Joanne Heim

A general response

Wow, ya'll (that's for my friend Lisa!) have been commenting like crazy. And I want to sit down and write each and every one of you back. But it's so not gonna happen.

All the schedule comments were great--seems like I'm not the only one who bristles at being called busy. It's definitely along the lines of, "Wow, you look really tired!" Maybe it's not the busy part that gets to me as much as feeling like someone's telling me I'm too busy.

I have to say that part of the reason I post my schedule from time to time is that it helps keep me accountable. Confession: A while ago I posted that I set out my clothes and the girls' clothes every week. And I try to. But it just hasn't happened the past couple of weeks. I absolutely, positively need to get back on track with that. Especially for the girls.

Another confession: I never cleaned downstairs this week. It's on the list for today. (Motivated largely by the fact that we have company coming after church tomorrow. And one of those people coming is my mother. She was here with Emma the other night and I came home to a huge sink full of dirty dishes and cat food crumbs on the counter. I stopped and cleaned it all up before I even went upstairs to find her to say I was home!)

I loved reading all about what you watch, how much you watch, why you watch TV. I especially loved Lora's comment about having to say sorry so much more now than when her family had a TV--all because they communicate so much more! 

The one time I absolutely must watch TV or a movie? Ironing! I let the basket get nice and full and then haul it all up to the family room and iron while I watch. Some of you do too.

Seems like it's background noise for a lot of us. Toben keeps his TV on a lot during the day while he's working, though lately he's been listening to music more than the television. I do like having music on--especially good music that feeds my soul. But I can't read or work or write if there's music on. I need the quiet.

We all seem to have a love/hate relationship with our TVs.

I do love your comments--and read each and every one of them with a big, fat smile on my face. I love hearing from you and so appreciate all you have to share. You bless me. Keep 'em coming!

A new thing on Sundays

A few weeks ago Toben and I had lunch with another couple--their kids go to school with our kids, their daughter is in my Brownie troop, he's a professor at Denver Seminary. In the course of our conversation, we decided to have lunch together every Sunday after church to talk theology with our kids.

(He has his doctorate in theology from Oxford. How cool is that?)

Each week we give our kids a topic and they each come prepared with three or four questions. We have lunch, the kids play, and we spend about an hour talking about their questions over dessert. We're done by three o'clock and still have a long afternoon of rest at home.

So far, we've asked questions about God, the Bible, Jesus, and humanity. Tomorrow, we're talking about the Holy Spirit and salvation.

I've been amazed at the questions our kids have asked. And we've had some incredible conversations as a result. 

We ask all the kids what they think in response to their own questions, letting them answer each other's questions, ask more questions that relate. The adults weigh in and even ask our own questions about the topic. 

It doesn't feel like sitting the kids down and preaching to them. It feels like talking about God and our questions and how those things affect our everyday lives--together.

Yes, we want to talk to our kids all the time about spiritual things--as we sit down to dinner, as we drive in the car, as we walk through the neighborhood. But that's sometimes easier wished for than actually lived out. (Just like anything else, sometimes it takes a specific plan to put something into practice!)

It's been so helpful to have a specific time and a specific topic to talk about. And then from that set time and topic, other conversations spill out into our week.

Sound interesting?

Here's what I'd suggest if you want to do something similar. 

• Pick one meal a week and set it aside for this specific purpose. Make dessert!
• Pick a topic--in advance--and actually write down the things you want to talk about.
• Grab a Bible; encourage your kids to grab theirs too.
• Remember it's okay to say "I don't know." Look up the answers together.
• Ask your own questions too.
• Think about including another family.

Do you do something similar already? Leave a comment and share with the rest of us!

Thanks, Janine!

My phone rang today when I got home from school; it was my friend Janine who lives in Chicago. She was calling to tell me she'd just called in to Moody's Midday Connection to tell them how much she loves my blog. They were doing a program today on blogs and websites.

Here's the link if you want to hear the program. Janine's on about halfway through. (She's on at about the 22 minute mark.)

Janine tells the story of how she first heard me the last time I was on Midday Connection. She then emailed me, we became bloggy friends, and then she and her girls came to hang out with me and mine a couple of summers ago when they were in Denver. She's been back to Denver since, and we always grab an hour or two together.

Janine is one of those internet friends who's now my face-to-face friend too!

I'm on a blogging roll!

I don't have to be at school until 9:30 this morning and I don't have enough time to go to Curves, so I'm enjoying a leisurely morning in my jammies...for the next 15 minutes anyway.

Emma has to give an oral book report today from the perspective of a favorite book character. She's been loving the Olivia books by Ian Falconer and so dressed up like a little, sassy pig today. A school uniform jumper (the girls don't wear uniforms, but Audrey used to, so Emma has some hand-me-downs). The key was the pig ears and bows:

High ponies into braids, looped up and ends curled. Now that I look at it, I think I should have wrapped the ends around the pony holders and secured them with bobby pins, but oh well, Emma's happy with it.

Audrey's been wearing her hair in braids too. (My girls almost always wear their hair up or back to school. I'm convinced they can't concentrate in school if they have hair in their way all the time.) But we've been doing this the past couple of days:

Somehow it's making her seem very grown up. Like a MIDDLE SCHOOLER. Oh dear. I am excited for her, but my heart's not quite ready for this transition.

My hair? Desperately needs some attention. Yesterday's yesterday's yesterday's hair, if you catch my drift.

Off to get beautiful. Have a great Friday, everyone!

Frugal Friday: Saving time

I was thinking the other about my time, about getting to bed on time, about reading for fun, getting homework done, and so on. Saving time and the things that help me have time to do what needs to be done.

And I realized that my biggest time saver is not watching TV.

We have a television. Two, in fact. One in the family room, one in Toben's office. But they're not on much.

We don't watch television on school nights--unless Toben's out of town. Then we'll have a movie night treat or watch some "kid shows" for fun while we eat popcorn for dinner. 

Fully realizing that some of you may pass out, I'll go ahead and admit that I've never seen an episode of American Idol, The Bachelor, or Dancing with the Stars (is that even on still?). I don't watch The Office, ER, Lost, or any other show like that.

(I'm racking my brain. Are these the shows "everyone" watches? I don't even know what's on these days!)

If I do turn it on during the day, it's to watch part of an episode of What Not to Wear or Little House on the Prairie while I eat lunch.

What about you? How much time do you spend watching TV? Are you a TV girl? Why, or why not? Inquiring minds want to know!

Schedule

Somehow when people tell me that I'm so busy, it freaks me out. My first response is "No, I'm not." But if by busy, you mean I have stuff to do, then well, yes, I am. And so are you, I'm guessing.

But if by busy, you mean too much to do, then well, no I'm not. Because I have time to do all I need to do, read for fun, spend a whole day with a friend, and still go to bed by 9.

I think I'm finally hitting my stride with my spring semester. After the intensity of January, it took me a while to figure out what I was supposed to be doing. I spent lots of time just wandering around my house when I was home alone, not sure what to do. Do you do that?

I'm taking two classes right now. Monday from 1-3, Wednesday and Friday from 9:30-10:45. Not too bad. I have reading assignments for both classes--quite a bit of reading, but I read quickly and am completely fascinated by what I'm reading, so it doesn't feel like homework. (I usually go to chapel at the seminary on Mondays, so I'm there from 11-3 most Mondays, which makes it my busiest day.)

I also have one lab assignment for my Monday class--interpreting a Scripture passage and interacting with other students on line about it. That's also been fun and interesting, so there's no "Ugh. I have to do my homework" kind of a feeling.

Tuesdays are wide open. Thursday mornings I go to chapel at the girls' school and then stay for prayer group after. Then the afternoon is wide open.

We don't really schedule anything on Saturdays, so I usually get to stay in my jammies for the day. Sundays we go to church and then have lunch with another family, and are home by ourselves by about 3:15.

That's it. 

(Oh, and Girl Scouts twice a month. But that's it.)

I'm actually feeling like I'd like to be taking at least one more class; somehow I think it would help me be a little more focused on school. But this is working for now.

Toben is still helping out a TON. He's doing the laundry and cleaning upstairs and cooking most Mondays--especially Girl Scout Mondays, since I don't get home until after 5. I'm doing the menu planning, grocery shopping, and downstairs cleaning.

All in all, I think we're doing okay with this schedule. But I haven't had any major exams or papers yet. I might change my tune come mid-March!

Popping in to say a quick hello

I feel like there tons I want to tell you about, but I'm leaving the house in an hour and need to shower. Plus today's a hair washing day for me, which means hair drying, which means lots of time (at least 20 minutes, plus curling after), and sore arms. 

I am back at Curves. After more than a month and a half, my back is finally not hurting every day. So a shower is definitely in order.

I'm headed down the road to see Meredith, whom I love. It's been way too long since we've had a face to face chat and I'm also excited to be in the car--all by myself. Think I'll take along some sermons from Alistair Begg--with going to the gym instead of walking each day, it's been way too long.

Two little bunnies are playing a mad game of chase in the yard outside my window. I have spring fever! But it was so lovely yesterday--short sleeves, no coat--and is supposed to be even warmer today.

Okay, gotta run. Much, much love to each and every one of you. Thanks for being a blessing in my life!

Memory Monday: 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

 

2 Corinthians 1:3-4:

Praise be to
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of compassion and
the God of all comfort,
who comforts us in ALL our troubles,
so that
we can comfort those in ANY trouble
with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

For next week? I'm thinking I'll learn Psalm 116:12-14.

How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.
I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.

Most of you know that Toben and I started a blog this past week to share more about our crazy marriage, our continuing journey of dealing with mental illness. It's been good, but hard. 

It's not really a question of bravery to share our story so openly; it's more a question of obedience. Of fulfilling our vow to God to live out our marriage and all we've been through and still go through in the presence of all his people. 

In the midst of the worst of it, I prayed Psalm 40:1-3. A lot. 

I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth, 
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the LORD.

And part of God's redeeming this ugly, hard thing is to tell others about it. To "lift up the cup of salvation" as Psalm 116 says, to sing the "new song" he's given us, to point the way to God's mercy and goodness and grace in the midst of something broken and ugly and painful. It's how he continues to redeem it.

***

Did you post your Memory Monday verse? Leave a comment with a link to your post. Want to join in? Click on the Memory Monday button over there in the sidebar and you'll find all the information you need to join in!

Frugal Friday: Some link love

I've really been struck by how much we waste as a culture. Food, packaging, you name it. Maybe it's reading the Molly books in the American Girl series and seeing how the whole country worked together to conserve for the war effort, maybe it's because today is trash day.

Around here, I've been waiting until something is ALL gone before going out to replace it. That's new for me. I do use it eventually, but I tend to stockpile things. Instead I'm using all those travel-sized shampoos here and there that are half full, lotions, deoderant, saline solution.

And when the shampoo is gone, I'm going to use Kimberly's method of hair washing. She says it's been great for shine and reducing tangles. Something the girls would definitely appreciate.

Kimberly is an amazing woman, a kindred spirit--a woman I'm glad so blessed to call my friend. And even a face-to-face friend, at that! (Though we did meet through this blogging world.)

She did a post (just for me!) with some recipes and links I've been requesting. Go here and check it out--shampoo, conditioner, laundry detergent.

A great question

Cathy left a comment the other day after I put up those quotes on prayer, and I think she has a good question:

Hi! But what happens when you do pray, and pray HARD, only to find that the answer is not what you wanted. How do you get over that? That is the place I'm in now, and it sucks.

I can relate. There are things I've prayed for--HARD--lately that God has not answered the way I wanted. I've prayed for healing and people have died anyway. 

And there are things I have prayed about--for YEARS--that God doesn't seem to be answering at all. 

I have to stop and remind myself that "no" is still and answer to prayer. And so is "not yet." And so is "yes" but in a different way than I hoped.

As I have prayed for healing and people have died, I've had to recognize that God HAS healed them. He has made them more whole than they've ever been, given them life that is truly life--because he's brought them to heaven. He has removed pain and brought them to a place far better than I can imagine. More on that here.

As I have prayed for things that God doesn't seem to be answering, I have to remind myself that I don't see the whole picture. God may be working in ways I cannot see yet. In those "not yet" kind of things, I want to be diligent in prayer, to keep on asking, to be persistent, to keep on continuing in prayer like that quote said.

(As an aside, one thing I'm facing in seminary is that I really love to have all the answers. But I'm being challenged to accept the mystery. That there are things I don't know, things I can't know. That it's okay to say, "I don't know." All that to say, I'm trying to answer your question, Cathy, to share what has helped me, but I don't want you to feel like I'm coming up with a pat answer that doesn't really offer any hope or comfort. Does that make sense?)

But disappointment and sorrow and that place that sucks? When the answer is clearly "no" and I don't understand why? That's hard.

All I can say is to take all that sorrow and hurt and disappointment right back to God. Tell him about it, pour out your heart to him. Trust in his character, in his goodness and mercy. Believe that his plans for you are for good and not harm--even when the circumstances seem to doubt that.

The question of WHY God chose to answer in a way you didn't hope for or pray for? I just don't know.

Here's a link for a great book that deals with this question. Jerry Sittser was one of my professors at Whitworth College and has an incredible story to share. It's been a while since I read it, but I remember that it was helpful.

So, all the rest of you out there: What do you think about Cathy's question? What's helped you? How would you respond?

What time is it? Time for HSM3!

We had planned to go to Target after school yesterday but Audrey had TONS of homework. So we're off to Target after school today to get High School Musical 3. They'd better still have a copy on the shelf for us.

So we'll be doing some homework, putting on our jammies, popping some popcorn, and curling up on the couch to hang out with Troy and Gabriella and the gang tonight. 

I think I'm just as excited as the girls are!

So am I alone? As a mom, are there things you love as much as a your kids do even if they're kid stuff?

I'll go first, I also LOVE Charlie and Lola and Little Bear. But I HATE Chuck E. Cheese.

A couple of quotes on prayer

Chris asked me about some great quotes on prayer, and the next day I found this in my prayer book:

None can believe how powerful prayer is, and what it is able to effect, but those who have learned it by experience. It is a great matter when in extreme need to take hold on prayer. I know, whenever I have prayed earnestly, that I have been amply heard, and have obtained more than I prayed for. God indeed sometimes delayed, but at last [God] came.

--Martin Luther

It is not enough to begin to pray, nor to pray aright; nor is it enough to continue for a time to pray; but we must patiently, believingly, continue in prayer until we obtain an answer; and further we have not only to continue in prayer unto the end, but we have also to believe that God does hear us, and will answer our prayers. Most frequently we fail in not continuing in prayer until the blessing is obtained, and in not expecting the blessing.

--From Autobiography by George Mueller

We have to pray to see prayer work. And we have to keep praying, believing God hears and will answer.

We must persevere. We must persist. We must pray.

"I believe, Lord; help my unbelief!"

Our Crazy Marriage

Toben and I talk a lot with other couples who struggle with mental illness in their marriages--depression, anxiety, addiction, bipolarity, you name it. Some people we know face to face, others have found our email addresses, read bits and pieces here or on Toben's blog, or been given our number by people who know them and know us.

Not too long ago, Toben commented on all the people we know who are struggling with mental illness in their marriages. My response? It's one of the ways that God is redeeming this issue in our lives. As we share our story and offer a listening ear and some encouragement, God uses what we've gone through for our good and the good of others.

Isn't it so cool that God does that?

We don't have it all figured out. But Toben likes to quote this thing from AA and I think it applies: "If I have one day more sobriety than someone else, I can offer them help and hope. And if someone has one day more sobriety than me, they can do the same for me."

With that in mind, we've decided to share more about our story, more about dealing with mental illness in our marriage. We've started a blog to do just that and will both be writing about our story, what's helped, what's hurt, how God has worked through this in our lives for our good.

Wanna take a peek? Here's the link. If you know anyone struggling in this area, send them on over. We'd love for this to become a community of support for all of us who have felt like the only ones who deal with this.

Memory Monday: 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 and some thoughts on comfort

Praise be to
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of compassion and 
the God of ALL comfort,
who comforts us in ALL our troubles
so that
we can comfort those in ANY trouble
with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

I've got it down pretty well, though I must say I reviewed it immediately before typing. I think I could use another week on this verse. So I'm going to stick with this one for the next week too.

You'll notice that I broke up the verse kind of funny and added caps and underlining and such--it helps me learn.

As I've started school again, I've realized that I am a visual learner. I close my eyes and picture where things are on the page, the color they're written in. I notice things like alphabetical order, repeated words, and sentence structure. I draw lines and arrows and stars and pictures on my class notes.

(See how the verse above says God, Father, Father, God? And how there's a SO THAT in there?)

I'm going to keep on this verse for another week too because it's so applicable. I don't know about you, but comfort is needed everywhere I go these days. I've mentioned a time or two or ten how much bad news there is out there--and closer to home too--these days.

But this verse assures us that we CAN comfort others. We don't need a special method or a fancy degree or our name on an office door. All we need to do is offer the same comfort we've received.

Whether someone's trouble is the same as ours or not. It doesn't matter if you've never faced their particular sorrow or trouble--you CAN offer comfort and it will comfort.

The kind of comfort I've received that I can pass on?

• Praying and TELLING someone I'm praying; we need to let others know when we're praying for them
• Handwritten notes in the mail (email is nice too, but a handwritten card means the world to me)
• Verse cards tucked in the note--specific verses I've found comforting
• Meals or treats--just because I'm thinking of you

What about you? How have you received comfort from God and through others? Who can you pass it on to this week? Let's stop worrying that it's not enough or the right kind of comfort. Let's just do it!

***

Did you do Memory Monday this week? Leave a comment with a link to your specific post! Want to join in? Click on the button over there on the right for everything you need to know.

The winners (better late than never!) are...

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

65	

Timestamp: 2009-02-15 23:18:17 UTC

#65 was:

Paula: The book looks great! The cover description looks so relevant for today. Count me in on the giveaway.

And just because I can, I'm going to draw another winner too!

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

23	

Timestamp: 2009-02-15 23:23:00 UTC

And that was:

I'd love a copy!! Thank you for your generosity!! :o) Blessings, Becky

The books will be in the mail this week!

Frugal Friday: My Best Money Saving Tip

My all-time, number one, best tip for saving money? 

STAY HOME.

If I don't see it...

I don't want it, 

I don't think I need it, 

I don't go around and around in my mind to justify it, 

I don't bring it home,

I don't work to find a place to put it,

I don't spend it.

Pretty simple, huh?

I can't even begin to imagine the money I've saved by only going to Target once in the past two months. (Can you believe it? Used to be that I'd go at least once a week. And while I kind of miss wandering up and down the aisles, all I've missed is spending money I don't need to spend.)

Because let's be honest, though I run in for one thing, I end up buying lots more--just because it's on sale, or it's cute and caught my attention, or because I'm bored and think that somehow whatever it is will make me happy. Why tempt myself?

What's your all-time, number one, best tip for saving money?

Wow!

I am loving seeing all the ways that God has blessed you...me...us! Thanks for sharing and keep 'em coming. If you commented early, go back and see what others have said--I know you'll be blessed!

Just want to pass on my favorite quote from the introduction to Beth Moore's Living Beyond Yourself: 

God can do more than just change your life...he can change your day...and he can change your attitude.

LOVE THAT!

And I've loved hearing from some of you for the first time. I'd love to sit down and write a personal note to each one of you...but I don't think it's going to happen! Know that I read every single comment and they brighten my day like you wouldn't believe.

The girls are happily zoning out in front of the Disney Channel--they're done with school until next Tuesday. We're going to some friends' for dinner tonight and I'm so excited. I love being part of another family and part of their home.

Tomorrow we'll be delivering Girl Scout cookies, I have a friend coming for tea, plus I have some homework to do. On Friday, Toben and the girls are bringing me a picnic lunch at the seminary. I'm excited to show the girls around some.

Off to watch some Disney with the girls until it's time to go...

Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Giveaway!

I thought of one more happy thing...giveaways! I love giving gifts and haven't done a giveaway in a while, so...

Want a copy of Toben's last book? Here's the Amazon link if you want to take a peek.

Leave a comment and I'll draw a name on Saturday.

Hi

Just popping in to say hello. I should be studying for a quiz tomorrow in my OT Prophets class, but I'm cold, I ate too many candy hearts so my teeth feel all yucky, and no one else is home.

Toben's out to lunch with a friend from his Youth Specialties days, the girls are still at school, and my dad's going to pick them up. So I'm in for the day, which makes me glad.

So here I am. Pro-cras-ti-na-ting.

Can anyone relate?

I don't really have much to say and I should go brush my teeth and study.

Well, maybe I will say this.

Everywhere we turn these days there's so much sad and bad news going on. Death, cancer, divorce, mental illness, alcoholism, bankruptcy, job loss--you name it. It's been bleak.

(Not to mention PMS.)

But God is good.

If you're like me, you could probably use a reminder of that. How has God been good to you? And while I know he's been good in the past, what I really want to know is how has he been good to you today?

Start sharing and let's cheer each other up! 

That means you too--go ahead, leave a comment. Even if you've never left one before. We all need to hear what you have to share.

I'll even go first. 

God has blessed me TODAY with a husband who's happy to wander around the WalMart, pushing my cart and making me laugh and smile while I look for bow tie pasta. Even if he did put all the frozen pizzas for the girls' after school snacks on top of the loaf of bread. Which is now flat.

Can't wait to see what ya'll have to say. But first, I'm going to brush my teeth.

Memory Monday: Deuteronomy 30:14

Here we go...

"No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so that you may obey it."

I love this verse.

I love that it starts with "no." The Word of God is not some pie in the sky, abstract thing, a nice thought for the day. It is not complicated, not far beyond our understanding. "No, the word is very near you."

Love that it's not just near, but VERY near.

Why in our mouth first? I was thinking maybe it would be in our hearts, then mouths because that would put it in alphabetical order which is one of those things I notice when I have to learn or memorize something. 

(Just ask some of the other students in my class in January. We had to memorize some maps and there were all kinds of alphabetical ways to remember what town was where!)

Here's my two cents on why the mouth comes first. Sometimes we have to say things out loud to believe them. At least it's true for me. I pray out loud, I sing out loud, I recite my verses out loud. Because the more I say it, hear it, and see it, the deeper it penetrates into my heart.

Finally, I love this verse because it has one of my favorite things to find in Scripture in it--SO. We all ask the "so what" question and this verse answers it for us. WHY is the Word near us? WHY is it in our mouths and in our hearts? SO we may obey it. That's why!

(The New Testament epistles--especially those written by Paul--do this a lot. Just keep an eye out for phrases like so, so that, in order that. They show up a lot.)

We're not just memorizing Scripture for the heck of it. Not to check it off our lists, to pat ourselves on the back for being "good" Christians. We're writing it on our hearts so we can actually do what it says!

With that in mind, I'm going to learn 2 Corinthians 1:3-4:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

Why this one? We've been faced with so much sad, bad, discouraging news lately. But God is the God of ALL comfort. He comforts us SO THAT we can comfort others. And that's something that's desperately needed.

I wrote more about this idea here if you want to go take a peek.

***

Added later...

Oops! I keep forgetting to add that you can leave a comment with the link to your post if you joined in this week. And if you want more information about joining us, click the Memory Monday button over there on the right and get the whole scoop!

Frugal Friday on Saturday: Tissue paper flowers

So many of you love the tissue paper flowers we put up in Emma's room. I'm loving them! Every time I walk in there I love them even more.

As I mentioned, we used a Martha Stewart kit. You can see some like it here. (I don't see the exact kit we used, but there are some similar--and even some cute small flower kits.) 

Michael's accepted our 50 percent off coupon from Jo-Ann's, so we got them for $10. But I think you could make them yourself for even less.

Here's a link that shows you how.

And here's a video link too.

The key thing is using enough paper,  I think. The ones in that linked tutorial don't look as poufy as the ones we made. The kit had something like 14 layers of tissue. 

And making your accordian fold nice and even.

As for trimming the ends, some of our flowers had a rounded edge like the tutorial, others had more of a pointy end for more of a spiky looking flower. (You can see what I mean in the picture above.)

The kit came with wire to put around the middle--probably an 8-10 inch length. I used sewing thread to hang the flowers from hooks on the ceiling.

Wouldn't it be fun to make all different sizes? And to use different colored tissue papers in one flower. Perhaps some red and silver, or yellow and orange, or even patterned paper. There's so much fun tissue paper out there--the possibilities are almost endless!

(Do you save your tissue paper? I have a drawer full that I save--crumpled paper would work just as well, I think. And that means making this is practically FREE!)

A couple of thoughts about praying for others

The other day I mentioned something about prayer and Kelley asked me to share more. I sent her a quick email, but thought I'd answer in more detail here. 

I think this ties with the conversations Lisa and I are having about living simply. Especially as we move forward to talk more about daily quiet time--one of her goals.

A big part of my daily quiet time is praying for others. 

Growing up in the church, I heard "I'll pray for you" a lot. I said it a lot. And I have to say that I didn't always do it. It seemed like the thing to say and sometimes it seemed like not such a big deal. Somehow it didn't seem super practical to me. I have to admit that I sometimes had the attitude of thinking that it wouldn't do much good.

But here's the thing. As I mentioned yesterday, Toben is bipolar. And in the midst of all that coming to light and the heartache and confusion and sorrow and pain, there was really nothing people could do to help. Except pray.

I know that God used those prayers--of my parents, of their friends, of our friends, of people I didn't even know--to change our lives. 

And so I pray for others--I suppose the technical name for it is intercessory prayer. It is my joy and my privilege to pray for others--for you.

But the list gets long, the list gets overwhelming, and it can be hard to know where to start. So I've grouped requests into like categories to help me pray for others and to be faithful in it.

Here's what it looks like for me:

Mondays: My family--parents, in laws, my sister and her family
Tuesdays: Healing
Wednesdays: Marriages
Thursdays: Salvation for friends and family
Fridays: Our nation and the world; leaders in politics
Saturdays: Friends
Sundays: God's church in the world, my own church, missionaries

I also pray for Toben and the girls each and every day. I'm a huge fan of Power of a Praying Wife and Power of a Praying Parent. I had my copies spiral bound and flip to a new page each day. Go here to purchase a copy if you want.

(A note about my bookshop on Amazon. It's simply a place where I can recommend books and you can purchase them. It's part of Amazon so all your account information is already on file--assuming you shop there as much as I do!--and it ships directly from them. I earn a small commission that offsets all my textbook purchases!)

I write specific prayer requests in the books as I go along, and also how God has answered. I've done this for years, and can go back and see how God has been at work on a particular issue through the years.

***

Sorry I didn't get a Frugal Friday post done yesterday. Maybe later today. 

And I just learned last night that my mom HATES that picture I put up on her birthday. (Kristen used the same one--after all she took the picture!) Sorry, Mom! I'll see if I can't find one to replace it.

I'm off to Kimberly's later this afternoon for a tea party. I'm so looking forward to it!

Forgive me if you've heard this part of the story before...

Toben just yelled down to me "You need a new blog header, that one's too Christmassy." Proving that he does read my blog and that I'm not the only one who yells in the house. 

(I'm most excited about not being the only one who yells--though I really TRY to go to wherever the person I'm talking to is. Especially since it's something I say to the girls every single day.)

Anyway, I think this illustration from a vintage Valentine is just so darn cute. And the funny thing is that it's signed on the inside. "Love, Mommy" with the date. A little weird, but I'm going to think it's cute and quaint and vintage-y. (Because to be honest, if Toben called me Mommy I think I'd run for the hills!)

So this will be up for the rest of the month. But I feel like I need to say that this is NOT us. Even though she's wearing red (and we know I love that!). She's blonde, I'm not. And Toben doesn't really look anything like that. I don't even think he owns a tie. Or a jacket.

And I can't remember the last time hearts appeared above our heads or fireworks erupted the last time we kissed. Because my life is not a romance novel. I have a real husband, I am a real wife, we have a real marriage.

And while I think our marriage is pretty miraculous, it really has nothing to do with romance. In fact, it really has nothing to do with us.

On our own, I don't think we'd be married today. Because when Toben was diagnosed as being bipolar it was so hard and I was so unhappy and I was so tired of hurting all the time. Heartache is a real thing and gets old.

He'd tell me again and again that I'd be better off without him and I started to believe it. We sat down one night and decided to get divorced. We agreed it would be best for me, best for the children. We had witnesses and everything.

But God knew better than what we thought was best.

And so we never followed through. It confuses me to this day because there's no explanation for it--except God.

Living with mental illness in our marriage isn't fun. It's something that affects every single day. It affects our finances, our communication, our conflicts, our parenting. But it's okay. 

God has used it to teach us, to cause us to grow, to show us how to love one another--not with feelings, but with action. Because that's what love is. A choice to act one way instead of another. Love must be demonstrated, then feelings follow.

Red

I love the color red. It's not a color I can wear particularly well (though I do anyway), but I love it. And so just about every room in my house has a touch of red.

As I was watching "I Love Lucy" yesterday afternoon in the family room, I grabbed my camera to see all the red things I could without moving from the chair.

Shoes

Geraniums

Crochet

More geraniums

Pom poms

Valentines

Enamelware

Chickens

Poinsettias

Bingo pieces

Peeling paint

Gingham

Words

What's your signature color?

A little makeover for $19.99 with 50 percent off

I've seen these paper flowers from Martha Stewart at Michael's in the past, but when I saw them in Ava's room (my cutie patootie niece) I knew I needed to be a copycat. So we got some for Emma for her birthday and put them up this past weekend.

I love hanging stuff from the ceiling. Those 3M hooks are the bomb!

We also put up the darling chandelier that Aunt Kristen sent for her birthday.

Now we just need to replace her blue carpet with something neutral or even PINK! and add a better window treatment. I'd love to add some more bedding too--another comforter to layer and a bunch of super girl-y pillows.

But probably not until this summer.

Heaven is a REAL place

I got an email on Monday night letting me know that one of the teachers at the girls' schools had died that afternoon. She's been fighting cancer for more than a year, had wasted away to almost nothing, and was in the hospital after surgery to remove a tumor that broke her back.

And in the midst of it all, she glowed with love and faith in Jesus.

It's was hard to tell the girls. They have faithfully prayed for her healing, and it was hard for them to feel like God didn't answer their prayers. Audrey especially was touched by this, as she'd worked with this teacher on some learning issues. She's cried herself dry.

And yet as I was praying yesterday morning (Tuesday is the day I pray for healing for others--including YOU, if you've sent me a prayer request for that) I had to praise God. Because he did answer our prayers.

She is WHOLE. She is HEALED. She is WITHOUT PAIN. She is BEYOND SORROW. Because she is WITH JESUS.

Yes, I wanted her to be healed here on earth. To remain with her husband and three children. To live a long life. But what she received is so much better.

As a child, heaven never seemed quite real to me. I knew it existed, but my ideas about it were vague and murky. I didn't really want to go to heaven because it seemed so unknown. In truth, I was a little scared by it.

But the Bible tells us a lot about heaven. And I think we'd do well to think about, dream about, learn about it more than we do. As I think about it, I don't know that I've heard that many sermons about heaven. Why is that?

As Audrey and Emma and I have talked, it's helped them to realize that heaven is a REAL place. With real sky. With real ground. With real trees. With real streets. With a real city. With real people. It's helped them to know that this teacher is in a real place--a place they too will go someday. She's not gone. She hasn't ceased to exist. Her life isn't really over.

I love this song by Kirk Franklin about heaven. He wrote it in celebration after a friend of his died. And singing this song (because, let's face it, I always sing along!) makes me want to go to heaven. Really, really want to go to heaven.

Maranatha! Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

P.S. If you want to learn more about heaven, I'd recommend Randy Alcorn's book, Heaven. It's pretty thick and extremely repetitive if you're trying to read it cover to cover. But it's an easy resource to use to answer specific questions.

First, a list. Then Memory Monday.

First, thanks for all the sweet b-day wishes for my mom. Some of you know her in person and can attest to the fact that she's pretty much the greatest ever. And yes, I know how blessed I am to have her. For those of you not so blessed, I've learned to share!

Second, thanks for all the Saturday morning video comments. I have just one question--WHAT ACCENT? I don't have an accent! That's something that people in Boston or Minnesota or Alabama have. 

(And I'm not making fun, I kinda wish I had an accent. Maybe a French one, or a British one. For the 10 months I lived in Alabama in the fifth grade I totally had a southern accent. It made moving to England interesting.) 

Anyway, I have NO IDEA what you're talking about!  :)

Third, V05 hairdressing is the best hair product ever. I can't live without it. Check it out here. 

Now...Memory Monday!

And God is able to make all grace abound to you so that
in all things,
at all times,
having all you need,
you will abound in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8)

There. The trick for me this week is seeing it on the page like that. (More about diagramming Scripture coming up soon.) And it may just be me, but I think there should be a comma there. But there's not.

For next week? Deuteronomy 30:14:

No, the word is very near you, it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.

Love you all like crazy!

Here's me standing up and crying "Blessed!"

**EDITED ALMOST A WEEK LATER**

Turns out Mom HATES this picture of herself. Hates, hates, hates it. 

Which is strange, because I really like it. And so does my sister (who actually took the picture). 

So here's another picture to go in its place.

I don't know how she feels about this one. If she hates it too, I'll keep searching for another one. Who knows how many pictures we'll have up here...?

***

Though I write every day and can talk your ear off, when it comes to writing something about my mother I'm almost at a loss for words.

Words seem inadequate and too limited to express the enormity of my admiration, love, and appreciation for this woman. There are times when "I love you" just seems too small a thing to say.

I suppose when it comes down to it, the word "mother" is too small a word for all the meaning that it holds. Role model, teacher, comforter, confidante, example. And though we butted heads through the years, as an adult, she is finally my friend.

I suppose if I had to pick just one, well two, words, I'd have to choose gift and blessing. Because of all the mothers in the world, God chose this one for me. And I couldn't be more thankful.

Happy birthday, Mom. I love you.