Where Were You?

The 10th anniversary of September 11. Since the moment that happened, you never needed to describe the tragic events that unfolded but simply saying "9/11" reminds people of the horrible day that changed our world. September 11 is one of those events that people can very vividly remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when they saw the towers hit and come down. I was a senior at Miami University and had a 10:00am. class. I had just closed the door and gotten out to the bus stop from my apartment when the first tower was hit and had just walked into Shriver Center to see the second tower hit. With all classes cancelled that day, I hightailed it home and watched in horror as the Twin Towers came crashing down in a heap of rubble, smoke, and disaster. Like everyone else, I was glued to the television for the next few days trying to process what I just saw and understand how something this devastation happens to the strongest country in the world. I was personally affected as my sorority lost a sister who was on one of the flights. My now husband lived in New York with his immediate family and they knew very personally the loss the entire country felt. The overwhelming sadness also showed us the strength and resolve of the American people. We heard these miraculous stories of Twin Tower employees continuing into the buildings to save others. The superhero feats of the firefighters, policemen and emergency workers who risked everything they had to help those who needed them.
My son and daughter will never know about those intense feelings 9/11 evokes for those of us who lived through it. They will learn about it in their history books the way my generation learns about the assassination of JFK or Martin Luther King, Jr. While, September 11 isn't a national holiday, it is a national day of service. What an awesome opportunity for this up and coming generation. What an awesome opportunity for us!
This year, even though Connor is way too young to understand what happened on that fateful Tuesday morning 10 years ago, we are finding a way to encourage him (and us) to give back. We haven't quite decided exactly what we are going to do with him yet, but we are hoping to spark the desire for civil responsibility. To encourage a seed in his heart (and eventually Alaina's too) that years to give back to the country that is so generous to us. What will you do to honor this day? How will you continue remembering exactly what September 11 means?
http://911day.org/

It's Freezer Day

I love Freezer Day!! The last time I did a freezer day was the weekend before July 4 and those delicious meals lasted until tonight. I pulled the last of the freezer meals (brown sugar glazed ribs) out for tonight's dinner. I made a believer of Ben too. He was VERY sceptical when he saw the grocery bill for that first shopping trip, but for the 6-8 weeks since, our grocery trips are about $100 or less every 2 weeks. It also eliminates every excuse for going out to pick something up for dinner because I forgot to pull something out or I am too tired from that day to cook. Overall, we save so much money and time by going about our dinner's this way. I have found, personally, that I love freezer meals because instead of cooking for an hour in the afternoon/evening, I am serving my family a delicious and nutricious meal that I popped into the oven and can use the time instead hanging out with Ben or playing with Connor and Alaina.

Last night, right before I started dinner, I cooked up a quadruple batch of spaghetti sauce and let it simmer while I made dinner. By the time dinner was over and we were cleaned up, the sauce had cooked and was cooled. It went into 4 individual containers and now we have 4 meals of spaghetti ready to go. Yesterday, I was also able to freeze 6 pounds of strawberries and 6 quarts of blueberries. This morning in less than 2 hours, I knocked out parmesan encrusted chicken nuggets, bacon chicken, teriyaki chicken, smoky maple chicken and cheese manicotti. (I know it is a ton of chicken meals, but I had a ton of chicken thawed and ready to go.) Tomorrow I will wrap up the rest of the meals to include- a huge batch of meatballs, angel hair pasta with creamy turkey sausage, linguine carbonara, baked ziti, flank steak, chicken cheddar quesadillas, beefy spanish rice, salisbury steak, honey lime chicken and almost ravioli.

I have to admit whipping up these meals is a snap now that Connor is school and I can get a ton done with Alaina is down for a nap. The biggest challenge is finding space for all this food in our freezer and deep freeze outside!

What Happens When I Say Yes to God

My sister bought me a fabulous book a while back called, "What Happens When Women Say Yes to God" by Lysa TerKeurst. (BTW- if you have never done a Study with Lysa, she is great. Not quite the oversized personality that we love of Beth Moore, but she is great.) So, I have been incredibly overwhelmed lately. I don't know why and I shouldn't have any reason to, especially since Connor is in school now. You would think I would have more time to get the stuff done, but this week just hit me over the head and all things collapsed. The house was literally disgusting. There was laundry, clean and dirty, piled everywhere. Clutter was consumming every inch of every available space. It, honestly, made me despressed. Not just depressed and sad, but truly, in-a-mood, not looking forward to dealing with "tomorrow" depressed. Then I had a "smack me in the face, Jesus" moment, courtesy of Lysa.

(Just as a little background on this- Connor has gymnastics yesterday afternoon and I grabbed a magazine to take and read while I waited. Last minute, I dropped the magazine and picked up the "Yes to God" Study instead. PTL I did!!)

The chapter I did last night was "Hearing God's Voice." Lysa says, "Every day, God speaks to us. Sometimes He invites us to draw close and listen as He reveals Himself, His character, and His direction. Other times He calls to us to participate in His purposes. How do I know if God is speaking to me? How do I discern whether it is His voice speaking or just my own idea?" Lysa suggests you ask yourself these 5 questions:
1) Does what I'm hearing line up with Scripture?
2) Is it consistentwith God's character?
3) Is it being confirmed through message I'm hearing at church or studying in my quiet time?
4) Is it beyond me?
5) Would it please God?

"These questions are just a starting place. I encourage you to get a journal and start recording verses you study and some of your personal experiences with the things you are learning as you read God's Word."

Is What I'm Hearing Consistent with God's Character?
"Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires." Romans 8:5

The fruit of the Spirit is the spontaneous work of the Holy Spirit in us. The Spirit produces these character traits that are found in the nature of Christ. They are by-products of Christ's control- we can't obtain them by trying to get them without his help. If we want the fruit of the Spirit to grow in us, we must join our lives to his. We must know him, love him, remember him, and imitate him.

Is What I'm Hearing Being Confirmed Through Other Messages?
When Gos is speaking about a particular issue....you can not escape it!
"We shouldn't be doing all the talking. God wants us to pour out our heartsto Him, and then He wants to respond to us. Jesus shared this parable: The watchman open the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. (John 10:3-4)
He has gone before us and sees the dangers and trials we will face. He is telling us the way to go, the perspectives to keep, the things to avoid, and the things to hold fast to. Most of all he is speaking to us because we are His own and He wants a relationship with us. He loves us, adores us, treasures us, and has a good plan for us. He longs for us to know His voice and listen to His voice. The only way to know and trust God in this way is to spend time with Him.
When we invest in spending time alone with God, He will speak to us, and what we hear from Him in these quiet times will be echoed in other places.

"I ask for desire to want God more than anything else. I ask for the discipline to make my relationship with Him top priority. I ask for the discernment to know the difference between my own thoughts and God's voice. I ask for clear direction at each crossroad in my life. I ask for my relationship with God to be characterized by sheer delight rather than a sense of duty."

Last night as I lay in bed, I prayed and prayed and prayed for the energy and motivation to get my act together and back in line to be the wife, mother that God desire's me to be. While it took 8 hours, my house has never been more sparkling. I cleaned out pantry, 4 cupboards and 3 cabinets. Every room has been cleaned, the baseboards have been scrubbed, the windows washed and the blinds dusted, the floors bleached and every last burpcloth and t-shirt washed, folded and out away. I am so ready to open myself up for what's next and ready to listen to where God is leading me.

First Day of School

Ahh...the mark of the end of summer....the first day of school! I have been counting down for this day since we said good-bye to our last visitors of summer. As soon as the vacations are over, the suitcases unpacked and put away and the last of the laundry done, it get into this "what to do" rut. The temperatures soar over 100 degrees most days and the humidity soaks my poor kids faces and bodies. It is no fun to be outside unless you are in the pool and if anyone has tried braving a poolside morning with a toddler and an infant, it is more than a little challenging on a good day. The promise of school beginning means there is something to do. But it is so much more than that around our house.

The first day of school means the predictability of routines. We thrive on routines and structure in our house. The mornings, afternoons and evenings all flow much more smoothly. Even on non-school days, there is more fun, less fights, more laughter and less tamtrums. School means the house is always clean, the laundry never piles, I have some "me" time, Connor runs out energy and gets an exceptional Christian education. I am more patient, Connor is more receptive to everything because he isn't bored with the monotony of being at home.

There is a small piece of my heart that is always sad about the first day of school. It's like he is opening another chapter of his life and I understand he is only 3. But I'm not being dramatic here. If you have children, how fast have the last 3 years flown? I know before I blink my eyes and turn my head, I will be taking pictures for the first day of Kindergarden and beyond. Better enjoy it before it passes. Or better yet, my new favorite little mantra, "Be present."