Trunk or Treat

Tonight was a "trunk or treat" at our church. It was a lot of fun. Our kids haven't dressed up for Halloween for a long time; in fact, I know that Bailey has, but am not even sure if the other four have ever dressed up for Halloween! This year, they all wanted to dress up and when I refused to buy anything, they all instantly got very creative!

Darby was a gypsy, Rawley was a lion, Kally was Junie B. Jones, and Rainey was a zombie!

Gotta Brag on Bailey

I must say that I am so proud of Bailey! Yes, she is over in Italy and it is amazing, but it isn't without it's issues, turmoils, troubles, and confusions. She has experienced all of it and God is really working in her through the trials....and bringing her blessings as well.

Please click http://www.baileysbellavita.blogspot.com to read her most current entry. You, too, will see a little of what God is doing in Italy, in Bailey, and in others!

Oh how He loves you and me! Oh how He loves you and me! He gave His life. What more can He give? Oh how He loves you! Oh how He loves me! Oh how He loves you and me.

I've Done it Again--Not Good!

I have had a problem with my tongue in the past. It is why God took me out of the workforce, I know. Over the years, God has worked on me gently...sometimes I didn't get the gentle message, and I required stronger measures.

I have done pretty well with this issue and have seen how mightily God has invaded me by the lack of need for using my tongue viciously! He has done a great work in me. Praise God!

Today, I realized that I had fallen back into the familiar pattern of using my tongue too much and in the wrong manner. OUCH! The pain I am feeling at this moment after having God reveal this to me is almost too much to bear! How could I do this again? When will I really learn this? Why do I let Satan overcome me with such force? Why am I so weak?

So...I am human and not God. I am fallible and He is not. I am weak and He is strong. I am a sinner and He is perfect. But I am also seeing that He is with me working in me and through me and I know that even the depth of my sorrow at this failing is evidence of the Spirit in me.

Thank you God for loving me enough to continue working on me.

Pumpkin Decorating Day!

So after school today....it was finally time to decorate the pumpkins! Always a fun day around here!

Kally with the beginning of her decorated pumpkin...cutie patootie...

Rainey with his....is he cute or what?

Darby's...she didn't want me to take her pic this morning...obliged this time, but can't count on that every time :)





The final results! They are fun looking on my island!


More.....it was a great day...raining (pouring actually!) and cold outside and fabulous, fun, and festive inside...doesn't get much better than that!

Rainey's Soccer Game #3

Rainey in his usual position...running for the ball to make one of his 5 goals today!
Oma and Kally

Rawley in the car on the way to the game. Is he a cutie or what?

Homeschool Fun with Chemistry!

We had to do an experiment today about molecules and how they have to follow rules.

We got to make our "molecules" with marshmallows! Yum!
Darby had to make different molecules...bigger ones! I think that means more marshmallows!

Everyone got in the act...Rawley especially loved being part of the fun today.

I love homeschooling!

Pizza Soup

I found a recipe on A Year of Crockpotting that I wanted to try...Pizza Soup.

Ingredients: oregano, pepperoni, red onion, green bell pepper, Italian sausage, basil leaves, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, pasta, pizza sauce, mushrooms

You cut up the veggies and put in slow cooker. The quarter the pepperoni, slice the sausage and put in also. Put in one jar of pizza sauce (I used my homemade spaghetti sauce since I had a ton of it) and then three jars of water. 1 T. oregano and 8 basil leaves chopped...add it to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Put the pasta in the last 20 minutes and then top off your bowl with mozzarella cheese. It tastes just like a supreme pizza! It was yummy...a bit spicy for my kids, but Ben and I loved it!

A New Challenge

I don't know quite what God is up to, but He has brought another opportunity into my life. I have been asked by the leadership at our church to be the Women's Ministry Director. God has placed an ever growing love for women and their relationship with God in me ever since being in Little Rock and working with the best gals ever in our Sunday School class! Funny how when I look back on that time, I really wrestled with God each time I was supposed to meet with those women. Wrestled is a nice term that really means I argued with God! He kept telling me that I was supposed to be there and loving on those women, being available to them, and encouraging them in their stage of life at the time. He made this very clear to me each and every week!

So...after trying to be obedient back then, and giving me more situations over the ensuing years where I would work with women, He is now giving me this opportunity.

My prayer is two-fold:
1. That all I do would bring glory to the Lord!
2. That the women would feel loved, encouraged, and challenged in what God is calling them to.

I am humbled and excited at this new opportunity God has given to me...may I be weighed and not found wanting.

Let Us Rejoice!

These are the views from my back porch this morning! The colors you see are accurate...one way was brownish and the other way was more pink! Is God uber creative in His designs or what?

This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Huge Blessing!

I was convicted at a women's talk I recently went to, to begin memorizing large portions of Scripture. What a blessing this has been for me! I have found that God has honored this for me in two ways:

1. He has helped me to memorize easily...which isn't always the case.
2. He has brought these Scriptures to mind time and time again as I go through my day or in different situations where I might be able to help others.

So far, I have worked on John 1 and Ephesians 6 and tomorrow I begin a third large passage. I have been immensely blessed by this and challenge you to receive some great blessings by doing the same thing! Let's memorize Scripture together and really get God's Word in our hearts.

What will you do when the day comes that our Bibles are taken away from us (and it HAS happened in the past and currently in other places) and we are left without our ability to pull it off the shelf to reference?

Cividale--My Favorite Town!

Day 3--Venice

Piran, Slovenia

Bailey's Town: Udine

Our first full day in Italy we spent touring around Bailey's town of Udine. It is a town of about 150,000 people...not small! But fun and quaint still.

Above: a market on Wednesdays in Udine.
One of the many roundabouts in Udine! This one is particularly beautiful with the tree in the middle of it. This is pretty close to Bailey's apartment.

One of the banks in Udine...just loved the BRIGHT yellow color of the building.

A florist at the market...stunning!

Last time I was in Italy, I was captivated by the doors of Rome. This time, I was entranced by the shutters. This is really the bavarian influence since Udine is so close to the Austrian/German border. These are all working shutters that actually get closed nightly! So enjoy the next many pics of windows/shutters.

I will post more tomorrow...this was just day one of the trip...and only part of the pics of day one. Just a taste of what we saw and experienced along the way.

I Am Like the Goose!

Home from seeing my fabulous daughter, Bailey, in her new home in Italy. What a blessing for me to be able to go and see where God has placed her for the time being. She has a great apartment in the city center and is able to walk most everywhere. There is great bus service and train service to go anywhere further than where would be feasible to walk. It was great to see her really fitting in! She even cooked a great meal for me one night...Bailey is not one to enjoy cooking, but she really made a terrific meal and I think, got a kick out of serving me!

I am humbled at God's goodness! He has placed Bailey in a place where He is growing her and I am confident will use her to His glory!

As goose says in Charlotte's Web, " It's a proud, proud day!"