Mon.-Ps. 149:5_"Let the saints be joyful in glory; Let them sing aloud for joy in their beds." My mother-in-law, Ginny, literally awakens the dawn with song. What a pleasure it is to wake up under her homemade quilt to the music of her singing. Phil bought a rotatiller and a weed whacker today. He ploughed up a little area of soil and mingled the foot of manure on top with the dirt underneath. Janelle and Micah came by to pick up Buddy and to discuss the making of a raised garden bed. Susan began Economics with Richard Mayberry. She read his first book already and gave us a well thought out book report as a summary. Eight more books to go. Michael picked up his friend, Jordan, and the guys were boys down at the river, building a dam, making a fire, and talking about life. Susan and I visited with Michael in the morning and he made a yellow cake for Alli's birthday in his Cutco cookware right on top of the stove. I iced it with white and chocolate icing and then we ate it because it didn't suit to get together that eve. and we didn't have the self-discipline to freeze it for later. The idea around here is that we can always make another one.
#734-737-Thankful for kids who like to cook and a mother-in-law who likes to sing and a husband who likes to dig around in the dirt and a daughter who has a business mind.
Tues.-Happy Birthday, Alli dearest! We are so thankful that you were born!!! Overslept. Mooing cows crying for their babies kept me awake again. Sat out with Michael in the morning while he played guitar. His guitar instructor said that his experience with piano for several years is the reason he is able to keep up with the other students in the class. The others are all worship majors. I can't believe how quickly he picks up things. He is picking out songs classical style both by sight and by sound. Went out to co-op today. Sat outside with Lori K. for a good hour. She pulled out a lawn chair and I sat it in and she sat in her 'trunk' and we gabbed away right their alongside N. Bridge Rd. in Farmville. Helped her set up for the cast party and we played some fun games with the kids. We're thinking about getting more involved next year by joining and helping out with the morning classes of history/literature. Susan and I went to Walmart after co-op. By the time we got home, Phil had already left for a meeting. Judy told me today how much Sammy Jo enjoys playing with Ryder in class at church. They are three years old, I think. Sammy Jo says, "I love his little chunky cheeks." Sammy Jo pretends that she's waiting on him; she brings him what she thinks he may need. Today, we got a special envelope in the mail. Lindsay recorded the things that Emma loves about Philip and why she wants to marry him. It deserves its own blog and Lindsay said I could, so just wait. It's a treasure. I bought a frame to house the precious paper.
738-I am thankful for friends who call and who answer the phone when I call.
739-I am thankful for little people who act more grown up than big people
with their sincere love and unoffensive ways.
740-I am thankful for the freedom to homeschool and for the precious new friendships for Susan and I.
741-I am thankful for the six year old who has wanted to marry my 23 year old for at least two years now. There is no way that girl is going to walk down the aisle as his little flower girl in waiting.
Wed.-Susan is working on getting Lucy, her calf, used to drinking milk from a bucket, rather than a bottle. Philip's calf caught on the first time he tried. But Lucy, loves to be bottle fed. She wants her mommy, Susan, to rub her back and straddle her while she feeds her. She likes the whole experience involved with the bottle. Susan came inside and wailed,"I feel like a terrible mother. Lucy's acting all stupid-like-"Maa. Maa.." I asked, "Do you feel like a terrible mother because she's acting stupid or because she's making you feel guilty?" "Because she's making me feel guilty!" "AHA!" I said. "I know someone else who does that really well!" She laughed and I laughed and as she closed my door she said, "If I could lock you in your own room, I would!" Later, I took her to Judy's to get her prom dress fitted and then I went to the muscle therapist and my foot is doing so much better! I can walk now without thinking about how I am going to take that next step. I am not staying awake for several hours a night wondering if it will be this week that I will have to admit to someone how bad it really is. I am so thankful.(742) This thankfulness could be its own 1,000 thanks. The inability to do a lot has helped me prioritize my life because I have had to. And now I know what I've always known. I want to be a wife. A Mother. A daughter. A sister. A friend. Nothing else really matters to me anymore. And I feel so free. I don't need to 'be' anything other than what and who I am. Later, we went to the thrift store in Amherst and Susan got quite a few clothes for $19. We came home and washed them and then I took her to Calvary for youth group. Phil worked late and I got to finally have some time to catch up on my blog. Unfortunately, I've been hitting something that keeps shrinking my page that I'm writing on and I can only see a line or two at a time and can't figure out how to go back and read it. So, I guess I'll print it now and see what happens.
Thurs.-11 Thess. 3:3-"But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one." Had fun reading 'Emma Loves' to the family this morning. Went out to Appomattox and met Doreen and Graham at Granny Bee's for a very good breakfast. I was impressed with the price, quality, and quantity. Doreen was working at Millie's store 'The Little Things in Life', a children's clothing consignment shop. Susan found several pairs of shorts and tops. I found a pair of shoes for Micah, a peach shirt, and two cosmetic bags. Doreen and I talked for awhile and Susan spent the day with Graham in town. She had a haircut appt. which they walked to and they had a chicken basket at Dairy Queen. She thinks they walked about 4 miles. Graham is such a good, trusted friend. He kept her in the inside as they walked along the road. I picked up some strawberry's at C&S and came home and sliced up 4 quarts of strawberries. I made an angel food cake for Alli's birthday party on Sunday and shortcake for supper. I split the strawberries and froze half of them to have with Alli's cake. Went back to Appomattox and picked up Susan and made a trip to Walmart. The guys were thrilled with the supper menu. We ate our fill of strawberry shortcake while we watched a few Three Stooges. Everyone so tired. Last night it was so cold that I slept with sweats and a hoodie on. Extra blanket as well. I would have started up the Hardy but couldn't find matches anywhere. Rats! I forgot to buy more at Walmart. Matches, big boxes of matches, disappear around here. I try to keep a private stash but to no avail.
744-I am thankful for Doreen. She said that she misses her 'thinking friend.' We are going to try to get together more often. She teaches at the school where I taught music and our children were in class together.
745-I am thankful for Judy and the way she gave us her time yesterday to work on Susan's prom dress.
746-I'm thankful for Sara's phone call yesterday, 'just so I can hear your voice.'
747-I'm thankful for May strawberries in April
748-I'm thankful for that sweet strawberry lady who is so kind year after year. Her brown lab sat beside her in her golf cart and you could tell that they were close buds.
Fri.-Read Matthew 5. Jesus completely upset that cultures way of thinking. If we take what He taught and applied it to our culture, it would completely upset ours as well. Tidied house. Exercised. Washed. Made mint tea. Made two chocolate cheese cakes for Alli's birthday luncheon this Sunday. I put 5 violets, a leaf, and a fragrant sprig of lily of the valley's in 3 tiny little blue bottles and spaced them around my centerpiece on our old (as-in-antique) dining room table. Prepared for the weekend. Looking forward to time with Phil and other friends.(Went to Richmond for a Cleansing Stream Retreat. It's been at least 10 years since we were involved with this ministry and it felt the same only better. Stayed at a motel nearby.)Susan went home with Freeman and Alli and he took her turkey hunting in the morning. Didn't shoot any this time.
Sat.-At Cleansing Stream Retreat from 7:45-6:30. Wonderful. Amazing. Healing. Thank you. Mother to LGH today with pf symptoms. Michael had his dorm and his sister dorm down at the pond. Susan and Philip were with them. They had 21 kids there and played games-Hands and had cops and robbers. Had a blast.
Sun.-11 Thess. 2:16,17; 3:3-"Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace,
comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. And the Lord is faithful who will establish you and guard you from the evil one." This verse has been getting my attention. It just about takes care of everything. After being at Cleansing Stream and dealing with the issues of this past year in a deep way and wanting so badly for others to experience healing and freedom, I 'take' this verse. I receive its truth. He has comforted us with His everlasting consolation and given us good hope-not just any old hope-good hope. And He will protect us from the evil one. I no longer feel detached. I no longer feel like I am on the outside looking in. There are many things about which I can say 'No longer'. While I was waiting in the Cleansing Stream prayer line,
I thought, "This must be what the blind man felt while he was waiting for Jesus to make His way to him. This must be how the leper felt. Jesus, ministering to the multitude, one by one. He's coming to me. I'm going to be healed. I'm going to be whole!" And I began to praise Him as if He had already healed me because I knew He would. I am so thankful. A new thing springs forth and we are aware of it.
After church, which was refreshing as well, we came home and had pizza and angel food cake, cool whip, strawberries, ice cream, and chocolate cheese cake to celebrate Alli's birthday. We watched a movie. The guys went out to Liberty-Michael to study and Philip to play volleyball. I took some pictures of Susan in the yellow hay in the late afternoon sun. Helped paint her fake nails in order to get used to fake nails for the prom. I contacted Aunt Esther and my cousin, Anita, to let them know about Mother.
749-That I am blessed beyond the curse.
750-That things we go through can become an anchor for our faith. If He can get us through this, He can get us through anything.
751-That the best way to become whole is to admit we are broken.
752-Cleansing Stream
753-The gift of heaven's air
754-that marriages that are like dead bones can have life breathed back into them
755-for friends whose lives are healthily entwined with ours
756-for my brother, Abe, and my sister, Rosalee, who take such good care of my mother. All of my siblings love and care for my mother. But Abie and Rosalee are the oldest and they have to be 'the oldest.'
757-for my armor bearer
758-For the sermon-1 Sam. 14-Jonathan's intiative to go up to the enemies camp, the loyalty of his armor bearer, his use of discernment, and his ability to identify his enemies. He climbed up the mountain and with the help of his armor bearer, destroyed 20 soldiers at an outpost, and the camp trembled and the enemies became disoriented and scattered and then they began to kill each other. They did more damage to each other than the Israelites did. So many times, we see the enemies camp, and we are afraid to face the 30,000 challenges with our one little sword. But, if we deal with that which is in front of us, and take the challenge, one 'uncircumcized enemy' at a time, God takes over, and fights for us, and our enemies may turn on themselves with the help of some supernatural trembling, and we may look around in wonder and realize that although we are a little battle weary and pressed down a little bit, we're not destroyed. Too often we give up right before the battle is won because we think we have 30,000 enemies to fight, and really, there are only 20, which isn't really all that difficult when you've got some righteous anger inside you and a loyal armor bearer at your side.
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