Hmmmm

I am a bit baffled...

Yesterday, a steel rod showed up on our counter. It looked strange, but Ben and I didn't know where it had come from and the boys shook their heads innocently when asked if they knew where it had come from. Today, Ben was working on a Habitat For Humanity House. The boys and I had a great morning together. We hung out with friends at their pool and went to check out some serious yard work that another family was doing. Great morning. When we got home my mind fell on the strange steel rod. I had a bizarre feeling that it must have come from the riding lawn mower-why I don't know. My stomach sunk. Ben worked hours on it last Saturday. Oh no!!!!!!! I had begun asking the boys what part of the lawn mower it had come from. They said they didn't know. So, I went out and tried to start it. I don't know the first the first thing about lawn mowers. It did start, but then would die. The boys were in the garage, wide eyed and just staring at me. (Just wait...in a few years I'll have a whole yard crew. :) Well, I looked at them and asked where that rod came from. They said it was inside the house. I was getting closer to a break down. I couldn't get the thing to go into gear without it dying. I called Sears, tried small motor repair shops (which close at 12:00 NOON on Saturdays!!! The one day that we all need them), called friends and family, as well as researched online. All to no avail. I went outside and tried once more. No success. Breaking moment occured and I told the boys if they didn't fess up they were BOTH getting spankings. Benjamin held his ground, he had no idea where it came from. It was just inside. Luke said it was inside. I threatened again. Luke walked forward and said it was him and pointed that he found it just under the motor "just lying dere. just right dere." Well, I am GLAD someone gave me an answer I was LOOKING FOR.... I had been fishing for that for HOURS now. I tried to start it again. I had called Ben to trouble shoot with him, but couldn't get him. He would know what to do, how to fix it, or at least be able to calm me down until he got home. I was in tears out of pure frustration that I couldn't fix it, I couldn't get ahold of the man (Ben) that could, and I was stuck with NO SOLLUTION. After all, it is Saturday and the grass gets cut on Saturday. LOL :) So, I just start crying. Benjamin and Luke were disturbed by this sight. Benjamin offered a hug, Luke vanished. I saw Luke's bike tip over, but no Luke. I found him sitting on the front porch. His arms were crossed and he was mad, I could tell. I asked him what he was doing, "dust sitting." Good thing, cause you don't want to cross me at this point. With my frustrated energy I went and cleaned out the garage. Ben called and gave me explicit instructions not to worry and not to touch the lawn mower again. He felt sure he could fix it. After all that I had done to research parts and where that steel piece had come from, I felt sure it was a dead end. When he got home he looked at the part and said it didn't come from the lawnmower. He did indeed fix the lawnmower, it was a short somewhere else. WHOOPS>>>>> did you catch that. The steel rod was NOT part of the LAWN MOWER. I just assumed it was the lawn mower when I couldn't get it to start and had a strange rod show up in the house. That meant, I had set the boys up. I essentially made them tell me what I thought I KNEW. I didn't know and immediately assumed that they had broken it, even when they had told me multiple times they had not. When faced with a spanking, Luke took the blame unnecessarily. That means it was a classic case of "MOMMY SET UP!" I threatened them to get an answer I thought was the truth, when in fact it wasn't. Luke was trying to please me. He didn't understand how else to get around it. We still don't know where that rod came from, but it made for a teachable moment with the little guys about the importance of truth even when someone doesn't believe you and a great opportunity to humble myself before them and do what I OFTEN require of them, apologize.

photo courtesy of Flickr

It Is What It Is....

I am in bed right now listening to the rainstorm! The boys are all down for naps and the house is so quiet and peaceful. Yes, it is 2:13, but I just love a good cozy afternoon nap on a rainy day. I have been working on a rainbow for my classroom to go above my door. I was a little disappointed in it. The thing took HOURS to make. I used tissue paper that I tore and wadded it up and glued it on the poster board. Uh oh....I heard a child. AWWWW MANNNNN! Excuse me one moment, I will be right back. There is a bit of an issue. They have been dealt with. It is what it is...

Now, where was I? Yes, a bit disappointed in my rainbow. It looks off center. Those of you that know me well, know that is going to drive me nuts. I stuck the thing up there with tons of Velcro tape and now it's off center. It is what it is.....

By the way, the boys woke up at 6:03 a.m. What is THAT!?! That is not legal in our home(unless you're Ben, he's up and gone long before us). The rules say you may not get out of bed until 7:00. For the life of me I couldn't get them back to sleep. What is one to do? It is what it is....

I have concluded that ironing is beyond me at this point. Cherokee Laundry irons. So, I took my items that have stacked up for weeks and dropped them at off at the Laundry. It was so freeing. It is what it is.......

So, I am going to sit in my bed in my quiet house and enjoy the rain. After all, life is what it is...

YIKES

Last night at 1:15 a.m. I experienced the scariest moment of my life to date.  I hear Luke, our middle son, yelling "Benjamin!"  I can tell he can't find him, which isn't good since they share a room.  They are inseparable.  Ben meets Luke downstairs and Luke tells Ben, "I can't find Benjamin."  I am still in bed and think he probably just didn't see him in his bed.  So, Ben carries our sleepy-eyd Luke back upstairs.  I am at the foot of the stairs now waiting to hear that Benjamin is in bed.  INSTEAD, Ben leaves Luke in bed and is walking around upstairs.  I am now dashing up the stairs and Ben says, "I have just started looking, but he's not in his bed." My thought: he must be UNDER his bed.  Nope, not in the playroom, not in the guest room, not in the family room.  I ask Ben what time he saw him last.  As if that is a question any parent wants to ask.  I am SCARED TO DEATH.  We usually set an alarm to keep the good guys in and the bad guys out, but we didn't set it last night-not good.  The doors are padlocked except the garage door.  Not in the garage-thank goodness.  My thoughts are wandering everywhere.  I am calculating the amount of time that has passed and if somehow he got out earlier in the night and we didn't know the odds are NOT good.  Ben is calm-CAN YOU IMAGINE!!!!!!  He calmly suggests we check our bedroom.  I am pretty sure he's not in there since we all got up and were walking around.  You won't believe it...Benjamin wrapped himself in my bathrobe and was sound asleep on the floor right beside our bed.  I was so relieved!  We just laughed.  My chest was sore from my heart pounding and more than anything, I was thankful that we had our little guy.  Have you ever "lost" a child?  Perhaps you have left them somewhere.  Do tell....  

photo courtesy of Flickr

Did you have any feet to wash yesterday? I did. It all started yesterday morning with what seemed thousands of loads of laundry. As you know, that resulted in thousands of pieces of clothing to fold. SO, my morning was occupied washing, folding, and putting clothes away. Which, by process of elimination means the kiddos were on the loose. They ran the morning rotation: playroom playing (they DESTROYED the room!!!!!! That is an understatement), breakfast, outside playing(I did take a break from washing in order to pitch the baseball), riding bikes(this is where things go off kilter). I was folding clothes in the family room as the two older boys were bike riding in the driveway. I looked out the windows in the front of the house and see Benjamin running. That's not bike riding. Hmmm, I go outside to check on them and find Luke telling me it's just a science experiment. That is what it looked for sure, an experiment gone bad. The two of them were filthy. They had been playing with the water hose and then made a mud puddle for Box(the tree frog that hangs out behind the hanging basket on the front door). Those two boys had strewn toys all over the yard. So now there is a HUGE mess in the playroom and outside. Not to mention, I had a Dr. appt. that required the boys to be dispersed to different homes. Now I had to wash them off before they could come inside for their lunch. This led me to wash Luke's feet. As I was bending over washing his sweet little toddler feet, I thought, how crazy is this. I actually blogged about this and now I am literally washing my son's feet. I thought about what I was doing and why I needed to wash his feet. He was just being a boy. Loving life and making a big 'ol mess as he made his way through his morning. I was still frustrated about the way our house was looking. That could be fixed, but the way I responded to Luke was the important issue. I had already let them have it for the playroom "situation," so I tried to offer him gentle words. He wanted to be sure I knew where his boo boos were and I carefully wiped around them. It wasn't until I visited with a wise friend of mine last night that something came to me. She mentioned a situation where a mom kept running her child off as she worked on her hobby. The poor child got frustrated and destructively got his mama's attention. It hit home with me and I thought about that foot washing that took place on my kitchen floor. It was symbolic of so much more than getting grass and mud off of those chubby little feet. I came away with a great lesson. Certainly mud puddles for Box are important and more importantly are those tender little spirits that have to be trained. That comes from our attention, correction, discipline, and focus along with a good, gentle foot washing.

Feet

"Christ could afford to be humble as He served upon this earth.  After all, He was the Son of God.  He had nothing to prove.  Yet does His Word not also say that we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ?  Do you know who you are?  Then go ahead and wash a few feet.  God's most liberated servants are those who also know they have nothing to prove."

I have heard a quote from my mom for years, "Live as though you have nothing to gain, nothing

to hide and nothing to prove."  

Wouldn't it be freeing to serve others and more importantly, God, liberally without the need to prove?  

~We can~

"God, through the power of Your Holy Spirit, help me to live in harmony with others, be sympathetic, love as a brother or sister, be compassionate and humble." I Peter 3:8

"Father, help me to clothe myself with humility toward others, because You oppose the proud but give grace to the humble. (I Peter 5:5)  I will never live a day that I am not in need of Your grace, so please help me maintain an attitude that welcomes it."

Quotes are from Praying God's Word

photo, courtesy of Flickr

~It's Saturday~

Whew!  Our Saturday started off with swimming lessons at 9:00.  Then, I took David to see our pediatrician AGAIN at 10:30 because I was convinced he had a growth on the top of his head.  She saw him Tuesday and said he was fine.  BUT I was stressing about this ridge and bump I kept feeling.  He has been pointing to his head and saying ouch.  So, there was some validity in my concern.  She reassured me it was where his head has grown together and something about sutures.   The Dr. knows best, so I am at rest.  At least until next week.  I am an inappropriate patient. I stress way beyond the realm of normal and usually just assume it's cancer.  Thank goodness our pediatrician is one of my very dearest friends or they might recommend I use another practice.  I used to have the reputation of keeping the phone nurse's job when I had our first son.  No joke.  Do you trust the whole thing about motherly intuition? My Dr. in Birmingham kept asking me with our first son, what was my instinct when I didn't know if he was getting enough to eat.  I hated to say that I had no idea what my instincts were telling me because I had none to go on except I was sure he was starving to death and might wilt away at any given point.  Let me point out he was gaining plenty of weight and was very healthy.  SO, my sweet pediatrician just knows me.  Thankfully, I can say I rely more on my motherly instincts now after 3.  Here are a few of my "motherly intuitions:"  a helmet at all times would be beneficial for my boys, shoulder pads might be a good addition to my wardrobe-- theirs too, padding for the playroom would be better than furniture, a zip line would have been better than a staircase.  

While the Dr. checked out David, Ben took Coal, our black pointing Lab to the vet.  We flew that dog in from Montana I think.  Can you believe that?  I haven't even been there!   Next stop, Ross's Dress For Less.   I love that place.  I came out empty handed this time.  Probably a good thing.  Then went to D.'s Sporting Goods Store so the boys could putt on the inside putting green-I used that as a bribe to be good while in Ross's.  Then off to Walmart to get flowers.  I ended up with impatients, ivy, and two cactuses.  The boys informed me that they needed a prickly garden.  I hate cactuses.   They hurt when you touch them and usually I find them ugly (sorry if you have them, I am sure yours are lovely). Ah, home for lunch...Mac N Cheese.  Boys went down for naps.  Ben did yard work, I planted flowers and fertilized, we washed our cars, cleaned the house (Ben is always so sweet to help with anything inside), then got ready and went out for Mexican.  I enjoyed too much Diet Coke AGAIN which explains why I am wide awake at this time of night!  

Well, that's our day!  I hope you had a good Saturday!

YIPPEE!!!

Ben and I have a date tonight.   I love having dates with my husband.  I still take my time getting ready.  I do my nails, exfoliate, and attempt to fix my hair

(doesn't always work out that way).  

Those of you that know me know my clip is my best friend.  I am a firm believer that about 3 minutes is as long as it should take to do your hair.  I guess I am lazy in that regard.  My children could lose a matchbox car in my "up-do" and wouldn't be able to find it.  I have thick hair and it used to be long---really long.  In February, I donated it to Pantene for a wig for cancer patients.  So, now I have a nub that sticks out of the ponytail holder.  I have just been able to get it in a clip and life is glorious.  In the Spring, I actually dried and straightened it before I went to work.  Are you impressed, I hope not.  :)  Now, I am back to the clip.

Well, I am off to go dry my locks and paint my nails.  I know this is a bit shallow after my last couple of posts, but I adore Ben and seriously love spending time with him!  Soon, I will tell you our story!  It is so fun....okay, I am a little biased. 

He Is BIG

  The last 23 hours I can't get passed how BIG God is.  On this one planet that you see from space, what we call home, you don't see my clean house.   You don't even see starving people in Africa, earthquake victims in China, or homeless children in Mexico.  You see what God created with His hand of love, does it awe you?   Every person, good or bad, rich or poor, healthy or sick has lived here and died here.  We are His creation-we are but a breath, but the Word of the Lord stands forever. 

"My Lord and my God, it is You who measured the waters in the hallow of Your hand and with the breadth of Your hand marked off the heavens." Isa. 40:12

"Who is like You, the Lord my God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?" Ps. 113:5-6

My friends, I can't get my arms around this.....His love is mighty and fierce.  Yet, gentle and soothing.  With the breadth of His hands he marked off the heavens-we serve a BIG GOD!  He loves His children with an everlasting love.  Enjoy His creation.  It is a glimpse of what is yet to come.  One way that we see His fingerprints is to look at this, our home, Earth.

photo courtesy of NASA, Reto Stockli

We Are Small

photo from Sabbaa7i's photostream

courtesy of Flickr

Tonight our church had a ladies fellowship. We watched Indescribable by Louie Giglio. It was breathtaking. I wanted to leave our day with this thought:


"The creation of our universe was just ONE of God's thoughts." We serve a BIG God. He placed our earth in the perfect spot to get just the right light and heat from the sun in the right position in our galaxy. So, whatever you are dealing with today as you are gearing down from a busy day, look out your window or go outside. Look at the vastness of the skies. We serve a BIG God. He created it all to bring glory to Him-we are SMALL! Very, very small........and yet the Creator of our galaxy and all that lies beyond, knows my name and your name too. His Son, Jesus Christ, who is seated at the right hand of God came to this small planet that we call Earth. He gave His life for those that He created so that we might enjoy His presence for all eternity. Good night.....Rest well, we serve a BIG God. While you sleep, the stars are praising our Creator.

Peroxide might be a good switch

A friend of mine has recommended the use of Peroxide for cleaning.  Here is some information about what Peroxide is, as I wasn't exactly sure myself. Dona, I will give it a try in my bathroom in lieu of Clorox and let you all know how it works. :)  Thanks for the tip.   Hope you all enjoy the information.

hydrogen peroxide, chemical compound, H₂O₂, a colorless, syrupy liquid that is a strong oxidizing agent and, in water solution, a weak acid. It is miscible with cold water and is soluble in alcohol and ether. Although pure hydrogen peroxide is fairly stable, it decomposes into water and oxygen when heated above about 80°C; it also decomposes in the presence of numerous catalysts, e.g., most metals, acids, or oxidizable organic materials. A small amount of stabilizer, usually acetanilide, is often added to it. Hydrogen peroxide has many uses. It is available for household use as a 3% (by weight) water solution; it is used as a mild bleaching agent and medicinally as an antiseptic. The 3% solution is sometimes called ten volume strength, since one volume of it releases ten volumes of oxygen when it decomposes. Hydrogen peroxide is available for commercial use in several concentrations. Highly concentrated solutions were first used in World War II by the military, e.g., in fuels for rockets and torpedoes. It is used as a bleaching agent for textiles, e.g., wool and silk, and in paper manufacture. It is also used in chemical manufacture. Hydrogen peroxide is prepared commercially by oxidation of alkylhydroanthraquinones and by electrolysis of ammonium bisulfate. It can also be prepared by reaction of barium peroxide with sulfuric acid and is prepared (with acetone) by oxidation of isopropanol. Hydrogen peroxide was discovered (1818) by L. J. Thenard.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

**********************************************************************************

Another good site to check is:

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/h/hydrogen-peroxide.htm

What is that streak on my shirt?

Okay you ironing experts, I need help.  I have used two different irons one good (Oreck) and one cheap and am having this issue: A "rust" streak as I iron.  I don't do it much and would prefer to have an ironing genie that appears out of the steam to do it for me, but that hasn't happened yet,  so until then, I need to solve this problem.   It is quite defeating to actually iron and then have to rewash the clothing because of a streak down the shirt!!!!  What do you think it is and how can I keep it from happening?  I have tried cleaning the iron and not storing water in it after using it.  I know some of you are sewing experts and can aide.  Perhaps someone out there can recommend a good iron for those of us that are struggling with this.  I think I have clothes to iron that are from April.  :)  

Signing Out,

A Bit Rusty

Whew!!!!!!  It is 9:22 a.m. and I have cleaned my hardwoods, changed our sheets, sat on the porch with coffee and enjoyed a breeze(there was actually a breeze, it's gone now), fed the boys breakfast, played with our dog, planned how to combat weeds(that's a whole topic in itself), and about to hit the grocery store.  What a day.  

The topic of my post today is cleaning.  Yes, I have a passion for cleaning.  I LOVE to clean.  It is so gratifying to start and FINISH all in one day.  How do you clean? ? I am all about getting it done ALL of it in one day.  Now you might not care a thing about cleaning, but as an avid cleaner, I have some tips.  Hope you enjoy.  :)

*Do not use Murphy Soap Oil on your hardwoods.  

*Use BonneKem sold at Bed, Bath, And Beyond (this came from Sweden I believe and was recommended by the wood experts here, The Howells).

*Yes, I do use vinegar and Hot water in a spray bottle to clean the hardwoods BUT I go over it promptly with a towel.  NOTE:  this is not the best thing to do, but BonneKem isn't as cheap as Apple Cider vinegar.

*I do not use any kind of dusting polish as this can create build up.  I use a "magic" dusting cloth that is washable and attracts dust.  Occasionally I will use Old English on my pieces to give them a little extra luster or remove any scratches.

*I have found that in my white bathroom Clorox and water mixture works best on the grout.  I scrub the glass with Comet Spray (designed to fight hard water spots) with a soft cloth.  I scrub my grout with the Clorox with a hand-held scrub brush.

*On my granite counters I use a mild soap (Dawn) and water mixture and wipe with a dry cloth.

*On my tile bathroom floors I use Clorox's Green diluted Floor cleaner.  I like it OK, Armstrong makes a good tile cleaner too.  

*It's important to remember to polish silver as needed.  I like the rub on silver cream and like to do it 4 times a year, but who's counting?

*I change the sheets once a week and periodically will bleach them to keep them white, but not too often as it compromises the threads.

*Don't forget to dust any fans and lamp shades you have. 

*I just took off my down comforter and placed my quilt on our bed to keep it cooler.

*If you have time, wipe down the shelves in the frig.  You'll feel better.  I need to do this!  

A great book on the Art& Science of keeping House is Home Comforts by Cheryl Mendelson. A friend of mine gave it to me.  Thanks Reba, it's a favorite!  It is wonderful and has great tips on how to get out stains and all kinds of FABULOUS tips. 

So now you know I am a little compulsive, but who doesn't love to enjoy their clean home?!  It is so rewarding.  Here is my schedule for cleaning day.  By the way, if you are having trouble "getting it done," set a day aside to do it and plan accordingly.

*Strip sheets off beds and wash

*Start with the largest bathroom (master in our case)

*Get sink done then shower and tub followed by the toilet

*Dust master bedroom

*Clean kitchen counters and sink (I always wash my scrub brush when I run my dishwasher)

*Dust family room

*Windex windows and doors

*Wipe down doors with wet cloth

*Clean Powder bath

*Mop master bath floor

*Clean upstairs bathrooms

*Dust upstairs

*Mop upstairs bathrooms

*Organize playroom toys

*Vacuum upstairs

*Mop downstairs hardwoods

Don't forget to dust around front door.  That is the first impression people get as they enter your home. :)  Also wipe off back porch furniture and sweep as needed.  

I prefer the Quickie brand mop (found at Home Depot).

Don't forget a cleaning Kattie with plenty of soft wash cloths and dusting cloths, trash bags, a rinsing cup, and your supplies.  Keep it organized and clean.  

It takes me about 3 hours to clean our home.  That is one morning a week with daily upkeep.

Now, you're set!  You can do it!  Happy cleaning!   Encourage your kiddos to help and assist you in upkeep.  It is everyone's home.

I am not perfect, my laundry rarely gets put away the week I do it and ironing is a bad word to me.  I will work on that, maybe you have some tips to share with me?  

Leaving A Mark....

Well, last night we went to Music by Moonlight at Landmark Park.  We had  a great time with dear friends.  I loved watching the boys dance, which quickly turned into running to the beat of the music, which oddly enough turned into wrestling.  Ben is really trying to teach the boys when it is ok to wrestle.  Ben said there is an unwritten boys code that states you don't wrestle in public places.  That is a hard lesson for them, it's basically how they move.  Have you ever heard of a snake pit?  Well, that's my boys...

I am so glad to have a husband who came from a family of 3 boys.  They are the best of friends and are a dear part of my boys lives. I look forward to watching my guys grow in their relationship with one another.   We tell them that they are each other's best friends.  I want my boys to be just like Ben when they grow up.  

Now, before I head into the rest of what I wanted to write about today I want to brag on a friend.

She is a Kindergarten teacher with me and is so FUN!  She has 2 precious boys.  They are in the 4th and 2nd grade.  They are cool.  You can tell, but you know what?  They were KIND to my boys.  Yes, they were.  Do you know what that meant to Benjamin and Luke that they met 2 boys yesterday that were cool AND played with them?  A LOT!!!!!!  Good job friend raising men that are comfortable in their own skin and are kindhearted!!!!!!!  We are raising the next generation of men and our training ground is the pool, school, playgrounds and parks, home, the woods, church, and every other place that our little men find themselves.  You have encouraged my boys, set a GREAT example, and touched my heart.  Thank you!  

Well, my blog friends let's explore something together.  How do you leave fingerprints on someone's life?  The Bible instructs us on this issue.  Let's see what the Word says and how we apply it daily.  

"But whoever has the world's goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?" I John 3:17

"If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them,"Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?  Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself." James 2:15-17

These verses remind us to care for those in need.  There are many more that we could use. However, yesterday I posted a poem from Simple Faith and it moves me every time I read it. Don't be overwhelmed.  We can't meet the needs of the world, but we can focus on our sphere of influence.  I think the key is to weave the Gospel into our serving.  We are His hands aren't we?  When we serve for Him, we leave a mark.  Only you know how fingerprints are all unique. No two the same.  When we are believers, our fingerprints change to that of our Maker.  It becomes His marking.  Leave His mark on someone's life today. 

Share with us ways that you minister mercy to those around you.  It doesn't have to be "grand." In fact every day ways that you leave His markings will encourage us to do the same.  How do you leave His Fingerprints?

Forward, Neutral, or Reverse....

All I can say is Wow!  My 5 year old had another Ah HA comment 2 nights ago.  I was saying prayers with the boys before bed and praying that they would move people forward in their walks with God.  After praying, Benjamin looked at me and said, "Mommy, What if we are in neutral or reverse?"  I had no clue what he was talking about.  My mind isn't half of what his is.  I mean that.  He thinks about life and really gets it.  It wasn't until I could process what he said that I understood.  What direction are you heading?  Often, I think I operate in neutral.   Sure I might read and do my quiet time and even be involved at church, but after you read the following, everything looks different. 

"I was hungry 

and you formed a humanities club

and you discussed my hunger.

Thank you.

I was imprisoned 

and you crept off quietly

to your chapel in the cellar

and prayed for my release.

I was naked

and in your mind

you debated the morality of my

appearance.

I was sick

and you knelt and thanked God

for your health.

I was homeless 

and you preached to me

of the spiritual shelter of the 

love of God.

I was lonely

and you left me alone

to pray for me.

You seem so holy;

so close to God.

But I'm still very hungry

and lonely

and cold.

So where have your prayers gone?

What have they done?

What does it profit a man to page through his 

book of prayers when the rest of the world is

crying for help."

This was taken from the book Simple Faith by Chuck Swindoll.  

So my friend~  Leave a mark!  Leave fingerprints on someone's life.  He wants to use you...will you let Him?

His Hands, His Heart

I am reading the book Praying God's Word by Beth Moore.  I read the following this morning:

"Christ Jesus, You said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, see my hands.  Reach out your hand and put it into my side.  Stop doubting and believe." 

(John 10:27)  I cannot see Your visible hands, but if I'm willing to really look, I can see the visible evidences of Your invisible hands.  Help me to stop doubting you and believe!"  

A friend of mine prays, "When I can't see your hand, help me to trust Your heart."  His fingerprints are all over your life.  Believe.

One of the things I listed on my profile list was Diet Coke with Mexican.  I enjoyed my Diet Cokes (yes, that's plural) a bit too much tonight and that finds me here, on my computer at 10:27 p.m.  It is too late for me to think clearly and so, I am going to share a bit of blogger confusion with you.  I am baffled where my friend Tonja finds all of her cute pictures and downloads.  Her site is wonderful and you never know what you'll find!  I tried to put a picture of my 3 boys on my site and couldn't flip it around.  EVEN after reading the Blogger directions.  Well, we'll figure this blogging out together.  Perhaps you already have.  Good for you!  :)  Hang in there with me as pictures are posted upside down.  Just contort your head and pretend it looks right!   I thought I would post pictures of gardens that inspire, front doors that welcome, and everyday life that makes you smile.  But, for the life of me I can't rotate.  FYI I thought the whole Html stood for Hotmail if that tells you how far I have to go in Blog Land.  Well, from my neck of the woods to yours, Good Night. 

Well, it's a wonderful life.  I have decided that as a mom of 3 boys all under 5,  I have spare time.  I don't really have much to do.  No laundry, no cleaning, no cooking.  Well at least not for the few minutes that I will share with you.   You know, this is my first attempt on this side of blogging.   For now my friend, I hope you enjoy your time with me.  Because after all, it is a wonderful life!  :)  

P.S.  Do you ever have fingerprints on your glass?  Enjoy them, it's the hand print of love.  Trust me, I am a mom of 3 boys.