The Strongest People You Know are the Ones who Really Need Our Prayers

So many times in life, we find ourselves asking "Why Me?", "Why Now?", "Why That Family?", "WHY?". I suppose its human nature to question things we do not understand. Sometimes its hard to hold on to the fact that God has a bigger plan & a prettier picture than what we can see right this minute.

We have always heard that God never gives us more than we can handle. I completely believe this, even though sometimes, I believe that God has more faith in what we can handle than we have faith in Him.

I've often wondered why I have been so blessed when it seems that other people are continually struggling. I sometimes wonder why I have 3 beautiful children when some people spend years just trying to conceive 1 miracle. I wonder why my kids are relatively healthy when so many children fight for every breath they take. More often than not, I find myself looking at how blessed my life really is.

As I was reading the latest post from "EB"ing a Mommy, my heart, no my soul wept for this family! Through the tears, God allowed a thought to cross my mind. Bad situations happen to good people because they are strong enough to handle them. I CANNOT imagine the pain, agony, anxiety, & heartache this family is experiencing!

Have you ever noticed that most families that experience hardship, especially when it involves their children, end up being stronger that they ever thought possible? The tragedy somehow brings out the best in someone. Now, by no means am I saying it is a "good" thing, but so many times, people become better for the struggles they experience.

I also realized that I have never had to face these difficulties, because quite possibly, I'm not strong enough to handle them. This is one time that I continually hope that God doesn't believe I get any stronger. I don't understand God's mercy & grace, but I am so thankful!


Please pray for little Tripp & for Courtney as they both prepare for Tripp's journey HOME!

I long for the day when these families no longer have to suffer & these little angels get the chance to run & play at Jesus' feet! God has a special place just for them!

Hey, Can You Help These Old People.....

You just HAVE to love kids!

Tonight while doing our Bible devotions, Justin was reading out of the book of John. He mentioned the town of Bethesda & asked Austin if he had heard that name before?

After thinking for a few minutes, Austin said "Yeah, there's a rest home there!"

us - HUH?

Austin - "Yeah, you know. There was a bunch of old, lame people laying by a pool. And they needed help to get to the water."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

He remembered a lot about the story, but he automatically thought that the people were old since they had so many problems. I love it!

The Price for Going Green...

My house is a complete & total disaster zone! Even more so than normal!

We have been focusing ALL of our energy, effort, & expenses into trying to hook up, finish building, & switch over to the water stove that it has consumed our lives. This has been an on going project for a month now...over a month if you include the search for a suitable water stove (free is suitable!)

We finally got the water hooked up towards the end of last week & it is GREAT! All 5 of us can now take baths within an hour & not freeze to death!

Do you have any idea how much money this is going to save since we don't have to use the water heater?
I'm excited!

We are almost done with the building that will keep our little stove safe & dry. A little more electrical wiring, a little more insulation, & a side door should complete it.

Do you have any idea how excited Justin is about having a "pout house"?

So now we are in the process of also rerouting the heating system to blow past a coil (don't ask me, I got confused just listening to it). We started that procedure Tuesday. It was necessary to cut off our "old" heat in order to get the "new" heat started. Downside - Tuesday was beyond FRIGID! We are still trying to convert over.....

Upside - Do you have any idea how much money this is going to save since we don't have to rely on the heat pump? I'm excited!

Next step - we are on the lookout for solar panels...

New Year = New Beginning

As 2011 drew to a close, I found myself reminiscing on all the adventure & sometimes, lack there of, from this past year. It was an amazing but stressful year. Austin passed his 1st state tests as a homeschooler with FLYING colors. Makenzie graduated PreK. Logan was born & has experienced lots of firsts & milestones. I survived shuttling 2 kids between 2 different sports teams during 2 different seasons. We muddled through our first attempt at teaching 2 different school levels. We've seen new babies born, and we've had old friends take their last breath. We've laughed, we've cried, we've seen times of prosper & times of famine. We've experienced God's mercy & grace first hand on a daily basis. We are blessed far beyond what we deserve!

I read back over my post from last year & I have accomplished some things that I set out to.  I still need to work on some things & I want to make 2012 even better. When you want something, you just keep on keeping on until you get it!

I want a healthier me! Physically, mentally, spiritually. Yes, I need to lose weight & get in better shape, but more importantly I need to make life changes. I need to eat better. I need to drink more water. I need to get more exercise. I need to relax more. I need to not take things so seriously. I need to enjoy life more. I need to play more. I need to pray more. I need to read study my Bible more. I need to take a few minutes just for me from time to time. I need to SLOW DOWN!

I want a happier family! There has been entirely too much tension within my home lately. I miss the hugs, kisses, tickles, & giggles. I miss snuggling on the couch. I miss reading as a family for fun. I miss days at the park. I miss sit down meals. I miss actual conversation.

  

I also realized something when I went out with a close friend the other night. Sometimes, even when there are other things that need to be done, even when there are better ways to spend the few extra dollars I have, even when I shouldn't be eating pasta & drinking Mr. Pibb (they didn't have Mt. Dew!), I NEED to splurge, I NEED let go, have fun, & be a silly girl! After all, life is too short to wear sensible shoes!

Confessions of a Stay at Home Mom

I used to think that women who stayed home with their kids had it made. I knew their was always messes to clean up & it might get a little lonely from time to time, but I never even imagined the stress, heartache, & tears that would come with it. So here today, I give you some simple truths of the insanity that I call my life.

• Jealousy is a very real factor! I admit I'm jealous......
1. I'm jealous of my husband's freeness. He can come & go as he wants to. He gets to do the fun stuff, while I have to cook, clean, do laundry, & take care of the baby. He gets to pursue things that interest him, while I'm had to drop almost everything that doesn't involve the kids. He gets to sleep late, while I have to get up early most mornings. 
2. I'm jealous of friends that can get together whenever they want to. 
3. I'm jealous of adults that actually get to eat a hot meal, sitting down, in peace.
4. I'm jealous of people that work. They can "get away" for a little while. They can afford a nice car, a bigger house, & dance classes.
5. I'm jealous of anyone who looks nice for longer than 10 mins. That's about how long I am able to keep anything from being spit up on.
6. I'm jealous of anyone who doesn't have to "rob Peter to pay Paul!" I get so tired of living paycheck to paycheck, but it has been an interesting adventure to see how much money I can save!
• Loneliness is suffered in silence.
1. Occasional adult conversation would be nice.
2. Adult conversation that doesn't always center around our kids would be even better.
• Depression is easy to fall into.
1. There are days that I can't explain why I'm mad/sad/hysterical.
2. There are days that I really just want to lay in the bed & cry.
3. There are days that I don't want to deal with anyone (especially if they are under 5 ft tall) unless they live in black & white print.
• Expectations are unrealistic.
• Alone time is unheard of. I have to lock the doors & read a book during a bubble bath in order to make an attempt at peace & quiet. Today Logan woke up early & fussed the whole time I was in the bath tub & my other wonderful children were too busy watching T.V. to go pick him up, so much for that peace!

If you can relate to this, I hope you found my confessions amusing & you realize that you are not alone. If you think I am acting spoiled & just want something to complain about, I invite you to come spend some time in my shoes!

HOW IN THE WORLD DOES MICHELLE DUGGAR DO IT??????

Have You seen a Little Green Man?

Heys, elves have been at my house!!!!!! Elves, really? Yeh, you know, those little guys in the green costumes. History is full of hard working elves ..... Santa's workshop, the shomaker's helpers, the Keebler tree house. I'm fairly certain, they have visited my house.

HOW did I decide that you might ask?

Well, after spending A L L  S T I N K I N G  M O R N I N G cleaning my kitchen, I have come to a realization ....... those helpful little elves that worked so hard for everyone else needed a place to relax. So, having the inviting, kid friendly environment that we call home, they naturally chose here.

Not only did they pick my humble abode to relax at, they also decided to throw a party here & invite EVERYONE they know! And I believe that they enjoyed themselves so much that they do it again & again every night.

How else could our trash can get full so fast after putting in an empty bag?

How else could so much dirt get on my floor?

How else could food leak out of its bowl inside the fridge?

How else could every single fork we own always be dirty?

How else could all the soft drinks & cookies get gone so fast?

Yep, elves! Now........who keeps stealing our socks?

Train up a child...

Today's generation absolutely breaks my heart. I know that I didn't always make the smartest decisions as a young person (& still don't from time to time), but I had respect for authority most of the time & a fear of God even when I wasn't living right. What happened to that time of respect & reverence when the town drunk made an effort to be in church on Sunday mornings, even if he had been out all night on Saturday, when you turned your music down driving by a church, when you listened to your elders (even if only until you were out of sight)?

I'll tell you what happened, parents started doing a lot more things than they used to do. They started trying to be a friend instead of a parent. They started chasing "the American Dream", working longer hours, & allowing their children to raise themselves. They started worrying about everyone else's opinions on their parenting skills. They started trying to make their kids cooler, better dressed, & more popular than they were. They started "giving in" & buying affection because it was easier than actually paying attention.

Parents have also stopped doing lots of things as well. Parents stopped having an active role in their children's lives. They stopped showing respect for other people. They stopped making their children mind. They stopped standing up for what was right. They stopped believing that church was important. They stopped allowing God to be the center of their lives.

I was flipping through Facebook & landed on someone's page a few weeks ago & couldn't believe what I was seeing. I haven't been able to get it out of my head since then. Children ~ yes, if you are under 18 you are still a child!! ~ living in all different aspects of sin. Children, who were raised in church, venturing out & experimenting with the world. Children with no respect for themselves or anyone else.

Then, as I kept looking, I came across one of the mistakes that we, as parents, are always making. We think that if we will just continue to overlook our children's wrong doings & accept them for who they are, everything will be all peachy. I found this verse posted very close to inappropriate behavior. "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." 1 Tim 4:12

I'm not sure if that parent really put any thought into this or was just looking for a bible verse that slap on a picture (no, I am not judging). This child is openly making a mockery of God & the parent is wanting them to enjoy life & be an example to others.

Is there any wonder that our children are so confused?

The really sad part here is that this family is not the only one living life this way. Oh, I pray that parents will wake up & retake control of their homes. I pray that God continues to show mercy to us all!