Whatever Is…

Faith, Random Thoughts No Responses »
Jan 242012

We all know that verse from Philippians (4:8).  Finally, brothers and sisters, 6 whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just,whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things.

I’ve come to realize recently that it can apply to our speech, just not our thoughts. Whenever we talk or write, are we espousing what is just, pure, lovely, commendable, praiseworthy, respect and true? Or are you letting falsehoods, gossip and slander come forth?

Each day we talk. It is up to us to speak kindly, truth, praise and lovely things. I’m not saying that we can’t discuss the hard subjects, but that when we do so, we do it in a respectable manner? That we speak the truth in love? I have seen so many posts on Facebook and seen a ton of blog posts that while they may be saying the truth are doing so in a sarcastic or mean manner. It isn’t being done in an edifying way at all. As the saying goes, you can catch more flies with honey.

Are you reading things that aren’t edifying? Is what you are reading (and how it is presented) coming out in your communications? Are you taking on the style of shock and awe or gossip or slander or sarcasm? I’ve heard it said, “garbage in; garbage out” and I’ve seen that to be true. If I make a habit of reading books with curse words in them, then I will start to think using those words and then those words inevitably will come out of my mouth. So are you guarding your thoughts and mouth by what you choose to read and listen to?

We all see information daily on the web. Before you spread that info, ask yourself is it true? Are the facts verifiable? If they aren’t, should you spread that information on? If there is a question as to the validity of any information, perhaps you shouldn’t share it. Think before you tell someone else about it or hit the forward button on the email. Lies, untruths and partial truths abound online and as Christians we should flee from their perpetuation. So before you share the information regarding anything, make sure it is true first. It would save a lot of rumors, lies and hurt feelings.

Please use Philippians 4:8 as your guide to what you put in your mind and what you let out of your mouth and finger tips.  It’s just something I’ve been ruminating on recently. Especially with the elections coming up and the mudslinging in politics, feuds I’ve seen online in social media and in email forwards that have been around for ages and are recirculating yet again.

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Posted by Crissyanna at 8:00 AM

8 Months Ago Today

Joplin Tornado No Responses »
Jan 222012

Was our tornado. I can hardly believe it has been eight months. The time has simultaneously flown and dragged.

I look back on the past eight months and I am amazed. I am amazed that so many churches worked together to bring aid to so many people and are continuing to do so.

I am amazed when I think of the people I’ve met from all over the place who came and helped out. Whether they worked in distribution, sorting donated items or were out in the community clearing debris. I’ve met some incredible people through then and I am grateful to call you my friends.

I am amazed with how fast the rebuilding is going. Wal-Mart, Walgreens, Home Depot, Macadoodles, Wendy’s, Chick-fil-A have all reopened. Other places have moved an reopened. Others are still building. Academy Sports and Payless will be reopen by the end of the month.

I am amazed that life continued. Yes, this was a tragic event. One that I hope and pray no one else ever goes through (doesn’t matter if they lose everything or not, it is still traumatic to all involved) and yet, life moves on. As a town we are finding our way back to our versions of normal. We will never forget the day eight months ago that threw us into the national spotlight. It will shape us all in one way or another for the rest of our lives and on into the future generations. The question now is how? How will we let this continue to shape our lives and future? Will we wallow in regret, pity and anger that this happened? Or will we remember what is truly important, that things don’t matter much, and the spirit of camaraderie and support that bound us all together? Will we continue to help others when we see any need or will we just go back into our self absorbed lives? Will we teach our children and their children that the most important thing ever is to have faith in our God and that He will sustain us through everything? Will we continue to put aside our differences and continue to reach out to our neighbors?

The tornado and the weeks and months following it was hard. Getting through each day was a lesson in perseverance. However, a lot of good has came out of it. What will you choose to remember on this day and on future days? The bad or the good? What of this will you let define you? The choice is yours.

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Posted by Crissyanna at 3:31 PM

We Choose Virtues-A Review

TOS Crew No Responses »
Jan 222012

For my last review with The Old Schoolhouse’s Crew, I got to review We Choose Virtues founded by Heather McMillan. I am so glad she came up with this concept.

We Choose Virtues provides Character Education Curriculum for “Simply Inspiring Character That Lasts”! Heather McMillan created We Choose Virtues in response to the lack of self control, honesty, and perseverance she saw in the children she came in contact with as a preschool teacher and children’s pastor.

I received the Virtue Clues Cards, The Teacher’s Handbook, Kids of Virtueville Coloring Book, as well as free downloads from their website: Family Character Assessment, and Kids Memory Verses, Bible Heroes & Truths. The program, teaches children about 12 virtues: Being attentive, content, diligent, forgiving, gentle, helpful, honest, kind, obedient, patient, perserverant, and self-controlled.

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The girls fell in love with the coloring book. It was 18 pages and they really enjoyed the pictures they got to color to go along with the virtue we were studying. I like how the pictures were simple, yet complex enough to really make them pay attention to their coloring. The Bugs especially loved coloring her pages and has begged for me to print off more so she can do them again.

I also loved the guide sheet that we got to download that had an outline of all the virtues, a corresponding Bible story and memory verse for each one. That made planning on how to use this set so much easier and less time consuming.

The cards are a good quality card stock and come in a vinyl case. They are colorful and grabbed the attention of the children very well. Bugs and Beans would ask me what their virtue to practice for the day was if I didn’t get it out before they thought of it. I love it when the girls ask to do something like this.

We Choose Virtues has several different package options for purchasing, so go over to their site and find just what you need to teach your children. The virtue clue cards are $7.99 currently and the pdf download of the coloring book is just $3.00. As always, prices can change at a moments notice, so these were correct at the time of publication.

I can say that I highly recommend this program for teaching children good character traits. It is easy to use and implement, my children loved it and it is very sound in how it teaches and what it teaches. If you just want virtues taught, they do have options that don’t include faith so this will appeal to a wide audience.

To see what others had to say about this program, go visit the Crew’s Blog and click through to the linky list.

I received the Virtue Clue Cards and several downloads from We Choose Virtues as a member of The Old Schoolhouse’s Crew. All opinions are mine and mine alone and no other compensation was received.

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Posted by Crissyanna at 2:37 PM

52 Fridays 3rd Friday

52 Fridays 1 Response »
Jan 202012

Well, this week was some better. I will say that I have learned that for the sake of my sanity it is better to ease into the exercise. Granted, the Bugs asks me every day if I have been diligent (you can tell that is the word we had to teach her the end of last year when she started to slack off on her responsibilities and school work). There isn’t quite anything like being asked by your 5 year-old if you had been diligent with your workout routine…

No soda since last Sunday, which is good. And my tea consumption has come down. In fact, yesterday I didn’t have any until lunch time!

My Bible reading is a bit behind. I’m going to just pick up where I should be and read what I’ve missed over the next week.

I have seen the girls reaping the benefits of me having a more disciplined life. They are more apt to do something they don’t want to do if they see me doing something they know I’m not too fond of doing. Like washing the dishes.  I’ve even made the bed on several days. I don’t typically do that since I figure that no one goes back there to see our room.

Life in our home is beginning to be more peaceful since the house is being kept more picked up during the day. Well, mostly. Last week we got nailed with that cold/fluey thing going around. I had it one day, HubbaHubba came home Wednesday night after work with it and went right to bed. Then the girls had it Thursday. So on Thursday, I got to sit and hold to two sicky girls.

I need to sit and read a bunch in my Bible. I’ve gotten behind.

I’ve noticed that when I am consistent with keeping the house picked up (and have the girls help) there is a noticeable difference in the atmosphere of our home. The girls get along better, the home feels more peaceful and I’m not terrified if someone is going to drop in unannounced and I’ll be mortified if they see the mess.

We’re starting week 4 of our six week school cycle next week. And while we haven’t done as many fun things as I would like together, we did mummify an apple slice. That was a fun experience. I’m glad Bugs decided to do it instead of continuing to beg to mummify a chicken. Yes, she wants to mummify a chicken. I figure we will do that the next cycle through ancient history. She’ll be older and more capable of doing more work on it herself. I’m looking at what could be done for a field trip on a Saturday around here since HubbaHubba has needed the care daily. I can’t plan too far in advance of me needing the car with his job anymore so we’ve spent the last several weeks at home with no transportation during the day.  I’m ok with that. It means that we are saving money by not having two vehicles. Only one car for upkeep, insurance, gas….Why increase that expense if we don’t have to

This week I intend on making my master homekeeping binder. I have the supplies to do it…Just haven’t taken the time to sit down and put it all together. I love doing stuff like this, but I haven’t found forms that I love yet. So I guess I’m going to try and make do with what I have access to and when stumble across some I like better, sub them in as we go. I also need to sit down and menu plan more. I keep it all in my head which at times isn’t a great thing. Like this past week between the sickies, passing this horrid cold around and all that fun. My brain can be a very scary place to be.

I also want to start waking up earlier. I have never been a morning person (yeah, seven a.m. classes in college stunk) but I am tired of feeling rushed to get things accomplished before lunch. I’m trying to find more time to write, and the only way I can do this is if I either get up earlier and get the standard chores done earlier or stay up way too late and be a grump the next morning and then get nothing done the next day. Which doesn’t work out either.

I’ve been reminded the last three weeks that I am too much of an all or nothing sort of person. Instead of admitting I can’t do something all the way, I won’t do it. I mean, unless it is going to be completed then, I cannot bring myself to work on something to have to stop and pick it up again later. Which is a problem with the whole watching what I eat and losing weight thing. I know in my head that it took time to get to this size. It is going to take time to shed it (I don’t want to say lose the weight. If you lose something, it has the connotation of wanting to find it again, and frankly, when this is gone, I want it to stay gone and not be found by myself again). However, since if I exercise one day and there is no noticeable difference, I feel defeated. If I slip up and have an extra glass of tea or something I shouldn’t have, the whole day is shot instead of that one instance. I know in my head that is rather stupid. I’m working on just moving on and continuing anyway. But for some reason it is so hard.

Well, thanks for bearing with us in this series. Go visit Annette’s post for 52 Fridays and see what she’s up to. If you want to write a post, just swipe the button on the left side of the blog and link back to this one.

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Posted by Crissyanna at 1:57 PM

52 Fridays, Week 2, late

52 Fridays No Responses »
Jan 172012

I’ve been dreading this post.

Last week tanked. Not all, I did do well on limiting my tea.

I shredded on Monday. Felt sick Tuesday and that ruined the rest of the week. I know, I’m supposed to pick up where I left off.

I had like six cups of coke last week too. I had been doing decent.

I failed. Somewhat. I was not disciplining myself the way I should have been. Part of me feels like I shouldn’t have tried this series. I hate failure and I hate admitting it. However, I doubt I would even try otherwise.

This week, same goals. I’m on my phone writing this until HubbaHubba comes home to tether for regular internet.

Something to ponder, if you aren’t being disciplined in your life, how will you teach your children to be disciplined? They truly do catch more from you than you realize.

I also want to again ask for prayer for Thao’s family. His visitation is on Thursday and the funeral is Friday. Saying goodbye to one you love is never easy, especially when the one who has made the journey to heaven is your child. Please pray for his parents and his little sister and brother. They have a lot of adjusting to do. Please pray for them. Thank you.

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Posted by Crissyanna at 10:06 AM
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