Slacker - one who shirks work???

Clearly I am not shirking work when I do not update this BLOG!! Surely, NOT!

If I tell you some days I don't even know what day it is, and that lately time has been a huge blur, with days seeming to never end, or end to quickly- that my calendar is almost packed until December .. surely you would not call me a SLACKER??? I mean just because we have turned into a 24 hour laundry mat around here-- I wouldn't necessarily call me a SLACKER! Maybe a Slogger- but surely not a SLACKER! And the fact that I was less than 90% air flow today for awhile because of some asthma problems that stemmed from being sick over a week- (@ Mrs. Plish-- you would have driven me to the hospital yourself if you heard me! Not pretty!- but fixed quickly with a nice steroid shot!) Wonder if I can keep that around the house!

I mean a dear friend stops me after Sunday School yesterday and says to me "I was just talking about Derek and you in Sunday School. (that made me a little nervous HA!) She goes on to say "Your family is such an example of what Christ wants us to be-- WOW!! thanks friend! That humbled me right to my core! I mean she just laid it all out for me.. "Here you are raising this 16 year old boy, you have your girls, you adopt a son, you fight for his brothers, you are a public school teacher and you pull your daughter out to home school because you know what is right!" Almost moved me to tears, thank goodness for dark shades... surely that was my most humbling moment in awhile... and I think...yeah.. that is why I am probably going against traditional logic and really working to serve this awesome God even when the "world" has the tendency to look at us and say "what are you doing?"

And that little talk.. led me right to this scripture-that lays it out perfectly- and that I have fallen back on many times in the past year-

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. - 1 John 3:16-20

I have always wanted to serve- In fact, in some remote way, I have always served- at times more than others, but always in some capacity. I finally have a family that understands what serving is all about. When it becomes you- there is simply no other way. And when that happens, God certainly fills you with everything you could possibly need- and takes away those things that you think you need. I like to call them distractions, friends of the should of, could of, would of gang-

God says to us... "Test me in this... and see if I will not... pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it" Malachi 3:10

We are a testament to that verse. A blessing is not always financial- it is not always getting what you want, but those blessing come so fast in a day that at times it is hard to count! We see them so clearly now.. and I believe it helps us serve more!

So.. in fast whirlwind pattern of writing- with some logical order, I will attempt to tell you what has been going on for the last few weeks- and then again I will add a paragraph about how I will BLOG more, and sleep even less! HAHA and if you don't follow us on Facebook- that may be part of the reason for less blogging- although I truly like blogging better! This the little J's first home preschool project- maybe I took over a little- but you get the point! That family picture is hanging over our fireplace and for some reason as B says "Is that going in a museum" it's that big! But it is a great pic of us! Takes up the entire wall above the fireplace and has kind of become a joke in the house.. because the guy at Olan Mills gave it to us at such a "Great" discount! Who realized how big 32x42 really is! The Little J loves his new pre-school! He is doing really good- and coming home at 1:00 everyday and crashing until about 3:30 - so we know he is working hard. Things that he likes to do.. play with his Sheriff get-up- he likes to shoot you, arrest you, order you around, etc... play with his trucks.. they end up all over the house in some of the oddest places with loads of treasure! He is playing in his room by himself a little more with his trains and race tracks-- He is such a vision of promise to us! HOO-RAY for the WOLFPACK! 0-2. The Big J is number 3 and playing all over the place- receiver, running back, kick return, and corner back. He is on that field a lot. Derek would like to see him move to Qb, but have no idea where that will go. And I regress... I am such a bad mom when it comes to football.. I just really don't like it that much .. outside anyways... but I do like to watch him play! and that is really what it is all about. Maybe this year I will get serious and learn the game.. HA- Stay tuned for the lively basketball updates that should start in November. He has a really full schedule this year, and every day I hear that schedule includes NO GYM- but I remind him he has gym everyday from 2-5 during football practice! He is off to a rocking start with his grades too! 3 A's on his first three tests! At Open House his teachers really seemed to think he was already working hard and being a leader in the class! Ooohhh.. words a teacher wants to hear! M is now an official HOME SCHOOl Student! I never thought it would work out that way.. but they did not have a spot for her at her middle school in the advanced track- so she is now working through Florida Virtual for core academics- and then we are supplementing with Sonlight and a few other Christian based materials. Again- when you follow God- there is much peace! Here she is working at her new desk- the floor! KIDDING-- seriously do you think I would make her sit on the floor for school? She is actually checking over some 5th grade work for me.. notice the red pen! I think this was our late night where we both stayed up until about 12:00 working on various things. She has become my big night time buddy! Between her three hours a dance each night, she is happy to be where she is! We are happy for her to be where she is, and we feel confident that this is the true plan she is supposed to be on! She is almost as tall as me, and she measures herself daily!

B got new reading glasses! NOT!! She uses her 3D glasses (minus the lens) to complete any school work at home! She is so funny! And she LOVES being my only TK at school this year!! She has front seat, first snack, best dibs on freebies, etc... and she has one of the best 3rd grade teachers! She is really shining this year! She is also dancing a lot- It amazes me how much personality she has.. my nickname for her is dramatica... fits her to the T! Of course, when she found out M was home schooled, she naturally assumed she would be home schooled like her best friend down the street! NOT! she is right where she needs to be- but we will see.

Sometimes, I am learning, that at first we don't see all that we need to see- and that through time God really shows us what we need to see- sometimes if we truly give it to him I think it comes faster, but when you fight with it (give it, take it back, share it, etc.) it takes a little longer- We were having a conversation about the Little J's sibling the other night.. and I was sharing how I was driving to school one morning and God just hit me right in the face with where there was a time I really wasn't ready to be a mom to two more boys- It started when we learned the name of the five-year old. It is still not a name I would have chosen, but on two occasions I have seen him remind people what his real name is- Derek and I call him JQ and he does not mind that, and the little J calls him the second half of his name (probably because he can't developmentally say the first part) and I thought.. I had not respect for his name- I was going to immediately change it, because it was not a name I would have picked, and yet that was the name that God picked for him- and he knows it.. when I started researching it, when a child is older, it is better to leave it as it is, or talk to them about changing it- I am not going to do that- maybe the middle name, but certainly not his first. That is who he is- and I am not going to change the little one's either because that is who the bigger brother knows him as- It is moments like that when I think... yeah.. I need to listen more, stay off the chair, and let God lead more in my life. Some days I feel like we are getting closer, and then others.. it still who knows what is going on... I just pray now instead of getting frustrated! God has the perfect ending for that situation and I just pray for favor and peace about it.

So there it is! In a wrap... the SLOGGER has made good :-) I tore my muscles that wrap my right elbow in June- treated them all summer without an ORTHO- finally went to the Ortho in August and "shredded that muscle" - 6 months to a year in a soft cast- so I am going to blame it on that ... it's a little awkward to say the least- no wrist movement aloud and a little stiff- so.. I have found that when I need to get stuff done, that is the first thing that comes off at home- but I am good, I sleep in it, wear it all day at school, and at home until it is time to cook- it wraps the hand so I don't want it to gross- to prove I wear it, I even have a tan around it! There is no surgery or pt for this injury, so we will see- it's black and i guess will match the upcoming holidays! HA-

Have a great week- I am scratching off my to do list as I wrap this up- In case your wondering I do think some music dropped off my Blog- not sure why, but I will try to add some back this week.

Be in prayer this week that others will come to know and serve him! Pray for our boys- keep them safe and healthy away from HOME-

Enjoy your week!