Jonah_ my deep thought for the night

Forget about "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader", I'm just busy trying to keep up with my toddlers.  They teach me something wonderful every day if I will take the time to learn! I am completely guilty of skimming through the Bible stories that I read to my kids without really even hearing the words.  Audrey, my 3 year old, has me reading through the same children's story book Bible over and over and over again.  I think she's on to something.  Tonight we read about Jonah for about the 10th time this year and I had a thought.  :) I've always thought of the whale (big fish, whatever you want to call it) as a punishment.  And in a way it was, I mean that is seriously gross to be swallowed by a whale! Certainly it was no prize, but as I read about Jonah telling the sailors to throw him over the side of the boat, I found myself realizing something for the first time.  Jonah did this expecting to die.  He had to have thought that he would drown in the stormy sea.  I've heard the story so many times and knowing the final outcome,  that I have failed to really see the story from Jonah's perspective.  He wasn't planning on swimming to shore, getting picked up by another boat, or someone throwing him a floatie, and unless he was just a complete nut it never occured to him that a whale would come along and gobble him up.  He thought God wanted him dead.  The whale was a wonderful, albeit, smelly rescuer sent by a loving God.  Sooo..... I'm thinking some of the "punishments" we endure thanks to the lousy decisions we make (surely I'm not the only one who does stupid things),  are really just a big smelly whale :), punishment yes! but also the consequences and corridors that God takes us down to get us where He wants us to go. And the good Lord knows I can use all the direction He will give me!

Party

This one is just a little bit of a teaser.  I have more to do this week than I can get done in a month and my little Internet habits are gonna have to slide for a few days but I just couldn't wait to show you my next "how to" blog.  These little party lights are my new favorite pinterest project! When I have a minute  I'll go back and find the pin in case they give better instructions than me and you want to check it out.  Personally, I'm not much of an instruction kind of girl.  I see a picture, think "I could do that!", and launch off on a project typically full of mishaps but normally wind up with a cute finished project.  And well, some things just end up in the trash :), along with any instructions I might have printed off. These are basically just clear solo cups (the short punch kind), some fabric, and mod podge- imagine that. 

I love them!  Used these at a Bachelorette party this weekend:) and will be making a Razorback set soon for Caleb's bd party.  Every good party needs a set of party lights right? I'm pretty sure I have a few graduating friends who are going to need a set of these for their dorm rooms too.  (if you want to be on that list you better leave a comment with your school colors :) But getting back to the bachelorette party--- that is one of the reasons I must get back to my machine.  My sweet little Aj is the flower girl and I'm not quite finished with her dress.  She has given me strict instructions to have it finished when she wakes up, so she can practice.  I was supposed to have it done today and when I didn't she told me my sewing machine is awfully slow.  How true!

My car/ My Brain

     Have you ever seen those backpacks that you are supposed to have prepared in case of an emergency? I saw a segment on one of those silly morning shows where they referred to it as Prepared Patty's Pack. Pretty sure that show got cancelled.  Yeah, I don't have one of those packs and should we ever have a true emergency that requires one I'm going to kindly ask the emergency to wait while I pack up. And my list would not match the experts at all!! I doubt Dr. Pepper makes the list but in my book simply being out of Dr. Pepper would constitute an emergency. In all honesty as long as I could take my car we wouldn't need the backpack.  My car could sustain a small country for a few months if need be. Its fully loaded... with enough cheerios on the floorboards to keep our family alive into the next millennium.  You can also rest assured that every single cup holder has a drink left in it.  (Cannot believe I am admitting to this) Of course the drinks are flat and the Cheerios are stale but I'm bettin they're better than the fruit leather that prepared Patty's gonna be choking down.
     I do actually keep a bottle of water in there, but its not for drinking.  It's for washing dirty little faces just in case I leave my wet wipe case somewhere (frequent habit). I have magic kids.  We can leave home with squeaky clean faces and yet when we arrive somewhere they all look like they've been eating dirt! Drives me insane!! And it takes us forever to get unloaded because after we rewash faces, we have to get redressed.  While in the car my youngest, who is 18 months, has deemed it totally unnecessary to wear anything that she can get off.  Most of the time that is limited to socks and shoes but lately she has figured out how to get her arms out of her shirt and still remain strapped down! We're hoping to get her into a Vegas magic act soon. But this habit is actually going to work out great for our emergency plan. We've left enough random pieces of clothing in the car that we should be covered ..literally.
Let's see what else might we need to be equipped with in case of an Apocalypse... lighters- check.  I have at least 3-4 in there. Never fails when I deliver something with a bow I always forget to singe the ends til I am in someones drive way.  Can't tell you how many times I've caught bows on fire in the car.  It really freaks my family out :).
Batteries- check. Of course we"ll have to steal them from the toys strewn about which will create a whole new emergency. My kids are sweet little red headed Irish children and you haven't seen a fit until you've seen it from a red head.
     I've heard that the state of your car is really a true reflection of the state of your brain. If that's true I need to be tuned up and detailed. This would be a depressing thought but I prefer to see the silver lining.  My car is ,on any given day, just a big ol mess but it gets us where we need to go and its contents could absolutely save our lives in case of an alien invasion. And I know that somewhere is all the craziness of my brain, my great big awesome God has equipped me to deal with whatever comes my way. Which ever of life's little or big problems are headed your way today God has equipped you to deal with it too and He doesn't expect you to do it alone. And if your problems include being attacked by the planet Zoltron come hang out with me , we'll eat cheerios.
2 Corinthians 12:9 And He the Lord said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
That's good stuff for all us weakly earthlings.