Check this out...WOW

As I listen to youngest girl crying like crazy (she is just not interested in bed tonight)...I read this blog at Rocks in my Dryer...POWERFUL and wonderful! Thanks Shannon!

Happy Thoughts to Sleep On...

Tonight was an amazing night. I got to go out with three friends (one new one and 2 "old" ones)...we went to Carraba's and wow, it was fun! It has been a LONG LONG LONG time since I've been able to do something like this...thanks ladies! I enjoyed the laughter and the conversation, and I needed it more than I even knew.

Grumpy today

Anyone know any good CLEAN funny sites? Need some uplifting reading...

Can I be a good Mom?

I was reading a great post from The Mother Load...and officially wonder what is wrong with me. Or rather, what has been wrong in the past. I am not sure if I got this from my parents or whom but I have a problem. Instead of assuming the best about my kids and making the call to punish after, I punish first, then ask questions later. "Oh, johnboy was the one that pushed you first, you were simply defending yourself and that is why you held up your arms?" "You really were talking nicely to her, she was not upset with you, what was she upset about? Oh, she tripped and fell?" What is wrong with me? I need to remember what amazing children I have. Tonight for example: The twins have been giving me a run for my money and clothing and all of our worldly possessions and even some of the neighbors...(yes, it is that bad) going to bed...so I was frustrated already with them...when older two children call me into their room (someday they won't share anymore...*SIGH*) and I hear myself say "WHAT?" in my best 'I'm a lot irritated you are still awake voice' and go in there...only to hear the most precious sound come out of their mouths..."mommy, could we say our prayers with you?". OUCH! OUCH! OUCH! So needless to say I left thinking about the blog I had just read and the thoughts I had been having. I have another thing to work on. I am going to make a point to make sure my babies know how special I believe them to be. God, Husband, Children...I am so blessed...wake up Tam, smell the sweet baby smell...smell it, love it...raise it...with a heart for God...seriously.

Trusting God

Today, we went to the college service at church for the first time. It was pretty awesome! I love listening to the group singing (I only knew a few of the songs) and I loved listening to the lesson...it's the first one I've heard in awhile because we are doing children's church this month...and I teach a class at the Sunday school time. So anyway, that all being said...the guy that did the sermon today was really interesting...he made a comment/question that is sticking with me. Do I trust God? Wow? Do I? I honestly don't think I do. At least, not as much as I should...I know in my head God is in total control. I know He has a plan for my life. I know all of this...but do I believe all of this? I know He loves me. I know He gave me these children. I know He chose my husband for me. I know He gives me life. I know He wants me to follow Him. I know all of these things. I do...I just don't know if I believe them. I am not sure this will make sense to anyone other than my strange little brain. But I struggle with this so often. I know I want to follow God. I want to love Him above anything else in the world. I just don't know how to feel the emotions that are supposed to go along with that. I am not sure I have a REAL relationship with Christ. I believe, I have been baptized, I read the Bible, I believe it to be infallible. I just want to feel something...emotional. I do every once in awhile. I listen to a song or a story or I hear something from someone. But I always feel disturbed when I hear someone talk about how God is working in their lives. I know He is working in mine, I have no doubt, I see it if I look. I just don't automatically have the emotions that are supposed to go along with that. Hope that all makes sense...if not, just pray for me. I want more from my relationship with Christ. I want it to be deep and meaningful. Not just filled with religon.

5 year old...Can someone help please

We have a five year old. He is almost six. I know he is a middle child (not sure how it works considering he has twin siblings younger than him). I am struggling so much with him. There is no form of discipline that works for him...here is the problem: He steals. Not from stores, not like that...but candy, gogurt, his sisters toys. Then he lies about it. He is such a good liar, I can't tell if he's telling the truth. I don't want to ruin his spirit, but I am starting to get desparate. I couldn't find Oldest Girl's "slugbug" she got for Christmas from her grandparents this morning...so I asked Oldest Boy about it. Thinking he might have taken it, he totally denied having anything to do with it. So move forward about 3 hours, we are cleaning their room (it is an absolute disaster) and I open a toy farm and inside, what do I find, but the slugbug. So I spank...three times...for lying and for stealing and it doesn't even phase him. I knew this (I was totally calm while spanking, not angry...just really worried). I know spanking doesn't phase him, but the thing is, NOTHING phases him...so I took away his Star Wars action figures. He seems (and I mean seems) to be devastated...but I don't know if this is the answer. I am seriously worried he is going to end up doing something so stupid when he gets older...he just doesn't think of consequences. I am SURE he does not get enough attention, he craves attention...but I have three other children, 2 of which are 2!!! This is so hard. I feel like a total failure as a mother. I am not someone who wants to be a spanker for one...but time out, doesn't make ANY difference to him...at all...I want to discipline, not destroy. PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!

12:30 am Hi Tamara, this is Girl Scout Troop Leader

And Oldest daughter is throwing up.". "WHAT?" I yell, I am sure that is not the response I would have had if I had not heard this at 12:30 am when I was sleeping. UGH! So Oldest Girl is home from her Girl Scout sleepover with a vomiting bug...at least, I guess it's a bug, she hasn't vomited since and was hilarious when she got home. Of course Husband is on call this weekend so he had to go get her, in case a call came in...we are of the mindset we cannot leave the three youngest children to fend for themselves in the event of a call...so there you go. Made a pallet on the floor in our room with a vomit bucket and a pillow (with a protective shield on it)...gave said child a bath (because she wanted me to smell her legs, they smelled like vomit...8 year old humor I guess) put said child to bed...woke up at 7:20 to youngest boy wanting in bed with us...7:30, woke hubby to get youngest girl to our bed (we have to gate them into their rooms or they would be with us at 1am...which converts to NO sleep for us. Anyway...8:30 rolls around and I guess the kids thought food was of some importance because they made me get up to feed them. What are they thinking, why aren't they self-sufficient on a Saturday morning at ages 5, 2 and oh yeah, 2. HA! Thus leads me to the day we are going to have instead of the day we were planning. Hope the hubby doesn't mind stopping to get movies I can tolerate watching...it is officially a pajama and movie day...*sigh*

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Being a SAHM

So if I am a student, does that negate the whole stay at home mom thing? I am curious because I am a student because I want to be a teacher when my children are all in school. I know this may not make any sense...but I am wanting to get our family out of debt. I know we shouldn't have gotten into debt in the first place, that is our mistake...but we are there. We are officially in debt and after the kids all get into school, if I work as a teacher, on the kids schedule, we can get ourselves out of debt considerably faster. So, that being said, I need my kids to know I LOVE being home with them. Don't get me wrong, there are days when I am thoroughly stressed out...I get frustrated with my children...but I cannot imagine any other life for myself. I worked about three days a week in Alabama...with the first two children. My mother in law kept the kids and that was great...she was so awesome with them. They felt comfortable with her...she is their BABBIE...that was great...but I don't want that anymore...not that I don't want my mother in law to watch them, that isn't it...I just want to be able to raise them as their mother instead of someone else doing it. I think Babbie did an awesome job with them...they always followed the rules, they were so well taken care of...but down there, I put oldest girl into Mothers Morning out...I thought I was doing her a service, she was 2, didn't she need to be in preschool? WHAT? Where is it written that a child has to be in preschool? Oldest boy, never been to preschool, he attends a one hour session of "pre-k" twice a week with a friend of mine and that is two doors down and there are three kids in the class...THAT is helping him, he is accomplishing so much...TOTALLY believe I could have done it myself...it is just working out great to do it there...UGH! What a pathetic post...I am also a struggling judgemental person. I always find myself wishing I could get inside my own brain and make it act right. It is truly not a good thing to be judgemental. I know this, it is TOTALLY unBiblical. I know this. So I am trying to teach myself to love everyone, no matter what their choices in life are...working mothers...smoking parents...etc. etc. I have issues...serious issues...PRAYING! :) All this being said, visit this awesome blogger...

Learned something new!

I just learned how to strikethrough something! That is so cool! :) What fun. I am so easily amused. Also learned that control f is cool way to search. Isn't that nifty? You'll have to try that one. I am so loving this blog thing. Did I mention I taught Oldest Girl's class today? PHEW! I am still gung ho on teaching...but wow! They gave me a run for my money. I think I taught them something though, it was fun! :)

The author of "The Dot"

There is this author, his name is Peter Reynolds. He is not only an awesome illustrator, he is truly a remarkable author. He has two books about being an artist in his collection, he is so talented...the books explain in very basic terms how a person can be an artist without making big huge fancy drawings or paintings or anything like that. A person can make his or her "MARK" on the world with just a dot...that is what you have to do to start...anyway, check this out...he is really cool...

This is just wrong...Hilarious...BUT WRONG!

Check this link out...I just got the info from "Musing's of a Housewife" and am equally horrified...BLECHGH

My Friend Maris...Her Thoughts for the Day...NICE!!!

I am so thankful for our Church!! Steven and I have been without a Church for about 3 years now. (A year before we were married and now 2 years together) We looked and looked for a church that we could be plugged into that would put the right emphasis on the right things. We had almost given up. We have been attending this new church for a couple of months now and every week I love it more and more. It is refreshing, so exciting, and challenging. Every week I feel like I have my butt kicked and yet I feel more encouraged to keeping running in this race to the finish line.
This morning we started a series on generous living. We are going through stewardship and living a life of generosity. Everytime I hear the word stewardship, I like most everybody else think about money. I am learning that stewardship is so much more than money. We are not owners of our possesions, we are merely managers. I own nothing. What do I have that was not given to me? Do I truly value what has been given to me? Just a thought- Is my value of our house reflected by the cleanliness of it? Would people in my life say that I am truly thankful for what God has given me and it is reflected by how I manage those things?
I want so badly to live a life of generosity! However to many times I find myself wanting to hoard what God has given us and to covet what God has blessed somebody else with. I find myself always wanting the next thing. I am really looking forward to the next 6 weeks of this series. I hope that God changes my views and allows me to fall deeper in love with a lifestyle of generosity and stewardship. I want my life to be a reflection of the generosity of Christ laying down everything in obediance. God has been so generous to each of us. We are truly rich! What will we do with these riches?


BOY DID THAT MAKE ME THINK. I HAVE ALWAYS KNOWN THESE THINGS LOGICALLY AND THEN I SEEM TO FORGET THEM IN MY HEART...I AM GOING TO WORK ON THIS. THIS NEXT MONTH WILL BE A CHALLENGE FOR ME AND JESSE...OK, JUST FOR ME...BUT I KNOW WITH A LOT OF PRAYER AND DILIGENCE, I CAN DO IT. I CAN MAKE A TIGHT BUDGET WORK AND IF IT WORKS, WHY NOT STICK TO IT SO I CAN HELP OUR FAMILY TO BETTER OURSELVES AND THE OTHERS AROUND US...GOOD STUFF MARIS, THANKS!

Are there any twins out there?

Or parents of twins...either way, I am curious as to how many of you put your twins in classrooms together and how many of you put them in separate classrooms. Or if you are the twin, how was it for you? I am debating this topic because I only have 3 years to worry about it. Apparently that is not enough to make an educated decision...*sigh*

Accomplishments...

So I go to the school on the day they are having their spelling tests and vocabulary tests. It is so exciting to help the kids that are struggling and then stay the entire time they take their tests and watch the reactions when the kids that thought they would get bad grades, GET E's and E+'s. WOW! This simply strengthens my gumption to continue my education. I am so thrilled to be able to encourage children...I want to make a difference, I love children and watching mine grow is so exciting. I want to make a difference...period...hope I can.

So thankful

I am sitting here in tears...it makes me feel so loved to know people are actually out there praying for me...wow! Oh, and NO WAY am I pregnant...I think my husband would fall out if I even teased him about that, ha ha!! Four is DEFINITELY enough for us!

Struggling...

I sometimes think I am going crazy...why don't my kids listen to me? Even when I use the mean mommy voice, they just look at me like I'm the child and they can do whatever they want. I dont' understand what I am doing wrong. I just got "making the terrible two's terrific" as well as "The New Birth Order Book". Hopefully these will shed some light on what I am doing wrong. My 8 year old...talks back ALL the time. She rarely has time alone with any parent (Jesse is ALWAYS gone and I'm always dealing with the twins doing something...or the 5 year old encouraging them to do something...) I'm not sure what to do.

On another note, Jesse has an interview/question for him time on Saturday morning. I am stressing...I am so afraid of being one of those families that can't keep a job longer than two years. He loves being a mechanic...he loves driving a tow truck...neither one of those things has a lot of upward mobility...which is fine as long as they are keeping busy and REALLY trying to get more business...the tow company can't get anymore business...and recently I've figured out I am not sure I want to encourage that one (I don't want people to be in accidents, it makes me sad to think I did at one time...probably not with my heart...but with my pocketbook...does that make sense?) Anyway, the interview/whatever you want to call it, sounds so promising. It's a new shop that is going to open up RIGHT by our house, literally within walking distance with the kids. It has true potential...I'm trying not to get my hopes up, I don't want to think something great is going to happen and then nothing happen. I am tired of stressing about a job situation...but we don't see him at all doing this towing thing. AT ALL! He comes home for lunch and immediately gets called out...he hasn't eaten supper with us since he started doing this full time. I thought he would be home during the day when he wasn't on a call...he's not. Boy do I sound like a whiney booger...I am...pathetic. Anyway...this is my story right now...I think I must be pmsing. UGH!

Ok...Saturday at 11am, please say a prayer that we are lead in the direction God wants us to move, not that we want to move...

Clearblue Easy Preg. Test

I am so laughing...I know it is not something I want my kids to see...I really think it shouldn't be on television...but I laughed nonetheless...UGH! Have you seen the new commercial? It is hilarious...then again, maybe I need to be punished for thinking it's funny...why do I get so bothered by things I like...oh bother...

THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN I BECOME A TEACHER

I am so interested in not only being a great mother and wife, but someday, a great teacher of other children too...I am in school for elementary education and loving every minute of it. I am also constantly interested in reading more and more and more on anything to better myself and to learn how to educate others. I am still reading "The Read~Aloud Handbook" by Jim Trelease, it is amazing. I have the desire to start my classroom days with 10 minutes of reading aloud and then at the end of the day another 10 minutes reading aloud. I think this book is really been eye-opening for me. I truly was of the mindset my child needed to be reading to me at this point. She needed to practice her reading aloud skills. Ha, in your face Tamara...reading TO your child increases her vocabulary, interest in reading and ability to read. WOW! Did you ever think about the difference in your child's reading level versus their listening level? I had NEVER thought about it. What is wrong with me? It seems like that would just be common sense...we talk to children on a much different level than we let them read...I mean think about it, the Dick & Jane books...they are so lame as far as vocabulary...but they sure are great for beginning readers. So why not start reading chapter books to our children (thankfully I have been doing this) LONG before they are able to read chapter books? They can understand things on a far higher level than we give them credit for. I've been saying that about boy baby and girl baby for a long time. It always amazes me to hear parents say their children don't understand things, HA my babies (all four of them) have been spoken to as though they could understand EVERYTHING I say for their entire lives...and THEY respond in such a way that even to people outside of our family, it is obvious they understand what we have been saying to them. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE having the babies...I love anyone's babies...I want them to thrive...in so many ways...

So anyway, I am so excited about this book. The second half of the book is a read aloud list! COOL STUFF MAN!

Nintendo Brain Age

So normally I would not participate in anything to do with video games, because I think children play too many (ok...mine do have leapsters...but they are LEARNING). Then I started seeing commercials for the Brain Age games for Nintendo DS. I was totally convinced I needed one...then I figured out how much they were and decided our family budget had to be spent elsewhere...such as the four children, the upstairs that isn't finished as well as, oh yeah, food for them too, ha! I think I would benefit greatly from a Nintendo DS, especially a pink one, because I love learning...and I am tired of not remembering things...here's the things, when you have a child, it starts to be a little scary when you can't remember things...you think you are going insane but then you have the second child and realize you don't remember very much at all...then all of the sudden you find yourself pregnant with your third child...which turns out to be twins and you FREAK because you know you are not going to have any brain cells left at all and if someone calls your house and tells you they are stopping by in 30 minutes, and you actually remember this conversation...then thirty minutes later, the doorbell rings and you look at your four beautiful children and TRULY not knowing, ask "Who could possibly be at our door right now?". This is truly what happens when you have four children...so I think I would benefit greatly from a Pink Nintendo DS because as a cool mom, you have to be intelligent and intelligence is directly linked to increased brain power...thus the Nintendo DS Pink BRAIN AGE would be the perfect solution...so check out this site and see if you agree!!

My sister the thinker...I think she could be the sculpture sometimes

I think this has to be one of the most thought provoking links I've read in awhile. I am not sure I have ever thought about my marriage as being directly linked to my relationship with Christ...thinking about it now makes me rather sad...I'm not walking very well...

anwyay, check her out

I'm not a nice person

So it's time to confess...I am not nice. I am not kind and I am not sweet...I am not sure why but I start out thinking I am going to wake up and be a kind, loving, wonderful wife and mother...then the day starts and I turn into someone that is just not what I want to be. I get frustrated with my children, I get frustrated with my husband and I am not kind. I yell. I hate yelling at my kids, they don't deserve to be yelled at, they did not ask to be born in this house...they are sweet and loving babies. Don't get me wrong, I know they are kids and I am the parent. I know I am supposed to discipline them. I just want to be the mom that never yells. The mom that always make the right decision for discipline, you know, never ever spanking...getting the desired result. Is always speaking in a kind tone of voice is always doing things the way Christ would. God entrusted these children to me. I'm admitting this on my blog...I think I want any suggestions out there for better/more quality parenting. I want to raise children that are not doing things so they don't get into trouble, I want to raise children who do the right thing because they want to do the right thing, that is what the Bible says to do, not their mom...I want to raise children who TRULY have a heart for Christ, not a head for Christ...does that make sense? I don't know the answers...and am welcoming any suggestions anyone has...

So it was truly tough

I did it, well almost, I did have to get on the computer to find a phone number and email Oldest Girl's teacher...and I will admit to checking email while I did it. But I did not, DID NOT CHECK BLOGS!!! I was so proud of myself. That is a HUGE step in the right direction. The kids and I red this morning, they enjoyed the reading time a lot but suddenly I felt very sleepy so I asked the kids if they minded watching Charlie & Lola (Lauren Child is one great author)...And they, of course, agreed...So this lovely mother of four decided to fall asleep for a few minutes...NICE MOM!!! Anyway, we ended up having a pretty good day, got a lot done upstairs and now, my living room looks like a bomb (a very organized bomb) hit it...as everything from upstairs is now down, ha!

Also think I forgot to mention Jesse's trip to the emergency room for 5 and 1/2 hours...YUCK! And they diagnosed him with...oh that's right...NOTHING! UGH! I know there is something wrong or my, ever so not going to the doctor let alone hospital, husband would NEVER have admitted to being in pain...so he is going to a GI doctor tomorrow at 2:15pm. Prayer are requested and appreciated!!

Works for Me Wednesday Recipe

Apparently I am not qualified to use a computer...but I am trying to make this work so I am doing a Works For Me Wednesday from one of my favorite blogsites...so I have linked to her and hope you all enjoy! :) I have a healthy recipe to add to the healthy recipe crew...

brown cut up steak in oil
add 2 cans of beef consumme
2tbsp of soy sauce
2/3 cup red wine
1 tbsp of onion powder
1 tbsp of garlic

cook on low heat 1 1/2 hours
then mix 1/4 cup of warm water with 2 TBsps of corn starch and add to
tips to thicken


Ok...I am not altogether sure you could consider this totally healthy, it is red meat...however, it is excellent and when you use brown rice, it is healthier than when you use white rice.

This recipe comes from a friend of mine, she is a photographer and a great one at that! Email me if you would like the link.

Along with my "resolutions"

I'm going to give up computer time between the hours of children awake time. I think they are getting neglected because I want to check out a blog or an email or whatever. So the computer door will stay shut unless the kiddos are asleep. This is going to be purely torturous for me considering it is the FIRST thing I do in the morning and the last thing I do before I go to bed at night and just about 50 times in between. Does this sound like an idol to anyone else? UGH! What a sad realization when I am reading a book, The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease, which is an amazing book by the way...it made me feel like a total heel...so I am doing this for the sake of my own soul as well as that of my children. Pray for me...PLEASE pray for me...this is truly going to be hard for me...

Weekend at the Cosby's

We have had a great weekend so far! Today, we decided to take the kids to the bowling alley. They have a smoke free time between 12 and 3pm...it's so good to know we can actually bowl without suffocating! The kids had a ball! It was so much fun to watch the twins bowl, they would each take a turn (they bowled the same game). They both jumped and laughed and had a great time! Tyler and Parker were enjoying just being able to bowl without any assistance.

After we went bowling, we decided to go to the park and the kids got chased around by their daddy. God knew, He really knew, we needed the time together as a family and Jesse didn't even get one call the entire time we were playing. As soon as we got home, he got two calls in a row, one of which was a LONG one. THANK YOU GOD!!!

Now, the babies are all napping and I am finishing a movie I started at my parents, "Memoirs of a Geisha". It is REALLY sad...sadder than I expected. My sister said not one of the people in this movie is really Japanese...they are all Chinese or Korean...I thought that was really an interesting tidbit.

I'm going to enjoy the rest of my weekend with my family...I am really enjoying my children, they are so amazing! My husband's not too bad either! :)

The coolest website for new blogger

So I read this blog, I LOVE THIS BLOG...it's called Rocks in My Dryer and I love the blog...(I already said that, sorry...) anyway, they (meaning Rocks in My Dryer and another blogger) started this website for new bloggers...it so rocks! Pun SO TOTALLY intended! :)

Oh, the name of the site is Blogging Basics 101 or as Rocks in My Dryer is calling it: BB101

I am so loving this new thing I have learned...its way cool, thanks Victoria!

Just because I am learning

my sister said you can link to other people's blogs if you type it and right click...so here is my attempt...my sister's xanga site is really neat!!

He found another one...

Youngest boy searched high and low this morning and found another pacifier...he cried for an hour last night until he fell asleep and now has found another pacifier...what to do what to do...I told him that was it...(it was the missing one from yesterday)...so when this one is gone, its really gone. I was thinking we were on the road to the end...hum dee dee...

THE END OF A PACIFIER

Youngest boy has no pacifier tonight...he ate through his second to last one and we cannot find the last one...this is not going to be fun. The oldest two children just asked me if we could give him something to make him go to sleep...I have NEVER drugged my children so I am not sure why they would ask such a thing...if they only knew we went through the SAME thing with each of them. Of course, youngest girl...content to suck her fingers until she is 100...hope her future husband doesn't mind. UGH, it's looking like a long, long, long, plug free night...sad days...

BIOLOGY!

I GOT A "C"! Yeah for me! That is so much better than I expected...I can't believe I am thrilled with a "C" but I am thoroughly thrilled with it! :)

Happys....

Sunsets, Sunsets on the beach, Sunrise, Sunrise on the beach, My children laughing, Other children laughing, cooing babies, smiling babies, laughing babies, any babies, granny smith apples, lemon meringue pie (minus the crust), keylime pie (made from scratch and again, minus the crust), My Hubby on Vacation, My hubby for taking care of us, My oldest child (she's funny), My mom...she's pretty smart, My Dad...he's rather smart too...and takes teashing REALLY well (sometimes), My mom for putting up with me, my parents for not kicking me out of their house when I was horrible and teenagerish, my sister...she is so neat and growing everyday, my brother...WOW...we sure raised him right, my sister-in-law...what a precious addition to our family, my dog neice and dog nephew, my cat neices (come on folks, I have no other babies yet), my mother-in-law...she is full of wisdom even when I don't want to hear it..., my father-in-law...he sure shows love well, shopping, shopping at goodwill, garage sales, finding things at garage sales, having all of my Christmas decorations put away NEATLY, my everyday china, the boxes my gorgeous everyday ware is in on my wall, living in Murfreesboro, my husband loving his job, the fact that my husband just left to go visit the neighbors and I'm happy about it, dave ramsey, flowers, my kids yelling at me down the hall because I have gated them into their bedroom (aren't they supposed to sleep when you put them to bed?), my oldest two children because they have NEVER complained about sharing a room, my oldest boy...he is so smart and so aware, my youngest daughter...she is quite the ham, my youngest son...he talks so much with his eyes, being a mom, exercising, cranium, crafts, my color combination in my house...ok...so more like in my kitchen and living room, my husband for putting up with my crazy ideas, photography, taking pictures, looking at the pictures I've taken, laughing at the pictures I've taken, looking at the pictures Lea has taken, having my breath taken away by...kisses...pictures...good movies, thoughtful people, my friends, Lea...she sure knows how to make me feel like I've got some direction, Claudia...she knows how to make me smile, both of them for putting up with my sometimes crazy thought process, hgtv...

This list could go on and on...I think I'll just add to it as the need arises! :) Hope everyone has done well with their resolutions...it is already the 2nd! :)

Thinking of the New Year

I've been reading peoples blogs about their New Year Resolutions or non resolutions or whatever thoughts they have been having this year...it's been thoroughly interesting and enlightening. I am not the only one who has made resolutions only to break them by the next day...seems that is a common thread. So I am changing my thinking this year...I am going to make goals for myself that involve changing my thought process, not to reach the brass ring but to truly become a different person, a person after God, nothing more, nothing less.

So this is me for the year 2007: God wants me. He doesn't want part of me, He wants ALL of me...I will strive to give Him my all. I am not expecting perfection from myself, I am expecting a move in the right direction, EVERY DAY! God wants for me to be a better parent...I will strive to become the parent God chose for me to be...not by fear, not by punishment, but by education and love and guidance. God wants for me to be a submissive wife. WOW, that one is so hard for me...I don't believe God is telling me to lay down and be walked on...I do however, believe God is telling me to allow my husband to be the leader. For Jesse to teach our family for Jesse to make the decisions final in our family and for Jesse to be the head of our household. That makes the someone I am now, not the someone I will need to become. These are tough goals. They are not something I want to take lightly. It goes beyond giving God quiet time in the morning for me...it is a complete lifestyle adjustment. Thought process needs to change...spending habits need to change, tone of voice when I talk to ANYONE needs to change. These are the things I will be doing this year...Pray for the success of serving God. That is all I ask.