Plan B and one very tragic PS

We are officially defaulting to Plan B when we return from our vacation/fund raising trip in early August. I guess Plan B was always the Lord’s Plan A, but you know. We are just catching on here. So, what is Plan B you ask?

Since our house in Madison has not sold yet, it looks like Ben will begin his commuting to Dekalb, IL in a few weeks. He’ll go down for 4 days, and come back for 3 - repeat for as many weeks, months, years, as the Lord wills.

It had been our plan to start homeschooling this year, but we decided there is enough stress to be had all around without adding that little piece to the pie at this point. So, we’ve enrolled H6 at the private school she attended last year, and T4 there as well for preschool. L2 is on the waiting list there, but will probably be at home with me. If the house sells sometime this fall, we’ll take a couple weeks off, and start homeschooling then. If the house sells in the spring, we’ll try and keep H6 in the entire year.

I’m peaceful, but disappointed. I’m hopeful, but ready to wait it out.

PS: We have postponed our trip a few days to attend a funeral. One of the students in the ministry here in Madison lost his father to suicide last week. It’s been a very heavy couple of days. Please pray for Eric and his family. It seems certain Eric’s father was a believer who had been struggling with clinical depression for many years. A terrible combination of stress and perhaps medication not working to the extent that it needed to created a terrible opportunity for despair. I believe Eric is rejoicing for his father’s freedom now and presence with  Jesus, but is obviously very shaken.

All around the bloggy world…

Women are wondering “Would I have been a good wife in the 1930’s” It’s a very pressing question. As it turns out, I would have been OK. How about you?

69 As a 1930s wife, I am Superior Take the test!

cast, dart, dash, fling, heave, hurl, hurtle, launch, pitch, shoot, shy, sling, toss

I’ve always loved 1 Peter 5:7 and the idea of casting all my cares on Jesus. Casting… What is that exactly? According to the trusty thesaurus, it’s all those great words in today’s title. My favorites are heave, hurl, and launch. I imagine huge objects, absolutely too heavy to carry around, hurtling through space towards the heavens.

It’s more than just venting, don’t you think? There’s some sort of seperating of self, and pushing away from that we get to do. It’s more than surrender, although, I’m sure that must come first. Why do we like to cling on to these worries so much? Today, it feels like tearing out and using all my strength to put distance between me and them.

1 Peter 5:7 (Amplified Bible)

Casting the ^[a]whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, ^[b]once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you ^[c]watchfully.^(A)

Lord, thank you for snatching up these concerns. Thank you for your affection. I know you are watching and caring and working.

Another “What would you do?”

It happened for the second time today. I opened a library book to discover someone had made a “modification” to the content using sticky notes. This time the person had cut out a set of clothing for the naked woman and man in the Eric Carl book, Draw Me a Star. The other day, it was a sticky note with the word, “silly,” covering up the author’s word choice of “naughty.”

I’m positive it is not the work of the library. I am super surprised this would be happening in Madison, the most liberal town in nearly all of America. Each time I’ve run across it, I’ve taken the sticky notes out of the book and thrown them away. But tell me, what would you do???

Vandalism

Ever since we put our home on the market this spring, I’ve wrestled a bit with the “J” word. JEALOUSY!!! When I’ve passed homes with “SOLD” signs in the yard, I’ve had this crazy urge to smash into them with my car, or sneak back out late at night and spray paint them. I hope it goes without saying, I have never acted on these urges.

At the root if it is just some more bad theology, boiling up (and hopefully OUT) of my little heart.

“Well, I’m sure THOSE people don’t even DESERVE to get to move and not have their lives on hold like ME. I mean, I’m a Christ follower. I deserve some perks in this real estate business.”

So, to expound on that line of reasoning, God must NOT have a plan for any other family in the community. He must also not care at all about non believing families. He must also not have any special plans for the children being raised in those homes. He must have something extra special planned for us because we believe His son was raised from the dead.

Yuck. Blech. Gross.

And so, dear families, I join you in a huge sigh of relief. I celebrate your “SOLD” sign. I hope you come to see the Lord’s purposes in your move and in your life. I pray that your children will come to know their Savior in the places where you are moving to. I hope wonderful things for you, and I promise NOT to show up with my squirt gun when your moving truck arrives.

Create your own family sticker graphic at pYzam.com

Enter at your own risk…

Scientists have just confirmed my home to be the Bermuda Triangle of Sippy Cups. Where once a fleet of matching lids and cups sailed atop the calm and peaceful sea…

now there are…

none.

Just a couple of rag tag lids remain, sadly mourning their soul mates, lost at sea, never to be found.

Stressy Mommy

I confess that I have been a stressy mommy these last few days. I have raised my voice, given the “evil eye,” and wished my children would, “GET A CLUE ALREADY!!!” The thing is, even in the middle of it, I know it’s me, not them, with the real issues. Yes, they have been especially tough the last couple of days, but I’ve been a poor leader, and in return, I have some discipline issues cropping up that would not be there if I’d been out in front, instead of limping back here, whining and stressing.

(I like to write really long sentences when I’m stressed… )

Any who… time to get ahead of the curve around here!

I’ve been waiting for this all summer…

It’s here… the month of July. Ben’s birthday party, our vacation to TN, another trip to Dekalb. After a rather slow June, I’ve been looking forward to this faster pace for weeks now. So, it’s here, and the calander makes me tired just looking at it.

Wish I could morph myself into this little guy…

Here’s my little guy before Transformers, Legos, and Rescue Heroes. Doesn’t that soft blankey look inviting? Perhaps I’ll settle for a little snuggle with T4 this afternoon. Sounds delightful.

I’m so sorry…

I’ve known the cost of food has been on the rise, but over the last few weeks, I’ve really felt it. I’m a very boring grocery shopper. Every week I buy very close to the same thing, with a little variety in the kind of fruit and veggies we eat, and whatever meat has the “Reduced” sticker on it. My target is between $80-90 and I used to be able to do it with my eyes closed, without a calculator, and with all three kids along. No problem.

The last few weeks, I’ve gone through my same routine, but the total has been over $100. I don’t know exactly what’s costing more, and I’m also not sure what in the world I can cut out. And this brings me to my main point.

I just want to publicly (to all 8 of you) apologize to all the women who I have scoffed at in my heart as I’ve seen you pushing your carts full of white bread, nutter butter bars, margarine, frozen pizzas, and Hi-C punch. I have accused you of not taking care of your family’s health, but I’m beginning to understand you and I’m sorry for my prideful heart. It is so hard to come home with so little. It is hard to say no to kids who want a snack and even harder to provide one that is healthy, convenient, and low in cost.

I’m just getting on the band wagon with the Global Food Crisis. I’m not sure where to start with that, but I’m trying to learn what I can at this point. But, for those of you who have been experiencing this in your homes for years, who have been trying your best to provide for your family, and who have endured the snotty looks from “Healthy” shoppers at the local grocery store, I’m really, really, sorry.