This weekend was really special. My husband baptized our good friend Tom. Watching his wife watch him was so special. She got all teary-eyed and you could just tell how much watching him meant to her. We waited until the sun was setting to begin. It was such a perfect day.
And my best friend, Andrea, was here this weekend too. I love having her around.
And we had a communion service Sunday night that was so awesome. Mmmmm….I wish church was always like that.
So, what did you do?
Oh, what a wonderful idea I got here for including a fascinating story about a friend who does not blog. Yea, I know, it's Thursday night but after the last 2 days I've had I'm not sure what tomorrow will hold. But I do have something to look forward to as my best friend arrives on Saturday and we will spend the entire day at the lake with other Christian friends. Fun!
Ok, so back to my Fascinating Friend Friday….
I have a good friend who God as used in my life in so many ways. She is still seeking her faith to make it her own. When we first met we did not instantly hit it off. Instead we really didn't much care for each other. As time has passed though she has become one of my very best friends.
Her kids are about the same age as mine and she lived in our neighborhood for many years. She has since moved to a larger city close by so I still get to see her often. I have a very funny story about one of my kids getting their gum stuck in a very very inconvenient place on their bodies and she is the proud owner of a really gross dishwasher story.
When her oldest was potty training she had a newborn and had left the room to change the wee one's diaper. When she returned to the kitchen there stood her three year old relieving himself in the opened (as in the door was left down) dishwasher full of previously very clean, just washed dishes.
Our standing joke with one another now is “Exactly how many times do you have to run the dishwasher before you can (in good conscience) drink out of your glasses again?”
Anybody care to guess? We've failed to come up with a number yet. All I know is it took her a long time before she used glassware again.
Do you have someone really cool to blog about? Join us in Fascinating Friend Friday.
Julie
I've never really dealt with PMS but the last 2 months have been horrible. I've spent two days (yesterday and today) feeling so “not me”. It's the worst feeling. Today has progressed into feeling weepy and like such a bad mom. My emotions are all over the place. My patience left with ice age I think.
My husband has been so gracious to care for the kids, let me rest and wait this one out. I yearn for it to be over as I'm sure he does. He's such a great dad and husband. God has given me a gift in him and I don't tell him enough, I love you honey. So “I love you honey. Thanks for putting up with me when I feel so unloveable.”
Julie
After reading Life with the Crew's blog about “Things I Will Not Go Cheap On” I decided to join in the fun too. So here's my list (also in no particular order)
1. Toilet paper…..enough said
2. Baby wipes…..I've definitely bought the cheap ones, you know the ones that you need 3 of so you don't get poop on your hands when 1 Huggies wipe would have done the whole job. My favorite of favorites? Walmart's wipes for sensitive skin. Love 'em!!
3. Paint…..good paint is worth it's weight in gold.
4. Cheese…..someone ONE time bought me processed cheese food slices instead of the real thing. That stuff doesn't even melt. Yuck and double yuck.
5. Cat litter…..much to my hubbie's shagrin we still have a litter box. I've tried every kind of cat litter known to mankind. The crystal kind that you throw completely away and then refill the box with a new bag works marvelously. It really is the very best in odor elimination/control. But it ain't cheap!
6. Chicken Nuggets. I have found no other nuggets better than Schwan's Chicken Bites. Everything I see in the grocery store is pressed, processed, glued together chicken parts. Schwan's actually sells a real piece of chicken in a nugget form. Yum. (It's not a daily meal but one I'll feed the whole family once a week or so.)
6. And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Gatorade. There just is NO substitute. I've tried the off brand. Again, yuck. My husband and kids love it and I prefer it over tons of fruit juice. We still drink apple and orange juice but after football practice it's Gatorade all the way!!!
How about you? What are your favorite “I could never go cheap” things??
Gayle, I hate cheap tin foil too!
And just because I can't bear to post another blog entry without photos here are some from the park today while son #1 and #2 were playing football. And yes, it's hot here! 100 or so today!!!
This morning I sat and checked email as my 2 year old daughter sat behind me in the office chair. I listened to the gentle sucking of her thumb as she lifted my shirt to place her cheek on my back. She just sat like that for several minutes. Ahh….heaven. Is there anything better?
Enjoy your kids today,
Julie
Yesterday I went with a friend to pick out our curriculum for this coming year. I'm so excited.
We're using My Father's World and Singapore Math. We're already having fun with some of the manipulatives I purchased. Yippee!!!
What are you using?
julie
I had all the world told me I needed to be happy. A boyfriend, a house, a nice job that paid very well, a new car, etc., etc. But I still found myself thinking, “Is this all there is?” Life seemed awfully empty.
I had accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior in 1983 as a senior in high school but soon after entering college the pull of the world and Satan became stronger than I was able to resist. Slowly I began to forget that salvation experience and reenter my worldly environment.
I'm so glad HE never gave up on me and that 10 years later He had allowed me to see how empty life was without Him. There are days I still am reminded how ineffective my ways are and I say again, “My way's not working Lord. Can we try yours?”
IN HIM,
Julie
(Devotional included below)
“Lord, there are two ways we can do this, yours and mine. Mine is not working. Let's do it your way.”
Someone sent me this quote as part of a pretty spectacular
near-death, out-of-body experience that involved a heart attack and
quadruple bypass surgery, but I don't believe you have to be facing all
that to understand such a statement. In fact, I think this is a pretty
good way to think about going through every day of our lives: “Lord,
there are two ways we can do this, yours and mine. Mine is not working.
Let's do it your way.”
That is one of the notable things about Jesus, especially as
recorded in the Gospel of John, that he always loved doing the will of
his Father. He said that he and his Father were one, and he never did
anything that his Father didn't initiate. God and he worked together
like hand in glove.
It's not quite so with us. In our finest moments, maybe, when we are
relying totally on the Spirit of God, but we have a sin nature to deal
with that Jesus didn't have. We're going to pretty much have to be
saying this every moment of our lives: “Lord, there are two ways we can
do this, yours and mine. Mine is not working. Let's do it your way.”
It is comforting to know that Jesus, in spite of his love for doing
his Father's will, struggled with it when facing his own bitter end. He
struggled so hard that blood was forced out of his body as
perspiration. The Bible teaches that the sin of the world was laid on
him on the cross, but there is reason to believe some portion of that
identity with sin began in the garden the night before his trial when
he prayed a prayer that could have just as easily been translated,
“Lord, there are two ways we can do this, yours and mine. Mine is not
going to work. Let's do it your way.”
It's the way we first come to Christ, it's the way we learn to walk
in his purposes for our lives, and it's the way Christ purchased our
salvation through his death on the cross. In fact, it pretty much sums
up the Christian life in a nutshell: “Lord, there are two ways we can
do this, yours and mine. Mine is not working. Let's do it your way.”
When you do it his way, even the end is doable.
My babies (at least the two oldest) got their football gear to begin playing football with the rec. league this year. When did I blink and them grow up???
A big thanks to all who have prayed for me. Although not completely better I continue to heal from surgery and look forward to the day I have no incision pain.
This time has been a great testimony to God's redemptive work in my life. I've seen this through the countless number of friends who have brought dinner, taken my kids, came to visit, helped me dress when that was hard, etc. I know God has grown me because one does not have such good friends without also being one. I see my growth reflected in the actions of my friends.
Lord, may I always be “Jesus with feet” to those around me.
Thank you publicly to my sweet and precious (and very good looking) hunk, oh, I mean hubbie.
And thanks to my MIL, SIL, Adonnya, Melinda, Jennifer, Laura, Amy, (the best friends a girl could have in a time of need) and many others who have ministered to me. You are the best!! And I thank my God for you!
In the next few days I hope to post about mothering techniques learned from my cat. I'm actually learning alot!!! I just gotta share it with you.
Until then,
Be blessed with friends and by being one.
IN HIM
julie
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