Movie Night Nightmare - Kyle's Soap box!

How is that a simple thing like picking out a movie has become such a nightmare! On Friday night I spent almost an hour on the phone with Wayne while he called off movies and I looked them up on Plugged in (http://www.pluggedinonline.com/video/sortpage.cfm). Film after film after film after film nuked due to language, crude jokes, spiritualism.

Philippians 4:8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

There are so many things I cannot control but we have control over what we bring into the home for the girls to view. I just wish Hollywood would make some movies that are truly family friendly (like Cars & Nemo!). Not animated adult movies.

Okay I'm getting off my soap box now!

But perhaps we should get our "little blue bugger sucker" out like the Hendricks for a few hours of entertainment!

Easter is coming!!!!

This is just a quick post to share a wonderful tool provided by Family Today: Resurrection Eggs.

As you know Easter is coming and kids all around America will be hunting eggs...Well Family Life (www.familylife.com) has spun off this great American tradition and created 'Resurrection Eggs'. You start 12 days before Easter (3/28) sharing the scripture and appropriate symbol which reveals the real meaning of Easter to your children (So they can hear it, see & touch it!). We started this with Parker when she was 2 years old I think it would be high interest children up to the early teens and it is fruitful for everyone!

We think its just .....Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful!...

I know you can make these but I didn't, I bought mine at Scripture Haven two years ago at an after Easter sale. I used them last Easter and we are using them again this Easter. If you are looking for a simple yet powerful way to drive home the message of Easter then this may be your ticket.

http://www.familylife.com/1-800-358-6329/detail.asp?id=9066

Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

For Sale

When do you spend 2 days painting many rooms 'bonjour beige' (how appropriate) every time your 18 month old closes her eyes?

When do you walk into your own house and stop and back up and make sure you didn't just walk into the neighbors house, because it looks like no kids live here?

When do you spend $2600 on carpet you'll never enjoy?

When do you have a panic attack (because you have kids and you cannot guarantee the house is going to be "show ready") every time the phone rings?

When do you spend $50 on a garden you'll hopefully never see grow?

When do strangers come through your house then leave e-mail you notes about the things they do not like about the first home you ever owned and the one in which you had two kids?

You guessed it when your house is for sale! Please pray our house sells soon and we can move into our spacious travel trailer! Pray for my peace of mind having to bundle up kids so folks can come through and that I can continually show my children grace and love during this stressful time. as we wait for the Lords timing.

Sharing the struggle

No, I will not be marching on Washington with the Rainbow Coalition or Louis Farrakhan.... (now I'd march with Concerned Women for America but I digress.....) I 've just probably got


Type 2 Diabetes....

It looks like I am headed toward type 2 diabetes. I've blamed Wayne for infecting me (he has type 1) but my doctor does not see it my way. Neither does Wayne... I just find it all so disturbing .....

At my appointment I received lots of literature with 2 seventy year olds walking down the beach holding hands. Also disturbing for a 30ish year old.......

I asked my doctor if it could be treated with exercise and weight loss. He said I needed to lose at least 40lbs. And then he laughed at me....very disturbing

But I think the most disturbing thing to date is this picture I found when I googled diabetes!

I mean he has man boobs and a speedo...not a good combination and very disturbing!

You know I really debated about sharing this information on the blog But then I began to think...I do not want to be like Asa who "did not seek help from the LORD, but only from the physicians." That would be very disturbing....

I really need prayer. 40 lbs is a lot of weight to lose (my accountability will be on my blog), changing eating habits is hard work ...

So please pray for healing, wisdom in treatment (I'm combining homeopathic, MD medicine, exercise & weight loss), understanding, discipline and God's most importantly will for me!

Hey, I'm gonna look at the positive maybe I'll be as skinny as Heather soon! :)

Finally, how do folks do this with out God when even your doctor has no faith in you!

Pink Eye

We do not get sick often here at the McVay Homestead. As soon as I hear of any possible illness that has gotten within a city block of the family they start on vitamin C and Echinacea. In fact except for Pearson's Strep (diaper related) illness we have been pretty illness free this cold & flu season. But in my search for "Dr." free cures/remedies for illnesses I ran across Similisan Pink Eye Relief this at Wal-Mart! Since Justin gave me Pink Eye I had the opportunity to use it and it worked great. Yet being a big ole skeptic when I went to the Dr regarding another issue (do not worry all is fine) I also had him check my pink eye which he said was gone. This costs $7.96 at Wal-Mart versus $35 (Dr. Co-pay & med costs). Now keep in mind I am not a doctor, I am not board certified (just certifiable!). Since I have used it my friend Rachel is using it on her boys who both have Pink Eye (even though I haven't seen them in weeks) and she said its working great. So if you can recognize pink eye when you see it and you catch it early here is an effective and cheap option! Kim has used the Ear Ache relief and it worked great we are starting on the ear wax and hay fever stuff! We are just loving these homeopathic alternatives!

I love Cooking!

"...she provides food for her family " Proverbs 31:15b

If you spend some time with me at home you'll find out I love cooking! I also think of it as both a ministry to my family and a way to be different from the world. I cook most of my meals from scratch, tonight we are having on of my favorite meals clam chowder (recipe link: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Clam-Chowder-III/Detail.aspx)! As I was cooking tonight I was thinking about why I used to hate cooking. It was because know any ways to make it easier on myself. So here are a few tips to help you out in the kitchen:

1. When you have to chop something (celery, carrots,green peppers, onions....) chop as much as you have and flash freeze the rest! That way when you need some more you can just dip your cup into the container and scoop it out! this can save up to 5 minutes in cooking/clean up time!
2. If you brown some ground beef, brown as much as you can and flash freeze it. This can save as much as 30 minutes in cooking/clean up time!
3. If you bake a chicken bake 2 or 3 and pull all the meat off of the extras and flash freeze it!This can save as much as 45-60 minutes in cooking/clean up time!

Flash freeze: Take a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Put whatever you are freezing on the cookie sheet and let it freeze on the cookie sheet. Then put it in your 'reused' butter bowl/whip cream bowl. Then you can scoop out what you need and you do not have to defrost a bunch of something to get 1/2 cup!

Also once you freeze a vegetable it is no longer a good idea to use it in a fresh salad such as Heather&Kirby's Ghetto Spinach, Strawberry and feta Salad! But its fabulous for anything you will be cooking!

If you like these tips I have more just let me know! I love to cook!

Wisdom and the Millers

This is too good to keep to myself!

If you have always wanted to study Proverbs with your young (3-11ish boys too Justin digs it!) children but you do not know where to begin this is a great book to read as you go through the book of Proverbs! The book is about a Mennonite family and they take an individual verse and use their life story to illustrate the verse. It has enabled me to discuss Proverbs in a way that it brings the verses alive for my kids and they look forward to their Proverbs time each day! We will be reading and re-reading this book! As a mom you get to peek into someone else's devotional time and see how they set up the time, how they infuse the word into every aspect of their lives. So wonderful.....

2 Thumbs up! (Price 5.49 from CBD)

Peyton's Review: I like the stories because we like to get good and not wicked and not foolish and its fun. I like it about wise and its fun!

Parker's Review: I like the horse...horsey, horsey! (I have no idea what she is talking about... but she does like the book and asks questions while and days after reading a story!)


Now, I love reading Bible Stories to kids and we read "The Children's Story Bible" by Vos by far the best story book Bible I've found! But there is power in the word of God ..."so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11 So I'd just like to encourage everyone to first read directly from the Bible to the kiddos...it is not empty!

CBD Book Review:Wisdom and the Millers Make Proverbs come alive for the children in your home, church, or school! Here is a character building collection of lively, inspirational stories. Each chapter explains and illustrates a passage from the book of Proverbs, along with a story based on true life experiences. Follow the four "Miller" children as they learn great truths of life and wisdom; sometimes through their parents' stories, and sometimes the hard way! Will a father's prayer keep his family safe from the burglar? Why did Timmy get a bloody nose at the family reunion? And what is the sad story behind their mother's wooden stool? Read about these, and twenty-two other exciting stories.

My Asa

I have been reading 2 Chronicles lately and I remember before I began reading this chapter I was filled with anxiety because its one of the history type books. Because I knew it had like a billion names I could not pronounce and thought it was going to have very little spiritual bang! Well, there were a lot of names I could not pronounce but I yet again found out God knows what he's doing and Kyle should just read and obey! I am stiff necked sometimes even though I know God's word does not return void......Anyways, it is rich with characters and as I now sadly leave 2 Chronicles I am struck by the last king Eliakim whose name was changed by Nebuchaadnezzar (now he needs a name change) and he put him into power. The thing that hit me this time was how he did evil in the sight of God and how all of kids did evil in the sight of God. Even little Jehoiahcin "did evil in the sight of the Lord". The boy is eight and already evil (what a contrast to Timothy!). Then Nebuch.... puts his kinsman (a relative) in power and he is evil. God even "sent word again and again"...but no change so finally the Chaldeans came over and slew everyone! This theme of 'monkey see monkey do' ran through out 2 Chronicles. For the most part Good kings breed good kings and Bad Kings breed bad kings. Periodically, a bad king would have a son who was a good king and he would break the mold! What a blessing to see God's plans in work in these big kingdoms and to know we can break the mold of generational sin by obeying his word. Oh to be like Josiah and to hear the words of the Lord read from the lost tablet and to become radically altered! To just change from a good king to a Godly ...God fearing Man. Its so cool to see that Wayne and I can break the trend of generational sin (multiple divorces, babies out of wed lock, alcohol, drugs, jail I could go on but really...). So, praise God our kids do not have to deal with that junk like little Wayne and Kyle did! We even have a chance of making a Timothy (maybe more like a Timona...) by the grace of the living God!

So I just wanted to thank God for His book...His radical wonderful historical book!

Quack

Today we were working on obedience after dinner. The girls were being told to "stop", "go", "be quick" etc...

Well, I looked at Parker and told her to 'duck quickly'.

She didn't move and just looked at me.

So I said it again with more urgency "duck quickly!" and her eyes got big and she got that look that kids get when something makes sense. And she started 'quacking' as quickly as possible.

It was so funny!

"The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 Exodus 34:6

If I had gotten angry I would have missed this very funny moment from a child who was not wanting to rebel but to please her mom! I have to remind my self I gave unrighteous anger to God and step back take a breath remember a verse and move on! I love this verse from Exodus! Here are some of my current anger management verses.....

Proverbs 29:11A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.

Proverbs 26:11 11 As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.

Proverbs 19:11 11 A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.

Ecclesiastes 7:9Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.

Proverbs 5:21-23 21 For a man's ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all his paths. 22 The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of his sin hold him fast.
23 He will die for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly.

A Rough Morning....

Well this morning has been a little rough! I am getting up about 2 hours later than normal because I am sick(I thought I was getting better)....But the Lord has blessed me and the kids are still asleep so I did get my quiet time! However, my eye was sealed shut with goup and is draining more goup...Thanks for the Pink eye little Mr. Justin Maass! Oh and Big baby is getting over strep and due to the weather change she is having a semi-constant asthma attack! By the way yesterday, I drove back from my parents house in Fort Worth via Temple (that added about an hour, Kim!)!!! Then my dear husband flew off into the wild blue yonder yesterday...Finally, just when I can't take anymore I broke my coffee pot this morning trying to use ice to clean it like Donnie had shown me. I'm standing outside in my pjs in the cold slinging ice around this coffee pot, clearly still asleep, when I notice ice on the patio. Yep, I busted a hole in my coffee pot .... Well luckily God knew that lack of coffee may lead to a cranky Kyle so he gave me an idea to put one of the kids cups in the coffee maker and make two cups of coffee. It worked like a charm.

In years past this series of events would have surely lead to an angry outbursts but now I have found it all to be quite funny. When I think about my past reactions to these little things (like Heather talked about in her mascara blog) I am so ashamed. To think I missed out on the joy of the Lord by intensely focuses on foolishness. When things happen to me I want to look at them through the Bible....I want to be like my friend Lisa who says about situations in her life this situation is just like Ruth, Asa or whoever.... To stay focused on God and His word!

1 Corinthians 10:13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. (.......or a kids cup to stand in it!)

1 Corinthians 1:27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; A joyful Day to all!

I love my Biblical eyeglasses...God even has them in funky California girl red!

Bubbles

Today my two big kids were riding their big wheels in the cul-de-sac while the little one ran around and I was running, blowing bubbles and yelling "My bubbles are gonna get you!!!" This was so much fun, they were all laughing and giggling and Pearson was of course also drooling... I was thinking about just a few years ago I would have never been doing this...I would have thought it boring, immature, irresponsible to chase kids while yelling and bubbling! I can praise God for the changes in my life. For a changed perspective and for Biblical eyeglasses.

• And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3