Martha Challenge Prep

OK, tomorrow's the day. If you have your book and a willing heart then I think you are ready.

I read the intro today and was stunned by the quote "The heart of our homes is not in the ability to keep it perfect at all costs; the heart of a home is love. We line in a thing, a non-eternal structure that needs to be maintained. The thing is worthless without the life we bring to it and through it.

Can I hear an AMEN??!!??

We are foregoing perfection; we are choosing life.-Sarah Mae

WOW and Challenge

WOW!! I can't believe it's been almost 2 years since I have updated this blog. I won't even bore you with all my excuses. So anyway.....
I saw a challenge on some other blogs that begins tomorrow, Monday, August 1st.. so let's go!

The Challenge is based on the book 31 Days to Clean Martha Challenge. I already have the book on my Kindle so I'm ready to go. Here is the blog from the Author of the book. The ebook is $4.99 and avail on the website below.
http://raisinghomemakers.com/


See you Monday for Day 1

Estrada Update

ESTRADA UPDATE

photo from allposters.com


I have been absent from my blogging community for several months. Life can be very busy and I have my priorities straight. God-Husband-Children-Self-House-Community-Blog. Blog comes in 7th. Here's what we have been up to.
Mikey- We are gearing up to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary this month. I am more in love with him than ever. He is a wonderful, amazing man and I am privileged to spend a lifetime with him.

ring from applesofgold.com

Lauren-Just finished her first year of college. She had several setbacks with her health but finished with straight vowels!

Matthew-Bridged from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts. He joined a wonderful Troop through our church and they have welcomed him with open arms. Two weeks ago he finished his first ever sleep away camp. He attended a week long camp in Lake Arrowhead. We are thankful for the leaders and counselors that helped him through this difficult transistion. We are thankful for all the prayers of friends and family that literally got him through the week minute by minute. Matthew is braver, learned many new skills and appears taller.

Emily-Finished 3rd grade this year and is spending all her time doing "projects". She comes up with a lot of things to do and to organize. I never know what I will wake up to. She also enjoyed a week of VBS through our church and swim lessons.
We have also been painting all the kids rooms one by one and have completed the majority of the painting.
This week we have a visitor. Lauren's cousin from Kansas is visiting for 1 week while Lauren, Curtis and Ryan went to the XGames four days in a row.

Don't Quit

Our wonderful Pastor Zac Nazarian challenged us with these words this past weekend. He begins his sermon by coming out and saying he has a word for someone or possible several people and that is Don't Quit! I wanted to jump up and ask "Which part?" Don't quit the de-cluttering, the diet, the attempts at effective prayer, trying to be a faithful servant, encouraging wife, patient mother, persistant homeschool teacher, dedicated cook, attentive driver all around town with loads of distraction or full time triage nurse? Which one? All of them? His sermon did not build on this premiss. He went on to talk about something else wonderful and appropriate.

But he had me thinking...and since then I have considered quitting so many things. This is only Tuesday. His words just keep coming back. I am continuing on the path that God has set me on. I don't think about quitting for the typical reasons. I just get pulled away from my focus. I allow myself to get pulled away from my focus. No matter how much I plan there is always a pebble on the path. This past week we had a one day notice that inspectors were coming to our home escorted by a family member. My house did not seem presentable enough to me. Everything was cast aside so we could marathon clean for one night. Unfortunately the inspector found termites and we had 2 days notice to clear all food stuffs including refrig and freezer, pack up kids, dogs, hamster, fish and spiders. Again all is thwarted for our new focus. While we were evacuated I got the stomach flu. Our family of 5 was in 1 hotel room. Not a nice place to have the flu. It was very difficult to get moved back in as I was trying to bounce back with very little bounce.

So now It is one week later and I feel like a month has passed. I forgot what my focus was at the beginning of last week. So it seems easier to just move on but wait.....Don't quit!!!

So now I need to regroup and put my feet back on the path. Don't quit. Back on my declutter plan...back to the diet. I have to weigh in tomorrow and am not looking forward to it. The potential shame could keep me away. Don't quit!

Have you heard of the JOY principle? Put Jesus first, then Others, then You.

So devotions come first-steeping my mind in the word of God and keeping up with my Bible Study

Husband and children-Cut my husband's hair and have Gatorade for Him for his fast tomorrow and his uniform ready for Jiu Jitsu.

Children-keep up the snuggle time, PE and really be present for them.

Me-Declutter both body and home.

For the decluttering I plan on starting with trash and vacuuming.
Back to Weight Watchers in the morning. No excuses. Don't quit!

Prayer

Picture from allposters.com entitled The Virgin of the Rocks, The Virgin with the Infant St John, Adoring-the Infant Christ.

Prayer

I have been reading 2 books which issue the same challenge. Is God trying to show me something? The challenge is to spend 1 hour per day in prayer. As I read about this idea I thought I would share the aspects of prayer considered in these books.

The thought of spending one hour of prayer seems to me a discipline in self-control. Trying to control my thoughts Heavenward for one hour would be difficult. I would be distracted and recentering my thoughts over and over. I started reading about a prayer plan that takes a few minutes to concentrate on different aspects of prayer. This I can do!

Over the next few days-weeks-months I thought I would focus on the different aspects of prayer. To begin we will start with Praise and Adoration. I thought the photo above was perfect. It is the Blessed Mother Mary adoring her precious Jesus. We, too, can adore and focus on Him frequently. My next post will be on specifics of Praise and Adoration. For now, let us purpose in our hearts to spend some time daily sitting at His feet.

Happy New Year!

The best band in the world, U2, has a line in their song "New Year's Day" that says, "Nothing changes New Year's Day". In one respect it is very true. It is just another day. Nothing neccessarily changes. Another Thursday. But it can be a point of change. It is a measurement; a day of remembrance similar to a birthday. You can retrospect and consider if you are where you want to be. Where God wants you to be.

My birthday comes 1 month before New Year's Day so sometimes I feel like I'm getting a one - two punch. This year was especially tough. I turned 40 this month. I don't think 40 is very old I just thought I would be in a different place by now. I remember my parents turning 40 and they seemed like grown ups. I still have so far to go and feel I haven't made that much progress in my life challenges.

My closest friend assures me she has seen positive changes and thinks I have come far. My husband agrees. I don't really see it but I will trust them.

Two days later I received some bad news that caused me further introspection to the point of withdrawing from my friends and family for a few days. Then I heard a sermon which I refer to in the previous post. I pulled myself up by the boot straps and turn around and here is another day of introspection. Enough! I can't look within even one more moment. I am so imperfect, falling on my face day after day. I look up and see a Perfect Father who I can fall on my face in praise, thankfulness and prayer.

If this day drives you crazy, drives you to excess or drives you to self condemnation...let it drive you to your knees in prayer.

Happy Day that the Lord has made...Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Walking With God

"I'm walking with the Lord!"...."How's your walk?" These are comments you hear in Christian conversation but today as my husband and I were talking about a sermon we heard we were wondering how to respond to the sermon. My husband said "Just walk with God." I said, "Aren't we already doing that?" and then "What does that mean anyway?"

I always thought of myself and God, arm in arm, walking along with big strides and singing "Friendship, friendship, it's the perfect blendship.." All of a sudden I was taken with the notion of walking with God. Not a blending of wills, You lead, then I'll lead, then You can lead again. But allowing God to lead and following with Him in His steps.

I was also reminded of Psalm 119 that says Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. My husband and I go camping at the Kern River every year. The campground is situated between two mountain ranges and there is utter darkness every night. If we need to go to the bathroom at night you absolutely must take a flashlight. You could not see 6 inches ahead of you in that darkness.

If you found yourself on a narrow path with a cliff on either side and darkness all around. You would pay such close attention to your guide (perhaps even cling to him) and keep that light concentrated exactly where it needs to be; on each step. We are on a narrow path and have the Perfect Guide who does keep us in His perfect will. We must cling to our Guide, listen for where to place each step. Do not go off on your own. Keep His Word nearby, read it and obey it for it illuminates each step with truth.

Now walking with God seems more an intimate dance where He hears the music and He leads. I must follow with an obedient and trusting heart. Where He leads I will follow. His ways are perfect and beyond our understanding. When He places your foot let it not be moved. Don't even shift your toes! He will lead you safely until He takes you Home.

America

I am bleary eyed with exhaustion but needed to send this out. This photo was taken in 1918 in Iowa. There are 18,000 men making up this picture. Isn't it amazing what 18,000 men can do when they work together? God Bless America.

PS I will be updating soon with news of grads, Vietnam and such. Stay tuned

Apologies

I have been very negligent in my blogging duties but my life has been very bogged down. I have been sick almost continuously since my surgery in January. I have been well now for about a week and a half. So I needed to take care of all the parts of my life that I have neglected all that time. I needed to focus on getting a handle on my home, going back to the gym, getting back on my diet, getting my kids homeschooled and making sure my husband knows he is my number one.
I also changed work schedules and I lost my two evenings home. Boo Hoo for me. We also had 2 birthdays in our family in the last 2 weeks. Lauren turned 18 (WHAT??) and Emily turned 8. We had a very nice birthday party at Chuck E Cheeses with 14 little girls.
I haven't had a brain cell to spare to ponder and so feel I shouldn't blog unless I really have something to share. So I apologize and anticipate more postings in the very near future.
Lisa

May Bible Reading

May OT NT
1 1 Samuel 18-19 Ephesians 2
2 20-21 3
3 22-23 4
4 24-25 5
5 26-28 6
6 29-31 Phillipians 1
7 2 Samuel 1-2 2
8 3-4 3
9 5-7 4
10 8-10 Colossians 1
11 11-12 2
12 13-14 3
13 15-16 4
14 17-18 1 Thessalonians 1
15 19-20 2
16 21-22 3-4
17 23-24 5
18 1 Kings 1 2 Thessalonians 1-2
19 2-3 3
20 4-5 1 Timonthy 1-2
21 6-7 3-4
22 8 5-6
23 9-10 2 Timothy 1-2
24 11-12 3
25 13-14 4
26 15-16 Titus 1-2
27 17-18 3
28 19-20 Philemon whole book
29 21-22 Hebrews 1-2
30 2 Kings 1-3 3-4
31 4-5 5-6
This is copied from Bible Reading Schedule handed out at my church Hope Chapel-Hermosa Beach. You may visit the website at www.hopechapel.org

Everlasting God

We were singing this song this morning at church and it just came on the radio as I was blogging. Here are the lyrics written by Chris Tomlin...

EVERLASTING GOD
Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord

Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our Strong Deliverer

You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint
You won't grow weary
You're the defender of the weak
You comfort those in need
You lift us up on wings like eagles

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord

Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our Strong Deliverer

You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint
You won't grow weary
You're the defender of the weak
You comfort those in need
You lift us up on wings like eagles

Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our Strong Deliverer

You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint
You won't grow weary
You're the defender of the weak
You comfort those in need
You lift us up on wings like eagles

lyrics courtesy of www.sing365.com
graphics courtesy of allposters.com

Apologies for Absence

I must apologize for my absence in blogging. We have almost constant sickness in our home since December. It takes a lot to keep up with this family when we're all healthy. When one or more of us is under the weather well it's a bit chaotic. I am so thankful for all the friends that have come to my aid in the last few weeks offering meals, candles, goodies and even housekeeping time. God bless your hands that serve so kindly. I am hoping we are at the end of the sicknesses. As spring has come so will a season of health!
Lisa

April Reading Schedule

APRIL 2008 Old Testament New Testament
1 Deut 33-34 2 Cor 7
2 Joshua 1-3 2 Cor 8
3 Joshua 4-6 2 Cor 9
4 Joshua 7-8 2 Cor 10
5 Joshua 9-10 2 Cor 11
6 Joshua 11-12 2 Cor 12
7 Joshua 13-14 2 Cor 13
8 Joshua 15 Mark 1
9 Joshua 16-18 Mark 2
10 Joshua 19 Mark 3
11 Joshua 20-21 Mark 4
12 Joshua 22-24 Mark 5
13 Judges 1-2 Mark 6
14 Judges 3-4 Mark 7
15 Judges 5-6 Mark 8
16 Judges 7-8 Mark 9
17 Judges 9 Mark 10
18 Judges 10-11 Mark 11
19 Judges 12-14 Mark 12
20 Judges 15-17 Mark 13
21 Judges 18-19 Mark 14
22 Judges 20-21 Mark 15
23 Ruth 1-4 Mark 16
24 1 Samuel 1-3 Galatians 1
25 1 Samuel 4-7 Galatians 2
26 1 Samuel 8-10 Galatians 3
27 1 Samuel 11-13 Galatians 4
28 1 Samuel 14 Galatians 5
29 1 Samuel 15-16 Galatians 6
30 1 Samuel 17 Ephesians 1

March Bible Reading Schedule

March
Date OT NT
1 Numbers 7 Romans 4
2 Numbers 8-9 Romans 5
3 Numbers 10-11 Romans 6
4 Numbers 12-13 Romans 7
5 Numbers 14-15 Romans 8
6 Numbers 16-17 Romans 9
7 Numbers 18-19 Romans 10
8 Numbers 20-21 Romans 11
9 Numbers 22-23 Romans 12
10 Numbers 24-25 Romans 13
11 Numbers 26 Romans 14
12 Numbers 27-28 Romans 15
13 Numbers 29-30 Romans 16
14 Numbers 31 1 Corinthians 1
15 Numbers 32 1 Corinthians 2
16 Numbers 33 1 Corinthians 3
17 Numbers 34-36 1 Corinthians 4
18 Deuteronomy 1 1 Corinthians 5
19 Deuteronomy 2-3 1 Corinthians 6
20 Deuteronomy 4-5 1 Corinthians 7
21 Deuteronomy 6-7 1 Corinthians 8-9
22 Deuteronomy 8-10 1 Corinthians 10
23 Deuteronomy 11-12 1 Corinthians 11
24 Deuteronomy 13-15 1 Corinthians 12-13
25 Deuteronomy 16-18 1 Corinthians 14
26 Deuteronomy 19-21 1 Corinthians 15
27 Deuteronomy 22-24 1 Corinthians 16
28 Deuteronomy 25-27 2 Corinthians 1
29 Deuteronomy 28 2 Corinthians 2-3
30 Deuteronomy 29-30 2 Corinthians 4
31 Deuteronomy 31-32 2 Corinthians 5-6

Apologies

A quick note before I go off to work...I must apologize for dematerializing from the earth. We had such a bout with sicknesses, surgery in the family and some new medical stuff going on. It has been a full time job just getting everyone up, fed, educated and healthy. I will be posting the March reading schedule tomorrow and putting some notes on from the Believe conference I attended today. Know that the Lord is God!!!
Lisa

February 2008 - Bible Reading Schedule

February
1 Exodus 18-20 Acts 4
2 Exodus 21-22 Acts 5
3 Exodus 23-24 Acts 6
4 Exodus 25-26 Acts 7
5 Exodus 27-28 Acts 8
6 Exodus 29-30 Acts 9
7 Exodus 31-32 Acts 10
8 Exodus 33-34 Acts 11
9 Exodus 35-36 Acts 12
10 Exodus 37-38 Acts 13
11 Exodus 39-40 Acts 14
12 Leviticus 1-3 Acts 15
13 Leviticus 4-5 Acts 16
14 Leviticus 6-7 Acts 17
15 Leviticus 8-9 Acts 18
16 Leviticus 10-11 Acts 19
17 Leviticus 12-13 Acts 20
18 Leviticus 14 Acts 21
19 Leviticus 15-16 Acts 22
20 Leviticus 17-19 Acts 23
21 Leviticus 20-21 Acts 24
22 Leviticus 22-23 Acts 25
23 Leviticus 24-25 Acts 26
24 Leviticus 26-27 Acts 27
25 Numbers 1 Acts 28
26 Numbers 2-3 Romans 1
27 Numbers 4 Romans 2
28 Numbers 5-6 Romans 3
29 Catch up Day

Vote!!!

By One Vote
Hitler won leadership of the German Nazi Party in 1923

By One Vote
The US House of Representatives, in 1801, elected Thomas Jefferson as President of the United States

By One Vote
In 1941, the Selective Service Act (the draft) was saved by a one-vote margin just weeks before Pearl Harbor was attacked

Billy Graham once commented: "In a world that might say one vote doesn't matter..., it does matter because each person is of infinite worth and value to God... Your vote is a declaration of importance as a person and a citizen."

Gleanings from Beth Moore

I am so blessed to be involved in a Women's Bible Study at my church. We meet weekly on Tuesday mornings and have just begun a new study this past week. I have already gleaned so much that I thought I would share with you.

First of all I purchsed the Bible study on Sunday while at our regular service. The title of the study is "Living Beyond Yourself". As soon as I read the title I felt a shift in my inner chatter. You know the conversation you have with yourself throughout the day. Living Beyond Yourself. OK study over. I already learned a ton just from the title. Well our Pastor was teaching on the Holy Spirit and towards the end of the service I am looking at the Study Workbook at my feet while the Pastor says "If you are not filled with the Holy Spirit, then you are filled with self". I read the title again....Living beyond yourSELF. WOW. OK study over. I already learned a ton from the title....again....

So, I show up for the study. Mind you..this is a 20 week study-10 Lessons and we take 2 weeks for each lesson. Now if you have not done a Beth Moore study let me tell you she is a Texas firecracker who is passionate about God and amazing in her insight into the Word. She does a lot of research in Greek and Hebrew, travels to other countries to speak with highly educated people but God has really gifted her in the way she can really make a passage come alive and change your life.

So here are some of her comments from the Introductory lesson that got to me.

The filling and subsequent fruit of the Spirit won't just change your life. It will change your day. Think about that. He is available and concerned with the dailiness of your life. That's what takes us down. The dailiness of our lives.

My purpose is beyond me.
My circumstances are beyond me.
My unrelenting daily demands are beyond me.

Through the infiltrating power of the Holy Spirit I can
do things I couldn't
feel things I didn't
know things I wouldn't

The most miserable existance is someone who is living for "self".
Come out of the tomb of "self"/
Self absorbtion steals your joy, life, etc.

The world does not devote itself to making me happy.

My calling is going to be a stretch.
It is going to cost me.

It is going to cost me.

It is going to cost me.

She also told a story that really helped me put words to a common malady that strikes many in our household from time to time. I hope I am getting this correctly but her teenage daughter was away at camp serving as a leader. Apparently they are not a camping sort of family. They really like their hair dryers etc. This dear girl was told there would be bathrooms but they were shut down and she was tired of roughing it. One morning she woke up and said she was just feeling ugly and wanted to act ugly. But she knew she had to be an example to these other campers. So she went before the Lord, confessed and read the Word until she was able in His strength to go forth with the day.

Now we all laughed at the"feeling ugly and wanting to just act ugly". We all have times like that but I love the words and the responsibility of action. Often in our home we excuse our ugly behavior with being tired, hormones, low blood sugar, they deserve it....But these are just excuses. We are called to go before the Lord, confess and allow Him to strengthen us. We are not slaves to our emotions. We are responsible to live beyond our emotions and in His strength to live balanced, passionate lives for Him.

January Bible Reading-Revised

Oh well! I jumped the gun. My church has a Bible Reading program this year. I want to follow along with my fellow congregants. Since we are just in week two it has not varied too much. So please excuse my revision. If you would like the link to the schedule from my church's website it is www.hopechapel.org. Click on the upper left corner where it says "Hope in the Word". Get it....Hope Chapel...Hope in the Word.
Here it is for your convenience.

January
Day Old Testament New Testament
1 Genesis 1-2 Matthew 1
2 Genesis 3-4 Matthew 2
3 Genesis 5-6 Matthew 3
4 Genesis 7-9 Matthew 4
5 Genesis 10-11 Matthew 5
6 Genesis 12-14 Matthew 6
7 Genesis 15-17 Matthew 7
8 Genesis 18-19 Matthew 8
9 Genesis 20-21 Matthew 9
10 Genesis 22-23 Matthew 10
11 Genesis 24 Matthew 11
12 Genesis 25-26 Matthew 12
13 Genesis 27-28 Matthew 13
14 Genesis 29-30 Matthew 14
15 Genesis 31 Matthew 15
16 Genesis 32-33 Matthew 16
17 Genesis 34-35 Matthew 17
18 Genesis 36-37 Matthew 18
19 Genesis 38-40 Matthew 19
20 Genesis 41 Matthew 20
21 Genesis 42-43 Matthew 21
22 Genesis 44-45 Matthew 22
23 Genesis 46-47 Matthew 23
24 Genesis 48-50 Matthew 24
25 Exodus 1-3 Matthew 25
26 Exodus 4-5 Matthew 26
27 Exodus 6-8 Matthew 27
28 Exodus 9-10 Matthew 28
29 Exodus 11-13 Acts 1
30 Exodus 14-15 Acts 2
31 Exodus 16-17 Acts 3

Bible Reading Schedule-January

Come along and read with me through the Bible in a year. I am using a schedule from Biblereadingschedule.com. Here is a link to their printable schedule: http://www.biblereadingschedule.com/BRS01Jan.pdf

For your convenience I have posted it here as well.

January
1 Gen. 1-2 Matt. 1
2 Gen. 3-5 Matt. 2
3 Gen. 6-8 Matt. 3
4 Gen. 9-10 Matt. 4
5 Gen. 11; Job 1 Matt. 5:1-26
6 Job 2-3 Matt. 5:27-48
7 Job 4-7 Matt. 6
8 Job 8-10 Matt. 7
9 Job 11-14 Matt. 8
10 Job 15-17 Matt. 9:1-17
11 Job 18-19 Matt. 9:18-38
12 Job 20-21 Matt. 10:1-23
13 Job 22-24 Matt. 10:24-42
14 Job 25-27 Matt. 11
15 Job 28-29 Matt. 12:1-21
16 Job 30-31 Matt. 12:22-50
17 Job 32-33 Matt. 13:1-35
18 Job 34-35 Matt. 13:36-58
19 Job 36-37 Matt. 14:1-21
20 Job 38-39 Matt. 14:22-36
21 Job 40-42 Matt. 15:1-20
22 Gen. 12-14 Matt. 15:21-39
23 Gen. 15-17 Matt. 16
24 Gen. 18-19 Matt. 17
25 Gen. 20-21 Matt. 18:1-20
26 Gen. 22-23 Matt. 18:21-35
27 Gen. 24 Matt. 19:1-15
28 Gen. 25-26 Matt. 19:16-30
29 Gen. 27-28 Matt. 20:1-16
30 Gen. 29-30 Matt. 20:17-34
31 Gen. 31 Matt. 21:1-22

"Thy Word have I hid in mine heart,
that I might not sin against Thee."
(Ps. 119:11)