10 Things Tuesday

Today I woke up late, after a night of tossing and turning. Apparently my son BC didn't sleep much better than me because when I went in to wake him up for school, he informed me that he was up at 3:30am throwing up. I sighed, kissed him on the forehead and said "I'll go call in your absence to the school." Even with a tough start to my day, there's always something to be thankful for. Here are my 10 things for the day.

1. Even though my son is home sick today, he seems to be feeling better. Tired, but better.
2. Bible study is coming to a conclusion today. Although I am sad about that, I am thankful for all that I have learned during this session. We are having a "feast" together this evening to conclude our time together.
3. I'm so thankful for a fun Mother's Day weekend. There was homemade cards, homemade icecream, lots of laughter and plenty of love!
4. I'm thankful for our back yard project. It's only in the beginning stages now so it looks like a mess. It will be a huge improvement when it's done though. In the mean time, the kids are having a blast helping with the work!
5. I am thankful for the people in our lives that are willing to help us with the above project. It makes our job a lot easier and affordable.
6. I'm thankful for the scent that the lilac bushes are giving off in the breeze. Such a sweet fragrance!
   
7. I am thankful that the client I mentioned last week put an offer on a house and it was accepted! Praise God for the extra income!
8. I give thanks every time I think about God's grace for me. His grace is sufficient for me, His power is made perfect in my weakness. 2 Cor. 12:9
   
9. The virtue of the month for Kid's Inc. is Obedience. I'm thankful for the opportunity not just to teach my kids about the importance of obedience, but to practice this virtue myself. I've already learned that just as obeying God comes with trust, my kids will obey me as they learn to trust me. What a valuable lesson!
10. I am thankful for the mystery revealed, which is Christ in me, the hope of glory! Col. 1:27

Stop by and see what others are thankful for at 10 Things Tuesday, and link up your own list.
Have a great day!
-Melissa

Rainy Days and Mondays

Rainy Days and Mondays sung by Karen Carpenter is an old favorite of mine.

What is it about a Monday that makes it so hard to get moving? Is it because I have to get my children back on morning routine after two days of sleeping in? Could it be that I have a hard time getting motivated after a relaxed weekend with the family? Maybe it's the anticipation of a long to-do list as I do most of my house cleaning on Mondays.

Actually, it's probably a combination of all these things. This morning though, I think it also has something to do with the fact that the weather took a turn for the worse. It was so nice yesterday for Mother's Day. Today the clouds have rolled in and the rain has taken over.

It's time to turn on a little upbeat music, get to work, and I'll be "Singin' in the Rain!" in no time! :)

What do you do to get motivated on days like these???

Happy Mother's Day!

Favorite childhood memory with my mom:
Oh, there are so many to choose from! If I must choose, I would say that the simple activity of spending time with her on our back patio over the years. The memories there begin as a small child playing in the tiny kiddie pool and grow into long talks on lawn chairs over coffee.

Favorite memory thus far with my mother in law:
Having her in the hospital room when my son BC was born. We walked the hallways together until I couldn't handle it anymore. Then she sat quietly talking with my DH until I finally said "ok, it's time to push." She still can't believe I was so calm. :)

Favorite memory as a mom so far:
Holding each of my babies for the first time ever in the hospital room.

I am so blessed to be both a daughter and a mom.
Happy Mother's Day!

-Melissa

Company Girl Coffee 5.8.09

Come on in, friends! Today I want to spotlight a friend of mine, Andrea. She's another Company Girl that lives in my town and I lean on her in so many ways as one of my closest and dearest friends. We have a blog together where we share our thoughts, dreams, and even our day to day tasks. I love that I can depend on her whenever I need advice or even if I just need to talk something through. She not only inspires me but challenges me to be a better person in every way.

Let me tell you a few things I admire about Andrea...

She's a devoted wife. No matter what he may be going through, she supports her husband. She loves him not only with her actions, but with her words. She does her best not to speak harshly to him or about him.

She is a wonderful mom. Whenever I'm stumped, I call her up for advice. She's a great sounding board and often helps me look at my situation in a new light when it comes to my kids. She motivates me to try new projects and fun things with my kids. Just yesterday she was telling me about her "summer plan" that she was creating so her kids won't get bored this summer. :)

She strives to create a peaceful atmosphere in her home. It's not always spotless, but it's cared for. This week she started her Spring cleaning and that nudged me to get the ball rolling too! She is also creative with her decorations and furniture. She has never complained about the amount of space she has, or not having the things she wants. If she wants or needs something, she'll search for it on Freecycle or Craig's list. She's so thrifty!

She's hard working. She took a job at her son's school to help with the household income. She also works childcare for a Bible study once a week. She's very aware of what their budget is and tries to help however she can. As I said before, she's very thrifty and hunts for the best bargains.

Did I mention creative? Check out her blog and what she accomplished over spring break! She knits and her things are beautiful! She made me a hat for my birthday that I almost wish I could wear during the summer, it's so nice! :) She even bought ME some knitting needles and yarn when I said I wanted to try to take up knitting. (It's a work in progress...)

Most of all, she's an incredible friend. I wish that I could say I've never let her down, but there have been moments where I just plain dropped the ball. She has always been so quick to forgive me when I come to her though. I love her for that. Her friendship means the world to me.

I am very pleased to spotlight Andrea this week and brag about her over coffee. She is such a positive influence in my life. If you that haven't met her yet, stop by her blog Life With You sometime and say hello. :)You'll be glad you did!

Love you Andrea!

Have a great weekend all!
-Melissa

10 Things Tuesday

10 Things that I am thankful for today...

1. Coupons that mean more than 50% off of what I am buying!
2. A fun new game for my kids to play.
3. New grass that's finally growing in the back yard.
4. The sound of the wind blowing through the trees.
5. Tiny fingerprints on french doors.
6. A new client for my DH.
7. A funny joke that my son told me.
8. A new snow globe for an early Mother's Day present. :)
9. A beautiful sunset.
10. Bedtime stories and prayers.
    

Well, I'm off to tuck my kiddos in!
Don't forget to count your blessings and be thankful every day!
-Melissa

Siesta Scripture Memory Verse 5.1.09

It's the beginning of another month already! With that comes another memory verse. If you are wondering what Siesta Scripture Memory is, visit the LPM Blog here. I am so excited how the Lord has been weaving scripture into my life to encourage me and help me grow this year! He is so faithful to remind us of His promises, in just the right moments. Sometimes I can hardly wait to see Him face to face! What a glorious day that will be when we are all in heaven together!

Until then, my heart is encouraged by this verse:
"Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy." 1 Peter 1:8

May you find joy as you continue to love Him,
Melissa

Company Girl Coffee 5.1.09

Good morning girls! Happy May-Day! Where in the world did April go? Honestly, I'm glad May is here. It's one of my favorite months. The edge has been taken off the cold, but it's not too hot to spend sunny afternoons at the park or in the back yard. :) One of my favorite childhood memories is making May-Day baskets with a childhood friend. We'd fill them with flowers, drop them on a neighbor's doorstep, (one for each of our moms too) and run! I am going to make a basket with my own kids today.

Something has been on my mind all week that I want to share over coffee this morning. Actually, it started last week as I did my homework for Bible Study. It's been stirring in my heart and it came to head on Tuesday when I watched session 7's video. The question I have been asking myself is this: "Can I be content to just live out my life without ever being in the spotlight, and just find joy in the ordinary?"

Here's the deal. Humans crave attention. We want to be great at something and be recognized for that. I've been good at a lot of things in my time, but never really GREAT at anything. Don't get me wrong, I have talents and spiritual gifts that God has blessed me with, just as He has blessed all of His children. I value the person He has created me to be and I know who I am in Christ. I love being a mom, wife, and homemaker. Some days I just wonder if there is more potential there that God has in mind for me that perhaps I might be missing. It's all this study about destiny and providence that has gotten me to thinking. (Beth Moore studies have a way of doing that to me.)

Here are a few quotes from last week's lesson that really struck me to the core of my being.
"To live for the greatness of God is to live the great life."

"Spending ourselves for something infinitely greater still fans our parched souls with the God-given need to matter, but relieves us of the relentless pain of being the 'it' person at the center of it."

"Every one of us who embraces the glory of God as our purpose will end up doing great things precisely because we do God-things. His holy hand resting on the least act renders the ordinary extraordinary."

Did you catch that? The ordinary becomes extraordinary with the holy hand of God resting on the least of our actions in this life. That's where it hit me. Nothing that I do in this life is ordinary to Him when I am serving Him.

Let me leave you with one final quote from the video session.
"To serve God is to serve people and to serve people is to serve purpose."

There's only one thing I long to be "great" at in this lifetime, and that is loving Christ. In John 15:9-13 Christ said to his disciples "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in His love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one that this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

Dear heavenly Father, grant it to me that I may experience that kind of love!

Blessings to all of you as you grow in the love and knowledge of Christ,
Melissa