Job #2

As you know, my Job #2 is heading up the children's ministry at our church. I began a discipleship curriculum 3 weeks ago, and I feel like I am learning just as much as the kids are.

Our group, Treasures, meets Sunday morning during regular service hours, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. Sunday's are dedicated to the discipleship of the kids, and Wednesday's are dedicated to worship. We will begin having 2 extra activities very soon, one will be just for fun, and the other will be outreach oriented.

After the first night of worship, I asked the children to share with me what they learned, what God's presence felt like, and how their hearts felt during the worship time. Hailey, who is the tiniest 4 year old, told me that her favorite part of the night was laying down during the slower songs. She said it felt like Christmas Eve and that Santa was coming. As soon as this darling shared that, I got so excited... she encountered God! I realize that Christmas Eve is the night of most anticipation in a child's life... the prospect of extraordinary gifts creates much excitement in their hearts. She had that same anticipation, that same excitement, while resting in the presence of the Most High.

Last Sunday, I shared with the kids about communion and why we, as believers, take communion. We talked about the Last Supper and the things that Jesus shared with his disciples. The kids learned that because of Jesus in them, they have the power to heal the sick, cast out demons, and raise the dead. We took communion together to remember the blood sacrifice of our savior, then spent time praying for those that were sick. Several people were prayed for, and I know that for a fact, at least one was instantly healed. My son had been complaining of a horrible sore throat, was unable to swallow, and when looked at, was extremely raw. After receiving prayer, he began to swallow pain free. I jumped up to see his throat, and sure enough, all the redness and swelling was gone.

I am so excited to see these kids begin to walk in the fullness of God's kingdom, and I am thrilled to discover more of I AM than I have ever known.

I'll keep you posted on what comes next!

Rut

We have a nightly routine. I guess it is more adequately called a nightly rut.

My husband is a handy man of sorts... he can handle most projects... hanging sheetrock, crown molding, sun screens, painting, and even furniture building. He, along with my dad, built many pieces of furniture in my house. My son's bed, our TV stand, the dining room table, side tables for bedrooms, and ultimately, my bed.

Years ago, I found a picture of a bed that I loved from a Restoration Hardware magazine. Being as my husband and I were fresh off the mission field in Eastern Europe, we did not have the extra cash laying around to purchase this five thousand dollar bed frame. I showed the picture of this bed to my wood working father and my apprentice husband. Within minutes, both agreed that this bed would be easy to make. I knew the bed wouldn't look exactly like my picture from the very beginning. I had known my dad long enough to know that whatever he decided to do would end in the original on steroids. Shortly after the initial measurements were drawn, the picture that they were given was scrapped. The headboard is close to six feet tall and the foot board measures 4. It is made from solid cherry with delicate accents in tiger maple. It is grand in stature and looks.

In the making of this bed, only one mistake was made. The 2 by 4 slats that hold our box spring and mattress off the floor were cut about a half an inch short, which works nicely, except for when the slats fall. Having 3 kids who use all their might just to climb the height of the bed tends to shake the slats a bit, and a little tossing and turning on my part has ended with half our bed sloping toward the floor. It is especially disruptive when this occurs in the middle of the night, or during other activities that don't need explaining.

So, every night, Ben lays down on the floor on his side of the bed(for some reason, the slats only fall his side), lifts the box spring and mattress, makes a few minor adjustments on the slats, then climbs into bed ever so carefully.

I guess it's just me, but sometimes I think it might be easier to just cut new slats.

Lunch Lady

My kids go to a private school that I don't like very much. Every time I turn around, the kids have a note from school that they need money for this fund raiser, or that t-shirt that is mandatory to have for field trips, or this weeks water slide rental, and all sorts of things. The most frustrating of these notes has to do with the lunch room. I have had many conversations with the lunch lady instructing her that my children my not have or use a charge account for their lunch or snack purchases. We are trying to teach them early on about fiscal responsibility and the evilness of credit and debt. Needless to say, Miss P. has not cooperated with me on this. Last week, I sent money for E to eat lunch, along with an extra dollar for her to purchase a morning snack. That afternoon, my 7 year old informed me that she owes $0.60 on her account. Puzzled about it, I asked her how that happened and she informed me that it was clean out the regrigerator day, so she opted for a salad bar. Being that she is in first grade, and that the items are not priced for the children to figure out how much money they will owe, E was sixty cents short. Instead of helping E find something else for the $2.50 she had, Miss P. charged it to E's account that she is not supposed to have.

Being a passionate person, I dug through my penny jar and bagged up sixty pennies to pay the debt. My son figured out what was going on and told me that the school did not accept pennies. "OH REALLY," I said, "Well you can just tell them that a penny is a form of American currency, so they don't have much of a choice about it!"

At this point, Ben interrupts my diatribe saying, "Don't teach our kids to be so militant." What? You're kidding right? Militant? Not me. No way.

In my defense to Ben, I reply, "Before we were married, and even early on in our marriage, you told me that my passion for life was something you loved about me."

Despite the accusation, I still sent the pennies, and am thinking I might pay my speeding ticket the same way. Just for fun.

$$$

The Dismukes household is beginning a new phase. Hopefully it's not just a phase, but will actually become habit. We are beginning to actually live on a budget that we create at the beginning of each month and designate each dollar to an expense before it is even spent.

Historically, my weakness has been grocery shopping. In all the 12 years of being a family, I have never been able to stick to a set amount each week at the store. I enjoy shopping and spending money, so grocery shopping was where I could 'freely' spend. Needless to say, the actual dollar amount each month was $200 over my budget. "oops." or "I didn't mean to spend that much." were common phrases that easily slipped off my tongue in defense of my over spending.

We are now beginning week 3 of this new budget approach and I am currently $41 under budget. First, I found a great web-site called www.e-mealz.com and every Wednesday I log into my account and print out a 7 day dinner plan, recipes and grocery list included, based on the sale items at Publix. There has been only 1 meal that wasn't a hit. (I discovered my husband and children do not like water chestnuts, and that one ingredient ruined dinner for them.) Secondly, I have made a game of it to see how much under budget I can get... so less trips to the store for a this or that item.

All this has actually been fun, and I am looking forward to not saying "Oops." at the end of this month.

Unfinished

I live in a house that is unfinished. I am lacking crown molding to cover the cracks where the new sheet rock meets the old ceiling. After 2 years, I still haven't replaced the temporary paper blinds hanging on all the windows that need them. Many windows don't have any dressing, which becomes a problem when the sun streams through during dinner and leaves us all sweaty from the direct light. Little by little, we get things done, and sometimes, we can't do anything on it for reasons beyond my control.

I'm learning that my house has a lot to teach me about myself. I am undone... needing refinement... the foundation is good, but there is still so much for God to finish in me. I am so quick to see the areas that need covering, like the cracks at the ceiling. I am also quick to throw up cheap coverings to remain hidden from public view. I see the potential that my home has, and I know that my potential is seen by the one who dwells in me. Recently, I have had a recurring reminder of how God is faithful to complete the work that he's begun in me.

I am beginning to feel that the winter of my soul is passing now, and that spring has come. Now I can look at my home with a sense of hope, and I can look at my heart with the same.

Tales from West

As I was hanging up the weekly sales signs throughout the store today, I over heard a young man talking to our deli lady. He asked her what they were 'fixin' back in the kitchen for lunch. She replied that they would be serving 'chicken n dumplins'. The young man then began to rant and rave, saying he would not be eating there for lunch, and that he just doesn't trust many people to make 'chicken n dumplins.' I looked up and caught the eye of our deli lady, and pointed in the direction of the angry customer and rolled my eyes. She smiled.

Later on, I saw the deli lady again and she said to me, "Dat wus my son, and mmmm, he done drive me crazy. But I luv that boy. He messed up tho."

Oops... I guess I need to remember that half this town is related somehow and keep my mouth shut, and keep my eyes from rolling!

List

This week:

*beginning my second job
*designing and building a float for the "BIG" parade in town
*working my first job
*3 baseball games
*3 dance classes
* enforcing homework time that the kids aren't interested in doing anymore
*the never ending laundry pile and dirty dishes

I hope I have the energy and desire to accomplish all that's headed my way.
I hope I get some rest this weekend before it all begins.