Ah, the joys of raising boys:

I'm having a delightful conversation with our Pastor's wife after service Sunday night.  My youngest decides to come running up to me (bad #1 - no running in church....how many times have I told him that?) and begins interrupting with, "Mom, Mom, Mom......." (bad #2 - do not interrupt a person speaking especially an adult, especially the Pastor's wife!).  To which I hold his hand, put a finger up to indicate the "one-moment-dear-one", and then when there was a pause, I made the mistake of asking him what was the matter.........

His words (yes, I quote) "Mom, Tiger wrote another prayer request card about his BIG - HAIRY - WARTY - BUTT!!!!"........then he runs away laughing before I can blink.

Now, I am thinking, "Ground, please open up now and swallow me whole!!!"

My wonderful, gracious, patient, understanding, Pastor's wife said, "Everyone should raise a couple of boys."  She has no idea how much that set my mind at ease. 

Gracious, we try to teach them manners, appropriate behavior, etc.......and when you want them to display the very best.........well, let's just say, they DISPLAY alright.......their bare backsides to the neighbors!!!

Now you can leave voice comments at the bottom of this page, too.  Thanks to itsadoozie for the idea.

Yesterday was my husband's birthday.  Now, I'm not a great cook.....okay, I'm not even a good cook.....but I wanted to try and give him one of his favorite meals for supper.  Now, one of those is favorite meals is a good ol' country breakfast - Bacon, Eggs, Biscuits, etc.   So, I'm thinking, "Surely I can't mess this up too bad."........well, wouldn't you know it, bless his heart, he didn't even have a good meal for his birthday.  To top it all off, the house is a wreck, laundry is mounting, blah, blah, blah......you know.

What are wishing for Christmas?  Wish I was a better wife and mother.

Took down the video for now.  Will add other videos to later posts.  Thanks.

Tiger has a couple of friends spending the night tonight.  Who knew that boys would find MOONING THE NEIGHBORS to be such a form of entertainment for themselves?!  So, I thought I'd take some pics of these little angels.  Here's what I got:

Also, after nearly collapsing from cleaning before Thanksgiving, this is the condition of Tiger's room now:

Our renters moved out.......here's part of what they left for us:

4 of these broken windows

a very rotten bag of potatoes

rotten food in the fridge (the pics don't do the smell justice)

A swimming pool ladder (nasty floors throughout)

Again, the pictures don't do the smell justice

That's what we found the day before Thanksgiving.  We had to make a trip to Harrison and see what the Realtor was talking about.....and get things in order.  So, I am making another trip tomorrow to Harrison.  Whoopy!

How was your holiday?  Are you shopping the super-sales?

What an incredible time tonight, helping give out food boxes!  It's amazing how God brings things about in your life.  It was so awesome to be able to help so many!

  Yes, I have lost weight.  Thanks for noticing.  It's kind of embarrassing actually.  My husband and I had the funniest conversation Sunday.  I put on that dress (the one CarolRoss referred to) - and it was a shock to me too.  When I first got that dress, I could barely fit into it.  There it was Sunday, literally "hanging" on me.  And our conversation was:

Eric:  Honey, what's it gonna take?

Me:  For what?  What are you talking about?

Eric:  For you to go buy some new clothes.

Me:  WHAT?

Eric:  It's the one thing I'd change about you right now.  You always get things for me and the boys, but never for yourself.  Would you PLEASE go shopping for clothes for YOU?

Me:  When the house in Harrison sells.....

Eric:  [giving me a look like "uhuh, wrong answer."] 

Me:  Okay, I'll wait until I hear of a good sale or something, perhaps after Thanksgiving.....

Eric:  [same look, only a little sterner now.]

Me:  Honey, it's so busy right now and......

Eric :  [leaves the room]

Me:  [knowing I've said the wrong thing]  {and I'm thinking:  the boys need things worse than I do....bills to be paid .......the holidays.....starving pygmies in New Guinea .....and the list goes on and on}

Eric:  [enters the room and says]  Sebrena, I can't believe I'm having to beg you to go shopping.

We both end up laughing.  What a change from how we used to "fight and fuss".  We still "fuss at each other".....only it's a WHOLE LOT different now!

There's a song that says, "it's the most wonderful time of the year".  My version includes, "it's the most busiest time of the year".  (I didn't say it was grammatically correct.)

We missed the Community Thanksgiving Service that Pastor Morris preached.  I was in bed at 7:15 that night.....flat exhausted.  I still struggle with the guilt of not being there.  (I didn't say it was logical.)

Tomorrow, I have an all-day workshop in Little Rock.  I'm required to have 10 C.E.U.'s to keep my Interpreter Level for Arkansas.  I'll be keeping the road hot between here and Little Rock for a while.  (I should be in bed already.)

I'm behind in my HTT (Holier Than Thou) competition.  A certain someone is already in Revelation.......isn't that amazing......[insert eyeroll here]  (For more info see itsadoozie's site.)

God's been doing some amazing things.  I'm doing and saying things I never thought possible for me.  There are still a lot of areas that He's working on, so please, bear with me.

It's a little study I'm doing.  I'd sure like your opinions and perspectives.  Thanks!

"Jesus Wept"  [John 11:35]

The shortest verse in the Bible, yet the most overlooked.  Easiest to quote, but have you ever looked at what it says?  It's more than just about the death of Lazarus, or Jesus raising him from the dead.

I don't believe he just had a little silent cry.  He didn't try to be the macho-manly-man and show no emotions.  He WEPT.  In fact, when he wept, the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" (John 11:36) 

Notice verse 33 - "When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled."  He was deeply moved.....not a little "oh, poor pitiful you.."   He is touched with our afflictions, not in a condemning way, that's not what he came down here for (John 3:17), but he experienced everything we experience and more. 

By verse 38 - "Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb..."  He didn't have a little cry and go away.  He was deeply moved, not only once, but twice.....he was weeping [he wept] before he ever got to the tomb. 

Now, what does "deeply moved" mean?  Some say that it was his anger at the Jews, or his anger at Satan and sin.....now, I don't want to steer way off here, but I would think that he would be, "Mourn[ing] with those who mourn" ....not standing there stewin' about the behavior of Mary and Martha, etc.

Anyway, just a little study I'm doing.  So, am I way off base?  A little input here please.

SIDE NOTE:  A little snip-it from Stand In the Rain  And she fears if she cries that first tear, the tears will not stop raining down.