Delayed Halloween Picture Post

WOW has it already been 10 days since Halloween? I haven't had a lot of time to blog in the past week so I hope to catch up some this week. I've spent what blogging time I've had at my 90 Days of Solitude Blog.

But I did want to pop in a share this Halloween pic of me and the girls. Raina was going to be a cat with Salem. This is the first time I have ever dressed up and when she saw me dressed up as Snow White she decided to become Snow White with me. It was PRECIOUS!!! I don't think I will miss another year. :)

Are you a bucket filler?

Today 1st grade (Salem's class) was in charge of chapel. They did a program based on the book Have You Filled A Bucket Today.

Bucket fillers are people who without being asked give compliments, reach out to people in need, help others, and spread love to everyone around them. The metaphor of the bucket helps the kids visualize filling someone's bucket with love. Salem's teacher has a small bucket and colored fuzzy balls that go in them when she sees the class being bucket fillers. And she uses the same visual imagery to remove one when someone is a bucket dipper.

In contrast, bucket dippers rob of us of happy feelings. This tends to be things like bullying, mean words, selfishness, etc. But the added lesson is we are all the same - and even bucket dippers need their buckets filled.

The book's concept is simple:

* Make bucket filling and other-centeredness a daily habit
* Preempt and reduce mean, bullying, bucket-dipping behaviors
* Empower children to deal with bucket dippers
* Help children learn about choices and consequences
* Create safe, positive, nurturing schools
* Strengthen families and build better relationships

It's a Godly concept and a precious book! And it's amazing how something so simple can really teach the love of Christ to our kiddos. And to ourselves.

Have you been a bucket filler today?

There is a lot of info on being a bucket filler here! I think there is even a place to sign up for a newsletter.

Wordless Wednesday

A picture is worth a thousand words....

Boo Your Neighbor!

We are going to today - at least get the stuff ready and do it tonight. Here are some ideas. Spread the love in your neighborhood.

There are some Boo poem's here and here. The idea is to leave it with a treat of some sort. I think we're going to make cookies and homemade cards to Boo our neighbors with!

Let me know if you do a Boo! Take a pic and post it on your blog and link to it here in the comments and I'll create a post on Friday and feature everyone's blog who participated.

I hope this doesn't flop! LOL. But it sounds like fun to me.

Boo!!!

It was a dark and stormy night...

You Have Been BOO'd!

The air is cool, the season is fall,

Soon Halloween will come to all.

Ghosts and goblins, spooks galore...

Tricky witches at your door.


The spooks are after things to do,

In fact, a spook brought this "BOO" to you.

The excitement comes when friends like you,

Copy this note and make it two.

We'll all have smiles on our faces,

When we see who Boo'd who's places.

I was Boo'd by Gari Ann!


The following 4 ladies have been officially BOO'd...

Simply Delightful

Scripture Mom

Joy Made Full

Life As It Is

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This BOO party was started by Toni@The Tattered Cottage. Please keep the fun going by following these instructions.


1. You have 24 hours to work your spell

2. Copy and post the Halloween Boo Poem with the instructions for playing.

3. Pick 4 blogs you enjoying visiting and tell why you enjoy visiting them, with a link to their blog and remember to link back to me.

4. Go to the original BOO Party post at the Tattered Cottage and add your MckLinky.

5. Let's see how fast and far this spreads between now and Halloween.

Salem..Prayers & Advice

Just this morning Salem told me she's scared to die. I know that to a large degree this is natural topic to come up since her great grandmother recently died. For those that may not know - Nannie lived with us for the last 2 years until May when she went into the nursing home. So Salem was very close to her and Nannie's death was her first real exposure to the finality of death. Salem mentions Nannie almost everyday.

But this is the first time she talked about death in regards to herself. She mentioned she didn't want to go to heaven and leave her house and Sparkle (the cat) and Nina (the dog) and her toys and me.

I simply let her talk and told her I understood and I didn't want to die either and that it was ok to be scared but then when I time came heaven would be a wonderful place but that I didn't think it would happen for a very long time.

But I am not sure that really helped. I really didn't know what else to say. I don't want to over-simply or get too spiritually deep on what is such a hard question to answer at any age, much less at 7.

Salem is such a sweet girl. VERY sensitive. She picks up on emotions very well and is very empathic in nature. I also think she has the gift of discernment.

Any ideas?

***This is a part of Steady Mom's 30 Minute Blog Challenge

My View of Christianity & Therapy

I am going to speak for a short time at MOPS a little bit of my testimony of handling my past and depression via therapy. It's hard for me but I know God wants me too.

I know as a Christian woman and leader I felt responsible for being "strong". That meant not letting people know when I needed love and encouragement and support. I suffered in silence. In agonizing silence. If someone asked me how I was I often said - I'm fine. The Christian F word.

As Christian women we often set ourselves up in competition against each other without even realizing it. If we visit some one's house we often compare and realize ours isn't so clean. She must have stayed up all night to get it this way. Or she's a natural at it - what's wrong with me?

We do the same with clothes, parenting, discipline, our marriages and so much more.

Let's stop the Mothering/Womanhood competition and simply be the women God has called us to be.

And for me I can't be that woman without having gone through therapy. The Holy Spirit used and is still continuing to use therapy to heal my heart and my very soul.

Don't be afraid to ask for help through a friend, a pastor, a mentor or even a therapist. If you have postpartum depression get help. If you have situational depression or anxiety or trauma from the past - get help. Don't be ashamed. Shame is the devil's way of hiding you away from the protective embrace of the Almighty. Step out of the bushes and reach out to God. He's there waiting.

It took a long time for me to step outside of my comfort zone and seek out help and the only thing I regret is not doing it sooner.