Luke gave me an interesting proposition on Tuesday evening after eating dinner with friends. After we got everyone strapped into the van, he said, “Do you want to drive or walk?” My reply? “Let’s see….um…..I think I will drive.” That would have been quite a walk!! In case you are wondering, he had intended to ask if I wanted to drive or ride. I’m so glad he lets me drive when I want to!! I like it!! I love you, Luke!! See, I told you I’d be nice!! ….as if I’m not always nice!! 🙂

Tonight I felt God telling me to do something that I have never had the desire to do. I knew the day would come, but I have been dreading it with a passion. Leadership. The very idea terrifies me!! The word and I do not get along. I have hidden behind shyness and softspokenness all my life, but no more. It is now my desire because it is God’s desire.

Are you curious how I knew God was telling me so clearly to do this? A few weeks ago I was asked to help lead the Christmas program. Even though the mere thought of leading anything, especially children, scared me silly, I said yes because I knew it would be good for me, and I wasn’t sure anyone else was available to do it.
About a week ago, I was asked to help lead music on Sundays because the girl who regularly did it moved away. I accepted with excitement because I like singing. I had already been helping out temporarily by playing my flute with the congregation on Sundays because we were in a temporary location with no piano.
Tonight was my test run at both of the above assignments. I kind of flopped at both. Kids know when you really are in control. I can control my own kids because they know me well, and I know them well, but controlling kids you don’t know that well is a whole different story! How do you keep eye contact with that many little people? It seemed to take more coordination than I could handle!! Then I found out tonight within 5 minutes of doing it that I was leading music for the first time tonight!! I got up there and tried to look more confident that I was (instead of totally intimidated and unworthy of the job I was doing). It’s kind of hard to do that when you don’t know a few of the songs. I did OK, considering the circumstances. I’d say I need a few more lessons on leadership!

Don’t get me wrong about this leadership thing. I wanted to teach children and lead music, but it still scares me for some reason. God is finally forcing me to face my fears and make me learn something that I should have learned years ago. With the plans Luke and I have for our future, it is necessary for me to be comfortable with being in front of people and leading them when necessary.
I could use a lot of prayer! I am going to work hard to at least appear confident and in control even if I don’t feel that way. I hope to post again next week to give an update on my confidence level and leadership abilities.

P is still saying cute and funny stuff. Here are a few examples:

P was very impatient this evening while waiting on his aunt to call him on the phone. He was saying, “Ring, phone, ring” while shaking the phone. I don’t think he believed his daddy when he reminded him that talking to the phone would not make it ring faster.

Also this evening, P looked at me and said very matter of factly, “Mom, your brain isn’t working again.”

While talking to his uncle on the phone (and probably talking to the uncle that would relate to the statement the most – hi JM!!:), P said, “I think we should think later.”

Blogged with Flock

Sunday evening AM and P were eating from a plate of fruit. I looked up and saw Anna Marie stuffing fruit in her mouth as fast as she could. I said, “AM, slow down. The food's not going any where.” She matter of factly stated, “It's going in P's mouth!!”

Blogged with Flock

Today I distractedly went to put Bethany's pacifier in her mouth. She would not take it no matter how hard I tried. Then I figured out why the silly baby would not take his pacifier. Yes, I said “his.” I was trying to put the pacifier in my husband's mouth instead of the baby's!!

The look on his face was priceless!!

Blogged with Flock

Today P came running into the room so proud of himself and said, “Mom, I’m irritating B!!” I looked at him totally confused….and then understood what he was trying to say. I am always asking the kids to entertain B while I try to get stuff done. He was proud of himself for “entertaining” B!! Of course, I have a mother’s suspicion that what he was really excited about was the fact that he was allowed to play with the walker she was sitting in, which he’s only allowed to touch it if B is in it, and he is “irritating” her. 😉

Blogged with Flock

If you are going to stick your foot out to keep a door from closing, make sure you have a shoe on.

Blogged with Flock

Just so everybody knows, I really dis-like mopping. As a matter of fact, I was not planning to mop my kitchen before moving. I assure myself daily that this is not laziness because the house was bought by someone who is planning to do a lot of work in the house including replacing the linoleum in the kitchen. Why would I want to mop just so they can pull up my clean floor and throw it away? So, I'm not lazy….really. I'm also not mopping my kitchen floor!!

At least that is how I felt yesterday. Peter was very successful in changing my mind. He convinced me that the kitchen floor really needed to be mopped without saying a word! All he did was drop almost a whole gallon of orange juice on the kitchen floor. It went EVERYWHERE!! I know a gallon does not look like that much in the pitcher, but it takes up so much more room on the floor!! I had already gotten rid of my mop bucket and had just washed all my towels. There were barely any paper towels, and it probably would have taken the whole roll anyway. So, my clean towels are now sticky with orange juice!!

So 4 towels and a hand squeezed mop later, my kitchen floor looks nice and clean – even if it does get thrown in the garbage. Because since I had the mop out, I ended up mopping the whole kitchen floor. Like I said earlier, I am not lazy. Really. While you are laughing at that possibility, I will go wash a load of sticky, sweet smelling towels!!

On Friday, I took all the kids to Wal-Mart in our station wagon (which is now for sale if anybody wants an old station wagon that runs…C'mon, you know you want one 🙂 P sits in the back of the station wagon facing the rear of the vehicle. We parked right next to a cart rack. As I was leaning in the stroller with my back to the rack, P said, “A girl!! A girl!!” Like it was the end of the world to see one of those things. So I said playfully (and very loudly), “Oh no!!! A girl!!!” Then I turned around to see a blonde, long  and curly haired GUY retrieving carts from the rack!! Since P was in the car, the guy did not hear what he had said. I know he heard me!! I was SO totally embarrassed. All I could do was pretend I didn't even know the guy was there as I mumbled under my breath “Thanks Peter.”