Thank you

So I have been thinking about this post for a long time. I am confused with Thank Yous. I don't understand why saying it and being thankful is not enough. I don't understand why there is a protocol for people to follow. I don't understand it at all. The whole point of giving a gift or making something special for someone is to do it unselfishly. There are a lot of things that I have not gotten thank yous for. In fact, most parents go though this every day. I just don't get it. Did I mention that?
My family is bad at this. They think that it is rude to not send thank yous. They actually get mad at the person that they so thoughtfully remembered if there is no reciprocation. I find this just crazy. The fact is, that because of their insecurity they need someone else to praise them for their kind efforts. It is NOT right for us to force our insecurity on others. I think sometimes people do nice things just to be called nice. In 1 Tim 5:25 it says "The good deeds of some people are obvious. And the good deeds done in secret will someday come to light." I am gonna believe that.
Now don't get me wrong, I think that if the Spirit moves you, send the thank you. But if you do something nice, just do something nice. Don't expect men and women to give you praise. Take it from God instead. Do good just to do good. Don't do it so someone will call you good! Even Jesus said, "why do you call me good? Only the Father is good."
Just a little meat to chew on.

to make you smile

blessings

So for the last 2 weeks I have been giving away money. Not a lot of money as I really don't have any but some and only when I felt the Lord really leading me to do it. Yesterday there was $25 rolled up like a cigarette in my tip jar. And today: there was a ONE HUNDRED DOLLAR BILL in it!
How does this happen?
God.
That is all I have to say.
He shall supply my every need. Not want. Need.
Thank you God.

Too much coffee

Coffee, tea, and a little bit of me.............................
i drank too much coffee today.
iced tea is refreshing.
i am so tired that my feet feel like they are literally going to fall off. i need to sleep now. more later.

Saturday in the Park

THis morning as with most Saturday mornings Adam and I were late getting here to get the 17+ gallons of coffee and tea prepared for the farmers market. We still get there in time, but along the way there is always a sense of panic and frustration on my part and about 8 oz of spilled sweet tea on my skirt and my flip flop......But all in all, we are fine. I made vegetarian chili and cornbread for today. Maddy made fresh peach (sorry Jessieh, we can't send them to you) and Haylee just finished frosting the cinnamon walnut scones. Well, not much here, just a continual burning desire to be a good human:)

New

Today I feel new. I don't know how else to describe it. I had weird customer situation this morning as a guy put out his own speakers and listened to his own music. I had to tell him he would either need to plug in his ear phones or turn it off as we already play music and it didn't need competition.
More on the newness later......................
a song from my past,
"He's still workin on me, to make me what I aught to be. It took him just a week to make the earth and the stars, the sun and the moon, and jupiter and mars. How loving and patient he must be, He's still workin on me!"

Thanking Jesus

So today, i realized that I have been very happy with our business for the last three days and I haven't even thanked the Good Lord. So I did a lot of that today. We started selling homemade soup on Tuesday and it has been going VERY well. Even though Minnesota is in the middle of the hottest days we have seen all summer. I have however learned that I will probably not make cream of broccoli again as I can't stand the smell of it. All in all I just want to give a shout out to Jesus for all of the answered prayers.
I have had some really nice customers lately and I want to be thankful for that too. I gotta get blogging more, I will work on that.
Lesson learning lately: do everything as though you are doing it for the Lord. I think that is why I am more tired:) I am trying.
more later
ps. I use a lot of cream in my soup and I actually told a lady that I wouldn't sell it to her because I knew it wouldn't be good for her cholesterol. She seemed sad but like she knew I was just looking out for her.

Signs of the times..............

I know that this is a kind of gross thing to talk about, but I hope you will find it amusing. When I was a kid, the life guards at the Whitehall Public Pool, (where Neal and I spent about 20 hours a week) had a sign that read:
"We don't swim in your toilet, So please don't pee in our pool." they also told all the little kids in swimming lessons that they put a chemical in the pool that would instantly make turn red if you peed in the pool. Therefore, if you peed, a stream of red would follow you and everyone would know that you let it flow in the public pool. Now, I know that a few times I indeed did pee in the pool and it never turned colors, but believe me, I looked to check make sure!

Adam's Step Mom has a sign in her bathroom that reads:
" If you sprinkle when you tinkle, be a sweetie, wipe the seatie!"
Now this one is brilliant! I want to put this one up at the shop! I just don't understand why you wouldn't look at the toilet after you flush to make sure that you have not "left behind" a little something for the next person. I actually have a few people that I go into the bathroom after on purpose because I know that they sprinkle. I follow them with the disinfectant spray. Ewe!!!!!

So, my tip for the day for you is to make sure you don't pee in public pools and if you sprinkle when you tinkle, be a sweetie and wipe the seatie.

Thank you!

What is Sunday?

Today, Sunday meant Ikkers showing me his Lego-Batman tee-shirt. I woke up at 8, did the dishes, made bacon, a perfect omlet (a feat that has NEVER been accomplished by me), american fries, and coffee, listened to the Billy Graham crusade on the radio, ate and talked with my husband, went to the dollar store only to not find what I needed and then run into a beautiful friend who I have not seen or heard from in over a year (and by the way, the Lord has been putting her on my heart lately to pray for:), and then headed over to Hayfield, MN where I went to a family picnic for Adam's Mom's side. Ikkers, (which he preffers to be called instead of Isaac) is a middle child. His older brother Logan (Logie) is very smart and his baby brother Ben is mostly giggles as far as I can tell. I remember Niki (Adam's sister and mother of the three cuties) telling us that after Ben was born, Ikkers said, "where's his momma?" I am sure that was his 3 yr old way of indicating that he didn't want to take the baby home:)
I sang the whole way to Hayfield and back. I enjoyed the sunshine and all of God's creation.
Today Adam and I discussed how we are selfindulgent people. We have the Burger King mentality of having it our way RIGHT AWAY. But, we are praying now to ask God to burn that out of us. I really want to learn what it means to be self controlled. i think for far too long, we have put it off, thinking that it was falling again into legalism, but that is just not the case. I am going to make a late dinner now instead of drive to Culvers like both of us would rather do:) Yes, we have the freedom to NOT eat fast food. I am have just been converted into the slow food movement!