Coffee Talk 7.30.10

Wow, I cannot believe another week has come and gone! I can remember growing up thinking that the days would never end and the summers lasting forever! Now I am old and I am desperate for things to slow down!

It has been a good week. I have finally decided that starting back to school is inevitable and I should really just accept that and properly prepare. So...I actually ordered curriculum, cleaned out the "book room", and have begun planning for centers, activities to keep Tigercub occupied, and even the dreaded Science Fair.

Most schools around here start next week! UGH! We are NOT starting next week! Tutorial doesn't begin until the end of August but I will not wait that long, so I decided to give the kids one more week and then the following week, we will start easing into things again. I would be lying if I said I wasn't dreading it a little bit.

What I am not dreading is the fact that they will HOPEFULLY be too busy getting back into the routine of school that they will not have time to fight, argue with me, annoy one another or whine because this momma is tired of strife in the home! I may have threatened once or twice this week to go ahead and start school just to stop all the fussing. Of course, they all know I am just blowing smoke because I don't actually have any curriculum with which to start and they know it...maybe we could just go back to the old days and do write offs!

Anyway, today, FB is going to start preparing to run cross country. One of the small private schools here lets home schoolers participate in their sports. FB is not exactly excited about this but has given up all his other sports and so I told him this is his P.E. I actually think he might enjoy it and he will probably be pretty good at it. Even if he doesn't, the season only lasts till the end of September so it isn't a huge investment.

So, how are all of you celebrating the end of summer?

Don't forget to check out Home Sanctuary for more Coffee Talk.

Book Review: Resurrection in May

I finally finished reading my second Booksneeze book. I really chose it just because it was one of the only few available and I drug my feet a little getting started. I won't be so slow next time. This book was amazing. It was provided for me free, by Thomas Nelson, in exchange for a review.

Wow! That is the first thing that comes to mind after reading Resurrection in May by Lisa Samson. I am not sure what I expected. Maybe a light love story, easy to read while sitting by the pool. What I didn’t expect was to be so emotionally drawn into the lives of Claudius and May and Eli. This book is POWERFUL. I laughed and I cried, and I might have sobbed once or twice!

I love that this book, set on a little farm in Kentucky, was totally unpredictable. The characters were real. The emotions intense. The faith story profound. It is story of struggle and friendship and the love of a savior that never gives up on us, never forgets us, never leaves us even in our darkest times. It is a book I will not soon forget.

Coffee Talk 7.23.10

Good Morning, Ladies! Come on in and grab a bottle of water or perhaps a can of V8. I broke my blender so I can't offer you a green smoothie...but my MIL gave me some money for my birthday, so I hope to have a replacement soon.

Although it has only been a couple of weeks, I feel totally out of touch...I am so excited to make the rounds and see what everyone is up to. This week has been a week of resting and catching up.

We had an AMAZING trip to Idaho. I was finally able to see my family, some of whom I haven't seen in 5 years...that is just too long! We were lucky enough to hear my mom and dad and a team from their church talk about their mission trip to Belize. Probably what touched my heart the most was hearing about a little state run orphanage. The conditions there were AWFUL and my heart just breaks for those little children. I do not know the name of the orphanage or anything about it, but it is in my prayers every day, I wish that I could go and take over and just love on those sweet babies and tell them about Jesus.

We then got to go to Jerome and see my grandmother and several aunts, uncles and cousins...it was so great and I will absolutely NEVER let it be so long between visits again. Then we went to Boise where my kids got to hang with their cousins for 2 1/2 days. They had so much fun. If you have read long, you will know that it was after my sister's visit here last year that I had a hormonal pre-teen boy who moped around the house for a week in depression because we couldn't pack up and move to his cousins...he even got online and found his daddy a job as a bi- lingual translator for AT&T...unfortunately, Tigerfan is NOT bi-lingual. The kids were pretty sad about leaving again and we have heard the words, "If we were in Boise..." countless times since we left. FB has even informed us that he is praying daily for that to happen!

The drive home was a little tough because we chose not to reserve hotels beforehand. The reasoning was that we could just drive as far as we felt comfortable with and then stop. That worked really well for us...for awhile. Unfortunately, after day 1 of the return trip, we spent the night in Laramie, WY. We got up and headed out, drove to Independence, MO, ate supper and decided we could drive a little further. So, we did...our goal was Columbia, MO. We began calling for Hotels and there were none. In fact we called, and called, and called and finally were told that there were no hotels ANYWHERE until you got on the other side of St. Louis! By the time we had gone that far, it was about 3:00 a.m. and we were only a few hours from home so we decided to go the whole way. In 21 hours, we drove 1,179 miles...I don't recommend it!

The trip was TOTALLY worth it. We had such a good time and in the next few weeks I hope to share with you some of the things that God has been teaching me. He is alive and working and has great things for us. For now...I have to get out of denial because, despite the fact that we normally start school the beginning of August, I have not only not ordered curriculum, I haven't even decided what we are going to use. I think I am waiting for a flashing sign from above and a few thousand dollars to fall from the clouds to make my decisions clear and affordable! I don't think that its going to happen..because I have totally been watching!

Well, I must go feed breakfast to the masses...I look forward to visiting this weekend...don't forget to check out Home Sanctuary for more Coffee Talk!

Git 'Er Done

Playing this morning with Tigercub, I began to count his toes. When finished he declared it was my turn. He began counting MY toes, not an easy task because happened to be wearing tennis shoes at the time.

"One, two, three, orange...okay all done, let's play!"

I'm not sure whether to be alarmed or really excited that due to his ability to get things done he has a good chance at a career as a corporate executive or a politician!

Coffee Talk 7.2.10

Good Morning ladies! Hope your morning is as beautiful as it is here in West Tn today! Pull up a chair and visit for awhile. Are you enjoying your summer? How is your weather? This week started out as a scorcher but as the week has progressed it has become milder and quite lovely!

The weather has really been a blessing because this week some people from our church ran a Sports Camp for area underprivileged children. We had almost 120 children participate. Each day from 3-5, the children would come, learn a sport (we had seven to choose from) and be served a small meal. I worked registration since I have no actual skill in sports. Yesterday we had a representative from FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) come and give a short message. He was AMAZING! I don't know if any decisions were made but I do know that 120 children were exposed to the name of Jesus and that seeds were planted...and the week was totally worth the complete and total exhaustion I am feeling today.

I mentioned last week a book I had just read, called Radical by David Platt. It has really been a life changing book and so I just wanted to mention it again. The subtitle of the book is something like, Taking back your Christianity from the American dream. As Americans, we live in a really materialistic society and we have sort of a watered down Christianity. I really have always been content just to live my faith here in America, pray for a missionary or two, hope people know I'm a christian without my having to really put myself out there, and maybe give a little money to foreign missions when the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering comes around. This book has just absolutely rocked those attitudes. Perhaps the most convicting thing I have learned or acknowledged is that the Bible says JESUS is the way, the truth, and the life...John 14:6. American Christians like to sit back in our luxurious houses (and if you have a floor and a ceiling...it IS luxurious) and think that all those indigenous tribes out there that have never heard the name of Jesus but are doing the best they can are going to be okay. They aren't! Jesus is the ONLY way. We cannot be passive! A person must hear the name of Jesus if they are going to accept Him and if they don't, they will receive the punishment we all deserve. That is so humbling to me. If I do nothing, if I say nothing, if I do not go or do not tell...someone WILL die without knowing the saving grace of Jesus. It will involve sacrifice, people will be offended, we may be uncomfortable...but it will be worth it! How can we not go and how can we not tell?

To be perfectly honest...if my husband would go along with me, I would probably sell my house today and go run an orphanage somewhere in a third world country after reading this book and studying more in the scriptures. My heart has changed and my passion has changed. I ache for the millions of unreached people who are dying without Jesus because they have never had a chance to hear His name. They have never had a chance to choose because they don't know there is a choice to be made. How many are hungry for the truth but do not even know it? Is there someone today that would accept Jesus if I gave the money to send a missionary, or an orphan that would be given a christian family if I would be obedient? My heart breaks for the wasted time and I hope and pray that I will never be passive again. I pray that I would be willing to alienate family, friends and blog readers in order to be obedient to Christ. If you get a chance, read this book. Go online and listen to the sermons of David Platt and pray that God would show you His heart.

Sorry, I am on a bit of a soapbox this morning but God is so good. He is so faithful and so loving...I cannot imagine never hearing His truth. He blessed me just this week with an amazing talk with a special friend. How has he blessed you? Can you keep others from that same blessing?

For more Coffee Talk got to Home Sanctuary.