Jesus Glue

Today is a short blog about Unglued.

 

Jesus Glue, I need it to help me keep from coming unglued!

I NEED some Jesus Glue!

 

What is it? It's the Word of God, the Bible.

 

Today (in case you haven't checked the calendar) is Halloween! Sometimes in the hustle & bustle of an exciting day, I can come unglued.....there's lots to do & everyone is so excited. And sometimes, preschoolers (my two little sweethearts anyway) have their own agenda of what is happening on a day such as this.....especially Kayla. She will have a way in her head she has things pictured looking & going. Unfortunately, things may not always turn out EXACTLY like she has them pictured. And at times, I have come unglued with her & had head-spinning Momma moments (imagine that). My prayer today is to rely on my Jesus Glue.

 

I pray to "...let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." (Hebrews 12:1b). I also pray "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5).

 

I pray that instead of getting caught up in what I think needs to be done, I just rely on my Jesus Glue & enjoy the day the moments as they happen. We will only ever have ONE Halloween 2012....only one 5-year-old Gene Simmons & one 2-year-old Butterfly Fairy. I pray to soak it all in [and take LOTS of pictures].

 

Please pray for me to not come unglued today!

One Small Step for Most Moms, One Giant Leap for THIS Mom

Okay...let me just say I know most of you will laugh at me on this one cause I accomplished something that is one small step for most moms, but one GIANT leap for THIS mom! And I'm okay with that!

 

As many of you know, Kayla & Jamie are in a Mother's Day Out Program (in this house aka: Preschool). Tomorrow is Halloween & there is a PARTY! I usually sign up for chips or drinks/juice boxes when it comes to school parties. And when I've gotten assigned something a little more involved (it requires a little more than me just buying chips or "the boxes"), I either ask my mother-in-law to do it or pay someone to do it for me. For tomorrow's party, I got given the option of bringing cupcakes or cookies; & I picked cupcakes.

 

Now, if we are friends on Facebook, you may have seen that I have recently decided to get crafty & make something for the girls for Christmas. Well this whole domestic/crafty/creative feeling is starting to spill over into other things. I decided to MAKE cupcakes for tomorrow. So I loaded up the girls after I got off work & we headed to the store for the "stuff" we needed.

As previously posted, I am a multi-tasking Momma so I have NO shame in getting the girls dinner to eat while I'm getting my shopping done. It keeps them focused on eating instead of the "I want's" & they are distracted enough I can stay focused on my shopping list.

 

We got our goods...

...and headed home. Now, you are probably thinking: Tasha, you just bought a box...you didn't REALLY make those cupcakes. Yes, I cheated by using a box; but REMEMBER, I normally wouldn't even go this far. I WILL work my way up to making homemade cupcakes, but I'm taking baby steps here.

 

I saw on Pinterest (I am LOVING that site & app)...

...a really cool tip & I thought I would try it.

 

You're to turn the oven down from 350 to 325 right after putting the cupcakes in & bake them for 25 mintues. Apparently, it is supposed to give you beautifully-risen cupcakes. I thought: hey, why not try it?!?!?! Worst case senerio my cupcakes will turn out flat like they always do.

 

Well, I tried it, and....

...IT WORKED!!!!!!!!! Now, I know I've got to work on filling all my cups to equal heights; but I'll work on that next time. I was just REALLY excited they didn't come out flat!

 

Not ONLY did I bake cupcakes instead of just buying them, I ALSO put my own icing on....AND, I did it with a decorative thingy, instead of just slapping it on with a knife....AND, I added the Halloween sprinkles that I would have normally pretended would have not been there.

 

 

For me....I think they turned out pretty good. So, let me hear ya laugh & share your tips with me since I am REALLY wanting to start doing all this domestic/crafty/creative stuff.

Reflection of I'm Not a Freak-Out Woman

Ahhh....my Unglued time (for those of you just tuning in, I'm blogging my way through Heartwork of this book I'm reading).

 

I'm still working on my Memory Verses (I will probably always be working on them, & I'm okay with that):

1) "...let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1b

2) "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:5

 

Alright, now to my Reflection of Chapter 2: I'm Not a Freak-Out Woman

(Again, there were questions asked & I'm just going to put my answers/discussion here. If you are reading --of have read-- the book, you will notice I'm just rewriting a lot of what Lysa said. But today's Heartwork just asks questions that can be found in the book....not a lot of extra thought on it)

 

Lysa has an interesting view on perspective (it made SO MUCH sense to me):

Perspective is crucial. It is a key to not coming unglued.

 

When an emotion is tied to a thought pattern, the memory trace grows exponentially stronger. With each repetition the trace goes deeper & deeper, forming & embedding a pattern of thought. We tend to forget most of our random thoughts that aren't tied to emotions; but keep the ones that have an emotional tie.

 

I don't develop new responses till I develop new thoughts. Renewing my mind with new thoughts is crucial. New thoughts come from new perspective. When I gain new perspectives, I can see new ways of thinking.

 

The Bible encourages this process. It is possible to be completely changed through transformed thought patterns:

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2

I can also accept or refuse thoughts. Instead of being held hostage by old thought patterns (being held prisoner by those negative ones), I can actually capture my thoughts and allow the power of Christ's truth to change them:

"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:5

 

I CANNOT control the things that happen to me each day, but I CAN control how I think about them! By changing my thought patterns (accepting the positive ones along with God's Truth AND refusing the negative ones), I can face things that are out of my control & not act out of control. Getting into a tizzy about things will fix nothing. It just adds more stress & anxiety to an already tense situation. But as long as I believe --really believe-- God is there & that He is out to do me good, I can stop freaking out trying to fix everything on my own. I can rest in the fact that God is in control; He's got this. I've just got to let go, & give it to Him.

 

When Joshua was about to face Jericho, he asked a question to God; but it was the wrong question. He asked God whose side He was on.....instead, Joshua should have asked himself: "Whose side am I on?" The same goes for me....when I am faced with a tough situation that is out of my control, I need to ask, "Whose side am I on?" If I ground myself in the reality that I trust God, I can face circumstances that are out of my control without acting out of control. I just have to fix my mind on God. Then I can say: I'm Not a Freak-Out Woman!

 

Thoughts.....

Monday Moments

There are a few moments from this Monday that really stick out...it was not a Manic Monday (for that which I am thankful), it was just a day I was blessed by God to experience.

 

Work was nothing too crazy; but it definitely wasn't boring. I got a nice visit from a friend delivering goodies from a Bake Sale I made a donation to....those goodies were yummy! Friday I was just NOT in the mood to work. I wanted to be there, but it was PINK Out Friday & we "Got Our PINK On". It was just too fun of a day to work. So that meant I had A LOT to do today. But I didn't mind cause it makes the day go by faster. I got a TON of packages at work today full of frames, lenses, & optician accessories (oh, & one of those boxes contained the 1st gifts I had gotten the girls for Christmas).

 

Well, anytime one of our frame reps sends us a box, they put candy in it. Well today we got one from this & it was Halloween Candy:

EXCITING...I thought they were too cute cause they were Eyeballs!

 

When I got home, I decided it had been FAR too long since I had worked-out on purpose AND since we played the XBox with Kinnect. So the girls & I got about 40 minutes of dancing in....okay, I got about 40 minutes of dance while they danced a little & mostly tried to figure out who was going to pick the next song. 

Here was my view during the first song (the one that started this year's Halloween costume decision for Kayla): "I was Made for Lovin You" by Kiss.

 

After some XBox time & a thrown-together dinner, the girls wanted to play upstairs....so they got to. I decided to take advantage of them being occupied & took a bubble bath. I usually waiting until they are in bed, but it hit me right that minute that I wanted a bubble bath, & I wanted it right then.

I don't really see bubble bathes as a romantic thing. To me, it's more about the relaxation. I do like to light a candle cause I love to just sit there & watch the flame flicker...another relaxing thing to me.

 

While I was relaxing, I wanted to listen to some music, so I pulled up my iHeartRadio app

and listened to my K-Love station. While listening to it, I heard SEVERAL songs that spoke to me; but one that really spoke to me. See, I LOVE music. And if you REALLY want me to understand something, find a song & the message will really sink in....yet another reason why I listen to K-Love so much: to REALLY hear God's messages to me. Tonight, I heard a song I have NEVER heard before, AND I LOVED IT!

 

It's by an artist named Plumb...and here's a snippet of her bio:

Tiffany Lee aka Plumb has been making inspirational music for over a decade. Plumb first emerged in the late 90’s and immediately won critical acclaim for her influential lyrics and haunting vocals. Every Plumb record is tied to real, raw emotions which them extremely relatable.

 

The song I heard tonight was Plumb’s latest single "Need You Now (How Many Times)" off her yet to be titled upcoming album (January 22, 2013), is an emotional song about how desperately we need the Lord. “God he has turned my once weeping, into dance...something I could not imagine this past winter, when I lived in the valley of the shadow,” she says. “He always loves me. Always provides. Always protects. And is always faithful. It was when I got out of His way that I saw Him work and bring what was dead to life. What are you going through that maybe you need to just get out His way for? He does a better job. Trust me. May God get all the glory for the hope and confidence in Him he has given me to share through it.”

 

This song is an AMAZING message for anyone who has any fears....any anxieties....any sin they have given to God, but every once in a while satan tries to sneek in there & slap you in the face with that sin you had laid down at God's feet. Plumb wrote this song out of a time in her life when she had to say this verse to herself over & over again...

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." ~Isaiah 41:10

 

Here are the lyrics:

Well everybody's got a story to tell
And everybody's got a wound to be healed
I want to believe there's beauty here
So, I guess you're tired of holding on
I can't let go, I can't move on
I want to believe there's meaning here

(Chorus)
How many times have you heard me cry out
"God please take this"?
How many times have you given me strength to
Just keep breathing?
Oh I need you
God, I need you now.

Standing on a road I didn't plan
Wondering how I got to where I am
I'm trying to hear that still small voice
I'm trying to hear above the noise

Chorus

Though I walk, though I walk through the shadows
And I, I am so afraid
Please stay, please stay right beside me
With every single step I take

How many times have you heard me cry out?
And how many times have you given me strength?

Chorus

I need you now
I need you now

 

And here is a link....REALLY listen to this song....soak it in! And ANY time those fears, anxieties, satan creeping in with doubts get into your head, go back to this song:

 

Well everybody's got a story to tell

 

(if you have trouble with the link, please let me know...I'm new at posting links)

 

 

 

After the girls had their quiet time....Kayla got caught doing something she knew she wasn't supposed to do. She got her punishment, but this moment right here

was precious to me. This is part of her nightly routine....Greg does a devotional with her. I am ALWAYS amazed (not surprised, just in awe of) how God provides things/lessons/songs just when we need them. Tonight's devotional was: Always do what pleases God. We were able to related it very well to her moment of disobedience.

 

So how was your Monday? What were some of your "moments"? What verses or songs really speak to you?

I'm Not a Freak-Out Woman

I'm coming to LOVE my Unglued time...

 

 

...I in NO WAY mean those times in my life where I become unglued; I'm talking about the time I spend reading & blogging about Unglued.

 

Yesterday I didn't get a chance to get into the book....or do the quiet time I like to do or go to church. You see, Saturday Kayla started really feeling the effects of some sinus/allergy junk, so that evening we declared we would have a true day of rest....the girls & I would stay home & rest.

Jamie & I got started with our day of rest a little early & curled up Saturday evening to watch some football (she can be such a silly & fun little girl).

 

 However, I usually still get up & have my quiet time with God (I get up an hour later on the weekends than I do during the week). But getting up was apparently not part of a true day of rest. When my alarm went off, my eyes were so swollen from my own sinuses/allergies, I was literally fighting to open them. So I allowed myself the extra time to rest & got up when the girls did.

 

A day of rest in our house means we sit around & watch favorite TV shows & movies. I let the girls pick all day cause it was Sunday, which meant that in the evening, I would want to watch football.

 

You're probably thinking: okay Tasha, I am here to read about Unglued not see & hear about how your Sunday went. And you're also probably thinking: Tasha, I read your reflection of Chapter 1....you know the one where you told on yourself for having a head-spinning Momma moment; so how in the world can you say "I'm Not a Freak-Out Woman"???? So let me get to the point.....

 

Today's Heartwork was to read Chapter 2: "I'm Not a Freak-Out Woman" & start with our Memory Verse for it [what, I haven't even gotten ALL of the 1st verse memorized...don't freak-out Tasha; work on it].

 

Chapter 1 Memory Verse: "...let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perserverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1b

 

Chapter 2 Memory Verse: "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:5

 

Well, "I'm Not a Freak-Out Woman" is all about perspective...it's crucial! It is the key to not coming unglued & helps me develop a new way of thinking. I'll go into more detail when I do reflections for this chapter.

 

How does this relate to my Sunday???? Just a couple of weeks ago, I 'beat myself up' about not going to church and not getting up to have my quiet time. I even had a friend send me an email reminding me that it's okay if I need to sleep-in from time-to-time during this season of my life [or to take naps when I had planned to watch a sermon from another church on TV or the internet]. But yesterday was totally different! I didn't beat myself up....I had a completely different perspective about it. I had an abbreviated quiet time, prayed throughout the day, & just let life happen....enjoying time with my girls & after they went to bed, I enjoyed some football AND baseball [we had a local boy pitching the World Series], & our fireplace.

Depsite how the girls were dressed in their picture, it WAS/IS cold outside & when it's cold, I love to have the fireplace going.

 

So sorry to disappoint & not post anything about Unglued yesterday....but life happens.



Pink Out & Germanfest

I've decided since we had 2 big events in a row to go ahead & blog them instead of putting it ALL in a Weekend Wrap-Up. I would have posted Pink Out by itself, but was TIRED last night so it just didn't happen.

 

Pink Out Friday

The Mayor of Fayette County declared Friday, October 26, 2012 as "Get Your Pink On" day in Fayette County saying "Fayette County is going PINK for Cancer Day". We were ALL encouraged to wear PINK in order to raise awareness.

These flyers were posted all over the county for encouragement:

 

My co-worker & I decided to wear jeans & black shirts with pink on them. 

This was the back of my shirt....the front said there is hope.

 

Since I wear scrubs to work everyday, the girls were a little concerned when I came out in jeans & a t-shirt. So they asked what was going on. When I told them, they were like, we've got pink on our jammies!

Getting their pink on!

 

For dinner we went to Braden Station & it was YUMMY!

Jamie got her pink on!

Kayla got her pink on too!

 

Germanfest in Oakland

As I've mentioned before, I LOVE going to local events! I stumbled upon information for Oakland's Germanfest at the Holy Spirit Lutheran Church.

This was our schedule of events

The girls & I loaded up & headed out!

We were REALLY excited for our friends Dawn, Lorelei......

....& Boaz to meet us there!

The girls had fun walking around (well, I MOSTLY carried Jamie) checking out all the tables.

They REALLY loved this puppy. Slade was a VERY good natured dog who didn't mind all the little hands in his face, squeals, & provided some licks too.

 

Since the girls did so good with no grumbling while we walked around, Dawn & I were EXCITED to let them get involved in the kids' activities! The game they played looked fun....they had to get a blindfold on & had to pat a wooden spoon on the ground until the came upon the pot. Under the pot, they had a prize.

Kayla went first & didn't have too much trouble....she her secrete to finding it was that she "heard" where they put the pot.

 

Lorelei was next....despite as much as they tried, I think she could see under her blindfold as she went STRAIGHT to the pot. She was EXCITED for her prize! 

Jamie's turn was next....she had a little more trouble; but I stood behind it & told her to come to my voice. She would lift her blindfold up & make sure she was headed in the right direction.

 

It was time for lunch after all that walking (or walking while carrying for us Moms) & game playing. The girls each had a hot dog & some kettle popcorn.

Dawn & I had the Dinner Plate of German Food, which included a bratwurst on bead of sauerkraut inside a bread roll, spaetzle (the white stuff), & German slaw (the purple stuff).

These girls REALLY get along well & I feel so blessed that my girls have Lorelei in their lives! I am BEYOND blessed to have Dawn in mine!

Boaz tried the spaetzle....he just left it sitting there for a little bit. It didn't really have much flavor. HOWEVER, the German slaw had flavor & he liked that a lot!

And what's a German Dinner without a little Black Forest Cake....it was YUMMY! And yes, Dawn & I shared out pieces with the kids! Dawn mentioned to Lorelei that she had signed up to get the recipe & Kayla had to ensure I had signed up for it too [and yes, I had].

 

After lunch, it was time for some facepainting.....

Kayla LOVES getting her face painted!

Today's choice was a butterfly

Then it was Lorelei's turn. 

LOOK, they MATCH!

Lorelei's butterfly was beautiful too!

 

Of course Jamie had to have her turn too....

....but Miss Independent had to be different...she wanted a Ladybug.

After a little German cookie snack, the girls did a little dancing & marching around the the German music.

 

I would say we have had a fun couple of days! Have you ever been to a Germanfest? What was it like?



Imperfect Progress Reflection

Do you EVER have those moments where you become unglued....you snap at your significant other, co-worker, or friend when they are just asking you a question.....or you snap at your children when they are just acting their age? For example: they are playing with each other & being too loud squealing & actually getting along; but it's getting on YOUR last nerve cause it's the end of the day, you're tired, you REALLY want them in bed but it's a Friday night so you're letting them stay up just a little later, & you just want a moment of quiet. So you COMPLETELY become the crazy, head-spinning-in-circles mom by getting REALLY loud & threatening that if they don't get quiet by not saying another word right that instant then they will go to bed without kisses, hugs, or stories. And in reality, you KNOW they are not capable of not saying another world (they ARE preschoolers afterall), & you would NEVER EVER send them to bed without the cuddle time & time for reflection on their day. [Sorry about all the grammar issues in this paragraph....trying to make a point here]

 

Or am I all alone in this?

 

I am BEYOND thankful Lysa TerKeurst took the time to write this book. I have those moments WAY more often then I would like to (last night's example above is my latest). It is showing me that I am NOT alone. (PS....God & I have already dealt with my crazy, head-spinning-in-circles moment from last night)

Unglued

I'm on Day 2 of completing Heartwork for an Online Bible Studay (OBS) as I'm reading it. Just as the subtitle indicates, it is giving me Christ-focused ways to make wise choices in the midst of raw emtions. It's Reflection time from reading Chapter 1: An Invitation to Imperfect Progress. There were some questions for me to answer. Instead of listing the questions out, I'll just discuss them here.

 

On page 14, Lysa says "What kept me from making changes was the feeling I wouldn't do it perfectly. I knew I'd still mess up and the changes wouldn't come instantly." I can COMPLETELY relate with this statement! For the longest time, I would try to deal with stuff on my own. I would go all head-spinning & just say I was a horrible Mommy. I didn't realize how much I was saying this out loud until Kayla (almost in tears) asked me to PLEASE not say that any more, that I was a great Mommy [nothing will want to make you change more than your child begging you to]. I realized that these raw emotion moments are going to happen & I've just got to pray for God's guidance in how to deal with them. And then I started hearing A LOT about this book. It got me to thinking, maybe, just maybe I can figure out some Christ-focused ways to deal with my raw emotions before I let them explode all over the people around me. Am I going to continue to have head-spinning moments? Oh, I'm sure; but at least now I'm trying to work on it & turn to the Right Source for help.

 

EVERY TIME I have a head-spinning moment, I feel like it is a setback that keeps me from moving forward....like I'm not worthy of a do-over again, & again, & AGAIN [PS....that's satan creeping in]. But this concept of "imperfect progress" (imperfect changes are slow steps of progress wrapped in grace...imperfect progress) is AWESOME. Afterall, I am a work in progress....I was not created to be perfect. I sin in other areas of my life so why wouldn't I become a head-spinning crazy woman with my kids from time-to-time. I wasn't given then "How to be a Perfect Mom" book because EACH mother & child are different.

 

HOWEVER, I was given the Bible. And in it is God's Word (as a matter of fact I call it that often). I trust Him in other areas of my life & seek His Guidance. So why in the world would I think I've got this mom thing figured out without even going all the way through it...or this emotions thing without having already experienced every emotion in every type of situation. I just MUST rely on His Guidance to help me deal with my moments of raw emotion.

 

Hebrews 12:1b says ...let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. [Memory Verse for Chapter 1 & I am working on memorizing it] To run the race that God has set before us, I must also strip off the excess weight that slows me down. How can I do that? I pray to God, get in His Word, ask for forgiveness, & seek His Guidance. And if 'stuff' starts creeping up again in my head of how I have messed up YET AGAIN [PS...satan creeping again]; I do the same thing & I do it over & over until God has helped me deal with it. It took me A LONG TIME to understand this. To say it is easy, but satan likes to keep throwing stuff in my face about how I mess up & how I am not perfect. "How can you call yourself a Christian? You are such a hypocrit & look at all the bad stuff you do in your life." Have you ever heard that from anyone? The AWESOME & AMAZING thing about God is, He is forgiving & forward-moving. He doesn't dwell on the bad. He knows I am going to sin, it's my human nature. But He forgives me anyway. He forgave me when He sent His One & Only Son to die on the cross for us. And He forgives me the moment I ask Him to.

 

The Christian life involves hard work. It requires us to give up whatever endangers our relationship with God, to run with endurance, and to struggle against sin with the power of the Holy Spirit. Is there anything endangering your relationship with God? What do you need to do to live effectively? Those questions were presented & I'm dealing with them with God. But I HAVE to give Him everything....I have to be an open book to Him. I MUST ask Him to open my eyes to things that break His heart as sin in my life. Once He points those things out to me, I must ask for His forgiveness & stear clear of it.

 

The key points from Chapter 1 are:

1) There is hope! I can make imperfect changes that are slow steps wrapped in grace...imperfect progress.

2) There will be progress!

3) Emotions are NOT bad! God gave me emotions so I could experience life, not destroy it.

4) I am NOT alone!

 

So, what are your thoughts?



An Invitation to Imperfect Progress

 

I started (okay, restarted) reading Unglued this morning & as promised yesterday, I'm going to blog about the book & the Online Bible Study (OBS) Melissa Taylor has done to go along with this book.

 

My first Heartwork from the OBS is to read chapter 1, work on the memory verse, & talk about what really jumped into my heart from reading chapter 1.

 

Now let me tell you RIGHT OFF (in case you haven't been around me in a while & heard me say it): I have THE BEST memory in the world, because I write EVERYTHING down. That's my positive way of saying: my memory REALLY stinks. So when I saw Memory Verse, my heart started racing. Yes, I realize no one is going to come test me & see if I have it memorized or not; but I want to get as much out of this study as possible AND I have BEEN wanting to memorize Scripture. The way I memorized things in school was to write, & write, & yes rewrite my notes (or chapters from a book). So, I have written this first memory verse in the space in chapter 1 & in my Prayer Journal. It's also highlighted in my Bible (as suggested by Melissa).

 

Now let me type it here to help it stick even more:

"...let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perserverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1b

 

I ALSO learned of an app from a good friend of mine (one of my Moms in my Mommy Bible Study Group). She likes to do app reviews in her Blog from time-to-time & I've learned A LOT from that! The app is called BibleMinded. This is what it looks like (I can't wait to try it out during this study!).

Let me give credit now....if I type something that's a quote from the book & realize I have NOT given the appropriate credit, you'll see [LT] behind it. (It's the author's initials) And if I forget to do it, PLEASE forgive me! This is a blog, not an English paper.

 

I LOVE an author who is transparent: "I know what it's like to praise God one minute and in the next minute yell and scream at my child." ~Lysa TerKeurst

 

She had me laughing before I had read half of the 1st page (which was only a half page) & has already helped me realize things....like what she said in the transparency I pointed out.

 

Chapter 1's title is An Invitation to Imperfect Progress, which had me thinking: what the heck is that? Imperfect progress = imperfect changes are slow steps of progress wrapped in grace. [LT]. Here's a little hint (as Lysa pointed out): sometimes we girls think if we don't make instant progress, then real change isn't coming. But that's not so. The promise of this book is progress....nothing more, nothing less.....and we will walk through progress together.

 

We ALL have emotions & emotions are NOT bad! God gave us emotions so we could experience life, not destroy it. Some of us stuff these emotions, or we spew them out all over everyone, or we stuff them until they have no where else to go & ALL of them spew out at once.

 

WOW....am I excited to know that I am not alone! Even a very influential & inspirational woman of God (who goes all of the world talking about Him & writes about Him) has raw emotions...she's a REAL person, this woman I hear on the radio & read about. She deals with the same stuff I do (like the transparency I pointed out).

 

I can tell I am going to LOVE this book!

 

So, I want to hear from you:

1) How do you memorize Scripture?

2) PLEASE tell me I'm not alone with this emotion stuff!

Fayette Academy Fall Festival

We went to the Fayette Academy Fall Festival tonight & there were all kinds of activities for the kids to play. Although most of them were too advanced for Jamie & most of them too much so for Kayla, they still had A BLAST. We just did what we could to point them in the appropriate direction. I didn't get a ton of pictures, but I got a few. I think the most exciting thing for Kayla was seeing kids & adults that she already knows...friends & teachers from her previous & current preschool. This event was held at her future school, so I can't wait to see how excited she gets to see even more people in the years to come.

 

Jamie was dancing when we first walked in cause she LOVES music!

Kayla was REALLY excited to be there!

Kayla got a glitter Ladybug Tattoo

Check it out...Mommy's FAV color!

Jamie got her face painted...

...& requested a butterfly on ONE cheek instead of on her whole face.

Jamie digging for treasure

She LOVED playing in the blue sand & was more into playing in it than actually trying to find her treasure.



 

While Jamie was digging for treasure; Kayla was doing something WAY FUN: sliding down the inflatable slide. I missed this photo opportunity. This is a NEW adventure for us as Kayla grows & learns a little more independence. In years past when she has seen inflatable things, she has held back due to the size of the thing & the number of people on it. But NOT this time (excited Mommy moment)!

 

Then Kayla decided to throw a pie in our down-the-road neighbor's face

 

Mr. Matthew Armour taking Kayla's pie to the face

Kayla was VERY excited about her direct hit!

 

Jamie decided to hang on to her treasure from the sand (Halloween Duckie) & watch the pie throwing from a distance. She wasn't sure about this throwing a pie at someone's face.

 

After the Fall Festival, we made a quick stop by Sonic in Somerville & headed to the house....

...for some chillaxin & relaxin.

 

Overall I would say we had a fun evening. What kind of activities do you & your family participate in for Fall/Halloween?