Suzanne Griffin

Happy Halloween everyone. This seems to be a controversial topic to some and this is the last year I'm not going to decorate for this holiday. I always enjoyed it growing up and my kids love all the decorations and I've been nervous that someone would think we weren't really Christians if we celebrated Halloween. We live in a very conservative God fearing little community, which is great, I love LOVE it here. However, it just sometimes feels like others convictions are pushed to become everyone's convictions. When we went to my folks for a visit 2 weekends ago, my mom was dressed like a witch, the house was all decorated and on the table was this amazing spread of all kinds of fun treats for a little party. The kids and us were so excited. She had little pigs in the blanket that looked like bugs, a dragon sandwich, green deviled eggs with mouse droppings, bubbling punch, and dozens of others, I'll post a picture. The kids giggle (more like sceam...MOM....LOOK...

“Most of the sins we do not commit are not because of our virtue, but because we lack the energy or opportunity” Eugene Peterson We will never understand ourselves as the fallen humans we are until we understand that there is no sin we are incapable of committing.

I have often wondered if we as a society are just too lenient on those who break that law. I know that everyone makes mistakes, after all I do own a mirror. But I'm talking about clearly understand and purposely chosen to ignore laws. Drinking and driving for instance. I know someone who was pulled over, had their child in the vehicle with them, ended up getting a ticket, the wife drove home, the husband had to shell out a couple hundred dollars for a lawyer and was done with it. Or what about the 3rd strike your out theory of law? Are we playing a game or are we looking to punish the criminal. Yes I am conservative. I still believe in the Bible and it's teaching and ways of life. And I do believe that our country has gotten too concerned about being politically correct to not offend the 20% of individuals that are screaming louder that the 80% that say they are Christians in this country. Have you read Deuteronomy 19-20 lately? And sometimes we worry about being too harsh...

So Allen and I had a little throw down Sunday morning. Typical Griffin style for us, usually means confrontation is not good. He gets defensive and wants to walk out to avoid fighting and I follow after him in the little yipping dog fashion until he is literally driving out of the drive way leaving me yelling at no one, causing strangers walking by to pick up their pace and the neighbors across the street to shut their blinds after having evidence to put me away for my complete insanity. However this Sunday was different. I said in peace and calm frustration some concerns that were bothering me and then when he left the house I retreated to cry in the shower. I still felt like I had blown it. I was very tired from working on the taxes, which I finally did complete. Plus we had the added emotion of showing the house after the kids had fended for themselves all week, leaving a trail of destuction. Normally our disputes cause us to go three grades down on the successful marriage scale, th...

God works in so many wonderful ways. I struggle with wanting to be all things, like the Prov 31 woman, and while that in itself is great, my feelings of failure when that isn't achieved is crippling. I was reminded yet again this last week that one of the reasons I have to struggle so hard at times to keep up with the being the submissive, honoring, loving mistress to my husband, the perfect housekeeper, the creative school teacher, the gentle mother with hugs, the firm parent trying to balance their hearts, the coupon queen to stock our pantry, the helpful secretary, the organized accountant, the gifted cook, the confident home manager... is so that it will be too large a task for me to handle without the help of Christ. If attaining the perfection that I view as the Prov 31 women were just an easily reached goal, my heart would be as the Pharisees and my tasks would bring me the glory rather than my heart being met at my lack and being filled by Him. I just pray that in the end,...

So this last week almost 2 I have been working like a mad woman on our taxes from 2006 I had filed an extension in April as Wyatt was only 2 months old and thought it would be easier later...not so. So now I get about 3 minutes at a time to search through receipts, research topics such as the New Domestic Production Activities Deduction and try to comprehend what in the world it possibly could be trying to say in layman's terms, enter the numbers all without forgetting what I was doing before I was interrupted to be informed that Gabby wouldn't play a game with Brian, that Brian is hungry, that Makenise ate the rest of Brian's snack, that Wyatt is yanking the telephone cord out of the wall , that the girls are done with their seatwork and want to do art, that Gabby needs help with her piano lesson and that Wyatt is stinking up the whole house....and you know how the day goes. So my best times to work are from 10pm on or before 7am. Making for a tired momma, plus all the att...

We are told to find the good in our circumstances and this is what I strive to do most times. Especially when we have a day like this past Saturday. The ladies ministry at church was having a brunch that I had planned to go to. That's good. Allen ended up having to work so I couldn't go. That may seem bad, but... The job paid well. That's good. Our pantry was really running low. That may seem bad, but... I decided to run to Fayetteville to hit Sam's (with my one day pass), the day old bread store, and Aldi's and get the pantry fully loaded as Allen gave me more than expected for groceries this week. That's good. However Allen said he didn't want me to go out of town. That may seem bad, but... He was off by 1pm and I got to go to the library by myself and then as a family we went to the Fall Festival. That's good. When we went back to the van, it wouldn't start. That may seem bad, but... Allen was with us and he had his work truck so he ran home and...

I don't really get motivated to set New Years Eve goals, it is more this time of the year that causes me to really look at my life. This after all the like the beginning of a whole new year. We start school, our mom's group starts up again, our Sunday School class is starting a new study. Everything is new. I started looking at the different areas of my life and where I felt I need to improve and realized that was every area. So I'm going to work on them by priority one at a time until I get in a habit or routine that I can uphold. I recently read on another blog that she too was honing skills in her life and was inspired that I'm not alone. The areas that I would like to study and improve are: My relationship with Christ, my marriage, my parenting skills, my homemaking skills, my ministry to others. And of course each of these areas are broke down into subcatagories. In my realtionship with Christ area, my goals are to be consistent in my morning power hour of devotion...