The Little Engine that could

I haven't blogged in a long while. Man! what have I missed? I didn't blog about Nathan's birthday, Sarah's birthday, Benjamin's birthday, Easter, Summer, shoot, I even have pictures still in my camera from last winter that were never posted! Guess I'd better get with it! Maybe I should learn how to download all those photos.... I'm like that well known little engine. I think I can, I think I can...

I have enrolled to be a book reviewer, so if I'm approved, you'll be seeing some book reviews on here as well. I hope I make it - it sounds really interesting. I think I can, I think I can.....

I've been helping my mother-in-law in dealing with Alzheimer's, so you'll probably see some of my struggles as we deal with that disease and how to handle her situation. I think I can, I think I can....

I'm still homeschooling, so maybe I'll blog more about that. Friendly Fridays need to be started back up. I really want to teach my kids to reach out to others. Maybe we'll limit it to once a month just so it isn't so intimidating. I think I can, I think I can...

I'm teaching a children's Bible class on Tuesdays after school and helping with one on Mondays. We've had quite a bit of drama lately, so surely I'll blog some about that. I think I can, I think I can....

God's been working on me and my "ability" to manipulate, so I could share a little about what I'm leaning. I think I can, I think I can....

With the holidays just around the corner, it's a perfect time to get started.... I THINK I CAN!

I WON!!!

I NEVER win anything...until now! I won the book "The Reluctant Cowgirl" by Christine Lynxwiler from Cathy Bryant at WordVessel.
Hip-Hip-Horray!!!
Cathy is the author of the book "Texas Roads". You can read the first chapter of her book here. Mark led me to her site (she was in the Wayland band with him), and I've enjoyed reading her blog the last couple of weeks. She is also the proud grandmother of a new grandson, Harrison. (congratulations, Cathy!)
Thank you, Cathy, for the book. I'm looking forward to reading it and your book as well!

Update

Sarah's MRI has been moved to Monday due to the weather. It will be on Monday @ 2 p.m.
We'd appreciate your prayers!

Science

Homeschoolers! I just found this site and thought I'd share it. It has a big list of simple science experiments to use. I haven't looked at the entire site, but it looks like it might have lots of good things for teaching science principles. http://www.sciencefairadventure.com/Default.aspx

Give-Me-More Barbecued Ribs

Becky gave me a "Fix-It and Forget-It" cookbook for Christmas. We've been taking turns choosing a recipe to make and tonight was Aaron's night. The results were a LOT better than I expected (I'd have never thought to cook ribs in a crock pot!). They were called Give-Me-More Barbecued Ribs, and since I found a package of ribs at 40% off, we tried them out. :-)

Makes: 6 servings

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 8-10 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 6 quart

4 lbs. pork ribs

1/2 cup brown sugar

12-oz. jar chili sauce

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. hot sauce

1. Place ribs in slow cooker

2. Combine remaining ingredients. Pour half of sauce over ribs.

3. Cover. Cook on low 8 - 10 hours.

4. Serve with remaining sauce.

I used plain mustard because that's what I had, and I used more hot sauce. Also, our ribs were tender and meat literally falling off the bone after 6 hours, so 8 to 10 hours may be too long. This was good, but you could just as easily use a bottle of your favorite Barbecue sauce.

Can you believe...

...Scott is 18?!!? His birthday was the 13th, I'm just slow at posting this month. While I was in labor the nurses kept telling me that if I'd wait a couple of hours he'd be a Valentine baby. (easy for them to say!!)However, I knew that boys wouldn't want heart themed birthdays every year, so I spared him the pain of pink hearts and me the pain of waiting. Of course I didn't know he was a boy yet....but it all worked out-right?
He hates having his picture made, so I spared him that pain as well and used one from China. I still want to know what that shocked look was all about! His big plans for his birthday this year included a tattoo, but that hasn't happened yet and I'm waiting with bated breath to see what transpires.
Scott you are a son any parent would be proud of. You have a servant's heart, willing to help in almost any situation, you're giving and caring. You've carried the names of your grandfathers with an integrity that would make them proud! I love you and am praying for God's richest blessings in your life as you step into new experiences this year. I am excited to see what God has in store for you! I love you. Happy Birthday!

Prayer- part 3

The speaker, Mr. Richard Ross,(I finally looked up his name) told a true story last Sunday. He was recently visiting a college campus and discovered that a group of kids had pooled their money to rent a room off campus. What were they using that room for? Drug deals? Study groups? Parties? No, no, and no. They are meeting there for prayer. He was told that you will find college students in that room 24/7 on their knees in prayer. So, the big question is, what could all those students find so important that they willing give up their time and money to pray for? Their hearts are so broken for fellow students that they have this room open to simply pray for revival on their campus.

Ouch. Where is my heart? Am I more concerned about temporary, earthly needs than eternity? When was the last time we've asked God for revival in our homes, churches, and communities? I was reminded of the story in Matthew 9:1-7 when Christ first forgave THEN healed the paralytic. I think to some extent, Jesus was showing that His greatest job on earth was to save people from their sins, not to physically heal them. Since that is where His heart is, I should be striving to bring my focus into agreement with that!

So, there you have it. I think through typing this out, I've finally figured out why I've been so uncomfortable on Wednesdays. My focus is off - I've seen the physical problems as severe rather than temporary, and have spent more time talking to God than waiting and listening for Him. Maybe I'll actually be able to go back sometime....then again, that hour alone sure has been nice! ;-)

Prayer - part 2

This week I didn't go to our church's weekly prayer meeting. For several weeks I've avoided it - no, honestly, it has probably been months. Don't get me wrong, there is NOTHING wrong with the meeting or church! I've really been hesitant to share this on the blog just because I don't want to sound like I'm criticizing our church. I'm not! Our prayer list at church is a long one, as I am sure most are. People with cancer, dying, losing eyesight, severely sick children, mothers, fathers...and on and on. Let me say that our church has an awesome prayer ministry, has seen lots of answers from God, and has helped an innumerable amount of people with their prayers, including my own family. But I just haven't been able to go lately and I really wasn't sure why. I know that God is in control in each of the situations on our prayer lists, and honestly, I don't even know most of the people on it, yet it still feels overwhelming and even depressing at times. Maybe my trust in God is just too small.

One problem I see in that type of list is that people with problems that seem less severe are hesitant to mention them. It feels a little uncomfortable to ask for someone to pray for something seemingly insignificant (like unemployment) compared to cancer and death. However, those so-called insignificant things are actually pretty big when you're the one living them! So, what is the solution to getting people to share things that aren't quite as grave? I'm not sure there is one, at least not in a group that size. It's hard to build trust in such a large group. Prayer groups can too easily become gossip parties instead.

Something I've never shared with anyone other than my husband is the fact that I believe that God has given me the ministry (job?, duty? - I'm not sure what you'd call it!) of prayer. It's not something I've shared publicly because it feels so intimate and private to me. I've learned to be cautious in telling someone I'll pray for them just because it's not something I want to take lightly and because praying for them can become so personal. Maybe it is because I've thought that prayer was my job (task? what WOULD you call that?? LOL) that this struggle with not wanting to go on Wednesdays has really had me so perplexed.

When the speaker was here last Sunday he really got me to thinking about focusing on and praying for God's will. Do I spend most of my time asking for temporary THINGS- physical needs to be met, healing, etc. Or do I focus on the eternal? I've watched a dear friend of my mother's struggle with severe pain as she waits to die, yet she isn't focused on praying for healing or trying to stay alive. She's spent her time witnessing to her doctors and neighbors, and preparing them for heaven. It wouldn't be wrong for her to pray for healing (I'm sure she's done that!) or for me to pray for things, I believe God delights in giving to us! But where is my focus and my heart? As I was praying about my struggle, I looked down at the prayer list Mark brought home. What I finally noticed is what is missing from that list. Eternal needs. No one (INCLUDING ME!) has listed a lost family member or friend that needs to turn to God, no one has listed any type of spiritual needs at all. Am I over-analyzing here? Maybe I'm just lazy and enjoy the one hour I get alone all week by missing the prayer meeting! Ha! What do you think?

I really love what Sue put in the comments of the first post..."what's more important, me talking to God, or God talking to me?"

computer problems

The charger on my laptop isn't working and my battery is down to 47%. So, I may not be able to get on for awhile......I'll miss you!

Prayer: part 1

The definition of prayer from Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary:

"1. In worship, a solemn address to the Supreme Being, consisting of adoration, or an expression of our sense of God's glorious perfections, confession of our sins, supplication for mercy and forgiveness, intercession for blessings on others, and thanksgiving, or an expression of gratitude to God for his mercies and benefits. A prayer however may consist of a single petition, and it may be extemporaneous, written or printed."

From the Encarta Dictionary on my Microsoft Office today:

"Prayer: 1. A spoken or unspoken address to God, a deity, or a saint. It may express praise, thanksgiving, confession, or a request for something such as help or somebody's well-being."

Wow! Am I the only one who sees a discrepancy in these two definitions or am I making a mountain out of a molehill? Maybe the difference between the two definitions is a portrayal of our times. How do I look upon God now? The way I pray could be a good gauge of how I view God. We had a guest speaker at church this morning who said that he thought that a lot of our youth today saw God as a little friend they could put in their pocket and pull out as needed to fulfill a need or help with a problem and then put Him back into their pocket until the next need arose. Interestingly, the speaker also made the comment that the reason the youth see God in this light is because we as parents have fallen down on our responsibility to teach about God's sovereignty and that the youth have seen us treat God as that little friend in our pocket. (See Mark's blog below...) He wasn't actually speaking on prayer but on revival. He was pointing out what is missing in the youth's understanding of God to bring about revival and how most big revivals have begun with youth (Jr. High up to college age). Since God has been working on me with some struggles I've had about prayer lately, what the speaker said caught my attention.

There is one thing that I feel is note worthy here.

As thorough as Noah Webster's definition is, I think he's still missing something simple and basic. As a child I was taught that prayer is simply a conversation with God. For a conversation to be complete it should include both talking and listening on my part. Listening for that still, small voice. God doesn't need to appear to me personified in great natural forces -- though he certainly can do this -- but He may also reveal himself directly, softly, and personally. I need to be listening closely for in that still, small voice God may be trying to quietly, powerfully and passionately communicate with me.