Mayhem Man

Attractive, much?

These commercials are so funny!  If you have not seen them, check them out on You tube!

Insurance Merger

These were our costumes this year for our costume party.  We are not big dresser uppers because it usually stresses me out.  But this was a fun idea, and it was pretty easy to gather the costumes.

Mayhem Man:
Suit and Tie (already had)
Old phone decked out with sparkly stickers
Girly bandaid
Dark Eye shadow

Flo:
White Shirt (already had)
White Apron (craft store in section where you glue on stuff or paint shirts)
White paints (hardest thing to find, but found them at a resale store)
Red Lipstick(I have become the biggest fan of this, and I wear it quite often!)
I printed off the signs.


Cheap and Easy!   Plus, you can watch all the Mayhem commercials and call it research.

xoxo,





**I would love to add some buttons for free!  All I ask is that you put my button on your page.  Let me know if you are interested.

The Green Stuff

Snot.   Yes, we are going to talk about snot.

Jk That is snot what we are talking about.

Over Thanksgiving break, hubs and I went to Maryland.  We had the best time hanging out with his cousins and their children.  We had this delicious broccoli for one meal.  We had to try it when we got home!

Although it wasn't as good as theirs, we still really enjoyed it.

How to:
1.  Cut up broccoli stalks.
2.  Coat with olive oil.
3.  Put a spoonful of minced garlic, salt and pepper.  Mix.
4.  Put on cookie sheet and Cook in oven for desired length.

Michelle and Jenn, feel free to tweak.  I didn't know the temperature or how long.

We also tried it with kale this week.  This stuff is so cheap!  We got one big leafy stalk for 75 cents?

Another yummy snack we tried this week is edamame.  We found it in the frozen food section in a steamable bag.  With 300 calories for the entire bag, it was a win-win.  Sprinkle with salt and Enjoy!



 I am going to go grab some now!

xoxo,
 

I quit!

I have thought this so many times this week at school!  I cannot be everything these needy children require.  I cannot be their counselor, friend, parent, teacher, and disciplinarian.  I am not emotionally and mentally able to handle that.  I am overwhelmed hourly.  I am constantly reminded of everything I am not doing right.

Fortunately, as one fellow teacher reminded me, I am not doing this for my principal, the parents, the scores, even the children.  I am striving and doing the best I know how to do for God.  He is my audience.  He is the one I will be accountable to for my actions and word choice, oh gosh, even my thoughts toward my children.

Unlike the state of Texas, God does not have a pass or fail, He graciously gives me another chance. 

So, I guess, I need to stop thinking about how often I want to strangle them.  jk, but not really.

 xoxo,

Who knew movies would be such a hot topic?

Well, hehehe, I knew it would be. 

But I wanted to update on how Anthony and I view movies.

1.  We rarely go to the movies because it is so dang expensive; however, we did get some gift cards for the theater, so we will def be hitting that up.

2.  I don't like going to the movies because other people are there.  People can be so dumb.
Adults--It says no phones.  You being on your bright iphone screen in front of me is possibly, in that moment the rudest thing I can think of. 

Teenagers--They can't shut up.  They go to the movies to do social ladder climbing.  I don't want to be apart of it.  Some of my proudest moments consist of getting them kicked out of the theater.  Evil, I know, but I paid money to watch a movie in quiet.

Children--I don't think I could sit through a movie with one of my students in the theater.  I also do question parents motives when their seven year old is in a movie behind me asking, "What does that mean?"  It is a freaking sexual innuendo.  Your child should not be here!!!  It makes me understand exactly where all my students' issues come from. 

 3.  We have enjoyed our experience at an adults only theater.  For me, it is worth the extra $15 to know that a child is not in the movie watching something that he\she is not going to be able to process appropriately.  If you are around me, Grapevine Mills has a theater that is dine in, lazy boy chairs, no children heaven. BLISS is available here.

4.  Other movie viewing options:  Netflix is pretty cheap and very addicting.  Also, Redbox can also be hit or miss.  But you can get it for free using these codes.  We have tried them.  Some work, some don't. 

 So, rent a movie, pop up some popcorn, call over some friends, and have a cheap hang out night.

xoxo,

I hate my parents!

My parents had a rule growing up that they consistently upheld:  No movies at a movie theater until we were 18.
 

 Sounds harsh, right?  I thought so, too, at some points growing up.  Some of my friends thought it stupid, and even now, some parents that I talk to think it was too strict.

I am going to explain why I am really thankful that my parents implemented this "really uncool" rule:

1.  There is so much garbage out there.  Even at 18, I struggled with discerning what was appropriate to see and what is not.  It is amazing how much filth is in a PG13 movie.  I can only imagine how much more de-sensitized I would be to sin, if I had been allowed to watch it during my most impressionable years. 

 “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Colossians 3:1–4

My youth pastor growing up preached often that Philippians 4:8-9 should be the filter through which we pass all our thoughts and activities.

"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you."

Do the things you put in your mind help you focus on God?

2.  My parents must really love us.  They had to endure all of my whining and questioning.  But they held firm to what they thought was best for their children.  Sometimes, I see parents struggle with wanting to be their child's best friend or giving in to all the whining or peer pressure from other parents.  I am so thankful my parents stood firm in guiding us and our very impressionable young minds.

3.  I am thankful that my parents did not allow me to waste money on this activity (or give me money for it!)  I would have wasted so much money for sure because my friends were always going to the movies.  Instead, I learned to be a good steward of God's money that He has blessed me with.  That lesson is something I still carry with me today!

4.  Being able to handle peer pressure.  First, when my friends started going to movies I was ashamed of my parents' rule and was disrespectful to them; however, over time, my friends and I accepted it.  It became a non-issue.  They went to the movies; I hung out with my fam or read a book.  I am still friends with all these people still today!

5.  I am thankful that instead of going to the movies with my family (how much bonding can happen there???), I was given the opportunity to enjoy my family and play and create our own fun.  

Am I going to do this with my children?  I don't know.  Should you have done this with your children?  I don't know.  All I know is that it was definitely a radical concept when I was a child even among believers.  AND, it had lasting benefits on me as a child, teenager, and an adult.

Did your parents or you have any rules that are\were counter-cultural?

Be looking for a post on my thoughts on sheltering your children to come:)

xoxo,

Confronting Sin in Fellow Believers

This is a sticky issue.  Nonbelievers call this judging, but believers are commanded to call out other believers who are in sin.  Fortunately, God has given us a standard of right and wrong, so we don't have to guess or allow one's feelings, preferences, or upbringing to determine truth.  I have had to do this a handful of times.  It is not my favorite thing to do; however, God has commanded believers to do this.  I can recall a few times where I really wished that fellow believers, who knew I was living in sin, would have called me out on this. 

Matthew 18:15-22

If your brother sins go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.

But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed.

If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as Gentile and a tax collector.

Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.

Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.

For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”

Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”

Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”

The purpose of confronting is to restore them to the body of Christ.  It is not to show them up or make them feel bad.   But, it is also important to remember that God is the one who allows for repentance.  I can do the part that God has commanded me to do, but I have to leave the rest up to him. 

2 Timothy 2:24-25

The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged.

With gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,

And they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

 Remember, though, that we also need to do this with gentleness.  

2 Timothy 4:2

Preach the world; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.

Galatians 6:1

Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.

Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.

For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.

The times that I have felt convicted to confront other sisters in Christ, Satan has tried tirelessly to prevent me.  Why?  He doesn't want this sister out of her sin.  How?  He put doubts in my heart about my sins from my past.  "Angela, how can you call someone else out on their sin when you struggled with purity, too?"  Fortunately, God reminds me that my life is not the standard that God has called believers to. 

What a blessing it is that God allows forgiveness and restoration!   

 Linking Up:
Upward Not Inward 

Who loves ornaments??

I do!  I do!  Pick me!  For me, ornaments tell a story and help me remember the years gone by.  I did a guest post for Allie at A Day in a Joyful Life.  You definitely need to go and check it out here!

Here is a sneak peak of one of my favorites!!

 xoxo,