Dec. 18, 2009 - Being "frugal" or . . . not
Well, while I might have been extremely busy in the past month or so, I certainly can't say I've been spending time blogging! Yikes. It's looking a bit neglected around this site. Definitely calling out for some Christmas decor!
I did, however, write an article for Heart of the Matter online. Here's the teaser . . .
Last week I was online, chatting with my sister-in-law about menus and grocery shopping. At some point during our conversation she said, “We know how to be frugal around here.”
“Right! That’s great!” I said at the time.
But later, thinking back on our conversation, it left a sour taste in my mouth. . .
If you like, you can read the rest of the article here:
An Extravagant Life
I wrote this one way too quickly, and still haven't had the time it would require to sit and ponder where my thoughts were going, but it's a topic I'd like to come back to. What do *you* think?
Dec. 17, 2009 - It's a Wonderful Life
Briana has been in the musical version of It's a Wonderful Life for the past month. It closes this Sunday, and we're going over to see it again.
George Bailey contemplating jumping off the bridge~
"I'm worth more dead than alive."
Briana on the right talking to Ernie and Bert while the
main scene if playing out somewhere else on stage~
"I'm On My Way"~
Mr. Potter (in the wheel chair)~ played by Troy, the guy that Briana has been courting the last 7 months.
"Syncopation Rog" ~ high energy dance!
George and Mary's wedding~
Run on the bank. Briana is the one who looks like she's about to knock him
upside his head!
Briana got to play Elsie, Sam Wainwright's wife from New York. She got to talk with a heavy NY accent (think the old movies). .......with a southern twang. ; ) She's in the middle with the hat.
"Sam's going to take me around the world!"
I had to throw this picture in even though it's not a very good one. : ) This is a song when George's brother, Harry, comes home a war hero. Briana and Bob (the same guy that plays Sam Wainwright), decided and got the director's permission for him to pick her up and swing her around. You can see them in the back. The thing is, this is a calm swing in this picture. When I saw the show a couple of weeks ago, she was like parallel to the ground. She was FLYING! : )
Mr. Potter and George~
"Teacher says every time a bell rings, another angel gets his wings."
"Atta boy, Clarence."
Tuesday, December 15, 2009 - Latest baby updates on facebook...
Just to let you know... I will be giving the latest updates on our new facebook group... so feel free to join and hear the latest on when the newest addition (who WAS due the 13th) will FINALLY decide to enter the world! :)
Click on the following link: THE VERLENNICH BABY'S COMIN'!
Sunday, December 13, 2009 - Post from the Past: free SHMILY time ideas
Some of you have written asking for some ideas at little or no cost for The 12 Days of Christmas. I understand COMPLETELY what it's like to be "strapped for cash", especially this time of year as gift giving is in full swing.
Here are some FREE ideas for you to love on your hubby...
- Massages are a great gift to give! You could even make a coupon to give to him in the morning (so he would be looking forward to it all day) or mail it to him at work. To take it a step further, you could even make this a gift for the entire 12 days, picking a different body part to focus on each night (uh... I don't have to tell you what to save for last right?) A good massage is at least 30 minutes. Sometimes it may seem longer to you than it really is, so be sure to look at the clock by your bed before you begin so you don't cut your sweet husband short!
- Breakfast in bed with a smile (and nothing else but a smile).
- Making coffee every morning and greeting your hubby with a cheerful "good morning". How we start our husband's mornings have a HUGE effect on the rest of their day, as well as how eager they are to come back. (I know that I wouldn't want to come home to me some days!) Make it your goal to be cheerful each day for the 12 days. Start his morning with a happy wife. If you work outside of the home and leave before him, then having the coffee pot with coffee and a sweet note would be a thought too.
- Pray for him each day. You could use The Power of a Praying Wife for this as well. Whatever you choose, and regardless if your husband prays with you or not, get out of bed each day with your knees hitting the floor before your feet do. Pray for the man God has blessed you with. Thank Him for your husband. Even if you're struggling in your marriage, ask God to give you the strength to get through the 12 days with love and compassion and to renew your marriage. You might be surprised what happens when he finds out that you're praying for him every day. Cover your husband in prayer each day... it may seem crazy, but YOU will become a better woman for it.
- Hmmm... this next one... well, it's REALLY simple and may get one of the biggest reactions from your sweetie... but if you can't afford to get some "blessings" to wear... you can always do what God intended from the beginning! That's right... NO panties. Be sure to whisper it in his ear at the grocery store, church, or before he leaves for work.
- One of my personal favorites (and my Beloved's)... Clean Lovin'.
- Take a marker and write SHMILY somewhere on your body for him to search for.
- Find out what he really likes by having him fill out the "I Feel Loved by You When You..." sheet... and then do it!
- Ice cream in bed together naked... one spoon. For the ice cream lover, you could get the pints of ice cream and have ice cream in bed every night. Don't worry about the diet... this is only 12 days... get fat on each other's love!
- Some "Christmas socks" you wear... and that's it!
- 12 pair of sexy panties... one for each day.
- Mistletoe (need I say more?) You could used this throughout the 12 days as well by having it show up in various places in the house... or various times... and it could mean more than just kissing. Write up a note and let your hubby know... you may want to even make it a "treasure hunt" by hiding it in various (obvious) places... and then follow through when he finds it!
- Three bows (or other wrapping ribbons for all over your body and hair) and place strategically on your body for him to "unwrap".
Sunday, December 6, 2009 - Maintaining excitement throughout THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
QUESTION: "Amy, how do you maintain excitement for 12 days of Christmas Shmily time? I tried it last year and frankly it was hard! Hubby was feeling special but honestly I just wanted to be left alone and sleep. Help me get mentally straightened out to try again!" - JessicaI have to be honest... I struggle EVERY year with this whole thing, to some extent. Now, don't get me wrong, it's so much better than it used to be BEFORE I started the "12 days of Christmas" with my hubby... but that doesn't mean it doesn't go off without some trials, and I honestly believe that the more women that I tell about the 12 days of Christmas in order to bless their marriages... well, do you think that satan is just gonna sit back and watch my marriage flourish? Absolutely not!
I honestly hesitated this year when I realized when THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS was going to be and when the baby was due... I am literally due the day before I normally start this whole thing (which is my hubby's birthday) and so not only did I realize I was going to have the "normal" struggles of prior years... but having a baby at some point before the 12 days is up certainly means I'm gonna need to get a LITTLE... uh... creative... Not only will hormones be in full swing... but I will have a new little one "sucking the life out of me" (I nurse my babies) and that can be draining as well.
But the more I thought about "canceling" the whole thing... the more I knew I needed to do it... not just for my sweet Beloved... but because I needed to look forward to it as well. I needed to remind myself of all those reasons I fell in love with my husband... and the many more that I've fallen in love with since then.
I think we all know that by doing this... we certainly are blessing our husbands and our marriages... but I realized how I've really taken the whole thing for granted by thinking that I'm doing my husband some great big favor... when, in reality... I am equally blessed by these very special 12 days each year. By focusing on the good things about my husband, I "fall in love" all over again with the man I married... but there is still more...
I GET to serve my husband more intentionally then I normally do. Sure, I wash his clothes, make meals for him (although I don't know if he'd say that's a blessing or not considering the cook HE is), make sure his closet is full of clothing that fits and shoes to wear... but I can so easily fall into the routine of being his wife, that I forget the privilege of being so much more... a servant who acts out of love, expecting nothing in return... THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS makes me focus on my husband's wants, needs, and desires more than ever before and I find myself truly loving making him smile. It's no longer about what he's done for me... what I might get in return... or why he isn't do this or that... my focus is not on ME... and honestly women, that's right where God wants me as a wife all the time.
So, while I know 12 days IS hard to keep the excitement alive... I want to challenge you to really focus on your husband and not yourself... push yourself to go a little further when you feel like throwing in the towel... go the distance because in the end... it will not only be your husband that will be blessed... but you as well.
FYI: I made a booklet to encourage your husband for 30 weeks... in it there are a few things that might help you to stay focused on your hubby as you prepare for the 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS... and to help you stay that way throughout. You can find the booklet by clicking the following link: 30-week Husband Encouragement Challenge.
Monday, November 30, 2009 - The 12 Days of Christmas is coming!!!!
Now, for those of you who may be unfamiliar with this SHMILY Time tradition, The "Twelve Days of Christmas" isn't talkin' about "A Partridge in a Pear Tree. It's a twist that I'm sure your husband will enjoy!
It all started because my husband and I would wind up arguing during the holidays EVERY YEAR because it was so stressful. Spending time and money on friends and family seemed to get out of control no matter how much we tried to "get better" each year and would result in some sort of argument, so A few years ago, I decided I would something different... Twelve days before Christmas just happens to be my husband's birthday, so I surprised him each day, and got us all the way to Christmas day without an argument! I found it really hard to get angry with someone that I was so focused on loving and praying for!
THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS... SHMILY STYLE revolves around the act of love and anything leading up to it. Now, I know this "strikes a chord" with some of you and I know that sex is not the only thing that makes a marriage good... so please don't send me emails or leave comments telling me this. (In fact, if sex is the only thing good in a marriage that's not healthy either.) What I've found to be true however, is how "taboo" sex is, especially in Christian marriages. We don't talk about it or even acknowledge it's importance in our marriages, when the fact is... God created it... and it was His intention that it is good. I understand that we, as a society have ruined that in so many ways, on so many levels... but THAT is not God's fault, nor does it change what He intended for beautiful and fulfilling and to make a husband and wife as one. Because of what sex has become because of premarital sex, pornography, adultry and the like, we have somehow become "scared" to talk about sex in a Christian marriage as if it's "dirty".
Unfortunately, sex is also one of the first things we "take away" or avoid when things get rough in our marriage as well. Let's face it, when you're arguing with your spouse, do you feel like making love?... probably not... and when that happens, the enemy begins his work at destroying our marriage... Think back to when you were falling in love with your spouse... at some point in time, there was a physical attraction... and chances are good it was pretty "intense". Just because you may have been married for awhile, that does not mean that your love making should get boring, or non-existent. It doesn't matter what stage (or state) your marriage is in right now bring the spark back to your marriage, and start with THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS!
Note: If you are in a process of healing in your marriage, or there is a hurt that hasn't been dealth with or forgiven, then please take a moment to pray the SHMILY PRAYER. I realize that some hurts and problems need more time to heal, and so this year may not be the time for THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS... instead, you may want to tuck this idea away and continue to pray for God to restore your marriage, including the act of love making. (The Power of a Praying Wife is also an excellent book to begin praying every day for your husband.)With ALL that being said, THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS involves some planning, so take some time to be thinking about what you can do to begin a year that will hopefully start a life long tradition!
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It begins on December 14th (12 days before Christmas)... and is for 12 DAYS... 12 consecutive days (or nights)! This is especially fun because most people's traveling and visiting relatives is during these days (keeping in mind that this would be especially fun while visiting relatives because only you and husband will know what's going on...)
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This involves an investment in your "drawer of many blessings" drawer as well... and yes, you SHOULD have one of these drawers, so make room (throw out some clothes if you have to... your hubby would rather see you in these anyway!) Start saving money and get your drawer stocked up! You'll be able to "recycle" here so the money you spend here is worth it in the end. You're investing in your marriage and that is never money wasted. (Your size is NOT an excuse either! Please read, "He loves you... quit hiding!" if you're struggling with your outer appearance. Have all your "little blessings" bought by 14th and plan for each day's surprise, along with any evening you might be able to get a sitter and go out (with your "little blessing" on to tell him about over dinner), or a friend to watch the kids so you can stay in (and put your "gift" to use)!
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Make or get a card to give to your husband on the 13th. An idea would be:
- "To celebrate the next twelve days of Christmas I have planned a special "gift" for you each day with only you in mind! Anticipate what each will bring as we celebrate the next twelve days of Christmas... twelve you're sure not to forget!" (Don't forget to sign it, SHMILY!)
For some ideas, on what you can do for your Beloved, check out the SHMILY Time blog and please feel free to email me with more of your ideas to share with others (include your name and/or your blog address if you're willing to share that too!) AND you can sign up to join the SHMILY Time fan page on facebook too or THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS... SHMILY STYLE event on facebook!
Put the spark back into your marriage and tell others about THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS by posting the blinkie on your blog/website! May the Lord be glorified as we seek new ways to put the spark back into our marriage!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009 - Post from the Past: Thanking God for Our Thorns
One of my all time favorite stories I love to read each Thanksgiving... it's worth the read... and please feel free to share what thorns you'll be thankful for this Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 - Post from the Past: Things to do for Thanksgiving
For those of you looking for some things to do for Thanksgiving (whether homeschooling or not)... check out some of the following ideas from a post from the past:
FREE Thanksgiving Unit Studies and More!
Please feel free to share any of the ideas or traditions you do in your home for Thanksgiving!
Nov. 3, 2009 - November Already????!!!!!!!
This has to have been the fastest, slowest year of my life!!!! I cannot BELIEVE it is already the middle of November, and I feel a little like I've missed most of this year. At the same time, when I think back to March, May, even July, it seems like an eternity ago! Is that my stress level or old age?! LOL. I am SO not ready for the holidays to be here. I love them, but I'm not ready. On 2nd thought, in a way, I can't wait. ( I told you I was mixed up this year!) Briana will get to come home for 4 nights at Thanksgiving, two or three nights the first week of Dec., and, hopefully, at least a week at Christmas!!
Last entry I posted about Briana's cat, Snickers, having FIP, which was causing brain swelling, and seizures. The steroids got it under control, and we did not have to have him put to sleep like we expected. Less than 2 weeks later (last Thurs.), I did have to go with her to the vet for her to have him put to sleep. We knew the disease would progress at some point, but even the dr. expected it to be over years. In one week, it progressed to shutting down other systems, and though, she could have done things to stall for more time, they both would have been miserable, and it would have been just a short time anyway. I've had pets die several times before, but this is the first time we've ever had to have one put to sleep. It was a heartbreaking day. We were over in the town she lives in camping, so we left one of our dogs with her to keep her company for a while. She wants a dog of her own~this is the 3rd cat she's lost at early ages since her early teen years, and she refuses to get another one.
Homeschooling is plugging away here, although, not exactly where I want it. Right now, we're getting the basics and some occasional other things done. I'd like to get back to our lapbooking. But, both girls are progressing nicely in math, and Daniella's reading has crossed a stumbling block finally, and it's starting to click.
Our annual fall camping trip was fun....weird, but fun. The last 2 years, we've camped at a state park right in the middle of the town where Briana is living, so that she could come with us. We kept having to postpone this year's trip because of really cold weather, and by the time we were able to come, she had started rehearsals for It's a Wonderful Life. And, of course, we also had to put Snickers to sleep during the week. We still enjoyed some good family time, playing games, taking some walks, riding bikes. No pictures, because I am at Briana's now, and don't have my computer.
It's a Wonderful Life opens tonight! I LOVE opening nights~ getting to see a new show for the first time. She has some lines in this one, and gets to talk in an exaggerated NY accent. : ) Coming from a southern girl that should be fun! However, James and Ashley were at dress rehearsal last night taking pictures, and the executive producer at the Playhouse LAUGHED (appropriately) at Briana's lines! He recognized Ashley, and told her that Briana was really funny in that scene. Yay! Empress the executive director girl! : ) She also has a few dances in the show and lots of group songs. Her boyfriend, Troy, is also in this show, though they never have any scenes together. He is Mr. Potter.
Please pray for Ashley's shoulder. I think I mentioned in the post about her Africa trip that her group was chased by a Cape Buffalo on safari (!), and she stumbled and fell. She hurt her shoulder badly, but it improved a great deal over the next few weeks. Well, the last 2 or 3 weeks, she has been back in a lot of pain. The chiropractor is not helping it. Several people have laid hands on her to pray, and we have been praying constantly for it for this whole time. We have to make a decision where to take her next~ an orthopedic dr. for therapy (not surgery!) or to a regular physician to try a steroid injection. I cringe at the thought of steroids, but if it is inflamation, that would probably be what helped it best. The therapy will be long and painful, and not sure if that is what she needs. We were set to make an appt with the ortho dr., but I ran into someone in the store the other night who told me about her injured shoulder and the shots. We're praying for wisdom.
And, finally (I think), the Lord brought Ashley a great opportunity in Oct. He has been clarifying in her life this year that camp ministry is where she wants to work. She has been taking online courses for a couple of years, and has been absolutely miserable every single second. She has prayed and persevered, and has never been at peace or felt like she was where she was supposed to be. A couple of weeks after coming home from Africa, she decided she was not going to continue courses, at least for now. It was a difficult decision for her for a couple of different reasons, but she knew she could always start again, if she discovered she had made a mistake. Within just a couple of weeks of making her decision to stop school, she was offered a part time job apprenticing at the Christian camp that she is a summer counselor for every year! She LOVES it. In just a month and a half of working 2 or 3 days a week, she has led activities at 3 day camps, helped cook a meal for a zillion kids, scrubbed the lodge, helped with the planning of a mid-winter retreat, done computer work, helped design their new brochure, taken photos of the different areas of camp for the brochure, been to a meeting of the board of directors, made changes to their website.......... They want to give her the opportunity to experience every area of running a camp. They are asking her imput on changes they are making. She works directly for the camp director and his assistant (his wife). The wife is the main person she works with on a "daily" basis. She is loving it, and it was so neat to see God open up the door for her and fulfill a longing she has had for a while. She has spent countless hours on the computer this year looking for such an opportunity. They were all going to have to wait until at least next summer, and were all in other states. This one is 45 min. away. AND, the Lord blessed her with a wonderful, nice like-new Kia Sportage at the same time she was finding out about this job. She bought the car herself, but the Lord had blessed her with the money, and led her to a gently used, wonderful condition, less than 30,000 miles vehicle., at a GREAT price. Her old car was.......OLD and falling apart. It would have never made it up and down that mountain 2 or 3 times a week for very long.
The Lord is working MAJORLY in a couple of other areas of our lives, as well, and it has been an amazing experience this year. Not easy, not comfortable a lot of the time, but definitely GOOD. I've sat here this morning and typed myself into excitement for what God is working on in our lives! : ) He IS GOOD!
Nov. 3, 2009 - On Turning Forty
It sounds like such a big deal.
I've been sortof dreading it--the big 4-0 -- as it's loomed. It sounds so old. I used to think that people who were forty were so . . . mature. Somehow even the word "forty" just oozes stability, steadiness, solidity. It seems that a person who is forty should be sure of themselves--never doubt, never vacillate, never question their decisions or options for behavior. At forty, I thought, surely one would be done with becoming.
And yet, it's not so.
I'm more steady, certainly. Not flipping from boyfriend to boyfriend, trying to find "the one," as I did at twenty. And I'm definitely more sure of myself, less likely to struggle to squeeze into someone else's vision of what my life should look like, as I did at thirty. Progress . . . yes, there has definitely been progress. It hasn't been easy or painless, but progress has come.
Maybe I've earned forty.
It feels different than I thought it would. There are new mountains to climb. Over the years I've managed to gain the proverbial "five pounds per child," which must be left behind so I can enjoy the second half of my life. My eldest son has graduated and the second is hot on his heels, dragging us all out into new waters to navigate--strange waters, where I'm uncertain of exactly which star to head for and how deep I can put in my oar. A new family business offers prospects and challenges still being defined on many fronts. Opportunities to write come as welcome open doors yet beg the question . . . "Who am I exactly, and what do I have to say that's worth listening to?" My children are growing up faster than I'd imagined possible, and it seems that in many ways they themselves are new people whom I must learn to relate to every day.
The becoming continues.
In the center of it all, of course, one thing is the same: God, Himself. It is incredibly comforting to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He who is the Director of my life is the familiar Friend who has been with me through it all. He's not surprised by today's challenges, scared of the obstacles I haven't seen yet, or shocked at the besetting sins we've yet to conquer. The one determination I've made--indeed, the only one it seems right to make--is this: that in the next forty years, I must decrease that He might increase. I pray that He'll keep chipping away, shaping me into Jesus' image so that I can fulfill the purpose He created me for . . . to reflect His glory to the world.
I pray that at forty, there's starting to be at least a little resemblance.
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