dear Weary Mom-Where Did Our Summer Go?

Posted on by Mary

Oh my dear weary friends I sit here on my couch this evening wondering what exactly happened to our summer.  We went from end of the school year activities, to our towns big celebration (which entailed weeks worth of float work and culminated in a parade). Then we went right into VBS. work, took a break for a week while hubby and the whole family went to an area christian kids camp and hubby did 3 nature adventure hikes for four days (we had a blast and Tornado got to do his first sleep away camp experience), then we got back in time for VBS to start.   Oh what fun that was as we transformed our church into Athens Greece and we took on characters!  After that I jumped right into  working on my daughters 7th birthday present!  (It was a lot. Of sewing but about 90 percent of it was finished on her birthday). And then when her birthday was all said and done, i sat back and said…what now?

I have roughly 2 1/2 weeks of summer vacation left and we have some fun things planned, but when I look back at the beginning of June two things flood my heart.

#1- i failed-  i didn’t reach any of my goals for this summer.   Did I accomplish things, of course but it wasn’t what I wan’t to.

#2 my kids didn’t have the best summer I had planned to give them

 

Then I stop say….”Girl you know better!   It’s not about what you want.  It’s about what God wants.  And as for the kids, they had a blast!  Running through the woods, playing in the kiddie pool, staying up late, trying new foods, finding frogs and salamanders, finishing the fence and having safe play outside.  They know nothing about the best summer ever, that you had planned for them!  ”

This was something that I did to the best of my ability.

I lived the 1 Corinthians 10:31 principle of doing all to the glory of God….and I will continue to do so for the next two and a half weeks!

And what if you didn’t?

Each day is a new slate, a new beginning so make a choice, you can make two.

Make the choice to accept God’s plans over your own AND to do whatever it is God. Has planned to the best of your ability!

Does all of this mean we shouldn’t make plans, no, no it doesn’t.  It means that if God has something else in mind, roll with it.  Don’t complain.  Usually in those plan B moments God plans on ministering to us or through us which results inblessings either   way!

So yes our summer is almost over and no it didn’t go as I had planned it, but it was a good one nonetheless and I thank the Lord for that!

 

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is It really Worth Awesome or is It Just Cool?

Posted on by Mary

Let me start by asking you this……

How many times a day do you say “that’s awesome”. Do you as a believer in Jesus really mean “that chocolate cake is awesome,”

We have seriously lost sight of what awesome is.  

My hubby noticed a tend forming with our oldest son….he was hearing him say every little thing was “AWESOME” .  So my hubby began to address the issue with one question.

Now i’m sure you want to know that one question….and I am going to share it with you but first what does awesome mean?

Merriam Webster defines it as:

1.: expressive of awe <awesome tribute>
2
a : inspiring awe <an awesome task>
b : terrific, extraordinary <had an awesome time>

Dictionary.com defines it as:

awe·some

  [aw-suhm]  

adjective
1.

inspiring an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, orfear; causing or inducing awe: an awesome sight.
2.

showing or characterized by reverence, admiration, or fear;exhibiting or marked by awe.

3.

Slang. very impressive: That new white convertible is totally awesome.

So now that we understand what awesome means, let’s get back to that little question.

Are you ready?
No that wasn’t it…but this is….”.is what you’re saying is awesome truly worthy of worship?”
 
WOW!  Talk about convicting.  I was in another room when I heard hubby correct my son’s misplaced worship the first time.  This is not stemming from what one person wrote as a song.  Awesome God was written to be worship to God, because He is worthy of worship, awe, reverence, admiration and fear.
 
Is cake, cars, someone doing tricks on a bike, my husband for bringing me flowers?  Not a bit!   They are worthy of worship. Yeah the cake is delicious.  The car and the dude on the bike are cool and my dear hubby is sweet!  But not worthy of worship!
 
So what about nature?  Is a waterfall awesome?  My question is this are you saying that because the waterfall deserves reverence OR. Are you in awe od the One who created said waterfall?  I think it becomes easy to slip into saying a word…scratch that I KNOW it is because I have done it.  Such simple teaching and yet, i have learned so much!
 
Just some food for thought!

Completely Exhausted, Yet Feeling Great!

Posted on by Mary

There are times in my life where God asks me to give just a tad more than I think I have!  The last two months God has required me to rely on him far more than usual.  It’s those times of just finishing one project, just in time to jump into another.

And I wonder how am I ever get everything all done on time?

God knows me all too well!  That’s why he has given me the hubby he did.  A hubby who like Me, spends every bit of himself for ministry and family.  And yet my husbands watchful eye and wise mind knows when to jump in and say, “Mary you have done more than enough!”   

That’s why He has placed numerous ladies in my life who aren’t afraid to say, “Mary, you are doing too much, that’s not important. “. Not that I am wasting my time on unimportant things but that I am trying to do too much!

And yet there are times when I need to do all that is laid before me.  I need to make a gazillion phone calls, fill out half a forrest worth of paperwork, cook enough food to feed an army.  Ok so that is all one big exaggeration but when you look at our schedules it can begin to feel like that very fast!

I need to remember to rely on God…not just in the big things but all the little things.  Despite what I sometimes think…God does not want me to go crazy.  It’s me who drives myself there!  

So yeah I’m exhausted, but because my focus is on God and His purpose I’m excited to push forward

Happy Homemaker Monday -July 29, 2013

Posted on by Mary
The Weather::
 
Gloomy and cool
 
Right now I am::

blogging :)…..no really, i am feeling encouraged!

 
Thinking::

i am thankful  that our 5 year old does not have seizures as suspected.   That he has completed all of his special education testing and that the fence is nearly finished

 
On my reading pile:::

a woman after God’s own heart

The bible

, one with a shepherd, 

women mentoring women

Amish cookbook

The wizard of oz series

 
On my tv:::

Cartoons

 
Favorite Blog post this week (mine or other):::

 

Something fun to share:::

A little over a year ago
 
On the menu for this week::

Monday -chef salads
Tuesday- bbq chicken, pot. Salad  mixed veggied
Wednesday- taco salad
Thursday dog bones and mac and cheese with baked beans
Friday Pizza
Saturday hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill french fries corn
Sunday Subs/

 
On my to do list:::

Monday- recover from the weekend, testing for #2 son, shopping, laundry
Tuesday- garden, sewing, bathrooms, bedroom
Wednesday-craftroom, dusting,sewing room , special ed meeting, friends over
Thursday -garden, laundry
Friday-baking, sewing, bathrooms, 2 closets
Saturday- Young Adult family picnic, laundry, garden , sewing
Sunday-church….rest…church

 
What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::

A certain little bug has a birthday coming up AND i am making some fun clothes for her 18 in dolls

 
Homemaking

gardening! Afterall this rain my garden needs some serious weeding!

 
Looking around the house:::

our bedroom needs some help! I have clean clothes that need to be folded and put away.

Laundry to be folded in laundry room

Dishes to be washed

And all the camper dishes to be run through the dishwasher….1 word…MICE!

 
From the camera:::
 
On my prayer list:::

Friends and family,  the kids and families affected by the bus accident in the mid-west

 
Bible verse, Devotional:::

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path 

it’s the Little Things-God Knows you Inside And Out

Posted on by Mary

God knows me better than I know myself!  There are somethings that I have hid deep in my heart. Things I don’t verbalize even in those all by myself moments.

For instance:

1. I know some people who have a list of wants for a husband/wife.  These lists can range from silly little things like they must have purple eyes and green hair (come on give me credit….i’m not talking anyone specific and if that happens to be you i seriously had no clue!) to the deep like making sure they have no criminal record (lol again being a vague as possible)  but for me I had a list on the deep side!  Of course I had preference BUT. I never verbalized them….i never prayed for them. And yet God knew.  I love Red hair.  No joke!  I had a foster brother with red hair.  I had multiple friends with red hair. …..i met and married a guy with red hair!

2. Again a list of wants…buying a house….i have always and forever wanted a house with deep window sill to have plants on.  But never really verbalized that.  No even to my red-headed wood-working husband!   But when we bought our home a year ago after we moved in I realized my unspoken want had been met! God knew!

3. Colors.  I’m not holding in the fact that my favorite color is green.   I would tease my red headed wood-working husband who hates light green on cars that if I could choose a car it would be a light metallic green!  To which he would reply….i would never buy a car that color.  Well wouldn’t you know that four and a half years ago we were looking for a car that got great gas milage, was within a certain, price range and could fit our family with room to grow!  I have never had a license and I never will, trust me you don’t want me to either!  And I can say yes I like it or no I don’t but I nearly fell off  my parents couch as hubby described his first choice in a car.  i remember asking ” but the color, you hate it!”  And He responded yes but the price is better than anything else we’ve seen, there’s very low mileage, and we can eventually add a third row of seats.   SOLD!  And I giggle!

These are some little things.  I mean really…hair color, deep window sills and car color.  There is a reason  I don’t put them on a list for everyone to know…it’s because they are shallow!   Would I have still married my husband if he didn’t have red hair…of course!  Would we have still bought our house if  it didn’t have deep window sills…you bet! And would we have bought our car if it wasn’t light metallic green…most certainly!  None of these things are or were deal breakers.  But they are still significant!  WHY?  Well because of this…..

God wants us to realize:

1.  He loves us so much

2. God knows every little thing about us.   

In VBS this week we have been talking about God Sightings.  Things that God is doing in and around us.  God wants us to know He is near and that He cares for us so deeply.  So much so that He takes those little things hidden deep in our hearts, things that no one else knows.  Things we keep under lock and key.

So what hidden things has God made himself known to you through? Things you have kept locked away in the deep recesses of your heart!

Share them with someone!  It’s really cool to hear other’s God Sightings  aswell!