God's Plan

It's been so long since I've been here that I noticed the links on the previous post and thought, "Hmmm sounds like good reading".

Just writing down some thoughts here. If you have any thoughts on the subject, feel free to comment. Mostly I just hear crickets chirping, which is fine.

So we hear a lot about waiting on God's plan, waiting for God to reveal our next steps and so forth as we move through this world. And it's real comforting to know that God has this perfect plan for us. But really, does the Lord of heaven and earth micromanage? His ultimate plan is that we have relationship with Him. That we love Him and serve Him wholeheartedly. His word also states that we can serve him right where we are; scripture that is used over and over in the Christian mommy bloggy world to encourage us to serve in the midst of diapers and laundry. But it also applies to our husbands; in the midst of my husband's unemployment, where does the Lord want him to be? My thought is God wants him to be faithful to Him whatever befalls, wherever, whenever. So why all this talk of Waiting on the Lord to "reveal" His plan for us?

It sometimes seems like an excuse just as much as a comfort.

We are being told "Wait on the Lord" and "Seek His wisdom in the word" as we try to figure out what is next for my husband. But God gave us sound minds, counsel from wise, godly friends, and yes, ultimately everything is in God's power, but that isn't the question. The question is: Does God micromanage? I theorize that common sense is a funtion of our brains and learning that the saved and the unsaved share alike, though it seems to be disappearing at an alarming rate. The bible states that the unsaved, even the wicked, can love and give and other good things to some extent. We all are His creation after all, and "He don't make junk" as it were. But seriously: If you recieve a compliment on making a good meal plan, do you say "It's all the Lord" like He came down and plopped a menu in front of you? When there are difficult circumstances and you "don't feel the Lord's leading" or "His peace" about a choice, do you chalk it up to "it must not be His plan"? Is that truly the Lord giving you a nudge, or are you just covering your decision with terms that no one will argue with? It seems to becomeing part of the Christian jargon to use these terms.

I certainly have more thoughts on this, but real life calls.

Homeschooling Homemaker Links for Me

Hello, my much neglected blog. Everything is well with us, though my hubby could use more stable employment and is searching around for it. He is looking fabulous! I ought to post a recent picture of him. But my bloggy focus has shifted and I'm mostly writing about quilting these days. My reading of homeschooling blogs is down to just about nothing as I'm just working on what works for us and many homeschooling blogs foster either discontent in me or make me feel like a slacker. I think (and more importantly, my hubby thinks) I am doing a good job here at the sonshine cottage, though I have my doubts quite frequently.

But today I did some homeschool blog reading and I wanted to save some links for future reference, so I'll post them here today.

Age Appropriate Chores

Time Management

Homemaking Tips

Grouchy Girls

A Slob Comes Clean--- A new to me blog that must be worth reading based on the title alone!


That's it for now, I've exhausted all my computer time.

My hubby has finished all of his chemo! Yay, yay, yippee! (To quote my 4yo daughter) Do you like his party hat he got as a farewell at the cancer center? He is doing awesome. If it weren't for the lack of eyebrows and eyelashes, you probably wouldn't even think he was going through chemo. Now to enjoy and give thanks for his healing and to trust that God has a wonderful plan for this man's life in the long-term and his employment search in the short-term.

A little peek at something I'm working on. Eric has really been encouraging me to get more serious/dedicated to taking some time for myself and doing my quilty/stitchy thing. This is so fun and easy----the colored parts are done with colored pencil!

My girl likes to paint and stitch too! She was adamant about watercoloring outside this morning and she turned it into a battle of wills, but she lost. This afternoon, the wind had died down a bit and she had sweetened up so I stapled some heavy paper to the play house and let her use those squeezy brushes with the paint inside them.

Happy girl!

Such a beautiful day here. I hope you are enjoying spring as well---unless you are a friend in the Southern hemisphere and are preparing for fall.

God is so good! His ways are unfathomable and amazing.

Pinning Away

No, not pining away. Ian, 18 months, snuck into my sewing room and while I caught him fairly quickly, it was a prickly situation! I'm punny.

Can you see this? He's taken several of my straight pins and stuck them into my chair! He didn't stick himself or anything, the little stinker!

Below is a shot of a pillow top I've been working on. It's not done in this shot, but I've got the top done now. I just haven't finished assembling the pillow.

I've been stitching away at free motion machine quilting projects, and it's been a blast!

Today's Frugal Thoughts

One fail and one success today:

I am all out of paper towels today. I rarely use them except for absorbing oil/grease when frying or microwaving. So I used some brown paper bags to soak up oil from some breakfast sausage. Verdict; it didn't soak up much and really showed how greasy the sausage was. I am leery to use newspaper, though I have read about others using it before. We might walk up to the local convenience store (We're down to one working car and hubby has it) and get some paper towels or wait til the hubby gets home to buy my favorites, Viva brand. They're expensive, but so tough and absorbent that I use less.

We have a ton of dry pinto and white beans from the food distribution that we've begun getting since Eric's cancer was found. Last night I soaked my usual kidney and red beans in preparation for chili and I decided to throw in some pintos and white beans too. After I cooked them today, the colors have melded and it looks fine. We use plenty of dried beans, but even so we have a lot.

We also have an abundance of canned green beans (used plenty in yesterday's turkey pot pie), white rice, Pasta (not whole wheat), and some sugary stuff we'd never buy. The kids love the new snacks though. And I'm doing my best to use these gifted foods. Think I need to slip some Beano into some family members' food though!

20011 Update

Wow, how neglected this blog is! So much has been happening, that I really ought to write down so I don't forget how awesome is God's love, mercy and provision.

In a nutshell, since having a huge soft tissue sarcoma removed from below his right arm at the end of July, my hubby has only worked 2 full 40 hr. weeks while undergoing radiation and then chemo. Two weeks ago, he was 'laid off' from his job and it looks like his employer may be closing the doors. At the time he had 3 more rounds of chemo to get through. Now he's got 2 more rounds of chemo, is working occasionally for a friend when he feels up to it, and we figure he has the best chance of finding a new job after all his treatment is over at the end of March.

Sounds pretty dire, doesn't it?

It's actually been pretty awesome!

Seriously.

God has provided so richly through our friends and family. Meals, cash, babysitting, transportation to treatments, encouragement and more. A big tax return in the works to get us by until the chemo is all done and he finds a job. There is no sign of any more cancer and the treatments will hopefully take care of any stray cancer cells. My husband is tolerating the treatments really well and we're enjoying the extra time together.

It certainly hasn't been easy, but God has brought us through thus far, I will trust in what He brings next (even if I don't like it!)

The kids are doing great and they are too young to understand the gravity of such a word as cancer. We call it 'Daddy's ouchie booboo' and they trust completely that Daddy's being healed.

Perhaps I'll write more soon. We'll see.

Merry Christmas

May your homes be warm and filled with love. May your hearts be full of His love and grace.

God has blessed us so richly with love, joy, and met our needs abundantlyduring this difficult year.