Shelter

Our praise band has the great privilege to lead worship and preach at a women's shelter once a month. It is always such a delight to see how God uses that time to reveal himself to both the members of our band and to the ladies living at the shelter. Tonight was no exception.

I have been very sick for 2 days. The Texas allergens have really taken their toll on me and I spent half of the day in bed. I considered staying home tonight but knew that the Lord always has something special in store for these evenings at the shelter and who wants to miss out on seeing God's hand at work, right?

It is so wonderful to see these women worship. They never seemed concerned about who else might be looking on. They ex hue complete gratefulness before the Lord. There is always a great feeling of humility, which I think must please the Lord. I am attracted to their humility. Most of these women have completely hit bottom. Many have come from terribly abusive situations, some are seeking freedom from a lifetime of addictions, there are many who have lost their children as a result. These women know that they were lost and now they are just so grateful to be found.

Each time we have gone to minister there I always have had the opportunity to pray with a woman. Tonight a woman approached me and asked if I would pray for her. She shared that 2 weeks ago she left her husband , who is a drug dealer. She has been off crack for 2 weeks. She hadn't seen her 11 year old son in 3 years and her 2 month old daughter was taken from her at the hospital because she was born addicted to crack.

This is not the first time I have heard stories like this. Since leaving our church almost a year ago, and joining a church plant, we have heard too many stories just like this one. It is heart breaking and causes me to wonder how it is that God saw fit to intervene in my life so early...I could have been just like her. I know that there was nothing in me that sought God. My heart was as evil as anyone else...but God saved me just in time, before I would have to suffer a lifetime of consequences for my rebellion. By this realization I am humbled, and grateful that He saved me when it was still early.

I could have been just like her.

Raising Weirdos

Okay, somebody pinch me. I must be dreaming or someone may have replaced my daughter with one of those Stepford kids or something.
It is well after midnight and my seven year old comes down stairs and says, "Mom, I don't know why but I just want to do math." Of course I sent her back to bed.
What is that about?

CHAOS otherwise known as "Can't Have anyone over Syndrome"

My mom has been trying to get me to go to this http://flylady.net/ for some time now. I've been resistant to it because it is like hearing my mom telling me to go clean my room all over again....yuck! Anyhow, I visited the site today ( at mom's request) and it is so great. I think this could really change the way I clean...or get me to clean! hehehe. I encourage any of my mom friends to take a look. I think that I could actually use this to motivate my kids to help me keep on top of the house. I think this could be revolutionary in my life. Go fly lady!

Strawberry Picking

When I was a little girl growing up in California, my mom would take us cherry picking every summer. Well...it probably wasn't every summer. It was probably only 3 times...but I like to remember it like it was ever summer...such sweet memories. So years ago when I learned that you could grow blueberries in Texas, I looked for somewhere to take my kids blueberry picking. We have been to several blueberry farms but my favorite by far is in La Rue, TX...BIGGEST, JUICIEST BLUEBERRIES YA EVER SAW!

This year I decided to expand our fruit picking experience to include strawberries. A friend told me of a place just an hour from my house where we can go out and pick our own strawberries. The farm is in Fairfield, The Berry Patch. The drive down the old farm roads was beautiful. The weather was perfect and the berries were huge! After picking blueberries for years, it seemed so strange to drive that far and have our berries picked so quickly. Those huge things fill up a basket in no time flat! I think that we ended up with 17 lbs. We ate strawberry shortcake last night and then I finished freezing the rest tonight, for smoothies, pies and such.

Later this summer we want to go peach picking...I'm scouting out a couple places. I can already taste the homemade peach ice cream. Yum, yum...

Sheltered

Third Graders Plot to Kill Teacher: Center Elementary Students Busted
By Jo Anne WayApr 3, 2008

A group of third-graders at Center Elementary School in south Georgia in Atlanta hatched an elaborate plot to kill their teacher, but the plan was found out and foiled last Friday when another student reported that a child had brought a weapon to school. In a shocking development these young Elementary School students aged 8-10 were linked to a planned attack on their Waycross, Georgia, teacher.
Center Elementary Students Busted (Image: Waycross Police Department)Her crime, she had allegedly scolded one of them for standing on a chair. The plan was very specific. They would knock the teacher unconscious with a paperweight, bind her with toy handcuffs and duct tape, and then stab her with a steak knife, police said. (See photo) Each student would have a specific role in the plot.
***One child's job was to cover the windows so know one outside could witness the attack and another would clean up after the attack. In another stunning development that has many observers baffled, children in Georgia can't be charged with a crime unless they are at least 13, but a juvenile court judge can declare those younger delinquent, state law says. Still police have said that the three students who brought the paperweight, the cuffs and the tape have been arrested. District Attorney Rick Currie told the Times-Union newspaper that Georgia has no detention facilities, however, for anyone as young as the third-graders.
***The paper notes that the children could be housed in a detention center with older youths unless a more appropriate facility was found and approved by the juvenile court, citing Currie as the source. The report also notes that it's possible they could be remanded to the custody of their parents, if the court deems them capable of maintaining control over the youngsters, he said.

I have many times in the past be criticized for choosing to educate my children at home. One of the most common of these criticisms is that I will shelter my children from the "real world" and that they won't know how to deal with it when they get old enough to have to go live and work in it.

I don't really shelter my children...I just keep them close enough so that we can plan together the best way to engage this sick culture. They are not unaware of the evils of this world. I just prefer to be at their sides when they have so see how sad and sick the world truly is. May God help us all!

My heart and prayers go out to these children and their families. What on earth could cause someone who is my daughters age (9) even to think along these lines? This so disturbing to me.

Beautiful Morning!

"Ooooh, what a beautiful mornig, oh what a beautiful day. I've got a wonderful feeling everything's going my way."

I was just walking Buddy out to the car this morning and broke out in this song from the musical, Oklahoma. My dad used to sing it to wake us up in the mornings. Isn't spring beautiful?

April Fools...Don't Be One!

The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good. Psalms 53

Psalm 74:22 Rise up, O God, and defend your cause; remember how fools mock you all day long.
Psalm 107:17 Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities.
Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Proverbs 1:32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
Proverbs 10:1 A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.
Proverbs 10:8 The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin.
Proverbs 10:10 He who winks maliciously causes grief, and a chattering fool comes to ruin.
Proverbs 10:14 Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.
Proverbs 10:18 He who conceals his hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool.
Proverbs 10:23 A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct, but a man of understanding delights in wisdom.
Proverbs 11:29 He who brings trouble on his family will inherit only wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise.
Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.
Proverbs 12:16 A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.
Proverbs 12:23A prudent man keeps his knowledge to himself, but the heart of fools blurts out folly.
Proverbs 13:19 A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but fools detest turning from evil.
Proverbs 13:20 He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.
Proverbs 14:1 The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.
Proverbs 14:9 Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright.
Proverbs 29:11 A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control
.Ecclesiastes 4:5 The fool folds his hands and ruins himself.
Ecclesiastes 5:4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow.
Matthew 7:26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like the foolish man who built his house on the sand.
Ephesians 5:17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.
1 Timothy 6:9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.
2 Timothy 2:23 Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.
Titus 3:3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.
Titus 3:9 But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.
James 2:20 You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless ?
1 Peter 2:15 For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.
1 Corinthians 1:18-25
"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “ I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men."