Fun Friday…Your Day is NOT that bad!

Today I want to make you laugh, and remind you that whatever your children are putting you through, Your day is NOT that bad.

A boss wondered why one of his most valued employees had not phoned in sick one day. Having an urgent problem with one of the main computers, he dialed the employee’s home phone number and was greeted with a child’s whisper. ” Hello ? ”

“Is your daddy home?” he asked.

” Yes,” whispered the small voice.

“May I talk with him?”

The child whispered, ” No .”

Surprised and wanting to talk with an adult, the boss asked, “Is your Mommy there?” ” Yes .”

“May I talk with her?” Again the small voice whispered, ” No .”

Hoping there was somebody with whom he could leave a message, the boss asked, “Is anybody else there?”

” Yes ,” whispered the child, ” a policeman “.

Wondering what a cop would be doing at his employee’s home, the boss asked, “May I speak with the policeman?”

” No, he’s busy ” whispered the child.

“Busy doing what?”

” Talking to Daddy and Mommy and the Fireman ,” came the whispered answer.

Growing more worried as he heard a loud noise in the background through the earpiece on the phone, the boss asked, “What is that noise?”

” A helicopter ” answered the whispering voice.

“What is going on there?” demanded the boss, now truly apprehensive.

Again, whispering, the child answered, ” The search team just landed a helicopter .”

Alarmed, concerned and a little frustrated the boss asked, “What are they searching for?”

Still whispering, the young voice replied with a muffled giggle… ” ME .”

Breakfast Rolls

Crescent Rolls (Pillsbury is my favorite)
Scrambled Eggs
Cheese
Sausage (Optional)

Scramble eggs, and cook sausage separately
Open Crescent rolls and stretch them out a little
Add Egg, Cheese, and sausage
Roll the crescent rolls over the sausage, eggs, and cheese, closing on all sides.
Cook according to Crescent rolls directions

How Powerful Are Our Thoughts?

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5 KJV)

Last week I briefly talked about the power of our words with our children. I have been taught all my life to be careful with my words. However, recently I have heard over and over again of the power of our thoughts.

I have always believed that I might think bad things but as long as I didn’t speak them it was alright. This is the best place to exercise control. James compares our tongues (our words) to a bit in a horse’s mouth. The bit in the horse’s mouth controls his whole body, telling him where to go, directing his path. Such a mighty, powerful animal is controlled by the direction of such a small thing. So our words direct the course of our lives. (James 3:3-6)

It is true that our words direct our paths, But Jesus said “those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man”. (Matthew 15:18) We do not speak what we have not thought. Our thoughts have power in them. Some say our thoughts, as much as our words, have a frequency and are released into the heavenlies. If we can think it we can be it. This is evident even in the old testament at the Tower of Babel “…And the LORD said, Behold, the people [is] one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.” (Genesis 11:6) They could have whatever they imagined, or put their thoughts to. (The reason He put a stop to this was because they were using this for evil.) Proverbs 23:7 says “For as he thinketh in his heart, so [is] he…” Jeremiah 6:19 says God will bring to the people the fruit of their thoughts .

We can only be what we think we can be. We can only have what we think we can have. We can only do what we think we can do.

I know what you are thinking… 😉 “Oh Lord I am in trouble!”… right?

The scripture above (2 Corinthians 10:5) I have put to memory since I was a little girl. My dad has told me many times when I would have conflicts with others to pray for them because “(For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)” (Of course as a young girl I would roll my eyes and go on to plot my revenge, but this is not the point) Though I had heard this scripture so many times, as I read this scripture Sunday it leaped off the page as if I were reading it for the first time! We can “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ”. I do not have to allow thoughts to run amuck in my head, controlling my stress level, my emotions, and my life…I can determine the thoughts that I think. I can choose to think about things that are pure, lovely, edifying, and praiseworthy, and I can choose to have a better life.

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy–meditate on these things. Phillipians 4:8

Bring on the Sparkle!

Although I’m a firm believer that organizing and cleaning are two different things, I’m also a believer that cleaning helps any organizing project sparkle. In fact, one of the steps in the simplify 101 organizing process is to clean the space being organized. If you’re like me, though, cleaning isn’t the fun stuff. Bring me a binder or a bin and you’ve got yourself a deal. A broom and a dust pan? Now that’s another story.

If you find yourself with a whole lotta’ dust and whole *little* enthusiasm for cleaning (like an organizer you know) read on! We’ll get you motivated to clean, clean, clean in no time! Here’s how.

Focus on the results. Like with any good organizing project, if you’re having trouble getting started, focus on the end result. Think about how good it will feel when you’ve got that cleaning project under your belt. Really dwell on that sense of accomplishment. It works! And here’s how I know.

This past weekend, Jay and I embarked on a cleaning project we had put off for a really, really (really) long time: windows. We washed the windows inside and out, removed and cleaned the screens, and scrubbed the grime off the window sills. Fun? Not so much. Rewarding? Beyond words. I can’t even tell you how good it feels to see those windows sparkle!

It was this feeling of accomplishment (and yes, when you’re doing something you don’t love to do, getting it done is a huge accomplishment!) that got me started and kept me going through the hours and hours of scrubbing and wiping and cleaning. So, if you’re having trouble mustering up the motivation to do some deep cleaning, just think about how great it’s going to feel when you can check it off your list!

Decide where to start. Take a quick tour of your home and make a list of possible spring cleaning projects. Here are some ideas …

– Wash windows
– Wash screens
– Wash window-sills
– Clean light fixtures
– Wipe down cabinet fronts (and tops)
– Clean range top or burners on your stove
– Sweep or vacuum behind the refrigerator or washer and dryer
– Remove lint from dryer hose
– Sweep the basement or garage
– Shampoo carpets
– Check your smoke detector batteries

To create your list, simply walk around your home looking high and low for opportunities to create more sparkle. Then, pick one project that will have a big impact on your place and more importantly, your sense of well being.

Gather your supplies. Gather the tools and supplies you’ll need to tackle your cleaning project and corral them into a caddy or bucket. This will make it easy to move from room to room, if your project requires it.

Stay focused on the task at hand. As with any other project, staying focused on your spring cleaning project will help you get it checked off your list faster. And while this isn’t always easy to do … you’ll be glad you did. This weekend at our home there was laundry to be done and when I pulled out the power washer, I had a burning desire to spray off my car (a cleaning task I actually think is fun!) But, it was important to stay focused on windows, and see the task through to completion which meant every screen back on every window and cleaning supplies put away. For your cleaning tasks, define what done is … and then, focus, focus, focus until you’ve reached done!

Enjoy the results. When you’re finished, sit back and relish the results of your labor. It feels good to create positive change in your environment. Doesn’t it? Drink it in. And enjoy the results.

With many projects, getting started can be the hardest part! But … by focusing on the end results and then really drinking in your success, you will fuel your enthusiasm to take on the next spring cleaning project on your list … next weekend!

TIP OF THE MONTH
What’s lurking on the tops of your kitchen cabinets? If it’s like my kitchen, it’s not just your run-of-the-mill-everyday-dust. It’s that dust that’s been infused with a bit of kitchen grease. Let’s talk about yuck! Once you get that mess cleaned up … you’ll never want to do it again. And, with this tip (courtesy of my father-in-law Gerry,) you won’t have to. Once your cabinet tops are clean, line them with paper such as newspaper or paper bags. Simply cut or fold the paper to the size of your cabinet tops, and walk away. In a few months, instead of the scrubbing and cleaning you just went through … simply change your paper! Voila! A clean cabinet top in no time! (I know … you just want to hug Gerry, don’t you?)

Aby Garvey is a professional organizer and the owner of simplify 101, inc. Her mission is to help you create time and space for what matters most in your home and life. Aby is the author of the e-book “the happy scrapper – simple solutions to get organized and get scrapping!” She publishes a monthly organizing and time management email newsletter available by visiting her web site at simplify101.

Dream Boards

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see”(Heb. 11:1, NIV).

Recently my husband and I had someone tell us that we needed to do a “Dream board”. What is a Dream Board? Well, apparently it is commonly known by successful people. It is simply a poster board with images, or words, of ideas, things, or accomplishments you want to see in your life. It is a way to visualize the things you are believing for helping to increase your faith.

The message translation says that faith is “our handle on what we can’t see…By an act of faith Abel brought a better sacrifice to God than Cain. It was what he believed, not what he brought, that made the difference.”

A dream board is simply a way to help you keep the images of things you are believing for before you. If you can imagine it and believe it, you can have it. I have heard stories of people who put their dream board away, but years later found it again, and found that the things they had forgotten about had been brought about. Why? Because they had made their petition known to God, and then let God bring it to them.

I told you in December about the power of journaling. In January of ’06 I simply wrote down what I wanted to see God do in my life. Some were monetary but some things were “change my negative speech that I may only speech positive of anything or anyone”. As I said then, everything either happened or “has at the very least taken huge leaps toward the end result”. This list I made I lost and did not find until December, yet there they were.

So Ben and I have created a dream board of our own. We have cast a vision of our faith where we want our lives to go. We cut pictures from magazines or written words out of things we want to see in our life. I encourage you to do the same, to increase your faith!

When Science and Religion Agree!

God delights in concealing things; scientists delight in discovering things.
Proverbs 25:2 The Message

I was sent this article yesterday. It never ceases to amaze me that while science seeks to disprove a creator, they continuously confirm His existence…

…The kids whose parents regularly attended religious services—especially when both parents did so frequently—and talked with their kids about religion were rated by both parents and teachers as having better self-control, social skills and approaches to learning than kids with non-religious parents.

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that children in religious homes hear things like …

Give yourselves to disciplined instruction; open your ears to tested knowledge… Listen with respect to the father who raised you and when your mother grows old, don’t neglect her. Proverbs 23:12;22 Children do what your parents tell you. This is only right. Ephesians 6:1

And parents read things like…

Don’t be afraid to correct your young ones… A good spanking might save them from something worse than death Proverbs 23:13-14 Fathers, don’t exasperate your children by coming down hard on them. Take them by the hand and lead them in the way of the master. Ephesians 6:4
(Message)

When asked why religion seems to be so good scientist Bartkowski said:

First, religious networks provide social support to parents, he said, and this can improve their parenting skills. Children who are brought into such networks and hear parental messages reinforced by other adults may also “take more to heart the messages that they get in the home,” he said.

Secondly, the types of values and norms that circulate in religious congregations tend to be self-sacrificing and pro-family, Bartkowski told LiveScience. These “could be very, very important in shaping how parents relate to their kids, and then how children develop in response,” he said.

Now read this (from the same article):

But as for why religious organizations might provide more of a boost to family life than secular organizations designed to do the same thing, that’s still somewhat of a mystery, said Annette Mahoney, a psychologist at Bowling Green State University in Ohio,

Seems to me that some scientists do not want to see what is right in front of their face, at least when the conclusion does not match their hypothesis. Perhaps as Solomon said God delights in mystery, or maybe it is as simple as Paul said:

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools
Romans 1:22

The Power of Our Words…

Have you ever found yourself telling your spouse or someone about something your child did that day and finding that they begin repeating the behavior even while you are discussing it? For example I tell my husband how cute it is that if I say we are going to music class Anna begins saying the teachers name over and over, as I am telling him this she begins saying “La-La, La-La” (Mrs. Lauren, or Mrs. La-La as we call her) and giggling. We then smile and laugh at her.

Now, that is cute right? Have you ever been on the phone with a spouse and said “She is driving me nuts” or “You would not believe what he did today?”. O.k., well if you won’t admit it I will. I am guilty. I have done this. I am stuck in the car and one or the other girls is driving me crazy, I am on the phone with my husband or sister and vent away. (Anna loves to put her hands on Emily, and hear Emily say “Mommy Anna is touching me”, Anna proceeding to cackle laughing, knowing I can not touch her.)

I have noticed that if we are discussing Anna’s behavior and she is in ear shot she will repeat whatever behavior she hears us talking about. Why? Because she has received attention for it. I have experienced the same thing with Emily as she shoots me a look to see what I am going to do about it.

I began an experiment. I would purposefully mention things at the dinner table about how much I loved Anna’s hugs and kisses. She would get down from her seat and crawl on my lap to give me hugs and kisses. In fact Emily would do it as well. After all Emily wanted me to love her hugs and kisses too. I would talk to Ben as if Emily were not in the room and mention how much I appreciate all the help Emily gives me around the house. Before I knew it she was asking for ideas to help me, wanting to change Anna’s diaper, and unload the dishwasher! (Did I mention that my five year old can unload the dishwasher!)

We all know positive reinforcement works, and the opposite is also true. I realized the power of my words. Whether I realized it or not they were repeating the behaviors I was focusing on, the behaviors that had me talking about them. We often get caught in the trap of “venting” and do not realize how much we are simply creating a pattern for repeat behavior.

Give it a try and see how well it works for yours. At dinner or some point when your whole family is together, find a positive thing about each child you would like them to repeat. Then, tell your spouse about it, brag on them, and see what kind of results you get.

(By the way, this works on spouses too. Mention to someone in their presence what you appreciate about them, brag on that ‘extra’ thing they did around the house for you, and see if you do not get a repeat behavior.)

Angel

The Confident Woman

The Confident Woman: Start Today Living Boldly and Without FearMy goal this year has been to read one non-fiction book a month. Last week I began reading Joyce Meyers’ book “The Confident Woman“. It is a must read for every woman! For those who are considered “aggressive” and “strong” women, it will bring freedom to what God has called you to. For the shy, timid, women it will give you the courage to break out of your shell.

She addresses the mistreatment of women over the centuries and today, as well as the twisting and improper representation of what began as a pure and good thing (the women’s rights movement).

She deals with the issue of women in ministry. While you can imagine the thoughts that this dynamic minister might have on this subject, she can back it up scripture after scripture. This particular part excited me because I wrote about this here, on April 6th, and then read it in her book last week!

Mary Magdalene and some other women were the first to visit the tomb on Resurrection Sunday. (John 20:1) They found the tomb empty, but an angel appeared to them and gave these instructions, “Go and tell his disciples that he is arisen.” “Go and tell.” Sounds to me like the preaching of the gospel…If God did not want to use women in ministry, why did He include them in the most important event’s in Jesus’ life? ~Joyce Meyers

Even more than all of this Joyce brings practical things that you can do to step into knowing who you are in Christ. Finding true healing from abuse and pain, and accepting that God loves you and treasures you as a WOMAN of God.

Extra: Lisa Bevere’s book “Fight Like A Girl” is also an excellent book on God’s purpose for women. And you can read my post relating to her book here.

A Marathon Adoption of Epic Proportions…Standing in the Middle of the Hope

Journeys With KellyLast month I began sharing with you the beginning of my journey through international adoption. I will continue that thread this month. Maybe I’ll finish, Maybe I won’t, we shall see together. Let me begin this portion by saying again, this is not an article of what to do or not to do in an international adoption. It is simply my adoption journey.

God put this child in my life for a purpose. My Mitchell Feri’s life is destined to be linked to mine forever. Remember this as you read about my Marathon Adoption of Epic Proportions.

When I saw the phrase “standing in the hope” as sign off of a friend’s e-mail it spoke to me in a very real way. I said “That is me. That is where I have been for the past 4 years.” It is where I live today. My journey during this adoption has been one with peaks of hope and valleys so low that I am not sure I can express in writing the pain that my heart has felt. This month I’ll attempt to share some about just Standing in the Hope in the middle of this adoption journey.

In May of 2003 I drove with my husband to the closest INS office (now USCIS). It is a 45 minute drive that I know well now. It was my birthday so the day was somewhat memorable. It is now a major turning point in my life on a journey that God is bringing me through. The day was one of excitement and anticipation. I breezed through the fingerprinting and the filing of the I600. It is the fastest way to spend your birthday money plus some. I don’t recommend you do this girls. Paying for “paperwork” on your birthday is pretty much a downer. However, we did manage a nice celebratory lunch and to finally name our dear sweet boy from the list that we had compiled on the frig. Mitchell Joseph Feri. I embraced him and loved him even more that day. I had made the steps to bring him home where he belonged. In my heart, I was his mother.

I stepped into hope that day and let it begin to take me on this journey.

At the time that we applied for Mitchell Feri’s adoption there was an only an emergency ordinance decree for adoptions in Romania. Feri had all the necessary paperwork to comply with the emergency ordinance so I felt confident that we would see him home within a year, maybe less. I went about collecting all the the documents that were required while we waited for our INS approval. Some adoptive moms call this the “labor”, well, it is a lot of laboring and notarizing and signing. The ream of questions you have to answer just from your social worker is enough to make you want to scream.

If you asked my then 5 year old son….How do you get a brother? He would have said paperwork. That’s how they come at the Krause House. Paperwork. More parents should consider adoption. It cuts out “the talk” for a few extra years.

Finally all the paperwork was complete, our INS approval came, and all the precious pieces of paper were sent to Romania to our son’s caregiver to be translated. Along with that was wired a lump sum of money to cover most of the cost of the adoption.

I drew in a long breath that day as the DHL counter person assured me it would get there. I am not sure that I have exhaled yet.

Continue reading “A Marathon Adoption of Epic Proportions…Standing in the Middle of the Hope”