Pain

I know about pain.

We all do.

We all can tell you about physical pain we have endured.

We all can tell you about emotional pain we have lived through.

Our instinct with pain is to avoid it.

To numb it.

To even run from it.

Pain is a signal that something is wrong and needs to be fixed.

Tuesday morning while I was teaching pain signaled me that I had a kidney stone. I can tell you personally that bone pain and kidney stone pain run a close race but bone pain wins hands down. I can tell you that for me emotional pain is harder to fix and things in a bottle may numb it but they don't fix it. I can tell you the only prescription for pain relief is turning it over to Christ. There have been times when I cried for pain to end and I found relief in a new day. There have been times when tears only stopped because of His Grace that He poured out on me. My view on pain as a Christian has changed in the last few years. I have friends with pain bigger than my personal pain. I see a world in pain. However, just like I ran to the doctor to fix the pain we as the body of Christ can be used to run. I love to hear stories of churches reaching out to the homeless, the widow, the orphans, the poor because it reminds me that pain is just a signal. It is His signal to us that something is wrong. It is for His glory.

The Smallest Missionary

1 Timothy 4:12

Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but be an example for other believers in your speech, behavior, love, faithfulness, and purity.

Son recited this verse at his preschool graduation.

I had no idea that at the young age of 9 he would go on his first mission trip.

The Great Commission looks a whole lot different in these faces.

The call to reach the nations.

To spread the gospel.

To love.

To go.

We are under 20 days until we leave for Belize. These are some of the smallest missionaries on our team. 8 other children are not even pictured. We will be meeting with our prayer partners this week for a dinner at our pastor's house. Son asked his older cousin, Noah. Daughter asked her Nana. Husband asked his friend from our home group. I asked my sister. I am sure our prayer dinner will be very special. I will also have times that I will need people to pray for our team. Our team will be prayed for 24 hours of every day we are there in Belize. We found out this week that my family will not be taking any form of communication device with us. No phone. No computer. That is very scary for the communicator of our family but rest assure it is a much needed break from being plugged in! My heart sometimes feels like it will beat out of my chest with aniticipation of the trip. My eyes constantly fill with tears when I think about the children of Belize. I have even started the packing list. I ask that you pray for the smallest of our group. Pray for their safety, their health and their hearts. I am sure this group will teach me how to show love for others and how to have a childlike faith. These children were not "put up" to go on this trip. They have the desire to go bestowed upon their hearts. They are the smallest missionaries of our team. If you are interested in signing up to pray please email me or message me. Thank you for loving on us!

To Di for Tiramisu

I have always wanted to say I was Italian. I love spaghetti. It is my favorite meal from my mother, from Olive Garden, from Shoney's and from IHOP. Our Mission Team is still helping with Wednesday night meals and Mrs. Di said she was cooking Lasagna this week. She asked if I could make an Italian dessert called Tiramisu. These are the ingredients.

One of these is not the ingredients. After wasting 6 cups of milk, 4 boxes of jello and 2 things of cream cheese...my mother did an emergent grocery store run for me and saved the day. I mean these items should be on separate shelves and different aisles. Who cooks their pudding anyway these days?

Anyway, I was so excited to be Italian for the evening that I continued the process with the INSTANT pudding mix. Sometimes I pretend to be French and go by the name Roache. Your welcome for that piece of information.

There were no bananas this time but there was chocolate and coffee which I have grown to love since going to work full time. I think coffee is a requirement if you have to set an alarm clock.

Here is the step by step for my favorite friends and the end result.

To Di for Tiramisu

16 servings

1 – 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese softened
3 cups cold milk
2 – 3.4 oz pkg Vanilla instant pudding mix
1 – 8 oz container cool whip, thawed, divided
48 vanilla wafers
½ cup strong coffee
2 squares Baker’s Semi-Sweet chocolate, coarsely grated
1 cup fresh strawberries

Beat cream cheese in large bowl with mixer until creamy. Gradually beat in milk and dry pudding mixes. Gently stir in 2 cups cool whip.

Line bottom of 13 x 9 inch pan with half the wafers that have been dunked in the coffee. Top with half the pudding mixture and chocolate. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cool whip and garnish with strawberries. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Internet Safety By A Momma

Very rare do I let my work world show up on this blog. I work in the computer lab at my children's elementary school. I blog regularly at work about work. On this blog, I talk about things like my family, my faith, my sad stories and my happy stories. I have been asked several times in my private world about Internet safety and young children. I am not an expert. I only play one at work. My major in college was Social Work. My life major is Parenting. These are tips I have learned through my job and through parenting. (That is my disclaimer!)

My own kids are getting on the Internet not just on the computer. They can access the Internet through handheld devices like Nintendo dsi, Ipods and smartphones. Many children play games online like Xbox Live or Playstation 3 online. As a parent I have learned the hard way that giving a child free access to the Internet is not always safe but can be dangerous.

Here are some tips your kids need to know BEFORE logging on:

1. Don’t give out personal information.

2. Never agree to meet anyone you meet online.

3. Remember that people might not be who they say they are.

4. If you ever read and receive anything online that makes you feel uncomfortable, find a trusted adult to talk to.
Keeping the computer in a central location in the house and open communication about what is allowed on the computer, are the best ways to foster kids into having a positive online experience. Check out the settings on Ipods and DSi's. You can set security guidelines.

Online gaming devices like XBOXlive and Playstation 3 online allow your child to play games and chat with people online. The top 5 ways parents and guardians can make sure to keep their child safe in the world of online gaming.
1. Unplug the headset—listen to what your kids are listening to
2. Adjust settings — some of these games have a filter to block inappropriate language and violence
3. Approve “friends” ‐ select who your child can play with
4. Don’t give into games just because “everyone else” is doing it
5. Know what the ratings mean

Proverbs 22:6

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

I think communication is more important than any of these things on this list and prayer. Prayer that we as parents know what to allow and what to say no to.

My son is constantly telling me who has what game that I won't allow. I am always quick to remind him how much I love him and how God has trusted me with him.

I promise no more serious work like topics!

To Di for Banana Pudding

We have one of those famous cooks at our church that is the machine behind Wednesday night suppers. I call her Mrs. Di. Since our mission group is helping serve for a month, I got to help make Mrs. Di's banana pudding for 150 of my closest friends. Last time I cooked with Mrs. Di, I did 350 small sweet potato biscuits so this was a small task. You need a lot of bananas. Like 32.
You thank your husband every time you use this because I can look outside and watch the sunset. You also don't really want to know how many calories are floating in this bowl.



You make an assembly line and then scream, "no mam, LuLu!" I promise LuLu has had her shots and did not lick any food items.






Then you make your daughter slice all 32 bananas with a very sharp knife. Then you hug her because she peels the bananas from the bottom just like they do in Belize.

Then you layer in lines. I am just kidding. Don't do that like me. Just throw those wafers on there with no order!

This fed around 100 plus and made some money for our mission team. It sold out and I didn't get a single bite. Here is the secret recipe that you asked for:

To Di for Banana Pudding
6-8 bananas

1 5oz box french vanilla pudding

2 cups of milk

1 8oz cream cheese

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 tub of cool whip

1 box of vanilla wafers

Mix pudding with milk with a hand mixer and sit aside. Mix cream cheese and evaporated milk in the mixer until smooth. Fold in cool whip into cream cheese mixture. Then fold cream cheese mixture into pudding mixture. Then layer vanilla wafers, bananas, pudding. Ending with pudding on top. If you have any vanilla wafers left over sprinkle on top.

I multiplied the recipe times 4! Enjoy and pretend not to count the calories!