My 5 senses weekend...

Last summer on a missions trip to Gabon we were challenged to be aware of the ways God reveals Himself through each of our senses.  It was an interesting way to look at a visit to another culture...and something I've recently been reminded of again. 

I decided to share with you my favorite "5 Senses" moments of this past weekend...not nearly as spiritual as the act of seeing the world through your senses, but nonetheless, my senses were used...

My favorite SIGHT:

"You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,

how I was sculpted from nothing into something.

Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;

all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day."

Psalm 139:14-16

This little guy came as an early suprise to his mommy and daddy last night....he happens to be my nephew, and he is the most precious thing to behold.  I couldn't take my eyes (or my hands) off of him...there was something very familiar about him...I think he might have Alex's forehead!

My favorite SMELL:

"It takes more than bread to stay alive.

It takes a steady stream of words from God's mouth."

Matthew 4:4

This wonderful loaf of bread was a gift from a friend.  I stopped by to give her a book she had just blogged about and ended up leaving with a loaf of  homemade bread that she and her sister were making.  They actually ground the wheat for this baby!  Who does that?!  Anyway, I got to bake it at my house...and almost had my kids convinced I had made it myself til they saw the pan and knew it wasn't ours!  Shucks. 

 I definitely got the better deal out of the exchange!

(Oh!  And, by the way, if you click here you can vote for her to win a cool camera.  She submitted a poop story...check it out! She's baby#3.  VOTE BEFORE MIDNIGHT SUNDAY!)

My Favorite TASTE:

"Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see—

how good God is.
Blessed are you who run to him."

Psalm 34:8

This is my current obsession. 

Vanilla pound cake from Walmart with a spoonful of Fat Free Vanilla Yogurt, a spoonful of Cool Whip, and a handful of blueberries. 

YUM-my!!!  Tastes like summer!

Favorite SOUND:

"Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path."

Proverbs 23:19

This picture requires a little explaning.  While I WISH I could say my favorite sound of the weekend was hearing my son's voice on the phone....but that would be a LIE since he hasn't called in quite some time (HINT HINT)....a text is NOT the same thing as hearing his voice, but you already knew that.  Apparently 19 year old boys are the last to learn this bit of information.  SO, FOR YOUR INFORMATION, ALEX, I WOULD RATHER HEAR YOUR VOICE THAN READ YOUR TEXT.  Enough said.

SO....because I had to come up with a different favorite sound, it is this...

The thing I've laughed over more times this weekend is our cat, who happens to be in heat for the second time this month.  Wait...that's not true, it is not actually HER that I find funny...I actually LOATHE that sound.  The funny part is the reaction of the rest of the family!  I can't tell you how many times we have yelled at the cat (sorry, PETA) while she is in the midst of one of her pathetic meowing-fests

"GET OVER IT, YOU ARE NOT HAVING SEX.  GET A GRIP!"

Some people might find that offensive, but, luckily it's winter and the windows are closed....

My favorite FEEL:

"He touched my lips and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips.

Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.”

Isaiah 6:7

My bottom in this chair, where I spent a good amount of time this weekend watching the Olympics and reading a good book. 

(HA!  I just noticed that the photo has my little spray bottle that we squirt at the cat each time she attempts to get her frustrations out on the furniture.  Wow..we appear to be very hateful people. I promise we're not.)

My pastor invited us this morning to open our eyes and see God in each moment of our week...to slow down and see the people around as personally placed there by His hand.  It was a challenge well received....

"Look straight ahead,

and fix your eyes on what lies before you."

Proverbs 4:25

{New Arrival}

I'm working on a new project. 

{And NO, it does not include a bouncing baby - I promise!}

It'll be up and running soon...but here's a sneak peek

I'm sick...

I've got it bad.  Every year about this time I get a case of the same thing.  And, without a doubt, this year it has hit harder and more fierce.  It started about two weeks ago. 

It's name...SPRING FEVER.  And I have it bad.

It probably has something to do with the black snow that is right outside my window.  I just want it to go away so I can see if there is still grass underneath.  I NEED TO SEE SOME GREEN!  It may just be time for me to head to the local nursery and buy a new plant or two.  The best thing about today is that it's raining...which means the snow will melt a little and I might actually see my yard again soon!

Is it just me, or does everyone feel happy with something new?  (I know, someone reading wants to insert a sermon here about how only God can make us truly happy, and with Him we don't need anything else.  I know.  But I'm not talking about eternal, deep-in-your-heart joy...I'm talking about "If I don't see a little Spring or if I don't do something different around this house I'm going to LOSE IT")   

The other day I put a stool that was in one room into another room....and it felt new (even though it wasn't). 

(And I bought a new book...."The FIND"...geared me up for some Spring bargains)

This morning I washed and folded my dishtowels. Bor-ing!  Yes, but something about a pretty dishtowel makes my kitchen feel "new". 

It doesn't take much to change my attitude...it doesn't even take me going to Target. Usually all it takes is a pair of "fresh eyes" to see what I already have and how I can move it around to make it "new".

Don't get me wrong...I'm all for an extreme home makeover or a little shopping therapy....but when the budget doesn't allow it, and your insides are screaming for a little change, something sitting in another room may just need to be moved around a little.

I think the cat is feeling Spring Fever, too.  She has seriously followed me around all day WHINING...maybe she has a case of something else...something that involves male cats. 

But whatever it is, she's got it bad, too! 

WE ALL WANT OUT!

Momentary waterleak...

It's not often I spring a leak...who has the time? 

 But apparently I was due, and so on the couch in my parents livingroom, I had a brief blubbering session.  It lasted a few minutes, while mom sat by and lent me a tissue and a few words of encouragement. 

I'm all better now....just needed to let it out.  It was one part pent-up frustration, one part discouragement and one part out-of-the-blue. 

Sometimes the reality of day-to-day living just looks bleak.  But, usually it's not as bleak as I make it out to be.  I just forget for a few minutes.

Thanks for holding my hand, saying a prayer and sending me back on my way, mom!  The bootstraps are pulled up and I'm choosing JOY for the rest of today...tomorrow's a new day. 

"This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy."

(George Bernard Shaw)

I wonder if you know...

how very frugal I am?  I'm not sure I've ever admitted it here.  It seems very obvious to me, but I realize that I've never actually fessed up and announced it.  So, here it goes:

Hi, my name is Terri and I am a bargain-lover. 

I lurk around places with names like "Goodwill", "Salvation Army", "Garage Sale", and "Flea Market".  I also stalk the SALE aisles at Target (sometimes several times a week) waiting for something to be marked down.  But, my most favorite things are from that side of the road Wonderland marked "FREE". 

You don't have to have two pennies to rub together when you open the back hatch for one of these....

Yes, the bed in my daughter's room was F-R-E-E. 

I found it alongside the road where it was waiting for me

This chair in my room...also F-R-E-E.  Still in need of an Extreme Makeover, but free is not always perfect.

{My favorite F-R-E-E-bie}

I had to do a little begging to keep her.  She lived (and aged) through Hurricane Katrina and begged me to take her to a good home when I discovered her knee-deep in a moldy Dr.'s office.  The rest of my clean-up team insisted she be laid to rest at the garbage pile with the rest of her friends, but a little begging and pleading won her a spot in the back of our bus.  (Wrapped tightly in a garbage bag and duct taped shut)  They wouldn't even consider rescuing the matching desk. 

I couldn't save 'em all.  But I did save her.  Beside her is a mirror salvaged from my grandmother.

Which leads me to my next best type of bargain. 

The kind that is free to you because someone you know has no use for it and you happen to be at the right place at the right time.  Like my grandmother's mirror.

And like my grandmother's other mirror. 

As well as the suitcases that belonged to an old friend of a friend.

And the rusty "gate" that I snagged from my mom's yard sale before the customers came.

I guess gifts would fit in this category, too.

Like the bed my mom bought me at an auction. 

(Does it matter that the pieces did not go together?  No, it does not.  You improvise and lean it against the wall, and no one would ever know - unless you tell them)

Or the table my son made me in shop class. 

(Actually, I guess I technically paid for this, since my taxes paid for the wood and materials,

but you get the idea)

I'll save some of my other THRIFT-y bargains for another day.  But since we're in my room, I'd like to introduce you to a pair of fraternal twins that made their way here all the way from the Goodwill showroom.  One lights up next to my bed...

...while her sister lights up a corner of the livingroom. 

The pair set me back a hefty $10.00. 

 

I can't help it, I just LOVE to get a great deal. 

I don't think you have to sacrifce having a nice home just because you're on a budget.  With a little creativity, a little search and rescue, and a little appreciation of things of yesteryear I think we can live on a tight budget and enjoy it, too!

word of the day...

My new friend, Lindsey, who lives way over on the other side of the Atlantic introduced me to a new word today.  The word of the day is "scrummy", and it is a cross between the two words "Scrumptious and yummy" she uses it to describe her family in her latest post.  So, in honor of Lindsey and her British roots...I am using her word of the day to describe my own offspring. 

Here they are, my scrummy children...

(insert British accent for best effect)

my scrummy boys...

my eldest "scrummy" with my youngest "scrummy"...

a bittersweet day with my scrummies!

Thanks, Lindsey, for the word-of-the-day.  I predict it will not go farther than this post, as my kids will repeatedly roll their eyes if I should call them "Scrummy" in public. 

 So, it'll be our secret word-of-the-day, you understand, right?

Apparently the word is already out, though...Costco must have been thinking "Scrummy" when it made this...

(I stole the picture from Google....I could NOT be snowed in with this beauty on my counter!)

more snow and a little junk food...

If you wake up and THIS is what you see out your front window...

then it's time to find something to do with the kids who will soon find themselves bored...

something like make a big bowl of Puppy Chow. 

Around our house we don't do well with puppies or dogs of any kind. 

But we always welcome a handful of Puppy Chow....

it goes something like this:

Gather youngest child, who likes to cook...

then gather ingredients:

Box of Chex mix (real or generic)

1Cup of choc chips

1Cup of PB

1/2Cup of butter

2Cups of Powdered sugar

melt butter,

peanut butter, and chocolate chips over low heat...

pour box of Chex into large bowl...

add melted chocolate...

pour sugar into large baggie...

add cereal to baggie...

shake like crazy...

if that doesn't work, add the sugar to the bowl and stir like crazy...

clean dishes...

use cold water to remove chocolate stains off shirt...

pour generous portions into two small baggies, one for the elderly neighbor, and one for the guy we

pray is going to come plow us out (please, oh please...) 

pour another generous portion into a pink bowl to share with your mom

(because everything tastes better in a pink bowl)

and more into another small bowl to share with the other people in your family whom you love/tolerate.

Even snow-haters will smile with a bowl of Puppy Chow...it's not possible to eat it without smiling, I promise.

That only took us about a half hour.  The rest of the day was spent shovelling...again....and again.  And, honestly...for as much as I was complaining about the snow coming, I decided last night I needed to embrace the fact that I couldn't control it and just chill and enjoy. 

(Plus, there's a big notice on the top of my blog that I look at every day that promises

I will choose joy and be content.  Grrr...)

My attitude changed last night about 10:45 when my kids and I were out walking in the freshly falling snow.  There's something so pure and calming about falling snow that has yet to be touched by dirty tires and plows.  But, the real change happened when my daughter was walking behind me....

It went something like this:

"Mom, you better not mess up or anything.  I'm walking right behind you in your footsteps."

WHAM!

Convictions sucks. 

So...if you find yourself stuck in this...

Grab a bowl of THIS or any other junk food, smile and enjoy...

cause someone else is probably watching...

Humph...

The weatherman is calling for MORE of this tomorrow...

He had the nerve to say I should be thankful for another 12" of insulation around my house.

He is a hater.

All I want to see is a little of this...

And hang out here for a while...

I don't want to do this ANYmore, do you hear me????

I'm finished...

I refuse to do it anymore.

If you need me, you can find me here...

my mother heart...

swelled on Friday when I clicked on my blog to find my son is now "following" me on here.  I wasn't sure how to react...is he checking up on me?  Stalking me?  Or just afraid I'll say something that might embarrass him???  Either way, it makes me smile to see the little picture of his face each time I log on!

And then tonight I logged onto his facebook page...only to find he's posted an announcement that he's started his OWN blog.  Be still my heart!  As with every mom of college kids, I often wonder what my son is thinking, what's keeping him busy, and what makes him tick.  Granted, sometimes when I find out what he's thinking I would like to retract it immediately...but really, I miss him and just want to know what he's up to each day!  So when I read his first post, my mother heart swelled again...not because I have raised this young man to be who he is...on the contrary, he is a testimony to God's faithful steadiness in the life of those who suffer a broken heart. 

My firstborn son endured heartache no child should be allowed to know.  His 7 year old world was ripped apart. He was old enough to understand and old enough to hurt.  Old enough to be filled with fear....and old enough to know what he was losing.  I vividly remember panic attacks and cries of fear...begging me to pray for him.  My heart was bruised and broken....but even more so watching the reaction of the one child who felt the greatest impact and abandonment.  The others mirrored his reactions, but only because they watched him so closely. 

Twelve years later they are still watching.  But in a different way.  We trudged through some of those hard years, finding our way and our new "normal".  And on the other side, we found that our normal was pretty good...blessed, even.  And this firstborn son..the one who bore such a heavy heart, is now free of heart and spirit and following hard after Jesus.  Tattoos and gages not withstanding, he is on a journey to find out who he was created to be.  He is full of life.  Full of laughter.  Full of potential. 

His journey that started with heartbreak has caused him to look heavenward for direction. He's growing and stretching.  Nothing, not an intact family, not an unbroken family...nothing... is better than that. 

So, let me introduce you to my son and his new blog.  Visit often.  Leave him some love....tell him his mommy sent you....

take this life make it yours

(click the link above)