[ The Laughs Keep Comin' ]

I'm tellin' ya, my 6 year old needs his own blog. It would make money I swear. People would flock to his sense of humor.

I posted before about some of his funny sayings. Well, the other day we were getting ready to have breakfast and he wanted pancakes. One of his favorites, and of course his dad tends to spoil him so he had made a special trip to the store to get more mix and 'the good syrup'. While I'm mixing and flipping I couldn't help but wonder what was going through his little mind as he has his elbows on the table, quietly studying the syrup bottle.... reading (or trying to read) maybe??? Then out of the blue, he looks up and says, "Mom, how come dad got the one that doesn't talk?" He had been studying Mrs. Butterworth looking for an 'on button' I suppose. I tried desperately not to laugh because he's serious as a heart attack. So I said, "Hmmm.... I don't know. Leave it to dad to get the wrong syrup. Why don't you go ask him?"

I could hear him as he entered the living room accusing his dad of buying the wrong bottle, dad informing him of the great disappointment that Mrs. Butterworth really doesn't talk, it's just a commercial. As he returns to the kitchen he announces to me, "Well, I guess she's dead......."

Now tell me, how do you keep a straight face for a kid like this who is serious as a heart attack every time he speaks! LOL :o)

Moving right along...... On Saturday he had his first wrestling tournament. We knew it was coming. I just wondered how his dad would handle it more than my son. I didn't expect him to win right off the bat, after all he'd never wrestled before and this was his first year and we'd only been to about 6-8 practices. Of course, being the biased mom that I am realize he is rather gifted at all things sport so there was hope. ;o)

We went through the usual bout of first jitters, nervous trips to the bathroom to poop (thank goodness that came after weigh-ins! lol) and then we wait....

Dad took him to get the bracket and as a round robin tournament he would wrestle three rounds. Well, he actually got a bye for his first round (which automatically gives him a win). As he's coming back up the bleachers where I'm sitting with his dad following behind I notice a look on his face that seems concerned, and just a bit confused. He stops in front of me, hands on his hips and says,

"Mom, I can't believe I have to pay the first time....."

"What Tanner?"

And of course you never want to say what to the boy because he comes back with "you heard me"....

He heard the word bye, but it registered in his little brain as buy and he just couldn't figure out why on earth they would make him pay to play. LOL

He has another tournament this coming Saturday. We'll see if we have to pay for anymore rounds or not. ;o)

[ Kids Say the Darndest Things... ]

Not only do they say the darndest things...they do some of the most off the wall stuff to go with it. Oiy.

My six year old is a riot sometimes. He says the most hilarious things, does some crazy stuff and it all comes from being a 'bonus baby' with two teenage siblings. Yes, God has a sense of humor and I think he sprinkled a little of it in my son before He sent him to us. =) I've been telling myself I wanted to keep a diary of all the crazy things he does but it slips my mind and of course we get busy and I forget to write them down. So, today really topped them all and I had to blog a few things because hopefully I will NEVER forget these.
He has wrestling practice every Tuesday and Thursday night and tonight I was taking memory mate pictures of the kids. It's fun being the only photographer in town at times, because things like this sure make it easy to have my own kids' pictures taken. ;o) lol Anyway, after every wrestling practice it's a cardinal rule that you shower and use head and shoulders or selsun blue to avoid getting ringworm (Lord I hope he gets bored with this sport....). As he's showering tonight he hollers at me,

"MoM! I think I cracked my chin, it's bleeding!" So I get up to go check on him and sure enough, there's blood running down his chin.

"Did you scratch yourself?"

"Yeah, I think so...."

"How did you scratch yourself?" as I spy from the corner of my eye...my razor.

"I don't know..."

"Did you cut yourself shaving? Were you trying to shave?"

"Umm.... (as he's looking away)....no"

"Tanner, don't lie. If you were shaving it's better to just tell me. It's no big deal, but you know you'll be in trouble if you are lying."

"Yeah.... I was shaving."

"Well, that's how you cut your chin goofball. You're not old enough to shave. From now on, let's say we don't try to shave until you are old enough to have a beard like daddy okay?"

"Okay.... Can I have a band-aid?!" =)

He has a fascination with band-aids so of course when he finished his shower, we put some antibiotic cream on his chin and a big fat bandaid. You know, the kind that you use on your knees. We don't have any of the itty bitty ones left. They seem to mysteriously disappear around here. lol
Our first official shaving accident. Which I'm thankful it wasn't any worse, because I just put a new razor in the shower last week. And we all know what it feels like to get cut with a new razor. Poor kid. The even funnier part of our story was that he turned the 'old country' radio station on when he got in the shower and was singing, "You picked a fine time to leave me Lucille...."

Oh how I love this little boy.

Some of his more recent funnies from the last couple of weeks include his Christmas quest. When we were discussing adoption again, he said I just needed to tell it to Santa because whenever you tell Santa what you want he always brings it. Just tell him I wanted another kid.

Yep....that'll do it Tanner. ;o)

He's been watching hours on end of football with his dad over the last week or so too (as you can imagine). He's going to be a big jock when he grows up. He's watching a game with daddy (the Chiefs and the Bengals) and as he races back to the living room from getting a snack in the kitchen he wants to know "Who's ahead now dad? The Chiefs or the Bagels?" Never a dull moment...

And of course, this list would not be complete without knowing that he has an Elvis curl to his lip when he looks at me and says, "Hey pretty momma..... Can I have some chocolate milk?"

What's the funniest thing your little one has said lately? I love comments. Please share your funnies!

[ Pizza Pops & Play Dates ]

So, today was the last day of winter break for the kids. Or should I say some of the kids. My kiddos go to two different schools and one had to go back today and one goes tomorrow. Plus, it's still subzero temperatures outside so being the mom-of-the-year that I am....decided I wouldn't make them go back today. Seriously. Before winter break they were calling school off due to freezing temperatures (and I'm talking in the teens and 20's folks) because they said if a school bus stalled it would be dangerous to have children stranded in the freezing cold. Okay, I can buy that.... but why, today when it is a whopping 2 degrees outside.... yes, 2...T-W-O did they decide to go back? I have frozen water pipes so we haven't been able to do laundry for about 4 days (at least) and as the wood pile dwindles because it takes LOTS more wood than a normal winter day we have closed off extra rooms in the house to conserve heat. So.... sue me. I didn't make my boys go to school today. They were never up for a perfect attendance award anyway. ;o) Just for fun, you can leave a comment and let me know what you would have done. It won't make me love you any less if you would have done the responsible thing, honest.

Well, it wasn't 5 minutes after school started and I get a call from our favorite teacher. Which ended up being a guilt trip for the 14 yr old who decided to get up and go. So dedicated.... NOT! lol My sister (a.k.a. best friend Diane) was bringing her kids to stay with us today so she could work and volunteered to take my oldest son to school on her way back home. Which works out great all the way around. It's awesome having a friend who loves sharing in random acts of kindness. I love it!

So, my 'niece and nephew' came to play today with Tanner. I swapped babysitting service for school bus and laundry service. I think it was a good trade. Kristi and Brian thought it was going to be so great to stay at our house today. What they realized is, it's just as boring at my house as it is at home. lol I think they both professed their boredom on at least two or three occasions each.

I've done my usual surfing and found a recipe for "pizza pops" that Pineapple Princess had shared (see my sidebar). Seemed simple enough, a cross between homemade pizza and cinammon rolls (only in appearance here). This would be so much better if my uploader was working and you could see pictures. Because if you check out her blog you get these pretty pictures that are cookbook material. Here in the real world.... rural Missouri where the rednecks live.... it was sloppy and crooked, but yummy. =) Since the temperature here has been in the single digits not only have my pipes frozen and I can't do laundry, I've decided not to get out of my house unless absolutely necessary due to winning the lottery or in case of fire...whichever comes first. (which means I ain't goin' nowhere baby!) So I made pizza pops with what we had on hand. Improvise...yeah, that's it.

I made homemade pizza dough (simple enough, always do), rolled the dough out in a rectangle (okay, it was a bit odd shaped but it worked). I'm out of pizza sauce so I used Hunt's spaghetti sauce in a can, which worked well, no delicious pepperoni in the freezer so resorted to using some of the ground beef I was frying up for chilli. Covered it with mozzarella cheese and began to roll. This is where it's important not to just skim blogs but read them thoroughly... lol.... there are reasons to roll the dough toward you, not away from you. Now, these were looking good until I went to cut them apart like cinammon rolls and realized they were more like the 'grands biscuit size rolls' rather than 'pop'sicle size... So, they weren't the prettiest things and I had to cut them into fourths, but the kids raved over how delicious they thought they were. "You're the best cook ever!" Of course I didn't share my secret that it was a copied recipe or that I just managed to fake it and make it with what I had on hand. I rolled out another dough, sauced it, sprinkled with cheese and just made a normal pizza.... which didn't go over nearly as well as the pizza pops. They were awesome and cool and a really neat-oh invention mom! LOL =) Yes, that's me.... Mom of the Year.... a.k.a....Betty Crocker 2.

So, our day was pretty uneventful but I just had to share with everyone that my kids think I'm a genius and I took credit for another woman's recipe. Thank you Pineapple Princess.... my kids love me again and no longer wish for you to be their real mother. xoxo ;o)

I've enjoyed my evening of peace and quiet, watched a movie (which I could care less to ever see again...not worth putting on the Must See Movie list), and have settled in with my sweats to do my daily bible reading. Much love to all, and I hope you are staying warmer than me! Maybe tomorrow I can load pics of my famous pizza pops! =)

[ Alcohol ]

After just passing into the New Year I'm reminded of how others may have celebrated. What tugs at my heart is how those celebrations may or may not have affected other people I love. I recently joined a group call 5:16 Gals and found a blog from a fellow member that shared her thoughts on the topic of "Alcohol and The Believer; Should They Mix?". Let me say first and foremost, I have friends and loved ones who drink (or drank) and my views on the topic of drinking make me love them no less, quite the opposite probably. This is a personal opinion and value, not a judgment I'm sharing. It's just been in the forefront of my mind lately, knowing that New Years was coming, having family that are struggling with alcoholism and watching their family fall apart, having my husband overcome a history with alcohol and seeing and experiencing how our lives have changed because alcohol has been completely eliminated from our lives....and feeling the pain and heartbreak, disappointment of family and friends with their loved ones makes me pray that others may someday share the same view on the subject.

I believe everything we do should be done in a manner to glorify God (and trust me I fall short many times over) and we should always be ever mindful to think of this before anything we do. No matter how big or small.

"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and florify your Father who is in Heaven."
--Matthew5:16

"Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
--1 Corinthians 10:31a

This is a very controversial issue, even the comments on her blog had people asking questions about wine in the bible. She also had a comment that explained just that before I could post to it. lol I'm linking her blog for other articles and maybe it will become a favorite bookmark for you. But I'm copying and pasting her exact post to share here as I believe it, agree with it and want it to be heard (or I should say read).

Love to all my friends and family. Alcoholics, casual drinkers and non-drinkers alike. I love you all with all my heart. ♥

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

"Alcohol and The Believer; Should They Mix?" - by Traci Michele
BELIEVE ME! I know that this topic is super-controversial. That is why I have tried to avoid writing about it at all cost.

The Holy Spirit keeps prompting me to write about it.

I keep avoiding it.

I can't ignore the Spirit's nudging any longer.

Let Me Clear The Air:

I have never drank alcohol.

I do not intend to EVER drink alcohol.

I use to think that all Christians were on the same page.

I've come to learn that this is not always the case.

Do I think that I am more spiritual than you, believer, who chooses to drink alcohol in the privacy of your own home, in small amounts?

No.

Do I still think that alcohol should be completely avoided, as a believer?

Yes.

I really like what Brian Richards says on this topic:

"First of all, the question is normally asked in a self-centered plea for permission than a genuine desire to know what pleases God. In many cases the person is looking for justification of a specific action rather than sanctification (or growing in holiness).

I believe the question followers of Christ need to ask in ALL things should be far less self-centered and more Christ-focused. The question should be less about

is this action RIGHT or WRONG and more about “Does this glorify God?”

What this post will NOT be about:

Proving that alcohol is WRONG, according to the Bible.
{We can have that discussion at another time}

What this post WILL be about:

Shedding some light on why it should be avoided, at all costs {as a follower of Christ}

Causing us to think a little deeper about this topic.
{to search our own heart}

Can we all agree that the bible clearly speaks about NOT GETTING DRUNK?

Some questions for the Christian who says "There is nothing wrong with drinking alcohol, if you don't get drunk".

1. Does drinking alcohol, even in small amounts, alter your mind or state of being?

2. When do you turn to alcohol? And why?

3. How do you know when "to stop". How do you know "when you've reached the DRUNK state?"

4. Is it possible, that you could ever be tempted to keep drinking? What if you are having a bad day, stressed, and keep drinking to make yourself feel better?

5. Does it bring you closer to the Lord, or further away? Does it bring Him glory?

6. Does it ever hurt your conscience?

Why I Choose To Completely Abstain From Alcohol

1. It bothers my conscience. Romans 14:14-23

There are 75 Warnings in the bible regarding alcohol. There is more Scripture warning about the use of alcoholic beverages than will be found on the subjects of lying, adultery, swearing, cheating, hypocrisy, pride, or even blasphemy. To partake in something that has that many "warnings", would certainly sear my conscience.

2. I have an addictive personality.
I don't want to be tempted to be enslaved. 1 Cor. 6:12

Alcohol is an addictive drug. My mind is already blurred, on most days as a busy mommy. I do not need to introduce a beverage which not only blurs the fine shades of moral restraints, but also could easily become habit-forming. I agree with Paul, when he says “All things are lawful for me, but I will not be enslaved by anything (1 Cor. 6:12).

If someone giggles and says, “why not prove that you can have some self control. Why rule it out on the basis of a possible weakness?” My answer: I choose to flee. I know I am weak. I am only strong, because I choose to be filled and controlled by the Spirit. I have nothing to prove. Why should I put something else in my life, that may tempt me to become addicted to it? I say, why not avoid it at all costs and be triumphant that way?

3. I want to be different as a believer. I want to be sober and alert!

Titus 2:12-14:

¹²Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

¹³Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

¹⁴Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

1 Thessalonians 5:6-7

Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

1 Peter 5:8

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

I want to seek to pursue holiness in all matters. I do not believe that alcohol will help me as I daily seek to be sanctified.

4. Alcohol is associated with evil most of the time.

Alcoholism is one of the greatest health problems in America. About 70% use alcohol as a beverage. Alcohol contributes to 205,000 deaths each year. Life expectancy of the alcoholic is reduced by at least a decade. It is directly connected to 1/2 the homicides and 1/3 of suicides. One out of every twelve marriages comes apart over drinking!

5. I have seen the negative affects of what alcohol can do to a person.

It makes the angry person more angry. It makes the selfish person, more selfish. It can turn the sweetest of the sweet, into the vilest of the vile!

6. I don't believe that it would be glorifying to the Lord.

The bible warns about being associated with winebibbers Proverbs 23:19-32

7. I don't want to make other believers stumble.

I am in several different capacities of leadership in the church (ladies bible study, mentor to young adults, teens, and small children). I would never want them to look at me, and think, "she drinks, so it must be okay for me to."

8. Alcohol is a mind altering drug. As Brian write on this topic he says,

"In its effect upon the mind alcohol works most quickly as a depressant to eliminate restraints. The fine shades of moral restraint are among the first to become blurred. Further, split-second decisions and the quick neural reflexes leading to physical action become sluggish — as well as our judgment as to whether or not our critical faculties have been at all affected by our drinking” (Christianity Today, Sept. 18, 1981, p.13).

THE MATURE BELIEVER

What the mature believer should never ask:

How many enjoyable things can I do and still not transgress God’s will?”

What the mature believer's mindset should be:

Is there anything at all that I can do or stop doing which will refine my ability to recognize and do the will of God? For the most part, can we agree that drinking alcoholic beverages does not increase one’s sensitivity to the will of God?

References:

1. Brian Richards: Alcohol and the Believer: Abstinence or Moderation?
2. 75 Warnings in the Bible

What are your thoughts? Let's discuss this together.

Day 1 ♥ That Looks Tempting

Part of my New Year's Resolution is to read my bible through in a year. I have two study plans and hope to keep up with both. One I wanted to try and one my husband has chosen that he wants us to read and study together so we can discuss it daily. Now, blog posting on the other hand...well, it may come on a weekly basis for updates rather than daily. We shall see.

So, my day 1 is from Genesis 1:1-3:24. Of course we all know the story of creation and Adam and Eve. The parts I find interesting are the little things we never give a second thought to. Like the tree of knowledge. We always teach our children the story of Adam and Eve and how she tempted Adam with the apple. But no where does it tell us what type of fruit came from the tree of knowledge. We stereotype knowledge with apples to this day. I'm sure (like many others do) I have a list of things I'd like to know when I get to heaven. Finding out what kind of fruit this is (seems trivial at best) but an unknown I'd love to find the answer to. Of course, when I get to heaven and am in awe of my savior, falling to my knees I'm sure the thought of that apple will be the farthest thing from my mind. lol :o)

The other thing that has puzzled me in doing bible study is the four rivers that flow from the Garden of Eden. Two are no longer on the map. Some notes on the subject suggest this was pre-flood so they were altered. But if these four rivers were pre-flood, why are two still on the map and two not? And where did the other two originate or end up? After studying, some suggest that the river of Gihon surrounds the whole land of Cush and that Cush could be modern-day Ethiopia. Could this explain Ethiopia's strong Christian heritage? I study Ethiopia because I wish to adopt from there and the people of this country amaze me. It's beauty draws me.

But the real beauty of my study today is the nature of sin. First of all, knowing that I am forgiven of my sins when I ask of my heavenly father. Not that it should be so easy, as I strive and try so hard daily to please him. But knowing that when I fall short of his expectations that I can come to Him and be forgiven and loved in spite of my shortcomings. Satan continuously tries to get us to give in to temptations daily. They are all around us. Being tempted is not sin. Only when we give in to temptations do we sin. Resisting them is not always easy, but is possible (after all, nothing is impossible with God). We must pray for strength to resist sin when we knowingly are tempted. We must say no when confronted with what we know is wrong. Run away from the temptations (sometimes literally!). Everyone's temptations are different too. I believe that as God knows every hair on my head, the devil also knows every weakness to bring me down. When I'm tempted to share that small bit of gossip someone felt the need to curse me with in passing during my day, or when I'm angered by someone's spiteful and inconsiderate ways, when I feel the need to yell at my children because they have failed to pay attention and listen for the umteenth time in one day..... these are the times I need to catch myself. Close my eyes, take a few minutes and ask God to control my mouth, my heart and my hands to be the person He desires for me to be. Is it really necessary to share that little story about someone who may not be my favorite person? God loves them despite the faults I see in them just as he loves me. Is it right to share my own biased opinion of someone who makes me angry and hurt because of their inconsiderate ways or does this make me just like them and give others reason to doubt my heart and sincerity? Does it do me any good to yell at my kids when they don't listen? Or is it my lack of finding ways to get their attention properly (like following through with idle threats of discipline) that needs to be corrected?

I love the song, "Love Them Like Jesus". Not only is it a wonderful song, but it's something I sing in my head repeatedly now on a daily basis, just to be a reminder that everyone holds the same place in God's heart that I do. Even the biggest athiest that walks his beautiful planet means no less to him than me and my children. Teach me Lord to love all just as your son loves.