Ugh

When I get stressed my shoulders and neck cramp and well....my whole body is even more uncomfortable than usual. There's not enough stretching in the freakin' world! This is the state of my body right now. Gee. Ya think something is going on? Uh yeah!

I have got to find some "me" time that is thoughtless! As in, I come home and there isn't a chaotic state of stuff going on that will take me to pick up after.

Feelin' the need to be pampered by my husband, but he doesn't know how to do it and when told it just sounds like work. Ugh.

That's why its so easy for him to let me go to the movies to relax, but gosh.....sometimes it takes more effort.

Okay. My rant is over. Need to pray.

Micah's 1st!

Micah had his first swim (or anything) class today and he did FANTASTIC!!! He went under, blew bubbles, made friends, played with Malachi (the only friend he likes he says), floated on his back, and obeyed his teacher! Watching Micah is quite entertaining. Unlike Ethan who would simply sit on the step while awaiting instructions, Micah chewed on a rubber duckie, played with his feet, and talked. He was in his own "Micah" world. I will have to remember my camera next time. I love how he wears his goggles right above his eyes if his eyes aren't going under. Just like a little olympic swimmer getting ready!

Oh and the boys were so excited that they were fully dressed and ready to go at 7:15am for the 9:30am start time!

I am a proud mama!

The Worst Thing

Bedtime just after prayer.

Blake: "Ethan, what do you think is the worst thing ever?"

Ethan: thinking.......... after a short time of deep thought "It would be too never know Jesus."

WoW!!!

The little things

So, this bag.

Has been on my mind, to say the least! I first saw this bag months ago at Costco. To look at it, it doesn't seem like anything, but what you can't see is how freakin' big it is and the fact that it is insulated. Oh and it only costs $8 + change. So, I saw it and thought hey this would be nice, but its not that cute. That thing could get me to the pool with the kids with only ONE BAG in tow. What a glorious thought! Then I thought..... "I have a budget, I like cute bags and if I found this there is bound to be one that I 'loved' and not just liked...blah, blah."

Time passes and we go to the pool often with and without friends. And always with my 2-3 bags with stuff spilling out of them. Sure enough one friend brought that bag with them to our pool playdate and immediately I saw firsthand how much stuff I could cram into it. I had to have one. Who cares what it looked like. The practicallity of it far outweighed my need to "love" it. Sure enough, mid summer is here and Costco is doing away with last season's "stuff" and bringing in the new "seasonal" stuff. After talkin this bag up to Blake and my need to have it, it is nowhere to be found. I knew it. Allowing a great deal to slip through my hands is not something that I am used to doing. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! I would have to wait. Surely, they will be back next Spring! Right?

So, it turns out that this last weekend my cousins are in town and the plan is to go to Clovis Lakes. I didn't think too much of it b/c we don't have the cash so we weren't gonna go. It turns that my mom got an amazing deal and treated us! Yay! and Oh, I am tired already just by thinking all of the stuff we need to pack. Yeah, we bring it ALL. We buy N O T H I N G!

I decide that Saturday morning (before Lakes opens) I will make one last search for the bag while running my errands. At 9:30am on the dot I call the Costco in Clovis to ask if it is in their inventory twice. Neither time does anyone answer. "God, do I make the drive and sacrifice the time and gas?" I head out, get there and I was like a woman possessed inside. I searched the middle b/c that is where they once were. nothing. glimpsed to the non food side and saw the "left over" seasonal stuff and I was renewed. Then, I couldn't believe it! There it was all by its lonesome on top of a cooler in a blue hawiian type, flowery print! I pick it up not even believing it! I took some time to walk around to find their actual place and found nothing. It must have been the last one.

I am willing to bet that if someone had picked up one of my calls they wouldn't have found it and I never would have gone to that Costco at all. God is in the little things. I cannot type how much that bag has been on my mind. And the next time that I would have seen my friend with all of her stuff in it.... well... I just can't remember something that I have coveted as much as this. Lame I know. To top it all off... It is the color and print I would love for it to be! YaY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One last load

I despise laundry, but feel so accomplished when it is done. Some do a load or 2 a day. I have one day where I wipe it all out. No, we do not have a ton of clothes.... we have tops and some bottoms. Bottoms are to be worn OUT... KWIM? By the end of laundry day my whole house is in a better condition because I have to go around picking up the various things left around the house. Gotta admit that MOST of it does hit a hamper. Actually, it is my husband's stuff that lays around the house.

So, I actually had "laundry night" last night and got it all done, but noticed something odd. I did not have one article of clothing in any of it. NOT A ONE! Where was it all? And yet the 4 or 5 loads seemed like the "usual" amount. This morning it occurred to me. I did not empty what is "supposed" to be mine and Blake's hamper out. And there you have it, all of my clothing right where it is supposed to be. Today, I got irritated. It had been a while sense I made a hissy over Blake's scattered clothing. I have just gotten used to all of the usual spots and picking them up. Oh, but today it meant that I had just one last load.

Oh sure it wasn't really his fault that I didn't get to our hamper, but ugh. The amount of time I spend.... done.

All better.

Romans 1:8-12

Scripture

Romans 1:8-12

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world.

9 For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you,

10 always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you.

11 For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established;

12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other's faith, both yours and mine.

Observation

Paul starts with encouragements by way of showing his thankfulness for other's faith. He is not simply thankful in the moment of writing, but expresses that is has been "unceasingly." And the thankfulness is not just an attitude, but it comes up consistently in prayer. Paul's desire to meet in person seems to grow and knows what good can come from the fellowship with each other.

Positives to meeting in person.

vs. 11. One of his own spiritual gifts may help establish their..... faith? church? community?

vs. 12. further explanation... ("that is") To encourage each other by each other's faith.

To not be alone... To share good news... new news....share burdens....worship.

Out of love springs.....action.

Application

I am not to forsake being thankful, praying, meeting, and encouraging other Christians. These are all disciplines that I live as though they will just happen and sometimes they do just happen. That is, in my prayers, sometimes someone just comes to me and I will pray for them, but too many times I let life move on by without me really taking inventory. I have so many to be actively and unceasingly thankful for. There are relationships that I need to step up in and get proactive rather than each of us "remind" ourselves that, "oh yeah.... we are friends." Or to make excuses like... "she knows that I love her."

I must act..... or more likely, be proactive.

My prayers should be full of being thankful and seeking the ability to further grow in my relationships with others in the faith.

I am going to write a letter to a dear lady that is far over due.

Prayer

Lord, thank you for all of the loved ones that you have placed in my life throughout my life. Please impress upon my heart to never forsake them, but to lift them in whatever means I have and especially in prayer to you, dear Lord. Allow me to love on them greatly in a way that would be encouraging to both parties. Thank you, Lord.

$3 and change

I love a great deal and today I got a few of them.

1. Free family movie. (We got through most of it! Rose is just too young and loves to talk too much)

2. Paid $2.18 for 2 slices of pizza a Me n Ed's with a coupon.

3. Bought a new canvas tote at World Market for $1.

4. Because I made a purchase at World Market today, I got a coupon code for a free movie ticket from fandango! Not bad. And yes, I knew about that perk before stepping foot into that store with all 3 kiddos!

Satisfaction!