Raising Gerbils

Preparing for the Family Retreat at the Wilderness Lodge this weekend!!! So excited to spend time with other families who are actively seeking to spend more time together and more time with God.  Can't wait to share about my latest read and a few helpful tools to help you work more family time into your schedule.

Do you sometimes feel like a gerbil running on a wheel inside a cage as you scurry from place to place, chauffeuring your children from one endless activity to another? What if, for one moment, you could just step off of the wheel . . . and relax? How would you feel then? And what if that single moment could stretch into an hour, or even a whole day? It’s Your Kid, Not a Gerbil will provide practical solutions and helpful insight to get off the activity wheel so that you can put your time and energies where they really count: in establishing strong character and a love for home and family that will serve your kids well for a lifetime.

I challenge you to use the tools below aid you in simplifying your life and adding more family time.
 Make a family schedule to ensure activities do not control you :)

Plan your meals in advance using easymealz, and just follow the plan.  The nice thing about easy mealz is that is gives you a menu and a shopping list. Check out this link to learn more:  E-MEALZ Easy Meals for Busy and Frugal Families
 

Choose a family devotional book and make time in your schedule to read through it together.

Swim progress & unlawful entry

As you know from previous blogs, I am planning on taking the lifeguard test so I can lifeguard at camp and on the fuse 56 retreats. I have been practicing a couple nights a week to refine my swimming capabilities. I was pretty happy that I tackled the 300 meter swim and managed to swim 6 laps on my back while pretending to hold the 10 pound diving brick. I think that's pretty good considering I was struggling to swim the 300 meters when I first began this endeavor.

I decided not to practice with the brick this week since I kept sinking with it :). I think the brick was psyching me out. I will try the laps on my back with the brick next week.

In my rejoicing, I bopped on out to my mini van feeling pretty good about myself and thinking about the reward I was going to give myself, a Pal's tea. I hit the unlock button on my van and waited for the door to unlock. It did not unlock. I hit the unlock button again and watched the lock. I waited anxiously for it to pop up. It did not unlock. I hit unlock again. I saw a flashing headlight when I hit unlock. I tried to open the door. I then realized, as I was peering into the van, that it was not my van! In fact, my van was parked on the space on the other side. So, I am terribly sorry to whom ever owns the van I was trying to break into :))

Insanity overflows

I love the people I work with at church and one of my favorite peeps is Sandy Miller. She works with me in children's ministry. We have both worked crazy hours lately, by choice. She has helped me plan, helped me teach, led worship, and traveled all over the Tri cities doing school outreaches.

On Tuesday, that would be yesterday but it feels like two weeks ago :))
Anyway... On Tuesday she loaded her van with children and sat in her driveway repeating "Who am I and where am I going? Who am I and where am I going?" A fourth grader that she was transporting replied with a very puzzled look "You are Sandy Miller and you are taking us to church."

Lol, poor child! There is a reason we are referred to as the crazy church ladies; our insanity just overflows.

Elementary Evangelism

I was pulled aside by a sweet little girl at church this weekend who told me she had been praying with several friends from school. She went on to say that five of her friends have prayed to accept Jesus. I gave her six small devotional booklets, five for her friends and one for herself. I encouraged her to start a small bible study at school. I suggested that possibly she could even have the Bible study at recess.

How many people have you told about Jesus this week? Does your love for Him flow out of you in all that you do?
I challenge each of you to step out of your comfort zone and tell five people about Jesus this week. If a second grader can do it so can you! :))

Chapstick& insanity

Wow! I am traveling at a speed of life that is totally insane. I love it. Mid-January brings intense preparation for the many summer events. Planning is well under way for missions camp, camp placid, creative arts camp & mother daughter tea. Not to mention execution of the already planned events coming up like the family retreat, fuse 56 retreat & Easter weekend. So... I suppose insanity would be a normal response for at least the next few months :).

This brings me to the Chapstick. This weekend was meet the staff and elders at church. We were all to come to the front of the church and be introduced so people could put a face with our names. I did children's ministry each service and when I noticed the sing had be began at the end of each service I would dash into my office grab the Chapstick out of my desk and apply it to my lips in hopes it would freshen me up before being introduced each service. Before the 11am introductions I once again flew into my office reached for my Chapstick and began bringing it to my lips to apply it. Thankfully, I looked down just before I touched it to my lips to discover that I was holding a glue stick, Not Chapstick. Oh yes! I almost glued my lips together with an Elmer's glue stick!

My husband would probably be relieved if I had been successful :))