March 26, 2016

Today was the first full day of spring break!  Yay!  It is finally here!  I spent the day doing a lot of resting, studying Leviticus (Wow.  Those sacrifices can be really complicated!), catching up on some chores and getting ready for tomorrow.

My Prince did some work outside, and ended up having to go to bed this afternoon with a really bad headache.  I felt good all day, but now I think I have caught his headache.  I don't know if it is allergies, or sinuses or both. But it is no fun.

Other than that, it has been a really boring day around here.  And I'm good with that.  Boring is a good thing every once in a while.

We look forward to our special Easter services and celebrating our risen Savior with our church family tomorrow.

This week I am going to take a little time off from the daily blog, and enjoy the time with my family. I will probably blog occasionally this week, just not every day.  And with that, I'm off!

Until next time...

March 25, 2016

It has been a very good, very long day.  I am exhausted to the point of barely being able to hold my eyes open.  I thought I'd share a few pictures with you from the last few weeks. You know, since they are worth a thousand words and all.  So, in no particular order...

My Prince as an auctioneer, at the youth auction.

My gift from one of my students.  Isn't it adorable!

The Oldest Princess as Gwendolyn in The Importance of Being Earnest

The Youngest Princess and I on her 10th Birthday.

 Some of our awesome coral for VBS.

Some of our people (Sal and his new intern Water Buffalo) doing a skit at the VBS clinic.

The Young Prince as Algernon in The Importance of Being Earnest.

Good night to all.  

Until tomorrow...

March 24, 2016

It was another really normal day.

Woke up - did my First 5 devotion.  It was about rules, and how God puts rules in place to protect, not to restrict.  The author of the devotion said that she likes rules.  I, too, have always been a rule follower.  I like to know what is expected of me, and like to stay within the boundaries as much as possible.  But there are times when certain rules do not make sense, and those are the times that I need to remember that God is in control.  Those are the times that I need to remember that the Creator of life knows the best way for life to be lived, and I need to trust Him completely.  At times it is a daily struggle.

School was a pretty normal day.  That is with the exception that it is the day before we get out for spring break, and there's a pretty full moon.  So that makes for excited children.  They are buzzing around like little bees in a hive, about to explode with excitement.  And with Fine Arts over, we did not have band this week, which meant that we had 45 extra class time this week.  So we have been finishing early and getting homework done before heading home, and on some days still having extra time.  Today was gray and rainy, so there was no going outside to run off extra energy either.  It makes for a really long day.  But we made it through, and only have one more day before we all get a much anticipated break.

We came home after school and had a relaxing afternoon.  The Oldest Princess and the Young Prince and the other students in the play performed it for some of the kids from a local school this morning.  Then they had another run-through this afternoon.  They said that they felt like this morning's performance went well.  They were home before we were.  My Prince grilled pork chops for dinner and I fixed the sides.  We downloaded and watched the When Calls the Heart new year's special.

I did a little laundry, and we straightened up the living room.  The Young Prince went upstairs to play his ukulele.  The Oldest Princess watched some more tv.  The Youngest Princess studied for her spelling test and a vocabulary test that she has tomorrow.

We had family devotions.  We read John 13, following Jesus through the events before His crucifixion.  We prayed together, and then everyone started getting ready for bed.  I am going to go and snuggle with the Youngest Princess and read our next chapter of Mandie.

Until tomorrow...

March 23, 2016

Today had been a very normal day.  I woke up and did my First 5 devotion.  This morning it was about how people who had diseases were put out of the camp.  It also showed how sin corrupts like the diseases did back then.  We need to be as vigilant at ridding our lives of sin, as the Israelites were at keeping disease out of their camp.

School was pretty much a regular day.  Except that we got to play one of my favorite review games. We finished our Bible lesson on Esther, and I have a review game called Queen Esther's Court.  I love playing it, and I always save it for the Esther Bible lesson review.  There were a couple of things that were noteworthy from yesterday, that I did not get to mention, because the Young Princess blogged for me.  One was that I walked into my class to find a very cute stuffed hedgehog sitting in my chair. One of my student's brought it in for me.  It is adorable.  It stood guard on my desk all day today. And it makes me smile every time I look at it.  Also, I opened my top drawer to look for something, and I found a treasure that is beyond price.  It was a drawing.  A drawing by one of my students.  She draws all of the time, and she is VERY good at it.  I have hinting to her that I would like for her to draw me.  And she did for the first time a couple of weeks ago.  Since then, she has drawn me a couple of times.  The drawing in my drawer was of me, as well as everyone else in the class.  It was absolutely perfect!  I want to frame it.  I love it.  It is precious to me!

After school today, the Youngest Princess and I came home.  I studied for my group.  My Prince came home with chicken fingers for dinner.  The Oldest Princess and the Young Prince came home from play practice, and turned around and left immediately for church.  I was not feeling well, so I took a 30 minute nap.  Then left for church.  Everyone in our group was there tonight.  I love it when we all there.

After church we came home and watched an episode of When Calls the Heart.  Then we did family devotions, and now we are going read Mandie, and then call it a night.

Until tomorrow...

March 22, 2016 - A Guest Blog by the Youngest Princess

GUESS WHAT? Today is my birthday! I am 10 years old now. Today I had to go to school. It was not a bad day, but it was okay.

At lunch I got flowers from my grandparents. I like the flowers because they were sent with love. What I like about the flowers is they have little diamonds (jewels and jeweled butterflies) in the middle. And I also got a cookie cake. It was AWESOME!!!!!!! My dad brought me some Wendy's it also tasted awesome. Also, everyone sang Happy Birthday to me and my teacher picked me up!

After that we did sign language and Spanish. I am doing well in sign language, but not in Spanish.

When I got home I went outside and did some back handsprings on the trampoline. And my Aunt, Uncle, and grandparents called and told me Happy Birthday. Then I got to open my birthday presents. I got clothes and an outfit for my American Girl Doll.

Then we went out to eat for my birthday. I ate some steak, and for dessert I had key lime pie. It was really good. After we all finished, we went to a store and I got some new make up.

When we came home we watched When Calls The Heart.  Then I got to blog for my mommy. Now, we are going to do family devotions, and then read Mandie.

Until tomorrow...

March 21, 2016

* First 5 this morning - Developing Discernment.  Something I have always thought very important.      We need more people who have spiritual discernment theses days.

* Tried my first day of Plexus.  Didn't love the taste of it, but it was tolerable.  Did seem to have more     energy today than normal.  Not sure if it was related to the product or not.  Just stating the facts.

* School.  All went well.  There is no band this week, so we had more class time than usual.  We got      everything done with time to spare.  The kids were able to get their homework done, while I read
   Josiah to them.

* Came home and worked on my Leviticus study a little while the Youngest Princess studied for her
   health quiz.

* The Young Prince called and asked me to come and pick him up, because he was done with play
    practice, but his sister was not.

* I got to talk to one of my friends on the way to pick him up.  Just a quick 5 minute "catch up"
   conversation, but it was nice to hear her voice.

* Brought the Young Prince home.

* Texted with my sister a few minutes about our plans for next week.

* Talked to my sister-in-law a few minutes about our plans for next week.

* The Oldest Princess made it home from play practice.

* The Youngest Princess got her back handspring on the trampoline - and on her last day of being 9
   years old at that!

* Deep fried some french fries for dinner while My Prince made hamburgers.

* Watched a couple more episodes of "When Calls the Heart" with the family.

* The Youngest Princess went back out to the trampoline, and the Young Prince went out to shoot
   a little basketball.  The Oldest Princess caught a quick cat nap.

* It got dark, and those who were outside came in.

* We had family devotions.

* The Youngest Princess and the Young Prince went upstairs to clean up after playing outside.

* The Oldest Princess worked on her lines for the play.

* I started work on my blog.  My Prince went over health with the Youngest Princess.

* The Young Prince is serenading us from his room with his ukulele.

* The Youngest Princess and I are headed to read Mandie and do a little snuggling before we drift off
    to sleep.

* Until tomorrow...

March 20, 2016

It was a good Sunday morning.  We had pretty much planned out what the Youngest Princess and I were going to wear last night, so that was helpful.

We got to church, and in Sunday School, we got into a discussion about our Proverb of the week, and ended up talking about it pretty much the whole time.  So next week we will go over I Peter 1:3-5.  Our Proverb of the week was Proverb 11:25, and that turned into a discussion about tithing.  It was a good discussion.  We also talked about how some people would rather give money than time and effort to a cause, and others would rather give time and effort than money.  We talked about how it is important to do both.  Give money to support causes, but also to give of our time and energy.

In church, My Prince preached from John 20:21.  He gave us practical ways to put that into practice.  And he encouraged us to pray for people and invite them to our special Easter Sunday services.

After church the Youngest Princess came to me with two of her friends and said, "Just say yes."  Of course I did a little investigating before I "just said yes", but she wanted to go to her friends for the afternoon, and eventually, I did say yes.

The rest of the family went to a local restaurant for lunch, and then came home.  The Young Prince worked on learning his lines for a play he has coming up.  The Oldest Princess ran to the store to get some things for her outfit for the night service.  And My Prince worked on learning how to be an auctioneer for the night service.  I studied for our Sunday night class.

We left to go to our Sunday night class.  It was good.  We had to have it early, because the kids were having an egg hunt and then we were having the youth dinner and auction to help with the cost of World Changers.  We finished our class in time to go and watch the kids hunt eggs.  After the egg hunt, we went in and ate dinner.

The youth were our servers.  The Oldest Princess did not have anyone at her table, so we sat there.  She did a great job serving us.  The Youngest Princess wanted her to cut her meat for her, and wanted to fuss when the Oldest Princess wouldn't.  I explained to the Youngest Princess that she should not expect or ask the Oldest Princess to do anything that she would not ask a waitress to do at a restaurant.  That seemed to put things into perspective for the Youngest Princess, and things got better from that point on.

There was a silent auction, and a live auction.  The silent auction had all sorts of different things that people donated for the cause.  Some things were handmade.  Some things were bought.  Some things were old.  Some brand new.  I bid on  two small things, and won them both.

For the live auction, we auctioned off the teens for different services.  Lawn service.  A painting team.  Babysitters.  Handymen.  Pet sitters.  There were two passes to the pit for a race.  There were two nights and three days at a beach condo.  Good stuff.  And I think they pretty much raised most of the money they needed to help them go to World Changers this summer.  It was a great fundraiser, and I think everyone really enjoyed it.  The Oldest Princess will be doing a couple of days of babysitting.  The Young Prince is on the painting team, and on a yard work team.  So they will be working hard to earn some of the money that was made tonight.

After church, we came home and watched a couple more episodes of "When Calls the Heart".  Now the oldest two are studying and the youngest is getting ready for tomorrow.  She is waiting for me to come and read our chapter of Mandie.  So, I am off!

Until tomorrow...

March 19, 2016

Today was a very normal day.  I got up before everyone, and watched the weekend round-up on my First 5 app.  It was very good, as always.   I also worked on my Leviticus study.

When the Oldest Princess got up, we continued our "When Calls the Heart" marathon.  And I kept laundry going.

My Prince went and picked up the Youngest Princess from her friend's house.  When she got home, she rested for a little while, and then she had to get ready.  Our school's elementary choir sang at a community event, and the Youngest Princess signed up to go.  My Prince took her to the school to join the others and ride the bus to the event.  We caught up with them a little later in time to watch them sing.  They did a great job.

We put dinner in the oven before we left.  The even started a little late, and  we had to hurry home, because we were about 30 minutes later than we thought we would be.  Thankfully, dinner was okay, and not ruined.  I had been worried, but all was okay.

We ate dinner and watched a few more episodes of "When Calls the Heart".  Then we had family devotions, and then everyone worked together to tear out business cards that My Prince had printed earlier with Easter Sunday information.  They are for people to take tomorrow and pass out to invite others to come to our special Easter services next week.

The Oldest Princess had some homework to work on, and the Young Prince needed to go over his lines for the play he is in next week.  The Youngest Princess was doing her own thing, and My Prince did some studying for tomorrow morning.

Now I think I will round up the Youngest Princess and read a chapter of Mandie, and then get some rest before tomorrow's busyness begins.

Until tomorrow...

March18, 2016

Today was not normal in any sense of the word.  Aside from my First 5 devotions this morning, pretty much everything was different than our usual norm.

Today was our elementary fine arts competition.  Our school hosts it every year.  We had students competing, plus we host it, and that makes for a crazy day.  It is very hard to make sure everyone's schedule works and no student is scheduled to be two places at the same time.  Then you also have to be sure that there are no gaps in the schedule.  And you have to be sure that everyone gets where they need to be, when they need to be there, and that the other children are all present and accounted for in the waiting room.  Then there are the tasks of keeping the waiting children quiet, and helping guests find their way around a building that is not familiar to them.  We have to inform parents of performing students when and where their students will be performing.  And maybe there was a text from a friend asking a question about Sunday night, and I might have had to text My Prince because I did not know the answer.  And there might have been another text from a different friend asking about an upcoming event.  And there might have been a miscommunication over the texts that led to other texts to clear things up.  And there was the sweet mom who agreed to stay in the room with us and help watch the kids when we all had to be at different places with those who were performing.  And there were performances by my students, who were nervous and needed a calm reassuring presence.  Someone on their side - those judges can be scary.  Someone who believes in them.  And then there was the Youngest Princess, who had performances of her own.  And I am her Momma, and I get nervous for her and want her to do her very best, because I know how nervous she was and how hard she worked for this day. Then there was the best lunchroom worker in the world who was sweet enough to feed the kids that stuck it out to the end.

We stayed busy chasing busy children around, and the day flew by fairly fast.  Before we knew it, it was time for the awards ceremony.  There were ribbons won.  One first.  Two seconds.  Two thirds.  And that was for the things the Youngest Princess was involved in.  There were many other ribbons won by our students.  Words cannot express how proud I am for each and every one of them that entered.  It is so wonderful to see them use their talents for the Lord!  And it is good to see some of them shine in areas other than academics.  God has given them so many talents!  Many talents that we don't always see when they are sitting in desks and taking written tests.  I love to see them all have a chance to shine in different areas.

After school, My Prince, the Young Prince, the Youngest Princess, and I all went shopping for Easter.
I was able to find a dress fairly quickly.  And, praise the Lord, it was at a really good price.  And, we were able to find the Youngest Princess a dress, and we even found the Oldest Princess a dress.  The Youngest Princess and I both thought of her when we saw it, so we sent her a picture and she liked it, so we bought it for her.  The boys both decided to stick to things they already had.  We were able to manage without buying any new shoes (church members will understand).

I talked to my brother on the phone for a few minutes.  It was good to talk to him.  I haven't talked to him in a while.

We ate dinner, and then did a little more shopping.  I got a text from the grandmother of one of the Youngest Princess's friends.  They wanted to know if the Youngest Princess could go ice skating with them.  We told them that she could.  We made a stop to pick up dinner for the Oldest Princess.  Then we met up with the Youngest Princess's friend and her grandparents.  The Youngest Princess went with them, and the rest of us headed home.

The Oldest Princess had been babysitting, but she was home when we got home.  We decided to do a "When Calls the Heart" marathon.  We watched several while My Prince watched basketball, and the Young Prince played a new basketball video game he bought.  After a while My Prince said that he was ready to go to bed.  We had family devotions, and then he went upstairs to bed.  The Young Prince joined the Oldest Princess and I in watching another show.

Now we are ready to call it a day.

Until tomorrow...

March 17, 2016

It was a normal morning.  I did my First 5 devotion.  It was about rest.  And how those of us who have our hope in Christ will one day have that rest in eternity.  But it also talked about unrest, and how those who do not have their hope in Christ will not experience that rest.  It encouraged us to go and share the Gospel with those who do not have their hope in Christ.

My Prince and I had an appointment this morning with the counselor who will help us and be working with the Young Prince.  I feel like the meeting went very well.  I was nervous, but I really liked the counselor, and I like the plan he has for helping our Young Prince.  I really believe God is in it all, and I look forward to sharing the victories we see with God's help, with you all (and with the Young Prince's permission of course).

After the meeting, we went through a car wash to get all the nasty pollen off of the car, and then we ran through a drive through and picked up some breakfast biscuits.

My Prince brought me home, and I worked on some things around the house.  Laundry, laundry and more laundry - the story of my life!  And I was finally able to sit down and grade my students' library research reports.  I was very proud of them.  They all did a wonderful job.  They never cease to amaze me at how smart they are.

I even managed to get a little 20 min, nap in, before the Youngest Princess got out of school.  My Prince went and picked her up, and brought her home.  She quickly changed clothes for her tumbling class, and she and My Prince and I went to a local park to get some walking in before taking her to her tumbling class.  We were able to walk a mile before it was time to go.  Her tumbling class went well, and then we came home.

My Prince went and picked up dinner, at a local restaurant.  The Oldest Princess and I finally made the time to watch a couple of episodes of When Calls the Heart together while we ate dinner.  My Prince, the Young Prince and the Youngest Princess watched basketball while they ate dinner.  My Prince fell asleep on the couch.  The Youngest Princess came in and watched some of the second episode with the Oldest Princess and I and the Young Prince who is feeling a little under the weather and very tired went upstairs to take a nap.

Now the Oldest Princess is in her room, and the Youngest Princess is practicing her piano piece on the keyboard in our room, and I am taking a quick moment to blog.  When I get done, I am going to start on my Leviticus study (we finished Exodus), and at some point before we all go to bed, we will have our family devotions.  Tomorrow is fine arts day at school, and the Youngest Princess has 5 different performances.  Please say a prayer for her and for all of the other students who are performing/competing.  I am praying that God be glorified through their performances.  Not all of the judges are Christians, and who knows what seed may be planted as the kids play, sing, and speak.  What an exciting opportunity for them to be able to use their talents for the Lord!

Until tomorrow...

March 16, 2016

This morning was a little unusual in that My Prince had an early morning appointment.  He was scheduled to speak to a group of students before they started school, so he was up and gone before the rest of us.  The Oldest Princess did not have class this morning, so she got to sleep in a little later than the rest of us.  But the Young Prince, the Youngest Princess and I got up and got ready as usual. The time change still has me out of whack.  Or maybe it is the crazy schedule we have been keeping. Who knows?  All I know is I am ready for spring break and a little rest and relaxation.

And speaking of spring (achoo!), we definitely (achoo!) know that it is (achoo!) spring (achoo!) around here (achoo!).  We are all sniffeling and snorting and sneezing around here.  Sinus/Allergy headaches abound.  And we buy monthly supplies of allergy medicines.  I always say that one of the reasons I look forward to heaven is that there will be no more allergies. Can I get an amen right there from my allergy plagued friends?

I did my First 5 devotion this morning.  It was about Aaron's sons being consumed by fire, because they did not worship God as He had commanded them.  They wanted to forgo His plans and worship their way.  You know, that is never a good idea.  It is never a good idea to ignore God's direct commands and do things our way.  It never works out very well.  It is always better just to obey the God who created the universe and knows the best way for everything to be done.  It is better just to trust Him and do things His way, even when they are confusing to us.  The devotion pointed out that "How and why we serve matters because Who we serve matters."

School went well.  One of my students brought me a whole box of Thin Mint flavored granola bars. Um, yes.  I believe I will!  I ate one for snack today.  It was wonderful.  And I am blessed to have some of the most thoughtful students in the world.  Not to mention that I got another cartoon drawing of myself this afternoon!  Yay!  It made my heart sing!  And one of my students got a 100 on their spelling pre-test for the first time all year.  It was cause for rejoicing. There are days when I wish I could bottle them all up and keep them that way forever.  Today was one of those days.  We continued to clean for Fine Arts.  I think I pretty much got everything done that I could.  Only a few last minute things to get done before Friday.

My Prince asked if we could go out to eat, so we would not have to cook.  Wednesdays are always hard days to fit dinner in between school and church.  So of course I took him up on the offer.  We text the Oldest Princess and the Young Prince, and they met us at the restaurant after their play practice.  We ate dinner and then came home.

I looked over my Exodus study for my class, and the kids left to go to practice at the church.  My Prince and the Youngest Princess and I left not too long after them.

Our study went well tonight.  We talked about how God is a God of detail, and He plans everything out perfectly.  We also talked about how God is loving and patient with us, even when we mess up time and time again.

After church we ran to a local store to pick up some snacks, as we were running low on snacks at home.  We ran into one of my friends that I don't get to see very often, and of course we had to do a little catching up.

We came home and had family devotions.  The Youngest Princess volunteered to share her song with us tonight.  She picked "Backseat Driver" by Toby Mac.  She said there was one phrase in there that really stuck out to her, and it was "Jesus take the wheel."  She told us that means that we need to remember that Jesus should be the one Who is in control of our lives.  I agree.  It's when I take the wheel back that I run into trouble.  How about you?

After family devotions, everyone got busy working on homework and eating snacks and just chilling out.  And now, I am going to go and hang out with them.

Until tomorrow...

March 15, 2016

I woke up this morning and did my First 5 devo.  Today it was about worship.  How they worshipped back in Leviticus, and how we worship today.  How that worship is about God, and His true worth,  it should never be about you or me.  Something that it is good to be reminded of from time to time.

School was pretty normal. A mom of one of my students sent me a funny picture this morning.  It was nice to start the day off with a smile.  We were able to get all of our work done, despite having Spring Pictures today.  We even had 10 minutes to spare and I was able to read part of a chapter of our Josiah book.  While the students were at Fine Arts practice, I was able to get a good amount of cleaning done in my room in preparation for Fine Arts day.

After school I went and had my hair colored and trimmed.  On the way home I saw two ladies that I know out walking.  They happened to be sisters.  For some reason my thoughts turned to what their conversation must be, and before I realized it, I was really missing my sister.  We have lived away from family so long, that I really am pretty used to it.  But from time to time, it hits me.  And today for some reason, it hit me hard.  I miss living near my family.  I miss having the opportunity to shop with, or go on an afternoon exercise walk with, or get together and have dinner with, my brother and sister-in-law, or my sister on a whim.  I got a little teary eyed.  I miss my family.

When I got home, My Prince had dinner ready.  He is such a wonderful man!  Tonight was the Youngest Princess's choice, and she chose chicken and rice.  And, since I had an appointment to get my hair done, My Prince went ahead and made dinner.  I am a blessed lady.  We ate dinner, and by the time we were done, it was time to get ready to go to our VBS clinic.

We got ready and went.  It was fun, but also tiring.  Our youth group did great doing the songs for everyone.  I was very proud of them.  They have worked hard, and it shows.  After the breakout classes, we helped to clean up all of the decorations, and put the rooms back into order.

Then we came home.  We had our family devotions.  The Young Prince led tonight.  My Prince wanted us all to pick a song that spoke to our hearts and then to pick a night to share our song with the family, and explain why that particular song meant something to us.  The Young Prince shared the song "You Do All Things Well", by Tenth Avenue North.  How true it is that God does do all things well.

Now, we are going to call it a day and rest up for a busy day tomorrow.

Until tomorrow...

March 14, 2016

It was hard to get up this morning.  I am still adjusting to the time change.  I very sleepily read the First 5 devotion.  I even dozed off several times just trying to read through it. But I eventually made it all the way through.  This morning talked about the anointing of the high priest.  At one point it talks about in part of the ordination ceremony, Moses put the blood of the slaughtered ram on Aaron's right earlobe, his right thumb and his right big toe.  I thought the choice of places was very interesting.  This was to signify that Aaron was consecrated from head to toe.  Everything he heard (his ear), everything he did (his thumb), and everywhere he went (his toe), were all consecrated and used for a higher calling, or a higher standard of ethics.  We, too, are priests according to 1 Peter 2:9.  We, too, should consecrate ourselves and be very careful that what we hear, what we do, and where we go, are all led by the Holy Spirit Who lives in us.

The rest of the morning went as usual.  The Youngest Princess and I prayed for our day on our way to school.  The Youngest Princess prayed first, and almost brought me to tears with her sweet prayer thanking God for her family and her freedom.  We enjoyed the beauty of a peach tree orchard in bloom that we passed on our way.  I love to see the peach trees in bloom.  The blooms don't last long, but they are beautiful while they last.  So we made sure to enjoy their beauty this morning, and to thank God for making such beauty for us to enjoy.

School was good.  We were able to get everything done before Fine Arts practice, but we were not able to read Josiah today.  It was about as normal a day as is possible.  We learned about homonyms today in language.  That was fun.  One of my students had a "lightbulb" moment, and I LOVE it when that happens.

After school, the Young Prince, the Youngest Princess and I came home.  The Oldest Princess was already home.  My Prince came home shortly after us.  He took the Oldest Princess to get her Junior/Senior Banquet Dress hemmed, and I stayed home and helped the Youngest Princess with her homework and some studying.  My Prince and the Oldest Princess came home with dinner.  I ate dinner quickly and then the Oldest Princess and I left to go help to set up for our association's VBS clinic.  My Prince, the Young Prince and the Youngest Princess joined us a little while later.  I helped to decorate My Princes's room, and then helped to do a little decorating in the auditorium.  We also helped my friend a little in her room.

We came home and I started working on my blog.  The kids are snacking and watching tv.  My Prince is ready to do family devotions, so I am going to go. After that, we will get some rest.

Until tomorrow...

March13, 2016

Let me just start by saying that Daylight Savings weekend is not my favorite weekend of the year.  Whew, and the older I get, the harder it is for me to adjust to the time change.  But I absolutely love having more daylight in the evenings.  And warmer weather so we can get outside and enjoy creation.

This morning was a good Sunday morning.  Everyone got ready and found their shoes and all was well. Sunday school was good, as always.  We finished Ruth last week, so we started on 1 Peter this week.  We didn't get far, because it is so rich, and so chock full of good stuff, but it just makes me look forward all the more to next week.

In the worship service, the choir sang one of my all time favorite songs, "Were it Not For Grace".  Such a beautiful song, with an absolutely beautiful message!  My Prince preached from the passage Luke 9:51-56.  "Who do you look like?"  An undeterred Christ, the unwelcoming Samaritans, or the uncaring disciples.  Our goal of course should be to look like Christ, every day, in every way possible.  But unfortunately, most of us look more like the unwelcoming Samaritans, or the uncaring disciples, more than we would like to admit. Thankfully, there is a never ending supply of Grace available to us as children of God.  God's goodness is overwhelming at times!

After church, the Youngest Princess asked if her friend could come over.  They wanted to study for Bible Drills.  They promised me that they would study all afternoon.  And they were pretty good to keep their word.  They did study most of the afternoon.

Then it was time to go to church and have our Bible Drill.  I was as nervous as the kids I think.  I love all of those kids dearly, and I know how hard they have worked to get to this point.  I also know that they are nervous having to stand up there in front of everyone.  It is tough!  But they all did great!  I was very proud of each one of them.  They conquered their fears, and drilled like pros.

We also had some of our staff drill as well.  We did kind of an abbreviated drill for them.  They had less time to study, and not nearly as much coaching as the kids did, but I think it helped the kids to see them up there and they all did good, considering I was not the best at giving them information so that they could be totally prepared.  If we do it again, I will definitely be better at helping them be prepared.  But they were great sports, and heros for my kids.

After church, our kids went out to eat with several others.  My Prince and I had a quick after church meeting, and then we came home.  My Prince and I were able to talk through some things we are facing, during the quiet time while the kids were still out eating.

The kids made it home.  We had family devotions and prayer, and now we are all ready to call it a day.

Until tomorrow...

March 12, 2016 - A Guest Blog by The Young Prince

     Guess what! It's Guest Blog time! Here goes! I am the "Young Prince", and today I would like to talk about something that I have learned and can relate to.
   
     First of all I want to point out that I have always had a fascination with animals. I have three books of facts, and pictures of animals. One of the books is roughly two inches thick and about a foot and a half tall! I used to watch "Stanley" where a kid and his goldfish explore the animal kingdom. I loved "Zoboomafoo" as well. My first Google search was of a cheetah, no lie! Needless to say I love all things animal related.

     One of my favorite animals of all time is your stereotypical African Lion. Lions are really cool animals! They have a sense of majesty to them. Have you ever heard a Lion roar in person? Their roars are so loud they can be heard from five miles away. They are powerful animals! What do you think of when you hear the word lion? Maybe a school mascot in your area, maybe Aslan (for my fellow C. S. Lewis fans) or maybe you just picture a lion as you imagine it. Despite being King of the Jungle, (rabbit trail), lions DO NOT live in the jungle! It's completely absurd to say the lion is the king of the jungle. In fact that is like saying the President of the United States is the King of England. Anyway, despite being King of the Savanna, (their natural habitat), a lion tamer can easily overcome a lion. Why is it, you think, that a lion tamer can so easily put a much more powerful, higher on the food chain lion into submission? Allow me to try to explain. When a chair, held by a lion tamer, is thrust into the face of the lion, the lion tries to focus on each of the chair legs. The problem is this confuses the lion. The lion, no matter how powerful or intimidating it seems, cannot get past the legs of the chair. When the four legs of the chair are waved in front of the lion, it gets confused and doesn't know which to attack, or if it should attack at all, thus causing it to remain still.

     You may ask why I pointed out this fact, I'm about to tell you. You, my friend, and I, are like lions.  Powerful, Strong, in the image of the Lion of Judah (God). We were created by God to be just that, yet Satan comes at us with a chair (many things at once), and it freaks us out. Many small problems rush our way, and the truth is we just get confused. That is nothing to worry about though, it is in our DNA. We cannot all help becoming frozen by life's many trials, but we can fight it! God tells us to give over all of our problems to Him, because He cares for us. 1 Peter 5:7. That is something I struggle with, but as my mom mentioned last Thursday, we are seeking help. Thank you to all of those who have prayed, I appreciate your prayers, and ask that you continue to pray for us.

    I drew this earlier today, and have yet to finish all the details, but wanted to share it anyway. 

Until tomorrow... 

March 11, 2016

I woke up this morning, and did my First 5.  It was more about sacrifices and how Jesus was our ultimate sacrifice.  We don't have to carry the weight of our sin, we can go to God for forgiveness of our sins.  I am so thankful that we can.  I can't imagine the burden of having to carry the guilt of my sin around until I could make arrangements to do a sacrifice.  I am so thankful that I can ask and receive forgiveness for my sins as soon as I realize I have sinned, and go to God for forgiveness.  That is a huge blessing.

School went well today.  We were able to get  everything done before the kids had to go to fine arts practice, and most of them were able to get all of their written homework done also.

We left school and went straight to the movies for the Youngest Princess's birthday.  After the movie, we went to Chick-Fil-A and had dinner and a cookie cake.  Her birthday is still about a week and a half away, but tonight was the only night we could go and see the movie she wanted to see.  We had a good time.  The Oldest Princess and the Young Prince had play practice so they had to come to the movie a little later than we did.  But they made it and only missed about 15 minutes of the movie.  They went to eat with us, and then they stopped by to visit the Gray Ghost at work, and make a Wal-Mart run for us.

We felt everyone's love and prayers all day today.  From the comments on yesterday's blog, to the comments under my post, to the texts, and people who stopped us today to share love and encouragement, or their own stories.  God has blessed us by surrounding us with wonderful people who love us unconditionally, and we are very thankful for each and every one of you.  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your prayers, love, and encouragement.  We would ask that you continue to pray, as we work through it all.

When we all got home, we had our family devotions and prayer time, and then everyone settled in to get a good night's rest.  The Youngest Princess and I read the first chapter in a new Mandie book, and now I am going to get some rest myself.

Again, thank you all for the love and support.

Until tomorrow...

March 10, 2016

I woke up this morning, and started the day with the First 5.  This morning, it was about how the fire on the altar had to be kept burning.  One thing that I did not know but learned this morning, was that the fire was not started by the priests.  In Leviticus 9:24, the Bible tells us that "Fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar.  And when all the people saw it, the shouted for joy and fell facedown"  Now that Jesus has come to be our ultimate sacrifice, and we accept that sacrifice, then the "Holy Spirit burns brightly in and through us  to show others that only Jesus is enough."  Only Jesus is enough.  I will never be enough.  You will never be enough. There is no object of our desire that will ever be enough.  Only Jesus is enough.  Only Jesus.

School went well. The students worked hard and finished their Library Research Reports.  They all turned them in today, even though they were not due until tomorrow.  There was much rejoicing in the room when every one of them was turned in.  It was exciting.

After school the Youngest Princess and I came home.  The Oldest Princess and the Young Prince were already home.  My Prince came home not too long after that.

The Youngest Princess practiced "When the Saints Go Marching In" on her flute.  She wanted me to video her and send her performance to several different people.

We ate dinner, and while we were all at the table we went ahead and did our family devotions before the kids all went their separate ways.

As the evening wore on, I could tell that the Young Prince was not his usual chipper self.  I was concerned.  I have been concerned for a while now.  I've thought that maybe it was just normal teenage stuff, and then I've worried that it was more than just normal stuff.  And through talking about it with him from time to time and from walking through some dark times with him, I began to realize that maybe it was more serious than "just normal stuff".  Tonight I talked to him for a long time.  There was a need for assurance of his salvation.  We talked a little about that, and My Prince joined us and helped him with that a little more.  We discussed how that we feel it is important for us to seek professional help for him.  He agreed with me that we need to get him some help. And so, our journey begins.  I was not going to write about it, because I respect my son and his privacy.  He came to me after we had talked about a lot of things, and I was beginning the blog.  He asked me if everything we had talked about tonight was going to go in my blog.  I told him no, that out of respect I would not put it in my blog.  He told me it would be okay if I did.  So, with his permission, I share some of our struggles with you all.  I share in the hopes that our transparency would be an encouragement to some of you who may be facing similar conditions.  As we continue down this road, I will share what he gives me the permission to share, and I will keep private what he asks me to keep private.  I also ask that you all cover us in your prayers.  We covet them at this time.  I know that there is great power in prayer, and so I ask you to pray for the Young Prince, and I also ask that you pray for wisdom for My Prince and I as we walk with him through this uncharted territory.  It is an unsettling place to be.  But with God's help, we will face this head on and give Him the glory every step of the way.

Until tomorrow...

March 9, 2016

Today was a good day.  Probably the best day in at least a week. But it  was a long day, and I am very tired. So some quick highlights...

*This morning - First 5 -  The Ground is Level at the Cross.  "Jesus didn't die on the cross to save only a select few.  He gave up His life for every one of us.  We are all valuable to Him and the only reason Jesus waits to return again is so that all will come to repentance and not perish. (2 Peter 3:8-9)"

*School was good. We had awards chapel.  The Youngest Princess made the A honor roll and was one of the 4 who were within a tenth of a point of each other and was awarded top student.  Her class also did a sign language/pantomime song with sticks.  They did a great job. 

*The Young Prince's ukulele came in.  He was very excited.  He apparently has wanted one forever.  He has been serenading us pretty much ever since.  He is really good at playing it.  I wish I had a little of his musical talent.

*The Oldest Princess checked out of school early today because she was not feeling well.  I do not like it at all when one of my children gets sick.

*I tried to study, which was about like trying to climb up a slide backward, after someone has doused it with oil.  There was way too much commotion going on.  The Youngest Princess worked on her poster (and I read about 5 verses),  and then practiced her piano piece for fine arts (I re-read the same 5 verses), then practiced a new piece she is working on "just because" (then I read maybe two more verses), then she practiced "When the Saints Go Marching In" on her flute (I had to go all the way back to the beginning of the passage and start over, as I could not tell you anything I had read up until that point).  Meanwhile, My Prince and the Young Prince came in, and the Young Prince was showing me everything he had learned on his ukulele.  I gave up trying to study and ate dinner. 

*Church was good.  I love getting to see and talk to people I love, who are of like mind and are doing their best to live for Jesus every day.  It encourages my heart more than I can say.  It is very special  to share our burdens with each other and to pray for one another.

*After Church, My Prince had a deacon's meeting, and I came home and got started on my blog.  When he gets home, we will have family devotions, read Mandie and go to bed.

Until tomorrow...

March 8, 2016

I woke up this morning, and did my First 5.  Today it was about the sin offering.  Here are a few really good points: "The sin offering wasn't for deliberate sins of disobedience.  This offering was for an unintentional sin, a sin of ignorance or error.  Once a person realized their guilt, they had to confess their sin and present the prescribed offering.

They didn't just come with the animal, drop it off at the door and say to the priest, "I'm sorry.  Here is my sacrifice."

No, The person had to bring the perfect animal to the tabernacle, stand in the presence of the priest, put their hands on the animal's head and confess their sin.  Symbolically, the person's sin was transferred to the animal.  But they still were not finished.  Next, the person was required to kill the animal by slitting its throat.  The sinner had to slaughter the animal..."

"While we no longer have to shed the blood of animals to receive forgiveness for sin, we should still somberly consider the blood of Jesus that was shed for our sins on the cross."

Whew!  That is strong stuff!  And all of that was for an unintentional sin!  I am very thankful that Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice, and that we don't have to slaughter animals today!

There was another bird, this time in the backyard, singing his praises to the Lord this morning.  Their happy songs bring joy to my heart!

It was a good day at school.  We finished early to accommodate for our changed schedule.  Then as some of the groups were practicing for fine arts, the rest were working on doing homework, and getting more work done on their Library Research Reports.  I think at least half of them got their final draft done!  Yay!  We are almost done!  There is excitement in the air! AND...I finally became a cartoon!  I have been waiting for this day for a LONG time!  And it came when I least expected it, and it made me very happy!  Have I told you that I have awesome students?

It was a beautiful day, and I was really feeling the need for some exercise.  So on the way home I told the Youngest Princess that we should go to the park and walk.  She got VERY excited.  As soon as we got home she changed her clothes and was ready to go.  My Prince came home and said he would go with us.  Sunshine, fresh air, and a brisk walk were just what we needed.

The Young Prince stayed home, and the Oldest Princess went with the Gray Ghost to get some dinner and ice cream.

We got home from our walk, and the Oldest Princess and the Gray Ghost came in shortly after us.  He stayed and visited a little while.  My Prince was able to talk to his parents on the telephone and catch up with them.

The Oldest Princess worked on homework.  We ate dinner and just hung out and spent time together.

And now, we are going to have family devotions and call it a night.

Until tomorrow...

March 7, 2016

It was 2:00 a.m., and I was wide awake.  It wasn't the dogs that woke me up.  It wasn't a train.  It wasn't even the noise that comes from the industrial plant near us.  It was completely silent.  I have no idea why I was wide awake, but I was.  Usually, when I wake up in the middle of the night like that, God puts someone on my heart to pray for.  So, I prayed for the people that came to my mind.  After praying, I still could not go back to sleep, so I pinned a few pins on Pinterest.  By then, I was getting heavy eyed, and finally fell back to sleep.

I woke up a few hours later, and did my First 5.  It was about the fellowship offering.  It was an offering of thanksgiving.  We, too, need to remember to give thanks for the sacrifice that Jesus made so that we might have peace with God. Peace with God is a precious thing, and not to be taken lightly.

School was pretty good.  Our schedule has changed a bit due to a fine arts competition that is coming up, so the students will have time to practice.  And even with the change, we were able to get things done and even read a little of our Josiah book. We are one day closer to them finishing their Library Research Reports!  Most of the students started on their final copy today.  In class the rest of the week we will work on the little technical things, and on Friday, they will turn them in.  Yay! I love it when they see the finished product and see how much they can accomplish one little step at a time.  It is exciting to them and to me. I got an unexpected text from a friend that really brightened my day.

After school I came home and rested for a few minutes before we began cooking dinner.  The Youngest Princess cut her foot on a toy while doing a flip in the toy room.  I had her go up and wash her foot so that I could put a band-aid on it.  Meanwhile, my friend text me, and I was trying to return her text.  The Oldest Princess was upstairs working on a school project.  The Young Prince was outside enjoying the beautiful day by playing a little basketball.

We ate dinner, and watched a television show.  I texted a few people who had been on my heart.  I also texted/teased back and forth with my brother off and on for a little while.

My Prince and I went to the church for our monthly prayer meeting.  It was a little discouraging to see how few people came, but as always, God's hand was in it all.  Marc and another man prayed together, and I was able to visit with, and share some of my personal burdens with one of our precious ladies.  Then we prayed together.  This month we were focusing on North American Missions, so we prayed for some of our North American Missionaries by name.  I love getting to read their stories and know more about their specific ministries, so that we can pray more specifically for their needs.  I love having the privilege to partner with them in prayer.  I got a phone call, but did not answer it, thinking I would call the friend back in a few minutes, after the prayer meeting was over.

Afterward, we talked with my sweet friend for a while.  It is amazing what people are going through when you just take a minute or two to listen to their stories.  I hate it that life is so hurried that we don't really have/take the time to get to know one another any more.  My Prince shared some encouragement, verses and some resources with her, and we prayed with her.  It was a special time of fellowship, and I am thankful to the Lord for orchestrating it.

My Prince and I made our daily run to DG a local store on our way home to pick up a few things we needed at the house and a couple of things the girls needed for upcoming school projects.  My phone battery was running low, so I thought I would make that return phone call while I could before my battery died.  When my friend answered, I could tell everything was not okay.  She went on to tell me that her life had changed drastically in one day.  My heart broke for her.  There was not much I could say except that I would be praying for her, and I would do anything I could to help her.  

We returned home, and loved on all our kids.  I started my blog and then realized it would be a longer one than usual, so I stopped, and we did our family devotions.  I Thessalonians 1:6-10.  We talked about how they received the Word, and turned from their idols and served the one true God.  And how their testimony was known to the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.  The Young Prince closed us in prayer, and then they quickly went their own ways to get some sleep.  We decided because of the late hour that we would skip the reading of Mandie tonight. I don't know that I would have made it through the chapter.  It was long day, full of many ministry opportunities.  Many times when I needed God's wisdom and mercy and grace.  I am thankful that He works in us and through us, in spite of ourselves.  He truly is a loving, longsuffering God.

Until tomorrow...

March 6, 2016

I woke up this morning, and came downstairs and did a little of my Exodus study (there is no First 5 on Sundays).  While I was sitting at the table, there was a bird in the tree in the front yard that was just singing its little heart out.  It brought a smile to my face, because I know that the bird was singing its praises to the Lord.  Then I thought of a song we used to sing to our kids when they were little.  It talks about the "birds upon the tree tops sing their song"  and goes on to say, "Why shouldn't I, why shouldn't you, praise Him too?"  I thought it was a perfect way to start a Sunday morning. Being challenged by the beautiful song of a bird to praise my Lord with all my heart.

I finished my study, and went back upstairs to get ready for church.  We woke up the kids and had them begin to get ready also.  It was a good morning, especially as Sunday mornings go.

In Sunday school, we finished our study on Ruth. It was very good, and it ends with the lineage of David, which of course is also the lineage of Christ. A small story in the big picture.  Our lives too, are a small story in the big picture.  Of course, we are not in the lineage of Christ, but hopefully we will be the reason that someone else will become members in the family of Christ. Maybe our small story is more important in the big picture of someone else's life than we will ever know.  How inspiring is that?  God uses ordinary people like you and me to make His plan happen.  May we always be willing to be useable in God's hands.

In church, My Prince preached from Titus 2:11-14.  Grace teaches what to look for - His coming v.13,
Grace teaches us who to look for - Our Savior v.13, and Grace teaches us how to live - Holy and Zealous v.14  We need to be willing to do whatever it takes to expand the Kingdom of God.  One question he posed was, "If you knew that Jesus would return in an hour, what would you do between now and then?"  What would you need to do to get right with God?  What would you need to do to get right with others?  Who would you call and tell the good news of God's love, so that they would be able to spend eternity in heaven?  Whatever is it you would feel the pressing need to do, we need to do, and live that way constantly, as if Jesus could return at any time. Because He can.  And we need to live with that in mind.

After church, the Youngest Princess asked if she could go home with a friend.  We told  her she could go.  The rest of us went to eat, and then home.  The Young Prince left to hang out with a friend.  He took clothes so he could go from the friend's house to his leadership team meeting at the church.  The Oldest Princess went upstairs to study, and I prepared for my Bible Drills class, worked on my Exodus study, and worked on more VBS decorations.

Then it was time for church.  Our small group class was good.  We shared our testimonies tonight.  Some of us for the very first time.  I love to hear the different way that God brings people to Himself. I love that we all come from different backgrounds and God brings us all together with our strengths and weakness to serve Him together.

Bible Drills went well.  It was our last class before our church drill next week.  I'm feeling a little pressure this year.  Usually I feel more confident with where we are in this point in the game.  But I know they will work hard and make me proud.  Even now, they have learned so much, and they are doing so well!

After church we came home, and ate snacks or dinner.  I worked on my blog.  The kids got ready for tomorrow.  And now, everyone is ready for family devotions, so I will go.

Until tomorrow...

March 5, 2016

This morning, those of us who were home, slept in.  It was glorious!  I slept until I woke up.  No alarm.  It was wonderful and refreshing.  Still I woke up before My Prince and The Oldest Princess.  I got up and spent some time doing my Exodus study.

The Youngest Prince texted and said that he was on his way home.  He came in and told me a little about his night camping out, and then he headed upstairs to get cleaned up.

My Prince got up and got ready to go and make a visit.  I got ready after he did.  When the Oldest Princess and I were both ready, we went shopping for things to use to make decorations for vacation Bible school.  Of course, we also had to do lunch while we were out.  We had a good time.  I love spending time with my children.  And I love when I get to have one on one time with them as well.  I know that time with the Oldest Princess is fleeting, so I enjoyed every second with her today.

When we got home, we went straight to work getting decorations made. Our VBS director is over the Association's VBS clinic, and she had asked the Oldest Princess and I to make several different types of decorations for her. The Oldest Princess worked on a school of CD fish, and I worked on some cardboard coral and a bloom of jellyfish.  I had to google that.  I did not know that a group of jellyfish was called a bloom.  It is said that you learn something new every day.  We watched a movie and ate cookies while we worked.

The Young Prince cut some grass, and then cleaned up and watched some of the movie with us.  My Prince did some laundry and rested.  He is usually up late on Saturday nights studying and praying and putting last minute touches on his sermons, so on Saturdays when he can rest, he does.  The Young Prince was really tired.  I don't think he slept much last night on his camp out, so he eventually went up stairs to take a nap.

The Youngest Princess spent the day with her friend that she spent the night with last night.  By all accounts, they had a blast.  She came home late in the afternoon.  She said she had a headache, so we gave her some medicine, and she crawled up in my lap and went to sleep.  None of us were starving, so My Prince went to a local restaurant and picked up dinner for those who were hungry.

The Young Prince woke up to watch a basketball game.  I texted with a friend for a while.  My Prince attempted to move the Youngest Princess to her bed.  She woke up and was ready to eat.  So she ate dinner and then laid on the couch for a few more minutes before she decided she was going to go on up to bed.  She told me we could read if she was still awake when I got finished blogging.

I have forgotten to mention it, but since last Tuesday, when we voted, and the Oldest Princess got to vote for the first time, and we made a big deal about it, she has been FULL of questions about politics and the political parties and the candidates.  She is a thinker that little one.  I wish I could say that I was as interested in things like that when I was her age, but I wasn't.  I probably didn't even know that there were political parties, much less what they were called.  I love that she always has questions and when you give her answers, she processes those answers and comes up with more questions.  It is exciting to me that she has a thirst for knowledge.

So, it was a pretty uneventful, restful day here at our house. It is very nice to have those every once in a while.  We were thankful that we were able to have one today.

Now I will get off of here, so we can do our family devotions and go to bed.

Until tomorrow...

March 4, 2016

It was a pretty normal morning, except My Prince had to leave by 7:00, which left us getting ready for the most part without him.  We did pretty good, and most of us got out of the door and to school on time.

When I got to school, one of my students had a little surprise for me.  It was a small hedgehog with lip gloss in it.  It is very cute!  I love it!

We had a lockdown drill this morning.  My kids did a great job!  They did exactly what they were supposed to do.

After that, it was business as usual.  We learned about Ezra.  We divided fractions.  We reviewed vocabulary.  We read one of my favorite stories.  We worked on our second drafts of our library research papers. We took our spelling test.  We took our history exam.  We read about and took notes on our circulatory system.  We practiced our penmanship.  I graded spelling tests and history exams.  And by then, it was time to go home.

The Oldest Princess left from school to go with some of her friends to a movie and dinner.  The Youngest Princess and I went home.  The Young Prince came home with hopes of plans of his own.  He wanted to go camping with some of his friends.  My Prince and I had plans to attend an appreciation dinner/concert at the church, and I needed him to watch the Youngest Princess.  When My Prince got home, he told me that we could take the Youngest Princess with us.  So, we told the Young Prince that he could go camping.  The Youngest Princess did not want to go to the dinner/concert with us.  So, I texted a friend of mine whose daughter is a friend of the Youngest Princess.  I asked if it would be okay if the Youngest Princess hung out with them, while we went to the dinner/concert.  She said yes, and that it would even be okay if she wanted to spend the night.  Of course, she wanted to spend the night.

I spent a little time doing my Exodus study, and then I got ready for the dinner/concert.  We took the Youngest Princess to our friends' house, and then we went to the church.

When we got there, one of my favorite people in the world asked me if I would mind helping to serve.  They were short a person, and she needed my help.  I told her of course I would help.  It was an honor to me that she asked my help.  I enjoyed serving in the line and getting to see people come through.  I enjoyed getting to help.  As long as I don't have to cook anything, we are all good.  If they start asking me to cook, we might be in trouble.

After serving, My Prince and I and several other friends of ours ate dinner.  After dinner, we went to the auditorium for the concert.  The singer was a lady I had grown up listening to.  Well, I grew up listening to her family, as she was a little younger than I.  It was good to see her and see what she has become.  It was a good concert.  And I may or may not have cried through a couple of her more touching songs.  One of the things I loved about her family's songs as I was growing up was that they sang about real life.  She has continued that tradition, and I am glad.

The Oldest Princess got home about the time the concert finished.  I told her to come to the church.  I wanted her to meet the singer.  We stood and talked for a long time after the concert, waiting for the singer to finish talking to everyone else and selling her CDs.

I enjoyed the fellowship of just standing around talking.  It was fun.  The singer came through and we were able to introduce her to the Oldest Princess.  She had to be on her way pretty quickly, because she was traveling by herself and needed to get going before it got too much later.

We left after she did.  At home, we watched a little television, while I worked on the blog.  Now that I am done, we will have our devotions and get some rest.

Until tomorrow...

March 3, 2016

The First 5 was about starting Leviticus, and how hard it can be to study a book like Leviticus.  But we can learn lessons from the attitudes that the Isrealites had, and how they responded to God, and God to them.

My class was full of busy little bees who worked hard and accomplished much.  As always, they make me proud.

My Prince kept the road busy back and forth to the hospital.  We have several church members that have had surgeries, or are in the hospital. So many people who need God's healing touch.

The Youngest Princess got her aerial in her tumbling class, and I caught it on video.

I did my Exodus study, and it was the story of the golden calf.  Every time I read it, I marvel at the Isrealites speed in turning from the God Who had done many miraculous things right before their eyes, to a god that they saw formed by man right before their eyes. I also never cease to be amazed at how much mercy God showed them. Thankfully, our God is a very merciful God.

As for the parts I left out. It has been a really tough day overall. Maybe even a game changing day as someone I know would say. It is a lot to process on my part, and I choose to be silent and take these things to the Lord in prayer.  Please pray with me if you will.

Until tomorrow...

March 2, 2016

*Usual morning, I will spare you the details.

*First 5 talked this morning about unbelief.  "No matter who you are and no matter how long you have been a Christian, unbelief brings unrest.  Unbelief is simply an unwillingness to trust God.  It can rob you of what God has planned for you."  "The path to rest comes through trusting God." "If we want to know God's rest, His peace, in every circumstance, we need to keep our hearts sensitive to His voice.  It all starts with listening, hearing, heeding, believing, and obeying His Word."- Krista Williams

*School was cool, and there are only 17 more days to Spring Break.  Happy Face.  Happy Dance. Only 17 more days!  Whoo hoo!  This part of the school year is always the longest and hardest for me.  But after Spring Break, everyone seems to have a pep in their step, and they are ready to finish strong.  I always love the last nine weeks.

*After school I came home and finished up my Exodus study for this week.  The Youngest Princess rotated between tumbling, practicing her flute, and practicing the piano.  The Oldest Princess and the Young Prince came in from play practice.  My Prince came in from the church.

*I finished a book I have been reading.  It was My Name is Mahtob.  Very interesting.  It broke my heart that she was made to yell "Death to America" every morning while she was in elementary school in Iran.  Her resilience was astounding.  Her forgiveness amazing. Very inspirational.

*The Oldest Princess worked on her invite for the Gray Ghost to her Junior/Senior Banquet.

*We ate dinner, and the oldest kids left for praise team practice.

*We too left for church a few minutes later.

*Our Exodus study was wonderful.  Not a ton of practical application in the directions for the tabernacle, but lots of history and symbolism.  My friend who led tonight brought us awesome color copied pictures to help us better understand the tabernacle and the priest's garments.  So many things pointing to and picturing Christ.  God had a grand plan from the very beginning.  And it is so cool that through His Word, we are able to watch as His plan unfolds.  It also gives me hope for the future.

*My strawberries that I ordered from my friend came in, and that made tonight even sweeter.  I will be dipping them in chocolate very soon. Then I got some precious love and attention from several of my little friends while I admired their coloring pages, and painted fingernails.  It was a great night all the way around!

*We did our weekly after church run to the store, and then came home.  The Young Prince told us that the Gray Ghost told the Oldest Princess yes, that he would go to her Jr./Sr. Banquet with her. But she had gone out to eat with him after church, so we had to wait until she got home to hear it from her.

*When the Oldest Princess did get home, she laughingly told us that there were three different families that she knew at the restaurant.  Once again, instant chaperones.  I love it! And of course, she told us that the Gray Ghost said yes.

*We sent the Youngest Princess to get ready for bed, and when she was done, we had family devotions.

*Now the Youngest Princess and I have a chapter to read.

*Until tomorrow...

March 1, 2016

Wow!  I can't believe it is already March!  Time seems to be flying by.

This morning - the usual.  Woke up, First 5 - about accountability.  I know that I am much more determined to think about what I am studying if I know that someone is going to be asking me what I learned from my study, than I am on the days when I am just rushing through to check off that I have read.

School was pretty normal.  My students for the most part did fantastic on their math test, and on their Science exam.  I love it when they all make good grades!  We were able to squeeze in one chapter of Josiah at the end of the day.  Tomorrow we will finish book 5, and might even start on book 6.  This may be the first class to finish all 7 books before the end of the school year.

The Youngest Princess and I went home and waited a few minutes for My Prince to get home from work, and for the Oldest Princess and the Young Prince to come in for play practice.  When everyone finally got home, My Prince, the Oldest Princess and I (and the Youngest Princess who rode along, because she usually gets a cookie out of the deal) went to vote.  It was the Oldest Princess's first time to vote, and she was pretty excited.  Every time I vote, I think of my mom and dad.  Neither of them ever voted (that I know of).  It always makes me sad that they would pass up such am important opportunity.  They loved their country, but did not vote.  I am thankful that we can pass on the importance of voting to our children, and I am proud of the Oldest Princess for going with us and voting today.

We came home and relaxed for a few minutes before we started dinner.  While we were relaxing, the Young Prince and the Youngest Princess were playing outside.  Something happened and they had an argument.  They both came in upset.  My Prince talked to the Young Prince, and I talked to the Youngest Princess.  It seems that the Young Prince was frustrated at himself, and she was bothering him by asking him repeatedly to do something for her.  She did not get the hint of when enough was enough (she has trouble with that sometimes), and he got angry with her.  I talked to her about knowing when enough is enough, and when to back off.  The Young Prince had gone upstairs, but I told My Prince that he needed to learn to not take out his frustrations on himself, out on his sister.  It wasn't very long until the Young Prince came downstairs and told me that he had heard what I had said, and that I was right.  He sincerely apologized to sister, and she apologized to him.  It was very sweet.  It is the stuff that makes a mom  proud!

Shortly thereafter, we started dinner.  My Prince grilled chicken, and I fixed the sides while helping the Youngest Princess study over her spelling words.

We ate, and then while we were all gathered at the table, we went ahead and had our family devotions before we all went our separate ways to study and prepare for tomorrow and bed.  We read Colossians 3:1-11.  Good stuff there, with a lot of practical application.  I notice that when I set my affection on things on the earth, I tend to be unthankful, and grumpy and sad.  But when my affections are set on those things which are above, I am much, much happier.  And every time I think about "putting on the new man", I think of Mrs. K, one of my youth pastor's wives, and  a lesson that she taught on that subject.  I love you, Mrs. K and thank you for teaching in such a way that your lesson has stuck with me for at least 20 years.

After dinner, we all cleaned up the kitchen.  Then the kids went off to study.  My Prince went to watch some of the early election results, and I started writing my blog.

The kids needed some clothes washed, so we started a load of laundry.  I sent the Youngest Princess to get her shower, and I am going to do a little studying about the tabernacle, while she gets ready for bed, and then we are going to read Mandie and get some sleep.

Until tomorrow...