Tackle-It-Tuesday

It has been a LONG time since I posted a Tackle-it-Tuesday project.  I would go look it up but I won't.  It would take too long.  But in my effort to get back into this blogging thing. I decided that several memes would get me started.  Besides with one of my goals this summer being to clean up and clean out I decided that my book project would be a great place to start.

I needed to move this stack of books away from the side of my bed.  You see there is a small space between the books and the bed.  That small space is left for the only.air.vent.in.the.room.  And as we lay in the stillness of the night my hubby asks,  "Is the vent covered?" At  least once a night, usually more.  I resolved today to do something about that.  I needed to get these books out of there.

But there was a small problem.  MY bookcase was already full.

 

 This is the bookshelf my grandfather made for a wedding gift to us.  It is already packed full, all three shelves are  two deep already.  And the top of it is out of the question.  There is no picture.  But trust me, it is packed full of hubby's stuff for work.  So I looked around and saw this!

Okay so it wasn't in this shape when I saw it.  I thought about "Tackle It" in the middle of the project.  I had already cleaned out and straightened  the four shelves.  The top two are already full and the bottom getting close to it.  But notice the middle area.  There is a shelf missing. One of the supports holding it is missing so I took it out. But I figured I could stack the books just as easily on that shelf.

 

So I did.  And notice the room left.  I could get more books there!!  Oh and the original problem........

 

That is what it looks like now.  You can also see my book stacked night stand. And in infamous air vent.

Oh and the added benefit?  This stack of books listed on my bookshelf @ Paperbackswap.

Oh and the added benefit

Friday Felicities

Welcome to Friday Felicities, a meme created by Nattie – now a resident of heaven. This meme is all about creating a list of things that make you happy and Nattie knew that when you concentrate on your blessings your sorrows are not as overwhelming.

In no particular order
*books, books, and more books
*FaceBook -
*McDonald's Sweet Iced Tea
*Boys who sleep past 8 am

Me, Myself, and Lies - Day 1

I won't promise a post every day or even every week.  Heck, I won't even promise another post at all on this study.  But what I will say is this, I believe I am going to like Jennifer Rothschild's study and it has a lot to say to me at this point in my life. 

Day one deals with descriptors that one uses to describe oneself.  After looking at several instances of Biblical characters, we began looking at the words we use our selves.  Honestly categorizing these descriptors was hard.  However, there were two truths which Jennifer pointed out that I will cling to in the coming hours, days and weeks.  The first comes from Scripture 1 Corinthians 15:10 -  "But by the grace of God, I am what I a, and His grace is not in vain.....".  The second  "Who I am and what I struggle with are not the same thing"

Wordless Wednesday

 The Thinker

Sorry it is small but this is what I saw coming down the hallway the other day.

For more go to 5 Minutes for Mom.

Wild Ride

Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to you, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations,so control our wills, that we may be wholly yours, utterly dedicated to you; and then use us, we pray, as you will, and always to your glory and the welfare of your people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen

~ The Book of Common Prayer.

The above comes is quoted in the book I am reading (also noted above).  I stated to a friend of mine in a chat the other night that I needed to get back into reading and study of the Word. And as ashamed as I am to admit it, I didn't really know where to start.  So I did what I knew I could do.  I picked up two different Bible studies that I have around here.  Both of these I have because I am supposed to be doing them anyway.  The first one is Experiencing God.  Steven and I joined a nearby Corps for their young adult Bible Study, though because of holidays, trips and summer schedules, we have only been once, they are doing this study.  Because we joined a couple of weeks into the study, I was going to start where they were.  However, because I haven't been faithful in even that.  I decided to start at the beginning for myself.  So I did that earlier this week. 

The second book I picked up is Me, Myself and Lies by Jennifer Rosthschild.  I am actually going to do this one along with readers of the Living Proof Ministries Blog.  Yes, that is a blog written by Beth Moore and her daughters and one son-in-law.  Anyway, I haven't actually started this one yet because the kick off has not happened yet. I think it is supposed to happen next week.

I think that both of these studies are timely for me.  The last memory verse for my second graders this year was Matthew 5:13-16. I have been drawn repeatedly to verse sixteen.  "Let your light before men so that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven".  That verse, going hand with my personal memory verse for June (Matthew 10:18-20).  Though this is talking about Jesus' arrest and trial, the same reassurance, "you will be given what to say, for you will not be speaking, but the Spirit of the Father speaking through you", can be ours as well.  However this all can only be achieved by remaining in and with God (John 15:5), through His word, prayer, and meditation.  I want to experience God in such a way that He is visible through me all the time.  And in order to do that I must work on myself, cleaning up His temple (1 Cor 16:19).  And, with the bouts of depression that I have suffered in recent months, caused by listening to the lies of the enemy. I know a study about lies and self talk is in order.

I invite you to join me on this wild ride.  Because I know it will be. 

Praises

I have been putting my husband off for weeks on getting a new (to him) work truck - praying his little one would last just a little bit longer.  We didn't need to make a new investment right now.  Not with the changes we have looming off in the distance. 

Anyway He got a call today that there will be a company van available to him on Monday!  Praise God. 

Friday Felicities

Welcome to Friday Felicities, a meme created by Nattie– now a resident of heaven. This meme is all about creating a list of things that make you happy and Nattie knew that when you concentrate on your blessings your sorrows are not as overwhelming. If you would like to participate please create your own blog post and come back here to link it with other Friday Felicities participants. If you don’t mind, please include a link on your blog to  Becky's so others can also participate with us.\

*Quiet time in the morning
*kids coming home from camp
*reading
*long conversations with good friends

Joel Rosenberg books review on my book blog

Updates

I figured it was time for an update. I don't think I have written this out here or anywhere else. FB friends know bits and pieces of it and W@H gals know more but I don't think that anybody really knows all of it.

Next year, I am staying home! I will be homeschooling my three again. I started talking about it with my husband back in the winter. Over the course of the next few months, I pointed out exactly how much of my paycheck was going right back to the school, mostly in tuition, but also other stuff as well. Not to mention things like eating out because I was to tired to cook. And then the amount of training hours it would take to renew my teaching certificate and the money that would cost. The last week of school we talked once again, and he said that he gave me his blessing to stay home next year.

The last time we tried this adventure we were in a much different place. His pay check barely covered our living expenses, and while he didn't outright forbid me to do it, he wasn't whole heartedly into me not working either. We were also only paying for tuition for one child, at the time and had no child care bills as he was staying home days and working nights. The one good thing about me coming home then was the fact that it got me out of a bad school situation with my colleagues. However, halfway through that year. He lost his job and went without work for 10 months. It was during that time that I went back to the classroom.

I have loved my 3 years at my school and left a very good situation and on good terms. I will miss those ladies and all they had to teach me while I was there. However, the time is right. My home and family are suffering. So I am coming home once again. For as long as God allows. We do have other opportunities and possibilities in the not to distant future but I will go more into that as time goes on.

99 Questions

Okay in an effort to get into this writing thing more I have decided I need a jump start.  So I am pulling up a link which I bookmarked quite a while ago.  99 Powerful Questions.  The title is longer than that but it is enough to satisfy my needs at the moment.  I don't know how often I will do these or how many I will do in a blog but, I will start with the top and work my way down for now.  So without further ado I will start with number one.

What do I want? That is a very good question indeed.  I can give you a laundry list of material wants but I won't go there, it isn't worth my time or yours.  I have some very strong emotional wants right now as well, but this is neither the time nor the place to get into those either.

What do I want?  I want to more fully understand who I am and who those around me are.  I want to be a blessing to those around me.  I want my children to grow up and understand themselves and to nuture their dreams and aspirations, not have them fit into my mold of who I think they should be.  Or have them feel they have to fit into some mold they think I have for them.  I want to be the person God created me to be and allow them the freedom to be the person God created each one of them to be.  That is what I want.  Now to just figure out what that is. 

Busy Busy Busy

Three days into summer vacation and it seems all I have done is go, go, go.  I, personally have been to the chiropractor twice.  The oldest two have had physicals for camp, for which they leave on Monday morning.  All three have had  dentist appointments, 3 kids + no cavities = a MIRACLE.  and the icing on the cake?  Alli has all of her adult teeth showing in X-Ray's!!! (1 down, 2 to go on that score).  I have been to church twice for weekly meetings - last kids program until fall though. 

I am now in the  midst of washing clothes and linens to get the oldest two ready for camp.  And we are all going to my sister's Friday night and Saturday for a scrap booking weekend.  I am looking forward to that.  I just hope the organizer I ordered gets here in time.  It will make things much easier to carry up there. 

Oh yeah, I have read one book and have started another one.  I have also gotten SIX in the mail from PBS lately.  My summer is set on that front.