Extra, Extra...

This blog has been moved. I can't yet delete it because I haven't saved my few stories of my kiddos. Join us at our newest blog--one our family will share. I think it's on my profile, but I'm still new at this, so I don't know. Find us at:
theothersideoffine.blogspot.com.

Tiffany

Pasta at Midnight

So, I'm here again. It's been some many moons since my last rendezvous with this blog. My children aren't yet 20 years old, but they are getting much closer. It's midnight, sometimes an hour I share much time with and I just ate pasta because that is all I had. And I was hungry. I'm needing to go to sleep...but that doesn't always come easy to me.
And so I sit. And think of all the thoughts I have in my head. And decide, it's time...it's time. It's time to go back to my beloved pen...well, keyboard. My husband recently decided to start blogging for part of his job. He--on more than one occasion--has stolen some of my inner thoughts and put them to pen. And I feel it is time this infringement on my rights stop! Now he has to come up with his own stuff(which he is, good at anyway).
I'm thinking of too much tonight. Too many swirling thoughts. So, I'm just going to say, I'm back. Hoping to share some of life and discover what each day holds. And to share about my sweet, sweet family. And try not to let facebook beat out a good session on the blog--it makes for short broken communication anyway! Besides writing, my new goal is to figure out how to make my blog all pretty...I need help with that!
Until........next..........time...................

Poetry of sorts....

Some of you may know, not all may remember--that I like to write. I think if speaking were writing--the regular, normal, everyday, every second type of communication--I would feel much more free to be than I do. It's just a more expressive way for me. The walls can come down a bit for others to peek in. I usually enjoy writing stories...but sometimes a poem or two will become my muse. Poetry to me is like abstract art. As the "artist" of the poem, what one writes is very personal and has a specific message, but as others see the "art," it can become different things for different people.

I wrote a poem many years ago that for some reason, has been coming back to mind a lot lately. I hope to seek God's heart earnestly enough to find out why, but I thought I'd leave it on "display" for your own interpretation:

I vow to Thee
patient I will be,
not contesting Thy time for me.
waiting still,
my hand you fill,
with Thine unto eternity.

Shalom.

ZAPITO, my Bandito

Well, a couple of weeks ago, it finally happened. It was a stormy night. No one was sleeping very well--lots of lightening and rain. And then Zap--all the power went out--including the power on our ill computer who won't turn on once turned off. And this time, no amount of prayer was helping it-we put it to rest. Except my hubby has not been able to transfer any files because he has been gone almost 1/2 the month traveling for various work obligations. Thus, I haven't been able to recover "my favorites" that stores all my favorite blogs. I feel out of the loop! Our newest family member--the computer--to which I unfortunately spend more time with than my kiddos some days, came just a few days ago. He's new and still kind of "naked", but we're learning to work together.

Meanwhile, the rest of us have spent our non-computer time reading what I think is the funniest, crack-me-up, wittest type of books: Skippyjon Jones!!! Amigos, you got to readito because if you don'tito, you won't know what you are missing outito--just read Skippito! That is, if you have kids who can laugh with you and you have a really groovy Spanish accent--you'll need it or you'll just sound like a white gringo trying to sound like you want a Spanish accent.

As soon as I have the ability to get some pictures up--you'll be hearing about(and seeing): my daughter and her play and Max's soccer game. My son and his Peter Pan fighting adventures. My other son and his general goofiness and his many animals.

So....stayed tuned!

We're back from our alien adventure!

If you've felt like you haven't caught up with our life lately, it's because we haven't caught up with our life lately! Call it laziness, call it business, call it being sick too much, call it being sucked up on an alien adventure--I'm not really sure which wins. But, unless I have a deadline and am right up against it, sometimes it just doesn't get done! It's a good thing we have people over to our house every week so I have to make sure my house is in decent order!!

Here's a synopsis of our past months: new year's came and no one got sick--at least not on new year's--all the kids have seen the doctor more than once, I had the flu once, Kyra had the flu twice, Mark had the flu once, are boys escaped with only fevers and coughs and other fun stuff. The conversations around our house include: "mom, I goed" (potty); "knock, knock." "Who's there?" "Bobo." "Bobo who?''; "We've got the best of both worlds...."; "M-A-X"(you'd think he was part of this family); "Poo Poo and Pee Pee"(with lots of laughter); "Stop whining"; "Mom how bout we cuddle"; "I go to Bobo house sometime-I go Nonna and Grandpa's house sometime"; "Can I have a sheet of paper?"; "go Keagy, go Keagy..."; "Meow, Baaaa, elephant sound(for my son who has multiple animal personalities); "I fight you"; "Mom, be monster and chase us"; "Kleenex"; "Treat please"; "Cuz I do"; "I just being silly"; "Keagan-stop copying me!"

Let's hope I can get this blog thing working and actually post this thing. If I can, I'll try and be back soon!

Oh, the weather outside is delightful.....

Ok, it's just now starting to get cooler. I haven't blogged for so long because my seasonal clock has been off a bit. But, I checked the calendar today, and it said it was December 3rd. Wow! I've been running outside with shorts and a t-shirt up until a few days ago....and since I haven't ran since then, I can't give an update.

So, beyond keeping all the nasty spiders alive that should be dying off, I'll take it. I don't miss bitter cold. We'll see if I miss snow. The kids have asked for snow a few times, but I told them we could have it at their grandparents house.

We still hang out inside our home too. We've got three creative kids that always find something to do...

He demands It

My BSF teacher said something this past week that I think is worth consideration.

She said, "Knowing Jesus is King demands a response."

Since hearing that, I've been asking myself some questions(actually, I'm thinking of them as I write, so if I haven't been asking them, I am now) maybe you can ask yourself the same.

I have no stones in my hand here.

There is NO middle ground. None. If you know Jesus is King, then you are constantly responding to Him, one way or the other--He demands it.

Do I really love others well? Not just I say I do but certain things really get to me about that person or I only do because I feel obligated to type of love. I can fake actions, but I can't fake heart. He demands a response.

Do I really what to live out a life for Him? What does that mean? Am I uncomfortable? Because I'm pretty sure God doesn't want us to be comfortable. I'm pretty sure Paul wasn't comfortable while in prison. I'm pretty sure John the Baptist wasn't comfortable living on locust and honey. Comfort is Satan's plan--not Gods. If I am still in the same box, sitting with the same like minded people, not stretching myself to get out of it and meet the tax collectors of this world, then I'm pretty convinced I'm too comfortable. He demands a response.

Do I blame God or do I desire God? Am I living each day, with bitterness because I don't have the life like so and so. Am I tired and weary and taking that out on my family? Look--truth is, life is hard--it is messy. And I sure as I could name many names of those whose life looks better than mine, I could name more whose doesn't. Blaming God for my daily strife--my life-long strife--gets me only as far as that blame will take me. Desiring God--amidst it--well, that takes me to God. Who is bigger than me. Who can help me rise above it--or accept it--or understand it. He demands a response.

Am I really wanting love from God or seeking love from others to fulfill me? Don't get me wrong--having loving relationships is essential. I need it. And I struggle a lot with the feelings of failure in giving and failure in receiving love. But until I stop. Until I say He--He is enough--then it doesn't matter how loved or unloved I may feel by others. Bottom line--those who love me--really love me (like my hubby) will never be enough. And those who "don't" love like I'd hope they would, can not be a thermostat for me to live my life. I know this--so why do I go there? Who fulfills me? He demands a response.

I think I could continue, but it is way late and we have had a LONG week.

Whether you've known God is King for a long time--or are just beginning to understand what that means--remember (as I am trying to) that whatever you chose to do, is a response. Laziness, procrastination, non confrontation out of fear, staying safe, are still responses.

Let's be more real with one another--let's be more real with God. Knowing that Jesus is King demands a response.