Time Consuming

I did not realize last night how much time I spent working on the blog (changing the background, adding pages, etc) until I went to read to L as part of our bedtime routine. Time just slips away from me when I sit in front of this rectangular screen. Facebook, the blog, email, and research of things to do in homeschool can take hours out of my day. Then I reflect on the time I used to spend on the computer because I know that I've cut back some. However, I know a lot of my time could be better spent - studying God's Word, playing with the kids, being with Glen, etc. Yet there is a need for me to be on the computer - it is my current hobby. I've quilted, scrapbooked, made crafts, and other hobbies. Each occurs in a different season of my life. I still like all those things, yet have been showing preference for the computer. Glen is still waiting for our tenth anniversary present - a quilt that I started in 1996. Here we are married 19 years and it's not finished - maybe this winter it will get done. :)

Time is such a precious commodity. Ecclesiastes 3:9-14 states "What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him."

God gives me time to use and to glorify Him. How have I been using that time? Have I been focused on Him? Have I sought His glory in all that I do? I know that I can do more for His kingdom than I already am. I am thankful for God's work in my life and that His time is perfect!

Too Cute

Each evening as the children go to sleep I have my "sayings," short little sentences that I say and then I talk no more. So, for my three year old, I tell him: "I love you. You're my special boy, my best friend. Sleep tight." Last night, I no sooner got out "You're my special boy" that in his sweet little boy voice and big smile says, "You're my special boy, too, Mommy." Just too cute!

Family Photo Friday

Here are pictures from our homeschool Back to School Party last Saturday. We were at Glorietta Bay Park on Coronado Island. It was a beautiful day! I couldn't choose just one photo! :)

Enjoying the sand and surf

Enjoying a snack after swimming

My boys!

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for our military and their families. Over the last five years, I have watched many of our congregation be deployed and leave their families behind for short term (3 months) to long term (over a year). I've watched the spouses keep the family unit together and continue through the everyday routine. I've prayed with them and tried to share in their struggle. Yet, I'll never truly know what a military spouse goes through during a deployment. So I tip my hat to the spouses of those who serve our country. Thank you for sharing your loved one with us. Thank you for your faithfulness to your loved one and carrying on in their place while they serve. Thank you to the service men and women who sacrifice time with their loved ones to serve our country. May you and your families be blessed by God for your servant's heart!

Visit Laurie at Women Taking a Stand for more Thankful Thursday!

Painful

There are a lot of things in this world that causes pain: emotional pain from the grief of a lost loved one, physical pain from an injury (or toothache in my current condition), financial pain through the loss of a job and income, and the list can go on. Yes, currently, I am going through some physical pain from a root canal. This tooth has given me trouble most of my life. It's had two or three fillings and is now getting a root canal and crown. It has abcessed and the infection is so great that we are doing the root canal in stages. This tooth problem is one reason I can't sleep tonight (the heat is the other).

But as I think of the pain I'm in, I am reminded of the physical pain my Lord suffered on the cross. Why did He suffer? Because of my sin that I've kept hidden from the world's view, just like the abcess infection under my tooth. I have always wanted to put my best foot forward, as my mother would say. I wanted to make people happy. I didn't want them to know the sins I've committed in my hidden heart. I didn't want them to know what a mess my life truly is. Yet, God accepts me knowing all these things. He knows me intimately and had created me for a purpose. Mom also said that your sins will eventually be revealed, just like the abcess was revealed by a swollen jaw and my pain. You can't hide them. They are there just waiting to be revealed. Psalm 69:5 says "O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee." (KJV) I am thankful to have God as my best friend who loves me unconditionally!

Family Photo Friday

Each of us have our favorite relative. Admit it, you do. As I was going through old photos (I'm loving my new scanner!), I found this old picture. I know that I talk about my mom a lot. Here she is with her brother and sister. These were the last remaining Crosbys (the teacher in me says to change the "y" to "i" and add "es"). Mom was the youngest of 13 children. I'm not sure where Uncle Jack and Aunt Mary fit in the birth order without looking it up. This photo was taken in the mid-1980s outside Aunt Mary's house. This is a definite keeper of a photo!

Mary, Jack, & Martha (my mom)

I've Won!!!

I was rather surprised by this award and wasn't even sure I wanted to accept it. Nevertheless, I did and I am a little excited. Thank you to the reader who nominated me!

I've Fallen in Love

Montrose Baptist Church
Rockville, MD
August 17, 1991

I've fallen in love with this man every day for the past 19 years. Today we are celebrating our special day. Glen, my love, I cannot believe we have been married for almost two decades. You are the man of my dreams, my knight in shining armor, and the one God designed just for me. I love you more and more each day. We've been through many things and have grown closer because of them. I cannot imagine my life without you. I am blessed to be your wife! I love you!

Family Photo Friday

I'm planning to create a new theme for Fridays - Family Photo Friday. I used to participate in fPhoto Friday over at Natalie's. However, she stopped doing this meme. I've missed looking at my photos and choosing one. One of the reasons I've created this blog was to keep our long distance family up to date with our growing family. I don't know if I'll invite others to join with this - gotta figure out Mr. Linky. For now, enjoy watching our family through our camera lens. :)

This is an older photo (circa 2004 I believe) of my two sisters, Nancy (seated front left) and Nanny (kneeling back left), my late brother, Bub (seated front right), and myself. The location was Nanny's house in Western PA. It was the last time the four of us were all together.

Time Alone

This was written in late July, but for some reason never published. I still wanted to share.

Does anyone else like to be alone? I treasure time to myself. Quiet, peaceful time. Time to reflect, to pray, to think, to do nothing. I love this time! I can never seem to get enough of it. I often feel as if my 24 hour days are nothing but noise, clutter, and busyness. Last night I got modified quiet time: driving in the car with both children. However, they both sat quietly and watched a DVD in the van as I drove for two hours. The quiet was wonderful; it was refreshing; it was a great time of prayer! I want to encourage you to find some time this week to spend alone with the Lord - no radio, no TV, no kids or husband. Just you and God. I promise you will be blessed!

Putting It Altogether

I feel like I've always got to put my life back together. The grief over the last few years has been overwhelming at times. This morning I woke up from a dream. Now I don't hold much stock in dream interpretation. However, I have been praying a lot for the family members that were in my dream. They seemed so close and real (both live on the East Coast and I'm now West Coast). One was a member of Glen's family and one a member of mine. These two family members have never met. Yet, they were together in the dream. Both family sides have experieced great loss in the last three years. I think I just need to spend more time with God and allow Him to put things back together instead of me always taking charge.

Updates

Okay, home computer not working. Virus is not getting cleaned off and the computer does not co-operate at all. I'm using an old laptop that moves slow - but is moving faster than the desktop. I really have a love/hate relationship with technology.

M is doing well. Staples from his head have been removed. In response to Missy's request - this little boy of three and a half has been to the emergency room five times. He's been stapled, stitched, glued, and probed (with a catheter). His first trip was because of a high fever that would not go down. Hence the catheter - to see if it was caused by an infection. He has been there twice due to severely cut fingers from soda cans - both times surgically glued. Then the stitches were from falling from a bench and landing on glass with his knee. This last trip was from a girl hitting him in the head with a plastic shovel because he was throwing sand at her. M is "all boy."

For the bird story, suffice it to say, the neighbors have been feeding some wild birds on a regular basis for about two years now. The flock has grown to about 85 birds now, mostly pigeons. These birds have decided on my house and two others in the neighborhood as their perch. It can be rather overwhelming to hear the entire flock take off at one time.