Celebrate the Nations

Part of our homeschooling has been reading about other people groups. It has been eye-opening and I realize how little I know of the World.

In church today we talked about missions. Two facts stuck with me:
Over half of the world lives on less than $2 a day.
30,000 people a day die from hunger.

In Sunday School (we teach 2nd grade), the kids told me some of their favorite foods and we figured out how much they eat a day and approximately what it would cost. $7 - $14 was what we came up with.

Our church is challenging us to have a rice and beans fast until church Wednesday night.
 http://www.woodsedge.org/event_details.php?id=70

Later this week, the sermon will be posted here:
http://www.woodsedge.org/media.php

Only rice and beans for 3 days??? This idea is not going over too well with the kids... I'm kinda excited. Anyone know any good recipes?
I'll update how we are doing!

One-winged Butterfly

"For a useful analogy in nature, consider the caterpillar that is “faking” being a butterfly, in order to look good or overcome feelings of self-contempt, shame, or ugliness, and which looks on other caterpillars with harsh judgment, if not disdain, and a desperate need to accelerate their “fixing.” And consider that a butterfly that is genuinely being itself looks on caterpillars with joyful expectancy, knowing that they are all “becoming” butterflies, that nothing is missing, and that the timing of their becoming is in God’s hands. The butterfly looks back on its caterpillar days with thankfulness, understanding its necessity, loving having been a caterpillar as well as being a butterfly. But the caterpillar often is discontent with its condition, wishing to rush its “ascendancy,” thereby stalling and delaying itself." -Jim Spivey


I am in a strange place, some areas of my life I'm living in butterfly mode and some areas I am stuck as a caterpillar. Maybe as a one-winged butterfly?

The past week has been a hard one. A week where I came to the end of myself. And found God there waiting. Ready to take over and clean up the mess. And just when I think I am empty of myself, a new trial comes that lands me flat out again. I see that I have not emptied all that I am, that I have yet again gotten in the way of myself. The caterpillar rears her head and begins to judge. It is easier to guess at what people think and judge them than it is to really communicate with them and love them. More hurts coming out. More realizations. More truths. It is a painful, growing process.

To really be able to love others, we have to first embrace God's love for us, love ourselves, and then love others... not caring if we are loved back.

I have not been loving.

It is a scary thing to walk out into the world and give love... without the guarantee of being loved back.

But if I ever want to grow that wing, it is only through taking the risk of loving and letting go of the judging.

Hello world... I'm ready to fly! (with both wings)

I know I've been quiet for awhile...

and it's not because I haven't had anything to say. It's because I've had so much to say. But I was standing in my own way of saying it. I think I'm ready now.

"Why now?" you ask.

Good question.

Last week was rough. I came to the end of myself. I've had enough of doing all this by myself. So I stopped and stepped to the side. I emptied myself and let God move.

Awwww... That sounds so pretty. Do you hear the soft music playing?

Trust me, it was anything but pretty.

Except to Jesus.
and me.

So I'm coming back.
A bit more real this time.

I made my own laundry detergent!

Thanks, sis, for this recipe! Here is a link to a tip that can save you LOTS of money. I can not believe how LONG this batch lasted me. I've been using the same batch since the summer. This time, I will document exactly how long it lasts.

So Beautiful

This Wedding
(Lindsay Joseph to Daniel Underbrink)
So Beautiful
Family Filled
A Dream Come True
I left more in love with my husband.
What more is there to say?

Best Wishes to my niece and her new husband. Welcome to the family, Daniel!


Check out the pics my (other) niece, Raeley, took and posted on her blog. http://raeley.blogspot.com/2010/09/mr-and-mrs-underbrink.html
She is a sophomore in high school. And, yes, there are some great ones of my kids!

Fun Friday Photo

My kids are on another blog! http://blogs.lifeway.com/blog/parentlife/2010/09/fun-friday-photo----september-17th-2010.html

I'm Still Here!

I know... I haven't posted in a while.
Small update:
I am homeschooling 3 of our kids. This is the first full week of school for us. Some parts of it I LOVE so much and wonder why I haven't done it from the beginning. Other parts... well, notsomuch.

I am a teacher. God gave me gifts and strengths that are in that field. I have used my gifts for income. I have used my gifts for serving Him. Now I am using my gifts for love. I had only thought I was using my gifts for love before. Now that I am focusing it all on my kids, the love abounds.

A surprising secret about homeschooling:
It's not about the teaching or the learning...
It's about life and love.
The learning and teaching happens out of that.