She won't be home for dinner...

"She won't be home for dinner"... is the t-shirt i am presently wearing and it describes my present situation. I don't really have a t-shirt but i come up with great "potential" shirts for people who ask me "what's up" or "how are you doing"...my t-shirt tells them.

The 'she won't be home for dinner' t-shirt is about my daughter, Megan, who just moved out! Saying the statement above sums up a whole lot of feelings and facts.

Feelings: sadness, happiness, excitement, proud, joyful, wonderment, contentment, peace, lonliness, some anxiousness, tearful, and many more.

Facts: she has moved out of the back bedroom...well not completely but close. she is an 1 1/2 hr away in Ft. Myers. Atleast it is not Montana! It is a drivable distance to visit but far enough not to just "drop in". (wish it was today!) She is doing what she has worked so hard for the past 5+ years. Teaching kids with Special learning needs. She seems happy and excited. She looks busy and has a full plate. Some 60+students in the 6,7,8 grade-teaching ESE science. She will do fine. The Lord has her in His hands. I need to trust in her Creator! not the one that 'carried' her (me!).

So what does your t-shirt say? I have had others that have said this: "stay at the corner"; "breathe"; "my straight jacket is pink and yours?"; and others.

Hope you have a fun filled day full of facts and feelings! But the greatest fact is "My Jesus loves me, sustains me, holds me, loves me unconditionally, hugs me, dries my tears, keeps them in a jar, cries with me, laughs with me, and defeats the lies of the bad guy!" May Jesus do the same for you...He already is!!!

to be or not to be...this is my quest? or question?

hey there.
Wow...i love to check my blog and see comments. when i do i blog! okay so i am just now checking to see if comments and it is the 20th! and the comments were a wee bit ago! (alittle irish accent for my wee friends) smile!

To be....a godly friend, mom, wife, and stranger to all
To be....in the Word daily. Just started a journal "The Busy Mom's Guide to Prayer" by Lisa Whelchel.

To be....there for my girls.
To be....more patient and less controlling...whew...that needs to be in caps!
To be....NOT to busy to help a friend, to pray, or be there for my family.
To be... a good listner to God's calling and His will in my life.
To be....fun and laugh often.
To be....th person God desires. and see His creation in me and embrass it!
To be....spontaneous and gracious.
To be....thankful for the blessings God gives.
To be....joy-filled and not joyless.
To be....a creative craftor cuz i love to craft! (dawn you should see my journals!)
To be....always in prayer and more on my knees in prayer.
To be....less in love with food and more in love with Jesus to "fill" me!
To be....on my bike, running, swimming as if i am going to do another tri.
To be....there, anywhere, always aware, always there for You.
To be....loving, gracious, giving, generous, encouraging, creative to those around me.

to be....in the moment. too see the gift of that moment. to love and cherish it!
To be....me....for the Lord. Oh, how i need to work on this. sacturation.
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Not to be...demanding.
Not to be...unnoticing.
Not to be...controlling.
Not to be...searching for food to fill me and not Christ.
Not to be...to busy for quiet time.
Not to be...anxious when I know God is in control.
Not to be...a constant "reminder" to my girls they "hate" to be reminded. I need to trust they will get it done!(oh that is the controlling disease in me!)

Not to be...wondering what the pool feels like and just jump in somedays!
Not to be...concerned with me..let God do that.
Not to be...to busy "not to be" on my knees for my friends, family, strangers in prayer more.
Not to be...crafting when i know it brings me joy and hopefully others when i give them a "happy surprise" created by me.

Not to be...always wondering why?
Not to be...always regretting the things i didn't get done, but trust God in HIS timing.

Not to be...what others want me to be, but what God wants me to be.
Not to be...to busy to blog, cuz it really is therapuetic.(sp?)
Not to be...making this list longer than the "TO BE" list!!! ha!!

so what are your "to be's" and "not to be's". I am crazy but sometimes i think i am not such a bad "blogger"/writer. Nah....blah, blah, blah!

love you readers...you keep me blogging. And yes there is a Megan story coming.

BTW...she is doing GREAT. She is really doing great. I get to go tomorrow, friday, and help her with her room. yeah. I miss her sooo much. that is why i can not blog about the experience yet...as i get all blurried (teary) eyes!

see you. love you. need you. love the moments...every moment is a blessing!

it is Aug 9th and 10pm: bedtime and i'm blogging?

I'm sorry. Truly sorry to the few bloggers that read me. I feel like Rip Van Winkle and i just woke and realized summer is over. But it really is. A week from today my world will change alot! Megan (our oldest) will have moved out and started her "Real World" teaching job (okay that is a blog story of its own) and our youngest Molly will begin her Senior year in High School. Way too much for me to process! Way too many "on hold" tears in the tear ducts (sp?). So what am i to do? Lean on Jesus. Follow Jesus. Let Him fill yet another jar of tears marked "Betsy's".

I want to....Learn more about Him. Yearn more from Him.

I will have so much on my "to do" list while my house is very, very empty. I need to read Crazy Love by Francis Chan. Because Molly has practically begged me to read all summer. Get back to the Y and swim. Get back on my bike and ride. Get those lbs off me. But really i want to study God's word while my house is silent. I want to listen to Him. "Be still" as scripture tells us.

I want to truly worship Him 7 days a weeks. So that my life becomes saturated with Him. My mind becomes saturated with Jesus. I know a select few that i could say they are "saturated" with Jesus. Blessed they are. but that is because they have read and studied God's word.

I have given up on re-do's in my life. I just know I have precious "moments" that are gifts from God. I need to be "in those moments" and seek to see what God whats me to do with them. Use them for Him.

So as i start to blog again. (yeah right, no really) I challenge myself to read this entry often...very often. and do as it says. be a good example for my girls. it is not too late. tomorrow is a new day. Praise God for Grace!

good night my sweet Jesus. Be with my friends. Bless them this evening or day. Let us see the blessings and be glad in them!

working on saturation...
betsy

A neat idea... Blessing Ring (not to wear)

I am making a "Blessing Ring" for a dear friend of mine, Jacki. I have talked about her in previous blogs. I saw this on a blog, so it is not my idea. I just "tweeked" it alittle. I am handing out index cards to people to write notes to Jacki. They can write scripture verses, song lyrics, notes, pictures, prayers, whatever they feel will "bless" (encourage) Jacki. I want to FILL this ring for Jacki. So a friend and I started handing out the cards last weekend at church. I am doing it again this weekend at church. The Blessing Ring has a blessing attached and I added a scripture..."Our heavenly Father has given us the gift of His blessing. A blessing is not only speaking well-seasoned words, but also putting in action those words of encouragement and praise. And so to you I give the blessing ring. Each time someone encourages you in a word or action, place it on your ring...a card, a letter, a picture, a bible verse, song lyrics...punch a hole in it, string it on your blessing ring." "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights who does not change like shifting shadows." (James 1:17)
So the way I changed it was to do the words of encouragement/praise for her and have them "pre-strung" on her Blessing Ring for her. It has bright colored index cards and bright ribbons hanging from it. On a tag card I put her initial on the front and on the back the "blessing" with the verse.
I can't wait to get it to her and "bless" her with it. What a blessing she has been too me. Constantly challenging me to look up scripture she has referenced in our conversations.
I hope you all have a friend like I have, in Jacki. A Godly-woman that inspires you, challenges you, and teaches you about our Heavenly Father. I am blessed...I have several I can think of here and past places I have lived. I thank those lovely ladies and pray that I can be like them. God bless you all.
Just a thought too. You could fill your Blessing Ring with just scripture verses, prayers, all kinds of things. So enjoy this lovely idea from another blogger buddy.
May you have a joy-filled day and say thanks to God who has 'blessed' us all!

Father's Day...

Hi. Happy Father's Day to all.

I was reading a friends blog and he reminded me about who else to concentrate my "Happy Father's Day" too....God. Our Heavenly Father does deserve a "shout out" of Happy, Happy Father's day to the God. He created me! Thank you. You deserve so much more from me then a "shout out". As my friend said...i need to be in prayer and praise mode to Him today and always. (he said something along that line, if you are reading this John...i am poorly paraphrasing you!but you are smiling!!)

But I have thought alot about God and appreciating the "moments" (even the oops moments) lately. I have a friend (jacki) who has cancer. She is amazing woman/friend. She has witnessed to me so much this week. I have been blessed to sit with her and pray with her and hold her hand. wow. there are no "oops" in Jacki's life right now. She is focusing on God, her Heavenly Father, the Great Physician, the Great Healer. She is quoting scripture and holding tight to it through these uncertain times. She has such a beautiful smile. We laughed. We prayed. We chatted. She talked. It was all precious.

Visiting with Jacki has really brought me to the realization of "time". We talked about how today is a gift. We are never promised tomorrow. She is not bitter. She is very focused on God and His word. It is because of Jacki this day and lately...that i feel blessed to vaccum my house, dry my hair, float in my pool, watch my girls, laugh with my husband and much more. I look at things through Jacki Eyes...grateful. appreciative. thankful. blessed. awed by my Heavenly Father.

thank you Jacki for waking me up. giving me a reality check. But i will still mess up, but Jacki is thankful for God's grace.(and so am i!)

So pray for Jacki. And be thankful for the moments and the "oops" moments in your lives. Say "happy Father's Day" to our Heavenly Father. Shout out a "PRAISE" to Him. (thanks John for your blog blutness).

Here is to our earthly father's who are now with our Heavenly Father....Happy Father's day- Dad. (July 27,1993) and Happy Father's Day - Chip (brian's dad) 2/28/09. I know you are well....it is well with your souls. (but we still miss you!)

oops

my life is sometimes full of "oops" moments. Do you have those? these are my "oops" moments lately.

• not keeping up with my blog..oops
• not keeping up with my reading the bible through the year...oops
• not being more patient with my girls...ooops.
• not getting as much done in my day that i would like...oops
• eating the wrong things...oops
• biking has been cut back...it is too hot...oops
• trying to think of more oops moments...oops.

so whatever your "oops" moments may be know to God they are not "oops" they are learning times with Him. He is calling my name...trying to get my attention...getting me to slow down...capture the moment. Be okay about the "oops" (but recovery is important).

I have to go get my hair cut and cover the gray...or that would be an "oops" moment we DON'T want to deal with!

I am glad when i sit and type my blog. I truly think that God has giving me a gift that needs to be explored or used more...writing (just like my friend Dawn). I love to write. I am positive i am not a "great use of english rules and language" writer...but i am fun and try to write from my heart! Try to minister through words.

So have a "oops" free day and more importantly a JOY-FILLED day!

setting sail...so a good bye and a prayer request

Good day blog world.
Wanted to ask for your prayers for a sweet family from church. We love, love Jackie and this week they found she had brain cancer...blah. So would you pray for her and her family Mike (husband) and son Jonathan. They started intensive radiation yesterday ( 5days for 3 wks). Pray for God's strength, peace, wisdom, will, and thank Him for being with Jackie and family right now. Thank you that she wants to witness to others through this! she is amazing. Thank you. It just seems when you hear about something like this..nothing else matters. You are just thinking positive she will be a survivor. God is in control. God is bigger than cancer. So thank you for praying!

I will be out of town (as you know) so no blog for the next week. see you and keep praying for our friends.