The Fuzzball Chronicles: the Life and Times of Curly Mommy

Cheri, from Northwoods Ramblings , posted today on wallpaper removal. Yes, wallpaper, and her words are perfect for me. Last night at about 7 p.m., the last of the old wallpaper fell to the floor. Hours and hours of soaking and scraping were finally over. The wallpaper was every bit as difficult to take off as the wallpaper in the computer room was. The difficult job was made even more so due to the fact that when we last had the kitchen papered, we did not remove all of the backing from the previous wallpaper. 'Be sure, your sins will find you out.' Now that we are painting, not papering, it was important to do the job right. I never dreamed 16 years ago that I would regret not removing all the old backing. The old gummy paste was really hard to get off. It was a good reminder to not just cover over ugly attitudes of pride, selfishness, bitterness, and envy; but to completely confess and remove them. Otherwise they come back to haunt you when you least expect it. I'm worki...

This morning I went out to see the baby birds. I am amazed at how much they have grown in one week! They can hop and fly short distances.

Who I am hates who I've been, and so often who I am hates who I am. This song captures guilt, shame, regret, and depression perfectly. RELIENT K LYRICS "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been" I watched the proverbial sunrise Coming up over the Pacific and You might think I'm losing my mind, But I will shy away from the specifics... 'cause I don't want you to know where I am 'cause then you'll see my heart In the saddest state it's ever been. This is no place to try and live my life. [Pre-Chorus] Stop right there. That's exactly where I lost it. See that line. Well I never should have crossed it. Stop right there. Well I never should have said That it's the very moment that I wish that I could take back. [Chorus] I'm sorry for the person I became. I'm sorry that it took so long for me to change. I'm ready to be sure I never become that way again 'cause who I am hates who I've been. Who I am hates who I've been. I talk to a...

And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. John 8:32 (NLT) The footnote from this verse in The Life Recovery Bible says the following: To be "set free" is to know the truth--the truth about ourself and about Jesus our liberator. The truth is this: We are a slave to sin and powerless to manage our life effectively. With God's truth as a standard for our moral inventory, we can recognize and confess our needs and struggles, our sins and addiction. As we confess these to God, to ourself, and to at least one other person, we share the truth about our life. When we turn our broken life over to God, who alone can make us whole, we are again acknowledging the truth. These different applications of the truth can combine to set us free from sinful habits, chemical dependencies, and emotional bondage.

This picture of Yardboy, Tater, and Little Man was taken around 5:30 this evening. They were so hungry! A mother's work is never done. Joking aside, these baby cardinals are in a rose bush just outside of Little Man's bedroom window. I took the pictures this morning. They are so homely, that you gotta love them.

I am putting myself on a blogging diet. I've been spending too much time on the computer, so I must cut back. See you in a few days.

The first song of our Easter worship service ended and the pastor said, "Christ is risen!" Seemingly everyone in the congregation (except me) replied, "He is risen, indeed!" On Easter afternoon I read at least two blogs that mentioned the same instant response. Have I spent my entire life under a rock? I didn't know that I am supposed to say, "He is risen, indeed!" Next year, I'll expect it and I'll get it right. *************************** I was insanely busy last weekend. Having both sides of the family within a hour's drive is great, but it can really wear me out. With all of the driving, picnicking, working on a linen book marks for the Easter service (pictured above), decorating for Easter service, cooking, entertaining, egg decorating, egg hunting...I didn't make it to the store to buy candy for my kids' Easter baskets. In a moment of clarity, I remembered that there was still some Easter candy in the pantry from last year. I ...

Today I am thirty-one-derful years old!

One of the prayer rooms at our church is absolutely beautiful. The sounds of soft music and running water fill the room and block out sounds from the hall. Tapestries and plants hang from the walls. There are stations around the room that serve as physical reminders of what God is. A large wooden cross lies in one corner with paper, a pen, a hammer, and nails. People can write their worries on a paper and nail them to the cross! I went into this prayer room once or twice last summer during Vacation Bible School. I didn't stay too long. I didn't want to take up time that someone else might want or need in the room. A month or two ago, my friend C spent an hour in the prayer room before church began. I remember wanting to spend time in the room alone with God too, but I knew that I wouldn't actually go in there. I didn't need a prayer room. I could meet God anywhere. In my mind, that room was made for other people, not for me. I passed the prayer room off as a beautiful, ...

In the ending paragraph of my last post I said, "To the surprise of some, there are United Methodists that are running toward Jesus with all of their might. I am one and I am proud to know many others." I feel like a fraud! I struggle! I am so imperfect! I want to run toward Jesus with all of my might, but I often stumble. Sometimes I just walk in His general direction. Other times I purposely walk in the opposite direction. I am working on Recovery Step 3: "Turn my life and will over to the care of God." Principle 3 is: "Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ's care and control." All my life and will? Well, that would be running toward Jesus will all might, wouldn't it? That is what I want. I need God's help to run. This is the Principle 3 Prayer, changed a little to fit me: Dear God, I have tried to do it all by myself, on my own power, and I have failed. Today I want to turn my life over to You. I ask You to be my Lord ...

Check out Pistol Pete's post entitled " The Revolting Church ." Then read what I have to say about our church. We attend a (dare I say it) United Methodist Church. Gasp! I am a child of the Jesus Movement, so the idea of joining the UMC seemed absurd. However, we absolutely love our church. On Friday nights we gather at our UMC for Celebrate Recovery with codependents, victims of abuse, drug, sex, food, and booze addicts... We are able to openly admit that we screw up. Then we accept each other's love and God's grace. Our CR group is one of the largest in the USA. On Sunday mornings, we attend a rocking worship service with many of the same people we meet with on Friday nights. Yardboy recently started playing the drums with the praise band. It is truly a "come as you are" place. We aren't an Emerging Church, but we are emerging from what is considered traditional. I grew up in a Five-Fold Apostolic Ministry, and tried many others Christian churche...