"A Wink and a Smile"

*Feel free to do this yourself 3 of MY recent Small Successes: REALLY mopping my downstairs floor (kitchen, hallways, dining, entry ... it's a lot of floor).  I wish I did this more often.  Usually it is spot cleaning, vacuuming, and a partial mop, but yesterday I did a really good thorough job ... YAY! Handling the complete activities of the day (on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday of this week) without the wonderful help of my husband.  Sometimes I feel like I need the help of a village with my handful of children, but of course, I only get the help from my husband (which is huge).  So when he is gone, I really do understand how much he plays such an important role in helping to raise up our children.  That, and I also miss him a lot. Getting over disappointments much more quickly than ever before.  This may be a big success, but when each day presents itself differently, I would rather look at it all moment by moment.  My life is pretty good ... even when I have some tough moments.

God called the dry land "the earth," and the basin of the water he called  "the sea."  God saw how good it was. -Genesis 1:10 With our economy in it's current sad state, it can be hard to see rainbows and sunny skies.   I don't want to be all doom and gloom ... some choose that path. It's all good! I have a husband (although out of town) who is bringin' home the bacon with a job that seems to be heading in a good direction. My children are growing, learning, swimming, and appear to have smiles on their pretty faces. My house right at this moment looks like a mess. It's all good! Today I am looking out my sunny window and see so much beauty. I'm going to clean out my really dirty car today Menu planning and grocery shopping HAVE to happen Laundry will be tackled ... can't skip even a day Usual after school activities cannot be ignored This mommy will be doing the solo parenting job ALONE for a few days, but ... IT'S ALL GOOD! My plan i...

Children, be on your guard against idols. - JOHN 5:21 As a kid, I thought idol worship was silly.  Shoot, who would be so dumb as to believe a thing could be GOD?  Then I got older and started stockpiling my own idols.  It's easy, so long as you rename them something innocent sounding.  For example, take the love of money and call it "financial security".  And let's call injustice "pragmatism", and neglecting the world's poor "taking care of my own responsibilities first."  Before you know it, we've got shrines in every corner. - 2009 A Book of Grace-Filled Days Anything in this life that takes our attention away from God can be considered idol worship. That may be all sorts of things ... worshipping ourselves, material things, careers, routines, or any ideas.  Worshipping false idols really can bring chaos and disorder to our lives.  Our God wants us to worship only him ... he alone is the true happiness in our hearts.  I know when I get c...