yeah, he's feeling better...

Can you tell?

marriage matters

I'd heard about this book at the Winter Weekend Scrapbooking Retreat (thanks Crystal!) and thought I'd give it a shot. I say it this way because The Love Dare this isn't so much a book as it is a challenge. And who doesn't love a good challenge?

It was created in a 40-day format but Day 1 took me three days to fulfill. This wasn't so much a book issue as it was a Tina issue... what an eye-opening experience. The challenge for Day 1 centered on patience:

Although love is communicated in a number of ways, our words often reflect the condition of our heart. For the next day, resolve to demonstrate patience and to say nothing negative to your spouse at all. If the temptation arises, choose not to say anything.

It seemed easy enough... seemed.

Unfortunately, I realized that I have a tendency to correct and negate. (Eeeew, it gives me shivers just thinking about it.) Here are a few examples:

• You left the garage door open. (Why did I even need to point this out? Just close the thing.)
• You only paid him $5 to shovel the driveway? (It really was a good deal. And besides... it was his deal, not mine.)
• Peanuts? You ate the peanuts? (I could have told him they were for a recipe.)

After taking a close look at myself over the last three days, I've noticed a habit of picking apart the little things. Sometimes innocently driven and at others - purposefully sharp. Ick. Though I'm not very happy about the discovery, I'm thankful because awareness is the first step towards change.

The Bible talks alot about the words we use and instructs us as follows:

Therefore encourage (admonish, exhort) one another and edify (strengthen and build up) one another, just as you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29

I want to be a wife who frequently speaks words of encouragement and praise, a cheering fan not a Nagging Nelly. BTW, have you ever looked up "nagging" in the dictionary? If not, you're in for a real treat:

nagging

-adjective

1. continually faultfinding, complaining, or petulant.
2. persistently recurring; unrelenting.

And some synonyms: badger, torment, provoke, take it out on, berate, bait, hound, irritate, needle, and pester.

It can be very easy to dismiss and/or make excuses for our behavior. I want to be a woman of itegrity and grace no matter what circumstances confront me, handling things God's way no matter how unreasonable others may seem. (Again, seem is the key word. If I am honest with myself, I can be just as unreasonable at times.)

It will be interesting to see what the next 40 120 days bring.

a peek at the boy

He's still sick. I kept asking how he felt and he'd repeat "fine" - it wasn't until seeing his bright red face and ears that I realized he wasn't so fine. He has a mild sore throat that he notices when swallowing - it doesn't look like anything significant so we're just waiting and watching. I'm debating on the MinuteClinic because the last time we were there, they'd said it was nothing - "nothing" persisted and we ended up at our regular clinic. The doctor took one look and said, "Oh, that's bad - we don't even need to bother with a culture."

We had a crayon-peeling party tonight and I'm wishing I would have taken some pictures. We're going to try making a candle tomorrow. It will be something along the lines of THIS; if it works, I'll be sure to post some pictures and the recipe. Have a great night!

dealing with the CrazyMakers in your life

Believe it or not, that's actually the title of a book! You will find a great explanation of it HERE. The book describes fives kinds of CrazyMakers: the Egotist, Aggressor, Borderline, Control Freak and the Sufferer. So how do you know when you're around a CrazyMaker? Here's what caught my attention:

But, what if they drive you crazy? What if, when you’re around them, you feel absolutely nuts? Your head spins, up looks like down, and down looks like up. You’re certain you make sense, but they twist your words to come out the way they want them.

I remember a time when I was the CrazyMaker. My sister Stacey had confronted me about something and I out-and-out lied. She desperately wanted to believe me but the facts revealed another story. ("You make me feel CRAZY!!") So how do you know whether or not YOU are the CrazyMaker? Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

1. Do I like to talk about myself more than listen to others?

2. Do I consider myself to be more important than others?

3. Do I find pleasure in dominating others?

4. Am I coercive in trying to convince others that my way is the right way?

5. Do I overwhelm people with my moods?

6. Am I easily irritated?

7. Do I feel that others always get a better deal than I do?

8. Do I often feel mistreated by others?

9. Do the actions of others always fall short of meeting my expectations?

10. Am I filled with resentment?

11. Are others often upset with me?

12. Am I often upset with others?

If you have CrazyMaking tendencies, it is likely that others have tried to convey that truth to you. You'll find some common CrazyMaker tactics (as well as tips for dealing with them) HERE. You may purchase the book by clicking HERE.

we've got the sickness

The hubby had taken yesterday off for a fun day of shopping (and lunch and general hanging out). There was even an itinerary that included a map. I'm telling you, it was sure to be a special day.

And it was, for the whole five minutes it lasted.

Unfortunately, we received a call from school - the little one had a fever. We spent the day instead like this:

We're just praying it passes quickly and that it's not our usual winter bout.

if you've never been, this is a great excuse

At our church, saying "goodbye" is something you just have to get used to doing. Its mission: to raise up, equip, and send out. Well this time, it's Pastor Derek, a tougher pill to swallow. If you've never had the opportunity to hear him preach, here's your chance. The topic will be "Change" (a fitting one at that).

Ren once had a few things to say about Pastor Derek's teachings but don't that that deter you! Perhaps some of you will even remember this story in the local news:

Pastor's Sermon on Stealing Generates Surprising Response

A pastor's sermon on stealing has produced some surprising returns with his Minneapolis suburb congregation. Derek Rust put up special "amnesty bins" in the aisles of the Hosanna Lutheran Church in Lakeville, encouraging parishioners to return anything they had swiped. Prompted by his sermon on the eighth commandment, based on a series on the Ten Commandments, Rust was amazed at the response. In the vast 2,000-seat sanctuary, ersatz thieves have been coming in to return stolen loot - not during worship, but during the week, when they could slink in unnoticed. Items left in the bins include men's shirts, a rubber toy eagle, a soldering iron, CDs, a broom, power drill, Bubble Yum gum, baby clothes and towels pinched from hotels and motels. One woman gave Rust $30, payment for several years' worth of snacks, pilfered from a convenience store where she worked. Rust believes the impact goes beyond the bins. 'The Ten Commandments should be lived,' he said. 'That's what sermons should be about, applying truth to our lives.'

If you're interested in stopping by, click HERE for service details.

He has a sense of humor

The boys and I had some errands to run after school one day. Meeley grabbed his winter jacket out of the dryer and we headed out the door. Thoughts of static electricity were on my mind as I asked the boys the following questions:

• Say you were at school and you felt something stuck in the leg of your pants. What if you reach down to grab it and realized it was a pair of your mom's pink underwear, what would you do? Meeley's response: "I'd go into the bathroom to take them out. I'd stick them in my pocket and bring them home."


• Wouldn't you throw them in the garbage? Meeley's response: "No way! I'd be horrified if someone ever found them."


• So what if you were in the classroom and a friend noticed something hanging out from your pant leg, you looked down and realized it was your mom's underwear - what would you do? Meeley's response: "I'd grab them real quick and stick them in my pocket."


• What if you saw my pink undies lying on your classroom floor and you realized they'd fallen off of your pants, would you claim them? Meeley's response: "If somebody had already seen them, no."

After arriving at Target, we decided to grab a quick bite to eat. We ordered our food and made our way into the dining area. The boys were busy getting situated as I grabbed our drinks. When I turned around to head back to the table, Meeley was holding up a sock.

One of my socks.

At first I was confused because the sock was actually a Target sock, I thought perhaps he'd found it on the floor. Then it dawned on me... the sock had been stuck up his sleeve! After working for at least 20 minutes on various static electricity scenarious, it was almost like God was playing a joke on us.

At least He was merciful, it could have been my underwear.