Got your Shot?

This isn't a shot in the dark........

.............some days we all need a shot of help and encouragement.........

And lets be frank,  is there really anything so bad that a little peace and quiet and a shot of one of these can't fix?....

I didn't think so........

So go pour yourself a cup.......  I'll wait...

As the cream swirls blissfully in your cup, I want you to think about how important it is that we wives and mommies stay spiritually and emotionally nourished.  We can't teach our children what we don't know...

 Eternal Encouragement, has come up with Super Shots for you.  A monthly membership program that will deliver to you an encouraging and helpful
Quad Shot full of..... 
E-books, Audio Downloads, Video Clips...  for only $7.97

Some titles that are in the works are:

Words You Won't Have to Eat..... 
(um.. yeah, re-eaten words taste bitter)

Avoiding Parenting Pits.....
(what? your not a perfect parent either?)

Freedom From Homeschool Frizzle.....
(it happens! why do you think PS teachers take sick days?)

Kids that Clean.....
(really!  they will!)

So click on over to the brand new Eternal Encouragement website and contact them about this great new product Lorrie is offering.  If you contact them about it before April 1st. (there will be a special surprise for those that do !)


**I received this product ( a Super Shot of Kids that Clean) for honest review from Eternal Encouragement Magazine as a part of The Gabby Moms blogging program.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.** 

P.P.S.....  all this word play with the word "shot"  I now have that Bon Jovi song stuck in my head....." Shot through the heart...... and your to blame........"  oh how I digress!

Wordless Wednesday : Weather

A few Saturdays ago... we had a beautiful spring morning, warm and clear... followed by an early afternoon rain storm.... clearing in the evening and making for some amazing cloud shots

Wordless Wednesday

This is My dear sweet husband.  He was tolerating me as I was using him for photo shoot material.  What can I say?  I am a sucker for rugged lookin' men....  **schoolgirl sigh**

A Psalm 43 kind of day.....

My husband and I frequently communicate via chat during the day.  It is easy leave each other messages to read when the other has time.
Today he left me a chat that mentioned he was having a Psalm 43 sort of a day, and he asked me to read it when I had the time.  As I read it, I knew that not long ago, I was having a Psalm 43 sort of a day. (well ..month really, but no need to pour salt in the wound..)  I remembered that I did NOT cry out to God as I should have....  Instead I moped and stressed, and held my own private pity party.

David, the author of this Psalm, is tempted to become discouraged and sad because of all the problems he was facing....  yet he didn't.  He called out to God and sought Him...  He went to the source of his joy.  He chose praise instead of self pity.

Oh my Saviour.......... that I may learn to do the same.
Thank you God that my Husband wants to praise you in the middle of a really hard day.

Psalm 43 ( New King James Version )
VINDICATE me, O God, And plead my cause against an ungodly nation; Oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man! For You are the God of my strength; Why do You cast me off? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?  Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to Your tabernacle.  Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And on the harp I will praise You, O God, my God. Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.


Psalm 43 ( New Living Translation)
O God, take up my cause! Defend me against these ungodly people. Rescue me from these unjust liars.  For you are God, my only safe haven. Why have you tossed me aside? Why must I wander around in darkness, oppressed by my enemies?  Send out your light and your truth; let them guide me. Let them lead me to your holy mountain, to the place where you live. There I will go to the altar of God, to God—the source of all my joy. I will praise you with my harp, O God, my God!  Why am I discouraged? Why so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God!

Happy Anniversary

In a few more days and nine years ago...........

I married my dear husband.

Never once did he promise me the moon, even though he still looks at me like I hung it.

This last year has been one of the most difficult we have faced......even so, we faced it together.

We are learning that our marriage is more than I love yous, and holding hands.  It is steadily learning each other and the investment of time.  It is a commitment to God that far outweighs the hurts that people can inflict on one another.  It is the act of choosing love and forgiveness above all else.

Thank you honey for all the ways you show me (and the kids) you love me (us): for loving God more than me, for fixing cars, changing light bulbs and killing all the spiders; for fixing skinned knees, and hugging away broken hearts; for carrying little bed bugs into their OWN bed, and for your special brand of tuckin' time; and for being quick to forgive.

Happy Anniversary Hon...

God loves you, and so do I.

Don't forget to share your gratituesday story at Heavenly Homemakers

Parade day!!! ~ part one ~

In case you haven't been keeping track.... We are now on day THREE of our New York City adventure.

Each night we have come back to the hotel, I was absolutely sure my feet were going to fall off and that they were going to be so swollen in the morning that I wasn't going to be able to stand on them.

Every morning, I would slide out of bed.... and be absolutely amazed that my feet were still attached, no longer swollen, and still working!

Day one was an 11 hour day, Day two was 18 hours, and now we are about to embark on Day three, which will turn out to be a 19 hour day.... ( yes, you may groan in sympathy...)

But I get ahead of myself....  I must start at the beginning.

Up at 4 am.....

Get kids up at 4:30....  we are receiving much resistance today...  they are past the point of caring that there is a parade.... they are exhausted, our sweet cajoling voices are lost on the poor things..

We pry them out of bed by 4:45 slide clothes over their heads and up their legs while they stand there, half comatose....
Prop them up in the elevator, and meet with tour guide barbie in the lobby.

The rush of frozen air as we walk outside is and instant eye opener, and they are awake and ready to go.
Mostly.
The pictures don't lie.
We were feeding them cookies for breakfast.
Anything to keep them awake.

We were in the Subway so early, the first train we saw was the garbage train!

Out of the Subway we emerge.  Tour Guide Barbie is in speed mode... which means those of us with little ones are just keeping her in sight, and trying to keep up...

The anticipation in the air is tangible..... we are gonna be "In the FRONT row".... at least that is our goal. because HONESTLY....3 days of starting the day before Dawn... better mean we are going to be in the front row.

We walk around Columbus Circle, and land a spot that is on the Circle, and slightly to the right of the entrance to Trump Hotel and Tower.  We are RIGHT ON THE CURB... the front row baby!

Amy lays out her hotel towel and lays down for a nap... Tour guide Ken (a.k.a. Brent) puts in his earphones and does the same....

 Angelo leans on his mom, and tries to sleep,

poor Jeremiah, bless his bundled up little heart.  He didn't even complain once.  He just held his little hand warmers and had a great time!

everyone else is just sort of milling around ....  looking at the clock that is above Columbus Circle that reads ... 5:40 AM !!%@#!! and wondering what in the WORLD are we possibly going to do in 39 degree weather until 9:00 am when this blessed parade starts. 

Always one to make the best of any situation, even one where hypothermia is a distinct possibility, Auntie Rene takes Jody, Tayler and Brandyn over to find a coffee shop, any coffee shop, that might be open at this inhumane hour, (thank goodness for Starbucks!)  while the rest of us waited and tried to keep the new arrivals out of our "territory"

Not long after they arrived back and distributed the coffee....  Our plan....The plan.... was over ruled...  And my sweet spirited little sister and fearless tour guide....  Wasn't happy.  At. All. 

(don't worry...  I won't leave you in suspense too long....)

Gratituesday

I am a slow learner.

I learn lessons by crashing cars, breaking bones, and the beating of my head against a wall.

One life lesson that I keep bashing my head against, is forgiveness.

I'll be honest, I thought I had this one licked.  I knew how to do this one.  I have lived through a divorce and all the particular pains that were associated with it, and I have forgiven.

Got it covered.  Lesson learned.....  time to move on....  Right?

Wrong.

Here I am, years later....  visiting the same lesson.  Only now it seems harder.  circumstances are not the same.... but in thinking I have learned the lesson... I have resented and resisted the trials that have been placed in my life to help me more fully understand the meaning of forgiveness.

This time the lesson isn't so much in learning how to say "I forgive you."  The lesson is standing READY to forgive.

I am learning how to live out  Luke 6:27-36
But if you are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. (Do What???)   Pray for the happiness of those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. (Pray?  Really?  Do you know what they did to me?)  If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn the other cheek. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also.  Give what you have to anyone who asks you for it; and when things are taken away from you, don't try to get them back. Do for others as you would like them to do for you.   Do you think you deserve credit merely for loving those who love you? ( Yes, yes I do.....)  Even the sinners do that!  (oh...) And if you do good only to those who do good to you, is that so wonderful? Even sinners do that much!  And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, what good is that? Even sinners will lend to their own kind for a full return.  Love your enemies! Do good to them! Lend to them! And don't be concerned that they might not repay. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to the unthankful and to those who are wicked. ( I have lots of work to do.  It is hard to be kind to people who are mean to me.) You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.

I am grateful that God is compassionate. 
 
Grateful for his compassion shown to me as I wrestle with learning how to be ready to forgive someone, who has hurt me, even if they never acknowledge that hurt.
 
Slowly I am learning how to say, "Father, forgive them, for they know what what they do..."  (Luke 23:34)