Kindergarten musicals....gotta love 'em!

Griffin's class represented Australia today in the PK/K musical presentation of "Around the World". It was wonderful. Big Daddy and I sat in the audience near tears because we love this school so much. Griffin is in the front row here, 5th from the left, and yes, he needs a haircut desperately but is being very adamant that I not cut it. So he looks like, well,  a vagrant 6 year old.

Here, in all it's glory, is my back-of-the-auditorium video taping of the grand finale. Note: I am not exactly a Spielberg-esque videographer, as you can tell. I took this on a cheap camera at that. If anyone has any good rec's of a video camera, (we lost ours in Katrina and never replaced it), let me know. My children have not been truly videotaped since the storm....am I a pathetic mama or what?

G'Day!

The Morning Mom

Every morning since I've been married, I have started every day with coffee and the "Today" show. While at times there has been questionable content, it's never been anything outrageous. Not at 7:00 a.m.

This morning, between 7:10 and 7:20, there was a story about some senate lesbian party sex scandal, a story about a topless party (or it could have been a topless lesbian party), complete with pictures, followed by yet another story about Tiger and his lovahs, again complete with pics of scantily clad women.

7:10 in the morning. While my children are having breakfast and getting ready for school. Even for the adults, who wants to see soft core porn in the a.m. with my toast and coffee?

I suppose the answer from many would be "don't turn on the TV in the morning." I wish I were the type that woke up, made my family a big homemade breakfast, and sang a few hymns while they ate quietly. However, I am more of the frozen waffle, cereal or oatmeal type of mom. I try to channel my inner Michelle Duggar, but more often the Kate Gosselin in me comes out. "Boys, we have to leave in 5 minutes and you're sitting in your underwear. Let's move a little more quickly!"  "BOYS! LET'S GO!! ARE YOU GOING TO SIT THERE ALL STINKING MORNING?????"

Sigh.

By the way, Griffin announced that the lesbian sex party sounded like fun.

I think I need some more coffee....

I'm still here....just had a little makeover.

I've been wanting to re-vamp my blog for a while and finally took the 12 hours time to do it.

Which explains why it's after midnight, the dinner dishes are not done, and I'll be half asleep while driving my children across town to school tomorrow...

I think Big Daddy thinks I need a blog intervention.

Tucker wants me to have a cutesy name for every day, like "Magical Mondays", "Totally Tuesdays", Wacky Wednesdays"....well, you get the idea. He's 8. What can I say?

So I'm off to bed to dream of what I could have, should have, and might do tomorrow.

See you on Totally Tuesday!

Daniel --- week 10

Girls, I cannot believe we have been studying Daniel for ten weeks. Ten weeks! We've nearly made it though an entire trimester. That exciting, nerve wracking first trimester. I had no idea when I signed up for this safari that I would be changed so much by it. No idea. Can I be honest for a second? When my friend Robin suggested this study and I looked at it, I really didn't want to do it. I had no interest whatsoever in studying Daniel, and frankly at the point I was at ten weeks ago, I was hoping for something that would speak to me. To change me. And, sorry, Amber, I didn't think this was it. I couldn't see how God could use a book like Daniel to do anything other than make me a smidge smarter in the theological world of prophecy and visions and 7's.

Wow. Did God have some surprises in store for me. From the very first week I've been humbled, convicted, and changed. Marvelously changed. This has been the best study I've ever done. I'm not just saying pretty words. I'm being truthful when I say that God has used this to get me to open my eyes and see -- really see -- my life and my world and what needed changing.

I am venturing off path a bit this week, only because when I read chapter 10 this week, I was struck by a few things over and over. I tried to keep bringing my thoughts back to the suggestions in Amber's study  guide, but I finally gave in and realized the Holy Spirit was leading me in another direction. So here goes my tangent...

Daniel 10:10 (ESV): "O Daniel, man greatly loved..."

How I want to be addressed one day as "O Jennifer, woman greatly loved!" I am nowhere near the state of righteousness that Daniel was. When I look at his life and his testimony, I am humbled and ashamed that I am not even in the Daniel league. But I am reminded that I am still a work in progress. I have a long way to go, and I'm already 44. I hope that I can at least get somewhere within a gazillion miles of the Daniel ballpark before I die.

Daniel 10:12 (ESV): "...from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before you God, your words have been heard."

I needed to hear this. This very week. I pretty much read this verse and sort of landed on it. Just parked my jeep right there and built a fire. From the first day, his words were heard. God isn't silent. He isn't too busy listening to the words of those that are more righteous, more important, or just flat out better than me. From the first day....

Ahh, yes, but there is a disclaimer: from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before God. So I cannot just pray. I cannot just cry. I cannot just journal. I have to set my heart to understand and humble myself --- which led me on several day trips to Proverbs and some sightseeing over in the neighboring land of Psalms. The verses I read and clung to and wrote down and underlined and prayed were too many to list here. But the picture that I come away with on this leg of the journey is a beautiful landscape view of God the Almighty, hearing me. Hearing my words. He. Has. Heard.

So....why is it taking so long to hear back? I mean, I am in some serious need of a callback here. A voice mail. A text. Anything, God. And then I read...

Daniel 10:13 (ESV): "The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me 21 days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there..."

2 stinkin' ugly words: Spiritual warfare. The messenger that is speaking to Daniel tells him that he got there as fast as he could. He was caught up in a war that we cannot see. A war that rages around us in the spiritual realm. He was sent to give Daniel a message, but he was just a wee bit busy. Fighting a freaking demon!

I mean....what do I even say to that? Here I am, waiting, strumming my fingers and pacing back and forth...and all around me there is some serious crap  stuff going down. And all I seem to think of is me and my family of 5. Pretty selfish, huh? I'm here screaming "C'mon, GOD, where the heck are you? Do you hate us? Why are you silent?" --- and the whole time, He is saying, "Oh, but if you only knew...."

I have a lot of notes jotted down in my Bible. Several years ago, Chuck Lawless came to our church to lead us in his study of spiritual warfare. I have at least an entire page of notes in my Bible from that study alone. A few of my favorites:

• Our trials become the hammers and chisels that carve our character.
• God does not deliver us from trials but through them.
• Warfare is for a season.
• From satan's perspective, the only hope of victory for him is for us to cave in to discouagement and lose faith.
• Jesus is the model for overcoming the enemy: know the truth, trust the truth, memorize the truth, love the truth.

This chapter was rich for me. Copiously rich in encouragement, in instruction, and in reminders. I am almost afraid to look ahead to chapter 11! I can't imagine what else God has in store for us this next week. I know one thing.....

It'll be good.

It's Friday...you know what that means!

Girls, I'm not gonna kid you. This has been, honestly, a not-so-good week. I can, however, still find blessings, even though they seemed to be sort of hidden from plain view. With the exception of one totally awesome Wednesday blessing, which shall top my list this week:

• Tucker won a school wide art contest! He won some Cold Stone Creamery gift cards and a nifty certificate. We were able to go to the lower school assembly and see him presented with it. It was a surprise, so it was fun to see the look on his face when they announced it! (I would upload the video I took of it, but it is so bad that you would need to take Dramamine prior to watching. I sort of forgot that one cannot properly video while applauding wildly.)
• I read another great book this week. He Speaks to Me by Pricilla Shirer. I know in the past months, especially the past few weeks, I have felt a cold silence from God. This book helped me to find the reasons for God's silence and how to effectively listen more closely. I started a book called The Help by Kathryn Stockett. So far, so good. I'll let you know next week what I thought of it.
• While at the Lower School assembly, we were treated to a fantastic African music and dancing presentation. I couldn't help but whisper to Paul, "This is why we pay such big bucks to send the boys here." In past assemblies, they've heard an opera singer, a jazz musician, watched several theatrical performances, and viewed works of art by famous men and women as well as pieces by upper school mates. Our boys have learned more about the arts in their first years of school than what Paul and I learned in our collective years of public schooling. 
• My sweet, sweet friend Gretchen is on the mend. She was rushed to the hospital earlier in the week and was so sick they had to intubate her and put her on a vent. She had baby #4 just  a few short weeks ago. She is off the vent and doing better. Her sisters were able to come be with her, and her sister has been able to breastfeed the new baby until mama Gretchen is home and better!
• I adore my children and my husband. Really I do. I may have moments of frustration and secretly want to run away take a little break, but when all is said and done, I am very lucky to have such a loving, funny, and kind house full. 
• I am blessed to have a job. In this economy, with the job situation what it is, I have a job. Thank you, God, for your provision for us!

That's it, amigas. Hope your week was blessed and that you have a wonderful weekend.!
As Miss Maude would say,
Shalom, Y'all!

So who doesn't love Jane Austen?

I admit. I adore all things Jane. I have a beautiful collection of her works, thanks to my sweet Pablo. I have read Pride and Prejudice more times than I can count. Of her not so popular works, I love Northanger Abbey. It's very satirical and I love Jane's quick wit.

Imagine the thrill when I received a complimentary copy of Jane Austen, a biography by Peter Liethart, written as part of the Christian Encounters series by Thomas Nelson Publishers. This series of books includes famous (and a few not-so-famous) people in history and tells how their faith affected their lives and their work.

The book goes into a lot of detail about Jane's extended family and friends of the family. At times, I honestly got lost in who was who. It can be said, however, that Leithart did his research. I did enjoy reading about Jane's immediate family. Jane was a preacher's kid who grew up in a house full of brothers and one sister, Cassandra, who Jane loved dearly. Jane's early works were written to make her siblings laugh. From reading this biography, I got a sense that Austen was incredibly similar to her most famous character, Elizabeth Bennet. Funny, sarcastic, and yet proper and moral.

I would encourage anyone who considers themselves to be a real, honest to goodness fan of "all things Austen" to pick up this book and read it. It gives a historical (though at times dry) account of Jane's life and death.

Now. Off to re-read Pride and Prejudice. Again.

My Passion....His Purpose

On a parenting board I frequent, a mom posted that she was struggling trying to find her purpose...finding that "thing that makes your heart sing." I thought about this for a couple of days actually before I responded. I had to ask myself what *my* passion and purpose were.

I am a nurse and a lactation consultant. That is what I do. It's what I've always done. I take care of babies and mothers. I go to deliveries, I start IV's, I help get breastfeeding established and encourage moms to continue breastfeeding....I breastfed my own kids for years. Years, I tell ya! I am a firm believer in the power of the ta-ta's.

But if you asked me what my passion was....that thing that makes my heart sing? I'd say it was writing and teaching women. I haven't done any teaching or speaking since we left Mississippi. In many ways, our days here in New Orleans have been rather dry, spiritually speaking (which is ironic since we are at seminary). Prior to coming here, I taught a women's Sunday school class, led women's Bible study, and spoke at MOPS meetings and other women's fellowship gatherings. That is who I am. That is where I felt the most alive and purposeful.

Purposeful.

Psalm 57:2 says "I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me."

His purpose.

Psalm 138:8:"The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord , endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands."

His purpose.

"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand". ~ Proverbs 19;21

The purpose of the Lord.

Romans 8:28: "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."

I believe God has gifted each of us with different skills, talents, and abilities. And it is up to us to determine what they are and what to do with them. For instance, I have promised myself that I will write more. While I am incredibly lucky to get paid to be a nurse, I think God has been leading me to do more to encourage women. To tell them that God has given them all the tools to be the woman that He designed them to be. Don't we all need to hear that and really digest it?

I would love, love, LOVE to go to this conference this year. I would adore the opportunity to learn how to be a more effective communicator to women. I entered a contest to win a scholarship to it.  With 3 small kids, a husband, and a job, it's difficult to find the extra money or time to do anything for myself, so the mere idea of a few days away...with just other women who share the same passion as me....sigh.....

But I digress.

My challenge for you today is to take a look at your heart and decide what it is that God is leading you to do. And then to bravely, courageously, follow through. He has given you everything you need.

Now it's up to you.