Working

Today after school I took my kids to another elementary school, where we helped pack backpacks. We packed them with food. There are some kids who do not eat on the weekends. Am I living under a rock, that I really did not think of this as a real possibility? As much as this was for my kids benefit, it was for mine. We packed 25 backpacks with juice, cereal, mac n'cheese, granola bars, combos, donuts, clementines, candy bars, and pretzel sticks. We ALL had such a blast!! It only took about 30 minutes to pack them all. Of course, it goes almost without asking, that my kids asked if they could have some of that. I had to remind them that these were for kids who ate NOTHING all weekend. They (my children) eat almost anything they want all weekend long. I also told them that we are able to go to the store and buy these things if we really want them. We really have so much to be thankful for. Apparently I needed to have a reminder along with my kids. I love how God is working.

Boys

When we came in from Awana tonight Greg and Grant were sitting in a chair together. As soon as I walked in, Grant jumped up and yelled "momma, momma". Oh how I love that feeling of being loved and missed and needed.

Later Jacob was in the shower and he asked me where the water from the shower came from - "Does it come from a tube or something?" I explained to him that the water ran in pipes and went through a water heater to get hot and then ran to the shower. "But where does the water go after it comes to the shower?", he asked. I told him it went down the drain and into the sewer. "Oh," he said. I asked, "Why? Were you worried that the pee you just peed would come back onto you?" "Yes", he said. Man, I can read him like a book. Love that kid who pees in my shower.

We play a game called "high-point, low-point" to get the kids talking. I was laying in bed with Jacob talking and I asked him his high-point. He answered, "My high-point is that you are in here laying with me talking." Does is get any better than that? I love that he wants me in there and that he wants to "talk".

Spa Day!

Jadyn, Grant and I went to the nursing home again today. I met a super sweet lady named Irma, who allowed us into her room to sit and talk with her. She was a joy to talk with! After talking to her, I went to check out the activity center. Guess what today was? SPA DAY!!! So adorable. These sweet ladies lined up to get facials, make-up applied, nails done, etc. I was even able to help out. I filed and polished the nails of 2 ladies. One was talkative and appreciative, the other silently criticized every swipe of the brush and fell asleep every time I held her hand. It was the most precious time - Eleanor and Mabel (don't you love it?) And Jadyn and Grant just hung out right next to me and "performed" for the ladies. The were amazing! This is one of the ways that I know I am doing what God is leading me to do - He is making my kids behave while we are there. They fight and scream when we get home, but that is OK as long as they are quiet and behaving while we are there. It was hysterical when a gentleman "walkered" in and said he was there to get his nails done. I was cracking up, but I actually think he was serious. All in all, a wonderful morning.

Have We Turned a Corner?

This morning, after only 2 kisses, Grace boarded the school bus and never looked back - REALLY. Usually we got through this long routine as the bus sits there and waits for all the kids to get seated. Her waving to me, me waving to her, us blowing kisses back and forth to each other, me telling her I love her in sign language (both with my hand and using full blown body language), you get my drift. Today - she did not even look out the window at me! I almost felt slighted, then I realized that she may be turning that corner. And THAT, my friends, is an answer to prayer. Let the Name of the Lord be praised, now and forevermore.

Nervousness and The Prayer Required

My stomach is hurting. I am nervous. So much is happening and I feel all mixed up.

First thing: At the bus stop this morning I stopped with mom of one of the Indian girls at the bus stop (she is also muslim). I stopped her because her daughter told Grace that they were moving back to India at the end of the school year. So I just wanted to be friendly and tell her it was nice to have met her (although I was sure I would talk to her before she left). While we were talking, she invited me to come down to her house sometime. No specific time - just sometime. She is a very friendly lady and the one time I was at her house she was very hospitable. So I was thinking, I should go visit with her once before she leaves. Then I started thinking, what will we talk about? If I talk about my faith will she see me as an enemy? We are so different. We believe so differently. Later this afternoon, I was reading Our Daily Bread and today's devotion was on "Foreign Worship". People who are not Christians see Christianity as foreign worship, just as we see worship other than Christianity as foreign worship. Then it goes on to say, "When a friend see Christianity as foreign worship, we need to respect their heritage while sharing the gospel graciously..." I just need to be gracious and let God do the rest. I only have a few more months to be her friend - to show her a true Christian family in action. I know that God will equip me to do this, if it is according to His will. I will keep praying.

On the topic of praying, the second item: Based on past posts you know that we have started visiting people in nursing homes. Sunday our pastor (Scott - who is going on sabbatical) asked me if I would check in on the people from our church that are in the nursing home while he is out. I said I would be glad to. He told me to call the church and talk with someone there to line everything up. Monday I called the church and the person I was supposed to talk to was not in, so I talked to the pastor who answered the phone (and happened to be in charge of outreach). He started talking to me about helping start a nursing home visitation program. Woah! I was freaking out! I was just supposed to visit people and love on them, not start a program, right? I told him I would pray about it - which is what I am in the process of doing. The more I think about this the more I think it is something I can do, but I just want to be sure. Call me Gideon. But, tonight, I made my first of the "fill-in" visits. We went to see an amazingly sweet lady, who totally reminds me of Grandma Boss. She is in the hospital and is 98 years old. I talked with her for a little while, then asked her if I could pray with her. I had all my kids with me so I did not want to stay long - and Grant had one really loud screaming session for about 45 seconds - that was horrible! So for now I plan to visit these people on behalf of our pastor, visit at the original nursing home and keep praying about the ministry. Who in the heck would have EVER pegged me to be in ministry? Certainly not me. God keeps cracking me up.

I Had a Good Morning

We went to church this morning. We had our first discipleship class this morning and Tom came with us. Towards the end of the class Pastor Todd asked for people to share how they felt post-Encounter. I said that I am no longer remorseful, but truly repentant. You know, not always saying I am sorry for something and then going right back to doing it. If I keep going back and doing it again, I am not truly repentant. My Encounter experience helped me to see the difference. Then what happened next was so great. Greg said that although he had not had the Encounter experience (yet), he was noticing some things. He said that my grandma was a saint and was one of the nicest people he had ever met - she never had a bad thing to say. Then Greg said that he was starting to see some of those same characteristics in me. Wow! First it was great to hear something like that, but better than that was that it came from Greg. What an encouragement to me he was today. So he was wet in the eyes and so was I. The words were even more encouraging because after the class, and in the service, I had to go onstage and speak. Not something I prefer to do. I was asked to talk about what I learned at the Encounter and what I would say to someone considering attending. Praise the Lord it went well. I mean the people who commented to me about it said I did well. I graciously thank them for their kind words, but know that the real thanks belongs to the Lord God, who gave me the strength and courage (and words) to this.

AAAGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Having one of those days. I just put the kids to bed and not in a very nice way. I am tired. Not *yawn* tired, but sick and tired. I feel that I am failing as a parent. Yes - satan is attacking me right now. Why don't my kids obey? Why are they so sassy? Why do I want to clobber them right in the head? I am so frustrated right now that I cannot stand it. I feel like I need a break - you know, a mini vacation. Maybe I need to pray this away. Yes, I do. I better go now instead of just venting all my frustrations here.