A Mom's Search for Answers - Homeschool Blogger

New to me...

Thu, 9 Aug 2007 06:27:00 -0500

...my friend said this is an oldie but goodie. Since I haven't seen it before, I thought there might be a few others. enjoy! I did! icart

His name is Bill. He has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans,
and no shoes. This was literally his wardrobe for his entire four years of
college.

He is brilliant. Kind of profound and very, very bright. He became a
Christian while attending college.

Across the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative
church. They want to develop a ministry to the students but are not sure how
to go about it.

One day Bill decides to go there. He walks in with no shoes, jeans, his
T-shirt, and wild hair. The service has already started and so Bill starts
down the aisle looking for a seat.

The church is completely packed and he can't find a seat. By now, people are
really looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one says anything.

Bill gets closer and closer and closer to the pulpit, and when he realizes
there are no seats, he just squats down right on the carpet.

By now the people are really uptight, and the tension in the air is thick.

About this time, the minister realizes that from way at the back of the
church, a deacon is slowly making his way toward Bill.

Now the deacon is in his eighties, has silver-gray hair, and a three-piece
suit. A godly man, very elegant, very dignified, very courtly. He walks with
a cane and, as he starts walking toward this boy, everyone is saying to
themselves that you can't blame him for what he's going to do.

How can you expect a man of his age and of his background to understand some
college kid on the floor?

It takes a long time for the man to reach the boy.

The church is utterly silent except for the clicking of the man's cane. All
eyes are focused on him. You can't even hear anyone breathing. The minister
can't even preach the sermon until the deacon does what he has to do.

And now they see this elderly man drop his cane on the floor. With great
difficulty, he lowers himself and sits down next to Bill and worships with
him so he won't be alone..

Everyone chokes up with emotion. When the minister regains control, he says,
"What I'm about to preach, you will never remember. What you have just seen,
you will never forget. "

"Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some people will ever
read!"

I asked the Lord to bless you As I prayed for you today.
To guide you and protect you As you go along your way....
His love is always with you, His promises are true, And when we give Him all
our cares, You know He will see us through.

Sometimes I feel like Noah...

Wed, 8 Aug 2007 07:36:00 -0500

...and I am preparing for a flood! With all the latest technology, it amazes me how little you can do in "advance". You can't tell the phone company or the cable company or your internet company to do anything at a future date...they can only do it "now". Oh yea, and not on weekends...argh! Anyway, I am trying hard not to stress too much...the flood is coming and there is nothing I can do about it...except be prepared! Like Noah...enjoy! icart

Everything I need to know about life, I learned from Noah's Ark... One : Don't miss the boat. Two : Remember that we are all in the same boat. Three : Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark. Four: Stay fit. When you're 600 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big. Five : Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done. Six: Build your future on high ground. Seven : For safety sake, travel in pairs. Eight : Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs. Nine : When you're stressed, float a while. Ten : Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals. Eleven: No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.

In God's Time...

Tue, 7 Aug 2007 05:59:00 -0500

I keep reminding myself that I can't see the whole picture, but God can. Things are so stressful with the house not selling, but I am reminded that everything happens in God's time. So with that thought, a friend of mine sent me this fantastic prayer. I hope it touches your heart as it did mine...enjoy! icart

Dancing With God

When I meditated on the word Guidance,

I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word.

I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.

When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.

The movement doesn't flow with the music,

and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.

When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead,

both bodies begin to flow with the music.

One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back

or by pressing Lightly in one direction or another.

It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.

The dance takes surrender, willingness,

and attentiveness from one person

and gentle guidance and skill from the other.

My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.

When I saw "G: I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i".

"God, "u" and "i" dance."

God, you, and I dance.

As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust

that I would get guidance about my life.

Once again, I became willing to let God lead.

My prayer for you today is that God's blessings

and mercies be upon you on this day and everyday.

May you abide in God as God

abides in you.

Dance together with God, trusting God to lead

and to guide you through each season of your life.

This prayer is powerful and there is nothing attached.

If God has done anything for

you in your life,

please share this message with someone else,

for prayer is one of the best gifts we can receive.

There is no cost but a lot of rewards;

so let's continue to pray for one another.

And I Hope You Dance

Author Unknown

short, sweet...

Mon, 6 Aug 2007 06:30:00 -0500

...and too cute. Do you have a child that wants a dog? Do you NOT want to get one for them? Do YOU want a dog, but aren't home enough to take care of one...then go to this site...toooooo cute!
http://www.idodogtricks.com/index_flash.html enjoy! icart

Inspiration...part 2

Fri, 3 Aug 2007 07:34:00 -0500

With the painting and packing and trying to get ready for a move (we still haven't sold this house...so keep praying please)...I thought I would post part 2 today incase I got a little too busy this weekend...enjoy! icart

On a positive note, I've learned that, no matter what happens, how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles four things: a rainy day, the elderly, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.
I've learned that, regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life. I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a "life.."

I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.

I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you.

I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.

I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one. I've learned that every day, you should reach out and touch someone. People love that human touch -- holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.!

Inspiration...part 1

Fri, 3 Aug 2007 07:31:00 -0500

With the kids getting older, I keep teasing them which one I should be nicer to, because they are the one that will take better care of me when I am older...on that note...enjoy! icart

The Wooden Bowl

    I guarantee you will remember the tale of the Wooden Bowl tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, a year from now. A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year
old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred,
and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table.

    But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

    The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. "We must do something about father," said the son. "I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor."

    So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There,Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a
wooden bowl!

    When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometime he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food..

    The four-year-old watched it all in silence. One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?"

    Just as sweetly, the boy responded, "Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up." The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.

    The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.

That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

Too true...

Thu, 2 Aug 2007 18:23:00 -0500

...with one away at college; one on his first rue love; and one who thinks she knows EVERYTHING!...this hit home. Enjoy! It's only a phase...this too shall pass. icart

WORRY

Is there a magic cutoff period when
offspring become accountable for their own
actions? Is there a wonderful moment when
parents can become detached spectators in
the lives of their children and shrug, "It's
their life," and feel nothing?

When I was in my twenties, I stood in a hospital
corridor waiting for doctors to put a few
stitches in my son's head. I asked, "When do
you stop worrying?" The nurse said,
"When they get out of the accident stage." My
mother just smiled faintly and said nothing.

When I was in my thirties, I sat on a little
chair in a classroom and heard how one of my
children talked incessantly, disrupted the class,
and was headed for a career making
license plates. As if to read my mind, a teacher
said, "Don't worry, they all go through
this stage and then you can sit back, relax and
enjoy them." My mother just smiled
faintly and said nothing.

When I was in my forties, I spent a lifetime
waiting for the phone to ring, the cars to come
home, the front door to open. A friend said,
"They're trying to find themselves. Don't worry,
in a few years, you can stop worrying. They'll be
adults." My mother just smiled faintly
and said nothing.

By the time I was 50, I was sick & tired of being
vulnerable. I was still worrying over my
children, but there was a new wrinkle. There
was nothing I could do about it. My
mother just smiled faintly and said nothing. I
continued to anguish over their failures, be
tormented by their frustrations and absorbed in
their disappointments.

My friends said that when my kids got married I
could stop worrying and lead my own
life. I wanted to believe that, but I was
haunted by my mother's warm smile and her
occasional, "You look pale. Are you all right?
Call me the minute you get home. Are
you depressed about something?"

Can it be that parents are sentenced to a
lifetime of worry? Is concern for one another
handed down like a torch to blaze the trail of
human frailties and the fears of the
unknown? Is concern a curse or is it a virtue
that elevates us to the highest form of life?

One of my children became quite irritable
recently, saying to me, " Where were you? I've
been calling for 3 days, and no one answered I was worried."
I smiled a warm smile.

The torch has been passed.

A little Italian humor...

Wed, 1 Aug 2007 06:29:00 -0500

My racial background can be best discribed as a Heinz 57! I am a true American...all four of my grandparents came from a different country...a baseball playing Cubano, an exhiled Russian Jew, an American born Italian American and my very colorful Italian born grandfather. He came to America to find his fortune...sent for his wife and son and they wouldn't come! He stayed here...but the Catholic church didn't believe in divorce...so he just didn't tell my grandmother about the other wife and son! His American family found out about his Italian family after he died...he had some land in Italy that he left to his legal wife and son...

...so on that note...here is a little Italian joke...it means more when you have the background. I laughed pretty hard...enjoy! icart

At the church's Seminar For Husbands, the Priest asked Luigi, about his
upcoming 50th wedding anniversary, to take a few minutes and share some
insight into how he managed to stay married to the same woman all these
years.

Luigi replied to the audience "Well, I'm-a tried to treat her a-well,
spend-a da money on her, but-a, da best - a is - a dat I took her to
Italy for da 20th anniversary!

The Priest immediately commented, "Luigi, you are an amazing inspiration
to all the husbands here! Please tell the audience what you are planning
for your wife for your 50th anniversary..."

Luigi proudly replied ..."I'm-a gonna go and-a get her."

People are like slinkies!

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 08:17:00 -0500

Yesterday my real estate agent calls and says an agent would like to show the house in FIFTEEN MINUTES! I begged for 30...cleaned, dustied, tidied up and grabbed the kids and anilmals and headed out for an hour....an hour AFTER we returned home they called to say they were running late could they still come by...same routine...left for 45 minutes! I don't even know if they ever showed up! Oh the joys of selling a house. Keeping those considerate people in mind I found this quote...enjoy! icart

Some People are like slinkies:

They don't really serve a purpose,

but they still bring a smile to your face

when you push them down the stairs!

This is just too uplifting not to share...

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 06:20:00 -0500

...a friend of mine sent this to me. She knows how crazy things are right now and thought this would help. It really did! I HATE wasting time...so think of this next time you start to complain. I know I will...enjoy! icart

The most beautiful rainbow.

                     As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that
                     wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will. You
                     will have your heart broken probably more thanonce and
                     it's harder every time. You'll break hearts too, so remember
                     how it felt when yours was broken. You'll fight with your
                     best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one
                     did. You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll
                     eventually lose someone you love. So take too many
                     pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been
                     hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a
              minute of happiness you'll never get back. Don't be afraid
                     that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin.

                     Live simply. Love generously.
                     Care deeply. Speak kindly.
                     Leave the rest to God.