gifted.

My kids started school fairly early this year... the boy became a high school freshman at the beginning of August, and the girls began 5th grade a week later.

Tomorrow is another day of beginnings. The day my son starts college.

yes. you read that right. college. already.

Due to the discovery of an amazing local charter school, my son will be attending both high school and college simultaneously for the next 4 years. For free. Tuition, books, tutoring, guidance, transportation to and from the community college... all covered.

In June of 2013, God willing and the creek don't rise, my son will graduate with both his high school diploma and an Associate's degree.

thank you, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

At this point, he's not really doing this because he is particularly motivated, he's mostly excited about the shortcut of two less years of school. I'm glad he's taking the opportunity, that he's already working hard, and that he'll be able to reap the benefits of this amazing gift as he grows older and comes to understand how valuable this gift of time, money, and education is.

It makes me think of the early days of my faith. I'm not 100% sure of my motivation for wanting to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior when I was 9 years old. I think part of me wanted to be darn tootin' sure I wasn't going to end up in hell, and when I saw that Jesus was willing to offer me an opportunity to go to heaven for free, I wanted IN.

And though I probably still don't even know a the half of it, I'm beginning to see that though my motivation for aligning myself with Christ was simple and based on my limited understanding, there is so, so, so much more than I ever could have imagined. As I grow, I'm realizing that simply not going to hell is just the beginning... there is amazing value in the true peace, the confidence, the guidance, the relationship. More than I can express or explain.

Sometimes people will come to me with concern that children can't really understand the commitment they're making when they ask Jesus into their hearts. They don't want to lead them in a 'sinners prayer' because they aren't mature enough. Though I can see why we'd want to be careful not to let children think that repeating a few words is their free ticket through the pearly gates, I am far more hesitant to discourage anyone from beginning a relationship with Him. I suppose I think, as long as they have a basic understanding of Jesus Christ, and Him crucified... as long as they realize the God loves them, and that He was willing to die to save them from eternal separation from Him... then who are we to say they are too young to 'get it'? Which of us is confident enough, arrogant enough to say we completely 'get it'? Isn't it better to just allow the children to accept the gift and then learn along the way?

I find it fantastic that we don't have to completely understand how a gift works before we accept it. If that were the condition, I would have to give back the laptop computer my husband bought for me a few years ago, and the new cell phone I got for our anniversary. I have a basic understanding about how to use them, but how they actually work is so far beyond what I know. I get the opportunity to learn as I go... just like I do with the gifts I get from my Heavenly Father~

Praising God for the gifts of salvation, peace, and hope....

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above
James 1:17 a

a CATastrophe (thanks, frumpmama)

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28

Wednesday is my favorite day of the week. When my kids are in school, it's even better. It starts with a to-do list, it's filled in the middle with checking things off that list, and it ends with Wednesday night services, where I get to serve God in the Children's Ministry... I fall into bed every Wednesday night, exhausted but happy.

and there was this Wednesday....

It began, innocently enough, with a swarm of ants all over me, a trip to It's a Grind, and a blog post. I had a doozy of a task list, but felt confident that when I made a phone call to the vet to take my daughter's dumb cat in that the day would still be redeemed.

why do I call her stupid? well, let me back up.

exhibit A: my darling twins, preschool age~

These ladies talked us into adopting two tiny grey kittens about 5 years ago, who grew up to be these cats, Exhibits B & C

Exhibit B: Princess

Exhibit C: Sparkle

Now, about a week ago, we started smelling cat pee. EVERYWHERE. on a towel left on the floor, on a blanket, on my yoga pants. that's why we're calling the cat dumb.

Except we couldn't figure out which cat. You see, those rotten cats look an awful lot alike (see exhibits B & C)... and running away from the scene of the crime they look pretty much identical. Based on the fact that the cats had experienced UTIs a couple of years before, we decided we needed to figure out the perpetrator ASAP so we could get her to the vet. Either that or get rid of both cats which won't work because of those blue eyes (Exhibit A)

So, We watched the cats like hawks. Finally, Tuesday night, Princess was caught peeing in the middle of the rug. And that's how take Princess the vet made it to the Wednesday task list.

Okay, now we're back to the story....

So, after running a jillion errands, I grab the cardboard cat carrier and Princess and try to put her in the box. almost funny. After she got out three or four times, I finally wrangled her into the box and into my Explorer.

We get about a quarter of a mile down the road and the cat rips her way out of the box... running like crazy all around the car. She's yelling an alien-like MWARRRRROWWWRRR as she gets all the way to the way back of the car, to the front, to the middle, frantically trying to rip out of the car the way she did the box. I'm looking for a safe place to pull over, but the side of the road is full of cars, so I am about to turn down a side street, when Princess flies from the back seat onto the dash, right into my line of sight.

I very carefully turn the car, which sends the cat under my feet and me into absolute, sheer terror as I try to maneuver a stunt-turn into the one parking spot on the street and fish the cat out. She went limp as I put her into the box, and after I was sure she was breathing, I fashioned the box back together with some painter's blue masking tape and continued to the vet, shaking and breathless.

So, we get to the vet: me carrying a ripped up blue-taped box and Princess screaming for her right to an attorney. Of course there's the customary four million pages of paperwork to fill out as I hold the box together and Princess howls that she's not been read her Miranda Rights. Finally, we get some pity, a loaner cat carrier, and then they show us to her exam room.

Princess would tell you the temperature taking was the worst, but the most humiliating part for me was when I glanced in the mirror to see my hair sticking up like Phyllis Diller, my mascara sweating down my face, and my once-black Old Navy Perfect Fit V Neck Tee covered in fur. it's all about perspective, really.

Anyway, after probing and questioning, the vet gets the cat to pee on the table (very cool trick, btw), does a urinalysis to find out that.... oh, what?

yeah.

we have the WRONG CAT.

to quote a very clever chick...

have a nice day.

ants.

This morning I sat down for my morning study time in my favorite part of the sofa.

Ugh. It feels like there's something on my neck.
Maybe I'm crazy.
Bluck, nope. It's an ant.
*looks around*
nothing.
now it feels like there are ants all over me.
I hate that.
Drat! it's another ant on my shoulder.
Where are they coming from?
Phooey! it messes with my head when this happens.
Now I feel like there are hund...
OH JASON! COME QUICK! HELP!

yep. that's how my morning started, being swarmed by ants all over my neck, shoulders, and back. Who knows what they were after, the tiny little terrorists. Was so STINKING FURIOUS that I could hardly keep chill. Had to put off study this morning until I got here at the local coffee house, where I plopped down with my Bible, commentary, and journal and defied satan to EVEN TRY to interrupt. Jesus covered me despite my foolish challenge.

The ants aren't what's been keeping me from blogging lately, though. It's not the ants that have gotten me so behind on laundry, or from putting off giving my girls their promised mani/pedis all week, either. Like the ants, though, it's been tiny little details that have been just creeping up on me and just swarming me to death:

wow. I'm getting really busy lately.
is it just my imagination, or am I getting in over my head?
nope. not crazy. got too much on my plate.
tomorrow is going to be better
oh wait. I'm speaking that day.
maybe the next day.
oh, no. going to consult that day
after that.
nope. back to school night.
next week?
ugh. newsletter's due. yay!
it's Wednesday! now I can rest.
nope. gotta take the cat to the vet.
she's got a UTI again. peeing all over the house.
oh, and I need to get to the grocery store.
and get the oil changed.
and send in those observations.
and get that super strength ant poison .
really need a pedicure.
and I miss my blog.
and my blog friends.
OH FATHER GOD! COME QUICK!

And then I realize... all these little things? satan's lame attempt from getting me off track. not going to work. Today I am taking every thought captive. Today I am going to keep my thoughts focused not on the ants (the little insignificant things) but on the beautiful, wonderful, tremendous things God has blessed me with.

My kids are back in school and enjoying it
I get to do what I love for a living
I have a wonderful husband and a getaway this weekend
My friends are amazing
Speaking yesterday got me a gift card for the soy Chai I am drinking right now
Wireless internet exists.

*sigh* God is good, ladies. All of the time. Take that, ants!

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Phil 4:8

eighteen.

Monday commemorates eighteen years of marriage to my husband, Jason.

EIGHTEEN YEARS.

When we wake up in the morning, we will do what we have done every August 17th since 1991. As soon as our eyes pop open one of us will say,"Happy anniversary!" and then we will give each other a high five to celebrate the fact that we beat the odds again.

Then one of will go... wow. eighteen years...
and the other of us will go... dude, that's a long time.
and then we'll agree that we'd do it all over again...
and then one of us will kiss the other not worrying about morning breath...

and then one of us will thank God that she's blessed with such an amazing man.
and she will marvel that, though she thought it was completely impossible,
she loves him more than she did last year or the year before...

yep that's pretty much how it will go.

predictability may be boring to some, but to me... it's stability, security, and a beautiful joy.

Happy Anniversary, Husband of Mine....

Forever~
Amber

This is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They trusted God and accepted the authority of their husbands.
1 Peter 3:5

Perfect Strangers

I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb
Jeremiah 1:5a

This morning I am trying to pull myself together. I need to make a list and get crackin' on resuming... life. The people in this house want to be fed, have clean clothes, and perhaps have coherent conversation with the wife/mother who is rumored to live here. unreasonable.

I have this feeling that's similar to jetlag, even though I didn't even cross time zones. Truth be told, I think it has less to do with time and physical travel and more to do with the spiritual journey God sent me on. I've been stalled out trying to tell the story, but I guess the best way is to just start already, so here we go:

When I took off on a trip to another state to meet the friends who live in my computer, I had no idea that I'd be here so many days later, missing those girls and wishing I could slip back away to the island for just a little longer. I didn't realize how amazing, how easy, how BIG this trip would be for what God's doing in my life right now. All I knew is that it sounded like fun, and I NEEDED a break like nobody's business. And my husband said yes. So I went.

I stepped off the plane and into the arms of Gretchen, Kellie, and Jenster- and though I'd only met one out of three, I was struck by the fact that there wasn't even one awkward moment. Not even when we added Susan to the group. There wasn't an uncomfortable silence... at all. In fact, it was the opposite... we 5 perfect strangers seemed to pick up as though in the middle of an ongoing conversation.

We jammed to Rhonda, Gretchen's Honda and jetted out to catch the ferry to the island. It was a close call, but we made it- onto my first non-Disney ferry ride. Spectacular! By the time we got there, we had time to explore the beach home, find our beds (we didn't even need to do rock, paper, scissors- even finding the rooms were easy) and quickly fall asleep. My last thoughts were praising God that I was getting along so well with these strangers.

After a totally amazing sleep, I woke to find the girls out on the porch, drinking coffee and looking out at the amazing view of the beach. I heard a shout that there was a chai on the table for me and instantly I had that little panicky voice in the back of my mind. "Oh no! what if it's made with milk? I won't be able to drink it and might make them sad that they bought me a treat and I have to turn it down!" I cautiously lifted up the cup and saw the words 'Soy Chai' written on the side.

and then it hit me. These girls don't feel like strangers because they aren't. Somehow, when I wasn't paying attention, God put together this divine appointment with these precious sisters. He knew before He created the earth that we would be sitting there on Whidbey Island on that weekend... and while I thought I was there for a break and an adventure...He had a purpose far beyond what I could have ever asked or imagined....

So yes, I cried over a soy chai... and the taste of what what was yet to come


and don't even get me started on the stuffed french toast....


.......to be continued

how to begin?

I'm home.
I have so much to say.
But I'm stuck.

How do you put into words how meeting up with 4 incredible ladies can totally soothe an aching soul? How do you reveal the beauty, the silliness, the adventure, the tenderness, the relaxation, the comfort, the laughter? How can words do it justice?

I'll try again tomorrow. for now, stop by and read what they had to say way better than I could even dream up:
Gretchen at Jewels In My Crown Someday
Susan at Carpool Queen's Blog
Jenster from Jenster's Musings
Kellie from La Vida Dulce

To Do List

Preparing for my big trip! Just a few things left to do in the next day before I go:

1. Pack
   
2. Get my hair done to cover the grey match my profile picture make a good first impression
3. Tie up all my consulting work so they won't need to call me
   
4. Buy a whole new wardrobe (why are all my clothes suddenly dumb?)
   
5. Finish all the laundry so my people won't be nekkid for 4 days
   
6. Lose 20 pounds
   
7. Get some groceries for the house so they don't starve
   
8. Take up running
9. Renew library books
   
10. Print boarding passes

Not much left, really. Should be a snap.

You see me when I travel and when I rest at home.You know everything I do.
Psalm 139:3

ps: Tempted to make a T-Shirt for the occasion that says "On my way to a vacation with strangers that I met on the web Bloggy MIRL" just for shock value. Too much?

Devoted. Wk 12

Wow, somehow we've arrived at the end of our Seeking Him Together Study. This week, we are going to discuss these final three questions, then later we'll post a grand finale wrap up:

1.Why is daily prayer and scripture reading important?
2.What is your current routine?
3.How will your current routine be changed (if at all) after studying this chapter?

If you're posting, let me know in the comments and I'll add your link up here.

Like Gretchen, whose link is HERE
And Brook, who you can read HERE
And DianA, whose post is HERE

If you're not posting... I'm still curious about your answer to #2! I'd love to read about it in the comments below... don't be shy!

Now, for my post....
1.Why is daily prayer and scripture reading important? The answer to this one for me would be the same as my answer to "Why is daily eating and drinking important?" Because I function better throughout the day when I'm filled with nutrients and sustenance. I could rush out without breakfast, skip lunch, and blow off dinner- but I wouldn't make good decisions, I'd be cranky, and I'd be useless in a crisis. Same with my morning study.
2.What is your current routine? I used to cower in the corner when asked this questions, until I made the decision to just do it. Get up before the kids & husband. Even when it hurts. Get out of bed even when it hurts. Go to my quiet spot on the sofa, Get busy. In the interest of brevity, here's what I do (disclaimer: I'm not saying this is how everyone should do it, I'm saying this is what works for me. Also, I mix it up often, but didn't deviate until I got a routine. Everytime I get off track, I go back to the routine again. FYI- the #1 routine breaker is when I start turning the computer on before I sit down with Jesus. It's a BIG mistake)

• Write out prayers in journal- praises, petitions, care-casting, gratitude
• Read a chapter of the Bible- been going through the Bible for YEARS this way
• Read the corresponding commentary in my Application Commentary by Jon Courson
• Pray again and make my list of to-do's for the day, asking God to be in charge
• Repeat tomorrow
  

3.How will your current routine be changed (if at all) after studying this chapter? They suggested writing out one sentence to summarize what we read for the day, and then one sentence about how I intend to apply it. I am SO going to do that!!!

Okay, keepin' it short... keepin' it real. What do you do?

O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
Psalm 63:1

Seeking Him- The Final Chapter

Week 12 Question Preview

Hello! I can't believe I'm saying this, but this is our last chapter of our Seeking Him Bible Study! I'm going to post the discussion question for this week today- and was thinking you could perhaps answer them in your weekly post tomorrow, and then post a second entry later this week summarizing your experience with this study and how it affected you overall. A little wrap-up so to speak.

Sound good? Good. Then, here you go:

1. Why is daily prayer and scripture reading important?
2. What is your current routine?
3. How will your current routine be changed (if at all) after studying this chapter?

Can't wait to read what you have to say!!!