OUT BY THE ROOTS

I don't know about you, but I tend to be a bit hardheaded. Shocking I know. I mean it took the actual numbers in this test for me to believe I was really just bossy. Anyway.... so when the Lord wants my attention sometimes He needs to bombard me at every turn. And so He has. At the current moment, I am doing both the Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed Deeper Still Bible study and the Me, Myself and Lies Bible study, and we are attending a new church.
Our attempt to leave our previous church with no hurt feelings has failed, due to both sides (us & them). So to say I have been mad (or at least with an underlying current of anger) for the past 6 weeks would not be a stretch. I have tried in my own power not to be and have even tried in what I thought was the Lord's power to move on, but apparently my flesh and pride and will are hanging on for dear life and I am not letting go as I thought I was.
I should come as no surprise that both bible studies and the past two sermons have centered around or included one of these two verses:

Ephesians 4:31 "Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior" New Living Translation

Hebrews 12:15 "looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many

become defiled;" New King James Version

The silly thing about it is I am having the same irrational arguments in my head that I have told other people not to have:

If I forgive it makes it right.....

I need them to say I was right.....

They owe me an apology....

Blah Blah Blah........

Which is exactly what they probably think too.

Such lies of the enemy. Getting rid of all that is not for the THEM. Yes they benefit from it, but nowhere near the extent I do. Getting rid of all that is for me. By chunking that stuff out the door, I shut out a chance for the enemy to get a foothold which so quickly becomes a stronghold. It is best for me, my family, my relationships, my everything. Six weeks is too long. It is time to clean house and get rid of the junk. So today I start. And tomorrow I will do it again. And when the next time to be offended or let bitterness take root comes up- I will chunk it to. By the power of the Holy Spirit and the grace of Christ within me I will. I have purposed in my heart to do so.

I choose to.

IT APPEARS TO BE HARVEST TIME

So yesterday morning I was making my bed, thinking about MC 2 and his recent round of antics. I was thinking how I would have never thought he would have been strong enough to lift the ladder. Then I was thinking how he is almost fearless and I need to find a way to channel that courage into something productive.
That is when it hit me. This is the song I sing over MC 2 & MC 1 at times & especially when they were babies:
Be strong and courageous (insert MC 2's name 2x)
Be strong and courageous MC 2, MC 2
For the Lord your God is with you
He'll never leave you or forsake you
Be strong and courageous MC 2, MC 2
I am sure the irony is not lost on you.
Apparently I am now reaping the seeds I spoke over my boys. What a powerful reminder of the power of our words. Not a mystical, in my human flesh & power- but the power of the Word being spoken as my words.
Leaves me speechless.

THEY HAVE MILITARY SCHOOL FOR TODDLERS RIGHT?

Okay - prior to his lightening bug experience yesterday, mc 2 had also ascended to the top of our 10 ft ladder outside yesterday. Yes he climbed the wrong side and was just looking around. Today he had to go to school and he came back with a vengeance. First he was up by 5:30 AM. Second, I had laid the ladder down sideways because I felt confident that there was no way a 2 foot tall person could set up a 10 foot ladder. Oh how wrong was I? VERY! I went out this afternoon and he had set it up AGAIN. I said "Don't climb it" in my sternest voice possible. He promises "I won't mommy", but as we saw yesterday he has a tendency to speak some untruths. I stepped inside to lay what I had in my hands down, right back out to find him atop MT. LADDER again. Okay, so then as I cook supper, I catch him EATING the flour I just dredged the pork chops in - YUCK!! Third- he totally destroyed his bed when Nanny stopped by for a visit- mattress of the floor - bedding out.
And I have signed up to stay home with this one every day for a year??
Prayer......we...he.. I...I...I...I....I.. need lots of prayer.
Thank you for your time.

Did I mention that all this was going on while I was dealing with a young-en who was trying to wake up from dental work and was in tears because he had the hiccups? And his legs hurt. And he ate chocolate pudding too soon. And had a meltdown because I would not let him have gum and I changed from Star Wars Clone Wars. Did I mention all that? Well, as I wrote this the Spirit quickly convicted me how blessed a woman I am.

Yes - I am a blessed woman! I love all my boys madly. Besides without them what would I blog about? Whew - I feel better now. Encourage yourself in the Lord the word says. Think I just did:)

YOUR ARE POSITIVELY GLOWING!

We have been struggling with bed time. The men children do not like bed time & it is usually a battle. So imagine my surprise when on Monday they went to bed and laid down willingly. We prayed, kissed and that is when I saw it. Years of teaching public school have trained this eagle eye! The soft glow of an iPod.
So I wrestled it away, wailing ensued, I leave and of course they need water. Up we go to get a drink. Again my teaching has paid off with my super sensitive ears. (Yes kiddos - we can hear you - we choose normally to ignore your idle chatter)
man child 2 whispering (or so he thinks) ... " I got it.I got the iPod- come on." So I get up just in time to see him shove it into the front of his underwear. I follow him to the room & I kid you not he stands there with his groin area glowing protesting " I don't have it mama, I don't have it!"
I can not tell you how many high school kids I have seen with that same disease. Lights are dim and suddenly their "personal area" glows brighter than Homer Simpson at the nuclear plant.
So I rescue the iPod for the depths of MC 2's underoos and send them to bed.
My dilemma now- do I tell HH in the morning or do I let it go? How do you disinfect an iPod? HH will be totally grossed out by this. The man sanitizes after Wal-Mart! What will I do? Will have to update to let you know.
Boys are so much fun:0)

** UPDATE- I informed HH of his iPod's trip through the underoos. Fortunatley we had just bathed so everyone was clean and he didn't freak out. It just felt wrong not to tell him when all of you knew:)

NAME THAT BAND

HH & I (mainly I) are not night owls. I rarely am up past 10:30pm. Saturday night we felt our youth returning. I blame all the reminiscing about the good ol' days of Aggieland (Whoop!). Maybe we thought we were college kids again and could pull a late nighter and get away with it. We had company for dinner and got the kids in bed around 10 and then we lost our minds. I had recorded the newest Love Comes (or Finds) ...... movies from Hallmark so I decided to watch those. HH was looking up tunes on iTunes for his gig on Tuesday. (Did I tell you he got new drums? No... Oh HEY guess what HH bought new drums). Somehow his search for music turned into a Name that Band contest of classic country, '60's rock, '80's pop, and '80's one hit wonders! We traveled down MANY memory lanes and learned a thing or two along the way. For example, HH thought "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" was originally from the California Raisin commercial. Obviously my in laws did not watch The Big Chill 50 million times & buy the soundtrack unlike some set of unmentionable parents. Someone once asked me how I knew Jeremiah was a bullfrog - my response - "My parents are old" - and I wasn't even trying to be funny. We also learned that Neil McCoy did not sing Day-O first and that there really is a song that goes "In the jungle the mighty jungle the lion sleeps tonight". I am pretty sure HH was sheltered.


But it was fun and we laughed and paid for it Sunday morning. It was worth it though! Now if I can just catch back up on my sleep:)

IT'S A HARD COUNTRY AND IT CALLS FOR HARD MEN

West Texas changes a man.

For some, it is a time warp. Right back to classic country of the '60's & 70's. HH does not listen to a lot of country music. He is more of a '80's heavy metal / hair band mix (an enigma I know- goes with the golf & hunting). So imagine my shock when we finally were reunited (and it felt so good........sorry - couldn't resist it -hangover from West Texas) and his radio was on some local station playing the Hanks, Mr. Cash and other classics. He hardly ever listens to that stuff. Apparently there is an imaginary line you cross on your way to West Texas where you are transported back instantaneously. It does not appear that when you cross that same line on your way home you get quite such a quick return. Apparently you progress. We are now in the era when HH lived in Bryan/College Station. We spent the other day listening to Rick Trevino classics. Can I say hello Hall of Fame? Denim & Diamonds? Hurricane Harry's? The Chicken.. and in later years Shadow Canyon. (Yes I was there at the same time, but by God's providence we never met- good thing ya'll I promise!) Hopefully we are making our way into the current CENTURY and our musical tastes will return to normal. I have enjoyed the little trip down memory lane but you can't stay in the past. Plus it all makes me want to do a two step and HH REFUSES to dance with me because he maintains that I can't.

The other profound affect is on apparel. Man child 1 sees himself as more a skater/hip hop kid. However, after 36 hours in West Texas he is now a cowboy. He has new boots and new clothes, heavy starch thank you very much. The girl at the dry cleaners actually asked if I wanted the line down the jeans - HELLO? - that is the whole point! Here is a pic of the boots:

And yes we are wearing them with the pants tucked in. Because that is the only way you could see the orange!

It is a hard country, and it calls for hard men. No sissy hair bands in the West. Only tough songs about tough men who wear what MC1 calls the "hard jeans", boots and starched shirts.

Yep, West Texas changes a man.

TRICKY LITTLE ONE

I have rarely if ever been the "youngest" for any length of time. I am the oldest of my siblings. I am the first grandkid on my dad's side, and middle on mom's side. I am even older than HH. Obviously being the oldest has shaped my personality. I just tell people what I want or want to do. If I don't want to do it- well I just say that and leave it. (Don't believe me- see this post on my bossy little self). So I don't really know how the mind of the "youngest" works. However, man child 2 is schooling me. I am now on to his ways. He has developed what he believes is his get out of jail free card. Here is an example. Man child 2 was supposed to be sharing a bag of pretzels with me last night. I went to get some and he yanked the bag away.

Hey, I thought you were supposed to be sharing?

Looking frontwards and not at me- No, I don't want to share.

Slowly turns toward me & smiles- I love you.

Because that makes everything okay if you say I love you. He has done this a time or two before. At first I was pulled in by the big blue eyes and insanely too cute smile. Now I am on to him. Now my resolve is strengthened to resist those charms. I can resist the pure confessions of love by my youngest offspring whose entire goal in life is to be with me as close as he possibly can. At least until the tractors show up at which point I become chopped liver. I will not fall prey to his ways any longer.

(Yeah right - who are we kidding? He has me every time he does it. Ugh..)