if you give a 13 year old boy a cookie...

This afternoon I was sitting with my daughter as we tried to cram for the library's summer reading program enjoy some literary stimulation. I was reading If You Give a Mouse a Cookie for the 3,722,185th time in my life, when the 13-year-old wandered in to ask me for something listen and reminisce about his sweet preschool years.



We finished reading and closed the book. My son asked if I could fix him something to eat. Of course he did, because it had been a shocking TWELVE minutes since lunch, and how could an adolescent boy possibly be expected to survive that long without food?



As I asked him what was wrong with his own two legs got up to graciously fix him something, I was inspired by the circumstances to flex my own literary muscle. Hence, this (with a sincere hat tip and apology to this).

click on the link to read the whole entry and the story... especially if you have ever lived with a teenage boy.  :o)
http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/shannon/2010/07/if-you-give-a-thirteenyearold-boy-a-cookie.html

IF YOU HAVE LOST FOCUS

if you've lost focus,

just sit down

and be still.

take the idea

and rock it

to and fro.

keep some of it

and throw some away,

and it will renew itself.

you need do no more.

~ clarissa pinkola estes~

MOMS WHO WALK ALONG SIDE

http://raisinghomemakers.com/2010/moms-who-walk-alongside/

Watch the Official EAT PRAY LOVE Trailer in HD

I can't wait to see this. Juia Roberts is one of my favorite actresses. :o)

BEARING THE FAILINGS OF THE WEAK

http://stepthruthescriptures.lionelwoods.net/bearing-the-failing-of-the-weak/

The beginning of this post spoke to me today:

Paul says: Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up (Rom. 15:1-2) . Those are some pretty powerful words to consider.

I have a person in my life who I would consider one of the "weak", and to see that I am to bear with this person's failings and not please myself in these hurtful situations that they continue to present, can be very hard sometimes.  You know what I mean... I really want to defend myself, poke back a hurt, do something to let this person know I am ticked off by their actions.  Luckily I have never been a fighter so I find it easier to not retaliate but sometimes my mind races with ways to fight back.  But I am practical enough to know that any hurtful things I may want to do will not help the situation at all, and it will certainly do nothing for the relationship I have with this person.

So the new challenge for me in these types of situations to is find a way to help build up the other person.  Hmmmm???  This will be an interesting and challenging task.

MY PLANS FOR THE WEEK

PAM'S PLANS FOR THE WEEK:




1. Kids are busy working on the ranch.



2. I am hosting my god-daughters birthday gathering today.



3. I really want to go see Eat, Pray, Love this week.



4. I need to deliver a TV stand to Vana on Wednesday.



5. The peas really need to be picked.



6. I want to get my haircut, so I should make an appointment.



7. I am going to make up some freezer meals for my grandparents and deliver them.



8. I still need to plan our fall academics. I seem to be procrastinating this task.



9. I need to finish up book keeping with quickbooks and get our year end stuff to the accountant.



That seems like enough to do, so I am going to quit listing things now. LOL!

Andrew Peterson - Dancing in the Minefields (Official Video)

What a beautiful song about marriage. Enjoy!

HOW TO BUILD YOUR TRIBE

This website is one of my new favorite places to stop by and read - http://www.marcandangel.com/

Today post was very good - http://www.marcandangel.com/2010/08/16/how-to-build-your-tribe-finding-your-people/

"One of the most fundamental human needs is the need to belong. Noted psychologist, Abraham Maslow, identified it as one of the five basic needs. We want to be part of a group and to feel loved and accepted by others. That is, we want to be a member of a tribe. A tribe-or a pack, clan, elected family, posse, crew, network, or true friends–is a group of people who share common interests and values and show genuine appreciation and care for each other."

I really love my "tribe".  And God knew we needed this idea of a tribe.  So He encourages us to be in a tribe, it is all over the New Testament.   I am blessed to be a part of the big tribe (a.k.a. the family of God... brothers and sisters and coheirs with Christ) but also to be a part of a smaller tribe that I meet with weekly (sometimes more often, sometimes less often).  As my friend Lori has said - "the church had always taught that fellowship was important, but I never got it, never experienced why it was important BUT now I know the full meaning of fellowship and why it is so important."  

God encourages us to be in community with each other.  He knows how important it is for our well being, how we need each other.  In the book of Hebrews it says to not forsake gathering together.  In the book of Acts it talks about how the early church gathered together for learning, eating, praying, and helping each other out.  And then of course there is the teaching from Christ that tells us to love our neighbor.  We need each other.

 Who is part of your tribe?  What is glue that holds your tribe together?