Better Late Than Never

This morning I did not have a Brag On God post. I was busy redecorating my mother’s place. But there is always a reason to brag about what God is doing in our lives. 

As the day wore on, I decided to head out for some additional items that I needed for the house. I told My Boys, who know how much I love IKEA that I would only be an hour in the store.

Game Set, Match.

The scripture that had impacted my heart during my time with God this morning was Romans 5:

 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

    3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;

    4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.

    5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

I was proud of my self; I made it through the store in record time.

So what did god teach me? Too be still, and enduring in patience.

How did I learn this lesson to persevere in the character of Christ?

Well, after my record trip through the store, we had to pick up my mother’s bed from the warehouse staff. While my husband loaded the car, my mother and I waited for them to bring our bed in from the warehouse. After 30 minutes, we inquire from the warehouse agent as to why it was taking so long. The agent told us to come back after the store had closed to pick up the bed.

WHAT!

How does one get in the store after its closed? That sounding kind of wired we asked to speak with a manager. After speaking with the manager a deal was reached. They would deliver the bed for free on Saturday. Would you believe that arranging the free delivery too another 90 minutes?

In the great scheme of things why total IKEA trip took only four hours, but that was more than half what it should have.

But I walked away with my peace in tact and a lesson from God. That things do still work out even when we patiently endure and let the Character of Christ lead us and not the world’s example.

Brag on God Friday; 

Reading Out Loud

1. What do you think of reading aloud/being read to? Does it bring back memories of your childhood? Your children’s childhood?

2. Does this affect the way you feel about audio books?

3. Do you now have times when you read aloud or are read to?

Well I had quite a bit of time to think this one over. Reading aloud is a good thing. It gives you time to close your eyes and be transported to another place. I loved reading aloud to my children and I love when my children read to me. 


As a child, I loved listening to Aunt Sue and Uncle Dan from your story hour. 

I introduced my children to them and they loved them so much that we branched out to other audio books. We spend a lot of time traveling in our car and audio books are a good option for a family activity. 


Our recent favorite is 

and of course we are reading aloud most days from the Bible. Reading aloud allows families to connect and enjoy something simple together.

Booking Through Thursday

Homemakers challenge

Today I am posting at Homemakers Challenge. It is my first article as a contributor and I am very excited.

The article is called Day 21 – The Importance of a Plan {31 Days to Clean}. I talk about my love of planning and God's call for us to have a plan.

Hop on over, check out the article, and let me know what you think.

Stillness

After conversation with my boys, who miss their home in Chicago. I miss having a home too. A trip to Ikea and talk of our lack of living room furniture and the still needed desk. Things I can not buy because where would I put them, only so much can fit in our car.


In all of this I am still and in that stillness I wait on God. I am thankful for the begin still. For not having to make meals and complete lots from my to do list. I am thankful I get a period of time to be still and listen to my life and wonder what will be next. "Be still and know that their is a God." Then thank him for the stillness.

Thankful Thursday; Word filled Wednesdays; Women Living Well; Though Provoking Thursdays

UNschooling?

Wordless Wednesday, Hip Homeschool Hop

Just a List

1. air conditioning 
2. bedtimes
3. my bed
4. quiet 
5. darkness
6. schedules 
7. garage
8. no television
9. clarity 
10. Peace be with you!

Top Ten Tuesday

Week in Review 10

I have entered the void. That in between place where life seems to have stopped. It is hard to have a plan for the week when you are in void space.  Never the less we are still in the moving stage.  

1. My basic plan for the week is: planning the next stage of our adventure.

2. Keeping on track with my reading for the Bible in 90 Days/ Blogging through the Bible in 90 Days challenge. I am holding steady at two days behind. Continues till October 8, 2011, requires an hour of daily bible reading. I am amazed at how much I am learning by this commitment.

3. I am still maximizing my mornings for the fall session. It is so fun having that extra incentive to get up early.  

4. I have many books I would like to read during this process. I plan to create a list so I can cross them out as I go.

Finished Reading

Finished Reading

I will be trying my best to read 

this week.

5. Write a daily blog post.   

Blog I posted:

1.  Peace Granted 

2.  A Gratitude List

3. Reading & Walking  

4. Moving 

5. A Moving Top Ten  

6. Week in Review 9 

7.Did not have a seven post  

Now your turn: let me know what you have accomplished or plan on finishing ….........

Peace Granted

I have reached the point in this journey where I am officially lost. I no longer have a “HOME.” In my head I keep thinking this is world is not my home.

We are in the moving process. I have prayed and fasted throughout this process and now I will wait for the Lord.

I am content in my cozy spot abiding in God. I know Jesus came to bring peace and in this moment I have that peace.

Philippians 4

7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I thank God for granting me His peace during this season of change. I may not know what is on the other end of this journey but I do know what God will be there.

I take comfort in Philippians 4:4-9

 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Tomorrow we hit the road, taking a short side trip to Grandmas and from their Virginia. We will continue to share what we are learning. We will be looking for the praiseworthy, the excellent, the noble, and the true, as I see it, from God’s Word to share with you.

I will continue to look for God in my life and the world around me.

 Brag on God Friday 

A Gratitude List

The journey of life provides many things to be thankful for. Today I say, “God I am thankful for:”

    1.     The three years we have spent in Illinois.

    2.     The friendships I have made. My top five:

a.     Aqua

b.     Chantell

c.      Jennie

d.     Cheryl

e.     Kim

    3.     The friendships My Boys have made:

a.     Nathanael

b.     Brett

c.      John 

    4.     Our weekly get together, sharing, learning from each other and praying for each other.

    5.     The situations that drew me closer to God.

    6.     My house is packed and on a truck headed to Virginia.

    7.     This beginning a great place for My Boys to enter the young adult phase of their lives {teens}.

    8.     Having God and his word in my life.

Thankful Thursdays

Reading & Walking

Do you carry books with you when you’re out and about in the world?

And, do you ever try to hide the covers?

I carry books with me whenever I leave the house. I have to fill my downtime. You just never know when you will have the opportunity to read.  I love talking about what I am reading, so I would never hide the cover. It is nice when someone asks what you are reading and you get to discuss the book.

Book Through Thursday

My View

Wordless Wednesday

A Moving Top Ten

This is our moving week, but instead of focusing on how challenging moving can be, I though I would do a moving top ten.

Here are the top ten reasons why moving can be great.

   1.    It requires reliance on God. You can never know what the grass is like on the other side. 

   2.    It is a great way to clean your house of the clutter. When you have to move everything you own. What is really important comes to the top.

   3.    Moving allows us to make many friends. 

   4.    Moving forces you to change and adapt.

   5.    Moving reveals the sins of your heart. Nothing challenges your belief about your self like having something broken during a move.

   6.    Moving teaches you things about the world around you. Rules vary from place to place, so do customs, and little day-to-day things. Living for so long in New York City, it never dawned on me that a car could be a necessity. Some parts of the America do not have a reliable public transportation system unless you are in the city. 

   7.    Moving brings new skills to the table. Like patience when communicating with someone whose first language is not English and as you learn her language.

   8.    Moving with children teaches you what their needs are. Moving when they are little is so easy but as they grow just like flowers you have to be very careful when removing the roots.

   9.    Moving helps you bond as a family. It exposes our hearts in a way that draws us closer together. After all Home is Where the Heart is.

   10.      I guess the best thing about moving is the change of scenery, a different style of home, different weather, and a generally different view of life. 

Top Ten Tuesday

Week in Review 9

Welcome to my day of review and planning. My plan for this up coming week is a bit of a mess. We are

1. My basic plan for the week is:

Monday: watch the packers as they pack my home. I plan to read a book or two.

Tuesday: the packers are to return but hopefully they would have finished on Monday. Attend our goodbye party.

Wednesday: The big day; everything on the truck. Check in to our hotel. Have dinner with friends.

Thursday: clean the carpets and make sure all our stuff is out.

Friday: turn in the keys; we are officially done at this end.

2. Keeping on track with my reading for the Bible in 90 Days/ Blogging through the Bible in 90 Days challenge. I am two days behind this week. (Matthew 6-26 still needs reading) Continues till October 8, 2011, requires an hour of daily bible reading. I am amazed at how much I am learning by this commitment.

3. I am still maximizing my mornings for the fall session. It is so fun having that extra incentive to get up early.  

4. I have many books I would like to read during this process. I plan to create a list so I can cross them out as I go.

I will be trying my best to read these two books this week.

5. Write a daily blog post.  I will be trying to keep my post short this week so I can spend more time with the boys. Change is emotionally draining.

Blog I posted:

1. Tuesday Afternoon Response 

2.  My Heart

3. The B-I-B-L-e 

4. Moving with Thanks 

5.Life Moment  

6. Why I gave up Movies 

7.Week in Review 8  

Now your turn: let me know what you have accomplished or plan on finishing ….........

Tuesday Afternoon Response

Saturday 9: Tuesday Afternoon

1. Where will you be and doing this Tuesday afternoon?
At home waiting for the packers to finish packing up our home.
2. Do you belong to any group(s)?
I belong to a few.
3. Do you feel energized or drained by being in a group situation? (If the answer is "it depends," on what does it depend?) 
Groups are optional so I do not feel drained by them.

4. Is there a role you naturally put yourself while adapting when in group situations?


5. In business or formal situations, do you mind hugs or are you offended if it goes past a handshake? 
Not Offended
6. Do you find what we'd call “ice breakers” a playful way to build community in a lighthearted manner, or a complete and utter hell of forced fun and awkwardness? 
A lighthearted manner, just fun
7. What word do you use far too frequently? 
Is not responding a word?
8. What word do you use not frequently enough? 
I work really hard to letting my words be few.
9. What word do you use when swearing is not appropriate?
Jesus help me, since swearing is never appropriate.

Saturday 9

My Heart

The Scripture on my heart has been:

I guess my heart is a little cloudy right now but there is comfort here in Proverbs.

We have reach the end of our path in Chicago, Illinois. Our new path leads to Virginia Beach, Virginia.

I am caught up in the emotions of moving knowing the work ahead. I have been spending much time in prayer. We are leaning on God for a plan of success. 

The last few weeks, God has sent me many answers to my prayers. I have gotten a raccoon, intercession when needed, and an extra measure of his strength and grace.

Moving is always stressful, emotional, and with children it can be heartbreaking.

So, I am very comforted to have God in my corner. I see his many blessing and know that he will make straight our new path. 

Brag on God Friday; Word Filled Wednesday; Women Living Wednesday; Thought Provoking Thursday

The B-I-B-L-E

Have you ever finished a book and loved it so much you went right back and started re-reading it again?

(And obviously, if so, we want titles!)

When I was younger it was Anna of Green Gables. 

Now that I have more access to books, the are so many to read. The main book I re-read as soon as I am done is the Bible. Right now I am reading it through in 90 days and will start again when I am finished. Some other favorite rereads are: 

This list is proof. I really need to start back reading more fiction.

Booking Through Thursday