Revisiting Ministry in Marriage and Motherhood

Posted on by Mary

Ministry in Marriage and Motherhood was a class i took at the Bible College where my husband attended seminary. I loved this class and the professor. What a blessing both the instructor and the class was to me. For some unknown reason I found the notebook laying on the foot of our bed this morning . I opened it up and realized after just a few short moments of reading that I again was being blessed by this material.

It was only a few short weeks ago that this topic came up with a friend of mine who was taking this class. She is about 3 1/2 years younger than I and well I guess I can share that our friendship has been a downward spiral for some time.

Anyway through a conversation with her she began telling me that she begged her husband to allow her to take the class. He initially told her no because “she could teach the class” Finally he broke and gave his blessing so when I asked her if she was learning anything she said NO…I was shock and she got an ear full. though it was not specifically at her I shared how I was So opinionated when I began the class and by the end I knew and fully understood that EVERYONE will have a different Philosophy of Ministry in Marriage and motherhood.

I have not arrived BY ANY MEANS. I have a lot more growing and learning. I love to learn. i struggle a lot when i don’t I hope I always have a learning spirit. There is something oh so refreshing about meeting a person in their 50’s or 60’s or even older who still has a desire. i find I can learn and glean so much from that person.

To think that a person who is in their mid twenties thinks that they have arrived and have it all figured out without ever experiencing full time ministry, teenagers, the death of a spouse, and so much more boggles my mind. I will never have it all figured out because I have not experienced everything there is to experience. And LORD I don’t want to Start experiencing everything there is to experience either..(LOL)

So for the next few months as I review this oh so important material I will share those things that has blessed me again.

Until next time HAVE A GREAT MONDAY!

Tackling the DEN

Posted on by Mary
THE DEN
Note the two different types of wood the right side is a veneered drywall..it was under yucky paneling…The left is real Cherry paneling that will be a chair rail. It will be finished natural because it will be gorgeous
This is my special spot..This is where my window seat will be. We have two bays. One in the living room and this one in the den
And where you see all the oblong circles there will be cherry trim. And a Cherry Chair rail too! In the far right corner there used to be a wood stove that was way outdated and not safe to use. It gave us quite a bit more space when we removed it! I am so excited. More picture next week

Present #3

Posted on by Mary

So today in My day Book Entry i told you about the Christmas present Hubby had gotten me which was this..Or should I say THESE… BUT then I told you that a bigger present was in the bottom of the boot box and asked you to guess what it was and I told you it had something to do with the Boots and hat! Well It’s time for the unveiling It was a home made card..Take a peek and then you’ll know why it is SO much BIGGER than the other two…

So there it is in Black and white it’s a trip. Our first real family vacation in 4 years. The vacation isn’t necessarily the present it’s to where and a girl can’t take here first trip to Nashville TN without a cowboy hat and boots. After this last year we severely need a family vacation. So in the trip We are going to Nashville TN, Petersburg Ky and Pittsburgh Pa …we want to stop off and visit Ron’s Grandpa who isn’t doing so well..Then it’s off to Nashville where we will visit the Country Music hall of Fame Recording Studios the Ryman Auditorium and so much more Then it’s off to Kentucky where we have friends and we will visit the Creation Science Museum AND a National Zoo Pass so we can visit whatever Zoos we wish in the next year…Did I ever mention I have a thing for Zoos Well that another blog post entirely And all along the way we will stop and visit presidents home, battle feilds and so much more. We haven’t traveled like this since we went to Canada with Hubby’s partents and brother 4 years ago! I am SOOOOO excited. What a cool Hubby I have to make his wife’s dreams come true like that!

And By the way Monica was the closest by guessing Horse riding lessons…Mostly cuz she’s the only one who guessed! Thanks for playing along and Yes someday I would LOVE horse riding lessons!

Simple Woman’s Day book

Posted on by Mary

FOR TODAY (December 22, 2008)… Outside My Window…SUPER windy and very very bitter cold! I am thinking…I had a great weekend.. I am thankful for…an incredible sweetheart of a husband From the learning rooms…Nothing today is a snow day! From the kitchen…a HUGE mess and leftovers tonight! I am wearing…what I wore to bed I am creating…Christmas gifts, a clean environment since we have started yet another house project. Pics tomorrow! I am going…no where until Wednesday night for Christmas Eve service and straight from there to my parents house in PA I am reading..Prayer by Philip Yancey, Defuse by Karol Ladd and Amos, Psalms Proverbs and Re3velation I am hoping…to get a lot done..ESPECIALLY the Christmas cards that are half completed I am hearing…wind outside and the hum of the computer Around the house..laundry to catch up on from the weekend, a few dishes and a few random things to pick up A bunch of Styrofoam that the kiddos decided to ground into itty bitty bits with so much static cling it’s unbelievable One of my favorite things..Anything that is Chocolaty and minty combined! A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week…Finish Christmas cards, sign cards send them..Finish Christmas presents..Wrap them BREATH and sleep A picture thought I’m sharing with you…

So this was my Christmas present from Hubby and a VERY special one it is. It is something I have dreamed of owning since I was a little girl A Cowboy hat and cowboy Boots BUT This was NOT the only part of the gift there was something way bigger laying in the bottom of the boot box…something I have ALWAYS WANTED TO DO–Now who can guess what the third part of this gift could be!?! Check out the answer HERE!

Beyond Irritated

Posted on by Mary

It’s been a long time since I have written a post about something that drives me nuts so here it is CHRISTMAS style! Or should I say Holiday style!

Yep that’s it you guessed it. I am a full fledged Child of the King who believes that this “holiday” thing has gone way too far!

Yes I know the purpose there is also Kwanzaa and Hanukkah…then there is CHRISTMAS and New years all lumped into the space of roughly a month. For many years these holidays coincided with no trouble at all….I will admit that Hanukkah is older than the celebration of Christmas However Kwanzaa was founded in 1966..My question was what exactly is Kwanzaa? So I did a little searching and here is what it is.

DEFINITION OF KWANZAA Kwanzaa is a unique African American celebration with focus on the traditional African values of family, community responsibility, commerce, and self-improvement. Kwanzaa is neither political nor religious and despite some misconceptions, is not a substitute for Christmas. It is simply a time of reaffirming African-American people, their ancestors and culture. Kwanzaa, which means “first fruits of the harvest” in the African language Kiswahili, has gained tremendous acceptance. Since its founding in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, Kwanzaa has come to be observed by more than18 million people worldwide, as reported by the New York Times. When establishing Kwanzaa in 1966, Dr. Karenga included an additional “a” to the end of the spelling to reflect the difference between the African American celebration (kwanzaa) and the Motherland spelling (kwanza).

Kwanzaa is based on the Nguzo Saba (seven guiding principles), one for each day of the observance, and is celebrated from December 26th to January 1st.

* Umoja (oo-MO-jah) Unity stresses the importance of togetherness for the family and the community, which is reflected in the African saying, “I am We,” or “I am because We are.”
* Kujichagulia (koo-gee-cha-goo-LEE-yah) Self-Determination requires that we define our common interests and make decisions that are in the best interest of our family and community.
* Ujima (oo-GEE-mah) Collective Work and Responsibility reminds us of our obligation to the past, present and future, and that we have a role to play in the community, society, and world.
* Ujamaa (oo-JAH-mah) Cooperative economics emphasizes our collective economic strength and encourages us to meet common needs through mutual support.
* Nia (NEE-yah) Purpose encourages us to look within ourselves and to set personal goals that are beneficial to the community.
* Kuumba (koo-OOM-bah) Creativity makes use of our creative energies to build and maintain a strong and vibrant community.
* Imani (ee-MAH-nee) Faith focuses on honoring the best of our traditions, draws upon the best in ourselves, and helps us strive for a higher level of life for humankind, by affirming our self-worth and confidence in our ability to succeed and triumph in righteous struggle.

http://www.tike.com/celeb-kw.htm

And then there is

Hanukkah (Hebrew: חנוכה‎, IPA: [‘χanuka], alt. Chanukah), also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, and may occur from late November to late December on the Gregorian calendar.

The festival is observed by the kindling of the lights of a special candelabrum, the Menorah or Hanukiah, one light on each night of the holiday, progressing to eight on the final night. An extra light called a shamash, (Hebrew: “guard” or “servant”) is also lit each night, and is given a distinct location, usually higher or lower than the others. The purpose of the extra light is to adhere to the prohibition, specified in the Talmud (Tracate Shabbat 21b-23a), against using the Hanukkah lights for anything other than publicizing and meditating on the Hanukkah story. (The shamash is used to light the other lights.)

Hanukkah is mentioned in the deuterocanonical or apocrypha books of 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees. 1 Maccabees states: “For eight days they celebrated the rededication of the altar. Then Judah and his brothers and the entire congregation of Israel decreed that the days of the rededication…should be observed…every year…for eight days. (1 Mac.4:56-59)” According to 2 Maccabees, “the Jews celebrated joyfully for eight days as on the feast of Booths.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah

So what exactly has created this HOLIDAY joy? Could it bee that I watched one hour of television and did not hear Christmas mentioned one time…BUT in the process I heard about HOLIDAY decorations,,,HOLIDAY gifts..HOLIDAY parties…HOLIDAY food..AND yes even a HOLIDAY tree! OR could it be that my pastor husband and I are faced with what seems like an impossible task of trying to convince our Three and a half year old that God does exist despite the fact he hasn’t seen him on TV…Santa on the other hand….does not despite the fact he is EVERYWHERE on TV!

I am ready to chuck the TV… NO not really BUT there will not be anymore Santa movies this year until Tornado is able to grasp that seeing isn’t believing.

At this point Tornado is a confused little boy. He marches around the house saying I believe in Santa but when he is asked to you believe in God he says NO but I love him>

I think that we have lost sight. Materialism and the idea of kids Needing something good to believe in has clouded our views. Christ is the only good thing we need!

AND HE IS THE ONLY REASON FOR THE SEASON!!