Bumps and Blessings!

     Well, it has been exactly one month since my last post...so sorry Faithful Readers!  I promise, I had the loftiest of intentions to blog more faithfully during the summer months!  I compose blogs in my head, and never seem to be able to get to the computer to send them along!  *Sigh*

     The theme that's been running through my head lately has been "bumps & blessings."  (Hence the title!)  By now, if you have read this blog for very long, you know that I like boring.  Lately, however, life around here has been anything but boring!  In fact, it has been very "bumpy."  I seem to be hitting all the potholes in the road of life!  As soon as I bounce out of one, it seems like I'm heading down into another. And it seemed like I was hitting them in all the different areas of life--marriage, kids, health, church, work....

     I want to be real on this blog.  I don't want to "roll around" in my problems, but I don't want you to think as you read this blog "She has it all together...nothing ever seems to happen to her like what happens in my life..."  Because that's definitely not true!    As humans, and therefore sinful creatures, we all have our share of trials and temptations that we face.  The hard part is learning how to handle them properly, according to Scripture.

     So, as I was saying, life has been bumpy of late.  And I was getting discouraged.  I mean, don't-want-to get-out-of-bed, what-is-the-point-of-trying-anymore discouraged.  Then I realized something.  A simple, straightforward, should-have-already-known-this something.  (Side note: you know how we get tired of saying the same thing over and over to our kids?  Do you ever think about God sitting back and saying, "Now, how many times have I tried to tell you that?"  Thankful for a Perfect, Wise, and most of all Patient Heavenly Father!)  God sends the bumps in our life so we are forced to seek out the blessings. 

     It's so easy to forget God's continual blessings during the boring times.  Bumpy times narrow our focus, forcing us to concentrate on remembering God's blessings--most of the time just so we can go on living!  And as I went through these bumpy times, I was forgetting to do that.  So I was getting more and more discouraged, wrapped up in my issues.  Then I was thinking one day about something that has happened in my family's life recently that has been an answer to a prayer of ours for a very long time.  Then I started thinking about other things that have been happening in our ministry here.  I realized then that Satan wants me to focus on the bumps.  If he can get our focus on ourselves, and our problems, then he knows the battle is half won in our life.  Discouragement is one of his biggest weapons.  Because discouraged people are halfway to being quitters.  And Christians who quit won't do anything to further God's kingdom.  Which is exactly Satan's plan.

     I started listing things mentally that have been happening that have been furthering God's kingdom.  Families in our church who have committed to live their lives for the Lord.  Kids in whose life I have had a small part coming to the Lord for salvation.  The exponential growth of our school this summer.  And I realized...this is why we have bumps--so we can remember the blessings.

     So, if your just coming out of a bumpy time yourself, or may be heading into one, I want to encourage you.  Look for the blessings.  Don't let Satan get a foothold of discouragement in your life.  Give your disheartening moments to the Father.  And soon you'll look back and see what God has accomplished during your bumpy time.  Then you'll be able to give Him the glory!

    Oh, and sometimes, the bumps can be blessings themselves...in fact, we have a "bump" that is growing into a "blessing", and should be here in about six months!  (Is that too vague?)  :)

Summer Slow-Down. . .Yeah, Right!

     I had the highest of hopes for a more regular posting schedule for my poor, neglected blog this summer.  But then reality intervened, and well, let's just say lately we're lucky to get meals around here!  I realized that the busy-ness was getting a little out of hand one morning, about a week ago, as Hubby and I were sitting at the kitchen table after breakfast.  We were both filling out our respective to-do lists for that day and the rest of the week.  We both had lots to do, and not much time to do it in!  But we survived that week, and we're almost done with this one as well!  I'm glad to say that later on that evening, when that day's work was done, we promised ourselves that we would take some time for a "vacation" in a couple of weeks.  You don't know how often that thought has kept my sanity for the last few days!

     We've had a couple of big happenings around here since my last post.  Probably the most exciting thing was the fact that First-Born decided to get baptized!  He was saved about two years ago in our tent revival. (You can read about that here.)  He knew in theory that he should be baptized, but as he put it, "I'm just not brave enough."  Well, he finally found the courage, and two Sundays ago was baptized by his Pa. 

     I found this great pic from Middle Biscuit's birthday celebration.  I just had to stick it in here...

Nothing says "Happy Birthday" like six candles on an ice-cream cone!  

   
     We've also had a new addition to the family.  Some of you may know about our new kitten.  He is quickly becoming "one of the guys."  He's pretty feisty, which is a must around here, and all the boys love playing with him.  He was named "Chip" for the spots on his belly (they looked like chocolate chips), but we quickly realized that name was a little too "cutesy" for this particular tough guy!  So, the boys amended his name, and now he is known as "Chip Norris--the toughest cat in the world!"  He and Stitch are especially good buddies, and spend lots of time chasing each other around! 

Gotcha! :)

     Even though we've been busy, we have found time to do a couple of fun things.  Family zoo trips, picking the garden (well, the boys think it's fun!), celebrating Father's Day, picking blueberries, and making some cakes have all been little ways to have fun as a family! 

*First-Born working diligently on icing his cake...he wanted it to be just right!  (You should have seen them after they ate that cake...they looked like mini-vampires with all the red around their mouth!)



     *Middle Biscuit and Stitch worked together to ice their cake.  Well, Middle Biscuit worked to ice the cake.  Stitch realized that the knife was an excellent icing-eating tool! 




    This week we are in the middle of Cub Scout day camp.  Let's just say that it has been an adventure.  But then again, I guess anything that involves large numbers of boys under eleven is an adventure, right?  Tomorrow is the last day, and I'm not even going to pretend to be sad that it's over!  It's a good thing that we only have it one time a year!  Lol...

     I'm glad I've had the chance to catch you up with our crazy life!  I hope your summer is going well...and it's not too crazy!  :) 

Summer Start-Up!

     The first week of summer is officially over!  We were glad to have a relaxing week, recovering from the craziness that was the last week of school!

     I really don't want to waste the summer.  I have all these things in the back of my mind that I want to get done before school starts.  Things like cleaning, organizing, and stuff that never seems to get handled when school starts up!  So, in that spirit, I got up this morning and organized and cleaned out all the cabinets in my kitchen!  I was so glad to get this much-needed task done!  Now, if I can only get the hoodlums and the Hubby to help me keep it this way!  :)

     I don't want the boys to waste the summer either.  They would be perfectly happy to sit in front of the TV watching movies and playing video games all summer!  So, in the interest of not turning their brains into mush, we have signed up for the summer reading program at the local library.  They keep up with how many books they've checked out and read, and then at the end of the summer, they get a prize pack from the library.  We did it once, two summers ago, and the boys really enjoyed it.  We have read a lot of books so far!

     We are also working on some Cub Scout projects and electives as well.  Today, First-Born made a weather chart, which he is supposed to use to track the weather for two weeks.  Middle Biscuit will be working on his Tiger Track over the summer as well.  One thing you have to say about Scouts--there's always something to be working on!  They've learned that bored kids get into trouble!

     Hubby and I were talking earlier this week about that idea as well.  We want the boys to be busy learning and growing.  It's kind of scary to think that you really don't have that much time to teach the important things to your kiddos!  (Of course, some days it seems like they're never going to grow up!)  But there are so many good things to learn, and, unfortunately, there are so many things everyone else will want to teach them---and most are not good!  We have to be so vigilant to be the first to fill our children's minds with good, profitable knowledge and wisdom, before the world can fill it with mindless fluff and garbage.

     So, just a word of encouragement---be your kids' teacher!  Try to impart some small lesson in wisdom everyday!  Spend some time thinking..."What do I want my kids to learn from me today?"  Because they will learn something--no matter what!  It's our job to make sure it's something that nurtures or admonishes!  :)