Wise Man - Foolish Girl

If you grew up going to Sunday School, chances are that you remember the Parable of the Two Builders.  If not, may I recommend reading Matthew 7:24-27?  For a quick recap, Jesus tells a story about two men.  The Wise Man built his house on the rock and the Foolish Man built his house on the sand.  When the rain and storms came, guess whose house stood firm?  That's right - the Wise Man's.  Jesus said that, "Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand."

Well, I am a Foolish Girl.

Last Thursday our neighborhood irrigation system came on.  I noticed a slight problem at 12:45 when there was a small puddle in my backyard.  Unfortunately, a main water valve in our backyard neighbor's sprinkler system was broken.   At least, that is what I am assuming, since water was literally gushing out of his valve box a foot high!  And guess which way his yard drained?  You guessed it - into our backyard.

Did I trust God?  Did I even take a moment to pray about what to do?  Was I wise?
Unfortunately, the answer to all the above questions is "no".

I panicked.  I called my poor husband at work (what was he supposed to do?).
I called the home owners' association (HOA) (they couldn't come into a person's backyard un-invited).
However, they could try to contact the homeowner if I gave them the neighbor's address. 
I didn't know what that was!  I look at their back door.  I would now have to drive down the long block and back up the other street.  (at the time it seemed like a huge inconvenience....)
Of course the neighbor wasn't home, but I jotted down the house address.  The HOA said they would try tracking down the homeowner.

By now it was almost 1:30 and the water was still saturating my backyard - I was now the owner of two newly formed small ponds.  Besides being worried about the rising water level reaching our house's foundation, I had an 8-year-old birthday party the next day.  I needed a dry backyard!  It was all RUINED!!!!

To wrap up quickly:   The water got turned off a little before 3:00 (before the owner even arrived).  Miraculously, the yard dried out by the next afternoon and the birthday party was saved.

I was thankful my house and the birthday party were saved.
I was ashamed at how I handled it. 
Where was my trust in God?  Did I not remember all the times God has done great things in my life?  Could HE not control irrigation water?  Could HE not dry up my backyard in time for the party?  In the midst of a (small) flood, I was foolish.

Fortunately, God is Good - All the time... whether I deserve it or not.
Thanks be to God for his love, mercy, and faithfulness to this foolish little girl.

Letter to God #2

Dear God,
I've been thinking about when you led the Israelites around in the desert.
Remember that?
Do you also remember giving them an obvious sign of when to move?
I believe you used a pillar of fire and a cloud. 
(Was it a gray storm cloud or a fluffy white cottonball one?)
Anyway,
I've been thinking that perhaps you could do that for me?
Although I would much prefer something more modern.
A facebook shoutout on my homepage, an email, shoot - I'd
even settle for an old-fashioned billboard ad.
Mabe I could throw my old wool sweater out back tonight and see how "dewy" it is tomorrow morning?
...
...
What's that?
...
...
I should "be still" and I'll hear your voice? 
Trust in Your Word?
Be patient and trust in Your timing?
Gaw-od. 
When I asked for a sign, I did not mean
a yield or stop sign!
Well, I better go.
I've gotta figure out a plan here....
Talk to you later,
Britt

Would I Recognize God?

This morning I read Matthew 9:1-9.
(Remember there is a Bible app on the sidebar if your Bible isn't handy)

Jesus goes into his own town and heals a paralytic man - after proclaiming to the paralytic,
"Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."
Verse 8 says that when the crowd saw this miracle, "they were filled
with awe and praised God, who had given such authority to men."

I'm not a Greek scholar and haven't attended seminary, so I might be wrong;
but it appears to me that the crowd did not recognize
Jesus for Jesus-the-Son-of-God.
The crowd praised GOD for giving their neighbor man Jesus
the power to heal the paralytic.

Hmm - I think I do that.
I tend to think of Jesus as more of a tool than part of the Trinity. 
Someone I use when I am paralyzed by fear and need healing.

Yesterday's Sunday School lesson spoke to my heart concerning this.
Psalms chapter 8:
"O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!.....
what is man that You are mindful of him?...."

I forget the Lordship and awesomeness of Jesus Christ.
I forget to praise Him ........ just for being GOD,
and not only when He answers "yes" to a cry for help.

Interestingly, in Matthew 9:9, right after Jesus healed the paralytic,
Jesus walks past Matthew the tax collector's booth and says, "Follow Me." 
Matthew gets up, leaves his booth, and follows Jesus. 
I think Matthew recognized Jesus to be more than a man.

I'm not sure I would have.

Two Words

Two Words

A poem...  by Britt...  from God

God says:
     Be Still
     Let Go
     Trust Me

I cry:
    Help Me

God says:
    I AM

Happy New Year...1 week Late

Wow.
I'm amazed I remembered my password to get in here!
Time flies when you're having fun.... and that is what I've been doing the past THREE weeks.
Our family went back "home" to Iowa for Christmas. 
While I missed regular doses of Hotmail, Blogger, and Facebook,
it was wonderful having real face time with loved ones - some whom I hadn't seen in over 2 years.


Last January I stated my goal for the year was to have more "Joy of the Lord".  (Nehemiah 8:10)
Happy to say I'm improved .... although still working on that one.

This year, I want to focus on discovering God's omniscient plan for my life and then resting in His timing.

Psalm 1: 3 should be a nice theme verse.
(v. 1,2) "Blessed is the man whose... delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. (v.3) He is like a tree planted be streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.  Whatever he does prospers."

Catch that?   "...yields its fruit in season"

I wish I could do it all now. 
Gonna need some prayer for meeting this year's resolution.

A couple mornings ago I had an unusual experience.
While brushing my teeth, my toothbrush snapped.
Snapped.
There I was brushing away and suddenly my fingers grasped a headless toothbrush handle!
Shouldn't toothbrushes be dependable?  At least for 6 months until the next dental checkup freebie?
Had I placed too much trust in a physical object? 

I do that with people sometimes.
No - not snap their heads off. 
I mean place too much trust in them.  Depend on them with the attitude they are infallible.

Guess what?
People by nature are fallible. 
Only GOD is completely trustworthy.  HE'll never let me down.

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.  They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.  ~  Psalm 20:7,8

P.S. - There is that "stand firm" again.  I haven't forgotten I want to do a post series on "standing firm".  Just not ready yet ;)

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 ;)

Call me Earl ...

... as in Earl Grey.

I feel a little like the below pictured tea bag. 

This morning I woke up with a scratchy throat, so I am drinking lots of tea.  However, I am too lazy thrifty to toss the tea bag after just one three uses.  I believe this was Earl's 4th or 5th cup.

Notice how diluted the "tea" is?  Practically water.

I apologize, but you, Write2Breal blog friends, are my last cup of tea.

First cup is my family.

Dan has been working really long hours.  Children growing up too fast.

Second cup is homeschool.

This is my second year, and I'm still figuring out how I want to "do it".  Add in 2 new co-ops and teaching an art class for 1 of them.... well, school should actually be considered cups 2, 3, and 4.

5th cup is Awana.

I'm the lead secretary and Awana started this past Monday.

6th cup is local friends.

7th cup

Other issues too numerous to count

Last cup

This blog

So I'm sorry that instead of weekly blogging, I've been blogging weakly .

Call me Earl.

(Don't worry, eventually I open a new bag of tea.  Don't give up on checking out this site!)  :)

Inspired

Today I attended a women's brunch at church.

I didn't want to go.

Saturday mornings are for lounging around in pj's while I tootle on the web.   Maybe get something accomplished around the house and occasionally take on the kids in Mario Party 8.

However, I've felt for awhile now that I need to make better efforts at connecting with women in our church.  Specifically, women at different life stages than me.

So ... two weeks ago I debated:  Should I stay (home) or should I go?

God answered in the form of Vicky calling and asking me to drum for the event.

So, back to the top - Today I attended a women's brunch at church.

The brunch was delicious, music uplifting (in spite of the drummer ;) and the speaker was wonderful. 
None of those things inspired me, though.

Conversations with several women during the event and afterward inspired me.  Conversations I would never have had if God (and Vicky) hadn't dragged me there.

I sure am glad God sometimes forces me into situations I don't want to be in.  In my puny, narrow minded human brain they seem like work and drudgery.  Only to be a blessing in disguise on the other side.

I wanted to end this post with a list of inspirations God gave me personally today:

* In general, being in the presence of women - all shapes, sizes, ages - who love the Lord was inspirational in and of itself. 

* God is able (and desires) to bless me beyond what I can imagine.  My God is a big God and I need to start trusting in His timing and in His plan...... and that HE wants to bless me beyond my imagining.

* I need to spend time figuring out my heart's dreams.  This one bugs me often.  But I can't say I've spent a ton of time pouring my heart out to God and asking for guidance understanding my own heart.  What are the desires of my heart?  Right now, I don't know.

* Thanks, Deb, for reminding me that God has given me my story.  It is of HIS divine design and it is what I do with that story that matters.  I don't need a different background or story starter.  I need to write and finish this story strong......... for the glory of God. 

(which brings me back to figuring out my heart's desires.  God put them there, so I figure if I unlock them, I'll find myself in the center of God's will!   Easy, right?!?)

Have a blessed day!

New Witnessing Tract

Forget Romans Road or The Bridge.

I've got a great new idea for a new witnessing tract.

I shall call it ..............(drum roll) ..............

"Don't wait to P.  It might be too late."

By "P." of course, I mean Pray. 
Specifically the Sinner's Prayer. 
The one admitting to God you are a sinner whose relationship with a holy God has been severed due to your sin.  Realizing you are hopeless of reaching heaven without the redemptive work of Christ, you repent of your sins and accept Christ's free gift of salvation.  Inviting Him into your life as your Savior, Lord, and Friend.

But what is beautiful about the title is that I could work another P word into the tract's message.....  "Pee" 
This revelational (oooh, revelation.  I'm on fire!) tract would make use of the similarities between waiting too long to Pray and waiting too long to Pee.

As a valued reader of my blog, I shall give you a sneak-peak.

Imagine, if you will, the following:
       You are 5 years old.  You are enjoying a rousing game of Candyland when a slight urge to pee registers in your brain.  No need to quit the fun for a minor bodily function, so you do the "wiggle" or slight "rocking" motion, buying you another 15 minutes of game time. Then the urge to pee becomes a bit more pressing.  However, you have almost won the game.  Be a shame to take a time-out now.  So you stand and do "the dance".    Sure you look a bit ridiculous, but it keeps you in the game.  Finally, the game ends, and now it is time for the panicked "ahhhhhhhh" cry to the bathroom.  Fortunately you wore elastic waisted pants.  Unfortunately, your older brother just stepped into the only bathroom to do a "big number". 
Are you gonna make it?

Now imagine, if you will, the following:
        You are 35 years old, enjoying a rousing game called Life.  You feel slightly uncomfortable about your spiritual functionality.  But hey, you are young.  Time to have fun - not make spiritual pit stops.  Then you get to be 65.  Still going strong.  You ate your Wheaties.  However, the pressures of Life are a bit stronger. Grandparents are long dead.  Parents are dead.  Several friends are no longer alive.  You think, "Maybe I should take that pit stop now."  Well, that depends....  maybe you can wait a bit longer.  Both grandmas lived well past 80, after all.   But in the blink of an eye you are 80.  Your spirituality is pretty uncomfortable.  You decide to grab the walker and shuffle down to the local church.  Fortunately, it's only two blocks away.  Your artificial hip can make it.  Unfortunately, as you cross the busy street, a semi-truck with failed brakes runs you over.
Are you gonna make it?

Other analogies to be featured are:
       **Don't wait to pee when your button fell off your pants and you had to use a safety pin.
          (could relate to using "religion" as a temporary patch/fix instead of a
           lasting,true personal relationship with Christ)
       ** Don't wait to pee when you're in most other countries of the world and you don't have either
            a) exact change   or    b)  football-player-like quad muscles.
          (could relate to planning ahead.  Never too early to think about P-ing)


The tract probably has a few kinks to work out.  But I think it has potential.

Gotta go...........  (literally)  :)

Funky like Jonah

I've always enjoyed the old testament story of Jonah and the Whale Big Fish. 
Like all Sunday school staples, there are lessons for the adults, too. 
As a child, Jonah represented  "Obey God" or "You can't run away from an omnipresent God".
Later in life, the lesson of God's provision (sending the big fish so Jonah wouldn't drown) in spite of human failings or disobedience emerged.

This week I've been in a bit of a funk.  Can't quite call it depression.  Can't quite put my finger on the reason.
I think there are several little factors contributing to my restless spirit this week.  Maybe one or two bigger, deeper issues God is bringing to the surface.   Perhaps one of them is how I say I want to be used of/by/for God and His kingdom here on earth, but I don't really want to put in the work.  To count the cost.  I want an easy, pampered life where I only worry about ME.

Either way, I've been in that kind of mood that makes it easy to start playing "Whoa is me" and counting personal failures and hardships above God's blessings.

Yesterday and this morning my Bible opened to Jonah during devotions.  Rediscovered a new lesson.
It comes at the end of the story.  Jonah repented inside the fish's belly, got spit-up on the beach, finally obeyed God, and preached to wicked Nineveh for 3 days.

Okay, Paul Harvey fans.  Do you want to know the rest of the story?

Look up Jonah 3:10 and read through the end of Jonah (chapter 4, verse 11)  (Use the Bible Verse side bar tool if your Bible isn't handy)

The whole purpose of Jonah preaching is accomplished!  The whole city of Nineveh repents and God spares them from destruction!  Praise God!...........

Not Jonah.  He gets angry and in a whiny voice complains to God,  "see, this is why I didn't go in the first place.  You are a compassionate God.  I didn't need to go through all that trouble.  Just end my life now.  I'm tired from this pointless journey you just took me on."  (Britt's paraphrase)

It gets even better.
Jonah sits down outside of Nineveh and waits to see what happens to the city.  (Maybe thinking his little whine-fest prompted God to throw at least a little fire and brimstone.  I'm sure Jonah, who knew the stories of Sodom and Gomorrah,  felt a bit cheated out of a good show.)

Does God smite him where he sits?
No.  God sends a vine to grow and provide shade from the scorching sun.
Jonah is happy.
Next day, God sends a worm that kills the vine, the vine dies and fierce, hot winds assault Jonah.
Jonah wants to die.

Then God asks Jonah, "Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?"
Jonah:   "I do, I am angry enough to die."
God:     "You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow....... but Nineveh has more than a 120,000 people who can not tell their right hand from their left.........should I not be concerned about that great city?"

The END.

I put on praise music last night (Jars of Clay hymn remakes).
I feel a little less sulky this morning.
Trying to focus on people instead of vines and my own petty issues.

Trying hard to not be funky like Jonah.

Time flies when you're having fun

Wow.  Has it really been a week since I last posted?
Sorry 'bout that.
Two weeks ago I was on family vacation, yet still managed to post at least twice a week.
But this past week?  A different kind of fun.

Year two of HOMESCHOOL has begun.  :)
And this year... I am so excited..... we are part of a Co-Op.   A group of like-minded families that want to offer fun, elective courses to our children in a larger class setting.  As well as offer moral support to one-another.  Every Tuesday, my kids are in P.E., art, and another elective class. 
Of course, this also adds a bit of work, as I am the art teacher.

This week went well, but I'm a bit mentally drained and have quite a bit of prep work for this upcoming week.  (Starting school full-steam-ahead the day after getting back from vacation might not have been the brightest idea.....).

So, sorry this apology post is a bit boring.  Will try and get back to 3 posts a week next week.

Have a great weekend!