Mom....what is penmanship?

Friday was the last day of school for the Blazi kids! I was so excited for the year to be over...but sad at the same time! I love our little school. The people there are the sweetest I have come by and they have huge hearts. They are just good people

Addie had her awards banquet first and received two achievement awards! She got the most improved reader award and then the physical fitness award. I was so proud of Addie. She has come so far in her reading and am so thankful that all of her hard work paid off and she was recognized for it. The PE award was neat too because PE was always so important to me. I can remember wanting that award over all the rest when I was in elementary school.

She had the best teacher! We have been blessed to have Mrs. Musick teach our kids the last two years. She loves her students....invests in these kids...takes time for them...and boy can she make them laugh. She has made such a difference in our kids lives! Both of my kids are better student's because of Mrs. Musick...now I just don't know what I am going to do next year when none of my kids have her. I guess I'll just go sit in her room and chat...so what if my kids not in there:)! I have grown to think of this sweet lady as a close friend and will forever be grateful to the Lord for placing her in our lives....she also happens to be my next door neighbor...just sayin'!!!

Charlie had his ceremony and he was just so cute. He loves showing his little brother off to all of his friends...I swear Jesse would win "most popular kid" if the school voted on it. Everybody knows Jesse! Charlie won three awards and I just couldn't be prouder. He won awards for spelling(not sure, but I think he got 100's on almost all of his tests...he can spell), Physical Fitness, and Penmanship!! Penmanship...are you kidding me...I could use the line from my favorite movie of all time (Steel Magnolia's) from Mrs. Clairee: "Ouiser, I'd recognize this penmanship anywhere. You have the handwritin' of a serial killer." Charlie seriously had the worst handwriting last year. At the end of the ceremony we were walking down the hall to Mrs. Musick's class to get the girls and he said "Mom, what is penmanship?" I about died from laughter...right there in the hallway!

Charlie had a wonderful teacher this year...Mrs. Driver. She is so sweet and encouraging to her kids. She always took time for the kids...made sure they understood things...and had fun with them. When I had first grade parents ask me about Charlie's experience with her as a teacher I had only positive things to say...and the one thing that sticks out the most is that she built up his confidence. He is a much more confident student...and I love that. I love that he is figuring things out on his own and trusting in his ability. Mrs. Driver did that for him and I will always remember that. God truly blessed us with Mrs. Driver and I hope she knows what a difference she made in my son's life! She is fantastic and I hope and pray that Addie will have her next year...or else I'll have to hurt somebody up in the school house!!!

I am ready for summer. Excited to do fun stuff with my sweet kids and just enjoy each other. I know the days are going to fly by...so I will take each day as it comes...relish in the lazy days...take time for late night movies and days at the pool....eat lots of watermelon and ice cream....just relax and take it all in. My sweet little school needs a break too 'cause next fall Shelby Jean will be there and I have a feeling that they have never seen the likes of her!!! Here's to school being out for summer!

This Crazy Love.....

Lately God has been teaching me a lot of things....and when I say "a lot", I mean a big honkin' bunch! I have been reading the book "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan and it has truly worked me over. We have taught it to our teenagers at church for the past 10 weeks and let me just say that there have only been a few Sundays that I didn't cry and break down over what God is doing in my life. I am not sure that any of the teenagers have "gotten it", but I know that my husband and I did and several of my friends. Probably THE most convicting spiritual book I've ever read. It challenges you out of any luke-warm tendencies...challenges you especially in the realm of giving financially and sacrificially.I believe that the handful of us that got it are going to make big changes and do big things....and I pray that we will do it!


Some things that worked in my heart from the book were:

~"When we love God because we feel we should love Him, instead of genuinely loving out of our true selves, we have forgotten who God really is"

~"When I am consumed by my problems-stressed out about my life, my family, and my job-I actually convey the belief that I think the circumstances are more important than God's command to always rejoice."

~"The goal of American Christianity is often a nice marriage, children that don't swear, and good church attendance. Taking the words of Christ literally and seriously is rarely considered. Most of us want a balanced life that we can control, that is safe, and that does not involved suffering."



One of the things that God taught me was that in my Christian life I have lived a safe, comfortable life. I haven't stepped out of my comfort zone enough. My senior year of college I went on a mission trip to Spain and had an amazing experience. Shortly after my return I began to feel God was leading me to do full time missions...or ministry or something. I began a campaign to raise money to go to India for a year as a missionary. The funding never come through and I knew it was God shutting that door. I wasn't sure why....but I knew He needed me here. Shortly after the door was shut my Papa died and I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God wanted me to quit my job and take care of my grandmother who was suffering with Dementia...(isn't it neat when God shows us things so clearly). It was one of the best things I had ever done...and I learned so much from my Mama. I soon met Ric...married him and started into ministry. And have been safe and comfortable ever since.

It took some faith to step away from a great job where I was making loads of money and had health insurance...to stay home with my grandma. It took faith to sign the papers to go to India...even if it didn't work out..it still took faith. I wanna go there again...to that place where you want to do something "radical" (as the world sees it) for God. I want to do BIG things for God....I want to minister to the widowed...the orphaned...the poor. I still have dreams of doing missions work overseas and having my kids experience it. I want to love people the way Christ has called me to...and see lives changed because of it.

I feel like I have been grasping onto the balance beam....as Francis talks about in the video below(watch it...it's 3 minutes long..but it's worth it) ..and I don't want to be like that anymore. So maybe we sell our house....start the special needs camp we have been burdened about...get involved with giving to those less fortunate...take lunch to a widow from church....encourage our teenagers to live bold....encourage our church to do more...and just fall in Love with Jesus....cause I want a CRAZY love. Yep, I do!

Mat 22:37-39 Jesus said to him, " 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' "

Dirty Kees and Broken Cars....

Today...whew...what a day!! This has been one of those days that I am glad is over...but thankful for the lesson I learned today.

We had big plans for the day...plans to do yard work...for me to go grocery shopping with my coupons and all...plans to buy new Crocs(best shoes ever)...plans to clean out the garage. Well the grocery shopping didn't get done...the coupons are still waiting to be printed and clipped...the Crocs are still at the store. We did get some yard work done though and for that I am thankful.

This morning Ric had to take Charlie to get his baseball pictures done and when they finished up they got back to the truck and there was a flat tire. Ric and Charlie worked super hard to get the spare out and the tire off and change it...all while the truck was teetering on a flimsy little jack. They got it changed and took it to Wal-Mart to get it repaired....and it took them forever. By the time they got home it was close to 2:00...they left at 10:00. Ric's first job was to finish mowing the grass since it ran out of gas on me yesterday. We have to jump our lawnmower to get it started(I'm not sure why we do this??) and when Ric tried to get his truck to start to jump it...it died. Not the lawnmower people...his truck!!!! Seriously??? My van has broken down on me twice in the last month....my washer has broken twice and my dryer once....seriously! Enough is enough already!!!! He works on his truck for a while...gets it started for it die again....and then we moved on to dinner and then tried to do something in the yard since the whole day had been a bust.

We were moving all of the landscaping rocks from the flower beds down to our playground area and lets just say....it was a lot of rock! We both worked together...out of frustration...me through tears....sweat...the whole time I was just talking to the Lord! I asked him what we were doing wrong...why was all of this going on in our lives....were we out of His will....what was it?? After about the fourth trip from the front yard to the playground in the back I was reminded of my favorite movie Facing the Giants. I told Ric..."we are doing the death crawl right now...we can't quit...and no I am not talking about these here rocks...we gotta keep going." He quietly nodded his head and kept shoveling the rocks....and then twenty minutes later the lawnmower broke.

We got the kids in and got them up for showers and Charlie, my oldest at 8, was filthy. His knees were so dirty....I don't think I have seen dirtier ones...EVER!!! I laughed and said...."make sure you get those suckers clean...they are filthy"!! He said..."I've been on them all day Mom....when I was working on the tire with dad....working on the lawnmower...doing the yard work...all day I've been on 'em Mom".

As we prayed tonight with the kids my heart grew so heavy....it has been a tough day...but I prayed through my tears that we would Praise Him in the good times...and Praise Him in the tough times. I was a broken girl...and grateful that broken cars and dirty knees reminded me today that in all things....good and bad...I should Praise Him!

Most of all, I pray that my knees would be as dirty as Charlie's one day...."just 'cause I'd been on 'em all day"! Thank God for reminders like that....and for dirty knees and broken cars!

Psalm 109:30 I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; Yes, I will praise Him among the multitude.