Ponderings In The Field of Grace

1 Corinthians 10:23 (NASB)

All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify.

Whenever I am having a hard time deciding of I should do something or not, I will usually pray about it, and try to find an answer in God’s Word. However, as you may know, I’m just not going to find the answer spelled out as clearly as I would like sometimes. It is in those times, when I seek the counsel of those close trusted friends I have. And, one of the closest is always quick to ask me, “Does it edify?”

That’s not the easiest of questions.

Especially when I really would like to do something, and I realize it doesn’t really edify me.

That’s tough.

As you may guess, right now I am dealing with one of those situations. It’s not fun, and truthfully I would rather be able to enjoy this little thing, but I think I am at a point where I will just have to say, “No.” Even though I don’t really think it is bad, I don’t like the uneasiness I have.

As Dave Ramsey says, “Kids do what feels right. Adults do what is necessary.”

I guess it’s time to grow up a little…

I’m sitting at my computer this morning sipping on my coffee. The Knight is at the desk beside me playing games on the computer. The professor is outside checking out his winter garden. Sports guy and Lil Princess are making tents and playing. Lil guy is playing with his tiger car his Uncle Bill gave him. And we’re all waiting on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade to start.

The cooking I had to do was finished last night. After a little bit of laundry gets folded, and I wipe down the kitchen chairs, I am off duty for the day.

As is required by almost everything in the U.S. I’m taking some time to think about what I am thankful for.

The kids are healthy.
We have a place to call home.
We have clothes to wear.
We have food.
We have love.
God is with us.

I was listening to James Merritt last Sunday, and he made an interesting comment.
He said, “So many times we thank God for what He has done for us, but not for who He is. We thank Him for our health. He can take that away. We thank Him for providing food, shelter, etc. for us, but He can take all that away. When are we going to just thank Him for who He is? He is worthy of praise just for who He is.”

So today I just want to say, “Yes, I am thankful for all the things You have given me, Lord. Most of all though, I I am thankful for Your holiness, and for who You are. I can not fathom everything about You. It’s just too much for my mind to comprehend. But I thank you for caring and your love for us all, because of who You are.”

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Being a parent is tough.

Where do you draw the line between parent and friend? I know my kids are still on the young side, but I know I need to start developing a relationship with them now. I want them to feel they can talk to me, and I’m not just some kind of dictator. On the other hand, if I give them an inch they try to take a mile.

This morning has been a tough one. My second oldest has just been hard. He’s a great kid at times, but there are times when his attitude just really stinks. He gets so angry and just makes everyone miserable. I want to do things for him to help him, but at the same time I don’t want to make excuses for him. He has to begin learning to be responsible for his actions and his choices. I am not trying to make him into an adult before he is ready, but I am trying to teach him.

He is probably the most like me, which does not help. He just does not know when to stop. He thinks he can do whatever he wants, and we are just supposed to live with it. I am so scared for him. I don’t want him to grow up to be an angry, bitter, lonely man. I see so many good things in him. I see so much potential. I know God has a plan for him. I pray he will be sensitive to the Lord and seek after Him.

It’s definitely the holiday season! A week ago my calendar wasn’t that full. Now it’s slam-packed! All of a sudden I have 4 places to be in one day, and at least two big things going on each week until Christmas. I realized this morning I have got to get this beast under control. I do not want to spend the Christmas season running around like a chicken with its head cut off. I’ve spent too many Christmases stressed out and fussing because of everywhere we had to be. I just do not want to go through that again.

So, as of right now, I am carrying my calendar with me at all times. I will not plan more than 1, possibly 2, things to do each week during the evening. I am going to pace myself so I do not end up with a Griswold family Christmas! (Remember Christmas Vacation ?)

We already have basketball practice starting up in December, a children’s play, a company dinner, a Christmas get together with friends, an extended family get together, a birthday party/sleepover, and robotics competitions on the calendar.

Somehow, I think this is going to get interesting…

Don’t you just love it when God just smacks you right upside the head, and makes you deal with something you would just as soon pretend didn’t exist? Yep, that’s what happened to me this morning. The Knight called and told me about some people we know who might be having to get rid of a house they have dreamed about. I am going to admit to you right now, I did not react the way I should have.

Now I will tell you that my values and this other couple’s vary greatly on what we deem is important, and in all honesty their very reason for getting rid of their house is something I could not even fathom. I’m saying all this to give you some background, because as I mentioned already, God really smacked me on this one.

I am just so wanting to behave in an unchristian manner, but I don’t have that right. I want to tell them tough, sorry, really don’t want to hear about it, due to some previous hurt feelings and other things.

Basically, I have spent the morning asking God to change my heart and help me to lay aside hurt feelings. He has shown me how much I need to repent for my actions. Yes, in the flesh I have very good reasons for feeling the way I do, but in the Spirit, I have none.

As I struggled with my reaction to this I opened my Bible and once again found the answer I needed.

1 Corinthians 2:9

For to this end I also wrote, that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things.

If I am going to call myself a Christian then I have to do what that title means. I have to be Christ-like, and to be Christ-like it means I have to put God’s desire for me and others above my own. In the meantime I will do my best to follow the advice of Solomon in Proverbs 3:5-6.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

I know laying down all those hurt feelings and praying for God to truly bless them will be hard at times, but in Christ I can do all things,…and I will.

Things have been busy as usual around here lately. The kids are definitely ready for a school break, but unfortunately for them and me, the one we had scheduled is now going to be used as make up days. They will still get two days off, but not the whole week I had planned. On the plus side, I’m doing better this year with staying on track. I only have three days to make up.

The countdown here has begun for Thanksgiving and Christmas. The kids are getting excited. I am just getting busier. Thankfully, I’ve found the “Holly” channel (XM) on DirecTv. Most of the day I have it playing. I don’t actually get to listen to the music much. It’s just nice background noise, you know?

The kids are going outside and playing more, which is helping me. Now I actually have a little time each day to get some things organized. The house is still messed up, but it is getting a little better each day. I’ve got a lot of stuff in a pile ready for a yard sale. I hope this one goes better than the others I have done. Over the course of three yard sales I have made a combined $88. I would really like to get some money so I can go Christmas shopping. We’ll see.

Tonight I got to fix my husband one of his favorite fall desserts…pumpkin pie. We weren’t really having anything special for dinner, so I thought I would surprise him. It’s now been out of the oven less than an hour and there are only two pieces left. He ate a piece. The kids each had some, and my Mom and Daddy got some too. So far, I’m the only one who hasn’t eaten any. (That’ll change before bedtime. I promise! )

I’m not much of a cook, but I do like to fix things occasionally. I’ve still got a few things I am wanting to cook soon. Hopefully I’ll get to them . I am really wanting to fix a pumpkin pound cake and some pumpkin rolls this year. I’ve only fixed the pound cake once, and I’ve never even eaten pumpkin rolls. I just want to see if I can make them.

This Thanksgiving I am planning on fixing us a full meal. This will actually be the first year I have gotten to do it. On a typical Thanksgiving we have three to four places we need to be, so I usually don’t cook much for us, just a few things here and there.

This year is going to be different though. The Sunday after Thanksgiving I am fixing a full meal for our family, my parents, and The Knight’s Mom. (I’m not sure if my BIL, SIL and niece will come or not.) I’ve already got a preliminary meal down, and I’ve divided it up so I can start cooking on Saturday.

I’ll let you know how it goes. I have a feeling this is going to be interesting…

This one is going to be short. I thought I would post a few links I have found/been sent in the last few days. They are all interesting site with either craft ideas, recipes, puzzles, or games. I thought you might like to check them out.

This one has some Christmas craft ideas.
Christmas Craft Ideas

This place has pretty much anything fun you might want to check out for Christmas.
Northpole.com

And of course, I can’t leave this off. Though the countdown hasn’t started quite yet, if you check back around Thanksgiving it should be up and running.
Norad Santa

Enjoy!

My kids are growing up.

I started going through some of the winter clothes I had boxed up to save. Lil guy now has a complete winter wardrobe, and I haven’t spent a dime. That makes me pretty happy. The sad part is I am realizing how much the sports guy has grown up. It seems like only yesterday he was wearing these clothes, and now my youngest is wearing them. Where does the time go? The sad part is I feel like I missed so much with the sports guy when he was that age. By the time he was 4, he had a younger brother and sister.

Today I am taking sports guy to the dentist for the last of his fillings. Then we have to go pick up some medicine and get his hair cut.

I think I am going to take this time to just enjoy getting to spend some time with him. He’s a great kid, and I love him dearly. Hopefully these next 4 years won’t fly by so quickly…

This reminds me of a poem I read when I was a teenager.

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leafs a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

-Robert Frost

Well, I haven’t talked much about the kids schooling lately. So, I thought I would give you an update as to how things are going. We’re beginning to really dig into the science and history. We’re finishing up Elementary Apologia Astronomy’s unit on Venus. This weekend we’re hoping to work on the radar project. Then we move on to studying Earth.

We’re also in Week 6 of TOG. As you may have noticed, I’m stretching it out some. The professor has moved up to the dialectic stage, and has a good deal more writing to do now. He’s currently researching Terah’s family tree so he can make a chart of it. We’ve also got quite a few things to work on in the Bible discussions. The sports guy and Lil Princess are just grazing the surface since they are only in 1st and 2nd grade. However, I am trying to show them the maps, and help them find the cities and points of interest.

We’re moving right along with the Abeka workbooks, and MUS is still doing okay. I can tell where some things are just harder for the younger ones, than they were for the professor. That’s kind of expected though.

In all honesty, though, the sports guy is really improving in his reading by using the BJU reading program. I have been very pleased with it. He’s also working hard at spelling and is coming along very nicely.

Lil Princess is having a hard time with wanting to actually look at the words she is trying to read. If we could just get her to do that I think her reading skills would jump at least 50%!

Well, I guess that’s about it for now. I’ve got to get everything ready for them to start today. Take care!