Another musical post

We have a channel on our TV that allows you to listen to Christian music. Saturday night we were listening and I heard a song from a group I had never heard of. Not that they aren't popular or haven't been around it is just that we mostly listen to CD's of our favorite groups or listen to CD's of catachisms set to music. The group was called Sanctus Real. Lead Me was the songs name. Mainstream Christian music doesn't always have a message worth listening to. Sometimes it can even be played enterchangably on secular stations so I was impressed by this songs lyrics. It was about A husbands cry to lead his wife, a fathers cry to lead his children, a mans cry to be lead by God to lead them the way God has called him to. WOW something real! Something worth crying out to our Heavenly Father for.
Side note, I love there name Sanctus, it is Latin for "to be holy". I even asked hubby if he like the name for a middle name for new arrival. I like the meaning but it may be a bit to out there. What do you think?

Love is a verb.

Boom! Burn! Bip! Yeah! Pow! Hey, ha ha.
Down with the dc Talk, d- d- down with the dc Talk
Are you down with the dc Talk, d- d- down with the dc Talk

Pullin' out my big black book
Cause when I need a word defined that's where I look
So I move to the L's quick, fast, in a hurry
Threw on my specs, thought my vision was blurry
I looked again but to my dismay
It was black and white with no room for grey
Ya see, a big "V" stood beyond my word
And yo that's when it hit me, that luv is a verb

(chorus 1)
Words come easy but don't mean much
When the words they're sayin' we can't put trust in
We're talkin' 'bout love in a different light
And if we all learn to love it would be just right

(chorus 2)
Hey, tell me haven't ya heard?
Luv, is a serious word
Hey, I think it's time ya learned
I don't care what they say
I don't care care what ya heard
The word luv, luv is a verb

Down with the dc Talk, d- d- down with the dc Talk
Are you down with the dc Talk, d- d- down with the dc Talk

Thinkin' of a way to explain-o
Cause ya' know when I'm flowin' like a bottle of Drain-o
Simple and plain, L-O-V-E
Ain't all that junk that ya see on TV
Put soaps on a rope cause they ain't worth copin' with
It's a myth that there ain't no hope and
Luv is enough if it's unconditionally
Givin' now you're living out the Great Commission

(repeat choruses 1 and 2)

Back in the day there was a man
Who stepped out of Heaven and he walked the land
He delivered to the people an eternal choice
With a heart full of luv and the truth in His voice
Gave up His life so that we may live
How much more luv could the Son of God give?
Here is the example that we oughtta be matchin'
Cause luv is a word that requires some action

Not sure how many of you like/liked DC Talk but this song is in my head right now. I am just surrounded by a multitude of situations where this word love is so misunderstood. It is so abused. It is just meaningless. I have a heavy heart for many of my loved ones because they haven't experienced this VERB. They don't know how to "do" this LOVE.
I have an uncle who is in hospice care dying with brain cancer who doesn't know the love of Christ.
I have an aunt who is suffering with terminal cancer and is antagonistic toward the free gift of love and forgiveness Christ offers us.
I have a family member who thinks love is selfish and unkind and self seeking.

I am broken for these situations. I just want to shake someone and say, it isn't about what others can do for you. It isn't about mushy gushy feelings. It is about SERVING, SACRIFICE, and a willingness to FORGIVE when the other is unforgivable.
Lord, let me LOVE the way Christ loved the church. Let me DO love!

Link to Cardboard Testimony

Still crying! What a beautiful way to worship! I am not known for making my sin public or my stuggles known. I usually keep them to myself but this is such a beautiful way to bring our Savior GLORY for His Grace and Mercy.

Feeling Ready!

I am almost 30 weeks along in my 3rd pregnancy. I am feeling DONE!!! I am READY!!!! Lets get this show on the road and NOT be pregnant anymore!!! I am Tired, Hurting, Swollen and have Zero energy!
I am feeling like all I do is whine about how much my body is HATING this extra weight and pulling and pressure. I don't like to whine and it seems to be my theme.
While I was in FL my sweet hubby and mother FORCED me to buy a new pair of tennis shoes, to give me more support. They also strapped a girdle around me for support and they tried to push me around the Brandon Mall in a wheelchair. I got out of that one by wearing the shoes and girdle. But I feel almost like I am to the point where even laying down is an effort. I have 10 weeks to go! I will make it. Hubby keeps saying "take it one day at a time". I have somewhere around 175 days to go and that just seems overwhelming!
So I am turning my focus to something else! (trying to) I am focusing on getting my classroom ready for the fall. I am focusing on cleaning out our unused unwanted clutter. I am focusing on house guests we will have in 2 weeks, and freezer meals for when Preston arrives. I am focusing on the 4D ultrasound that I get to have in 2 weeks. I am focusing on ANYTHING but the 175 day, or 10 weeks, or 2 1/2 months left!
I had a doctors appointment yesterday. My Doctor is so funny. He comes in the room each visit and says the same thing. "Weight looks good, blood pressure looks good, measuring good, this is your third time around, I think it is smooth sailing. Do you have any questions?" I want to scream "YES!! CAN YOU MAKE IT MAY ALREADY?!" But I don't I just kind of slip my statement of discomfort in like it is a question and he replies the same every time with "Third pregnancies do tend to be the toughest." That's it?! That is all you can offer me?! What about a tip to ease the pain or an encouraging word? All he offers me is that, what I am going through is normal. So, I pack up my things and get on my way.
OK, my tantrum is over! I will put back on my "pregnancy is wonderful attitude" and be thankful for this wonderful blessing from my Lord. I will praise Him that He has designed my body in such an amazing way to be able to handle childbearing. I will praise Him that He has opened my womb. I will praise Him that He is knitting together Preston and that he is fearfully and wonderfully made. I will FOCUS on this being a gift!

I am home!

Not to brag...but...I am in FLORIDA!!!!! I am so happy to be here visiting with my family! I haven't seen them since September and that is a lifetime. My kids are in heaven playing with all of the toys that are @ Grammie and Papa's house. To top things off my Daddy made his grandkids a clubhouse. IT IS AMAZING!! I will post pics of it when I get home. It isn't 100% finished but it is playable and they ask just about every minute of the day if they can go play in it.
We are enjoying our time!

(Old pic of my g-pa and my kiddos in FL)

A post just for my Sister!

Do you have sudden urges to wear rain hats? Well my sister in law who is very young and vibrant, longs to wear one when it is not so nice outside. She became fimilar with them during one of her "themed parties" she loves to throw. The theme was 80's not as in the decade but as in 80 year olds. We are crazy I know. But we all had a great time. She looked great! She wore an "old ladies" rain hat. In the days following the party the weather was not so nice outside. It was very windy and rainy on our shopping trip and she expressed her desire to wear her rain hat. I STRONGLY discouraged her. I probably made fun of her a bit and the conversation was dropped. However, she wasn't kidding. She REALLY wants to wear one. She makes me laugh! I love her dearly! And if she did wear one I would openly make fun of her.
HOWEVER, I have found a "semi" cool solution. I wasn't searching for it but ran across this on a thrifting/refashioning blog. They are rain hats made from old umbrellas.


I think SHE could pull this off. I am not ready to tie one around my neck until I am closer to my 70's and I have to pay to set my hair weekly. But I might not make fun of her as much if the rain hat was this cute!
So here is to you my Sister I can't wait to post a picture of you in one of these.
(I am a gracious sister in law, I didn't post the pics from the 80's party)

I am convinced.

G has had a weird bump/rash/cyst/thingy on her foot for months. Her pediatrician is a member of our church so I have taken advantage of that and asked him several times to look at it. He was very gracious and looked at it for me. He was not sure what it was. At first it was a cyst like bump about the size of a m&m on the top of her foot. He said to keep an eye on it for changes. I did, and change it did. About a month later it flattened out. I had him look again. He said he still wasn't concerned and still wasn't sure what it was but that I could go to a dermatologist if I wanted to. But he said he would still just keep an eye on it for changes. It didn't look like an infection or anything to cause alarm. I am a CRAZY worrier and a weird bump under my kids skin is cause for alarm to me. I am thinking it is cancer and it is spreading. I am crazy I know. I kept my eye on it and another change happened. Another bump formed, Ahhh! What is it?! Now it is flattened out with a lot of little bumps inside and the skin is a little discolored.
When I got G out of the bath last night she told me it was hurting her a little bit (WORRY BEGINS AGAIN).
Then, the answer popped in my head. I had a word come to my mind that I hadn't heard since I was 10 years old. When I was 10 I had a weird brown patch of bumps on my leg. Good old Dr. Hall told my mom, "It's Granuloma Annulare". Why did that pop in my head? I am not sure why, but I had Hubby google it. The first image we saw was EXACTLY what G's looks like. I am convinced this is what she has. Looking at the info on it is a common skin condition that will clear on it's own. Of course there were some dramatic cases that scare you to death

but G's is not bad at all. I am still going to keep my eye on it and vow to STOP worrying.
I am also going to give my diagnosis to my pediatrician and see what he thinks. Maybe, he can research for me more than WebMD.

Pregnancy Cravings!

Is anyone else obsessed with Panera Bread? I know anytime we are in a city that contains one, hubby and I are there. We always order the same thing (because it is so stinking yummy)! We both get the 1/2 and 1/2 Frontaga Chicken sandwich and brocolli cheddar soup, with a bagette on the side.
I AM CRAVING A BOWL OF THAT SOUP!!
I am craving it so much I googled the recipe last night and am going to find my way to the store for the ingredents and make my knock off version.
I am not going to be anywhere near a Panera for weeks and it is on the brain so I hope this satisfies. I thought I would share the recipe I found just incase anyone else might like to try it.

Ingredients:

1 tbls. butter, melted
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 cups half & half
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 lb. fresh broccoli
1 cup carrots, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
salt & pepper, to taste
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

How to make it:

Saute onion in 1 tbls. butter
In another pan, cook melted butter and flour , whisking over medium heat for 3-4 minutes
Slowly add half & half while continuing to whisk
Add chicken stock, while continuing to whisk
Once it starts to simmer, let simmer for 20 minutes
Add broccoli, carrots and onions
Cook over low heat until veggies are tender
Add salt and pepper
Pour in batches into blender and mix or use immersion blender
Return to pot and over low heat, add cheese, stirring until well blended
Stir in the nutmeg
Pour soup into bowls and serve.