Saturday, April 28, 2012

The Power of a Single Gospel Tract


80,000 people die each day in Asian countries without knowing the love of Jesus Christ.

Today I'm blogging over at Today's Housewife on how a single Gospel Tract can reach dozens of people.

Could you be the person who provides that one tract to reach a lost soul?

Monday, April 23, 2012

Recipe List

It's time again for another cooking day.  We're out of dinners in the freezer and I dislike it when that happens. So I'll be going shopping tomorrow and here's what we'll be eating for the next month.

1.      BBQ Chicken
2.      Birds Nest Pie                                                                                           
3.      Broccoli Chicken Cups  Casserole Recipe Cards
4.      Cashew Chicken Casserole Casserole Recipe Cards                               
5.      Chicken Pot Pie                                                                                        
6.      Crunchy Ranch Tortilla Chicken  101 Quick & Easy
7.      Fragrant Sticky Chicken
8.      Ham Potato Scallop  Casserole Recipe Cards
9.      Jack Burgers
10.  Kielbasa
11.  Maple Glazed Turkey
12.  Pasta and Sausage Bake
13.  Raspberry Glazed Chicken
14.  Roasted Pork Loin
15.  Saucy Chicken Sandwiches
16.  Stromboli
17.  Stuffed Meatballs
18.  Stuffed Shells                                                                                           
19.  Sweet Onion Pork Chops
20.  Taco Pie                                                                                                   
21.  Teriyaki Burgers
22.  Upside Down Pizza Casserole

There's only 22 meals on the list but we'll probably be eating out a few times this month since we have Mother's day and two birthdays to celebrate.  If you want the recipes to any of these meals send me a note and I'll send the recipes to you.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Deep Breath

I lost track of time.  It's not that I don't know what today's date is, because I do.  I know that we're in the 4th marking period of school and both #2 and #3 are on track to earn straight A's this year.  #1 is following through on her enrollment process with school.  Everything is moving along as it should.

This month our Family Readiness Group is hosting dinner for our soldiers during their drill weekend.  I've been busy baking cookies and making tons of chili and meatballs.  I made Man Cookies by request of the soldiers and even though they didn't turn out flat and big, they have the same yummy taste.  I think I might have put too much flour in when doubling the recipe.  That's what happens when you bake at 11 pm.

But that's not why I need to take a deep breath, why I lost track of time.  Earlier this week I was asked to look at my upcoming summer schedule to see if there was any blocks of time I'd be gone so the praise team at church could be properly scheduled.  That's when I realized that it's already April and I'll be singing only through August and then I'll be coming off the praise team.  It's a personal choice that I make each time my husband is deployed.  I prefer not to have my kids stand without a parent during the praise and worship time of the service.  My husband won't be leaving right away, I just want a little time to worship with him before he does leave.

It was one of those moments that just side swipe you out of nowhere. One minute I'm fine, the next I'm reduced to tears. He's leaving soon.

It's easier and harder this time.  Easier because the kids are getting older and can do more for themselves.  #1 is also here so if I need to run out for a minute, I have an adult living here to watch the younger two.  It's also easier because of the aforementioned Family Readiness Group.  I've never been through a deployment with a family group in place and I can honestly say that I am looking forward to it.

It's harder because the kids are older and understand more.  Granted, my husband will be in Kuwait and it's a bit safer than Afghanistan, but he's still gone and they will still be taking it hard.  It's also harder because being the Family Readiness Group Leader, it's not like I can just break down in front of the families.  I need to be a source of leadership and support for them.  So despite having the family group, I have to be careful as well.

Pray for me as I face the upcoming months.  Pray as I get ready to spend a year without my husband.  Pray for me as I switch back into single parenting mode and pray for my kids as they try to adjust.  Pray for my husband and his troop for their safety.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Happy and Sad

This last month has been great!  We completed our third quarter at school with both #2 and #3 receiving straight A's again.  #2 is very excited because if he gets straight A's all 4 marking periods, he'll receive a special medal from the cyber-school we attend.  #3 has to wait until next year before she is old enough to participate in that program.

#1 is doing well in her quest to drive.  Parallel parking was a snap for her and we just need a bit more practice on the road before we conquer the driving test.  She also registered at the local community college and will be taking her entrance exams next week.  Please keep her in your prayers!

#2 has transitioned extremely well into Boy Scouts.  He went on his first weekend-long camping trip with them and had a great time.  He's also helping several boys with their Eagle Scout projects, willingly giving up time during his Spring Break and other Saturday's to do this.  I'm so proud of him.

#3 is a dancing queen!  She's getting very excited for her dance recital coming up and even more excited for her birthday next month.  I guess it's time to start planning for real!

It's also been a sad month for us.  We're still adjusting to the loss of my parents moving back to California.  When they move completely across the country, and you can't see them ever, it feels like a loss. We did lose a family member this month.  Sadly, my cat Duckie passed away.  It was all very sudden.  Within 1 week, he had lost most of his body weight, stopped eating, stopped coming up to the third floor to sleep with me, and started breathing very heavily.  I finally couldn't stand it anymore and took him to an all night animal hospital where the did x-rays and found a large tumor in one of his lungs and fluid filling 75% of his remaining lung capacity.  I stayed with him and made the choice to euthanize him.  As far as my kids know, he passed away peacefully on his own, at the animal hospital.

It's just a cat.  Yes, but it's my cat.  It's my cat who sleeps on Seth's side of the bed while he's deployed.  It's my cat who follows me around when he's gone.  It's my cat who keeps me company.  Here I am 2 weeks later and I'm still upset.

We do have another cat, and technically, he's mine.  Dunkin was a Valentine's gift to me the year Seth and I got married.  He was 6 weeks old when I got him, and it turns out I was 6 weeks pregnant at the time.  He grew up with us.  But he adopted my son and he really became #2's cat.  He's starting to come back to me now that Duckie is gone, but it's not the same.  And I don't have the heart to tell the kids that he's showing some of the same signs, with the scabs around the neck that showed up 2 months before the tumor.  Are they related?  I don't know.  It will be hard to watch and see.

Trying to get the birds on the wreath.

Freedom at the Foot of the Cross



At Today's Housewife, I had the honor of posting on Good Friday about the Freedom that can be found 
at the foot of the cross.