Womanly Strength

I just have to share this with you guys....

My Army wife girlfriends and I exchange HOOAH Army Wife gifts on Facebook....one I have sent out to a few of my friends is titled "Strength". I really like it, and it not only applies to Army wives, but to all women, who seek to be strong for whatever purpose they need to. A weak woman really frustrates me, for some reason....maybe because at times I have been her, have been where she is, or because of my lack of strength, caused problems in my marriage, my children's lives, or whatever. But even before finding this little piece of writing, God has been strengthening me for only He knows what. I want to share it but I want to elaborate on it, as well....anything in parenthesis will be my little spiritual elaborations....

~ STRENGTH ~

~My mind, body and spirit are strong...(this strength is not of my own doing).

~I take time each day to rejuvenate and recharge... (this rejuvenation I find, in taking a hot bath each and every night, in staying in God's Word almost every day, in the mutterings of prayers to my Heavenly Father of my frustrations, my heartaches; every ounce of me asking for His strength and His grace to fill me, just so that I can make it through each 24 hour period....days and nights....)

~ I draw from a deep well of peace and calm....(none of us, without God, has anything such as this to draw from...you may think you do....you may think anything that you find pleasure in, can give you the peace and calm that you need...but only Living Water can give you this....only the Prince of Peace).

~ I breathe in strength and release my fears...( I breathe in only The Breath of Life --I know He is really called the "bread of life" but I think Breath is very nice, too----...for nothing else will do...no one else is as strong as He).

~ I go after my hearts deepest desires...( I personally go after a desire to please God, a desire to serve my family and a desire to love my man, passionately, and with no regard to his past, present or future mistakes.....I desire to stick with him through thick and thin....to respect him no matter what....it is hard....no man is ever perfect and neither is any woman.....marriage takes work, and my strongest earthly desire is to keep my marriage strong. I have made mistakes in the past...I have disrespected my husband....I have not supported him very well in everything, but I have stuck with him, at least, and weathered his decisions....but ultimately I want a marriage made in heaven).

~ I can accomplish anything....( So often, we do it on our own strength, though. I want God to give me the strength to accomplish anything).

~ All of my dreams are coming true....( I could not say this 2 years ago...my dreams were crumbling before my very eyes....but by putting my faith in Him, he has given me my heart’s desire, and I can honestly say that my dreams are coming true, and in 2 months, I will again have the life that I have known all along that I was born for. Yes, there will be deployments....there will be financial hardship at times...yes, Army life can be frustrating...leaving friends and family is hard...but it was the life I was born into, raised in for 17 years, and married happily into 6 ½ years ago...I love it. So, yes, it is hard but it is my dream...my calling).

~ I focus on my goal and have the strength to make it happen....( I was blessed with a very focused and goal-oriented mind, to begin with....but who gave me this blessing? The Lord, of course. I do make things happen, and find a great deal of joy in following through with my goals on a daily basis, but only God can be given credit for this trait).

~ I choose to be unstoppable....( I do choose this, I will admit. Some days, I am burned out and tell my husband or trusted friends that I cannot go one more day....but I do, somehow. I guess it is because my husband tells me I can, and that I have to. I guess because godly friends encourage me to keep going. Or they watch my children. But honestly, it is not the children, like I blame...I can have someone watch my children for a few hours, only to feel relatively the same afterward. I get through burnout because ultimately, I ask God for the strength to get through it. When I cannot take it anymore, God pulls me up...He gives me a new set of batteries...and just like that, burnout is gone, as quickly as it came....).

~ I am strong...( I wasn’t always, and wish sometimes I was stronger, but I can say, “I am Strong” and know that it is true.......when before I would say, “I am trying to be strong”...)

~ I act in spite of my fears...( I could wake up tomorrow and my husband be taken from me...it is scary...anyone, military or otherwise has to face this same fear...In fact, I worried more about my husband dying while he was a truck driver than I ever did when he was deployed. Other things can cause fear...doing something you have never done before....I could be afraid to change the oil in my lawnmower....I could be afraid to step up and handle all the finances...I could be afraid to raise my children by myself at times...I could be afraid to live all alone in the North Idaho Sticks, if I wanted to be afraid....there are a million silly little things that stifle the conquering of fears. I act because I have to, essentially. You may not see that fear is the culprit for not doing things...not learning new things...but all in all, it is the fear that causes us to let someone else do it. I act on my fears because I have no reason to fear anything. God gives me something to conquer and to learn...not something to fear. That is silly. God gives me these little things so that I can act on my fear....and so that ultimately I can face my biggest fear, and that is losing my husband...).

~ I am bigger than my concerns and worries...( This is basically the same as fear...God has made me and continues to make me bigger than my worries....I do not do this on my own....there is a measure of faith involved).

~ I go for it with gusto....( I rip through my house, cleaning, organizing and living life as a stay at home mom....which I dearly love....but like I said before....God gives me the new energy that I need everyday....as well as the brain enough to eat organic food and drink lots of water! :)

~ I can do anything I put my mind to...( I can do anything that God has told me I need to put my mind to....if it were up to me I would sit all winter and do puzzles, watch Jane Austen films and lay around. But everyday when my feet hit the floor, I try to remember to ask God what He would have me do. His agenda, not mine, though I do wish I could sit and be lazy...but to watch the house fall apart around me would be more stressful than just getting it done....and I know that getting it done, is something God wants me to do....He is a God of order, you know! :)

~ Each day I am getting stronger....( This is particularly true for Army wives....because for no other reason, than, that we are FORCED to grow stronger! :)

~ I take great care of myself...( Yes, it is true...I am obsessed with organic food, and I am guilty of buying second hand clothes for myself in order to afford organic food, for my family, but it is worth it....and water...and green tea, and the study of Herbs aids me in caring for myself and for my children...but God has given me this knowledge and I have more to learn....He has also given all herbs for our use and healing! It is to his glory!)

~ The strength of others inspires me daily....( Yes, without certain people I know, I would not have made it through difficult periods, and again, only God knew who and what I needed and he provided those things/people for me!)

~ I trust my intuition and live a courageous life...... ( My intuition is almost always right but I don’t agree that that is what I trust!....obviously from what I have written above, there is someone whom I trust, far more....the One who gave me the intuition in the first place. As to the courageous life....I would not be full of courage without the people who have encouraged me! Thank you....you know who you are! :)


And these are my elaborations on someone else’s writing...someone who was obviously an Army wife herself, but sounds as if, she did not know God.

Now, for the gals who share the HOOAH Army wife gifts with me....*hint hint*....I’d love this one, for my facebook wall! :) Blessings!

Gentleness ~ 2009

My italics didn't copy and paste, unfortunately....so hopefully you guys can understand this....there were parts of it that I wanted to be in italics....

FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT
2009

This year, for my fruit of the Spirit, I am studying Gentleness. What does it truly mean to be gentle....what does the actual word mean and how do I apply it in my daily life as a wife and mother? These are the beginning questions I ask each January in reference to my favorite Bible verse of all time...Galatians 5:22-25. Armed with my dictionary and at least three different Bible translations, I take time each January to study a particular Fruit, for that year. This is my 8th year doing this! This is the first time I have ever written my study out for my live-journal and blog, though!

In 2002, I studied love. I made it through a very difficult time, waiting for my fiancé and the love of my life to graduate Basic Training and AIT. We began our life together, and the fruit of our love brought the joy of new life! A strawberry represents this year...red and sweet for new love! :)
In 2003, I studied Joy. Our first child was born in 2003. A pear represents this year, for “round with child.” LOL!
In 2004, I studied Peace. I miscarried this year, and was taught to have peace in all situations and to be peaceful and bring peace to our home. Oranges (my favorite fruit) bring me peace (if they are good ones), so that represents this year.
In 2005, I studied patience. I had Abigail in 2005 and everyone knows how trying it can be to adjust to having a second child, and I definitely needed patience that year! I think an Avocado will go perfect for that year....since I craved it while pregnant with Abbie!
In 2006 I studied Kindness. We were wrapped heavily up in a family business deal, and I will admit, that I tried to be kind to everyone involved but I failed in becoming more kind, that year. A tomato can represent that year because everywhere I turned, I felt I was being bombarded by flying, rotten tomatoes! The joy of doing the Fruits of the Spirit each year, is that when you are done with them, you can wrap around and do them all over again, thank heavens.
In 2007, I studied Goodness and failed yet again at being a good wife and mother. Though our situation was awful, our marriage going down-hill, and my faith being tested, I cannot excuse myself for my behavior in regards to all that happened that year, and look forward to working on that particular one again, and digging deeper the next time. An un-ripe and bitter Kiwi, will represent 2007, because that is what I was...Bitter and green with envy of others who had it better than I did...
In 2008, I studied Faithfulness. Was I full of faith in my Heavenly Father? At the beginning of 2008 it seemed like just a repeat of 2007, in regards to our situation. I will admit, I had no hope that my life would ever be the same again. But I studied that word, anyway, and things made a definite change for the better in March 2008. An Apple can represent 2008, for I became the Apple of my husband’s eye, again, and he, mine!
So here we are arriving at Gentleness for 2009, and here is my study! I don’t know what fruit I will use to represent it, yet, though! Enjoy!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


A few days after I sat down to do my study, my poor husband and I got into a nice argument over the phone and I thought to myself, “Yes, I will be challenged this year.” The devil never fails to try to get me to do the exact opposite of my fruit, for that year! Sometimes he fails and sometimes he succeeds. I want to write this study in conversation format, because I talked a lot to God and myself while I was doing it, and I think it will be interesting, for you all. Anything appearing in italics, will be my conversing with God!

I start out by asking a few questions like the ones I wrote in the first paragraph. This gets my mind moving, and gearing up for my study! I take this whole thing VERY seriously if you can’t tell, already! :) Next, I do a word study, and some sub-word studies, which I always find intriguing. Throughout the year, I make it a matter of prayer, and try to keep it in mind and think of it daily. I sometimes write out verses pertaining to that particular Fruit, on my calender. Each month will usually have one verse. This is not to memorize...it is just so that I see it, and it reminds me to think on it. Then at the end of the year, I write about what I have learned, how I did, how I could have done better, etc. I encourage you all to do this! It is a lot of fun! Thanks go to Roberta Dahlin, for sharing the idea with me in 2002! She has done it with me most years, since! Where she got the idea, I don’t know! Here is the verse:

Galatians 5:22-25
“But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

Fruits of the Spirit, are the virtues that God prunes and manicures in us. Without them, others do not see Christ resident within us. Where there is no growth and good fruit, you might question whether or not you are really saved. Jesus speaks in His Word multiply times about fruit, trees, etc. Bad trees produce bad fruit. Good trees produce good fruit. It is just logical. But, you cannot do the growing on your own! You must ask God to help you and then meet Him halfway.

In the verse above, it says “Against such things there is no law”...if you don’t understand what that means, this is what it says below the line in my husband’s study Bible:

“ Christian character is produced by the Holy Spirit, not by the mere moral discipline of trying to live by law. Paul makes it clear that justification (that is the act, process, or state of being right with God) by faith does not result in libertinism (that is a free-thinker especially in religious matters) The indwelling Holy Spirit produces virtues in the believer’s life.” I do believe however, that you can make it very hard on yourself, by not allowing the Holy Spirit to do these things in your life....by simply not thinking about it, and by simply not getting serious about growth!

So, now we begin on the word study....what does it truly mean to be gentle?

Definitions:

GENTLENESS: The quality or state of being gentle, (yes, but what does it mean to “be” it?), especially mildness of manners and disposition.
GENTLE: Belonging to a family of high social station (well, I am ruled out here), chivalrous ( a male trait, or so I think), honorable, distinguished, of or relating to a gentleman, kind, amiable, tractable, docile (hmmm...), free from harshness, sterness (Lord, this will be challenging, won’t it?), or violence, soft, delicate, moderate.
GENTLEMAN: A man of noble or gentle birth, a man who combines gentle birth with chivalrous qualities, a man who’s conduct conforms to a high standard of propriety or correct behavior.
GENTLEWOMAN: A woman of noble or gentle birth. A woman of refined manners or good breeding.

Sub-word Definitions, chosen from the actual definitions:

CHIVALROUS: (yes, I was at the time, not wanting to focus much on myself and was thinking of Mr. Darcy and men in general, so this was the first sub-word I looked up! ) Valiant, marked by honor, generosity, and courtesy. Marked by gracious courtesy and high-minded consideration, especially to women.
MILDNESS: Gentle in nature and behavior. Not being or involving what is extreme, not severe, temperate (What does that mean?), comparatively soft, and easily worked, malleable.
AMIABLE: Pleasing, admirable, generally agreeable (yes, Lord, this I need work in), being friendly, sociable and congenial.
Amiable implies having qualities that make one liked and easy to deal with (*raises eyebrow*), good-natured, obliging, and complaisant.
MODERATE: Avoiding extremes of behavior or expression (*grits teeth*), observing reasonable limits, calm, temperate.
HARSHNESS: irritating ( I am definitely guilty of this, or so my husband says, sometimes), severe, lacking in refinement, crude.
NOBLE: Possessing outstanding qualities, very good, or excellent, grand or impressive, lofty.
TEMPERATE: Marked by moderation, keeping or held within limits, not extreme or excessive, mild, restrained (ouch, Lord this applies to my tongue, I know it does...).
DOCILE: Now...I think we all think docile to mean quiet, and subdued, maybe, but the definition is so much richer and I was glad to have looked it up, instead of over-looking it, because I think it really spoke to me! Easily taught (*sigh*), easily led or managed (double ouch....I know this is probably talking mostly about animals, but Lord, it is so hard to be led by the authority you have placed me under. When I let my husband lead, sometimes it gets hard....and I know it is worth it in the end, because we grow and learn, but I am forever scared to put myself under the headship of a mere man, even when I know it is Biblical, and right. Help me to have faith in your purposes....), obedient, tractable.
SOFT: This definition is another that was so much richer than I thought it would be! And men.....you are NOT excluded in this one....it is part of being a gentlemen, so read up! Pleasing or agreeable to the senses, subdued, quiet in pitch or volume (hmm....no yelling this year....), not violent, marked by a gentleness, kindness, or tenderness, engaging, kind, based on a negotiation and conciliation rather than on a show of power or threats (hmm...interesting), unassuming (ugh, I am always assuming the worst of everything), low-key, of a consistency that may be SHAPED or MOLDED, capable of being spread, occurring at such a speed and under such circumstances as to avoid destructive impact (this is talking about landing spaceships and aircraft, but how applicable in the grind of daily life! ).
MALLEABLE: Capable of being ALTERED, or controlled by outside forces or influences. Having the capacity for adaptive change (this can be looked at from two angles...you can be influenced for the good, or influenced for the bad....you pick....and your hormones and emotions WILL influence you for the bad!).

Very interesting! Good definitions, and much to think about and ponder throughout this year! Now here are the life-giving verses from God’s Holy and Fully-Inspired Word:

~Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
~Ephesians 4: 2-3 Be completely humble, and gentle, be patient, bearing with one another in love, make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit, through the bond of peace.
~ Philippians 4: 4-5 Rejoice in the Lord always and again, I say rejoice. Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near!
~ Colossians 3: 12-14 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And above al these virtues, put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
~1 Timothy 6 :11 Paul to Timothy But you man of God, flee from all this and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
~1 Peter 3:4 Peter speaking to women Instead it (your beauty) should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.
~ Titus 3:1-2 Paul to Titus Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate (gentle in the KJV), and to show true humility toward all men.
~ Matthew 11:29 The words of our Savior, in red-letters: Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will FIND REST for your souls!

In my daily Bible reading I came across this passage and wanted to add it to the end of my study:

Luke 13: 6-8

Then he (Jesus) told this parable: “ A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So, he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’
“‘ Sir, the man replied, leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.”

Below the line it says this:

In the Old Testament, a fruitful tree was often used as a symbol of Godly living. Jesus pointed out what would happen to the other kind of tree- the kind that took valuable time and space and still produced nothing for the patient Gardener. This was one way Jesus warned his listeners that God would not tolerate forever their lack of productivity. Have you been enjoying God’s special treatment without giving anything in return? If so, respond to the Gardener’s patient care, and begin to bear the fruit God has created you to produce.

~ HE WHO HAS EARS, LET HIM HEAR ~

~January News~

A WESTERN BLUEBIRD...THIS COULD POSSIBLY BE
A NUTHATCH. THEY HAVE BLUE BACKS AS WELL.

NORTHERN FLICKER...NOT SURE IF THIS IS A MALE
OR FEMALE...THEY ARE VERY SIMILAR

A FLICKER, AGAIN!

HOPE AT THE BARN!

OUR COLLAPSED BARN....

YOU GUYS WON'T BE ABLE TO TELL WHAT THIS IS...ZANE
FOUND A RACCOON HIBERNATING IN A DEN OF BRANCHES
AND THAT IS THE FUR YOU SEE...I TRIED AND TRIED TO
GET A GOOD PICTURE AND THIS WAS THE BEST!

HERE IS A WILD TURKEY...NOT A VERY GOOD
PICTURE, THOUGH! WE HAVE A FLOCK OF ABOUT
TEN HERE, NORMALLY...I NEED TO GET A BETTER
PICTURE OF THEM!

A MALE BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE...THEY ARE
IMPOSSIBLE TO PHOTGRAPH...THEY DO NOT HOLD
STILL FOR ANYTHING! THIS WAS THE BEST I GOT!

THESE ARE THREE MALE DOWNY WOODPECKERS...
THEY ARE EASY TO PHOTOGRAPH BECAUSE
THEY ARE SUCH PIGS AND DON'T FLUTTER
AROUND ALL OVER! THEY ARE EATING OFF
PINECONES THAT WE COVERED WITH PEANUT
BUTTER AND BIRDSEED....IT'S MOSTLY GONE NOW!

HERE IS AN ART PROJECT THAT WE RECENTLY DID...
BREAD SCULPTURES (THESE WERE NOT BAKED YET)...
THERE WAS ALSO A SECOND TEDDY BEAR, A DUCK
AND 2 SNAKES... THEY WERE REALLY YUMMY, AND I KEPT
SOME OF THE BREAD IN THE FREEZER TO MAKE BREAD
PUDDING WITH, LATER! :)

FINGERPAINTING!

THE KIDS ON THE PORCH MEASURING THE
SNOW...IT MEASURED 36 INCHES, BUT THIS
WAS VERY PACKED DOWN....I HAD NEVER
SHOVELED THIS SECTION, SO IT HAD WEEKS
TO PACK DOWN!

CASH RESTING!

Most of the month of January was so warm! It was so spring-like and gave me such a needed break from shoveling snow! We didn't use a lot of firewood, either. Last night, though, it was negative 10 degrees, but I made it a point to get both wood stoves blazing hot the day before and we didn't wake up to a freezing cold house! We also got a lot of rain on the 6th of January, which melted 2 feet of snow, leaving us with about 18-24 inches left! Glory! :) It will melt fast, once spring arrives. We are supposed to get snow later this week, but we'll see!

My mother-in-law was here the first week of January and we had a lot of fun, and mostly relaxed. I still had snow shoveling to do and wood-splitting to do, while she was here, but we still had fun. She bought us a new TV which was much needed! :) Ours was an old 1987 Radio Shack tv, and we found a 1997 one at a thrift shop...it skips a little bit at times, but I think I may be able to fix it, if I tinker with it.

On the 7th of January our barn collapsed from the weight of the snow and rain. It was really disappointing because all my hay was underneath, but luckily I am able to get to it and Hope wasn't hurt in the process.

AWANA started back up on the 15th, and has been enjoyable! Zane has 5 more sections, which will only take him two more weeks, and he will be done with his book! He has really begun to memorize scripture pretty well. He still needs reference helps, a lot, but otherwise he has greatly improved! :) Abigail memorizes his verses a lot, too. She is not allowed to go ahead in her book, so she helps Zane with his! So funny! Sheldon stays in the nursery while I am leading, and has finally stopped screaming when I leave him in there! :) Such a sweet little boy....ha has really grown up!

The other night I wrote my whole fruit of the spirit study on my live-journal, and was like two sentences away from finishing it and lost the whole thing! I cried! So, I'm sorry, but I will have to re-type the whole thing later this week! James says it will be ten times better than my first one! My fruit of the spirit for 2009 is Gentleness, and my word study revealed so much to me and I was very convicted! I can't wait to get it on my live-journal and here! This time, though, I will write it on Word, and copy and paste! :( What a waste of my precious time!

Homeschooling is going SO well! Zane is reading now, and has finished his history, science, numbers and letters drill book, and is two weeks away from finishing his Studying God's Word book, and his handwriting book! I am so excited! His math book will be done by March 31st and his Phonics book, I am afraid will have to be finished after we move. It will probably be done by June, sometime! We also have a few projects left in the Art book and we will be finished with that. After we finish it, I have several art projects of my own that we might try.

James will be home in 72 days! I will be so glad when we are 60 days out! I have so much work to get done in the basement, though! I just have to sort through all the boxes again and get rid of anything that we really don't need, and start re-packing it all for moving! We are on the list for housing (actually we have been on it since James got to Korea) and we are thinking of possibly moving on post, but we need to hear back from a friend who has a horse, and see if she would like to board Hope. She has a rental with horse property and one older horse that would probably like some company! :) We'll see!

I am so thankful that my life is changing! As I said in a recent post...I never dared hope that my life would ever be the same again, and now within 60 days it will be. I know everything will not be the same, and I am not so naieve to expect that, but still...it will be very similar to the life I knew before! Praise the Lord! I will sorely miss my friends and church, here! I have moved a lot of times and it is never easy, but I am happy to say that I can go ANYWHERE! I have nothing that ties me down mentally, to a certain place, anymore! It is so naieve to let things like that hold you back from the life God wants for you! I love my friends...I would not have made it through without Lori Lynch, Donna Neale, and LeeAnne Bonds! :) I love you, you guys! But, it is time to move forward, and I will see you all again...we are only going to be 6 hours away! :) When we moved from KY, I left LaNette Chittenden there, and God knows that I would not have made it without her phone calls and encouragement...her mentorship....through 2006 and 2007. Even though she wasn't here, she by-far, aside from the Good Lord, was the only person who even made sense to me!!! :) So, thanks you guys! :) You are the best!

As you can see, we have had a fair share of bird watching....a huge waste of time, but something I dearly love! :) And I was SO happy to get the pictures of the Northern Flicker! He/she is so beautiful!!! They are so shy and will actually hide behind tree trunks if you are watching them from the window....they will peak out from behind the trunk and dart their heads back behind it if they see you! So cute! They are a huge bird, actually! :) Compared to others, anyway! All those pictures were from inside the house, through the kitchen window, so I'm sorry about the glare on most of them... Sheldon loves to bird-watch, and sits forever on the counter and watches them! :)

Kid updates.... Sheldon is out of his portable crib and has moved on to Abbie's Toddler bed! :) He is so proud of himself! He is getting the rest of his teeth and has been very disagreeable, but understandably! No more sippy cups, either....not even in the car. He quit using them at the house like 9 months ago, but still used them in the car. Now he has a water bottle! :) He peed on the toilet the other day, too! It is so hard to remember to put your later children on the toilet, which is the only thing holding me back from him being potty trained! He still isn't saying many words...he, like Zane, has his own language, which only I and the kids understand. Sometimes the kids understand him better and have to translate for me! Funny! He turns two on February 10th! I know that James will be so happy to actually get to see him grow, from here on out! He has missed out on pretty much everything Sheldon has done, and it's so sad! Sheldon has also figured out that he likes to watch movies now! He will sit and watch about 3/4 of one and loves Thomas the Train movies! Thomas is really clean and very moral (the stories are written by a Reverand, for those of you who don't know and have little kids, and are searching for clean entertainment). Even girls love Thomas! :)

Abigail is still pretty much in the middle of everything all the time, sort of lost in the sauce...poor girl! I have to carve out time for her....I am really hoping that the challenge of having a middle girl child goes away slightly as they get older.... It really is hard to make time for one on one with her. I have had Donna watch the boys for me recently so her and I could go grocery shopping together and that was really nice! :) She has been so helpful and obedient, lately, and her and I do a lot of cooking and cleaning together. I read a lot to her, as well as do preschool stuff with her! She loves Barbies and her and I dress the barbies and do their hair a lot, which is fun. Our favorite thing to do is paint our fingernails and do our hair the same way! Sometimes we try to dress the same for church, too! :) I love having a girl!

I talked about Zane up there quite a bit already, so there isn't much else to report on. He has been quite bored, lately with not being able to go outside much! My brother comes over sometimes and plays with him....otherwise he spends his days doing school, playing with his army guys, watching movies and playing around on the computer...he does help me so much with anything at all that needs doing...bringing up wood from the basement, getting things for me or the others, cooking and some cleaning, etc. Basically, very bored right now and waiting for Daddy to come home! They run around the house A LOT and ride their bikes in the house sometimes, too. They burn off a lot of energy that way!

I am reading Emma, by Jane Austen, right now and really loving it! I also watched the movie Emma, as well as Pride and Prejudice (the newer one and the A&E ones). I like both versions! :)
I have also been reading my Bible, everyday! I made my own 2-year schedule....this year I will be covering Matthew through Revelation, Psalms and Proverbs, and Genesis through 1 Kings. Next year will be the remainder of the books! A one year plan is just too much for me, so I came up with my own schedule, and worked out perfectly to two chapters a day! That is a reading amount that I can handle! James decided to do the smae schedule I am doing but has some catching up to do! :) It will be nice to both be in the same place once he gets home! :) I love reading my Bible, and it is so much easier to remember to read it when you have the schedule on the calender days! :)

Well, nothing else is really going on! We are just anxiously awaiting spring and enjoying our new year! We will get our tax return in a few days and we are so excited to announce that we are paying off and canceling our last credit card! We still have our emergency fund, as well, so we are definitely feeling like we are on our way to becoming debt free! :)

Blessings to you all! Have a good rest of winter! :P

My 2009 Book List and 2009 Goals

My 2009 Book List and 2009 Goals

• Jan. 10th, 2009 at 9:55 AM

~My Goals for 2009~


I have been meaning to get these out into writing, so I would remember and I have had no time to focus this first week of January. My mother in law was here and then trying to start homeschooling back up, take down Christmas decorations and get the house back in order. And then on the 6th my barn collapsed from all the weight of the snow, on top of my horse's hay. I had to shovel off the camper and broke a sky light in the process, of doing so. It has just been a crazy week, and has left me no time to do anything but what I have had to do. So, I have had no time for reflection, and contemplation....basically no time to even think. Plus, i am so physically exhausted that it is almost impossible to even focus on anything but making it through this time. I will definitely have to post a picture of the barn....thankfully Hope was not in it when it collapsed and the shelter that is attached to the barn stayed up and she can get under that. It is just a pain to get to my hay, and it got wet in some places from all the rain we got. One good thing, though...about a foot and a half of snow melted with all the rain. Before the rain came we only had about 6 inches of our T-posts on Hope's fence visible, and now about 2 feet of them can be seen, so I know a lot of snow melted. :)
With the warm temps, our house was about 75-80 degrees and the other morning I was wearing a t-shirt. I was standing in front of my mirror and lifted my arm to brush my hair, and I discovered a lot of arm muscle (from shoveling snow) that I have never had! Whoot! :) I am impressed, since I am so scrawny! :) What will I do at Ft. Lewis with no snow to shovel all winter? I doubt the gym will get me the muscle, as well, as real honest labor!

Anyway, here are some of my musings on goals for this year...I admit, I am not even that focused right now....I have so much on my to-do list today, and I can't think of anything else......

#1 in importance.......start tithing....even if it is just $25.00 a month. I have a bad complex with tithing, or any type of giving in general...I am so worried about money all the time and I know that part of the reason that we are never blessed financially and that we are in debt so badly due to the business mess we have made, is because we have never as a couple given our money over to God, and trusted Him in that area. We also didn't go into the business deal that we got into in 2006, with clear motives, didn't pray about it, and my husband was very impulsive about it. So, we are barely scraping by right now, but God has extremely laid it on my heart to start tithing SOMETHING, and trusting Him, and letting Him guide us financially. Dave Ramsey and his debt-free program, is not enough. I want God to be in control, and it is hard to do so, but I need to try!

#2 Take out 25.00 a month (or a less amount than what I have tithed), and put it in our safe for our Christmas fund. With 25.00 a month we would have 300.00 to spend at Christmas time....with 50.00 a month we would have 600.00 to spend....but like I said, it HAS to be a lesser amount than what I have tithed.

#3 Read 24 or more books for myself, and 12 aloud to the children (they have to be chapter books....we read picture/story books all the time, but the kids are old enough now for Little House on the Prairie, etc). This month we are reading Charlotte's Web aloud and the kids are loving it!

#4 Concentrate on my Fruit of the Spirit of the year. See my other post, titled My Fruit of the Spirit Update (on http://rachellephipps.livejournal.com )to know what I am talking about!

#5 Gain Weight....I so want to get up to 105 lbs, but we'll see....so far it has been a discouraging road. I did weigh myself last night and I was 99 lbs, which I haven't been in months, so that brought a smile! I hate weighing less than before I was married. It sucks and I am trying so hard, but I am also working so hard, so I doubt I'll gain it until my husband is home and we are settled in WA.

#6 I really want to read my Bible through this year, but right now I cannot get up early enough to get it done, because I am so exhausted. Sometimes I don't even remember turning my alarm off. My husband calls me at 3 am so I can restock the woodstove (it is 8pm for him, so it is perfect), and once I didn't even hear him call me, and the phone isn't that far from my room. This is very significant because I am usually a very light sleeper. Mornings are the only time I can really read my Bible....I could read it at night but I am usually too tired to focus on it. It's sad that my Bible reading is number 6 and my other books are number 3. It seems easier to read fiction at night, because it doesn't require much concentration...but it's not right, so I either get up early to read my Bible or forget the book-reading at night!

#7 One on one with each of my kids....a good idea that James and I came up with is to give Sheldon February, Abigail April and Zane, June. These are their birthday months and they could do something special with dad and something special with me that month. We could also do their half- birthdays in the same fashion. Sheldon would have August, abbie would have October, and Zane would have December. This leaves January, March, May, July, September, and November for James and I! :) Our birthdays are both in May, so that would be perfect! :) Only problem is that our Anniversary is in August, so maybe we could give Sheldon July instead and take August for us. I think this is a great idea and it is a great way to schedule time for each child and plenty of time for us as a married couple! Being in the Army might make it difficult though....with stuff coming up, and all....we'd have to adjust it, and that's the only downfall.

#8 Ride my horse a bit more! :) And continue to teach the kids to ride.

#9 Scrapbook

#10 Serve the Lord, serve my husband and re-connect with him, and serve my family....enjoy life and take nothing for granted! :) Work on becoming debt-free, and take it more seriously! :)


These are the books I have read in 2009...my goal this year is to read 24 or more books. I want to have a better assortment of history and political books, but still read the Classic Literature, modern fiction, practical and spiritual books, that I normally seem to read! :) We'll see how I do! :) This list I will have to remember to add to! :)

~ The Shunning by Beverly Lewis ( I am still reading this)
~ Emma by Jane Austen (this one is in the line-up)

~ More Outrageous Snow Pictures ~

HERE IS A PICTURE OF OUR CHRISTMAS TREE,
THAT I MEANT TO POST A WHILE BACK...

THE BARN AREA RIGHT NOW...I CAN WALK OVER
THE WIRE TO FEED HOPE...

HOPE WAITING FOR HER BREAKFAST!

OUR HOUSE RIGHT NOW, WITH ABOUT 3 1/2 FEET
OF SNOW!

OUR TRAMPOLINE

We have been keeping extremely busy keeping up with all of the snow, and keeping the house warm. This is more snow than Idaho normally gets (aside from last year), and I think people are really shocked that it is happening again, and may now become the current weather trend for us. I am a bit scared, as it is only still December and we have almost as much as last year, put together. My husband says that Ft. Drum, NY has 8 feet of snow, so depending on where you live, it may not seem like much, but for us, it is a lot to keep up with and I am exhausted. I am ready to move!

I am having a hard time keeping up with the housework, as I have been shoveling every morning and every evening. I am now strong enough to shovel the whole front deck and the kitchen deck, in the morning and the whole living room deck in the evening. I go to bed feeling guilty that my kids are watching movies all day, and I cannot spend much time playing with them. Lately, though, Abbie has been taking a nap during the day and thus can't sleep at night, so I put the boys to bed and we play barbies in the playroom, and then have a bedtime snack and go to bed. She has been sleeping with me a lot, which helps her. She misses her Daddy, and I don't have much time for her right now, so that has started being "our time". Sheldon gets plenty of attention, and is doing fine, but Abigail particularly needs a lot of quality time. Zane has been very busy playing with his army guys and no one wants to even go outside...

Our Christmas was so enjoyable. It was hard work, but we had fun! I had a lot of family over, and we got about 6-8 inches of snow Christmas Eve. We had a huge breakfast of Cinnamon Rolls, Cherry Rhubarb Pie, Eggs, Sausage, Cider and Egg Nog Pancakes. We had a very traditional Dinner, of Turkey, Gravy, Stuffing, Green Beans, Sweet and Mashed Potatoes, Rolls and Cranberry Sauce...and for dessert we had Apple Crisp. Everyone enjoyed the gift giving, and games, and the kids had a blast. I made everyone Rice Socks, plus bought additional gifts for everyone, and actually found a lot of it, at second hand stores... I didn't get any pictures on Christmas, as I had run out of batteries and forgotten to get more before Christmas...oh well!...

I hope all of you have had a wonderful holiday season! :) I am deep in thought lately, about the New Year. I am just considering some New Years resolutions, some things I want to/need to change, and about to delve into my Fruit of the Spirit of the year, study ( I am on Gentleness this year).

The past two Christmas's (2006 and 2007), I would get Christmas letters in the mail and whenI would get to the end of them, where everyone wishes everyone else blessings and a glorious New Year, I would sigh and deal with feelings of utter hopelessness, that my life would ever be the same again, that I would never be an army wife again, and that I would have a trucker for a husband and the life that goes with that, for the rest of my life. I didn't even dare to hope that those things would/could change.

This year, though, as I read the current Christmas letters from dear friends and family, I would get to the end of them and on each one, I cried tears of Thanksgiving to a God who hears my prayers, who is never in a hurry, but is always ON TIME, who has showered my life with blessings and given me back some of my hearts desires.......everyone knows that neither james nor I considered him having to go to Korea when he got back in the Army. We were very sure of going back to Ft. Lewis, but for some reason it wasn't time to go there. Neither of us understand it, at all. That said though....in April of this year, I had HOPE! I knew that that date circled on the calender one year later signified a family re-united, and back in God's will. I am secure and happy in my role. It is hard... but being a trucker's wife is extremely harder and I was never cut out for it. Maybe I am a wimp, I don't know...

The New Year is quickly bringing changes that are putting a smile on my face, even though I don't know exactly what they are, except that we will be a family again. Possible deployments don't bother me....they are "strictly" temporary. Being a trucker's wife was not "surely" temporary. It had the possibility of being long term. Being an Army wife is what I was made for. I don't think I could function well, as anything else. I was brought up Army, and once brought up that way, it is hard to change, or find fulfillment in any other situation.

I am just seeing this New Year as a bend in the road, a new direction, a positive outlook, etc. I am happy to say that I am happy.......extremely tired, extremely burned out with everything, grouchy and hormonal, occasionally...but happy. God has given me the joy I kept asking for. I tried so hard to have joy, through 2006 and 2007, but maybe it wasn't what God wanted, actually. Maybe He had something more in mind for me...something bigger....like serving my country by serving my soldier, which is something I loved deeply and cherished....(no love for the grand state of Idaho, ever measured up to being a helpmeet to my soldier). I can either feel like a failure for not measuring up in '06 and '07, or I can realize that maybe it wasn't what God wanted for us. Maybe He wanted me to fail...so we could save our marriage and family, which is much more important. I don't know, and I don't know why Korea had to be a part of this whole past year, except to show me what life as a regular Army wife is compared to life as a Lady Nightstalker is. Who knows...maybe it happened to make certain friends, or teach me a lesson I won't realize until later....maybe plain and simple, it is just so I know what a one year deployment is like, so I can help other women who maybe do not have a military background, be strong for their husband soldiers who are deployed. I do know, that eventually God will show me why!

Well, I hope all of you are embracing YOUR New Year with HOPE , because I know how it feels to not have that. It is hard, it is depressing and it is scary. If anyone needs prayer in this area, please let me know, because I have been there, for 2 years straight! :( I know how it feels! I am thankful for 2008...it has been a good year...it has been an experience I am ready to be done with but I have made dear friends who I could have never made it through, without! You know who you are! :) Blessings, and Renewed Hope.....Chelle

~Just Outrageous Snow Pictures~

THE KIDS AFTER OUR FIRST FEW INCHES ON THE
12TH OF DECEMBER!

THE BACK VIEW OF OUR SUBURBAN THIS
MORNING!

THIS IS FROM JUST ABOUT FLOOR-LEVEL, LOOKING OUT
AT ONE OF OUR DECKS!

ANOTHER DECK, AND JUST THE SEAT AND HANDLEBARS
OF ABBIE'S BIKE SHOWING THROUGH!

WHAT OUR HOUSE AND CAR LOOKED LIKE THIS MORNING,
PRETTY MUCH BURIED!

CASH WADING THROUGH IT ALL, LOOKING CUTE!

THIS IS A FUNNY PICTURE TO ME, FOR SOME REASON...
THIS IS OUR TRASH BARREL AT THE BARN, WHICH
I HAVE NEVER CLEANED THE SNOW OFF!

We have ended up with about 21-24 inches so far, and I think we will be having a repeat of last winter! It is only the middle of December, and we already have half what we got last year! I am so thankful for great neighbors to plow me out, otherwise it would be interesting to see how long it would take to get an appointment to have someone come out!!! I would definitely be quite snowed in! Luckily, I am a great winter driver, and still venture out to get groceries and things. I am just not happy when I get my car stuck! :) The kids finally were allowed to go outside since the temps rose above zero. Zane ventured as far as the barn, somehow.....i didn't ask him how he did it, as the snow is over half his height. When Abbie and Sheldon realized they were sinking to their heads, they decided to stay on the porch where I had shoveled! :) Keep warm everyone.......by the way, our home is much easier to keep warm as long as it is above zero, so hopefully, it can stay this way for a bit! :)

From My Live-Journal

This is from my live-journal....I figured I better post SOMETHING on my blog, because I haven't recently...so here you all go... my live-journal is more like a journal than my blog is...so have at it....Rachelle

One Thing After Another This Week

• Dec. 17th, 2008 at 10:09 PM

So, my week so far, in a synopsis................So, Sunday night I happen to wash my hair...........temps are approaching below zero.......didn't really want to wash my hair and go to bed with wet hair, but for some reason did it anyway. Good thing, because Monday morning I wake up to no running water and no idea where it is frozen! It is about 14 below zero, and I am struggling to keep wood on the fires, and find out where it is frozen. Made three trips to the pumphouse which is about 400 hundred feet from the house, through 12 inches of snow, to see if the pump was frozen. It was, so I upped the heater to 1500 watts. That defrosted the pump, but still no water.... So, I call my landlord later in the day and tell her. She was kind of mad because I didn't think to keep my faucets running all night, and then i was mad at myself because i know better.
I told my landlord that tuesday I had plans that i couldn't change and that I would be gone all day. The plumbers would have to come Wednesday.
So, Tuesday I am gone all day and of course the fires go out and it is a frigid 50 degrees in the house when I get home. I have to haul water from the pumphouse for washing dishes and brushing teeth. I got my fires going and tried to warm up the house, but finally went to bed . James tries to call me at 3 am, so I can restock the fire but i think he forgot, and i never wake up until I am cold and that means it's already too late.
This house is really drafty and i didn't relaize how bad until now. So, this morning i wake up to both fires out and it is (no joke) 44 degrees in the house, UPSTAIRS...which means it was colder downstairs.......(40 degrees down there). I couldn't believe it! So now that i am sick of Idaho and being cold, because I spent the past two winters in a frickin icebox camper, and then think i will be fine in this new house, with two wood stoves, and plenty of space, I am getting pretty mad. And starting to move slow, and lethargic like. I call my friend Anne to see if she is still coming over to bake Gingerbread cookies with the kids, which we planned two weeks ago, even though it is spitting snow, and we are under a winter storm watch, until tomorrow. She says yes........she lives on generator power so decided she could do without the running water, since she has been there and done that. Anyway, so today we baked the gingerbread cookies and decorated them..........melted snow for drinking water (the pumphouse water is a little dirty), and for hot tea. Ended up having to use my treasured water down in the basement for washing dishes because I was too tired to go to the pumphouse and we had 5 new inches of snow. James put this tank of water in the basement for me, for power outages, and such. I didn't want to use it, but i was just too tired and annoyed, so now i need to re-fill it.
My brother in law shows up un-expectedly with a whole truckload of extra firewood for me, and shows me in the basement where the water pipe comes into the house from outside. We had to hunt for it, because there were some things belonging to the owner of the house that were in front of the pipe. So he suggests putting a heater near it. I had the heater going in all different areas today, trying to find out where it was frozen, so I try there, and within an hour we have water. Fifteen min later the plumber shows up, and i already have it fixed. I had called his secretary but she couldn't let him know because his cell phone didn't have service where he was at the time...
So, anyway, the water is running right in the nick of time to be able to wash all the gingerbread cookie dishes and bring peace to our chaotic home.
By the time my friend got here, I had gotten the house up to 55 degrees....i decided to get the fires as hot and blazing as I could and try not to worry about saving wood. I have no idea how many pieces of wood I used today, but by the time Anne left we had it up to 65 degrees, and by nighttime it was up to 70, finally. it was like an angel in a pick-up truck that brought me extra wood! :) I have been so worried about not being able to make it through the winter! I am praying that this is our cold snap, below zero week that north Idaho always gets each winter, and that it will warm up, but we;ll see! ...........then I took the hottest bath i could stand and relaxed!
It is 14 out there tonight which is so much nicer then 17 below zero, which was the lowest it got between Sunday and Wed. I told the kids that NOW that we have water they can fingerpaint and paint some rocks they had collected this summer to paint during the winter. They had been bothering me and bothering me the last two days to do it, but i told them there was no way, without running water that we could do that.
So, now we are still under the weather watch and they are predicting 10-15 inches of snow, and we have gotten about 6 of it so far. For some reason, Idaho has been getting more snow than it has in recent years past and seems to be acting more like it did in the 70's and 80's with over 3 1/2 feet. Weird....I'm glad we are moving because I am sick of being cold!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, we'll see what the rest of the week holds!!!!!!!!!