I have been dealing with my anger much better lately.  I have to remember how I used to be when the kids were little too.  I am SO much better now than I was then.  I have to realize that I am God's work in progress.  I am not going to be perfect immediately.  He is faithful to help me be the woman, wife, and mother that He wants me to be.  Thanks for all of your comments and prayers.

Well, I am 33 now.  It was rather an uneventful day as my dh was out of town at a work convention in Boston.  I woke up and just laid in bed listening to the kids play with two girls from church who came to spend the week with us while dh was gone.  That was nice in and of itself!  I got to laze in bed!  Anyway, as I was laying there, the phone rang.  It was my sweet dh calling me to say Happy Birthday.  I had forgotten it was!  He said he had been waiting all morning to call me, cause he didn't want to wake me up…the time zone being 4 hours difference.

I had been given a present from a friend at church, so I opened it and then the girls gave me a couple of bars of homemade soap, made by some friends of theirs.

I wound up having to drive to Willow (30 minutes away) to give something to my mom, treated myself to a couple of cookies from the gas station, and drove home.  I resisted my temptation to stop at dh's and my favorite espresso stand.  When I got home, one of the girls had dusted the livingroom.  It looked SO nice!

We made taco salad for dinner which was really yummy.

Anyway, that was my birthday.  Dh won a digital camera and portable printer at the convention, so the printer is my birthday present!  Dh can keep the camera, as mine is much nicer!  Teehee!  I was so excited, as I have wanted one for a couple of years now!  It will be really handy for scrapbooking.  Oh, I got a gift card from Michaels too so I bought some really pretty scrapbooking papers with it.  They even had a sale for me!  4/$1!  Thanks God!  My parents bought me a Jade necklace.  My dad had to take a business trip to China, and said he had to buy it for me when he saw it.  It is really pretty!  I didn't have any green necklaces, but I love green, so it will come in handy to wear with those shirts.  Dh's grandmothers each sent me a card.  One sent money, and the other one called me.

My MIL told me last night that she hasn't forgotten me…she is so busy in the summer working, and she always takes the kids and has us over, so I certainly don't mind!  She is such a sweetie to us.  I am blessed to have a loving MIL!

God is working on something with me.  First the Martha Peace article, and now this.  Why is it that I get so angry?  I feel perfectly fine, and then one of the kids will do or say something that just sets me off!  Usually they are being disobedient, but regardless of that, I really struggle with keeping my tongue in check.  That brings to mind a Judy Rogers song:

“Oh the tongue, it can cut like a knife,

oh the tongue can ruin an innocent life.

Stop!  Think about,

think about the way that you say,

the things that you say,

oh the tongue can encourage a friend,

or the tongue can cause a friendship to end,

what will you say today,

what will you say today,

with your tongue?”

What an illustration…cutting like a knife.

How can I expect my children to speak kindly to their brothers and sister when I don't demonstrate a good example?

Job 6:24  Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred.

Oh Lord, please teach me to hold my tongue.

Job 27:4  My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.

Help me to not speak wickedness.  Help me to speak love and kindness.

Psalm 34:13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

Help me to keep my tongue from evil.  Forgive me for the evil I have caused with my tongue.

Psalm 39:1  I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.

Help me to bridle my mouth, and turn my head away from wickedness.

Psalm 119:172  My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.

Let my tongue speak of THY word and THY righteousness!

Proverbs 15:4  A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.

Proverbs 18:21  Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

Let me be a tree of life to my family, not death and rottenness to their bones.  Give me a mouth filled with mercy, grace, and truth, and may the law of kindness be ever on my lips.  Help me to eat the fruit of life, and not abuse the power of my tongue.

In Jesus Holy name, Amen

I stumbled across this site as I was cruising around HSB tonight, clicking on links.  It looks like it could be a lot of fun for the kids!  I haven't even seen one of the new nickels in real life!  It is pretty different looking!  Enjoy!

Coin Curricula Center

Notice the speed he is supposedly going!

4 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.

5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Sagerats is having a contest to help promote The HSB County Fair where you can sell and buy used curriculum, EVEN teacher edition's/guide's/answer key's, with no host percentage fees!

I have so much I need to go through, as we are moving in two months!  I have a box of curriculum sitting in storage that I just haven't gotten around to selling, and this will make it so easy!  My dh will be so excited if I sell more stuff!  Thanks, Sagerats for pointing this out!!

Crystal, of Biblical Womanhood, is having a Mother's Day Contest!  She is giving away an Ergo Baby Carrier!  Click on the link above for the guidelines.

I have been wanting to get my hands on an Ergo ever since Molly at Choosing Home started raving about them!

There is a new review of the Ergo on the Choosing Home blog by Molly.   Here is a small quote from her:

“In my opinion, the Ergo is now on my list of “essential baby gear,” right up there with diapers, footed pajamas and momma’s milk. “

Now I've GOT to have one!  What kind of mother would I be without one?!

There seems to be a rash of husbands dying, men with young families and several children.  Please pray for Naomi, Carol, Shannon, Kathryn, and up here in Alaska, Diane who lost her husband as well as her three younger children in a tragic plane accident.  May the God of all comfort lift these wives, mothers, and children up and wrap His loving arms around them.

I also learned of a man named Chris who just lost his wife Jennifer and oldest son, Tyler.  His wife rescued their 8yo from the ocean and went back in for her 9yo.  Tyler is still missing, and Jennifer didn't survive.  Please lift them up as well.

I was perusing the internet tonight and came across Martha Peace's website.  She is the author of one of my all-time favorite books, The Excellent Wife.  As I was reading through the question and answer pages, I came across this and felt that it was very pertinent for me, and wanted to be able to refer to it regularly.  I hope it helps you too.

Q:  Sometimes I go into angry rages especially when my children are acting up.  I always feel guilty and apologize, but it keeps happening.  Is there anything that can help?

A:  Angry rages are a deed of the flesh (Gal. 5:20).  They are sin. That is the bad news.  The good news is that with God's enabling grace, you can repent.  Sinful anger is almost always a habit and will only be changed by thinking kind, tender-hearted thoughts instead of angry thoughts (Eph. 4:31-32).  For example, instead of thinking “That makes me so mad!”, you ought to think, “My child is sinning.  How can I overcome evil with good?” (Rom. 12:21).  Then come up with a plan of action based on biblical principles.  Work hard at this.  Pray for repentance.  Confess the sin of anger right when it begins, when you first begin to feel irritated or frustrated. Humbly ask for God's forgiveness and your child's forgiveness.  You do not have to stay an angry person because “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Cor. 5:20).