Laundry Monster may just be my new hero. O.k. that may be just a tad dramatic, but look at these pics. I don’t think these burp cloths could be any cuter. She has lots at her Etsy store, but these were the three I ordered.
Can’t wait to receive my goodies in the mail! She has adorable girly ones too. If you want a little pizzaz without the normal trains, trucks, bunnies ‘n bows…..check her store out on Etsy.
Every once in awhile you come across a quote or saying that will stick with you through the years. I have recently finished a book that was full of quotes and concepts that I’m sure will stick with me for years to come.
Wether you love to read or not, pick this one up. It will be well worth your time. Trust me. Prepare to be disturbed, but in the best way possible. I am by no means someone who is prepared to give you a proper literary review, but if you want random thoughts and quotes from this book…read on….
One of the opening quotes of the book is:
“Plans fizzle. Expectations come to nothing. Trusted people let us down- or we let ourselves down. Dreams shatter or slip away. Has it happened to you? Plan A comes to an abrupt stop, and you’re not sure if there even is a plan B.”
I think at some point, we all have woken up and felt this way. Some in big ways. Some in small. Sometimes because our own poor choices bring us consequences that rock our world and worse yet, sometimes the poor choices of others do it for us. So how do we respond?
“When life isn’t turning out the way we had hoped, we almost always default to feeling as if God has abandoned us.”
God Himself never ever changes. Sometimes, it’s all about finding the strength to just make the choice to trust. Sometimes, you need to make this choice daily, or even hourly.
“We must decide if we are going to put our faith in what God does or in who God is.”
um, AMEN.
“Will you worship God even when He is circumstantially nowhere to be found?”
um, WOW. Just a tad bit convicting.
I think sometimes as Christians we expect that just because we pray, God will heal this disease, land us the dream job, and basically protect us from any harm. The part of this book that is really disturbing is the reminder that, that is simply not true. He has the power to do so, but we live in a fallen world. God exists and so does pain and suffering. How do you reconcile the two and how do you respond when they meet?
We need to live in a way where we are “Putting it all, including our fear of the unknown, in the hands of the One who knows everything. And then moving forward because we can trust him. Even in the dark.”
I know for myself the following statement is SO true.
“Whenever we are faithful, whenever we’re obedient, whenever we do the right thing, at some level don’t we expect that life is going to turn around for us?”
If I am going to be honest…yes, yes I do.
I have had periods in life where I am pouring every ounce of my being into something or someone, only to see utter failure be the outcome. I have had periods in my life, where I am so earnestly seeking God and trying to do the right thing and yet I find myself falling short of plan A and at the same time someone along side of me is making billions of wrong choices and finding what seems to be unending successess. This is an issue for me. I struggle with this. The lesson to be learned in it all, is I should not be living with a cause and effect mentality. The reality is I may give it all to someone and they quite frankly may turn around and spit right in my face…..and then what?
…because “even when God is with me, life is not always going to turn out the way I hoped.”
This book asks the tough questions…
“What if we viewed our hardships and challenges as opportunities to be the men or women God has created us to be? “
“Is it possible you don’t really want God? Is it possible you just want what you think God can give you?”
“Can you believe that God is in control now, even when your life isn’t?”
How fortunate that we serve a God so powerful that He can take the worst of circumstances and work them together for good. When the shortcomings and failures of others and this world that we live in affect our life and penetrate the walls of our heart felt hopes and dreams, He takes the pain and turns it into something good. The key is we need to let Him. The key is our response. If while living in the middle of plan B, we can grasp even the tiniest glimpse of the bigger picture that God is… we can begin to let go of the pain. We don’t have to worry about revenge or fear the things that we can not control. I have found after reading this book a renewed desire to live in the place of the bigger picture. “Tis such a cliche’, but….Rise above it.
“Will we ever understand our Plan B dilemmas? On this side of heaven, quite possibly not. Does the way we respond to them matter? More than you will ever know.”
“You may not have had a choice on whether you could have kids or whether your loved one passed away or wether you got fired or your husband had an affair. But you do get to choose how you respond. And in that choice lies an amazing amount of hope. That choice is what makes the journey of transformation possible.
At the time when it is absolutely the hardest time to choose right…it is absolutely the most vital time in which to do so. Drowning in pain can leave you so vulnerable to look for a quick fix and an easy way out and that will simply lead you to an absolute standstill. A road I do not want to wake up and find myself on.
“I am asking you, right in the middle of your Plan B pain, to trust the porcess that is going on in your life. It won’t be finished for a while, but it has begun.
God will finish what He started.
Wait for it.”
Read that one again. Over and over. Memorize it. Grasp it. One of the most repeated promises in the Bible is “I am with you”. I am just so deeply impacted with the truth of that. When you grab ahold of it, the peace that follows, truly begins to wipe away the pain that others and this world can bring you. Isn’t that really the bigger picture?
“You need to know the cross is not just the starting line. It’s the very centerpiece of your story with God. It’s the place where the pain of “you will have trouble” meets the triumph of ” I have defeated the world.”
I am so humbled.
This summer has flown by all to quickly.
We had our yearly fourth of July party. It was a great day and I love street fireworks! Thanks Ashley for the killer pic.
We had our super awesome friends from the bay area come and see us…
Our oldest son began his first year of tackle football playing for Bradshaw Christian School
I took my sweet baby girl to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat for her 10th birthday. She was mesmerized and was a fantastic date!
Lots of park and play time was thrown into it all….
In just six days the school year begins. We are starting early so that we can take off a good chunk of time when Greyson is born. Dare I say, that I am actually ready??? Bring it on.
I have been sleeping my pregnancy away and found little time to visit blogworld. I read this today over at Melissa’s Blog. So, I thought I would join with some answers to questions that I am sure you have been dying to know about me. If you want to play along, please link back up so I can come visit you too. Happy Sunday everyone!
What color are your socks right now? I make it a point to avoid socks whenever possible.
What are you listening to right now? I just woke up and I hear perfect silence. (except for the fan blowing by my bed, because I am addicted to some type of noise while I sleep.)
What was the last thing you ate? Golden Grahams.
Can you drive a stick? YES.
Last person you spoke to on the phone? My darling husband.
How old are you today? Thirty nine today.
What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? Football. The only one I will watch.
What is your favorite drink? I’ll say water with crushed ice to sound healthy but secretly my first love with always be diet coke.
Have you ever dyed your hair? Absolutely. a. lot.
Favorite food? Right now, it’s Chick Fil A Hash browns.
What is the last movie you watched? Made of Honor.
Favorite day of the year? New Years Day. I love new beginnings and possibilities.
How do you vent anger? Cry.
What was your favorite toy as a child? My doll named Lovey.
Favorite Season? I love them all except spring.
Cherries or Blueberries? BOTH mixed up together.
Living situation? In a house, in California with my husband, 3 children, and 1 very wiggly baby that will arrive this November.
When was the last time you cried? Last week when the water filter went out and I was thirsty. Don’t judge, I’m pregnant.
What is on the floor of your closet right now? A white fluffy rug.
What are you most afraid of? As I am getting older heights in general are starting to trip me up a bit. So sad.
Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers? Plain cheeseburgers. Meat and cheese only.
Favorite dog breed? Yorkshire Terrier.
Favorite day of the week? Friday. It’s the only day of the week my husband has off of work.
How many states have you lived in? One. California.
Diamonds or pearls? Gift card to Target.
What is your favorite flower? Lilies.
Did you get an H1N1 vaccine? No.
Wet weather and 1st trimester blues are making for an indoor and very low key spring break. However, it’s been pretty much perfect. Daily naps and no schedule at all. Grilled cheese, cereal, and quesadillas have been dominating our dinner menu. Here is today’s happenings around our house.
I made us a fort. A big one.
We watched Toy Story 2 and Alvin and The Chipmunks from inside the fort.
We had pizza and made cookies…tried a new recipe…um YUM! Thanks Laura.
The fort is still up and Wall~E is showing first thing in the morning.
Hopefully, that will provide extra sleepin’ in time for Shawn and I…keep your finger’s crossed. I’m enjoying my lazy days and honestly not looking forward to next Monday. Summer can NOT come soon enough. I’m READY!!!
After living in the Sacramento area for almost five years now, we finally made it to Daffodil Hill. Lots of history, lots of animals, lots of people taking pictures, and of course, lots of daffodils (about 300,000 bulbs they estimate).
We had a great time. Pictures describe this better then words…
You know I could REALLY dig this homeschool thing, if we could ditch the core textbook subjects and just do field trips, hands on learning, art, cooking, p.e., foreign language, drama…you know basically all the fun stuff???!!!
Off to spend some time lesson planning for this week.
Now there is just 64 school days left until summer.
My word for this year is Passion. To me that entails living fulfilled. Living whole. Living healthy, in every area of my life. It also includes trying new things. I have never been on a hike before, ever. We got together with some friends and climbed Mt. Diablo in Clayton, CA. The mountain top elevation is at 4000 feet, but fortunately for us, you can drive up the mountain and hike from various starting points.
Scott, our friend and elected hike guide man for the day, picked out a perfect hike for a bunch of beginners, like ourselves. It was about 9 miles with a total climb of 1800 feet. It was challenging but still very doable. As I lay here this morning, unable to walk without some serious objections from my legs, I feel very accomplished.
I loved the hike. The weather was perfect, with the exception that it was overcast at the summit and we looked down on a blanket of white. Along the trail we saw bunnies, heard a growl from a lil bobcat, and met a couple of 80 year old men that shared with us some of their skydiving and hiking adventures over the years.
and if we wondered what elevation we were at? yeah, there’s an app for that.
We left at six am and returned home around 7:30pm. It was a day filled with very good things. Fresh air, AMAZING scenery, calorie burning, and a yummy dinner at a local Danville fav restaurant. All the while, I was surrounded by four other people with amazing hearts, tons of laughter, and great conversation (in between catching our breath on the mountain).
It feels good to get out and be surrounded by God’s creation. It feels good to push yourself. It feels good to start small because this summer we are doin’ Half Dome….
I had an idea…. and sometimes my ideas do not end well. These guys used to be two of my favorites in my home. We’ve all seen them before in their intended natural wood color state. Ikea sells them. I adore them. We put them into different acrobatic positions and laugh at them every so often. Then came the incident of twenty ten, that ultimately will lead to their demise. I wanted to get some more color up on top of my shelving unit. I thought “OOOH how fun. I will spray paint these guys red!” That’ll be different. Well, I was right on that one part. They are different.
With no regard for any common sense, I did it. I sprayed them. I killed them. They are creepy and now I can be classified as a murderer. Can you just imagine them coming to life and taking over the planet with their devilish little jig. WHAT was I thinking? I just may dream about these guys… and it will not be in a good way. They look soooo evil and that is definitely not the look I was going for for my classroom.
As I drop them in the trash, I am reminded that failure is part of life, right? Trial AND error are both o.k. Don’t take yourself so seriously. Do not be afraid to experiment and always laugh at your mistakes. That is definitely what this first year of homeschooling is turning out to be. It’s stretching me, teaching me, inspiring me, and definitely keeping me humble.
Now there are just 87 school days left until summer.
I Just moved in! I came over from blogspot @ untilsummer, where I began blogging in Aug, last year. I have expanded my home here, as I have found I love blog~land and want to write more about our family nights, my home, and other random things. I will still be continuing my 170 days of home school journey (you can find the link right at the top center of my page), but adding new things as well. Please look around and bear with me, as with any new move, there are bound to be kinks and weird things, as I figure out my new surroundings.
My husband designed my new site for me! Thanks babe, I love you! Just a Night Owl is a perfect fit.
So, please let me see your face by following me on Google friend connect! If you were a follower before, Thank You, but I couldn’t bring you along, so please take a moment to follow again. You can also follow me via twitter, facebook, and or through RSS feed.
I’m so glad your here! It’s very nice to meet you!!!! Please let me know you were here!
To help celebrate, I am joining up with Friday Follow!
Somedays are “don’t get out of bed, kinda ones” and for SOME days, its o.k. Today is such a day. In my house right now…Cameron is studying science. Taylor is reading the Secret Garden. Emma is racing Mario and I, am dreaming of a few of my favorite places….
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