Pictures-Monkey Play

Jason's high schoolers got all firsts at Organizational!!!!! Go honey!!!!! They sounded amazing!

Pruning

"Pruning means cutting, reshaping, removing what diminishes vitality. When we look at a pruned vineyard, we can hardly believe it will bear fruit. But when the harvest comes, we realize that the pruning allowed the vines to concentrate their energy and produce more grapes. Grateful people learn to celebrate even amid life's hard and harrowing memories because they know that pruning is no mere punishment, but preparation.




When our gratitude for the past is only partial, our hope for the future can likewise never be full. But our submitting to God's pruning work will not ultimately leave us sad, but hopeful for what can happen in us and through us. Harvesttime will bring its own blessings...pg19"



~From Henri Nouwen's Turn My Mourning into Dancing

The Devil & the Duck

There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm. He was given a slingshot to play with out in the woods.He practiced in the woods; but he could never hit the target.Getting a little discouraged, he headed back for dinner.As he was walking back he saw Grandma's pet duck.
Just out of impulse, he let the slingshot fly, hit the duck square in the head and killed it. He was shocked and grieved!In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile; only to see his Sister watching! Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing.


After lunch the next day Grandma said, 'Sally, let's wash the dishes'But Sally said, 'Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen.'Then she whispered to him, "Remember the duck?'So Johnny did the dishes.Later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing and Grandma said, 'I'm sorry but I need Sally to help make supper.'Sally just smiled and said, 'well that's all right because Johnny told me he wanted to help?
She whispered again, 'Remember the duck?' So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed to help.


After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally's; he finally couldn't stand it any longer.He came to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck.Grandma knelt down, gave him a hug and said, 'Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing, but because I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you.'


Thought for the day and every day thereafter:Whatever is in your past, whatever you have done... And the devil keeps throwing it up in your face (lying, cheating, debt, fear, bad habits, hatred, anger, bitterness, etc.)...whatever it is...You need to know that: God was standing at the window and He saw the whole thing..


He has seen your whole life... He wants you to know that He loves you and that you are forgiven. He's just wondering how long you will let the devil make a slave of you.The great thing about God is that when you ask for forgiveness; He not only forgives you, but He forgets.It is by God's grace and mercy that we are saved.
When Jesus died on the cross; he was thinking of you!

Good Friday Thoughts

“His Cross is the center,the linchpin,
of the struggle between God and Satan, and as such it must becomethe center of our hearts too.”

~ J.Heinrich Arnold

More Poo Stories

So this cracks me up speaking of poo and all.....you can buy this book at http://drstool.com/
I think I shall have to purchase this book!

Last night I was talking to an old friend/coworker and after talking about Gabe's poo stories....
she reminded I had a funny one of my own (a real lady will never tell her poo stories.....but we all already know I'm NOT a lady!)

I will just be up front and tell you that you are not normal and weird if you DON'T look in the loo after you are done with yer duties. So anyways.......

A good way to know if your body is NOT absorbing the meds you take, even the simple ones like BRIGHT RED multivitamins........is simply look at yer poo. One day at work at the clinic.....long, long ago......I discovered that maybe I needed to research my multivitamins a little bettter before consuming them.
The bright red horse pill vitamin was floating as perfect as can be in poo.
8 hours later, my body had not absorbed it. So of course, I had to talk to someone about the dilemma and my partner in crime....AKA: Skinny McChatsalot was the perfect canidate.
We concurred that I must consult with one other partner in crime at the clinic and concluded
that I should switch vitamins and NEVER ever forget to look in the loo after a poo.

And anyways.....I'm in the season in life where I'm still changing diapers, so I'm inspecting poo constantly anywho!

MORAL OF THE STORY: Look in the loo after a poo............afterall, how will you know when you hava tapeworm????? *****This story is lovingly dedicated to: Skinny McChatsalot

Believing

14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they[b] will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Mark 16

These verses really hit me this past year.....the importance of what Jesus said.
His last words before He ascended into Heaven....were the words above.
They must be VERY important if it was the last thing He said.

So therefore, after getting the reports today from the doc:
1-Bulging disc
2-Degenerative Disc Disease
These words hit me even harder.....am I really believing with ALL MY heart
that God can and will heal me? Or am I saying that I believe, but really in
my heart of hearts, I doubt He will do that for me???

I'm gonna believe my healing is on the way. That we will keep praying and BELIEVING for healing with laying on of hands......and God can take this pain away even when the reports say: this disease never gets better. There's basically nothing you can do but therapy and exercise to help get you more comfort. Surgery is optional in the future but no guarantee for complete success.

Well, my God.....my Abba Father.....is the greatest Comforter of them all.
He is the Healer of all healers. He is the Greatest Physician.
He is the King of Success.
And I'm gonna keep believing.
Just like I still believe Gabe's healing for his allergies is on the way too!
Because really......that's all I can do.
So satan......take all that.....I refuse to let you think
you can have fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Psalm 37: FRET NOT
"Trust....Delight.....Commit.....Rest.....Wait."

Poop on a Stick

*WARNING* Do not read if you do not like talking/reading about POOP!!!!

So I use the phrase: "I feel like poop on a stick" quite often.
It's actually very fitting right now....allergies going haywire (all of us in this house)
and my back is still killing. I found out today I have bulging discs, narrowing spine,
arthritis.......I'll find out more details tomorrow.

Anyways.....so Gabe is officially "pee trained" but still is scared to poop in potty
So he is still doing the job in his pants, sadly. Luckily, the rice milk he drinks keeps
it pretty solid for the most part and I can just throw it in the toilet and put new undies on.
Well today his load was VERY SOLID and VERY HUGE.......so huge it would NOT flush down
the toilet after 3 trys. Seriously......I could not believe it!!!! How can small children be full
of that much poo???????? The plunger was not working......soooooooooo, guess what worked?
I went outside and got a nice sized stick from our fire pile. Came back in and did poop on a stick.
I seriously had to stir, shove, break up, you name it til it would flush. Seriously.....

I SHOULD GET A MEDAL OF HONOR FOR BEING THE BEST, NON-PRISSIEST MAMA EVER IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!! *sigh* The things we do for our children ;)

Just thought I would share my funny story of the day ;)