A Letter to My Neighbors

Dear Neighbors,

This letter is to ask forgiveness for the late night interruption of your deep sleep.  I, too, had found that place of wonderful rest when I heard him.  My dog.  Barking.

Barking, and barking, and barking.

And barking.

The more I tried to ignore it, the louder and faster it came.

Finally, realizing that something had to be done, I rose from bed, ready to give “it” to him for getting us run out of the neighborhood. 

On the way to the door, I notice my whole family is STILL asleep.  How can that happen with such a ruckus going on?

I get to the back door, and it sounds like he is on the porch, barking his head off, literally.  He’s NEVER done that before.

My mind starts to race….”Is he trying to protect us from something?”  “Is there something or someONE on the other side of the door trying to break in?”  “Should I even open the door at all?!”

Finally, I get the courage to open the door, and see that he is going BEZERK over something that is cornered between the air conditioner unit and the wall of our house.  I yell at him, tell him to stop – but he is NOT listening to me at all…..growling and barking all in the same breath…nonstop, running from one side of the a/c unit to the next and back.

I decide it is probably a cat, but go back to the bedroom to grab some shoes and a flashlight.  On the way, I pass the daughter asleep on the couch, the sons asleep in their room, and the husband snoring away.  Really!?  I mean, the world is falling at this moment, what sounds like WWIII is going on right outside our house, and now the door is open so the sound is even MORE amplified….and they are ALL asleep!? 

Oh well, I guess it’s up to me to save the world…

So, still in my nightgown and flip flops, flashlight in hand, I open the screen door again, and aim the flashlight at the suspected area, and this is what I saw….

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

This face, exactly…..teeth, eyes, pointy nose and all!!!  Scare-y!

I instinctively turned away from it once I realized there was evilness looking at me.  Then, when I turned back for another look, I guess it distracted it long enough for my dog to go in for the “kill”.  His big powerful jaws closed down on its’ neck and then all I heard was the sound of his footsteps as he ran off with it. 

He was like a “shadow”…gone with the possum in a flash.  I didn’t know where, I didn’t care to look either!!!

So, please, dear neighbor, forgive us today.  Know that if a possum invades our community, Toby the Lab will definately protect us from it.

Yours Truly,

julie

He Knows…

He knows when I am down.  He knows when I need encouragement.  He sends others in my path to straighten me up.  He faithfully points the way.  He silently and patiently waits for me to return to the place near Him.  He understands. 

God knows the desires of my heart.  Jesus, my Savior, loves me beyond what I could hope for.  The Holy Spirit never gives up asking for my response. 

Today I am humbled.  Today I receive three –yes, THREE totally random and unexpected reminders of His divine compassion for me.  Three instances, involving three different people, all unexpected, and all completely related to current situations in my life. 

Today I am loved, once again, for eternity.

I lift my chin a bit…

“From where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”  Psalm 121:1

“…my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  I will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling.”  Psalm 46:1-3

I try to …be still, and grateful that …He is God and I am not.

“Be still, and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10

 

How to Make Boys Cry…

…Give them a Barbie. lol

Yes, I gave my boys a Barbie.  One for each of them.

As you can tell, they were NOT happy.

The sinister side of me even allowed them to dwell in this state for a moment — or five.  I couldn’t help it!  Their reaction was priceless!

I knew that the Barbies were to be used for a school project, but in their minds, they could only envision torture.  Yes, pure. painful. torture.  The mere thought of even holding something pink sent them into such a tizzy.  My Dad would have been so proud, lol.

The little one even tried to sneak a permanent marker, and began coloring across the packaging on his Barbie to purposefully cover up the sight of her!  He threw the package down, slid it across the floor, folded his arms across his chest, and proclaimed he would have NOTHING. TO. DO. WITH. IT!

Finally, the compassionate side of me kicked in, and I explained that we would be making mummies out of them, and wow, what a change on their faces! 

Now they were perfectly fine with it, lol! 

Thoughts of “Barbie manipulation” danced in their heads.  They couldn’t wait to pretend to cut her open, take out her organs, pull her brain out through her nose, dip her in water, cover her in salt and spices, and then wrap her until every inch was covered for eternity! 

NOW they didn’t mind having a Barbie, lol!

A day later, and the project was done,

It was so much fun, we decided to make each other mummies, too!

then our Ancient Egypt study culminated into a trip to Dallas to see the King Tut display.  Even Dad got to come along. 

 

We had a great time!

Whatever Wednesday

Ok, so I’ve been liking Facebook lately.  What do you think about playing WW there today?  We could do it as a test to see who might want to join in. 

The “unanswered question” from last week is posted there.

Little Boys

I am so blessed to have two little boys!  They brighten my day when I least expect it, and I thought I would share some of it with you…

The five year old:

“Momma, my sunglasses are too little for my eyelashes.”

“Googley”  (The silly word he picked out as a reminder of when an attitude needs adjusting. 

(Negotiation when Daddy tells him to get off the computer game because he needs to work on his sermon)  “Ok, Dad.  Let’s do this…Whoever touches that black chair is 1st to the computer, ok?  1, 2, 3, go!”  (Dad holds him back and then runs ahead to the chair.)       “Googley! Googley Dad!  You can’t do that!”

(When I didn’t hold a door open for him)  “Why you can’t be a gentleman girl, Mom?”

(When he thought he heard a knock at the front door)  “Mom!  That knockin’ at the door…..actually that was God!”

The seven year old:

(While watching “Fireproof”, the movie, the scene is where Kirk Cameron has been trying so hard to make his marriage work, and then is served divorce papers.  He opens the document, scans it, and then slides down to the floor, absolutely devastated.)  “What is that Momma? … Bills?”

(Passing by road construction in town…)  “Why are all the road workers brown, Mom?”

(While reading in James about orphans and widows…) “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this:  to visit opponents and windows in their distress…”

Today, I’m thankful for my little boys!  I love them!  

Whatever Wednesday

After taking a break last week, the question on the table is:

Where are all the “Whatever Wednesday’ers?”

Invite your friends to join us….answer the question before you, and then ask another.  I wonder what Life Mystery we’re going to solve today? lol

Trivia Tuesday

One of the craziest inventions of all time was patented in 1903. To protect the eyes of a certain animal from being damaged during feeding, eyeglasses were created for what animals?

**Please Pray for Ella Ruth**

Sorry, everyone, I haven’t opened Whatever Wednesday tonight.  We’re heavily in prayer for baby Ella Ruth West who was born this morning.  She has fluid in her lungs and possible pneumonia.  Please join us in praying that her lungs will clear quickly, her breathing rate go to normal, and that she would be in her Mom and Dad’s loving arms soon. 

Parents, Stacy and Ron, are very blessed to have this new addition to their family!  She is so precious and beautiful! — What a wonderful creation of God!

We love and are praying for you little Ella, Ron, and Stacy!  You too, big brother and sister, Brendan and Kelsey!   Congratulations

Ouch

 

Did you know that the human body has approximately 650 muscles?  I think I used EVERY ONE of them today.  Most certainly, I’ll feel it in the morning, too.  (Along with the open blister on my hand.)

It was a good day — very productive, but very chaotic too.

We started off this morning with “Monster Mommy” declaring that it was WORK DAY!  “Woo hoo!  Hurray!!”, said all four children.  (Well, not really.)

We hauled dirt all day, hoed the garden, added landscape timber edging around it, built a firepit, leveled out the dirt entrance to an outside shed in preparation for cement block covering, picked up trash, organized a shed, washed the dog, and trimmed some limbs. 

Inside, the eldest worked on the house, mopping, scrubbing, providing drinks to the outside workers, and sweeping out the dirt that was continually tracked in by the boys all day.

To celebrate, we spent Family Night outdoors, burning every piece of branch we could find as well as roasting hot dogs and making s’mores.  Yum! 

Highlights of the night….Watching June bugs making their suicidal flight INTO the fire as they burst into flames, stargazing, and the explosion of a soda can that was thrown into the fire.

It took all but about 2 seconds for the youngest to fall asleep, and I’m fading fast, but so appreciate the hard work of everyone at my house today. 

We’re going to try for another outside work day tomorrow to plant the garden, lay the concrete blocks to the entrance of the shed, and maybe even clean out another shed while we’re at it!  —Maybe, lol!

So much to do…..so little time to do it! 

Thankful Thursday

(by Craig)

I’m thankful for…

1. My family because they take care of me.
2. Toilet Paper because it’s easy to wipe.
3. Tea because I love tea.
4. Video Games because I’m addicted.
5. My Dad and my Mom because they love me.
6. Good days because you can have fun outside.
7. God protecting us so bad guys won’t bust through the windows.
8. Nintendo because I can play Donkey Kong.
9. Hunting because I can have meat if we need it.
10. Applesauce because it tastes very, very good.
11. Homemade Bread because my Mom made it with love.
12. Candy because it’s soooooooo good!
13. Indoor Bathrooms so you don’t have to share other people’s germs.
14. Chickens because they lay eggs for us.
15. Rabbits because they are so cudly and cute.
16. Dogs because they are bred for hunting and some like to cuddle, like Toby.
17. Cats because they like to sleep so you don’t get scratched all the time.
18. Mice because if you’re tied up in a rope, they can chew through it to get you loose.
19. Spiders because they can kill rats.
20. Bees because they make honey.