it's a gong show

a b c d e F g...

2009-10-31T10:47:00.003-05:00

I was so glad to see yesterday that I am not the only Jesus loving mother (one of my favorite bloggers) that lets the eff word fly once and a while.

I got home from work yesterday and could barely get in the door because there were 8000 shoes in front of it along with 10 dozen jackets on the floor and a mountain of dirt and gravel to boot.

Those of you that know me know that I cannot stand to walk into a messy mudroom. It's a little of the OCD in me. Breath Brandy Breath. Into the kitchen I go to see that apparently my countertop has been stolen whilst I was a busy mother at work because I can't even see it under the lovely arrangements of papers and dirty dishes and A WARM JUG OF CHOCOLATE MILK!

Slam, crash, mumble mumble as I'm attempting to just show them by cleaning up this big mess (ya like that'll really show them :P)

Finally I realize that the house is erily quiet except for some hammering and drilling in the basement. So what do I do you ask? Well I stomp down the stair to let them all have it! Forntunately the kids were playing outside as the time and I just let it all out to M. How hard it is to leave my little sonny boy when he's crying, how hard it is to work a full week and still maintain a household, waa, waa, waa. As I'm about half way through this rampage, I realize that my husband is just sitting there looking at me and I get this sense of almost emabarassment. That's right, embarrassment.

STOP THE TRUCK BRAND! CLOSE YOUR MOUTH AND GET YOU BUNS UPSTAIRS AND COLLECT YOURSELF NOW! As I quickly decide to follow that still small voice, I head right back (not before my little womantrum) up those stairs to take that moment to collect myself in my bedroom. Realizing quite quickly that there must be a shift of focus made promptly!

Sure I'm tired, sure I'm feeling a little overwhelmed at times, but SO IS MY HUSBAND. Hello Queenie?! He works a full day just like me and is busting his buns renovating our basement at a rapid speed and all I can do is come barrelling down the stairs like a rabid self evolved lunatic and cry him a river about me me me. It's a miracle that mans puts up with me I tell ya.

After a little family meeting that my Hubbie headed up, peace was found within. Explanations of "no helping out = no allowance", "family and team = picking up crap even if it isn't yours or you didn't put it there"

Well I have to say after that Daddy Meeting, my little kiddies were busy little beavers. Rooms cleaned, hugs for mom, apologies all around and life is restored in the Lindsay Home.

Note to self:

WATCH YOUR MOUTH, doesn't matter if the kids are around or not, watch what comes out of that trap!

I CAN do this.

Don't PANIC if the floor isn't washed this week or things are lookin' a little dusty. As long as everyone has clean gitch, full tummies and an abundance of LOVE...who cares about the rest...for now anyway :)

Peace to all!

thought we needed something a little lighter than the last post

2009-10-26T16:14:00.002-05:00

Hee Hee! Love this one :)

Have a happy day today my fellow blondes!

when mama bear comes running you better lie down and play dead

2009-10-23T13:32:00.007-05:00

so we seem to be having a few problems with some bullies/brats whatever you wanna call them, that are harassing my little girlies on their way home from school. wednesday i came home from work after having a somewhat crappy day due to lack of sleep due to the worrying i'm doing for my daughter (i was up literally holding her in my arms as she cried about these kids). walked through the door and looked at my loving hubbie and said,

"what a day i had today" which he replied,

"well then you ain't gonna wanna hear what happened to the girls on their way home from school."

instantly my shoulders slowly found my earlobes and i walked into the girl's room to find abbey looking frightened to dead and sarah and her friend's eyes filled with water. some PUNK (boy) from school with his little girl posse decided to follow them all the way home yelling bad words at them. and i'm not talking about stupid or dumb, i'm talking...you're an effin b%^*#. a-hole. the whole nine yards my friends. bare in mind, this is grade 5. followed up by some more bullying by his brother who is in GRADE 10 at lion's park after they got home from school.

well mama's blood was so hot it could've warmed up manitoba for the whole month of October! i was instantly asking for names, where does this kid live, who are his parents. straight to kitchen i go to get the phone book when low and behold i see this gang a walkin' past my house. YES! one might call this an answer to prayer, others may not. i choose to view the cup as half full.

i don't think i've moved so fast in a very long time. i literally flew out my front door and onto the street in about .2 seconds.

"hey! (insert the names of the kids), come here!"

"whhhat, whhhhat (with that duh kinda voice) i didn't do anything!" as he's still walking away from me. oh no sonny boy, that just won't do!

"get over here! i got something i wanna talk to you about" at this point i am trying desperately to get it under control and try to show God's love...or was it the Fear of God that i was trying to show?? either one will do :P

as the girl posse freezes and stays right at my side, at which point i see that one of the girls is wearing a shirt that says "if you think i'm a bitch you should meet my mom." nice. at this point the young man saunters over. too cool for school i tell ya.

"hi there. i'm sarah and abbey's mom. that guy over there standing on the front step is sarah and abbey's dad. you mess with my kids again walking home from school and you and i will be meeting again. NOONE messes with my kids! consider yourselves warned"

i looked directly into the eyes of one of the girls (that has known and gone to school with sarah since they were in kindgarten). "what are you doing? you've known sarah almost all your life...what are you doing?" and then kindly reminded her that i know her mother quite well. nothing like a friendly reminder.

back to the oh so cool reeko suave, "do you understand what i'm saying to you? are we on the same page here? good, then just a reminder...those are my girls and i won't tolerate this again. got it!"

as they walked away i just thought, where the heck are your parents? the girls were telling me all sorts of stories about what these kids are up to and it would blow you away. and we're talking 10 year olds here.

pray for our kids. all of our kids. the school and teachers really have their hands tied when it comes to these kinds of things. and let's not kid ourselves, this is happening during the day at school too. beginning to look and feel more like a city school these days. (and don't comment about the reference to city schools because i know there are some good ones too).

darn bullies!

Step outta the Zone

2009-10-13T10:13:00.006-05:00

Do you ever have that feeling of total loss of control? What a debilatating feeling. Last week my 10 year old daughter and I had a serious heart to heart about some of the things that are considered "cool" these days with some of the girls in her grade, her grade being grade 5. As she started to talk I could tell that my anxiety was rapidly increasing and I felt this desparate/panicky feeling inside. It is so easy for our children to gravitate towards sin. In our case, sin is equaling "cool crowd" activities. I feel completely unprepared for this and I was totally raw before God. Trusting someone else to guide my child is completely out of my comfort zone.

It just so happened that Sunday's message was precisely on trusting the one true God. My God is the same God that feed 5000 people, moved mountains, and healed the lame demon possessed. I don't need a miraculous sign to prove to me that He is real and that He is with me. It was a total light bulb moment for me. I will trust God with my daughter. I will trust that He will fill me with wisdom to parent her. I will trust that He will put people in her life that will mentor her. I will trust!

One of the things that became VERY clear (one of those slap in the face moments) is that I need to be consistently doing devotions with her and praying with her. Last night she curled up on my bed and we opened up her devo book to October 12th and low and behold this was the scripture.

Galatians 6

Doing Good to All

1 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you too may be tempted. 2 Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, 5 for each one should carry his own load. 6 Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor. 7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

There were so many verses in this passage that directly related to what my girl is going through at school. But watch yourself that you too may be tempted. BANG ON! The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. BINGO! This was so awesome! I was able to directly relate His Word to her life. The Bible is the LIVING truth. It applies today just as much as it applied many moons ago and I was able to show my daughter that last night.

God is just as "cool" as He was thousands of years ago!

here piggy, piggy piggy

2009-09-06T17:06:00.003-05:00

The three books below were a MAJOR let down.

Being sick for a full seven days - sucks

Being sick for a full seven days and no good books to read - hellish

like a kid in a candy store

2009-08-13T18:05:00.004-05:00

My library delivered today YIPPEE! Here's what's on my nightstand.

I can hardly wait to dive in.

singin' sweet home alabama all summer long

2009-07-31T17:00:00.010-05:00

Where has this summer gone? Seriously? It's August Long and I am absolutely stunned. Things that have caused the days to rip by:

1. Had a "girl's day" with Sarah for her 10th birthday. Took her to get her hair highlighted and out for lunch, followed up by a sleepover party. OUCH on the pocket book but good times were had!

2. My girls went to camp for four days. Beans cried again when I brought them to the bus. Hate that! She slept with Madi EVERY night (except one thanks to the "blue juice" medicine). Had to tell the story again of how I left my friend on the bus back in the summer of '85. Sarah still can't believe I did that to my best friend! Ya ya...I get it already.

3. Decided to go out and get myself a full time job. Call me *crazy*! Took a full time position at a Credit Union. Yaba daba do! 4. Got all my blinds installed and carpets shampooed! YIPPEE! 5. Took the kiddies to GF for a few days and had a blast! School supply shopping and swimming. 6. Got right obsessed with this trilogy! Highly recommend the first book anyway, haven't started the second one yet (for the 18+ crowd though).

When I look at this list I can see where the time has gone.

Love the summer and love being with my Mike and the kids!

As one of my friends and fellow bloggers (http://gorp.typepad.com/the_great_gorp_project/ check her out, she rocks) always says.

ROCK ON! ROCK OUT!

Few Days in Minnesota with the Kiddies

2009-07-07T20:34:00.006-05:00

GOOD TIMES!

2009-06-18T11:54:00.004-05:00

She wasn't where she had been.
She wasn't where she was going...
but she was on her way.
And on her way she enjoyed
food that wasn't fast, friendships that held,
hearts glowing,
hearts breaking,
smiles that caught tears,
paths trudged and
alleys skipped.
And on her way she no
longer looked for
the answers, but held close
the two things
she knew for sure.
One, if a day carried
strength in the morning,
peace in the evening,
and a little joy in between,
it was a good one...
and two, you can live
completely without
complete understanding.

She was
on her way.

outta the mouths of babes

2009-06-09T12:16:00.005-05:00

So last night Mike and I were lying in our bed just reading and attempting to relax when the little Mikey Moo came barreling into our bed. Of course our boy has to be "in da middoe" so we gladly move to make room for him to snuggle in right between us.

Anyway....he has been obsessed with God and heaven lately.

"Hey Mikey, where are you going?" (as he walks out of the room)
"Heaven" (is his reply)
"Oh no you're not! Not until Mama gets there!" (anxiety settles in)

Well last night's conversation went something like this.

"Hey dad, where does God live?"
"God lives in heaven Mikey."
"Does he have a house there?"
"Ya, something like that?"
"Dad....do you think God drives a truck or a van?" (in the little accented voice that only Mikey can do)

Mike and I just burst out laughing and Mike said,

"Probably a big monster truck Mikey" at which his little boy's eyes just lit up!

Good times!

he makes me smile :)

2009-06-07T20:22:00.004-05:00

One of the many reasons why I love my husband:

He doesn't know a hair blow dryer from a straightening iron but because his little girl (Ceecee) is "melting" due to her flippy hair and her mom is already at church and can't save the day....he straightens her hair for her.

Now that makes me happy!

The Girl Effect

2009-06-01T19:18:00.001-05:00

Check it out!
http://www.girleffect.org/

my new favorite song and he's cute to boot

2009-05-30T12:32:00.003-05:00

Thinkin' about changing my music genre of choice to COUNTRY...

Happy Birthday Crystal!

2009-05-27T08:48:00.003-05:00

I've been thinking about this post for about a week now cuz I knew her birthday was coming up and I knew that I definitely wanted to post about her.

I still don't know even where to start so I'll start with what she means to me. My sister has been my life line way too many times to count. She has been there for me through the ugliest of ugly and never once slammed me down or shut the door on me. The example that she sets is amazing. Integrity and Christ are the two things that she lives by daily and to me, that is the greatest thing she could ever give to those that are close to her. She makes a difference. The light shines through her.

If you don't know my sister well, that's really too bad, you should consider it a great loss. She is not the social butterfly that some of my family members are but it's mostly due to the fact that she is raising two beautiful God-loving daughters and is dedicated to coaching and following them to almost every activity that they do.

She has taught me SO MUCH about being a mother, wife and a woman.

Dedication. Unconditional Love. Integrity. Commitment. Faith. Strength.

There is a Proverb (31:10-31) that I think of regularly when I think of my sister. In my Bible it is titled:

The Wife of Noble Character

¹⁰ A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.

¹¹ Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.

¹² She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.

¹³ She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.

¹⁴ She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.

¹⁵ She gets up while it is still dark;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her servant girls.

¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

¹⁷ She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.

¹⁸ She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.

¹⁹ In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

²⁰ She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.

²¹ When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

²² She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

²³ Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.

²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.

²⁶ She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

²⁷ She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.

²⁸ Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:

²⁹ "Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all."

³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

³¹ Give her the reward she has earned,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

There are so many verses here that are her to a T. The one that strikes me is verse 20 that refers to the poor. My sister is a huge advocate for child poverty. She has made many trips to Guatemala to help assist in the projects there for the less fortune. The last trip she was the only woman there in the group and she worked her tail off building cinderblock walls for the medical center. Wow! She truly amazes me. I probably would've spent that money on a nice little vacation in Mexico or somewhere but not her.

I thank God for her. She has not only been a sister to me but many times she has played the role of Mother to me and she is by far my best of friend.

I know this post doesn't really do justice to how I feel about her in my heart but hopefully it lets you see into it just a little bit.

Have an awesome day Sister!

She is your mirror, shining back at you with a world of possibilities. She is your witness, who sees you at your worst and best, and loves you anyway. She is your partner in crime, your midnight companion, someone who knows when you are smiling, even in the dark. She is your teacher, your defense attorney, your personal press agent, even your shrink. ~Barbara Alpert

May "not so long" Weekend

2009-05-19T09:25:00.000-05:00

fine line

2009-04-14T11:43:00.006-05:00

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/columnists/for-spare-change-a-touch-of-poetry-42868657.html#comments

One of my girlfriends emailed me this story from the Winnipeg Free Press a few days back and I only got a chance to read it yesterday. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.

The man that they are speaking of is one of my fellow graduates from high school, to take it one step further, he is a relative of mine.

The story just reminds me of how fine the line is between healthy and unhealthy when one is referring to mental illness. It screams of the fear that a lot of us have when it comes to lows. I'm sure we've all heard the line there is nothing to fear but fear itself - how very true is that. I see Larry in this video and it is fearful to me because it is so real. For anyone that suffers from some form of depression, anxiety, etc. we know how easily this could happen and that is part of the fear of fearing.

Never knowing if one day your mind won't bounce back into the land of the healthy is something that in itself can scare you to death, can lead you to jump, can put you on the streets asking for change.

My heart goes out to Larry, not because I feel sorry for him but because his story is so easy for one to relate to.

Hockey Socks & Gitch

2009-03-13T12:29:00.005-05:00

My sweet little "Copper Top" is obsessed with anything that is even remotely related to hockey. I often wonder, was this just born into the kid or what?! My hubbie and his mother claim that he was exactly the same so maybe it really is in the genes.

Well, this morning he insisted on getting all geared up for a friendly round of the good ole hockey game. Lately he has been duct taping his pants to make it look like he has sock tape on his shins so just image the surprise when he found REAL hockey socks that would fit his little legs.

So with socks and tape, stick and puck, skates and gitch, we had ourselves one heck of a game in the basement.

Removing of the above mentioned sock tape.

That's my boy :)

Faith Transforms Character

2009-03-10T11:25:00.005-05:00

I can't believe it's been over a month that I haven't posted anything on my blog. I've thought about shutting it down but haven't quite come to that point yet. Life has been so busy lately that I haven't really had anything to talk about or share.

One thing that has been amazing over the last few weeks is a Bible study that I am taking with a group of ladies from town. It's a Beth Moore study about the fruit of the Spirit. It has been amazing! Who would've thought that so much could come out of studying the fruit that the Holy Spirit has given to us.

It's actually quite funny that this is what we are studying because not that long ago I mentioned to a friend of mine that I would love to do a study on the apostle Paul and low and behold in this study, Beth refers to Paul numerous times. It never ceases to amaze me that the more time I spend study His word and taking the time with Him, how better I feel about life. How much more my faith grows and I learn to have faith in who He is as opposed to what He does.

We studied faith last week and it really spoke to me. I am one of those that tends to lean toward the what He does for me. It's embarrassing to admit but true none the less. One of the things that Beth mentions in this study is Genuine faith walks steadfastly with God for the pleasure of His company not for His results...God does not call upon us to seek His works. He calls upon us to seek His heart! Isn't that awesome! It is challenging me to find out EXACTLY who God is and with that will come a desire to walk as closely with Him as I can.

I am excited to start this journey! I think there is a lot more ahead of me that God is going to teach me and that is inspiring.

Lifesong

2009-02-09T08:47:00.003-06:00

Check out this link...

http://www.steinbachonline2.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=17&Itemid=380&Itemid=380

It reminds me of this song...

"Lifesong"

Empty hands held high

Such small sacrifice

If not joined with my life

I sing in vain tonight

May the words I say

And the things I do

Make my lifesong sing

Bring a smile to You

Let my lifesong sing to You

I want to sign Your name to the end of this day

Knowing that my heart was true

Let my lifesong sing to You

Lord I give my life

A living sacrifice

To reach a world in need

To be Your hands and feet

So may the words I say

And the things I do

Make my lifesong sing

Bring a smile to You

HallelujahHallelujah

Let my lifesong sing to You

There is one thing that my sister has taught me that has always stuck in my mind the most and that is...stive to be Christlike. Let Him shine through you by your actions and not so much by your words.

She's not a lady of many words but her actions speak volumes to me. Every year she does something throughout the year to help the Guatemalan people and almost every winter she takes a mission trip out there and physically builds some sort of facility to help them (this year it's a medical facility along the Rio Dulce River). These trips cost her a lot of money but she graciously saves all year to be able to do this. She knows this is where God is calling her and she listens. It's amazing to me!

I am so blessed by God to have her as my best friend and sister. There is so much that I have learnt from her that has been instrumental in who I am today. God is good...all the time!

For more pictures of her trip....

http://crystalsfullplate.blogspot.com/

2009-01-19T17:25:00.001-06:00

What keeps me looking forward...

so many lessons to be learnt through our kids

2009-01-09T12:25:00.003-06:00

I have been watching this little girl grow up literally in front of my own eyes in the last six months. Sarah is so much like me it's scary. She is not quick to try something new in case of failure, she is extremely sensitive, needs one on one time with people she loves, and the list goes on. This past fall we asked her if she would be interested in trying hockey this winter and after much encouragement from her dad and myself and a promise that dad would always go on the ice with her (as Sarah didn't even know how to skate) she said she'd try it.

Well, who would've thought that she would love this sport like she does. I am so proud of the fact that this girl tried something that was so foreign to her with kids that had been skating and playing for numerous years. She has given 110% every single practice and game and it has so paid off for her.

The smile on her face and the pride that she carries when her dad tells her "what a great practice" or "you had an awesome game" is priceless. Her self esteem has tripled and she is so eager to learn new positions are strategies of the game. She has also learnt so much about team work and that encouraging one another is so much a part of the game. There is one little guy on her team that always comes to her at the end of the game and tells her what a "good game" she's had and that just lights up her day.

Although she started way behind all the other kids, she is right in the middle of the pack now. She has even set goals for herself for the next few months that are left of the season and that makes me proud! I also have to say that her coaches have been instrumental in all of this. One of them came up to me last night and told me how beautiful a stride Sarah has when she skates and that she is a natural. He said he is so impressed by her dedication and the effort that she puts forth every time she laces up her skates.

Thank you Lord for encouraging me through my nine year old daughter. She has shown me with hard work and the right attitude anything is possible.

2009-01-01T13:52:00.004-06:00

"My soul was a burden, bruised and bleeding. It was tired of the man who carried it, but I found no place to set it down to rest. Neither the charm of the countryside nor the sweet scents of a garden could soothe it. It found no peace in song or laughter, none in the company of friends at table or in the pleasures of love, none even in books or poetry...Where could my heart find refuge from itself? Where could I go, yet leave myself behind?"

~ Saint Augustine
~The Hour I First Believed Wally Lamb

2008-12-31T13:20:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!

2008-12-15T22:02:00.004-06:00

i once had a conversation with someone about expectations. how when you set expectations for other people, you are just setting yourself up for disappointment. i have to confess that i have set expectations and i have been quite disappointed.

i feel this dark cloud of hopelessness sometimes with mankind. after reading the book that i had posted on my blog last week irresistable revolution i have felt God strongly trying to teach me something. the old kleeshay (sp) of what would Jesus do? how would He spend His days? how would He make a difference? well luckily for me/us, He has left a fairly user friendly guide. all i need to do is open up His Word and read about when He walked this earth and it's pretty clear what i need to do. what we need to do.

"What we really need is a church. I say one church is better than fi fty. I have tried to remove the plural form churches from my vocabulary, training myself to think of the church as Christ did, and as the early Christians did. The metaphors for her are always singular — a body, a
bride. I heard one gospel preacher say it like this, as he really wound up and broke a sweat: “We’ve got to unite ourselves as one body. Because Jesus is coming back, and he’s coming back for a bride, not a harem.”

this was just a small piece from that book. i feel that this is SO true. what we need is A CHURCH. one bride. unfortunately even within our own churches there are separate churches. we are all here for the same reason. to show people Jesus through us. to love each other. to have grace for one another. to hurt with others. laugh with others. be the arm. be the leg of His body. if we don't work together as brothers and sisters we will NEVER function the way He intended us to.

there are days when i fail so badly at this. days when He is not my focus. days when i am quick to wonder why others aren't living up to my expectations, never stopping to take a look at what i am doing to meet His expectations. now that i actually have written that last statement it makes me laugh because really who am i to put any expectations on anyone. i need to dumb it all down and mirror my Savior. my Redeemer. my Friend. we need to all be one body together within the walls of the church and outside of it. Jesus cared for the broken, the poor, the sinners. We need to be more like Him.

currently reading

2008-11-27T22:07:00.001-06:00

the book i am currently reading is amazing! i'll elaborate once i'm done. if you get a chance, start reading it. it's one of those life changing ones.