Revelations

"Worship Me by resting peacefully in My presence."  That's what I read in my devotion book this morning.  Then I did that, and God was faithful to reveal Himself to me.  First I saw a picture (more of a word picture; He knows I'm all about words.  I think He gives more vivid pictures to visual people) of me sitting at His feet worshipping Him on His throne.  He stood up from the throne and came and sat down right next to me, close, like a buddy.  We sat there, shoulders touching, leaning into each other a little, both of us worshipping God together, because He was still sitting on the throne.  I knew the One sitting with me was Jesus.  I asked where the Holy Spirit was, and I saw another copy of God get up from the throne and come into me.  I basked in the presence of the three of them for awhile.  It was overwhelmingly wonderful. 

Then Shiloh jumped up on the bed, and God used her (as He has before) to continue to reveal Himself to me.  I held out my hand to her, wanting to love on her, but she stayed just out of reach.  Finally she came and rubbed her face on my fingertips and licked them.  It made me happy, but I wanted more.  I knew she (and I) would be happier if she came closer and curled up next to me and let me love her more.  I invited her, but she stayed at arm's length.  She just wanted her morning kitty treat and wasn't in the mood to let me pet her.  It made me a little sad, knowing we could both have more if she would just accept my invitation.  Then she heard a bird outside and turned away from me to jump to her shelf and look out the window.  It was a picture of how I hold God at arm's length, waiting for Him to give me what I want instead of coming closer and receiving the fullness of His love that He wants to lavish on me.  Then I am distracted by the world (TV, activities, internet, etc.) and turn away from Him and miss out on all I could have had with Him.  Also, when I was holding out my hand to Shiloh, my arm got tired after awhile, and I eventually stopped reaching out to her.  I was reminded that God's arm never gets tired, and He will never stop reaching out to me, inviting me to come closer and experience more of His love.  

I had one more thought-picture.  It was of my kids giving me an orange for my birthday.  I was thrilled that they had remembered my birthday and thought to give me something I like.  As I thanked them, they said sheepishly, "It's not much, and we just took it out of the fridge.  You're the one who bought it."  It showed me that God created everything and owns everything.  There's nothing we can give Him that He doesn't already have and hasn't already given us, but He still loves it when we give back to Him (time, talents, money, etc.).

Creepy teddy bears

Sarah is not on board with this whole vegan eating plan.  Today I decided to try making something cute so she wouldn't be able to resist it.  I found a very healthy vegan recipe for cookies that look like teddy bears.  Here's what they're supposed to look like:

I tried to involve Sarah in making them.  She was not interested.  I was distracted while I was making them and realized too late that I was supposed to grind up walnut and oats.  I already had the batter made and didn't have any walnuts, so I thought I would just add some slivered almonds on top and make them hairy bears.  Mine came out like this:

I cheerily offered one to Sarah, and she said, "No thanks. They look like creepy people with their mouths sewn shut."  A few minutes later, Noah wandered in and said encouraging things like, "Those smell good!" But I was watching his face when he first saw them, and even though he tried to twist it into a smile, the horror registered first.  He glanced at me and said, "Oh...what kind of creatures are those?"  I told him they could be whatever he wanted them to be, like cloud shapes.  He took a bite and said, "Mmmm...they're kinda like those muffins you made last week."  He hated those muffins. I ate a creepy bear myself and sure enough...they taste worse than they look.That's really the way the whole day has gone.

Burning books

Today in school, we're burning books.  More specifically, Noah decided to burn his math workbook that he just finished.  He emptied the pencil sharpener to use as firestarter and then did a happy dance as the dreaded book went up in flames.

 Sarah said sadly, "There go the integers..."

 Sarah said, "Oh look...part of lesson 13 survived."

 The adorable neighbor dog is so small that he slipped right under his fence to come over and watch the bonfire.

Boys vs. girls

The history lesson was about castles today, and the assignment was to write a story that takes place in a castle.  Noah's was funny and full of action and sieges, and ended up with the king dead from a nuclear bomb.  Here's Sarah's:

There once was a princess who lived in a castle.  And her father was rich.  He gave her everything a girl could want.  But she said, "I do not want it.  All I want is a friend."  
So he searched all around through skies and land.  
But he could not find a friend to take his daughter's hand. 
When he got home she cried. Then she spoke.
She said, "It was a dream" and he awoke.
When he awoke she was sad, very sad.
But he said, "I have something that will make you glad."
So he wrote and he wrote for a very long time,
taking care of each word and care of each rhyme.
He played her a song and he said,
"Make some words and sing along."
So she sang and sang and twirled through the air.
They went out to lunch and met some friends there.
Cinderella, Belle, Ariel, and Snow White.
That's the end of my story, sunny and bright.

This is how I make lunch

Last night, Mike and I got a free dinner at Alexander's.  I ate two plates full of salad bar.  I brought home my baked potato and a few croutons and potato sticks from the salad bar.  (I also brought home my steak, which Sarah devoured the minute I walked in the door).  This morning I went to Kroger (see previous post) and found this on markdown:

I didn't know what I would do with it, but obviously couldn't pass it up.  During quiet time (sweet, blessed quiet time, which is the only uninterrupted time I have to think), a lunch plan began to form in my mind.  I sauteed an onion and some garlic in a little vegetable broth and soy sauce, dumped in the whole kale salad, cut up last night's baked potato and some sundried tomatoes (also on sale at Kroger), which I pretend are bacon bits, added some ginger, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and topped the whole thing with crushed up croutons and potato sticks from the salad bar.  

Noah declared it delicious and ate his whole plateful.

Middle aged puberty

I have a middle aged puberty zit, a large one, on my cheek.  Last night before bed I covered it in toothpaste, because that seems to work to dry it out.  This morning I got suckered into going to Kroger, just to satisfy Noah's sushi craving.  He told me I would be Best Mom In The History Of The World if I would get him sushi for breakfast.  He knew I would fall for that.  I argued that maybe Mary, the mother of Jesus, would be better suited to that title.  He said, "She really wasn't a great mom.  How hard would it be to raise the perfect Son of God?  And she lost Him in Jerusalem that one time when He was 12, and how many days did it take her to realize He was missing?"  

So off I went to Kroger to claim the title for myself.  I saw two ladies from church and talked to various other people.  I also stopped at the mechanic to complain about my "check engine" light being on AGAIN, even after we spent a month's income getting the engine fixed last month.  When I got home from talking to all these people, I realized that the big, bright blue, dried blob of toothpaste was still on my face. 

Pumpkins

I've been watching the pumpkins growing in the fields around here, and today was a beautiful day to go take pictures of them.

 Then I took Sarah for a quick trip to Ackerman Farms.

 They market these weird ones as "fancy pumpkins".

 I picked up this playful little guy, and he immediately started playing with my face. With his claws out.  He thoroughly beat me up in about two seconds.

 The playful one, playing with Sarah's hair.

This one had pretty blue eyes.