Journey With Jen

It has been a while since my last contest. So, I think it is time to have another one! I am thinking cake. Of course, behind cinnamon rolls, that is my favorite dessert! ;~D So before we go much further, you need to be thinking about what your favorite kind is. Let me give you some suggestions that I'm fond of: Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Cake is always good!! Then, there is Yellow Butter Cake with Chocolate Frosting (pick up on my theme? LOL) Oh, yes, my German Chocolate Cake is pictured ~ delish! There is always Hummingbird Cake (with bananas & pineapple) My Daddy's favorite was always Coconut Cake How about Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting? yummm.... I know, I know! There are SO many choices. Have you made a decision yet?? Well, I know that some of you regular contest entries are out on vacation. I'll have to do another one once everyone gets back and school starts. So, when you are ready, hit the comment button at the bottom. Give me your name and the type...

Remember Happy Days ? Or Bob Newhart Show ? Home Improvement ? Cosby Snow ? Maybe I Love Lucky or Andy Griffith Snow ? I remember watching some of these growing up with my parents. Sitcoms that the whole family could watch. Yes, there would be jokes that I didn't get until I watched re-runs when I was older, but it was funny for everyone. We are missing that today. Today I just typed in the top for for this week. Here are some of the shows from the top 100 to choose from: NCIS , the Bachorlette , Gossip Girl , Keeping up with the Kardashians , and Family Guy . How things have changed! We need to realize that what we are watching and what we are reading ~ these things that we input our minds ~ do effect us. Remember when they used to say, "Garbage in, Garbage out"? It applies here as well. A few weeks ago my husband and were re-watching a Jim Carrey movie that we haven't seen in years. As we were watching it, I became so aware of all of the bad language in the movie....

As you have read through my posts, my childhood had a lot of traumatic things. We were never allowed to talk about these things to anyone ~ not even to each other. It was the giant elephant in the middle of the room that everyone walked around. I couldn't even talk about it to my mother. It would make her cry and upset and she would tell me that she didn't want to talk about it. (I did try through the years.) I do understand that I will never know everything that my mother went through. Why? She won't tell me. It's some how another secret like the rest of my childhood. She has told me that those things that happened in her childhood will go to the grave with her. Yet, because of this burden that she carries everyday, it effects her relationships with others. How could it not when everything is a secret?? So even now, her father is still hurting her and effecting her life. (From him, is where the abuse started) When people ask her about a trip she went on, she thinks th...

We are here in the mud and junk that this life brings. Those things in our life that can bring us down. The things in our life that make us worry...make us cry out to God. It could be health. Or a job situation. Or maybe a stack of bills that just keep coming. Maybe it is just one thing after another. Little things that on their own wouldn't hurt you, but again...and again... and again...you just get tired of fighting. Too tired to go on. Our situations will never be perfect while we are here in this world. There is pain and suffering, even for the believer. But ~ even now ~ God wants us to bloom where we are planted. To look up towards the sun/Son, our Savior, and let our roots grow in faith through the trials. Not just grow and make it through, but to bloom...to prosper. Right were your at ~ that is where you are supposed to be. In Psalm 37:23, it reminds us that our steps are ordered by the Lord. He knows where you've been, where you are, and where you need to go. So, take a...

This week we have been watching all of the old Harry Potter movies. One or two a night. Sitting on the couch with my boys while my daughter tries to stay away cuddle in a chair with a pillow and blanket. No, I've never read the books, but Joey has. He got all of the Harry Potter movies last year for Christmas. It was the first time that I have actually sat down to watch them. Usually it's while I'm cooking dinner and I have no clue what's going on when I come back. And, I do realize that they had to be "pretty good" to stand the test of time. After all, my twenty-one year old nephew saw some of the in the theater when he was younger. And now, several years later, my own kids are watching them. I was surprised about how much I like them. The story doesn't boil down to good and evil, although it plays a part. It isn't about witchcraft. This story is about the human spirit. The spirit in us that keeps going after everything (and everyone) says not to. It...

I have already wrote about three of the things to look for learning disabilities. The first one was lack of eye contact. Babies as young as 3 months of enjoy looking people in the eyes. The second one was sensory issues. This could be from foods, clothing, visual stimulation, and noises. The third one that I wrote about was delays in school work. It is sometimes hard to look at where your child is and compare it to where they should be. These behaviors on their own, could be certain disorders or delays. Yet, if you combine them, they could point towards Autism. It effects 1 in 110 children. Or 1 in 70 boys. It is likely that some one you know is effect by Autism. I'd like to go over some other behaviors that are associated with it. Here is a list of behaviors that you can look for: Insistence of the sameness of routines Aloof manner apparent to strangers and family members Low frustration tolerance and tantrums Difficulty starting conversations with others Uncomfortable with physic...

I know that I am not an expert by any means. However, I have learned many things in the past twelve years of raising Luke and working with children with disabilities. The first thing that you must realize is that every child is different. There might be a text book list of what you can expect from autism or downs syndrome for instance, but your child doesn't have to have everything on the list to be considered for learning disabilities. Luke finally got a diagnosis for autism when he was around 10 years old. I knew that he had it since he was three but I could not get anyone else to see it. Even doctors with lots and lots of letters after their name couldn't see!! Now, that I know some of the behaviors to look for, I can see them easier. Those little things that don't notice or you think doesn't matter ~ you realize they are part of their behavior and indeed are important. Those little things add up to the whole picture and without those little pieces ~ we would never u...

Joey's First Performance at the Walton Art Center My teenager has made it back from band camp. Five whole days of instruction at the University of Arkansas. He loved it. Yes, I do think that he must have missed me a little bit. He did call me or text me every night. :) I'm sure that not every other teenager did that. Of course, when he came back I could see him trying to grow up a little bit. He actually sat on the couch and told us about it. He actually wanted to talk with us and tell us everything!! :) Usually, we have to ask lots of questions and get a few answers. I am hoping that this experience will motivate him. It will make him actually want to practice. Right now, he is happy with just getting by. Teenage thing, I think. "Why study when I make A's or B's without studying?" I've tried to teach good study habits. Luke and Faith have learned them. What is it about first children?? Joey is moving on up to jr. high this year. It will bring some change...

This is the book that I have been working on lately. I say working for a reason. I can read through a book in day, maybe two. But ~ just reading though it ~ I don't let it sink in... help me...give me something to think about... pray about. And that is what I want. I love that at the end of each chapter, it gives verses to mediate on. Throughout the book, it gives real women's experiences. I can strive to be one of the Spirit-Led women. One of my favorite paragraphs on discipline in the book is: "Asserting authority as a parent goes with our job description. As much as we might want to be best friends or pals to our children, that facet of the relationship comes primarily after they have become adults. During their formative years, we parents - with all our human frailties - are the most important authority figures in their lives. We must not abandon our responsibilities." Motherhood is such an important role we have. We are shaping these young lives with our behavior...

Luke got a strike! Faith won the game! Little Owen chillin' out at splash pad Ellie is wondering where did the water go I dropped Joey off at the University of Arkansas band camp on Sunday morning. It is Joey's first camp experience at all. He was SO excited!! So, until I pick him up on Friday, it is just Luke and Faith with me this week. I'm trying to do a few things fun since Joey is off and having fun. Seems fair, doesn't it? Monday we began the week with a game of bowling. Sounded great since it's been over 100 degrees outside lately right? Well, Faith won the game with a total of 93!! I came in second in the 80's somewhere. Luke only made it to the 60's. That did not go over with Luke. My autistic child came out. Tears were shed because he was not ready to leave. He wanted to try again...and again. (this is my child that hits the "play again" button until we kick him off the Wii) I pretty much told him I'm not fighting with him. We are...

I was thinking today. It is sad that my post that gets the most views daily is about self-esteem and self-worth. ( you can click to it here ) On blogger, there is a page you can go to that lets you know what pages get viewed the most. And everyday ~ it is my one about self-esteem. So many people out there are searching...looking for something to feel good about....not liking what they see in the mirror. It can be scary what they find looking outside. I've been there. Look around and you think, "I'm not pretty enough." Sometimes your words are, "I'm not smart enough." There are SO many of the "I'm not's." I'm not...good enough? thin enough? kind enough? I'm not ... a good cook? a good mom? a good wife? So, many things that women especially fill in that blank with. What's yours?? When I'm having a rough day, the "I'm not's" start to fill my own head. I can become paralyzing!! When God looks at you, what ...

Anger. Five little letters but when they are linked together become so much more. It is one thing that everyone experiences. It has been around as long as man was here. And, anger itself is not always a sin. "Therefore having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin, do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil." Ephesians 4: 25-26 The word 'anger' can sometimes be translated into passion or energy. To me, those two words can describe moments that I have been angry. Yet, being passionate towards the work of God or God's word ~ is a good thing. God has even been angry! In Mark 3:5, God look around in anger at their hardened hearts. BUT, when anger is selfish or to put others down ~ it becomes a sin. And, like most people, this slips into my own home. I've never had to deal with a sibling with disabilities. I don't know what it's...

It's Independence Day! It feels like the 4th of July here! My brother's birthday is July 3rd , so this holiday does make me think about him. It is sad, but I don't even know him. Yes, he still lives in same city as I do. But, he is a stranger. I remember that his favorite pie was cherry and his favorite candy bar was 3 Musketeers. Those are things a little sister remembers from her big brother. Kent and I were talking a few nights ago about our families. This conversation goes into how much a Yarbrough he has become. (that's in regards to his grandfather... which is not always a good thing!) Then, it goes to my family. Seriously. What can I say about it? Abuse. Emotional and physical. Secrets. Depression. My childhood had so much stuff in it that I could be several characters in a soap opera!! LOL (yes, I can talk and make jokes now.) My family chain has been very twisted for generations. But ~ I had my Independence Day! Those chains from my childhood have been b...