ANOTHER "GRACE" TRUISM:

"The effort to repay God in the ordinary way we pay creditors would nullify graceand turn it into a business transaction. If we see acts of obedience as installmentpayments, we make grace into a mortgage. Let us not say that grace creates debt;let us say that grace pays debts."

John Piper, Future Grace

Thanksgiving Sentiment...

A sweet gal I know through the Five in a Row family sent me a lovely Thanksgiving ecard this week. I loved the sentiment expressed there:

"Let our lives be our thanksgiving."

Long after the holiday has passed, may I remember to embrace this attitude for living.

SO MANY REASONS TO GIVE THANKS!

Thanksgiving is my husband's favorite holiday. He loves the rich history behind it, the great food, the gathering together of family and friends, the fact that it is one of the LEAST commercialized of the holidays, and the unique purpose of giving thanks to God. Its not about buying stuff or "what am I gonna get". Its about simply being grateful and realizing how abundantly rich our lives truly are. Its about embracing those we love as the most precious treasure God has given us.

This Thanksgiving, I wanted to take the time to list some of the things I'm most grateful for. My life has been so tremendously blessed that I'm sure I'll leave out many, many of the gifts I've rec'd, but its a start. And hopefully as I list these blessings, it will help me grow in contentment and peace.

So as the old timey hymn goes, I'll count my blessings and name them one by one:

• A husband who is loyal, hardworking, honorable, intelligent, Godly, brave, and goodlooking to boot!
• SEVEN beautiful, talented, precious children
• Parents who loved me and sought to give me the best in life including teaching me about God's love and helping me find HIS will for my life
• My brother Edward and all the fun times we had as children
• Beth, we may be cousins by birth, but we're sisters at heart
• Roy, Sally, Vers, and Rose...brought to us thru marriage, joined to us with love
• My extended family...grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, etc.
• A house with running water, electricity, and modern appliances
• Beautiful, natural surroundings in which to raise my family
• Good health
• A good college education---and the great friends and memories I have as a result
• Restoration Church and the people there who are becoming our spiritual family
• Our homeschool support group---what a great group of parents, grandparents, and kids
• Mrs. Ine Phillips, my first grade teacher who taught me to read and opened a world that I still love escaping to
• Two years spent in Swaziland, Africa that changed my life
• God's amazing GRACE
• The Five in a Row Homeschool Family
• My husband's job and good bosses over the years
• The Troubadour sisters...the spark still warms my heart
• Denise Gregson and my time spent with her family in Mass. this fall
• My "old" friends who are still dear and close to my heart despite time and distance
• My "new" friends who brighten my here and now
• Caring neighbors
• Dependable babysitters
• Loving and committed teachers in our church's children's ministry
• Freedom, opportunity, and prosperity as an American citizen

And now for the "icing" that isn't necessary but sure makes life sweet....I'm thankful for:

• Scads of pet cats
• Our faithful and gentle lab
• My silly duck
• Silver toenail polish
• Internet, blogs, email, and my Five in a Row boards
• BOOKS!
• M&M's
• PoPcOrN
• A great local library
• Rootbeer
• A new coat...the first new on in over 16 years!
• Rootbeer
• Autumn leaves
• TexMex food
• Target ;)
• Jane Austen
• Rooibos tea
• Krogers!
• Talk Radio
• Amazon.com
• Fluffy hair
• Lipstick
• Dates with my hubby
• Toe socks
• New, black boots
• My digital camera
• Scarves
• Starlit nights
• Playing in the snow
• Hotdogs cooked over a bonfire
• Crisp, fall mornings

Okay, so I could go on and on and ON, but I'll stop for now. The song says "count your blessings name them one by one" but if I really listed every good thing in my life, I just don't think I could count that HIGH!

Praising God for all HIS gifts this Thanksgiving....for every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!

RANDOM MUSINGS on GRACE & LAUGHTER...

Funny films, silly friends, corny jokes, and CrAzY cakes make me laugh. And laughter feels SO good! But what feels even BETTER is knowing that its not "all about me" and my ability to do good, but its "all about HIM" and HIS UNFAILING GOODNESS!!! Of course, KNOWING about His free gift of grace makes it possible for me to laugh and fully enjoy life!

This quote is such a great reminder of the freedom we have in Christ...

"The main thing we learn from a serious attempt to practice the Christian virtues is that we fail. If there was any idea that God had set us a sort of exam and that we might get good marks by deserving them, that has to be wiped out. If there was any idea of a sort of bargain, any idea that we could perform our side of the contract and thus put God in our debt so that it was up to Him to perform His side, that has to be wiped out." C S Lewis, MERE CHRISTIANITY

And the cake pictured below is a reminder and evidence that God has given us some pretty unique and laugh-inducing talents! LOL!

Thanks, Angel S., for being the instrument God used to bring a lot of chuckles into the lives of the Restoration Ladies on Friday night. Anyone care for some armadillo cake?!? ;)

MORE SILLY STUFF...

I guess I'm just in a mood for laughter....and since I'm a bit of a wierdo, much of what I laugh at is wierd! My homeschool pal and favorite book-dealer sent me the following:

AMAZING TIPS FOR BETTER LIVING

• If you are choking on an ice cube, don't panic. Simply pour a cup of boiling water down your throat and presto. The blockage will be almost instantly removed.

• Clumsy? Avoid cutting yourself while slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them while you chop away.

• For high blood pressure sufferers: simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure in your veins. Remember to use a timer.

• A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.

• If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives. Then you will be afraid to cough.

• Have a bad toothache? Smash your thumb with a hammer and you will forget about the toothache.

• Sometimes, we just need to remember what the rules of life really are: You only need two tools: WD-40 and Duct Tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape

• Remember: Most people seem normal until you get to know them.

• Never pass up an opportunity to go to the bathroom.

• If you woke up breathing, congratulations! You get another chance.

• And finally, be really nice to your family and friends; you never know when you might need them to empty your bedpan.

Okay, did those make you smile? Chuckle a bit? NO?!? Okay, so what you might need is a funny flick.

Oh...You DID smile and laugh. Okay, so maybe what you WANT is a funny flick.

Regardless of the reason you're in the market for a few more snorts and giggles, here are some of MY favorite funny flicks:

• NACHO LIBRE
• NAPOLEAN DYNAMITE
• CHRISTMAS WITH THE CRANKS
• THE GODS MUST BE CRAZY
• CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN (I like both versions, but the new one is funnier)
• CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
• CHICKEN RUN
• JOHNNY ENGLISH
• ELF
• Various old B&W LITTLE RASCALS
• The new PINK PANTHER (with Steve Martin)
• MUPPETS FROM SPACE
• HOODWINKED
• MISS FIRECRACKER
• MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING
• THE RED GREEN SHOW

Gotta run...my laundry piles are calling me. Hmmm...wonder how I can find humor in THAT?!?

AFTER YESTERDAY...

....and all the stress involved with the election, its time to give the brain a break and have some FIZZY FUN! Enjoy the video I've posted below. :D

Extreme Diet Coke & Mentos Experiments II - The Domino Effect

The guys from EepyBird are back, with 251 bottles of Diet Coke and over 1,500 Mentos mints. In Experiment #137, they did a mint-powered version of the Bellagio fountains. This time, it's one giant Coke & Mentos chain reaction that has to be seen to be believed. Keywords: eepybird eepy bird mentos coke diet coke mentos experiment fountain soda science geyser experiments fountains geysers

NEED HELP KNOWING WHO TO VOTE FOR?

Here are a couple of online resources:

http://www.vote-smart.org/

http://www.justiceatthegate.org/PDFs/Biblical%20Issues%20Platform%20Comparison.pdf

http://www.vote-usa.org/

Now get out there and VOTE!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY'S ELECTIONS


Almighty God,
Your Word tells us, "The eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His." You see past our appearance, our education, our occupation, our experience, and You see into our hearts. And those whose hearts are completely Yours find uncommon strength from You.

Lord, as we enter into the upcoming congressional elections, we ask that You would give us leaders who are men and women after Your own heart.

Give us leaders who will lead with integrity and truth. May they be men and women of conviction who are more concerned about doing what is right than about securing a high approval rating.

Guide us to candidates who are honest in the midst of what is often a jaded political process. Although no one is perfect, show us which candidates have been tainted the least and who desire what is best for all Americans.

Please lead us to vote for people who not only have deep seated morals but are grounded in a relationship with You. May these people seek direction from Your Word and from godly advisors. May they be men and women of prayer who don't usurp Your authority but understand that they are answerable to You. And may they be courageous enough to walk in obedience to what You have required of them.

Equip our leaders with the skills to craft and pass laws with knowledge and understanding. Give them the wisdom to know how to achieve concesus.

Lord God, You are the one who sets up leaders and deposes them. You are the one who gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. This November, open the eyes of the American voters so we will see past the appearances and into the heart. Through our leaders, may You turn our hearts toward you.

Adapted From: We Will Pray for Election Day by Tom Freiling and Mike Klassen. Allegiance Press.

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This prayer was found at http://www.presidentialprayerteam.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ptv_res_futureprayer . If you've not voted today, please do so! Even "small", local elections make a difference. Many times the "small" elected positions are stepping stones to offices that have greater influence and power such as representatives, senators, governors, and supreme court justices.