So sorry :-)

I am so sorry about the abruptness of the note the other day. I should have put a smiley face by it or something. I am still trying to get things squared away. My husband and I were talking about dreams the other day and here is one I had recently...it was lovely. It showed how simple I long for life to be.

A cabin in the mountains...




A cozy library...
This is actually from this blog.











An organic garden to tend to with my children...






Looking at a mountain sunrise in the quiet of the day while anticipating what the Lord has in store...












For my children to long to learn and being in the midst of God's creation...
















Looking at a mountain sunset with my family and talk about the blessings the Lord has bestowed on us and thank Him...






What is funny as I look at these pictures is that I have most of these already! I don't have the cabin in the mountains, I don't have the cozy home library, or the mountain sunrise and sunset. But I do have beautiful home with every room full of wonderful books. The sunrise and sunset in NE GA is beautiful and needs to be and is looked at in awe with my family. My children love learning about creation and being in the midst of it. It is awe inspiring how they relish every moment of it. Maybe my dream was a way for the Lord to show me that I do have it all and He is the source of it all. May we praise Him with all we have and do!!!

Love, live, laugh & learn!

April B

I have to go for now...

Do not expect me on here any time soon

May you be blessed...

I am on a mission...

I am on a mission to revamp my schedule, read my Awana material and look over the Sunday school stuff for this week. I have not been getting the sleep I need, which is pretty selfish because I become a grouchy mommy. I know what I need to do to get things flowing...just need to get off of this pc and do it! Have a blessed day!!

Love, live, laugh & learn!

April B

Autumn

"Autumn Solitude"

Print #SM008
Autumn Solitude
Stone Mountain Park, Georgia

I can't wait for it to look like this! I love autumn!!! You can get this print here.

Love, live, laugh & learn!

April B

I thought this was great...

I saw someone on myspace wrote this in their "About Me" section. I asked permission if I could copy and they agreed (not even sure if they are the original author of it):

It may take you two minutes to read this, but if you do not take the time to read this you are one of the people this post is talking about..... You stay up for 16 hours; He stays up for days on end... You take a warm shower to help you wake up; He goes days or weeks without running water... You complain of a "headache," and call in sick; He gets shot at as others are hit, and keeps moving forward... You put on your anti war/don't support the troops shirt and go meet up with your friends; He still fights for your right to wear that shirt... You make sure you're cell phone is in your pocket; He clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to his dog tags... You talk trash about your "buddies" that aren't with you; He knows he may not see some of his buddies again... You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls; He patrols the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists... You complain about how hot it is; He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow... You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong; He doesn't get to eat today... Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes; He wears the same things for weeks, but makes sure his weapons are clean... You go to the mall and get your hair redone; He doesn't have time to brush his teeth today... You're angry because your class ran 5 minutes over; He's told he will be held over an extra 3 months... You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight; He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home... You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do everyday; He holds his letter close and smells his love's perfume... You roll your eyes as a baby cries; He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if they'll ever meet... You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything; He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own people and remembers why he is fighting... You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of men like him; He hears the gunfire, bombs and screams of the wounded... You see only what the media wants you to see; He sees the broken bodies lying around him... You are asked to go to the store by your parents, You don't; He does exactly what he is told...You stay at home and watch TV; He takes whatever time he is given to call, write home, sleep, and eat...You crawl into your soft bed, with down pillows, and get comfortable; He tries to sleep but gets woken by mortars and helicopters all night long... ..

Think about it…

April B

I shouldn't let that get to me

I shouldn't let when someone makes comments like that get to me. When Mike told me that someone said that right after they had drill, I was like...huh? How could someone join the military...any branch...and not think it could be a possibility? This unit went to Iraq a year ago I believe. Of course it was a new guy...completely new to military, but still. I mean, goodness, Mike and I prayed over the decision until God gave us peace and understanding over the decision. Joining the military is not a decision to be taken lightly. It just frustrates me when people take it as such. I am proud of my husband. Thursday we had to go get our military ID's and I felt honored to be walking with my man. I always do but it was different. He has a certain confidence when he is in the military...especially in uniform. 3 people thanked him for his service...3. On the way home today I explained to the girls why he was thanked. To them, he is already their hero...their daddy. He joined the military because he feels at home in uniform. He wants to protect us, this nation and Israel. I told them of our friend who has come close to death to protect us and this nation. I salute them, I pray for them, and I defend them when evil and ignorance is spoken of them. They risk a lot and some, their own lives so we can live over here as if nothing has changed...but it has. It is time for America to stand up and really support the troops. Not just with the little magnets on the cars (which are great) but really stand up. Don't just thank the one's coming home. Thank the one's that are here. Keep their spirits up too. When a gentleman or lady in uniform comes in a restaurant, gas station, grocery store, etc. clap, go over to them and thank them. Tell them you appreciate them. They love to hear it, but what you will probably hear them say is, "You are welcome, sir/maam, it is my duty". Now let it be our duty to show them our appreciation. I am counting on you America and so are they.

Appreciating our military!

April B

For those that need to know

If you join the military at a time of war or if you are in the military at a time of war...you may go to war. Does that sound weird or that you may not know that? Did you not sign up for that? You signed the papers. You knew what you signed. It is the military, you know training...what is that training for...war. Sure they give you money for college and this nice bonus but you are a soldier, marine, airman, guardsman, or sailor. Especially if you are in active duty, you are training for war situations. I don't get the phrase, "I didn't sign up for this." I don't want my husband and I am sure he doesn't either...to be in a situation in war where someone is belly-aching that they didn't sign up for this. That it isn't safe for YOU or MY HUSBAND or ANYONE else that is DEPENDING ON YOU! The families over here that have husbands or wives over there do not need to be worried that someone in their h/w's team does not have their back. If you don't want to fight for the President...fine...fight for your buddies...their lives are depending on you. Do you have their back?

Think about it…

April B

Links

I have added literature and art links to the side bar under the "Other helpful links..."
I hope they can be of use to any of you. :-) Sorry I haven't written in a while...our schedule is still out of whack. <><

Love, live, laugh & learn!

April B

Charlotte Mason's Students Motto

"I Am, I Can, I Ought, I Will."

I am . . . a child of God, a gift to my parents and my country. I'm a person of great value because God made me.

I can . . . do all things through Christ who strengthens me. God has made me able to do everything required of me.

I ought . . . to do my duty to obey God, to submit to my parents and everyone in authority over me, to be of service to others, and to keep myself healthy with proper food and rest so my body is ready to serve.

I will . . . resolve to keep a watch over my thoughts and choose what's right even if it's not what I want.

Charlotte Mason wrote a little more about the motto in volume 1, which I've re-worded here:
I am, I ought, I can, I will. These are like four steps of the ladder that St. Augustine wrote about when he said we could 'go up on the stepping stones of the old, sinful man we cast off and are dead to, and ascend to higher things.' I am means that we can know ourselves and understand what we're really like. I ought means that we have a moral judge inside us. We feel like we're subject to it. It lets us know what our duty is and compels us to do it. I can means that we know we have the ability to do what we know we're supposed to. I will means that we resolve to use the ability we know we have to do what our inner moral judge has urged us to do. Resolve is the first step in actually doing. These four make a perfect, beautiful chain . . . (You can read Charlotte Mason's exact wording on page 330 of volume 1.)

"I am, I can, I ought, I will." This was the motto she gave us. I am a human being, one of God's children; I can do right by my fellowmen and by myself; I ought so to do and God help me, I will so do. Is this not a great message she has given us?
(Michael A. E. Franklin, one of Charlotte Mason's students; from In Memoriam)

"I am, I can, I ought, I will." Miss Mason chose your inspiring motto. You can say,
"I am the greatest thing in God's creation: a human being with a spark of God's divine spirit in my body. Because I belong to the human family I can do the great things that other human beings have done. I have powers of doing, thinking and loving.
"I can use these powers. I can change my thoughts from things that harm me and that worry me to the beautiful things I have learnt in my School: I can know the ways of activity, I can think kindly thoughts of God's creatures in the past and in the present, in this and other countries, of people who do not think as I do in religion and politics.
I ought to do these things: I owe it to my God, my parents and my School.
I will forget myself, and live up to the ideals of my School.
God is on the side of those who will, and with His help we will all go on working as Miss Mason hoped we would.
(By the Hon. Mrs. Franklin, from In Memoriam)

Love, live, laugh & learn!

April B

Prayer!

I am asking anyone who reads my blog and is a Bible believing Christian, please pray for my husband. I don't want to go into detail right now but to anyone who knows us, it isn't what it was before. Thank you.

Have a blessed evening