ever do is play. But it is not true. They learn AND play. They learn BY playing. They learn because I am still learning too and can't help but share it with them.

I told them how I experienced their bible lesson in my own life by just preparing for it. They thought that was so cool.

We played: "Be a Good Samaritan" and I wish some of you had been able to see it. The lesson was on priorities and we learned the Good Samaritan and Mary and Martha story.

Anyway, we do the lesson and then I implement the Did we retain? and How to apply!...something they were not used to having to do but something I think is oh-so-important with treats for the right answers too.
The funny part? I would never treat one kid and not another... right answer or not, so everyone gets them but they never catch on. I always make it like I am only going to give treats for the right answers and they all listen so close.

Anyway, they love that of course and it causes them to really LISTEN (retain) and then learn how to APPLY by being asked leading questions.

ANYHOO- the game. Line two teams up. You have one injured person for each team across the room.
Ready...set.....Be a good samaritan!!!! (Lol, I made that up)

First person in line grabs one item from the basket and rushes to the aid of the injured person.
Applies it as follows and rushes back to tag next person. First team done, wins. We had to play it like FIVE times as everyone wanted to be the injured person. They had a blast. And I bet they will all remember at least most of the things that the Good Samaritan did for the injured guy.

Fabric- (wrapped around the shoulders)
Sling (for injured arm)
cloth (dabbed gently on face as in applying oil to wounds)
sticker (stuck on arm like a bandaid)
cup (on ground like a drink)
plastic fruit (in one hand)
fake money (in other)

We do "retaining" by having them re-tell in their own words, answer true or false statements, finish lines of scripture, list items, and give main topics.

This is important in any line of learning but especially with bible.

It was my last week teaching and am somewhat saddened by the loss of the class. I know they missed Marcia and will be glad to have her back. But-they all attacked me with hugs, went home with plenty of goodies but most importantly? I know that they learned something andwhatever it was that could be life changing if they apply it.
If your child was in my class, I hope they had a good time, learned a lot but mostly, I want you to know, ya'll have GREAT kids!

I even started my mission on keeping the visiting family here and I must say, it did not go so badly at all!!!! I love them!

I didn't have a stitch of trouble with a one of them either and YOU KNOW WHY TOO. LOL!!!!

Stream of thought

Coffee's on, thank you Lord.

I slept through the ENTIRE Night last night until SIX am this morning.
For those of you that know my sleep history, you know what an amazing occurrence that is.
I has been grinding my teeth so hard since Friday I nearly made myself sick yesterday with headaches and jaw pain.
It let up after the radio show.

I am feeling much more confident with next week's show. Fine tune a little here, a little there.
But the nerves are gone. Again I have never been more thankful for someone carrying a bit of the load with me. Deb, WHO KNEW this is how it would all turn out???? You are totally paying me back for those 4-6 hour days at the park when I was 8 months pregnant! Lol
She starts as an interview and ends as a co-host. Pay's not very good but I'd say that speaks volumes about YOU! :) Thanks to Tif for calling in too! I think you should call every week. Yep, I am going to have you check in every week with us until your comfortable. I'm glad I get to do it again in a week instead of a month, like the mag. Though every OTHER month would be better for the mag anyway. Hmmm....


March issue just finished being edited and will go to print. Had to go up 4 pages. WOOHOO.

Sloan just BLESSED my heart yesterday when I told her to call in the show and talk about how hard it was to have me behind the computer and she totally just went on and on about what a great MOm I was and how I was not behind the computer too much...how of COURSE I had to work since I was running a magazine and the girls and her just loved me so much, etc. etc.
Her little voice sounded so cute and sweet and here I was confessing and she was just as sweet and loving and oh-so respectful...so I could tell on myself but SHE was having none of it. Man, I love that kid.

Cool about the Pennies thing. Not much I know, but for little SEVEN year olds to do it-I'd say that is pretty exciting!

It feels SO BIZARRE to not have anything pressing on me this second. I even planned for Sunday School last night IN BED so I could take this morning off.
I may even make it to early service. I should get some extra work in but I don't think I will. Deb told me sometimes I may THINK the roof is going to cave in if I don't do X,Y or Z but that it likely wouldn't. Now, I think I may just take me a little of that and chew on it awhile.


My desk is a MESS. I hate it.

I am missing blogging less and less. I think that is sad when I used to love it so much.

I miss ACTUAL people.

I love that Tiff stays around even though I am so busy. She feels like the only remaining connection to the group for me. Maybe it's because she is a board member, (of mine) but I prefer to think of it because she is a good friend. Thanks for being there for me Tif! I know I don't ask too much of you (I hope anyway) but what you don't realize is when I need you, I really, really need you and you are always there with a good, open attitude, a kind but HONEST word and well, you are appreciated!

Coffee's done- hold on-

Ok, I'm back.

Winning stream though is when I was prepping for class I was going over this exercise where the kids write down their two biggest chores on two different sticky notes and we create a bar graph. Then we label the column with the most of the same chore "High Priority List" and talk about all chores, why that chore seemed to be the one everyone had to do, etc. etc. But then we put LOVING AND SERVING GOD IS MORE IMPORTANT over the High Priority List. Now you will remember me making a JOKE about this last week. But this week as I studied it closer I realized wow, who's this bible lesson for anyway?

Good reminder for me as I struggle along with being so-o-o busy. That tt is NOT my biggest priority! (or should not be anyway) Which as you know actually means, God comes first, then FAMILY comes second, church third and work last! I still battle with these priorities when they used to come so easily to me.

What's to become of all this? This editor just does. not. know.

Thankful thankful THANKFUL for Sunday. And am going to try to bust it to early service because I NEED it!!

Happy Sunday Brethren. If I don't see you on this side, I'll see you on the other!

Pennies turn into Big Bucks

What a week. We went out to Umatilla Elementary to present this plaque and give out free icecream coupons to the 2nd grade classes that raised monies for Bella. They saw the story in the magazine and ran with it. They contacted me and said they didn't know what to do with all the money. That red wagon there is filled with bags and buckets of pennies. I ran by our bank (Riverside) and they said they would exchange the money for free (no %) and would lend rollers and give coin papers if needed as well. I am taking the pennies in to church this morning and handing it over. Because rolling it is NOT my job. Lol Nah, they are mostly rolled really. This was really a very satisfying event to do. The kids were wonderful and I am yet reminded at how much fun kids are.
Kudos to LFM too as the principal came out, said how much she loved the magazine and what a pleasure it was to distribute it to her students.



Lisa Sabourin...the 2nd grade teacher who started it. (above)







Here I am riling them up like I tend to do.







Hip Hip Hooray for the 2nd graders at UES!






Class pic...








Love our new chick-fil-a connection. We are the ONLY Publication that they distribute! I can't keep them in there! We re-stock every other day!

Ice Cream and Hugs for all!

I'm stressed!

Stressed guys and looking forward to Sunday after church.

I have to do a presentation today to some kids at a school who raised money for Izzy. And before that is the big roundtable quarterly meeting.

Tomorrow is the radio show and I am NOT prepared. Thank GOD for Debbie right now who I FULLY expect to hold me up if I need it. (No pressure Deb)

She is an excellent speaker and I think if we can find a groove then it would be good.

I can see keeping the radio show and selling the mag! Yeah!

Well one can hope, can't one?

Anyway, I am feeling stressed today for the first time in awhile.

I just don't want to DO anymore!!!

WELCOME DEBBIE!!!!

Welcome Deb A. everyone!

Most of you know her, but some of you don't! But this is my dear friend Deb who I have known since I moved here. We met online somehow (how did we do that?) before I came and have been through some SERIOUS ups and downs together.
She has now come on as an LFM salesperson AND potential co-host to our radio show.
She will be coming to visit CCOTL as soon as she can (no pressure, just a standing invite Deb. :))
so, please welcome her to the private group that is my ridiculous excuse for a blog.

Deb- Be sure to say hello too!!!

Stream of Thought

I am just beginning to recover from my busy two weeks and it is already Monday again. I am fighting the urge to feel down about this.

I started catching up on blogs and it has really depressed me. I miss all the old stuff. Stuff that used to seem so fun to me (crafting, etc.) seems far off and it is hard to see everyone's "stuff." I used to eye roll at some of this stuff but now it looks like good, mindless fun. I could use some of this right now.

Which segways into the new feeling that I just don't belong anymore. (no pity please, not what I am going for) but I don't. I am considering dropping out of the group even. I don't contribute much anymore and honestly, I don't like the reminder of how little participation we are involved in.

I am drinking coffee out of a mini mug that I have to refill every 3 minutes. It's ridiculous.

I have hired 3 new salespeeps and have a sales training session tomorrow. Deb A. is one of them. Funny how she keeps popping back into my life.
I hope the sales people ROCK the ad sales.

Our last issue was our 12th. our 12th issue. Wow. I still go back and forth from wanting to sell to wanting to keep.

We barbecued this weekend. I tried a made up marinade. It was good.

I'm getting worried about the radio show. Talking for an hour sounded like a good idea at the time. I love that I have come to a place where I don't feel the intense need to make everything I do "work". If it doesn't work or becomes a drag, I'll let it go. I think that is the true entrepreneurial way...lots of trying, lots of failing & some successes with an eventual home run. It is the way of the entrepreneur. We wouldn't have it any other way. I am glad I am this person. I never could 9 to 5 it. I ALWAYS thought I could do it better than the boss. Lol

I AM excited about the women's networking group starting back up. That, I am really really excited about. The new twist of it being centered around support instead of just drumming up business is exciting. Anyone can come. Heck, YOU can come if you want. You don't even have to work in order to come! I wonder what craziness God has planned for such a group.

I may take today off too since I have no meetings. One more day might do me some good. Unless you saw my desk. Then you'd say, Steph- at least clean off your desk.

Sorry about my lame blog lately. For a mind that is always filled with endless thoughts and ideas, can you imagine just how drained my brain is to not be able to have something to blog about?
Amazing. I am STRUGGLING with the coffee blog too which I need to keep for the business. But when I don't have anything, I don't have anything. I totally understand writer's block now. It is a REAL thing.

Well, Happy Monday dear friends. If I don't see you, please know you are in my heart!

August Rush

I watched the greatest movie yesterday. I have no time for movies lately but got this one in before church...it was called August Rush....about a little boy who is orphaned unfairly and then his journey to "call" his parents back to him by his music.

It's really great!!!

Children's Chapel Chat

I thought I was done for this morning. I just needed ONE day off but had drag my patootie over to teach CC. What did I forget?

That these little angels were all there, waiting for me, counting on me...Man, I am not kidding these kids are CUTE. THey totally energize me and I recognize the enemy at work and I laugh.

I am REALLY going to miss this visiting family that is here for the Dad's job for six months. Their little kids are to DIE for cute.

We were playing a quick game of Simon Says at the last 5 minutes of class (did you know I am a CHAMPION Simon Says player? I can sit a roomful of adults pretty quick and be the last one standing, it is hilarious.)
So someone else was being Simon and said, "Simon says put your hands on your hair!"
and a boy said, "What if you don't got no hair?" (everyone laughs)
Then the next command: "Simon says stand on your toes!"
and this little cute girl says, "What if you don't got no toes!" (everyone roars)

I could just squeeze her.

But the real fun of course is with the head of the children's ministry. I think he's the head guy anyway.

I am not sure why it is my goal to make him squirm but I think it is because he takes his job so seriously. Which I GET is good but also makes for some good fun for me. I feel like I just want to loosen him up a BIT.

So he stops in after class: "How did it go?" he asks innocently enough.

"It was the the worse class I ever taught." says I, deadpan.

We stand looking at each other and I don't break.

I am having great fun by this time and he does not know what to say.

Finally he says, "Well, that's not good."

and I say, "I know, I know. It's terrible." Never breaking face.

I can torture him no longer though because after all, he's a nice enough guy.

So finally I say, "I am just kidding!!!!!!!!!!" and then had to go on to give him a blow by blow of the class. But I am not sure he really believed me at that point.

Nope, I am not sure he ever recovered and is likely plenty suspicious of me now. Lol

I love it. I am not sure why this is fun for me. I have such a great love for people and their differences. People are just fascinating...why the need to torture them? I don't know, fun?

Which should make for some pretty good talk radio I am hoping.


Next week's lessons if you can believe it, focuses some on CHORES!!! I kid you NOT. Hilarious. For those of you that know me, you know why this is funny.

But in terms of the Mary Martha story too. I reviewed the basic outline today and after an excercise that will have them writing their chores and prioritizing them, they will be writing a header that says: Serving God is More Important. Hmmm, I see a great flaw in this teaching. Lol

So if your kid comes home next week and says, Miss Stephanie says that Serving God is more important than my chores!" and then tries to pretend to be praying or reading his bible, trust that that is NOT what I taught. Next week is going to be great fun to be sure.

On a more serious note, and I pray I will be forgiven for I am NOT trying to start a revolution here...not that I could, but ANYWAY....

some of today's lesson was on The Adulterous Woman...the whole story and the word "fornication" in scripture. Now, I am not about hiding God's Truth from my kids until they are "old enough to understand". They have always gotten the straight stuff. If the teaching during Ch. Ch. is supposed to be "on their level" I am wondering why this is included because I tell you what, this is one reason why we don't put our kids under the authority of another for spiritual teaching during this time. One never knows how one will teach such things.

I couldn't help but wonder HOW I was going to answer if someone asked what adultery was or worse-what fornication was. Not that I don't know HOW to answer but I surely would not have been comfortable talking with a bunch of little boys and girls about it. ESPECIALLY without parents present.
God let me out of that one though and there were no questions. THANK YOU LORD.

Let's see...shall we give it a try?

Adultery: Um, um..well it is when a married person has relations with a person who is not their spouse. What is relations? Ummmm, it is fornication. What is fornication?
What is fornication? Sex boys and girls, sex!

No, this is not a topic for 7 year olds without parents I fear. I was really happy it was me in there though. I mean, happy that I KNEW what was being said about it.

So again I say THANK YOU LORD!!!!!!!!!!

This is not a topic that I personally feel should be discussed without a parent present at the least and it should be BY the parent at the best!

Thank you and Good Night! (that was for you Sonya)

Stream of I-have-no-thought

Wow.

What a couple of two weeks. I have one 8:30 meeting today (Special Events Committee, HA!!!)
and then, I am done for the weekend.

Ok, actually I have one meeting tomorrow at the radio station to meet the producer of my show but really after that, I am DONE.

Hold on- I lost my coffee...................

Ok, got it.

So....what's been happening...

Sloan turned 16.

I guess that's the big news. Did I already tell you that?


The house is a wreck, I am going to clean it today.

Wow, I have absolutely nothing that I can think of. Sorry.

WOW

No way I can peeps. But I WISH I could. Lol Bear with me!
Gosh, if anything is happening that is important, someone better tell me!

Busy busy

I'm coming! I'm coming! Later today...hopefully.

Can't wait to catch up on all of YOURS

I've got: Pics from CHRISTMAS plus three birthdays...
Stream of thought
Children's Chapel Chat

but am leaving for my first meeting now so it will have to WAIT.

Hope you are all snug as a bug in a rug.

Who thought up 7:00 am meetings anyway????????????????????????????

The Oswald Ouch!

Oswald Chambers Devotional for February 6, 2009

Are You Ready To Be Poured Out As an Offering?

I am already being poured out as a drink offering . . . —2 Timothy 4:6

Are you ready to be poured out as an offering?

It is an act of your will, not your emotions.

Tell God you are ready to be offered as a sacrifice for Him. Then accept the consequences as they come, without any complaints, in spite of what God may send your way.

God sends you through a crisis in private, where no other person can help you. From the outside your life may appear to be the same, but the difference is taking place in your will. Once you have experienced the crisis in your will, you will take no thought of the cost when it begins to affect you externally.

If you don’t deal with God on the level of your will first, the result will be only to arouse sympathy for yourself.

"Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar" ( Psalm 118:27 ). You must be willing to be placed on the altar and go through the fire; willing to experience what the altar represents-burning, purification, and separation for only one purpose-the elimination of every desire and affection not grounded in or directed toward God. But you don’t eliminate it, God does.

You "bind the sacrifice . . . to the horns of the altar" and see to it that you don’t wallow in self-pity once the fire begins. After you have gone through the fire, there will be nothing that will be able to trouble or depress you. When another crisis arises, you will realize that things cannot touch you as they used to do.

What fire lies ahead in your life?

Tell God you are ready to be poured out as an offering, and God will prove Himself to be all you ever dreamed He would be.

Coffee Time

Check it out: Coffee with the Editor

Children's Chapel Chat

Did you go to the Feast? Did you go to the feast?


Did you SEE that man stand up and say that strange thing? What did he mean when he said:



"If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink."

He's a prophet! He's a madman! He's the Christ!

The kids were so cute. After having a little hands on (or should I say tongues-on) demo of the world's water vs. Living Water...heeehee, it's the small things in life afterall- poor kids.
They were all for whatever was coming next.

I poured them all a mini cup of SALTY water. No one was allowed to drink and I didn't tell them it was salt water of course. We were discussing what Living Water actually meant...compared to what the world had to offer, etc. Then we lifted our cups (well they did anyway) and DRANK!

EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!

Yep, that's about right boys and girls. Worldly water-not for you, let's quench our spiritual thirsts with LIVING WATER (Sprite). Didn't hurt their physical thirst either. Lol

We went through what a Feast might have been like learning about the water ritual...the priest comes from the water gate with the golden pitcher (Jake walks slowly from kitchen to donut table) to pour water into the basin. (symbolizing God's provision in the desert)
while we look on and we yell out (directly into the hallway mind you but thankfully no reprimand...no kicking us back to the tabernacle, woohoo) anyway, we yell out:
"With joy we drink from the well of salvation! With joy we drink from the well of salvation!"

But this is the LAST day of the feast...the most favorite day! When the priest circles the altar 7 times before pouring...Hooray! Hooray! we shout-but wait? What's this? Who's this man?
He's saying something....why is he doing this right during the most important part of the festival!?!

Why it's Devin! I mean...Why it's Jesus! And he says that the water HE has to offer will quench thirst permanently!

Anyway, after Lauren's peanut butter balls for feast treats and prizes for everyone who memorized their verse from last week...a little more practice for Miss Marcia's surprise and of course bottles of "Living Water" that they labled with the words "Living Water", the verse John 7:37 and then had to go offer someone after church...I hope that they took something home besides a salty after taste.


Sadly, a few adults that were offered "Living Water" actually said no. Can you imagine?

Some cute kid with a bible head dress on tentatively approaches (I suggested they go to someone they did not normally speak to) and offer: "Would you like some Living Water?"

NO????? Well, maybe they thought they were just water boys and girls. But they got them all out so we're good. Lol

One more week and I'm gone from these little lives...but hopefully I'll get a little hug or high five from them now and again.

Stream of Thought

It's the wee wee hours of the morn and I am sitting with my laptop up in my bed. It's my new guilty pleasure. My feet don't have to be cold and I am snug AND typing away. Cool.

Today at church is going to be a blast. If your kid is in my class, they are in for some fun. Thanks to wonderful Jeff and Philip, we have the beginnings of the Feast of Tabernacles. We will be learning about what that Feast meant and about what Living Water means...with some fun hands on props and tastes. Rach and I spent 2 hours making biblical head dresses for each child. Who knew cutting pieces of rectangular faabric, braiding and tying three strips of fabric 15 times could be tiring. But it's done and now there will be fun head dresses for the church for whatever they want. VERY rudimentary mind you. No Michelle mcGlaughlin hems or anything like that. Just raw edges and braided rope. Remember my big box of fabric? I am so glad it came in handy!

I have always been a hands on teacher. Which is why I have a hard time going to Life Pacs or canned curriculum or FVS. Seems like it loses the best part of homeschooling. Passion, Fun, Excitement, LOVING to learn.

What's my motto ladies???? If school's not fun, school is DONE.
Its the same way with Bible. WHY would you teach the WORD OF GOD with anything less than excitement and passion? It was and IS the grandest adventure in the world! I am against teaching Bible in any way except teaching to RETAIN and APPLY. I would rather have them taught the meat and meaning of scripture than to memorize it for a one time recitation for a fake dollar to buy a cheap toy at the "church store". Hey, I don't disagree with memorization. It's important. I just see the terrible error in it unless they are taught the actual truth and are taught to apply it. CC and I have so much in common. That whole doer of the Word thing. Unless they can cite me each one they have memorized and what it means and you can see fruit in their life because of it, then I say it is bit of busy work... The whole "God's Word does not return void" is true but is not an excuse for the good being chosen over the excellent.

We did Awana for awhile in our old town. The kids liked it OK but were unhappy with the undisciplined nature of the other kids and lack of meat. It is good for kids who never get any bible at home I guess. I am not JUDGING Awana guys, I know some of you must do it. It's fine. One more thing to do.

Today I am making heart attack food. If I ever die, if Jeff and I ever die, let this be yet another clue that I have left officially and legally stating that my kids are NOT to go to my mother. Every time I even remotely joke about dying or take a trip, I always send someone different a little note so there is a trail of that wish that one could follow. Sad but true. Kids don't want to go to her either. Funnier? The kids want to be left to one of YOU if anything ever happened. Boy, we should really get a will. Do you have one?

The baby was crying for Hi-C last night which really means McDonalds. She calls it Hi-C because she used to get Hi-C there..."Do you want to get a Hi-C?" Hi-C! Hi-C!
Anyway, she really wanted chocolate milk so I pull up and they are say:
"We are out of chocolate milk."
Ok, how about a chocolate milk shake?
"We are out of milkshakes.
Ok, how about a sundae?
"We are out of sundaes."
Well, what DO you have?
"We have everything."
Everything? You have EVERYTHING? You mean, everything EXCEPT chocolate milk, milkshakes and icecream, right? EVERYTHING except those three major McDonald's items.

We pulled out and went to Wendy's.


My room is a disaster. I hate it.

Has anyone seen the new issue yet? Woohoo.

Well, it's 3:41 and I have been up since one so I better at least make an attempt to sleep.
We can't have a sleepy tabernacle now can we?