You dont have to read this post....seriously...don't!

My cousin, Nikki, tagged me to show you where I blog...so here it is in all of its glory and clutter....


And this is how it looks when I have students come for lessons.....





Notice the cords on the floor hanging down from the top of the armoire. (I had to look up how to spell that...took way too long. :o) One day I'm going to scream over cords...that's my life as married to Mr. PC.....

And yes, I still have my Dicken's village up because it's still winter...it's not a Christmas scene it's a winter scene with snow....something unheard of here where we live. (Tomorrow my tea Sri Lankan set will go back up becaues March is really not winter anymore.)

Of all the places in my home, I think this is one of the worst....I have 2 horrible rooms (mine and the laundry room) and this desk....outside we have the horrible garage and the screened in porch....and down by the lake...who am I kidding? The whole outside is a mess! All of these places make me feel like I am so unorganized and I hate that!! I'm not the most organized or neatest person in the world (Michael got all of those genes from Granny), but I like to pretend that I am. So now you know.

I'm tagging Pam (who comes to my house every week but has never seen the inside. :o), Whitney, Elizabeth, Patti and Megan. The rules are that you cannot move anything from where it was before you take your picture...if you have a laptop, take a picture of it where it is right now!! Anyone else who wants to play, consider yourself tagged. :o)

This may be the Prednisone talking....I feel very preachy today .....

I was challenged this morning. These passages are all from the Holman Christian Standard Bible translation, emphases mine.

Watch out, brothers, so that there won't be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that departs from the living God. But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today , so that none of you is hardened by sin's deception. (Hebrews 3:12-13)

For the person who has entered His rest has rested from his own works, just as God did from His. Let us then make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall into the same pattern of disobedience. (Hebrews 4:10-11)

Basically what comes between these passages talks about the children of Israel who did not believe the Word of God through Moses and who rebelled and disobeyed in the wilderness. Because of their unbelief and disobedience, they were not allowed to enter "God's rest," their Promised Land. As New Testament believers, our "rest" comes from obedience to God's Word, too. But that's not easy!! Sometimes I am so weak....I don't do the things that I know I should. I stumble and fall and have to get up and try again. I get so discouraged sometimes because I seem to make the same dumb mistakes over and over again.

So I was very encouraged by this passage after having had my toes stepped upon....

....We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tested in every way as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time. (Hebrews 4:15-16)

When I try to do it on my own, I fail miserably. It's God's mercy and grace that has and will continue to save me. The faith that I have to obey Him comes from Him, too (Ephesians 2:8). I cannot live the way He desires of me in my own power....only by His grace.

An answer to prayer

The past few weeks we have battled bronchitis here in our home. Tyson had it first and now I have it. Little O has a cold and I'm monitoring him carefully to make sure he doesn't get bronchitis, too. Needless to say, school was a wash 2 weeks that Tyson was on albuterol. Last Friday I was so frustrated that I started seriously considering putting them in school this week. So I started talking to Owen and asking God if this was His answer to my prayer that life could settle down some for us. I thought I probably shouldn't make any rash decisions while we are all sick, but school has been very hard for me this year. I have to work almost every afternoon and I feel like I'm not able to give their schooling the attention it deserves. It would be so much easier if I could work while they're at school, and then I could play with them when they get home.

This morning I got up late, but I decided that I should spend my time with the Lord anyway. When I turned to the last chapter in 2 Timothy (where I am in my scheduled reading plan), the title of the first section was "Fulfill Your Ministry." Before I even started reading, I knew that God was about to answer my prayer. This is what the passage says.

¹ Before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom, I solemnly charge you: ² proclaim the message; persist in it whether convenient or not; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching. ³ For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will accumulate teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear something new. ⁴ They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths. ⁵ But as for you, keep a clear head about everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

⁶ For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time for my departure is close. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ In the future, there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved His appearing.

I know that my ministry at this time in my life is primarily to my children. It's hard to accept that at times when there is so much more that I wish I could be doing....but God has pointed out to me over and over that their lives are so very precious to Him and He has given them to me for only a short season. I pray that they will not "turn away from hearing the truths and turn aside to myths." Right now, God has given me the responsibility to lay a strong foundation, to "train them up in the way they should go so that when they are old they will not depart from it." This part of the race is very hard for me, but I know that "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."

It's 1:17 AM.....

When I'm worried and I can't sleep
I count my blessings instead of sheep
And I fall asleep counting my blessings
When my bankroll is getting small
I think of when I had none at all
And I fall asleep counting my blessings

I think about a nursery and I picture curly heads
And one by one I count them as they slumber in their beds
If you're worried and you can't sleep
Just count your blessings instead of sheep
And you'll fall asleep counting your blessings


Fifty points to whoever can name this song, another 30 to whoever can name who sings it, and 20 more if you can name what movie it's from....and no cheating by googling!! :o) Angela....it would kind of be unfair for you to play....can you not tell everyone the answers until they've had a chance to guess? If you know who wrote it without googling, you can win. :o)

Tonight I'm trying something new to help me fall asleep...hot chocolate made with milk. When I drink it before bed, I usually fall asleep in my recliner. Warm milk makes me sleepy. So between that and counting my blessings, hopefully I'll be asleep before it's time to wake up.

Pardon all the CAPTIALIZATION!!!!!

I've been waiting for WEEKS to tell everyone...ANGELA IS GONNA HAVE A BABY!!! I'm so excited for her! I've been excited ever since she told me they were trying! It's so awesome!!! I'm going to be an AUNT!!!!

Free stuff.....still!

Jessica over at Don't Give Him Crackers has 5 giveaway drawings still open. The last giveaway closes on Saturday, February 14th.

The Letter "T" for me....

Angela assigned me the letter "T" for Alphabet Tag. "T" is for "Third of October," which is my birthday.

TEN THINGS ABOUT ME THAT START WITH THE LETTER "T"

1. Thirsty-that's what I've been all day!
2. Tired- I've been that, too....probably has something to do with this cold I'm fighting off (or possibly the lack of sleep a few nights ago.....).
3. Tyson-my favorite 5 year old in the whole world!
4. Three- the name of one of my favorite books by....
5. Ted Dekker- my favorite author!
6. Two-the number of siblings Owen and I have, and also the number of children we have.
7. Thrifty- something we have to be right now that comes easily to me.
8. Talkative- I am when I've been cooped up in the house too much. ;o)
9. Timely-I hate being late!! So much so that when I am, I get a bit....
10. Testy! Just ask Owen...I turn into a monster when my schedule does not go as planned. (I read that to him and he said, "No joke! You grow fangs and horns, and you turn all red!")

That was fun...and not too hard! Anyone who wants to play along can leave a comment, and I'll assign you a letter.

It's 3:17 AM as I start writing this post.

I can't sleep....this happens sometimes....one of the boys will need something in the middle of the night and then 2 hours later, I'm still awake....thinking.....
about my Sunday School class
about a friend who needs to be in Sunday School
about a friend who just had a baby
about all the babies I'm going to meet this year
about that light on the stupid air freshener that keeps blinking
about how stupid that air freshener is when it scares me and blows a puff of fresh air when I'm least expecting a mouse-like noise in the room

It's very quiet....the only sound I hear is my husband's deep, regular breathing...
the kind of breathing I should be doing!

about how glad I am that my husband doesn't snore
about Tyson...is he getting better? (he's been sick)
about whether or not I should have called the doctor today since I can't call again until Monday
about how precious my husband and children are
about the blinking light
about the light that just came on outside....probably because that dumb white cat came in the yard again
about the dumb white cat who thinks our yard is his home
about the dogs who are not ours but who like to get into our trash

Should I just get up for the day and take a nap this afternoon? Nope, can't. Have plans.

Oh, elusive sleep!
Now it's 3:23.

Pajamas, Q-tips, and Somethine Must be in the Water

Little Owen has woken up twice in the past week wondering where his pajamas went....he's been waking up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and leaving his pajamas in there on the floor, but he doesn't remember doing it when he wakes up. So funny!

I stopped using Q-tips in my ears recently because my friend got a horrible ear infection from using them. The doctor told her that it's really easy to damage the inside of your ear, even with a Q-tip, and that is what happened with her. She was in immense pain for over a week, so I stopped using them so that it wouldn't happen to me. Now I feel like my ears are gross all the time. Yuck!

I know 10 people who are expecting right now...what's up with that?!

Are you as cold as I am?!

Owen turned the sprinkler on last week when it froze overnight. The boys had so much fun playing in the icicles. I even let loose and started school late because I know that there aren't many opportunities like this where we live.

Free stuff!

Jessica over at Don't Give Him Crackers! is having a giveaway every day this week! Check out her site for more details!