These are a few of MY favorite things....

All my kids together....Joel and Stephanie are here for the holidays, it's always a special time for a Mom to have all her kids together and not feel lonesome for one of them.
Everyone reading their books this year- Hunger Games 1,2, & 3; Percy Jackson; Tony Dungy; Bill O'Reilly...all great company
>Christmaus Eve with the families...so many children! I love my neices and nephews -great neices and nephews as well! even though my sibings were not here this year, there was plenty of love! We all had a great time and learned a little bit about each other too!
Spending time with My Mom, she went along for the show, lunch, shopping, whatever we were up to! I'm so blessed to have her in my life....a true family treasure!
Going to the Movies! Mission Impossible and Sherlock Holmes...two thumbs up or a thumb and a nub, if you are Zia;)
Mausover! All my kids come and stay over night. We played Hide and go seek- great job Connor, I'm pretty sure Biggie wiped his nose in my hair while we were in the closet... Quelf, oh Nathan, what a great game! yes, you really did win ;) and I still can't say "biscuit child" without laughing! ; PS3 disc golf- yo momma!; craft time and of course, a movie data dattatadadada dattatada! a good nights sleep, and an unusual breakfast cassarole... all in all a wonderful time! Another cherished memory of my children and grandchildren, tucked away in my heart to live on this year...

Memories....

OK you got me...when we were kids...a favorite game of ours was to get all the way around the room, without touching the floor...we called it "The walking Man" and we sang that as we made our way around... i had a strategy...to simply watch my brother and do what he did,sometimes i was able to do it, but of course I never won because I was never first...lol

Lector Caveo

Lector Caveo or...."Take Care" Reader

A word to the wise for all of us. :)

Prayer Changes Things

Grateful

Grateful for....
Jacob Christopher Bunk
My Husband
well, all my family....
My Mom, Bless her heart
God, who daily loads me with benefits
Praise Music
ipods
new slippers...so cozy
not feeling like i need to shop at midnight or 4am
my front room lighting ;)
My Friends...that's you!!

mirror, mirror

Sometimes we think about people who frustrate us.
We think they are: prejudice, critical, selfish, arrogant, ignorant-all of "them" Hypocrites!

uh yeah....when we think that,we have become "them".

But by God's grace I am what I am, and his grace shown to me was not wasted. I Corinthians 15:10

Thankful for the Grace of God, in my life, and also in the life of those who ardently dissagree with me...if there are any..... ;)

The Call

Coach of the Year

Days like this I begin to miss facebook...lol

ahem.
My daughter, Sarah has just been unaminously voted:
"COACH OF THE YEAR"
in her conference. (Parkway)
We are so very proud of our girl, and her diligence and committment. She coached this team while also having major shoulder surgery(currently is still doing rehab for that) working full time, and volunteering at church.

How can I take credit for this??? hmmmm.
Ok a nod to Bob for being a great example;
and a similar nod to Coach Jessie as well!
God is good!

a year gone by....

November 6th...last year Grandma Rose went home to be with the Lord...I can't believe its been a whole year already, this will be a tough day for bob...Rest in Peace, Rose...

Last year I had planned a Birthday Dinner for my Mom on the 4th, which was cancelled when we rushed Rose to the hospital...April, my amazing daughter in love...stepped up and thru together a birthday celebration for Neva in short order while we were at the hospital...so this year, it was important for me to spend this day with my mom.

We started with "Breakfast with Her Kids" It's unusual we all get together which thrilled my Mom...( Bob had to work- somebody needs to)

Then I headed home to make chicken parmesan, pick up the balloons, cake & decorate....

Bob & Sarah both had District championship games (he won; she lost) Nate & April & the boys came to round out the celebration, and help blow out the candles!
I was very blessed to have this day with My Mom- so blessed to still have my Mom, I cherish every day spent with her...
We ended the evening by watching "Carlson Memories" a CD of all our old home movies of my Mom & Dad ( she misses him so) and us kids growing up...lots of sand dunes, beaches, and clowning....good times; happy times
Did I mention i am so glad to have my Mom around?

half full or half empty

Think about this....GOD gave everything He created to Adam & Eve...the entire world, all of it. Here kids, have dominion over all things...enjoy!! Eat of any tree at all Except, that tree there, the tree of knowledge of good and evil. That one brings death to you. SO, every single other tree, shrub, bush, plant, eat freely as much as you want, and enjoy (here are some recipes), but don't eat from death.

This worked really well and everyone was content, and full, until the serpent (deceiver, liar, stealer, killer) asks Eve "You mean you cannot eat from this tree? this one makes you smart, you know.

Eve, ponders this, perhaps too long, and decides that God, who has given her ALL THINGS to ENJOY, is stingy, because he has set one little caveat- to protect her- don't eat of death.
She bought the lie. God was not generous and giving and creative and loving...He was stingy, selfish, a robber, and not loving...or else He would give me anything I want!
Sound familiar?

Do you trust God with say, your kids? your money? your future? your walk? your ministry?
Take Him at His Word....if He says something is no good for you, believe it. Don't think for one minute that you are going to be smarter than God about anything. After all, He has given us abundantly, above and beyond anything we can ask or think already. Don't turn your back on the Best Things, for that one thing that brings death.
He alone is loving and trustworthy.

Pray Without Ceasing...

1 Thessalonians 5:17" pray without ceasing"

God doesn't ask the impossible of us...
it's His job to handle the impossible.
He asks of us the things that He, in His infinite wisdom, has already equipped us to do.
( I know, I know, you're thinking i pray alot...but without ceasing?)
Prayer is meant to be a dialogue, not a monologue.
If you have been trying to do both sides of the conversation...no wonder you are tired LOL!
Give this a try....stop and listen a bit...
Your Father has some things to say, and believe me, you don't want to miss them.

In Good Hands...

I am determined today to not posess nor entertain anything that is off limits to GOD. I am determined to lay all at His feet and fully submit to His will. I do this not out of obedience...although God loves that....I do this because, I trust Him implicitly with all of it. There is no one, anywhere, that Loves me like He does, nor knows me like He does, or that knows what the future holds for me, as He does. What's to worry about?
I am in GOOD HANDS with the ALL-KNOWING, ALL-LOVING GOD

.....(did you just hear that in the voice of the Allstate guy? I did.)

makes me giggle

lol

The most special times

I am priviledged to live near to my grandchildren, and to be able to spend time with them. When my children were young, my mother would take them one at a time, for a special "grandma day". A blessing to me and an awesome time for them. It included eating out, and a trip to the dollar store...or a movie. It allowed my Mom to get to know her grandchild one on one....to really know their likes & dislikes...what they were thinking about..and they both enjoyed it so much! She did this for my kids and my sib's kids. When they reached college age, they started to return the favor....they would all get together and take Grandma out for pizza...(no parents allowed). Now they are grown with families of their own... my sibs and i are the "grandrents". So it was naturally fitting that I continue her legacy...and I do! I regularly take one of my grandsons out for Grandma Day.

Connor and I went grocery shopping,he picked out his favorite foods...and we ate them. We played catch in the backyard, got the mail, watched a movie...whatever he wanted to do. We ended the night, with attending a football game, at the highschool his grandpa is A.D. at. Connor got to turn on the National Anthem, stand at attention with hand over heart, and enjoy the game from the press box! Throw in a ride in the golf cart, and a stop at the volleyball game. He loved it!

Jordan's day included breakfast with "Uncle Jimmy", a trip to Zia's(aunt Sarah) work, garage ping pong, and a trip to the park with Great-Grandma Neva (nearly 88yrs young), where they enjoyed swinging side by side. A quick visit to meijers for socks and slippers...then He also was allowed to watch Grandpa's game from the press box, and was later joined by his sibs, to watch the half-time show, and wave to daddy (who was working the chains).

Kaeden had his day a while back, and it inlcuded shopping for school supplies (preschool) and lunch with grandpa, and of course watching a movie, & cuddling with Grandma.

The best part is not having to compete with their brothers for attention...they have 100% of my attention for the day...we talk , we play, we laugh. They tell me what they like, what they think, I learn their fears, and their favorite things...in turn, I share family history, new words & discoveries, and most important of all my faith in God, and His faithfulness. This is the heritage of the Lord...passing down a faith in God, a trust in His promises, and an assurance of His love for them. Often they encourage me in my Faith!

What could more could a grandma ask for?

A Walk in the Clouds

ahhhh one of my favorite movies. I love the story, the hero...doing right, being selfless, saving the fair maiden...even when it hurts.

Isn't that the main thing? Doing right, being selfless, even when it hurts. It's easy to "do right" when everybody else is..."as long as it doesn't actually cost me anything"..."as long as everyone knows I'm not to blame"..."this wasn't my idea"..."I had no choice"..."you got it all wrong".

It's quite another thing to stand in the gap and protect someone, keep your peace and not defend yourself. To allow others to think whatever they want, as long as you know the truth, and even more so if the person you are protecting maybe brought this thing upon themselves...

This is what Jesus did for us....He rescued us, from a fate we brought upon ourselves, without defending himself or letting everyone know, HE hadn't actually committed these sins... He simply stepped up, stepped in and took it all on our behalf....for love.

a new day....

Today is a new day. I have left facebook and now I expect to have more time in my day. I will miss knowing my friends joys and sharing their sorrows in real time...seeing up to date pictures of their families, and sharing mine, but I will do that here, and those who would like to see them, just check in now and then!

The reason? well, I had been uneasy for a while about the way they change up everything and reset our settings, did not like the face recognition thing, and being tagged in every unflattering picture for the world to see...but it's really more about what we don't know....what is happening behind the scenes that hasn't been expose yet...

and this. I feel the Lord wanted me to get off FB,.
some will understand that easily...others may think it's odd...and that's fine with me.

Trust & Obey, for there's no other way!

Stop complaining?

Phillipians 2:14-16a
14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”[a] Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life.

This verse gives us good information on dealing with offenses. If we break it down, it could be read this way....If you grumble & argue, then YOU will be to blame, impure & at fault. OUCH!

If you don't "complain" then you willl be pure...

Teachings from The Bait of Satan- John Bevere

9-11-11

It's been ten years since the tragedy of 9-11.
and taking time to remember, the lives lost, the innocence lost, the suffering of families who lost loved ones that day or in the subsequent wars...kind of puts my piddly problems in prospective.

His Grace is always sufficient for me.

Only God

In God is our Hope...This is a challenging season...but My God is Greater than any Other...and I rest comfortably in His Will.

My Heart

Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ~Elizabeth Stone
Nate and April, and their boys in Annapolis this summer....

pictures by her cousin, Seven Set Studios.

ahhhhh I missed them!

We Love Lax

Ahem....
Nathan Maus has been awarded U.S. Asst. Coach of the Year for the State of Michigan!....wow.

It all began a long long time ago, when Nate didn't make the soccer team at his school....he was dissapointed, and a lax coach at the school gave him a lacrosse stick, and said, practice on your own, then come try out for the team...Lacrosse? what was that? we had played baseball, football, basketball, and soccer....
Who knew it would turn out to be "his sport"...He was very good! Of course us rents had a difficult time with the rules at first...you are allowed to hit with the stick...."hey! stop that, that's my kid!" lol but we learned, and came to LOVE the sport of Lacrosse ! I will admit to watching the national championship games when no one else is home....

Nate played High School- All State,
then club College Lax for WMU...
coached, taught camps...He worked for Warrioir Lacrosse (Warrior Sports) in summers, then went full time....

He came back to DLS for his love for teaching...and began coaching with Coach Jolley....and viola! The U.S. Michigan Assistant Coach of the Year!

Now as I watch his boys, Connor & Jordan throw around...
and I think we may have a second generation of players here.
I am well pleased.

Best Daughter Ever

Happy 25th Birthday to the best daughter ever....
You came into our lives with a surprise...
and we have been delighted with you ever since!

You have been an easy child to raise...never giving us any cause for alarm or trouble...always level headed...strong work ethic....doing your best, without feeling the need to be perfect...comfortable in your own skin...



Always caring for others...compassionate...you have a sacrificial love for people, willing to go an extra mile or two, because you are able, a peacemaker- smoothing and soothing ruffles feathers. you will take it upon yourself to make sure people are taken care of properly...meeting needs others shrug at....forsaking sleep to drive a friend somewhere...lining up volunteers to paint a house...using your own money to bless others...giving all but asking little.

A servant....at home, at work, at church...loving people, generous to a fault.
A leader...strong in the Lord, confident, able to leap small buildings with a single jump...always rescueing the rest of us.

A coach....teaching instructing, encouraging, wanting your girls to excell and exceed what you have done. (and pretty sucessfull I might add)
A friend... I am honored to be called friend by you, those of us so honored have experienced a rare and beautiful thing, a friend who is loyal to the end, overlooking our faults, but never our needs. Those who have experienced your friendship- true honest, without guile- know that we have been given a gift that God alone doles out.


Always giving your best, generous to a fault, and asking very little in return.
YOU are the most Amazing Daughter, and Friend I know...
I love you, Princess
Mom

In this home

We believe in living deeply
laughing often and loving always
We believe we were brought together
to support and care for each other.

We believe in celebrating together
our faith, our heritage, our traditions
We believe that everyone’s feelings count
and the uniqueness of each of us
strengthens all of us.

We believe in the power of forgiveness to heal
and the power of love to carry us through
We believe in one another in this family
in this home…

I have this framed in my home....A new baby got me thinking of family today....while looking up good quotes came upon these I hadn't heard before....

Babies are such a nice way to start people.
- Don Herold

We are given children to test us and make us more spiritual.
- George Will

Sometimes it is the person closest to us who must travel the furthest distance to be our friend. ~Robert Brault,

In truth a family is what you make it. It is made strong, not by number of heads counted at the dinner table, but by the rituals you help family members create, by the memories you share, by the commitment of time, caring, and love you show to one another, and by the hopes for the future you have as individuals and as a unit.
- Marge Kennedy

Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. "Pooh!" he whispered. "Yes, Piglet?" "Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's paw. "I just wanted to be sure of you." ~A.A. Milne

When I count my blessings, I count my family over and over again.

Our family is God’s way of taking really good care of us.

What If......

Thank you Lord, for Faith, Family & Friends & Freedom
(and flowers, food,

Choice? Choice.

Definition #1 Choice:
The power or opportunity of choosing; option.
I was not my Mother's first choice. She had lost 6 babies to miscarriage, and was sure that would be my end as well...she told the Dr she couldn't go thru it again.
So He gave her some pills to expel me (or least that's what he told her in 1952)
She took them, laid sod, painted the house...anything and everything that might hurry the process along. I was the only pregnancy she had with no complications.
Though I did not hear this story until I was an adult...I always had a longing in my heart to be someone's "choice".
We all long to be chosen, accepted, wanted, valued....what i longed for all my life...yet what i received (or perceived) was rejection.

It came in the worst ways and in some pretty mudane ways too. Words meant to tease- I took to heart. Rejection from those who were suppose to love me. Family, Friends...My childhood was full of rejection; and don't even talk about the teen years...just more of the same. I looked for acceptance everywhere, and found it briefly in some bad places...and then one day, a friend told me the truth..."God chooses you, first." I was His choice? God chose me, me? Did he know about me? Did he know what I'd done, did He know what i'd thought? Yes. And still I was His choice., He chose to come for me, to die for me, to redeem me, to cleanse & forgive me, to sanctify me, annoint me, use me...

but now I had the choice. Would I choose Him? I had the choice. I took it! Oh Yes I took it! I chose being known, I chose being forgiven, I chose being freed, I chose being loved, I chose being His For all time and eternity!


Because He first chose me. Because He first Loved me,
I made the right choice,
and received His Choice Life for me....
He is my Choice. He is choice.


Definition #2 Choice: The best part;
that which is preferable.

A Good Friend

A GREAT Friend, tells you about Jesus, and prays with you to receive Him as LORD and SAVIOR! A Superb Friend walks in when everyone else is giving up on you...The BEST friend is the one who is there when you call...but doesn't care who called who last.

Maggie Potapshyn is that friend to me!!! LOVE YOU MAGGIE! Thanks for sharing Jesus with Me...and sharing your life with Me!

Where there is no vision,

the people perish. Proverbs 29:
.
A FOCUSED LIFE
Overall life vision
1. Spiritually (prayer time, fasting days, Bible study, etc.)
2. Relationally (family, friends, etc.)
3. Vocation (marketplace calling, etc.)
4. Ministry (in the church, outside the church, etc.)
5. Economically (spending, giving, saving, investing, etc.)
6. Physically (exercise, health, diet, etc.)
7. Rest (recreation, vacation, play, entertainment, sports, etc.)
C. Action plan – for each long and short-term goal in each area of your life.
D. Schedule – for each action plan, i.e., focuses us to prioritize. This is where our life vision most easily is derailed and lost.

The Lord says: "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ willshine on you." 15 See then that you walk wisely, not as fools but as wise, 16redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be unwise,but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 5:14–17)

The Yoke of Meekness:

The Way To Greater Grace and Favor from M. Bickle
“Meekness is the magnet that attracts God’s favor.”



The only character trait that Jesus declared about Himself was that He was meek or lowly in heart - Jesus promised that we would find spiritual rest as we learn of meekness from Him.

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart [meek or humble], and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Mt. 11:28-30)


Learn from Me: The most significant issue in being a disciple of Jesus is to learn meekness from Him. Meekness and its greatness is within reach of all who pursue it. We are to regularly ask Jesus to teach us about meekness by giving us insight into the specifics of walking it out and then to release the inspiration to walk it out with joy.

Heavy laden: This is manifest in different ways including emotional pain (mistreated or overlooked) and the weariness of striving with others instead of serving them.


Rest: The Lord desires to spiritually heal, refresh, and tenderize our hearts.


Easy yoke and light burden: This speaks of the ability to enjoy our fellowship with God and receive grace to obey Him even when outward circumstances are not easy or light.

Most of our pride is unperceived.
It is not obvious to us. Most people are socially sophisticated enough to avoid blatant strutting and to politely honor social etiquette and protocols.
The enemy tempts us with pride that subtly lies hidden in our attitudes ...
It is expressed in having a condescending attitude that has an inordinate confidence that is not rooted in truth.
It seeks to teach others instead of being quick to be taught.
It is defensive instead of quick to acknowledge its need, lack and error.
The measure of our anger is the measure of our unperceived pride.
Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. (1 Cor. 8:1)

Though I be not Irish

Sure I wish you all the blessings of a Happy St Patricks Day
...

snow = Life

Ok I know by now most of us, save the snowboarding enthusiasts, are feeling like there has been enough snow, and we are longing for the sweet springtime to appear.
It's coming. We know this. It will flutter...come and go a few times...then suddenly, everything will be green... the lillies of the valley, tulips and Daffodils , and new life will be abundant, and we'll sit outside and go to parks and all too soon, we'll be fanning ourselves, beneath the summer sun.
Our spiritual walk follows a similar pattern...long winters, brutal, harsh realities, beat us down, steal our comfort, bleakness where it seems we are in a whiteout...where is the end, the comfort, the promise?

It's coming. We know this. It will flutter, come and go a few times....and then He will return to us...the Lily of the Valley, will appear in all His Glory, to renew us , new beginnings, new life, new mercies, a new pattern slightly different from the last time...and finally we will be basking in the Glory of the Lord, fanning our faith under the presence of the SON....and receving His promise of Life once more.

Rules for civility #6

"Sleep not when others speak, sit not when others stand, speak not when you should hold your peace, walk not on when others stop"

Where to begin? Ok, so rude to fall asleep when someone is talking to you.

I knew that guys were suppose to stand when a lady entered the room (how many young men do you know that know this) but apparently, it's a respect thing toward anyone- So do you struggle when you are at a group event and a small group of people stand and applaud...but you don't think it was worthy of a standing "O" ...YET there is that point where more people stand and you feel, "hey, man I'd better stand or I might look...what? rude or disenchanted?
or worse, like I don't get it...
yikes, so you stand up!

If I could only learn one thing,I'd opt to keep quiet when I ought.
I would look so wise.
Pr 30:11 "A fool vents all his feelings, But a wise man holds them back."
I continue to work on this one...

Sorry George, sometimes I have to keep on walking when others stop.
For I have decided to follow JESUS!

also at certain times while at Home Depot :)

rules of civility #4

"In the presence of others sing not to yourself with a humming noise, nor drum with your fingers or feet" (George Washington's Rules for civility & Decent Behavior)

I bet ole George had an interesting story that went with this one...
I skipped 2 & 3 because they talked about touching or exposing body parts inappropriately....so just don't do that, ok.

Drumming fingers usually means boredom....I get it.
How does one drum with their feet????? Would that not be dancing while seated? I have been guilty of that, sorry.

Now about the humming...what are your thoughts?
We hum when we are happy. That's a good thing, isn't it?
or...we hum when we are up to somthing...(at least I do)
My Mom hums a bit when she is thinking somthing over...
and my late mother in law used to hum, right after she criticized me.
Makes you wonder, doesn't it?

Rules for Civility #1

1st
Every action done in company ought to be with some sign of respect
to those who are present.

From George Washington's Rules for Civility & Decent Behavior

George was pretty smart and respected. We can learn a few things fron him.
We all recognize, that if we are to survive as a free country, we must return to a time of civil discourse. Start here. Be mindful of how your actions or words will affect those around you. Prior to acting or speaking...and ask yourself, "will this offend?" & "Is that my intention?" " Does it encourage discussion or aggression?" "Who benefits from this?"
While it is necessary that we share ideas and arguments pro and con on issues in order to arrive at a workable solution, it does no one any good if we leave angry and convinced that we cannot communicate with one another on any level.

Do not be ignorant...

of the devil's devices...2 Cor 2:11
Excerpts from The Screwtape Letters, chapter 3)

"In civilised life domestic hatred usually expresses itself by saying things which would appear quite harmless on paper (the words are not offensive) but in such a voice, or at such a moment, that they are not far short of a blow in the face.

...see to it that each of these two fools has a sort of double standard. Your patient must demand that all his own utterances are to be taken at their face value and judged simply on the actual words, while at the same time judging all (other)utterances with the fullest and most oversensitive interpretation of the tone and the context and the suspected intention.

(they) must be encouraged to do the same to him. Hence from every quarrel they can both go away convinced, or very nearly convinced, that they are quite innocent. You know the kind of thing: "I simply ask her what time dinner will be and she flies into a temper."

Once this habit is well established you have the delightful situation of a human saying things with the express purpose of offending and yet having a grievance when offence is taken."

forewarned is forearmed.....

throw it out

Saw this on Foxnews this morning and bob and I decided we would...so OK we are not counting the things , but we each just grabbed a drawer and sorted it out, pitching the unimportant.

AHHHHHHHH I feel so good! We're gonna keep this going, and we will tackle the attic and the garage attic this year-For instance, I will be throwing out the little kitchen set we bought sarah when she was 2.
and...the christmas puppets- that were immense fun 5 years ago,
(Chris's impersonation of Lori in a poncho- priceless ) but have not been used since. so kids listen up....if you want this stuff come claim it now!


Also on my list scaling down the Christmas decor, I no longer have the stamina,room, or will to accomodate all of it. Goodbye clutter!