daybook

FOR TODAY

Outside my window...

It is an absolutely beautiful day!  Fall is in the air and

while it may not be here to stay, I am going to enjoy it while I can.

I am thinking...

about D's birthday coming up and the fact that I still haven't posted about LB's birthday.

I am thankful...

for home schooling friends who remind me what is important.

From the learning rooms...

today we will begin reading about famous explorers as we prepare for Book-It next week.

In the kitchen...

Ronnie brought home about 8 huge bags of frozen onions from work last week (he works for a trucking company and sometimes they get to use things from undeliverable loads) so I think I'll make him some french onion soup for supper tonight and maybe I'll get really energetic and make fresh bread to go with it ... now I just have to decide what to fix for the kiddos who wouldn't touch the soup with a ten-foot pole!

I am wearing...

gray sweats, orange t-shirt

I am creating...

I'm working on a crocheted doll blanket for one of my shoe boxes

 and a small afghan for my mom's birthday

I am going...

nowhere today ... Ronnie has my van!

I am wondering...

why some things have to be so complicated!

I am reading...

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

I am hoping...

for many things ... one thing in particular is that LB is happy with the

results from her fair entries.  Last year she entered 4 items, this year she had 13.

I am looking forward to...

working the fair booth for Operation Christmas Child this Saturday.

I am hearing...

the boys playing the wii and LB talking about her dog.

Around the house...

we are going to need to find somewhere to display the

completed fair projects we'll be bringing home in a couple of weeks.

I am pondering...

how to handle an uncomfortable situation with the right attitude.

One of my favorite things...

FALL!

A few plans for the rest of the week:

going to see our fair entries displayed on Thursday,

then to the pumpkin patch on Friday, and the fair on Saturday.

Here is picture I am sharing...

Before and after pics of the boys' recent haircuts ...

no offense to any long-haired boys/men out there,
but I have to tell you that I like them better with short hair!

 Don't forget to check out other daybooks over at The Simple Woman's Daybook.

legacy

If you have been reading this little blog of mine for very long, or if you happen to know me in the real world, you probably already know my passion for Operation Christmas Child.*  What you may not know is how our church came to be involved in this ministry.

Ken and Mae joined our church in the final weeks of my second pregnancy ... I remember being surprised that they came to the shower the church gave us (which was after the evening service on the day they joined) and I still remember the cute little outfits that they gave us for our first son.  Little did I know then how God would use this precious couple in my life.  Many things about the years that Ken and Mae were with us stand out ... memories of her sense of humor even through terrible trials and his amazing talent in creating beautiful backdrops for our VBS stages, but it is for her love of Operation Christmas Child that I will always remember Mae and this ministry is her greatest impact on my life.

In 2002, when Mae first suggested we pack shoe boxes, I don't think that very many of us were familiar with Operation Christmas Child.  I am not sure that I had even heard of Samaritan's Purse, though I did know who Franklin Graham was.  I think I packed one box that year ... our church packed 32 total and we were pretty happy about that.  We would continue packing boxes over the next several years and in 2005 we became the only drop-off location in our county.  I remember that first year, receiving boxes and packing cartons, mostly in the hallway of our church where we were tripping over each other and laughing and, for me especially, learning more about these ladies I had known for years and yet didn't really know all that well.

Fast forward a few years and we are still a relay center and we now have several church members who are year-round volunteers with Operation Christmas Child.  In November we will go back to Atlanta to work in the processing center preparing the shoe boxes to be sent to their final destination, the children!  By the way~it is so exciting to know that you are the last person to touch a box before it is placed in the hands of a child. 

So now you know that Mae's willingness to encourage us to do something new has greatly impacted our church, but the story doesn't end there ... and this is the part that gets harder to tell.  In August of this year, Mae went home to be with Jesus.  She will be greatly missed by those of us who worshipped and served with her, but the legacy of her mission work still goes on.  While preaching Mae's funeral, our pastor shared about her work with Operation Christmas Child and how this ministry has touched hearts in our church and how God is using this ministry to reach children all over the world with the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and equipping local pastors in the areas that receive boxes to reach children they might never have been able to reach before through the power of a simple gift. 

 What Bro. Don didn't know as he spoke that morning was that there was a lady in attendance who knew Mae outside of the church.  She also knew about Mae's involvement with OCC and after hearing the sermon that morning she was inspired to find out more and to take this ministry back to her own church.  They had been involved at one time, but not in the last several years and she felt led to encourage them to pack boxes this year and the ladies of their WMU have agreed to do just that!  Wow!  Since each box that is packed represents an opportunity to share the gospel with another child and possibly with that child's family, I am always excited to hear about even one more box that someone plans to pack.

I only knew Mae for a few years and I am sure that there are many things about her life that I don't know, but I feel certain that the impact of her love of mission work and her commitment to serving our Lord will continue to be felt in the years to come.  I know that I will always be thankful for her impact on my life.

*If you want to know more about Operation Christmas Child, check out their website or ask me or anyone who works with this ministry and we'll be happy to tell you how to get involved.

Sweet, Sweet Spirit

Today, our church celebrated twenty-five years of ministry.  The preparation for this service has been the number one topic at church for weeks.  A tremendous amount of planning and work went into the day and now that it is over I can say, without any reservation, that it was all worth it ... at least it was for me.

The church was filled to overflowing, our normal crowd of 60 or 70 swelled to well over 125 and I kid you not when I tell you that we had standing room only.  I wasn't prepared for what happened when we stood at the beginning of the service to sing Holy Ground.   I was filled with a rush of emotion that immediately brought a smile to my face and tears to my eyes.  That same feeling would come again and again throughout the service.  I was moved by the emotion evident in each person who had a part in the service.  A short history of the church was given by the widow of the first pastor.  The former music minister spoke about his days serving the church and sang The Longer I Serve Him.  When our pastor spoke about his nearly twenty years at the church, it brought tears to my eyes again, especially as he thanked his sweet wife for her support of his ministry.

Surprisingly, I listened with new ears to what is now a familiar story to me.  I was there when the church celebrated 15 and 20 years of ministry, I remember hearing much of this same history and I enjoyed being part of those days, but they didn't have the same affect on me that today's service did and I have been trying to figure out why.

Somewhere deep inside me I am trying to articulate an answer to that question and I am finding it to be a difficult task, but I can say that it has to do with the love that God has given me both for the group of people who make up this church and for the ministry they have been so faithful in building.  The struggles of those who have been part of the history of Crossview, who were willing to persevere in what they believed God was calling them to do, have laid a foundation that we are still building on today. 

I think what I am beginning to realize is that this means more to me today than it did five or ten years ago, because these people have come to mean more to me over the years and their lives have become inextricably intertwined with my life and with my family.  No matter where God leads our family in the future, this fellowship of believers will always be a part of who we are. 

I can close my eyes and look back across that congregation today and memories come rushing in as I see the ladies who rocked my babies in the nursery and showed them the love of Jesus before they could even crawl, and the youth that were the reason we were called to the church in the first place~now all grown-up and married, some with children of their own, not to mention the ladies that I have come to love and respect as we have prayed together on Wednesday nights, and the men who provide the leadership needed to keep us moving in the right direction.  The truth is that no matter how hard I try to capture in words what is in my heart, I will never succeed in doing it justice.  The attempt brings to mind one of my favorite lines from the movie Skylark "...sometimes, words aren't good enough."

The service today was concluded with a wonderful sermon, delivered by a former pastor who challenged us to not only remember the things that God has done, but to look to the future for what He is calling us to do.  What a fitting challenge for a day that could have been too wrapped up in the past.  As our pastor said at the conclusion of his testimony today, what has been accomplished at this church isn't because of what we've done, it is because we serve a great God and He has done great things.  Amen, Brother, amen.

a box filled with hope

Livia Satterfield

In 1999, this young lady was a twelve year old girl living in an orphanage in Romania.  Her mother had placed her there hoping to give her a better life.  Last night, I had the wonderful privilege of hearing Livia tell her side of the story at a gathering at our church beginning the countdown to the 2011 collection season for Operation Christmas Child.

Livia's story is a powerful one.  It is a story that is hard for me to grasp here in my comfortable home with well-fed kids who, along with their parents, have never known anything but abundance.  Livia told us that there were days when they had an abundance of food and the children were given bread stacked with butter, so much butter that to this day she can't stand bread and butter.  Then there were the days when food was scarce and they were given hard, moldy bread ... her words: "we just had to try and eat it, gulp it down, because that was all there was." 

But, as Livia's story unfolded, we learned that while the food supply might have fluctuated, one thing was always the same ... the lack of love.  There was no one to comfort them when they had bad dreams, no one to touch them or hug them,  no one to tell them that everything would be okay.

Until one day when the children found out that some people from America were coming to visit them.  I could share the story Livia told us last night, but she tells it much better ...





A box filled with hope ...
Livia reminded us more than once that to those children in her orphanage these boxes represent hope.  Hope and, perhaps for the first time in their lives, an expression of love.

We all know how important it is to have hope and to know that you are loved and I for one know that I have never truly experienced a lack of either one. 

I cannot imagine what it must be like to desperately want something as simple as hair clips of your own and know that you have no hope of ever receiving them.   Yet, God used a simple shoe box gift to not only give her the hair clips she wanted but also to show her His love for her.

Livia described packing a shoe box like filling a box with sunshine to light the world of a child somewhere in darkness ... how amazing is it to have the opportunity to be a part of something so simple, yet so special, so potentially life-changing for a child.

Livia's story has a beautiful, full-circle ending since she was adopted by the woman who gave her the shoe box and now volunteers with Operation Christmas Child.  But, even for those children whose outward circumstances don't change, they still receive the message that there is someone, somewhere who loves them enough to fill a shoe box with gifts for them.  And much, much more importantly, they hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and that is the ultimate reason that we keep packing shoe boxes year after year.

One more thing Livia told us that really stuck with me ... how easy it is to pack a shoe box.  We hear so many stories about the kids who get exactly what they want or need and that might add extra pressure, thinking that we have to put in just the right thing so that the child receiveing our box will be happy.  Yet Livia told us about a boy in Costa Rica who received mittens, a scarf, and a hat and how excited he was to put them all on, even if they did make him sweat.  The key is not stressing over what you put in the box, and instead taking the time to fill the box with prayer.  According to Livia, the two most important items to fill the box with are prayer and a personal note with a picture.  Not hard at all, is it?

Here are a few more pictures of our Countdown event ... only 66 more days until National Collection Week!

Jamie Hardenbrook - Regional Director of the Southeast region in Atlanta, GA

Most of the OCC people and year-round volunteers that were there last night

Frances Fair - the Area Team Coordinator for Jackson

Livia and me

I've got a bit of catching up to do

It seems like it has been forever since I have blogged on a regular basis ... probably because it is true.  The reason has nothing to do with my love for blogging, it is a time issue.  I just can't seem to find the time to write the kinds of posts I want to write, so I don't write at all.  But, for today, I'm claiming a few minutes for myself, letting the kids sleep in a little later than is now normal for us, and enjoying a cup of coffee while I try to catch up a bit.

School is in full swing around here and going pretty well.  I still haven't found exactly what I want to use for language arts this year, so I am just winging it until I do a little more research (and until Ronnie's new job is official and money isn't as tight).  For now we are focusing on history, science, math, and spelling.  We are also increasing our read-alouds, so I am not too worried as of yet.  We have plenty to keep us busy.

LB is in 6th grade this year ... there, I said it.  I've been in denial about having a 6th grader, but I have to come to terms with it!  Our focus this year for her is getting her caught up in math.  She struggled in math when she was younger and I made the decision to go back and make sure she got a better foundation before moving on.  I still believe that it was the right decision, but she is very sensitive to the fact that she is not back to where she would have been if we hadn't changed (and is not doing the same work as her friends).  It is hard for her to understand, but having struggled all the way through highschool and college myself because of a weak foundation in math, I am much more concerned about her academic success, but I know it is rough to be teased about something completely out of your hands.  On a high note, she has finally decided that she loves to read and is reading all the time now.  We are exploring different genres of literature (historical fiction, biography, mystery) and so far historical fiction seems to be her favorite.  Like mother, like daughter!  I am hoping to use her new-found love of reading to push very gently lead her into writing more, but we shall see.

JW is in 4th grade this year and moving right along.  He is doing fine in school, but he is also the only one of my kids who asks, on a regular basis, why do we homeschool?  He also asks if he can go to public school and I have to explain to him (again and again) why we made the decision to homeschool* and why we will stick by that decision.  I can't say that he fully understands, but one day he will (at least that is my prayer) and then maybe he'll come to know that this is not some strange lifestyle chosen simply to torture him.  One thing that has been bothering me about JW is that his normally sensitive nature seems to be at war with a desire to appear tough.  My kids have never really had to deal with a bully so we've never even talked about their existence.  It upsets me to see some of those characteristics coming out in him, especially when it is almost always directed toward his own siblings, though I have recently seen it aimed at a younger girl at church who didn't want to play a game the way the other kids always play it.  I don't want to give the impression that he is going around demanding little kids give up their milk money.  For the most part, he is still his normal easy-going self with most people (outside of our house, anyway), but this is a new twist and we want to help him navigate through this little identity crisis safely.  As for this year in school, my main goal is to help him gain confidence in his own abilities to read and write.  It may just be that a boost in confidence may be the answer to the other problems we are having, too.

D is now in school for real, which still only amounts to a couple of hours a day.  If he were in normal school, he would be in 5 year old kindergarten this year.  I started doing kindergarten work with him last spring, but then things kind of fell apart when Mama was in the hospital and had to have surgery and we really didn't get very far with him.  So, I just picked up this year where I left off with his kindergarten materials and let me tell you, he is bored!  I think we are going to combine his basic phonics with a first grade math program and see if that keeps him busy enough.  He is still learning that school is not something that he can just say, okay I am done for the day and have that fly.  I love teaching this age, though and seeing the light come on as he learns to sound out words and begins doing math.  Back when I thought I was going to be a teacher, I never thought I wanted to teach young children and in truth I probably don't have the patience or the personality for it, but I do find few things more thrilling than seeing a child learn to read.  I am looking forward to a good year with D, but I won't know until we get to the end if I will be promoting him to 1st or 2nd grade.

*Ronnie and I made the decision to homeschool before we were even married.  I was a secondary education major at Delta State and it became clear to me that this was not what God wanted for my life.  Most of the classes seemed to be more directed at saving students from their parents rather than teaching me how to teach them literature and writing.  When I chose to change my focus just be an English major without the education part, Ronnie and I began to talk about education options for the children we hoped to have one day and even then we agreed that homeschooling was the best choice.  We believed then, and still believe now, that this is the life that God has ordained for our family.  Those of you who homeschool know that this isn't just an educational choice, it is a lifestyle and no part of your life is untouched by this decision.  It would be a lie for me to tell you that I don't have days when I wish I could oblige my son and just let him go to real school (his words), I have no doubt that it would be easier for us both in some respects, but it just isn't an option if we want to be obedient to the call God has placed on our lives.

I didn't really intend this post to be only about school, but since I must get the kids up and going if we are going to get anything accomplished today and since I am now almost finished with my 2nd cup of coffee, I think it is time for me to get on with my day.  So talking about our fair projects, the salamander in my muffin tin, and the plans for our relay center's 2011 countdown to collection week (for Operation Christmas Child) will have to wait for another day, except for me to say that I am so very excited about our speaker for the event!

daybook

FOR TODAY:

August 10, 2011

Outside my window...

the sun is shining and I am sure that it is

already hot, though I haven't ventured out yet.

I am thinking...

about having to take Ronnie to work this morning.

I know that I have nothing to complain about,

but I would be lying if I said that I like only having one vehicle right now.

I am thankful...

for a fairly smooth start to a new school year.

From the learning rooms...

today is Book-It! ... our monthly book report day with one of our homeschool groups.

This is the first activity we participated in when we joined this group when LB was in Kindergarten and it is still one of the kids' favorite activities ... not so much because they love books or book reports, but because they enjoy the time with their friends and getting to eat at Mazzio's (pizza) for lunch!

From the kitchen...

I won't really know until I go to the grocery store.  I'm thinking that something simple is in order for tonight since we'll be gone all morning and into the early afternoon and we have church tonight.

I am wearing...

my favorite jeans and the t-shirt Ronnie brought me from Alaska.

I am creating...

not much right now ... but I always have some crochet project going.

I did get to go to JoAnn's for the first time this weekend (in Tupelo) and I bought a skein of scented yarn which I am making into a dishrag.  It may sound a little strange, but it is kind of fun to work with.  The color name (and presumably the scent) is Aloe Vera.

I am going...

to Book-It this morning and then probably a trip to Sam's this afternoon
and prayer meeting tonight.

I am wondering...

how my visit to my Mama's Sunday School class party will go tomorrow night.

I am STILL reading...

Around the World in 80 Days with all the kids

and Little Women with just LB

I am hoping...

to find the right schedule to get our school days moving a little more smoothly.

I am looking forward to...

chatting with the other mom's at Book-It today.

I am hearing...

JW practicing his Book-It report, LB supposedly getting dressed in her bedroom, Hogan's Heroes on the TV up front.

Around the house...

LAUNDRY! It is overtaking the house!!

I am pondering...
an article I just read about professing "evangelical Christian" scholars who do not believe in the literal account in Genesis and see the Bible as only allegory.  Frightening.

One of my favorite things...

completing a crochet project, even if it is just a dishrag!

A few plans for the rest of the week:

we have the kick-off for both of our home school groups this weekend ...

it is going to be busy, but it should be fun, too.

Here is a picture I am sharing...

the kids with Ronnie's Aunt Lera at her house on Sunday.

 

Please take a moment to visit Peggy over at The Simple Woman's Daybook

 to find other daybooks to read or to learn how to create your own daybook.

10 hours and 2 restaurants later . . .

. . . we were still talking.

The setting? 

For the first time in probably ten years, three old friends ~friends since elementary school~ left all nine of our kids to spend the afternoon with their grandmothers, while we sat in a booth in the corner of Corner Bakery, where no one seemed to care ~though they did notice~ that we stayed for SIX HOURS talking and laughing and reminiscing about the good old days. 

When we just couldn't wait any longer to eat again, but weren't ready to end the fun, we moved across the parking lot to the Mexican place to continue the conversation.  As the nice lady tried to seat us at a table in the middle of the dining room, Stacey politely told her that wouldn't do and asked if they had anything in a corner somewhere.  So they put us, quite literally, in the back corner of the place where we kept talking until almost time for them to close.  We left there and spent another hour in Stacey's vehicle ... no one really wanting to be the one to say, okay, we've got to go!!  The truth is that we could have sat there another 10 hours and probably not run out of things to talk about.

We talked about everything from having babies to things that happened to us in school to where other friends are now.  We talked about our parents and our kids and our churches and maybe even a little politics and the list goes on and on ...

So, what makes these ladies so special in my life?  They were my closest friends in the days when I was still learning how to be a friend.  They were the first people outside of my family that I could count on to be there for me.  I don't think that it would be stretching the truth to say that a part of our friendship still finds its way into my relationships, and I am thankful for the lessons learned way back then about how to be a friend, and maybe even some about how NOT to be a friend!

Sadly, the only picture of the event is of the fajita fixin's at the mexican restaurant.  They were quite good, but still not exactly blog worthy!

As a blogger, I should be ashamed of myself, especially since I had my camera in my purse!!!

Girls, just so you know ... I cherish our friendship and I hope we won't wait another ten years to repeat this wonderful day ... maybe next time we should really make it all day and start with breakfast!