Financial Disaster Ahead?

As I was going through my prayer journal this morning, lifting up family, friends and others in prayer, I noticed something. Many of the people on my list are in a time of financial difficulty. There's been layoffs, jobs eliminated, companies bought out with massive firings, illegal practices making for an unreasonable work environment, unexpected events that drained their accounts, there's so much going on in this area right now.

I turned over all money-related stress and worry to God around 2002. The paycheck is what it is, and it will be enough. If it isn't, then we'll do the best we can til it's better. The hard part is that a budget just isn't possible with a husband on straight commission and it varies HUGELY from week to week...but we're thankful for what we have: a job to go to, freedom for me to stay home and teach and raise our children, a small but affordable place to live, a neighborhood that isn't great, but it's safer than so many others, we have groceries in the house (at least til the two boys go through the kitchen), and a strong marriage based on honesty and trust.

With rising mortgages, rising taxes, foreclosures, bankruptcies, and all the signs of a coming nationwide depression in the near future, it's time to pray for what we need, work for what we can, and be thankful for all we don't have going on in our lives.

Don't forget to pray for your loved ones too! Our consumerism and materialism is about to be attacked until we're humbled as a nation. When the world is in a pit of despair, know that the way out of the pit is by focusing upward on God and His principles for success.

May God keep you safe in His arms.

Ladies, you need to try this!

Last night I had an unexpected call from a friend asking if we could do something together. I was in the mood for something girly, something I love to do, and I'd been looking for a gift for her that week anyway...know what we did?

We went to have "full English tea" at my favorite tea house, I had the kiwi pear green tea, she had the berry mint iced tea. We had a 3-tier tray with tea sandwiches, ginger apricot scones, and assorted dainty desserts. Oh My Gosh!!! What an amazing experience it is. The place is full of pink lacy things, shiny silver danglies, and teas in every flavor you can imagine - even a pineapple guava white tea!

I don't do much for myself very often - and most women don't. We plan little gifts and surprises for our friends and family, but what do we do for ourselves? What do you do? I'm not a bubble bath person, I don't enjoy shopping for new clothes, I'm not a shoe or purse person, I have dozens of perfume that I never wear (almost all were gifts), I don't do much jewelry, I can't do special desserts from a bakery with 3 kids playing Food Police, "what do you have? can we have some?" So what else is there?

Imagine this, a quiet, tasteful, healthy, small-portioned but delicious lunch, accompanied by a ceramic tea pot of exquisite tea picked out by you, on a table with REAL tablecloths, napkins encircled in ribbon, lace doilies, real china plates, a floral centerpiece, gentle lighting, pink, white and soft green walls, girly sale items surround you, and next to you - a dear friend to share it all with. No cell phones - no loud beer drinkers - no take out containers - no lame music overhead. Just wonderful women with good manners all there for a 1 to 2 hour break from the hectic pace of reality.

Is that what heaven will be like? I hope so.

Today was a very good day!

It doesn't take much to make it a good day for me, my needs are simple...I'm very task oriented, so if everything gets done on time, and my kids follow my plan for the day, it's a very good day, but today felt different...
I woke up with a God-worshipping song. I don't know the song, just a few lines, but they repeated over and over in my head and I felt like I was gaining strength with each repetition. Then I got to my bible study without hitting any traffic on the 101 at 8:45! I got there and was greeted by my pastor's wife's big smile. She never seemed to know who I was for 4 years, yet all of a sudden, she says HI to me by name. She asked how study was going and without thinking, I couldn't say enough. The women there are so special, and we just feel and know God's presence is among us and our conversations there. It's a close knit group, even with the many new faces joining us this summer. On the drive home, I felt such a calm peace - in spite of the fact that I schedule myself to be IN study til 11am in N. Scottsdale and IN Chandler teaching Spanish at 11:45am. When I stopped at home to pickup the kids, they had done all their chores and completed the writing assignment I gave them yesterday - and it's not even due til tomorrow! I had a fun Spanish class, window-shopped for a friend (didn't find what I wanted to get her) and drove home from my son's drama class without traffic. My husband gets out of work at 3pm instead of 8 tonight, we didn't expect that but he says he's out early every other Tues. at this new job. We're going to take full advantage of this and go see Pirates of the Carribean 3: At World's End, it's playing down the street at the discount theater - all seats just $2.

After sharing such a dark cloud last time, I just had to share this wonderful day with anyone who's willing to read this blog.

Now it's time to settle down, give God thanks and praise for today, and buckle down to prayer for my friends and family so they get a bright spot like I had today too!

A month of spiritual battles all around us...

It feels like we've had a month of spiritual battles all around us. Not so much in our home, but we see it in our friends, family and acquaintances. Something's brewing and I feel a strong need to prepare for battle on their behalf.
I have seasons of my life where I am a strong prayer warrior for others, and other seasons where I feel I have to just throw my hands up and cry out to God, "the problem's too big! I'm emotionally spent!" Ever feel like that?
In the last month, our circle has seen breast cancer, husbands losing jobs, and therefore causing over-stressed, scared wives without answers, we've seen health issues, addictions choking the life out of a marriage, aging relatives stuggling with deteriorating bodies but their minds are still strong, the enemy coming between spouses with anger and hurt, the media infiltrating our homes and taking over the minds of children and adults everywhere, heartless people rejecting a baby because it's born with defects, gossiping and rumours destroying good people's reputation, greed growing stronger in the business world, selfishness to the detriment of children, spouses and family, the list is never ending...
It's time to put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10 - 18) and become warriors for Christ, defending our brothers and sisters when they become fatigued in the battle. I can't do this alone, but if we all band together, we can take this ground in the name of Christ, break through all of the enemy's strongholds and unravel his schemes and plans for destruction! All it takes is time in prayer for those we love.

Will you stand with me for our loved ones?

I love my friends!

The best gift we're given in this world, besides salvation, are the friends that are brought into our lives. It's been an amazing 4 years since we've moved 3000 miles away from everyone and everything we've ever known to come here. We've been through so much: losing our life's savings during the drive out here from people's lack of integrity and the stock market, jobs where honesty and character are signs of weakness, having the spawn of satan and her 4 bullying kids move in with the guy next door to us, having our kids beat up regularly for a year out of the jealousy and anger of others', bosses using extortion to rob from their employees (my husband), companies we depend on casting off generations of values for their own greed, not to mention trying to be a positive influence while working 40 hours a week or more as my kids' mother AND teacher, dealing with a husband's depression and self-pity, getting through each day with an auto-immune disease that has no cause and no cure, just lots of symptoms and a name, dealing with an alcoholic husband, finding out my husband's secrets threatened to tear my family apart, have I left anything out?

All that to say this, I love my friends. Practically since we got here, God's surrounded me with the warmest, kindest, most caring and loving friends I could've ever imagined. They have listened when I needed to unload, sat quiet with me when I needed to be still, been supportive when I felt like giving up, cheered me up when I felt lonely, prayed over me when I cried, and have said more with their eyes than I feel I deserve. I feel the spirit of Christ in each and every one of them.

Just last night, we had friends here and you know my favorite part? The time during a game when no one was speaking - and it wasn't awkward, it was comfortable. I had a moment of total joy in the middle of what (to the untrained eye) would've seemed like a regular, everyday occurance to anyone else. I'm so blessed. And I will praise God forever for the friends he's given me.

I'll find our "groove" eventually...

Ok, so here I am, just 4 days into the new schoolyear with my 3 kids and not one day has been like the next! The first day, some classes needed more than the anticipated time I'd planned, some were shorter than expected, some will need to be rearranged so we don't have one kid finished, one almost done, and one needs another half hour. It's very frustrating orchestrating this. And we haven't even added dance class or sports practices yet.

I know if I handle this with just my organization skills, I can find a schedule that works okay, but the joy will be gone, everyone will feel stressed out, and we'll lose the beauty and freedom of homeschooling. So what else can I do?

I'm going to do a few things:

1. First, I'm going to take a deep breath and remember what I learned from reading John Ortberg's book, The Life You've Always Wanted; slow down, don't live a life of "rushing" because it'll put me in the opposite direction from what I really want, which is peace and time to just be with God in little moments throughout my day. To NOT trade best for just good.

2. Second, I'm going to pray. God can organize and orchestrate the entire planet from the beginning of time through the end of time, so He probably could offer me some good advice. I've looked for mentors in my life, and they're hard to come by - so I lean on the advice I get from the Bible, and from God in my quiet time (such that it is).

3. Third, I'm going to ask my kids for their opinions. I want them to have the time they need to put forth their best effort, and not feel bored by time wasted through my imperfect scheduling.

4. Fourth and last, I'm going to take my time on Saturday to really figure out what's important, and remember what I really want each child to gain from each class. I'll arrange things so that a character trait or important lesson or moment of inspiration won't be lost. I'm going to remember that we don't have to have a set schedule. It can be flexible. And if I figure out how to co-ordinate what class to run at the same time as two others so that their ending times are pretty close, we'll find our "groove".

We're about to begin a new school year...

This time of year is exciting for me. We'll be starting school soon. I love using new books, new supplies, a fresh start and hope for a great year. This year I'm teaching 8th, 6th and 4th, with very few classes where the kids can do work together. 10 class periods, with 3 classes going on per period, or 30 classes a day! (Okay, really it's 28, but still!)
I hope this year is a good year for Adam where he feels he's really pulled ahead of Logan. After years of having classes together, he got frustrated thinking either he was 2 grades behind, or his little brother was as smart as he was. This year, he's got some serious classes that Logan won't tackle for at least another 2 years.
My hope for Logan is that he settles down and begins to mature. He's got a Critical Thinking class this year, like a logic class, that I hope will help him learn to think before he speaks - or at least stop saying dumb things that get his father frustrated.
Jordan will have the hardest year of all, I think. She's been pretty lazy the last few years - expecting me to do her work for her, but this year, it's all up to her and she'll have to really try to pass. The tests are standardized and not from me so I can't be objective at all. That'll be a big help. She's smarter than she knows. Maybe this year she'll find that out?
Tim's in the middle of a new job change, in fact he's at an interview right now. We have no idea what the pay will be like, what hours or days he'll work, or any of the many factors we'll have to consider. We just pray for God to guide us to the best choice.
As for me, I can't wait to get started. I feel less rushed this year, yet somehow, a part of me is ready to panic because I'm not rushed, feeling like I must be forgetting something. I think I'm still trying to get back into the swing of things after an almost 10 day vacation.
Here's where I turn it all over to God and pray for wisdom and discernment to make the best choices for all of us. If I do, I know it'll all work out for the best.
Enjoy your day.

Family

Well, we're all back from vacation. We had a great time in Utah, then spent a few days visiting with my husband's family before coming home. We spent time with his parents, grandparents, 2 uncles, an aunt, his cousin and her husband, their 2 kids, their nephew, and another of Tim's cousins. I've known them for years, so it was very comfortable for me, and my kids enjoyed spending time with kids from 2 - 18 that they never get to see. Three of them they met for the first time - all from CA.
I love listening to the stories, the heritage, the ancestors' lives, and seeing who looks like or acts like who else in the family. It made me really miss my own family. My family are in MA, FL, GA, AK, and TX. Next year, one of my sisters is getting married so we'll be together then. I'm looking forward to my kids meeting their cousins (my cousins and their kids).
Now to relate this to my faith...

Just as we get lonely for family, I imagine God too misses us when we aren't "close to Him". I know he's always there, always with us, always watching, but would it be any fun for us if our relatives were there but invisible and silent? It's the conversations together that keep us close, and I'm sure God enjoys that one-on-one time with us too. Today I'm going to try really hard to talk with Him throughout the day - I miss my Father and it's time I planned a visit with Him.