Wow

You never know what life will bring you. Don't take one day for granted because we are not guarantee our tomorrow 

Pinkies

Look at my crooked pinkies! I have lots of love. 

What am I doing?

So I was doing some thinking and asked myself the question what am I doing for the kingdom of God? not what do I aspire to do but what do I actually do. I need to make a plan (I'm really good at that) to do things daily and weekly for the Kingdom of God. I am going to start a prayer list follow up. for the couple of friends on my prayer list right now. that way I can make sure that I am purposly making a good contact with them and not just shooting the breeze but talking to them with a purpose in mind. to help them see their need or offer love. To share God with them. that is the best gift I can give them. As well as make a list of what I would like to talk to my children about during our devotions. yep Im on it.

Ladies devotion outline of ideas

1. Be the best me(2 lessons?) *take care of my self, in all areas spiritial, emotional, physical, mental. * my body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost. eat right , excersize, dress nice. * represent God in all that you do. your house, your children, your appearance. * Mentally grow learn something new, go to school, etc. *controll my emotions * grow spiritually. get good habits 2. Be the best Wife *Proverbs 31 * what Men need, what we need * how to have a happy husband. compliment what you want ect.(Dr. Laura book) 3. Be the Best Mom * take good care of them, they represent you *Pray for them, set time aside * do devotions, the church is not their mother. you are. * what do you what them to learn? teach them about important things,why we love living for God and how to save money, etc. 4. Excell in Your calling * what is you calling? a mom is a calling, a Pray warior is great, a cleaning ministry is great, a soul winner of any type is great.( we are all called to win souls) * get good daily habbits. Pray for yourself 5. Finding Balance in all things, courage to do what you really want to do.some times we need a boost, sometimes we need a break to think and refresh.

Ladies devotion

What is my calling? well to be the best wife and mother I can be first of all. Then what? Not a singer or preacher, thats for sure. I like to teach Sunday School, but called? I don't think so. maybe to plan the ideas, thats what I enjoy at least. I have dreams of me being a good friend that helps lead people to God. I may be able to teach a lesson that I put together.when I have in the past it seems to just flow. I think I shall try and put some lessons together then wait to be called to teach them.If nothing eles it will be good for me to do some Bible searching and get the lessons down in my heart.yes I shall.

a little late than never! wanted to start up my blogging again, so I thought I would share what we did for Mothers day this year. This month's theme is bugs and growing things.So since mothers useally love flowers, we planted one for our mommys! We painted the tin cans ourself and then put some dirt and a flower in it. then added water. The kids had a blast. Since then we have been very intrested in our fake flowers in our sensory bin. ;) and we also gathered some hand prints (since we we painting our hands more than our can anyhow) and I printed off a nice little poem, laminated it and put some magnates on it, and thats our mothers day gift!

New Goals

So since this is my own personal blog, just writing the things I need to write. My priorities need to be rearanged right now in my life. God and the things of God MUST come first. My Children are so important to me. and this World is so ugly! I hate Sin! I need to hate Sin every day. I need to be fighting for my children and my family everyday. I need to use the sword on the strongholds that are on or are trying to get a hold on my family.I will be looking up the scriptures I need to fight off the enemy. Scriptures about having power over the devil, power over fears, and scriptures to remind me that I need to be the one to stand in the gap for my children... I know that I am but I forget to get passionate about it. I need a daily reminder.

Ok, so maybe I will just Blog when I need to say something, since I rarely stay consistent with this thing. That kinda irritates me. So any how, I am in an weird in between time in my like. Day care is going good, with teaching preschool this fall and all, except that I am a SMALL daycare. I have a full capacity for a small day care! that is just crazy! So my bills are stacking up, though we have not had to make a late payment yet. They are just stacking up in my head. Glenn has had some side jobs detailing cars, helping our friend and family with their house stuff. I am very glad that Glenn knows how to do sooooooo much. But he is looking for a job. he has applied at different places and nothing is happening with any of them.... still waiting to hear about a couple of drilling jobs that would take Glenn out of town for a week, then home for a week. we will see how that goes. So we are broke to say the least and haven't been able to go to Sacramento to church in a while and it's eating at me. I want the kids to be able to grow up with kids in Church and know people that are like them, I need to have a place of worship besides my car when I'm by by self. where I can sing and worship out loud and dwell in the presence of the Lord. for being such a shy person, I don't know why it is easier to worship in a public place, but it is. So I really miss going to a church. I told Glenn we have to do something. We are probably going to visit Sac this Sunday though, that will be good. I just wish things weren't temporary right now, I kinda would like to move somewhere I don't care where (as long as it wasn't in the middle of nowhere or was freezing cold or something) and just start new with daycare even and live off of Glenn's income for a while, Just somewhere that we could go to church and be a part of the family of God somewhere. But I really love Christway, too. The Krantz' are so good for me and Glenn. we actually Grow in God and are motivated to live our lives the way God wants.... Can't I just have the best of Both worlds???? and I don't know if I want my kids to be the pillars of a new church, unless we hurry and grow.... by the time they are youth age? God can save that many people. not that I am really witnessing to anyone right now, besides being friendly and making connections, I can't even invite them anywhere right now. I know i need to get over these feelings, but I don't know what I should be feeling. I have know idea what i should be wanting right now. I want to do what is right but I don't know what is right. I wish God would just spell it out to me, what my future is going to be like. Maybe it's a surprise. ahhhhh.   well it feels good to vent, since I have no friends to talk to. Glenn doesn't know how to listen without him thinking I'm mad at him, Sis. Krantz has her worries, so I don't want to bother her, and I have NO ONE else at all. Crystal is sweet and would listen but I can't take any advise or anything, so I don't even bother, and that's all my close friends that I would feel comfortable talking to. So Its just my Blog and I do tell God about this stuff all the time and listen for a response, but I am still waiting to hear what his surprise is. or I'm just not seeing it. I do know that God will take care or me and he has a plan for my life, and I need to be the best mom and wife i can be, which I am trying, so.... I love you Jesus. That's all I know. And i love my family they are so cute. And I appreciate my husband a lot. He is a very knowledgeable person and he is trying to do his best for us, because he loves us. Can't someone just offer him a Good job, that would be nice.

Priorities

My priorities got a little out of order. I have noticed over the past 2 or 3 months I have stopped praying with my kids at night. I had school 2 nights a week and so Daddy would take over and some nights we would get home too late and they were already asleep and sometimes I would be just too tired and after a while we were not praying together at all. SAD. So I am kicking it into high gear. This week every single night, even if we got home at 10 pm, we have still gone over our prayer list and have prayed together. And guess what I can already see a difference in Melody's attitude and both of them have been fighting less. I am also going to officially make Wednesday nights as our Bible study , While Glenn is at Strengthening Families. We had done this a couple of times but I know it's way important to continue every week.
My Priorities are in this order:

1. My relationship with God
2. My relationship with my family
3. My relationship with the people around me
4. My Job
5. School
6. Extra curricular activities

50 things I want to do this summer!

50 things I want to do this summer in no particular order.

1. daily morning walks
2. make a ninja movie with Mel and Blake
3. plan out a years worth of preschool curriculum
4. go to the park
5. go camping
6. go hiking
7. take the boat out
8. paint rocks
9. decorate Blake's room
10. make butterfly chandelier
11. sew some barbie clothes (with Mel)
12. make a water wall
13. have lots Bar-B-Q's
14. eat watermelon
15. roast marshmallows at home
16. read a good book just for fun
17. make a sea life ice sculpture
18. find a great daycare helper(if Glenn gets his job)
19. play in the sprinklers
20. relax
21. cuddle with Blake and Melody
22. put in drawer liners in kitchen
23. cut stuff with my cricut
24. loose 20 pounds (this is a wish list right?)
25. make some play do
26. paint Melody's picture frame and fix her curtains
27. go yard selling
28. eat corn on the cob
29. make shaved ice
30. find more music, ocean, outer space, sports, and pirate books
31. get summer volunteers
32. wear flip flops ever day
33. make fruit smoothies
34. paint
35. make a separate Baby area in daycare
36. get rid of stuff in the garage. Sale it or find a good home.
37. play board games
38. have a big water fight
39. recycle lots of extra stuff(like big metal things or news paper)
40. get a pedicure
41. cook new things I've never tried before
42. have a daycare barbque with a jumpy house
43. go skating!
44. make my reading corner more cozy
45. grow a house plant
46. drink lots of iced tea
47. make sun tea
48. go swimming
49. grow grass guys
50. laugh a lot

time to get organized!

So I went to the Art cabinet today.... and said to day is the day! (well nap time is only so long so I may have to finish tonight) I am going to try a new system of dividing things by their theme. 12 bags( I will change to boxes I think soon) full of everything I might use for that theme. It is working great with my books by theme, so we will see about our crafts as well. Hopefully it will fit.
 My themes that I've had for about 2 years are
January : Outer space and Music
February : Zoo animals
March : All about me, Healthy me, and my family
April : Community Helpers and Transportation
May : Bugs! and growing things
June : Sports
July : Ocean life w/ Pirates
August : Back to school and shapes, colors, #'s
September : Recycling (used to be nursery rhymes)
October : Dinosaurs and Reptiles
November : Farm
December : Winter


neat and tity, but sideways



Blake and Melody

So here are my cute Children! On our trip to Fort Bragg. We had a really good time.

our family

My Stick Family from WiddlyTinks.com

This rain!

I really am a California girl. I love the sunshine.... And all this rain lately is getting well old. It is sucking my energy and motivation it seems like. Their are things that really need to get done, but I just feel like getting all cozy and reading a book.
Sometimes life is like that too, nothing exciting going on, no drama, nothing... we get bord and loose our spiritual motivation, we tend to stop really growing, not backsliding, just not moving forward. We need to stay focused on what we are doing in our lives, We need to take extra time to reflect on the goodness of God and all he has done for us. Fall in love with him and learn to follow in his ways once again, our light bright and shining. Even in the rain.... 

Like a Rose

Sometimes it seems like every one else is getting the Blessings of God and not you! I think there is a place that you have to get in God before he lets the abundance of blessings fall in your life. That place is when you open up your life, let the real you show, even when its not pretty (especially when its not pretty). be humble at let it be known were your faults are. Some times we must examine ourselves because we don't see the faults that others see and God knows. "confess your faults one to another," the Bible says.... In doing this it releases something inside of you That God can work with. When you allow your self to open up, its like a rose bud, that, after holding its self closed for such a long time, decides to let it self bloom. God blesses you life and your real beauty shines through. God in us is the real beauty inside us all. We just have to be willing to open up and let our beauty show.

God's Promises

I was taking my daily walk the other day and I saw a rainbow in the sprinkler water. It got me thinking about how good God is. He shines down his rainbow through the storm. His promise shines through the Life storms we are given. He is so good. And even if we are the ones spraying the hose on our life.... Gods promise still shines through. selah.

first and last

The Bible says that the first shall be last and the last shall be first..... So is it going to be like this..... ?You at the grocery store and it is very busy and it took you forever to get all your shopping done, because you had to wait to get around people and you were doing your " big" shopping so your cart is almost full. you get to the check out then remembered something you forgot that's at the back of the store. you think "do I need it that bad?" you decide since the lines are really long maybe they will shorten after you get back, so you go find the item you forgot. Then head back to the check out. But the line did not get shorter.In fact, they got longer and there are only 2 cashiers in the whole store. You don't even bother trying to figure our which of the 2 lines will be the quickest because everyone has full carts too. sigh. so the wait begins.... Then out of no where, like an angle of the Lord.... a worker taps you on the shoulder and says I can help you on number 7. ... So even though you were at the back of the line.... you get to go to the very front of a new line... you try not to look at the couple of people with carts right and front of you, you don't want them mad at you and you make your way to the front of the line with a very happy look on your face and think " ah this is great!"

Balance

My Goal in life is to balance everything! My spiritual, emotional, physical, and Mental well being. Plus all the roles and responsibilities I have. Like being a wife, mom, friend,daycare owner etc. I want to be the best me there is..... but I sometimes am so worried about being the best mom, that I forget to keep up with my physical well being goals of eating right and getting exercise. Or I am so concerned with having a great daycare, that I slack on my mental well being like keeping up on my school work. I struggle with keeping everything balanced. So I have to make sure that I take the time out to look at goals that Ive set for myself in each of these areas, and organize my thoughts so that I am not forgetting about something that is important to me. whew!

sometimes you got to push on

There are times when we get board of doing the same old things. the same old cleaning, laundry, daily chores. but we just have to keep on doing them anyway! It seems like a viscous circle. This is what some call just grin and bare it! but If we look around at the, almost done without thinking, chores we can find a beauty inside. What I mean by this is that we can use this time to reflect on important things in our life, what we are thankful for. we are also making a home this way. It seems that while we are beautifying our house by cleaning it is looking better and better and helping us to feel better about ourselves too. Like my last post about our outward beauty, the beauty of our house is important too for most of the same reasons. It Makes it all worth while!

Beauty

I think God might have let it be the woman's nature to desire to be beautiful. Not to be vain, but so we remember to better our self. To take care of our self. So that we exercise and stay healthy, and pamper ourselves.
Of coarse this could be very bad if we let it consume us and become vain or can't stand ourselves and hate our self. We need to be balanced in this area!
Sometimes we hear that we are beautiful from people that are obligated to tell us that (like our husbands) And we know that God created us and he doesn't make mistakes ,etc. But It  is not the same as having a healthy " I know that I am beautiful" from our self when we look in the mirror.
I have not very many times felt that I am a beautiful girl. Every once in a while when I get all dressed up, and hair done just right, I will think "wow, not too bad" but more often, I look in the mirror and say, "Cheryl you need some work, like around the middle and if only you didn't have so many freckles......." So just like we need to work on our spiritual well being, our financial well being, relationship well being, and mental well being,  I think it's also important to work on our physical well being: staying healthy, by exercising and eating right, and also by taking care of your appearance like having nice hair styles, and wearing clothes that fit nicely and flatter your appearance. You will feel better about your self and have a healthy selfesteem.
Just remember to not spend all of your time on this alone!

I want this blog to mean something years from now, so I am going to start posting more regulaly. Like once a week. I don't have anyone holding me accountable, so I will have to go against my will. Like I have to on so many other things... exersizing, eating healthy, cleaning my house, geting up in the morning... the usual.

a thought

When ever your in need, just trust in the one that can set you free!
I am so glad that I have a Friend in Jesus! He loves me and that is enough!

Goodness

Surely His Goodness and Mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
This is my favorite Scripture at this time in my Life. Psalms 23.
I have such Gratitude for God's goodness to me. I have done nothing to deserve ALL he has blessed me with. I just don't understand why he would want to bless me... little ol' me... the way he has. With a wonderful family that are all very healthy, a Husband to is so smart and can do just about everything, that doesn't even know how smart he is, that loves me so much, Friends that Love me, The inspired word of God that I get to receive (not many get the good stuff, like we do). Also my Job that pays very well, that I didn't even have to go to school for, oh there are so many blessing, I can't even name them all. I have had barely any hardships, no close family deaths, or sicknesses, I have never, not been able to pay all of our bills, not much of anything. The things that I name as Trials our not getting along with my husband at times, which everyone has to grow while they love there husband.  Or the Krantz family not pastoring at the Oroville church, But  I am still a part of the Krantz' lives probably even more than before.... my BIG trials are so little even if you think of lots of other peoples they have had to go through... Mine are so not big at all. I'm sure I have a lot more trials to come, but it almost seems like I have been sheltered for so many things... I am so thankful for that. All because why? believe me I am no super spiritual wonder! I have so many things that would not be pleasing to God, I don't give God my all like I should. I try for like 2 minutes at times, I don't even know what talants God has given me let alone use them for His Glory..... So what is it that makes God want to continually pursue me with his goodness? I don't know but I am so thankful he does. I Love him so much and desire to dwell in his house all the days of my life.

Better than them

I just learned something new, That I didn't know that I didn't know about my self, the other day... I realized that when I see the woman at the store yelling at her kids, or remember the one that doesn't spend any time with hers, It makes me think that "Hey I am not so bad at this mothering thing" or when I go to someones house and see it hasn't been cleaned in quite a while or here about them not cooking at home for two weeks It makes me think that " Hey I'm not so bad at this homemaker thing", or I see the over weight person eating that humongous plate of food or knowing that they can't even walk half a block with out getting winded I think that " Hey even though I'm not giving my all to this weight loss goal, I am doing better than them."
.... I find that If I want to feel better about myself for not being the best that I can be, I will find someone that I am doing better than, and it helps me to cheer up. 
But I need to stop doing this! I am like  the Pharisee in Luke 18:11 - "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican."
The Bible also says in 2 Corinthians 10: 12 ": but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise."
The reason this is not wise is because it give me a crutch or an excuse to not better myself. I want to strive everyday to become a better Wife, Mother, Friend... a better me. I can not do this by not getting anything done,by being lazy about things. I can not find excusses by thinking I'm not as bad off than them, then not work on goals for my self. It should not make me happy to see someone that doesn't care about their future enough to be bettering themselves. Lord Help me to remember, when I see the one that is "not as good as me",I need to first  pray for them and second remember to push my self farther than I have before and not being Ok with where I am at. It is only the Grace of God that I am not in their shoes and where I am today.

the shadow of life

The shadow of life can be ever present or rarely seen at all in ones life. I believe it is a matter of perspective. I hope I will always have a good outlook on life. Yet at times I need to be more cautious. Not Naive. That way maybe I see people for who they are. sometime you get hurt by people and not know why. Sometimes you assume the best in a person and then your actions cause others to be hurt. I worry about judging people, but I need to just seeing people for who they are: people. I need to be careful in this area, so that I am not putting others or myself in a position to be hurt. optimism is Good but too much of anything is bad. Balance.

Mothers day!

Here is a Poem I just love.
When I'm An Old Lady


by Joanne Bailey Baxter



When I'm an old lady, I'll live with each kid,

And bring so much happiness just as they did.

I want to pay back all the joy they've provided.

Returning each deed! Oh, they'll be so excited!

(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids...)



I'll write on the walls with reds, whites, and blues,

And bounce on the furniture.....wearing my shoes.

I'll drink from the carton and then leave it out.

I'll stuff all the toilets and oh, how they'll shout!

(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids...)



When they're on the phone and just out of reach,

I'll get into things like sugar and bleach.

Oh, they'll snap their fingers and then shake their head,

And when that is done, I'll hide under the bed.

(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids...)



When they cook dinner and call me to eat,

I'll not eat my green beans or salad or meat.

I'll gag on my okra, spill milk on the table,

And when they get angry...I'll run....if I'm able!

(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids...)



I'll sit close to the TV., through the channels I'll click

I'll cross both eyes just to see if they stick.

I'll take off my socks and throw one away,

And play in the mud 'til the end of the day!

(When I'm an old lady and live with my kids...)



And later in bed, I'll lay back and sigh,

I'll thank God in prayer and then close my eyes.

My kids will look down with a smile slowly creeping,

And say with a groan, "She's so sweet when she's sleeping!"