Beneath the Couch Cushions

Saturday Catch-Up

2008-10-11T14:20:00.005-04:00

Well, dinner last night was pretty good - a bit bland, though, so I'll definitely be adding more seasoning next time around (garlic, onion and sesame oil) I did forget to mention my other excitement of the day: my first call from the school nurse. Yep, I had to go pick D up since he'd complained to the teacher that his eyes were itchy. They were suspiciously red, but no major goo. Call to the pediatrician, then a trip to the pharmacy, and I now have the distinct pleasure of holding my kid down while I try to get two drops of medicine in each eye...

Went to the consignment sale this morning; the one I usually go to in the spring & fall merged with another one, so I was thinking it would be bigger and better. WRONG! It was cramped, poorly organized, and I was really disappointed in the selection. I was hoping to finish up Christmas shopping for the kids, but didn't find anything even remotely close to what I was looking for. I did manage to snag a couple long-sleeved dresses for A, but that was about it.

D is off on Monday for Columbus Day, so we're heading up to visit hubby's sister. They just happen to live about 2 blocks from The Crayola Factory, so we're planning to spend the afternoon there. I'm sure we'll have some pictures to share :)

Things are coming together for our church's Fall Fest next Saturday, but there are a number of things that can't be done until the day before. Just praying for sunshine and a good turnout!

Dinnertime!

2008-10-10T17:04:00.003-04:00

Here's what we're having for dinner (based on this recipe). Now I just need to serve it, do dishes, fold laundry, finalize my shopping list for the consignment sale tomorrow, pull music for Sunday...

Think I'll just start with eating dinner :)

Sorry if we don't pick up...

2008-10-08T20:23:00.004-04:00

...But we are definitely screening calls these days! Today, for instance, we received EIGHT political calls between 5:00 and 6:30. Seriously?!? And who on earth thinks that a pre-recorded mesage is going to influence anyone - I hang up the minute I hear that little click signaling the message is about to start.

And one last rant. I am truly thankful that my hubby has a job, but it happens to be union. And it really, really burns me up that our dollars are being spent on mailings and the aforementioned phone calls supporting Mr. O.

Blech.

Home again, home again

2008-10-06T10:19:00.001-04:00

Well, we're home from the Pumpkin Festival - a bit tired, but full of wonderful memories. Climbing hay bales, shooting apples out of giant slingshot, picking a pumpkin, riding a pony, listening to live music, eating funnel cake... Yep, all good! I'll have pictures to share tomorrow. I'm currently sipping a mug of hot cherry berry tea, listening to the hum of the washing machine. It's amazing how much dirt the kids were able to grind into the knees of their jeans!

And this cute little sign and pumpkin? Well, they were purchased at the gift shop this weekend. I'm not normally one for "country" type decor, but I really liked the sign, and the pumpkin was just too cute for words. They've found a new home atop our fish tank, so now I can say I've begun decorating for fall :)

Heading Out...

2008-10-03T12:02:00.003-04:00

Well, the bags are packed and we'll be heading out in a couple hours. We're going to a pumpkin festival at a friend's family farm, and I know we'll have a ball. This will be the first time the kids have stayed in a hotel, so they're quite excited :)

In other news, I ran errands yesterday, and made a stop at the local Salvation Army store. I really need a lightweight coat (mine has a broken zipper and a giant hole in the lining, so I think it's time for it to be retired!) and thought I'd see what I could find there. Well, God definitely took care of that need - I now own a beautiful, soft brown leather jacket for the same price as what a new fleece would have run at Wal-Mart! Also found a couple games for the kids, complete with all the pieces AND instructions. Yep, that stop was definitely worthwhile.

And finally, I received a call from my doctor's office. I had bloodwork done last week, and I'm happy to say that everything is fine. One funny issue, though - my good cholesterol is too high and my bad cholesterol is too low. Weird! I laughingly asked the nurse if that meant I should start eating more red meat and eggs, and she said that actually wasn't a bad idea (still need to watch fat levels, of course). Think I might try to start incorporating shrimp into our meals, too.

Before I head out, I just want to ask for prayer for some friends. The Cruzes are part of our church family, and their precious little girl came about 10 weeks early, so they could really use your prayers. She's still in the NICU and it will be some time before they can bring her home - not an easy thing for a mama...

Well, I'm signing off now. I know I'll have a ton of pictures to share next week, and probably some funny stories, too. D has school pictures on Monday, so here's hoping he can avoid any facial trauma!

Swamped

2008-10-01T15:30:00.002-04:00

Haven't fallen off the face of the earth, just really busy. We're going away this weekend, and there's quite a lot I was hoping to get done before we head off... And to make things even more interesting, we've been having issues with our modem staying connected for more than about ten minutes at a time. Oh well, that's one way to make sure I'm not wasting so much time online! :)

There was no school yesterday or today, so the kids and I have been having fun together. This afternoon, D decided to work on his letters. He brought me one of his notes so he could read it to me: "Mommy, I love you very much." Our little boy really is a sweetie! Oh, and you're also getting a peek at the floor with our new rug!

Blech

2008-09-27T14:46:00.003-04:00

It's a gray day, and there is much to be done. House is nearly back together after our flooring installation last weekend, but a few things still need to be moved back to their proper place. I'm looking around the house and it seems every corner needs attention - scrubbing, paint, decluttering - something!

My heart feels heavy - burdened for friends who are struggling, frustration with myself and my many shortcomings, full of questions and concerns about the future... Wishing I could DO more, KNOW more. But the fact remains that I am a fallen human, limited here on earth. Thankful that I can call upon My Creator, rest in the knowledge that He will take care of it all. Still, my heart is heavy.

Time for a little reminder:

Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice! Let all men know and perceive and recognize your unselfishness (your considerateness, your forbearing spirit). The Lord is near [He is coming soon]. Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

And God's peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].

Philippians 4:4-8 (Amplified)

Off to the museum!

2008-09-24T14:12:00.003-04:00

Would you and a friend like to visit a local museum for FREE on Saturday?!
Check out all the details here - search by state, then download your admission card.

So what did YOU do this weekend?

2008-09-22T14:11:00.002-04:00

At around 9 AM Saturday morning, we decided we were going to go ahead and do the living room floor. It made for a long, dirty, crazy day, but it was definitely worth it. Will have "end" pictures to share soon...

New problem - our grubby walls (with cheapo flat paint) coordinated much better with the old brown carpet. Now if we could just agree on a paint color :)

Finally Friday

2008-09-19T10:06:00.000-04:00

Sorry, no funny business today! It's been a long week - I caught a cold, which left me feeling pretty lousy. I provided meals, but I can't say it was my best work - and as for other stuff, I've been minimally maintaining :) I did manage a grocery run yesterday to replenish the fridge, and I'm definitely feeling better this morning so need to do damage control around here.

D is wrapping up his third week of school today, and things continue to be bumpy. I really wish it were a half day program for his sake; he's having a hard time remembering all the rules, and is getting frustrated with stuff and not responding appropriately (i.e. shoving other kids when they bump into him). I know we're not exactly talking juvenile delinquent stuff here, but I know he can do better and we're still trying to figure out how to best handle it all. Oh, and he also came home with a rather interesting library book so I ended up having a chat with the librarian over that one. Oh, the joys.

We have a number of things happening this weekend. Tomorrow is supposed to be nice and cool, so I think we're going to spend some time in the yard pruning the jungle; I also think we'll be setting the fire pit up (since the pool is down) so we'll probably end up roasing marshmallows. We were also planning to pull up the carpet in the living room and start laying the new flooring, but not sure if that will happen since I'm so behind from this week. Guess we'll just wait and see...

Oh, and the picture? Well, those are the "fuzzy flowers" that A picked as we walked home. A nice little reminder that much of life depends on your perspective!

Loving Your Neighbor

2008-09-15T11:16:00.000-04:00

We have an interesting neighborhood - no major issues, but we all have our own little quirks. Mrs. L lives on one side: she is 84 years old, and moved to the neighborhood when her children were teens. We occasionally chat over the fence, but honestly don't interact all that often. She's extremely hard of hearing, and even with her hearing aids she only seems to catch about half of what I say (meanwhile, I'm practically shouting). To make things even more interesting, she frankly is not a happy person and her language is rather salty.

I stopped to say hello this morning after taking D to school. Mrs. L told me that she'd just finished watching mass, which she does each morning at 9. I get a disapproving scowl from her when she asks if we're Catholic, and I reply no, that we attend another church (which we've talked about in the past). I start to say more, but she doesn't notice I'm speaking and moves on to the topic of my hair. She asks if it's naturally curly, and somehow that leads to the &*!@ price of perms these days. She asks if our boy likes school, and she tells me how her oldest son used to come home for lunch when he was in 1st grade, then cry when she made him go back to school in the afternoon. We talk about the weather, and she complains that the rain has made her grass grow and her %!?* grandson needs to come over and mow. She comments that hubby's car is gone, so he must be at work, which is a good thing since the $+#% bills keep coming, and our electric bill must be especially high since we run our air conditioner so much (huh?!?). By this time, A has grown restless and really wants to go home, so she begins pulling on my arm a bit. Mrs. L notices, and essentially dismisses me, but not before encouraging us to stop by more often.

So how do I respond to all this? How can I love my neighbor? I know she's lonely and want to reach out, but to be perfectly honest I don't want the kids hearing her language. I've taken her baked goods a couple times, and while she's not been rude, she didn't really seem to want them, either. How would Jesus handle a nearly deaf, crotchety person?

Autumn is coming!

2008-09-11T09:59:00.002-04:00

These are just a few of the leaves that A and I picked up this morning after dropping D off at school. I love this season of transition, when the nights are refreshingly cool (and hot coffee tastes oh so good in the morning!) yet the afternoons are still delightfully warm. It won't be long before I pull out cuddly sweaters and cook up steaming pots of soup.

Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all. ~Stanley Horowitz

More General Craziness

2008-09-10T13:46:00.002-04:00

Our week is marching on. I managed to catch some sort of stomach bug, so yesterday wasn't particularly pleasant. I did make it to the PTO meeting - the first of the year, and I must admit I was surprised at the paltry turnout. There are tons of parents milling around outside, picking their kids up, but evidently they don't want to stick around for half an hour? It's a great opportunity to stay on top of school happenings, not to mention getting to know the teachers and principal. Anyway, I digress. I stayed home last night, though, so missed the women's meeting at church. Thankfully I'm feeling better today, just tired out.

And we'll now pause for a moment to rant about the people's lack of manners. I had posted 5 items on freecyle Monday afternoon, and all had been spoken for within an hour. Out of the 5 people, only *1* came to p/u the item as promised. What's up with that?!? What really got my blood boiling, though, was an incident this morning. After sending 2 additional emails to one of the no-shows, I left her a message this morning saying that I had contacted the next respondent to arrange for pick-up. Brief but civil note. Well, around lunchtime I went out to bring the trash cans back up to the house and noticed that the item was gone (the person was going to pick it up later this afternoon, but I'd left it out just so I wouldn't forget). Came in, checked email to find this message (as a reply to my message saying I was giving it to the next person): just got your message today on tues i coming to get it now be there in about 10 min i hope that is ok thank u so much. Uh, no, that wasn't OK! Whatever happened to common courtesy?!? If you say you're going to do something, then *do* it, or take the initiative to contact the person to let them know if there's a problem. Grrr.

OK, I feel slightly better now that that's off my chest. Off to make a couple pans of enchiladas - one for dinner tonight, and one to freeze for later.

Where is it all supposed to fit?

2008-09-08T13:10:00.002-04:00

It was definitely an interesting weekend. I think last week took its toll on all of us - we were just tired out. Had two extra kids on Friday evening, so ours were excited and tired (not a combination I'd recommend). We survived, though, and decided that we really needed to get our son moved into his own room. Things aren't going to slow down anytime soon, so we just needed to bite the bullet and get it done. So out came everything in the guest room - and out, and out, and out... Wow, we had a lot of stuff in there! This style of house has very little storage, so we have to get creative and cram stuff where we can. Anyway, I now have a number of offerings on freecycle, plus a giant pile waiting for Purple Heart (p/u next Monday!)... but there's still more left over, and I need to figure out what to do with it all. Maybe I'll find some inspiration in a can of Diet Coke :) I had another little boy over here this morning, so I took a couple hours off to sit outside and just soak up the gorgeous weather, but now I have to tackle the piles (including the heap of dishes I ignored yesterday).

So what else is happening this week? Quite a lot actually! Hubby and I have date night this evening (I think it's going to be dinner and a trip to Home Depot - gotta keep the romance alive! :), tomorrow is a library program, first PTA meeting, and women's ministry gathering. Then I have an eye check-up, dental visit (I finally will have the final crown and be able to chew on the right side of my mouth again). Deadline for some design work is looming (not that I'm complaining about having to stamp). Oh, and we're planning to rip up the carpet in our living room this coming weekend so we can finally install the wood flooring. Perhaps that plan would work better if I didn't have junk scattered all over the living room!

OK, enough chatter and time to get productive ~

Friday Funny

2008-09-05T13:22:00.000-04:00

Just a little silliness, courtesy of the kiddos. They really like the show Word Girl and A in particular likes to do the Captain Huggy Face dance (although her brother was more into it this time around, simply because he knew I was filming)

Hanging In There

2008-09-04T09:48:00.001-04:00

Well, the boy has been dropped off for his third day of school, and it seems we're all settling in. He's liking it so far, and has proudly reported that he's following all the rules. This week is kind of evaluation time and just establishing routine, but homework starts next week! On a side note, this school thing is having one side effect I did not anticipate: laundry! No, not our son's - mine. I can usually get two days out of my pants, but walking him back and forth to school makes me a sweaty mess. Yuck.

Little sister is doing better as well. On Tuesday, we ran errands. She needed the next size in socks and underwear, and I'd specifically postponed purchasing them. Nothing cheers up a 3 YO like Strawberry Shortcake undies :) A few tears yesterday after we dropped him off, but much better than Tuesday. And today? Well, she knows we're going to visit one of her friends (who is 27 days younger), so she practically ran home. Ah, the resiliency of youth...

And finally, I'm pleased to report that this banana bread recipe also works well for muffins. I used whole wheat flour, added an additional egg, and just a tad more applesause. Oh, and chocolate chips! She's obviously enjoying it, and D has one in his lunch.

First Day of School

2008-09-02T10:22:00.000-04:00

Can't believe my little boy is at Kindergarten right now! His teacher seems very good, and he's super excited, so what am I worried about? His little sister, though, is having a hard time of it. The pic above was taken as we were walking home - and she's pretty much been sniffling non-stop. Yeah, it's hard being without your buddy! We're off to run a couple errands now, though, so hopefully that will get her back on the right track.

(BTW, you can click on any of the pics for a larger view)

American Kid

2008-09-01T07:20:00.000-04:00

Since "Labor Day" is definitely an American thing, I thought I'd share this...

Friday Funny

2008-08-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

Today's funny bit is brought to you courtesy of a fellow stamper. I really like her cardmaking style, and when I read this story I was cracking up!

Last night, my friend Sheila asked me to run down to Big Lots with her.

As she was checking out, it so happened that the box of Tampax she wanted had no price. I cringed when the cashier got on the intercom and announced, "Price check on register five. Tampax; Supersize."

Now that was bad enough, but the guy looking for the price apparently mistook "Tampax" for "thumbtacks." 'Cuz, in a serious tone, his voice boomed back over the intercom, "Do you want the kind you push in with your thumb or the kind you pound in with a hammer?"

Seriously.

If I'd been along on this expedition, there's a very good chance that I would have passed out at the checkout due to lack of oxygen from laughing so hard.

(Original can be found here)

Have you entered?

2008-08-28T07:00:00.001-04:00

You have a few more days to enter the giveaway for this great book - the deadline has been extended until Sept 10.

I know that word "postmodern" is a bit scary, but Mary DeMuth offers godly, practical insights into how we can prepare our children to deal with the world - grounding them in Biblical truth so they can navigate through the shifting sands. Read the reviews at the link above - they say it much more eloquently than I could. So click over to this post and comment!!

Self Control

2008-08-27T09:27:00.002-04:00

Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control. Proverbs 25:28 (NIV)

This is definitely a big area of struggle for me. I am selfish, and want what I want, when I want. Awfully childish attitude (especially when I spell it out like that), but that's the truth. No, this attitude didn't magically go away when I became a wife and mom. It's getting better, but still much room for improvement. I lack discipline in many areas, and I'm seeing my poor habits manifest themselves in the kids, too.

A few thoughts from Naked Fruit by Elisa Morgan:

"Self-control hems us about, protecting us from losing ground to impatience, bitterness, greed and the like... Self-control is a healthy-mindedness that watches for the holes in the walls of our lives and keeps them patched...

It's never too late to repair the wall. It may seem so. In fact, that's one of the greatest lies in our days: It's too late, it's too big, it's too bad, forget it. But because the fruit of self-control, like all spiritual fruit, is a fruit grown by God in our lives, it's not too late today and it won't be too late tomorrow... He doesn't give up on us...

The holes in our wall are patched when we learn to think truthfully about our lives in a healthy-minded fashion. What's the truth about who I am and what I do and what I want to be? A life that matters is a life connected to God. If I'm connected, I'm growing in the fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control - and that reality will grow in me and through me a life that matters."

Honestly, I think self-control is the most neglected fruit (particularly here in America). It's certainly the least fun - we all happily latch on to the ideas of love, joy, peace, etc... but denying our selfish impulses? Whoa!! But I also think it's really interesting to look at the order of the fruits. It all starts with love. Anyone read I Cor 13 lately? If we don't have love, everything else is pointless. And where does it end? With self-control. It's about balance, and it sort of "tempers" the other fruits, helping find the balance of being too stingy or going over the top. I've started thinking of it more along the lines of giving God control of myself. Because as already mentioned, my self is awfully weak. But when I turn it over, things get easier.

Thoughts? Anyone else struggle on this?

Checking In

2008-08-26T18:20:00.003-04:00

Tuesday already?! Thankfully I'm feeling better and the kids don't seem to have gotten anything. And just so you can see how healthy we all are, I thought I'd share our family picture, courtesy of our daughter. I love how she and I are pink :)

We went to D's kindergarten orientation yesterday. They have a *VERY* large incoming class. Maximum class size is 25 children, and all three teachers are nearly at their max. Yikes. Very diverse group, and it will be interesting to see how it all comes together. It was also very interesting watching the kids' reactions as their names were called. Some kids went running up to the front, others clung to mom and cried, and one actually crawled under the table and literally had to be drug out. As we were leaving, D annnounced that he liked his school and wanted to know if he could start sooner. I'm so thankful that he's excited about it!

Today, unfortunately, wasn't quite so good. This morning, I told the kids that I had a super fun surprise for them, but they had to straighten up their room first, seeing as how they'd trashed it after dinner last night. They screwed around all morning - throwing toys at one another, emptying drawers, and frankly making it even worse. By 2:00, I was DONE. I told them that they had missed out on the surprise. And after talking it over with hubby, decided to let them know what it was: a trip to Sesame Place. (This place is literally right behind our mall, and we see the giant rubber ducky every time we leave A.C. Moore/Michael's. The kids have asked to go there many times, but ticket prices are outrageous. Well, some friends of ours have season passes and the park was running a special deal for Tuesdays in Aug where we could get in free by going with them) D in particular took the news really hard, and cried for at least 20 minutes.

After having that discussion with the kiddos, I couldn't help but wondering how many blessings I've missed out on because I was set on doing my own thing, rather than following God's will. I'm telling you, parenting changes your perspective on everything...

We had Chinese for dinner, (mein fun - yum!!!!) and when I pulled the fortune out of my cookie, I started laughing and immediately called hubby. Funny thing was that they had Chinese for dinner last night, and his fortune said something about a big change. Still nothing official to announce on that issue, but the cookies have spoken :)

And to end on a happy note, hubby comes home tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!

Bleh.

2008-08-24T07:25:00.006-04:00

Summer colds are nasty things, aren't they? I've been fighting this off for a couple days, but I woke up this morning with my head pounding, cement lodged in my sinuses, and evidently my voice is off on vacation somewhere... I'm disappointed because now we'll be staying home from church (A is also running a slight fever, so that was the deciding factor).

On a side note, things have actually been going relatively well with hubby gone. Had a girls night on Friday, and it was wonderful to catch up with friends. Yesterday the kids and I pulled out the craft bin and got creative, making pipe cleaner "fairies" and painting airplanes, suncatchers, and a variety of other bits.

Tomorrow is D's kindergarten orientation, so I really need to get better. I may just pop a movie in and lay on the couch. Here's hoping the kiddos cooperate with that plan ;)

Funny quote for you - and something worth thinking about:
"A good marriage is a bit like a pet boa constrictor: either you feed it every day or bad things happen."

- Ty Wenger (from this article)

What's up?

2008-08-20T09:12:00.003-04:00

Nothing terribly exciting to report, but I thought I'd check in. Hubby is off to AZ tomorrow so I'll be single mom-ing it for a week, which is never my favorite thing. I'm already praying that I'll be patient and gentle with the kids; mean, yelling mama tends to come out after hubby's been gone a couple days.

A few funny tidbits:

I ran out last evening to purchase some things: rye bread (for Grandma in AZ, from the fabulous Italian bakery) and fish (from the Asian market that's in the same plaza as the bakery). Well, I got the bread in record time and walked over to H-Mart. Grabbed some fruit (they have great prices, plus their produce is always in really nice shape), then headed to the back. There was quite a line for fresh fish (not unsual), and since I was actually shopping for the next day, I figured I'd head over to the freezer section. Score - whole tilapia for $1.79/lb! I was in a hurry so grabbed two of the smaller ones. Well, when I got back home hubby pointed out just how *whole* the fish were. I knew I'd paid for eyes (again, not unusual at this store) but didn't realize we also were lucky enough to receive the entrails. Note to self: take 2.3 seconds to see if fish has been gutted.

The kids are really into knock-knock jokes these days, and were making up some doozies at dinner last night. Our daughter in particular was on a roll, and here's a sample:

Knock Knock
(me) Who's There?
Feet
(me) Feet who?
Feet in the feezy (half breath) Now you have to laugh, Mom!

She was being so goofy and obviously not making much sense, but it was the "you have to laugh" part (every single time!) that really had me rolling. Wanna hear what I came up with?

Knock Knock
Who's There?
Eyebrow
Eyebrow who?
Eyebrow nose, so I've been promoted at work!

(The kids definitely didn't appreciate it, and hubby just rolled his eyes. So much for my rapier wit!)

Expositional Listening

2008-08-16T08:00:00.001-04:00

Ran across this article at New Attitude and thought I'd pass it along. Taken from the book What is a Healthy Church Member? by Thabiti Anyabwile

If churches are to be healthy, then pastors and teachers must be committed to discovering the meaning of Scripture and allowing that meaning to drive the agenda with their congregations... Just as the pastor’s preaching agenda should be determined by the meaning of Scripture, so too should the Christian’s listening agenda be driven by the meaning of Scripture. When we listen to the preaching of the Word, we should not listen primarily for “practical how-to advice,” though Scripture teaches us much about everyday matters. Nor should we listen for messages that bolster our self-esteem or that rouse us to political and social causes. Rather, as members of Christian churches we should listen primarily for the voice and message of God as revealed in his Word. We should listen to hear what he has written, in his omniscient love, for his glory and for our blessing.

So what exactly do I mean by “expositional listening”? Expositional listening is listening for the meaning of a passage of Scripture and accepting that meaning as the main idea to be grasped for our personal and corporate lives as Christians.

Expositional listening benefits us, first, by cultivating a hunger for God’s Word. As we tune our ears... we grow accustomed to listening to God... His Word, his voice, becomes sweet to us (Ps. 119:103–4); and as it does, we are better able to push to the background the many voices that rival God’s voice for control over our lives... God’s agenda for his people takes center stage, reorders our priorities, and directs us in the course that most honors him. The Lord himself proclaimed, “My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). Listening to the voice of Jesus as it is heard in his Word is critical to following him...

Expositional listening protects the gospel and our lives from corruption. The Scripture tells us “the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (2 Tim. 4:3–4). The failure to listen expositionally has disastrous effects. False teachers enter the church and hinder the gospel. Ultimately, the truth is displaced by myths and falsehoods. Where members cultivate the habit of expositional listening they guard themselves against “itching ears” and protect the gospel from corruption...

Repeatedly, the New Testament writers exhort local churches to be unified—to be of one mind. Paul writes to one local church, “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there may be no divisions among you, but that you may be united in the same mind and the same judgment” (1 Cor. 1:10; see also Rom. 12:16; 2 Cor. 13:11; 1 Pet. 3:8). As we gather together in our local churches and give ourselves to hearing the voice of God through his preached Word, we’re shaped into one body. We are united in understanding and purpose. And that unity testifies to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ (John 17:21). But if we listen with our own interests and agendas in mind, if we develop “private interpretations” and idiosyncratic views, we risk shattering that unity, provoking disputes over doubtful matters, and weakening our corporate gospel witness.

Well, if expositional listening is so vital to the health of individual church members and the church as a whole, how does a person form such a habit?

...Instead of rushing off after the service is over, or talking about the latest news, develop the habit of talking about the sermon with people after church. Start spiritual conversations by asking, “How did the Scripture challenge or speak to you today?” Or, “What about God’s character most surprised or encouraged you?” Encourage others by sharing things you learned about God and his Word during the sermon. Make particular note of how your thinking has changed because of the meaning of Scripture itself. And pray with others that God would keep the congregation from becoming “dull of hearing” and that he would bless the congregation with an increasingly strong desire for the “solid food” of his Word (Isa. 6:9–10; Heb. 5:11–14)...

Choose one or two particular applications from the Scripture and prayerfully put them into practice over the coming week. If your church has an audio ministry or a website that posts recent summaries, take advantage of these opportunities to feed your soul with the click of a mouse. With your pastor’s support, establish small groups that review and apply the sermons. Or, use the sermons and your notes as a resource in one-on-one discipleship relationships. I know of several families that have a regular sermon-review time as their Sunday evening family devotional. There are a hundred ways to keep the sermon alive in your spiritual life by reviewing God’s Word throughout the week. Be creative. It’s well worth the planning... Moreover, don’t be passive in your private study; seek answers by searching the Scripture yourself and by talking with accountability partners or small groups. But don’t forget that the pastor has likely spent more time than most in thinking about that passage and is there to feed you God’s Word. Follow up the sermon with questions and comments that would be an encouragement to your pastor and a blessing to your soul...

As you dig into God’s Word, listening for his voice, you will no doubt begin to grow and discover many wonderful treasures. But as you grow, do not become a “professional sermon listener” who is always hearing but never learning. Beware of false knowledge that “puffs up” (1 Cor. 1:8; Col. 2:18) and tends to cause strife and dissension. Mortify any tendencies toward pride, the condemnation of others, and critical nitpicking. Instead, seek to meet Jesus each time you come to the Scripture; gather from the Word fuel for all-of-life worship. Instead of exalting ourselves, let us remember the apostle Peter’s words: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time” (1 Pet. 5:6).

It is hearing the message and the Word of God that leads to saving faith (Rom.10:17). Church members are healthy when they give themselves to hearing this message as a regular discipline. Expositional listening promotes such health for individual members and entire churches.