The Look...

Notice Jake's shirt before...

And a few hours later...

So goes life in the parsonage. My children are always dirty. I gave up trying to keep them clean a long, long time ago. In fact, I'm just so used to them being dirty, I hardly even notice it anymore.

Until the other day that is...I happened to take all of them to run some errands (very bad idea.) Our last stop was the grocery store. They were bugging each other and fighting over who got to ride in the "school bus cart"...I was trying to maintain my composure, and then I met her in the frozen food aisle.

She was cute, young and pregnant, probably with her first baby. She was strolling the aisles in peace and quiet (alone)...well, until she came upon us.

She gave me the look. I know this look...I too, once gave it to mothers with rowdy, dirty kids. It was the look of idealism. The look that says, "honestly, is it so hard to clean your kids up before you leave the house!?!"

I smiled and her...and I smiled all the way home...because someday, that cute little thing may have three little boys, that 5 minutes after a bath are somehow dirty again...because I know first hand, that's what happens to young ladies who give the look. *smiles*

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Realizations...

VBS went really, really well last night. In my 3&4 year old class we had 8 boys and 1 little girl...and they were so much fun! Thanks so much for your empathy and encouragement yesterday :)



Last night (after VBS) I had the opportunity to discover something about myself...stuff I've known (I think) but just never really thought about all that much. It has to deal with how I react/cope with life when busyness sets in.



I hate busyness. I do. I am constantly trying to keep life quieted. I like peace. I like routine. I like to have my family just hanging out together at home.



Our daily life is fairly full. I don't mention it much, but my husband also has a full-time job besides being full-time Pastor of our small church. (This is a whole other post in and of itself.) He is a "tent-making pastor" as they call it, and I can't explain it, because when I look at our life from the outside, I think "How on earth does that work? Impossible!" But, it does work...it works really, really well. It works, because it is what God has ordained for now and He supplies in all the areas we are lacking (and they are many, my friends.) Will it change? Hopefully...but if it doesn't, we're content with that too. God has created peacefulness in our home, even with the full schedule.



Anything extra on top of this full life of ours makes it start to feel busy to me. As I mentioned yesterday, with VBS this week, I find myself re-adjusting to the extra demands, and discovered two things about myself in the process.



1 - When life starts to feel like I can't keep up, I go quiet. Weird, I know. I am generally a friendly, outgoing person. I will talk your ear off...with hand gestures to boot. But when it starts to feel busy, I feel the need to quiet myself. To withdraw some...to hide-out for a little bit...just me and my Jesus. He "fills my cup" back up, just like the old hymn says, and then I can face life again.



2 - When the busyness seems like too much...I begin cleaning. I mean deep cleaning...organizing...and when my family doesn't cooperate with my cleaning agenda...not good, not good at all. It's a weird phenomena. Something very sad, tragic, life changing can happen, and you will most likely find me cleaning out closets and rearranging furniture. I've done this for as long back as I can remember...I've just never thought about WHY I do this...until last night.



Here's what God showed me: When life feels like it's out of my control (which it always is whether I feel it or not) I clean because I can fix it. I can work and see tangible results from my efforts. Control. I am a control freak, my friends. Last night, it's as if God was giving me a "heads up" on this issue. For my own good, He requires a change of heart on my part...the cleaning in and of itself, fine. The cleaning as a knee-jerk reaction for control...not fine. He wants my first reaction to be my knees in prayer, running to Him. Sounds easy...but for a control freak, it's not. Thankfully, I have Him to help me :)



Just some realizations. What about you? How do you deal with the busyness? Are you a freak too!?!? :)

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Realness...

Oh friends...a bloggy make-over is coming my way...FINALLY! I can't tell you the details, except that Shauna is working on it and I know I am gonna L-O-V-E it. I will try to stop talking/thinking about it now, but it. is. hard.


On a completely different subject: I do have a little secret that I need to share with you. I hope it won't cause you to look down on this little lowly Pastor's wife (*wink, wink*) but you deserve the truth....straight from the horse's mouth (we say things like that around here.)



It is VBS week, here at our church in tiny town.


The secret: VBS is not my first love. *Gasp* I know. I KNOW! JUST what you want your Pastor's wife to tell you...(now would be a good time to hit your knees and thank Him that I am not your PW...unless I actually am...then you should REALLY hit your knees ;)


VBS is exhausting. And I'm not even the one that organizes it. (God bless our sweet church friends that do...I can't thank them enough...but there is an excessive amount of pleading, on my part, that they never stop doing it. EVER.)


I am teaching the 3 & 4 year olds this year. By the way, I almost just heard you laugh. Since my arrival in tiny-town, I have been avoiding this age group like the plague. Mostly because this was the age group my own children were in...and frankly, I was already worn out from my own, why would I want to teach MORE?!? Last year I even volunteered for crafts, just to avoid them. I am not crafty my friends.


This is where the miracle comes in. This year, I wanted to teach them. Granted, my oldest two are now not in that class anymore...but still! I am actually really looking forward to it. God is seriously amazing! Because that did not happen all by itself!


Because of the flooding, we're not quite sure how many kids will be able to come, but the numbers do not matter...the hearts of the children do. I'm praying that each child that comes through our doors will leave knowing who God is, how much He loves them, and why that matters. Because it SO matters.

*UPDATE* Shauna finished my layout (super fast by the way) and I couldn't love it more!!! YAY! If you're in need of a new do, go check her out (little square on my side-bar.) With just a little info she totally figured out what I wanted...I think she may be a mind reader :) Thank-you Shauna!!!!

Happy Monday Friends!

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The Fun Never Ends...

This is the lazy-bloggers version of a slide show...where none of the pics are labeled and you are supposed to just make up the captions...it's good for your imagination...I think.

Here was our weekends order of events:

1. Parade: in nearby small town, it's a big deal...lots of tractors and firetrucks.
2. Pedal Pull: Little pedal tractors that are weighted down and kids see who can pull the farthest. Noah got 2nd in his age group and qualified for state (HA!) it's his 2nd time doing that and, no, we do not go to state to pedal a little tractor :)
3. Some family pictures and Ben's grandparents house
4. Supper and Smores with friends from church and of course Fireworks!
5. Saturday, got to see my beautiful friend Shell at her baby shower...isn't she adorable!?!

Side note: Please insert *eat more mini-doughnuts* in between each number.

Now I need to go find my elastic waist-band pants...

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Reunited and it Feels So Good...

Dear Mini-Doughnuts Kiosk,

It has been a long time since our last visit. You have do idea how I've missed you and longed for warm weather to bring you back to me. I wouldn't want to share the celebration of the birth of our nation with anyone else but you. (well, ok, there are others, but you're very very close to the top)

If by chance, over the next 24 hours, we end up spending too much time together, I may say things that I do not really mean. Things like "I can't eat any more or I will barf." Do not worry, it will pass. I will always have room for you...eventually.

All my love,

Sarah


*Jamie over at Purposeful Pursuit interviewed me and it's posted TODAY. I know, what you're all thinking ...WHY?!? I thought that too...because I am certainly not famous, and my blog is...what shall we say....tiny? Yep, tiny. Jamie is fantastic...that's why she interviewed me. Her sweetness overpowers my boringness...so go give this wonderful gal some huge blog love...(and I will pay you in mini doughnuts later :)

Happy 4th of July!

images from google images

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Linkage

I am feeling the blog love this week, my friends. Seriously...A LOT of love!!! Three awards in one week kind of love. I know, I didn't believe it either.

The awards themselves are not the big deal...it's the people behind the awards. Each blogger that was gracious enough to pass it on to me, encouraged me beyond measure. Each of the (many) blogs I read daily make me smile, laugh, cry, think, and relate. That's what I seek to do here...exactly what you're doing for me.

Angela at Becoming Me has given me the "Blog of Distinction" award for those that "bless others." Angela is a very gifted writer, go to her blog and check out the links of different places her stories are featured. For her to see past my mediocre writing abilities and hear my heart, is truly a blessing to me!

I'd like to pass this award onto two wonderful bloggers:

Wendi, whose opening her heart to all of us at Every Day Miracles.

Lindsay, whose pictures are seriously breath-taking! at Bales & Tales

Jackie at Our Moments Our Memories bestowed this lovely award to me. It's the Arte y Pico (which I have no idea what that means...because although I took 2 years of Spanish in high-school, I really wasn't paying attention... but I'm to pass it on to "any I consider deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also contributing to the blogging community, no matter what language") I always look forward to reading Jackie's blog, we "get" each other. Before I pass this one along, I thought I should let you know that I think this is just a pretty lady, dressed up in a fab dress, who happens to be wearing wings...and not an actual angel, because according to the Bible she would need to be a big masculine he to indeed be a real angel...I'm a stickler for theology...who knew!?! OK, back to business, I'd like to pass this one along to:

Jodie at The Sky is Only Dark Between the Stars, a super witty, word-crazy new blog friend. She cracks me up...and maybe she can figure out what this awards name is :)

And lastly, Jill at Simply My Thoughts blessed me with this cute little number. Jill is also a Pastor's wife, and she's one of the many I've met through blogging that I wish I could hang out with in real life! I'd love to pass this one along to three bloggy friends:

Beth at Playin with the Paulsens. Beth is a real life friend that introduced me to the blogging world, and she's been my biggest supporter/encourager since I started. To know her, is to love her...go give her a visit, it won't take long to feel the love :)

Michelle at Raising Little Women...who is raising the opposite gender as I am, and yet...everyday life is very similar! I always look forward to checking in with her!

Tracie at Coffee with the Crain's...Tracie and I are newer bloggy friends, and have a ton in common. Her husband will also be starting seminary, and soon she'll outrank me as the coolest pastor's wife...(which by the way I am, in tiny-town...because I'm the only one :)

Now ladies, it's your turn to pass the love along...I forgot to copy each of the rules, but you know the drill...

If ya'll knew how long it just took me to link to everyone...you'd laugh your little tushies off...for real. Receiving and giving awards is tough stuff. *smiles*

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Barfing & Updates....

Since returning from vacation, I have thought about changing the name of my blog to: Barfing in the Parsonage. I'll be kind and spare you the lovely details, let's just say that when it comes to sickness, we all share around here.

Today, I am using a lot of this...and not just in the kitchen.

I realized today, that I have left ya'll hanging on some stuff, which I'm sure you've been eagerly *cough* awaiting...

1. Twitter: Still confused...especially on how to add people, but whatever...


2. This here: No progress... except that he does go get the diaper now. I bought Diego undies, thinking he wouldn't want to pee on Diego...wrong. I have the one kid who thinks it feels FUN to wear wet underwear. Good grief.
3. Sierra is out of the hospital and doing well. She did not have a broken back, but broken collar bone and shoulder, and had her spleen removed. Her mom emailed and said that life in general is beginning to look up, and that Sierra is planning on being at our VBS next week! Please keep the prayers coming, it's still a long road for this family.
4. Tiny-town update: The FEMA bus has left...I don't know if that's good or bad. Post office is still closed. People are cleaning up and beginning the repairing/rebuilding process. Some are still in a holding pattern. The biggest blow has been that the Kwik Star has decided to not re-open. In tiny-town, Kwik Star is badly needed. Remember this and this? Shame on them for bailing. Now we're praying for something even better to come in!!
5. I happened to get another award. And I'm gonna pass it on...but you'll just have to come back tomorrow for more on that...

Can you believe it's Wednesday already?!? Craziness.

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