Making Sense of This Jumble I Call a Brain

My mind is rushing back and forth with so many thoughts. I'm having definite trouble corralling them into submission. As is my custom, I will write them out to try to find some sense of order.

1. Christmas. hmmm. Christmas. That means gifts. 4 children, older children, expensive children. But the great thing about my kids is that they don't ask for much. They're pretty content. In a way, that makes it harder. If they really only want one thing, but that thing is $200... well, you see my dilemma.
which leads directly to the next item...

2. Money. Ugh. I hate money. If I have too much, I get all cozy with it and want to spend it. If I have too little, I struggle with sleep and my idols of comfort. Plus, my hubs is pretty miserable at his job, Obamacare and all, and I would love to get our budget to where we don't live off of as much to give him some breathing room were he to want to look for something else. I'm trying to spend less.

Spending less is almost always possible with enough planning. As Will Ferrell said in his impersonation of George W, it's all about the strategery. Deliberate, strategic planning. Saves money but it tends to wear me out.

I'm worn out.

3. School. I really should be writing a history lesson right now. My mind is all over the place, not in Antarctica like it needs to be.

4. My oldest child's future. I know. I know. God is in control of her future. I know His will cannot be thwarted. And at the same time, I am responsible to guide, teach and push her. So many doubts. And SATs. I'm silent screaming right now. No need to freak out the 16 year old.

5. Why can I not keep my kitchen clean right now? Seriously! For two weeks now, my kitchen has not been completely clean. It's ridiculous. I just can't keep up. I feel it taunting me right this minute... "There's sauce on our counters. Our sink needs to be bleached. When is the last time you scrubbed our stovetop?" I hear you, you stupid kitchen!!! Keep your pots on!

6. My dining room is once again full. Not of football stuff or wedding stuff, but church decor stuff. I really, really, really want to decorate the church but I can't do it by myself. I'm too unsure of myself. I need the safety of a "committee". I want to see the finished product AND I want my dining room back.

7. Why is Brody still coughing? He needs to stop that and get well already.

8. I checked airline tickets to Manchester today. That's how badly I want to watch Breaking Dawn with my friend Ginger. Alas, the tickets are $800. Is too much! (imagine an Italian accent on that last bit.) But I can dream, right?

9. Speaking of Breaking Dawn. Wow. The other previous movies were adequate. This one is a good movie actually. Twisty ending, happy ending, me likee.

10. I need to make a checklist. Several, really. To Do lists for: Thanksgiving, Christmas gifts, School Short Term, School Long Term, Church Decorating, House Decorating for Christmas, etc.

11. Repentance. Faith. Then some more repentance. With a side of self-awareness and a pinch of repentance.

I'm sleepy.

Pre-Vacation Week

The week before a vacation is always so busy. I know it's my fault. I try to cram as much into that week as possible. This week is no exception.

My plan for the week was:
Monday - Senior High English Co-op, school, ballet for Grace, Faculty meeting at 7, football meeting at 8.
Tuesday- field trip to the zoo
Wednesday - Go to Atlanta to spend one last day with my sis-in-law before she moves to San Francisco
Thursday - pack, pizza party for the youth
Friday - co-op, home to clean and finish packing
Saturday - finish everything up in an unhurried fashion.

What actually happened:
Monday - as planned
Tuesday - zoo field trip, but on the way home the olders remembered they needed Halloween costumes so we stopped off at the Thrift Store for a couple of hours. Then a trip to Sam's to return some stuff. Then Amber called to tell me her brother I've not seen in years is at her house and do I want to stop by? Absolutely!
Wednesday - stomach virus. No Meghan. I cry.
Thursday - finish all the kids' co-op for Friday. Shove pencil under my toenail, by accident I assure you. Hand off all the football bins to Coe. Pizza party.
Friday - Co-op, meet Coe at Sam's to give her gift card I should have given her yesterday. Take Mags and Brody to pediatrician for sickness. Go to pharmacy. Drop girls at the Hansen's. Get home an hour after people get to my house. Make lists with the help of dearest Tilly.

Notice that ZERO packing got done. No house work either. Van is also disgusting.

Plan for Saturday (today) -
Clean house. Kids are working industriously.
Pack. Ehh. Some is done. Still need suitcases out of the attic.
Finish school assignments to post, print directions. Internet is messed up. Call company and they fix it.
Purge van. Need to invent vehicle enemas.

Bright spots? Pandora radio. G coming for supper! Vacation starts tomorrow. Yay!

Fellowship of the Saints

There are times when church planting is very lonely. Times when you feel forgotten, marginalized or even abandoned. This is true of every church planter I've ever spoken with. It is in those times that I become so self-focused my eyes are completely crossed. There are short moments of this and there are the seemingly endless days of this. I have experienced both.

And then God moves.

God is so gracious in his movement. He reminds. He disciplines. He teaches. Sometimes in the quietness of my heart and sometimes in the public display of himself.

Things in Springville have been going so well. I see how we are becoming family to each other and loving each other so well. I spend most days with friends from here. We watch each others kids, trade recipes, go to the movies. It's great.

Burt preached once about fellowship not just being person to person but also church to church. That moved me to thought. How does that even work?...  I'll tell you.

It's knowing that while we were sleeping, 2 churches across the Atlantic were praying for us. It's getting an invitation in the mail from another pca church inviting our women to an event. It's someone stopping by with excitement in their face and exclaiming, "I was going home to Georgia and saw your sign. Our church prays for you guys every Sunday!" It's when another church has to have a cut off on their sign up sheet for a work day with us, even though they live two hours away. I could go on and on and on.

God moves. And we are encouraged. He is so good to us!

Planning Another Trip

I love planning trips. I was talking with my Dad this week about this. We think planning is part of the fun of going somewhere. Gas stops, menus, outings, it's all part of the fun.

This time last year I was heavy into planning our family trip to England. It does not seem like a year. My kids talk about it all the time. Either it's the people, the church, the mall, the walking, the food, something. They loved it there. So much so that some people believe God has called us to move there as missionaries!

This year, on the same date - October 28th, we are going to Ft. Lauderdale to see my first cousin and his wife. I am so stinkin' excited. I love Brad and Mandi. I love talking about kids, churches and theology. I love that our senses of humor are so similar. I love everything about them.

Plus, they live in South Florida. Less than an hour from Miami. Where it's still sunny and warm. We're going to see the Everglades and the coral reefs of Key Largo. And we're going to church with them at their new church plant. It's going to be awesome.

Chris is flying down and back. He can't take the 14 hour drive and it would be awful for him to have to take 2 of his 6 off days just to travel. The kids and I will drive. We're going to leave a couple of days before Chris and spend some time in Orlando with our friends the Blairs and LaFountains. That will be fun! We'll all end up in Ft Lauderdale on the same day.

I have been studying the maps and planning out our food menu. I've already started buying snack food for the drive. I'm also harassing Ty into getting his permit so he can help with the driving. Some people think all this planning ruins the trip but I say nay-nay. I love the planning and the anticipation. Bring on the empty suitcases and the lists!

He's so cute. Especially when he's reading Augustine.

My Home

 The above picture is a view of the street on which we live. The leaves are just starting to change colors. I love the curve! That's my driveway on the right. I was coming back from a walk... when you come to my house, you come down that hill and the drive is on the left.

 I was walking at the Springville Park and saw this beautiful blue herron. I wonder if they are still endangered? I also saw the usual three ducks and some gigantor snapping turtles.

 While I was walking the kids were playing. Sophia and I finished up our teaching really early, so we let the kids (13 of them) walk from the church to the park. That's over a mile, but it's sidewalks all the way. I love living in Springville. Where else (but in England) can your kids still walk everywhere?

This picture is just so I can have proof that I kept two ferns alive for an entire summer!!! Yay, me! I've never done that before. I have to give credit to Tilly for telling me how to manage it. But look at it! Isn't it lovely!?!? I also kept two geraniums mostly alive too. There may be hope for me yet!

First Day Without Facebook

Other than a few episodes of withdrawal, so far so good. I found myself not quite knowing what to do when I had a few free minutes.

I think I'll give you a timeline of my day.
7:00 am- wakey wakey, followed by a walk
8:10- wake the kids
8:30- Bible
9:00- math with Brody and Gracie, followed by reading and science
9:45- Maggie and Ty leave for anatomy
12:30- leave house. Drop off Brody at the Lee's and pick up Hannah and Daniel
1:00- English Co-op starts
2:30- school ends and the kids walk to the park
3:45- Ballet, drop Gracie off and run to gas station and Walmart
4:30- Pick Gracie up and stop by Karen's house
5:15- arrive home, cook supper
6:30- Family Night! We decide to give Time Bandits a go. Eeh. It's okay, I guess. Terribly sacrilegious.

The park was lovely. I took a picture of a blue heron and all the kids playing. It was one of those beautiful, perfect moments.

Dinner and a movie with the fam is one of my favorite pastimes. I love being with my kids and snuggling up to Chris.

All in all, it's been a busy but good day. I feel like I accomplished so much more by not checking my Facebook every thirty minutes.

Now to decide if I should go to a weekly football meeting... hmmm...

First Mobile Post

This is me, trying to blog from my smart phone. I don't know if I'm doing this correctly but it's worth a go. Right?

Weight Loss

http://www.platesaspinning.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-wild-and-wacky-world-of-weight-loss.html

My friend blogged about her wight loss journey and I found it to be very encouraging. Click and read if you need some grace!

It's Time for a Break

For those of you who are interested, there is a reason that I'm taking a Facebook break. Facebook took a post intended for a private group and not only posted it to the private group page, but also posted it to a third party's wall. Not cool. I am still unsure of the consequences of that. I'll try to remember to keep you posted.

I am going to try to figure out my Blogger app. It would be super fun and handy to post pictures straight to my blog. Cross your fingers.

Now let's pretend that I had to come up with a status right this minute... Hmmm.... I think it would say, "Such a lovely Sunday. I'm sitting on my couch with an open window at my back, listening to the rain and reading. (and blogging!) Plus, I got to partake of Communion this morning AND wear my boots for the first time this season. It's been a good day!"

There ya go.

To Football or Not to Football?

I am tempted to sigh right now. Football is officially in full swing. I placed my Sam's order yesterday and picked it up today. Just that order was 3 flatbeds and over a thousand dollars. I still have to go to the Dollar Store and buy other stuff.

My house is full of bins and piles of stuff. I should post a picture, but I'm too lazy. I should be going through the bins and reorganizing everything. I should be printing out the menus and sign-in sheets. I should be finishing my shopping. ...

...

I choose to blog.

...

Four out of my next five Saturdays are football. I enjoy being useful and serving the community. I enjoy the rush and readiness of it all. I like the people I'm serving with. But it does get tiring to be in the "Cave" from 8-4 and end up stinking like grease.

I think God is gently moving me in another direction. I have been involved with football, in one form or another, for the past 5 years. I genuinely like the people, but I've come to the conclusion that I will never be one of them. I'll never be part of their in-crowd or be invited to the cook-outs.  I am an outsider. I know they like me too but it's just different. That's not why I got involved in the first place. I just wanted a way to serve. I'm not so sure that it's actually helping them anymore.

I'm beginning to see other ministry opportunities and wonder where they will lead. I have no idea. I've learned not to try to see the future. God will move and I will follow and that is that. Right now, I am still in football. Right now I'm brainstorming with the ladies from church of ways to beautify the church. Right now I'm hanging out with the lovely friend who I think will be my right hand in Women's Ministry. (Or I will be her right hand, either way...)

It's all good. Seriously. God is very good to me.

The Poor and The Fatherless

There are so many things going around on facebook right now about "Taking America Back". And the fundamentalists are all about keeping God in America. My sweet, precious grandmother is one of them. I don't know how to break it to her, America is not God's chosen people.

Oh gosh, I know some who read this are getting really, really angry with me right now. But hear me out. "If my people, who are called by my name..." That was not a prophetic utterance about the United States of America. It was about his people. Those belonging to him. Romans 8:16 - the Spirit testifies that we are his children. By the work of Christ on the Cross. Not by the work of our Founding Fathers.

I totally understand and agree that our welfare and immigration systems are completely broken and jacked up. I get that. I know they need lots of reform. But to hear Christians in the name of Christ say that we need to cut off these illegals who are "taking all our jobs and getting freebies" makes me ill. As in sick and angry. To hear the church say that all those poor people need to "get a job and get off drugs" ticks me off.

Let's go to the Scriptures, shall we? Deuteronomy 10:14-20
"To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. ¹⁵ Yet the Lord set his affection on your ancestors and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations—as it is today. ¹⁶ Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. ¹⁷ For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. ¹⁸ He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. ¹⁹ And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt. ²⁰ Fear the Lord your God and serve him."

The church has forgotten the fact that WE ARE ALIENS. We were naked, hungry and sick and our heavenly father adopted us as his children. How can we then turn around and ignore the fatherless and foreigner?

And here's the kicker. The government shouldn't even be the ones taking care of the poor. It should be the church. The very people wanting to close the border and cut people off are the very ones who should be taking care of them, advocating for them.

I confess, I was one of them. Sometimes I still am. I don't get it right. There's a whole lot more going on that I've mentioned in this little post. But I think that when we look at the poor, no matter where they're from, and we feel no movement toward compassion, that's a red flag. Christianity is not the icing on top of the "Normal" cake. It should affect how we view everything around us. I need to repent too. 

Roasted Adventures

My cooking has gotten so lazy. I'm serious. Corn, rice, potatoes, canned green beans. The end. Gross. This week I took Brody and Gracie with me to shop for new and exciting veges. We came home with lima beans, broccoli (which we LOVE and I got out of the habit of buying), asparagus, brussel sprouts, mixed vegetables, squash and avacado. I'm cooking the brussel sprouts right now. We're trying roasted sprouts because I love roasted vegetables. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, maybe some garlic salt and voila! Done. I really hope my family likes them. We need to get away from so many carbs.

What is your family's favorite vegetable? How do you cook it? Let me know in the comments. Thanks!!!

You Like What?!?

Culturally speaking, I found the closing ceremonies of the Olympics to be... peculiar. I liked some of the music and some of the display. The guy from Monty Python was funny. I liked the Freddy Mercury part. But then there were other parts that missed the mark, in my opinion.

The funny thing is: my peeps in the UK loved it. I mean LOVED it. It made them, one and all, proud to be British.

Then there was the Latin American, Brazilian, spectacle. Half dressed women, men in loin clothes and disco-decked out men with perms. Hmm. The music was repetitive, not harmonious. To put it simply, it was weird.

So I am left asking myself some questions. What am I missing? How can anyone like this? What the heck?

It is so easy for me to dismiss someone's culture, because that's what it is. It is someone's culture. It doesn't resonate with me because there are pieces of their life that I am missing.

Sociologically speaking: "Culture consists of the beliefs, behaviors, objects, and other characteristics common to the members of a particular group or society. Through culture, people and groups define themselves, conform to society's shared values, and contribute to society. Thus, culture includes many societal aspects: language, customs, values, norms, mores, rules, tools, technologies, products, organizations, and institutions. This latter term institution refers to clusters of rules and cultural meanings associated with specific social activities. Common institutions are the family, education, religion, work, and health care." - cliffsnotes.com

I think Americans, in particular, dismiss other cultures as irrelevant. Remember Manifest Destiny? No one cared about the Native American culture. They needed to stop it and get with the program. That's also what the Spanish did in South America.

We cannot possibly minister effectively in another culture without respecting who they intrinsically are. So while I don't "get it" sometimes, that does not mean it is wrong. It's just different and sometimes weird to my western, American sensibilities.

Before our last trip to England, when we were going to be taking the kids, my dear friend Laura sent me a book about America culture. So much of it was hidden right in front of my eyes. Other cultures do NOT value fun and entertainment and self-reliance. Did you know that? They don't measure success the same way. They value family much more than Americans. Other people look at us and "don't get it."

The implications make my head spin. SUVs, religion, how we educate, what we play, it all ties into a cultural norm that we don't even realize exists until confronted with something different. I talk about living deliberately, purposefully and thoughtfully. Thinking and learning about other cultures helps me do that. Even if it makes me appear strange and out of sync with the people around me.

There are even sub-cultures within our American culture: Southern > Alabamian > Springvillian. Or American > Bible Belt > Presbyterian (which is different from Southern Baptist)

Just something to think about. It makes my brain stretch a bit and I like that.

Photo Book

Click here to view this photo book larger

Photo Book Tip: Create an adventurous travel photo album at Shutterfly.com.

I posted in the Homeschool Blog today. Just thought I'd share...

Best Idea Ever!!!

Ty and I came up with the best idea! I'm serious. We dreamed up a land/subdivision development.

We shall call it... Middle Earth.

It will be a Lord of the Rings living experience. Within the subdivision there will be different areas. They will be called The Shire, Rohan, Gondor and Mordor. The homes built in each would reflect the architecture of each.

The Shire would have be all natural materials, rounded lines, picket fences. It could have a big Party Tree.

Rohan would have stone and wooden structures, maybe with some horse pastures.

Gondor would be white stone with sharp edges and points.

Mordor would be very modern and industrial. Lots of windows and metal.

We could add a hiking area called the Misty Mountains or a wooded wildlife area called Fangorn Forest.

Now you tell me? Would you not want to live there?!?!? How cool would that be?

Does anyone have a few million dollars I could borrow???

Bringing Blogging Back

The title of this blog is a bit of a wave to Justin Timberlake. Sorry, he's a guilty pleasure. Don't judge. Anywho...

My first cousin, who is also one of my loveliest friends, Jennifer, has decided to punt Facebook and go to a strict blog diet. Many of the comments that were directed at her when she posted this decision on Facebook were unsupportive. Some were incredulous. One person even said, "There's got to be a better solution!" O.M.G! Give up Facebook? Are you insane???

I think people have forgotten that we lived a long time without Facebook. Now, there are certain things about it that I love. I love that I can easily find friends from ages ago. Last week, I had lunch with my high school friend Matt. We would not even know how to begin connecting without Facebook. With FB it was super easy. A few PMs and voila! I took my two oldest to the orthodontist in B'ham and then met up with Mattie in Hoover. It was great!

But...

1. Group invites
2. Drama
3. TMI
4. False cheerfulness
5. Pushiness
6. Bad theology
7. Time waster
8. Farmville!!!
9. My Birthday Calendar
10. Duck-lipped pictures (Pouty face!)

I could go on, but I feel myself getting annoyed.

If someone wants to give up FB, that's fine. I do wonder if that can be easily done. My friend Lissa tried but discovered that organizations, churches and families make plans using ONLY Facebook. So if you're not on there, you won't know a single thing about it. That's rough. I know in Springville we have to remember to send out emails and texts, as well as FB. Otherwise, there are people who won't hear about it.

In closing, (because I am rambling) live and let live. Blog, Facebook, texting, email, or no internet at all... Can't we all just get along?


heehee, I cracked myself up

To The Future Me...

Slow day at the Sharp House today. I have spent the day reading. All. Day. Long. For the first time in ages and ages. Loverly.

John Ponder has been here for, let's see... nine days. Honestly, that boy could live here permanently and no one would mind. We love that guy.

Mags and Grace spent most of the day at the Hansen's. Brody and John both got bored about seven tonight and decided to do jigsaw puzzles. That was calmly pleasant until Brody decided to go get another one, a floor puzzle of the United States, and they started to race. Then it got exciting. The rest of us picked teams and jumped in. Then we finished at the same time! It was hilarious.

So now, Brody is looking at a magazine; Gracie and Maggie are eating; Ty and John are roaming the house being bored again. Chris is sleeping. One more hour until I wake him up. And I am blogging.

Like I said, it's a slow day. I'm only blogging it to remember it. Years from now, when they're all gone from home and I am sitting in my clean, quiet house, this post will make me smile. So, Future Me, smile. And maybe do a jigsaw puzzle.


And fold some socks, for heaven's sake!

Pop in for a Cuppa

I've been sitting here most of the day planning this year's school and visiting with friends who popped in for a chat. I loved it. I'm glad for the company and to not have to leave my couch.

One friend and I got talking about missions. Overseas vs home. Missions boards that send vs Raising support. It was a great conversation.

The negative side (if you want to look at it that way) is it got me to thinking about my other family in England and Ireland. *sigh* I know I will always have a hole in my heart that reminds me that I'm missing their daily presence in my life. I see their faces in my mind, hear their voices in my ear and would love for them to pop over, open my door after a quick knock (if at all) and make themselves at home.

I wonder if God will ever send us overseas. I wonder if that is in His plan for us. I know that we have always been open to it, but who knows. Maybe. I know that our role right now in overseas missions is to love them with our hearts wide open, willing to hurt with longing for them, and pray for them every day. And if God sends the opportunity and the money, we'll be on a plane faster than you can say, "Would you like a cuppa?"

Until then, I feel split in two. My heart is definitely here. I adore my new church family in Springville and the community God is building. I miss my other church family in Moody and see them when I can. But I miss my people across the pond. There is only one solution...

Oh, but won't heaven be lovely?