Athena in a Minivan

I am a.....

Because I really don't feel like dealing with reality right now, nor do I feel like reading how wonderful everyone else's Thanksgiving was when mine was well on a scale of 1-10 gets a 1.5, nor do I feel like reading  someone's opinion about how horrible homeschoolers are. I need to count my blessings right now and I am off to do that as I kiss all three sleeping little blessings and one big blessing named Honey.

For now I am just going to do silly quizes.

You Are a Boxer Puppy

Energetic, playful and good with kids. You've also got a wild spirit that can't be trained or tamed.

What Breed of Puppy Are You?

Your Style is 1960s

(Half naked girl above has been edited out.)Bold dresses, funky boots, bright patterns. You have an eye for fashion - and make trends timeless!

What Decade Matches Your Style?

You Are a Life Blogger!

Your blog is the story of your life - a living diary. If it happens, you blog it. And make it as entertaining as possible.

What Kind of Blogger Are You?

HT to 2sSMommy at Mommy's Musings,

Fruit Salad of the Spirit

Norman Rockwell has a painting of the perfect Thanksgiving. An adorable grandmother with her starched white apron is placing a beautifully browned turkey on the table. She is surrounded by her adoring husband, children and grandchildren. The table is set with all the good china, water glasses are full and everyone has a big cheesy grin on their face.

I don’t know about you but this is not how my Thanksgiving went. I spent Thanksgiving in the land of the Ammonites. Ok, it was only with my in-laws but close enough. The best thing I have in common with them is my last name and even some of them have changed that so many times, I am not sure what to call them. There were grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles, girlfriends, girlfriend’s children, nieces, cousins, cousin’s girlfriend, cousin’s girlfriend’s children and some folks who I never did figure out who they were. There were 5 kinds of potatoes, ham and turkey, brown and cream gravy, pies, pies and more pies and then there was the fruit salad.

My mother in law made this fruit salad with small marshmallows, apples, pears, bananas, and oranges and walnuts. Now I really don’t care for the walnuts in my fruit salad but it was impossible to get a spoonful of salad without getting some. I tried a small spoon, slotted spoon and even a fork but I always ended up with walnuts. Finally I decided to pick them out but there they sat on my plate all brown and covered in banana goop.

God is teaching me that each of the fruits of the Spirit is sort of like this fruit salad. They do not reside in a vacuum. I can not isolate one fruit, learn to use it, practice it and then move on to the next one. To have one fruit you must have or be acquiring the others simultaneously. Sort of like the fruit salad of the Spirit.

In order to truly minister and show love to my husband’s family I had to call on all of my fruits and put them together in a big bowl of fruit salad. This fruit salad is made up of a mixture of the fruits of the Spirit. Love, the unconditional kind, that does not want to hurt someone even though they are hurting you. Peace so that my children can enjoy this family; Patience, bearing the trials and pains calmly and without complaint, except to my husband of course; Joy, the happiness that comes from knowing that God is still in control and is using this to mold my character; kindness by helping with the cooking and running to the store for my mother in law; gentleness to use a calm voice even though I was screaming inside. Throw in some goodness, faithfulness, and self-control and mix well.

Paul reminds the Galatians church as Christ instructed us to Love our neighbor as we love ourselves (Gal 5:14) He also tells them that the deeds of the flesh are evident, obvious, easy to spot and I spotted some deeds of the flesh this weekend. The fruit salad of the Spirit is not so evident. I must work hard to make these evident in my life. Just as I used self control to show love to one who was talking bad about my children, I find that I need to throw in some love, faithfulness and kindness. I can not be armed with one without calling on the others along with prayer to truly show God’s love to others. Some of the fruits are easier for me and some take lots of practice, prayer and more practice and more prayer.

God is teaching me how to love those who don’t quite love me back the way I would like them to. God is teaching me how to call on Him instead of turning to food for my strength.  God is showing me how to be kind to one who has been hurt by life for so long. He is teaching me to give all of myself wholeheartedly and not hold back. God places people in my life to shape and mold me into His image. Some trials are within me and some are with other people but no matter what trial I face in this life, I am going to be bringing my big ole bowl of fruit salad.

Books, books and more books

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Literate Good Citizen
Book Snob
Non-Reader
Fad Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Create Your Own Quiz

They will know were are Christians by our ability to do laundry...

This post at Whittinshire reminded me of how thankful I am for my church family. My family lives close by and they are wonderful. My father, sister and brother are only 50 miles away and they come over quite often and they would drop anything if I needed something. Dad comes 50 miles just to eat supper with us or watch the grandchildren while I run some errands or go to a meeting. My church family is just as wonderful.

This past week as we were headed out to OK for the funeral, I had a massive pile of clothes that were not washed. Anyone who has read this blog knows I have "laundry issues". Sunday at church, I was asking for prayers for us while we traveled and that I could get everything ready. Sunday afternoon, my friend called and told me to bag up the laundry and she would be over to pick it up. This friend and my other great friend came over while we were gone and cleaned my house so we would not have to return home to a mess. I returned home to a clean kitchen, bathrooms, clean sheets on the beds and folded clothes waiting to be put away.

John 13 says,

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

In my book, helping me with my laundry equates to love. I think doing your friend's laundry and cleaning their kitchen ranks up there!! I love you Debbie and Diana and thank God for you and your love for me and my family.

Free Time

The Headmistress has a wonderful post on giving children free time. She brings a motherly wisdom that I truly value. She has a knowledge of a Charlotte Mason education that is helpful to a new homeschooler. Her grown daughters are a hoot. She has a young son (the only boy, with a ton of sisters) who I think Butch and Sundance would love to play with.

I really needed this as I just returned from my husband's family where we are considered strange. Our children attend church regularly, we pray together, worship together, love unconditionally. Our children love each other and love to play with each other. They get dirty, love to be in the cold, run, jump, climb, explore, and have a genuine love of life. This weekend we are pulling in ranks and enjoying our home, our life and our love of each other. (And Grandad (my father) is here which makes me happy!!)

Please Pray

My husband's stepfather passed away this morning after a very short illness. Please pray for Honey and his mother, Carlene. Thanks,

Borg or Bluetooth Earpiece?

This is a Borg from Star Trek. This is Seven of Nine. A Borg who was part human and part machine. She was part of the Collective and the Collective told her how to behave and what to think.

"In a manner carried over from the Borg, Seven also had a tendency to use highly mechanistic, strict binary (or absolutist) logic. She was largely incapable of perceiving "shades of grey"; something was strictly one way or entirely another. Things were never described in emotional or relativistic terms. The Borg broadly defined topics into two categories: relevant or irrelevant." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_of_Nine)

Have you seen these around? I see them in Walmart talking to themselves while waiting in line. They are walking around the grocery store looking for missing food items.They are standing in the park observing well dressed children play and trying to keep them clean. Coincidence? I think not. The Borgs are coming.

Something to think about..

Your Hidden Talent

You are a great communicator. You have a real way with words. You're never at a loss to explain what you mean or how you feel. People find it easy to empathize with you, no matter what your situation. When you're up, you make everyone happy. But when you're down, everyone suffers.

What's Your Hidden Talent?

Shhhhhh

Shhhhh, can you hear that? It is the sound of silence.

Today after homeschool enrichment, Butch and Sundance went home with a friend. Toddler and I came home and he is upstairs taking a nap. It is kinda weird. My house is NEVER this quiet.

I think I miss my boys!

I declare a crusade

Merriam-Webster says a quest is a chivalrous enterprise in medieval romance usually involving an adventurous journey. Jules is on a quest to weigh less than her honey. A very adventurous journey if I may say so. Kristina is on a quest to weigh 170 by January 8th. Also adventurous. Both of these ladies have made such great strides that I am inspired to begin myself.

I need a crusade. A crusade is a remedial enterprise undertaken with zeal and enthusiasm I am stuck on this plateau. See me up there just running around on the top of this plateau. Sure, it is fun up here. I don't have to work very hard to stay here. I can even cruise a few days a week with not much problem but I don't want to stay here. I am tired of this mountain. I would like to explore the other, lower parts of this mountain.

Stuck here at 277 for 3 months. I declare a crusade to get off this mountain. It will mean getting back to writing down my food on a daily basis. It will mean not sneaking bites and tastes when I am cooking for the family. It will mean taking my vitamin on a daily basis. It will mean exercise daily not just 2-3 days a week. It will mean daily accountability with my accountability partner.

It will mean daily trusting God to keep me from giving into temptations. It will mean the Lord's guiding me down off of this mountain. He will show me the right path down. At times it may appear to be the hardest but His path is perfect.It is a holy calling to give my life into God's hands. I have even adopted a crusade theme song. The Potter's Hand totally says what I want God to do in my life. It is not about losing weight (though it is a great side benefit). It is about turning my life and my all into God's perfect will and filling my soul daily with Him. In the end He will be glorified in me.

Here are the words to this song if you are not familar with it:

Verse:Beautiful Lord, Wonderful SaviourI know for sure,
all of my days are held in your hands,
crafted into your perfect plan
You gently call me into your presence
guiding me by Your Holy Spirit
Teach me dear Lord to live all of my life
through Your eyes
I'm captured by Your holy calling
Set me apart, I know you're drawing
me to yourselfLead me Lord I pray

Chorus:Take me, Mold me, use me, fill me
I give my life to the Potter's hand
Call me, guide me, lead me, walk beside me
I give my life to the Potter's hand

You gentlly call me into your presence
guiding me by your Holy Spirit
teach me dear Lord to live through your eyes
i'm captured by you holy calling
set me apart, I know your drawing
me to yourself lead me Lord i pray
Repeat Chorus