Silver Lining

We finally got our van back yesterday! (It was in the shop for a week, getting the scratches fixed.) So, it looks brand new again! It was completely detailed, inside and out, and I got to put 500 miles on a rental car, this past week, instead of on our van! Hee hee!

Oh NO he DIDN'T!!!

The boys and I just got back from the grocery store. All in all, it went pretty well... Until we were standing in the check out line and there was a woman in the line next to us who had pretty severe acne. I didn't really notice her, or the fact that Trevor was staring at her, until he said to me, "Are those leprosy dots?" Now, you would think that I would be immediately horrified. But, no. I couldn't understand what he was saying, so I asked him to repeat himself THREE times! When I finally realized what he was saying (while he was looking at her, of course), I just cupped his face in my hands and whispered, "Shhhhhhh...no, sweetie! We'll talk later!" I am 99.9% sure that no else heard. But, oh dear Lord! The adventures in grocery shopping with young children!

The end of an era...or is it?

There is a time for everything,

a season for every activity under heaven.

Ecclesiastes 3:1

In case you haven't noticed from my recent posts, I am going down a new path in my life! (I know the suspense is killing you, Jessica!) My journey began rather suddenly a couple months ago. In the natural it seemed as though this season of my life was coming to an end. The season in which I am to stay home and raise my children, as my youngest is entering Kindergarten! But, in my heart it didn't feel like it was meant to be over. Now I know why...

"You can't escape God's call on your life.

But when you look at it rightly,

you don't want to."

R.C. Sproul, Jr.

That quote is from a book I am reading right now called, "When you Rise Up. A Covenantal Approach to Homeschooling." Yes, you read correctly! We are going to Homeschool the boys! Now, I could write an entire book about the journey the Lord has taken me on to arrive at this decision, but the short of it (and the most important) is that it is what the Lord is calling me to do. One of the most exciting things, to me, about this process is the transformation I have gone through. I've gone from "No, Lord! Please not me!" (Can't you send someone else?) To where I am now, which is complete excitement, expectancy, and joy! The boys are excited, too, which is a direct answer to prayer! (Technically, today is the first day of summer vacation, but the first thing Gavin said to me this morning was, "Do we get to start school today?") The Lord has been so faithful in walking me through this process, as I have been faithful to obey Him! He's given me answers, guidance, confirmation, and grace, as I have asked and sought Him. (My previous posts will probably make a little more sense now, if you go back and read them.) I'll wrap this up with another quote by Sproul...

"When we trust God in obedience, He gives the grace we so desperately need."

"...His grace is sufficient unto the day. As we enter into knowing obedience, God leads us into seeing the joy, feeling the joy." (see Phil 2:13 and 2Cor 12:9.)

Phil 2:13 NLT

"God is working in you, giving you

the DESIRE and the POWER

to do what pleases Him."

Having Purpose...

When Alice was walking through Wonderland, she found herself at a crossroads. She was confused over which way she should go. Startled by the Cheshire Cat up in a nearby tree, Alice asked the Cat which way she should go. "That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the cat. Alice replied, "I don't much care where--" The cat saucily answered, "Then it doesn't matter which way you go." to be continued...

Scriptures that have been ministering to me lately...

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;

do not depend on your own understanding.

Seek His will in all you do,

and He will direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord.

"They are plans for good and not for disaster,

to give you a future and a hope.

In those days when you pray, I will listen.

If you look for ME in earnest,

you will find Me when you seek Me.

I will be found by you," says the Lord.

"I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes.

I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you

and bring you home again to your own land."

Jeremiah 29:11-14

Graduation

The cutest boys in the world!

Trevor's Pre-K graduation was last night.

As you can see, he was very happy!

I think all of our faces hurt from smiling ear to ear all night!

Welcome to Blogville...

Kim finally joined the blogging community! Yea! Check them out at:

www.cunninghamrules.blogspot.com

(I will also put their link to the right, for future reference.)

Enjoy!

People

What is WRONG with people? I don't get it! Here's the story... I went to Costco this morning to get gas and milk, as they are way cheaper there. I got gas first and I pulled up to the second pump because there was a car in front of me at the first pump. (There's a sign that says, "Pull all the way forward", which seems like a no brainer to me, but whatever.) By the time I finished pumping my gas, the car in front of me had finished and driven away. No sooner had I gotten in my van and closed the door a car pulled up behind me and started HONKING at me! I looked in my rear view mirror to see a woman with her hand's thrown up in the air, impatiently. So, I threw my hands up in the air in the same manner, as if to say, "What?". (In retrospect, that probably wasn't necessary, but at least I didn't make any other gestures!) I'm not sure what she expected me to do? Was she so impatient that she couldn't wait the 20 seconds it was taking me to put my seat belt on and put the keys in the ignition? Or was she mad because she thought I hadn't pulled all the way forward? At any rate, I went along my merry way, all the while with this woman laying on her horn at me! RIDICULOUS! So, that was irritating because impatient people irritate me! Ha! I got over it soon enough, though and I drove over and parked at Costco. Wouldn't you know it, towards the end of my shopping trip, I saw that woman! I know she recognized me, too, because she kind of did a double take when she saw me! I briefly thought about saying something to her but then decided against it because, really, what would I say? "I'm sorry you were so impatient!" Ha! So, here's the clincher. I paid for my purchases and walked out to my van, only to find that IT HAD BEEN KEYED! The entire drivers side of my brand new van is completely scratched up! Coincidence? I THINK NOT!!! I am equally HACKED and DUMBFOUNDED! I just have a hard time wrapping my brain around how someone can be like that!?! And it's not like she was an immature, bratty teenager. This woman looked to be in her 40's! I don't get it! So, now I have to file an insurance claim and take my van in to be fixed and get a rental car and pay a deductible...all because I wanted to save a few bucks on gas and milk! I know that wasn't a very happy, uplifting story, but clearly, I'm NOT happy! But, in the spirit of keeping positive, I will end my post with another story about "people"... The other day I was, again, shopping. This time at Safeway. As I exited the store, pushing my shopping cart, a car stopped for me so that I could cross the street. As I was in the middle of the street (in the cross walk, mind you), a big truck drove by and did not stop for me! It wasn't my favorite, but I didn't give it much thought. Whatever. I went on my merry way. (I'm very merry, as you can see!) So, I got to my van, unloaded my groceries and as I started to get in, a woman (probably in her 50's) came up to me... It was the driver of the truck! She tracked me down in order to apologize for not stopping for me! See! There ARE nice people out there, too. How refreshing.