Can I Get an Amen?

Things I Hate....(ok, hate is a really strong word)
Things I loathe on a good day, and truly despise on a bad day:
(and for you eternal optimists out there, I will post what I love sometime....just for you!)

1) Paying $20 for a raffle ticket and not winning anything
2) When I have bad breath.
3) Finding the CUTEST pair of shoes, but not in my size.
4) When the Laughing Cow Light Herb Cheese is not on sale.
5) The cold - That should not come as a surprise to most of you.
6) Spiders - Especially the ones who disappear in the time it has taken me to go find a paper towel and come back for it.
7) Putting too much salad dressing on my salad.
8) Not putting enough salad dressing on my salad.
9) When my pen runs out of ink right in the middle of my note to someone.
10) Putting on my PJ's, hopping into bed and getting comfortable, only to remember that I forgot to brush my teeth.

Pink Angel Food Cake

Today our family had my mom, dad, Aunt Kathy, and Kent's mom and dad over for dinner to celebrate Mother's Day. It wasn't anything special and we even ate on plastic plates (thank's mom for your contribution). I found old pictures of Kent's mom's mom (Grammie) and dad's mom (Mam-maw), along with my mom's mom (Granny), and my dad and Aunt Kathy's mom (Memaw) and put them on the table as a centerpiece.
But I think my most favorite thing about today was eating a big piece of pink angel food cake. What's so special about angel food cake? Well, nothing.
What's so special about PINK angel food cake?? Well, everything!
I grew up eating pink angel food cakes, baked by my very own Memaw. Everytime she made an angel food cake, it was pink. I'm not sure when and why she started making them pink, but I'm glad she did. It set her apart from the rest and gave us a wonderful tradition. Come to think of it, everything was pink when it came to Memaw. Her clothes, her decor, and even the marshmallows stashed in her freezer were pink. (The whole frozen marshmallow thing is a mystery to me, but hey)
To all the mom's - Hope you had a great day! Now, go clean up the mess everyone made while you had your day "off".......

God's Back Door Voice

These past few weeks have been a trying time in the Behlmer household. I am constantly trying to get my kids JUST TO LISTEN TO ME!!! For crying out loud! How hard is it to listen and do what you are told....the first time I ask?!?
We were coming upon our 3rd week of "selective hearing" with Ava, my oldest, and I was 2 days past my breaking point. The nagging, fighting, and raised voices were a constant around here and I was fed up. My tears were many and my solutions were zero. I cried to God so many times to "help me with my patience, help me with my kids, help me to get through this next hour...", but to no avail. I felt nothing. My spirit didn't change, my attitude didn't get better, and my kids got even worse! I read my devotions and said many prayers, all in the hopes of some divine intervention - and that my kids would miraculously be changed into Laura Ingalls and Wally Cleaver.
Then one day, as I spoke these words to Ava for the jagillionth time "Why don't you just listen to me and do what you are told?", I heard the very voice of God tell me "Why don't YOU just listen to ME and do what YOU'RE told?"
Wha...What?! Hello?!
Why didn't I listen to him? Take quiet time out and really listen to what he wanted me to hear? Maybe because that meant that I would have to change.....not my children, but me. Maybe because that meant that I would have to stop being so friggin' lazy and actually get down on the floor and play with my kids.
And I think, as many times as I get frustrated with my children, I still love them with all of my heart. And all I want for them is to just listen, because sometimes - just sometimes - I know what's best for them.
Can you even imagine how God just wants us to listen to him, because sometimes, well at all times, he knows just what's best for us?