Welcome, grab a seat and a cup of coffee!

Welcome to Blog Schmog.  Come inside, curl up with me on the pillows here in my window seat.  We will watch the sky and the forest outside, pray and laugh together.  I am a born story-teller (that means I bla bla blab) and enjoy raising four kids with my husband on a small Idaho farm. 

Long and Short of It:  To find your way around my blog click on the page above titled Long and Short of It or click a catagory on the right toolbar.  Some of our ongoing real life stories or Bible study discussions are catalogued on the page above. 

Motherhood Uncensored: The mom chronicles!  The trouble and triumph of motherhood including  the mud and guts of raising boys.  My little girl provides her own set of fun in these stories.  Join us on Friday’s for Fu-get ABout it or (FAB Friday) where we share struggles and find ways to make lemonade out of lemons.

Random, Reality, Ruse:  This is where any daily thoughts, random pictures or just for fun posts go.

Don’t forget to sign the “guest book” by visiting the What About You  page.

My passion is in encouraging others to follow Christ while looking on the bright side of life. And when we don’t feel the warmth of the Son because circumstances cloud our perspective, I hope to seek together the promises in God’s word until he has made his glory known. In short I am on a joy journey and hope you will find nuggets that will give you hope and peace through our Abba Father.

Romans 5:3-5

We also have joy with our troubles because we know that these troubles produce patience. And patience produces character and character produces hope. And this hope will never disappoint us because God has poured out his love to fill our hearts. He gave us his love through the holy spirit whom God has given to us.

Memory Verse

I want to share the scripture passage that I’m memorizing between now and the 15th of Dec.  I just love what Beth Moore shared about the image this verse conveys to her.  Check it out!  She talks about this particular verse toward the bottom of the post.

When I walk into the thick of trouble, keep me alive in the angry turmoil. With one hand strike my foes, With your other hand save me. Finish what you started in me, God. Your love is eternal—don’t quit on me now. Psalm 138:7-8, The Message.

Christmas Gifts

A few years back my husband and I decided to downsize Christmas in the gift department.  Not that we are a couple of Scrooge’s but our family already celebrates several birthday’s around the holidays and it makes sense to us that a birthday should be a big deal for the person who was born on the special day.  What does Jesus get excited about on his birthday?  People loving other people, giving without guilt or obligation, sacrifice, service etc.

It definitely helps that our birthdays fall like they do otherwise we may not be able to stick to our guns.  We came up with a gimmicky plan.  Three gifts for each child to represent the gifts of the magi to the baby Jesus.  My husband would be mortified if I didn’t tell you that, NO we don’t really think they only gave three gifts.  That is a myth, there were likely many wise men and many more than three gifts.  But, since three is tradition we stick to three gifts for the kids.

I had already picked up two gift for each child over the past few months.  Yesterday I had an idea and I allowed each of the big boys to shop alone with me and pick out something for the other.   In my mind I set a dollar amount (max $30) and went with them to the toy section.

It was absolutely precious to see their giving heart.  Not once did either boy say “ooh I hope I get…” or “I really want…”  Both of them set to work evaluating each option and weighing the amount of joy his brother would get out of a particular gift.  They were so thoughtful!  My six year old even remembered some things that his big brother had enjoyed at friends houses and tried to find something similar to the toys he knew have already been enjoyed.

Truly, I expected a completely different experience with my young boys alone (not interrupted by siblings) in the toy aisle to choose from the racks and racks of enticing things!  We generally avoid the toy section like our lives depend on it.  Who know that may be true. Ha!

I am SO PROUD of them and in the end both picked gifts well under the dollar amount I had in mind.

Today we wrap presents and come up with a plan for keeping Pee Wee from knocking down the tree and unwrapping packages.

Bored?

If you are bored, so am I!  Only a couple more days for nablopomo - thirty blog posts in thirty days. Whew!  Then I’m back to my haphazard blogging.

Today I’d like you to check out the “What about you” page and leave a comment telling me about yourself.

Go hog wild.

Happy FAB Friday

It’s time to Fu-get About it!  Time for FAB Friday.

I’ve been busy playing Imaginiff and eating turkey.  My mom came through and rescued us from having a  hillbilly thanksgiving (see Tuesday’s post).  

Instead of writing a fancy post for this FAB Friday I decided to recap.  Visit each other, look around and say howdy (that’s leave a comment)! It’s been fun popping in on other mom blogs, now lets stay awhile and get to know each other.

These are some previous posts by participants in FAB Friday. ENJOY

Henny -  A heartwarming perspective on motherhood.  Hang in there friend!

Jaime Kubik - Laugh your way through another day!  Keep it up!

Jessie (that’s me) - Just another day in the life!

Momma Mindy - To do or not to do…bird poo in the vacuum, disappearing muffin pans, what’s a mom to do?

Taylor - Tricks of the trade.  Train up a child, or two or four and while mothering toddlers hang on for the ride!

If you’ve written a Fab Friday post for today feel free to link up below by clicking on Mister Linky “You’re Next”

Gratitude

“As we express our gratitude,
we must never forget that the highest appreciation
is not to utter words,
but to live by them.”

by ~ John F. Kennedy

Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving!

A Christian Pirate

Now that’s different!

My thoughts exactly.

Yes, now I’m blogging about talking to myself.  Oh brother.

I was visiting the blogs participating in Random Dozen and I found this post at Mocha with Linda that I had missed.  A giveaway and a new set of books that I’m adding to my list.  Hopefully one will come in the mail   if not I’m back to my local book store because a Christian Pirate is something I simply can’t pass up.

Head on over and get entered into the giveaway before it’s too late.  ARG!!

 

Random Dozon – Thanksgiving Edition

SERIOUSLY why didn’t anyone tell me I spelled DOZEN wrong!?  I guess if you read my answers first you’d be afraid to bring it up.  ACK  I’m going to leave it and say TYPO but you probably won’t believe me.   ENJOY

Linda at 2nd Cup of Coffee comes up most of the questions for the Random Dozen meme which is usually done Wednesdays each week.  This week due to Thanksgiving she is bumping the meme up to Tuesday!  Check out her blog by clicking the picture below and write your own Random Dozen post answering the following prompt questions.

1. Are you sticking to traditional Thanksgiving foods this year, or are you being culinarily adventurous?  I’m so on top of it I didn’t even realize Thanksgiving is this week I thought I had one more weekend.  Since I just got my hog meat back I’m betting I’ll do a pork roast which is not normal for us.

2. Tell me something concrete that you’re thankful for. (Something you can literally touch, see, etc., not a concept like “hope.”) A laptop and highspeed internet. Is that vain?  I know its hillbilly but we went three years without high speed internet two of which I didn’t have any internet at all.  It is fun to keep in touch, research and blog!

3. You knew the flip side was coming: Share about something intangible that you’re thankful for.  Oh right! Now I’m stuck.  World Peace, oh wait do we have that?  Ok for real I’m thankful that God is teaching me compassion.

4. Share one vivid Thanksgiving memory. It doesn’t have to be deep or meaningful, just something that remains etched in your memory. Last year my boys and I made a craft where each family members face was made into a pilgrim.  But… I had a picture of my grandma from her 80th with a cigar in her mouth.  Naturally she got to be the Indian.  It was great fun.

5. What is one thing that you know beyond a shadow of a doubt is going to happen this Thanksgiving because it always does, year after year?  SNOW

6. Do your pets get any left-overs? I’m hard nosed I guess, I rarely feed table scraps to the animals (uness its pigs) but my hubby will cave and sneak the dogs some I’m sure of it.

7. Does your family pray before the big meal? If so, do you join hands while seated, stand, repeat a formal prayer or offer a spontaneous prayer? Who does the praying?  Yes we pray, usually holding hand, standing or sitting whatever suits our fancy and one of the dad’s generally thanks God for the food. 

8. Will you be watching football in the afternoon? If not, what will you be doing?  No remember the hillbillies?  We don’t have a converter box so its almost painful to watch all the fuzz on the one channel we get.  Definitely no football here.

9. There are two distinct camps of people on this issue: How do you feel about oysters in the dressing/stuffing?  OYSTERS!!  What are Oysters Mae?  Um NO NO NO!

10. Do you consider yourself informed about the first Thanksgiving? Well didn’t Charlie brown learn about thankfulness and serve his friends popcorn at the first Thanksgiving? Or was it Pocohontas who served popcorn?  Yeah I think I know about the first Thanksgiving.

11. Which variety of pie will you be enjoying? Humble pie.  Pie pie, glorious pie. Unless I get cracking and make gluten free crusts we’ll be having apple cobbler or pie filling for desert.

12. Do you feel for the turkey?? (This is a humorous throw back question related to the 12th question in another Random Dozen!)  What do you think?  See THIS post.

Thanks again guys I’ve enjoyed participating in yet another Random Dozen, have a Happy Thanksgiving!

10 Things I Hate About Books

1. They make me loose sleep
2. They make me cry – I NEVER cry
3. They make me eat my words – “I hate romance novels.”  “I’m too chicken to read crime novels.”
4. They distract me from housework.
5. They CALL to me from the book store
6. They FIND me in the thrift store, and occasionally…
7. They pop into my amazon cart and show up on my porch.”How did YOU get here?”
8. Did I mention they make me cry?
9. They make me forget to eat.
10. If I don’t finish quickly enough they make me mope around my house until I can.

Here are the reviews for the books I’ve read and immensely enjoyed this month.  Click the titles for my reviews.

Eyes of Elisha by Brandilyn Collins -  Suspense, riveting action, CSI but realistic.  So not CSI. Law and Order without the hopelessness. Ok not Law and order.   Brandilyn Collins writes one of a kind novels.

Though Waters Roar by Lynn Austin -  Like a good friend going home, I’m sad to have finished this book.

Violet Dawn by Brandilyn Collins- What do murder and hope have in common?

Eyes of Elisha Review

Oh man, if Violet Dawn was great Eyes of Elisha was awesome.  Brandilyn Collins sets the bar higher with each book she writes.  Now I’m wondering, “can it get any better?”   But apparently on the “suspense scale” I’ve yet to read a three!  MERCY.

Actually the truth of the matter is none of Brandilyn Collins’ books disappoint.

From the back of the book: “The murder was ugly.  The killer was sure no one saw him.  Someone did.  In a horrifying vision Chelsea Adams has relived the victims last moments.  But who will believe her? Certainly not the police, who must rely on hard evidence.  Nor her husband, who barely tolerates Chelsea’s newfound Christian faith.  Besides, he’s about to hire the man who Chelsea is certain is the killer to be a vice president in his company.”

I found myself ripping through the novel as if my life depended on it.  Riveting, mind bending, terrifying at times, Eyes of Elisha kept me glued to my chair all the way to the last word.  And yet, true to form, woven throughout the book were themes of forgiveness, hope in spite of our circumstances and unlikely friendship.

CLICK ME

Keep them coming Brandilyn!

I’m a newly converted “seatbelt suspense” fan! 

Click the goofy picture of me at the right to read my post “How to Read a Brandilyn Collins Novel” especially if you aren’t sure you can read suspense.  I didn’t think I could.

ONLY SLIGHTLY OFF SUBJECT:

Read on if you are curious about how Brandilyn handles the vision.

When I first read the back of the book I was a little worried about the vision bit.  I believe whole heartedly that God uses his people for his purposes and if that includes modern day visions I have no problem accepting that.  The problem lies in a past experience of my own. 

I dated a kid whose family was involved in a deeply charismatic church.  My church, being more conservative mysteriously avoided the subject of gifts unless it came to organ playing and hospitality.  I ended up smack dab in the middle of two extreme views.  The boyfriends parents believed, as their church taught, that unless you received the Spirit in the form of a tangible experience, being “slain in the spirit” you were not saved.  In their defense my home church believed unless you were Baptised in water you were not truly saved.  UGH!  I couldn’t win.

I know now that salvation doesn’t come by works or gifts but by the blood of Jesus.  In the book of James Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

At any rate, Brandilyn’s book beautifully portrayed a faithful follower of Christ who’s vision horrified even her.  Chelsea was not an overzealous, heavy handed believer whose goal was to convince everyone that visions are the only way to heaven.  Instead the vision was used to show the power of the Lord and the fallibility of mankind.  In Christ, through faith and by seeking Him even our mistakes can be used to the good of those who believe in Jesus.

SNOW!

Yep, its snowing. Are you sick of pictures yet? 

The big boys made a “Thing” size snowman.  Thing Two put on the head.

Thing One adds a carrot nose.

Poor snowman is dirty.

Boy it’s cold and windy!

Hi mom!