9-17-13 Onion bag scrubbers - If you buy onions in those plastic mesh bags, cut the ends off where the metal is and ball up to use as a pot scrubber. It's free and works great.
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Cooking oil - Put in a squeeze bottle to use while cooking...it is more manageable. Also, don't peel the seal off the top of the oil bottle when you get it home. If you peel it back just a small amount then you will have better control over how much you pour.
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Keeping the car clean - I brought a small foldable duster to store in the car and use when I have a minute. Our dash is black and shows every little speck of dust.

5-21-13

Being a grand parent is SO much more than I ever thought it would be. It is an opportunity to watch those adults that we raised to put into action all that we taught them. The good, bad, and the educated. We hope that “the bad” they realize and correct, but it is the educated I want to reflect on now.

All three of our children are smart...not just book smart...not just common sense smart...not just street smart...and not just Bible smart. They are all three, all of these...just not all the time or at the same time. They educate each other too, I love that about them. They also educate us. For my husband that is not easy, he is very intelligent. Like all of us though, we don't know everything. So, we are glad our children are learners. The internet is such a great tool to learn and do research...and to find trivial facts. Vacations with the kids was always the best. We would go somewhere and hear...”Did you know...?” from one of them all the time. What was really cool was when one would start the ball rolling and the next would say, “and did you know...?” I would ask where did you hear that, and they would tell us that they read it somewhere.

The Ring

THE RING

3/7/2013
Okay, so I must give a little background to this story. Years ago we attend a church in Tyler Tx. The pastor was a great man of God by the name of Wiley Bennet. Boy did we love going soul-winning with that man. He was a dynamo for sure. One day we, Me, my husband and our two youngest children (Katrina and Jacob) were out knocking doors with him on a Saturday. Jacob was my partner that day. He had found a metal washer in the dirt as we were walking down the street and was playing with it. I felt it could be a distraction to those who we would get to speak with so I took it from him and put it on my pinky finger. (Boys will be boys and pick up treasure along their way in life) I had told him I would give it back later. After soul-winning we went to eat and I went into a restroom to wash my hands. I had forgotten about the washer on my finger and as I was washing my hands all the dirt on it came off and I realized it was actually a silver ring. Jacob had told me he wanted me to keep it and it just became my soul-winners ring. Roll ahead to 2012...

THE BRAID - by Diane Loy

THE BRAID - by Diane Loy

When you look upon a braided strand you'll see

It appears there is only two not three

Without the third and most important one

The little strand would soon come undone

 

When you look upon a Bride and Groom you'll see

It appears there is only two not three

Without God, the third and most important one

The Man and Wife would soon come undone

 

When this special day began

You were just a woman and a man

As you say, "I do", and this day comes to an end

You will forevermore be one with your best friend.

-Based on Gen. 2:24 and Ecc. 4:12

5-12-14 I have this thing I do to make sure kids are listening to me. I will snap my fingers and point to my nose while I say look right here. I do this when I am trying to get them to focus on what I am saying. Like repeating a memory verse...or giving them instruction. I feel it is vital to have a child focus on what's important I have even almost done this to adults...almost!!

During class time I am watching the children to see who is getting restless. Then I will say their name and ask a question about the story. While teaching on the Crucifixion of Christ I would say “April it wasn't nice for them to lie about Jesus was it?” This helps pull them back into the classroom.

I will keep teaching while sitting a child back in their seat or moving their legs to the front of the chair. This makes the distraction less.

I move around a lot. When we taught on the Whole Armor of God and that weeks lesson was on having your Feet Shod with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace...I walked around the class knocking on the walls to show door knocking.

I picked up one of the boys and laid him on the piano to show Lazarus being raised from the dead.

I turn off the lights and have the kids say “Let there be light” to show them that that was all God did to bring the light.

With everything this world has to offer these little ones in ways of entertainment it is hard to keep them focused. But it is so important and rewarding. Come out of your comfort zone and be crazy and fun. Make it a BIG deal...they will remember.

The B-i-b-l-e

9-7-13 When will a child learn how to treat his Bible? First off they are learning from the womb. I know of  several mom's who read to their babies while pregnant. They are learning now. Every class time we go over the Word of God:

Q: What is this? (holding up the Word) A: The Bible

Q: Who wrote the Bible? (pointing to Heaven) A: God did

Q: Who did He write it to? (pointing to them and then myself) A: To you and to me

Q: The Bible talks about God's son Jesus, and He died on the? A: Cross

Q: So we could go where someday? A: Heaven

Q: Should we...color in our Bibles? A: No

Church and How to Help Your Child See it Differently

9-6-13 While we were raising our children, one thing we wanted them to realize was that we were never going to let them play us against each other or come between us. We took that to the pew at church. We would never sit the kids between us. We just wanted them to see us as a force undivided. Speaking about church and sitting in the pew....

If you are looking for ways to help your child pay attention during preaching:

First try to position them so they can see the pastor. It is hard to listen when you are looking at the back of someone's head.