As far as the East is from the West…

…that’s how far He has moved our transgressions from us, and really~shouldn’t we do the same for one another?  It’s been a trying week.  It ended with one of the most BEAUTIFUL weddings I’ve ever been to~OH was the bride most LOVELY!  The reenacting of part of “Fiddler on the Roof” just sooo clever, the wit and wisdom of the pastors (who happened to be the bride’s parents!), the prayers for the relationships of all attending, the AMAZING letters from the bride and groom to the Pastor on why they chose to marry one another, reconnecting with family, the whole way in which the wedding was conducted with so many donations to worthy ministries~I could go on and on!  I was looking forward to meeting and making new friends at the reception and dancin’ the night away with my darling and my family!

But alas, my poor darling does not travel well….

There’s a bit more to it than that, but OH the tears and inward ANGER and gnashing of teeth from me!  OH the prayers for the LORD to strike me down and put me out of my misery that very minute!  I mean, I had been feeling so STUCK in this house, rarely getting to go beyond its four walls~this was the HIGHLIGHT of my summer!  What about what *I* want for a change?  Y’all, I was a ball of DRAMA and could go on and on and on!  Some with merit, and surely much without.

The reason I am sharing sooo much TMI with y’all in a way that I don’t usually is because my anger came to a head this morning.  I KNEW what the correct Christian response was, but I wanted to remain steadfast in my selfishness.  I KNEW to pray, “LORD, change me!” but my heart wanted to scream “CHANGE HIM!”  I kept pondering the end of Stepping Heavenward when she’s at the door of death, basking in the glory of the LORD and sharing how if she only had kept His peace she wouldn’t have let her petty grievances with her husband get to her, to distract her from the main thing~she would have loved him through them all.  If I could just grab ahold of that peace in this moment….

Then I went looking for the LORD, and I found Him!  (Or rather, He met me…)  I had grabbed my Bible and journal and a Gatorade and just left for a walk, and I found myself sitting at a picnic table under a tree in a little park BEGGING the LORD to speak to me through His Word.  I started reading in Nehemiah that the joy of the LORD is my strength.  How He is a gracious God of forgiveness and great compassion.  Of how He NEVER forsook His people~even after they had sinned against Him time and time and time again!  I started taking notes with this STUPID pen I had brought that wasn’t writing well and entertained the idea of “wouldn’t it be neat…” without really belief or expectation.  Then I searched the ground at my feet and saw a pen lying right next to me in the grass and immediately started to giggle! 

He dried my tears and changed my heart in that moment~OH He is FAITHFUL!  And that is why I share this with y’all today.  On the way to the wedding my darling and I were discussing why the marriages of the children of faithful parents who remained married ’til death did them part still so often end in divorce.  I had told him of my discouragement in this~if great examples like Billy Graham and the Schaeffer’s had children who went wayward, then what hope have I?  and today I realized that the answer isn’t in the parents or their upbringing.  It’s in the faith of the believer who made a covenant before God.  It’s KNOWING God in such a way…  You know, all else pales in comparison in those moments when we meet with Him and hear His voice or see His face! 

I just don’t even know what else to say….  I am in awe of Him and not even sure I’ve expressed myself well!  But I know the joy of the LORD is my strength in all things….  (((((HUGS)))))  sandi

SiLLiNeSS!

It’s been a very busy week and will be an even busier weekend, but still here’s a funny from our Hazel:

1.)  I am funny about tank tops and sundresses~I like more shoulder coverage.  I have allowed one cute, strawberry dress for Hazel that is much fuller than a spaghetti strap but leaves an open arm.  When Hazel put it on she immediately exclaimed with glee, “This dress have pits!  God made us have pits!” and then she threw her arms in the air and started twisting back and forth singing, “I have piiiits…  I have piiiiiits….”  LOLOL!

SiLLiNeSS! ~a day late….

1.)  WARNING!  TMI ALERT!  We battle a little area of poison ivy in our backyard every year, but it grows smaller and smaller since my darling is not allergic to it.  He just goes out there and pulls it up with his bare hands~no problem!  Note to self:  This is NOT the time to then enjoy the “husband-and-wife business”, for *every place* his hands touch will become seriously itchy and ugly fer weeks….

2.)  There is a Hummer limo around town, and Jamie has informed my darling that it is a REAL good one!  LOL!

3.)  Preston’s bat was taken away for hitting, which made it automatically  Dad’s property.  On the way to the playground with it Preston told Allen that the bat was weak, to which Daddy joked, “Like the person that owns it.”  Preston immediately said with glee, “That’s YOU!  HA HA HA HA!”

4.)  AW~one day while I was sick Preston decided to do the dishes for me.  He was SO EXCITED and told me how he had done A LOT of dishes!  I found them in the dish drain still with little bits of food residue here-and-there, but OH the heart of my boy just made me giggle with joy at his sweet service!

5.)  Recently Hazel came running to me distraught and in tears exclaiming, “Preston’s throwing my eggs up in the air, and I’m trying to talk to them!”   ???  All I know is they were “baby duck eggs”??  (and were actually from our basket of chalk…)

6.)   Jamie and I got to go to the store together one night, just the two of us!  We were buying a treat~some canned sodas for our cooler and a long day out-and-about.  As I was carrying mine to the van two slipped right on out of the rings!  They were a little bent, but nothing to worry about.  Next thing I know two more slip out while I’m stuck between vehicles, burst open and started spinnin’ and spewin’~wetting me all up and down!  LOL!  All I could do was stand there and squeal…  Jamie still loves to share that story of the hilarity that is his mother~I must’ve been quite the sight!

7.)  Hazel found a coupon for Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, and the ice cream on the front happened to be pink.  (Remember~this is the child that tells me she would eat the foods she doesn’t like if they were only PINK!)  So she says, “This is my favorite ice cream, and it’s got sprinkles on it!”  Preston tells her she doesn’t like sprinkles.  “Yes I do, ‘cuz sprinkles are little candies!”  LOL!

8.)  The above is partly funny to us because last Easter I asked the boys if they were looking forward to any certain kind of candy.  They all had an answer, and then I asked Hazel, “Is there any special kind of candy you would like for Easter?” (because we really only give them one or two pieces).  She began a whole diatribe starting with, “Candies are very special because…”, and she never did name a special candy….

9.)  Whenever Hazel sees a dog she likes to ask the owner if she can please “pep” him…  TOO CUTE!

10.)  Oh dear, do I have  story for y’all!  My darling was giving a gentleman rides to work.  He was a very dear man who is just very funny in 1,000 ways.  He carried everything he owned around with him in a duffle bag.  It was sooo overflowing that he could not close it.  One day I came out with a hair tie that did NOT belong to us.  “Is there something  you need to tell me, honey?” I asked.  Ended up it was this guy’s.  Okay~I can buy that.  Then I found RED FINGERNAIL POLISH in the van~LOL~NOT our shade!  Again, it was this friend’s daughter’s.  I tell you the truth, if my darling had not proven to me that he was an upstanding kinda guy with years of coming straight home after work we might’ve had some problems…  LOL! 

11.)  This very same gentleman made nicknames for all the guys at work:  My darling was “Prayer”, there was “Herb Skerb”, and “Wade Glade”~the latter even having a song made to go with it.  I pray I never meet poor Wade, as there is no way I could EVER refrain from bursting into the song that so distressed him~LOL!  It’s just very catchy, and sometimes we even sing it around the house with laughter after just having heard it a few times!

 

ETA that I just got a bonus from Hazel:  She came down and said, “Mama!  I was upstairs asleep!”  Then why did you come down, I asked?  “Because I thought I saw a spider~but it was crazy people…”  LOL and OH MY!  WHAT am I gonna do with this girlie, y’all?  HA HA HA!

The Simple Woman’s Daybook…

Please join in by visiting Peggy!

FOR TODAY…  Wednesday,  June 24, 2009
Outside my window…  it is sunny and hot, hot, HOT!  Like, STEAMY HOT!
I am thinking…  I am really WAY too shallow to hafta answer this Q every week!  LOL!
I am thankful for… FREE INFORMATION!  On just about anything you want~WOOHOOOO!  and really the people who share so much of themselves via their blogs and tutorials.  I APPRECIATE YOU!
From the learning rooms…  Librivox.org is such a great addition to our homeschool! 
From the kitchen…  we need to buy some MEAT….
I am wearing…  all purple
I am creating…  finished the bride and groom (pic below!) and am still working on the tea set
I am going…  to a family wedding in a week-and-a-half~I CAN’T WAIT!  What an honor to be invited!!!!
I am reading…  two WONDERFUL blogs that are new to me:  Nesting Place:  it doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful and Vand Co.:  making a house a home one project at a time
I am hoping…  to accomplish a lot this summer around the house~inside and out.  ESPECIALLY concerning bedrooms and changing around rooms and painting them too!
I am hearing…  the microwave running and the kids in various stages of work and play  ETA I found Allen and Hazel doing a Turbo Jam~LOLOL!
Around the house…  my darling has been very, very stressed over what needs to be repaired
One of my favorite things…  forgiving friends, ‘cuz I am totally CrAzY when I’m pregnant!  That’s just the way it is, people!
A few plans for the rest of the week:  to continue to declutter and straighten.  We have moved four bookshelves and packed some Goodwill boxes and will be adding a loveseat to the living room.  How good it will be to have an actual seat for all of us rather than half floor and half sofa sitters~LOL! 
Here is picture thought I am sharing…

A Wife’s Biblical Submission~Preface

Yesterday started sooo beautifully and ended sooo badly that I am SO HAPPY to get in the Word today with a study!  BTW~my Pastor’s wife had shared that I should read Nehemiah, and if you are partial to fears or people/parent-pleasing, you really should read this too!  Now onto the preface of this study:

Sunny begins by sharing with us that a submissive wife was NOT made to be her husband’s doormat.  I will admit that I had years of struggle with this.  One speaker I highly respect once shared (something like), “But what do doormats do?  They wipe the dirt off the feet of the saints.”  I am naturally prone to such behavior anyway, and I spent years in silence.  My darling shared more than once that he WANTED and VALUED my opinions, and sadly it was very difficult to find my voice again.  There are families that are falling apart after years of a wife doing this, grudges and bitterness held (toward the husband) over years of a husband not knowing what is even offensive to his wife because she’s not saying *anything*~even about simple preferences!  LOL!  How stupid is that?!!

I do know that we are heirs together in the grace of life.  That God values men and women equally~He just uses us differently.  Sunny also shares Philippians 2:3 with us which happens to be one of my very favorite verses:  “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”    Though Sunny is specifically referencing this verse to be applied in marriage, I can’t help but go off on a little tangent.  I truly do try to live this way, which is why I think I enjoy different types of people so much and why it DRIVES ME CRAZY to be so harshly judged for the way I’ve chosen to live~by Christians and non-Christians alike.  (YES!  I have plenty of non-Christian friends!!!  ~GASP~)  I accept that we are all different~uniquely created to be so by God.  We all have special strengths and weaknesses that also go into the why and how we do things the way we do them, and studying this in people FASCINATES ME rather than motivates judgement.

To apply that scripture to marriage let me also share another thought from the same beloved speaker:  My OWN sins are a full-time job!  I really don’t have the time or the energy to concentrate on my husband’s.  Living by this principle for so many years has done a lot of GOOD in my marriage!  (And again, my view of people in general.)

(((((HUGS)))))  sandi

Prayer Monday~still updating, 6/22

1 Samuel 12:23~”God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you.” (((((HUGS))))) sandi

1.)  From Rachel:  For my darling husband who was laid off work this past week. We are excited to see what God has in store for us as we continue to lead a life of faith. Heb 11:1

2.)  Please pray for Iris’s Mom~her biopsy is tomorrow.

3.)  Please pray for Sherry who was just diagnosed with Lyme disease and is now having trouble using her hands. 

4.)  From Diane:  I need prayer for my 2 month old son–we cannot find a formula that works well for him. 

My hubby has a polyp on his vocal chord–going to have surgery to remove it–please pray that we can get it done before the end of July (when our insurance runs out) & for the surgeon to not do any damage to his vocal chord while in there.

I want prayer that I can get better at comforting my 2 month old son when he is upset.

5.)  Your request goes here~please leave me a comment!

From our Ai Boon!

This afternoon, (13 June 2009, Saturday, Singapore time) the plaque for the double niche where my parents’ (Tan Puay Ker and Chia Meow Cheng)urns of ashes are kept, is going to be installed. This will take place at the beautiful Garden of Rmembrance. Please pray for peace in our hearts as we remember our parents. I won’t be there today but I will visit again at a later date. Please pray for peace between all children and their parents whether living or dead. Where there is misunderstanding, let there be reconciliation. Where there is anger and bitterness, let the Spirit of our compassionate God bring comfort and forgiveness. Where there is love, let more love flow. Praise the Lord that we have parents to love and cherish us. Praise the Lord that we can always see them in eternity. Praise the Lord that He can do the impossible where there seems no way. Thank you my friends, my pals. The Lord bless and keep you and all your loved ones safe from all harm, danger, evil, sickness and misguided anger. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Much love. Ai Boon

A Wife’s Biblical Submission

Following links while blog hopping one day I happened upon the blog A Wife’s Biblical Submission.  I’ve always thought of this area of Biblical womanhood as one of my strengths but have not refreshed study in this area for a good while now, so I’m excited to join in!  The first requirement is an intro for those that link back to everyone’s thoughts on the study.

HI!  I am sandi, I am thirty-seven, and I’ve been married to my hunky darling for sixteen years.  We have four beautiful children who are homeschooled and another due in October.  I love to play hymns on my mountain dulcimer, crochet, read virtue-inspiring literature, and enjoy my fam.  I love Titus 2 and am excited to start a study from a Proverbs 31 perspective, as while I’m of course very familiar with it, I’ve not deeply delved into the study of submission from it. 

Now I’m also supposed to add the button for this study onto my sidebar, but this particular layout will not allow for any more widgets over there.  I hope it’s okay that each post will link to the study!  I sure would love some of my bloggy friends to join in with me so we can spur each other on and encourage one another in this area and others!   (((((HUGS)))))  sandi

The Simple Woman’s Daybook…

If you’d like to join in by posting your own daybook, please visit our gracious hostess, Peggy!

FOR TODAY…  Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Outside my window… it is bright and sunny and already pretty warm….
I am thinking…  Lots of things~it’s a jumble up there!
I am thankful for…  the thoughtfulness of others.  Someone anonymously sent me a sweet book on work ethic, The Ugly Duckling Goes to Work.  I am so touched and am looking forward to enjoying this with my family!  I am *assuming* it came from a prayer request for ds….
From the learning rooms…  This is declutter week, so all is on hold.

From the kitchen… I made my first apple pie from this recipe using this crust.  I’m very happy with how it tasted~my darling is especially!  I made it exactly as the original recipe is without all the commenters’ suggestions and will continue to do so.  My crust needs work, but not having a rolling pin I pat it into the pan with a little Hazel help, so it’s not exactly flaky…  The crust lattice work on the top tastes DELICIOUS, as you pour the butter/sugar mixture for the pie over all of it~MMMMMM!

I am wearing…  Still in my jammies, as I came down to the couch at some point in the night.  I was HOT and uncomfortable!
I am creating…  Same projects plus trying to create a less messy environment.
I am going…  To get up from here and make some breakfast!  Already have our dinner’s meat thawing…  Updated to share that breakfast, lunch (on the stove), and dinner (in the counter-top oven) are all cookin’ now so as not to heat up the house during the hottest part of the day!
I am reading…  Nehemiah~I’ll hafta share about this!
I am hoping…  To conquer my fear of birthing before Frances arrives.
I am hearing…  Little people waking up…
Around the house…  Still lots to be done, inside and out!
One of my favorite things…  Making apple pie!  I don’t have memories of my Mom chopping up veggies/fruits, but I do remember watching my MIL diligently work at peeling and chopping.  It made me feel wonderful to be like her!  My darling’s favorite memories are doing things like this with her, and my sweet Preston helped me cut apples which made me smile….
A few plans for the rest of the week:  It’s going too fast~the adventure is still at home!
Here is picture thought I am sharing… 

Before the butter/sugar mixture is poured over/into the pie.

My first apple pie

Prayer Monday

I wanted to share another simple devotion idea (centered around the Proverbs~my FAV!) that only requires your family and your Bible:    A Great Bible Study for the New Year  Please keep the spirit of 1 Samuel 12:23~”God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you.” (((((HUGS))))) sandi

1.)  Please continue to pray for Iris and family~her Mom’s biopsy (concerning lung cancer) is June 16th.

2.)  Please pray for my family as they gather for my Great Aunt Esther’s home going service today.  I just now learned of her passing and sure would’ve liked to be there! 

3.)  Your request goes here~please leave me a comment!