Fruitful Thursday : Joy Is

Wow, is it the end of the month already? This will be the last Fruitful Thursday dedicated to Joy. Next week I'll move on to Peace. Let me tell ya, I'm ready for peace - peace of mind, peace of spirit - peace. But for now, JOY!

As I stated in a previous post, joy is something we need to seek out. This is not heaven, this is Earth, a beautiful place flawed by sin-so life will not be perfect this side of the pearly gates.

If we're going to be joyful we need to make a decision to be joyous. We need to make an effort to focus on the good and choose to do good. We need to see beauty in the ordinary.

Last week I had a wonderful vacation, I was able to take a step back from my life, a step back from myself and see joy in those moments I usually overlook.

Joy Is a sunrise, a new day to choose good

Joy Is a sunset, the end of a bad day and the hope of a better day tomorrow.

Joy Is a smile from a loving husband.

Joy Is a cuddle on the couch with a sick child.

Joy Is a nap in the afternoon.

Joy is a lesson in the difficult times.

Joy Is the security of eternal life, no matter what the Earthly life brings.

Father, thank you for the runny noses and attitudes, for the dirty dishes and crumb sprinkled floors. For that means that my house is full of loved ones. Thank you for the mystery of the journey of life and all the uncertainty and excitement it holds.

What is joy to you?

Homeschool Village Blast From The Past

Today The Homeschool Village's Thurday link up theme is Blast From the Past! We're sharing school photos and memories from our favorite teacher. The Village asks:

Who made a positive impression on you? Who's words have stuck with you all through the years? Have you carried over any of their traits into you own homeschool?

First, I'll share my father's all time favorite photo of me. I'm about 4, preschool age. Aren't I cute? Ha!

As for my favorite teacher, I'm sad to say that there aren't many that stick out as favorites. I liked my first grade teacher Ms. Woodrow (I think that was her name) she was a big lady who loved to give hugs!

My second grade teacher was good too, Mrs. Banner (-or Bannen, apparently I had a problem with names) she was nice and always had a smile or kind word for the students.

Other than that I liked one of my high school English teachers, Ms. Rose. She wasn't cuddly or full of smiles, she was tough, but I learned from her. She challenged us, expected the best and called us out if we slacked off. In my own homeschool, I think I'm most like Ms. Rose.

Come back this evening for the Fruitful Thursday post!

Vacation 2010 - Photo Overload!

I took a TON of photos while on vacation. I wanted to share a few (okay a bunch) of my favorites with you. We had a wonderful time at Chincoteague (shink-uh-teeg) and Assateague (ass-uh-teeg) Islands. This was a working vacation for hubby, he could only join us in the evenings, so during the day my mother-in-law, the four boys and I had a blast.

We went to the beach, walked nature trails, visited museums, went fishing, clamming, crabbing and shopping. Here a few of the highlights! All captions go top left, top right, bottom right, bottom left (clockwise).

Good times on the beach-Fox and Billy in the surf; Fox and Tony in the surf; Bram in the sand; Billy, Tony, Fox and Bram

Bram looking for clams; the mud flats; Bram enjoying the mud; Tony, Fox and Bram. We didn't find any clams, but we did find mussels-they were delicious!

The flag we saw almost every day at the beach for rough water; a crab Billy caught; the Assateague lighthouse; Bram in the pool

Fishing and crabbing in the canal behind our rental house-heaven! Bram; Tony; Billy; Fox

Gorgeous beach views-the beach at dusk; an early moon during an evening dip; sunset over the marsh; ocean sunrise.

Our first trip to the ocean the evening we got in; the view from the porch at our rental house; moonlit ocean; Bram and Fox's footprints in the sand.

I'm ready to go back. I think I could live near the beach and be a happy girl. *big happy sigh*

PEEP and the Big Wide World (A Giveaway) CLOSED

**ALTHOUGH IT DOESN'T SEEM THAT RANDOM, THE WINNERS AS CHOSEN AT RANDOM.ORG ARE COMMENTS # 7 & 8. CONGRATULATIONS!! THANK YOU TO ALL THAT ENTERED!

I recently tweeted about my love of PEEP and the Big Wide World. I do this from time to time with shows and musicians I like, just for conversation's sake. So you can imagine my shock and excitement when I was contacted with an opportunity to offer you, TWO of my beautiful readers, a chance to win a PEEP and the Big Wide World DVD!!

Not familiar with PEEP? (shame on you!!) It's an adorable cartoon, narrated by the fabulous Joan Cusack which introduces science concepts to preschoolers. Each 30 minute episode contains 2 stories, plus live action segments.

PEEP ( thoughtful baby chicken), Chirp (an adventurous robin) and Quack (a cantankerous duck) live by a pond in an urban park which they explore with the same wide-eyed, seeing-the-world-for-the-first-time wonder of a toddler.

I could go on and on (and on) because this is one the shows Bram and I adore, but I'm sure you would like me to get to the fun stuff, the giveaway!! Because I'm so over the follow me here, here and here phenomenon, I'm going to make this simple.

TO ENTER:

Go to the PEEP and the Big Wide World website and tell me what you love the most about it!

RULES:

• You must be at least 18 to enter
• Open to US and Canada residents only (sorry everyone else!)
• You must leave a contact email address or link to your blog for notification purposes
• Only ONE entry per person

This contest closes Wednesday, October 6th at 9PM EST. TWO winners will be chosen to win one DVD each. The winners will be notified via email. Once they have provided me with mailing information the winners will be posted here. If the prize(s) is unclaimed a new winner(s) will be chosen. Thank you and good luck!!

**Want more PEEP? Check out these links for fun activities to coincide with the episodes! (I'm thinking preschool unit studies people-isn't this great!)

Catch your shadow on a sunny day.

Making things bigger.

Bathtub boats.

Exploring sixth sense.

Making parachutes.

Enjoy!!

I'm BaaaaAAAAAACK!

Did you miss me? (passes coffee and scones) Eat, eat! I missed all of you! If you've been wondering where I disappeared to, I was on a blessedly enjoyable family vacation in Chincoteague and Assateague Islands. I hope you enjoyed my wonderful guest posters, Chantelle (Given Much) and Stef (Layton Family Joy) and gave them lots of bloggy love. Later this week I will share all about our trip, but for now I want to share about The Homeschool Swap.

Have you heard about this? It's a fun swap for homeschooling moms, click over and read all about it!

I was blessed to be paired with the one, the only, Ms. Bee, Sprittibee. (GULP) I was a little intimidated because she is one of the "power bloggers" I read and adore but I am happy to report that she is just as sweet, welcoming and funny via email as she is on her blog. Here is what she sent me:

All kinds of kitchen goodies because I love to bake-measuring cups, cork heat pads (lurve!) and dish towels. Also school goodies-a pink highlighter, mechanical pens, a drawing pad and a note pad. Plus goodies for the kids-straws in cool colors and a mini beanie baby.

Thank you Heather (we're on a first name basis now) for blessing me so greatly and being so open and kind.

**I have a lot of catching up to do here, so stay tuned. Over the next couple of weeks you will see my vacation story, shout outs to some companies that made a bad drive home bearable, a Peep and the Big Wide World DVD giveaway and a Wii Swords game review as well as my continued Fruitful Thursday series.

Fruitful Thursdays: Joy Algebra (A Guest Post)

Please welcome today's guest, Stef, from Layton Family Joy.

I sit here wondering about the word JOY as I drink hot chocolate out of my JOY mug and look upon my JOY knick knacks. Joy is my favorite word - so much so I named my blog Layton Family JOY. The weeks before Christmas I am giddy with excitement to unwrap our decorations - our JOY ornanments so many I dare not even try to count them or waste the entire day losing track!

I have decorated our home and my life with this word - but I can't help wonder if I have decorated the walls of my heart with it as well?

Joy means - the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires : delight (webster).

What are your desires? Does possessing them bring you joy - or does that mean you raise the bar for the next thing on your list? Does someone else hold the key to your joy?

What if JOY was not the end result? Could we have gotten the equation wrong?! I did not finish my college degree because I could not pass algebra - so maybe that's the problem. But ... what if a+b=joy was wrong? Bonus + well behaved children = JOY? Blog comments + affirmation = JOY? Sadly some have no clue what to plug into their equation and therefore believe the lie that they will never have joy. Others it's as simple as money + security = JOY.

What if the thing we're waiting on - the end result of joy - is already being stored within us waiting to be activated?

you + joy = hope
you +joy = testimony
you + joy = a glorified God

Did you know that in the old testament the trees and mountains are told to "shout for joy" (Psalms). My 7yr old will tell you a tree is a producer - it makes it's own food and gives off oxygen. And yet a tree can shout for joy quicker than I can! Maybe it's not about being a consumer and searching on a wild hunt for JOY ... maybe it does not rely on our outcomes or our current situations. Because we live in a morally decaying world - stuff does not last and people let us down, so why wait on that to bring JOY? Yet God promises to make our joy complete John 15:11 "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete".

Dare we even think that JOY is already alive right now within our hearts - it's just a matter of us allowing it to breathe? Maybe unlocking the secret to joy is really just a choice.

The trees can sing for joy because they are part of God's creation - it's not because of what they get -who they live next to - how happy someone else makes them, or what the day holds -- it's because of what God has allowed them to be. Part of God's plan, part of God's design. You are apart of that too! Put your joy up front and on the other side of the equation don't wait for it - act upon it! Allow your joy to live!

Biology Is Irrelevant (A Guest Post)

Please welcome today's guest, Chantelle.

My name is Chantelle and I’ve been Given Much.

One of the greatest blessings I’ve been given

is the opportunity to discover first hand just how completely irrelevant biology really is.

……………..

On the left - the moment I held our 1st child in Calcutta, India.

On the right - my baby girl and I now… 9 years later.

When we met

I adored her,

but she did not know me from Adam.

Now the adoration is shared.

It would be utterly impossible for me love another human being on the face of the earth

MORE than I love this child.

Adoption = Love.

Chantelle blogs at Given Much where she shares about her life with 5 internationally adopted children. She tackles issues from ADD to HIV, all with help from God. She is a homeschooling mom with a passion for adoption. I hope you'll stop by her blog and say hi!

Your Baby Can Go Green: The Benefits Of Organic Clothing (A Guest Post)

Please welcome today's guest, Signe Whitson

You teach your pre-schooler to turn off the water when he brushes his teeth every day and encourage your school-aged child to assist with recycling efforts each week. But did you know that even your baby can be “green” and contribute to a healthy Earth?

Choosing baby clothes made from organically grown fibers offers your developing child the chance to wear naturally soft fabrics grown without the use of toxic pesticides and produced free from harmful finishing chemicals. Baby apparel made from organic fabrics also boasts hypoallergenic properties, offering protection for your child’s soft, sensitive skin. Organic fabrics include cotton, wool, hemp, soy and bamboo.

While only 3% of world agriculture is used for cotton production, as regularly-grown this crop uses a full 10% of the world’s pesticides on an annual basis! When cotton is grown organically, on the other hand, it is raised on a pasture completely free of pesticides, fertilizers, and any synthetic chemicals.

When you choose to buy 100% certified organic cotton baby clothing, you protect people and animals from being exposed to these hazardous processing chemicals and play a vital role in preventing toxic residues from being accidentally entered into the environment. What’s more, you send a powerful message to farmers that investing in pesticide and fertilizer-free pastures is worth their time and money.

For great baby shower gifts, look for organic baby clothing. When environmentally-friendly behavior meets adorable baby fashions, we are all the winners.

Signe Whitson is a freelance writer and co-author of The Angry Smile: The Psychology of Passive Aggressive Behavior in Families, Schools and Workplaces. She is also a licensed social worker and mother to two young daughters. Please visit her blog about passive aggressive behavior. My Baby Clothes Boutique provides her articles to help give back to the parenting community.

Fruitful Thursday :

If you're a regular reader, you know I love words. Maybe too much. I love visiting the online dictionary and thesaurus and looking up synonyms. Since I'm concentrating on the fruit of the spirit, JOY, this month, I couldn't resist looking it up. Here is what I found.

Main Entry: joy

Part of Speech: noun
Definition: great happiness, pleasure
Synonyms: alleviation, amusement, animation, bliss, charm, cheer, comfort, delectation, delight, diversion, ecstasy, elation, exultation, exulting, felicity, festivity, frolic, fruition, gaiety, gem, gladness, glee, good humor, gratification, hilarity, humor, indulgence, jewel, jubilance, liveliness, luxury, merriment, mirth, pride, pride and joy, prize, rapture, ravishment, refreshment, regalement, rejoicing, revelry, satisfaction, solace, sport, transport, treasure, treat, wonder

Now I expected the average synonyms like gladness, delight and satisfaction. But I was surprised by a few of the others.

Comfort

Charm

Jewel

Wonder

Not the words that come to mind when I think of joy. But oh so true.

"For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows." 2 Corinthians 1:5

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised." Proverbs 31:30

"Gold there is, and rubies in abundance, but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel." Proverbs 20:15

"He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes." Deuteronomy 10:21

Joy is not limited to ecstasy. It is the comfort of a relationship with a living God, the freedom to be who we are (not having to charm), the wealth (a jewel) of knowledge that surpasses all understanding and the wonder of a serving a God who will forgive all our sins.

What JOY synonym do you like best?

Just Because It's Pretty

We recently spent some time at Baker Park in Frederick, Maryland. I love that park, it's pretty. So I took some photos, played with different features on Picnik and voila! Pretty pictures.

Linked To:

Sweet Shot Tuesday at Life With My 3 Boybarians

Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes For Mom

Wordless Wednesday Hub

Homeschooling - Gearing Up For A New Homeschool Year (When You Don't Want To)

On September 27th we will officially begin our 10th year of homeschooling! It's exciting, and-modesty be darned-I'm extremely proud of myself for "making it" this long. I have always looked forward to the new school year. Looking over curriculum choices, getting packages in the mail and lining our bookshelves with new reads always puts a smile on my face.

But I've found that (if you homeschool for any length of time) there are seasons to homeschooling.

And for the first time I find myself in the winter of our homeschoool career. I just don't have the energy, the organization or the desire to pull it all together. I have moments of excitement, but not the Christmas morning, kid in a candy store joy I usually experience.

There will be times when you just have to put one foot in front of the other and will yourself on. I'm making my way out of this slump, slowly but surely. And I'm here to tell you that you that you can too! Here are my tips for

Gearing Up For A New Homeschool Year (When You Don't Want To):

1. Pray - Ask and ye shall receive. Pray and meditate on what it is you need, joy, patience, health, help, etc.
   
   
2. Reminisce - It hasn't always been hard. Remember the good times and have faith that they will return.
   
   
3. Plan The Fun First - What is it you enjoy most? Start with that! I enjoy field trips! So before I considered curriculum choices, I made a loose outline of field trips and volunteer opportunities for the year.
   
   
4. Smile - If you attitude is poor your children's will be also. This makes your job harder and creates a viscous circle of bad attitudes.
   
   
5. Ask For Help - In very difficult times, especially those involving chronic illness or a new birth, you just can't do it all no matter how hard you try. Ask for help. Can Dad cover P.E? Will Aunt Velma take the kids to the zoo? Maybe your neighbor is a retired science teacher and will do labs with your children once a week.
   
   
6. Take Care of You - I have found my job is infinitely harder if I'm out of sync. Do your best to eat right, exercise and get a full night of sleep.
   
   
7. Change It Up - Consider starting the new school year "late" or try homeschooling year round. Switch the order of your lessons. Sometimes all we need is a little change in the schedule to brighten our outlook.
   
   
8. Reevaluate - I've found that when I'm overwhelmed it's often because I've taken on too much. Try trimming some of the extras out of the schedule. Or if you need a radical change, take it down to the bare minimum (reading, math and science) and build out from there...s-l-o-w-l-y.
   
   
9. Make A List - Sometimes it helps to see it on paper. Make a list of why you started homeschooling, why you've continued to homeschool and the good you've seen come from it. Count your blessings.
   
   
10. Spend Some Time With Public Schoolers - I don't mean this to bash public school, it is a great option for some. But whether your kids are public, private, or homeschooled we all know at least one kid that is the bane of public school's existence-spend some time with that kid and allow them to steel your homeschool resolve.

Linked To:

Oh Amanda's Top Ten Tuesday

Kids Love Pennsylvania (A Book Review)

I recently had the opportunity to read and review KIDS LOVE PENNSYLVANIA by George and Michele Zavatsky. Yes, FTC, the book was given to me for free, the following opinions are 100% mine and truthful.

I am very pleased with this book It will have a reserved spot on my bookshelf and be thumbed through often!

KIDS LOVE PENNSYLVANIA is a user friendly guide to family and kid friendly tourist destinations over all of Pennsylvania (my state). The destinations are broken down by area (north east, south central, etc) and then by town/county.

What I especially love is not only the volume of destinations included in the book, but the information listed for each one. Contact information such as web sites and phone numbers are listed, as well as hours of operation and admission prices!

Each of the 600+ destinations are described in wonderful detail--destinations such as state parks, factory tours, amusement parks, farms, sports and seasonal events and even dining suggestions. I put this book to the test for my are area. I found every destination I was aware of, plus many I was not! I tested websites and checked admission fees for many of the listed destinations and found everything to be correct.

Truly, this book is great for anyone living in Pennsylvania or planning a visit. Be sure to stop by the Kids Love Travel site to view fun extras like homeschool helps, activity books, travel games and guides for other states like North Carolina, Ohio, Georgia, Tennessee and more!

Fieldtrip to DC

Being that we're not starting our official school year until the 27th, this was just another average, laid back week. Except for two things.

1) Shane was in Puerto Rico on business all week. Yes, I was jealous, thanks for asking.


2) I took the kids to Washington DC on Friday-we had a great time!

My bloggy friend, Stef (from Layton Family Joy and The Homeschool Village) came to DC with her family. I didn't want to miss an opportunity to meet her so I packed up the boys, went to DC and met up with her and her ADORABLE children. It was great to meet her face to face, see her in 3D and get some time to chat. Stef is just as sweet and kind in real life as she is online and I feel so blessed to be able to call her a friend!

We met up at the Museum of Natural History, where the littles could explore. But the bigguns had a fun time too!

(Fox and Bram digging through the tumbled stones)

(Billy getting up close and personal at an insect exhibit)

My favorite part of the day was the museum's butterfly exhibit. This is an enclosed area where butterflies fly free. They are everywhere and land on anything! It was awesome.

(Bram fascinated with the butterflies)

(Because I'm so sweet.)

(Stef's new friend.)

(Identifying butterflies with the chart...the same chart I had to take from him for trying to swat the butterflies with it...ahem)

After touring the museum, we took the kids out on the mall. They were able to run around and burn off some energy while we adults got to chat.

(Left-Smithsonian Information Center, Right-Museum of Natural History These two buildings are opposite each other on the mall)

(The Washington Monument)

After Stef and I said our goodbyes, I took my fellas to the National Gallery of Art. The outdoor sculpture garden was absolutely lovely.

(So cool! This piece looked 3D from the front, but when you look at it from the side it's obviously not)

(I loved this metal tree!! I think they should do a forest of them and put twinkle lights in them at night. Wouldn't that be gorgeous?)

(Inside the art gallery. Tony and I were fascinated with the sheer scale of some of the paintings.)
(His face says it all)

After the art museum we were tuckered out. We took the metro back out of the city-a highlight for Bram-and made our way home. It may not sound like we did that much, but we were in DC from 10AM-5PM. There was just so much to see and do!!

That's it for this week. How was yours? Share and link up at Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

Fruitful Thursdays : Working For Joy

I've been yearning for joy.

I've been meditating on joy.

I've been praying for joy.

"You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures in your right hand." Psalm 16:11

That is not an empty promise.

God wants me to have joy.

Knock the wind out of you, bring tears to your eyes joy-maybe not every second of every day, but he wants us to experience it.

Now this post is about joy, so I don't want to be a downer, but I feel God talking to me. And I'm finding that, like most things in life, anything worth having takes work.

I can't just yearn and meditate and pray for joy. I need to work for it. I need to seek it out, search every dark corner and drag it out!

"In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." Luke 15:10

My particular brand of joylessness has been caused by worry, self absorption, pride...in other words...sin.

So in order to find my joy I need to do the work, I need to repent!

I need to yearn for righteousness.

I need to meditate on my blessings.

I need to pray for forgiveness.

I'm working for my joy.

Gathering Clothes for Storage

September is here, cooler weather is on its way! If you're like me-blessed with a house with itty bitty closets-this means it's almost time for the bi-annual clothing swap in which last season's clothes get packed and stored, and next season's lugged out and put away.

This is a chore I always dread, it's just not fun. My usually modus operandi included packing up every piece of clothing imaginable, only to find stray clothing that should have been packed up with every new load of laundry.

Well, even though the chore isn't fun, I've found a way to make it a lot easier that Works for Me. Like most things, it's all about organization and preparedness. Designate a collection area! Establish an area to place items that no longer work for the season. You can organize this by family, person and/or closet.

For my closet, as the season changes and articles become too hot or cold to wear I simply hang them up together on the far right of my closet. Then, when it's time for the seasonal switch all I have to do is take them down and put them in a space bag or storage bin.

For my big boys, they have a plastic bin in the back of their closet into which they toss any CLEAN undesirable items.

And for my little one, I designated an entire drawer for him. This was especially helpful when he was an infant and he seemed to outgrow clothing on a daily basis. If it was too small, it was automatically placed in the bottom drawer.

The added bonus of this method is clothes are automatically organized by size. This method also works well for donatable (is that a word?) clothes. When it's not time for the seasonal switch, our bins, drawers and closet areas are designated for items we wish to donate to Good Will.

That's what Works for Me, what works for you?

Do you need more help in the clothing department? Then check out these other fabulous clothing tips:

• Raising Arrows (a mom of many) shares her method of storing hand-me-downs.


• A Slob Comes Clean talks about managing clothing clutter.


• Feels Like Home offers the first in a series of posts about making keepsake quilts from baby clothes.


• Mama's Laundry Talk shares how to store children's clothes for future use.


• Many Little Blessings talks about closet clean out and wardrobe organization.

Sesame Street E-books! [A Review]

I have some very exciting news for my fellow homeschoolers, book lovers and parents alike!

Sesame Street now has an E-bookstore!

I was given the opportunity to review Sesame Street E-Books for free. And while I'm generally not an e-book lover I was impressed with my experience. I'm a book snob, I love the look, the weight, the smell of books with real pages, I like to shop at brick and mortar book stores. But as I looked through the Sesame Street E-Books with my toddler, and he became more and more excited, I thought "This could be a good thing".

• E-books can't be ripped.
• They can't be lost (unless you misplace your computer).
• The stories and colors are just a vibrant as paper books.
• They are much more portable, great for road trips.
• They have the added bonus of audio, animation and interactivity (also great for road trips)

The Sesame Streets E-Book Store offers over 100 e-books for $39.99 for one whole year! The titles cover 19 subject areas, including but not limited to cultural appreciation, numbers, colors, letters and counting.

New titles are added regularly. And if you would like to get an idea of what is offered, there is a FREE rotating 5 book selection.

Weely Wrap Up - The Nothing To Report Edition

This photo has nothing to do with the post,

I just thought it was pretty.

I love the Weekly Wrap Up over at Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers. I haven't been participating much lately because it's a homeschool link up. Our homeschool year hasn't officially begun, and I don't have a lot to report.

Then, I was thinking, homeschooling is all about a lifestyle of learrning, so I'm particupating dagnabit! :) This week we worked on

Writing outlines and typing: The boys each wrote a second letter to their homeschool pen pals!

Life skills: Chores and schedules!

Character: Kindness, responsibility and follow-through (say what you'll do, do what you say)

Perserverance: Hello stomach virus.

That's about it. We're drawing closer to our start date (September 27th!) But we have some fun, educational activities planned before then, that will count as school. Next week, we're taking a field trip to DC-where I hope to meet up with a bloggy friend (SO excited!) And in about two weeks we're headed to the beach!

When You've Been Hurt By The Church, Part 2

In case you missed it, this is a continuation of When You've Been Hurt By The Church, Part 1.

I felt, and still feel, that conversation was carried out with very little compassion, tact or class. I had so many combative thoughts and emotions after I hung up the phone. I didn't know what to make of that conversation, or my situation. A few things that flew through my head:

Shame - I'm not good enough for the church, the loving, forgiving body of Christ can't forgive me and is ashamed to have me stand before them.

Anger- That was so rude!

More Anger- Is my baby not worthy of God's blessing because of my decisions?

Confusion- Will God reject my baby too?

Sadness- Did I just deny my baby God's blessing because of my own pride?

Righteous Anger- He is not displaying Christ to me, how dare he stand in judgement!

I called Shane and relayed the information, he felt I made the right decision. I was glad for that but I was still hurt and angry and, truth be told, I was angry for a very long time. I felt that it wasn't just me who was rejected, it was my son too, for reasons he couldn't control, and it brought out the mama bear in me.

Even though this was a very small hurt in the scheme of life, it was enough to shake the spiritual foundation of a naive teenager.

Though I always prayed and did my best to trust God, this experience completely turned me off to organized religion. You know the term "once bitten, twice shy"? -- That was me. I actively avoided the church, especially that church, for many years. But with time my heart healed and I am happy to say that I was eventually able to learn from the situation. I learned that:

• No on person should ever be viewed as sole representative of the church body.
• No one is perfect, not even pastors.
• Some leaders are more worried about the church image than doing God's work.
• There are consequences to actions.
• No child should ever be punished for their parents' transgressions.
• A relationship with the church is like any other relationship, there are highs and lows.
• Not every relationship is meant to last forever, if you are unhappy with you church seek out a new one.
• If you feel you are being treated poorly, it's okay to speak up.

I am happy to say that my family and I have found a lovely Presbyterian church we adore (although we do not attend as often as we should). Also, I am able to visit the "offending church" without anger or remorse. I have let it go.

To anyone who has been hurt by the church let me say I am sorry, that is not the way it should be. Churches should be safe havens in which we work to become better as a whole to God's glory. Do not be afraid to speak out (in kindness) and do not be afraid to move on. Just please don't give up.

Fruitful Thursdays : Where Has the Joy Gone?

Welcome back to Fruitful Thursday! In August I discussed the first fruit of the spirit, Love. All September I will be discussing the second fruit, Joy! And boy am I ever ready. I feel I've been walking in a valley and I want to reclaim some of my joy.

I used to be a "the glass is half full" kind of girl. I always had a smile on my face and a song in my heart. My friends used to call me Bubbles, my step father-in-law calls me Sparkles. But lately I've been walking around with a frown on my face and a rock in my heart.

Why? Because I've had my eyes set on things of this world. My mind has been set to selfish wanderings, drumming out a mantra of "Why why why, when when when, me me me!"

No more!

There is a new song in my heart and my mind will beat a new rhythm! I am determined to live a life that is fruit FULL!



What steps do you take to guard your heart against the everyday stress of life and keep your eyes focused on God?

Ode to a Toddler - A Sing Along

I love my toddler, he's cute and cuddly and gives the sweetest kisses a mama could want. But...boy can he ever make a mess! Some days I feel that all I do is follow him around, cleaning up his messes (with his assistance of course).

Knowing that 'whistling while you work' helps clean-up to go faster, I've penned a little clean-up song. You're welcome.

Mess Maker

(sung to the tune of Match Maker from Fiddler on the Roof)

Mess Maker, Mess Maker

Make me a mess

Skip all your naps

You don't need rest

Mess Maker, Mess Maker

Tear through the house

And make a gigantic mess!

Mess Maker, Mess Maker,

Rip up the room

I have supplies

I'll start with the broom

Make me a mess for I'm longing to be

The maid you assume me to be!

On Monday:

Dump all the trash cans

On Tuesday:

Please track mud on the floor

On Weekends:

Don't dare wash your hands

Smudge the windows with fingerprints galore

Mess Maker, Mess Maker

Make me a mess

Skip all your naps

You don't need rest

Make me a mess for I'm longing to be

The maid you assume me to be!