What happens to our time? Where does it go?

Have you ever felt like you just don't have enough time in your day to get everything done? I have and do.

This week we have had fall break and it has been filled with lots of projects. My folks arrived on Sunday evening and we started Monday morning early working on projects around the house. By the time Pete arrived home for lunch we had already painted the front and back doors and the shutters on the front of the house. Wow, it sure changed the look!

The projects have continued throughout our week. Our to-do list has been long but we have accomplished a lot.

- storm door put on the back door with PapaKee's help
- garage cleaned out and organized (PapaKee even hung the tennis balls so I would know how far to pull up in the garage and not crash into things.)
- library visit to get books to work on Megan's boat project
- visit with friends
- started walking for exercise
- planned and organized meals for next month and went grocery shopping
- sleepover for Megan
- and much more

Making time for everything is difficult. The one thing that I have tried to not squeeze out of my day is the time I set aside to spent with God. This time is a must for me. I need it to be energized and strengthened so that I can face the day ahead. Too many times it is so easy to get busy with everything else and forget to stop and spend time with God. I have to get up early when the house is quiet and have that time before the busyness of my day begins.


Planning ahead always works best for me. I love to cook but usually feel so exhausted when I get home from school that I don't want to cook. So I have decided to pick dishes that we would like to eat and then go grocery shopping and purchase the things we need and plan out my menu for the next month. Here it is!

Time is precious and a special gift from God. I want to organize my time wisely and use it to its fullest. What happens to my time? Where does it go? Too many times I fill it with things that are not important (like watching TV). There is so much more that I could be doing if I would just wisely use the time God has given me. This is a challenge for me but I want to make the most of every minute God has given me. How about you? What changes can you make to have more time in your day?

Does Your Talk Walk?

I've heard the phrase "Does your walk talk?" but I've had to live out does my talk walk!

One of the privileges of teaching in a Christian school is that I can incorporate Biblical Truths and Promises about God into my lessons. This week at school when I was teach the seasons and weather in my Spanish class, we talked about how the seasons are like the different experiences in our lives. God allows us to go through good times (summer), bad times (winter), growth (spring) and change (fall). Our response to these seasons in our lives is that we are to praise God at all times, no matter what season we were experiencing.

That same day...my talk had to walk. I experienced some difficulties that caused me to stop and praise God for. It wasn't easy. I didn't like it but it was my choice. I could wallow or I could praise. What was I going to do? Was my talk really going to be lived out in my own life? God delights in our obedience and even though times get tough, it is always best to praise HIM.

What a hard lesson I had to learn...I do want my talk to walk!

When Our Plans seem to be all messed up...

How do you react?

Today Megan and I set out for our trip to Mississippi to visit with the McKee family. We even left town about 15 minutes earlier than we had planned. Before leaving, Pete check the car to make sure everything was in order.

After we got about 1 1/2 hours from home we decided to stop for breakfast. (This was not our usual stop.) We always stop about 2 hours from home but today we were ready to stop earlier. As I pulled up to the fast food place and parked, steam started pouring from under the hood of the car. Since Megan and I were traveling alone I was going to have to be the one who had to check things out. What was I to do? What was happening? I took a deep breath and opened the hood.

Of course I quickly called Pete to get some instruction. Pete was feeling badly because more than likely he had left the cap loose on the radiator since this was one of the things he had checked before we left this morning. So now we had to try to get some water to fill the radiator. What would be our next step? Where would we get water?

Off we went into the fast food restaurant to get breakfast while I tried to think things through. After waiting for 10 minutes and our order still not being done, they kindly refunded our money and off we went. Megan and I walked across the street to a store to buy a gallon of water. I needed something to be able to pour the water into the radiator. This would work! Then back we went to the car to check things out.

We talked to Pete again who told us what to do and now we began to fill the radiator and make sure there were no leaks. AND there were none! Now I needed to start the car and check the levels and see if there were any other leaks. (All the while I was thinking: "If only that cap had not been loose." Our immediate reaction is always to blame others. It was not Pete's fault. It was all just part of God's plan and protection for us today.)

In the background we heard sirens but were more concerned with what was going on in our world with our car. Everything check out okay and then back to the store we went to purchase another gallon of water to take with us on the trip.

By this time we had wasted about 1 1/2 hour with the stop and repairs. As Megan and I discussed the events of our morning we reminded ourselves that it was not an accident that we had stopped in time and that we were able to get what we needed and that it wasn't more of a problem. Was this a coincidence? NOT at all! For we have a Heavenly Father who always is in control of our lives.

We were finally headed out again but we didn't get far. One exit down the road we were faced with a major traffic jam. The cars on the interstate were only going 5 miles per hour. We continued for at least another 30 minutes this way until we found the source of the traffic jam. It was a bad accident! We noticed several cars involved in the accident and a semi-truck had run off the road.

AGAIN, I was reminded that if all of the car problems and inconveniences had not taken place this morning, it could have been us in that accident. My perspective totally changed. Why had I reacted wrongly to the changes to "my plans?"

God holds our lives in His hands. Every details of our lives matter to Him. Every event in our lives should be used to glorify Him. This was a teachable lesson for myself as well as for Megan. I was reminded that my Father's plans are the best for me whether they are thought of as good plans or bad plans but HE IS ALWAYS GOOD. He never changes. He always has our best interest at heart. By the events that happened in my life today as we traveled, this was a great lesson that I needed to be reminded of today.

Thank you, God, for your protection. You are El SHADDAI.

We arrived safe and sound but two hours later than we had expected. It didn't matter after all because we were thankful to have arrived in Mississippi to be with our family.

Oh NO!!! It's the WRONG Thing!

Have you ever felt this way?

Yes, I have and do. After a long day working on the master bathroom we were finally ready to start painting the walls. I had completed all of the trim work, doors, window and large double sink vanity BUT after we opened the paint for the walls, it was the wrong color!

I tested the new color out on the wall but it was not the color of the sample or the color that we had chosen. So off to the store Pete and Megan went to return the paint...Now we will wait and see what they find out. So maybe our work for tonight is done. I did get a lot accomplished today so overall I am very pleased.

Pete just called and said the paint guy said that the semi-gloss goes on lighter. Who knew? Now we do. So it is the right color after all and I am off to paint some more. At least Pete had a nice time with Megan on their little adventure.


P.S. We tried again but it is still not right. So we will head to change the color tomorrow. Enough for one night!

Summer Fun with Family and Friends

A shared love for cooking...

My love for cooking has carried over to Megan. She loves to be my helper in the kitchen but this time it was different. Megan baked her first batch of cookies all by herself.
Even though there was a little burn from touching a hot cookie pan, it was an experience that she loved and felt like she accomplished great things all by herself. How fun! This is only the beginning of more creations in the kitchen from Meg.


An Evening of Fun with Friends...

Playing games has always been a family favorite of my family. I can remember many hours of playing cards and board games with my parents and sisters especially when I was growing up and when we lived outside of the USA.

Last night we spent a very enjoyable time with our friends in the Singles group at West Park. It was a game night.

Our evening started out with a group of girls playing Yahtzee Turbo. When we were pulling the game out of the box we couldn't help but laugh because the speaker was covered with tape. The one and only time we had ever played this game was at Christmas a few years ago when we played it at my parent's house. The voice was so loud on the game that my mom had taped the speaker so that we could play it and not make a lot of noise. But for some reason last night we were all having a hard time hearing the voice even after the tape was removed.

After Yahtzee Turbo we moved over to another table to play Apples to Apples. I have to admit after playing a few rounds with Megan we decided she needs to be on a debate team.

Then it was on to learn a new game that we had never played before, Five Crowns. It was pretty easy to learn and we had lots of fun. I would like to play that one again.

Meanwhile, as we continued to play cards Megan enjoyed a match of bowling on the Wii with the two Chrises. She even gave them a run for their money with a pretty good score of 125 on one of the games. She loved playing with "the guys."


You know, both of these activities were not costly but they were great fun. Sometimes the simplest things bring us great joy. I am so thankful for family and friends.

Mapping

A teacher's job is never done. Some would say that a teacher has the best job around because of SUMMER VACATIONS. I would have to agree. I love my job. BUT summer is not just for vacations. A teacher's job is never done.

Today I spent the day working on curriculum mapping...a fancy way to tell where we are going and what we are going to do in my class this next year (for Algebra I). It's been a lot of hard work but it will be well worth it. This map will be my guide to see the whole picture of where I want to take my students over the next year.

I can't help but be reminded that I also have the best mapping guide for life, God's Word, the Bible. So many times I have been overwhelmed with everything going on in my life that I have forgotten that I have the best resource of all, our road map, God's Word. Too often I have found myself so busy that I haven't spent the time I need in His word and too many times I have become overwhelmed with guilt because I have not spent time with God. God is waiting for me. He desires to spend time with me. What am I waiting for?

So, it's time to put a priority to spending time with God and allow Him to teach me through His word. It's the best map I could have! How about you?

Craving Chocolate

IT'S YUMMY! When I need a quick and easy dessert Aunt Karen Wright's cake is one of my favorites to make. You can make it with any flavor cake mix and change it up with different flavors of coke (soda or pop - for all of you who are not southerners), and any flavor of instant pudding mix. It is a super moist cake that becomes even more moist the longer you have it. (It just doesn't stay that long at our house.)

Cake recipe:
1 cake mix, any flavor
3/4 cup oil
3 eggs
1 - 12 oz. can of coke (carbonated soft drink)
small instant pudding mix, any flavor

Mix all ingredients and pour into a greased bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes. Let cake cool for 20 minutes and then you can glaze the cake while warm.

Glaze recipe:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons water

HINTS:
*Earlier this week I made the cake with a butter cake mix, added a diet sprite for the cola, and a small sugar-free instant cheesecake pudding mix.
*Today, I made the chocolate cake with a fudge cake mix, added a diet coke and a small sugar-free instant chocolate fudge pudding mix.
*I have never used the glaze recipe but have drizzled icing on top to decorate the cake.
*There are limitless possibilities of flavors. For example lemon, orange, red velvet, pistachio, etc.

If your hungry for something sweet, why not try this wonderful treat!

Sometimes life's a mess!

Today when I looked at the mess on my scrapbook table I was reminded that life without Christ can only end in a mess. How do you face difficulties without God? What do you have to live for without Christ?

My scrapbook table shows my work in progress. The work space seems to be a disaster zone but when the finished pages are completed the memories of special events have been recorded so that they will be cherish forever. I am so glad that when I make a mistake and make a disaster of my life, God does not give up on me. I can run to Him and He waits with open arms. When I think of how much He loves me, how could I not give myself back to Him.

I am so thankful that God changes messes and makes them into masterpieces.

Megan and I spent the afternoon scrapbooking. We had lots of fun together recording special events in our lives.

A Hot Summer Day Adventure

With temps rising up to almost 100 degrees, who wants to be outdoors? It's too HOT! To stay out of the heat an indoors adventure was a must for today.

Several of Megan's friends from school meet at the mall for lunch and then the group headed to "Liza Moz' Studio" to paint pottery. This was a first for us. Megan selected a beautiful cupcake container to paint. Of course, I had to join in on the fun too and chose to paint coaster tiles. Our creative juices began to flow as we all designed and decorated fun pieces of pottery. It was a great afternoon of fun with our friends. Before we knew it we had been painting for three hours. WOW!

When it all falls apart...

How flexible are you? How do you take things when they fall apart?

Yesterday a simple task turned into an all afternoon job. All I simply wanted to do was to hang a few family pictures over my couch. When I was dusting the other pictures in the collage, one of the pictures came crumbling down. The picture collage was now destroyed. What was I going to do? How would I fix it? Would the store take the picture back and refund my money? A simple task turned into something big.

After picking up my little girl from day camp we headed to the store. Yes, I did get a refund and then the search began for a new item to place with the picture collage. Now there were more questions. Another picture? Design phrase? Would I be able to find what I wanted? After another stop or two we finally found something that might work.

We quickly rushed home to begin putting the new collage together. First everything had to come down and we began organizing the collage on the floor. (That's the best way to know what it will look like on the wall. A trick I learned from my Home Economics teacher in college.) Now there were more questions. Could I get the letters straight? Would it look good? Could I get it done before my husband came home? Would he notice the changes?

With the help of my 8 year old daughter, we began to assemble the new collage of family memories. The two of us had lots of fun and enjoyed working together. So bottom line, my simple task of adding a few pictures to the collage turned into a much more time intensive task but it was one that became a family event and we enjoyed working together. And by the way, my husband noticed the change.

So, simple tasks can become big tasks but it is all how you look at them and how you face the task ahead. Be flexible and enjoy the moment to make memories.