Jean Stockdale...

Finer Things Friday

I have just finished a project. I have written a Bible study for MOMS on the book of Ephesians. For months I have been writing day and night, night and day. Some weeks I wrote 7 days a week to meet my deadline. The manuscript is 192 pages. It is a 8.5 x 11 workbook style book. It has 67,579 words. It is the work of my hands. It is the expression of my heart. And it is finished. It is safely in the hands of the publisher and will be released in August.

I have always struggled with procrastination. I am one who can come up with great ideas but I lacked the follow-through. I am easily distracted. I like to sit on the couch and drink Diet Coke. I like to ponder the issues of life. All this has made my propensity to procrastination problematic. 

When I became a Christian, I wanted to serve the Lord. I wanted to follow after Him with passion and urge others to join me in the aggressive pursuit of personal holiness and practical righteousness. This heart's desire was at odds with my natural tendency to procrastinate. It is evidence of God's work in me that I am able to overcome my natural bent and stay on task to finish a project. The completed manuscript is not one of my finer things; God's work in my life IS! 

For more Finer Things Friday, click here.

Aloha Friday

What is the one thing you have been putting off doing? As if there is only one thing! Procrastination has always been a issue with me. I am currently motivated to purge my belongings. My stuff. My possessions. My encumbrances. In this season of life, I am tired of dusting stuff! I want less stuff. So, now seems like a good time to purge. To simplify. To streamline.

Hebrews 12:1-2 says "Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

In order to run well and finish strong, I need to lay aside some encumbrances. So I posted somethings on eBay, somethings on Craig's List, and somethings are headed to the Impact Center, while other is going to the trash. What one thing have you been putting off?

If you want to read some more answers to this question, click here to go to Island Life and participate in Aloha Friday. Blessings.

5 Things Friday

Both of my sons are grown, married, and raising little boys of their own. They are building their own households of faith. One day their children will rise up and call them blessed. Now that I have raised and released my sons into the adult world, there are a few things I wished I had know when I was a young mom. Endless days of thankless jobs combined with interrupted sleep began to make me doubt my role in God's plan to use me to train up my children in the way they should go. Now looking back, there are five things I wish I  had known when they boys were young.

1. All the manners that I drilled into my little boys would meld together and become a cohesive part of the character. There nice manners would become a natural part of their interaction with family, friends and new acquaintances. Good manners would serve my boys well in school, in social settings, in personal relationships, in serving the Lord and His Church, and in the business arena. I wish I had known that those lessons in manners were gonna take.

2. Their teenage sass was a necessary part of separating themselves from us and beginning to own their own convictions and their own faith. This is not a fun part of training teens but it is necessary. Our teens could not live on our convictions or our faith. Defining their own faith was a messy process, but when it was complete both boys had grounded themselves in truth.

3. That logic patterns of making wise decision were being disguised by the emotional outbursts of typical teenage behavior, but the ability to make solid wise decisions were being developed and honed. Skillful decision making abilities were being cultivated, slowly but surely.

4. One day I would get to go to bed early and to sleep late. The promise of this luxury could have kept me hanging on for years. But I assumed I would never sleep again. Not so. I don't sleep well, but I do sleep.

5. In time they would exceed my love for the Lord and I would see them pursue, with passion, the Lord Jesus Christ. "I have no greater joy than to know my children walk in truth."

These are some of the things I wish I had known when my boys were young. How bout you? What do you wish you had known as a younger woman?

Specialties of the House

Craig and I got to go to a local restuarant on our trip to China. I dearly love Chinese food so I was excited about the chance to eat "authentic Chinese". Craig is not a huge fan of rice or veggies, and that is the base of most of their dishes. Plus he is allergic to fish and seafood, so that rules out alot of it. But he managed to try some of the Specialites of the House.

This was a pickled bean dish that was really good. The beans were very firm-very unusual dish but I love lima beans.

I asked what this was. She said, "This is what grows under the ground and rabbits eat it." "Carrots?" I asked. "Yes, that's it." she replied. Seriously. Carrots? This is what they call carrots. That is unless something was lost in the translation. They said it was carrots but it tasted just like water chesnuts to me. But then what do I know. Whatever it was, it was delicious.

Pickled fish. I don't think so.

Can you guess what this is in the above picture? Leave your guess in the comments and I will tell you what it is tomorrow. I want to post what the inside of the first floor of the resturant looked like! This was a real cultural experience!

Yummo! This was my favorite. Noodles. Oh my soul. I could eat these every day, every meal, all the time, for the rest of my life. These noodles are fresh made and cooked with a little green onion, oil and some soy sauce. I ate alot of noodles in China. Love 'em. I did not take a picture of the rice, but we ate alot of rice. Craig . . . well, he ate alot of Vienna Sausage wrapped in a tortilla wrapper! That takes more courage than trying what we were served!!!! That was his Specialties of the House.

Thanks! I Needed That!

I was so blessed that both my daughter-laws sent out thank-you notes to the guests at the grandbabies' birthday parties. Patti designed these adorable cards to mail out on Delcan's behalf.

Declan, lover of all things TRAIN, had a Thomas the Train birthday party for his second birthday. Oh does that child love him some Thomas the Train! This is him in his Thomas the Train p.j.s that Ray-Ray and Roy gave him. Trains. He loves 'em.

Declan IS exceptionally bright, yes ma'am he is, but he is not writing just yet. So his momma sent this cute card out to thank his guests for his wonderful birthday presents.

There are lots of ways to sent thank-you notes in this electronic age. I love what Kathryn did. Kathryn sent out email thank-yous to each guest with a picture of Grayson, who just turned one, playing with the gift. How cute is that? Love, love, love it! 

Moms, teach your children to be thankful and gracious. Good manners seem to be going out of style and I, for one, think that is a shame. Teach your children to be thankful. An ungrateful spirit leads to a sense of entitlement, which is an unpleasant character trait in a child and a seriously destructive trait in an adult. Teach your little ones at an early age to be thankful. Helping mom send thank-you notes is one really great way to do just that!

And while I am on the subject, both of the moms had the little guys open their presents after their guests left. This seems like a really GOOD idea to me. That way, little 3, 4, and 5 years olds are not sitting there watching the birthday child open a stack of presents, unhappy that they are not getting any gifts. Just a thought, but I thought it was a thoughtful touch. So get out those thank-you notes and express some gratitude! Blessings.

If You are a Foodie, You Will Love This!

The food we had in Asia was very good-especially the fruits and veggies. Here are some pictures of some of the great things we got to try. These beauties looks like a raspberry but are the size of a strawberry. It is called yangmei and tastes alot like a plum. They are only in season for a short time and only grow in China. They are exported all over the world. I loved these.

And these things, which are called lychee, looked like a cross between figs and acorns. This had to be peeled and the fruit inside was very white and tasted like a under-ripe peach but without the juice.

These trays were delivered to our room. Yummo!

This was our kitchen/office and coffee bar.

And this is what Mr. Stockdale ate alot of of because fruit and veggies are not altogether his thing!

Next time I will post our local restaurant experience. Eel. Snake. Bullfrog. Pheasant. Dove. Octopus. Anyone? Anyone?

My World View

Around the World. . .

My world is small; my God is BIG! by jean stockdale

Check out Cheaper Than Therapy for more Thousand Word Thursday.

Wetter Than Wet

When we got off the Great Wall, we were soaking wet. Very wet. Wetter than wet. And this is what we looked like:

Thanks to the very kind gentleman that shared his umbrella. He covered his wife and me and stood in the rain. Thanks to the kind people that gave Philip a plastic rain poncho. Thanks to Philip for letting us make fun of him for putting it on backwards and sideways!! Philip, you are a good sport on so many levels!!

The Food

Craig is terribly allergic to seafood and fish, so we were concerned about what he would find to eat on our recent trip to Asia. Turns out there was plenty for him to eat. Each culture has unique foods attached to it. One of my favorite parts of traveling is experiencing the culture to the degree that we can. 

Here we are at lunch with Philip and Lillian Morrison, Christi Brawner, and Laura. Philip and Myrana Hardee and Jeff Brawner were with us but not in the pictures. This seems to be typical of restaurant eating. Family style food is set out on a lazy-susan styled table and you dig in. You are not given a dinner plate, rather you scoop your bite out of the main plate and eat over a saucer. This double-dipping method was modified by this American group!

We had rice (without salt and clumpy so you can eat it with chopsticks-very good) cucumbers, Kung Po chicken, chicken and veggies, beef and peppers, tofu and veggies, chicken and pea pods, and greens. We had Diet Coke with our meal. It was delicious.

Craig managed to learn to use chopsticks.

It is not as easy as you might think.

I used my soup spoon to eat most of the time, although I did learn how to use chopsticks. It is a very slow way of eating for me. Tomorrow I will post our experience eating at a local restaurant. This one catered to tourist so it was not as authentic, but the food was good and it was located in the middle of a Jade Store. Eating and shopping - good plan.

Wordless Wednesday

Much is spoken without a word.

Declan Stockdale (2 years old)

For more Wordless Wednesday check out this blog Blessings to My Charmed Life for hosting. Also 7 Clown Circus hosts one too called Wordful Wednesday.

Hitting the Wall-The Great Wall of China

While in Beijing, we had the choice privilege of climbing the Great Wall of China. At least a small part of it. What can I say? It's a big ole wall!! The scope of the thing is staggering. The fact that it was built during the Ming Dynasty is stunning. The Wall stretches about 4000 miles. According to Wikipedia, the Great Wall was guarded by more than one million men at its peak. It is estimated that 2 to 3 million Chinese died in the centuries-long project of building the wall. Getting a chance to see it in person, much less walk on it, was an unbelievable privilege. 

We rode in cable cars to get up to the point where we could climb up a huge set of stone stairs just to get onto the Wall. For those of you who know that I do not have a love affair with heights, you will know that this took some courage on my part to even get into this metal cage.

When the cable stopped briefly, I was forced to cast down some vain imaginations. I tell ya', vain imaginations. Casting them down and clinging to Jesus. I am not ashamed to admit it. When we got on the Wall, the hike was steep-like straight up.

A metal railing could be used and I found it necessary in some spots. 

Did I mention I am not a lover of heights?

The guard turrets are sealed now. So you can only walk up a section and the get off the wall, by-pass the turret and get back up on the Wall. Part of the walk is on stone steps. They are irregular in height and size, but the stunning thing is the age of the thing. Knowing you are standing on something that was built over 600 years ago (maybe older) make you go all "swimmy headed." Perhaps that was the height thing, but in any case, it is unbelievable.

As we began to start down, I took this picture.

It is stunning, isn't it? I also took this one of Mr. Stockdale.

Notice the dark clouds building in the background? We were in Beijing during the dry season. Our tour guide assured us that if it did start to rain, it would only last a few minutes. Optimistic as we are, we believed her and continued to climb. After we reached the turret and took some pictures, I was ready to return to the lookout and sit and sip coffee. I wanted to have time to try to take in the view. As we made the descent, a storm set in---the likes of which I have not seen in a while! We got drenched. Now it was very hot, so a little rain was nothing to complain about, until we saw spikes of lightening piercing the sky. From our vantage point we could see alot of lightening. Alot. Suddenly I realized that the people climbing up past me looked very very strange! Their hair was LITERALLY standing up on end. Who knows what that means?

Right.

According to eHow.com, "If your hair suddenly stands on end, it could mean that you are about to be struck by lightning. To protect yourself, drop to your knees with your hands on them and bend forward. Never lie flat on the ground." That's what I'm talking about! We were on the highest point anywhere around, clinging to a metal handrail, in a thunderstorm that went from rain to hail, and our hair was standing on end! Our only way back down to level ground was to ride a metal basket!!! I make travel so much fun!

I tell you, things happen to me that do not happen to other people!! We managed to make it off the Great Wall, soaked to the skin but safe. Jeff and Christi Brawner, along with their friend Laura, climbed up the Wall instead of riding the tram. Here is Jeff and his shirt.

It was quite a trip!! One I will never forget for many reasons - one of which is the honor of seeing the Great Wall of China.

Orange Sherbet Soda

Orange Sherbet Soda

Orange Sherbet

1 Orange Kool-Aid made with sugar according to package's directions

In a tall glass, put several large scoops of Orange Sherbet. Pour Orange Kool-Aid over the orange sherbet. Serve with a fancy cookie, a long spoon and a straw. Yummers!

This is one of my favorite desserts in the summer. It is a quick refreshing dessert.

For more great ideas, check out We Are That Family.

Words, That's What I Got. Words! Words, I say.

My publsiher just sent me an email to tell me that my latest Bible study workbook on Ephesians has 61,579 words in the manuscript. Words. I got a lot of 'em!

Happy Birthday, Baby Love

Grayson turned ONE yesterday. We set up a "water park", bought some pizza, made some dip, had lots of bubbles to blow, and the fun ensued. We rented this water slide:

Dawson and Grayson gave it a try. Baby Gray was less than impressed.

Declan checked out the baby pool.

Grayson liked it better too.

And then came the cake!

Cake is good!

Happy Birthday, Grayson. 

JJ and Poppa love you. So do mom and dad.

Daws and Kathryn, you guys are doing a great job on "training up this little guy in the way he should go." God bless you all. And Happy Birthday, Baby Grayson. You are loved!

High Finance in Beijing

Shopping in the market of Beijing is a cultural experience, as well a an exercise in high finance. Craig and I were gathering some souvenirs from our trip to Beijing. Craig was able to download an application on his iPhone that converted yuan to American dollars. The Chinese vendors had calculators to show how much something cost in yuan. Even if they did not speak English, it was possible to make a purchase and negotiate a fair price. High finance in Beijing!

I bought my Chinese silk fans from this young woman and her little brother. Are they adorable, or what?

Below is a picture of Craig and one of the merchants haggling over a chess set. This was our 3rd visit to this vendor as we considered whether to buy it or not. The price was steadily going down as Craig's interest waned. Craig really was not sure if he wanted to buy the chess set and we did not want to carry it until we were ready to head back to the hotel. In the States we have a rule, "If you break it, you buy it." The Chinese have a rule also. "If you touch it, you must negotiate." 

These merchants are determined sellers. They could even be described as aggressive! As I was stopping to look at a leather purse, I looked around for Craig. I was shocked to see Mr. Stockdale wearing a leather coat. Two women had put Craig into a leather jacket, against his will, and were negotiating a price, even as he was trying to explain he was not interested and was only waiting for his wife! Aggressive, I say. Aggressive. Anyways, here is the picture of the chessman and his customer. Merchant with calculator. Craig with iPhone.

The merchant's job is to convince the buyer that the item is perfect for the you. He is (or it appears this way from my limited experience) willing to say just about anything to close the deal! Frankly, I am such a soft touch that I am willing to buy into it immediately. This is why I do not do the negotiating. Craig and I agreed on a code word before we ever started shopping. It would let Craig know what I really wanted and what I didn't. Once Craig "cracked my code" he became "The Negotiator." High finances in Beijing!!

This is the chess set in question.

It is beautiful. Look at the clasp. This is what sold me!

To make his point, the merchant began to raise his voice. At one point, when Craig was driving a particularly hard bargain, I think the seller may have called Craig a seriously bad word! But I assume this is all a part of the dance. The merchant convinced Craig that this was the chess set that would make his life complete. He even "talked him in to" taking two. The merchant wanted Craig to take note of the workmanship. The pieces were made of carved cow bone. Seriously, is that a selling point? I am not sure. But this was important for us to understand. It is what drove the price of the set. Handmade. Cow bone. Must have!!

Beautiful, isn't it? So this is what cow bone looks like up close.

Negotiations were struck. The merchant implied Craig was bankrupting him but congratulated him on driving a hard bargain! (Since we own a small business, we can understand and sympathize with these merchants!! We are considering employing some of their tactics. We are praying about it!)

When we arrived home, sadly one of the pieces was broken. Look closely. Does this look like cow bone to you?!!?! Or does it look suspiciously look like resin plastic?

High finance in Beijing!! Seriously. High finance.

I did not get taken advantage of in the market. Not me!r

For more fun stories, check out My Charming Kids. Blessings.

Within one week we have celebrated the birthdays of both Baby Grands. Declan, Jason and Patti's little guy, turned 2 on June 20. Grayson, who belongs to Dawson and Kathryn, is celebrating his first birthday today!! Happy Birthday to YOU

Our life has been greatly enriched by the addition of these twigs to our family tree. 

JJ and Poppa love you dearly!

Declan and Grayson, you are treasured! Happy Birthday to You both. May the Lord bless you and keep you as the apple of His eye!!

Moms Bloggers Club

We MOMS need to stick together. At Moms Blogger Club we have a group of MOM bloggers who are trying to increase their Technorati rating. My inclusion of every one of these sites is not a blanket endorsement of what is written. These blogs represent a wide range of opinions and backgrounds. Just because someone is on this blogroll does not mean I endorse everything he or she says. But having friends who think differently than I do teaches me something, and I'm the better for it. So read and enjoy, and if you have questions about what I believe, click here.  Check them out and decide for yourself. They have some great blogs; check them out: 

http://blog.weddingpaperdivas.com/ 

http://blog.tinyprints.com/ 

http://lipsticktocrayons.com/ 

http://momstart.com/ 

http://iamharriet.blogspot.com/ 

http://www.akblessingsabound .com/ 

http://www.momspective .com/ 

http://www.shortpumppreppy.com/ 

http://www.anuttymom.com/ 

http://mamamentor.blogspot.com/ 

http://moomettesmagnificents.com/blog/ http://moomettesmagnificents.com/reviews/ 

http://ifmomsaysok.wordpress.com/ 

http://dominiquegoh .com/ 

http://www.stickyfeet2 .com/ 

http://wondermommy.wordpress .com/ 

http://mamasmoneysavers .com/ 

http://www.feelslikehomeblog.com/ 

http://jeanstockdale.typepad.com/ 

http://a-nut-in-a-nutshell.blogspot.com/ 

http://lizzie-q-homemaker.blogspot .com/ 

http://mainfo.blogspot .com/ 

http://saveyourmoneymama.blogspot .com/ 

http://www.themomjen.com/ 

http://www.themomreviews.com/ 

http://fitness.momspective.com/ 

http://www.blessedwithgrace.blogspot .com/ 

http://www.bizziemommy.com/ 

http://blog.lalababyboutique.com/ 

http://www.thinkorganicbaby.com/ 

http://www.fracturedtoy.blogspot.com/ 

http://apple4meandyou.blogspot.com/ 

http://lovehomemaking.com/ 

http://www.justtherightspice.com/ 

http://www.thehomemakerhelpers.com/ 

http://melodythacker.com/ 

http://associatemelody.com/watkins-news-and-product-reviews/ http://heritageremedies.com/serendipity/ 

http://scarymommy.com/ 

http://scarymommycreations.blogspot.com/ 

http://joyntheir.com/ 

http://betheweightyouwant.com/ 

http://joyblogging.com/ 

http://bodybuildingmuscleshaping.com/ 

http://blasianbabynotes.blogspot.com/ 

http://littlemisshannah.com/ 

http://stacysrandomthoughts.blogspot.com/ 

http://drachmagirl.blogspot.com/ 

http://1momof5.blogspot.com/ 

http://isitmondayalready.blogspot .com/ 

http://saveyourmoneymama.blogspot .com/ 

http://www.manicmother.com/ 

http://practicingthrift.blogspot.com/ 

http://conversationswithmoms.com/ 

http://healthywealthymoms.blogspot.com/ 

http://www.3psinapod.com/ 

http://downtoearthblog.com/ 

http://lusciousdeals.blogspot.com/ 

http://dominiquegoh.com/ 

http://www.andrewsandfamily.blogspot.com/ 

http://lusciousdeals.blogspot.com/ 

http://confessionsofahousewife.com/ 

http://brainfoggles.com/ 

http://prettypinkmomma.blogspot.com/ 

http://ahappyhippymom.blogspot.com/ 

http://sweeps4bloggers.blogspot.com/ 

http://sweeps4california.blogspot.com/ 

http://thedivinemissmommy.com/ 

http://www.gliks.blogspot.com/ 

http://www.momsrevolution.blogspot.com/ 

http://www.mydivinechaos.com/ 

http://www.morethancents.info/ 

http://itsabeautyfilledlife.blogspot.com 

http://kidzarama.com/ 

http://momsrevolution.blogspot.com 

http://www.atticgirl.blogspot.com 

http://thesimmonswardfamily.blogspot.com/ http://www.professionalfamilymanager.com http://wwww.akblessingsabound.com/ 

http://www.itsabeautyfilledlife.com 

http://conniesview.com 

http://www.alpinekleinbunch.blogspot.com/ 

http://www.ahappyhippymom.com

If you are a member of Technorati, please make me a favorite of yours and I will return the favor. Also if you will post my button, I will be glad to post yours. Thanks in advance for the support.

Check out some of these bloggy spots. Blessings.

Five Things Friday

Five Things I Know for Sure:

As a young mom I wish I had known these five things. I think this knowledge would have enabled me to relax and enjoy the ride of motherhood just a bit more.

1. I wish I had known that one day my grown son would sit down and ask me, "So, tell me about your day."

2. I wish I had known that one day I will be able to go to sleep without wondering if a child would wake me up.

3. I wish I had known that one day my house would be so quiet that I would long for the noises that accompany a house full of kids.

4. I wish I had known that one day my grandchildren would love making noise and I would secretly smile at the full-circle moment. Two little boys in a tiny cottage home make lots and lots of noise. I did not like noise. They did. This was sweet payback, if you ask me. Payback. That's what I call it. Payback!

5. I wish I had known that my two boys would become great friends. At times, sibling rivalry was so strong-along with a natural competitive bent boys are created with-that I assumed our boys would not even be speaking to each other. Turns out they are great friends. What a blessing.

When I was a mom with little guys, I was convinced I was in the process of scarring my boys beyond repair. I expected to spend their college tuition on professional counseling to repair the emotional damage I had done to their psyche. I felt overwhelmed, overtired, overwrought, and under-qualified. 

The Lord Jesus was well-pleased with the widow's mite, saying she did would she could. Others did more. Others gave more. Others had more to give. But she gave what SHE COULD. As I mothered, I did what I COULD. Other moms did more, gave more, and had more to give. But God multiplied the work of my hands as I surrendered to Him. 

As a young mom I never felt adequate, but I continually cast myself on His grace as I raised my children. It was not always pretty. It was not always tidy. I was not always consistent in my efforts, but God knew my heart and He helped my boys to know my heart as well. He helped my sons overlook my momentary failures of the flesh and see my heart's desire, which was to pursue with passion the Lord Jesus Christ. He crowned my mothering efforts with His glory and produced 2 young men who are seeking after Him. I wish I had known that when my guys were little. Now you do! Perhaps this will help. Blessings.

Baby Gray

Saturday we will celebrate Grayson's first birthday. We cannot believe our Baby Grand is going to be a year old. To say that time flies is quite cliche, but true none-the-less. Here is one of my favorite series of pictures.

Following in Dad's Footsteps:

Life Father, Like Son:

Big Shoes to Fill:

Bummer!

Happy Birthday, Baby Gray. You have brought a great deal of joy to my heart. Despite your sad face, I think you feel the same!!

Shopping in Beijing

I am not one who just loves to go shopping. Spending the day strolling through th mall to shop makes me want to poke my own eye out with a rusty fork. I am not a good bargain shopper. I almost never find a good deal. I have "buyer's remorse" whether I buy the item or not. I am not great about putting items together. I tend to buy off the mannequin so I can see who the outfit is supposed to go tohghetr. 

Frankly, one of my least favorite stores to shop at is Wal-Mart. Now, don't get me wrong. I am not giving a bad report about this retail giant. I am just saying that I am not  a big fan of Wal-Mart. The parking lot is huge, the aisles are narrow, the lay-out does not seem logical to me, and the mass of humanity tryng to press through the store slows down the whole process. 

During our stay in Beijing, we stayed at a Days' Inn Hotel. One night we walked 2 blocks from our hotel in Beijing. This is how shopping is done in China.

Prices are negotiated. Tempers flare. Voices raise. Unseeming pronouncements are vehemently made on your family's fine name as the fair market value is established.

The pace is maddening. The noise level is deafening. People are moving fast between the booths in the market.

Shopping in Beijing is not easy. So the next time  you pull up to Wal-mart in its air-conditioned building, with ice-cold water, and shopping carts, coupons, and ATMs . . . think about the Beijing mom who is shopping for her family on the other side of the world!