Housewifing

High School Muscial 3 weekend

HSM3 rocked!  Even Patrick enjoyed it.  I did like 1 & 2 better, but 3 was fun and it sure beat trick-or-treating.

We went to Caseville for the week-end. 

The kids got huge bags of gum, kit-kats, and hershey krispies.  They helped Mike spread dirt over the septic tank area.

Mike hunted for deer and ducks.  He called up Joey and Jake and they looked like Elmer Fudd hiding in the fields in front of our house.  We looked out the window and watched them get 4.  They were the biggest ducks I have ever seen.

I spent the weekend reading about John Adams.  I spent the week-end sick.  I am still sick.  I feel very weak.

Why not? Halloween

Halloween:

As Bartleby would say, "I prefer not to."

There are just so many choices about what or what not to do about it.  My kids are not interested, and we have not done the "normal" around the neighborhood "trick or treating".  Since our neighbors insist on displaying quite sickening displays-- even the thought of picking up some candy around the block is revolting.

Last year the kids skipped school and we went to the show and also went to Meijers and got all their favorite candies.

This year my plan was to pick them up after lunch; but, I'm rethinking that; because one class is going to have a reading group sucking up Harry Potter for the day.

I don't celebrate death, demons, spirits, ghosts, scary things, freaky things and the like.  I very much am trying to teach my kids "the way they should go so that they will not depart from the way." 

Rachel's 8, I'm 43.

This is the cruise I am going on during and after Thanksgiving break. This is me trying to see the wicks on the candles of Rachel's cake (I NEED glasses). This is Rachel blowing out the candles. This is Rachel's cruise-party dress that I got for $2.50 at the Salvation Army! This are Rachel's new heelys. This was on my birthday when I found out Mike got me on his mom and sisters' cruise.

dash

check this out!

http://www.dashpoemmovie.com?ref=&SRS=NETDASHMOVIE

October Crunch

Today was a test and I so far failed.

I've been organizing this whole month.

Last night Matthew came home with a request from the school office for a copy of his birth certificate.

Guess what?  Even though everything looks presentable and nice on the outside-the office is a sham.  It's not functional.  The birth certificate can't be found.  ((Later: FOUND! Mike took Matthew fishing in Canada and didn't put it back.  It was found in the quagmire of Michael's junk drawer in our bedroom, another area for me to keep busy.)

This is about what the same as it looks for every area of my life.  A sham.  And taking the whole month of October won't put a dent in it.  But I'm trying.  I got a stiff cup of coffee.  It makes the task seem a little more bearable.

For those who are annoyed by my liberal non-use of spell check; (  Sometimes it is an expression of humor, sometimes it is laziness or stupidity, sometimes it's modern colloquialisms, sometimes it's just something you gotta find in the urbandictionary.

the greater good

Sometimes in life you have to weigh your thoughts, motives, and actions and hope you come out. Daniel 5:27 says, "You are weighed in the balances and are found wanting:"  What a terrible edict to have spoken over you.

And then I look to Revelation 6:5&6 and it says, "When He broke open the third seal, I heard the third living creature call out, Come and look!  And I saw, and behold, a black horse, and in his hand the rider had a pair of scales (a balance).  And I heard what seemed to be a voice from the midst of the four living creatures, saying, A quart of wheat for a denarius [a whole day's wages], and three quarts of barley for a denarius: but do not harm the oil and the wine!"  Now Elisha had said the same thing in 2Kings 7:1 (and throuhout that story) and he was prophesying what would occur to the King of Israel.  And as the prophesy is again repeated in Revelation it is revealed and explained in God's plan as Hosea (2:22) says, "And the earth shall respond to the grain and the wine and the oil and these shall respond to Jezreel". (See also Hosea 4:8-11)

What are the grain, the wine, and the oil?  The bread of everlasting life, the body of Christ; the blood of Christ, for which we are redeemed; the Holy Spirit who guides and comforts and teaches us.

We are in the time that people are starving for the Word of God and are totally unaware: "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you (the priestly nation) have rejected knowledge...(Hosea 4:6)" and Amos 8:11-12 "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord God, when I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but (a famine) for hearing the words of the Lord.  And the people) shall wander from sea to sea and from the north even to the east; they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord (inquiring for and requiring it as one requires food), but the shall not find it."

Again I go back to the distinguishing mark of a Christian.  God written in the thoughts (mind) and imprinted in the hand, the very actions of a Christian.  And the distinguishing mark is the very fellowship with God our Father and His Son Jesus Christ who is the Word of Life. (1John1:1-5 and also the whole book of 1John.)

So I weigh myself.  And I am lacking.  What else can I do but repent...(2Peter 3:10-18) good night.

Comment response: I don't personally believe that there is any truth in the theory that the Revelation has already been mostly fulfilled by Christ.  I wonder at the motives of those that cling to that unBiblical view.  2Timothy4:3 warns, "For the time is coming when (people) will not tolerate (endure) sound and wholesome instruction, but, haveing ears itching (for something pleasing and gratifying), they will gather to themselves one teacher after anothe to a considerable number, chosen to satisfy their own liking and to folster the errors they hold."

I believe the only thing that is holding back Revelation from being "revealed" is that the Holy Spirit is holding it back because in God's infinite mercy, God wishes that all will be spared.   His long time in coming is infinite perfect mercy.  If he came right this second, what would He find us doing?  Would our lamps be empty, would we have to search for oil, or would he find us as a wise bridesmade, waiting for Him.  1Peter4:7-8 does say, "But the end and culmination of all things has now come near; keep sound minded and self-restrained and alert therefore for (the practice of) prayer.  Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins (forgives and disregards the offenses of others).--not done yet, gotta go

Multitasking on clutter and storage

For the month of October I have been pruning my life.

Getting rid of clutter.

Architecturing storage of the useful things left.

I started out by researching.  I've been reading the Bible, books on disciplining my family, books on organizing, articles on things that cramp your style-like destructive people, having clutter, not organizing or prioritizing...

Basically, I'm just getting rid of junk.  Freeing up my time and resources-for better things.  For when I die and have to answer to God for all the talents He gave me and if I come up short, excuses or blaming others won't save me.  Telling God I couldn't find it, or I had no time won't do.

My favorite passage in the Bible is:

"Do not gather and heap up and store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust and worm consume and destroy, and where thieves break through and steal.  But gather and heap up and store for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust nor worm consume and destroy, and where thieves do not break through and steal; For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. -Matthew 6:19-21

and an important thing to think on when you are cleaning up yourself, is "just clean up your self (not others)" because if you extend your thinking to judging others, then you get in a whole mess of dirt.  Matthew 7:1-2 "Do not judge and criticize and condemn others, so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned yourselves.  For just as you judge and criticize and condemn others, you will be judged and criticized and condemned, and in accordance with the measure you [use to] deal out to others, it will be dealt out again to you."

karma 

Stockpiling or hording

There's a difference between stockpiling and hording.

Stockpiling is buying 10 cans of soup when they go on sale for 50 cents. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkXQvgWrCaI)

Hording is collecting 200 cow-trinkets and and still buying another for your knick-knack collection.

When it comes to your body:

Hording is being 10 lbs. overweight.

Stockpiling is walking 5 days a week and eating healthy.  That is stockpiling for a long, healthy life.

Stockpiling was Joseph saving grain for a future 7-year famine.

Hording is what King David did by building himself a mansion that took more effort than the "fortress" of a tabernacle-God'stemple, granted the temple did have a template to go by and God gave him the architectural drawings for it.  But David spent more time on building his own house than he spent on planning God's temple.

A wise steward considers the full cost of time and effort and goods it will take to complete a project.  He weighs the heavenly and earthly treasure.

A foolish worker spends time giving no thought to the purpose and end.  A foolish steward stores up treasure on earth.  Is a horder of useless earthly things (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OePmQQ9pfGy&feature=related).  A grasper after the wind.

I think about some thing Moses did.  When he came down from Mt. Horeb (?) and he found Aaron leading his sheep by letting them get further and further into foolishness and leading the way into degradation, making a gold calf for Baal worship, of all things.  Moses destroyed the calf and so pulverized their object of disobedience that he made them eat the gold.  What could that have possibly of accomplished?  I think of the relationship that we are supposed to have with our Lord and Savior.  Jesus said that if we do not eat His Body and drink His Blood that we are not acceptable to His Kingdom.  What does it mean that we are to utterly consume our God.  Take Him in completely.  What does this have to do with stockpiling or hording?

If we are preparing for the Kingdom of God are we to be a stockpiler or a horder?  What should we be stockpiling?  How do we prune away the tendency to horde?

I know one thing.  We should be stockpiling the Word.  It should be imprinted on our foreheads; it should be in every thought and frame the very essence of our thought.  It should be a "tattoo" on our hands; be a very mover of our actions.  In the end-time those that don't believe will have a 666 on their foreheads and hands(See also Matthew 6:15-16 "Beware (of false prophets), who come to you dressed as sheep, but inside they are devouring wolves.  You will fully recognize them by their fruits.  Do people pick grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?")  It will be evident to any one who will discern them by what they think and what they do.

i'm not amish

Portia Gibbons says, "I don't walk, I'm not Amish."

   

As I reflect against all things Portia, I'm taking my dog, Odie for a walk.

Fiddle faddle

Among being a house wife, to those that were born after 1970: a wife that stays at home and tries to be like the Brady Bunch mom without the maid; I am an expert at fiddle faddling.  And fiddle faddling is counter-productive to anything that I am supposed to do.  If I had fiddle faddling in my resume, I wouldn't have gotten married and landed the fine catch I got.

Today I was at two places at one time again, juggling 5 multitasks at a time.  Really.  The boys had there last soccer game and Rachel had a game at the same time.  I dropped off the boys at their game.  Went to Rachel's game, which we left after 3/4 and a score of 0-0.  The boys ended with 2-3.  Then there was a pizza party.  That was great because it took care of the after soccer slaughter of my kitchen, when the kids are trying to devour everything in sight.

Today a funny thing happened.  I think God was working out things for my good.  He does things in a humorous way.  When I got home the computer was down, the phone was down and so was my cell.  And it didn't all stop until about 10 minutes from the time I got home and was going to settle down and fiddle faddle on the phone and computer, and just generally waste time.  Today I had told myself I was going to start in on the basement, and I was going to put it off some more.  When the phones and computer didn't work, I even thought of taking the kids and going somewhere.  Well, I did.  I took them to the library and the librarian wouldn't look up my records, because I left my library card at home.  Usually I can finagle someone into doing what I want and get books checked out anyway, but she wouldn't budge;(  So I had to take my kids and go home where my basement was waiting for me.  Still the computer and phones weren't working...I knew I had paid the bill, because Mike and I have organized our computer room and with that the bills, so what gives?  And I couldn't get Mike to fix the problem, because he's up north hunting for Bambi's mom and dad.

So I went down to the basement.  Even the treadmill all of a sudden looked appealing.  Rachel and Matt and for a small period of time, Patrick; skateboarded, in-line skated, and played tennis while I whittled away at the quagmire.

There's still a lot left.  I gathered up 5 jumbo trash bags for charity and 3 1/2 large bags of trash, and lots of sweeping.  I feel like a dust rag, with sweat.  I wonder if that all counts as exercise.  I didn't do well on my dieting goal.  I really got off track.  I couldn't sleep last night so I was really tired this morning, and eating got my energy going.  I had breakfast, Rice Crispies.  Then I had a McDonald's breakfast.  Then pizza at the pizza party...then I just stop tallying up the damage.  The way dieting goes today probably sabotaged the whole month of dieting.

At least God helped me clean today.