Friday Five

It's that time again!!!!

Friday Five, and I am really glad it's Friday.

This has been an amazing week, crazy and busy, but amazingly blessed.

So my Friday Five for this week .......

Five fabulous family-friendly classic TV shows.

1.  The Cosby Show

2.  The Andy Griffith Show

3.  Full House

4.  Growing Pains

5.   And this last one is perhaps an exception, simply because I can not remember if it is family friendly or not.  But hubbie was a fan and requested that I include it, apparently he had a crush on Winnie. :)

 okay so what did I leave out?  What are some of your favorite classic family TV shows?

Have a blessed weekend!!

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!!

From the mouths of babes

So, my son said something so simple yet so profound tonight.

He said, "Sometimes when kids are angry they don't make the smartest choices."

You know what?

Neither do adults.

It is amazing how anger can grow up inside you and take control. Before you even know it, you are doing something so irrational, so unwise and so crazy that you are not even behaving like you anymore.  But it is you. 

Anger can get such a hold that it begins to suffocate all the life out of you.  And then one day, angry is all you know.  You can't remember not being angry.  Anger has become your life; it is in the driver's seat and all you can do is watch its destruction in the rear view mirror. 

Anger clouds your judgement and fumbles your thinking.  Anger changes every color, every landscape, and every relationship.  When you are angry, it is all you see.  Anger makes you say things that you would NEVER say on any normal day.  Anger takes your thoughts and shoves them off the deep end. 

Sometimes when I am angry I don't make the smartest choices.


"Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools." Eccl. 7:9

Anger can consume you, and me. 

But there is hope.  There is another consuming force out there.  One that is all powerful, all loving, and all consuming. One that brings not destruction, but life, abundant life. 

"For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God." Deut. 4:24

Father, let me strive in every moment to be consumed by You, and You alone.  Amen.

The lifter up of my head

Books on CD are a huge hit around our house, and our car for that matter.  A couple of years ago, we took a trip to San Antonio, about a 6 hour drive.  Before we left, we went to the local library and checked out Molly: An American Girl.  It is about a young girl in small-town America during World War II whose father is a doctor stationed in England.  It was a hit!  I mean huge.  The kids were perfect for the whole six hour trip - it was awesome!!!

We have been listening to them ever since.  There is almost always one on somewhere in the house.  Warrior especially loves them because he can listen while he is building legos, or destroying an enemy army, or his sister's toys.

So, on our trip this weekend we took a couple of sets of CDs.  One of which was Addy: An American Girl.  

Addy is a slave with her mother, father, brother, and baby sister on a plantation in South Carolina (I think).  The books describe how Addy and her mother run away to Pennsylvania after her father and brother are sold to another plantation and the family is reunited in Philadelphia in the end.  It is a really good story and teaches a lot about history.

One part of the story really stood out to me this time.  Addy's brother ran away, was captured, and was beaten severely.  Addy is visibly distraught, sobbing and screaming, but her parents show little to no emotion.  Later on in their cabin as her parents are cleaning her brother's back, Addy accuses her parents of not caring because they showed no physical signs.

According to the story, Addy's father calls her to him, lifts her head, wipes away her tears and says,  "Just because you don't see us crying or carrying on don't mean we don't care. Don't mean we ain't crying either."

It reminded me very much of this passage:

"O Lord, how many are my foes!
Many are rising against me;
many are saying of my soul,
there is no salvation for him in God.
But you, O LORD, are a shield about me,
my glory, and the lifter of my head.
I cried aloud to the Lord,
and he answered me from his holy hill.
I lay down and slept;
I woke again, for the Lord sustained me."
Psalm 3:1-5

Though it may appear at times that the Lord does not see my heartache or care about my suffering, He is the lifter of my head.  He will wipe away every tear.  And according to 1 Peter 5:7, He cares for me.

So, just because I can't see Him crying or carrying on, does not mean He doesn't care.  He cares more than I can ever know.

And when He lifts my head, I see His face.

Oh the glory!

It brings me to tears, of the good kind.

I see His face in the midst of my trouble.

Recap

What a weekend!! 

Friday hubbie, the kids and I loaded into our little matchbox car and headed to south Mississippi - a seven hour drive.  Matchbox cars do not come with video players, at least ours didn't, so we are ever so grateful for libraries that carry books on CD.  Our kiddos did awesome on the trip.  We arrived in Gulfport, MS Friday just in time to join some family for dinner, and then a birthday party on Saturday.  Saturday evening we loaded up again and headed for home, making it back sometime after midnight.

Sunday, after sleeping in as late as our dog would allow, we worked on a side job of hubbie's - building cabinets and what-not in a trailer.  It gets pretty hot and humid inside a trailer in the middle of the afternoon, just in case you were wondering. 

Sunday night was prep time.  Hubbie starts his new job tomorrow - whoooooo-hooooooo!!!!  So, we had to get everyone ready for their day on Monday.

Long weekend. Long day. I'm exhausted.

"Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."  1Thess. 5:16-18

Friday Five

Praise the Lord it is Friday!!!!

Another week where I am reminded of why I started Friday Five, and probably a couple more to come.  But then, well then is a whole other story!!!

So, my Friday Five for this week.........

five of my favorite fall/winter desserts!!!!!  I have discovered a love for baking recently and it is wonderful!!!  It is also why I started running for exercise again. :)

1.  Pecan Pie - yum. absolutely yum.  Pecan pie is just delicious, when it is done right.  When it is not, it's still ok, but such wasted potential. 

2.  Pumpkin dump cake.  It's a new favorite for me and I promise it is much tastier than it sounds.  My whole family loves it!!

3.  Pumpkin Pie.  Pretty much anything with pumpkin is a fall favorite for me.  I just love it!!  so yummy and healthy too, though I think the other stuff added to it may not be.  we can't just keep that to ourselves.

4.  Caramel apple cider.  Okay so I first discovered this at a coffee shop, and after about the second time of paying like $4 for one cup, I decided I could make it myself.  And man is it yummy!!!  I know it is more of a drink than a dessert, but after you add the caramel and the whipped cream, it kind of falls into the dessert category.

5.  And finally, Christmas-season 'candy'!!!  My mom always made such delicious sweets during the holidays.  Marthas, Georgia's, gingerbread men, sugar cookies in fun shapes, pecan puffs, and almond bark crunch.  Oh the yummy memories.  And now we have added Oreo balls and cake balls.  ummmmmmm


okay so now that i have made us all hungry, what are some of you favorite seasonal desserts? 

i off to bake something!!!

"This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

Make it stop!

Okay, so today I am just going to tell you a little story and let you put the pieces together.

Princess has been fighting sinus and allergies the last few days.  At first it was just in her nose and head.  Sneezing and sniffling. You know the drill.  Well, a day or two ago it moved into her throat and chest, so she has been a little croak-y as of late.  It is actually precious when she talks in her little froggy voice, and I am not trying to sound like a horrible mom but I know it is only sinus and allergies so I can say that.  Anyway, early this morning when I checked on her, I decided to put Vick's on her chest to help break up all the congestion.  She hates Vick's. Absolutely hates it.

So, this morning after I put it on her chest, to help her, to bring healing from her sickness, only for her good, she woke up and was not happy. 

She began to cry and fuss and get upset. 

She said, "argh!!! I hate you!!  Make it stop mommy! make it stop!! mommy please!"

And then she went back to sleep, and awoke a little later with a bit of a clearer voice.

But how she fought the method of her healing.

Sometimes, it just hurts.

"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.  For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.  For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."  2 Cor. 4:16-18

Busy, busy, busy

Is exactly what the next three weeks will be!  To say I am feeling a little overwhelmed is an understatement.  I am feeling COMPLETELY overwhelmed.  But like a friend told me, it's in a good way.  A lot of changes are happening in our lives right now, good changes to be sure, but still busy. 

It seems so crazy, but for the last few months we have purposely stepped away from some things in order to be less busy.  Yet, it seems the more we step away from, the busier we have become.  I know it doesn't make sense, but it is true. 

I think much of our busyness is because of a change in priorities.  Things that used to be so important, are just not anymore.  The Lord is opening our eyes to things that are eternally important, and for those it seems there is never enough time.  But the time is of the Lord as well, and He is showing us more and more of that also. 

Time is a gift, a gift that is not infinite.  It passes far too quickly and before we know it, it's gone.

Ann Voskamp says that the way to slow time down is to live in the moment.  To not live in the past or the future but to be here. Now.

So despite the overwhelming feeling, and the busyness that will be the next few weeks, I will not desire them to speed on by, though they will anyway.  I will see the Lord in every moment.  I will cherish the gift of time He has given.   I will slow down, even if time does not.

"This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24