Something About Submission

I am learning something. Submission is the way to go. Hear me out, ok?

The other day Philip "called" me on something. He asked me to undo what I had done. Now, I don't usually make mistakes. Not usually. I wasn't convinced I had this time. But he felt strongly that I needed to take specific action.

I yielded to his request. (Still not certain I had tainted my near-perfect track record for general correctness:) I did what he asked sweetly and immediately.

Then I began to think about it. What if he's right?. What if I'm right. Then I wondered what impact my submission would have on either of the two discoveries. Let's say he thinks about it, and later, figures out that he was totally wrong. Won't it be easier for him to approach a sweet, humble wife in order to apologize. My choice to unify my actions with his thoughts, will have paved the road to real unity. Cool.

And let us imagine -if not merely for the sake of argument - that I was indeed wrong. (That was painful to type, really) My decision to heed his warning would in a sense "right" my "wrong" long before I would have - on my own accord - even acknowledged my mistake. I would have been protected from prolonged unrighteousness by choosing to submit to his leadership. Very cool.

Either way the cookies crumble (yes, there are always more than one cookie), the wise thing to do is submit. I know it can seem hard sometimes. I heard a woman ask once, "How am I supposed to submit to this man who can't even drive across town without my help?". I know. I know.

Dear Father, help me be ready to admit when I am wrong. I long for Your righteousness, and I know a big chunk of that is going to come as I humble myself before You and those whom You've placed in my life to lead me. I can be hard-headed. Forgive me, please. Soften my heart and even my head. And every once in a while, when You and I both know I didn't do anything wrong...I'll be quiet and let You work it for Good. I trust You. You have made me glad.

EZ Peasie

If you feel swamped when it's time to come up with a menu or grocery list, you will rejoice in this resource. (The cost is just $1.25 a week!) I usually love coming up with menus and shopping lists, but I was feeling like a I was cooking the same several dishes over and over again. And my food started tasting the same. My spaghetti sauce was only about two clicks off my chili. You know?

This site allows you to download pdf files that you can use as your weekly menu/shopping list. Two pages: one with seven meals & simple directions; the other lists ingredients by aisle with approximate cost -also includes necessary staples.

Out of the seven meals, 1 or 2 are what I would consider "snoozers". Like DiGiorno Pizza or Eggo Waffles with scrambled eggs. 3 of the recipes are usually run'o'the mill kid-friendly fare. The other 2 or 3 will strike me as main dishes I would never, ever prepare. But without fail, the kids gobble them up. Also, Landen can cook almost any of the recipes. He is THAT talented and they are THAT simple.

If you're doing e-mealz already, feel free to leave a comment whether positive or negative. We can handle it:)

Thank You, God, for e-mealz. Are You tired of hearing me say this? Thank You.

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY, Monday, August 25, 2008


Outside My Window...some guy is test driving his 4-wheeler round and round and round his back yard. Only a thin layer of wooden fencing separates his backyard from my backyard. Only half an acre and a thin wooden fence separate his backyard from my bedroom window. (vroom, vroom, vroom)

I am thinking...that even though I committed to blog this meme in the daytime, I now realize why I only blog at night. I'm thinking that I really don't have time to be here. Moving on...

I am thankful for...my handsome husband who leads our family well. I simply adore him!

From the kitchen...children are cleaning up their lunch mess. And for tonight, I'm making Asain salad. One bag of salad, one can of mandarin oranges (drained), one can of chow mien noodles, breaded chicken chunks (homemade or frozen) and catalina dressing. Crowd pleaser, for sure!

I am wearing...gray shorts and a pro-life tshirt.

I am creating... a schedule for children's choir, and Bible studies for a retreat in the Fall.

I am going...up and down the hallway between typing. Mari's down for her nap, two misbehaving children are out running laps, but somehow the other two still need me to answer questions and help them with stuff. So I've got to hurry and finish so I can offer them my undivided attention. I'm also going to include this simple woman link.

I am reading...lots of scripture! It's refreshing to come back to the Truth after reading & hearing human thoughts & opinions. Oh, and on my last trip down the hall, my 10 year old announced that he could type without looking. "I just looked at the keyboard for like five minutes, and now I can type anything I want without looking - even capital letters!" I read his letter he had typed. Not bad, Mr. Photographic memory.

I am hoping...that we get to go swimming a few more times before it begins to cool off. Mari came in this morning asking, "poo? zhump poo?" Yes, honey, I wish to jump in the pool, too!

I am hearing...the sweet muffled words of an emerging reader down the hall. From the patio, I can hear the quiet, calm conversation of two out-of-breath runners who are resting for a moment in sibling restoration.

Around the house...laundry waiting patiently to be put away, children waiting impatiently to finish lessons, and a mom who is learning to wait upon the Lord.

One of my favorite things...the fresh flowers that greet each of my trips through the living room. They are from a friend. The beauty of both the friend and the flowers bring me great joy.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: Last meeting of Summer Bible Study, Choir Rehearsal, Mari's 2-year check-up, baseball and a family getaway to Dub-Town to see the "buds".

Here is picture thought I am sharing...



My girls created this in Microsoft Paint for their beloved uncle.

Wonders Never Cease

Wow! I feel like I celebrated my birthday for three weeks here in bloggerville. I believe the festivities have drawn to a close. sniff, sigh. Ok, just one more: My cousin sent me a card that said, "Girl, we're not over 30, we're just 29.95 plus shipping and handling!" Love it.

We had some family friends over for dinner Friday evening. It was wonderfully fun. Mari ate at the little tikes picnic table with four for her 2 & 3 year old friends. She opened a few gifts and just enjoyed the fellowship.

Saturday Philip and Luke took Ardyn and Ashli to Tyler to play a double-header. Grandpa & Grandma met them at the park and they finished up their day at Cici's.

That left LP and Mari with me. "Luke&Anna" went with us to spectate Landen's game. The weather was strange. Sunny & humid interrupted by gusts of dusty wind and random showers. I would get hot, begin to sweat, then a breeze would blow sand from home plate. Rain would douse us then rapidly dry in the high-ninety heat. At one point, I scratched the back of one of my calves with the top of my other foot. Exfoliation, anyone? I felt like I was at the beach, but the only salt water in sight was dripping down my forehead and soaking through my ponytail. Yuck-ee.

We taught our last Sunday School lesson in the college class today. It is sad that we'll miss out on sharing this year with them, but we look forward to being "fed" on Sunday mornings and then giving our all in leadership in MP3 and AWANA.

I have needed a nap since Wednesday. I finally grabbed me one today! I'll probably be up until 2:30, but it was a good, little-league-world-series-in-the-background slobber-slumber on the couch. Mmm-mmm-mmm.

Thank You, God, for restoration and relaxation. You are wonderful!

Sweet Thoughts

I know my mom spends a lot of time each year picking out just the right birthday card for me. This year's greeting was so sweet, I wanted to share it here.

My heart overflows with thankfulness to God for you, my daughter.

As happy as I was the moment you arrived, and as [pleased] as I am of you for all that you've become, I have even greater joy in knowing the assurance of your faith in Christ.

Not only are you a beautiful reflection of God's love, but you are my daughter - my crown of rejoicing, and a delightful proof that God answers prayers.

Happy Birthday
Love, Mother

One thing I've known forever is that my mom has always prayed for me and continues to pray for me. She is consistently lifting her concerns for me to the Lord. However, I don't think I've contemplated the notion that my mom might have prayed FOR me. Like, "Lord, please give me a daughter..." What a beautiful thought.

Thanks, Mom!


Dianne & Cari 1971

(Mom, You are beautiful, and no worries; I put it back in the scrapbook safe & sound)

Pop Quiz from the world of "forward"s

1. How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator?
Stop and think about it and decide on your answer before you scroll down.











The correct answer is: Open the refrigerator, put in the giraffe, and close the door. This question tests whether you tend to do simple things in an overly complicated way.

2. How do you put an elephant into a refrigerator?









Did you say, Open the refrigerator, put in the elephant, and close the refrigerator?

Wrong Answer.
Correct Answer: Open the refrigerator, take out the giraffe, put in the elephant and close the door. This tests your ability to think through the repercussions of your previous actions.

3. The Lion King is hosting an animal conference. All the animals
attend .... Except one. Which animal does not attend?








Correct Answer : The Elephant. The elephant is in the refrigerator. You just put him in there.? This tests your memory. Okay, even if you did not answer the first three questions correctly, you still have one more chance to show your true abilities.

4. There is a river you must cross but it is used by crocodiles, and
You do not have a boat. How do you manage it?








Correct Answer:? You jump into the river and swim across. Have you not been listening? All the crocodiles are attending the Animal Meeting. This tests whether you learn quickly from your mistakes.


So....how'd ya do? Kind of aggravating how simple life can be and how complex we are determined to make it, huh? Hope you're enjoying your day!
CDJ

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY, Monday, August 18, 2008


Outside My Window...darkness and rain. And a patio that needs sweeping.

I am thinking...that I'm tired of thinking because it's late and I've been thinking all day, it seems.

I am thankful for...my friends who are wonderfully helpful and supportive and fun. OOH! And for my fabulous brother who bought a plane ticket for my fabulous sister-in-law to come visit me. A purchase made merely moments after he read of her wishes on a blog comment. Moral of the story: There's power in blog comments, people. No, I mean: A kind brother is a rare treasure (and a kind comment written in bloggerville can prove advantageous for all).

From the kitchen...nothing but quiet tidiness. Praise the Lord!

I am wearing...black shorts, red t-shirt, ponytail & glasses.

I am creating...I WAS creating a design for kids'choir t-shirts, but after two hours of concentrated effort, a computer glitch caused me to lose the whole thing. I was finished, too. I just hadn't saved a draft. Not smart. Not happy.

I am going...to Bible Study in the morning. I've missed the past two weeks, so I'm missing the gals. I have plans to dine with some fellow homeschooling moms tomorrow evening, so it's definitely going to be a "hair & make-up" day! I'm also going to include this link from last week. I probably did that wrong...Rebecca, chime in, anytime, sistah!

I am reading...nothing new. Haven't finished "Divine Embrace", but still being blessed every time I open it. I have been reading my children's writings all day, if that counts???

I am hoping...that a miracle of sorts might happen on my computer and I might wake up in the morning to find my beautiful t-shirt design has mysteriously been saved into my documents. Stranger, less helpful, things have happened...

I am hearing...the Olympics being televised in the living room, the air conditioner running, and the sweet, sacred silence of children sleeping in peace.

Around the house...there is laundry waiting patiently to be put away. Next week, I should try to write one of these Simple Woman dealies in the daytime. I'll bet it would prove more interesting.

One of my favorite things...is the pair of rosebud printed, size 2T cotton training panties that Mari Alice was wearing after her bath. So adorable and soft. Symbolizing such accomplishment and securing hope for a dry, hassle-free future!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: Bible Study & dinner tomorrow, Choir Rehearsal on Wednesday, then Thursday is my birthday, Friday night we're having friends over for supper, and Saturday is Mari's birthday. School lessons, baseball, and plenty of dress-up will likely fill in the gaps.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...
My buddy, Kathy, is the queen of greeting cards. She sent this one to me today. I laughed out loud. I'm still laughing, hours later. (word to my "hubby's buddy-- buddy's hubby", Lee: I got mail from Kathy... and you probably didn't...neener, neener, neener!)

S'more

Family Day Rocks!

After our walk, we decided to go swimming. Our neighbors had granted us access to their "hidden oasis", so 7 Johnsons and 1 J-dub went swimming. We had a grand time! We raced each other across the pool. We had cannon ball contests, stick diving contests, and breath-holding contests. (Johnsons & dub's might be just the tiniest bit competitive) I played it cool (literally) for a while, but could stand it no longer. I sat on the steps took down my hair clip, pulled off the mascara from my lashes with pool water, then smeared the last of it off with a towel. Then it was on! I proved myself in the 5 meter freestyle and played all time defense in the stick dive. Landen and I perfected the duo cannon ball, and Mari and I cuddled and "chilled" on the steps. (It only got up to high 80's today) Silly, silly, swimmers.

Then, as though the Holy Spirit spoke to Philip and I in the shallow end simultaneously, we looked at one another and whispered, "Domino's?" Not the game tiles, the dinner delivery! Ashlin wanted to eat by candle light, so we dried off, and walked home. I made a veggie platter to offset the pizza, and Ashli gathered all our candles from the last power outage. The dining room was warm with the glow of the gathering. We sat together at the table for the second time in one day! I said, "This is a lovely meal." Ashli agreed, "Yep, 'cause I thinked of it!"

Broiler s'mores, a little more Olympics, and one more little blog concludes this evening.

Thank You, God, for family day! Thank You for lavishing Your love on us and calling us Your children.

Mercies

"They are new every morning...new every morning. Great is Thy faithfulness, O Lord, great is Thy faithfulness!"

I went to a ladies' Bible Study class during Sunday School and was so blessed. The teacher used an analogy for my struggle to progress that is so much better than anything I could come up with. She said that sometimes we shift into "neutral" in our lives, thinking, "I'll just hang out here for a while, let the dust settle, bide my time until the next big thing...". She continued to explain that those thoughts might not be so bad if we were on level ground. She said that the Christian walk is on an incline. Therefore, if you're in neutral, you're actually slipping backward.

That's what I've been trying to say!!!

Corporate worship is good for the soul. I NEEDED to worship standing near my husband. We were together - in the Presence of our Loving, Patient Father. We were focused on God and His Love. It was good.

The devil apparently thought it was good, too. By the time we were in the car, we were already struggling to be "of one accord". Soon after we arrived home, I went to the kitchen sink to start lunch and it smelled like death. Before church, Philip had found a tupperware dealie from Wednesday's lunch in his truck and tossed it in the sink. I was gagging. I rinsed it out, but it was BAD. I asked him to please wash it out so the smell would not ruin our lunch. From there it was a devilish blur. I might have actually called my husband an ass on the Lord's Day. Mercifully, God's love [to which we are wholeheartedly devoted] prevailed. By lunchtime, we were good. Smiling, giggling, good.

The whole family lingered at the table for SkipBo and Folger's Creme Brulee'. Now we're headed outside to drive some golf balls and take a stroll. Plus on Family Day!

Thank You, God, for hearing my prayer. Thank You for never sleeping and always listening. I trust You to keep molding me and making me into who you intend for me to be. Thank You for my family. Draw us closer to You and give us a hunger for Your Word. Thank You for Your AMAZING faithfulness. I love You!

Home Improvement

This is probably not going to be a cheerful post. If you're not in the mood, I understand. Come back later and I'll have the hap-hap-happiness up and running again.

Before I begin, I must say, "I love my husband. I chose him out of all the people in the world. I love him. I WANT to be married to him. Sharing our lives together brings me joy"(for the most part). I just don't know where the line is. That very fine line. The line between being quietly content and silently complacent. There are things around my house with which I am not pleased. Some related to resources, and others related to...well, the people I'm related to. Do I just go on living or attempt to change?

I have had the same carpet remnant in the middle of my living room for five years. I paid $90 for it then, and believe I've gotten more than my money's worth. So I bought a new, twice as large, twice as expensive remnant. I am now able to spread my furniture out and enjoy the freedom from the 12x7 anchor. But I feel guilty. I love it. I love the layout that it affords. I wonder if I really needed to replace the rug, though. Perhaps I could've gotten another year or two out of the other one. Was it wrong to want to improve? Was it time? Was I not willing to be content? Isn't it wonderful to have the extra space for fellowship among friends and family? Couldn't I have had that same space with no rug? Contentment or Improvement?

During the past couple months, our family has been characterized by separation and lack of unification...geographically at times, but more often spiritually & emotionally. I keep waiting for things to "get back to normal". But I feel like I'm chasing a runaway train. It's speeding toward the dark, distant horizon with my entire family on board. They seem to be having a moderately fun time, in an oblivious sort of way, but they don't seem secure. So now who's disharmonious? Me? Why am I not on the train? That might be a life size cardboard cut-out of my likeness propped next to the cute, bald guy. They think I'm playing SkipBo with them, talking about the four baseball games from today or the Cowboys or the Olympics. I'm not! I'm back here. The exhausted runner, panting and waving. The muted screamer, impatiently waiting for things to change.

What else? The paint in the kitchen and bathroom that I applied two and half years ago when we moved in, is chipping and peeling. It has had quite a bit of "help". It bothers me when I see it. I know my kids did it. By the transitive property, I am bothered by my kids. Yuck. I am willing to repaint. I want to repaint. I suspect someone will mess it up again. That will bother me greatly. Double-Yuck. Do I commit to endure or seek to improve?

Philip and I don't pray or read the Bible like we have in the past. I want to be patient. I want him to lead out. I want him to want to. We are each reading and praying. But we're just leaving each other out. I have big stuff coming up. I NEED him to "wash me in the water of the Word". He NEEDS me to pray for him WAY more than I do. Why do other things take priority? Why do we GIVE other things priority? What are we modeling for the kids? Am I content to submit? I want to press on! Would contentment bring endurance? What would I have to ignore to be quiet? Maybe I need to shut my eyes to the things that bother me. What if the Lord is trying to open my eyes to them?

Baseball. You know I'd end up here. Besides hormones, nothing negatively affects my mood more than baseball. Practice 3 nights a week. Two games per son per Saturday. Hundreds of dollars. Months of kingdom living. For what? Since Philip is coaching Luke's team, that leaves Landen needing to travel to games and practices. I didn't go today. I sent him with his coach. I felt awful, but not awful enough to go. I halfway thought I might need to watch a friend's children today, so I used that as an excuse. The truth is that I did not want to pay for gas and drive an hour and a half to sit with three girls for five hours. Selfish? Sensible? I don't really care about Luke's team...I just let Philip handle everything and I basically write them off on those evenings & weekends. But I feel like Philip signed Landen up for this and then said, "Yeah, you're gonna have to be with the girls fifteen hours a day with no help from me AND you'll have to load them up to go with you as you follow Landen around East Texas."

It's not like we're busy with other stuff. We're not juggling music, karate, dance and equestrian lessons. We -and by that, I guess I mean they - just do baseball. Ten months out of the year. And the two months that overlap are deer season!!! What really disturbs me is that I'm sending some warped message to my daughters that women just sit around making sure everyone is clothed and fed and men get to do whatever it is they "need" to do. Heck - I'm sending that same message to my boys. ARGH!

We have one weekend in the next 10 in which there is no baseball. I recently learned that Philip plans to fish a tournament that weekend. A night tournament where he'll be gone all evening/night and when he returns, he'll need to sleep most of the day to recover. Lovely. Stuck at home with the kids AND we need to be quiet. I cannot endure if there is no hope for [an even brief] return to normalcy. Is this our new normalcy? (For the record, he asked me before he solidified the plans. So technically it's my fault if I'm upset. I don't know why I need him to make selfless decisions on his own. If I make his selfless decisions for him...well I guess they are purely outside himself...ironic?? I don't want to be the bad guy, the parade rainer, the bubble popper. I want to be a fun girl!)

I thought this might be therapeutic to journal, however, my blood pressure and dull headache would indicate otherwise. Not sure where to go from here. I know that scripture indicates that there's no middle ground. You're either gathering or scattering. You're either hot or cold, for Him or against Him. When I feel like our family is not advancing -being transformed by the renewing of our minds, then I fearfully assume we're regressing and being conformed to the world. I want to fight for what is right. But I want peace. I want joy.

Is there a divine way to do both: go on living and attempt to change; be constantly content and be consistently progressing. Is that it? How? I need help. I need prayer. Lots and lots of prayer.

Father, hear my cry. Help me see with Your eyes. Help me receive Your instruction and Your forgiveness. Help me share in love. Help.