What Weekend????

Busy, busy weekend ~ I can't believe Monday is here already!  

It's funny how a weekend can be so busy, yet so uneventful.  Well, not really funny...  Here's what happened:  

Rob came home Friday night at 6:00 p.m. with the wonderful news that he would have to go back and work from midnight to noon Saturday.  (note the sarcasm)  Then for the next three hours, he was on the phone trying to take care of some issues/problems for work.  So, around 9:00 p.m., he was ours!  For half an hour!  Then, off to bed for Levi.  It took a while for Levi to get to sleep; Rob stayed in his room with him and they talked for a while, I guess.  Then they both fell asleep.  I woke him up around 10:30 p.m., and he showered, got dressed, and ran back off to work.

Saturday morning, I dropped off Levi at my parents' house for a couple hours so I could get my grocery shopping done.  Then, I picked him up and we took daddy lunch at work.  We had a picnic on the floor of the digital room where he was working.  That was pretty exciting for Levi; me, not so much...  After lunch, Levi and I went home, supposedly Rob would be home in an hour or so.  He finally arrived home at 4:00 p.m. (so much for noon).  He had been awake since 6:45 a.m. Friday morning, so he was wiped out!  He sat down on the chair just for a minute and he was out.  So, I decided to run down the street to the store with Levi so Rob could get a little rest.  (Of course, I was thinking that he would go to bed.  That way, when we got back home, I could keep Levi distracted while Rob was locked in the bedroom.)  When we got back, Rob hadn't quite made it to the bed; he had only made it about four steps from the chair to the couch.  IMPOSSIBLE to keep Levi off of daddy...  So, for the next three hours, he slept off and on, while Levi took turns laying on top of him, climbing on top of him, and telling him to "moof foot" so he could sit and watch his tractor video.  I did manage to fix dinner, and I even woke Rob up to see if he wanted to eat.  He sat up and said NO quite firmly several times.  It really was quite funny!  So, I let him sleep.  Levi and I ate dinner and I put Rob's dinner in the fridge.  About 7:30 p.m., Rob woke up from his coma and asked when we were going to eat.  Obviously he didn't remember me waking him up...  He ate dinner and played with Levi a little, then he went back to bed right after Levi got in bed.  

Church was wonderful on Sunday!  We had our 5th Sunday services.  Many churches have special 5th Sunday services, but ours is as follows:  morning services as usual, pitch-in lunch, then an afternoon service immediately following lunch.  The afternoon service consists of special requests for favorite hymns, a lot of special music, and all of the young preacher boys preaching for about 10 to 15 minutes each.  (This time, there were only three preachers.  Rob was so tired and hadn't had much time to prepare, so he passed on this one, and Jordan was out of town preaching at Rob's dad's church in Tennessee this weekend.)  This makes for a seemingly long day, but our family thoroughly enjoys this set-up.  We kind of wish we would do this every Sunday...  We even had choir practice for a little while afterwards, working on our Christmas cantata.

Well, after church, before cantata practice, would you believe that Rob got a phone call from work?  AHHHH!  So, when we got home and got everything carried in the house, Rob changed into his work clothes and off he went...  He worked from about 4:45 p.m. to 10:45 p.m.  He got home just in time to go to bed.  Then, up at 6:15 a.m. this morning and off to work again.  He literally got NO WEEKEND!!  No break.  No rest for Rob.  So, if you think about him, say a prayer for him...  He is really frustrated, as are we all!  Next Monday is a much-needed holiday, and hopefully a day off for him.  So, like I said, a busy, busy, busy weekend...

On a lighter note, Levi is learning new songs and loves to sing them.  We sing them a lot, but right now it seems we sing them the most while he is sitting on the potty.  HAHAHA

The songs he is singing are "Jesus Loves Me", "The B-I-B-L-E", "Ho-Ho-Ho-Hosanna", "Rejoice in the Lord Alway", and "The Hallelujah Chorus".  (We have been practicing our choir's Christmas cantata and it has this song in it.  Levi can say hallelujah pretty well, actually.)

Yesterday, with our busy Sunday schedule, Levi didn't take a nap at church, or in the car on the way home, or when we got home.  I had given up on the hope of him taking a nap.  I fixed him something for dinner and put him in the high chair to eat.  He was watching his choo-choo video.  I was eating, also, but was on the computer checking mail, FB, and blogs.  I kept looking over at him and he was eating really well.  (He never eats very much at our church pitch-ins.  Too many distractions, I guess.)  After a few minutes, I looked over at him and he had fallen asleep!  Yay ~ Naptime!!  So, I tried to clean off his hands and face without waking him up, and I managed to carry him to his bed and lay him down.  He slept for an hour.  Did I say Yay already?  I was able to finish cleaning up the kitchen and got to sit down and rest before he woke up again.  I really cherish those times of peace and quiet!  They don't happen often.

Well, this week, we don't have very much planned, so hopefully we can catch up on our family time and rest...  

Hope you all are having a good Monday (Is that possible???)  and have a blessed week!

Count your blessings...

(Next post, I hope to have video of Levi's newest accomplishment.  Not the potty, something else...)

Who can find a virtuous woman? - part one

The Proverbs 31 woman is at the forefront of my mind today.  Am I that woman?  I am disappointed to say that I'm sure I have failed in many aspects.  That is why I am meditating on this passage, to learn what the Lord would have me be, to my husband, my family, and those around me.  Am I up to the challenge?  I certainly hope so...  (Lord, I need Your help desperately!)

"Who can find a virtuous woman?  for her price is far above rubies."  This woman is strong, dignified, multi-talented, caring, loving, educated, business-minded, compassionate, organized, efficient, trustworthy, etc.; that is why she is so precious, her price far above rubies.  Wow!  Am I still up to the challenge?  

How does she do all of this?  God's will is her primary goal in life.  She looks to Him for guidance in every task, in every job, in every responsibility.

"The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil."

I want my husband to safely trust in me, knowing that I will always do what's best for him and my son, knowing that I am trustworthy, knowing that I love him with all my heart.  I believe that it is as much my responsibility to take care of him as it is his to take care of me.  May God be able to use me in my home to take care of my husband, child, and my various responsibilities.

"She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life."  Praying that I will have that steadiness in character to do my husband good 'till death do us part'.  Why is it that, some days, it is just sooooo much easier to do evil?  I think that is a very important tool in Satan's toolbox, and a well-used one at that!  If he can sneak in a home, even a Christian home, and turn husband and wife against each other, or children against parents or vice versa, then he can distract us from serving the Lord as a family.  Is it a surprise then, that the US has a 50% divorce rate?  Our "Christian nation" has a much higher divorce rate than most other countries around the world.  Our Pastor was preaching on this last week and mentioned the statistics.  Our country is at 50%, while Japan and India, what we might call "heathen nations" hover around 1 to 2%.  Stark differences there are in these numbers.  Maybe it's because we have left our first love...  Dear God, help our nation!  May the Christians turn back to You with their whole hearts.  May we see revival in our homes, in our churches, and in our land once again.  Revival must first start in our hearts which will bring a change in our homes.  Then our churches will be different, serving God instead of being served.  And God could use us to turn our country around!  Think of what a difference we can make!  If not for us, then for our children...

Well, that's all the time I have for today.  (I guess I chased that rabbit far enough...)  I will continue reading and meditating on Proverbs 31.  Maybe tomorrow I will continue this post with my challenge.  

I hope and pray that this finds everyone well and having a good day.  Even if you are not having a good day, ponder the many blessings that you do have in your life.  God never said it would be easy, but He does promise that he will be with us no matter what the circumstance!

Love you!

~Denise

Welcome to our Team's Homepage

Welcome to our Team's Homepage

This year, we are participating in "Light the Night".  "Light The Night Walk is The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's evening walk and fundraising event. It is the nation's night to pay tribute and bring hope to thousands of people battling blood cancers and to commemorate loved ones lost."

Our team is called "Amber's Angels" in honor of Amber Williams, a survivor of leukemia, praise the Lord!  I lost my grandfather to lymphoma.  So, this has had a direct impact on our lives as it has many others.  

If you would like to see what this is all about, please go to the link posted above.  Also, if you would like to donate to this cause, you can do this through me personally, or through the website.  There is a place to donate on the right side of the page.  Thank you for your help.

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"Boom, Boom, Boom"

Yesterday, I went to Kohl's with my mom and Levi.  She needed to buy picture frames for all of the free pictures we've been getting from Walgreens this last week.  I needed a couple, too, but didn't find any affordable enough.  (Walmart, here I come!)  I didn't walk out of the store empty-handed, though.  She wanted to walk through the toy department.  Well, I found a water gun on clearance for $1.20, so I got it for Levi.  He held it the rest of the shopping trip and wanted to "buy it".  So, when we got to the register, I let him give it to the lady, and I let him pay for it, too.  He carried it out to the car and asked MawMaw to get it out of the package.  She then proceeded to pour some water in it from her water bottle.  Well, needless to say, he practically soaked the inside of her car.  Glad we were driving hers and not mine!  I think she learned her lesson from that one...  Anyway, he loves playing with it.  He runs around the backyard saying, "Boom, boom, boom"  when he is spraying it!  So cute!  Of course, sometimes he chases me and I can get quite wet.  He's not a bad shot!!  Fun, Fun, Fun!

What a beautiful day!  Did anyone else notice that August is almost over?!?!?!?!?

That means winter is almost here...  Here we go again!  (Sorry to those who live in more frigid time zones ~ like Nayoro, Japan.  Didn't your snow pile, I mean, mountain,  just melt?)

Enjoy the rest of your day and your church services tonight!

God bless!  Love you!

Wisdom

Just remembering Senior Bible class ~ Proverbs with Mr. Thomas

What wisdom was in that class about wisdom!  (No pun intended...)

Proverbs 4 (select verses):

5~Get wisdom, get understanding:  forget it not;

6~Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee:  love her, and she shall keep thee.

13~Take fast hold of instruction;  let her not go:  keep her;  for she is thy life.

14-15~Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.  Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

20~My son, attend to my words;  incline thine ear unto my sayings.

21~Let them not depart from thine eyes;  keep them in the midst of thine heart.

STAY IN THE WORD!!

22~For they are LIFE unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

23~Keep thy HEART with all DILIGENCE;  for out of it are the issues of life.

GUARD MY HEART, LORD!!

24~Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.

GUARD MY MOUTH, LORD!!

25~Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

HELP ME KEEP MY EYES ON THEE!!

Thank you, Lord, for my salvation, for my family, for my Godly friends, for my possessions, for my health, for my needs, for my church, for my freedom in Christ to serve Thee, for my country, for my freedom...

"Happiness is to know the Saviour, living a life within His favour.

Real Joy is mine, no matter if the teardrops fall!"

Walgreens Photo Deal

Another freebie!  I love these!  Tomorrow, you can order an 8x10 collage photo from Walgreens for free with the coupon code FUNDAY.  I ordered mine today and it worked even though it says tomorrow only.  And if you pick it up at the store, it truly is free, no shipping costs.  Can't beat that!  Hope you are able to take advantage of these great offers...

They're GRRREAT!

Had to post this!  It made me laugh soooo hard tonight. 

Levi was sitting on the floor with his bowl of pretzel goldfish for snack.  I was at the sink washing dishes.  Rob was on the phone in the other room.  I turned around to check on Levi.  He was sitting there holding up his arm with his pointer finger straight up.  I looked at him and was trying to figure out why he was randomly holding his arm and finger up.  I finally asked him what he was doing.  He pointed to the top of the fridge where we keep our cereal boxes.  Guess what cereal box was there?  Frosted Flakes.  Apparently Levi wants to take Tony the Tiger's job...  It was so cute; I had to laugh!  Love these moments!  They're GRRREAT!!    :)