what a night!!

Wednesday was busy. Very busy. Cooking, cleaning, taking care of a puppy that we had just gotten the day before. And having 35-40 people over for a cookout. So, Thursday, I sort of chilled a bit. As much as one can "chill" with all these kids and a housebreaking puppy. Anyway, while my dear friend Angela and I were shopping in Kmart, my daughter Abigail called me...Brother Olstad, from Norway, is visiting our church for a week, is coming for dinner. And all the youth are coming over after for fellowship. 30 or so. Okay. As long as you guys will clean up, and she promised they would. Fast forward a few hours. I was in the grocery store, after a quick trip through Target (as you know, there is no such thing as a quick trip through Target for me - I go through like a rat in a maze, stopping at all the clearance spots)anyway, I was in the grocery store and company was supposed to be arriving at my house....Angela and I are dawdlers. She is worse than me, and that is bad. We had way too much fun together, and we stopped to talk about everything under the sun when we were supposed to be picking out yogurt.....anyway, I got home at the exact time the company was supposed to arrive. Thankfully they were late, and I had time to wash my face and brush my teeth and put away the groceries. My wonderful kids had the dinner all made, the house all clean, and the table all set. I guess I can move out, they can run the place without me. ha. But they did. And they had the nerve to tell me it was easier without me here, because I stress too much. Ouch. Truth hurts.

It pays to eat dinner together at the table every night as a family. It is very very important, and that is one piece of advice I would give to each family everywhere: eat together with no tv, or computer, or texting going on. It is fun, encouraging, crazy, and the kids learn excellent manners along the way. Then, when company comes, they don't need the pep talk to behave and say please and thank you.

After dinner, which was barbecued chicken on the grill, grilled coneys, mashed potatoes, fresh steamed broccoli with cheese sauce, and brownies with ice cream for dessert, all the youth kids started piling in the door. The thing about our youthgroup that is so special: they don't just learn the gospel, they do it. They are so sincere about seeking purity in their lives, it is a joy to be with them. We had a nice evening, songs and fellowship, and our younger kids were along in it and enjoyed it immensely. When Evelyn was tucked in tonight, she prayed that she would not think her parents were the wrong parents for her, but just right! She was listening. There was a good warm spirit here.

The kids are going to be tired tomorrow for the spring soccer tournament, but it was so worth it to let them stay up late and enjoy being with all the youth kids.

I had better head to bed soon too, because Elliott/Binnamon will be up early. When we leave, we have to put her in her cage, I mean crate, and Benjamin will take her out when he gets up and take care of her for a while before he goes to work. A cage, I mean crate, is a great help in housebreaking puppy.

What I am thinking about tonight: just think to have your name written in the book of life. As soon as we seek to do His will, He becomes very interested in us. We all have the same flesh, the same temptations, though our circumstances differ greatly. And we all have the opportunity to be freed from our sin, by standing firm in those temptations. We are not debtors to the flesh. And I will stop preaching now, but if life seems hard or difficult, you can blame it on whatever you like, but the problem lies within. The way we take things is the key. We can either blame, or we can acknowledge. And when we do the latter, God will bless us. He wants us to see how we are, so He can work with us. He gives grace to the humble. And now I will stop preaching , this time for real....