My oldest child...

is a beautiful 12-year-old girl. She is growing up so fast that I feel as though I'm getting left behind. She is nearly as tall as I and blossoming into a sweet, poised young lady. I pray every day that God will give me the wisdom and patience to help her as she faces the challenges that lie ahead. I told her the other day that I feel she is now ready for us to be more like best friends and less like mother and daughter, although my authority over her still remains. She is fun to be around!

Moving...

Yesterday we drove 350 miles to our in-laws to stay for a few weeks. My husband drove the truck with my oldest child in with him, my mother-in-law drove her car with our two younger children, and I drove our van all by myself. It was kind-of nice to have some time alone (about 7 hours) to think, pray, sing praises, and meditate on God's Word. Although I tend to miss my kids when I'm not around them, it was good to have some alone time, too. I ruminated on the fact that God has provided more than abundantly for our family in every way possible. We have been blessed with incredible families and church family, good health, safety, and financial provision. As we are about to set off on the adventure of a lifetime, I ponder what my response to the Lord should be. Is it enough for me to just say "OK, Lord, I'm yours, do with me what you will..." or do I need to be setting some goals for spiritual growth? Yesterday as I drove several areas came to mind in which I think the Holy Spirit is working on me. It's humbling to see how undeserving and in need of growth I still am. I'm setting myself some goals in the areas of parenting, wife-ing (I know it's not a word, but what else could I use?) and servant/lifestyle evangelism.

Drip-pans...

Okay, so the best way I've discovered to clean your under-the-burner drip pans is: Take them all out and put them in a bucket or dish pan. Run the hottest tap water you can, or even add some boiling water, just enough to cover them. Add about a cup of dishwasher detergent (Notice that this is the powdered granule type made for dishwashers, not the liquid soap kind.) Stir to mix and coat each pan. Allow to sit overnight. The next morning you should be able to wipe or scrub off most of the scum and cooked-on gunk. It takes a little elbow grease but is WAY cheaper than buying a whole new set! This method also works for oven racks but you have to soak them in a huge container--in my house this means the bathtub.

Oh, yes--why the title, you may ask? Most of the blogs I read are male-written. I know there are other good female bloggers, but I thought I'd make the point that I am a woman, I do have a brain, and if you read things here, they will be from a Biblically-minded woman's perspective.

Moving to nowhere is much more difficult than moving somewhere. There are so many decisions to make regarding possessions, paperwork, etc. that your mind starts to shut down and be unable to process even the most simple tasks. The only way our family has gotten through the past few days is with the help of our church family and their love and support. I have been pondering the outpouring of love we received. It can only be explained as a Biblical phenomenon. Sadly, I can say that I have rarely witnessed scenes such as the one at our apartment Tuesday evening. Over thirty people showed up to help us move, and when they had packed our truck they proceeded to spend time packing our neighbors' truck, too. Things like that should be happening all the time! It also makes me determined to actively seek opportunities to minister to others in a similar fashion.

So we're off on a grand adventure. More posts coming....