Hi all!

This week has been full of realizations that some things just needed to be changed!    Hubby and I have been spending a lot of time talking about what we would like to see  change in our family. And though it has been an absolutely exhausting week, it has been an encouraging week.

Yesterday I got to go to our kids school and watch Tornado’s awards chapel!  As i sat there and realized just how small their school was I was impressed with the fact that I (Really we) got to choose this for our children.   Some of you know that I have had the opportunity to visit  a Communist country when I was a teenager (19).  At that point I never knew what kind of impact that would have on me BUT now that i am in my 30′s I realize that this trip impacts everyday of my life AND it should! I need to make sure that I don’t take certain choices for granted….let’s  see a few of them!

I don’t keep it a secret that we are a pastor’s family.   I am proud of that fact and i am VERY proud of my hubby as he feeds his flock and cares for them.   yes our lives are crazy and most days it is in question whether we are coming or going.  But my hubby realizes that we as a family need to be fed too.  We minister constantly…even our kids LOVE people like none other I have ever seen!

Well it is good for us to get Away…to rejuvenate and  relax!  Well this past October we had such an Opportunity!    All summer long we looked forward to going to Kentucky!  Hubby was going to attend the answers for Pastor’s Conference! A few years ago we got to go to the Creation Museum in Petersburg Kentucky.   Kentucky is in my opinion one of the most beautiful places in the U.S.  Sooo we decided to make this a family vacation. We knew that hubby had a pretty grueling schedule BUT we were all excited about going to the Creation museum.  NOW, the last time we were there Tornado was 3 Ladybug was  and weasel was about 15 months old.  Remarkably the Creation Museum left amark on our then 3 year who is now 6 .  He was so excited.  he talked of dinosaurs and Adam and Eve.  Noah’s Ark and so much more!

We had decided to take our camper and a babysitter!  Mostly so hubby and I could go to the pastor’s and wives dinner!  Which was a blast and we got to hear Ken Ham!  What a joy that was!

Our kids are still asking “dp you remember…?” questions 4 months later.  They talk about the  things they saw and learned.  They Loved the Petting zoo and Botanical gardens…(Especially the T-Rex topiary hiding in the Garden)  HP and I found it by accident and we both nearly jumped our of our skin when we did!

we came home rejuvenated and ready to share all that we had learned! we had a wonderful time and the Craetion museum staff is soooo very helpful in a bunch of ways.  Right down to the police officer directing traffic.  he made it apoint to notice things (Like how many kids were in our car)  He was very helpful and super nice and it is those things that encourage youand make you visit special!

Thanks Ken Ham and ALL of the Creation Museum Staff for making out visits an educational and enjoyable one.  WE WILL BE BACK!

There are many things  for which we can be thankful!  But today i am finding myself Thankful for God’s word.  It says that it will NEVER return void!   we forget that until we are reading a familiar passage and something  just happens to POP out at us.  It surprises us as we exclaim…”why Have I never noticed THAT before?”

As  I have begun to enjoy a regular morning devotional time again I am reminded of these things almost every morning.   We  take for granted our times with god and sometimes rush through without paying attention!!!   Thankfully God loves us so much He repeatedly brings us backinto focus!  And forthat I am also VERY Thankful!

Wow that was a mouth full.

Well this month’s blog hop topic is for us to share some tips in how we keep ourselves organized in the new year. I kind of already posted on that and how in our family we set goals for ourselves instead of resolutions. You can check out those posts both HERE and HERE!

BUT I have another tip that also helps a great deal and I have FINALLY finished it. I am happy with it at the beginning of each year BUT sometime in the middle of the year I am sure I will find another chart to “help” keep me organized!

The artwork is mine and this year I added Tabs…I was getting so much stuff it was hard to remember where it all was!

These are the charts that I use everyday for all the little stuff.

This is the section that has my yearly charts.

And this has my bible reading charts.

This is my daily chart (sorry for the poor photo I had to sacrifice the glare instead of having poor lighting)

This is our daily schedules which is NOT in a tab BUT before the first one.

Double sided menu chart…I plan two weeks meals at a time.

This is my master list of chores broken down by everyday, every weelk, every month, seasonally and yearly

Food Journal.

Master grocery list.

A cleaning calendar and a declutter calendar.

A sample of a Bible reading chart.

And the machine responxible for the punching and binding it all togeter.

Basically this along with my Kindle is my life in a nutshell. I can’t survive otherwise!

OK so it is no secret I Love to write.  i always have. I wrote poetry and stories since i was very young and have always done well in ALMOST all of my composition classes right through college (we won’t talk about one college class where we learned absolutely nothing about writing and far too much about a college prof) .  Anyway sometimes I read things on other blogs, or in books, or in the paper (and even sometimes in one of my hubby’s Pastoral magazines or journals…SHHH don’t tell him I read them)

Most of them time I will write about the things that I read where ever that maybe from, but on rare occasions I will choose to NOT write on a subject because I know someone who is directly going through these sorts of things.    And as I have become a teacher i have been talked to about people feeling as though I was directing the talk right at them…..and  personally i have never done that!.  I know of people that this is how they get their message titles on Sundays is by what needs worked on and church ….And there is a time and a place for that!  BUT my teaching nor my blog NOR any books I may write in the future  have anything to do  with anybody else.

I find it funny That I  find myself getting defensive when in reality No one has talked to me about my authorship of this blog or anything else BUT I have been praying so much about things to write about and the things that God has been laying on my heart are difficult topics.  Ones we all go through and struggle with.  My goal is to never seem like I am picking on someone or to  ‘tackle ” their downfalls but to be a help.  This is what God has called me to do.  and one of the many things he has called me to do is to  be bold.  To not fear what others think.  if I am speaking  and teaching his words with the right attitude and heart then I have the right motive and I am doing what he wants!  I may have persecution because of that.  BUT as long as I am holding forth his word he will richly bless me.  Maybe not in money or stature and fame but  as long as I bless Him and lift his name upi have no reason to fear those around me.

And as I embark on this New Year I am going to travel down down some not so traveled roads.  Some you may wholeheartedly agree with and some you may not agree with at all.  That is your choice BUT my writing comes from pure conviction from being in God’s word.  I will not write about my feelings or preferences for as i teach my Sunday school  class I stress that my feelings don’t matter.   What matters first and foremost is God’s word and If my thoughts and  feelings do not line up with that then I am out of line and I need to correct me.

with that being said, it’sstill All about the Walk as my Facebook Page says.  And this Blog is all about walking the Walk.   So are you Game are you ready to Be stretched and encouraged.  Take off the steel toed boots and run around barefoot. You might have your toes stepped on but what doesn’t kill you WILL make you stronger!  And I have Never Heard of ANYONE dying from getting their toes stepped on!

with Much Love and respect

Mary <3

The weather::: Warming up…..To the thirties…who can argue with that when it’s been in the single digits

On my reading pile::: My Bible, Great Expectations, Women of the Bible,Commentaries for a bible study

On my TV::: a DVD of Mister Roger’s Neighborhood

On the menu for this week:::
Monday – roast beef (Venison) and pasta with white sauce
Tuesday – Loaded baked potatoes
Wednesday – Chef Salad
Thursday – taco sakad
Friday – Chicken and cheesy potatoes
Saturday – Pizza
Sunday – Dish to pass at church

On my to do list:::Pack up all our belongings, dishes, packing, laundry, pack, organize kids rooms Did I mention PACK?

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating::: Mug rugs, cards and some doll clothes

Looking around the house:::Living room with totes ready to be moved to the new house when the closet is finished later this week . kitchen Boxes both packed and waiting to be packed, dishes and some disorganized counters. Bathrooms are all cleaned and Laundry room a mountain of laundry. Kids rooms need some attention and our bedroom lets NOT go there

From the camera:::

For the story behind the sock on the hand click here

Something fun to share::: Woot.com
A daily deal each and every day at usually great prices….And sister sites like shirt woot and home woot and kids woot. You’ll love it

On my prayer list::: My uncle who is having mini strokes, kids from our youth group and our church family

Bible verse, Devotional::: John 4-6 and genesis 4-6

Okay SOOOOO this weekend has been, interesting to say the least and I really REALLY don’t care to repeat it any time soon.

Let’s start at the begiining because that is a VERY good place to start.

Thursday last week I was sick…sore throat and that not so great sandy eye feeling that usually is a first hint of pink eye.  So I went to the Dr. She toldme That everything seemed fine.  My ear looked “a little red” and my throat “showed no signs of infection”.  So despite   feeling rough i went to the AWNA Spaghetti dinner .

Friday morning the VERY first SNOW day of the season, but I was looking ward to our church’s ladies night Out event.  Then about 9 or 10 in the morning I get a call from the Dr.  STREP THROAT…REALLY?  Then  we decided because of that I was contagious so no Ladies night out for me .  then it got canceled anyway because of the Snow.

Saturday I had to miss a 50th anniversary party for aa couple in our church because I was still considered contagious   So then after hubby put the finishing touches on his sermon he went to the new house to finish a project he wanted to complete…no big deal he would be home at 10.  Well as so often happens with home repair things it took longer than expected and he got home a little after midnight…Still no big deal.  he took a hot shwer and then i fixed him some supper (he had had lunch and then some food at the party) and we debriefed.  just as we were getting ready for bed, little bean decided he was going to needa diaper change.   Hubby went in and grabbed him quick before he woke up his sister.

upon picking him up he dicovered he had soaked through EVERYTHING and needed to be changed so he set him on the floor and told him to come find me.  What he didn’t realize is that Little bean was standing right behind him as he closed the door …Thankfully gently) when little bean started toscream Hubby turned to see what was going on.  His little finger was stuck in the door on the hinge side…Upon opening the door Hubyy realized we needed to move quicky and get him to the ER.  At 1:30 am Sunday morning they left.  At 5 30 they returned with my bandaged sewn up baby boty.

in the process all the kids had woken up and they were up til 4 30.  Not a wholelot of sleep was to be had.  hubby got an hour and a half of sleep before gettignup for church.  He spoke and we were all exhausted.Little Bean was happier than ever 7 stitches and all.

Despite all of the excitement and exhaustionI have a few lessons I have learned…or was reminded of:

• I can do all things through Christ who  strengthens me
• God loves me no matter what
• He will supply all my needs
• and He will never leave me nor forsake me
• AND He is my rest

Just to show you how well my little bean is taking this  here is a picture i snapped of him when I laid him down for his nap!
Happy as all get out…What a little Boy

Well i have to admit, as I woke up this morning with  the feeling of Sand in my eyes I was NOT full of thankfulness BY ANY means!  And as i hit the bathroom and my Sinus’ felt at though they were going to to explode My heart did NOT yell PRAISE  God and as I winced in Pain as i tried to swallow My  voice did not echo an AMEN!

No it was different….”why now” or “I have too much to do”, all crossed my mind.

So Here is my list of thankfuness’ (Is that even a word..I don’t think so)

1.  iam thankful we are not moving for another month and a half!

2.  I am thankful that my Dr. has same day appointments (AND SATURDAYS TOO)

3.  I am thankful for science and the discovery of Penicillin!

4. And Iam very thankful God saw fit to create TEA!

5AND that God is the Great Physician !

I hope you have a wonderful thursdayand we will see you next week!

Ok so here is my dilemma.  Back when I attended Women of Faith I had High hopes of writing 5 blog posts about the  conference.  BUT God had other things in mind.  He knew I would go through a troubling time.  The last year had been  tough as it was with loosing a whole slew of friends and family in the matter of months BUT everything seemed to be winding down.   two weeks later a friend from high school lost her year long battle with cancer and it was at that time that my grandmother was diagnosed with a terminal cancer and we were all told she had anywhere from days to weeks to months.  She lasted one month to the day of her diagnosis.

What a tumultous time.  AND it all happened right around the holidays.  this is the first time in my life that bad things were associated with the holidays and I am so very thankful for my children because without them I may have lost focus BUT we still celebrated Jesus’ birth and that was so important easpecially this Christmas

Now that I look back on all of that time and i realize that that time was made possible because of all the things I learned and applied from the Women of faith conference.  I had no idea anything was about to hit like it did BUT God did and he prepared my heart so amazingly!

So what are those lessons that God  worked through in my life……

• Sheila Walch Said “If god says it will happen, it will happen” I could be rest assured that God will NEVER leave me nor forsake me and All things work together for Good
• She also said” that the shepard will find me”, and he did. Despite  no matter how much i try to hide…and be strong God knows way better and meets me where i am.
• Nicole Johnson talked about how we are like coffee and that we can live the fresly brewed life.   And Just like a good cup of coffee weneed to be picked and polished. We need to be roasted (we have to go through a little heat). And we have to be ground up.  Not a pleasant process BUT it makes for a greta cup of coffe .  –And despite all the unpleasantness that sometimes happens in my life I can be sure that it will mold me into the person God wants me to be.
• Dr henry cloud- I need Monkeys ….Friends when we have friends it calms us.
• Our desires MUST match up with God’s purpose!~ Lisa Harper
• Sheila Walsch- “you have never lived an unloved moment in your life”

So there is so much more BUT these are just some of the truthes i clung to during these difficult times.

So you might think that you don’t have time, or the money or whatever BUT there is a way>God provided  a way for me to go. through this blog program that Women of Faith and Thomas Nelson ran, and to them I must say THANK  YOU.  There is no possible way that they could have known BUT God did and He orchestrated it   And to Him I am also very grateful!

THANK YOU!!!