Nathaniel Bruce

Now for my Nate-Nate.

Of all three of my little men, he's the one that goes un-noticed the most.  He's shy and quiet, so he sits contentedly in the background when one of the other two is near by.  He is, however, one of the key ingredients in the friendship of the other two, because he is a peace-maker when the two other boys butt heads.

Much to Andrew's dismay, Nate lost 2 teeth in one day (the day of our big snowstorm), robbing him of his defining "grown-up" feature that he was able to lord over the others.  On top of that, Andrew has lost only one tooth, and Nate has lost two.

 

 

Nate has been very kind about the whole thing, though, reminding Andrew he has a new tooth coming in already, and that he is still older.

Nate is ... special.  I've never met a little man so focused when he wants to be.  He can do amazing things, yet he chooses to let his brothers show off, without so much as sticking his own accomplishments out there.  He is content to play second fiddle.  I'm sure, when he gets to an age that testosterone is flowing, it may change a little, but I see him very content with being in the background most of his life.  

He is in kindergarten at home this year, which really amazes me, since he didn't seem to have much interest in it before this year.  I went into this school year thinking to keep him busy, and letting him catch whatever he caught.  He has continually amazed me by doing better than I expected.  He is more adept in math than in phonics and reading, but he is doing great in those, so I'm not worried.  

Of all of Nate's wonderful characteristics, I think the most noticeable is his love for animals and younger children.  If we're at the park, he'll find a littler child, and encourage them to do the things they're scared of.  If there is any animal, anywhere, he will sit right down with it and make sure they're friends before he leaves.  With our dog, Brownie, he is, I think, her favorite.  He is so calm and caring.  I can see him doing very well as a veterinarian.

So, that's my Nate.  He is a blessing, no matter which way I look at it.  I love having him around each and every day.  I'm thankful for his thoughtfulness and his kindness.  I'm thankful that our Heavenly Father knows what is best for us, and plans our lives in such a way as to remind us of his goodness each and every day.

Does Life ever Surprise You??

Does life ever surprise you??  I don't mean just the complex stuff, but simple, somewhat stupid things as well??  It certainly surprises me.

What am I talking about?  I know that if you're reading, you're thinking that.  But, really, has something occured to you that was such a simple concept, it amazed you that thinking about it amazed you??

Here's my simple, somewhat stupid discovery as of late.  I am amazed that when you go seeking for answers, you find them.  I know. Blonde, but true.  It amazes me that for 30 years of my life, I went along without wondering what really made me tick.  Here in the last two years of my life, I've learned more about myself than I learned in all the 30 previous years combined.  And all I did was start to look for the answers.

For instance, my marriage is one of the top 20% of the marriages in the world.  It has been a wonderful since the beginning, almost 9 years.  But, I knew I could do some things to make it better.  So I went looking for information.  I found Created to be His Helpmeet, which helped me to realize that JOY was the thing that draws your husband to you.  After that, I found Just for Women, which helped me to learn about how guys think, and how to understand my husband better.  After that, I found Secrets of Fascinating Womanhood, which taught me the two most important things about my husband and his thoughts (first, that he wants to be accepted, and second that he wants to be admired).  Ok, I know, PATHETIC!!  Things I knew over here in my brain, but they'd never moved over there to connect with my thoughts and actions toward my husband.

Second thing I've learned:  I've always been an insecure person, and also, I have a tendency to be negative.  Found out a couple days ago through an overheard conversation that the two things are linked.  Made sense as soon as I heard it.  Everyone I know that is negative is also insecure.  And vice versa. 

Third thing I've learned:  God is good.  He provides in ways beyond my understanding.  He brings things into our lives when nothing else will do.  He nurtures, cares for, and prunes us as an award winning gardener would do with their prized plants. And if we step back and allow Him to work, he does a work in those around us that is far better than we could do ourselves (and He changes us, so that we fit them better, too).  God has amazed me in all that he has brought about in our lives to draw us closer to HIM.

And lastly, I've learned how important I am to God.  Of all the katrillion things He has created, He chose mankind to love and send His Son to die for.  Of all the massive stars, and moons, and comets, and space rocks, and galaxies God made, He chose to breathe life into one little insignificant human body.  He chose to let that human have a free will, even when He for-knew that that human would sin.  Of all the babies that have been born, or miscarried, or born with handicaps, He chose to make me born perfectly healthy.  Of all the families on earth that He could put me in, He put me into the one that would take me to church every Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night to hear about Him.  Of all the Principals in the world, He gave me one who would love me, even when I was in the wrong, and would show me what the love of God is like.  Of all the men in the world, He gave me one that I could best complete without feeling too stretched, or too limited.  Of all the children in the world, He gave me three little wonderful men to raise to be HIS servants.  When I think through all the things He lined up, just so my life could take place.... I stand AMAZED.

So, I ask you again, Does life ever surprise you?  Do you ever stop to think just HOW GOOD God is to you?  It certainly surprises me.

Getting to the Heart of it All

The thing that has been in my heart and mind the most here lately is the HEART.

The Bible says in Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"

And it Proverbs 23:26, it says, "My son, give ME thine heart..."

It seems to me that God is saying, "You really don't know what you want, TRUST ME."  In fact, he does say something to that effect in Proverbs 3:5, "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto THINE OWN understanding."

It's been something amazing to watch God do a work in our family.  Some days, I'm ready to quit, but each day, God either encourages me, or points out something new to change, depending on what I need at that moment.

All of that to say, it bothers me when I look at so many people in the church, who are VERY active, DOING all the right things, but complaining about it, or fussing about all the work they do that goes un-noticed, or complaining about being "under-appreciated".

I mean, wasn't the point in the first place to do things for GOD??  And doesn't He see you WHEREVER you are??? And doesn't He say to not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing???  Since when is it wrong to go un-noticed??  I feel so awkward when people tell me I've done something right.  Isn't that the way it's supposed to be??

It breaks my heart that so many FUNDAMENTAL, INDEPENDENT BAPTISTS are so bitter.  So utterly twisted inside that they are the inspiration for the "Grumblers Song".  If I'm not doing what I do at church for the Lord, to serve HIM, WHY am I doing it??

It's a question that I haven't quite answered, but it's something that has weighed heavily on my mind.  It's not as if I haven't been there.  I did complain, a lot, about some of my ministries, and whether or not they are important.  But since I gave much of it back to God, and let Him have control, and delegated some of what I do to others who were looking for something to do, my life has been much better.

I can honestly say now that I LOVE what I GET to do for God.  HE takes care of the details, and I just follow.

So I guess my question is: If you go to the heart of what you do, what do you see there??  Are you doing it for show, so everyone thinks you're a wonderful person? Or are you truly enjoying serving God to the best of your ability??  No matter where it is: home, school, church, grocery store, cleaning bathrooms..... WHY are you doing it?  Is it to BE a blessing or is it to GET a blessing??  Are you being SELFISH in your service, or are you doing UNSELFISHLY??

Blogs I follow and why

So, I'm putting this down more for myself than for anyone else (since I have SO many followers) *eye roll*

I follow eleven different blogs and enjoy each one for a specific reason.

An Abiding Place: My friend from college (who I remember as Miss McSherry) puts down thoughts kind of like my own blog.  I follow it mostly to keep up with what is going on in her life.  Some of her ideas, I steal, but since that is more of a personal blog, I won't add a link.

Heavenly Homemakers:  Ms. Laura is a kindred spirit, and I enjoy reading everything she puts down.  From recipies (which I have stolen for use in my home) to friendly advice, to more natural eating, to homeschooling FOUR little boys.  I can't tell you how valuable I find her information.  I read everything she puts out, every morning.  Some articles I have favorited, and return to them often.  Her site is: http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/

Keeper of the Home: She has really good tips for gardening and I enjoy her upbeat, positive attitude.  Her husband has cancer, if I'm reading it right, and yet she still takes the time to pass on information.  Her site is: http://www.keeperofthehome.org/

Keeping of Time:  She has three little girls, about the same ages as my three little boys, and I enjoy hearing their adventures (living vicariously, I guess) and I also enjoy looking at her art projects and aquiring the ideas.  Her site is: http://keepingoftime.blogspot.com/

New Life on a Homestead:  This is one of my favorites.  She and her husband just started a homestead that utilizes less electricity and does more things from scratch.  I enjoy reading the "mishaps" and trials and tribulations that I would no doubt do the exact same way.  She is hilarious!!  Her site is: http://newlifeonahomestead.com/

Passionate Homemaking:  I love this one because she deals with everything home-making related.  Everything from cooking naturally to good appliances, to husband-wife relationships, to ideas for children.  Her site is:  http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/

Preschoolers and Peace:  She usually has good ideas to use with Aaron, and for now, her daughter is in the hospital, pretty messed up.  So, for now, it tells me what to pray about.  Her site is: http://www.preschoolersandpeace.com/

River Rock Cottage:  Just found her site, but I'm enjoying her things about home-school.  Her four girls are older than my boys, but with her experience, I'm learning some valuable lessons about home-school.  Her site is: http://riverrockcottage.blogspot.com/.  However, she just recently moved to http://homesteadrevival.blogspot.com/ and is doing a give-away until noon on Saturday, Feb 13th.  I'm really enjoying the information she is sharing on the new site.

The Royalty Review:  It's the blog of a friend from college.  Her's is a private blog.  I follow it for everything from pictures of her kiddos, to info on what she's up to nowadays, to thoughts from the Bible, to funny quotes.  She's just fun to follow.  Sorry, no link. 

So, there you have it.  Blogs that I follow... why I follow them.

My "New" Stand Mixer

Isn't God good??  He always comes through right on time, with the perfect solution.

I have just now started making bread more often, and it is hard to do with kneading so much.  It takes much of my time to do it, and it makes such a huge mess!!!

Well, yesterday morning, my sister-in-law called to tell me that she had just gotten a larger mixer, and that I was welcome to her old one if I would like it.  I told her I would try it, and tonight I did.

Here is a couple of pictures of it:

I made bread with the dough mixers, and they are WONDERFUL!!!!!  I have never seen making bread so easy!!  Because it is an older blender, one of the mixers does fall out, but what is that to the workout of kneading from scratch???

One of the loaves I made was apple, raisin, cinnamon bread.  It was VERY yummy!!!

Now, I get to make more bread for my wonderful family, and be an even bigger blessing to them!!!!  God is SO good!!!!!

Send HIM a Valentine

I am jumping on board a Valentine challenge from a friend of mine, Deena Royalty, which she posted in her blog.

"This year I am deciding to post each Friday in February to let you all in on the happenings here on Haywood to hopefully inspire and challenge you use Valentine's this year as an excuse to celebrate ALL MONTH, smothering your spouse with affection and having a ton of fun yourself.

You up for it???  Good!

Ok here's my romantic plan. Now by romantic I mean, "Fun, cheap, and special to us." What's romantic to us is quite possibly hilarious to you and vice versa. Who cares! Just have fun!"


Funds are tighter than your momma's girdle, so I have to do things that will be inexpensive and fun all at once.  I'll be using mostly what I have here, with only very limited additions from outside.  We'll see how things add up in the end.

I'm going to follow her gameplan of following the little childhood rhyme: "I love you in big ways, I love you in small ways, I love you this minute, and I'll love you always."

For the "big ways"- Tomorrow.... Let's see, I can... something big...  I can make a card from my scrapbook stuff, make a picinic dinner for us to take to the beach, have my mom watch the boys for the evening, then pick up the boys and hang out with them for the evening.

For the "small ways"- I can get up and make him a good breakfast before he heads off to work, and hand it to him with a second hand-made card.  He really likes a ham egg and cheese biscuit (all home-made, of course).  I can make sure the boys and I look nice when he comes home from work and that we have a really nice evening planned for him.

For "this minute", I can make a third card, and ........ have songs about minutes and love lined up to play in the background and make a candle-lit dinner for us. 

For "always", I can.....  I don't know.  HELP!!!!  I'll keep thinking on this.  It will be good for me to do.

Swagbucks

OK, so I've heard about these from two different people, and I was wondering if anyone else has heard anything.  I'll also post this on Facebook.

Swagbucks is a toolbar that you use as a search engine, and from what I've heard, the more people you tell about them, the more you get in return.  I'm utterly confused right now, since I have the same three swagbucks I received when I signed up.  Don't know how else to get them.  I learned some about them here:

http://newlifeonahomestead.com/2010/01/have-you-signed-up-for-swagbucks-yet/

and here:

http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/using-swagbucks-and-amazon-cards-for-organic-groceries

and here:

http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/another-happy-swagbucks-promotion

I don't know quite what to think, and was wondering if anyone could help me out.  Thanks.