My Camera

This week for MamaKat's writer's workshop, I am responding to prompt #2 "Who is the last person you spoke with on the phone for more than 30 minutes? Write about one thing you talked about."

The last person I talked to on the phone for more than 30 minutes was the customer service department for Samsung. The lady that I spoke to was named Kimmiaco (what a neat name!) She was super helpful. You see, the display screen on my camera is going out. There are new black spots appearing everyday, and existing ones are growing larger. Thankfully, it is still under warranty. I just received my shipping label so that I can mail it in and have them fix it, and then send it back. This will mean that I will be without it for over a month. :(

Kimmiaco and I talked about the fact that I reported this problem over 2 weeks ago and was required to send in my proof of purchase, which I did, but I still hadn't heard back from them. I ended up having to send it in again, and I finally got a shipping label so I can get it fixed!

So! I am thankful for warranties. I really am. It's a love, hate relationship really. If you know anything about me, you know that me and my camera are connected at the wrist (literally) most of the time:

I use my camera to capture pictures of my beautiful children, God's creation, and anything else that finds it's way into the view screen :) I use it to document our homeschooling journey and the children's growth. I can't imagine being without it for that long, although I know that I could live. Thankfully, I have a back up!

This is my old camera. I loved this camera. In many ways I liked it more then the one that I currently have even though it is considered a lesser model. However, I got a new camera for a reason. My old camera doesn't charge anymore. We had to buy a battery charger to be able to continue using it:

At the time I was thankful for the cheap solution, and thankful that I could still use my beloved camera. However, it wasn't long after that, that my precious camera got left in the van on a hot summer day. After that, it started taking pictures like this:

and like this:

Granted, it did take normal pictures sometimes, I just never knew when to expect good pictures and when to expect not so good pictures... Thankfully, when I took it out this morning and charged it up, this is how the picture came out:

I'm thankful for that. This time without my good camera might not be to bad after all. And I am very thankful that I can get it fixed for free. So, I'm off to the UPS store to ship it in for repairs. It will be missed!



I am linking this post with both MamaKat's writer's workshop and Thankful Thursday. I hope you have a blessed day!

Automobiles and Faith

For Mama Kat's writer's workshop this week, one of the prompts asked what we were passionate about. For me, the answer is simple, I am passionate about my faith in Christ. And most of my followers know that I am pretty passionate about writing. However, I don't know if you all knew this or not, but I went to college to be an automotive technician. That's right, I am passionate about cars! Now, I'm not your normal car nut. I don't go around telling you the size of the engine, and I can't name the make, model and year of a car that is a mile a way (I might be able to tell you how much oil it takes though...). Anyway, there are times where my three passions collide, and this post happens to be one of them.

God has been busy in my life as of late. I am learning all kinds of new things. One of the most important lessons is that Jesus isn't an additive. To explain this, the best analogy that I can possibly come up with is automobiles.

For those of you who don't know the components of a car, it has to have several key components for it to actually be drivable. The body of the car is the exterior, it's just the shell, the body can't run without the key components. It needs a steering wheel, an engine, a transmission, brakes, spark plugs, a distributor, and of course gasoline (among several other things that I won't go into for your sake). Then of course you have optional things, or add-ons or add-ins, like fog lights, cattle guards, lift kits, fuel additives, and the list goes on.

Where does faith fit in here you are wondering? Well, let's say that we are cars. Our body's would be the body of the car, the outer shell. It doesn't make us who we are, it doesn't make us go, it's just where everything is kept (kind of like a temple for those who want the biblical definition). Biblical faith makes up all of the key components that makes our car's go. Our faith should be the engine, the force that makes us go. It should be the steering components, guiding us on our way. God is our transmission, kicking us into the right gear, and He is also our brakes, keeping us from harm and helping us slow down when we are going to fast. Jesus is our spark plugs, providing the fire to ignite our hearts for Him, He is our distributor that distributes the fire and passion to the right place at the right time. The Holy Spirit is the gasoline that fuels the car. The bottom line is that biblical faith isn't optional, it's essential! To accept Christ and declare Him as our Savior, we HAVE to let Him rebuild our car. We have to let Him replace our engine with the one that He has for us, we have to use the fuel that is compatible with the engine He has given us, so that our car will run at the optimal level.

Growing up, I didn't understand all of that. I treated Jesus as more of an add-on to life. I didn't really need Him, but I thought He might make my car run a little better. Kind of like a fuel additive. He wasn't my gas, but something that might help clean things up a bit. The problem is that Jesus doesn't work like that. He isn't some fuel additive that helps things go better for a while, but once it has run it's course things start to get worse again. No Jesus is everlasting, never failing. He isn't some fog lights that help you see better during bad weather, He is more like the daytime running lights that never go out. He's always there to help us see and light the way. Jesus isn't an optional cattle guard that you only need to help you with life's big problems, He is more like the bumper that is there to help soften the blow. He won't stop things completely and ensure a cushy, cozy life, but He is there none the less, and can help you fend off the fears of life. Jesus isn't a lift-kit that helps us sit high above the rest of the world, looking down on them, or flying over the bumps in life with ease. Jesus is the average suspension system. He is there to help absorb the shocks of life, not prevent them. His suspension system puts us at the same level as everyone else, not above or below, but equals.

Where would you say your faith is at? Does it make up your key components, is it your engine, muffler and everything in between, or is it more of an additive that only helps at certain times and is totally and completely optional? No matter what you just answered here, the good news is that Jesus is ready to be your mechanic. He can overhaul your engine, or just help you with minor tune-ups. All you have to do is ask, and then trust Him to do the work.

Confessions of a housewife wannabe

The first thing I should tell you is that I am a housewife. 
Or in more modern terms I am a full-time stay at home, work at home, homeschooling mom. 
So why couldn't I be considered a "real" housewife? 
I think it comes down to the picture that word brings into my head. When someone says they are a housewife, I instantly think of something like the Brady Bunch. A mom who puts all she is into her family and the keeping of their home, and does it perfectly. So with that picture now firmly planted in your head, the only reason that I'm not a real housewife is because I don't have a maid named Alice. I'm sure that would solve the problem...
Okay, probably not. 

All joking aside, I have to look to the Proverbs 31 woman. She is the PERFECT woman, the perfect housewife. Pondering on her character (okay, and a little bit on the Brady Bunch) here are my ten reasons I could not be considered a "real" housewife.

10 Reasons I Could Not Be Considered a "Real" Housewife

Reason #1: I am far from perfect. 

Housekeeping is not my forte.

My house is usually a mess, despite my never ending efforts to keep it clean, I don't have a maid named Alice... Even the Proverbs 31 woman had help keeping her home clean. 

Which leads me to reason #2...

Reason #2: I cook pre-made meals. 

GASP! I know, it's horrible, but true. 

I would love to cook nothing but homemade, healthy food for my family. However, as I already mentioned, my house is rarely ever clean, and that includes my kitchen. 

I mean, have you ever tried to cook a four course meal in a messy kitchen? Yeah, it doesn't work to well. It goes back to not having a maid named Alice. I need her here to clean my kitchen and cook for the family at least twice a day. I do enjoy cooking, I just have four kids that I am trying to teach and work that needs to be done, and of course a blog that needs to be written... Thus, as I write this in my messy kitchen, I am cooking a frozen pizza. So you see, I could never be a real housewife.

Thinking about food brings me to reason #3...

Reason #3: My children are always a mess. 

I have no idea how anyone can keep clean, presentable clothing on 4 small children! If I can actually get my children to keep their clothes on, they insist on either playing in the dirt or spilling food or drink all over themselves. And just the thought of them having clean faces, hands and hair brushed or pulled up makes me want to laugh (you know that laugh that turns into a cry, because it's something that you would love to happen, but know never will... yeah, that laugh. ).

Reason #4: I always picture real housewives smiling and laughing with their perfect children... 

My children aren't perfect, and I'm not always smiling at them... I love them, that isn't the issue. But faithful instruction isn't always on my tongue and my words are not always words of wisdom. I'm sure any other stay at home, work at home, homeschooling moms can understand this. And any of you who can't, don't judge me, I'm not proud of it, but it's honesty that counts, right?

Let's talk mom guilt ladies.

Reason #5: I'm not a perfect wife.

After the first four reasons, I'm sure it will come to no surprise to you that I am not a perfect wife. While my husband 100% supports me in all I do, and has confidence in me, I wouldn't say I get anything right. I often forget to do something that he asks me to do. Like watering the plants, or feeding the fish... And on occasion, I even sleep in and he has to get his own breakfast and put together his own lunch to take with him to work. He doesn't complain, but they are things that I think that a real housewife would always do (or at least assign to her maid named Alice).

Reason #6: I don't always get up before the sun comes up... 

I blame this on my children not sleeping through the night, and of course my dog who is old and insists on being let out 3 times each night... When I don't get to sleep at night, I have to sleep sometime, but of course, a real housewife would be able to function on 3 hours of sleep. Me, I need more.

Reason #7: While I know how to sew, I buy clothing, bedding, and other cloth items from the store. 

I could probably sew my own if I had time (and maybe a few formal lessons as I'm not very good). Maybe if I had a maid named Alice, I could take some classes on sewing more complex things while she cooked and cleaned and herded the children...

Reason #8: My children don't wake up and tell me how wonderfully blessed I am. 

Usually their first words in the morning are "I'm hungry". 

They don't think I'm blessed at all, they just think I'm their servant. A real housewife would have children that at least respected her, and probably listened to her as well... Maybe even cared about her feelings??? But then, that might be pushing it a little...

Reason #9: I really think that real housewives are always ready for company. 

If someone knocked on the door at 6am or 10pm, I think that real housewives would be ready to answer, fully dress, hair done, and smiling. I don't always get dressed before noon, and I'm often in my p.j.'s at 7pm with the kids. 

Not only is my house not always ready for company (see reason #1), but I'm not either. I would love company, and I would never turn anyone away, but they might find me in pajamas or clothes that are only worn for cleaning the house.

And last but not least is reason #10: I eat the bread of idleness. 

I don't always set about my tasks vigorously, and there are even times when I am just worn out and need to do nothing for a minute or 30. Of course a real housewife wouldn't need to stop and rest. Real housewives are like little energizer bunnies! They just keep going and going and going...

Thus, I could never be a "real" housewife

So it's quite obvious that I could never be a real housewife... well, at least not without a maid named Alice.

A wife of noble character who can find?

She is worth far more than rubies.

Her husband has full confidence in her

and lacks nothing of value.

She brings him good, not harm,

all the days of her life.

She selects wool and flax

and works with eager hands.

She is like the merchant ships,

bringing her food from afar.

She gets up while it is still dark;

she provides food for her family

and portions for her servant girls.

She considers a field and buys it;

out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

She sets about her work vigorously;

her arms are strong for her tasks.

She sees that her trading is profitable,

and her lamp does not go out at night.

In her hand she holds the distaff

and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

She opens her arms to the poor

and extends her hands to the needy.

When it snows, she has no fear for her household;

for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

She makes coverings for her bed;

she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

Her husband is respected at the city gate,

where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

She makes linen garments and sells them,

and supplies the merchants with sashes.

She is clothed with strength and dignity;

she can laugh at the days to come.

She speaks with wisdom,

and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

She watches over the affairs of her household

and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children arise and call her blessed;

her husband also, and he praises her:

“Many women do noble things,

but you surpass them all.”

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;

but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

Give her the reward she has earned,

and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

~Proverbs 31:10-31

Foam bath and chopsticks

This week for MamaKat's writer's workshop I'm responding to prompt #4 A memorable date. I was so thankful this week, because our church was doing a fundraiser for one of the missionaries by providing child care Monday night so that couples could go out on dates. This is awesome in so many ways. Mr. Amazing and I hardly ever get to go on dates, and we have NEVER went on a date on Valentine's day before! I am so thankful that they put this together, and for the date itself!

Mr. Amazing and I had a wonderful time. We started out by going to get a foam bath... for the car :) I just thought it sounded more romantic to refer to the cycle rather than the actual place. I always love the colors in the wax that they put on. I thoughtfully took a picture. :)

After we finished our fun adventure through the car wash, Mr. Amazing took me to P.F. Changs. Just so you know, I am NOT big on Chinese food. I put most of this on the fact that I don't like veggies, needless to say I wasn't expecting a whole lot. We were greeted by a cranky hostess, who informed us we had to wait an hour for a table. This was fine by us, I mean it was Valentines day, the whole world was going out to dinner! When we were finally sat they put us at a drafty table near the door, it also happened to be the ONLY table that the candle had burnt out at. Sad. I was trying to stay positive, and so was Mr. Amazing. I had found their dinner for 2 special and we were totally excited about it, that made up for the draft, but not the candle...

We ate our soup with mild conversation. Then when our dinner came and I unrolled my silverware I discovered the chopsticks. Oh yeah. I had never eaten with chopsticks, but it sounded like fun. And hey, I'd seen enough movies that I knew what I was doing! Mr. Amazing gave it a go too, but gave up when I told him he didn't have to. I on the other hand, ate my entire dinner with chopsticks! It was a blast. I even ate my desert with my chopsticks. Even the waitress was impressed. It was probably the funnest dinner I have ever eaten, and I informed Mr. Amazing that I would require my own set of chopsticks to play, I mean eat with at home. He agreed, however by the end of the dinner he was threatening to take them away...

I am so thankful that we were able to go out together, it was so much fun! I'm thankful that I have such a wonderful, fun loving husband. I'm also thankful for chopsticks! Too fun! It was certainly a date that I will NEVER forget!


To read more thankful Thursday posts, you can visit Laurie over at her blog Women Taking A Stand.

The Pets...

This week for MamaKat's Writer's Workshop I'm responding to prompt #1 If you could change anything about your pet, what would it be? This is kind of a trick question, because if it was my choice we wouldn't have pets... Can I change the fact that they exist? No? I didn't think so.

If I could change anything about my pets (not being the number... because, you know there are...well, a lot), I would make them self sustaining. I often forget to feed them (well then not super annoying ones like the fish and the birds) and I am terrified that I am going to starve them to death some day... The super annoying ones (like the dog and cats) are well, super annoying. They think I should feed them, fill their water dish and let them outside (even if it's 2 in the morning)... I would love it if they could do those things by themselves and not wake me up.

Realistically, I wish they wouldn't sleep in my bed. I am not a pet person, and I really do like my beauty sleep... and for me for it to really qualify as a decent night sleep I need to be able to roll over and have access to at least enough blanket to cover my entire body without having to wake up and shove an animal off of it. 'Deep sigh'

I should note that while I was dating Mr. Amazing, I thought his pets were cute and cuddly... I'm very thankful that we got married before I realized that they are really controlling and annoying... He's worth suffering through being a pet owner, but I have politely told him that we will never get another pet. EVER! (Okay, so maybe when he brought it up I shouted no and grabbed his arm as if pleading for my life... but either way I think we understand each other).

She melted my heart

This week for MamaKat's writer's workshop I am responding to prompt #2: The last time my heart melted was because…

I was waiting for my husband to get home. He was at work, and I had a meeting to go to. Knowing he could be home any minute I put on my coat, gloves and scarf and went out into the cold to warm up the van. I no sooner open the van door than I hear the front door open, I look back towards the house to see my beautiful 3 year old daughter poke her head out and say "I wuv you, mommy." She thought I was leaving without saying good bye. My heart melted. I told her I loved her too, and she went back in the house and shut the door. After starting the van I was able to go back in and give her a great big hug! Having children might be stressful at times, but it is so rewarding!

Encompassing 2010

This week for MamaKat's writing workshop I'm responding to prompt number 1: Choose a word that encompasses 2010 and describe why. What word will you choose as your theme for 2011?

A word that I think would describe 2010 well would be 'homeschooling'. I wanted to, then I was told I could. Then I spent tons of hours, days, weeks, okay months preparing for it. Then I actually started. It basically consumed me last year. Now I am getting use to it, and it is no longer consuming me, and I am getting back into being me.

In the beginning of 2010 I was consumed with the desire to homeschool, but my Mr. Amazing said no chance! By spring he was coming around and I almost cried each time I had to take my children to the public school that they were in. By the end of the school year he had granted me his blessing in pulling them out the following year (I know, he's Amazing!). So I spent my summer learning all I could about homeschooling. Different schedules people used, and the different types of homeschooling. I had to research all of the different curriculum choices and then make my choices. Then I had to prepare our school room, find the books we would need, and actually make a schedule. It seemed like a never ending process (that I absolutely loved!). The first day of school went really, really well! (you can read about it here) However from there it got more stressful. Trying to teach and control four young children (two of them still in diapers) was not the easiest thing I every attempted. We had our ups and downs and all arounds, but we made it! We are still alive and doing well! While we are still homeschooling, it is no longer encompassing my life as it did last year. It's just a part of who I am and what I do.

I already wrote a post (or four) about my one word for this year, the word that I want to focus on and have be my theme for 2011. My word is 'Doulos' (for more information you can click the tab at the top of the screen labeled my one word).

Fall

Thursday brings MamaKat's writers workshop. This week I am responding to prompt #2: The perfect fall photo…share a picture that defines fall for you in your neck of the woods.


Fall brings the last opportunity to take our family hiking for a time. We tend to do most of our hiking in the fall before the weather changes. It is so wonderful to live near the mountains and be able to hike next to the streams and through the rocks. I love this picture because it shows my boys running in jackets and shorts. Because we hike in the mountains it can be warm enough for shorts at our home, but by the time we get to the elevation we are hiking at it can become quite chilly, even though the drive isn't that long.

Fall brings the change in the leaves. Some are yellow, some are orange, and others or more of a purple color. Some leaves have already fallen and cover the ground. It's amazing to me. Fall is amazing to me. God created such a perfect working world, and it is so detailed. I couldn't fathom trying to create something as detailed as nature. Yet God not only created it, but gave it seasons and gave each season amazing details that are unique to it. It baffles me. God is so amazing!

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. ~ James 5:7

Writer's Workshop: Prompt #5

It's time for MamaKat's writer's workshop! This week there were so many great prompt's, but I just couldn't resist number 5. I know I have written quite a bit about thanksgiving already, and I will write some more about it later, but for now I will forget thanksgiving, and write about that time I fell down!

It was around 2 years ago on a cool winter morning, I opened my front door to carry my then one year old daughter out to the van. I took the first step down and that was the end... or was it the beginning? My daughter and I fell down the three cement steps in front of our home. I made sure to land so that she wasn't hurt but my elbow was throbbing and I couldn't get up. My oldest son just stood there looking at me as the tears started rolling down my face. I cried for him to go get his dad who was still in our room getting ready...I don't even remember where we were going, but I know we never went.

Paul came out and got Ella and took her in the house before coming to help me up, and back inside. The pain in my elbow was agonizing. We decided that it was best to take a trip to the doctor to make sure nothing was broken. We got a sitter, and headed out. The doctor rudely told me that I was fine, and said that they could give me a sling if I really thought I needed it. I couldn't move my arm without pain, so feeling like a big baby I accepted.

I wore the sling to the baby shower that I was now late for (a 2 hour wait at the doctors will do that to you), but I opted to take it off before going to work that night. I mean after all, it was all in my head right? No. The doctor called my husband that night to tell him that my elbow was cracked and I needed to come back in for further x-ray's to see how bad it really was. When I hung up with my husband I turned to my boss who asked me what my phone call was about. I simply told him I had a broken arm and got back to work. His face was comical, but my arm really did hurt. I never did go back to the doctor, after the way I had been treated earlier, I thought if it wasn't bad enough for them to see on the first x-ray then it must not be too bad, and I would just let it heal.

Later that week was when the real pain started. I woke up unable to move my head. My neck throbbed. I tried to go about my day, but it wasn't easy. At one point in time I went to lay down on the couch and got half way leaned back when the pain over took me and I fell the rest of the way. I was stuck. My neck hurt so bad I couldn't get off the couch. I had two babies sleeping in the other room, and my husband and the boys weren't home. I was terrified. By the grace of God my husband got home before the girls awoke and helped me off of the couch.

This pain lasted several days before it started to subside. I thought I was healing, and someone, somewhere, at sometime told me there was nothing you could do to treat whiplash, so I didn't go to the doctor, after all, I was healing right? Wrong!

The headaches started about a month later. At first I would just get a slight headache that would last for a day and then it would be gone. For someone not prone to headaches I thought this was horrible. Looking back, it would be like comparing a skinned knee to a broken bone. My headaches grew in intensity and severity. They started lasting for weeks at a time. I couldn't focus on anything.

I went to the eye doctor thinking I needed glasses, I didn't. I have never been so crushed to hear that I have amazing eye sight. Something was wrong with me and I wanted to know what. My mother-in-law kept telling me that my headaches started about the same time I had fallen, and I kept not listening to her. My head hurt, and I couldn't figure out how a broken elbow could have caused that.

Then it finally happened. I came down with the flew and when it was over I couldn't stand up without feeling like my head was either going to be ripped in half or explode... or maybe both? It was the most painful thing I have ever experienced. We got me to the doctor who ordered an MRI, this came back with nothing. I mentioned that my mother-in-law thought it had to do with my fall, so they x-rayed my neck. I had severe whiplash. My doctor proscribed me this highly addictive, crazy side effect, insanely horrible pain medicine and said that a trip (as in one or two visits) to the chiropractor would heal me! Woo Hoo!

For any of you who have ever had chiropractor care, you should know that was the biggest line of who ha ever. My husband recommended his old chiropractor to me and I have been seeing him now for close to 3 months. I am off the stupid pills (really, they interfered with my ability to think clearly, and if I forgot to take them they caused insane withdraw headaches so I couldn't think at all). I am doing so much better, and well on my way down the road to recovery. All of this just from a one fatal step. One slip on the ice.

One small step for me, one major change in my body.

Writer's workshop / Day 11 of NaNo!

Today is day 11 of National Novel Writing Month, and it also brings the writer's workshop! Today's prompt is to write about "Something you wish you hadn’t put off til the last minute." Being that this is prompt comes in the middle of NaNo, I am really wishing that I would stop putting off my daily writing until bed time! You can tell exactly which days I put it off on by looking at my calendar...



The yellow day's are the ones where I put it off, and then I was too tired to reach my word count goal for the day... Yeah, I really wish I wouldn't have put it off, and all the squares could be green... It's a color thing. Green happens to be my favorite color and the yellow squares are ugly, that and they are a constant reminder that I didn't make it. They tell me that I am not perfect, that I have failed on those days. Why have I failed to reach my goal? Because I procrastinated. I put it off. (Similarly to what I am doing right now actually...)

There are lots of reasons I have put it off. Either I had company, or I was working on something else on the computer, or I might have been busy elsewhere in the house and not even gone near my computer until close to bed time... I guess it really doesn't matter why I put it off. I wish that I wouldn't have and that my calendar was full of perfect little green squares. :)

NaNoWriMo Day 4 / Writer's Workshop

As always Thursday brings the writer's workshop. I thought about this weeks prompts for quite sometime. I even went so far as to look up information on the only actor I ever really paid attention to growing up, Brad Renfro, however I had forgotten his name and searched the wrong guy first. I don't know where I came up with that name... I didn't recognize any of the movies he was in... Brad Renfro on the other hand, played Huck in Tom and Huck. I wouldn't even really say that he was my favorite actor, but the rest of the world was going crazy of Jonathan Taylor Thomas, so I picked the other guy. :) I never knew anything about him other than that he played in Tom and Huck... So I decided that I never really had a favorite childhood actor, and that prompt 1 really wouldn't work for me.

So I moved on to prompt 2: A post you regret publishing... I try not to regret anything, but look at everything as a learning opportunity. So this prompt really didn't work for me... (Although I'm sure that everyone reading this probably regrets it :)

That brought me to prompt #3: If you had made a career out of whatever you were passionate about when you were ten…what would you be doing? I changed my mind often on what I wanted to do as a child. I wanted to be a mechanic and work on cars (I even went to college to do this), I wanted to be a semi truck driver like my Dad, I wanted to become a youth pastor at one point, and I always wanted to be a writer... I guess that I am kind of full filling the last one as I write my novel for National Novel Writing Month. (I am at 6,528 words... but I haven't worked on it yet today.) I also volunteer writing (and editing) devotions for teen girls. But I wasn't sure which one of those I wanted to do at age ten, so I thought it best to move on to the next prompt.

"A hair disaster" was prompt #4, and while I had a hair disaster not to long ago, I already blogged about it here. So I thought that would be repetitive, so I moved on to prompt #5...

Describe a moment when you saw someone hit their breaking point... Yeah, I got nothin'.

So in the end I thought I would just kind of cover them all :) To read more Writer's workshop posts, please visit MamaKat's blog.

Going back in time...

Once again Thursday brings the writers workshop, and Thankful Thursday! This week I am answering prompt 2: If you could witness (or take part in) any event in history, what would it be? Why? And I am combining it with my Thankful Thursday post, because I am so thankful for this event in history!



If I could go back in time and see any event in history, I would want to go back and see Jesus while He walked on earth. To be able to touch Him, to hear Him teach, or just gaze upon Him, would be amazing. What would I do when I saw Him? How would I react to His presence? I don't have a clue, but it doesn't matter. Seeing my Savior face to face, would have been an amazing thing.

God sent His one and only son to us, to die for our sins. I am baffled by this, but oh so thankful! I am so thankful that we are able to have a personal relationship with Him, without having to go back in time. We are able to speak to Him, and He hears us. We are able to feel His presence in our hearts. God is so amazing!

Jesus came to die for me. That is so powerful. He came to save the sinners. He came for the sick, not the healthy. However we are all sick, we just don't all know it. We are all sinners in need of a Savior, it's just a matter of whether or not we will open our hearts to Him, and allow Him to come in. If we will accept His love. I am so thankful that God softened my heart and showed me my need.

I am also thankful for the Bible, which records the life of Christ for us. So even without going back in time to see Him in person, I know what was important to Him. I can read about His birth, His teachings, His death and His resurrection. I know that He is fully God and fully man, and came to live and die in this horrific world, so that we could live eternally with Him. That's how much He loves us. I am so thankful for His love!

To read more Thankful Thursday posts, visit this months host, Lynn, at her blog: Spiritually Unequal Marriage. This is Lynn's last week hosting Thankful Thursday and she has asked us to share with her a verse that has brought us peace or comfort, or a passage that has inspired us to draw closer to Jesus. So I thought I would share a verse that I have been thinking about a lot lately:

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life..." ~ John 3:16

Writer's Workshop: Wardrobe Malfunction

Today I am responding to prompt #3: A Wardrobe Malfunction.

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. -- Colossians 3:12

If you were to be a fly on the wall of my home you would probably find me clothing myself with impatience, intolerance, harshness, and pride. God says that we are suppose to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. While I have some of these traits some of the time, I rarely (read never) have all of them all of the time. It is something that I am working on, but it is much easier to change physical clothes than it is to change spiritual clothing...

To read about other wardrobe malfunctions (or responses to the other prompts) check out Mama Kat's blog by clicking the button at the top of this post.

Writer's Workshop: Seeing Myself

This week for the writer's workshop I am responding to prompt #4: Share a photo that represents how you see yourself. This took some thought, and then some searching to find just the right photo, but here is what I came up with:

So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; -- Colossians 3:12 (NASB)

I think this photo represents me in so many ways. For one thing, I live near the mountains, and love spending time outside in God's beautiful creation. But on the deeper side of things I have been chosen by God, I am His beloved. I am not the most compassionate, kind, gentle, patient person that you will ever meet (not even close!) but God is working in me. He is perfecting me, and will continue to do so until the day I die. These are all qualities that I am working on, and as a matter of fact I am in the mist of a study about 1 Corinthians 13 and we are discussing these topics. Striving to be more like Christ each day. I see myself as a chosen child of God. I see my self as God's beloved. I see myself as a work in progress.

To read others who posted to this weeks writer's prompts visit Mama Kat's blog by clicking the button below. My personal favorite this week was Aimee at tHis beloved life. Check it out!

Writer's Workshop: If I could stop time...

If you could stop time for 24 hours, what would you accomplish?

If I could stop time for just 24 hours, including other people of course, I would accomplish tons of things! I would get some much needed cleaning done, along with some reading that I wanted to do. I would work on my writing and my Bible study. I would take a walk, a bath, and a nap... 24 hours of time, to get stuff done would be great! I can just picture it now, almost like a dream... By the end of the day I would feel like superwoman! Looking around at my clean house, feeling rested, and rejuvenated!

Writer's Workshop Warning

On Thursday I posted about a neat blog for writers that I had found, and in my excitement I failed to thoroughly check out the blog before jumping on board. There were one or two things that bothered me about the blog, but I though overall after reading the one post, it looked okay. Well, I have since changed my mind. After reading a second post it is painfully clear that it is not as 'clean' as I first thought. After much thought and deliberation, I have decided not to quit participating. But I wanted to let you all know that I am not sure what the other bloggers will write about or what kind of language they might use in their posts. I did consider leaving it all together, but Jesus calls us to be in the world and not of it. As a stay-at-home/homeschooling mom I don't get many opportunities to speak or influence non-Christians with my words or actions. I thought this might provide that opportunity for me. As I said, I just wanted to put out a warning that this is not a Christian writers workshop, and the language is not always going to be clean, nor can I say what the other bloggers will be writing about... But I will be praying that God can use me in some way through my participation in the writers workshop.

Writer's Workshop!

I just found a neat blog hop for writers (A.K.A. me!). So happy!!! I'm suppose to pick a prompt and write about it, then link up! I'm choosing prompt #2 But teachers know everything!! Write about a time a teacher disappointed you. So here it goes:

We all know girls like her, you know, the popular one/teachers pet. It was our 7th grade year and we were standing in line waiting to ask the teacher questions about our test. She came up behind me and ripped my test out of my hand. I was furious! I tried to get it back but she held it over my head, I did eventually get it back, but only to hear her scream, "she hit me!!!!" Which, of course, I did not. Our teacher was sitting there the entire time, and had to have seen the entire ordeal, he sided with her and wrote me a detention slip, my first ever, detention slip.

The following day after I had served my detention and was getting ready to leave school for the day, my teacher saw me in the hall and called me into the classroom. He said that he knew that I didn't hit her and he was 'sorry' that he sided with her. But he hoped that I would understand that he had to... I most certainly did not understand. My perfect record of no detentions was ruined, she thought she was better than me, had gotten away with a lie, and I was punished for something that I didn't do. How could I possibly ever understand?