God's Supply

"Blessed are those whose strength is in You,

who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.

As they pass through the Valley of Baca

they make it a place of springs;

the autumn rains also cover it with pools.

they go from strength to strength,

till each appears before God in Zion...

O Lord Almighty,

blessed is the man who trusts in You."

Psalm 84:5-7,12

The word baca means tears or weeping. Though the Valley of Baca was an actual location in Palestine, the imagery the psalmist used in this sojourner's song is unmistakable. When life gets hard or we simply feel "worn to a frazzle," as my grandmother would say, it's time to take a deep breath and remind ourselves this place is not our home. We're just passing through on our way to a heavely Kingdom. We are pilgrims here. The supply of "strength to strength" implies the demand. In other words, as long as we're here, we're going to need it. And as long as we need it, God's going to supply it.--FEATHERS FROM MY NEST by Beth Moore

Yesterday wasn't such a good day. But I am so, so blessed. Instead of going to church - I had to get the grocery shopping done because I had plans to clean out the boys' bedroom today. Once I leave the house during the day, it seems my whole day disappears so I was determined to get the shopping done last night. I was so discouraged because of the way the house looked. Why bother cleaning it when no one else helps to pick it back up? How can I expect the boys to keep their room picked up when the mess that's created from too much stuff is just overwhelming them - kind of like my house does me! Scott - recognizing a cry for help - stayed home from church and got the house all picked up. He wanted to make sure that I could have a head start on the next day. Wow. He didn't have to do that. But he did. Cause he loves me... how thankful I am for him. Love love love him. Blessed am I!!

Even this??

It's been a down day. Woke up weepy for some reason. Probably because the dog wouldn't let me sleep much. Clay was up with a monstrous bloody nose. Forgot that I hadn't washed towels for the next day. Washing towels in the middle of the night. Perhaps I'm just getting too old to keep those kind of hours! How do I give thanks in all things? "Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live." (I Thessalonians 5:16-18) Okay Lord - does it still count even if I give thanks in all things begrudgingly? Probably not.....

I have started 30 Days of Thanksgiving and I needed to sit down today and really be thankful. It was hard at first because I just felt like I didn't have the energy to be thankful. I would rather lay on the couch and pout about what a rotten day it was. But this is not God's will for me. So I chose to be thankful - even when I didn't feel thankful. And you know what - I AM thankful. The more things I thought of - the more I realized how much I have to be thankful for. And so grateful to family and friends that love me - despite my shortcomings. And to a gracious God who is long-suffering and slow to anger ... thank You. For everything.

The One With The Faux-Hawk

My boys don't like blaring music. I'm assuming this will change because Mallory doesn't seem to have a problem with it... most teenagers don't. (Hey, I was once one of those too!) Tonight at church we had a gospel quartet. This was actually a younger group that sang some really good stuff. But - their speakers were turned to the max and you know, they want to showcase their talent so every song was a major event. Nolie and I are sitting on the third row. On one of their particularly peppy songs I look down at Nolan and see that he is folding his earlobes up and over the opening of his ear because the music is loud. I reached over and encouraged him to place his hands in his lap. His response to this was to slump down in the pew - grab his ankles - and proceed to try and cover his ears with his Ben10 shoe-covered feet. What a sight. I glance up to the stage and notice that one of the singers was becoming tickled at Nolan's antics. I mouthed the words, "Sorry" but at that point we both began to laugh. Good grief.

Well, Nolan finally adjusted to the music. And it was good. Quartet members usually dress alike or dress up. This group dressed up in suits. Nolan keeps trying to tell me something:
"Mom, you see that guy in the black suit?"
"Which one, honey? They are all wearing black suits."
"That one."
"The one singing?"
"No, the one holding the microphone like this," holding his hand in an open fist in front of his mouth. :-)
"Babe, they are all holding microphones." I smiled.
At this point, he is getting frustrated. Number one, he is having to whisper and number two, I can't seem to understand which member of the group he is talking about. So I lean a little bit closer.
"Which singer are you talking about? The one in the bright pink shirt?"
"No! The one with the faux-hawk."
Big word for my five year old.. Does he really know what a faux-hawk is?
"The one in the striped-shirt?" I ask because he is the only one in the group with a faux-hawk.
With a heavy sigh, Nolan closes one eye, brings his hand close to his face and points with his index finger speckled with green marker. "That one!"
It's becoming comical now. "The one playing the piano?"
The music gets soft and just before the audience begins to applaud - finger still pointing - in the quiet Nolan loudly says "Right there!"
I quickly reach over and put his hand back down. "Shhhhh. Okay - what about him?"
"Did he just say that Jesus was white as snow?" he asked - one eyebrow up and one corner of his mouth turned up.
I had to smile.
"Just listen to the music." I whispered.
"Okay." leaning his head against my shoulder.
I'm not even sure what song that came from. But it's nice to know he was somewhat paying attention. Covered ears and all. I'm excited for that time when Nolan knows what white as snow is all about. <3

Just Do What Comes Next

The dishes are waiting in the sink. The laundry is piled high - ready to be washed. There's toys scattered across the living room floor. There's homework to be done. Dinner to be cooked. Baths to be taken. .... and yet - fall is calling. There is a large pile of multi-colored crackly leaves outside ready to jump in. The air is cool - but oh, so nice for a bike ride down our dead end road. That sounds really nice but - I don't ride bikes. It's been 2 days since I did dishes. The laundry hasn't been done in 4 days. The dog is annoyingly barking at nothing outside. The boys are playing the Wii and fighting over a stack of Ritz crackers.(heavy sigh) Even in the midst of this chaos - I am still blessed. I once had a friend tell me that when everything needs to be done at once and you don't even know where to start - you just do what comes next. So, I'm going to plow through this mess - again - and be so thankful that I have a housefull of kids to make this mess. And remember those that aren't able to have children. I am going to load that dirty laundry in the washer and be so thankful for the ability to still care for my family. I am going to do those dishes and praise God that there's always plenty of food for those dishes. Toys, homework, dinner, baths - I'll take it. Love it. Cherish it. It won't last forever - and I'll miss it when it's gone. But then again - in twenty years I may look back on these moments and ask myself "why didn't I hire a housekeeper??" LOL Blessings!

Seventeen Years of Joy

I remember it like it was yesterday...... MANY YEARS EARLIER........ All the walking. In a big square. Over and over. Please don't send me home. Please don't send me home again. I WANT this to happen today... wait, what just happened? Uh, could you help me? Yes, it's in my socks. It DID??! Yes! My water broke!! I won't be going home! I'm having a baby today! ...... I went into labor early in the morning that particular day. But - I had been in labor before too! I had been taking pills to stop it. But this was the real thing. I got up showered. Put on make up. How sweet! I'm in labor and we're having a baby.... MANY HOURS LATER ..... 1,2,3, PUSH! 5,6,7, PUSH! It's a girl!! Oh, look at her - she's beautiful!! What's her name, Mom? It's Mallory. Her name is Mallory. Honey - you did it! I'm so proud of you! Why isn't she crying? She will - it's okay. And then there it was - that first wail that makes your heart sing. Wow. That crying baby belongs to me? I'm a mom! I'm a mom at last! Look babe - you are a Daddy!! Mom, Mom - look at your grandbaby!! .........   MANY YEARS LATER ....... Mom - I'm leaving for school. I've got late band practice. I'm gonna grab dinner after work. See you later! Love you! .......... That was a fast 17 years. One of those space/time things they don't prepare you for in lamaze class - or any class for that matter. We just brought her home from the hospital. She was just in my arms wrapped in a pinky fuzzy blanket.... she was just riding rides at the kiddy park.... learning how to ride a bike without training wheels.... having her tonsils out..... getting braces on....... getting braces off..... going to her first school dance...... driving herself to school.... I know what's coming. But I'm not going to look at it yet. I'm going to keep it hidden and just look at her. Beautiful. Ready to fly. God give me grace to just let her keep putting one foot in front of the other. I know that those steps are leading away from home but I know that You've got her. Keep her. Hold her tight. Be there when I can't. Cause that's my heart... walking around outside my body. Thank You God for the pure joy you have given me in her. Happy birthday sweetie. I love you.

Funny If You Know It

Can I just say that I love my kids?? All three of them have such unique humors and personalities and it just makes for great kids, if I do say so myself. :-) Clay had a song on his mind as he climbed into the van after school. But first, Nolan was telling Nana about Daddy's caggets that he found:  (Me) "Nolan did you tell Nana what you found in my room the other night?"
"Oh I found Daddy's caggets."
My mom looked at me and smiled. She asked, "What are caggets?"
"They're orange".
I started to get tickled but if he thinks you are laughing at him - he'll quit talking. So I kept my eyes on the road and laughter to myself.
"So what do you do with caggets Nolan?" she asked.
"You put them in your cagget spot." I couldn't hold back. I chuckled. I know, I know - but I had to ask. "Where is your cagget spot?"
"It's by your heart." he replied.
"Well, I'm glad you gave those to your mom cause I don't want you putting anything in your cagget spot." said Nana.
"That might be dangerous!" pipes in Clay. Dangerous indeed. :-)

If you are familiar with Reliant K then you are familiar with their song "Sadie Hawkins Dance". I would now like to give you the McNeice boys rendition of said song:  "Sandy Hawkins dance in my khaki pants, Oh oh oh. Nuh Nuh Guys. It's always a surprise. Nothin better than feeling like my sweater." Hee Hee Hee For those not familiar with the song: "Sadie Hawkins dance, in my khaki pants. Girls ask the guys. It's always a surprise. There's nothing better than do you like my sweater? Oh oh oh!" So they were singing Sandy Hawkins all the way home after school.

After we got home Clay hollered at me from his bedroom. "Hey Mom?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you know who the director of the Transformers movie is?" Why in the world he wanted this information is beyond me. "Uh, I don't know who directed those babe."
"It's Michael Bay."
"Oh, okay. Who's Michael Bay?"
He looked at me like - I just told you. "He's the guy that directed the Transformer movie. I just thought you might like to know that."
Now I know. Did I mention that I love my kids??

The Smoker in the Hallway

"Mom, we learned about the smoker in the hallway." Nolan said. My first inclination was to turn around and check to see who was in the house. "Oh, you did? What did you learn?" I replied. "When you see that thing on fire and hear the noise, you should stop, drop and roll." Make sure you check the batteries in your "smoker" (smoke detector) soon! Bean dumplings for dinner tonight. Probably a pumpkin pie to follow. Plan to cozy up with the family and just veg out in front of the TV tonight... ahhhh, love it when life slows down just enough to let you enjoy it!

A FEW HOURS LATER... the bean dumplins were great! It's a family recipe passed down from Scott's grandma - and it's goooood! No pie :-( Only managed to watch one show but you just never know what will transpire at our house. Clay really struggles with math. Partly ADHD, partly - he gets it from his mother. But we try to help him the best we can to learn his facts. Did you know that the school doesn't encourage kids to memorize math facts anymore? They get number lines, touch math, use your fingers but no memorization... anyway - Clay is just starting his multiplication tables. (Which is difficult for someone who doesn't have their basic addition facts memorized!) So to keep his brain active while we help him, he and Daddy toss a soft football back and forth while memorizing facts. Of course, Nolan wants in on this action. Clay is trying so hard to focus and all the while Nolan is hollering "Dad, I'm open! Dad, I'm open!" .... I sent Nolan to his room to play until we were done helping Clay. It was bedtime but I told Nolan he could play catch with Dad for just a minute. He was tossing back and forth and Scott was drooling - he can spiral the ball with either hand. He can catch the ball pretty good too. I decide to start playing catch and he begins to critique my throws... little nerd. ;-)  Scott starts to toss them pretty good at him and he starts dropping the balls. He said "Dad that's a bully slop - could you throw it right?" Bully. Slop. Bullyslop. I'm not sure how but I am definitely going to be working that one into my vocabulary!

What to say...

Not all blogs are filled with funny quips and moments filled with laughter. Some times they are bittersweet and difficult. I want so much to protect my family from hurts. Hurts we've all been through... disappointment in life, an unexpected move, the unknown reasoning for the demise of a friendship. Sometimes our disappointments are self-inflicted. Other times its just the way life happens. An unexpected move from the familiar to the unknown is always hard - regardless of your age - just ask one who has gone from a life of independence to the care home. I don't know what's worse - the sadness that comes from the end of a friendship or the torture of a new friendship rubbed in your face by your apparent replacement. Sometimes life is just hard. Difficult. But God, my friend, is always good. Self-inflicted disappointments can easily be remedied by viewing yourself the way God does: loved, forgiven, precious. There is nothing unexpected to God. He knew change was coming and knows it will make you stronger... remember to lean on the One who never changes. The calm in the storm - the place of safety - the friend that sticks closer than a brother... Jesus.

A Day by Design

Outside my window...

Burr, it's cold!
I am thinking...

I love my family so much.

I am thankful for...

muffalatta sandwiches.

I am remembering...

my grandma, how much I miss her.

I am going...

to build a fire tonight.

I am hoping...

everyone stays safe while traveling to football games tonight.

On my mind...

Terry, our youth pastor, on mission in Nepal.

Pondering these words...
Where reason cannot wade there faith may swim. —Thomas Watson
From the kitchen...

Hot cocoa tonight!

One of my favorite things...

laughing with my family.

I Found Dad's Caggets

Today was such a good day... I love it when your kids say stuff that you know will stick with you forever. I can still remember some of Mallory's first words that I didn't want her to ever learn to say correctly: mazgeen (magazine), canpakes (pancakes) hotcorn (popcorn), cowpetter (catapillar), wavoo (water). So precious! I was able to go visit my grandpa who was recently moved to a nursing home. We had a nice visit - the boys did pretty good... till they decided it was time to go. "Mom - I'm ready to get out of here." says Nolan. "Nolan that's not nice -we are here to visit." I said. "Well, I'm done visiting. Can we go home now?" Thankfully my grandpa remembers that there is really nothing for a nine year old and a five year old to do there. I decided it might be best to get them out of there before they started climbing up the walls.

We got home, Daddy made chili and we watched Monday night football. After picking up legos and barking out orders that it was time for bed, I sat down on the loveseat to put hydrocortisone cream on our dog Zoie's paws. She is currently going through a bout of OCD and can't seem to leave her paws alone. Nolan saw one look at her hairless paws and went running for the bedroom. "Clay! Clay! Come look at Zoie's paws!" Clay came running in with Nolan, stopped and looked closely at the dog's paws and said - "Eww, gross. You know, mom, I think we need to take her to the vegetarian!" To which Nolan replied, "Yeah, and to the doctor too!" To which Scott said, "Why do you care what the doctor eats?" The blank stare he got from the boys was priceless. Humor wasted on the young....

"Okay boys - time for bed!" I said. Clay didn't get to sleep until midnight the night before so I knew it wouldn't take long for him to settle in. We have tried several things to keep the boys in bed. Our latest idea is that we set the kitchen timer for "15 minutes" (which is actually 25 but they can't see that cause they are in bed!). They have to hold their eyes shut for "15 minutes". If they are still awake when the timer goes off, I will lay down with them for a bit. Clay went to sleep right away. But Nolan? Nope. He wasn't having any of that. He wanted to lay down with me. So he waited for the timer.... buzzzzzzzz. He sprang up out of bed - "Mom I'm still awake. I'm gonna go get in your bed and wait for you."

"Okay son - I'll be right there." A parent never moves fast enough for a five year old. Never. Nolan hollers for me.
"Mom! I found Daddy's caggets!" What?
"What honey? Could you say that again?"
"I said I found Dad's caggets!" I'm almost scared to ask.
"Okay. Can you bring them here?"
"Yeah" he said. Down the hallway he marches. Favorite blue blanket draped around his neck, he stretches out his little chubby hand and shows me two bright orange foam earplugs.
"Dad's caggets. See?" he said beaming with pride. "Thank you son." I told him. "You're welcome. Can we go lay down now?" Yes we can. Yep. Been a good day...