I don't really have a plan for this post--heck, it may not even be coherent enough to call it an actual post! I feel like I've got so many things going on right now in this little noggin that an intelligent sentence would be an Olympic feat right now. I just wanted to say that I feel a sense of change coming, does anyone know what I mean? I feel restless in my soul, unsettled, uprooted, like an important time is coming for me. I feel a need for preparation, a need for time in the Word, a need for time in prayer, a need to be ready to stand up and maybe even speak out, a need to get ready to put into practice all that I've said I believe. It feels scary and chaotic and anyone who knows me, knows that feeling that way is devastating to me. And the same time I think, "Isn't this what I've always wanted?" Haven't I longed for the day when I feel like I'm doing what I was made to do. Haven't I begged God to show me my purpose. Haven't I so desired just to be useful in some way to Him? What if I'm not ready? What if I'm too scared? And the worst part of it all, What if I fail?! Well, wait a minute, is failing the worst part? Maybe not trying would be the worst part? Not trying means not really living. I MUST choose to at least try, to at least take one step at a time. I'm not even sure what that step might be so maybe I'll just start with picking my foot up and asking Him to put it down where He wants. I wonder if I'm the only one who's ever felt this way? I sure hope not! I don't really know what to do-don't really have any answers. Think I'll just take a deep breath, pray for the gift of faith for today, and pry my fingers off my life for once!

I PROMISE I will be writing soon. I've got lots of thoughts jumbling around in my noggin but with 3 kids out of school, putting them together coherently is just not happening. Oh well, school starts back tomorrow and with it the dreaded but somewhat comforting routine. I hope you'll stick with me because I am sooooooo very excited about what 2010 is going to bring!

Okay, so I know that Thanksgiving is over and the Christmas frenzy is in full swing, but I am a huge fan of Thanksgiving and so I will try and prolong it just a little by doing a Thanksgiving post this late. Of course, if you know me at all, you know that I'm a little late on everything! Anyways, I was thinking the other day about all the things I'm thankful for and I had this strange emotion. It felt alot like guilt. I don't know, it was weird. I just thought, "Lord, I have so much!" It's almost embarrassing how many material things and comforts I have. And well, all that my kids have is just plain obscene! I began to think about all the people who do not have all the "things" I have to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Well, just then, I turned my iPod on. (Again, if you know anything about my life at all, you also know that God is in my iPod!) I don't even remember what song it was but the thought hit me, there are things that EVERYONE can be thankful for whether you have little or much. The songs kept coming and so did the list of things we can ALL be thankful for. So here ya go--"Things I Am Thankful For" brought to you by the infamous Spirit controlled green iPod:

Freedom in Christ-He has purchased and pardoned me and bound to Him I am truly free
God's patience when I possess freedom in Him yet still choose imprisonment
He fights my battles for me
He makes all things new
He never lets go of me
The hope of heaven
His grace to give me wonderful gifts that I don't deserve
His sweet forgiveness and mercy in withholding from me what I do deserve
That we can trade our sorrows, our sickness, our pain, our shame for the joy of the Lord
Peace that doesn't make sense in our circumstances
His love that is perfect and unfailing and beyond our imagination
God is unchanging
He holds everything in His hands yet He still makes time for me
When the stress of this life weighs on me and my dreams are laying ruined before me-His love feeds my soul-it is truly "better than life"
God knows how to keep a promise and He keeps ALL His
That we can come into His presence, right up to His very throne without fear
His blood has provided my healing and it flows freely over the mercy seat where I am welcome anytime
He is our shelter from the storm
He is a shield for me, my glory and the lifter of my head
He hears me when I call to Him
Salvation by His mercy and transformation by His love

OK-so I could go on all day and only scratch the surface. BUT, I would like to make this a participatory post. Take a few minutes and prolong Thanksgiving with me. Think of something that EVERYONE can be thankful for and add it to this post by putting it in the comment section. Let's encourage each other AND show a little love to poor little looked over Thanksgiving. Can't wait to see what you write!

Just playing this morning! Seeing if I can figure out how to get pictures on here!

Yay!  It worked!  Thanks for your help Jessica!  Thought I'd put this cutie pic up because we are celebrating these two amazing boys and their decision to make Jesus the "boss" of their lives as they put it!  I am also celebrating the fact that God is truly gracious and merciful and has proven to me through Seth and Sam's decision that He won't let me screw them up!

Today is going to be a crazy day! Gotta clean the house because we have guests coming tomorrow night, (Well, I guess I also need to clean the house simply because it needs to be cleaned!), do some laundry, carve a pumpkin, get up to the school to help with fall parties, whip up a quick dinner before Jimmy works off duty, and MC Family Movie Night festivities! All with the knowledge that tomorrow will be even busier! Such is the life for this season, and that's ok by me. I have really been wanting to get some time to organize my thoughts on all that God has been speaking to me so that I can share it with you and hopefully offer some encouragement, but alas, I do not see that luxury on the horizon. Maybe I should pray and ask Him to either carve out some time or give my brain extra multitasking power!!! So, once again, just a tiny little post today-SIGH. I have an overwhelming desire to share some little bits of encouragement that I have received from the Bible study I'm doing on Wednesday nights-Esther by Beth Moore-so here ya go....

"Repentance is NOT your punishment. It's your glorious right of daughtership. Your invitation to restoration." MMMMMM HMMMMMM-let that one soak in for a minute. That's a life changer right there!

"As painful as the process may be, that which shatters our superficiality also shatters the fetters of our fragility and frees us to walk with dignity and might to our destinies. We are not the fragile flowers we've considered ourselves to be. We, like Esther, are the warrior princesses of God." Oh man, this is so true of my life over the recent years and I can't wait to write more about it!

"Beloved, in the times of greatest struggle when you make the Godward decision over convenience, earthly comfort, or carnal pleasure, you too have come to a critical moment in the fulfillment of your destiny. A defining moment. A war is being waged over your head in the unseen realm, and a great cloud of witnesses is cheering you on. You have no idea what's at stake." Does any body else need to know they've got a huge cheering section just for them? I sure do! I need all the help I can get to make the "Godward decision" over what I want!

"As hard as trusting can be, living with constant fear is harder." All I can say is "Amen"! I can guarantee that nobody knows this statement to be more true than ME!

"Beloved, do we believe that the only way to do something acceptably is to do it perfectly? Sometimes God is more aware than we of just how much He requires of us. He knows how hard it's going to be for us. .....Sometimes, just surviving certain tasks without falling apart is our best and in those times God is not ashamed of our performance. He's proud of us for fighting overwhelming human emotions to do His will. God isn't interested in our stellar performance but in our hearts. He loves our willingness and obedience despite our insecurities." I just want to shout "Go ahead!" I know Beth Moore wrote that but good grief, I heard it in my heart and it sounded just like God's voice! And I KNOW somebody else out there needed to hear THAT today! Thank you Lord for reminding me that You aren't looking for perfection and that You KNOW how hard certain things are for me. And thank You, thank You, thank You that you are still proud of me (did anybody else need to know that He's proud of them?) when I just barely scrape by and survive those difficult tasks of obedience!

Well, I hope that someone has been encouraged! I know I have!

I'm supposed to be making out my weekly grocery list right now. Why is it that so many things in my life require creativity? I mean, seriously, think about the things that need a little creativity to make them happen. Scheduling, parenting and discipline, meal planning....it goes on and on. Some people, like me, are not naturally creative which makes me wonder why I'm adding blogging to the list of things in my life that need some creative juices. So, I guess with that said, you will not find this to be the most exciting or cleverly creative blog out there by any stretch of the imagination BUT at least I will have a way to visually see God's creative hand in my life. He's got that creativity thing down pat and I can guarantee you, when it comes to me, He's had to really pull out all the stops.

Well, the grocery list IS truly something that HAS to be done right now so I will not have time for a long post. I'll just say that I am soooo excited to have a new home here on blogger and I cannot wait to share with you all that God has been teaching me over the past couple of months. See you soon!

P.S. If you have any new ideas for meals for a family of 5 that's healthy and doesn't require hours in the kitchen, feel free to let me know!!!