Reasons v Excuses

There are 163,000,000 reasons to follow what God asks of you. You can make a tiny step, or you can make a big step. Either way, you will make a difference. Click to watch this video.

A Little Fresh Air

Many things make me feel like I just got a dose of fresh air: A real conversation with someone at our new church, the promise of future conversations, the pastor promising me an interview FOR THE BOOK, God's presence in worship, God's presence in the teaching, and in fact, fresh air.
We got home from church and pulled everything edible out of our fridge. It was a quick process. We chowed down a weird smorgasbord of lunch, and then I announced, "I need some fresh air." Only no one was around to hear me. So I told my husband I needed to get out of the house and promptly made a list of things I could do. I am not sure what his brain was thinking, but his face was saying, "Didn't you just get IN the house? You were out. And then you came in. And now you want to go out...." His mouth said sure, and then he said something like, "Eli, come and watch this football game with me. What? Son, what are you doing? Stop sewing and watch this game with me." Then he sighed inwardly. Poor guy.

Slacker

I talked to a friend yesterday. Her name rhymes with Sharon. I call her that behind her back. (That's a lie; I call her Schrute). Anyhoo, she mentioned a call God has spoken to her regularly for several years that she wants to be more aggressive about living out. Frankly, I already think she is pretty awesome, and has probably let more of this calling in than she realizes. But, this got me thinking; this morning I was reminded of a project God placed in my mind, soul, heart, gut, and my lap. He probably even tied it via little strings to my ankles, but I have been running 50 miles an hour like Phoebe Buffay, so I have not noticed.
Several years ago, God said, "Hey, write this book."
Because I am a project planner, I set up files in my computer. I did research. Lots of it. I sent out surveys to moms. I calculated results. I constantly collect excerpts from writings and label it FOR THE BOOK. I wrote four chapters (mostly all completed). I outlined. I wrote. I read a gazillion books.
Because I am not a project finisher, I have yet to finish.

I had a dream a few years back that I walked into a book store and saw my book for sale on the shelf. I was SO excited! The book looked amazing! Was I really a published author!! For sale in a major bookstore? No, actually. When I turned the book over, some other woman's face was there, having actually listened to God's call, not just planned for it. OUCH. Then we got laid off, and life was in upheaval, and I was in college and couldn't wrap my head around any of it.
So when Schrute brought this up, it stuck with me all the way until this morning's bible study when BAM, God did it again. I am on it. I have no excuses. This is the year. I am going in.

And while this may be the longest post you will ever read on this blog, I am including an excerpt of my book Missionary Mom by Shontell Brewer below.(Dear Lord, please don't let anyone steal my title).

On doing a little research on women who accomplished much and changed the world in some way, I read Gilda Radner's It's Always Something (Radner, G., 1989).

"When I was little, my nurse Dibby's cousin had a dog, just a mutt, and the dog was pregnant. I don't know how long dogs are pregnant, but she was due to have her puppies in about a week. She was out in the yard one day and got in the way of the lawn mower and her two hind legs got cut off. They rushed her to the vet and he said, 'I can sew her up, or you can put her to sleep if you want, but the puppies are okay. She'll be able to deliver the puppies.'

Dibby's cousin said, "Keep her alive."

So the vet sewed up her backside, and over the next week the dog learned to walk.She didn't spend any time worrying, she just learned to walk by taking two steps in the front and flipping up her backside, and then taking two steps and flipping up her backside again. She gave birth to six little puppies, all in perfect health. She nursed them and then weaned them. And when they learned to walk, they all walked like her."

From birth, we are learning from the adults around us, as is human nature. If those leading are too far fetched or cause too much pain, we may look elsewhere. Unfortunately, especially when we are hurting, our judgement is not brilliant. Girls turn to boyfriends, and boys turn to trouble in many varieties. A puppy learns how to walk from his mamma. A child learns to EVERYthing from his mother. So, the next time your bundle of joy throws a tantrum, and you want to chalk it up to human nature, you may want to remind yourself that you are the human Baby is naturally following. And, now you are thinking the "P" word right? But, it's probably the wrong one. 

Think PURPOSE not PRESSURE.

Think OPPORTUNITY not OVERWHELMING.

You may feel as if your children are being pulled in every direction except the right one and that your input is small. Be reassured that God has placed that little bundle in your hands. Not the lady next door who seems to have it all together. Not the pastor whose prayers get heard before yours because he is of the cloth (not something; we all wear cloth). 

Children will mimic your walk, your laugh, your handwriting, your love for your favorite football team, and your stance on organic produce. 

They will also mimic what really matters:

your faith

your peace

your mercy

your grace

your willingness

your love

your joy

your kindness

your patience

your goodness

your gentleness

and your self-control

How do I know? Because the Bible tells me so. Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old he will not part from it." (KJV) 

What can you do today to seize the opportunity to be purposeful in your child's life? Sure, you could pack your bags and whisk little Jimmy on the next plane to Africa to be a missionary. But, wouldn't holding the door for the lady with the stroller teach him the same thing? Wouldn't tithing at your church teach him the same thing? Wouldn't stopping your day to pray for someone in need, and then giving whatever you could to help that person do the same thing? If missionaries travel far and wide to show people the love of Jesus, couldn't you just look around and show people the love of Jesus? Who knows; maybe the next time you walk through a door it will be little Jimmy that says, "Here, let me get that for you. My mom taught me this."

Thanks Erin. Click.

Ode

I have a friend named Nat;
she knows just where I'm at.
She laughs at my jokes,
and she gets me my smokes
half price at the corner store.

She gave birth to a girl,
We will call her monkey.
She gave birth to a boy,
a pirate with a pet flea.
Two punks I sure adore.

Now, for the man she loves
those two are turtle doves.
He calls her Hot Toes Nat,
and she calls him Chris Hef
They smooch and smooch galore.

She says the weirdest words
donesky, Clyde, and biscuit,
She'll talk about your mom,
and tell you your da'bomb
and make you laugh til you pee on the floor.
The
End

I Stole This Idea

Love
Not so much

• I love smelly good lotion
• not so much perfume
• I love movies
• not so much overly foul ones
• I love vintage cars
• not so much their willingness to break down so often
• I love coffee
• not so much tea
• I love honey
• not so much the sticky
• I love soup
• not so much red meat
• I love writing for fun
• not so much with a deadline
• I love Friends
• not so much that it's over :(
• I love french fries
• not so much the chubby belly they give me
• I love my iPhone
• not so much the bill that comes with it

Goals: 2012

Well, I didn't finish my post a day as strongly as I wanted, but my cold is hanging on strong. Chiropractor today at three. Praying he makes a difference in my life. I start my second job tomorrow: after school tutoring. I am excited for the difference it will make in our house toward our debt, which brings me to this year's goals.

• As I mentioned, we have gotten our Dave Ramsey on. My brother said I got Dave Ramsey'd. Ouch. and Ew. Gross, Mo. But he is right. We are looking at making a few temporary, but drastic, changes to our finances. That's the number one goal for The Man and I.
• Next for me? I want to focus on Rosalie, my oh so pretty guitar. In six months, I hope to have 3 songs mastered. I have written several worship songs that need to find their way to the proper chords and then to my guitar. Glad George Dahir is coming at the end of the month. He is good at that beeswax.
• In addition to getting over this crapping cold, I plan to train for a 10K. I want a destination spot like Reno or Omaha. Kidding. About the location only. As soon as I can lay prone without coughing, I will start this and hopefully meet my friends at the starting line (those of you reading, I am speaking to you).
• Next fall, my ultimate goal and focus will be securing a full-time teaching position wherever God sees fit to place me. My prayers mention the school I currently work at because I love the people who work there including the principal, and the kids are hilarious. I am shooting for second grade. (Hear that, Jesus? Second grade).
• Quality time: this is my goal in general. I want quality time with my husband. I want quality time with my kids, together and individually. I want quality time with myself, which incidentally leads to quality time with my friends. 
• Finally, I want to be a giver. Randomly. Purposefully. Spontaneously. Contemplatively. I want to out give God. I realize it isn't possible, but it's a good goal. 

What are your goals?

•  

Day 29

I am feeling better. Thanks for the prayers, yo. Day 29 wasn't pretty, but I got to read some more of my book, which is always a happy event. I joined a book club. We are reading Cutting For Stone. So far it is scandalous and very well written. Someone, someday, somewheres is going to put my book down and say, "That Shontell is sure well written." Amen.

Why I Like Mike #29

He remembers to buy me cough medicine when I forget it for myself. I know it's early, but I woke this morning, not from coughing or a cricked neck from sleeping on the couch. I woke early because I actually slept most of the night. Thanks for taking care of me babe.

Day 28

I came. I coughed up a lung. I bruised my diaphragm. No kidding. That's what it feels like.

Day 27

My head is fuzzy. I want to do something fun like scrapbook. Instead, I am sitting on my couch, sweating, then cold while Sam coughs all over his sister. My future is bleak. Ideally, my room would be clean, as I had planned this morning, and I would be ending my night reading Harry Potter the Seventh to my kids and scrapping whilst I watch a movie. It's not going to happen. Is 7:16 too early to send my kids to bed for the night even if it's a vacation day? BAH.
Ps. sorry for the grumpiness of this post. I feel miserable.

Day 26

We like to bake at the Christmas holiday. It's a great family pastime. My husband takes much of the lead, as I am just not very good at the baking. I help, but it's more to delegate and grab ingredients for the chefs. The following pictures offer an excellent insight into the children that are my offspring.
She cleans.

They cooperate and tackle the trickiest treats: marshmallows.

She creates the eclectic: puppy chow.

He is just weird. Enough said.

Sadly I am missing a a picture of Layla Grace. Most likely she was flittering about the kitchen encouraging good work ethic and cleaning up behind the mess makers so as to encourage order.

Day 25

Merry Christmas. Take your face out of your phone and your computer long enough to have a real conversation with someone. Take time to play a game. Take time to get back to the good old days where people interacted and laughed and shared and got to know one another, even if those people are your own children. Three year olds can carry some pretty funny conversations.

Day 24: The Brew Crew

People think I jest when I say, "We need our own show." Not only would I love the funds that would come from this sort of situation, but the people of this great nation would finally be able to see for themselves what I mean when I say, "My kids are a hoot. Like a funny owl." They are you know? Funny owls. May I introduce the cast?

Addison,the sweet to look at sassy to speak to, please don't be an idiot anywhere near her if you can't handle what she may have to say about it.

Samuel, the kid you want to approach, even though you can't always understand the English coming out of his mouth, and you completely love him, until you make him lose his temper. Then. He will eat your face off and storm away. Only to return if you grovel and offer sugar.

Elijah, the kid who starts the party as he walks in the door, is learning when funny and rude separate, but can make the most stoic person sing along to a happy birthday falsetto. Also, he looks smashing in a fedora and blazer. At the age of ten.

Layla Grace. Her name explains that she is retro and capable and graceful and worth knowing. All things true. She has hutzpah. Everyone she knows is changed.

Isabelle Rose, the girl who is a beauty with a voice she is still too shy to try out in public. She is growing into her own skin and working on new talents. She is a smart alexis. I like it.

Cumulatively, they make the Brew Crew, not at all unlike the Partridge Family.

Tonight, as we arrived home from checking out Nampa's Christmas lights, we were informed we were in for a treat aka a show. They performed no less than six Christmas songs, played two songs with a piano accompaniment, and reenacted the nativity scene with baby Samuel playing Jesus. Far fetched? Jesus would be flattered. The whole thing was fantastic- even the part where Addison was irate that the dress Izzy made for her was pinned and not sewn. Even the part when Elijah sang falsetto to Away in a Manger while posing as The Strong Man and playing Joseph. Multitasker.
Good times. Sorry you don't live here. Sorry we don't have our own show.

Christmas Comes Early to the Brew Crew

Tonight, the kids and I snuggled up with Nanna and watched this year's run of The Nativity. Tonight, I set out several, and then some, gifts. Tonight I made, from the scratch, cinnamon rolls.
Tomorrow, I will make the coffee maple glaze to atop them. (sing) YUM. In the morning, my kids will stay holed up in their bedrooms until The Man gets home from work. 8:15 ish. This time will come slowly for all of us.
Tomorrow, we will celebrate Jesus and his birth and, by extension, what he did for us on the cross. Sunday, we will eat his birthday cake. I am positive it's what he would want ;)

Day 23

People often ask me if I am fearful or sit around and worry over my husband because of his job. He is a fire fighter, obviously, as the photo to the right indicates. Also, he is hot, as the caption to the right indicates. I digress.

I do not, though. I do not worry about The Man being a fire fighter. He was seventeen the first time he mentioned becoming one. He did other things for a while. But, when God puts a passion in your heart to be or do something, no matter how many distractions may come up, you seem to go back to it. God has miraculously made my husband a fire fighter. Twice.
When he got laid off from the Reno Fire Department, we were heart broken. We took as many tiny steps in faith as we could muster. Packed. Placed the house on the market. Made steps to be ready. Prepared our hearts for what was next.
I dreamed that I got a call from the Nampa Fire Department. The man on the phone asked if I thought My Husband could be up to Idaho in two weeks. Then our house sold, and we decided to take the first offer for fire fighter that came The Man's way. We got many letters saying he was first on the list, second on the list, third on the list to be called. We prayed a little more and tried not to let frustration at the unknown rule.
The Man took an interim job, and the kids and I took a trip to Vegas to see friends and family before we moved further away. While I was there, I got a new tattoo and a phone call from the Nampa Fire Department asking if my husband was still interested in taking a job with them. Overwhelmed at the similarity from my dream, I asked him why he called me and not my husband. Turns out The Man accidentally typed my cell number on his resume. Funny how God works.
So, no. I am not fearful of the position that God has so precisely paced My Husband in. I feel better when I hear from him after a fire, but I know God is the author and finisher of his faith and his desires. It's where he is supposed to be.

The Next Day: Cheers

I love getting posts and emails and texts saying I am a loser for slacking on my goals. Accountability is a beautiful thing. People have not nearly enough of it. I welcome it in right portions and places in my life. Like posts and emails and texts saying GET BACK ON TRACK!!
Titus 2 says much on discipleship. It gets you thinking though; are you disciplining anyone? Are you being discipled by another? How is that going? Walls? Pride? Arrogance? Or breakthrough? Encouragement? Overflow? That's what discipleship is really- being filled so you can be emptied again. That means someone fills my coffee cup and I pour my coffee into another's mug. Metaphorically speaking. (Also, if you literally have coffee to pour into my coffee mug, I will take it.)
I always pray, "God, use me." He does probably, but to the best of my ability. It's not him. It's me. He puts people around me so as to disciple me. He puts people around me to disciple. It's when I get involved that things get a little haywire.

Day, Um

You know what I like? A lot of things, but mostly I like that I don't have any vital reason to be on my computer some days. Do you ever feel we have become drones in front of our technology? I catch myself checking my phone even when I have not heard the little chime that denotes an incoming message, email, or game play. Why is that? Boredom probably.
Yesterday, I got caught up in the last quarter of my book in the series I am reading. It was well worth my time to sit, and be, and not check my phone or get on my computer. I took a break mid-day to play a board game with the kids. Disney's version of Headbanz. Good times.
I read some more, and then we headed off chockabock full of gift cards to the movies and dinner at The Olive Gardens. Then, we got home, and I finished my book. I did not play on my phone all day. I did not surf websites that deep down add up to little meaning and memories. I did not spend my day wrapped up in what was coming next. I read a good book, did a few chores, and spent time with people. Real people. In front of my face people.
Challenge thrown.

Day 17

Christmas movies are a must this time of year. Today, I spent a good hour or more stalking the stores in the greater Nampa area looking for a copy of The Preacher's Wife starring Whitney Houston and Denzel Washington. No go. I have owned a copy of this movie, which I recorded from the television back in the day of VHS tapes. Apparently, this movie has landed in the same abyss as my other missing favorite objects. A place I like to think of as Schenectady. I have never been there, but I am certain it now houses my bootleg movie and my beloved locket along with several other of my most favorite things. Freaking New York.

Day 16: aliens

Speaking of beef jerky, I don't believe in aliens. Not related topics? Well, I teach first graders all day. I was told relevance is irrelevant. Like when a teacher called me over in the middle of benchmark testing to say she ate a meatball off the staff treats table, but instead of eating it with her mouth, she rolled it down her sweatshirt. This further explained why she smelled of meatballs. I didn't smell them. I took her word for it. She is a hoot. I am so glad I was placed with her as to aide/ aid (I just can never remember) her in her classroom. It's like God knows. I need sarcasm in Costco proportions. Also, beef jerky.

Day 15

I know it isn't day 15. Yesterday was day 15. Today, you will get two posts as my schedule for yesterday went like this:
6am- wrap Addison's birthday present
6:08- wake kids to sing to the squirrel
6:11- sing to the squirrel and say she smells like one too
6:20- oversee children getting ready for school, sign papers, whatnot
6:58- convince kids to be a little lazier and allow me to drive them to school at 8
6:59-7:00- lay around the house time
7:01- laundry, straightening, calendar checking, coffee making, breakfast eating (but not me. the others ate breakfast. I forgot, which is why I ate more than my fair share of the treats at school. I am not proud.)
7:45- drove kids to school, smooched, sang the good bye song much like the Von Trapps would have done, had a six minute conversation with Samuel on burping with our mouths open
8am- drank coffee, read bible, welcomed husband home with a smooch on the cheek and a semi-clean home
The next few hours were full of work, stuffing my face with said Christmas treats, teaching children to read, write, and 'rithmetic, and communicating with teachers who are as antsy to be done with school as the kids are.
At 2, I had an interview for a job with a tutoring company.
At 3:30, I went to the grocery store to purchase Squirrel's birthday dinner selection of nachos, lemonade sprite combo, and pineapple upside down cake.
This is also the part where I was supposed call a lady at the kids' school to coordinate a meeting time with her to hand over the key to the PTO cabinet, which I right out stole from the school. She needed it last night. I remembered that I was supposed to call her as SOON as I got in the car, but I was too far away, so I waited. I remembered that I never called this morning at 6 am. sigh
On the bright side, dinner was delish, the presents were a hit, the cake was SO yum (made by The Man and The Fish), and Addison successfully turned seven. 
Now, I have to go call the PTO lady and tell her sorry she wasn't able to cut out her 600 Christmas trees because I still have the key. I am lame.