Tag Archives: faith

Someone has to be the base….

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Teamwork

In cheerleading stunts, I am learning the lingo.  The “base” is the support for the girl who is being lifted (aka, the flyer) and tossed in the air.  The base must be strong and sturdy and fully focused on her flyer.  The flyer seems more glamorous in their “elevated” status and exciting tricks while being lifted and then tossed, however, they also must be strong, flexible and focused, completely trusting and relying on their base.  It’s teamwork at its best.

In life, and in cheerleading, our best tricks and “AHHHHHH-inspiring” moments only come when we have a good sturdy foundation.  A base we can trust to hold us up and catch us when we fall.  A lesson I’m learning throughout this, our first cheer season, is to hold my tongue in regards to the gossip-monger cliques, for it is quickly becoming obvious how unreliable their own bases are in their own “mean-girl” actions.  A teachable season for both my daughter and I  to  discern people for who they are, pinpoint traits to emulate and moments to rise above.  There are many girls in this sport who are amazing and wonderful girls and I pray they can all rise above the few who are Divas-in-training to encourage and lift up their teammates; that they can be the “base” in their actions and words.  We all have the opportunity to be both base and flyer; its important to remember it all starts with the base.

How sturdy is your base?

1 Thessalonians 5:11 

Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.

 

Friday Frenzy….

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It’s the end of the week AAAAAAAANNNNNNNDDDDD the end of the month, how in the???  what???  ugh.  You know when you’re growing up and all the old people your parents tell you, “The older you get the quicker time goes by”; I hate that they were right.  Therefore, as we roll out of August and into September (and subsequently get ready to celebrate our SECOND teenager) you can join me AND Jen and all her groupies/bloggies as THEY wrap up THEIR  week, too!

  1. I am having a little bit (just a touch) of CNMC 2012 envy.  It’s the Catholic New Media Conference and I think it would be a completely phenomenal way to spend a few days meeting a lot of these people I follow through blogs and podcasts, books and the National Catholic Register.  I’m sure I’d be a complete geek, stalker.  It would be fun though.  I imagine it to be a  huge pep rally going into the “Year of Faith” and New Evangelizer focus in the Catholic church.  I’ll have to put it on my bucket list.  Ah, but then I’d have to start a bucket list…  
  2. Partly because of the CNMC and Hurricane Isaac (in case you don’t know, it was a huge storm that took the same path as Hurricane Katrina did 7 years ago TO.  THE.  DAY.  right into Louisiana, Mississippi and some of Alabama) I joined Twitter.  Mainly just to get the updates.  I can’t change anything, but I need to be informed and my news input through the day is just sporadic between patients.  So.

    A pic from our Louisiana friends. Thankfully, they evacuated and are safe!

  3. In regards to Twitter , I don’t REALLY get it.  I think I may have just sucked myself into yet another social vortex.  You can follow me.  So far, I’ve got nothing to say (on Twitter), I’m standing there with my mouth wide open….I want to put the tweets into folders or something…can’t you organize it better?  Ah, for now I’ll just check in and scroll…..and scroll…..and scroll.
  4. Week 2 of school and I think we are getting into the swing here.  Some tasty meals (and quick…..I’ll add 2 new recipes in my recipe section if interested!), some extra graces for pushed back bedtime on sports nights and kids getting into their homework groove.  The key has been communication.  If we can keep this up……we’re golden.  I usually peter out about 2 weeks in and fall back into my ways, hopefully Hubby can keep me on track!
  5. And lunches….making them the night before a HUGE time saver.  HUGE I say.
  6. Workouts…ehhhhhhh, not quite on track this week, the rain has been killing us in the evenings (excuse 1) and I haven’t been going to the gym @ lunch b/c I am counting on walking in the evening and sooo……you can see the pattern.  I have seen what needs to be changed, I’ll take care of that next week!
  7. Resume is updated.  CPR is updated.  Professionally, I’m feeling pretty organized, let’s see if it brings me any luck…..I’m feeling God has something in mind for me and to say I’m stepping out and going blind is pretty fair.  I’m just putting it out there and we will see what happens.

The high schooler is stirring and thus begins the Friday Frenzy……I AM the EARLY girl today!  C ya, peeps!  Have a great weekend and be sure to blog….I’ll have lots of time @ the football fields between games and such!!

Ch-ch-ch-changes….

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Our fluffy, fatty learned to climb and jump and last night he decided to pull an all-nighter. Cats. Dirty little stay-out!!

Back-to-school always brings a new routine with it and, try as we might, it ALWAYS takes a couple of weeks of tweaking and a TON of patience as we all get in to our new groove.  I’m a structured person and change is rarely easy on me, however, God’s grace can carry us through…..if we let it and so far……so far…..a fairly successful week.  We only have a few binders to purchase and some extra loose leaf paper…not bad, not bad…

1.  Oldest son started high school.  New faces, new classes, taking the bus for the first time EVER and so far….so far…..he only got on the wrong bus the first day (coming home).  Aside from that, it appears his transition–especially the waking @ 5:30 a.m. change, has gone pretty well.

2.  Youngest son’s academic brilliance overshines his common sense on occasion and had a little lapse of such during a rainy afternoon resulting in major miscommunication with Dad.  All ended well, its times like these that I have to keep repeating to myself……he’s only 13, he isn’t using his full brain yet…he’s only 13….it’s painful though.

3.  Oldest daughter forgot her backpack one day BUT remembered her lunch.  Dad to the rescue which meant getting snagged in morning school traffic….GRRRRr…..tweak, tweak, tweak….must get in the habit of remembering all that’s to be remembered…

4.  With rain ALL week long the girls FINALLY had practices last night, so we’ve had mostly all family dinners this week!  Which I love.  And which will also be the biggest challenge for me with these evening practices messing up our dinner schedules, but see how good God is??….he eased me into it this week.  How often do YOU have family dinners??

This puppy is on sale now and has some GREAT dinner ideas….a lovely addition for our weeknight dinners…save money….save time…eat well….I like it, I like it!!

5.  Hubby has taken on the coupon challenge and is in the researching phase (and accumulation phase) of coupons and how to work the sales.  He is a detail guy and has infinitely more patience than I in these matters and I look forward to him steering this ship AND saving us some cash!!!  We’ve reigned in our grocery bill for our family of 6 (2 teen boys included) to roughly $600/mo…but I know we can go lower.  What’s your average??

6.  I finally broke down and bought new sneakers.  My work ones are shot, so I’ll swap out my walking ones for work (not my favorites) and use my new ones for walking.  Broke them in on the track at practice last night….3 miles!!  Nice.  Add to that 2 days at the gym (3 today) and I’m feeling pretty good about this week.  Woop woop!!  Definitely helps to manage the stress level!!

My feet liked these….on sale@ Kohl’s…

7.  Having dinner and a night out with one of my oldest girlfriends tonight and several other high school friends. She’s in town from California and it’s going to be a min-high school reunion!  She and I have been friends since 7th grade!!  It will be fun…but with an early game tomorrow morning this Mama will be home early-ish so I’m not so grumpy tomorrow.  That leaves Hubby on practice drop off/pick up, etc, etc….he’s the Bomb and a Blessing.  Balance.  All Balance.  A constant work in motion, isn’t it??  Have  a great weekend!!

Join in @ Conversion Diary and check out what Jen and the rest of the world have been up to!

Sufferin’ Succotash

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It’s Friday and usually I round-up the week with a little summary of what went down this past week with Jennifer Fulwiler and her peeps @ Conversion diary, however, it seems I’ve been doing plenty o’ whining about my week all week-long.  This Friday is a little different version…..because amidst all my moaning this week I’ve had a lot on my heart and prayers going up for various friends.  Tonight, in the midst of our evening routine a good friend emailed me great news regarding some prayers answered.  It was a reminder that suffering, though inevitable, often brings great changes.  This week I’ve been praying a lot and chewing on suffering.  We don’t always find out the “why” but when we realize that this life is temporary and accept that God CAN and DOES use all things to His glory, we can manage through a little bit easier until we gaze upon that which is eternal.  hopefully.  generally easier said than done.

  • In suffering we become more empathetic toward others, realizing we all have a cross to bear, none heavier than the other.
  • In suffering we are given the opportunity to open up and allow others in because we aren’t meant to carry our burdens alone.
  • In suffering we have a choice, to be bitter and let the weight of the world crush our shoulders or accept and let our suffering bring us to a healing relationship in Christ.
  • In suffering we are often begin to see more clearly the difference between what is useful and necessary and that which is excessive and confusing.
  • In suffering we prioritize the important and (hopefully) adjust our sails accordingly to tweak our actions to match our priorities.
  • In suffering we step out in faith.
  • In suffering we receive grace.

Whatever cross you bear, may you be fully comforted in the Truth and Joy that comes in a Savior that died for us so that we may be received into heaven freed from the suffering that comes in this life.  Be blessed.  Be encouraged.  You.  ARE.  Loved.

Psalm 66:10  For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver.

Psalm 94:12  Blessed is the man you discipline, O Lord, the man you teach from your law.

Isaiah 55:9  As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Romans 8:18  I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Romans 12:12  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Revelation 21:4  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain:  for the former things are passed away.

Eat mor’ chik’n

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Breakfast….because I only get an hour for lunch, I knew this was my best shot at making the CFA run!

Yesterday was Chick-fil-A appreciation day.  A day where people supported the fact that a restaurant or business is just as entitled to their beliefs as any other person.  Sadly, because Chick-fil-A, a Christian company (I’ve mentioned this before) supports the biblical definition of marriage between a man and a woman the entire liberal world is up in arms because (gasp) someone doesn’t agree with their view.  It’s not a hate thing, it’s a differing of opinions and I loved to see all the pictures from around the country of people supporting the same idea of FREEDOM OF SPEECH, freedom to express one’s faith and freedom to disagree RESPECTFULLY with one another.

 

 

 

abcnews, fresnobee and abclocal web pics