Blessings a plenty!

Sorry friends. Stomach virus crept through my house AGAIN this week, hindering my blogging. So I'll squeeze three days into one and condense for time's sake! :0)

I have said all week, "All I do is go from one mess to another mess to another mess. Laundry and dishes, laundry and dishes." It seems some days that all I do is clean up one kid made mess to move to another kid made mess. But when I stopped a minute to think about it, I am blessed to have a family to make a mess at all. There was a time in my life when I didn't want children or to get married. Can you imagine how lonely that life would have been? UGH! My life is so busy with the things that matter most now, my children, my husband, and my home. I'm not world's greatest house cleaner. Honestly, I simply don't like to clean! But, I also don't like dirty clothes, dirty dishes, and a stinky house, so therefore I have to pick it up. But, it does get old! I like change. I know most people don't, but I do. I like spontaneity. I don't like the mundane and I consider cleaning the same thing over and over mundane. Bleh! But, I consider myself blessed that I CAN do it and that God has given me a family to clean up after. Without them I would be lonely! In that, I am blessed. I will never be the preverbial "Proverbs 31 woman". I do try, strive even, but I do not consider getting up before the sun bless-ed and then burn the lamp oil late into the night my idea of fun. But, I do consider being able to homeschool a blessing, so I get up early just to teach my children. I stay up late to prepare for the next day and spend time with my husband. There are a lot of things I sacrifice, but I consider that a blessing, not a hindrance. So what if I'm not the P31 woman all the time. My prayer is that one day my children will say of me what I say of my mother, I hope I can be just like her one day!

My mother WAS the P31 woman. She could sew, cook, clean, teach, sing (to me anyway), play an instrument, she was SOOO GODLY. I truly do strive to be like her. She was the Proverbs 31 woman to me. I was so blessed to have a mother like her. I miss her daily! Her wisdom was astounding. She was and still is one of my blessings!

I have the rare pleasure to homeschool my children. I have had some think I've lost my mind for doing such a thing when there are such great schools out there to do it for me, but in truth, I LOVE IT! We have such fun each day; laughing, talking about history, and exploring the world together. It is not always a picnic mind you, but I love it all the same. I feel I was made for teaching and who better to teach than my own children. When we learned about indians I cooked some of the things they ate and we ate in a teepee and made our own little teepees. When we learned about Columbus, we made boats and spy glasses, when we learned about The Declaration of Independence, we made Liberty Bells. It's such fun. My children have learned almost 10 memory verses! How EXCITING! It excites me that I get to teach them that, that I am blessed to be home with them. I have been told my children will not be as smart as school children, they will be weird, unsocial, taciturn. My response is, HAVE YOU MET MY CHILDREN? They will talk your ear off. They love to tell you all they have learned, recite verses, sing. (Well maybe not Madeline, unless she really knows you, but that's just her.) Homeschooling is a wonderful blessing!

If you know me just a little, or even if I just met you, I'm sure I've mentioned the Philippines to you at least once!! I go every January if I am able, to share the gospel with the amazing Filipino people. I went for the first time three years ago not knowing what to expect and a little intimidated by it all. I had not really shared the gospel with many people before and it made me nervous. Would I be able to? Would I do it right? It is a rush to share the gospel of Christ with someone. Who needs to jump out of a plane for that kind of rush!? Sharing eternity with someone is so exciting. I hope that makes sense. When you know you're investing in someone's future in heaven, you feel amazing, like you are part of God's fight to make the population is hell smaller! I AM A SOLDIER IN GOD'S ARMY!! YEAH! I get a little excited as you can tell. For me to go to the Philippines now is like going to my other home. I love the Philippines. I have such a heart and a passion for the Filipino people. I love sharing the gospel, but I love getting to see my family there now! Yes, family. They truly are like my family to me. Can you imagine not getting to see your family? That's how I feel about the team we work with when we're there. They are my family! I am so blessed that my husband doesn't mind keeping up with the house and children for two weeks. I am blessed that God always provides the money for me to go. I am blessed that our pastor has an equal passion for missions that I have and is willing to drop his VERY busy schedule TWICE a year and go to the Philippines for two weeks. I am blessed that we have such a great Filipino team that works so hard BEFORE we get there to plan out places for us to go to share the gospel and I am blessed that God allows me to go! Investing in others eternity is the ONLY reason we are here. If we're not sharing, why are we here? I am blessed that God loved me enough to forgive me and allow me to share His loving forgivenss with others.

I am such a blessed person! I am blessed with friends, children, a husband, family, homeschooling, my amazing parents, and being a missionary (in country and out). I could go on for days about all the things God has blessed me with, but I want you to stop and think of all your own blessings. Let us thank God TODAY in this Christmas season for all the blessings He's given us and reach out in love and share some of those blessings today with others. If we're not giving, then why are we here in the first place? Bless you today friends. Whether you like me or not, agree with me or not, I pray God grants you blessings A PLENTY!!!