A chilly Wordless Wednesday

In the meadow, we can build a snowman...

1968-ish:



And right after New Year's- 2007-ish...


Stay Warm, Everyone!

Rainstorms and other things

We're having a rain and wind storm tonight...the kind that makes the water pelt at your window panes, occasionally seeming to bang at it fiercely when a gust of wind kicks up.
And guess what? We just discovered we have two leaky windowsills - one in our living room and the other in our dining room...and there's not much my husband can do until the rains taper off...or at least until tomorrow after work...so we have towels on the sills tonight.
I just switched the towels about an hour ago, but don't like that plop and patter sound I'm hearing now...



We just got back from our new life group...two other families whom we're already feeling a bond with in such a short time.
And we're all so excited, because we've all agreed to pick a family from the "festival of trees" in the foyer of our church to "adopt" this Christmas.
Although our own family isn't rich by any stretch of the imagination, and our regular monthly budget sometimes feels a bit tight, we feel blessed that we can go in with our group to bless a family facing tough times this year.
I'll be taking my girls to pick out a few things for the kids, and I am so hoping that this whole experience will give them some new perspective on not only what Christmas is suppose to be about- but Christian service, as well.
And we, as a group, will even be delivering the gifts, along with a dinner...so we're all feeling rather humbled, thankful and excited all at the same time.



You've might have noticed Michael W. Smith in my sidebar...Kathleen, over at The Open Window posted about the first few bloggers being able to receive a free Christmas CD, just by promising to review it.
Well, this is a first for me to do this... but being a fan of Michael's for years, but for some reason never getting around to actually owning one of his CD's, I jumped at the chance!
And I made it in time! I received the CD a few days ago, and I absolutely love it.
The first song is probably my favorite- "Christmas Angels".
And there is an instrumental number that sounds so much like an epic movie soundtrack...beautiful, and at times, thrilling. I truly think this CD has the perfect blend of traditional and contemporary sounds, but more than that, it draws you a little closer to God as you listen.


One last thing... My oldest daughter has a "new to her" Christmas dress this year she received from someone who had outgrown it...and I bought my youngest a new one at an incredible price.
Usually, it's my youngest who is faced with hand me downs...so this is a bit of a reversal!
But both girls are loving their new frocks...
And Friday night they spent a good part of the evening dancing princess dances....

sometimes together....sometimes, one at a time while the other obligingly tried to hum Nutcracker music.
So, it's no small wonder that we've decided to take out girls to their very first performance of The Nutcracker this year!
Well, the seats are probably in the rafters and we'll need binoculars...but we're excited!

Now, I'm off to bed to listen to the rain storm... and hope that the window sills stay in tact through the night!
I can't deny it doesn't make me a bit nervous to hear the drips and splatters...but yet, I have to remind myself...at least we do have a warm, cozy home and we are blessed!


God bless you all this week as you enjoy the Christmas season!

November Book Fair..."Love Found a Way"

Thank you all so much for both the concern of my little graceful trip down the steps- and for the nice words on my very humble Christmas decorating attempt!

Also, a thank you to Mary, from Mary's Writing Nook, who graciously awarded her readers with the Spirit of Christmas award and emailed us with the code! It's now in the sidebar... I've always loved this particular image of Santa kneeling by the manger and what it seems to convey.



Well, November is nearly over...and that means that I'm going to be just under the wire for participating in the November Book Fair, hosted by Chrysalis.
She asked us to review one Christian book during this month...
and since I'm also participating in the Fall into Reading challenge, I thought, OK... I could do this one.
Hmmm... November has proven to be an extra busy month... hence the same three books in my sidebar for the past six weeks!

But even though I am not quite finished with this one, it has spoken to my heart so much that I decided to tell you about it.


About two years ago, I ordered it from a website when I saw it was on sale...recognizing that it was written by a pastor where we use to attend church...
a very beloved pastor of a fairly large church- but a man who, in spite of the fact that his flock was large and he had written numerous books, had such spirit of humility. Not a false humility, but truly, a loving, humble spirit.

In fact, my husband and I were privileged to stand alongside him on the platform one Spring morning as we dedicated our first-born to the Lord.
He prayed over our baby girl, over us, and then handed us two envelopes containing letters- one for us, the parents... and for our child- not to be opened until her 12th birthday. (Hard to believe that birthday is now just three and half years away.)

Sadly, a few years later, after we began attending a smaller church, we learned that this sweet pastor whom we had loved, lost his very long fight with cancer and went home to be with Jesus.

So, two years ago, as I first opened this book and began to read, it was as if I could hear his voice speaking once again.
A quiet, comforting voice telling me of God's incredible love.

This little book is filled with illustrations from real life...his own experiences and of people he knew.
He is able to convey God's love through the pages with such eloquence and at the same time, simple terms that we can lay hold of and begin to grasp...

And he uses Christmas as an example of the ultimate gift of love and salvation that God gave us.

This book is a treasure. In fact, I began using it as a devotional this year, even before it was Christmastime.
You can open it just about anywhere, read a page, and be completely blessed.

Amazing how not only did Pastor Ron Mehl touch so many lives in his many years of pastoring and writing, but through the written word, God can still use him to continue to touch lives today!

"If you let the Christmas season pass without realizing that He was born for you, lived and walked this earth for you, died and rose again for you, you've missed it.
You might as well have slept through the whole month of December." ~Ron Mehl

Some Fun...but Jill came tumblin' down

Do you notice anything new about my place? I can't afford a real make-over, but this afternoon I was playing around and was able to decorate my place just a bit for Christmas! It's the best I can do...especially being a hmtl illiterate! ;)

Anyway, you might remember that I mentioned in a previous post, bringing home some childhood games from my mom's house... including one that no one else seemed to remember- Hat's Off.

I had gotten this for Christmas when I was about five and absolutely loved it!

Saturday, my own five year old was home alone with me for awhile and she asked if we could finally play it. So I got it out, and guess what? She loved it, too!

See how it works? You pick a color, and put your "hats" on your launching pad thingy, aim...
and press down causing the hat to spring majestically through the air and hopefully land in your own color.
When I sat down to play with her, I was immediately transported back in time, and remembered just how fun it was.



My eight year old came home and we then introduced her to the wonderful world of Hats Off, circa 1968.

And not only will all these new-to-them games most likely hold them for the next month, waiting for those new Christmas toys- I get the fun of reliving my childhood through their eyes in the bargain!



Saturday night ended with a little mishap for me, though.
It was the girls' bedtime, and I was going downstairs for something when my foot somehow missed a step and went tumbling those last five steps or so down, landing in a heap at the bottom.
And brave, stoic mother that I am, I immediately began crying...yes, I did.
I think it was the shock of it all...and the fact that I've had neck and back problems in the past and I then could feel the pain shooting all through me.

But before I make you all feel too sorry for me, I was really OK. Just banged up and sore, but already I'm feeling so much better. Truly, it could have been so much worse, so I'm very thankful!

My poor youngest little gal, from the time she first was allowed to go down the stairs alone, until almost age 4, tumbled down those stairs and put us all in a panic about a total of ten times.
And though my oldest was only two when we moved in, I don't think she fell one time!
Still, a little one falling I can understand...but how in the world I was able to take this tumble is still a mystery.

Yes, Mom...you'll be happy to know that if I have my way, our next home will be ranch style.
(And no, I don't allow my 80 year old mom to go downstairs by herself...)

But back to things more fun again...



Have any of you ever heard the old radio show serial, "The Cinnamon Bear"?
Well, in the Portland area, it has become a staple for decades on the local radio station. I never actually heard it growing up, but my husband all of his 11 brothers and sisters gathered around to listen every year.


He has since introduced it to our girls and we either listen every night on the radio, or on the cassettes he purchased.
Well, as I type this, the very first installment just came on! They are in there, right this minute, listening to Jimmy and Judy who hope to find the special star in their attic for their mother, but are about to stumble (oops, there's that word again!) ;) onto the Cinnamon Bear, himself!

If it all sounds very 1930-ish, well, then, you're right...that's when it originally debuted!

I'm not getting any payment for endorsement whatsoever...but if you want to start an old-fashioned Christmas tradition with your children, find out if your local station carries this series....or check out the website!

One last thing...I took part in Kathleen's ornament exchange, and already received my ornament from Tyna at Begley Blessings.
The photo doesn't even do it justice, but isn't beautiful? I couldn't wait until we get our tree and had to display it now! Thank you, Tyna!

Wishing you each a week filled with God's blessings!

Giddy up...and pass the cranberry sauce

Our humble little house held a total of 25 people this Thanksgiving.

25 people.

But that's not unusual. And if hubby's other brother and his wife and their two new children would have been here, plus another sister that's moved to Mexico, it would have been 30!

Oh, and plus our big dog, Mandy, who although was on her very best behavior that day, still took up plenty of space when we allowed her to make her occasional roam through the house to greet everyone.

Except for a few little things here and there, it was overall a very nice Thanksgiving.

You've heard of the famous Thanksgiving Tom the Turkey?
Well, we have our Uncle B the Bucking Bronco.
And for our girls, what Thanksgiving Day would be complete without a horsey-ride around the living room?


Uncle B. spent a good half an hour being a horse to my two buckaroos.


Bless his heart...he was probably paying for it with his back yesterday!

But look what I found? Uncle B the Horse was at it two and a half years ago on Easter!


Except back then, the riders were considerably lighter.

Uncle B. and my sister in law are two of the sweetest people...and we're all praying they can become parents soon...they are complete naturals when it comes to children! My youngest pretty much adopted him and wouldn't let him out of her sight the entire day.

Meanwhile, as nice as the day was, I am still recovering from it all.
Especially all that detail cleaning...you know, where you crawl around and find dirt you never knew existed in those little crannies around the floor, that's probably been sitting there since last Thanksiving.

Not to mention, the Fred Meyer 6-hour after-Thanksgiving sale the next morning!
Let me just say to all you nay-sayers...I got almost all my Christmas shopping done that morning at half-price! Who cares that sometimes all of us with our carts were in stop and go traffic...they gave away free donut holes and coffee, so everyone was in a good mood!

But by the time I got home, everything was catching up with me and I spent the rest of Friday crashed in front of the TV watching Andy Hardy movies. ;)

(And if Uncle B. has any sense, he did the same thing...with a heating pad on his back.)

Blessings!

Updates and Thanksgiving Wishes

I thought I'd better check in one more time before things get really crazy!

You see, every year we host my hubby's family of 12 siblings and various spouses and kids for Thanksgiving. And since everyone brings all the food, I really only have to be in charge of cleaning.
But the challenge is that my Bible Study is Tuesday morning, and I've not quite finished my lesson...which means I'll be doing that tonight. (It's Beth Moore's Daniel...wonderful, powerful stuff!)
Doing that tonight after I do my most dreaded chore...no, not cleaning toilets. I laugh in the face of toilets.

No, it's emptying out the entire fridge and cleaning all the nooks and crannies, washing those veggie drawers, and then putting everything back (except for those item that have now turned into experiments in growing penicillin.)

Am I the only one who dreads this chore?

And then, of course, we still need to do school in the mornings! And then clean...clean...clean.

Thankfully, my husband will be helping a bit after he gets home this week. I've assigned a Honey-Do list...things like getting those cobwebs...
raking the leaves with the girls...


(which every year includes putting the girls on top of the heap inside the can- they'll probably still be doing that when they're teens...)

But little does he know that this includes giving our big lab mix, Mandy, a bath.


Now, one thing about my husband you should know. He tolerates Mandy....but in her first year of life, she has done her share of puppy crimes.
She's torn apart our swimming pool, eaten siding off our house, and generally been a juvenile delinquent on four legs. Needless to say she has not exactly grown on him.

But Mandy does have a sweet side, and is really calming down. Truly. Just look at that face.

Except for bathtime. So, he is elected.

Because of everything on my to-do list, I'll be taking a short bloggy break until after Thanksgiving. (But don't look for me the morning after...I'll be one of the crazy ones braving the masses!) I will be trying to catch up with all of you here and there, though, as time permits.


But before I sign off, I wanted to mention how honestly blessed I feel during this season.

I have so much to be grateful for... my home- which, though now fancy- is big enough to hold so many to celebrate with...

My family, whom I love so incredibly much...

And most of all, I'm grateful that God loves me- in spite of all my flaws...so much that He and gave His only Son..and that He will never leave me nor forsake me.

Last of all, I can't leave out that I'm also grateful for all the new friends I've met through blogging, who have touched my life for the better.

God bless each and every one of you and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!


"...rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." Colossians 2:7

Photohunt- I Love...

This week's Saturday Photo hunt theme is "I Love..."

That sure can encompass quite a bit!

But when I came across this old photo, it tugged at my heart.

So....

I Love....

Little girls playing on the beach with their daddy.

Of days long ago....
And of more recent days gone by...

I can't be with my own daddy anymore, but I love watching my own little girls make memories with theirs.

For more photohunters, go here!

WFMW (again!)- & Giving Thanks...The Thankful Tree

Last year, I submitted a Works For Me Wednesday post following our Thanksgiving gathering.
In it, I spoke about The Thankful Tree. It was the first time I had ever done incorporated this kind of idea into our holiday, and I just loved it so much that I wanted to share...

Only back then, as I said, it was right after Thanksgiving -too late for anyone reading it to try it!



And now, Kelli from There is No Place Like Home is hosting a Giving Thanks celebration!
She is encouraging all of us to tell how we celebrate Thanksgiving, decorating idea, what we are thankful for, and so on!

So...I hope I'm not breaking any rules incorporating both wonderful links into one post this year!

But here is the original post from last November... (and yes, I plan on doing this again!)

(For more Works for Me Wednesday ideas, check out Rocks in my Dryer!)

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

WFMW - Thankful Tree

I thought I'd share what maybe some of you already do...something I had always heard about but never actually followed through and tried until this Thanksgiving....

The Thankful Tree.

(I know Thanksgiving has come and gone this year, but I still wanted to share this... for something to consider next year- or even to somehow use at Christmas.)

What is a thankful tree? Well, there are several ways to do this, but basically the idea behind it is to have everyone participate in being thankful in a tangible way. And though this works for small family gatherings, as well as large- it's especially nice for large families who don't really have time to go around the table and each say why they are thankful. (Which can be torture to do with the warm aroma of roasted turkey and dressing dancing in your nostrils!)

What I did was very simple. I drew, freehanded, a tree trunk with bare branches on poster board. Then I traced leaves which I drew on construction paper in various colors and cut them out. (Older children can help with this but since my children are still fairly young, this time they mostly just watched.)
As you can see from the picture, it's very, very simple!

On Thanksgiving Day, I taped the tree to the inside of the front door with the leaves, tape and a pen nearby. My girls and I then told each guest as they arrived to please write their name on one leaf and something that they were thankful for this year- then place it on the tree.

My girls really were excited about this! I had told them that it was their job to help me tell family members what to do, and they delighted in seeing the tree take on such beauty as each person added their leaf. I think they understood that the beauty was even more than the colors- but in the act of all of us counting our blessings and our gratitude towards God.

It's been so easy for these kinds of gatherings to be "all about the food".
Not that I've ever had anything against the scrumptious morsels of the holidays! It's not Thanksgiving for me if I don't have cranberry sauce (real berries, please) dressing and a piece of pumpkin pie. (OK, two.)
But it's nice to keep the real meaning of Thanksgiving in their somewhere, where we focus on all the gifts we truly have in our lives.

I've heard of other versions of this tradition, such as each person putting a leaf in a bowl and at the end of the evening or at dinner, a person takes a turn, drawing a name and reading it.
I like this, too.
However, I knew that in our family, the more casual approach would work best. Especially when our gatherings are so large that we can't even sit around the table. Everyone just grabs a chair, sofa or spot on the floor!

I think taking the basic principle and adapting it to your own family gathering is best. The important thing is just to find a way for everyone to be able to express their thankfulness.

Just about every relative that I directed towards the tree seemed pleasently surprised and very happy to add thier name! So though my main motives might have been as a lesson of thankfulness to my own children, I think that it helps all of us to stop and think for a moment on just what we are thankful for most in this life.

I think we've just started a tradition.

A lazy Monday

It's a stormy Monday morning here in my neck of the woods... and my littlest is still asleep...yesterday she had to stay home from church with Daddy (I have to help at church so he was elected) all because of a mean ole' tummy bug.
I'm praying that the rest of us don't succumb...and that she feels better when she makes her way downstairs in the next few minutes.
Needless to say, we're taking it a bit easy today with the schoolwork and keeping snug inside our warm house...maybe I'll even light a fire and sip some tea.

Update: Littlest is feeling better today! Not eating a lot yet, but what she does is staying down...always good!
And that stormy weather turned out to be especially big over on the coast! 85 mph winds!
And even in this area, there was some damage. Take a look at this barn, pictured on our local news website...



Don't forget to read my better late than never Veteran's Day tribute at the bottom of the post!

I wanted to thank all of you for your heartfelt comments on my Puddin' post. It blessed me to know that so many of you understood...I guess it touched a chord with the little girl in all of us.
When I mentioned to my sweet husband the overwhelming responses (he hadn't had a chance to read my post yet) his brows furrowed in confusion...
"Why? It's just a doll..."
I know. Don't be too harsh with him.
I later relayed his comment to my mom and added,
"What would he say if he excitedly showed me a classic '67 with V8 engine and I told him it was just a car?" Hmmmm?

Also, I wanted to thank e-mom from Chrysalis because guess what? I won a S*tarbucks gift card in her contest! Since our budget doesn't allow me to indulge in mochas very often, this was such a welcome gift! Thank you, emom!


And finally, though Veteran's Day was actually yesterday, today the federal holiday. So, if you know a Veteran, don't forget to thank them for their service...for their many sacrifices for the freedom we can so easily take for granted today.

A long time ago, before I was married, I wrote a poem about a serviceman returning home, and in my mind's eye, I envisioned a soldier from WWII walking down his old streets, hoping to find the light on in his parents' home, and his sweetheart there, waiting.
I couldn't find my poem, and only remember the first few lines. But in honor of each veteran- from that incredible era all the way up to those sacrificing now, here are the first few lines...

On paths of golden moonlight hues
A lonely soldier steps
To reach a destination known
Within a memory kept

Through silent streets he plods along
Past homes with cheerful glow,
And only hears the echo
Of his footsteps in the snow.

May all of our veterans be welcomed home with grateful hearts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

God bless!

Show and Tell #9

Edited to add that this week, although I really hadn't planned to, I took a bit of a bloggy break- just doing nothing more than home schooling, cleaning, Bible Studies, and just...life! But I'm looking forward to catching up with all of you in the days to come!



It's Friday! Time once again for Show and Tell, hosted by Kelli, at There is No Place like Home.

Most of you know that my mom, who's 80, is getting ready to sell her home in order to move closer to us. I've been making trips to ready her house, and each time I seem to take with me a treasure from my childhood!

So for this week's Show and Tell, I'd like to share one that is especially near and dear to my heart. In fact, I'm not sure how I lived all these years without her, now that I have her back!

When I was about eight years old, my cousin (actually she was my third cousin- our grandmothers were sisters) was given a life-like baby doll that I absolutely fell in love with. It was given to her by my great aunt- cousin D's grandma. And when my great aunt found out how much I wanted one, she promptly told her sister- my beloved Gammee.

That very Christmas, I opened a big box to reveal who would quickly become my most loved doll from then on out.

Her name....Puddin'.


Some of you may be familiar with the maker- Madame Alexander. In fact her name and picture, as well as Puddin's name in information, are still on the box which now houses her clothes.

But at the time, all of that was not quite as important to me.

As I reached down and picked her up for the first time, I loved how she was just as big as a real baby, and her sweet face seemed so life-like that I just completely became her mommy on the spot. Never mind that I was almost nine years old...I was in love!


And not only had Gammee blessed me with the gift of this wonderful doll, but seamstress that she was, she made her a complete wardrobe as part of her present, as well!

I am sure some of the original wardrobe is missing...but there are several outfits left and in perfect condition. The pink checkered one was the dress she actually came in...but the rest were all hand-made by my grandmother for me, including the outfit she's wearing in the photos.
She even knitted two pairs of booties, and crocheted a sweet little blanket for her (which you'll see in the final photo).
When I think of how much work she lovingly put in them for me (and that she was over 70 at the time) I wish more than anything I could once again throw my arms around her and tell her thank you all over again.


I brought Puddin' back this past weekend- cradle and all- and I have to tell you a little secret...
All those old familiar feelings - those first strong maternal feelings that a little girl experiences with a beloved doll in preparation for motherhood- they came back with force in my memory when I picked her up...went through all her little clothes...
And then I heard that long-forgotten "Mama" cry she made when I tipped her forward...enough to melt even the most calloused of hearts!

Needless to say, my girls- 8 and 5- fell instantly in love with her, as well.



With my protective supervision, I allowed them to dress and re-dress her, put her in her cradle, and argue over who was lying closer to her at rest time.
They wanted me to play with her with them...but I finally had to break away, mumbling firmly to myself...
"She's just a doll...she's just a doll...she's just a doll..."

I soon realized that it wasn't just me that has to keep reminding myself, though...my eight year old Sweetiegirl declared,
"Now we have five people in our family!" Ahem.

When the girls and I exuberantly showed my dear husband our precious Puddin', he really did try to reply nicely. But we all could tell... he just didn't understand. He's a boy.

I keep thinking how that if God let's loved ones peek down on good things from Heaven, my Gammee would be smiling, knowing the doll I loved more than all others is finally being loved again...by me, and by her great-granddaughters. The clothes she made were being appreciated once again, and out from the box they spent decades within.

Now, Puddin is home at last. And these days, she enjoys sleeping in her cradle between the beds of two little girls who are as captivated by her as I was.

Nighty-night Puddin'.

Marriage Monday

Today, I'm participating in Marriage Monday, hosted by Chrysalis.


Want this button?
And the subject is not an easy one...Submission.

In fact, the title is officially called, "Submission is a decision, not a d*rty word!"

(Be sure to stop at Chrysalis place to find other participants in today's discussion. Plus, she has posted a video of pairs ice dancing- a beautiful visual of submission in practice!)

I certainly don't pretend to have it altogether, nor do I have a perfect marriage, even though I'm married to a great guy, and a Christian, to boot.
But I honestly don't always act the way I should, and neither does my husband. But we do love God with all of our hearts, and we love each other.
So, even though we're far from perfect, these are my personal views on this certain word called submission. They may not be everyone's view, but they are mine in as much as I can understand God's Word on the subject.



In today's culture, the idea of a wife submitting to her husband is not something kindly looked upon. The very concept even makes some people irate...or at the very least, has them shaking them heads, feeling sorry for the poor misguided wife who could belittle herself in this way.

So it is no wonder that so many of us as Christian women have a hard time with this concept!
And I admit it. There have been times when I have too. (OK, sometimes I still do!)

But maybe this is because so many of us have been confused about the real meaning of submission as it is described in the Bible.
Perhaps, we have interpreted the word "submission" to mean something less than wonderful...even degrading, in a sense.

Let's look at God's Word for a moment, in context...

"Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything."
Ephesian 5:22-24

Although some would cringe at the thought that the husband is the head of the wife just as Christ is the head of our church, stop for a moment and think what this actually means.

Take a look at the very next passage of Scripture...

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself."
Ephesians 5:25-28

Christ, Who is the Head of the Church, loved with such sacrificial love...even unto death.
And though our husbands aren't necessarily called to physically die for us, they are called to "die unto self" for us. "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church."
That's a pretty tall order!

Think of it. God is telling our husbands that they are to love us sacrificially, protect us, and put us above all else. A huge responsibility!
And I can certainly see how much easier it is to obey the command to being submissive if the role of the husband is obeyed as God intended!

Does this give us an excuse not to obey God in the area of submission when they are sometimes being a little less than loving?

Obviously, if there is physical abuse of any kind, this is not the kind of "submission" God is talking about!

But otherwise, we are called to obey God in our marriage and fulfill "our end of the deal" even when our husbands aren't loving us at their very best.

But what does "submission" really mean? Does it mean letting them make all the decisions?
Personally, I don't think so. I believe that God made the woman a helpmate and a partner in life. And the verse leading up to wives submitting to their husbands admonishes us to
"Submit to one another."
If we are praying wives, than we have a lot of God-given wisdom. And a wise husband will want to take counsel in us!

But what if your husband doesn't listen to you?

My husband will be the first (OK, the second...) to admit, that there have been a few times in our married life that God has perhaps given me wisdom in a situation, but at the time, my dear sweet hubby was so fixated on his idea that hearing anything to the contrary just made him frustrated.
And he didn't listen.
And he wished later he had.

Am I always right? Uh...no. Admittedly, I am not.
And so, on the other hand, how many times have I made a huge deal over the tiniest thing which was of no real consequence at all, instead of graciously submitting on it? Was my "winning" actually worth it?

Here is one more thought that has helped me immensely with this whole sensitive topic of submission:
We often think of the person who is doing the submitting as the "lesser" person. But wait...
Think about Jesus when he walked among us. What kind of role did He model for us? Didn't He actually become the Servant of all, even though He left His Heavenly place in Heaven to do so?

When I think of Jesus showing us all that it's best to seek to serve each other, than it puts this concept of submitting into a whole new light for me.

I don't believe wives are without authority. We are to be in charge of many aspects of life...just read Proverbs 31!
But life can get chaotic with two partners with the exact same authority. And when tough decisions need to be made and there's an impasse, someone needs to have the final say.

And if that someone is loving his wife, seeking her counsel, putting her needs above his, and seeking God's will as he leads, then that's when a true picture of marriage in the way God intended begins to emerge.
Because an earthly husband and wife are really a symbol of Christ and His Church. We are all the Bride of Christ.

My husband and I have a long way to go before we are any where near this ideal picture of submission and unselfish love. But with God's grace and power working in us, we can move just a little closer to this goal.

“ "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.'This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church."
Ephesians 5:31-32

Show and Tell #8

I am getting a bit of a late start participating in Show and Tell Friday, but I just had no time yesterday!
On top of doing school work with the girls, we went to our bi-weekly home school activity group- and had our first book report presentation which I was in charge of! I'm in charge of this only because they didn't do book reports before...and that's what I get for suggesting it! ;)
It went really well, and I was proud of all the kids that presented, especially those doing so for the very first time!

Then we had a Bible study that evening....and then...we all simply crashed.

By the way, do anyone else's children keep dumping out their bags of candy to count and organize them? Or do I just have strange children? ;)


Anyway...without further ado....here's my little show and tell today:

No, she's not an original vintage Barbie, but a collectible reproduction of a 1960 Barbie, wearing the beautiful Enchanted Evening gown.

Here is what the back of her box says...
"In her white furry stole, exquisite ice pink satin gown, and opera length gloves, she is the height of early sixties elegance."

I have to agree, don't you?

I actually bought her when my husband and I lived in Virginia. We had no children yet, but somehow I found myself meandering through the toy section. When I spotted her, I simply was entranced! I loved vintage eras, and though I hardly ever splurged on myself with impractical things on our tight Navy budget and my part time job, I made an exception with her.


My girls now like looking at her, and every time they always ask me why they can't take her out and play with her.
And I always remind them... because she's "mint in the box"...the quote from Toy Story 2.
And then they always remember and smile, knowingly.

And perhaps are glad she's no "Stinky Pete".

For more Show and Tell participants, and to see how you can also join in, visit Kelli at There is No Place Like Home.

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Edited to add that this month, Chrysalis is hosting a Christian book review club! Check it out and come join in all the fun!



She is also the new host of Marriage Monday, happening once a month...and happening this Monday! I am really hoping to participate with this. So hop on over and find out more!

Blessings!