Doing the Next Thing

I read about Nancy Wilson's idea for "jammy rides" several years ago when my Big 3 were the only 3! Since then we have had many memorable surprise outings. Give it a try yourself - you'll be glad you did. Here's a desctiption. While you're at Nancy's blog, poke around. There are some nuggets to be found.

We're enjoying summer here at the Next Thing house, though I've not been able to take much time to blog about it! Let's face it: with five children running around, trips to the pool, loving my husband, and making home-keeping a priority ... there just isn't much time left for blogging, is there? I've felt convicted about how much the kids were seeing the back of me as I sit at the computer, so I'm still really limiting myself to computer time only when all are sleeping or otherwise engaged! Though I'm spending my days Doing the Next Thing, I do have some books I want to review and chore ideas to share. So I'll be putting those things up, little by little. Stay tuned....

Psalm 130:3 "If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?" I read this passage yesterday and it hit me like a ton of bricks. The Holy Lord, who has every right to keep a record of sins, does not for those who repent and believe. Yet how many times do I hold on to my children's wrong-doings and forget to extend them the grace I've so undeservedly been given? Lord, help me to "remember their frame" and not expect my children to be more sanctified than I!

I occasionally pop over to "Works for Me Wednesday" hosted by Rocks in My Dryer . It's a good place to get tips on just about everything from spot removal on carpet to recipes to parenting. Yesterday I found this awesome idea for grilled pizza . We dubbed it "Pizza Rustica" and, in the words of My Sweetie, it is possibly the best pizza we've ever eaten! First I made the dough in my breadmaker. It was 1/4 whole wheat and the rest unbleached white flour - more gluten makes better pizza crusts, I've found. I added a dash of Herbes de Provence to the dough. (You could used frozen bread dough, too, if you're not into making your own.) I divided the dough into six individual pizzas. (As the author of this recipe says, smaller is better on the grill.) Don't worry about shape - it's rustic! We brushed one side of the crust with olive oil, and put on a medium heat grill. When that side looks done, flip it and top it! We used traditional sauce, pepper...

Someone mentioned they wanted to see the cute art I got to put in the nursing moms' room at church. They were each 50 cents at Good*will. Not bad, huh?

I didn't have a good quote from M (9) to include in my post yesterday...until now. Overheard just this morning: "Dad! He used all the pretend jelly!" Expressing her frustration at A (3) during their imaginary picnic. Didn't know imaginary jelly was so sparse! (Thanks, Mary, for the great picnic idea !)

"Mom, the truth is you can get to the Land of Nod by day, it's just much harder." 11yo C.'s waking words to me one day after recently reading Robert Louis Stevenson's poem about dreams. "I'm having a great time!" 13 yo S., who helped teach the four-year-olds at Vacation Bible School last week. "Mom, can you give me the two dollars you owe me for babysitting?" yet another reminder there is a teen in the house. "Mom, you look lovely!" 3 yo A., upon seeing me in my swimsuit (?!?) It must be the little silver clasp on the top, b/c it certainly wasn't about me... "I prefer NOT to go fast down this hill and slam on the brakes!" A's comment one day as we were in the car. Never too early to be a backseat driver! "Aow no" tr. "I don't know" - 2yo (going on 6!) K's newest phrase - learning to plead ignorance when it will benefit her. :) That's what a fly on the wall at our house would hav...

I will not be around in the blogsphere this week. It's VBS week at our church, and I am the director this year. Most of the hard work is behind me and I'm geared up to enjoy the fun and see what the Lord will do in the lives of the children and our community. Even though we'll be enjoying ourselves, the pace of this week will be a harried one. So blogging must wait until after our Faith Expedition! I look forward to posting and visiting later in the month. Grace and Peace!