thanksgiving ramblings and a prayer

the tears fell before i could stop them this morning
10 more thanksgivings with him under my roof
that's all i have left with my little baby boy
he will be 18 in 10 ten years

i'm not ready to think like this
i'm not ready, Lord

and the mind reels  10 more Christmas', Easter's, Birthday's with him not being an adult
.......................if i'm lucky

and then the backhand of the Holy Spirit hits from the blindside
why are you sitting around crying about it
there are memories to be made
lessons to teach
a child to be raised and be ready to be a man
and you just have 10 years to go
have you seen him lately???
you have your work cut out for you
stop feeling sorry for yourself and get to work

today's list in no particular order:
christmas countdown chain 
blessing boxes (more on that tomorrow)
listen to him read
listen to him play his mandolin
play battleship
make cookies
eat lunch
give him space
make him be nice to his sister
make him pick up his dishes
listen to him whine
listen to him laugh
make him brush his teeth
let him be an almost 8 year old 

make the most of your day, your thanksgiving, your time

it will be gone just like that

(this was read at our 50th Community Thanksgiving Service held last night, 

it speaks to the heart)

A Thanksgiving Day Prayer

by Scott Wesemann 

Lord, so often times, as any other day

When we sit down to our meal and pray

We hurry along and make fast the blessing

Thanks, amen. Now please pass the dressing

We're slaves to the olfactory overload

We must rush our prayer before the food gets cold

But Lord, I'd like to take a few minutes more

To really give thanks to what I'm thankful for

For my family, my health, a nice soft bed

My friends, my freedom, a roof over my head

I'm thankful right now to be surrounded by those

Whose lives touch me more than they'll ever possibly know

Thankful Lord, that You've blessed me beyond measure

Thankful that in my heart lives life's greatest treasure

That You, dear Jesus, reside in that place

And I'm ever so grateful for Your unending grace

So please, heavenly Father, bless this food You've provided

And bless each and every person invited

Amen!

thankful thursday week 3

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!

Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.

2 

Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;

Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.

3 

For the Lord is the great God,

And the great King above all gods.

Psalm 95:1-3

51.  past students who yell "hey mama combs" across the parking lot when you are going into the grocery store.

52.  christmas cards

53.  my kids playing hide-n-seek

54.  Jessica, my best friend, my sister in law, my go to mommy, we can complain together and laugh together and yell at each others children

55.  the chance to hear a holocaust survivor speak ---- WOW

56.  my moma and daddy

57.  collegues who take care of things when you have sick babies

58.  and email for a mom  of one of owen's friends asking if he's ok

59.  jalking (jog/walking) 2 miles


60.  the beauty of the moon and stars

61.  104 shoeboxes packed and delivered 

62.  a surprise present from my friend hannah - love her

63.  Hearing addie say I love you mommy

64. No more tangles spray

65. Homemade soup

66. Talks about scripture

67. A week off school for thanksgiving

68. A note on the board from a student "I love you even when you think I don't"

69. A hard working husband

70. Christmas plans - 34 days!

71. A camera phone

72. Owen is feeling better

73. Facebook message that says "you inspire me" from someone who inspires me

74. Sock monkeys

75. My brother - he makes me laugh and cry

what are you thankful for this week??

God always makes it enough

shoebox packing party 
i look forward to this for months
it is our second year (first year)

2:00pm (starting time of said party) and i looked at the tables and thought well i don't think we going to have that many

there is no way will have as many as last year

the tables had just a few items
and i thought it doesn't matter though 
what matters is that we will have good shoeboxes for a little boy or girl 

we will fill them with love and prayers
and even if it was one that would be enough


but we packed and we packed and we loved and we prayed 
the kids colored their sheets and I spelled North Carolina at least 10 times 

we carried them up and around the alter 
we bowed our heads and we prayed one more time for these boxes and the children they will greet
and we walked away 
and they were loaded up

when they walked downstairs and said 104

104 shoeboxes

i had to laugh 

and to think I had doubted 
I had thought there wouldn't be enough

you see God is always MORE

more than enough

He is...

More than we thought
More than we imagined

and if we take the first step
if we reach out just a little bit
He will prove it time and time again

He doesn't use the extraordinary, He uses the ordinary to do extraordinary.

How has God used your service lately to do more than you thought?

If you aren't familar with the organization Samaritan's Purse, let me introduce you.

http://www.samaritanspurse.org/

They do service and they do it well, from diaster relief to operation christmas child they reach out to those who need and you can easily get involved, which I encourage you to do.

thankful thursday week 2 2013

......another week to be be thankful.......

26.  Veterans, especially Fred Norman, a WWII vet, who spoke at my church Sunday.  One of my favorite quotes from the day.  "There are no atheists in foxholes."

27.  Christmas plays

28.  my sister-in-law, Rebecca - love her

date night!

29.  date nights with my husband, even if we do the same thing every time

30.  talking college and careers with 8th graders

31.  soup lunch made by my team

32.  my daddy for taking owen to mandolin when i can't

33.  soap and water, washes away the dirt in our clothes and yuck on our plates

34.  free printables

35.  owen's jokes {what did the mitten say to the hat?  you go on ahead.}

36. baked spaghetti

37. hearing what my colleagues are thankful for

38.   “For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s; on them he has set the world.  He will guard the feet of his faithful servants, but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness." 1 Samuel 2:9  Thank you, Father!

baked spaghetti

39.  the sound of silent reading

40.  my car

41.  listening to the children say prayer before we eat

42. the spirit of christmas

43.  laughter

44. my tervis coffee cup jamie bought me 

45. sweater shoes

46. Owen waking me up this morning so i wouldn't be late for school

47. the kindle, my kids and i love this app toca hair salon  (addie and owen laugh and laugh) 

48. the feeling of being needed

49. ticonderoga pencils

50. a day with no meetings

Owen's thankfuls for the week......

1.  my family

2. sister

3. my four wheeler

4. God

5.  freedom

6. a roof

7.  the sky

8.  my books

9.  crayons

10.  heat












what are you thankful for this week?

first world problems

it is 27 degrees outside

my little fashionista,
notice her sock glove on one hand

and my heat blows full blast
{blessed}
i stepped into my walk in closet this morning
which doesn't have a heat vent 
and for a second
i almost let it out
the complaint
but then i stopped
and looked at the clothes 
{blessed}
all the way down both sides of the closet bigger than some peoples bedrooms
and swallowed down words in my mouth
i said a prayer for the philippines
i said a prayer for myself
i said a prayer for the first world problems that shouldn't ruin my day
{blessed}

how do you approach the first world problems of your life?

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truth is

truth is difficult
truth isn't what you want to hear
truth shows up when you didn't want it there

but truth
oh, truth

is forgiving
is change
is light 

truth isn't the lie 
you have told yourself

the truth is
....you are beautiful
....you are loved
....you are more than you believe you are
....you are the salt and the light




lovely linkys
five minute friday w/ Lisa Jo

thankful thursday week 1 2013 {woohoo}

1.  writing thankfuls in november for 4 years....wow....this last week i have been going back and reading them and i am truly amazed by God's work in my life

2.  my mom, she makes me sausage balls, cheese balls, cleans my kitchen, loves my children, and gives me something to complain about ;)

3.  my house, it is truly my haven

4.  opportunity,  i have been given so many chances at life, love, my job....it truly is a blessing

5.  8th graders - they make me laugh and cry and mad and happy...but i love them

6.  listening to Owen read, i hope he always loves it

7.  the rebels of the colonies in 1770's, who didn't settle for British tyranny (I think i would have)

8.  cereal, it works for breakfast, lunch, and supper

9.  work, i love having something to do

10.  Addie playing tea party, wish i could keep her right here

11.  my sunday school class, we share bible stores, laughter, friendship, hard times, and good times....i love them so much

12.  God's plan, thank goodness He is in control and not me

13.  binoculars - so i live in the middle of no where, on any given day all kinds of wild life can be seen....so the last two days alone, there has been a bald eagle, 24 turkeys, herons, and deer

14.  working with my middle school social studies teacher this year, he's smart and knows what he is doing 

15.  phone calls from my husband - :), just nice to know he is thinking about me

16.  the ability to change, i think we take this one for granted but every day we have a choice to do it different

17.  people who say "good morning" with a smile

18.  GRACE!

God, being rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace have ye been saved), and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus:for by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, that no man should glory.  Ephesians 2:4 - 8

19.  47 days till Christmas!!!!!!!!!

20.  Halloween costumes 75% off - Spiderman for $5.00 and Supergirl $2.50....its going to be a SUPER year next year

21.  Oakly Bee Wittkamper {and his mommy} - I love him!!  I can't believe he is finally here. He is beautiful and has the best mommy in the world, and I can't wait to share mommyhood with her.

22.  my house is dirty, because it means i have been blessed beyond what i deserve

23.  satellite radio - gosh i love it

24.  my kids drinking milk, even if it is with halloween candy (will it ever all be gone)

25.  heat....i'm already cold and its just the beginning of november

Come back every Thursday in November :)  

What are you thankful for today?

a list of things you may or may not about me

i'm weird.  aren't we all? {yes i talk to myself, and answer}

• my socks rarely match, and i'm ok with it.  i have even thought that they should just sell socks in singles because really, who keeps them in pairs.  oh wait....you may actually not have a sock monster
• i love fall time change.  i like going to work after the sun comes up.  i love that my husband comes home before the kids go to bed.  i like that it is dark at bed time.
• taking my family to tweetsie in blowing rock, nc is one of my favorite days of the whole year, right next to christmas morning.  it isn't disney world or myrtle beach.  it is small and simple, if you go on the right day there are no lines at all and the people there are friendly and relaxed.  it is big enough to make me forget the stress of life, but not so big it adds stress if that makes sense. and who doesn't love a train ride through the mountains, singing mice, the tilt a whirl, a chair lift

• i'm not doing thankful days on facebook.  and i'm a social mediaite.  but i'm loving that when i scroll i find thankful hearts from my friends on my newsfeed.  come thursday though i'll have my 4th annual thankful thursday's on the blog!  here's one from 2010, 2011, 2012 .  It is an amazing thing to see how God has worked and blessed me so
• i'm training to run a 5k...WHAT...i know its even hard for me to read.  i'm not a runner.  God blessed me by always making me last, and i was perfectly fine being last and just happy i finished.  But a few weeks ago God said you need to run and i've been fascinated with The Color Run.  i did some research and there is one close in winston salem.  so i discussed it with some of coworkers who are runners and my sister in law who runs and we were all ready to go, and then God really spoke.  i had no idea that my best friend was starting a program called Run for God, with 5k at the end in memory of her sweet Jude, but i knew the real reason God said run.....He really is at work in all things
• i think this video is hilarous and i know it has been overplayed and over done and its secular, but i love it
• i warned you i was weird

lovely linky

Jen @ Finding Heaven

offer some grace

here's to grace...

• stretchy pants on the day after holidays
• shared smiles between stressed hearts
• grandma's who give whole pineapples, bananas, and apples for halloween
• those who forgive
• long conversations about hard topics that end in i love yous
• love in spite of faults
• trees whose leaves turn colors and fall off, only to receive new ones come spring
• the beginning of every morning
• motherhood and marriage

these moments that offer us the opportunity to give free and unmerited favor just because....

that's what grace is

forgiving even though it is undeserved

i often wonder where and how in life we unlearn grace 

if you think about small children even up to teens and the forgiveness they offer

no matter how bad you suck as a mom sometimes....and believe me sometimes i do

they still look at me with love, just as His eyes from about do.......

offering unmerited, undeserved grace

i hope you offer some to someone today 

and remember those who have offered it to you

lovely linkys

5 minute friday w/ Lisa Jo

a letter to the church

Dear Church,

You make me sad.  The desire you have to be right, to be safe, to be prestigious....the desire to uphold your appearance is greater than your desire to serve Him, to worship Him, and to proclaim Him.  It breaks my heart.  This church, this beautiful glorious church which stands as the bride waiting....waiting for her groom, is flustered...is bride-zilla if you will, shouting commands and expecting and demanding fulfillment.  We show up on Sunday mornings as consumers and pew fillers, with opinions and complaints.  Asking "what can the church do for me?"

I get it ya know.  This culture that proclaims "Live for You!"  But we can't put on our Sunday best for the world, for complacency of the church, we can't settle, even though humans are corrupt and will corrupt. Who's approval are you after? Because He is good, He is worthy, His church deserves better.  The best. The best we can give.  Our time, our gifts, our money, our....life.  Isn't that what it means to be a Christian....dead to me, alive for Him.

So, I pray you'll look into His word, seek His presence, wait for Him.  Stop looking in the bible for your answers and start living your life with the Bible as the answer.  Start with the scripture.....let God dwell in You, so He can dwell in the church.  Let's prepare the bride. Let's get it together....the church is not a building, it's not the music, it's not any of those things.  It is the hands and feet of Christ.  It is LOVE.....love for God and for each other.  You worship God all week, everyday, every moment, pray without ceasing, but as a church you gather and fellowship with others in love.   Is that what we are being?  Is that what we are giving?
Are we the hands and feet that are following God desires or or own desires?  

I love church.  I do.  I love that God knew that we couldn't do it alone, that we had to have each other.  So this idea of church is His plan.   Let us use His plan to spread His name and His glory and His love, and not our own.  Because that is where we fail, when we make it about us and not about Him.  Let's show up with our Bible in our hand, Jesus in our heart, and be willing to get our hands dirty for Christ. 

With Love and Grace,

Your Sister in Christ

lovely linkys

pause in october

 Let not your heart be troubled.....

and hold on to October....

Oh... Bittersweet October. 

The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter. 

Pause.

together is

together is .....

prayer

fried chicken

dirty dishes

laughter

thankfulness

together makes you miss when you are apart and lets you look forward to when you are together again

together is ....

working it out

not walking away

listening

forgiving

together gives you hope and sometimes headaches

what is together for you?

lovely linky

5 minute friday w/ Lisa Jo

not a life changing post

 {insert clever, spiritual, life changing post here}

i wish i had one
but i don't
my brain is fried, full, frantic, failing....
the list goes on

but if you would like to know that
- today is my last soccer game....yes i'm coaching girls soccer at my school
- wednesday is our first quarterly reward for our new behavior system....yes i helped develop it and am trying to help make it work for our school even though i haven't yet determined why we need a behavior system in the first place and yes the first quarter is already ending wednesday
- tomorrow i'm taking 8th graders ziplining
- IT IS 65 DAYS till Christmas!!! 
- my house is a disaster zone - enter at your own risk
- i am waiting patiently for my best friend/sister to have a baby ANY day
- the song "if we make through December we'll be fine" plays constantly in my head
- i can't decide if my family keeps me sane or insane

 

how are things your way?  do you have a clever, spiritual, life changing post/thought to share with me?

flee to your mountain?

No.....flee to the Lord...

"In the Lord I put my trust;

How can you say to my soul,

“Flee as a bird to your mountain”?"

Psalm 11:1

lovely linky

still saturday

5 minutes on ordinary

we aren't made to be ordinary
we aren't made to be normal

yet we strive to be

we don't want to be different or unusual
we don't want to stand out
to be the one who swims the wrong way

yet we need to be

we were made to be extraordinary
we were made to be more.....

more than the names we are called
more than the problems we face
more than the way the world looks at us

you can always choose to be more than ordinary

do you?

linking up with 

Lisa Jo @ Five Minute Friday