My Latest(?) Bookmark

You might recall my usual choice of bookmark. 
I'm either gaining a little class or else I was downstairs yesterday when something interrupted my reading.

My bookmark choice?  An event ticket stub off the kitchen counter.

The event?  The Rodeo.......in July.

This begs the question:
Would I rather use toilet paper or a ticket stub reminder I am 4 months behind in cleaning off my kitchen counter clutter pile?!?

Tough call. 

At least I cleaned the ticket stub off the counter.  Perhaps next month I'll clear off the kids' summer swimming evaluations ;)

God. The Perfect Planner.

Several of you know that I am my church's Awana Secretary.
 (a youth outreach/scripture memory club).
This is a perfect fit for a DETAIL minded person such as myself. 
(Some might call it control-freakiness)

Tonight at club, the Bible Lesson Lady (official title) wasn't able to be there - unexpectedly.
So I literally last minute volunteered to teach the two 15 minute classes. 
(K-2nd graders and 3rd-6th).

This was not easy for me.
I'm pretty confident in Bible Story knowledge.  That wasn't it.

I had to give up control of the Secretary Desk!  :)

Anyway, 
Since tonight happened to be "pajama night" at Awana, my leader and I thumbed through a kid's lesson idea book and chose the one entitled "Daydreaming".  I skimmed the lesson for the suggested Bible story.  I located it in a "church" Bible and said a quick prayer.

The Lesson?   Jacob's Stairway to Heaven Dream (Gen 28:10-20).

This story immediately followed what the kids learned last week about Jacob tricking Esau out of his birthright. 
TOTALLY unplanned by my leader or myself... but God  planned it.

Then.....  Even with no run-through, or practice, or outline  (I like outlines)... for both lesson times I finished with exactly 3 minutes remaining.... just enough time to close and pray.   I did not have a watch and there was no clock in the room.  Both times when I felt we reached where God wanted us to be, I asked a leader how much time we had and he said "you've got 3 minutes remaining".

Sorry.  This story is harder to type than experience. 
But I couldn't NOT write how COOL I saw God work tonight!  He took potential disorder (no Bible Lesson Leader) situation and perfectly orchastrated it into a God-Planned Lesson.

Interactive:
Let me hear your stories of how God has taken disorder and perfectly organized it!

Oh.  In case you were wondering.....
the substitute secretaries did just fine, by the way  ;)

Overheard from Over the Fence

If you live in my neighborhood and at 8:00pm you overheard
a hysterical woman yelling,

"At the Fence!  At the FENCE!  Get busy at. the. FENCE!"

It was me.

Hershey, our dog, knows to poop (get busy) along the fence line.
Tonight he tried pooping not 18 inches off the back patio!
So I ran after him, clapping my hands, and yelling like a crazy person.
Then I realized what it must sound like to the neighbors.
Sheesh!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Two MEs

1) I love homeschooling the children.  Extra time with them before they're grown up in a blink of an eye.  I know Christian beliefs are being reinforced instead of torn down.  I can challenge them in areas they need to be. They have time to play together and relax at home and just be kids.

2) I want to send my children to public school.  Tomorrow.
I am constantly surrounded by questions, whine, and attitudes needing adjusting (including mine).  Are they really getting a better education?  I'm probably letting a million little things fall through the cracks.  I could use some alone me time.  A chance to write for real.  Get a job and help achieve my "bigger house" goal.

Anyway.  That is where I am at today.  Still feeling called to homeschool the children.  But tired of my 6 year old's attitude.  If she would just calm down and breath, she wouldn't get SO bent out of shape and then make Mom crazy.
Oh.
I'm the grown up? 
I shouldn't allow my 6 year old to rile me?! 
My 34-year-old-self shouldn't resort to 6-year-old-like tactics?

In a perfect world that would happen!

Here is to a fresh start tomorrow :)

Decoder Ring - Part 2

If you missed my last post, click here and read it first.....

Caught up?!  Ok. 
I missed one very important phrase my 5 year old daughter, Krystin, uses.
She made this phrase up a couple years ago and it has stuck around.

She calls me: 
"MA-ma-Mi-mi-MOO-moo-CEreal-box"

There is plenty in that phrase I could take offense at,
1) My name is not Mama Mimi!
2) What woman likes to be compared to a cow?  Ever.
3) A box-like figure isn't that attractive, either, is it now?

But what if I examine the context in which Krystin calls me that?
1) Perhaps in her at-the-time 3 year old brain she was actually thinking "Mama and Me"?
2) She calls me this at night when I tuck her in, or while she is snuggling up to me.
3) Cereal is her absolute favorite food.

When I consider her motives and choose to dwell on the positive possibilities of what she means, the phrase doesn't bother me anymore..... I actually like it.

I think I'll try and keep that in mind with other people, too.
Remember that the first possible negative meaning of what they just said or did might not be what they intended.  Their heart might be in the right place.  I just have to get out my decoder ring.

The decoder ring found in a cereal box......
Which reminds me that even though I love Krystin's phrase,
when Krystin says it.....

Don't you ever call me a cow or cereal box.
I will assume the worst  :)

My Little "Scootles" (AKA - Krystin)

(Oh, did I not mention I use made-up words, too?!)  ;)

Photo courtesy of Kari Masson

Decoder Ring Needed

If you are are ever in the neighborhood and stop by, you might need a
secret decoder ring.
That is because my children have their own language. 
What's funny is that I don't notice it anymore - it seems almost normal. 
Here are a few choice examples:

"pei-wei"  (pay-way) = penguin
"March of the Minis" means you better not stand at the bottom of the stairs
      because they're rip-roaring, sliding down on their stomachs in footie
      pajamas
"baby ear" = when one of our dog's, Hershey, ears is flipped up and you can
       see pink skin
"rang-roo" = this refers to the howling noise Hershey makes
"eighty-eighty in the tatey" = scrambled eggs  (NO clue.... dont' ask)

I wish I could make money off them inventing a new language.........

Don't be a Stopwatch

As a homeschooling Mom, I felt the need for a stopwatch.
There are so many things I could use it for: 
     Math Flash Cards - beat your time from last week
     P.E. Class - (possibilities endless here)
     Geography - How fast can you name all 50 States and Capitals?

I finally purchased a stopwatch on my last Wal Mart trip....
....on Thursday....
....4 days ago.....
and that thing beeps every day........ every hour....... on the hour. 
Only not on the hour. 
It actually beeps at 22 minutes past the hour. 
I can't make it stop. 
(And neither can Dan - so there).

Anyway, I figured there has to be a spiritual application here. 
Maybe something to do with the persistent elderly widow found in the Bible?

But it is 9:30 at night and I am. going. to. do. my. pilates. yet. today!

So the best I got is.....

Don't be annoying.  Don't be a stop watch.
Or maybe avoid the temptation to buy one in the first place.  :)

Interactive:
You have any spiritual application ideas on this one?
Do you live within a 2 hour radius and know how to turn off a stopwatch alarm?!?

Can't Catch Me - I'm the Gingerbread Man

Yesterday I read The Gingerbread Man to my children.  Let me recap:

An old woman, who never had children, lovingly created and baked a gingerbread man to be her son.
However, as soon as she pulled the gingerbread man out of the oven, he leapt off the cookie sheet and ran out the door; crying, "Run, Run, as fast as you can.  You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!"
He continues running past several people and animals, taunting them with the same cry of, "You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!".
Until............
Clever Mr. Fox.
Mr. Fox warns the Gingerbread Man of a river up ahead and offers to help him cross.   However, Gingerbread Man is cautious, knowing that Mr. Fox would like to eat him.  Mr. Fox assuages Gingerbread Man's fears by explaining that he will carry the Gingerbread Man across the river on his tail - which is far away from his mouth.  So the Gingerbread Man hops on Mr. Fox's tail and they start across the river.

Mr. Fox, "Careful, Gingerbread Man, the river is getting deeper.  Hop onto my back so you don't get wet."
Gingerbread Man hops on Mr. Fox's back.
Mr. Fox, "Oh no!  The water is rising even higher.  Quick!   Get on top of my head before you are drowned!"
Gingerbread Man trustingly hops on top of Mr. Fox's head.
Mr. Fox, "Hurry Gingerbread Man, for the water is even deeper now.  Hurry to the safety of the tip of my nose!"
Gingerbread man runs up Mr. Fox's nose.......... to be snapped up by Mr. Fox for a tasty little treat.

While reading the story, God brought to mind a great spiritual application (which the kids and I discussed).

Say you and I are the Gingerbread Man.
Say the old woman represents God.
Any guesses as to who Mr. Fox represents? 
That' right - Satan.  The father of lies.

How often do I run away from my loving Creator, thinking I know what is best for me?  I can't wait to be free of the confines of following His rules.  I want out of His house and spread my wings - to my own glory.
I'm smart, good, talented.............and prideful of my own abilities.  "Can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread-super-woman".   I'm outrunning everybody.  Staying ahead of the game.  I'm even smart enough to recognize trouble.  I know there is a Mr. Fox Satan out there wanting to gobble me up. 
But one day a minor temptation floats in my head like a faint whisper.  Perhaps indulging this once won't be a problem.  After all, it isn't anything really bad.  I hop on the tail.
Next thing I know, another temptation comes along.  Nothing big, mind you. Just maybe something I wouldn't have done back on the river bank. I hop on Mr. Fox's back.  So far the only consequences are me staying dry.  No worries.  Nothing bad has happened.  I'm still in control.  His mouth can't reach me from clear up there. 
The only problem is that now I'm enjoying things I shouldn't be.  I'm too prideful to realize it's not me in control.  I've left the house and am taking a swim in the river with Mr. Fox at the helm.  Knowing my weaknesses (the river is rising), Mr. Fox finally persuades me to hop onto his head.  Take the next step.
You remember the story's ending, right?
I end up cookie crumbs.

Anyway,
I thought it was a nice reminder to remain on guard against the devil's schemes.  To not give in to those little temptations lies Satan whispers in my head. 

After all, a Fox is a Fox.
That's just the way the cookie crumbles.

1 Peter 5:8 - Be self-controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Ephesians 6:11 - Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.

The Letter "T"

Hi.
My name is Britt and I used to post on this blog.

Actually, I think I am back.  With a profoundly deep post ........

I dedicate this post to the letter "T".


T stands for Tea.
In my last post, I reported feeling like an over-used bag of Earl Grey tea.
I am happy to report that I have (literally and figuratively) just sat down with a new cup of tea.

T stands for Time.
I just haven't had the time to post this past month...... But I need to make time.  Because this blog is a place where I can be real .......and usually figure myself out - and what God is trying to tell me - by writing.

T stands for Toilet Paper
Monday, while reading a book, I needed to make supper.  So I picked up my bookmark and marked the page.  It dawned on me that I might be a bit odd.  For my bookmark (for many, many books) is usually a 2-3 block strip of toilet paper. 
No.  Not because I read in the bathroom.  Get your mind outta the toilet, people!  I usually read in bed at night before falling asleep.  And having allergies, I keep kleenexes a roll of toilet paper on my nightstand.
Thus, toilet paper is usually the handiest scrap of paper within reach for a quick bookmark.

Two questions for you.

1) What do you normally use for a book mark? 
(Are you a "dog-ear" page-ruiner?  Do you tear off corners of important school forms?  Are you a "binder-breaker" and place the book face-side down?)  I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to sound judgemental.  You can tell me honestly and I won't judge you by your bookmark methods.... if you don't judge me :)

2)  What is your favorite kind of Bigelow, Lipton, Twinings, or Celestial tea?
(I am very specific because those are the brands my local grocery store carries. Why?  See Below)

(If you are one of the first 5 people to post a comment with an answer to these two questions, I will mail you a box of your favorite tea.)
Technical Stuff:   Must be in the continental U.S. to participate.  Apologies to all my world-wide fans ;) 
If you do not wish to post your address in the comments,
you may email me your address at  write2cbmason@gmail.com 
(but your comments must still appear on this blog ;)