NIV Life Application Study Bible

Not long ago, a friend of mine truly dedicated her life to the Lord. She had been saved for a while, but now came the time for her to live what she professed to believe.

Not being too familiar with the Bible, my friend asked the Lord for a Bible that she could understand easily and that would explain things to her simply.

A few days later, the Lord graciously blessed her through a friend of hers. That friend, led by God, gave my friend the NLT version of the Life Application Study Bible. She was thrilled and enjoyed it immensely! We were so happy for her.

Being students of the Word ourselves, I asked God for my own Life Application Study Bible, specifically a New International Version. I wanted a blue Bible because I think they are so pretty. Regular price for my request is anywhere from $60-$80.




Not long after the simple prayer, we were in one of our favorite shops. They have several used books there. Up on one of the book shelves was a near-new NIV Life Application Study Bible, navy blue. It had only a few small markings outlining a few verses. The price tag? $6.00--10% or less of the original price. :)

"...yet ye have not, because ye ask not."
James 4:2

"Maiden" Mothering

Try explaining to a chip-devouring, Dr Pepper-consuming, book-engulfing 14-year old girl (Sounds a lot like someone you used to know, huh?) that NOW is the training period for domestic skills needed in marriage. That was my job this morning as I discipled my young student in the ways of HOUSEHOLD DUTIES.

There were a few gasps and attempts of explanation as to WHY starting at home (of all places!) was a bad idea. But I held out and am almost certain to have scored a few points in the domestic department.

I gave her a take-home quiz to test her (late?) blooming domestic abilities. She had no good reasons that I haven't heard or lived through myself to NOT do (more than?) her share of keeping house. But it made me smile to hear them coming from someone else, nonetheless.

While I am thankful to God that He has given me a position of discipling the younger women, I cannot help but smile at the irony of it. It wasn't many years ago, that I was the younger woman, desperately needing the counsel and guidance of wise and godly mothers. Being that I am still very young, and also youthful (which is very different from being young *wink, wink*), I am in a wonderful position of gaining the trust of girls who are neglected in teaching at home.

My own daughter is also learning the beauty in domestic support here at home! I've watched her mature-- from that unorganized child that we all started out as-- and develop into a most beautiful young lady who faithfully "keeps" her spot in the home clean and free of clutter.

She is now learning to bake and takes joy in serving others. And what a joy she is to me!

My own "maiden" years, comical as they may have been, began with a rough & awkward start; quite painful in many ways!

At age 13, my (much) younger cousin had to show me how to boil water and make Ramen noodles. This is about the time I had to learn how to "cook" tasteless eggs in a plastic bowl in the microwave (because I was afraid of the stove-fire, no less). I was doing a bit better by the time I was 14, except I didn't know there was a difference between ground pork and ground beef. This was quite traumatizing when I and my little brother dived into a huge plate of eggs n' sausage to find out, it wasn't quite. "It just doesn't taste like when Mom makes it." Go figure.

I still remember a phone conversation with a friend and coworker of my mom's: "Is my mom there?" "No, she's out right now. What do you need?" "Um. How do you know when the egg is boiled all the way?" Silence. "I'm not sure-- Isn't it supposed to float or something? Did you try tapping it to see if it cracks?"

When Mom took on school AND work to learn a career and have some money at the same time, I took on the "mother" role--trying to help in all ways possible (for a thirteen/fourteenish girl, that is).

Every morning (more often than not), after a shower and a quick clean-up of my own room, I headed to the master bedroom to make her bed, open her curtains and clear her dresser. (That always gets messed up when you're dressing in a hurry.)

I'd get in her closet where she kept baskets of clean clothes from last night's laundry and began the long process of ironing each individual piece and hanging them up. I aquired many burns! [All this came back to memory last summer as I was teaching a few 13-year olds how to iron. At first I was surprised they had never ironed before, but enjoyed the process of showing them all the right ways to NOT burn your fingers, hands, arms, ect.]

I can still remember the first few successes of cooking! Brilliant! One was a spaghetti I made for Mom. --Both parents tried it and stated that it was "pretty good", but I think that was out of politeness.

The other was a few years later, at age 16, when I cooked my first meal for my boyfriend. Nothing like greasy homemade tacos! I maintain to this day that this is why he married me.

Milk Glass Tea Cup & Snack Tray Set

There is a little store we love stopping in to every now and then. They sell all sorts of antiques and unique items you can't find just anywhere!

Toward the end of last summer, we stopped in for a small break from work when we came across this beautiful set of 14 tea cups and 14 snack trays.

I am a BIG fan of classic white dishes and milk glass. To me it is timeless beauty! This beautiful little set caught my eye right off!

It was selling at a wonderful price-- only $35 for the set (of what I thought was 12 settings). I wanted them badly and imagined how beautiful they would go with a pink tray set I found a year ago. I could just imagine serving my snacks on these trays at our weekly Bible study meetings we have in our home!

Yet--

No matter how I tried, I just could not imagine spending the money on myself.

So I talked to God about it. I told Him how much I liked the little set. I told Him how I would just love to serve our Bible study snacks on them! I told Him how I'd love to serve ANY snack or treat to my family on them! I talked to Him about it quite a bit. I never felt that God didn't WANT me to have them-- I knew He didn't mind.

Finally, at the beginning of this year, I just knew that I wanted the set, but was still unsettled about the price. One day a few weeks ago, Him said he felt a prompting to go back to that little store and get the set for me. Knowing how I am, Him was just going to pay a little and put it on layaway for me.

We searched the little store, but couldn't find the set. Then I found myself standing next to a large display FILLED with all kinds of wonderful milk glass and a sign that read: "MILK GLASS 75% OFF".

We bought the whole set for only $8.00 plus tax! The whole crew of workers wrapped my set beautifully in paper and placed it in a large box. It wasn't until a few days later, when I was carefully unwrapping the set, that I realized this was not a 24-piece set-- It's a 28-piece set!

I just knew that somehow God would give me the set for less; something I wouldn't feel so guilty about. :)

The Consuming World of Blogging

Bloggers and Chatt-ies were once intimidating to me.

Although an avid blogger and chatty myself, I had this fantastical visualization; an image depicting other bloggers--"true bloggers"-- being more capable of living a WHOLE life than my Self could ever live.

At one time, I enjoyed the pleasure of "knowing" like-minded persons on message boards. I joined the fabulous home school boards, strength training boards, stay-at-home mom boards, and parenting boards.

I delighted in meeting new people and being introduced to their BLOGS; their spectacular places of sharing LIFE AS THEY KNOW IT. What excitement!

It was news to me, then, when I discovered (and much to my sorrow) that there was the possibility that all these supermoms and superpeeps were really not so super at all. They were people who didn't do much else but sit on the internet all day long. How did I come across this speculation? I noticed that their blogs (all lavish and wonderful) were constantly being updated and rearranged in such huge time-consuming ways.

The once-interesting journal entries were greatly reduced to topics written on the subject of-- internet links, internet friends, and internet goals.

I soon discovered that a journal can, indeed carry one away to becoming a total EDIT-tool-fool. I've learned that People, no matter how wonderful and genuine they may seem, are still people. They still can find themselves generously wasting away their time and their lives to their little internet world--you know--LIFE AS THEY KNOW IT.

If I get lost in my little LIFE AS I KNOW IT place, please, throw me a rope and bail me out.

Moses, The Man I Married

So I married Moses. I don't say that because I'm religiously fixated in my marital brain. In fact, the concept is new to me. I learned this at my Uncle's house during my brother's farewell cookout. (Which, by the way, I'm planning a trip far away so I can have a barbeque too. Mom says to wait til the hype dies down.)

Him (Moses) and my brother (the star of the cookout) were throwing their air into floaties for the children's pool celebration (you know, farewell cookout and all).

My cousin (the first one) seeing Him slightly winded (airing up floatie #2) rallied Him "Come on, Moses!"

Perhaps this icon title is owed to all the hair on Him's face. Yet I am just thrilled with the news. I married Moses!

I'm Thinking, Leave a Message

It seems to me that, although I am very young still, I do have a tendancy to think very sluggishly. Trickling through the cracks of time, I find myself looking backward: Once, Twice, Thrice. Is that a complete thought I see back there from yesterday?

My brother having left home for a voyage Far Away has kept me thinking in more sporatic bursts of vigor, leaving me open to new ideas, but still lacking creativity home-wise.

Thoughts scramble around each other in my tiny head: Will Him eat all the Dark Chocolate Dreams (chocolate peanut butter)? Why didn't I buy five jars instead of one (chocolate peanut butter)? Where DID all these books come from anyway? And - Why do I still have them in my possession (the books)?

How is it that in this simple mind-frame I become less and less opinionated and more increasingly TENSE. Watching my demeanor should notify even the stranger: I'M THINKING - TAKE A NUMBER. This can't possibly be healthy for me nor for Them (my public, that is).

Punctuation relocates all over my thought-process leaving me confused? Why is there a question mark there! Who. Did. This. Anyway.

You may find good reason in such babblish thoughts, yet I am left editing Yesterday's Script. Hello? Please leave a message - I am thinking.

How "Mt. Laundry" Was Conquered

It was a dismal job. Nobody wanted to do it. But the mountain had to be moved.


We sorted. We washed. We dried. We folded.



As I brought in basket after basket of long-collected clothing, my children began picking and choosing their "Favorites".



Here was the plan: Each one of us were assigned a rack with a shelf. Whatever fit on that rack, we could keep. Whatever did not fit – had to go.



It was tedious. It was long. More than once we dared to rest, but never gave up. It was only by God’s grace. We were in too deep. Waist deep.



We called to each other over the mountain, and over the sounds of the washer and the dryer; each plodding along in painful noisome affairs. The task HAD to be completed!



We encouraged each other. We yelled at each other. We prayed together.




For those of you who know us well, you will believe me when I say – IT TOOK DAYSSSS.



But. The mountain HAD to be moved.


At first the children delighted in all the hum and buzz. At first, it was exciting. But then the clothes stopped fitting on the racks. The careless, effortless task was becoming thought-provoking.

There were choices to make. Decisions to be made. The tediousness of it wearied us. But we dared not give in. The mountain – Had to be moved.

Bags and boxes filled our porch hourly. Bags and boxes left our porch daily as they were taken to the church for the upcoming sale. We plowed along merrily; steadily; thinkingly and mostly – prayingly.


Evidence of the progress occurred and reoccurred in small heaps here … and there … as we journeyed along – hanging items; then discarding them to make room for the better items.



WE. DID. NOT. GIVE. UP.



My friends, I am here to tell you: Mark 11:23 is no lie. The mountain WILL BE moved! God is faithful, and despite the weariness of it all, we are almost there to complesion! I am the last one to get it all out. But I am not giving up. The mountain WILL BE MOVED!!!