Hand me that Gold Star!

I need a big, gold star for bravery: I accomplished a first today! Jennifer, Lillian and I drove to the mall all by ourselves! :) I am not good with learning how to drive to new places. And driving on interstates scares me silly. Well, everywhere I wanna go here is a new place and most of them you have to go interstate to get there... I'm learning, slowly. The best way to learn is to just go do it by myself! I'll never remember the way to a place just by riding with someone! So, I did it!! I won't tell you how many times I was on the phone with Chris or how carefully he explained the map he drew for me :) The point is I did it and now I think I could do it again...maybe even without my phone! Maybe. In other news? Work on the house. Work on the house. Work on the house.... It's coming! I can almost taste it!! I don't even know if I'll know how to act! And opening all those boxes that have been stored for 9+ months? Christmas, y'all! I can't even remember what all I have anymore!! Happy Monday to all....

Happy mother's day!

This card melts my heart.isaac came up with that little rhym all on his own! Sometimes having my children grow up scares me silly. What if i'm doing all the wrong things? What if that opportunity i missed was crucial? What if that reprimand was too harsh and unnecessary? I wonder sometimes, what will my children look back and say about me? I can think of a lot of not so good things that they could say!! Thats why this little card this mothers day means so much. My children really do love me....and i really do love them...and thats the most important point!

Chapter 3. In Which Chris Needs An Assistant And Menno Finds One

Now Chris was the only student who came for all 4 terms that year. Being the Editor of the Calvary Clarion he had several assistants. As one of his assistants departed at the end of 2nd term, he said unto Menno, "Get me another assistant for the work is too great for us." And Menno said, "How about Miss Yoder?" And Chris replied, "She will be fine." After 3 days had passed Chris inquired of Menno whether he had asked Miss Yoder concerning the matter. And Menno replied "I have asked Bethany Gingerich." And Chris went forth from the office in surprise saying to himself "Well, at least I know who she is!" Now Bethany was in a turmoil, for being on Clarion Staff appealed to her but some members on said Staff did not! And Chris met Bethany in the hall and said unto her "I hear that Menno has asked you to be on the Clarion Staff?" And she replied snippily "Well I dont know whether I'm going to or not!" And he went his way puzzled and thought "What was her problem?!?" But after much thought she agreed to help.

Go here for Chapter 4

Faithfulness, Acceptance, and Peace

I took a drive yesterday, all by myself. I opened my heart and vented all my feelings and tears to God in the silence. I pulled all the ugliness out of the depths and shared it with Him, out loud and with much feeling. Know what? He listened! Isn't God amazing? He brought to mind something I'd read recently and I pulled over to look it up. I don't have room here to share it but the gist is that God wants me to want Him and only Him not all the things I've been wanting, begging for and hanging onto. It became crystal clear to me that all these "bad" things I've been fighting against ARE Him and if I want Him, then I have to want these things! I can't explain to you the feeling of saying, "I want You and only You and because these things ARE You, I accept them", and naming each one! I know I'll struggle again but you know what else I know? I know God will be faithful to meet me again in that moment with exactly what I need so I don't need to worry about that! For now I'm thankful for Peace.

I've started this thing and deleted too many times... There's too many things tumbling around in my mind. Things that hinder me from writing but aren't neatly sorted out and written in a blog post. It's a rainy, cloudy day. Jasmine is home from school with pink eye. (That vicious bug has struck nearly all of us now) I have a raging headache. A combination of sinus stuff, a poor night of sleep because of Lillian's cough and possibly the aforementioned tumbling things in my mind. Not really my idea of a great day but then, who needed my idea? To be honest I'm feeling pretty much a navy blue. And, to be even more honest, deep in my heart I know the answer but I don't wanna hear it. Does anybody else get in this place of knowing you're not really happy where you are and you know what the answer is but somehow you wanna wallow in it and fight against it rather then give up? No? I thought I was probably the odd one! I think I'll go back to bed!

On Why and How we follow our Father (the post I started Monday...)

I'm married to a man w/ endless illustrating ideas. One day he illustrated WHY we follow Jesus- Holding Crunch candy bars, he told the children to groan and grunt before they may have any. They thot this was strange but finally even Jennifer obliged in order to get the coveted chocolate! Once the chocolate was all he asked them to groan and grunt some more. Jasmine did it but Jennifer? No way! Then he explained that often we're like that with Jesus. As long as there's "chocolate" (personal gain) involved, we'll do it (dress different from others, stand up for truth, etc). But take the "chocolate" away and do it just because we love him and He asked us to? No way! This connects to his illustration on HOW we follow. As parents what pleases us is children who do what they know we would want because they love us, not just because we have a list of rules. However, them saying "I love you" then doing things we wouldnt approve of doesn't cut it either! Perfect picture of what our Heavenly Father desires from us!

Chapter 2. In Which Procrastination Nearly Ruins Their Destiny

So, after an enjoyable time at CBS in 1998, Mr Know-It-All and Miss Stuck Up returned in 99. Being the adventurous, decisive type, He returned for all 12 weeks and took on the position as editor of the school year book (The Calvary Clarion). She, on the other hand, couldn't decide. Should she go for more than one term? If so, which ones? And, dallying thus, she procrastinated until the only term with space remaining was 4th term. Upon learning this fact she immediately KNEW that she indeed desired to go more than one term! So, she joined the 3rd term waiting list. But as time passed, and her name remained buried on the list, she resigned herself to her fate with grief. And so, the Saturday for arriving for 3rd term dawned and all hope was gone. But, BEHOLD! Her father received a call from Menno Kuhns, the principal of CBS. Some young lady had fallen sick and could not come. Seeing as she lived only an hour from the school, would she be interested in filling the vacancy? Would she?! That would be yes!

Go here for Chapter 3