A Clanging Cymbal

This has been my mantra for 2009. It is my goal and I keep it before me at all times. I have noticed that many of us in blogland have our ideals....some of us are all about quilting (on our blogs at least) and do not share their real life. I started out that way but soon that was out the window. My life needs to be shared or I will go crazy!!! Anyway, I am getting off track again. In reading different blogs I have noted that we all have our different areas of focus....some are focused on end times, some are focused on politics and the economy, some are focused on parenting or homeschool, while others are focused on being "separate" and taking some radical stands such as giving up Christmas and Easter...hey, more power to ya!!...I am not here to judge. Then there are those like me who are focused on priorities. God, first, husband second, kids third and so on. Our goal is to be the best Titus 2/Proverbs 31 woman we can be! BooYaa!! Is that right, you Marine wives??? Well at 3 o'clock this morning I was given a lesson directly from above. I had been praying for Charlotte. Mostly for my relationship with her. Only a few mom's could possibly understand the awful feeling of not particularly liking your child. NOW I DO LOVE HER!! Yes I do, and I even like her most of the time. It is the behaviors that are unlikeable. Well we, just this last week, hit the beginning of another cycle of bad behavior. I won't go into any of it, as it the same old stuff, but I will say that the lesson I heard was one for all of us. I felt God tell me, I could spend every minute of every day striving to be that perfect wife, that perfect example of Titus 2 and Proverbs 31 and even hit the mark every time but, with out love, all I do is like a clanging cymbal in His ears! It means nothing. (I know those verses refer to tongues, but I think it is also the same for our actions)If your thing is that you only read the KJV and have not love, it is nothing. If you keep your house spotless and your self beautiful for your husband, and have not love, it means nothing. If you give up Christmas and any other pagan based holiday and have not love....nothing. What kind of love? Agape love. Love that has no conditions to it. Love that covers over a multitude of sins. Love that has no stop or start point. And here is the kicker...not just for our children, our husbands, our parents, but for EVERYONE! What will I do with this lesson....God knows. I will meditate on it for now and hopefully see the error of my ways quickly so I can climb out of this 8 year furnace of refining fire. Yeesh, even the famine and droughts lasted only 7 years!!

In other news....my sleepless nights have not allowed me to have sleep filled days. Homeschool has been full force. This morning Zach had to use a mirror in his English book to read a secret message. He thought that was pretty cool!!Monday is also pay day. The kids have charts and can earn money (or lose it).It is a tad complicated because of incentives...each square is worth 5 cents. A stamp gets you 5 cents and an x loses you 5 cents. A perfect day (see Zachary's Thursday) earns you a double value of 10 cents for each stamp that day. All in all this chart earned Zachary 80 cents...he could have gotten much more and figured that out. Charlotte ended up paying me $1.05. Poor kid...didn't seem to phase her at all. Maybe it did, so we'll see. I may go get myself a diet coke today!! LOL...now where is that love?? Oh forgive me Lord!

I have been finishing up the Star Sampler. I will go today and get the border fabric...it is 17 ABOVE zero today. Like a heat wave!I needed to make a few changes to this quilt. It was a process that is now at a point that I am happy with. Since I am "seeing stars" I plan to finish the Hidden Star quilt next. It is more than 1/2 way pieced so I really need to go ahead and finish it. It was a very expensive fabric purchase (11 years ago!!!) and I can not see letting it sit in the box any longer.

Remember this kit I bought just last week?

Coleen wants me to take the class for it. I am not big on quilting classes, but Sweetheart is encouraging me to go. I may do it because it is only $5 and each week you get a fat quarter. If you have the block completed with that fabric in it then the next week you do not pay anything and still get a fat quarter...and so on. If you are a good girl, it only cost you $5 total and you get classes teaching you different techniques plus free fabric! AND a couple of hours out with a friend. The down side is the classes are at the quilt store and that is a huge temptation to spend money. I will need to leave my wallet home!!

Well it is time to get lunch and then hit the books again.

Have a blessed day!!!

Don't forget to pray for our country as tomorrow we begin a new era.