Jun. 18, 2008 - Moving

I have decided to move my blog.  Homeschoolblogger just isn't that user friendly for those of us who don't know that much about computers and don't have much time to sit in front of them.  It also seems to have been really slow lately.  So, I've decided to move ot blogspot.  It seems much easier to use and runs a good bit faster.  I'm hoping that the ease of use and quickness of it, will enable me to actually post more regularly.  Come visit me at www.squeeli2.blogspot.com .

May. 19, 2008 - Another Knee Update

May. 19, 2008 - They're Expecting!!!

I'm gonna be an aunt again!!!

My brother and sister-in-law are expecting!  They were pregnant last year and lost the baby around week 12.  Obviously, it was extremely traumatic.  We are extremely excited and would really appreciate your prayers.  The baby is due mid-January.

Apr. 24, 2008 - Anxiety Notes

I recently had the opportunity to share my testimony and more specifically how the Lord has delivered me from anxiety.  I thought I would  share my notes about what the Word says about anxiety.  Hope you find it helpful!  (My notes are italicized)

Apr. 15, 2008 - Knee Surgery Update

I came through surgery well today.  Of course I am in pain and am struggling with the pain meds keeping me from resting.  I do have a praise report though.  When I went to the Dr. last Thursday they expected to schedule my surgery for 2 - 3 weeks from then.  While I was in the office someone called in to cancel their own surgery and I was able to get my appt. for this Tuesday.  I knew that the Lord must have had a hand in that, but received even further confirmation of that today.   While doing the surgery the Dr. found that my knee cap had begun tearing the cartliage (meniscus).  It was a very small tear and he was able to clean it up and does not expect me to have any long term isssues because of it.  The thing about the timing is that if I would have had to wait a few weeks the tear would probably have been worse and would have required a more intensive repair and in all likelyhood would have caused some arthritis in the joint.  Thanks for all of your prayers, please keep them coming.

Be Blessed!

Apr. 14, 2008 - Knee Surgery

Mar. 27, 2008 - CRAZY!!!

Mar. 19, 2008 - Praise and prayer

Thanks for all of the prayers and encouragement.  My testimony went really well.  In my preparation the Lord revealed to me many things in his word about anxiety that I didn't already know.  It was great!  Praise the Lord.  He is so good and He answered all of my prayers regarding this.  I hope to share my testimony here soon!

I also need more prayer.  I am still struggling with my knee and am in therapy twice a week with it.  Also, today I will be taking my daughter to the doctor.  She has a bad cough and is complaining of rattling in her chest.  This is my daughter that has asthma, so something like this could get bad quickly.  Please pray especially for her. Thanks!

Mar. 12, 2008 - Prayer Needed

Mar. 7, 2008 - Californian's rights are in jeopardy

Mar. 3, 2008 - Dr.'s Appointment Update

Mar. 1, 2008 - Helen Keller

We just took a field trip to Helen Keller's birthplace "Ivy Green".   While we were there I read an article that someone had written about her.  It had one of the most profound quotes from Helen Keller that I have ever read. 

It said that as a child she had never learned about the Lord, obviously, because no one could communicate with her.   After Annie had been with her for, I believe, a year she traveled with Annie to her former school for the blind.   While there a minister came to speak  and she was told about God.  Her reply to this was (please don't shoot me if this is not exact) "I always knew He was there, I just didn't know His name." 

That gave me chill bumps.  To think, this little girl couldn't see or hear anything.  All she knew of what God had created was what she could feel and smell and yet she felt His presence and knew of His existance.  Wow!  It just made me realize that maybe witnessing is not as difficult as we sometimes believe it to be.  Maybe this is really just a world full of people who already know He is there, but just need us to tell them His name (Jehovah Jireh-the Lord who provides; Jehovah Nissi-the Lord is my refuge; Jehovah Shalom-the Lord of  peace).

Mar. 1, 2008 - Morning Routine

My friend Jordan asked me to list out my morning routine.  So, here goes.  First let me make clear that this is my ideal routine.  We are very busy and often are not home in the mornings, so it's a different on those days of course.  Some days I don't get to everything and sometimes I do.  Also, remember that my children are old enough to be pretty independant and that makes a huge difference.

6:30  I wake up, this is my few minutes with Hubby before he goes to work and time just for me to get awake and going.  I also check my email here.

7:00 My time in the Word and prayer before the kids wake up.

7:30 The kids wake up and eat breakfast.

8:00  This alternates.  Somedays we start school here and some days we start chores here, depends on how bad my house is making me feel.

Next, we do whatever we didn't do earlier, school or chores.

Then lunch and whatever else we have going that day.

The only times that really matter to me are the wake up times.  My kids are older and are not allowed to come downstairs until 7:30.  I'm just a much more cheerful Mommy when I have time to wake up really well before I have to meet demands for the day.  Other than that I'm more concerned with the order of events for the day than I am exactly what time it is when we wake up.  I actually didn't adjust their wake-up time to accomodate this, I adjusted mine.  The 7:30 is just when I set their clocks, so they all come down together.

If we oversleep on occasion we still do this same basic routine.  It is pretty basic, but it seems to work pretty well for us.  Hope that is what you were looking for Jordan!

Feb. 26, 2008 - Leah

I was watching TV last night and the author of the "Bad Girls of the Bible" books was on.  She spoke about Leah in a way that was truly profound to me.  So, I wanted to share it here.

Brief story in case you don't remember all of it.  Jacob saw Laban's daughter Rachel and was immediately taken with her.  He went to Laban and offered to work 7 years (which I am told was double the custom) for Rachel to become his wife. At the end of 7 years they had a wedding.  Back then the brides were heavily veiled, and the brides were switched.  Jacob was tricked into marrying Leah.  Jacob was of course angry but was willing to work another 7 years for Rachel.  So, here you have Leah who has been pawned off by her father to a man that does not love or want her. 

Ok, now here is the part that the author was pointing out.  1st-When God saw that Leah was unloved (or despised), He opened her womb.  Back then that was the measure of a woman, whether or not she could bear children and how fruitful she was.  The Lord saw her in her darkest place and blessed her with an open womb, exactly what she needed to feel accepted by those around her.

So, of course she conceives a child and she thinks surely Jacob will love me now.  Not so.  So, she bears two more sons, still desiring that love from Jacob, still desiring His acceptance, but not recieving.  But....2nd point....She bears a 4th son and this time she gets it and she says now I will praise the Lord, so she named her son Judah.  Now, did the Lord choose Rachels son to be in the lineage of Jesus?  No, he chose Judah.  Here is this poor woman, living in a loveless marriage and when she finally gets it, when she is finally willing to let go and just praise the Lord in the midst of her circumstance, that son becomes an ancestor of Christ.  Which makes her an ancestor of Christ.   Wow!  What a lesson.  Look at how blessed we can become and how we can truly walk in our destiny when we just start praising him in the midst of our circumstances.  Maybe not just in the midst of them, but also in spite of them. 

Our pastor mentioned in service Sunday that we just have to stop complaining, we have to stop whining, griping and bellyaching.  He was speaking on Psalm 103.  Verse 1 says "Bless the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me bless His holy name."  If we are spending time complaining then we can't be blessing Him at the same time.  With all that is within me I am to bless Him.  So, good, bad or ugly I'm meant to bless Him regardless.  There are so many examples of this in the scripture.  What about Paul and Silas in prison, singing praises to the Lord?  Would we be praising and blessing the Lord, or would be be whining?  Just thought this was eye opening and convicting and I wanted to share.

Be Blessed!

Feb. 26, 2008 - ?'s to Help You Determine if You are Prideful

I came accross this list of ?'s at www.reviveourhearts.com .  Some of them were surely very convicting to me.  I encourage you to read them with a prayerful attitude, that the Lord would show you any areas you need to work on, not a defensive one.   Ask Him to help you be honest with yourself about your answers.  I would venture to say that most of us would answer yes to at least some of them.  Hope you find them helpful.

?'s to Help You Determine if You are Prideful