Who is on first?

      I don't know about any of you, but we are usually on the go, busy, always doing something. Plans come up, mishaps happen.  That's life in the busy 21st century.  So, when you stand before God at the gates of heaven, what are you going to tell Him if he asks you, "Where have you been?"

     As a parent, trying to teach my five darlings to put God first in their lives isn't always easy.  My children have things they want to do on Wednesday nights when there is Bible study. They wait until the last minute of the weekend to finally mention they have a big assignment due Monday morning, just like many kids. My kids are involved in activities out in the community that may involve their daily participation.  My daughter gets invited to Saturday night sleepovers with her school friends.   It truly is hard to say, "No" sometimes. But, we are teaching them to put God first in their lives.

     See, if things keep "popping" up, eventually it just gets to be a habit to skip Bible study, to skip private prayer time, to not open your Bible during the week, to miss church, to forget about fellowship.  Pretty soon, as you let more and more things interfere with God's time, there won't be enough time left. If there is some left, it will just be a "habit" and not a true relationship with God.


     Remember the Proverb (22:6) that says, "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."   It is our parental responsibility to raise our children to love God, to obey Him, and to put Him first!  A dear homeschool, facebook friend of mine shared this take on Proverbs 22:6 a week ago and it really made me think~ " To bring up a child in the way he should go, travel that way yourself once in a while."

    That made me think about what sorts of things I put before God. Do I miss out on Bible times or times of prayer because I am doing something pointless? Facebook? A game on my phone? Texting someone? Watching a TV show? What about you? 

    How can we expect our children to love God and put Him as a top priority when we as parents don't lead by example? The answer is easy~ We can't. 

    When we are standing before God will it matter how good of a gymnast we are? A clarinet player? A ball player?  Does that mean that God doesn't want us to have fun? No way!  Of course God wants us to have fun!! Who do you think gave us those talents?  However, he doesn't want us to forget about Him just because we have those talents and abilities! 


    As we approach summer, and all the fun things that go along with that, consider the time, or lack there of, that you spend with God. Can you make time for Him, after all look what He did for you and I. Is He really asking that much from us?  

    

Long lost extended family....and me.

     As some know, with the passing of my Aunt Maxine about two months ago, I have no family left on my mother's side of the family.  On my dad's side of the family, however, there are many people. Family members that I remember very well from when we lived up north...and others I really never dreamed of meeting, but have been able to connect with through facebook.
     Facebook is a wonderful tool to keep in touch with family and I am thankful that I have been able to utilize it as such.  I have been able to connect with my two cousins George and Ed, my Aunt Mary and Uncle Jim, and a couple of little cousins Amanda and Nick. I have never met Nick before and haven't seen Amanda since she was five. Twenty years ago now.  I have been talking to George on the phone and have been able to text his mother, my Aunt Vera. 
     There have been other relatives too, namely four cousins and an Uncle that I tried to reach out to...but did not seem to reciprocate the same excitement that I did when I found them.  I do remember them pretty well, mostly from family Christmas parties when I was a kid, and before we moved to Iowa. How to handle that? Well....it is hard. Why does it upset me? It is just how I am. 
     See, what they don't know about me is that I am just looking to reconnect with my family. I don't NEED anything from them...I just want to get to know them. And like most people, my feelings get hurt when I am treated like an outcast for things that were out of my control, if there is actually a reason in the first place! I wouldn't know, because not one word was said to me. Not one.
     Sometimes, wouldn't it just be easier to walk up to someone, shake them and shout, "I am a person with feelings. I didn't do anything to you. I am not a criminal. I do not have the plague. I don't want anything from you.  I just want to get to know you!"  
     The other person that I have reconnected with is by far the most special to me....and I have never met him, and may never get to. He is my half brother. He is sixteen years older than I am and lives in San Diego, Ca.  I have always, and I mean always wanted a brother or sister...and now I do.  However, it isn't like a typical relationship obviously. To be honest, he probably didn't even know about me until I contacted him on facebook a short time ago.  Same thing with him...I just want to get to know him and would love to have him be a part of my life. SO...what do I do? I make assumptions about him not wanting to talk to me anymore, delete him...only to friend him again because I knew I had made a mistake. ugh! Thankfully, he forgave me for being stupid and reminded me that there are issues that I don't know about with the other relatives, obviously stuff that I don't know about. 
     He basically reminded me to stay on the high road. Now why didn't I think of that? Instead of being petty and catty, I should have just let things run their course so to speak. SO...that is what I am doing now. I will let things work themselves out. I have done all that I can. It is now out of my hands.

     Family. Wow. When I think about my mom's side and my dad's side....it is  just so different. I sure hope that I am raising my children to always love and care for each other into adulthood. I want them to enjoy each other, grow with each other, have many children who will grow up the same way. If there needs to be a change....it will start with me. I want my family back together. If that starts with my children~ fine. I don't want them to have to feel the pain that I feel  when family outright ignores you. It is just not nice.

     That said. I am done complaining about things I can't control. Not a single one of us has control over things. I will concentrate on getting to know the family that I have reconnected with and my half brother who will never know or understand how just knowing I have a brother makes me smile a little brighter. =)

    Family. Wow. Truly a gift from God. Thank you sweet Jesus for my beautiful family, my amazing husband, my parents, my in laws, my super incredibly smart, talented and beautiful children.  Please, don't let me take them for granted...ever.

A Fresh Start....

     Don't ask me why I needed a new blog. It really isn't going to be any different than the last one outside of a new title and look.  I don't even know exactly what to do with a blog. I think I finally have the look I want after a few hours of work.  I also decided on a new email address and couldn't figure out how to do all of the switching and since my last one wasn't used very much....why not have a new blog?

     A little bit about me, without going overboard: I am a Christian. I do my best to live my life as God would want me to. I spent my early twenties attempting to tell God how I was going to live my life.  I have spent the rest of my adult years trying to do the opposite. I pray very often and over everything!What made me turn my life back towards God?  I will share that around February 27 on a very special day! God has worked amazing things out in my life...and He will yours too, if you let Him!

     I am a wife to my Prince Charming who saved me from so much! Nobody but God could have put us together! He works very hard so that I can stay at home with our five children~ four of which are home educated.  I have one boy, age 11, and four girls that are 10, 6, 4, and 1.  We live on a small 43 acre farm in Southern Illinois next door to my in laws. Yes, I get along with my in laws! lol. I think Michael's father said that our children are the fifth generations on this land.  We are currently in the middle of rehabbing Michael's grandmother's house and hope to be in there shortly. Pray!

     My self personally, I was born in a suburb of Chicago and was raised there until I was nine. Then my dad, mom and I moved to Southeast Iowa and lived in my Great-Grandmother's house who had passed away.  I have wanted to be a lawyer for as long as I could remember...however, God had other plans for my life and that is fine. I enjoy singing, reading, playing my organ and clarinet, history, politics, shopping, flagging, and learning new things! I grew up in a very New Testament church, and I am just now learning Old Testament things! Very cool! I do not like doing dishes or the laundry.

     I really love to do genealogy as well.  My mother's side of the family is complete through 1737 and is traced to England. My ancestors that came to the US, later became Mormons. I did not grow up as a Mormon as my great-grandmother left the church when she married outside of their religion. My biological father's side was from Poland and was Jewish. I have them traced to 1708.  There are many stories that I am uncovering from that side!  My step father (who I will always call dad) is from Watford, Ontario, Canada. His father died when my dad was twelve. Shortly after they moved south to the US with my grandmother. My dad, aunts, and uncle grew up in a place called Mooseheart in Northern Illinois.

     That is my life in a nutshell! Now tell me you didn't want to know all of that!?!