Pics from our feast

The Thanksgiving entry

Again here I am ... so much to say too little time to post.  But hubby will be home till Monday so I will hopefully get a bit of journaling in before he leaves again with the laptop and Internet.

It's THANKSGIVING!!! Oh how it has come so fast this year!  Everything this year seems to be breezing by.. is it just me.. am I getting old or what lol.  Remember when it felt like it took forever for Thanksgiving Break to come and when it did it felt like it lasted sooooooo long?  This year it is just Josh and the kids for dinner.  We had planned on having friends from church with their kids over so we bought a 23 pounder Tom but they are expecting and I swear she went into labor last night just to get out of my cooking LOL. (turning out that Josh is doing most of the cooking)  But we are very excited for them and can't wait to meet their baby girl Hadassah (Hebrew for Esther) when she comes.  We may be bringing them some dinner later up to the hospital.

I've just come off of a longgggggggg T.V. break.  It was because we couldn't pay the bill but I like it with out TV.. seems God uses these times to help me get back into the Word and refocuses me.  It is amazing how much I have read applies to all the situations in my life.  This last month I have been in the OT alot... maybe I'll give my thoughts on some of the scriptures I read in a later post.  But my point is I am playing a bit of catch up the last week with my few fav TV shows that started their new season while I was away. I was also flipping threw and landed on Rachael Ray's show.  Not one I am a big fan of but she was talking Turkey.  She showed this yummy looking Pomegranate Molasses glaze for the Turkey.  I insisted we try it on our turkey.  I should of took notes because I couldn't find it ANYWHERE on her website as was promised.  I am not good at explaining recipes to Josh because we have miss communication on that front all the time.  I had to hunt down how to make Pomegranate Molasses because no local store sells it.. only the juice.  FYI.. check a Middle Eastern grocery.  And I had to find somewhere that explained how to mix the glaze and when to apply it.  Thankful for having the Internet!  I'll let you know how it turns out and if it is as good as it sounded on tv.. seems like alot of pepper to me.

I hope everyone has a blessed Thanksgiving and has much to be thankful this year and the year to come.  I am thankful that we have some how stayed afloat, that Josh has had steady work, that the children are doing well in school and that we are all in good health, and for all of the Lord's good provision.


Here are my notes from last Sunday's service about a Thankful Heart:


Psalm 100 A Psalm of Thanksgiving.

 1 Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!
 2 Serve the LORD with gladness;
         Come before His presence with singing.
 3 Know that the LORD, He is God;
         It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
         We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
         
 4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
         And into His courts with praise.
         Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
 5 For the LORD is good;
         His mercy is everlasting,
         And His truth endures to all generations.


5 Attributes of a Thankful Heart:

1. JOY  Ps. 100: 1-5, Ps. 19:8 - The Word Of God brings Joy to the Heart, Ps. 126

2. Gladness  Ps 136- be glad because HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER

3. Dependence  God is God and we are not.  God is Greater than his Creation.  As our Shepard he leads us.

4. Thankfulness  can't give thanks unless you are full of it and KNOW HIM and why to be thankful.  Luke 17

5. Gratitude  Rom. 11:33-36  giving glory to God.

Tags: Thanksgiving, Pomegranate Molasses, Rachael Ray

Bella is Beautiful

I had the opportunity this weekend to go see a WONDERFUL movie, bella.  I was excited to see it not only because it was the first time to a movie with adult company in ages but also because all the reviews I heard and interviews with the actors and producers made bella seem a movie worthy of my money.  I was not let down in the least and even clapped at the end as I wiped tears away.

Bella is a sweet love story, but not overtly romantic.. not that kind of love but more about the love for life and family and doing what is right and by doing so finding absolution.  The ONLY reason this movie got a PG 13 rating is because of the premise of the movie is about a women who is pregnant and planning to abort.  The movie is not overtly Pro-life or Pro-choice.  It is beyond the rhetoric in my opinion.  It has absolutely no cussing, nudity or violence and a positive message, a rare find these days. 

If you can find this movie in your local theaters I compel you to go and watch it and if it is not at your theaters yet because of it's limited release then call the theaters or the distributor and demand they bring bella to your community!

 

Bella is Beautiful and it makes me miss you even more Beautiful.

Tags: bella the movie, bella, movie

Potty humor..

Another case for my son being gross and making us laugh till we cry.

I specifically turned off the Myth Buster's episode this week about farting and gas for this reason.. the lovely terminology.

Flatus: the material (gas) that makes up flatulence.  Flatus became the new zing word last night as we played family games to the point he had the girls chanting "FLATUS FLATUS FLATUS".  Yes it was hilarious but to a point.. I had to threaten that the next person who says that word would miss a turn... and that only egged them on more.

Another inside joke is the word Apple.  One day last month I was telling Zane that I was upset that in one of his video games the Supper Hero said "the A word".  Lilly over hearing and not really knowing what "the A word" is said "A is for apple"  Both Zane and I fell over giggling.  So now apple also means "the A word"... and we have found many uses.. You have a rotten apple, wipe the brown spots off your apple, and it goes on and on...

And now thanks to Zane the girls think the snot in your noise is dead brain cells coming out.

 

Josh is leaving today for another two to three weeks so I get to control all this silliness myself.  This week is parent teacher conferences and I only hope the potty humor has not spilled over to the class room and all will be ok.

Till next month friends, be blessed!

Tags: flatus, apple, snot, humor

Changes

I officially became a mother of a teenager this month!!  He is still my sweet, smart considerate baby boy.. with just a few changes. Besides the crop of zits and hair in new places, big feet and hands and sudden spurt of height (almost taller than me already) and deeper voice, he sure can be GRUMPY!!  He always has thought he was smarter than me but now it's wayyyyy worse.. and scoffs at any suggestions I make. I tried to talk him into trying contacts but he wanted the quirky looking adult size glasses.  And it seems he has now made it his mission in life to see how gross and funny he can be.  I try not to laugh.. but it's hard not too.  Zane and I have alot of inside jokes.  Thankfully he is too busy to be into girls (yet.. at least he INSISTS he isn't)

Please pray.. because I don't know how I am going to take it when my girls turn into teenagers.. I am having a hard time loosing my little boy.

 

 

Tags: Zane, teenager

Pressed But Not Crushed

 

Oh how I miss my blog and being able to share my thoughts and feelings... heavy sigh.. my blog is more for me to have an outlet then anything else. I miss being able to chronicle my highs and lows and ho-hums and get the occasional feed back.  My safe place in plain sight.  For awhile it's been ok with out access to blogging because I have had very good friends that listen to me, helping me stay sane while hubby is gone for weeks at a time for work. But you know gossip destroys many a good friendships, even when your not the one perpetrating it (not that I am fully innocent either) and trust has been lost.  Maybe we will reconcile.. for I know that is what God would want and maybe this is just a breather break... but I think it is going to take a lot of Grace to get threw either way.

 

I have an easy going personality but that is mainly because I have learned that I am not the one in Control and God is able to provide, he has a grand plan. I just need to get out of the way, learn what lesson I need to and be changed from Glory to Glory.  Yes, just like everyone I have hurts and stress, but for the most part even with all my troubles and what seems like a mounting list of negatives, my life is blessed and good.  Trying to explain that to some one who is not getting that.. not just there in their faith yet and uses the guise of good intentions as opportunity to judge and criticize is exacerbating.  Sometimes you have to forgive and over look alot to have certain friendships.. most often it is worth it.  Everyone is wired different, everyone's walk and path with God is not the same so we need to be prayerfully patient with each other.. commanded to even.

 

One of my favorite songs is Trading My Sorrows.  Part of the lyrics is based on 2 Corinthians 4

 

7But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

 

This morning I went back to that chapter and vers.16-18 puts perfectly what I wanted to get across and assure why I do not worry day in and day out about the stuff and junk:

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

AMEN to that!!

On my bathroom wall I have taped notes from a sermon from months ago and I read it everyday.  It is a reminder of how Christians are supposed to act and how they are to treat others.  It is an ideal I fail at everyday but I am striving to improve and asking God to help me.  I also have to remember that my sisters, like me, often are trying too and fail just as much.. so again we should be patient with each other.

REMEMBER

 

1 Peter 2:9  But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

 

 

Romans 12:9-16

Be Sincere:  9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.

 

Be Considerate:  10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;

 

Be Energetic:  11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;

 

Be Prayerfully Patient:  12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;

 

Be Warm, Practice Hospitality:  13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

<BR \>Be Different:  14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

 

Be Understanding  15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

 

Be ONE- Harmony:  16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. <BR \>

We don't need no education.. We don't need no mind control..

Been a long while since I was able to blog and I have so many things I would love to write on.  But I don't want to abuse my friend's patients with me using their computer so I will just make a quick entry.  Miss you all and hopefully soon I will get my Internet back on.

Groucho Marx Zane

This pic is a few months old and my budding teen has changed alot in that short of time.  Zane's 13th birthday is coming up and I am not taking it well.  How quickly time passes.  It makes me feel so old to look at him and see him getting zits and armpit hair and a deeper voice.  It does not feel that long ago when I myself was in 7th grade. And of course as always Zane keeps life interesting.  Teacher conferences will be fun this year.

In his Civic's class a few weeks ago his teacher handed out the lyrics and played Pink Floyd's song The Wall and encouraged them to see the movie with their parents because it was too violent for her to show in class.  This kind of cheesed me.. first question "What does Pink Floyd have to do with Civics????"  The some what sheltered child I have had no clue who they were and I had to explain my perplexity to him.  Back in MY DAY.. and we have established already that was NOT that long ago, Pink Floyd was only understood and listened to in an altered state of mind.. basically.  Am I wrong?? At least that is the popular perception.. all those acid bands.. well duh labeled that because the fans and most musicians did acid. It is one of those drug culture things and I tried to tactfully explain that to him while at the same time encouraging him to stay away from drugs. Zane said the song had something to do with being against and standing up to Nazis.  I still fail to see it. 

So a week or so goes by and what happens to be on VH1 Classic.. Pink Floyd's The Wall.  We flipped on the last ten minuets... the part where kids in private school uniforms are on a conveyer belt being dumped into what turns out to be a meat grinder and the kids come out the other side all ground up. To my adolescent son who lately seems to be enthralled by anything with blood and guts thought that was very cool but I guess I am getting old because the suggestion made me want to vomit.  And then it went on to kids rebelling against teachers and beating them up and groups of kids walking in a line with the same distorted mask on and then in song breaking free and throwing off the masks.  I have no problem with a healthy aversion to authority and being an individual.. but I still fail to see any Nazis in those scenes or how it was appropriate for my son and his peers to be turned on to Pink Floyd by a teacher.  Am I wrong?  Am I over reacting? 

So Monday Zane enthusiastically retells the scenes he saw from the movie to his friends in Civics class.  And also tells the class that his mother said you can't understand Pink Floyd unless you are HIGH.  OMG...while this is hilarious in a way.. it is not exactly what I would of wished he would repeat to his class and teacher.  I didn't say you HAD to be high to enjoy Pink Floyd..I was not encouraging drug use at all.. he some what twisted what I said.. oh how embarrassing.  Like I said, Parent Teacher Conferences will be interesting this year.

Another mile stone this last week is AnnMarie went to her first Dare Dance.  She was so excited as she leapt out of the car and said "See you later mom, byeeee" and ran to the door to go to the dance.  I just cried and cried.  I don't know why.. I should be glad my kids are blooming and gaining more independence from me.  I know what it is..that darn Grandmother's Curse again.. is this how my mother felt when I was going into my teens? (although my kids are not half the trouble I was)  Yes Mom.. go ahead and laugh!

 

 

Tags: poll, Pink Floyd, The Wall, Civics, teenagers, 7th grade, Dare Dance,