Monthly Archives: August 2014

What I’m Into, August 2014

31 Sunday Aug 2014

Posted by in Books and Thoughts on Books, Celebrations, Education, Gratitude, One Life, Recipes, teens, Uncategorized, {This Moment}

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What I’m INTO August 2014 Edition

This month has been full of dust, sun, new starts, laughter, frayed edges as the remodel work continues, as new school year gets going and summer dwindles down. Week four of no kitchen left me feeling out of it, and I discovered that while I am not frustrated or discontent, the adventurous energy that I started this venture with has dissipated and I feel as though I have frayed edges. Still holding it together and pushing forward, but with a little less gumption.

Read and Reading:

The Antelope in the Living Room by Melanie Shankle  This book was a delightful piece of comic relief as my home continued  the craziness of kitchen & bathroom remodel and sending the kids off to new school situations.

Sheba’s Song was another quiet time blessing.

Currently reading:

Where There Was No Church, Families Where Grace is in Place, Clutterfree with Kids, Generous Justice

(I completed _2_ books this month, but read a chapter or 2 or more in several others.)

TV:

We turned Netflix back on and started where we left off with Dr Who. Slowly, the 5 of us have become Whovians to varying degrees.

Music:

I’m really enjoying the classical station on the way to school on Monday morning, and listening to the Newsboys as we continue to work on the house.

Things I Love:

This bench and these plans. Thank you for sharing Ana White!

What I'm Into, August 2014

grilled nachos

your one life

Beautiful words

Winnie the Pooh

an old favorite shared with a new generation

 

porcelain tile

progress

friendship

friendship

The Newsboys in Concert

Singing the Gospel

1GirlNation, Lindsey

Young women encouraging each other

In the Blogosphere:

~ “I’m slow to process, slow to think, slow to respond. Rather than fight against that, I’m learning to celebrate it in my own way.” Oh Emily, thank you for the admonishment to stop fighting my slow processing thoughts and responses! Spending some time this month pondering the idea of celebrating that aspect of introverted me.

… take no relationship for granted. 

My sisterinlove recently shared a link on facebook that led me to The Imagination Tree, oh my.  This playdough looks like a recipe for fall fun with a precious little one I get to spend a few days a week with!  I just can. hardly. wait. for the new kitchen!

On The Blog:

I shared

why my family is committed to child sponsorship

and my “back to school” plan for September/October

 

Your turn, what are you into this grand month of August?

Linking with Leigh Kramer

 

 

This Moment ~ Sixth Grade!

29 Friday Aug 2014

Posted by in Education, Gratitude, Parenting, Uncategorized, {This Moment}

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{this moment} ~ A Friday ritual. A single photo – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Back to School

Back to School, 6th Grade!

 

This picture is a week late, and it was a day late.  Chica started back to her Cottage School class a week after her sisters started their College Pathways classes.  And wouldn’t you know, I forgot to take a morning picture.  This one was taken just as she was walking out after school.

Oh the days, they are so long, yet the years they just fly by.  Sixth grade, one last year of elementary school and then she is off joining her sisters in youth group, mission trips and all the wonder of the next season.

Oh how very thankful I am for all the days and all the years and this precious surprise, our youngest daughter.

 

Linking with the lovely Amanda.

Grocery University, Offered by Money Saving Mom

19 Tuesday Aug 2014

Posted by in Life Long Learner, Menu Planning, teens, Uncategorized

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Tired of Spending Too Much at the Grocery Store?

Want to find more ways than clipping coupons to stretch your food budget dollars?

See Below for Money Saving Mom’s special pricing for today, August 19!

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It’s so well-rounded and comprehensive that it will help everyone from the most experienced coupon shopper to a newbie who doesn’t want to clip coupons at all!”

 

What’s Included?

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Grocery University

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More Information & To Buy Now

Affiliate links are included in this post.  If you sign up for swagbucks or purchase Grocery University through By Quiet Waters, I receive small compensation or bonus swagbucks.

Goals…School Year Rhythm, Kitchen Remodel Continues

18 Monday Aug 2014

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Finding the School Year Rhythm, While the Kitchen Remodel Continues

The first week of school went pretty well. Our 13 year old and 15 year daughters started their classes at a local dual enrollment school.

Back to School

8th & 10th Grade!

We’ve tweaked the breakfast time for Friday and Saturday, knowing that enough sleep is vital to everyone’s well being. I also noted that Wednesday evening was nearly a crash. The fall activity schedule has not started with our congregation, but youth group meets year round. I noticed that getting home from YG at 8:45 or 9:00PM will be a real challenge to calm bedtimes & early Thursdays.

So before I make good on my commitment to work as a small group leader during AWANA, I need to see if lunches and backpacks can be ready BEFORE the kids leave for the evening. I don’t want to take activity away, but we must be able to settle down for bed and be ready on time the next morning. It may be that I stay home and be available to cover gaps.

This is a big change from HOME schooling. We are still considered home schoolers, but now we do also follow someone else’s schedule.

We were able to have our dear friends over for dinner before they continued on their way to Alaska. They are a young military family and it was absolutely delightful to spend the evening with them and their kids. We’ve known the wife since she was in high school, she is best friends with one of our older daughters. I love how I can count her as one of my dearest friends as well.

It is very encouraging to me that I didn’t let the remodel get in the way of having them over. As I told her, swallowing my anxiety about the construction mess and eating in our backyard kitchen meant we could see them. Otherwise it might have been another 3 years before the opportunity was possible again.  I hope that is an area that I will continue to grow in!

Kitchen Remodel, Closed Doorway

The doorway we are closing off for more counter & cabinet space

Kitchen Remodel, Handwash Sink

Hand washing Sink rough in

This Week…

Intentional Relationships

Take our 15yo for her learners permit, schedule with the driving instructor!

Continue to be looking for the ways to improve the rhythm for this school year

Intentional Care of Mom

1-3 mile bike ride or walk 4x

Start calcium supplement

 Making this One Life

Correspondence to Compassion GMC which my kids have completed

Schedule interview with local outreach ministry

Other Pursuits

Schedule time to finish 3 writing pieces

Back to School Goals for August 11-16

11 Monday Aug 2014

Posted by in goals, Homeschooling, One Life, Parenting, teens, Uncategorized

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Back to School Goals for August 11-16

Two of my kiddos are starting back to school this week, but it is very different than in the past.  We’ve home schooled since the beginning with them, but this fall Mae and Petal Rose begin a full time course load at a school with a hybrid early college program.  So they don’t go full time (Monday through Friday) but it is still a significant amount of time away.

I am committing this next week to a little less of my own endeavors and plans, and a lot of watching & note taking to do my best to make this transition as smooth as possible.

Last week…

Intentional Relationships

Go to “Step into My Shoes” event with Chica

Backyard Smores & Stargazing – we did a few fun things, but not this one. Most nights we were falling into bed dog tired after dinner.

Receive Mae & Petal Rose home from their mission trip into a period of comfort and rest before they hop right into school classes on Tuesday

Intentional Self Nourishment

Get back on James 1 memory work

Reading:  What He Must Be, Where There Was No Church, Pursue the Intentional Life, Families Where Grace is in Place and Sheba’s Song

Continue the nightly walk or bike ride (4x), Strength exercises (4x)

Making this One Life Count

Attend Step into My Shoes and spend time after processing. Not letting this the opportunity to learn and grow pass me by.

Other Pursuits –

Create syllabus for General Science (Petal Rose & Chica will be in general science this school year)

Clean one fridge

Organize laundry/dish washing roomDone, some plumbing and gas work and not things are a bit jumbled again. This will be an ongoing job until I can move dishes back to the kitchen!

Intentional Relationships

BBQ with young family friends on their way to Alaska

Be open to the new rhythm & changes this year brings

Intentional Self Nourishment

James 1 memory work, Justice Study

Reading:  What He Must Be, Where There Was No Church, and Families Where Grace is in Place

Daily walk or bike ride (4x), Strength exercises (4x)

Making this One Life Count

Back to school outreach event on Saturday

Stay present and calm

 

 

Far More Than We Can Hope For

08 Friday Aug 2014

Posted by in One Life, Uncategorized

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Counting the gifts God showers upon me has been a life changing practice.  Throughout the Bible one can find the encouragement, the admonitions, the command to give thanks.  And I have tried to give thanks in all things.  I have tried to see the blessing in the hard.  But.

There’s always a But isn’t there?

But there is one thing in which I am unable to find any good.  There is one thing where layer upon layer of a dark, dirty, pain filled wound there is NO GOOD.  Despite the deep cleansing healing that the Father has done within my mind and soul the only good is that HE has cleansed and healed.  All there has been to give thanks for is that HE is my HEALER, my Redeemer.cracked edges

A challenging message was recently shared with our congregation that included the reading of Romans 8:28 and 29 with a few comments.  In that message there were many nuggets to write down and ponder, but that one passage and the words spoken caught my entire attention.  I don’t think I heard anything else of the message.

windblown

Tossed by the storms

Romans 8:28-29

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Honestly I have quoted verse 28 many times, I have sought the truth of this passage, wrestled with it, never being able to reconcile it with this one thing. Verse 29 was not familiar to me.

Verse 29, on the other hand, was not familiar to me.   As verse 29 was read and commented on by our pastor, a good that only God could bring was illuminated before me.  In all things He is working the good for me.  The good?  He uses my broken desperate need to conform me to the image of His Son.anticipation

~ the good is to be conformed to the image of Christ.

“according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

His purpose ~ conformation to the image of God.

For me, whom He FOREKNEW and PREDESTINED.

The evil things that happen to us are not, as far as I understand, God’s plan for us. He doesn’t plan evil for His children. (Jeremiah 29:11) But He can redeem the bad things, and the redemption can work to conform us (Romans 8:29) or transform us (Romans 12:1, 2)

And dear precious one reading these words, these words are for YOU. Broken, lovely You, whom He has foreknown and predestined, the dark bad things, the evil things are not His plan for you.

But the good He can make out of them is far more than we can hope for.

Back into a Grove, Goals for August 4-9

04 Monday Aug 2014

Posted by in goals, One Life, Uncategorized

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Back into a Groove, Goals for August 4-9

Since returning from working at Twin Peaks Bible Camp life took on a little different spin. We did most or all of the shopping to get 3 kids ready for their new part time school setting: uniforms, supplies, etc and helped 2 kids get out the door for their 10 day evangelism trip in a neighboring state. During all that we also had two laborers here for 3 days and our kitchen, dining room and basement bathroom AND 3 closets are now demoed down to the studs. Plumbing is moving, natural gas is being piped in and the major, final phase of remodeling our home is well underway.

I am cooking on the back patio, the dining table is in our living room, my fridge and freezer are in the pantry Builder built in the garage and we’re making coffee & washing dishes in the basement laundry room.

It is all manageable, but I am literally running circles during meal prep!

This is the first week where I feel I can set some goals again, and not just be juggling and “on call.” J

Intentional Relationships

Go to “Step into My Shoes” event with Chica

Backyard Smores & Stargazing

Receive Mae & Petal Rose home from their mission trip into a period of comfort and rest before they hop right into school classes on Tuesday

Intentional Self Nourishment

Get back on James 1 memory work

Reading:  What He Must Be, Where There Was No Church, Pursue the Intentional Life, Families Where Grace is in Place and Sheba’s Song, and Fields of the Fatherless

On My Nightstand

On My Nightstand August 2014

Continue the nightly walk or bike ride (4x), Strength exercises (4x)

Cardiac & Dental Appointments

Making this One Life Count

Attend Step into My Shoes and spend time after processing. Not letting this the opportunity to learn and grow pass me by.

Other Pursuits –

Create syllabus for General Science (Petal Rose & Chica will be in general science this school year, sharing the text book)

Clean one fridge

Organize laundry/dish washing room

Dial BodyWash GIVEAWAY Winners

02 Saturday Aug 2014

Posted by in giveaways, Uncategorized

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Theresa and Latanya are the winners of this giveaway.  Please email your mailing address to byquietwaters at gmail and your FREE PRODUCT coupon will go into the mail!

Coconut Water Bodywash

Dial Coconut Water Bodywash

Congratulations!!