Friday, July 25, 2008

I'm It - 6 Things About Me

Hey Friends,

I got tagged! I am being tagged by Pamela at Pink Shoe Lady who has just blessed my socks off with her encouraging comments. Her own testimony of faith and fortitude is amazing, as you can read here.

Here are the rules:

1) Link to the person who tagged you (in this case me)
2) Post these rules on your blog
3) Write 6 random things about yourself
4) Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them
5) Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6) Let the tagger know when your entry is up (Thanks Pamela!)

Six random things:

1) I love to sing, cannot carry a tune and embarrass my children by singing out loud in front of their friends.

2) I haven't mentioned my coffee addiction, in at least a couple of blogs, so I will remind you all that I love coffee: hot, iced, frozen, coffee ice cream, coffee chocolates...you get the idea.

3) I get seriously shocked every time I remember I am 40. I just feel like I'm still in my 20's. When did I grow up?

4) I am germaphobe and think Clorox wipes are the greatest invention ever!

5) One of the things I love about having kids is enjoying guilty pleasures with them, like ice cream cones and watching High School Musical over and over again.

6) I am a grandma...okay, well not really, but my husband has 5 grandchildren, so that makes me a step-granny - and the best looking granny on the block no doubt.

The people I am tagging:

Well, here's the thing. I'm a no pressure kind of gal. I'm the one that deletes the emails that say "send this to everyone you know."

So I'm tagging everyone and no one. If you want to do this on your site, copy it and go for it. If you don't, then don't. And if you want to play, but don't blog, write your 6 random things in the comments section.

And thanks again to Pamela for her sweet encouraging words.

Easy Street

Yes sir, I'm living on Easy Street. I should probably exercise more. I know I feel better both mentally and physically when I exercise. I look better too! But nah, I'm living on Easy Street.

I'm living on Easy Street. I should be reading the bible more. I know things just seem to go better when I do. I should be praying more too. Seems when I'm praying God is guiding my steps, and I end up in the right place. But nah, I'm living on Easy Street.

I'm living on Easy Street. I should be doing regular devotions with my kids. They seem to be more obedient and get along better when I do. But it's summer time! We're on vacation. And I'm living on Easy Street.

I'm living on Easy Street. I should be more guarded in my speech. I should honor and esteem my husband with my words, not tear him down. But gosh, that requires so much work. I have to watch what I say, think before I speak. Nah, I'm living on Easy Street.

You know, things are getting pretty hard on Easy Street. It's not as Easy as it looks. It ends up being more work on Easy Street (in the long run) than it was living on Easy Street in the first place.

So neighbor, have you been living on Easy Street? As for me, I guess I better get moving...off of Easy Street.
Luke 12:19, 20 - - I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' (NIV)

Proverbs 19:10 - -Blockheads shouldn't live on easy street any more than workers should give orders to their boss. (The Message)

Ecclesiastes 4:5 - -The fool sits back and takes it easy, His sloth is slow suicide. (The Message)

Chatty Kelly

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Hey Miley - Bonus Blog

I heard a great new song today, and thought I would share with you since most of you have like aged kids to me. It is by a Christian teen singer, Danya Powell and it is called "Hey Miley." It's a message to Miley Cyrus, who we all know is a role model to our kids...and has stumbled a bit in the media lately.

I had the chance to meet Danya's mom, Rebecca, at She Speaks. She is a published author and has been very encouraging to me along the way, even having just met me the one time! So check out Rebecca's Place, and read her totally "mom" post about her kids and then click over to hear Danya's song.

You won't be sorry and you might want your kids to hear it too. But as Rebecca warned, I'll echo, don't get mad when you can't get the song out of your head!!

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Insanity is Inherited...

...You get it from your children! Are you, too, on the brink of insanity?

If you answered no to this question, either:
A. You don't have children
B. Your children are grown
C. Your children are at sleep away camp, or
D. I feel great...and my Valium prescription still has 1 more refill!

Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a little. But today will be the 40th consecutive day at home with my children. I imagine how Noah must have felt inside that ark. "Come on little dove, find some land, please!" But I'll bet it smelled a lot worse. At least I have Clorox wipes to use, as I follow the kids around.

I do love my kids, and I enjoy my kids, and I think my kids are the smartest, funniest, sweetest kids in the universe. No joke. But it's been 40 days! I'm looking for the dove to bring me an olive leaf.

I just re-read the account of Noah, to reference the type of leaf the dove brought. Guess what? While it did rain for 40 days, it says "the waters flooded the earth for 150 days." And then it says "on the 17th day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains...." Seven months?!?! I guess I should be thankful I wasn't on the ark! It makes these 40 days seem like a breeze, (with no smelly animals!)

And, only 41 days until school starts. Smile!

Psalm 127:3 - - Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward.

Proverbs 22:6 - - Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Monday, July 21, 2008

Which Jesus Do You Serve?

Most of my circle of friends seems to be cut from the same cookie cutter. We have the same skin color, financial status, and social causes. We worry about things like picking the right preschool and keeping our blogs up to date. And while none of us is happy about the increase in gas prices, none of us is going hungry from it either.

God recently showed me that I'm not very inclusive. As a matter of fact, I can be down right judgemental. As I become active in a truly diverse church with people of different races, socio-economic status, education, and occupations; but with the same love of Jesus, I realized I have some changing to do.

I'd been thinking about that, when I visited "Becoming Me's" blog and saw the song/video below. I try to be selective in adding videos because I know your time is valuable. Who has time to watch a 5 minute video?

But this is a good one. The song is My Jesus, by Todd Agnew (with video from the Passion of the Christ). It talks about how Jesus hung out with the thieves and liars, the poor and "the least of these." How he opposed the arrogant, rich and proud, and then asks "So which do you want to be?" wow. My favorite line says "Jesus would never be accepted in my church, the blood and dirt on his feet might stain the carpet."



I can be proud, arrogant, comfortable. Would Jesus accept me? Or would he run past me to hug the person I'm judging? Take a look around you and ponder the same question I am...

"If Jesus came today, would I fall at his dirty, bloody feet...or would I be too worried about getting my cute new pants dirty?"

Proverbs 14:31 -- He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.

Luke 14:12-14 --Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."


Revelations 3:16-18 - - So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.