Just more me stuff...

The depths of our spirituality does not depend upon changing the things we do, but in doing for God what we ordinarily do for ourselves.


-Brother Lawrence

Hmmm.....I got that in an email today.
Now, if we are doing things differently and changing our perpsective on why we do what we do, won't that sometimes mean CHANGING what we do?
I think the first part AND second part of the above quote go hand in hand.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anyway, whats new here?
I'm getting Joey ready for his FIRST plane ride. At 3am we leave for the airport then he has a flight that leaves at 5:30am. He should arrive in Virginia Beach around 9am....He will return on Friday night the 8th close to midnight. I hope he has a good time but he's never been on an airplane before. I'm sure he will be fine but its a learning experience for sure.

I'm also trying to find all..yes ALL of my regular photographs and scan them into my computer to save on disk. That is a huge job but I think it will keep them safe incase anything should ever happen to them.

I don't know why I make more work for myself lol. I'm always trying to complete some grand project even though the daily things I have to do don't even get done because I just don't have the time.

Well, gotta straighten up the house. Kids should be gone within the hour then bible study 2 hours later.
Hope you all enjoyed the update
Nikki

Usborne books!!

I just became a distributor to sell Usborne books and while I was looking around locally for someone to sign up under, no one even knew what Usborne books were!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was shocked!!!!

www.usbornebooks.com

You can look at some of the books and see the fabulous quality these books are!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am hoping to be able to furnish my childcare with these books and help promote education thru these as well!!!!

If you want to host a show, let me know!!!!
Nikki

How to spend our surplus checks!!

~~~~This came from an email. Its funny....but true.

How to use Your IRS Rebate check

As you may have heard, the Bush Administration said each of us would
get a rebate check to stimulate the economy.

If we spend that money at Wal-Mart, all the money will go to China.

If we spend it on gasoline it will go to the Arabs.

If we purchase a computer it will go to India.

If we purchase fruit and vegetables it will go to Mexico, Honduras,
and Guatemala.

If we purchase a good car it will go to Japan.

If we purchase useless junk it will go to Taiwan and none of it will
help the American economy.

We need to keep that money here in America. The only way to keep that
money here at home is to spend it at yard sales, since those are the
only businesses still in the US.

---this is a Calgon take me away moment!!!

Ok, when you've had a bad day, and you want the "Calgon Take me away" moment,

think of this picture. Oh the colors are beautiful ...you can just hear the sound of the waterfall.

Oh the things our Good Lord has created just for us to enjoy!!!!!

Anyone ever feel like this??

Anyone ever feel like that is you on the water????

It's friday!!!!

Hello everyone!
Anyone else sooo glad its Friday?
I appreciate my weekends so much more NOW than before I was doing childcare.
I love my weekends mostly for the aspect of sleeping in!!! I wouldn't mind doing childcare on a Saturday as long as I could sleep in until noon hahaha.

I had an interview with a mom of an 11 month old. Hopefully, everything will be approved for her for state paid care and I will have him 2 days a week, a total of 10 hours a week and I will get $75 a week. If I have a child Part time hours, which is between 7 hours and 25, then I get that amount for care. Thats not bad for only 10 hours. But if she doesn't get approved for state assistance, then I will probably only have him 5 hours a week which means only $3 an hour. Anyway, it won't be too bad. Any little extra helps out!

What else is new?

Well, my visit with my dad comes to a close today. He's been here almost a week and he leaves today around noon. I will miss him but I'm hoping he will be back to stay for good in a couple of months.

Even though tomorrow is a day off from daycare, I still have to go to a Child Abuse Class from 9am until 4pm. YUCK!!! I hate this kind of class. I will walk away sickened by this and it will rip open my heart. But its a required class that I have to attend so ....I do what I gotta do.

I'm trying to sell my wax dipped scented bears again for Mother's Day that is coming up.
I am in the process of uploading pictures of the animals I have for sale onto my blog site for the little creatures.

Two scents are the top sellers. Love spell and Bouquet of Roses!!!!
Let me know if you are interested. I will post the blog address soon
Nikki

What is happening to our children?

I want to know what is happening to our children?
All of this violence against others and themselves?
These children are killing their family...their friends?

I do not remembering this happening as a child growing up.
Was it still there but I didn't notice?

Every day I read the news and I see some kind of child or teenage violence.

I don't understand.

Some say, "oh kids are kids"

Thats bull!!!!

Parents, take the reins from your children and start giving your children some old fashioned discipline.

I'm not saying to give them a beating. Discipline means TEACHING. I'm not saying to Punish them, but discipline them. Are there any parents out there who know the difference between these two words?

Both of those words can be done in love.
Parents, are you investing more time in your job than in your own children?
Do you take time to really listen to your children?
Do you know your children well enough to see, just by the look on their face, that something is bothering them?
Do your own children trust you enough to tell them where THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG!!!!

Children are a blessing from the Lord. Treat them that way.
If you recived a set of china as a gift. You would take care of that china so well. You would display it for everyone to see. You would handle it with care so it doesn't get broken.

Children also need handled with care.
If their spirit gets broken, sometimes a little glue just won't fix it.
If their spirit gets broken there is a scar that can be left that never mends.

Do you want that for your own children?
Think back to your own childhood. What happened in your past that hurt you so badly that to think about it again brings pain to your heart?

Do you want that for your children as well.
Parents, do what it takes to get your children back?
Mothers, be home with your children if you can.
If you can't then you need to work EXTRA hard to be there for them whole heartedly when you ARE home.

This isn't an easy task at hand but your children are worth it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, I will get off my soap box now.
Nikki

Nikki on April 14th

Hello everyone!
Yes, its 6:15 am and I wish I were still in bed.
I wanted to write about my weekend and the thrill of a life time I had. YEAH RIGHT!
I found out a few days ago that Deal or No Deal was coming to Pittsburgh which is about an hour drive for me. I've ALWAYS wanted to be on that show so I said, OH YEAH!
I drove an hour. Stood in line OUTSIDE the mall in the cold for 8 HOURS, then inside the mall for another hour, and for what? I got 20 seconds to tell someone something exciting about myself. THen I was told thank you very much. Now, that might now mean anything. It doesn't mean its over for me because this happened to alot of people and later got called to be on the show and win alot of money. But it was something interesting to do thats for sure.
They should have given out T-Shirts to everyone though. We got nothing but 20 seconds lol.
The things I saw while standing in line though. There were mothers with SMALL babies there in line for those 9 hours. Remember 8 of them were OUTSIDE IN THE COLD!!!! These babies were only a couple of months old...
There were people in short shorts and tank tops..and least they STARTED OUT that way. Then off to the mall to buy some REAL clothes hahaha.
THere were people in costumes, trying to get theirselves noticed!!! It was interesting to say the least. One of the questions on the application was " What was the most outrageos thing you've ever done"-----Going to this casting call has topped my list now!!!!

And on another note, where did the nice weather go?
My weather says it feels like 30 degrees outside? I like the 70 degree weather we had a few days ago....and so did the trees and bushes cause I see buds beginning to appear.

I guess I should try to be content with whatever weather the good Lord gives us. He determines it all anyway :)

God Bless
Nikki

The Cab ride

"The Cab Ride"

When I arrived at 2:30 a.m., the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window.
Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice, wait a minute, and then drive away.
But I had seen too many impoverished people who depended on taxis as their only means of transportation.
Unless a situation smelled of danger, I always went to the door.
This passenger might be someone who needs my assistance, I reasoned to myself.

So I walked to the door and knocked. "Just a minute", answered a frail, elderly voice.

I could hear something being dragged across the floor.
After a long pause, the door opened.
A small woman in her 90's stood before me.
She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years.
All the furniture was covered with sheets.
There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters.
In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.

"Would you carry my bag out to the car?" she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.
She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.
She kept thanking me for my kindness.
"It's nothing", I told her. "I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated".

"Oh, you're such a good boy", she said.

When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, and then asked, "Could you drive through downtown?"

"It's not the shortest way," I answered quickly.

"Oh, I don't mind," she said. "I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice".

I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. "I don't have any family left," she continued.

"The doctor says I don't have very long."

I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.

"What route would you like me to take?" I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city.

She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.

We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds.

She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, "I'm tired. Let's go now"
We drove in silence to the address she had given me.
It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.
Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up.
They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move.
They must have been expecting her.
I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door.
The woman was already seated in a wheelchair. "How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching into her purse.

"Nothing," I said "You have to make a living," she answered.

"There are other passengers," I responded. Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.

"You gave an old woman a little moment of joy," she said. "Thank you." I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light.

Behind me, a door shut.

It was the sound of the closing of a life.

I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk.

What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift?

What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.

We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.
But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.
PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID, ~BUT~THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.

Nikki

Something scary just occurred to me------

With the violence that is happening in our public schools, I just had a thought occur to me today.
I need to start checking backpacks upon the children coming to my home in the morning and after school.

With me opening up my home to families that come from all walks of life, I need to make sure that no weapons of any kind come into my home.

It never occurred to me until today that I would have to do this. But , its better to be safe than sorry.

Its sad that these days, this precaution has to be taken.

Very, very sad..................

Pray for children all over the world....
NIkki

Who DOESN"T love a bit of logic.....

Oh how I wish this kind of logic actually worked!!!!
Who's with me on this one :)
Nikki

Denial is in the eye of the person denying :)

Boy do I relate to that little cartoon somedays!!!!

What reality will you guys accept?

Maybe we all need a reality check.

Sometimes I have such bad days...but they are bad to me but not to anyone else. Thats when I have to step back and really take a look at the situation. Maybe its not as bad as it seems. Sometimes my reality is based on my hormonal state.

YIKES>>>>>Did I really admit to that?

Hahaha!!!!

God and Potato Chips......

Is God Dancing on Your Potato Chips?

Not too long ago I had "one of those days."
I was feeling pressure from a writing deadline.
I had company arriving in a couple days and the toilet was clogged.
I went to the bank, and the trainee teller processing my deposit
Had to start over three times.
I swung by the supermarket to pick up a few things
And the lines were serpentine.

By the time I got home, I was frazzled and sweaty
And in a hurry to get something on the table for dinner.
Deciding on Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup,
I grabbed a can opener, cranked open the can,
Then remembered I had forgotten to buy milk at the store.
Nix the soup idea. Setting the can aside, I went to plan B,
Which was leftover baked beans.
I grabbed the Tupperware container from the fridge,
Popped the seal, took a look and groaned.
My husband isn't a picky eater,
But even HE won't eat baked beans that look like caterpillars.
Really frustrated now, I decided on a menu that promised
To be as foolproof as it is nutrition-free:
Hot dogs and potato chips.
Retrieving a brand new bag of chips from the cupboard,
I grabbed the cellophane and gave a hearty pull.
The bag didn't open. I tried again. Nothing happened.
I took a breath, doubled my muscle, and gave the bag a hearty wrestle.
With a loud pop, the cellophane suddenly gave way,
Ripping wide from top to bottom.
Chips flew sky high. I was left holding the bag, and it was empty.It was the final straw. I let out a blood curdling scream.
"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!"

My husband heard my unorthodox cry for help.
Within minutes he was standing at the doorway to the kitchen,
Where he surveyed the damage:
An opened can of soup, melting groceries, moldy baked beans,
And one quivering wife standing ankle deep in potato chips.
My husband did the most helpful thing he could think of at the moment.
He took a flying leap, landing flat- footed in the pile of chips.
And then he began to stomp and dance and twirl,
Grinding those chips into my linoleum in the process!
I stared. I fumed. Pretty soon I was working to stifle a smile.
Eventually I had to laugh. And finally I decided to join him.
I, too, took a leap onto the chips. And then I danced.
Now I'll be the first to admit that my husband's response
Wasn't the one I was looking for.
But the truth is, it was exactly what I needed.

I didn't need a cleanup crew as much
As I needed an attitude adjustment,
And the laughter from that rather funky moment provided just that.
So now I have a question for you, and it's simply this:
Has God ever stomped on your chips?
I know that, in my life, there have been plenty of times
When I've gotten myself into frustrating situations and
I've cried out for help, all the while hoping God would show up
With a celestial broom and clean up the mess. What often happens instead is that God dances on my chips,
Answering my prayer in a completely different manner
Than I had expected, but in the manner that is best for me after all.

Sometimes I can see right away that God's response was the best one after all.
Sometimes I have to wait weeks or months before I begin to understand
How and why God answered a particular prayer the way he did.
There are even some situations that, years later, I'm still trying to understand.
I figure God will fill me in sooner or later, either this side of Heaven or beyond.

Do I trust Him?

Even when he's answering my prayers in a way
That is completely different from my expectations?
Even when he's dancing and stomping instead of sweeping and mopping:?
Can I embrace what He's offering?
Can I let His joy adjust my attitude?
Am I going to stand on the sidelines and sulk,
Or am I willing to learn the steps of the dance he's dancin' with my needs in mind?
I'll be honest with you: Sometimes I sulk. Sometimes I dance.
I'm working on doing more of the latter than the former.
I guess the older I get the more I realize that
He really does know what He's doing.
He loves me and I can trust Him.
Even when the chips are down.

~Author Unknown

One more reason that I homeschool....

I love collecting articles like this. Its sick to see how young these children are that these problems are coming from. Oh thank God for the ability to homeschool.
The first one is about a 7 year old bringing a loaded gun to school.
The second on is a 3rd grade classs plotted to hurt their teacher.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/04/01/school.guns/index.html

http://www.news4jax.com/news/15755299/detail.html

So many people think this doesn't happen in young children. They think it only happens to hormonal teens....Look again people.
Be careful....
Pray for these children. All children in the public school system
Nikki