Life is Hard- But God is Good

I know that sounds like such a cliche, but it's where we are right now. I have been quiet in blogland lately, my heart is heavy. I really don't want to use this blog venue to whine and complain, but I do want to share my heart and what's going on. The King Fish continues to be out of town all week and is home again on the weekends. That alone is hard enough, but his job is very stressful right now. He has an enormous amount of pressure on his shoulders and an enormous amount of stress. It's tough, because we are both tired from the week of stress and being apart from one another. God designed us to be together for a reason, and we know we compliment one another well. We help each other and encourage each other and that is just not as effective when he is hundreds of miles away in a hotel. Not to say we don't encourage one another... we do, but it's just not as effective over the phone late at night when we both are exhausted. Life has just been hard. I know it is a season. But I understand it may get even harder.

I have been reading through Job with Andrea from Babe of My Heart. Oh how this bible reading and her commentary have been blessing my heart. I am so grateful that I found her blog, as it is a real ministry. The comments that are left are just as inspiring... and I encourage you to hop over and just soak in this bible study. Anyway... in Job 1, Job has lost everything.... his 10 children, his crops, his servants... all in one day! He obviously is completely distraught and tears his robe and mourns. Satan believed that Job would curse God if he took away everything he had, but here is what Job says after losing everything... "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised." Can you believe Job's heart? If you lost everything dear to you in life would you be able to speak those words?? I have thought to myself, what if my husband loses his job? It's a very real possibility. Would I be able to praise the Lord like Job did, in the midst of my situation?

The second thing I noticed is that in Job 2, he becomes afflicted with painful sores from head to toe. Once again Satan believed that if he afflicted Job all over his skin he would surely curse God. In verse 8 we find Job covered in lesions and sitting by the ashes of a fire with a piece of broken pottery trying to scrape himself. Can you imagine how he must have felt? A few days before he had everything... he was wealthy, had servants and had an offspring of 10 children to make him proud. Then he lost everything and days later was afflicted with very painful lesions that I'm sure where painful even to look at. Why? Because later on Chapter 2, his three friends visit him and hardly recognize him. His wife said to him in verse 9: "Are you still holding onto your integrity? Curse God and die!" Job replied: (and here is the verse that struck me): "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?"

So often I hear people say, "Everything just came together and we know God is in it?" I know that this can often be confirmation for many people, us included... but I have to wonder when things fall apart, and life is hard... does that mean that God is not in it? According to Job, absolutely not! When life is hard, God is in the midst of it. Even when it is hard to see him, and hear him, we can know he is right there with us. Doesn't the Bible say in Joshua 1:9, "Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." God will be with us wherever we go! And in Deuteronomy 31:8 it says: "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

Andrea over at Babe of my Heart wrote this: "In the midst of hardship—the Lord is working! In good days—the Lord is working! When things make sense OR don’t make sense—the Lord is working!"

So this week I take heart that the Lord is working in the midst of our lives. Even though it has been difficult, and even though I have cried so many tears of frustration, exhaustion and worry. Even though we are separated for a time, and may have no job in the near future.... the Lord is working.... and He is in control. No matter what hardship we are going through (or you are going through), He will never leave you or forsake you.

I'll end with Romans 8:35-39 because it is a verse to remember. It reminds us of God's incredible love for us. Not only will He never leave us or forsake us, not only will He be with us wherever we go, but nothing can separate us from his love.....nothing.

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or danger or sword? No in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height or depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

I am grateful that I am a child of God today, and no matter what my circumstances- He cares deeply for me and for you too!

Blessings,
Jackie

Dolphins Game- Photos

Here are a few photos from when the King Fish surprised the boys with an early Christmas gift--- a Dolphins game! And their first NFL game ever! You’ll notice that the bottom left corner is a photo he snapped of them opening their eyes and looking at the tickets he put in their hands. They were so surprised!! I only wanted to include the photos I thought relevant…. the ones of the actual game or players I did not include. (I gave a thought to that Jason Taylor, even my mom thought he was a "handsome devil" on Dancing with the Stars, but he can’t compete with these two kids below. :-) )

View Full Album

January 14, 2010

Outside my window... I hear a train whistling in the night. The King Fish loves this sound because it reminds him of his childhood visiting his grandma. It is a soothing sound for me as well… I’m not sure why…but it is.

I am thinking... Gosh- I am loving this Windows Live Writer, and shoot is it really 12:30am? Do I really still have that homemade soup still on the stove. I have to put it away. I hope Small Fry doesn’t wake up 5 times again tonight with his cold… or I’m gonna be one hurting puppy in the morning. Shoot he already woke up once.. I wonder if I’m going to get the dreaded cold too?

I am thankful for... my children and the ability and option to homeschool them. There have been many days when I am reminded of this absolute blessing, and how it benefits my children.

I am wearing... makeup… which is amazing, it means I showered and got out of the house today. lol! Okay, only part way serious there. I’m wearing jeans a turtleneck and walking shoes.

I am remembering... my friend Suz and her husband Jim and our visit this summer. It was so funny to laugh with them and to see our husbands laugh together. Gosh, I miss them!

I am going... out on a date with my husband this weekend. We both could use the time away. I am also going to be deliberate about planning date nights and time away more often. I used to be frustrated and think, “Why do I have to do this? He’s the man, the head of the household….,” But you know what? Going away together… no matter who plans it will bless us both! I have been remiss for not attempting this sooner!

I am currently reading... The Bible and Beth Moore’s Living Beyond Yourself Bible Study.

I am hoping... to get the entire house cleaned up, laundry, dishes, plus school my kids in 11 subjects, do some Tot school with Small Fry, and get to Kinko’s to make copies all by the time The King Fish arrives home tomorrow. If I keep working through the night I just might accomplish it! Or I’m hoping for enough funds for a cleaning service to come here regularly. I’m not sure either one will happen.

On my mind... So much…… my faults, God’s grace…. His plan for us.

Noticing that... our first full week back at school went really well. The boys have accomplished all that I have asked, and have done so without dragging their feet. I am impressed with Jabber Jaw’s self direction, as this is not a habit that comes easily to this “mind wandering and imaginative” young man. I love checking off all that we accomplish and like I mentioned in an earlier post… I am loving these audio CD’s!

Pondering these words... From my devotional bible: “Christianity isn’t a narcotic that dulls you into obedience. It involves battle-it’s excruciating to give up control..…. Jesus will meet you wherever you are and he will help you. He is not intimidated by past failures, broken promises or wounds. He will make sense out of your brokenness. But he can only begin to be the Lord of your life today, not next Monday or next month, but now. And the great and joyful paradox is that while he is totally transforming us he makes us more ourselves than ever before. “

From the kitchen…Oh my word! Have you ever seen this much laundry? I am SO not taking a picture, because quite frankly it is too embarrassing! Trust me when I say, laundry is the bane of my existence, and I almost always have 4-5 loads…. often times more! Just ask my sister… she truly knows!

Around the house... clutter… way to much clutter and way to little time to tackle it all. It is way down on the priority list. (But I need it to be higher for my own peace of mind).

One of my favorite things~ Remodeling with the King Fish. He is away too much for us to do any of that now, and I miss it! (And I miss him!)

For more daybook entry’s visit The Simple Woman’s Daybook

Kraft Singles and Feminine Products

I was visiting my local grocery store recently. It’s like the neighborhood store, where you feel like you know folks. You know that song from Cheers that goes, "Where everybody knows your name...?" Well that is kind of how it feels. We typically show our faces there a lot. Me a few times a week, and the King Fish like every other night. They know us there… trust me. So, I’m sure it seems like we moved to Kalamazoo or something since the King Fish has been traveling so much. As a matter of fact, a gentleman we know who helps bag and such even commented on how he hasn’t seen the King Fish in awhile. Scary huh?

I hate to grocery shop when the King Fish is out of town…..so I’m typically in there once a week. That’s all. If I don’t “need” it, then we’ll just make do with what I have here in the house until he returns. My once a week trip will suffice. Plus it’s been so daggone cold here who wants to venture out to the grocery store? I mean really??

But I was in there recently as I mentioned, and I was in the checkout line. Now, you have to know… I almost always have a good experience at this store. Employees are friendly, and polite. But this evening they had a young man as a bagger, and I’m sure he was friendly, he just needed to learn to button his lip and keep his opinions to himself. He was loud to boot, which only added to the annoyance. I might not have noticed him but I was in the line checking out next to him…. and as I mentioned he was loud.

I first heard him talking and then looked up to see him holding in the air a Kraft cheese pack of singles. You know those cheese squares that almost every mom has given her kids in a grilled cheese sandwich. He holds it up and says, “Is Kraft Cheese really cheese? You know because it says right on the package… A Cheese Product. What is really in this stuff they say is cheese? Yeah right, I’m sure it’s cheese.” (Insert loud laughter as he laugh at his own sense of humor). I could see the customer, a young woman, looking oddly uncomfortable as both sides of the aisle turned to see what the commotion was about. I felt sorry for her.

I was thinking about that encounter for several days and I have to say it still irks me. I mean, why in the world would that employee comment unfavorably on a customer’s product choice, and why would he draw attention to it? I know it may be considered small talk, and he may have thought he was “making conversation”. Or maybe he really just didn’t have a clue about manners or being tactful. Heck, he probably wasn’t aware of those two silly words Customer Service, though I know it’s been drilled into him since day one of training!

As I wonder about it, I can only hope that when he is slightly older, his wife will send him out on an errand for feminine products. And when he goes to check out, the price won’t scan. And with a long line behind him, the checker will have to announce loudly over the intercom system:

“Price check on aisle 9. Tampax Tampons.”

Maybe that will teach him. :-) Yeah, I’m just mean like that.

Works for Me Wednesday- Audio CD's

I know lots of people use audio CD's all the time, but I rarely do. However, that is about to change. This is swiftly becoming one of my favorite little gadgets and it helps me tremendously in our homeschool! HUGE help!!

We are currently reading Johnny Tremain as one of our Read Alouds for history. We actually have a ton of Read Aloud books that I will typically read to all the kids that are a part of history and family reading time. I love this concept, but my voice doesn't. My voice seems to tire easily, and quite frankly some days I could almost put myself to sleep reading. (Can you imagine my poor children?) I also don't retain as much, nor is it as enjoyable as just listening. I much prefer to have everyone snuggled up on the couch with blankets all round. Our living room is where we settle and with the below freezing temps we've had this week, our fireplace is crackling and sending warmth to the coldest corners of the room. I love to just sit and listen to the story of a young boy in Massachusetts; and I love watching each of my own boys expressions change in response to the various story developments. It's been great!

Johnny Tremain has captured the boys attention so much, that they protest loudly when we have to stop and move onto the next subject. I think they could listen for hours! I'm a fast reader, so I don't mind reading ahead when I have to, so that occasionally during the Read Aloud time I could be doing a project one on one with Small Fry. Or if he happens to take a nap, which he is not doing very often lately, I could actually blog, or surf the net while they listen. Shoot, I could even throw in a load of laundry and clean the kitchen.... (let's not get too carried away though).

So audio CD's are working for our family. I'll be checking out whatever CD's I can find at the library. If anyone knows of any places where you can download books on CD, leave a comment! Like I said, this is gonna be my new nifty gadget to help me better manage our time and enjoy our homeschooling!

If you would like to read other ideas visit Kristen at We Are That Family. Also any comments on the napping habits of your 3 year old? Leave them as well! I think this napping thing will actually have to be another post. Yep... I see it coming.

Toodles!

Day in and Day Out.... otherwise known as I lead an exciting life.....

Wow! I feel like my posts have been so random lately! I'm sorry about that. It's definitely more difficult with the King Fish away, and my time on the computer is limited. Then when he comes home, our time as a family together is so short, that once again my time on the computer is limited.

This week we start back full swing into school for the older boys. It's going to be interesting, that's for sure! Math, History, Language Arts, and maybe even some Latin. We already started back up in Science, Writing, and Art. The difficulty will be to schedule the time for Small Fry's Tot school. He loves to do that, and I love to see him learn and grow!

I've been doing a wonderful Beth Moore bible study for the second time. I'm learning so much and it's interesting as I hit chapters I didn't finish 5 years ago. It's a study on the fruits of the Spirit, and we just studied Peace. Guess what I will be studying this week? Anyone? Well, it's patience. Boy I guess I could use some patience these days. I want to see evidence of these fruits in my life as a product of my relationship with Christ. I want to see them overflowing as I deal and care for my husband and my kids. That's my prayer, that they would begin to pour out of me.... because of my time in the Word.

And that, is about all I have to say right about now. Well, except that it's freezing here... hasn't been above freezing in about a week. I am also praying that it warms up this week. This northern girl, transplanted to the south, is not used to this weather anymore! Of course when it's sweltering because of heat waves in the summer... I'll probably be complaining too. Hmmm... I better go get in the Word! :-)

This and That...

It's been almost a week since I posted anything here. The King Fish is still away and I have been feeling ill. I finally went to the Drs for that sinus infection. I should have gone sooner.... I was waking up with mild headaches, and having occasional dizziness. I'm sure from the infection. That will teach me to try and handle it myself! I'm now on antibiotics, but I'm still not feeling 100%.

Having said all that, I'm just trying to make it through school, laundry, children's outside activities, my Bible study and making meals 3x a day. Just the basics folks! You wouldn't want to see my house right about now.. .and hopefully there will be no unexpected company dropping by! I just couldn't handle that today.

We were supposed to get snow, but it looks like it will come this evening. I truly truly hope so, as I would love for Upwards basketball practice to be cancelled. It is so hard to keep Small Fry entertained for 3 hours! The King Fish was originally supposed to be home on Thursdays, so that I could go to Upwards with the boys and maybe do a Bible Study while he had some 1 on 1 time with our little guy at home. But he has been away each Thursday for over a month. Ugh! Thankfully he comes home tomorrow evening. He has been gone for 2 weeks straight, so I know he will be happy to see "home" again!

I have so many other things in my head to post about..but until I get organized here at home, I feel like my thoughts are just as jumbled in my head! :-)

One more thing: I want to give a big shout out to my online friend Susan in Nashville. Susan, your post on our forum just touched my heart. You are so sweet and thank you for keeping up with our family through this blog! I pray your doctor's appointment went well, and that you received encouraging results on your treatment. Huge hugs from me! {{Susan}}

New Year's Eve- Photos

Well we drove about 3 and 1/2 hours to see our King Fish. He has to work unexpectedly this weekend, and we miss him! So we headed out and are spending a few days with him in a hotel. It's like a mini-vacation, and has been very relaxing, and laid back for our family. Probably boring to many.... but hey we're all together in one room with college football on TV, Wii, Thomas the Tank Engine and a computer. I'm cool with all of that!

New Year's Eve we arrived and the boys ran to see The King Fish. Not to be outdone, I wish you could have seen our Small Fry run to his Daddy! Oh my goodness, how precious!! His little legs could barely carry him fast enough! We headed out to dinner at one of the King Fish's favorite places, a Chinese Buffet. I'm never sure about Chinese Buffets, they can be really good, or really bad. Thankfully this one was awesome!! My boys couldn't believe they could eat as much as they wanted. LOL! Everyone left with full bellies to head back to our hotel, and celebrate the New Year. It was a fun memory making evening... just the kind I like.

Here are some photos:

Almost There Sweetie!

Horsey riding in our hotel room with Jabber Jaw.

Small Fry feeding his "horse" pretend carrots.


Daddy playing airplane with Small Fry. He flew onto the comfy bed behind them.

It was a game Small Fry loved!
He kept asking for more with his arms up and ready!

Tiger Shark and Small Fry after dinner....

My handsome oldest son. Look out girls....he's gonna be quite the catch!

Small Fry sugared up after a huge Chinese Buffet dinner!

After dinner- no nap and running on sugar and who knows what???

Uh-oh.... He's hit the wall... 11:15pm, and one very overly-tired toddler.

Five minutes later..... sound asleep.

Happy New Year!!