Messing up in parenting

Hello Sisters

Tonight I was sitting on the porch swing. As my 17 yod walked away I asked the Lord, "where did I mess up?"

I'll tell you.

#1 I encouraged my daughter to "be someone" and attend college, career, money...etc...

#2 I haven't always respected my husband. The first 10 years of our marriage I would question him in front of the children (I still sometimes do, I try and shut my trap, but sometimes my flesh over takes me.)

#3 If mom doesn't respect dad, children do not respect dad. ugh!!!!!

#4 The BIGGEST problem. Moving through the day WITHOUT JOYFULNESS. Now I had moments of happiness, and joy, but I would let things (dirty clothes, spilled food, crying baby) steal my joy. I still do let things steal my joy. :( But, I am getting better. When a crisis hits, honestly I cave. But after a few minutes to an hour, sometimes over night, I re-group and move into joyfulness.

My oldest daughter wants to move out when she is 18, get a job, continue college. :( I am praying that she will turn her heart to the Lord and SEE that He created her to be a wife and a mom, not a career woman. She sees other Christian professional women, why not her? I told her for years "your going to college." The bible is right when it says you reap what you sow!

With my younger 3 girls we are enjoying, WITH JOY, daily homemaking tasks. My girls are pursuing baking and cooking and they see to tasks with a LIGHTNESS and a joy that I didn't have with Hanna.

I once read Michael Pearl say "JOY IS THE BEST GLUE FOR A FAMILY." He sure was right.

If I had a chance to do it all over again with my oldest, I'd choose MORE JOY!!!!!!

I don't have that chance to relive her whole childhood again, but I can CHOOSE JOY with the rest of my children.

I want to type more, but I promised Yatzee with the children. :)

Blessings,
Shannon

Took a little vacation...

Hello Sisters!

As you can see I haven't been here in a while. Here's my good excuse. I joined LA Fitness the end of December and been going to the gym 4 days a week from 5:30am-7am. Which means I go to bed early (I try by 10pm) and get up early. I also quit caffeinated coffee and now my hot drink of choice is Good Earth Sweet and Sour decaf. I went back to eating about 70% raw foods.

I am purposed on loosing some weight, but more importantly, is gaining muscle. I was hot when I married my hubby and there is no reason why I can't be hot again! So, I'm working hard to loose weight, gain muscle and eat healthier.

When I get home from the gym the children are usually up doing their chores and we get into the day (Jesus and homeschooling) around 10am.

My oldest daughter Hanna is planning on serving Nancy Campbell who prints the Aboverubies.org magazine. Her magazine is dedicated to encouraging mothers in their HIGH calling! And what a wonderful calling it is!!! Hanna plans to go in April and stay for about 2 months. Nancy publishes this magazine, and has for the last 32 years, free for the asking. Hanna will work in the office 40 hours a week along with 3 other young ladies also serving. There will be no physical pay, but I am BELIEVING that Hanna will receive much more than money as she sets herself to serve and hear from the Holy Spirit for the direction for the next part of her life.

I wanted to tell you I have already taped 2 fat videos of me. One when I first started exercising and one about 2 weeks ago. I'll put those up in the next few weeks, so that I can do a third and will have lost a noticeable amount of weight so that I am not as embarrassed! :)

Well, it's time for me to go because Hanna needs my help fixing her laptop. You know, that's another reason why I don't get on the computer. I want to be available for my children. I don't want to be behind a computer nodding my head "yes, yep, etc..." while my children say, "mom, mom, help!" I want my children to always know they have my full attention! :) Hanna's here...see you later!

Blessings,
Shannon

Life is Good...

Well, we serve a GOOD God, so how can we expect anything less?!

Here in Southern California the weather is about 70 degrees, the garden is slightly damp from the light shower we had last night. The wind is blowing the trash can lids down the street and the neighbors are sure to love thousands of leaves from our 60 foot Ash tree. The sky is a brilliant deep blue with fluffy white clouds over in the West, something that is rare in Los Angeles.

I've been spending time with the Lord in the afternoons on my bed admist unfolded laundry (lots of it), sharp pieces of Legos under my butt and legs (those feel good), and nail polish that the baby poured out on the wooden floor (and the girls white couch, white coffee table and all over her hands.) Just as I am praying for the older ones, the baby comes in to sit with me (I mean she wants boobs, wants to talk, wants me to play with her, etc...) so I ask her if she wants to pray with me and she says nothing but sits in my lap and repeats every last word I say.

I have let the children get away with not obeying the first time and this has been disasterous in the older ones. When I ask my older ones to do something, they will, but they argue a few times. Mom, I'm really busy now. Mom, can I finish my book first. Mom can you ask someone else. I didn't see this as a big problem years ago, but the older ones teach the younger ones and it SPREADS...like a disease. So, thats what I'm working on and on and on.

I DO NOT have perfect children. I think in alot of ways I have totally messed them up. But you know what, THANK GOD for Jesus who works in us to ever purify us and as we repent and encourages us in Him, we can in turn bless and correct and smile with our children. I can go from spanking to no spanking back to spanking again and then back and forth again. :) I still haven't figured it out yet. Only to say that I have learned that I should have either had stuck to spanking or no spanking. Either way you can still get good fruit if you are CONSISTENT and add LOTS OF GRACE (smiles, hugs, kisses, praises.)

Both Eric's father and my father are bachelors, so they come here every night for dinner. Tonight we plan to watch 700 Club, and play Yatzee and Uno Flash.

I have SO MUCH to be thankful for.....LIFE IS GOOD!

Blessings,
Shannon

Sophia's B-day , a better marriage

Sophia's 2nd Birthday

Hello Sisters!

"Be merciful and gracious to me, O Lord, for to You do I cry all the day." Psalm 86:3

I've been crying a lot. I've been crying out over my flesh which seems to get the best of me. I think I'm the only one with these problems but then I remember Tami and Jim Baker, that gay pastor in Colorado (having sex with boyfriend, doing drugs and preaching against gays) and scores of other fallen Christians who look good on the outside, but inside are crumbling.

I have been thinking about all the different Christian women I know....who are divorced. One of them with 7 children "fell out of love" and her husband wasn't doing his "Christian duties as far as a father goes."

I COULD BE a divorced woman myself. My family knows I'm great at being a b*%$&. I'll walk Spirit controlled really good for a while. Then one day I "look" at my circumstances. I don't like what I see. I will think about it the next day when my husband brings home 99. cent laundry store soap instead of Trader Joe's laundry soap. This will go on unchecked for a few days, I will ignore the promptings of the Lord and then something else will happen and my anger grows inside my heart. That's how I turn into a B.

You'd think BY NOW....being married for almost 19 years, I'D SEE MY FLESH RISING UP AND CRUCIFY IT ON THE SPOT. The sad thing is......I don't. At least not most of the time.

I am determined to SLAP my flesh back A G A I N and A G A I N because I CAN do ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME.

I think I'll stay married to my husband. He is the father of my children, we enjoy each others company, that's saying a lot compared to most women I know!

I was given some advise by an older woman the day I was married on how to keep your man. #1 Lots of good food #2 Lots of GREAT sex. I'd like to add one thing. #3 Lots of admiring and praising towards your man. and for "me" #4 KEEP MY FLESH UNDER CONTROL.

I was thinking. Next time he makes me mad, I should just take him to the bedroom for some love-making. If I did that every time my flesh rose up, I might just have a new man, I mean, a NEW ME! :)

Blessings,
Shannon

Brothers and Sisters as Friends, EMERGENCY PRAYER

PLEASE PRAY for my friends George and Denise Brass and their 4 boys. George is in the hospital for serious stomach problems. Please pray for God's mercy. :) THANK YOU!

Hello Sisters!

Hanna and Mattias (on the piano) are 18 months apart. They used to fight, argue, and say, "I'm never talking to them again!" Well, now Hanna is just about 17 and Mattias 15. Hanna is gone 2.5 days a week caring for her great-grandmother and she takes a college class. Mattias plays football 4 nights a week. They don't play like they used to. They don't run through sprinklers and throw mud at each other (o.k. Mattias does!)

My older 2 have entered into a season of sweetness and caring towards one another. Instead of fighting, they laugh together. Instead of arguing, they talk to one another. And instead of saying, "I'm never going to talk to them again," they sit on the couch and joke and giggle and I have to say 100 times, "you both be quiet!!!"

Yesterday I had a friend here. In the course of 2 hours of trying to talk with her, the baby wanted everything. The computer wouldn't work. The 6yob couldn't find his Lego's. I caught Mattias looking at the Yahoo sports page instead of doing his school work. Hanna couldn't find something. Bekah was somewhere around the house??? The 6yob had the squirts and his toy fell in the toilet. Then I heard, "mom, it's too late the baby flushed the toilet!"

At that point, I actually thought, "and why did you have all these children???" But as moms, WE ALL go through moments like these, right? :)

I can actually say, as they get older, it only gets better. And yes, I would do it all over again! :)

THE LORD IS GOOD AND HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Blessings,
Shannon

Girls in the Kitchen

From Garden to our Kitchen ~ Video and Pics

Bekah picks Roma Tomatoes and Sweet Basil in the garden.

After dehydrating at 125 degrees for about 7-9 hours, this is what the finished product looks like. The texture is that of a raisin.

The weather is hot and my tomatoes are multiplying by the dozens. I was wondering what I should do with so many, and a simple internet search led me to sun dried tomatoes. I don't know why I didn't think of this myself since I often buy small jars of sun dried tomatoes at Trader Joe's for about $4.50.

After drying them I soaked about 2 cups full (of the dried tom.) in about 1/4-1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil, along with oregano (mostly this herb), some basil, sea salt, and garlic. I put all this into a little crockery jar with a tight sealing lid and shook it throughout the day (left out on the counter) to distribute the dressing.

After 24 hours, a loaf of my daughter's homemade Artisan bread, and these tomatoes, well needless to say it was a complete and absolutely delicious meal that anyone would have paid $$$ for!

The next video will show the finished product!

Blessings,
Shannon