Course of Life

Blessings Dear Friends and Readers,

Life has been rather like an Olympic luge race for me lately. I am on a course at break neck speed. I am thankful God has laid out the course before me; but it's taking all of my stamina to lean into the turns. My thinking is that for now is this blog needs to be very much on the back burner at least for this season of my life -as long as that may may be.

Blessings,

Learning Videos

As a homeschooling mom I have learned something about myself something that escaped me in school...I like to learn. I am dominantly a visual learner so I am jazzed about the whole idea of learning videos on the web.
I like to knit but am limited in my ability to knit. I have always wanted to knit socks, more specifically Christmas stockings, so I went on a hunt for a video to teach me how to knit socks. It was great! I found step by step lessons. I can't wait to drag my needles in here and get started. Guess what you're getting for Christmas? ;D
I thought I would look into a few other areas of learning. Here are just a few I thought were interesting. A word of warning when searching for videos~check out all videos first before you let you kiddos watch them the Internet can be a frightening place.
How to knit~ basic knitting instruction.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uw-nUvGrBY
How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJXDbEVtNPY
How to Dissect a Frog.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bmkpk5EKLhg
Math Videos
http://www.mathtv.com/
Fast math tricks, this one was fun. I didn't do well :(
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9t-gYnPNaw
Auto Math
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVqB_tB5VbY
MIT Videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNX7_NZn9fA
Happy Surfing!
Blessings,

What a Difference a Day Makes.

What a difference a day can make. What a difference even a few hours can make sometimes.
This morning I woke early and had convinced myself that the only way to right my upside down world was to crawl back in bed and start over.
About that time my phone rang. My friend called me to let me know her brother had died. Her brother had been very ill for a long time, to hear he had died would not have been shocking, the fact that he took his own life was.
I am so deeply sorry for his family. This brother knew and loved the Lord but I fear his ongoing illness drug him down in to a pit of despair. In his right mind he would have done anything to protect his family from the pain of this type of loss causes.
Chronic and terminal illnesses are so hard on families and often they become cut of from church fellowship and friendships. They can easily become the "forgotten". Please pray for this family and if you know of someone that is going through a difficult time, get off the computer right now and give them a call, send them a card, or better yet VISIT! It will only take a minute of your time but will bless them more than you will ever know! You may be the lifeline they need.
Blessings,

More Free Time Please!

Wow...science has come a long way! They're telling us kids need more free time...duh! I guess the black eye I got playing baseball in the street with my brothers means my mom was on to something. Thanks Mom!
See the MSN video here.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/%2021134540/vp/26421059#26421059

Blessings,

Preachin' to the Choir

As I was sorting through files and trying to get ready for school (we begin on Tuesday) I ran across a teaching I had done a couple of summers ago.
I had been asked to be part of a panel discussion at our church. Each of the four panel members was given a question to address that had been previously collected from the congregation.
The question I got was in reference to knowing when to give up on something or to keep believing in faith. I am using part of that teaching here today because I need to be reminded of these things myself so I suppose in this post ( really in all of my posts) I’m just preachin’ to the choir!
If you have determined that the situation is within the scope of God’s will for your life ( By this time I had gone through how to determine if you are in God’s will.) then scripture is clear, you need to persevere in prayer and in faith until God releases you! When God reveals His will we need to be faithful to obey.
Here are a few more things to remember. God will at times allow a desire or dream to die within us so He can bring new life to it. God wants to be first above all else! He’ll settle for nothing less than our whole heart! Have you completely surrendered this situation to God?
Difficult situation and difficult people are the refining fire that God uses to burn up the impurities in our character. Are you willing to let God change you and not the situation?
God is never late! Remember, God sees all of the player all of the time, and loves us all equally. His timing is always the best timing for all of his children at any given time.
Knowing these things, offer God the sacrifice of praise, thank Him for this situation He has allowed into your life, trusting that no matter what happens God is on His throne, He is in control, and He has a plan for your life!
Blessings,

Prayer

These days my life seems to change daily as God hones and shapes me into
the woman he wants me to be. One area God has been actively working on for years is my prayer life and I would like to share more of my heart on that here as time allows.
Prayer for our children is one area we need to be especially diligent in! The enemy of their souls does not rest and neither can we. If praying for your children is new to you this prayer calendar might be a good place to start. It has a prayer for each day of the month!
http://www.renewnetwork.org/Resources%20Pages/Praying%20For%20Our%20Children.htm I also found the writings of E.M. Bounds online!
http://www.whatsaiththescripture.com/Fellowship/E.M.Bounds.html
Blessings,

More Places to visit

I was blog surfing today and stopped by the sweetest blog. I didn't read a word but got lost in the pictures that reminded me of a bygone time.
http://eyesofwonder.typepad.com/my_weblog/
Take a vacation and visit eyes of wonder.
Blessings,

Places to Visit

If you or someone you know is struggling in their marriage, if your marriage has been affected by the devastating effects of pornography or an affair; if you work with or mentor women then head over to Cindy Bealls website for a healthy dose of encouragement and hope.
http://cindybeall.com/
Blessings,

UCLA Medical Center

I was at UCLA medical center last Friday. I had never been before. A dear friend of mine was having cancer surgery. As his family and I waited to go up to recovery to see him I was able to witness first hand the drama of a teaching hospital waiting room.
I am not sure how many similar waiting areas there are at UCLA's Ronald Regan Center. The waiting area we were in had seating for about 75 waiting family members - each family with a story of lives interrupted by illness or injury.
Families waited anxiously to speak with surgeons about the outcome of delicate heart surgeries or transplants. One family had a nine year old daughter with brain tumors and one anxious young couple distractedly pushed around an empty stroller waiting for their baby to come out of surgery.
One young woman commented to me that last week her biggest concern had been where her five year old would attend school next year. Now she was here at UCLA, waiting to hear how her mother's bypass had gone!
This busy waiting area is where I met Vivian, a woman with huge ocean water green eyes and wavy, golden brown hair . She sat down next to me, we smiled politely at each other but for a time we said nothing. Her fourteen year old son sat to her right and looked up from his hand held game occasionally to cast a protective glance her way. She seemed so lost and vulnerable I could easily understand his concern. With soft spoken words and lilting Egyptian accent Vivian shared about her life, her family, and her husband’s long illness.
As we waited we did what I suppose people do in waiting rooms all over, we talked, and shared, we prayed, and tried to comfort each other. Within moments God forged a bridge of friendship between us. A bridge built upon the common ground two strangers share in a place like this…waiting.
There is lots of waiting, waiting to find out the outcome of a surgery. Then you wait some more until you can actually go into a room and see that person you care so much about. You wait to gently touch their hand or hug them or say something loving and reassuring.
I went up to see my friend. How hard it is to see someone you care about hurting. You want to do something, anything within your power to take their pain away…but you can’t…I couldn't... it is a helpless feeling! And yet at the same time I had this rush of emotion I didn't expect. It was so similar to the feeling I had when I held my babies and counted their fingers and toes for the first time. It was an overwhelming flood of relief that welled up inside of me. I expelled in a long breath and muttered “Thank You God, for watching over him, he is going to be alright!”
Vivian and I saw each other again outside the recovery area and we hugged like old friends. We caught up on each other’s “patients” and promised to pray for each other and then said good bye for the last time.
Where ever you are Vivian and George, I am praying for you.
Blessings,

Skate Night

Eight of Eight handles skating (like everything else he does) on his own terms!
At the Awana skate night a few weeks ago! Thank you Jeri Ellis for sharing the picture! Blessings,