Living and Learning
Sep. 10, 2009

Another sleepless night - a stomach bug

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and dogs  Why are dogs so annoying sometimes?  Cause they have needs and unpredictable responses, like we do, and we are to the end of our patience.  They bark and we are tired.  Sigh.. they need to go out .

They are often much more patient than we are..  that's all for now. 
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Aug. 26, 2009

Learning Self Control

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For the past month our son has been on a diet to try to lose 10 pounds before the official football weigh in.   He did it!  He weighed in a pound lighter than what was necessary to stay on last year's team.   This is the third and by far the hardest year he has done this.  

You can't imagine the self control he displayed.  It was an awesome thing to see.  He loves food and loves to eat.  He was not fat, though he had some extra padding where he needed it (I thought ... ) . 

How did he do it?  By being motivated.   By knowing he had to do it. And by displaying uncommon self control for a just turned 12 year old young man.  

No ICE CREAM. No CHIPS. No FRENCH FRIES. No soda or other sweet drinks. No junk food.  No bread.  No noodles.  No commercial juices.  No pancakes. No sugar.  Little salt. No hot cocoa.  No cookies. He had cake on one day - his own birthday.   And he was careful with that.

He ate fresh fruit (in moderation and with variety) and less in the last days.  Homemade soup.  Eggs. Plain meat, no red toward the end, then none.  Nuts and seeds. Salads. Veggies. Water, including flavored w/o sugar. 

He exercised - HARD.  He plays sports year round now.  Very few days off.  He began running the dunes in early July.  Then they began football practice the last two weeks of July.  They have practiced every day since and sometimes on Saturday.  One Saturday, he had over 2 hours of football practice followed by a 4 hour long extra league baseball game     !!    This past weekend he had 2 days off at home and hardly knew what to do with himself.   But he mostly fasted Sunday and fasted all day Monday since the weigh in was at night.  

I tried to help him but it was really all his effort.  He did it all.  What a great example to us all of self control.  Way to go, son!
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Aug. 24, 2009

"If I've told you once, I have told you a hundred times ...."

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"If I've told you once, I have told you a hundred times ...."     This saying applies to me so often - I am told or taught something, but I always have to learn it again, no matter if I have learned it the hard way or not.  Like losing your post because you forgot where your arrow was sitting.  All the hard lessons, all the directions, important information, dates, research, scriptures, names, people's faces, why you know  them, where you met them ... all kinds of it -- gone. 

Some other people have this dilemma, some don't.  There are things I am glad that I forgot, or I would be if I remembered what they were.  But there are wonderful things I would like to remember, and don't. 

It's not alzheimer's - it's more like brain fog with a heavy dose of the psychological and physical after effects of post traumatic stress.

Perhaps this is another reason why I like books - they store information so you can look it up again.  Sigh.
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Jul. 4, 2009

Fourth of July, Patriotism and The War Prayer

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I just finished The War Prayer by Mark Twain with drawings by John Groth.

Here is a link to the text on Wikipedia - there seems to be quite a bit available by Google but I didn't read any of them.   I just read the book from the library.

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_War_Prayer


To some, it is just another day off, a day to play and have fun.  To some, vets especially, it is a day to remember.  

But tonight I asked myself this .... what did Jesus Yashua say? ... what did He mean by what He said?   What would He do?  What did He want from us?  So many questions. 

Another holiday difficult to "celebrate".

Thank You Father that tonight I have my family around me.  It is quiet except for the frog (singular).  It is later than usual, and I am very tired.  I do not want to contemplate hardship and suffering right now, just sleep.   I wonder how many have felt that way only to wake to the sounds of war and the unreality and then, the reality, of it.

Good night.  Let us praise Him for His powerful grace and mercy,

Michele
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Jun. 20, 2009

Wild Things

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A manual for those raising boys... ha! how many are there?  But I found this funny as I use this as my name on another blog and it was because of how my son and his friends were playacting the day I set the blog up.  Too funny!  (My sister sent me the link... thanks : )


http://www.answersforparentingboys.com/replay.php
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May. 19, 2009

Memorial Day is so much more than a "day off" ....

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I recently watched a history channel type show where some of the veterans of the War went back to Iwo Jima. I knew the name but never understood what it meant - the defeat of Japan. I am in awe of all we take for granted as citizens of our United States. No matter those who start the wars and rule the world; our soldiers, many so young, our sons and daughters, need to be remembered for their innumerable sacrifices. In this time of photo and video rich communication, we all can get a real idea of what is required of a service man or woman. Let us thank Our Father and pray for our country and those who serve on our behalf.

========================================================================

Every year, my grandfather who is now almost 90 years old, goes to the cemetery and cleans the graves and brings flowers during the Memorial Day weekend. I talked to him yesterday. This year he went early, noting that his brother who had worked at the cemetery (a Catholic one) for many, many years died this year and would not be setting up the chairs and such like he always did. He didn't know if anyone else was planning a service or to set up for guests. Times are really changing. I am so far away. I am comforted that he remembers my grandmother and my mother and that he cares about his family enough to do this in remembrance of them.

NOT LEAST; I MISS YOU MAMA - I MISS YOU GRAMMAS, BOTH OF YOU. I remember so much. I wish I remembered more. I praise You Lord, that You know all and are keeping them in your care and we will see one another in Your presence. Let us live for You!
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Mar. 21, 2009

Values Driven Family

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I am slowly reading through this site and finding some of it very helpful - perhaps you would like to visit them at www.valuesdrivenfamily.com
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Feb. 11, 2009

Emergency Preparedness ... Are we (you) prepared ?

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We spent most of our 'lesson' hours today focusing on emergency preparedness.  We do this 2-3 times per year, more and more intensively.  Today it was to prepare for a special event for Boy Scouts for my 11yods.  We had to have his emergency kit ready.  After 5 o'clock he would receive a call as to where to go (it ended up being the usual place, which my dd had already guessed).  They did alot during the meeting including inspecting the emergency packs and a fun galavant downtown to previously warned businesses on a sort of race to get there and get back with a signature.  This was to demonstrate the value of scouts being good messengers during an emergency when regular communications are out of commission. 

They had fun and learned alot.

We are still a long way from being satisfactorily prepared and organized as individuals and a family. 

I wonder how other families are doing with this ....  it is very challenging to do on an indepth level.  However, we see from the events over the past years how important it truly is.    We need to challenge ourselves to see this matter through to completion.  It is not that we don't rely on God, just that we need to use the wisdom He gives us.  Not to put self sufficiency first, of course, but just to be wiser than the serpent.

Sorry for the ramble ... better get to bed.

Resting in Him,

Michele

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Feb. 11, 2009

Modesty, A Study of ...

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My dd13yo (just) have recently been doing a study of modesty, including dress, femininity, the whole related concepts of womanhood, ie biblical womanhood.  I can't write an inspired post about this.  That is being done, and done quite well, in lots of places online.  I can say, we are really enjoying this, it is delight directed and divinely inspired, and we are making many enjoyable mother - daughter connections.  Thank You Lord and thank you dear daughter :  )    This is such a special time together.
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Feb. 11, 2009

Remembering the Persecuted

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I am always ashamed when I think of how I complain about this and that, such as when I get little sleep or when I have a headache. I am ashamed when I realize that I take my children and their health and quiet or fun days for granted. When I can look at their beautiful faces and not remember that I could be in prison with my children who knows where or we could all be homeless and suffering. I thank You Lord that my children are with me and that they are safe ...

Oh I thank You Lord and I praise You.

I thank You that You have blessed me beyond compare and for the realization of how little I have suffered that has not been due to my own poor and ignorant choices.

Forgive us Lord for we know not what we do ...

In Jesus name, Amen

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About Me

We are a family with 6 children, 4 at home, one with non verbal autism, and lots of animals. We are avid readers. We have sports fans and video game fans and animal fans and a fan of pink kitties and a fan of e-toys. Did I mention we love to read? We are learning to work together, to put the Lord first and to have patience and peace. I hope you are blessed in some way by your visit.

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