Slackin' but HE is not

109. a forgiving GOD who does not forget, get distracted, decide to do other things rather than stop in the moment and give thanks for things possessed and not possessing
110. waiting in the doctor's office a second time for a second diagnostic ultrasound - do I really want my prayer to be done with my pain-filled existence to be answered now?
111. finally being able to share my thoughts with my definitely better half - though it be probably 2 am - waking him out of slumber due to my recently acquired late-night owl lifestyle
112. hearing that my mother's tests turned out for the better
113. fruitless (so far) searching for a necklace my daughter needs to send to a customer
114. reminders of what is important from www.aholyexperience.com

Multitude Monday

105. Pictures of "Yesterday" - days that have passed by, days of choices, of conversations, of meals
       shared, of recipes now gone, of people passed on - wishing for time with those people again with
       the wisdom and understanding I have today but didn't then.

Poodle

G-Ma

Pope  (sounds like Poppy)

106. Shadows of ones that used to be little - who loved to color, to craft, to sing Donut Man songs, who wore matching outfits so loved by Poodle. Those who danced in front of the turned off tv to see their reflection and danced to Christian music on the radio. Those who said wise only-from-the-mouths-of-children sayings - who said the funniest things...

107. Those who endured my journey of curricula - hod-podge mixes of Greenleaf, Prof B math, Horizons Math, Math-U-See... Bible portfolios from "What Your Child Needs to Know When" by Robin Scarlata. KONOS. And finally Sonlight and Teaching Textbooks.  Computer based Switched-On-Schoolhouse. Online classes at Landry.

108. The man who's been there through it all.

Multitude Monday

100. Telling a special veteran thank you today - my 90 yo Pops.

101. Hearing of a 107 yo veteran still living.
102. A late night dinner.
103. Trying to make snow globes for Christmas gifts. So far the wet one hasn't worked. :)
104. Seeing that the names from Adam to Noah make out a sentence for us to find & consider.

Difficult Monday

94. Hearing of the faith of a 36 yo mother whom GOD took home through cancer last week.
95. Having a guy friend join Little Man's drama class; he desperately needs some guy friends!
96. Laying out pine straw only to find an inchworm crawling up my shirt a few hours later :).
97. Two loose front teeth in Little Man's mouth.
98. Being able to pay our bills.
99. Little Mama arriving home safely today.

Multitude Monday

86. having a church where new people come

87. listening to The Word of Promise Bible online

88. seeing all kinds of beautiful pictures of nature on Pinterest
89. playing hide and seek in the backyard after dark
90. trying online classes for the top two; having one teacher who is very open to communicating with
      us and gives us a say in their grades

91. finding the fridge I love at a "cheap" but is too big for our space; given our fridge is the first one
      we ever bought and the shelves and drawers are breaking one by one at an increasing pace with
      "shells" of ice
92. getting a new phone that's just as crazy as my last one
93. having two drivers; both who can drive the big ol' Burb

Multitude Tuesday Really

71. Watching Little Mama do flips & tricks & all kinds of gymnastic and dance moves in the water.

72. Seeing Mims & YiYi have the courage to go out in the ocean  - not me!

73. Watching Little Man and his cousin have a good week to play with each other.

74. Time to sit with my mama.
75. A little time on the beach with my dad.
76. Having a grocery store right across the street from the beach house.
77. Taking the kids down to the "point" where the ocean comes in to the inlet.
78. No major back issues this year!
79. Helping Little Man overcome his very BIG fear of bad weather bit by bit.
80. Starting lessons again today - being able to read with them again.
81. Doing reading lessons in Little Man's fort today (while he's afraid of spiders being there)
82. Seeing maturity already in Little Mama's participation when reading with her
83. Having a good pet sitter who knows vet stuff
84. The girls continue to drive up to get the dogs - about an hour away - after coming home from the 
       beach.
85. YiYi having the courage to drive the Suburban to dinner tonight!

Multitude Monday

65. Seeing a daughter hold her head up after a failed permit test by one question too many - on 
      her birthday.
66. Making it home without spilling the salad dressing she loves - hidden in my pocketbook.
67. Dealing daily with the struggles of a six year old.
68. Little Frodo still being with us after we were told he could die at any moment three scripts ago.

69. Cleaning out the basement. Reminiscing as we sort through things.

70. Little Man being willing to give lots of his stuff away.

Is It Friday Allready?

61. for vacuums and bug spray for little armies of ants wanting to share my house
62. having a pool to slide into after feeling the effects of the humidity
63. for rosy red and delicate white vincas yet planted
64. upcoming birthdays of my little girls with curls like Shirley Temple, and the cutest round face with one little dimple. Oh where did those little girls go?

Multitude Monday

53. watching a child who was fearful to put their head underwater to set that fear aside and do it!

54. YiYi passing her driver's ed class.

55. seeing a 17 yog go to Venezuela by herself (with one riding companion) to help start programs there
56. still having Frodo with us

57. failing at making Flubber
58. getting in the pool even though it's cold
59. successfully recovering outside chair pads
60. vincas - the only flowers I can grow without killing them

Multitude Morning

47. time with Mama perusing Hobby Lobby
48. her showing interest in how to get on FB with my dad's Kindle (a miracle indeed)
49. going out to dinner Pops
50. his courage to go to his wife's side of family reunion without her
51. seeings signs of her everywhere in that house; ruffling through her art cabinet
52. watching him try kiwi for the first time
53. coming home to help and hugs

Multitude Monday

41. Inquisitive questions like, "Can tornadoes break roads? Can it break glue that's already dried?"
42. Taking Little Mama down the long, straight highway to stay a week at a friend's house who just moved away.
43. Lil' Frodo still being here - heart as erratic as can be.
44. Crazy Ol' Sammy putting up with Little Man's antics.
45. Not knowing what's going to really come of the school year this upcoming year - still grading this past year's, 
       but the new Sonlight core is here:

46. Watching Little Man and Little Mama participate in their first horse show Saturday. Seeing them go down the length of the pen all by themselves - well, particularly, Little Man. Seeing Little Mama choose her own speed that she was comfortable with.

Multitude Monday

131. paper towels and toilet paper to clean up after two old dogs and one mischievious cat
132. seeing Frodo leap and jump and smile this morning
133. special food to feed him
134. talking to my grampa last night

135. waiting to see what GOD has for Mimi concerning a job so she can keep up the car
136. for YiYi passing driver's ed.! Whew! $400 not spent!
137. a quiet morning
138. a teen guy who has taken interest in my Bubba
139. that the teen years don't last forever! :)
140. making a "Remember the LORD" shadow box

Multitude Monday

120.  rocks to keep us from sinking in the mud
121.  water filling plastic up, up, up

122.  creaking cabinets of a boy who is ever hungry
123.  Frodo surviving another night when at times I thought he was gone
124.  a lawnmower that runs!
125.  three girls laughing where there used to be conflict
126.  rearranging furniture
127.  a daughter finding the freezer downstairs leaking after I just bought a boatload of ice cream

128.  the end of a "school year" and not being sure of next year
129.  Daddie and Little Man getting to go boat fishing for the first time together
130.  watching a movie together with Lil Mama and actually watching it

Watchful Wednesday

109. Seeing end of the year performances
110. Watching Little Man have fun with some hilarious older girls.
111. Laying my fears and anger and frustration down about what to do next year for learning for the 
        older girls.
112. A muddy yard to walk through.
113. Being able to wash clothes again without having to wait until the last possible moment to
        conserve water so we didn't flood our neighbor.
114. Your provision to come of yard tools.
115. YiYi getting ready to take driver's ed next week!

116. That Chessy (a horse we ride) survived Saturday with colic coming on.
117. A horse riding instructor that's more than an instructor; calling to check on Frodo.
118. Little Mama deciding which class to take - being brave when all her friends are moving on to
        other classes.
119. Hope for restoration and deliverance for a favorite doctor.

Multitude Monday

101. Attempting Little Mama's first horse show even though it got rained out.

102. Watching Little Mama and Little Man's end of the year skits and songs.
103. YiYi's first wedding photo shoot.

104. An almost nap
105. A cat who likes to sleep on me.
106. Watching Little Man do math in his head.

107. Mimi's achievement test scores showing great improvement in some areas.

108. A husband willing to plant see and lay hay in our back yard after having 8 new septic lines put
         in!

Multitude Monday

92. A peaceful Mother's Day spent at home after church.
93. Hearing a friend deal with all the different issues she deals without 
      complaining.
94. Her compassion and willingness to bring others into her home and accept 
      them where they are at while inching them forward.
95. Seeing someone back at church who was "dismissed" for a while.
96. Ant spray. I know GOD made them, but not in my house or my son's fort.

97. A chance to teach my children how to handle conflict, but, oh my, how I wish 
      they'd get it. 
98. Making something special for a very special lady who has influenced my children for good.
99. My YiYi getting her first wedding gig!

100. Mimi's journey to find her first job other than her jewelry.

Multitude Monday

85. Time with my 89 year old grandfather who has taken his wife's death in  
       quiet submission.

86. Rummaging through her things, remembering times when I stayed with them,  
       just peeking through her things then.
87. Sad realization that I know I don't have much time left with him and being two  
      hours away; family not understanding the pain and grief I feel at not being  
      there (living there) for him - to keep him company, to give him someone to   
     tell his stories to.
88. Sleeping on the floor with my doggie, knowing his time is drawing nigh 
      as wet;feeling for his heartbeat, watching for his chest to rise. Being able to 
      take him to see Pops one more time.

89. Talking to Little Man on the phone. Starting to sound like his sisters (I can 
      never tell them apart on the phone).

 

90. Little Man's spontaneous songs to the LORD

91. Little Mama's heart for the LORD; wanting to be able to hear HIS voice.

Multitude Monday

80. Another day with a sick little doggy.
81. Watching the "Christy" movies, thinking about simplicity.
82. Compassion for those who despair
83. Wanting to be a friend to those in the midst of the Holy Battle
84. Beauty in a place I don't consider beautiful

 

It's All in How You See It...

After the disciples came back from their 2x2 time of ministering, JESUS knew they needed rest.
HE knew what they needed, yet HE knew what was to come as well.

from David Guzik's commentary at Biblos.com:

(Mark 6)  The multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities: It’s easy to think that the multitude was nothing but rude and demanding. The disciples wanted to send them away (Mark 6:36), but Jesus was moved with compassion for them.

i. The disciples often saw the crowds as work, and as constant demands, especially at a time like this when their well-deserved rest was interrupted by the multitude. But Jesus saw them and was moved with compassion. Each face reflected a need, a hunger, or a hurt. Being a thoroughly others-centered person, Jesus cared more about the needs of someone else than His own needs.

 
 

Serene Sunday...So Far!

73. Unique log at Yates Mill Pond

74. Mimi at our neighbor's yard

75. YiYi trying on a new dress

76. Picture by YiYi

 77. Another picture by YiYi

 

78. Little Man & Big Daddie on their favorite place to walk.

79. Little Mama with her buddy.