Saturday, July 28, 2007

Bungling Blogger

I've recently begun blogging because I want to acknowledge Gods work in the life of my family, I want to become a better writer, communicator, and try out a few big words once in a while. Since I know nothing about blogging, I've been frequenting this Blogging Basics site (click the icon and it'll take you there). For the most part, I have been able to get all of my questions answered (but they can't help me with my grammar or punctuation). The problem I have is figuring out what questions I need to ask, maybe some of you can relate. I don't claim to be knowledgeable in the computer arena, and frankly some of the terminology really trips me up. It's like learning a new language.

Friday, July 27, 2007

It was a recipe for disaster, a tablespoon of one big mess!

Hubs, the kids and I were heading down the road today with the radio blasting, the windows down, singing at the top of our lungs to a silly song that reminded me of something that happened this year, that I laugh about now.
Our Girl Scout troop had gone on a weekend camp out. I was driving, because I had just gotten a brand new car and it could hold a lot of Girl Scouts. This car was so new that my own kids had not even eaten as much as a cracker in it. It smelled good, and it was as clean as a whistle. I was glad to finally have plenty of room and a clean car to haul kids around in. Anyway, the Girl Scout camp out was fun. The girls hiked, played games, cooked food that really only they liked (because they had planned the meals); Coca Cola Chicken, yum, macaroni and cheese, yum, s'mores, yum. You get the picture. By the end of the day, they were all dirty, tired and tanked up on sugar. After all the campfire songs had been sung, and the last of the s'mores had been consumed, I packed up the car with my daughter and one of her little friends. We had to head back a day early.
We hadn't as much as gone around the block when the two little campers began asking to stop at Sonic. Well, being the kind and generous mother that I am, I stopped and bought them drinks and snacks, thinking, oh they're just tired of roughing it and want some artery clogging fast food to help regulate their little systems. Besides, what could sipping on a cherry limeade hurt anyway. It's not like these responsible little Girl Scouts will spill anything in my new car. We finally got on our way and seriously, we had not even gotten a mile from our campsite (and the Sonic) when my daughters little friend began asking "How much longer?". I thought to myself, this is gonna be a long car ride.
It was an uneventful ride home, except for the occasional inquiry of "How much longer?", which I noticed had become increasingly and alarmingly more regular. We had traveled almost an hour and a half when the announcement came. "I'M GONNA TROW UP!", declares my daughters little friend. " What?" I said, not really believing my ears. We're in my brand new car that still smells good and no one, and I mean no one, has even eaten so much as a cracker in it! "Hold on hun, we're almost home", I yell from the front seat, frantically looking for a place to pull over. There was no place to stop, and the palms of my hands were gettin' sweaty. Did I mention we're in my NEW clean car that still smells good. We're on the highway, there's traffic all around me, and no shoulder. Further more, I look out at the exits and the neighborhood is full of unsavory businesses and liquor stores, and I'm not about to let a little Girl Scout out in a dark liquor store parking lot to throw up! So I tell her in the cheeriest voice I could muster up, "roll down your window Hon, maybe a little fresh air will help". But before the word "help" was out of my mouth, up comes the Coca Cola Chicken. Eeeew, all over her lap, and my daughter was now sitting as close to the window on her side of the car as she could with out actually falling out. By then all of the windows were down, so I tell her "Hang your head out of the window, maybe you'll feel better", and up comes the macaroni and cheese. Mac and cheese sprays all over the inside and outside of the window. The wind catches it and blows it back into the car at 60 mph. Not just back onto the nauseated little camper, but onto the seat she is sitting on as well as the row of seats behind where she is sitting. Now I'm frantically looking for a place to pull over, and really, there is not a spot. Sadly, my searching for a safe spot to stop was all in vain, because once again up comes another "Heave Ho", the "Last Hurrah" in football you'd call it a "Hail Mary",...everything she had for dinner sprayed towards the window, coating the outside and inside of my once clean car, beginning at the door where she was sitting, all the way back to the rear bumper. I'm thinking to myself, she must have eaten the whole pot, I've never seen so much macaroni and cheese! I was in shock, all I could think to say was "Sweetheart, did you have seconds at dinner tonight?"

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

6 Seconds

It may not seem like much, but 6 seconds is a long time when your talking about a race that lasts less than a minute. Our last swim meet of the season was this past weekend, and my "I don't want to be the last one out of the water" daughter was less reluctant to compete, than she has been in the past. She is actually quite a good swimmer, much better than she realizes, but she's scared of coming in last (which she has never done), she thinks everyone is looking at her (and they're not, just me, everyone else is watching their own kid) and she's afraid she'll lose count on her laps or get disqualified (DQ'd) . In past swim meets, all of the aforementioned fears have paralyzed her, sometimes to the point of tears. On one hand she loves being on the team, but she does not like to compete. Until recently...and that's because prayer is powerful. I got some of my favorite BSF prayer warriors (thanks girls) all over it, and nothing can stand in the way of praying moms. So you can see how I was pleasantly surprised this past weekend when my child comes running up to me all smiles, dripping wet, and says "did you see that mom, I knocked off 6 seconds in the 100 Free!" Of course I saw that, and I was thankful. Thankful she was no longer afraid, thankful that she was not comparing herself to others, thankful she was working to obtain her personal best, thankful that I have friends to pray with, and thankful that God answers our prayers. And here is the verse that has been on my heart through all of this:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Harry Who?

We are caught up in the Harry P. frenzy. My daughter & I attended a party at our local book store, and we were in line at midnight along with 7 of my daughters little friends and 600 other close strangers, just so that we could be one of the first to purchase the coveted novel. Even so, I am conflicted about letting her read all of these books because of her age, so we have had many conversations about the books and what they portray. I have noticed, as you may have also, that each one is a little darker than the previous book. I will leave you with this one thought to ponder ...
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things. Philippians 4:8

Thursday, July 19, 2007

News from the front lines

I can hear the battle from where I sit, typing. Lasers whiz back and forth, bombs explode, shaking the windows. Destruction is everywhere and the noise is deafening. There are more casualties than I care to describe, yet...I am not afraid, because...in a minute, the timer will go off and I will walk into the den and make the announcement that all kids have to get off of the "Lego Star Wars" video game they are playing. There will be groans of agony, howls of protest and pleadings for "just one more minute!"...all to no avail.. I am determined to march my rowdy crowd outside to play! Yes, today this is my battle on the "front lines". It's a battle between good and evil. A battle to manage & monitor the content of all that the kids absorb through TV, video games, movies, books and friends.

Above all things guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:23

And this is the task at hand...to fill their hearts and minds with all that will cultivate a life fixed on faithfully obeying Gods commands, so that they will serve him with all their heart and soul. Deuteronomy 11:13

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and mind; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home, and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the door frame of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many...Deuteronomy 11:18-20

Pray that I will do just that.