The Red Pen Strikes Again!

I've said it before, I don't think we are quite through with revisions around here. Next up on the revision list: church.

S has been kicking around the idea of alternative church for a while now. He's talked about having church at a local park, having church in a home....just somehow to reach those who do not and are not going to set foot inside a church building at 9:00 on Sunday mornings. I've listened to his ideas, we've prayed...but we were really uncertain about how it could all work.

Then S got to talking with another man at our church. Turns out he has also been thinking of some of the same things. Together, we are going to begin a home church in June. This is such a blessing beginning something like this with friends (who have missions experience!) and their children (4 of them!). We have instant fellowship before we even grow. They have already had several "chance encounters" with folks they know who are not attending church anywhere and were excited to hear about the house church starting.

There is still so much to talk about, decide, and pray about. This is not easy. It is not comfortable. I told them my body will probably go into auto-pilot when it's "church time" and begin bathing and dressing children without even thinking! (Our church will start much later in the day) Thirty-seven years of habits die hard.

So we explained to the girls what was going on so they would have some time to adjust to the idea before we begin this journey. (Programs and classes are all going to be completely different beginning in June so it's good timing.) Sweetheart was very excited that we were going to be missionaries in our hometown! Little Bit doesn't really understand but when she realizes we are going to our friend's house for church--she will be very happy.

I have a feeling this is going to really change us. Except for a period of time back in late 2001 to mid 2004, we have both attended the same church our whole life. Moving outside of that is really causing us to look at scripture carefully. Looking at our whole community instead of just the folks we know is changing our view. It's a pretty big revision and I'm thankful that the Lord sees fit to work through us for His Kingdom.

Now--two other things. CONGRATULATIONS to Terry and her whole family on the birth of their 6th daughter!!! I told her that God had made her calling very clear: to raise godly women! :)

Also, Jamala over at Single Moms for God is having a contest. The whole time she has been blogging she has been doing so as a single mom for God--thus the name! Well, she is getting married soon so that will necessitate the blog name changing a bit. Go over to her contest (there is a prize) and help choose the new name. Thanks!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Keepin' It Real Extravaganza Part 2----Coming Soon!

OK, we took a poll in my sidebar to determine what our theme should be for our next Keepin' It Real Extravaganza. The topic that won was:

STUPID NEW MOM MOMENTS

This is a great theme. Everyone would like to know that they weren't the only one doing idiotic things during those first few days...um, months....ok, years of motherhood. I would think it would be especially refreshing for those who are expecting their first child or have recently become parents.

(But I'd like to hear your dirt, too!)

If you don't want to do that theme, no biggie. Feel free to do whatever you like for this next KIR. The main thing is that we continue to show the bloggy world that we are not all perfect homemakers, wives, mothers, women, etc. The important thing is that people don't feel intimidated because they think they don't "measure up" to all the other bloggers out there.

I know you have some great things to tell about yourself, so please consider participating on that day. Even if you are not able to participate, but like the idea...feel free to grab the KIR button and display it on your blog. It's going to be a whole lot of fun!

Remember: the date is MONDAY, MAY 19. That's next Monday, so get ready!

For other KIR posts, or to view our first extravaganza, or to get the button code, just click the button in my sidebar! It's all there!

My New Homemaking Project....Or Idea

I'll get to my post in a minute, but my heart is so heavy with all the events going on around the world. First Myanmar's cyclone, now China's earthquake. S and I were discussing a few weeks ago how to instill a biblical world view in our children and these events have served towards that purpose. Firstly, because we know someone in Myanmar. I keep reminding them that there are brothers and sisters around the world and many of them have been affected by these events as well as the lost. Doesn't it make a "sense of urgency" in your heart? Ours too. I'll be posting more on that later this week.

On a lighter note, I have a new project. Well, let me re-phrase that...I have an IDEA for a new project. Husband ever-so-unkindly pointed out that I have many projects hanging around the house begging to be finished. What a time to take notice of details! So, I've painted the other sconce in the girls' bathroom (we've had one gold and one silver for about a year), cleared the gifted curriculum from the hallway (finally thought of a place to put it), and felt I was fast approaching my project when Sweetheart ever-so-unkindly pointed out that she only has half a valance on her window. AND YOUR POINT? Sigh.

So here's my IDEA. No plan on when I'll actually start on this. At this house (we've lived in for about a year and a half) there is no office space. I've paid bills at the kitchen table and we stack mail on the kitchen cabinet. I've carved out a shelf in a closet to keep office-y stuff but it's frustrating. There isn't one place where everything lives.

So I was looking at our laundry/sewing room. It's a weird little room of added-on closets and cut out nooks created by the add-ons. In one of the cut outs I have stacked bins of clothes waiting for Little Bit to grow into them, among other things. I sewed a curtain and hung it over the ugly area with a spring tension rod. Here's a picture of last year when everything was clean and sparkly. It um, looks a little that now. But I got to thinking....could I make an office nook there? (See the blue curtain on the right? That's the nook. I'll post better pics later.)

To accomplish this I have a few things to do: clear out the room and paint it, move the tubs to Little Bit's closet, find a desk or table that will fit in the nook, find a stool, hang a bulletin board over the part of the wall where they did a horrible job on the sheet rock, put trim around the add-on closet door, etc.

Just a little project.

And I've decided to do the entire thing used. I'm going to try really hard to not buy anything new for this office nook. We'll see how it goes. I like a decorating challenge. I have a hard time going out and spending money on decor when others in the world don't have the basic things they need, you know? So, I'm hitting the thrift stores soon.

Right after I sew that valance.

Socialization: Our Ever-Widening Circle

The meme today at Heart of the Matter is socialization. Before I tell you how we did it this year, let me tell you how we USED to do it. And, for the purpose of this post, socialization is defined as interacting with people other than the people who live in our house.

My children, one year ago, got up and went to school or daycare. There they interacted with their teachers and other staff members, lots of other children their same age, and also grandparents, aunts, cousins, and friends at church.

Does going to Wal-Mart count?

This year they interacted with the kids at the homeschool Brownie troop, troop leaders and other parents, all the parents and children in our homeschool play group, friends at church, the adults who come to our house for Bible study, the librarians and other children at story time, children they meet at parks, friends we meet for play dates, their grandparents, aunts, cousins, etc.

I did think of one close relationship we have lost this year: they have not seen the nurses and doctor at the pediatrician's office nearly as much as they did last year. Hmmm. We used to see them once a month at least.

Even more important to me: they have learned to interact with each other. That is priceless. And we have learned how to just be at home and not interact with anyone some days. And that's good too.

I don't know many homeschoolers who are concerned over socialization, but if you need some information for friends or family, or you are just curious how others handle it, head on over and see what others had to say!

Thoughts on Frozen Waffles

I saw them tonight. They are way back in the freezer. Probably need to be thrown out by now.
You just never know what is going to kick off a train of thought, do you?

See, in our old life last year, my girls ate frozen waffles all the time. Not just any frozen waffles, but the kind that are 99 cents a box. I was so good--I had them liking the cheapest waffles in the frozen foods section. Good thing, too because we went through at least a box a week. Little Bit LOVED waffles. She ate them nearly every morning before day care.

I don't think I could pay them to eat a frozen waffle now. I tried once and they refused. Walked away from the table! Why? Because ever since I came home last June I've been making homemade waffles. (Bisquick counts, right?) And they don't want to go back. The old ones just don't taste as good now that they've had homemade ones.

Ah, and that got me thinking about how much has changed around here in the last year. And how much I don't want to go back to the old way. How can you when you've tasted the Lord's goodness in your life? Don't think you can change your circumstances? Think you are stuck eating frozen waffles forever?

Pray. Change your heart. Submit to your husband. Turn your heart toward your family.

God's way is infinitely better than ANY plan we are able to think up.

And you won't want to go back. I promise.