Athena in a Minivan

I am a Comma!!

I saw this over at the Bonny Glen. I love these little quizzes so of course I went over and took it. Yep, that's me. with one exception, I do make time for my friends. I think they are very important. I would be lost without them.

You Are a Comma

You are open minded and extremely optimistic. You enjoy almost all facets of life. You can find the good in almost anything. You keep yourself busy with tons of friends, activities, and interests. You find it hard to turn down an opportunity, even if you are pressed for time. Your friends find you fascinating, charming, and easy to talk to. (But with so many competing interests, you friends do feel like you hardly have time for them.) You excel in: Inspiring people You get along best with: The Question Mark

What Punctuation Mark Are You?

My usually healthy kids are sick

I am grateful that I normally have healthy children. We have the usual colds, scrapes, bumps and bruises but nothing too serious. Wednesday morning I was awakened by a sick Sundance who needed Mommy in the wee hours of the morning. He was pretty much out of it all day, sleeping after a four hour bout with the porcelain throne. His fever spiked in the afternoon and he was unable to eat much of anything until Thursday night when he scarfed down fish sticks, rice and mixed veggies. He was back to his old self in about 24 hours.

I thought we were out of the woods until Honey and I sat down to watch The Great Escape on AMC.  I heard a sound from the bedroom where Hopalong was sleeping. I went in the room to find  him  in the bathroom. Being only 4, he had not made it to the throne and was on the floor getting sick on a stack of dirty towels I was getting ready to wash.  These towel will  now reside in the green bin behind the house.

Tonight I am up with Hopalong. He can not make it to the trash can so I have been holding his head. It has now been almost 4 hours and I think we are past the top part and will now move to the bottom. I am well armed with a new package of Pull-Ups though he can usually make it to the bathroom. It is 2:15 am and I think I will wait until 3 to go to sleep just to make sure he is not going to need me. I spoke too soon, thanks heavens for plastic trash cans!!

I am thankful and grateful to the Lord for my healthy children.  In 24 hours,  Hopalong will be back to his old self and pestering his brothers, playing with cars and getting a cuddle from his mommy.  I also know that tonight somewhere in my town there is a mother who is holding a sick child who will not be getting better. I don't know her name but I am praying for her and her child that the Lord will hold them in His strong arms tonight and each night that follows.

Now, if I can just keep Butch from getting this but I fully expect to see him in my arms sometime tonight or early in the morning and for the third time this week I will lovingly hold a small head as he bows at the porcelain throne and thank  God for my three darling boys.

UPDATE Monday night:The next to get sick was not Butch but Honey followed a few hours later by me. Butch did not get sick until Sunday night. Now we have all had it, I hope we are done for the season. The parents are having a harder time recovering than the children who are back in full swing.  Honey and I have slept on the couch, sipped water and waited for this to pass. Hopefully by tomorrow we will all be back to our old selves. Honey and I have lost 17 pounds between us. I guess I'll take that as a bonus!!

Mustering the Troupes

I have been wrestling with the Lord for the past year over a sin that has caused me to not put God first but to turn to food when I am frustrated, angry, upset or just plain tired. As we all know, these emotions are a common occurrence in moms who are raising children, serving the Lord, caring for a husband. It is especially tough in the evenings when I FINALLY get everyone to bed and I have some time to call my own.  I have struggle with this most of my adult life but since Hopalong was born, it has become out of control.

I just want to make it clear that I am not talking about eating healthy, nutritious foods at the appropriate time. The Lord gave us food for our nourishment and so that we can thank him for his provision for us. The kind of eating I am talking about is when I eat the entire bag of chips, or a box of cookies (or both) when I am feeling stressed and angry and tired, when I should be turning to the Lord instead of food; when I eat more food than my body needs for nourishment, instead of praying to the Lord.

Since November, God has shown me how to be free from the bondage of overeating. He has shown me how to begin my day in His word and how to turn to Jesus, the Bread of Life when I am feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and angry. He has been feeding  me in his word. He has given me two lovely ladies who have helped keep me accountable for my eating and who I can share my heart with. He has been guiding me and leading me on a journey that has brought me closer to the Lord than I have ever been in my life. It has been a rocky journey but a beautiful one.

Since Christmas, I believe Satan has decided to launch a full out assault against me. I can almost hear him thinking, “Oh, no you don’t. I can get you back into your old habits; I can make you turn to food instead of the Lord.

“I Peter 5 says, “8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.” It has almost overwhelmed me the amount of attacks Satan has been waging against me. I hardly know how he has time for anyone else.

I have been praying that the Lord would help me to overcome Satan and his attacks. He has been guiding me through ways to overcome Satan. He has shown me that the only way I know to fight a lion who wishes to devour me is to go to battle against him. I have been getting up each day and putting on the whole Armor of God.

Ephesians6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

A lone soldier can be easily defeated, but an entire battalion can do even more. I am here asking you each to go to war with me. No, you don’t need to get your manicure messed up or even you clothes wrinkled. I am asking you to be prayer warriors with me. This will be a long battle and I need long term prayers.  I covet is your prayers that I can defeat Satan and be able to continue to eat in control and with moderation, and that I can fit exercise into my daily schedule.  James 5: 16 “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”

I am mustering the troupes, I am calling out the generals, this means war! I am claiming with Paul who three times pleaded with the Lord to remove his thorn in the flesh, Christ told Paul “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  I thank you each ahead of time for your prayer for me because I know you will do it. I too will pray for each one of you.

What on earth?

Time flies when you are having fun. Has it really been a month since I have blogged? I have something I have been working on but it is on my other computer and I need to email it to myself so I can get it on this computer. Until then here is a shamelessly cute pic of Butch, Sundance and Hopalong. I know to most of you who live up north, this looks like Fall, but actually, this is what winter looks like in the great state of Texas.
This was taken during our Christmas holidays. Butch is in the argyle sweater vest, Sundance is in the blue sweater vest and Hopalong is the little one. Butch and Sundance are wearing the same shirt but as they won't let me dress them like twins anymore, this is the most I can get away with.