Respite

I took a break from my "vacation" yesterday. I had to drop the girls off for the Battle Cry retreat they were invited to attend with the church we love to go to here at 5 am. Ugh. Kullen and I came back home and went back to bed and slept until 10:30. We laid low most of the day watching movies and I worked on a scrapbook page. It was nice to take it easy and veg a little. We had to go and pick the girls up around 11 pm because they were rained out at the end of the outdoor conference, making them an hour early. They had a super day, but it made them sad to see what they have been missing.
Also on another note, I have liked Martina McBride since the early 90s when I was at a concert where she opened for Garth Brooks. (Yes, I was a BIG time country music fan!) And yesterday I heard her song "Anyway" for the first time. I liked it so much I thought I would share the video from YouTube here! It reminds me of a quote/poem I heard once by Mother Teresa - this was written on the wall in her children's home in Calcutta and this specific version is credited to her:

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.

Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.

Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.

Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.

Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten.

Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.

Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.

It was never between you and them anyway.

Hope you all have a super great Mother's Day! May God richly bless you!

East Texas Weather

I had complained so much about the large amount of rain we had here in Texas - but then we were blessed with a couple of weeks of sunshiny weather, great temperatures, and the first signs of spring - blooming flowers, tweeting birds, gentle breezes. I have enjoyed it so much.
Yesterday afternoon I spent a couple of hours on my porch swing with a good book. Kullen came out for a while and we read some Shel Silverstein poetry. He cannot get enough of it! The weather was absolutely perfect. It was an idyllic lazy Sunday afternoon. Not even the cars driving by seemed in any hurry.
This morning when I woke, it was not daylight. I would have thought it was just the time change if it hadn't been for my husband calling on his way to work to let me know a serious storm system was headed our way. Now it is almost 9 am and it is PITCH BLACK. There are thunder claps and lightning zaps everywhere. I don't mind the storm as much as the idea of tornadoes. I got online specifically to look up tornado warning signs and found this great website from NOAA weather service. It had a lot of pictures, warning signs, and ideas of how to be prepared and what to do. So here I sit, looking for green clouds! (Did you know that was one of the warning signs of a tornado?)

I'll post our most recent favorite Shel Silverstein poems in another post later!

Screaming "NO" in a Whisper

So, about nine months ago we moved. We loaded up all our earthly possessions and our three favorite children and we moved across.the.country from West Virginia to Texas. In WV I wore many hats. At church I was involved in the worship team,youth ministry, food pantry,vacation bible school, adopt-a-grandparent, and anythingelsethathappenedtocomealong. In the homeschool arena I helped coordinate yearly testing, directed co-op, edited the newsletter, moderated the yahoo group, and anythingelsethatcamealong. I also am a wife, a mother to three active children, and work a part-time job from home - which all of us know there is no such thing, etc. etc. etc. The truth of the matter is the anythingelsethatcamealong and the etc. was taking over my life. I was irritable with my family for the pressure I felt to meet all of these other obligations. I never had time to rest, and my health and heart (spiritually speaking) were suffering for it. I have an opportunity now to weigh my commitments very carefully. What I struggle with is not filling a need that I see, if I am able, although maybe not especially willing to meet. I have been learning to choose what is best over what is good or acceptable. I have also learned that my "quick fix" may well get in the way of allowing the person God is truly calling to fill that need to step up. I think all too often we aren't willing to wait for this process to happen, and a lot of burned out, worn down, and ineffective people are dragging ministries, homeschool groups, bible studies, quilting bees (ok I just threw that in for good measure!) behind them. As I have been having this internal streaming dialogue with myself, our family has become more and more plugged into activities in the area where we live. I feel sorry for the poor woman who suggested to me that I jump in so that the children can have a class on Wednesday nights at church. The speed at which "NO" exited my mouth left even me speechless.