Today in church, Tom resumed his Bible Story Remix by using the story of Goliath to point out deeper truths.
Today’s message was about how we are our own worst enemies, and how we do ourselves in when we sit on the throne of our lives instead of allowing God to reign there.
As an overachiever and a control freak, I identified with this…a lot.
As in the story of Goliath, Saul did himself in by refusing to acknowledge that he was not God’s chosen one to lead Israel. His determination to sit on his own thrown, literally and figuratively, eventually led to his demise and the crowning of David, God’s handpicked successor.
It can be so difficult to reprogram our thinking, can’t it?
As a mother, I am in charge of my home.
As a teacher, I am the queen of my “Queendom,” as I like to tell my students.
Am I really, though?
It seems that it is when I forget “Who’s” really in charge, that I lose complete control…things overwhelm me, and I go into fight or flight mode…unhealthy responses.
I need to see these responses as reminders that I’ve displaced God…that I need to seek His forgiveness and take a backseat to His leadership.
It’s kind of funny, but the song that started going through my head as Tom preached was, Who is the King of the Jungle.
This song was on a children’s video we owned many years ago, and my kids and I used to sing it all the time.
Although a bit childish in nature, it speaks of great truth…a truth I would do well to imprint upon my heart.
I thought it was time for me to properly review it.
I learned of this book when I read a devotional series, authored by Lysa, on my phone. I knew I had to order the book.
I limited myself to reading only one chapter per day because I wanted to really think about what I’d read.
I underlined more things in this book than I ever have when reading.
I made notes.
I copied quotes and added them to my Goodreads log. I also shared tidbits on Facebook.
Every.
Single.
Chapter.
Was.
Powerful.
I saw myself on EVERY. SINGLE. PAGE.
Lysa writes in a style that is conversational.
It’s as if you and your BFF are having a chat over coffee (or in my case, Frappuccinos).
There were chapters devoted to what kind of reactor you are when faced with emotional situations…are you a stuffer or an exploder?
There were subcategories.
I like to be organized, so this suited me.
She explained what kind of reactions she has and gave specific examples.
This was, perhaps, one of the best things about the book…how she opened up and gave honest, heartfelt accounts of situations she’d been in and how she had, oftentimes, come unglued herself.
She gave practical steps…steps that even I can follow…on how to handle the raw emotions that we encounter. I am going to type them up and put them on my bulletin board at school.
I was validated in some of the ways I handle stressful situations and comforted by the fact that I haven’t always messed up.
I think what I appreciated the most about this book was that I didn’t feel alone or less like a Christian because of how I handle myself when I come unglued.
By the time I closed the book, I felt empowered.
Oh yeah.
For an overachiever like me, planning is huge, and feeling empowered makes me more confident to accomplish, to the degree I expect of myself, the tasks I set in front of myself.
I also felt better equipped to understand others…to recognize how they handle themselves in unglued moments.
I am of the firm opinion that I will be a better mother, coworker, and teacher because of the time I spent reading this book.
Teenagers, especially, need help working through their feelings. They need to be taught that 1) It’s okay to feel what they feel, and 2) How to handle themselves when such situations occur.
This book was a godsend, let me tell you.
I highly, highly, highly encourage you to get your hands on a copy of this book.
The lessons have the potential to change your life.
It’s been a little over two months since we lost Aubie.
She’s never far from our minds as things the other dogs do remind us of her and her quirky mannerisms.
I have my Macbook Pro desktop set to rotate through the pictures I’ve saved on my computer, and this one popped up the other evening.
Pele was a wee thing at the time. He’s nearly 100 pounds now.
A couple of things about this picture touch me.
First, look at how small Aubie was on that bed. It’s ironic that Pele would later be the one to lay across it because he would quickly outgrow the smaller one.
I also noticed that we had pushed their beds close together so he could be near to her at all times.
Pele loved Aubie and followed her everywhere.
There was, quite literally, a bounce in his step when she entered the room, and his ears would flop as he trotted after her.
She was his mama, and he worshiped the ground she walked on.
Sometimes I think he still misses her. He gets a sad look on his face that no amount of loving can take away.
We miss her too, and the tears come unbidden when we least expect them.
Yesterday morning, I arose at the early hour of 7:30…this despite staying up until 1:30 reading Harry Potter.
Ahem.
I had an agenda, believe it or not.
I wanted to go into my classroom and start arranging the furniture now that the cleaning people have finished waxing the floor.
They had, unfortunately, stacked all of my chairs and even a bookcase (with the books still on it) on my back counter. I should have taken a picture.
Still…my 5’3″ self was not a happy camper.
Fortunately, when I arrived, students who are attending an advanced math class were on their break, so I, in my charming, teacherly way, coerced them into help me.
They were very accommodating and got the job done in fewer than five minutes.
Then, oh joy, I simply puttered around my room, removing the papers I’d taped to each table and stack of chairs (if you don’t label things, they get taken by other teachers…no kidding).
I got my classroom laid out and even put out a few books and magazines…all in about an hour.
I think I’m going to start going for an hour or two a few days a week just to get this kind of stuff done so that I can focus on writing lesson plans after I take Chicky to school in August.
I’m dipping my toes in the water, allowing myself to gradually adjust to the temperature of what one might call “the working world.”
Joyce’s questions have a decidedly “travel” theme to them this week. This seems appropriate given that it’s the middle of July. Remember to post your own answers on your blog and link up with Joyce!
1. Picture postcards were first printed back in the mid-1800’s and deltiology is the official name for postcard collecting. When did you last send a postcard? Receive one? Do you save postcards sent to you? Do you collect and/or send postcards when you travel?
I think I last sent a postcard on the first cruise I went on several years ago. We were back way before the cards arrived, which is why I don’t send them anymore. I can’t say that I ever receive them, so I really don’t collect them. I do like the way that postcards capture an area’s scenic areas. The cards are a great way to remember where you’ve been!
2. What treat do you most like to indulge in while on vacation?
I treat myself to yarn when I travel. I believe it’s my mission to visit any and every yarn store that exists in whatever location I’m visiting. Purchasing a skein or two serves as a souvenir of the place. 😀
3. Are you good at hiding your feelings?
I have been told, ever since I was a wee thing, that I wear my feelings on my sleeve. Yes, I do, and those feelings are reflected on my face. I am not a good actress, I’m afraid. While I’ve often loathed this trait, I believe it helps me stay transparent, which is a trait that isn’t all that bad. People know where they stand with me at all times. I am soooo not a fake person. I couldn’t be, even if I wanted to.
4. Does your town/city/county still deliver telephone books to your home? Do you check the yellow pages when searching for a local business number or has the internet replaced the phone book in your home?
Podunk, USA does, indeed, still deliver phone books. I keep them in a drawer in the kitchen and have, from time to time, referred to them. I do prefer, however, to use the internet to look up numbers. It’s so much easier and usually more up-to-date.
Funny story related to this topic. Many years ago, when Chicky had just begun elementary school, I read an ad that I could make extra money delivering phone books.
No problem, I thought.
Oy vey!
It was one of the dirtiest, most physically exhausting jobs I ever did.
I got assigned the task of delivering to the apartment complex I lived in.
It was three stories, and the stairs were outside.
Delivery took place in the middle of the summer.
I stuck with my commitment. It took me a few days to deliver the load I’d picked up.
It was a miserable experience that was not worth the measly paycheck.
When I returned the paperwork, I was asked if I wanted another load.
Oh, heck no!
LOL
5. Would you rather be first or last?
This would depend on the task. To be first means that you don’t mind taking a risk or being a guinea pig. Last week, I attended my district’s Common Core training. It was the first session offered this summer. It. Was. Interesting. Yeah.
I think my cautious nature would have me leaning toward being the last if given the choice. I like to observe what others have done and learn from their mistakes.
6. July is National Park and Recreation Month (in America, but everyone can still play along)…where and when were you last in a park? Did you participate in any recreational activities while you were there?
The last time I was in a national park was probably when I drove through one to take Chicky to a soccer tournament.
I am not an outdoorsy kind of gal. Nature is pretty…to a point. I don’t feel as though I’m missing out on anything by not hanging around and participating in activities.
7. What was one of your worst ideas?
Look back at my answer to #4.
😀
8. My Random Thought
I just made this…Blow Your Mind Tomato Basil Pasta…for the second time. This time, I added a thinly-sliced green pepper and sliced mushrooms. I also doubled the number of cans of diced tomatoes.
Holy cow! This is such a delicious and EASY recipe…throw it in and you have dinner ten minutes later. No. Kidding. The recipe can be found here.
This is, more than likely, her final summer home. She and two young ladies on her team are signing a lease to rent a house on the outskirts of the college they attend.
Chicky has one more semester of school; she will graduate in December. She’ll be doing her student teaching during this final semester.
We are all praying that she finds a teaching job immediately after. Her school is known for the quality teaching candidates who graduate.
Either way, Chicky is planning on staying down there and will find some sort of job(s) to support herself after she’s walked that stage.
We still have a little over two weeks before she leaves, but there are signs of the times to come.
Chicky visited her grandparents this past weekend, and they went to a few garage sales on the hunt for bedroom furniture.
Although Chicky has her own furniture, she’s been wanting a long dresser. She wants something she can eventually refinish. She is a Pinterest addict.
She hit pay dirt when she found the following…
The deal got sweeter with the addition of the next two pieces…
We will be renting a U-Haul to take these items down south.
Chicky did some other shopping, finding a blender on clearance at Target. Coupon Queen gave Chicky a few items as well.
It’s amazing the perspective I have now.
Four years ago, I was devastated at the thought of my Chicky flying the coop.
While I’m a bit sad right now, I am also excited.
Chicky is 21 years old with a very good future ahead of her.
She is focused, and she’s been driven enough to finish college early.
Her morals are amazing, and her priorities for living a godly life are right on target.
To be able to let go of your children, you have to make yourself take a step back and remember what it was like when you were about to embark on your life away from home.
Chicky is ready, and the years between her high school graduation and now have prepared me to let go. The lapses of time between holidays and other school breaks prepared me to accept that one day, she would leave and create her own permanent home elsewhere.
Oh, that’s not to say that I won’t cry, because I probably will.
That’s also not to say that I won’t sit on pins and needles every time she makes her way home for visits, because I totally will.
I realize, however, that chicklets were not meant to stay in the nest forever, and it’s my Chicky’s turn to fly to her own coop.
When she does come to visit, though, I think I’ll make sure I always have flowers waiting, as I’ve done nearly every week this summer…
Because even after a coop has been departed from, it will forever remain home base for the chicklets who have left.
I won’t provide the details, but I will say that I think it was the fault of the recipe, not Yours Truly.
Fortunately, it wasn’t a cupcake fail. It was a dessert recipe the Mr. had found on Facebook. I won’t be making that recipe again.
With that failure in mind, I felt the need to redeem myself.
I’d already purchased items for my next batch of cupcakes, but I’d put off the baking all week.
It was time…
To make…
S’mores Cupcakes…with buttercream frosting and chocolate ganache drizzle…
We here at Chez AuburnChick are food critics, let me tell you.
Here’s what we decided.
The flavor of the cupcakes is delicious. There’s cinnamon in the batter, and it comes through.
The texture is strange though.
The recipe calls for soy yogurt. Because I live in Podunk, USA, I could not find soy yogurt ANYWHERE. Ugh.
I googled for a substitute and discovered that I could use buttermilk.
Being lactose-intolerant and a vegan, but being in possession of the following recipe book (in which the above recipe can be found), I’d learned that vegan buttermilk can be made by mixing together a spot of apple cider vinegar with soy milk.
I substituted this for the yogurt.
I’d also substituted coconut oil for the canola oil per a discussion I’d had with the owner of the health food store I frequent.
The cupcake batter was liquidy but with strange little lumps.
I still don’t know why.
It’s got to be one of the above substitutions.
The cupcakes did cook though, but the texture is very spongy.
My buttercream also did not come out as well as the Golden Vanilla cupcakes I made last weekend.
I have no idea why.
I figured out that adding more powdered sugar doesn’t help in this situation.
The icing was still yummy…just not as fluffy as I’d like.
I’m learning that there is a science to baking, and practice really does make perfect.
I am having a lot of fun practicing, let me tell you!
This morning, my church’s new senior pastor spoke at the campus my family attends (my church has two campuses).
Before he got up to speak, we had our music worship time.
I don’t know how the music is where you attend, but my church’s contemporary worship team ROCKS it!
Christian music is so important to me.
It whispers God’s truths to me.
It soothes my soul when I’m troubled. The day after Aubie passed away, I heard a song on the radio that brought me to tears but comforted me at the same time.
The upbeat songs allow me to celebrate, exuberantly, God’s blessings and His mercy.
The songs this morning spoke words of affirmation and allowed me to express to the Lord how grateful I am for His most recent work in my life.
As you are aware, if you read my blog regularly, I have been struggling with something that happened the last week of school.
I have struggled with the anger and hurt that completely overwhelmed me.
But God has been so gracious, let me tell you.
Let me pause a moment to briefly tell you what the morning’s sermon was about, and then I will tie everything together.
We were told of Esther, a Jewish woman who became King Xerxes’s queen after he banished Queen Vashti. He didn’t know Esther was Jewish…only that she was more beautiful than any other woman paraded before him during the selection process.
In the meantime, Haman, an ambitious noble in King Xerxes’s court, had a vendetta against Esther’s uncle, Mordecai, who refused to pay homage to Haman. Haman figured out a way to get the king to send out an edict to have all Jewish people slaughtered.
Mordecai appealed to Esther, asking her to use her position as the queen to ask Xerxes to intervene and save the Jews. She refused, at first, but later acquiesced. In the meantime, Haman’s hatred for Mordecai increased, to the point where he planned to have him impaled upon a pole; however, through an uncanny set of circumstances, it was Haman who was impaled on the pole, and Mordecai’s name was heralded throughout the city.
One of my pastor’s themes of his message was that God purposely ordained every circumstance to advance His plans to save His chosen people.
My pastor said that nothing happens by accident but by God’s providence.
How does this relate to me and my recent introspection?
Looking at the timeline of what has happened since the issue at school…
It just so happened that school ended the same week as the “issue,” freeing me of the obligation of facing the people, on a daily basis, who had hurt me. This gave me much needed distance to process everything.
It just so happened that I worked my tail off and completed my ESOL class in under a week, leaving me free from further obligations so that I could rest.
It just so happened that I discovered a devotion series called Unglued on my phone’s Bible app, and each day’s words ministered to me greatly.
It just so happened that I had time each day to read one chapter. I chose not to read more than that at a time so I could process the wise words, smartly written…seemingly just for me.
It just so happened that chapter by chapter, my eyes were opened to the ways I process raw emotions, and I discovered healthier, scriptural-based ways of handling them.
It just so happened that Chicky and a local girl who will be attending Southeastern on a soccer scholarship (they will be teammates) have become good friends this summer. She attends our church. We have gotten to know her parents better as a result.
It just so happened that Chicky’s friend’s parents invited us to their small group, where the studies, seemingly random, have dealt with anger…letting go of the past…healing.
It just so happened that one of this morning’s worship songs talked about trials and praising God through them…
When I consider the things I’ve been through (and I realize they pale in comparison to the trials I’ve witnessed others go through), I am humbled by God’s merciful goodness and His never-ending presence.
I am so thankful for God’s timing…the way He orchestrates each event in my life…the way He uses the bad stuff to make me more like Him.
I’ve turned a couple of corners this summer. I’m not home yet…I don’t know that I will be home until I enter heaven…but I can say, with genuine joy, that it is well with my soul.
One of my goals was to knit more. I’ve been doing that. I’ve also done a bit of crocheting.
This is my Doily Dish Cloth.
The pattern can be found in the following booklet, which a knitting friend sent me a few years ago.
I used Lily Sugar ‘n Cream. The color is Strawberry. I used approximately 71 yards on size 4.5mm hook.
I know I made mistakes, but by the last couple of rounds, my stitch count was only off by one, which I consider a small miracle. I actually enjoyed the process of crocheting this piece and learned quite a bit! I hope to crochet more items in the future.
AuburnChick's Adventures 