16 years later….

Just call me Maria Von Trapp. You know in the movie The Sound of Music  when the kids were scared of the thunderstorm and ran into Maria’s room. Maria told them to think of their favorite things and then they would not feel so bad. It is not that I feel so bad right now but I thought a list might lift my spirits right now. So In no particular order:

Raindrops on Roses, whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and…oh wait that list is already taken.

Tom and Jerry cartoons, Barbequed ribs, Captain Crunch cereal, Diet Dr. Pepper, new underwear, Cary Grant movies, car trips, bluebonnets in Texas, long novels, visiting an old friend, singing old hymns, all things English, making a new friend, brotherly advise, my family, my church, grace, mercy, peace, sweaty boys (three in particular), swimming, laughing, shooting a bullseye, baskets, dusk, sunsets, my Honey, museums, studying the Bible, sleeping late, hot baths, sewing, clean diapers, hot tea, travel, Winnie the Pooh, comfortable shoes, antique furniture, smell of new tennis balls, hiking, crispy bacon, sisterly love, my daddy’s hugs, waffles and syrup, Este Lauder’s Youth Dew, walking, U2, REM, country music, really cold milk, farm fresh veggies, coming home, writing, movie popcorn, collecting books, A love that never lets me go.

What do all these have to do with God’s faithfulness. I wrote those words April 26^th, 2006. Almost 16 years ago. I had 6 year old twins and a 2 year old at home. I was finishing my 1st year of homeschooling. I was in Rachel’s core group at CBS. Today, I am 8 weeks from being finished with my homeschool career when Spencer graduates on May 21st. James 1:17 says “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” The past 16 years have been a gift from God. I didn’t know how I would ever be able to teach my children at home. Wouldn’t we need more money? God provided. Wouldn’t we need friends? God provided. Wouldn’t we miss out on things? God provided. Will my children learn? God provided.

Some of those years were hard. 2006 Terry’s stepdad passed away from a sudden illness. 2008 Terry took a pay cut to help keep his company afloat. 2011 my father got sick and passed away. 2013 my brother fell ill and lost his vision. 2018 the twins graduated and started college. 2019 my brother died. 2019 we sold my childhood home. 2020 we had a global pandemic but yea, homeschoolers were already prepared to stay home.

So much has changed around me.

My favorite things haven’t changed. I still love movie popcorn. I still love the smell of sweaty boys who are now men. I still love my Honey. I still love studying the Bible and hot baths and late nights. I still love grace and mercy and peace and a love that will not let me go.

God is still faithful. His gifts are abundant. 2 Corinthians 9:8 says, And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. God hasn’t changed. His gifts have no variation or shadow due to change. God hasn’t changed. His still provides, He still protects, He still blesses us abundantly.

16 years from now…who knows if my list will change…what I do know…God will still be the same. He will continue to bless us abundantly at all times having all we need and we will abound in every good work. Who knows, maybe there will be new sweaty boys, older old friends, More of my Honey and there will definitely be new underwear.

Reading my old stuff

Christmas 2021: Athena, Hopalong, Honey, Butch, Sundance

I just spent 2 hours reading old blog posts. So much has happened in those years. I’m glad Facebook has all the memories of those years because they have flown by. Butch, Sundance and Hopalong are now grown. Butch and Sundance turn 22 in a few weeks and Hopalong will be 18 and will graduate from Homeschool and head off to college in the fall. They are all three Godly young men who love each other and their friends and family. They are all three Eagle Scouts. They all shoot archery. They are still their mother’s greatest joys.

Athena in a Minivan—REDUX

Butch, Hopalong and Sundance

That was then. In the days before Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and whatelse, I blogged. I enjoyed it. I wrote. I thought. I used my words. I miss it. I need a place to write again and I spent some time searching blogger and wordpress and searching for blog sites and I kept coming back home here. There are great memories here of little people, fun times, funny thoughts, insight and love.

I now have big people. I no longer have a minivan. I have an SUV. We still homeschool, we still love each other. I still have lots of thoughts that need to be put down for older me to see and remember how much I love life.

A lot of life happened in the time when I didn’t blog. We’ll just call that the dark times and maybe I”ll write about that at a later date and maybe not. I”m ready for the dark times to be behind and and Althenainaminvan to be reborn. This is us now…upward and onward.

State Games of America Selfie Summer 2015

Athena In a Minivan Reborn

It seems I forgot I knew how to write. But there are just too many things I need to get our of my head and onto paper. IF someone happens to read it great, if not then it is finally out of my head. Oh, and I know this is not “paper” but you get the gist of it.

Writing for me is cathartic. It makes me put down what I am thinking and let it roll around somewhere else. It gets too crowded in my brain with too many thoughts. There are too many ideas and too much information to sort and go through and it starts to look and feel like that file cabinet you stuff all the bills and papers in thinking one day you will get back to filing them but you know you never do. They stay there till one day you can no longer shut the drawer and you just take them out and shred them all and start over.

This is my chance to shred them all. I am starting afresh. All my old posts will be here still but now it is time for some new ones. Butch and Sundance are now 11 and in middle school. Baby has not been a baby for years and I’ll call him #3 because that is where he falls in the order of things. If I can come up with a new name for him I will and I am open to suggestions.

I still drive a minivan. I still homeschool. Not much has changed. I have more grey hairs, less time and more place to drive the minivan. I hope someone is reading this but if not, my thought sill still be here.

Butch, Sundance and #3 grow up.

Doing in Freestyle

I always love a challenge. The funds for extra-curricular activities are well to put it nicely…NONEXISTANT. It is a challenge to keep three kiddos busy and having fun without breaking the bank. With Hawaiian Falls at $22.99 each, Chuck E. Cheese at least $40.00 (per visit), The Zone around $15.00 each they are just too much to for us at this time.

I’ve been searching for free or nearly free activities for us to do and have had some success. Today we went to a magic show at the Frisco Library. We then went over to the Frisco Commons for a picnic and a run through the Splash Pad. The day finished off with Blue Bell Bullets from the freezer at home and Honey I Blew Up the Kid on TV. All for only the cost of gas there and back.

In two weeks, the library has another show and we are going to actually remember to take our swim suits this time.

Notice: Charlotte Mason was right

Today the twins wanted to write a story during school. I have been worried, anxious, nervous that they would actually start writing but I trusted my fellow CMers and went with the program. They are asking for spelling help, adding punctuation, making paragraphs. I am amazed and pray this is just the beginning of our writing endeavors. Stay tuned for more on writing CM style.

Just a simple night

Honey had one request for Christmas. He wanted a 12 inch Dutch Oven and Santa was happy to oblige. This September, our family began a journey through Scouts. Butch and Sundance became Webelo Scouts and Honey and I signed up to become adult leaders or Scouters as they are known. We have a wonderful Troop leader and Pack.

A month after we joined we went on our first Webelo overnight and discovered Dutch Oven cooking. Honey was instantly interested. He asked so many questions, watched all the demonstrations and of course sampled all the food.

Last weekend, Honey got to attend a Dutch Oven class and could not wait to try out his new oven but last weekend we also had 20 degree weather so it had to wait. Tonight, with the weather in the 50s, he finally got his chance. Honey cooked sweet rolls in the Dutch Oven and they were wonderful except for the burned bottoms but who needs a bottom to a sweet roll when the icing is on the top.

Since we were already outside, Honey fired up the chimnea and the grill and I cooked breakfast for dinner al fresco, bacon and scrambled eggs on the grill. Well, not actually on the grill but in my cast iron skillet on the grill. We heated some tortillas and made breakfast burritos while warming ourselves by the fire. Food cooked and eaten outside just tastes better, almost as good as food I didn’t have to fix myself.

It was just a simple night but one that I will treasure for a long time. It is so wonderful to just be together, outside, with no TV, no phone, no video games to interrupt the family time. As the budget gets tighter and tighter, it is nights like this that will keep me sane and keep my focus on what really matters…just a simple night with my four favorite guys.

I knew he was a keeper..Happy Birthday, Honey!

Glamour magazine probably thought they had a scoop. This list of 9 signs to tell if your guy is a keeper was in a recent magazine.
Dating Tips: 9 Signs a Guy Is a Keeper
By dating editor Ruby Madren-Britton for Glamour

#1. Keeper clue: He has his act together.
#2. Keeper clue: He puts you first.
#3. Keeper clue: He’s not afraid of your germs.
#4. Keeper clue: He’s a family man.
#5. Keeper clue: He makes time for your friends
#6. Keeper clue: He’s your biggest cheerleader
#7. Keeper clue: He remembers the little things
#8. Keeper clue: He’s happy when you’re happy.
#9. Keeper clue: He makes you the best you can be.

Those of us who have been married for a few years knew these things or we would not have married the perfect guy for us. Honey is definitely a keeper.

I just wanted to add some more signs that I have learned after 11 years of marriage to the kindest, dearest man.

#10 keeper clue:He mows the lawn (and edges) without complaint.

#11 keeper clue: He is not afraid of a dirty diaper.

#12 keeper clue: He lets you have the first turn on the new Wii game.

#13 keeper clue: His socks miraculously appear in the laundry hamper after you refuse to wash them from the pile on the floor by his chair.

#14 keeper clue: He enjoys a good grilled cheese as much as a grilled ribeye.

#15 keeper clue: He builds a mean lego structure.

#16 keeper clue: He tolerates the reading light at night because he knows how much you NEED to read.

#17 keeper clue: He does not complain (much) about turning over his paycheck to you.

#18 keeper clue: He shares the same birthday as you and only asks for a game of golf.

Happy Birthday Honey, I knew you were a keeper from our first date and I am thrilled we get to raise sons, grow in love and do life together. There is no one I would rather be with than you.

God is Not an Interim God

I wrote this my senior year in high school 1984. It is written in my own hand on stationary. These were the days before personal computers and word processors. I am not even going to correct some of my grammar as there are few errors.

My church, Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, had a youth week every year where the youth would learn about all of the jobs done in a church from Sunday School teacher, deacon, Music Minister and even the Pastor. During our days in high school, our church went through times when we would have interim ministers; youth, education, music and pastor.

As a senior, I was the interim pastor along with two of my fellow seniors, John Lively and Layne LeBaron. I think my sister, Elisabeth, was the Children’s Minister that year. (She too was pastor her senior year.)

The following is the “meditation” I wrote for the Sunday morning service, April 8, 1984:

In all times and in all ways, God has revealed Himself to man as an eternal God. In Exodus 3:14, GOd spoke to Moses in a burning bush saying

I Am who I Am; thus you shall say to the sons of Isreal, I Am has sent me to you.

In Mark 14:60-62, Our Lord Jesus is on trial before the Sanhedrin. It reads

And the high priest arose and came forward and questioned Jesus saying, ‘Do you make no answer to what these men are testifying against you?’ But He kept silent and made no answer. Again the high priest was questioning him and saying to him, ‘Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One? And Jesus said, ‘I Am and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming with the clouds of heaven.

God reveals himself in Revelations 1:8 through the triumphant Christ. He proclaims

I Am, the Alpha and the Omega, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

In each of these passages, God is showing that He is always the same and is always here.

To us, this time is an interim time; stuck between the now and the not yet but God sees it as the next step in His neverending plan. We see the timelessness of God spoken to Moses, spoken to the world by Jesus Christ and spoken to John by the glorified Christ. Where we find ourselves between the coming of the Holy Spirit and the triumphal return of our Lord so we find ourselves in an interim. We find Broadway in an interim but through the Holy Spirit we hear God say to us, “I AM!” He is saying the same thing to us He has said throughout the ages. I AM—WITH YOU—ALWAYS.

He sees those of us here as part of that unending line of faithful believers, all witnesses of HIS faithfulness reaching back to the beginning of time and forward to the time of His return.

In Hebrews 12:1-2 we are described as running a race with Christ as the starter and the finisher.

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Broadway has been a part of that cloud of witnesses. I started out on the cradle roll and I can’t remember a time when Broadway was not ministering to me. Broadway gave me my first Bible before I could even hold it let alone know how important it would be in my growing up.

My cloud of witnesses ranged from ministers, Sunday School teachers, Training Union leaders, Mission Friends, GA and Acteen leaders and everyone else who through their Chrsitian lifestyle has shown a young girl how to grow to become a woman of God. I thank each one of you for that. I love this church, each one of you. My prayer is that Broadway would continue to be that kind of witness.
[Adult Amy says: IT STILL IS!!!]

As we the youth stand between childhood and adult hood, it looks like a long road out into the future. How can God and I ever make it? [Praise God, we have.] But then, we reflect back on our childhood and realize that in that same number of years, God has made it fly by.

As a church, it also seems like we are caught in the middle but God is looking at the whole picture and seems to say, “Look at what I can do but take it just one day at a time. ” God is with us on a day to day basis and we can live our lives through Him in that same manner.

Our God is not an interim God. He is with us now in our daily walk. He was with the church in the past and He will be with us forever. Colossians 2:6-7 tells us that we much be about our Father’s business.

Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.

[I then gave an invitation to join the chruch which I will leave out.]

My 18 yr old self was right. As I stand here 26 years later, it is great to be reminded that God is not an interim God. He is the same today, yesterday and tomorrow. 26 years from now when I am 70 years old. I pray that I will continue to hold on to the one who has brought me this far and the one who will one day lead me home.