Hearts and Mouths

The Heart and the Mouth.

The connection between these can be no more obvious than with children. They are living proof that what you love is what you talk about and they know it. As adults we can go on and on about something and in the end deny completely that we even like something remotely. Now how is that? Simply we deceive ourselves.

Who or what do you talk about? Are you telling your friends how much you love your husband and children? Are you consumed with the Word of God? Are you stuck in a rut because all you can think to talk about is Christ and his grace to you? Or do all of your friends know your hubby's dirty little secrets? Do they wonder when the last time you read your Bible is? But are afraid to ask? What would you say? Do they know that your children have embarrassing medical problems, but not that your son got all A honor roll or recited all 10 commandment from memory in front of your family JUST LAST NIGHT?!

I only ask because we can't allow ourselves to be taught by the world how to speak. When Christ spoke to his people he proclaimed truth followed closely behind by grace. And not in a Queen Latifa in your face way. The world tells us to say it like it is, but even then with 'tude.

When your children spill their juice at the table this is the best time to show them how their people react. How to brush your teeth, small circles at the gum line. How to react to spilled juice, calmly with grace and wet wash cloths.

Are you surprised when your children yell at each other if a Lego masterpiece is broken? Have you ever wondered how they could mimic you so well?

Shepherding our children takes patience, grace and more patience mixed with wisdom and bathed in prayer and intense Bible reading. The shepherd knows not only what his sheep need to survive, but also what they like. To they have a favorite type of grass or do you stand over them and tap your foot if they do not eat that patch RIGHT THERE!! Are you willing to carry the lambs if they get tired or do you make them walk till their feet bleed?

I am amazed at how a calm reaction easily defuses a potential catastrophe. One of our children was having a pillow fight with some friends and her earring fell out. She was on the last few weeks of her starter earrings so the reaction started out at a high pitch. My husband looked at me with the, "watch what you do here." look and after a deep breath I said," Oh! That's fine. You can borrow a pair of mine tonight and tomorrow I will go to the store and find a new special pair for you." This peaked her interest, and instantly threw 25 gallons of water on that spark that could have taken out a small village! She was happy the rest of the way home and the next day had even forgotten about the promised *new* earrings all together (I seriously could not believe it). What a blessing to be able to calm a little one down with my peaceful voice and easy words!

God is so good to put our children in our homes where we can tenderly care for them from the womb to young adulthood. There are so many among us that despise even that grace. I heard to day that it can get as high as 1 in every 4 women commits an abortion. I am so happy to have my little ones safely around me instead of in another home where even the chance or survival is nil. Whay does this say about what is in their hearts?

Merry Christmas!!

Well there has been so much going on here and still more to happen, that I though this would be a great time to catch y'all up :)

We have officially had the last day of school for the year (yea!!) and it was filled with parties and cookies and presents and all sorts of festivities. Titus had his birthday party for Jesus where he decorated cupcakes and blew out unlit candles (he is 5 after all).

Mia spent her last day painting (she was thrilled) and decorating cookies and having a wonderful last day with all her friends.

Emma watched a movie and decorated cookies and had fun with her dear friends one last time :(

Nolen ate cookies and got to have his little sis sit in class with him for awhile, thus convincing her to skip pre-k through 4th grade to go straight into Mrs. DeJongs 5th grade class. The littlest 5th grader, as we like to call her. She has Nolen and all the other 10 and 11 year -old boys wrapped around her pinky finger.

Scott had a great day and came home unable to see through all the gift bags and stuffed with all the end of the year fare. He spent the rest of the day Christmas shopping and helping to get the food gathered together for our church Christmas celebration on Sunday.

I went to class parties, subbed in Scott's class the last hour of the day, finished up most of our Christmas shopping and wrapping and took Titus to the wedding rehearsal where he is the ring-bear.

Can't wait for tomorrow :)

A hard lesson learned

This last month has been . . Lets's just say it's been eye-opening. I will back track.

Starting with the middle of September I have been sick. There have been a few days sprinkled in there of wellness, but few and far between.

And I have to say wellness with a loose translation, think Charlie Brown version of Much ado about Nothing and you will be close.

Moving on . . .

I have had 3 viruses and a bacterial sinus infection and now that I am recovered from those my body is the equivalent to Haiti in the aftermath. So now I am taking meds to recover some semblance of normalcy. Like being able to taste and smell, hear out of BOTH ears and not break out into a coughing fit at the drop of a hat. Oh, and I would love to stop "purring" as my husband calls it when I breathe. Yes, that would be nice.

Just so you don't quit reading and think this whole post is one big pity party I should probably move on (just remember this is the back track part).

I have had a lot of time to sip tea and think about what God is trying to get across to me, there has to be a point, right? I mean I'm not dead, Thus far and no farther. Like in Isaiah when The Assyrians destroyed, pillaged and plundered their way to Mt. Nob at the very edge of Isreal and God reminded them that they were merely an ax in his hand, but He wields the ax. All of this is just an ax in His hand and He is wielding it for a reason.

I realized that in the midst of the flurry of activity that is really my life I take a LOT for granted.

*Like all of my senses,

*that my husband will pick up the slack and stay out of the whirlwind when it's in motion, or get hurt.

*That doing is more important than time spent and

*that I have it all under control, all the hats are fitting and the plates are spinning beautifully

*Like sleep

Well I have realized that I was off. Way. Off.

I can now smell coffee and taste garlic. Have you ever realized how wonderful each taste and each smell are? I have relished each new pin prick that has come my way, THANKFULLY!

At one point I was so sick that Scott had to totally take over, Everything. And yes he was still working full time and coaching football. I am not the only one that can do my job. None of us are. It's a gift and I need to be thankful for it. He is an amazing husband and very patient with me and I need it. I need LOADS of patience.

It is a blessing to hug my children. Something I couldn't do for a couple days since I was so sick and contagious. At one point all I could do was sit on the couch and sip tea with them and listen since I couldn't talk at all. For days. So God taught me to listen and be thankful for them individually.

The hats fly off and the plates shatter, but that's good they are just a distraction when I should be thanking God for what I have and cherishing it while I do.

Sleep is just now rearing it's head in my life. I have been with out it for so long that I have been surprised by it's sneaking up on me. Today I woke up and said, "Scott! I didn't wake up in a coughing fit all night!" This was the first time in I don't know how long. I was so sleep deprived long before I was sick because I would take my time after everyone went to bed and finish everything up, getting me to bed way too late to be happy, healthy or productive the following day. God has brought me from square one, where I need even an hours sleep unhindered to a full night with a thankful heart.

The theme is thankfulness and it is what He calls us to be. Some of us are just more thickheaded than others and need to be given a harder taskmaster. Twice the bricks in 1/2 the time. Yowch.

Voila!

And just like that Fall is creeping on the scene and summer is behind us. Nolen, Emma and Mia are deep in the trenches and loving school. Ty has started pre-school and spends most of his days forgetting that it really is school and tells me how much he loves his new friends. Nolen is almost done with football and Scott with his first official year of coaching is thinking about next year already. Emma and Mia have figured out a system that works for piano practice and are loving it. Our house is all a flutter as we talk about think about and pray about the *new* baby. Nadia keeps telling us how she can't wait to see the baby because "it's so tinsy and tincy". The leaves are indeed changing on our street.

And with them I am reminded that there is a season for it all and each has it's own beauty and pain as well. The chill of winter with this thrill of parking your 4X4 on an embankment to "save the plowed spaced for the older people". The new life of Spring with the stark stinging winds. The sweet drip of Watermelon juice off the chin of summer and the biting pain of the first sunburn of the season. And the initial frustration of a full closet of Fall with tank tops hugging fleeces and cords to the fun of watching Single Wing while wrapped in fleece.

Lately I have been watching The Biggest Loser. The participants have eaten themselves to a place where their bodies are about to give out. They are sick and dying. The trainers are pulling them out of their graves and they are still complaining. How can someone in so much pain (overworked knees, backs, hearts, lungs) rebel so much while they are being helped? Sin is ugly. And it twists the reality that is there to the reality that we see. "Why do I have to give it up? It's not hurting anyone, right?" Wrong. When you are Christian you have been bought by too high a price to allow anything to come between you and your Savior.

A friend of mine recently contracted a case of Mersa. It went undetected. It grew. It flourished. By the time she went to the doctor there were no medications that would help, no iv antibiotics that would even touch it it had to be cut out completely. As soon as it was gone it was gone completely, no sign of it remained and the healing process was moving along faster than all thought possible.

This should be our response to sin in our lives. Repent. Run the other direction. Thank the Surgeon and leave the hospital. Is there a case of Mersa in your life? Repent and Voila!

Homemade yogurt, in the crock pot

I found this on www.passionatehomemaking.com and I am so going to try this :)

Edited on 10/5/09 to add: Since posting this I have also discovered that you can make raw yogurt on your counter top, without the use of a crock pot or yogurt maker. All you need is a starter and the super clear directions that come with it. Not only is it easier since you simply leave it on your counter top, but you also retain the benefits of the raw enzymes! You can find culture starters here.

I have tried other methods for making yogurt, but this is by far the easiest. I originally got this idea from Stephanie and use her basic recipe. Making your own yogurt is a frugal way to get some good probiotics into your family.

Here is the cost savings breakdown for us:

• Before: we would buy organic plain yogurt from Trader Joe’s: $3/quart
• Now: I make it out of our grass-fed raw milk from the farmer: $1.75/quart
• Savings = $1.25/quart x 2/week = savings of $2.50/week = savings of $130/year

Trader Joe’s is the cheapest organic yogurt you can find. The health food store sells it for $4.50/quart. For me, it is definitely worth the savings to do the five minutes of total work involved in making yogurt in the crock pot.

Crock Pot Yogurt

Recipe notes: This recipe uses a 2 quart crock. In using a 4 or 4 1/2 quart crock I found the yogurt to have a bit of a "springy" texture. I was able to alleviate this by heating the milk an additional 15 minutes for a total of 2 hours and 45 minutes.

• Turn your crock pot to low and pour in 1/2 gallon of milk.
• Heat on low for 2 hours and 30 minutes.
• Once 2 hours and 30 minutes have elapsed turn your crock pot off and unplug it. Let the milk cool in the crock with the lid on for 3 hours.
• After 3 hours remove 1-2 cups of the warmed milk and place in a bowl. To that add 1/2 cup of yogurt with live active cultures and mix very well.
• Pour the yogurt-milk mixture back into the milk and whisk thoroughly.
• Place the cover back on the crock and wrap the entire crock pot in a thick bath towel or two.
• Let it culture overnight, 8-12 hours.
• In the morning stir yogurt (if desired) and store in glass quart jars or a container of your choice.
• For optimum texture, refrigerate for at least 8 hours before using.

Non-marking soul

As I was helping Ty put his shoes on this morning I read the bottom of his shoe : Non marking sole. And I thought, " Wow, wouldn't it be horrible if we had the same type of label on us?" Let me explain...

When you weave in and out of your day and through the lines at the grocery store, latte stand and in and amongst your children and their friends what is the mark on them left by your soul? Do you leave the people you meet better than you found them, or is there no mark that you were there at all? Do you have a non marking soul? Or are you so filled with thankfulness that you leave a wave of smiles behind you? I went through a shy phase, worried that I would call someone by the wrong name that I never said a word to the children in my children's classes when I dropped mine off. Well, I decided that in the midst of my selfishness I had to stop. This is a golden opportunity to pour out the grace that has been poured into me. I want a marking soul. Now I throw out genuine "good to see you today"'s and hugs whenever I can. These children need to know they are a needed and wonderful part of the school around them.

The headmaster of their school greets every child that comes in with a "Good morning!" and he knows their names! My son did remind me that he does go home at night (good to know he doesn't think he lives at the school!). In the midst of changing and uncertain times for these children an adult that cares about them and wants them there can make a huge difference. Even the hug that you give your daughter's best friend can say more than you think. How about , "Good job making friends! She sure is a good choice!" Any extra amount of love poured in will yield great results.

We have great friends that my children have adopted at various stores that we frequent. A clerk at Costco that doesn't know the Lord will feel themselves pulled with a force unknown when a child freely speaking of their love of Jesus pours out an extra dose of love to them, completely unwarranted.

Even the full heart of your pastor after your children run up to him after the service to say, "thank you" and give him a big hug. It makes a big impact.

Call the people that help you by their names, they usually have name tags.

Be thankful, verbally.

Love your children's friends, especially if it's a friend well made. One that is a true friend to your child.

Pray for grace and for God to open up your eyes to opportunities every day for God to give you a marking soul.

Pray for a hurricane

Time to get uncomfortable. There is nowhere in the entire Bible where God says to his people whom He created and loves dearly, that he wants us to me nice and comfy-cozy. Or most importantly that in that state we would EVER be serving Him as we ought. The last few months have been swimming with the theme BE UNCOMFORTABLE . Each morning of my life i wake up with a plan in my brain of how I want the day to go and just as quickly that plan is ruined. By either my own lack of foresight or the sinners I live with. The goal is to wake up saying , "Ok, God! What's on the agenda for today. Make me ready!" and then move forward with a song in my heart.

I have slowly (how long have I been a Christian!?!?) been choosing to be uncomfortable to put what I believe on my feet.

Do I love Jesus? OK love widows and orphans. Find them, seek them out before they seek me. Be perceptive.

Do I love Jesus? Submit lovingly, thoughtfully and intelligently to my husband whom I WANT to lead me and to make the TOUGH choices for my family. And be thankful when he gets uncomfortable and does it. Even with the coaches who think it's manly to refer to the wife I just want to get away from.

Do I love Jesus enough to fill my coveted spare time intentionally serving Him? Make a call rather than make a cup of coffee. Go to a Bible study where I am stretched and encouraged to grow rather than staying in my comfy clothes at home.

Every time I get uncomfortable I am rewarded and right afterwards I forget and am reluctant to do it again. The flesh is weak and the memory is weaker. We are called on again and again in the Old Testament to remember the good that God has done and to tell our children. God is faithful to hold us and sustain us even in the hurricane.

Pray for a hurricane. Sometimes we need it more than calm.