so, “No, I can't walk well yet.”  I feel like I've been sitting on a barrel for a week.  My husband went on a 7 hour horseback ride after my 3 hour ride.  I hate to admit it, I think he's doing better than I am. 

We decided to run to NC to visit my mom after church yesterday.  Michelle, I think I passed right by you.  Next time I decide to spend 8 hours in the car with my kids in a 24 hour period somebody smack me.  I love them but I love space too.  So, here are some pictures from our Friday night ride at our friend's house.

Here's my hubbie and middle son on Diesel….

Here's my oldest on “Colt”

And the rascal and baby girl on “colt”

Baby Girl found another horsey she liked a lot.

An absolutely gorgeous sunset……

While the moon rose to the east………….

There was a little static electricity in the air…..

Happy Belated Mother's Day.
Julie

The kind people who own Lacy let my oldest take her to school today so he could tell them all about us finding her, then the owners finding her and us giving her back.  The neat thing about the story is that the family who owns her are Christians and they were praying for Lacy.  They were so excited that we were Christians and had taken good care of her and were willing to return her. 

It was fun watching my dear son share about what happened with his class.  Lacy spotted the mice in the classroom and made a beeline for them.  I guess she hadn't had enough breakfast this morning.  At 4 months old she is a strong dog and I imagine she's going to be huge once she's full grown. 

She showed up on our doorstep the day before yesterday, stole our hearts and promptly disappeared.  We're going to the Animal Control Dept. today to see if she's there.  When I called this morning they said they picked up a lot of dogs in our area yesterday.  So…..I'll let you know later today if “Jello” or “Maggie” as we've called her comes home with us.

Part of the Gift
by Ruth Harms Calkin

I heard today
Of a decrepit native woman
Who walked mile after mile
Under the blistering sun
To bring a small gift of embroidery
To the missionary she deeply loved.
Hour after hour she trudged
Over rough, rugged roads
Clutching tightly her small gift.
Her weary body sagged
Her vision blurred
Her bare feet bled fromt he jagged rocks.

Grateful but overwhelmed
The missionary wept
The trembling old woman spoke softly:
“Please understand.
The walk is part of the gift.”

My Lord
My commitment to You is for life.
I give myself to You unreservedly
To do with me as You please.
But may I not forget
That the tears, the fears
The strain and the pain
The sunless days
The starless nights
Are all a part of the whole.
In my total commitment
I give full consent:
The walk is part of the gift.

There's been a lot going on around here and I've not had too much to say recently, therefore no witty and interesting blogs entries.  I'm not ready to talk about it all yet but have struggled with keeping my peace.  God has used this time to show me that my peace rests in other things besides Him.  My eyes have shifted, at times, from Jesus to the storm around me.  My soul has felt downcast.  My faith, shaky at best.

As I cried on my husband's strong shoulder this morning he prayed over me.  He prayed that God would show me in a real and tangible way that I was still his girl, that he loved me and was working all out for my good.

Soon afterwards a friend called to tell me of her husband's return from Africa.  He's been a plumber working on military stations.  His employer was getting ready to send him to Ethiopia for 6 months to live in a tent and build military housing there.  “No thanks” and he's on a plane back home. 

If you aren't aware quite a few people do this for about $80,000 – 90,000 of tax free money each year.  This would have been my friend's 3rd year.

As he is saying, “no thanks” to Ethiopia thousands of miles away in America a certain other man fails a drug test which opens a position my friend can fill…on the very same day.  The position was one he considered before deciding to go abroad to work for another year.  He's worked for the company in America before and the people there love him.  They are Christians.  And they are his friends.

When my friend's wife calls me this morning it's to tell me that her husband is on his way home.  He's quit (which is something he has never done in the 20 years she has known him).  And God has provided a job for him before he's even set foot back in America.  The people my friend will be working for cried.  The wife said, “See, God took care of us.”

And God did all this and used it to show me this morning that He is still on the throne.  He's still working.  He's still in control.  It's just what I needed this morning.  A confirmation that He IS God!

Then tonight as my husband and I are entering the movie theatre there is a huge, perfectly formed and absolutely gorgeous rainbow above us.  I don't know how long it's been since I've seen a rainbow.  A long time. 

This one was perfect in every way.  Perfectly arched from end to end.  Perfectly reflecting the Son's light.  Perfectly formed.  Just perfect.

And again I felt God saying to me.  “Trust me Julie.  I am here.  I am passionate for you.  I haven't forgotten.”

Oh how my heart longs for Him.  I long for his presence, his return and his love.

“Thank you Lord for loving me so perfectly even in my deepest, darkest fears and failures.”

“You, indeed, are God.”

Julie

It's one of those mornings when, although we've gotten no school work done yet, my two that never get along have been playing wonderfully.  I don't dare disturb the delicate balance they've struck this morning.

I've gotten 4 loads of clothes washed, almost all dry, folded AND put up in drawers/closets (small wonders!!)  My almost two year old daughter followed me around carrying towels and washcloths and put them under the sink for me where we keep them.  Then would say her version of “more?”

Who says you can't teach a 2 year old to do laundry?  I cleaned carpets last night so even the den and my office even look relatively clean.  (thanks to a pepsi at 9pm)

Oh, I feel like I must be living someone else's life this morning.  Where am I?

Now, if they'll just do their school work by themselves…….

I'll know I've died and gone to heaven.
Julie
OOps….I hear screaming.  I must be back home!!!

…the less I know.

OreoSouza and Maureen's post just remind me of this.  The more I learn about God the less I know.

• A beautiful friend of mine just lost her precious little one after just a few weeks of life.

• Another precious friend is battling health problems that threaten her life.

Why?  I don't know.

What I do know is that there is a God who loves me (us) more than I can ever begin to understand.  Oh how like Peter we are.
“Lord, I will go to prison, even death for you.”  (Luke 22:31-34)
then after Jesus is arrested the same Peter says…
” Jesus?  (WHO??)  I do not know him!”  (Luke 22:54-69)
and he says it three times.
So what does Jesus do?
After his resurrection He restores Peter to the leader God has called him to be.
“Do you love me Peter?”  Jesus asks three times.  (John 21:15-19)  To me he's asking “Look in your heart?  Do you really really love me?”  Maybe Peter is humbled realizing he does love Jesus but not like he thought he did.

So, Jesus restores Peter after he publicly denies HIM, after he claims he'll follow Jesus anywhere, after he fails miserably.

And Peter's restoration changes him.  In Acts chapter 2 vs 14-41 Peter's sermon brings 3000 people to know Jesus at Pentecost.  And in chapter 4 of Acts (vs 4) 2000 more are added.

All by a man who failed Jesus in Jesus' weakest hour.  This failure of a man was used by God to bring over 5,000 people to know Jesus.

Maureen, God used Peter.
God will use you.
He'll use me.
He'll use all of us.
With our shortcomings, our failures, our doubt, our disbelief.

Praise HIM!!!  Thankfully none of what He does through me is because of me.  It's in spite of me.  It all comes from a man, a God who's walked the path before me. 

Jesus, make me love you more.
Julie

Well, all is well in the Worthy household.  Mickey Jr. has made it safely from the Montessori school to our tank and is nestled in the toilet paper safe and sound.  When I get a chance I'll take a photo of our newest addition.  He just looks SO different (yea right!!).
Thanks for all the comments and prayers.
Grace abounded!!!
IN HIM
julie
(just for you guys on my mailing list you never get pictures with the email so just click on www.homeschoolblogger.com/juliestew)

Well, we experienced our first mouse tragedy.  The 6 year old squeezed him too tight while trying to pick him up this morning and he's dead.  At first, he wouldn't tell me what happened but I could tell that he'd done something so after a little gentle proding he confessed.

So hopefully there are more left for us to get another one and also his older brother will extend the grace needed.

IN HIM
julie

Oh…
I'm a parent AGAIN!
After 4 children, 2 cats, 1 foster cat, 1 dog, and 1 fish I am now the proud parent of Mikey Mouse……

Aren't we, as homeschool moms, supposed to have 27 animals, 15 kids and a garden?  Well, I'm on my way.  HomesteadBlogger look out!!!

All kidding aside…my oldest got to bring home one of the baby mice (rats) from school.  They have one black mouse and two white ones.  Apparently the two white ones are male and female and many baby piglet looking things were born a couple of weeks ago.  That's when the “Mom, can I have a rat?” started.  After discussing it with dad we decided it was cheaper than a dog (which he's been asking for).  One pup in the house is enough for me. 

So, we're off on the journey of raising and hand training a baby mouse.  I think “Mikey the Mouse” will be easier to stomach than “Ralph the Rat”, don't you?

Here's his home…

…complete with little boy finger prints, toilet paper they use for nesting, a water bottle suspended by a coat hanger, wooden chew sticks to keep their teeth a little dull, metal food bowl so they won't chew the bowl up, pine shavings NOT cedar (which can be bad for them) and books on for weight positioned on top so the kitties don't make a meal out of him.  I don't think they have discovered him yet.

And it's storming again tonight so I have two little boys curled up on the futon in my new office.  We moved the boys upstairs into the loft and I got their old room.  It's so cozy.  I love it.  I sit in here at night and play Christian music, read blogs and research homeschool material for next year.

Here are the kiddos curled up end to end on the futon.

Well, pray the kitties don't get Mikey.  And I've got one kitty missing right now.  Pray he comes home safely.

Exploring rat-dom
IN HIM
Julie