Focus on the February Photo-a-Day Challenge!

Confession time:  


I don't like to be told what to do.  Don't believe me?  Ask anyone who has ever been in a position of authority in my life.  Go ahead...ask.  I'll wait.


Yeah...that's what I thought.


Seriously...I even have trouble strictly following a recipe!  I always want to tweak it a little here or there.  Even with recipes that were great to begin with! I guess I just figure there's probably a way to make it even better!  And sometimes I'm right!


Sometimes I'm dead wrong.


So how strangely fortuitous that I should stumble upon this blog challenge just about the time it was becoming all-too-clear that I need to clean house in the character-and-attitude department...and the relationship department...and the personal-and-spiritual disciplines department...


OK...pretty much the whole department store!


Honestly, I have been excited about this project ever since I bumped into it on Pinterest!  I think it's going to be fun, and I'm hoping to see some other bloggers and facebookers join in!  It'll be a hoot to get a pictorial glimpse into one another's lives!


But I'm also thinking that it's going to go a long way toward forcing me to be more faithful to keeping up with the blog.  I just HATE to fail publicly...so knowing I have announced my plans to post a picture every day for 29 days will (hopefully) keep me accountable!  


Please feel free to nag and goad me!


On a deeper level, though, I'm going to use this month of extended direction-following to serve as a daily reminder that I need to stop, assess, follow the Directions, listen, serve, speak, and love with an intentionality of focus.


And just to be extra sure I keep my focus in focus, I'm posting a copy of the February Photo a Day challenge on the refrigerator...because I may not be perfectly disciplined in many areas, but I don't seem to have trouble remembering to eat!


I can't wait to start this month together!
Blessings!
Missy

Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: 

"It takes more than bread to stay alive. 

It takes a steady stream of words from God's mouth."

Matthew 4:4  (The Message)

One Big Monkey and Thirteen Smaller Ones

On January 19th, Mary turned 7...and we had a big party!  Really big!  As big as this monkey:

Monkey Joe, ladies and gentlemen!

We drank soda and ate cupcakes...

We ran and bounced and slid and threw one another about...

The birthday girl seemed to have a wonderful time!

Grace and Jamie may have been a little irritated that they were
too old to bounce.  Maybe.  A little bit.

Lyndsay and Sam

We snuggled with big monkeys and little grandbabies...

Grandpappy and Sammi Jo!

Mary had been waiting for this moment
ever since she saw Monkey Joe on the website!

We performed death-defying feats!

Here are my precious grandbabies!  Jayla, Sammi Jo, and Asher!
Moments after this picture was taken, Sammi took a header off the table,
but her aunt Krystal snatched her right out of the air!
I've known Krystal...well...since her days in the womb,
and I can tell you I have never seen her--or anyone else--move that fast before!

However, some of us may not have strictly adhered to the letter of the law...

And, therefore, all 10 of my children were arrested...

The wackos insisted upon this pose.  Notice that Sam is the only one
who doesn't find this hilarious.  He's humiliated.
He knows it's going on his permanent record.

Most of them look a little better from the front...

In case you haven't met the brood, allow me to introduce
Krystal (26), Lyndsay (25), Kayla (23), Grace (14), Jamie (13),
Hannah (10), Daniel (9), Mary (7), Mercy (6), and Sam (5)

Funny thing about having 10 kids:  It really doesn't seem like that many until I try to get them all framed in a picture!  Like I've said many times...they've pretty much shown up one at a time, so I had the chance to get used to the new number before we added the next one.  

And it's also a little funny to think about the fact that when Sweet Jimmy B and I started out on this journey 18 years ago, we hit the road with just these three girls:

Kayla, Krystal, and Lyndsay...often referred to as "the first string."
(For the record, they don't like it when you call them "the big girls.")

Charlie's Angels action pose!
(Dontcha just love 'em?!)

Of course, it's also strange to consider that, left to our own planning, we would only have the top five:

How weird would that be?!

I think this is much better...

10 kids and 3 grandkids, packed into a bright orange room!
Too bad Nick and Ryan wouldn't skip work to make us 100%.
On second thought, I guess I do appreciate a strong work ethic
in my sons-in-law!

Around Stately Bennett Manor, we have a dinner-time tradition called "Roses and Thorns," wherein we go around the table and share the best and worst things about our day.  Sometimes it's predictable.  (Who would have thought that Josie would be high on the "Rose" list the day we got her?  Really?!)  
Sometimes it's repetitive.  (Because when someone thinks up a good one, six more kids are inclined to jump on the bandwagon!)  Sometimes it's enlightening!  (Who knew that taking one child grocery shopping with me would be the best thing that happened to her today?!)


On New Year's Eve, Grace decided to put a spin on things and suggested we share the biggest roses of our year!  We got a lot of predictable answers (Josie!) and a lot of repetitive answers (Jesus!).  Since I'm typically the last person to share, I had plenty of time to think about my answer.  


For the record, I want to be clear that Josie was totally a high-water mark of my year...and Jesus is always the answer, in Sunday School or out!


But on New Year's Eve, I looked around the table, and my response was...


I'm ending this year with everyone I started with...

The whole Hee-Haw Gang!

I'm not saying that I didn't suffer any loss during 2011.  In fact, in many ways, it was the hardest year I've ever seen.  And once I receive permission, I would like to share a little of that with you in an upcoming post.


But where the frosting meets the cupcake, this year's family photo looks just like last year's...with the exception that Sammi Jo is out of the womb in this picture!


And I know not everyone can say that this year...and I pray that no one is hurt by my reflections...that it isn't seen as gloating.  Because, in all humility, I understand that life is just a vapor...and I am determined to try to live out this year of days with that truth in focus.


Because, even for a standard-sized family, that blessing is a very big deal!  How much more so for my Monkey Joe-sized family!


Blessings!
Missy

Don't you see that children are God's best gift?

the fruit of the womb his generous legacy?

Like a warrior's fistful of arrows

are the children of a vigorous youth.

Oh, how blessed are you parents,

with your quivers full of children!

Your enemies don't stand a chance against you;

you'll sweep them right off your doorstep. 

Psalm 127:3-5

The Message

This picture has been included free of charge!
It's my new favorite!  Not too shabby for a couple of old grandparents, huh?

Going to the Dogs! (Or, More Famous Last Words.)

I wish I had a dollar for every single thing I've sworn I would never, ever do...only to end up not just doing it, but embracing it!  (Let's just say that Alaskan cruise would already be on the calendar right about now!)


Cases in point:  homeschooling, allowing God to fill our quiver as He sees fit, becoming foster parents...


getting a dog...

If you read my previous blog post, you already know my gripe with dogs.  Frankly, I've had a few failed attempts at dog-ownership, so it's not like my stance was un-tested.  Basically, any time one of the kids asked if we could get a dog, my response was that I already had plenty of people who require my care and attention.


One of the best things that ever happened was our move into the church parsonage when Sweet Jimmy B became the pastor at Rozetta Baptist Church: When the dog topic came up, all I had to do was quick-draw the ol' no-dogs-in-the-parsonage ruling.  Problem solved!  And I was no longer the bad guy!


Dontcha just love being able to pass the buck?!


Then...


maybe it was the gradual erosion of the bedrock of my mind over time,
maybe it was just one more symptom of my ongoing mid-life psychosis,
maybe it was a blessing of revelation...


but SJB and I found ourselves in more and more serious discussions about the prospect of getting a D-O-G.


And then we basically threw out a fleece in the form of an item of "other business" at a meeting of the deacons.  Outdoor dog:  approved.


And I know this is the canine equivalent of making you look at the pictures of my grandkids, but I just have to tell the story of the day we took Josie home from the humane society!  Picture it:  We had walked all through the place, looking at (and smelling) all the dogs.  We had pretty much decided on a nice yellow lab mix.  Then Josie, who hadn't been caged in the general dog population, was brought outside...and it was love at first sight for everyone!


Sorta like the blind date when I met my husband, now that I think about it.  Only with a little less slobbering.  A little.


Is Josie one more mammal whose very life falls within my jurisdiction?  Yep!  Does that add up to a little more work in my day?  Mmm...yeah.  Am I crazy in love with that puppy?  Oh, man!


If you know me at all, here's all you need to know:  I altered our plans for a family vacation so that we could take her with us!  (I know...this has gotten serious!)

Here we are...Christmas Day...on our way to
everyone's favorite family hotel:  The Stoney Creek Inn!

And...for reasons which I still don't understand,
Jamie thought Josie would like to wear his hat.
Well...she does look good!

 And, let me tell you...she LOVED getting to

be inside with her people!

And since the weather was almost ridiculously nice for Christmas, we all got to take some nice, long walks together!  

Here is Josie with her seven favorite kids in the whole world!

-------------------->

And (big surprise) this whole canine revelation got me thinking:


I knew that getting a dog wasn't going to be all treats and picture-worthy moments of joy...in the same way you know going in that adding a new baby to the family is going to be a little more than cuddles and coos.  But, honestly...isn't it easy to forget all about the diapers and the sleepless nights and the sheer frustration a newborn brings when you're anticipating your new baby?  I mean, you know it's going to be...let's just say challenging sometimes, but it's easier to just get excited!  


Plus, humans that we are, we don't know the exact nature of the, umm, challenges that each child will bring into our lives.  We aren't burdened with the foreknowledge that this one will have colic or that one will turn into a really, really difficult teenager.  We don't know upon arrival that this baby will take years off our lives when he gets into an accident shortly after his fifth birthday (Jamie!).


When it comes right down to it, I didn't NEED to have all these kids any more than they NEEDED me to relent and bring a dog into the mix.  But in every case, these usually-lovable mammals were what we desperately wanted...and we couldn't imagine life without them.


But God, on the other hand...


He knows exactly what we've got up our sleeves.  He knew going in precisely what a handful I was going to be...and that, on some very important matters, I would prove to be a very slow learner!  He knew all the ways I would damage His name and serve as the worst kind of witness for Christ.  Even on my best day, I'm nothing He needs!


Yet He knew me before I was conceived...and He loved me...and He wanted me.  Amazing!  Especially when you consider that, on her worst day, Josie couldn't hold a candle to me when it comes to being...well...challenging.


Blessings!
Missy

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

Before you were born, I set you apart...

Jeremiah 1:5a

   

What a good puppy!
(Who's a good girl?!  Who's a good girl?!)

A Motorcycle, a Really Big Purse, and a Little Perspective

Sometimes I don't make a lick of sense!


Case in point:  I love to travel, yet I have no desire to go to some of the hottest tourist destinations the continent has to offer...like California, Las Vegas, and Mexico.  I know!  There's probably something wrong with me!  But some places just seem a little too overdone...too flashy...or too fraught with amoebic dysentery.


Furthermore, I love cats!  But dogs?  Not so much.  Cats are so low-maintenance.  Want to take off for the weekend?  No problem.  Simply throw out an extra big bowl of food and fill the litter box extra high!  Dogs just require so much more...well...everything!  If I want to hang out with someone who's really needy and insistent on my undivided attention, I have seven kids in the house for that!


Also, I'm crazy for roller coasters...but I think activities like sky-diving, bungee-jumping, and motorcycle-riding are strictly for people who are functioning without a valuable part of their brains engaged:  You know...the part that regulates our inclination toward self-preservation.


With that being said, guess what came to live at my house last summer.  Go ahead...guess.

Is this what you guessed?  
I knew you were a smart crowd!

Confession:  I resisted the idea.  And I had very solid, reasonable ground to stand on.  But Sweet Jimmy B had really, really wanted a motorcycle for a long, long time.  And you know what's funny?  After a bit of a rough start (while I figured out how to sit on the back of the thing without feeling like I was going to fall off at any moment!), I learned something:

I'm a motorcycle girl!  Who knew?!  I got a black leather jacket and a cute red helmet and everything!

One of my favorite things about riding the motorcycle with SJB is that, even though he has given me some driving lessons, I really prefer to be the passenger.  I like knowing that he has the thing under control and just closing my eyes, holding on tight, and feeling the wind blow by!

Another surprising thing I have learned by becoming a motorcycle-momma is the beauty of traveling light.  Allow me to illustrate:

These are my two favorite purses!  

I could probably carry a small child in either one...

and I may have!

It has long been my position that the more stuff I carry around with me, the less likely I am to realize I need something that I don't have!  I'm the mother of ten!  I never know when I'm going to need Tylenol, Kleenex, lip balm, hand sanitizer, gum, breath mints, snacks, or a map of Fairmont, Minnesota (where I haven't lived since early 2003).  Plus, I've too often found myself wishing I had my iPod, my Kindle, Stevia packets, and the local TV listings...so I have to have room for those too.  And with as many as three children in diapers at one time, I have sometimes required my purse to do double-duty as a diaper bag.  These things require space, people!

However...funny thing about riding the motorcycle:  There's just no way to pack around a big purse!  (Well, I suppose I could, but it would probably get in the way of my cycle-babe image!)

Now, the first time I set out for a ride, I looked about and realized that I was going to have to pare down my usual bag of tricks...yet I was also concerned about being identifiable when my smoldering remains were scooped off the pavement.  So I did what any responsible mother would do:  I put my driver's license in one pocket and my cell phone in another (thereby increasing the odds that one or the other would be accessible to the first-responders at the scene).

Then time marched on...and Sweet Jimmy B's little hobby became my passion as well!  Crazy stuff, that!  And, before I knew it, we were actually going places on that death trap!  Movie dates...quick trips into town...stuff like that.  And would you believe it...I discovered a remarkable freedom in traveling with nothing but my cell phone, my ID, and my debit card, with the road flying past under my feet!

As I experienced the transformation from cycle-phobic into HarleyWoman, I discovered some surprising things about myself...and about life in general.  But first, let me be honest and clear about one thing:  I still lug a big purse and/or a giant Land's End bag around with me pretty much everywhere I go.  But I've found that, when it comes right down to it, there are really only a few things that are truly essential.  And that is a revelation that translates into a lot of areas.

Take homeschooling, for instance.  This year, for the first time ever, I have seven students in the Out of Egypt Academy.  Here's what that looks like on paper:

Don't hate me because I have a beautiful check-list.

This is closer to what it looks like in reality:

Not pictured:  Whichever monkey is hiding out in the bathroom, 

avoiding chores or schoolwork at the moment.

Here's the problem:  I have a lovable (?) tendency toward being a control freak.  There are few things I love more than seeing a checklist all checked off.  But the thing is...those monkeys aren't easily confined to a chart.  And I can find that very, very frustrating, which pretty much always has a very, very negative effect on my attitude.

Years ago, when we lived in Minnesota, I had a dear friend who had also been blessed with a houseful of homeschooling monkeys, and I once asked her how she got through everything every day.  Her answer surprised me:  She didn't.

She certainly had goals for her children's education, and she definitely had a plan for getting through the school day...but she admitted that there were days when they didn't get any further than a little time in the Bible.  And on those days, she had the comfort of knowing that they had done the most important thing.

Well...

I wonder how many times every day I get completely twisted around the axle because all these things aren't getting checked off the lists (because that school list is just one of the many pieces of paper I use to try to guide myself productively through the day).  I wonder if God's list for my day is much shorter and much simpler.  I wonder to what extent I'm burdening myself with an extra-large, extra-heavy canvas tote when all God wants me to carry is one small, truly important thing.  Like this:

Or like this:

  

Or like this:

Seven little monkeys, crowding up my bed!

And I think that the key to embracing God's short list for my day just might be found in trusting that He has the thing under control...and just closing my eyes, holding on tight, and feeling the wind blow by!

Blessings!

Missy

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, 

“you are worried and upset about many things, 

but few things are needed—or indeed only one. 

Mary has chosen what is better, 

and it will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:41-42

p.s.  Be sure to tune in next time when I eat crow on another matter!  

Here's a hint---->

Seriously...what's next?!  A trip to Vegas and a new tattoo?!

Is "Intentionality" Even a Word?

Evidently, as a preparation for the year ahead, many bloggers are choosing to write about a single word that defines their focus for 2012.  Frankly, I tend to be wordier than that.  A lot wordier.  Just ask...well, pretty much anyone.


However, after giving it a little thought, I may have come up with a word--if, in fact, it is actually a word:  Intentionality.


I know that this probably comes across sounding like a list of excuses.  And maybe it is.  But please stick with me...


My household contains seven homeschooled children who range in age from 5-14, four cats, one dog, one sweet husband, and a tank of fish.  Also in orbit, I have three grown-up daughters, two sons-in-law, three adorable grandchildren, and an assortment of parents, siblings, nieces, nephews, and facebook friends.  To that, add the Rozetta Baptist Church family, complete with all the meetings, studies, gatherings, and echurchencies (that's church emergencies, for the uninitiated) that go along with being a pastor's family...and it's all too easy to live my life like a poorly-trained volunteer fire-fighter, just moving in a panic from one crisis to the next!


But what I want for 2012 is more than that.  Better than that.  


Now...I'm not laboring under the delusion that this is going to be a perfect science.  I've been on this ride enough times to know that there are days when, no matter how carefully you secure your loose items, something is going to knock your hat right off the roller coaster.  That's just how it goes around here sometimes!  People get sick...the unexpected happens...loved ones need attention right now...


However...


I want to prayerfully find a way to spend more time intentionally acting and less time reacting.  I want to be more purposeful and less panic-stricken.  More focused...less frantic.


Within this one word, there are about a million smaller resolutions I hope to see accomplished:  more faithful exercise, more healthful cooking, more patience, more Bible, more writing, more family time, more prayer time.  I desire to choose wisely rather than allowing the situation at hand to choose my way for me.


Specific to this blog, it has not escaped my notice that I dropped off the face of the planet for several months.  Considering the fact that I've never been able to keep a journal, a diary, or even so much as a captain's log for more than a couple weeks at a time, I guess it's not all that surprising.  What did surprise me was that fact that, even in my absence, people still kept on visiting the blog!  Crazy stuff, man!


So I have decided that I'm going to kick off the new blog year by counting down the top five posts of 2011.  I'm going to totally Casey Kasem the thing!  My hope is that hitting (and re-reading for myself) last year's high points will serve to set me on an intentional trajectory into the new year.


Please feel free to do whatever it takes to hold me accountable, friends!


And with that...tomorrow you can look forward to reading 2011's fifth most popular post (coming in with 238 total pageviews):  From the Top.