Joanne Heim

Drum roll, please...

The letter Z is up for The ABCs of Living Simply. 

Now I think I'm going to print all of mine out on some fancy paper and then make it into a scrapbook-y kind of album thing-y.

Which is totally going to challenge my crafting skills, but scrapbooking is something I just can't seem to master.

Emma on the Sabbath

Last night Emma said her prayers with Toben:

"Dear Jesus, Thank you that we can take a break from having fun so we can worship you. Amen."

Toben came to tell me while I was getting ready for bed. We laughed until we couldn't breathe. Clearly, we need to have another conversation or two with her!

Come, walk with me

I got the mail the other day and found this poem and a lovely autumn card from my friend, Paula. (Thank you, Paula...it made my day! You'll have to come walk some morning!)

Anyway, had to share the walk Daisy and I took the other morning. Happy cool mornings from Colorado. (That's where the "matchless blue" is found!)

Come, walk with me along the way

Where lanes are autumn-dressed.

Come, drink in all the colors fair,

And let your heart be blessed.

Come, see the flaming sumac plumes

Lift banners to the sky,

As goldenrod and asters nod

To us as we pass by.

Come, walk with me when leaves turn gold

And hills wear crimson hue,

Where pumpkins grow in amber fields

'Neath sky of matchless blue.

Come, walk with me this misty morn;

There's splendor to behold;

Along the country lanes we'll see

God's miracles unfold.

Thank you for praying

Thanks for praying, ya'll. It totally made a difference. They got in the car after school and Audrey apologized for the morning, they apologized to each other, and then they asked for Movie Night.

We talked about how it's not much fun to lose things you were excited about, but how there are always consequences to our actions--both good and bad--and we need to keep that in mind at all times.

It's a new day--I love a new morning. Even though this morning I got up and fed the cat, put the dog outside and let her back in, and then went back to bed until almost 7 a.m.! I can't remember the last time I was in bed that late. It was WONDERFUL!

I've got my coffee in hand and am ready to go have my quiet time.

It's almost carpool time...

I'm outta here in a bit to get the girls from school. I'm not really looking forward to it; this morning wasn't great. It was horrible, really.

They picked on each other and didn't have one nice thing to say to the point where I told them they couldn't talk anymore on the way to school. You know the kind of morning I mean!

Anyway, we arrived at school, they started talking--and it was still nit-picky and ugly. Even after all I'd said on the way to school.

"That's it, you lost movie night." Those were the last words out of my mouth as they got out of the car. Ugh. (I was really looking forward to that!) But when words don't seem to work, seems like a big consequence is in order.

If you think about it, say a little prayer for us this evening. I could use some patience and some wisdom.

You know, I love being a mom to those two turkeys, but some days it's really not very much fun.

What we've been watching

A couple of you asked, and it was this version of P&P that we watched at Fall Fest last weekend. I hadn't seen this one yet, and I did love it!

And then on Sunday afternoon, the girls and I watched this version of Ballet Shoes. It was wonderful--we all loved it!

And tonight, this is what we're watching:

I'm sure we'll be thinking of Mom and Dad--I've heard that Lucille Ball's character collects rocks along the way--something my mom does too!

Thinking about prayer this morning

Probably because it's Thursday. (It is right? I keep getting my days mixed up!) And Thursdays mean chapel at the girls' school, which I love, followed by prayer group, which I also love.

A small group of moms gets together to pray every week--for students, for faculty and staff, for the school as a whole, for each other. Some of my closest friends are in this group--because when you pray together, you get to know one another. Quickly, and on a deeper level than just standing around and chatting. Something about praying together reveals others' hearts and after just a little while, you really know each other.

If your school doesn't have a prayer group, think about starting one. We've seen God move in incredible ways! (Ours isn't a Moms In Touch group, but that's probably a good place to start if you're interested.)

I'm also thinking about prayer because Luke 18:1-8 was the reading for this morning. The parable of the persistent widow. Remember the story? A judge who "neither feared God nor cared about men" and a widow who "kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'"

Here's the thing that jumped off the page at me this morning. Verse 1 says this: "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up."

And then the parable ends with this sentence in verse 18: "However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

Apparently one of the evidences of faith is always praying and not giving up.

Have you given up on some things you used to pray about?

That's the question I asked myself this morning. It made me uncomfortable--because I could think of a thing or two or five that I've stopped praying for. Things I once prayed for with all my heart. 

Parts of my life and character to be transformed. 

Healing for others.

The salvation of people I love.

O Abba Father, Make me persistent like the widow in this parable. Help me "cry out day and night" for these things. Let me not give up. Thank you that you are righteous and love justice, and that you care deeply for mankind with unfailing love. Let me be found faithful, I pray. In Jesus' name, Amen.

On my list

There's nothing on the calendar for today, but nevertheless there's a list of things to do.

1. Take Daisy for a walk. It's been ages.

2. Wash sheets and remake beds.

3. Put the clean and folded laundry away from Monday.

4. Mail some packages at the post office.

5. Stop by the library to return some books and find some new ones.

6. Make a few more pillow covers for the living room and maybe a coaster or two or three.

7. Sit and relax for a while!

What's on your list today?

Miss Millie's all decked out...

...thanks to all those fabric flowers I made at Janna's Fall Fest!

I did add a few knitted and crocheted flowers I'd had as well as a sparkle here and there. I've decided I like having all my brooches visible. And I realize that pretty much all my brooches are flowers--fabric, knitted, crocheted. Huh. Oh well, they're pretty, aren't they?

Miss Millie has a friend--though they've not met in person. Her name is Evelyn and she greeted everyone at the door for Fall Fest on Saturday. (I'm having serious outfit envy--isn't that a fabulous vintage Girl Scout uniform? Drool.)

Other than dropping her pumpkin a time or two or three, she was a wonderful hostess. (I do think that Miss Mille often wonders why she doesn't have arms when she sees Evelyn, but I just tell her we really shouldn't compare ourselves to others since we're all uniquely made!)

Janna's house was decorated beautifully--little touches of fall tucked in here and there. I especially loved the egg cups!

We watched Pride and Prejudice, some of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, ate pumpkin bread and M&Ms and chicken curry and panini sandwiches and artichoke dip and candy corn and just about anything else you can think of!

It was a great day, Janna. Thank you!

They totally made my day...

I came home late last night from Girl Scout training (which is a whole 'nother story, but one I won't share until my attitude improves) feeling tired and frustrated.

I headed up the stairs and nearly tripped over this, propped on the stairs:

This is what was inside:

A Trapper Keeper! An orange one! And folders and notebook paper! Happy "I Love You" Day* is a good thing!

*This is a Heim-invented holiday dating back to when Toben and I were dating. It's never on the calendar, is always a surprise, and has been celebrated with everything from Slurpees to trips to Carmel. I wrote about it in Living Simply and it's one of our favorite holidays!

Appropriate

That's a word that Audrey loves to use. Well, "unappropriate" is the one she really likes. When Emma does something wrong like burping at the dinner table or chewing with her mouth open, Audrey loves to tell her it's "unappropriate."

I think she got it from me. Not the un- part (I actually say "inappropriate"), but the idea that there's an appropriate way to behave, act, and speak.

She came instantly to mind the yesterday morning when I began reading Psalm 33, the psalm selected for this week in my prayer book that I use in my quiet time. Here's what caught my eye:

Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; 

it is fitting for the upright to praise him. (Psalm 33:1)

I see "fitting" and think appropriate. (And I also have some vague memory of some line in a movie or a book or something: It just ain't fittin'. Seems like something Millie would say in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers when she yells at Adam for kidnapping the town girls and hauling them up to the back country with his brothers.)

And though the word "fitting" in Hebrew means comely, beautiful, seemly--appropriate works too.

It's right for us to praise him. It makes sense for the upright to praise him. It's appropriate for God's people to be people of praise.

It's the way it should be.

So far, so good. (I'm going to try to get this down in a way that makes sense, but I did not get nearly enough sleep last night and I'm having a hard time being clear!)

Then I turned to Matthew 12 for the daily reading and came across this:

But I tell you that me will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned. 

(Matthew 12:36-37)

AHHH!

I've had a careless word kind of a week. And it's only 6:14 on Tuesday morning. I have to admit I cringed when I read this and had to stop and ask God--again--to set a guard over my mouth, to wash my mouth clean, to fill my mouth with his words, to help me remember that whole "quick, slow, slow" thing he showed me a while ago.

Do I speak more acquitting kinds of words--words on the plus side--or more careless words--words on the negative side?

It seems to me that this is why it is good to pray aloud, good to praise aloud--to speak intentional, thoughtful, praising words that outweigh the careless ones.

When we speak appropriately, when praise is the normal kind of speech for us, there's not as much room for those careless kinds of words.

Now I know that God is not keeping a tally sheet to condemn us, with marks in neat columns marked "Aquitting Words" and "Careless Words." But I do know that I want the good to outweigh the bad. 

Not to earn God's love or approval or my salvation. But because careless speech isn't appropriate for God's people. Rather, as his people, it is appropriate for our speech to be characterized by praise. 

"It is [fitting, comely, beautiful, seemly] for the upright to praise him."

Off to Fall Fest for the day

Janna hosts a Fall Fest every year and today is the day! So I'm off to go jump in the shower before heading to her house for a day of crafting, relaxing, chatting, and eyebrow waxing. 

(Bet you didn't see that one coming--someone's coming to do manicures, pedicures, haircuts, and such and my brows need help. Especially since I've known this was happening today so I've let them go a little wild so she'll have lots to work with!)

Need to go finish packing my basket and get out the door. I'm taking along a bunch of magazines to share as well as all the supplies I need to make some more fabric flowers. And my camera--I must remember to take pictures so you can see how great it is.

Happy Saturday!

Quelle nightmare!

(Some of you may recognize that line from "You've Got Mail." I sat down--well stood up and did the ironing--the other day and watched it. That means it's officially fall.)

Anyway.

I had a dream last night that I was in seminary and got in trouble for knitting in class. Big trouble. So much trouble it woke me up.

Wonder what that means?

It's a daily thing

I've been thinking a lot about the daily/divine ever since typing in that quote from Robert Benson's book the other day.

And I think that it's true for prayer, and it's also true for quiet time.

So often, I think we as believers don't stick with having a daily quiet time because it's so, well, daily. Looking for the divine, we give up when we don't have an amazing experience right away, when God doesn't clearly speak, when we don't read something that applies exactly, perfectly, pointedly to whatever we're going through.

I've had one of those weeks. My quiet time each morning has felt flat, the psalm for the week isn't one that's just jumped off the page at me, I've read the daily reading that thought, Huh? What's that about?

It's tempting to give up for the remainder of the week, hoping next week will be better. But without the daily practice, without showing up and putting in the effort, there's no chance for the divine to step in. 

If we don't show up to meet with God each morning, how will we ever know what he might have to say? If we don't open our Bibles to read it, how will we ever have a verse or a passage leap off the page in big, bold, flashing letters to apply to our exact situation? If we don't pray, how can we recognize it when God answers?

Do the daily thing. 

Even when it feels rote, even when it seems dull, even when it's a chore. When we make the effort, when we show up, when we do the thing, it prepares us for those moments when the light shines from heaven, when we sit up and think "That's it!", when we hear God's voice speaking clearly to our hearts.

"It helps to remember that we are to be about the daily; the Divine will take care of the divine." 

The letter Y is up...one more to go!

Click on The ABCs of Living Simply button to download.

In Constant Prayer

Robert Benson is one of my favorite authors and I read his newest book a while ago and have been meaning to you how much I enjoyed it.

I tend to read quickly--a normal book takes me a couple of hours. I pick it up, read it cover to cover, and put it down.

But I can't read Robert's books like that. Maybe it's because I've met him any number of times and have heard him read from his books. He doesn't read quickly.  

He's a great writer--and his "voice" comes through clearly. And he speaks slowly and clearly and thoughtfully.

This book is part of The Ancient Practices Series and this particular volume focuses on the idea of praying the daily office, also called the liturgy of the hours, the divine hours, and a few other things. Think nuns and monks getting up in the middle of the night to pray. But also think about normal, everyday people who have kids and jobs and lives like yours and lives like mine doing the same. Well, maybe not the middle of the night thing, but praying morning, noon, and night.

"In the simplest of terms," Robert writes, "the daily office is a regular pattern and order for formal worship and prayer that is offered to God at specific times throughout the course of the day. Each set of prayers, known as an office, is made up of psalms, scriptures, and prayers."

Part of Robert's goal for this book is to introduce people to the idea of this kind of prayer--to show normal, everyday people who think this kind of prayer is really for those who live in a monastic community that this kind of corporate prayer (done at the same time if not actually done together) is actually a tradition of the entire church, one that is suited and beneficial to all believers in all walks of life.

I have prayed the morning office with some regularity for a number of years, the evening office with less regularity, and while I keep meaning to pray the noon office, it just hasn't happened yet.

Despite that, I found lots of great wisdom in this book that applies to my everyday life. Here's just a sample of some of the things I underlined and starred and marked as I read:

I do not know if I will ever become a person of prayer. But I do know that there is only one way it will ever happen. People of prayer say their prayers--every day.

Time is the real currency of our age, and we have to manage our time in relation to our spiritual life as much as we do in relation to any other part of our lives... Our love is where our time goes... It takes about twelve minutes to say an office. "Can you not spend twelve minutes with me?"

Robert spends a lot of time reminding us that prayer is a daily thing. Part ordinary, part routine. He is a gardener, and likens the life of prayer to the life of the gardener--full of constant maintenance, made worthwhile by magic moments that happen because of the constant daily attention.

One of the reasons it's hard for us to say the daily office is that on most days, prayer is more like weeding a flower bed for the third time this month than it is some divine and mystical experience. The truth is that for most of the time--for all time, according to the ones that have gone before us--the office has a kind of mundane, everyday sort of feeling. There is a blessed ordinariness to it. The daily office is not called daily for nothing, you know.

There is a temptation for all of us to feel as though worship is not really worth much unless we are personally moved by it. If we are not somehow emotionally touched, then our worship does not seem spiritual to us. It helps to remember that liturgy is the work of the people, not the magic wand of God.

To say the office is to say that I am going to keep doing my chores. I am going to keep raking the leaves or mowing the grass or pulling up the weeds, even if it is a long time until the roses bloom. I will keep saying these psalms until the prayer of God rises in my heart. I will offer my thanksgivings even when I am not very thankful. I will offer my prayer and praise on the days when I am tired or distracted or busy or lost. This sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving is not only reasonable, but in the end, it may even make me lively somehow. Maybe even fully alive.

Sometimes it is hard to persevere in saying the office, because there is no immediate sense that anything is happening when we do. I only know this: if you want some roses to bloom, then you have to do some raking and some mulching and some weeding and some pruning and some waiting. I also know that some evening in May, when I come around the corner at dusk to check to see if the front gate is locked for the night, the breeze will be just right, and I will be paying attention enough to smell them, and the moment will be as holy as any prayer that ever rose as incense to the One who made us.

It helps to remember that we are to be about the daily; the Divine will take care of the divine.

Now doesn't that whet your appetite for more?

You can click on The Simple Wife Bookshop button over there to the right and it'll take you to Amazon. This book is listed on The Christian Life page.

Some giggles and a sandwich just for Susan

My little girlies are up in the tub together, giggling and splashing, so I thought I'd take a few moments to say hello.

Hello!

I met today with someone from church for my seminary application...things are rolling right along and I'm so excited. I wore my penny loafers last week and think they'll get even more wear come January. I figure I wore penny loafers most days at Whitworth and I did pretty well, so I might as well wear them for seminary!

We had dinner tonight with my sister and her kids. We're both without husbands tonight so we decided to pool resources--her leftovers plus my dessert equaled a pretty yummy meal. We talked a lot about her trip to New York to house hunt later this week. If you think about it, pray that she and Wade would find the area that's just right for their family.

Oh, I probably haven't mentioned before that they're moving to New York. They are. For three years, and then they'll be back. They're super excited and I'm super excited for them. Yes, I'm sad they won't be just down the road for a while, but New York City is a pretty great place to visit, so I'm consoling myself with that.

My tomatoes are doing great--we had fried green tomato BLTs last week (YUM!) and I've been eating tomato sandwiches almost everyday for lunch, which makes me think of my friend Susan. Yesterday I invented a new tomato sandwich that made me have to call her this morning just to tell her all about it (and talk about how we have the same fridge).

The Caprese Sandwich

Everything bagel (preferably from Panera--Emma's certain they're the best)

Fresh mozzerella

Fresh tomatoes

Basil

Olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Kosher salt

Pepper

That's about it. Put it all together and then watch how fast it disappears. The bagel sops up the oil and vinegar and an everything bagel means little bursts of onion and garlic in every bite too. Double yum.

(Don't you love my little artistic splashes of vinegar on my red plastic plate? There's a few on my shirt to match!)

And I just have to say that THERE IS NOTHING ON THE CALENDAR FOR TOMORROW! Yes, I totally meant to yell that. I'm so excited I can hardly stand it.

Later, Gators. (That's for Susan!)

See ya 'round--like a donut. (That's for Aunt Susan and Emma.)

See ya 'round--if you don't turn square.

Clearly, I need to stop now.

Good night!

Chicken and dumplings in the crockpot

Ask and you shall receive!

I got the basics for this recipe from Cooking Light, but I've changed it a little to cook in the crockpot.

Chicken and Dumplings in the Crockpot

1 cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove, chopped (I use more like 2 tbsp.)

1/4 to 1/2 cup dry sherry

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 (14 1/2 oz.) cans chicken stock (or 4 cups homemade stock)

1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup

3-6 chicken breasts (depending on the crowd)

1/4 cup water

2 tbsp. cornstarch

2 cups baking mix (I use Bisquick)

2/3 cup milk

Chopped parsley and other herbs, such as sage, rosemary, thyme--or whatever you have on hand

Put onion, garlic, sherry, salt, pepper, chicken stock, and cream of mushroom soup in the crockpot. Mix with a whisk to combine. Add chicken breasts (I put them in frozen). 

If you're cooking for a crowd, add more stock and sherry so the liquid totally covers the chicken.

Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours.

Remove chicken from crockpot. If you want to serve this as more of a stew, cut the chicken into pieces. Or leave whole if you prefer. Set in the oven or microwave to keep warm.

Mix water and cornstarch; pour into crockpot and set crockpot to HIGH.

Combine baking mix and milk and drop dough by heaping spoonfuls into the crock pot. Cover and cook an additional 20-30 minutes while you set the table and make some vegetables (we like green beans!), until dumplings are cooked through. Stir *carefully* occasionally.

Just before serving, add chopped chicken (or serve the chicken breasts whole, with dumplings and gravy on top) and fresh chopped herbs. Season to taste.

NOTE: If you want to serve this as a stew, you can also add chopped mixed vegetables (frozen ones make it easy!) to the gravy and cook them in the crockpot too just before you add the water/cornstarch to thicken the gravy. I've done it both ways, and prefer chicken and dumplings alone, with vegetables or salad on the side.

A couple of things before I sign off until Monday

1. I loved hearing from so many of you who entered the giveaway--lots of first-time commenters! I wish I had the time to respond to everyone individually. Just know that I love knowing your name and visiting your blog if you have one.

I also wish I could have sent all of you a prize. 

2. Many of you asked, and Pirate's Booty is Emma's all-time favorite snack. You'll often see it at Jamba Juice, or at Trader Joe's (alas, none here in Denver), but I just found it at Costco. Emma is VERY happy.

3. We went to the high school football game this afternoon and had a ball. And if you'd been at my house in the 25 minutes before we left, you'd have seen me tearing up and down the stairs, muttering, "I need a football craft" over and over.

I ended up working on a scarf I started ages ago. But I was a little disappointed because I really wanted to make something with some lovely pink yarn I've had in my stash for way too long. I'll have to get my act together with much more time to spare before the next home game.

4. I went to the fabric store today and I'm so excited to do some sewing tomorrow. With the girls, after church, and after the chicken and dumplings that I just put in the crockpot to turn on before we leave for church in the morning.

5. My contacts have been bothering me so much lately. I'm sitting here squinting and feeling a little grumpy and realize it's because my eyes are hurting. Dry climates may be good for hair, but trust me, not so great for contact lenses. Wish my insurance would cover laser surgery.

6. I love having my nails done. Totally random, but it's a little thing that makes me happy.

Think that's about it. Hope you all have a restful Sabbath. I'll be back on Monday.

Ciao!

Audrey's spa-tacular playdate

Audrey's Aunt Susan sent her a spa party in a can for her birthday and we finally got to use it yesterday. 

Audrey invited three of her friends, and Emma invited a friend too. Toben picked up all six girls after school and brought them home to Spa Heim.

The table was set with my china and crystal, water glasses were filled with citrus spa water, candles flickered, Enya played on the stereo. Audrey ran in and said, "This is perfect, Mom!"

The girls had tea and cucumber sandwiches, lemon bars and Pirate's Booty (not very tea party or spa like, I suppose, but as long as you serve it on china, anything works!) for their afternoon snack, played dress up in the basement while I cleaned up and then came upstairs for their spa appointments.

They soaked their feet in a citrus soak (that huge enamelware basin from the Paris Street Market last weekend worked perfectly!), did Mary Kay's Satin Hands, and I painted everyone's fingers and toes. Lots and lots of polka dots!

(These, by the way, are a must, I think. We got ours at the San Diego County Fair one year. Be sure to click on the design studio to see some of their designs.)

Toben picked up pizza, then the girls all had French clay face masks with lovely cold cucumbers for their eyes. Followed by steaming washcloths and moisturizer. 

They had a ball. I don't know that Spa Heim is as quiet and soothing as some other spas I've been too, but the house was full of laughter and that's just as good!

And the winners are...

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

39	40	47	84	9

Timestamp: 2008-09-13 13:13:18 UTC

Congratulations to:

#39: mzzterry

#40: kara

#47: Debbie

#84: Nancy

#9: Melissa @ Breath of Life

Emails are on the way requesting mailing addresses. Congratulations!

I love a rainy morning

It started raining about bedtime (that'd be about 8:40!) last night and rained all night, so I woke up to a lovely, gray, rainy day--something that just puts me in a good mood.

Which is good. Because yesterday morning I must have turned the alarm completely off instead of just stopping the CD (I wake up to those Benedictine monks doing "Chant" every morning). And that means no alarm this morning. 

Of course, I was awake at about 3 and again at 4:47. But totally in the middle of a dream at 5:15 when I should have been getting out of bed. And still in the same dream (which was a totally weird dream) at 5:48 when I finally did wake up for no apparent reason.

For once, Joey was not pouncing on my head to wake me up and I think I could have slept on and on and on. Mmm...I love a good night's sleep--especially when the weather has changed and it's so nice and cool and the perfect temperature to snuggle down under the covers.

Anyway, I'm so glad God woke me up. Because even though I have the house all to myself at the moment (Toben drove the girls to school and then has a meeting there for a while this morning), I really need my quiet time first thing in the morning. Before anyone else is up.

Even though I could have had all this quiet house to myself right now to do my quiet time, I know without a shadow of a doubt that my morning would not have gone nearly as well. I can't get through a morning--making breakfast, backpack packing, hairdo doing, helping the girls get dressed and out the door with a happy heart and a smile on their faces--without God's help.

I need him to fill me up before I start pouring myself out. When it doesn't go that way, I'm not very nice. I'm impatient. I'm in too much of a hurry. I'm out of sorts. I'm just not right. 

Just ask my kids.

Even though 5:15 is early. Even though it means I can't stay up late watching "Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys" like I'd like to do. Even though it means many of my friends and even some people in my family mock me for being sound asleep at 9:15 p.m. Even though I could get so much done if I stayed up later.

Even though.

That's why I get up early.

I don't want to face even one hour of my day without having first spent time with him. Time with Jesus makes all the difference. I know--because I've done it both ways and there's just no comparison.

There's still time to enter the giveaway

Go here to enter.

Been working on the blog

Which is fun, but takes forever. Lots of tweaking. T W E A K I N G--always makes me think of that line in You've Got Mail. Love that movie and now that fall is coming, it's time to watch it again.

Anyway...

I've linked with Amazon to list all my favorites--books, movies, and music. Very fun. You can click on the button over there (-------->) to go take a peek.

Now I really need to go start dinner. My family's getting restless!

P.S. I got dressed today. And went grocery shopping. Big doin's around here.

Wanna know a secret?

It is 2:23 p.m. and I am still in my pjs.

At this point, there's really no point in getting dressed. So we'll just make do with dinner and I'll grocery shop tomorrow!

Little bits of autumn

Last year I bought about a zillion little autumn leaf picks at Hobby Lobby when they went on super-duper clearance. They are by far my favorite autumn decorations, tucked here and there all over the house.

And I must say too that I love my sparkly "Give Thanks" garland that Paula gave me yesterday too!

The little fabric pumpkins are also fun and easy to make--but I ran out of real pumpkin stems for them. (Which is what helps make them so wonderful, I think.)

Now I'll just have to see if they have any real pumpkins when I head to the grocery store later. Darn, guess that means I'll have to get dressed today after all. Not sure that the grocery is quite ready for me to shop in my pjs.

Whatever!

I was in Arvada yesterday, speaking at the mom's kickoff coffee at Faith Bible Chapel. This is where my friend Janna goes to church so it was fun to see her two weeks in a row. 

And I got to spend some more time with Paula, who I finally met face to face at the Paris Street Market on Saturday since Janna had us both over for lunch (panini sandwiches in her George Foreman grill--yum!).

Anyway, Janna asked me to share some of the quotes I used yesterday morning, so I thought I'd just give ya'll (see, there it is again!) a little taste of the whole shebang.

WHATEVER

As I told the group, when I was praying about what God might want me to share, he impressed the word WHATEVER on my heart and again and again.

So I did a little research and ended up here:

Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Colossians 3:17, 23-24)

God does not approach WHATEVER as our culture does. Our culture uses the word as a way to express indifference, apathy, and to block further conversation. 

When God uses WHATEVER, he means EVERYTHING, NO MATTER WHAT, TO ANY EXTENT.

So HOW do we do this? We don't just want to hear the Word and not put what we learn into practice--because Jesus says that is as foolish as building a house without a foundation (Matthew 7:24) and James agrees that not doing what you hear is like forgetting what you look like after looking into a mirror--ridiculous (James 1:22-25).

God wants us to obey--and so he always gives us clear instructions on HOW to obey. He doesn't leave it up to us to just figure it out on our own. God does not set us up for failure.

So here is HOW the Word says we are to approach the WHATEVERs in our lives.

1. Do WHATEVER in the name of the Lord.

How do we determine what WHATEVER is? The question to ask is "Can we do it in the name of Jesus?"

"One of the best tests of any action is: Can we do it, calling upon the name of Jesus? Can we do it, asking for His help? One of the best tests of any word is: Can we speak it, and can we in the same breath name the name of Jesus? Can we speak it, remembering that He will hear, and asking Him to hear? If a man brings every word and deed to the test of the presence of Jesus Christ, he will not go wrong." William Barclay, The Daily Bible Study series, The Letter to the Colossians, p. 191

If the answer is "no," then we should not do or say whatever it is. 

If the answer is "yes," then WHATEVER is everything that follows.

What are the WHATEVERs is your day? What tasks or activities make up your day?

Remember: “Nothing in your life is too ordinary or boring for God." Jan Johnson, Practicing the Presence of God

You are not the only exception to this truth!

“The name of Christ hallows and ennobles all work. Nothing can be so small but this will make it great, nor so monotonous and tame but this will make it beautiful and fresh.” Alexander Maclaren, The Epistles of St. Paul to the Colossians and Philemon, p. 333

You are not the one person whose life is so dull and monotonous that God doesn't want to be involved in your WHATEVERs!

2. Do WHATEVER, giving thanks.

WHAT you think and HOW you think will affect the kind of job you do! Attitude is key! 

Philippians 4:8-9 says to think about whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. Here's a quick way to memorize that verse: TNR PLA EP. 

A word of warning: Whatever is true is not always lovely or admirable. Be sure what you're thinking about is true plus one of the other things listed or it can quickly turn into "grumbling and complaining" (Philippians 2:14).

Question: Is WHATEVER a chore or an act of worship?

Worship: Homage rendered unto God

Homage: Something done or given in acknowledgement or consideration of the worth of another

Service is a high calling and others are worth it.

Jesus' example: "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:45

3. Do WHATEVER with all your heart.

Literally, "out of the soul." It means being genuine, not just going through the motions, but being fully alive and fully present to the task at hand.

With all your heart means "with diligence, not idly and slothfully. Do it cheerfully, not discontented at the providence of God which put you in that relation." Matthew Henry

Philippians 4:11: Learning the secret of being content--whether it's Monday and you're cleaning house and doing laundry, or Wednesday and you're having lunch with a friend, or Saturday and you're sleeping in, or Sunday afternoon and you're spending time with your family. Be content and present to what you're doing.

There is pleasure in a job well done! "If it's worth doing, it's worth doing well." My mother, and her mother before her say this all the time.

"WHATEVER you do, do well." Ecclesiastes 9:10, The Living Bible

Doing things well and doing them with all your heart means doing one thing at a time! Multitasking means at least of one things you're doing will not be done well.

4. Do WHATEVER for the Lord.

What is our motivation? Do we care more for the praise of men or the praise of God?

A word about context: These verses (Colossians 3:23-24) are talking about slaves and masters. But the Greek word for Lord (kyrios) means this: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.

If we call Jesus Lord, he has the right and authority to tell us how to approach the WHATEVERs in our lives.

"We do not work for pay or for ambition or to satisfy an earthly master; we work so that we can take every task and offer it to Christ." William Barclay

Remember what Jesus said: "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:40

The work we do "is a service rendered not to men but to the Lord. This would transform the most menial responsibility and give dignity to all of [our] work." Expositor's Bible Commentary, Volume 11 on Colossians 3:23

I need to know that what I spend my days doing has dignity. Don't you?

A reminder that what we do is work. We should not be surprised when it's hard! But never forget that we have a beautiful inheritance coming (Psalm 16).

In Conclusion

Approaching our WHATEVERs this way is not to lay something heavy or ill-fitting on us. Not something to check off our list to be right with God. Not something to beat ourselves over the head with when we forget.

This is for our good! Our Father knows best.

"Walk with me and work with me--watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." Matthew 11:29-30, The Message

Jesus didn't say that if we come to him he'll remove our yoke. We have work to do. But doing it his way frees us up to work well, to work comfortably.

This is what Brother Lawrence called "practicing the presence of God":

"We give ourselves a world of trouble and pursue a multitude of practices to attain to a sense of the presence of God. And yet it is so simple. How very much shorter it is and easier to do our common business purely for the love of God, to set His consecrating mark on all we lay hands to, and thereby to foster the sense of His abiding Presence by communion of our heart with His! There is no need either of art or science, just as we are, we can go to Him, simply and with single heart." Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God, p. 98

Do you long for meaning and purpose in the WHATEVERs of your day? 

By offering the WHATEVERs of our days to God, he takes what can seem menial, boring, monotonous, and ordinary and transforms it into a life characterized by dignity, worship, freshness, and beauty.

A morning at the Paris Street Market

I went by myself (but got to meet my new friend Paula for a minute!) and had so much fun wandering in and out of the crowd, searching for treasures.

It was cool--perfect for jeans and a sweater and all the fall displays vendors had set up. I love this market and today did not disappoint!

Of course, I found a few other treasures as well, but since they have someone's name on them, I can't share and ruin the surprise. Sorry, Mom, you'll just have to wait until Christmas!

How about another giveaway?

So when I blogged about how much we love dry erase boards for homework the other day, Julia left this comment:

I have been working with dry erase for the last 7 years and have developed an award winning line of KleenSlate dry erase products for communicating--I was actually the first to add an eraser to the dry erase markers 7 years ago! Must have been the teacher in me! Feel free to contact me through my web site, www.kleenslate.com for free samples--just send me a note in the comment box. I am passionate about having the right tools to both teach and learn and just want to get them into the right hands. I look forward to hearing from you. P.S. If you have any dry erase problems, let me know--I have learned a lot about dry erase and am willing to share what I have discovered.

I sent her an email and she sent me this:

I was expecting a pack of her pens that come with erasers, but that's a huge box full of her Kwik-Chek Dry Erase Boards! I was totally blown away. Thanks, Julia!

Go check out her website for a gazillion cool ideas on how to use them. The pens (with erasers on the end!) clip into the handle and each pack has two paddles inside. Pretty cool, huh?

Audrey and Emma cracked open a pack and have been drawing and writing on them nonstop since the box arrived yesterday. They love them. 

I'm planning to share some with the girls' teachers because I know they'd love them, but that means I still have lots left to share.

So...you want one? (Well, actually two, since there are two paddles in each pack!)

Leave a comment between now and Friday (September 12) and I'll draw five lucky winners next weekend!

Holy Cat

I wish my camera was handy, but it's in my purse in my car in the garage and I'm not getting up from my super comfy chair to go get it. Plus, by the time I got it, the picture would be gone.

Joey the cat loves my morning quiet time. After he eats breakfast, he hops in my lap and settles in for a nice long nap, making me read my Bible and journal around him. He's sprawled across my lap and arms right now as I type, laying on his back and twitching his whiskers and purring like mad.

I never was a cat person, but I love this cat. He doesn't care that he might be in the way (his foot is covering up the c and v and x keys plus part of the space bar)--he's confident that he's welcome.

Seems like there should be a metaphor (or is it an analogy--I'm sure if I thought long enough I could get it right, but I have exactly three minutes before I need to go wake up the girls so you'll just have to know what I mean) there for us. 

No matter what God is doing, no matter what he's in the middle of working out, we are welcome to jump on up in his lap and rest. We are never in his way, never cramping his style. He welcomes us and wants us to be confident in that welcome.

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:12)

So run on up to that throne, and don't stop there. Settle in to his lap and take the rest you need. He's not going to dump you out. (Unlike me and Joey. Gotta get the girls up and that means standing up and that means you're outta here, little man.)

Look what I made!

Before I feed my family and run out to a Girl Scout service unit meeting tonight (just call me whirlwind again!), I wanted to show you what I made today.

This is so super easy. Here's the pattern. I did make a few changes--surprise, surprise! 

To begin, I followed the pattern exactly, but my flower was a little, too, well, flat. So I cut four big flowers instead of two. Then when it says to lay the two big flowers on top of each other, I put one flower down, folded the other three in half, and layered them on top, similar to the folding and laying down you do with the four smaller flowers. (Trust me, it'll make sense when your read her tutorial. You'll see what I mean.)

Then when I tacked down the flowers, I finished by doing a small running stitch just through the top layer in a circle around my small stitches. I then pulled them tight to make a small gather so that the inside of the flower stands up a little and gives the whole thing some more dimension.

Finally, I'm going to wash and dry it (but I wanted to show you first!)--that way the edges will fray a bit and the whole thing will be a bit more fluttery, a bit more frilly.

Also, I'm not a fan of pin backs--especially for big brooches. (This one measures about four inches across, I think.) The brooch tends to flop too much. So I'll just attach it with safety pins to my sweater, my bag, or wherever I think to put it.

Next time (because I will be making lots more of these--the whole thing took about 10 minutes, if that) I think I may add some fabric leaves too.

That's it!

P.S. Notes:

Janna: Thanks for a fun day. I'm totally craving another sandwich.

Sara: Recognize my fabric?

Lisa: There's a house for sale down the street! Actually, there's more than one so Brooke could move too.

Tammy: Next time, we'll have to be crafty--and swap some scraps from our stashes.

Angie & Priti: The tutorial is so easy to follow; you'll be whipping out flowers in no time!

Whirlwind

What is the deal? My days are just flying by in a whirlwind of activity. Not so much activity that's on the calendar, but activity like going to the grocery, going to Costco, coming home to eat lunch, and then realizing that it's 12:30 and the whole day I'd planned to spend studying and preparing for Monday at Janna's church has been reduced to two and a half hours. Crazy!

Labor Day was a whirlwind of laundry and cleaning and planning menus and so many other little chores that add up to a whole day that it was well named "Labor" Day.

(I did get lots of work done toward Monday's talk on Friday when I spent the day at church, and I did get some more good work done in those two and a half hours. And I'm really excited about what God has been showing me to teach there.)

(I also have to say that Toben went to the grocery and Costco with me. He pushed the cart and followed me all around the store. I told him he's hired and can come any time. And as we were talking about menus and such, I mentioned that I want to be like Teri and plan my menus for the whole month of January before I start school. Then he said...drumroll, please...that he's going to shop and cook for the entire month! I know! He's very great.)

I realize that I am tired when the girls come home after school and think I need to take 30 minutes or so just to sit on the couch with my feet up and my eyes closed before they walk in the door. Because my day officially ends when they come home. Then it's snack and homework and all about them. Sometimes I do manage to get some other things done on my list, but I never count on it.

With school and speaking and whatever else I'm up to, I have promised them that I will do those things while they are at school as much as possible so that when they are home, they have my attention. Otherwise, my tendency is just to yell, "Be there in a minute" again and again while they wait.

Since you've read this far, I'll go ahead and let you know that I'm off to Janna's for the day. Though she lives in Denver too, it's the opposite end of Denver and takes a good half hour to get there. Which means we don't get together nearly often enough. But because of that, when we do get together, it's usually for a whole day, which is really nice.

I love to sit on someone else's couch for the day. (No chores to remember and jump up to complete!)

We're going to make fabric flowers, so I'll pack up a bunch of my scraps and head on up the road after dropping the girls at school. I'm also taking a bunch of idea books to help her brainstorm crafty ideas for her annual Fall Fest. (This link is from two years ago when I first went, but you can search "fall fest" over there ----> in the search engine to read more about it from last year too.)

Gotta go jump in the shower and get the girls up and going on their day. Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Labor Day

I love a day off school! Even though we've just gotten in the swing of things, we're ready for a break. Especially since Emma is fighting off a cold. It never fails that someone comes down with something by the second or third week of school.

We're going to lay low, clean the house, plan menus, grocery shop, do laundry--and all that usual Monday stuff. Well, I'm going to do those things. My guess is that the girls will take advantage of it not being a school day and watch some TV--since they're not allowed during the week.

What are ya'll up to?