It's About the Journey

You've heard it said...
"It's not about the Destination. It's about the Journey."

There's a lot of truth to that statement.

The Journey is where we prepare ourselves for the destination.
Sometimes that preparation is very messy--but it is also very necessary.



The Journey is where we all come together in anticipation for what is to come.
Sometimes the "what is to come" is way beyond our comprehension and imagination.




The Journey is where we all find our place and make the most of it.
Sometimes we laugh. Sometimes we cry. Sometimes we just close our eyes.

Sometimes we get the entire backseat of a six hour drive all to ourselves, and sometimes we don't.




The Journey is where we witness the breathtaking and awe-inspiring.
Sometimes we take the view for granted.




The Journey isn't always breathtaking and awe-inspiring.
Sometimes it's just downright interesting...and a little strange.
And confusing.



The Journey is where we all sit down, take a breather, and enjoy the tangible things in life.

Sometimes sweet.



Sometimes multicolored and bouncy.




But preferably caffeinated, mocha'd, and Grande in size!




The Journey is where we really...REALLY...get to know each other.
Sometimes we bless others.




But most of the time, we find ourselves being blessed.




Joyfully enjoying the journey,

Wordless Wednesday..."Far From Wordless!"

My blogging plan for this week was to post pictures from our Wisconsin vacation and write down some of the memorable things that were said and done.

Go ahead...ask me how that's working out.

This blog has become my way of scrapbooking for my family...my way of journaling. I like to think that later on, my kids will open up our family's Blog Book and remember.

And laugh.

Well...have I mentioned what a crazy summer this has already been. And how much more crazy it is going to get?!

It's a good kind of crazy, though.
Good stuff coming.
Fun stuff coming!
Lots and lots of stuff!

I am a planner, so when I flip through the calendar on my wall, I get a bit overwhelmed.

Because along with being a planner, I am also a perfectionist.

A hopeless perfectionist.

This week, I am cleaning out the camper, doing mountains of laundry, and really needing to go to the grocery store. You know, all the stuff that comes from being gone for a week on vacation.

The big kids leave for church camp tomorrow, so we are repacking.

Our township-wide Vacation Bible School begins next Monday, so I am pulling things together for the toddler class that I am teaching.

Am I whining yet?

So...

Even if it's only one or two pictures a day...or one story a day...I am going start documenting our vacation!

Following is my Wordless Wednesday pictures of the day.

This is Wednesday, isn't it?







Joyfully,

Wordless Wednesday..."I Love My Grandpa!"

Ask A Kid

This is something that I saw done on someone's Facebook wall. Her daughter, who is 4 years old, answered the questions.

I thought, "How cute! I wonder what my 4-year old would say... Am I brave enough to ask him these questions? He might tell the truth. He might say that I always yell or that I always tell him "No!" or that my favorite thing to do is sit at the computer."

Well, I'll never know until I try.

So I called Josh over beside me, and this is what he said.

What is something Mom always says to you?
“I love you."

What makes Mom happy?
"Flowers."

What makes Mom sad?
"Yelling and when people fight."

How does your Mom make you laugh?
"Doing silly faces."

What was your Mom like as a child?
"You threw hay down on the piggies' backs."

How old is your Mom? I can't remember.
"I think fourteen ninety-one."

How tall is your Mom?
"Fourteen feet."

What is her favourite thing to do?
"Play with me."

What does your Mom do when you're not around?
"Go places like probably to the store."

If your Mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
"For putting up the coconut tree on our wall." (I'll explain that one later.)

What is your Mom really good at?
"At being nice."

What is your Mom not very good at?
"Doing races."

What does your Mom do for a job?
"Clean up in the kitchen."

What is your Mom's favorite food?
"Grapes."

What makes you proud of your Mom?
"Because you let us go camping."

If your Mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
"A worm that could talk. Or you could be a pumpkin."

What do you and your Mom do together?
"Help clean up."

How are you and your Mom the same?
"We kinda like the same color."

How are you and your Mom different?
"You like orange and I like blue."

How do you know your Mom loves you?
"Because you do nice stuff for me."

Where is your Mom's favorite place to go?
"Mounds."



As soon as I asked the last question, Josh said, "Can we stop right now? This is kinda hard."

Joyfully,

Back to What I Love...

Philippians 3:13
"Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead..."

I just might be taking this out of context, but I am going to consider Paul's words as I blog from now on.

I get so hung up on backtracking and catching up on all the things that I haven't blogged on, that I just put my computer and pictures aside until a "better time."

Someday...at that "better time"...I will catch up on all the birthdays, special events, and memorable moments that I haven't recorded.

Guess what.
You already know what I'm going to say.

A "better time" never comes.
And...as I look ahead, I see so many more opportunities to record special memories on my blog.
Now I'm in a real pickle.
Do I go back and try to catch up, or do I take a deep breath and continue forward.

This is not a new dilemma.
It is one that rears its ugly head every so often.
Life is full, and I don't always leave time for quiet reflection.

I'm going to start making that time again...with no room for guilt.

I know I've said this all before.
Let's see how far I get this time. :)

So...
for today I'm going to share with you some of life's simple pleasures.
A few quiet things that I'm thankful for.


Sweet music played by a sweet girl...



My wild and carefree May second rosebush...



Together time...



Cheesy smiles...



Fuzzy bunnies...



Peas and Cheese...



Hard work on a hot day...



Teamwork...



Someone to hold hands with...




Joyfully,

Sweetheart Trail Mix

Remember...
Crunchy...Chewy...Sweet...Salty!

Strawberry Yogurt Cheerios (our base ingredient)
Chocolate Chip Teddy Grahams
Vanilla Flavored Yogurt-Covered Raisins
Valentine's Day Plain M&M's
Rainbow Goldfish
Pretzel Sticks

There are so many great combinations in this one...especially the M&M's and Pretzels!

I think this will last us awhile since we made it in our big silver pan.

This is the pan that I inherited from Mom. She used to make Chex Party Mix in this pan every Christmas...and so do we.



There's a big wooden spoon in the pan, because I had the kids take turns pouring the ingredients in one-at-a-time...and then stir after each ingredient.

This one turned out to be pretty cute...I think mainly because of the chubby little Teddy Grahams!

We may not have this one done in time to make a Trail Mix for the month of March.

Too bad...
Lucky Charms would have been a great base ingredient...especially since the cereal part of Lucky Charms in my favorite! ;)

Happy Valentine's Day,

A Constant Reminder

Galatians 5:22-25
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

Alright.
Confession time.

Do you know how long I have tried to memorize the Fruit of the Spirit.
And not only to memorize...but then to try my hardest to display the Fruit in my life.

Try to be patient, Jodi!
Try to be loving, Jodi!
Come on, Jodi...just try to have a little self-control!

Try as I might, I just couldn't seem to produce that Fruit.

There it is..."Try as I might..."

Then, several years ago, I heard Joyce Meyer speak on the Fruit of the Spirit.
Something she said made such a difference in my life.
She said that when we invite Jesus into our lives, the Holy Spirit takes up residence inside of us. Along with the Holy Spirit comes His Fruit.

So...I have the Fruit of the Spirit inside of me.
I don't have to try to get it.
It just needs time to mature...time to grow.

No longer do I have to try...I need to abide.
To rest in Jesus and know that He will be the one doing the work...if only I can figure out how to abide in Him.

I struggle with abiding.
I struggle with trusting.

Lately, I have found that I still struggle with the trying.
I am still trying to produce that Fruit!

One day a couple of weeks ago, I was inspired!
I felt this strong urge to go out to the schoolroom, get my unused sentence strips, and write each Fruit on a piece of the strip.
Then, I stuck them up in the kitchen...right where I see them many times, every single day.




What has that done for me?

Now, when I am struggling with patience, I look up there and see the word "Patience." It reminds me that I have patience just waiting to be exercised!
So, I stop and pray...asking the Lord to please display His patience in me.

When I'm wiping macaroni and cheese off the floor, I look up and see the word "Kindness." I ask God to please help me to be kind...even though I am really wanting to gripe and complain about having to clean up such a sticky mess.

Those Oreo cookies in the cookie jar?
Lord! Please help me to use self-control!

The other great-big blessing that has come from having the Fruit of the Spirit posted in the kitchen is that the kids see it everyday too. We can just stop and talk about being gentle with each other. Or we can talk about being peaceful. We can stop and pray together to God...telling Him how we long to have that Fruit displayed in our lives.

That has been the abiding for me.
The reminder to turn to Jesus for patience, for gentleness, for joy.
So often, my day goes by in such a blur, that I forget to stop and ask for what I need. I forget to abide in Him.
This has been my constant reminder to abide.

Abiding together,

Wordless Wednesday..."Bubbles!"

Lucky...or Blessed?

I was on the treadmill one morning this week...
Now that's a blessing.

After what seems like years of trying to figure out the best time for daily exercise, Carrie and William have stepped in to feed the little boys their breakfasts while I use the treadmill.
Like I said...what a blessing!
I guess you would call it a blessing.
Exercise...a blessing...
Anyway...

While I'm on the treadmill, I usually get a visit or two from Josh. He just likes to check in on me...I think he likes to see what I watch on TV when he's not around. Spongebob? Max and Ruby?

I was on the treadmill one morning this week when Josh walked in with a plate. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that he was walking very carefully. Very slowly.

"Here, Mom. This is for you. It's the part of the Lucky Charms you like. I saved them just for you."



Pant, pant..."Thanks, Josh!"

"I'll put them right here so that you can eat them."

Pant, pant, cough..."Thank you! But where are the marshmallows?"

"Oh! I ate them for you!"

Pant, sputter..."Thanks, Buddy!"

I have to be honest with you.
I wasn't sure if I get an A in parenting for that...or a D-.
He's sharing! Give that mom an A!
He ate the best part of the cereal and is pawning the rest off on his mom! Give that mom a D-!

I had some time to think about this while I was getting showered and dressed.

I realize that so much of life is about growing...maturing.

If Matthew were given a bowl of Lucky Charms, he would grab up two handfuls of them and throw them on the floor when he was finished with them. Marshmallows and all. He wouldn't put any thought into whether someone else would like the marshmallows...or the cereal.

Then there is Josh. He has moved past that stage and wants to share. Maybe not the ingredient that he likes best--but he does think to share what's left instead of flinging them onto the floor.

What about Carrie and William? They have moved on to noticing that the Lucky Charms box is feeling kind of light, so they ask if anyone wants any of the cereal before they get theirs...hoping beyond hope that everyone says no.

And me? I notice that the box is feeling kind of light; so, knowing that the kids would probably like a bowlful later, I look for something else to eat.
Most of the time.
There might be times when I quietly pour out the remainder of the cereal, stand in the kitchen while shoveling them in my mouth as quickly as possible, and then bury the box in the trash can.
Maybe.
But most of the time, I would look for something else to eat.

Then I had to wonder...how close am I to being like Jesus?
What would Jesus do with the Lucky Charms?




Not only does He want to give me the marshmallows...He wants me to ask for the marshmallows.

"God has all blessing and goodness. He desires to bless you, so when you ask for God's blessing, you are asking for exactly what He desires to give you! Matthew 7:7-8 says, 'Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.'" (AllAboutPrayer.org)

I will bless them and the places surrounding my hill. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing. (Ezekiel 34:26)

Praying marshmallow blessings for you,

Mixin' Things Up a Little

Trail Mix!

Here is something that I've always meant to make with the kids, but I always forget that I want to make it.

Do you ever do that?

I found this website,The Adventures of a Kitchen Girl, that posted a "Master Recipe" and some ideas for add-ins.
We decided that instead of having a "Master Recipe," we will try to include Sweet, Salty, Crunchy, Chewy in every recipe that we make. A great base ingredient for Trail Mix is cereal. Our base ingredient this time was Chocolate Cheerios.

This one was so popular, that we have decided to make a new combination every month or so.
Just wait until you see the Trail Mix that we have already planned out for the month of February!

I have to admit that we are not as health-minded as we probably should be. We have quite a bit of "Sweet" ingredients in this. Maybe as time goes by, we'll include some more nutritious choices into our Trail Mix.

Hey! Who's hand is that?
Daddy?















One thing that we learned was that if you add marshmallows to the Trail Mix, they will get tough--even if the mix is in a sealed jar.
I think that it must be like putting bread in with your cookies. The cookies stay moist but the bread gets dried out.
The marshmallows get sapped of their moisture.
I guess this makes the marshmallows one of your "Chewy" ingredients.



There's that hand again!



Snack-wise, this has been a nice change-of-pace.

And...bonus! You don't have to choose only one kind of snack! Include all of your favorites and you automatically simplify your life by simplifying your decision-making.

Have a scrumptious day,

This is the Day!

I know that there's not a whole lot that's spiritual about Spongebob Squarepants.

I also know that I might be taking a bit of a chance by quoting any character from Spongebob in a spiritual context...but here it goes.



"The sweet smell of a brand new day!"

I have no idea in what context Mr. Krabs exclaimed this, but I do know that when he shouted it, my soul jumped and wanted to shout it too!

Psalm 118:24

This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Enjoying this day,

Wordless Wednesday..."The Ol' Switcheroo"

The Simple Woman's Daybook

For today, Monday, January 25, 2010 (recorded on Sunday, January 24, 2010)...

Outside my window...I can see our truck sitting in the driveway. The trees are bare...proof that the month is January, but it is a "balmy" 54 degrees out there today. It has been an overcast kind of day that started out with rain. Every now and then the sun peeks out and teases us. I can also see a blue ball...a remnant of play time from some far away fall day.

I am thinking...what a difference listening to the Daily Audio Bible has made already in my life...in just three days. I am thinking ahead at what a year of change this will be if I can only continue putting God first each day.

I am thankful for...quiet afternoons and evenings when we're all here at home together. I love knowing that there is nowhere to go. Everyone gets dressed in their coziest clothes and settles down together.

From the learning rooms...I can see piles upon piles on our school table...and on our computer desk...and on the high chair...and on the benches... It's Sunday evening and time for me to organize our school room for a new week. Organization needs to happen tonight, but it usually doesn't happen until Monday morning.

From the kitchen...I can hear Josh, Carrie, and Matthew talking and chattering while they get their supper plates filled.

I am wearing...blue jeans, a brown t-shirt under a burgandy, brown, and cream button-down shirt, and brown socks. Unusual for a Sunday afternoon. I usually change right after church, but I had to make a Walmart grocery trip this afternoon. I am ready for my cozies.

I am creating...a submarine sandwich supper for my family. Subs, macaroni salad, macaroni and cheese (I know, two pastas in one meal), chips and salsa, and one of those big chocolate chip cookies with "Colts" written on it in frosting.

I am going...to definitely have to start counting Weight Watcher points tomorrow. I have been eating since Christmas.

I am reading..."Love Not the World" by Watchman Nee...it takes me a long time to read his books, but I love them.

I am hoping...to lose 15 more pounds before April 1...

I am hearing...the sound of the Colts game and the groans from Paul and Carrie. It's not looking so good for the Colts right now, but I'm told that the game is still young.

Around the house...I can see piles of laundry...folded and unfolded, dirty dishes, piles of schoolwork, clutter, clutter, clutter. This is pretty normal for a day in which I had to go grocery shopping. It's kind of like when you have to mow the yard in the summer time. When you are outside for a couple of hours doing yard work, the inside of the house just falls apart. I have finally learned to just accept it.

One of my favorite things...is a cup of fresh coffee with milk and creamer. Yes, milk and creamer.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Tomorrow evening is the first evening of women's Bible study at church. We're going to be studying Beth Moore's "Believing God." Carrie is going with me and Paul's mom, Judy will be there too. I can't wait to dig into a Bible study. It's been a long time since I've done one with a group.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...



We were all together last Wednesday for Carrie's 14th birthday breakfast...frosted cinnamon muffins.

For more daybooks...or to join the fun, go to The Simple Woman's Daybook.