What tomorrow brings.

All this talk about tomorrow, so little time...
It has crept up on me. Our very first OFFICIAL family vacation. You know, the one where you have to pay for a hotel? Well, we're leaving bright and early Saturday morning. OY!
Where has the time gone? I feel like if I stayed up all night - which is just ludicrous - I still couldn't get it all done...
(And I don't even have any crusty jerseys to wash! I would probably just keel over if that happened...)
It has come not one minute too soon for my husband. He has really been through it lately at work. I just wish I could click my heels together and *presto* land him the perfect job that made him happy. How much pressure our good men are under these days!
We have been planning for this vacation for well over a year - and here it is - and I am about to self-destruct!!! NO, not really - but seriously, what if we need Kaopectate? Or umbrellas, sheesh! There's so much to think about...
If you're out there, and not already annoyed by my flailing about in this blog, please pray that things go smoothly for us on our VERY FIRST VACATION! Lord knows the kids don't need to remember it as, 'That time Mommy forgot to bring her panties and Daddy just drove around being lost the whole time..."
I would appreciate it - and I vow to return with many pictures of moments shared as a family.
Just the thought makes me feel all warm and squishy inside...

Instrument.

It is no coincidence that the same letters it takes to spell the
word LISTEN can be rearranged to form the word SILENT.

I am the type of person that finds it hard to be SILENT at all.

Given the connection between silence and listening, one could easily deduct that I need to work on the listening part by being silent every now and again. Sounds simple in theory - but in practice...

I spent the day with a unique and beautiful individual who was used as God's instrument in my life. I had been invited to go spend the day with her 4 days ago, but 4 days ago would never have been as important as today.

God knew.

She has availed herself to God. Her words were beyond perfect. So perfect, it seemed that words as they spilled from her mouth were echoes of the breath of God in my heart.

The things we already know, but are fearful to accept can be the hardest to 'hear' from Him.

Sometimes He uses His people as instruments. Softly playing His tune.

kdp, today you were that gentle harp. Your words were life to my soul. Thank you for listening. Thank you for also gently saying what needed to be said in a way that fit so perfectly. Simple yet profound.

Snafoo.

My little Houdini got herself in a pickle today! She has this habit of sitting in whatever tight space may be accessible to her, such as buckets, boxes, suitcases, shelves, etc.
Today it was an old-tyme milk can!
I saw her squat down into it and didn't think anything of it. I even ran to grab my camera because it was so cute.
I took several pictures ~ then she tried to get back out of that can. It was NOT HAPPENING!!!
I schlepped her around the house in that milk can ~ tugging and pulling. I turned it over and grabbed up under her armpits and heaved. Nothing. She was getting real stressed out about it by now...
I decided to carry her to the kitchen and grease her down with vegetable oil.
Still nothing. She was seriously LODGED in that Milk can!!
I called my hunny at work for advice.
"What would you do in this situation?"
Greased her up a little more...
I'd about decided that we were gonna have to call 9-1-1 and cut that thing off her, when I gave it one last hurrah and POP! Out she came.
What a relief it was too!
The whole snafoo lasted about 10-15 minutes, but I am sure we'll be talking about it for some time!!

Naked. Food.

Yes. Most of my posts include pictures of naked kids, (well, nearly naked) and food.

Cherries Jubilee.

You should have seen it in real life. This picture cannot do it justice. Never have I seen a cherry fest like this one...

They enjoyed those cherries all the way down to their toes!

Breakfast fun.

These are what we call "Googly-eyed eggs" around here!

(Anything to make a healthy breakfast look good)

Tournament of Screams.

Why is it that kids can SENSE a headache? I, for one, am convinced of it.
I have spent the evening trying to scurry off into my bedroom, the garage, even my closet - just. to. get. away. from. the. NOISE!
Now I am not generally a sound-sensitive person. To the contrary, I am actually quite loud myself.
This tournament of screams is their 'new trick' and they really get into it. So into it, it would seem, that they cannot hear my REPEATED begging and pleading with them to stop.
Kids.
I guess this is round one of my Tournament of WHINES...

Snacktime.

It is snacktime at casa ole' and much to my undoing, my son kept asking for "celery in a hot dog bun." He LOVES celery - but the hot dog bun thing is a first.

Ask me what he's having for snack today...
That's right.
CELERY... in a hot dog bun.

Inadequate.

(If this blog sounds angry, maybe it's because I AM a little angry. Read on.)

She feels inadequate. Not good enough to overcome the obstacles of her daily routine. Much less the really big events. She's not thin enough, pretty enough, influential enough, energetic enough. She's just plain not 'enough'. It pervades her every thought as she mosies on throughout her day, never reaching her full potential.

She's a wife. She's a daughter. She's a friend. Mother. Teacher. You have known her. You might BE her.

I have encountered several of her in conversation this week. I have seen her reflection in my own mirror.

Child of God. Created in His own image. How can you look into the face of the one He molded and call her 'Inadequate?'

God, Himself, saw what He made and called it good. (Genesis 1:31)

You have been caught believing a lie. These lies come at us in the least menacing of ways, at first. After time, though, they rip into the very core of who we are.

Not good enough? That's what the devil would love for you to believe. It keeps us all from accessing and attaining our God-given talents and purpose.

In our frailties and short-comings, His greatness is made known.
Do you get it? Even our mistakes testify to the love of He who made us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ DIED for us. (Romans 5:8)

So rise up, 'Beautiful one!' Stop looking into the face of that one God created and calling her 'not good enough...'

Your beauty is not of this world, nor is it for this world.
Stop believing the lie that has hindered you.
You are not inadequate. You are anything but inadequate.
You are a daughter of God, called to something greater than what is already in you.
Believe it. Know it. Live it.
There you will find significance.

Impact.

Each and every day of our lives is filled with moments that people observe and learn things about us.

I want to be that person they can't forget. Not
because of my great shoes, but because of my great acceptance, honesty, and genuinity. God has given me so many opportunities which I have generally squandered. I now have the opportunity of a lifetime laid at my feet. This opportunity could impact generations. Totally changing the destinies of my most beloved.

The only catch: every minute of my life will be put under a microscope. My character and substance will be tested at every turn. By my actions, I must reveal God's unfailing love in an undeniable, applicable, real way.

For the last few years, I have just shrugged it off and thought it impossible to be the kind of person it would take. It has only been very recently that I have realized that there is too much at stake to throw in the towel.

Here it is: the test of my lifetime. Are you with me?