Gratitude

I am taking time on a rainy, late winter Monday to identify some of the many blessings in my life. Join me and others here to share how God is blessing you.

#206-215

Pen pals

Clean laundry, folded and put away

Soccer championships and third place finishes

Promise and hints of spring

Double strollers with snack trays for Cheerios and sippies

Free unit lesson plans for first grade science and history

The soft hand of my sweetie on my shoulder surprising me at the bookstore while I was finishing lesson plans

Sound sleep in the midst of a storm

A toddler who loves to go to church

Lessons of Romans 12

Profound Words Not Easily Practiced

"Outdo one another in showing honor." Romans 12:10

My little one's tummy acted up Saturday, again. That meant another Sunday home, but that is another story. In between taking care of her and the baby, I was able to read some of Romans, the book that I have been reading chapter by chapter. Chapter 12 hit me profoundly. So many of the verses challenge the believer to live differently than the world. Not conforming to a culture insistent on pushing you into its mold is hard and requires a transformed heart and mind. Verse ten of this chapter was one of those Scriptural imperatives that should transform us.

"Outdo one another in showing honor."

Showing honor means lowering myself and lifting another up. Honor means to give someone else credit, respect, and admiration. How quickly I can criticize and tear down with my words. Yet, I am to work as diligently to honor others, so much so that It is obvious and almost to the point of excessive, if that is possible. Today, it is easy to honor someone who is popular, won awards, is beautiful, or has done something for us. Amazingly God does not specify who was are to honor. To me, that indicates that no one is excluded of honor.

"Outdo one another in showing honor."

I shared this with my kids at the dinner table today. I don't know how it will play out this week. I hope that it is not just a passing "ah ha" moment, but one that truly transforms my thinking and actions. As a mom, I have a job to teach my children to honor others. Others to them would include the sibling that is driving them nuts, the parent that they disagree with, and the player on their team that doesn't include them in the play. I have my work cut out for me. I want to be a transformer.

Curiosity Journal

Sorry friends, but my life the past two weeks has been nothing to write home about. I know you are all on pins and needles waiting to hear what I am reading, playing, learning, and reacting to. (You are in a sad state if that is true.) As a growing Christian woman, I am doing all those things on various levels. Writing this post has helped me reflect on my time spent, and it challenges me to make the moments count more than they have. I fail horribly many times. Often once I start reading, I fall asleep. When there is a chance to play with one child, another needs a diaper change. My learning is constant, but scattered. I react to life on many different levels in my own little world and the world in which God has placed me. Let me try again to break this down a tad more – if only for my sake.

I am reading . . .

My hubby and I are endeavoring to tackle another mystery for the Barnes and Noble book club. This one is huge, though! We were able to each download a copy for only $1 so we don't have to wait for the other to finish. This will be a challenge for sure, but I need to be challenged in a good way. The Moonstone is a mystery mixed with a little romance, or so I think. I hope to finish it in time.

I am playing . . .

We broke out the dominos the other night, and I lost every game. Why we don't play more often is beyond me. From where I sit in this bookstore, I see a game display with games I have never noticed before. There are so many options available. Of course, there are already many games presently taking up space in our home. Making the time to sit and play them is what I need to do. Anyone out there want to plan a game night? I will host it.

I am learning . . .

On another silly note, I learned how to turn on the Wii and play a video from Netflix. Since we have canceled our cable, we are trying a free month of Netflix. The jury is still out if that is a good option for movies in our home.

I learned the name of a barista that we see weekly. I would spell it except it is Korean. It sounds like G. I have learned that she gave up her career in art to stay in her parents' home to watch her grandmother each day. I could learn much from that commitment.

I am learning that the more I find about the state child welfare system, the more I don't know. It can be so confusing.

I learned this week that my babies' new sibling who will be born in the summer is a little boy.

I learned that the babies are with me for at least another two months.

I am reacting. . .

My heart is saddened for a little girl who lives in Arizona. She is not much younger than my little one. She battled brain cancer last year and has just found out that it has reoccurred. Her treatment options are limited. I cannot even imagine the pain that mother bears. The family knows and loves God, but their hearts are beyond broken. Reading her blog reminds me to thank God for my healthy children and remember that life is a precious gift from God. Our days are precisely numbered by our loving heavenly father. The little girl, Kate, knows that and is a shining testimony of grace in the midst of pain.

 

So what are you reading, playing, learning, and reacting to? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Flowers Because He Remembers

Last year our little girl, Julia, saw Jesus for the first time. We still miss her. I often think of her and what might have been; what does she look like, would she be walking yet, what was her first word? These feeling only reveal my selfish heart. I wanted to see her, kiss her, and mother her. She is in a much better place, and I have a different job to do until I meet her.

My sweetie brought home flowers yesterday. He wanted me to know that he hadn't forgotten. He remembered that one of my fears in the midst of the intense pain was that the babies that I had carried inside of me would be forgotten. I am blessed with a husband who listened to my fears and loved me with a bouquet. It was OK to cry.

Today we will celebrate our family. Not only the four who are with Jesus but also the four that God has blessed me with today. We are making cheese steaks and fries for dinner and having ice cream for dessert. I think that a movie is on the agenda as well. My kids are excited just to hang out together. I am abundantly blessed.

I would be lying if I said that I haven't cried or that my heart doesn't hurt any more. I have two other babies in my home to mother. I know in my head that God wants to me do that job now, but I still wonder. I am learning how to love in ways that I never thought possible. God is still at work. He has never abandoned me.

I am choosing today to remember both the pain and the preciousness of life.

Self - Control

You can hear this buzzword often in our home. "Use self-control!" From the youngest to the oldest, self-control is necessary. While waiting for my big girls finish their evening at youth group, my little ones and I sit in the van and wait . . . for 45 minutes . . . weekly. That in itself requires self-control. This past week we studied some of the why behind this challenging character trait. Simply put, God gives each believer the Holy Spirit to live inside of them. The obvious fruit of that blessing evidences itself in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, and SELF-CONTROL. Funny that God chose to put that last in the list. Maybe it is to catch my attention. In any case, self-control is not an option, but an evidence of a changed life.

It is easy to point to the lack of self-control in others: a screaming toddler, a pre-teen who slams the door, a child who spends an inordinate amount of time on the computer, a baby who throws her food when she is done, and the list could go on. If I were honest, though, my lack of self-control is glaring.

How much time do I waste on the computer? Is my first answer to my children one that reacts to an inconvenience rather than respond with a godly solution? Am I quick to turn the TV off (or leave it off for that matter) when questionable material presents itself? Why are M&M's my choice of snack when my children are encouraged with fruits and vegetables? How often do I buy without thinking of the cost in both the short term and the long term?

Self-control means having self under control. Why is that so hard when we have the help of the Holy Spirit? It really should not be hard. When self is under control, life is much more enjoyable. When my toddler is yelling because life at the moment is not going as he would wish, he is disciplined because he is out of control. When he uses words and speaks quietly, things are resolved much more quickly. When I use self-control and limit my time on the computer, I have greater conversations with my kids, I can connect with my sweetie, and my time is better spent.

I am not good at this. I need God's help tremendously to keep self under control.

Gratitude – One Thousand Gifts

I have fallen behind dreadfully in this list of gratefulness. My heart sways from joy to hurt too quickly at times, especially in winter. I forget how important it is to focus on what things I have to be thankful. Join me in taking a few moments to write down some things that God has blessed us with today.

#191 - #205

I am thankful for . . .

A basement in which my little man can roller blade during the wet, cold days of winter

My pillow on a Sunday afternoon

My pastor who is bold to preach the truth

Warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies

Quiet alone time to write

The chance to dig into God's Word with my little ones

My little ones' desire to dig into God's Word

My mom who gave up her Saturday to help me clean, color my hair, and watch the babies so I could enjoy my other kids' soccer games

Extra moments under the covers on a Saturday morning

A mother-in-law who is committed to pray for our family

Birthday dinners

Averted snow and ice storms

Good night kisses

Newly found blogs and websites that encourage moms, families, and homeschooling

Empty laundry baskets

 

Curiosity Journal

Reading –

Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie . . . still. I like the story line, and the heroine is enjoyable. I am stumped so far in the mystery. Maybe because I can only read sporadically. I need to finish soon, so my sweetie can read it before the end of the month.

Playing –

Winter Saturdays are for indoor soccer in this family. That leaves me home with my little one and two babies for quite a bit of time. This week we pulled out the Scategories game. We never keep score, but it is fun to see what little one comes up with.

Learning –

Our family will be working on memorizing verses together. My sweetie chose them from a Navigator's list. This will challenge my already taxed memory.

For other lessons learned, see my previous post.

Reacting –

I claim to be counter-cultural. That makes me unpopular and often on the defensive. I don't apologize, though. This week I was again reminded how God's truth is under attack by the culture in which we live. A private high school in our area expelled an individual who was very open in his relationships that are against God's plan. The school is coming under criticism for taking a stand for God's truth. They are accused by some of being uncompassionate and judgmental. I am concerned for those who have allowed the messages of culture invade their hearts and minds. God's truth is not contingent on what we think is truth. Satan would like nothing more than to dupe believers into doubting what God has already stated to be true in His Word. I could go on, but for now, I will limit my reaction. My challenge – to increase my efforts to teach God's truth to my children and filter cultural influences through that truth.

 

The Lessons of Spilled Tea

The other morning started out like any other morning. I had plans for the day. We didn't have to go out as early as usual, so I had time to work more intently with my little one. The best-laid plans fell flat on the floor. As I was getting myself ready for the day upstairs, I heard a frantic scurry in the kitchen and banter of blame between siblings. In the attempt to reach the OJ at the back of the fridge, my little one mistakenly ill placed the FULL gallon container of iced tea and watched it tumble onto the floor leaving its contents widespread in my kitchen.

After assessing the situation from the top of the stairs, I did something strange – I didn't go downstairs. Lesson one: My kids knew what to do. I didn't have to supervise or get myself riled up because of the mess. I did, however, need to have the towels washed immediately so that my good towels would not be tea stained, but my kids can do laundry too. Problem assessed and resolved – or so I thought.

I looked in the fridge for something for breakfast for myself and noticed the puddles of tea surrounding the jars in the door. The tea had also settled in the bottom of the fridge under the produce drawers. Droplets of tea were visible on most everything. UGH!! This cleanup was not over, nor would it be quick. Lesson two: cleaning the outside of the mess is often easier than making sure that the inside is clean.

My little one stalled in her help, which of course drove her siblings nuts. Lesson three: many times our messes require us to clean up, but they also may need others to jump in with a towel or two.

She was not in trouble per se, but this tea accident provided great material for a teachable moment on consequences. Princess, little one, and I proceeded to take everything out of the fridge and wipe it all down. Every drawer and shelf needed to be cleaned. Thankfully, there was not much stocked, as I needed to go grocery shopping. This cleanup took time out of my precious schedule. Yet, as I looked deeper at the matter, I began to understand that my little one was going to learn something other than math and reading today. Lesson four: I need to be on the lookout to use the inconvenient to conveniently teach.

As her little hands dried jars of salad dressing, gallons of milk, and tubs of butter, she began to understand something. Lesson five: Her actions were not malicious, yet her mess affected many people. She was not punished, but she needed to be a part of the solution to the problem. She also saw a great picture of how messes often get into the nitty gritty of things intertwined within what we think is ordinary. These messes are not often easily cleaned up.

I now have a clean fridge – at least for a few days. The rest of the day went on as normal, if there is such a thing. I was able to teach my daughter that day as I stood by the sink. More importantly, God taught me how to be a better mom. These lessons were not just for my little one.