Christmas Is Not YOUR Birthday

"Sorry honey, I can't play with you right now.  I have to finish baking these pies and then start cleaning the house...."

"No, I can't take you to your friend's house to play.  I'm in the middle of waxing the kitchen floor..."

"Kids!  Out of the kitchen!  I'm trying to cook here!"

"Who made that mess in the living room?  Clean it up!  I don't have time to deal with this right now...."

Sound familiar?  The stress of the holidays are approaching us all and real fast.  Thanksgiving is over and as it took me a day or so to recoup from all the baking and cooking from the first family dinner, I'll soon be getting ready for another family Thanksgiving dinner this weekend. 

Then once that will be done, it'll be time to start the shopping. 

Oh the shopping.....

Cleaning.

Wrapping.

Shopping.

Baking.

Cooking.

Parties.

Shopping.

Wrapping.

and more shopping.

What has happened to our holiday season that everyone has become too busy doing so many things all at once?  What is the season really about these days?  Family?  Santa?  Presents?  What's the first thing your kids say when you ask them what Christmas really means?

The Reset Button

Maybe it's time to push the reset button in our lives.  To go back to simpler times when family was the focus of the holiday season.  Where it's special to find two gifts under the Christmas tree instead of only one... or none.   Where moms and dads feel allowed to drop what they are doing to pay attention to the kids, even just for a few minutes.

Maybe it's time to let the guard down and make amends to those loved ones who have gotten lost.  To forget the pride of who's fault is whose, to forget the past and move on to the present. 

                                                       
What is really important?  To prove a point or let the holidays slip by in a blink?

Unexpected and Undeserved

This holiday season, my goal is to try to be more creative.  To give a gift that's unexpected and maybe even undeserved.  To someone who has wronged me or someone I need to find forgiveness in and give them a gift they don't expect or maybe they don't even deserve. 

Instead of going shopping for that "one more gift", I'm going to try to find time instead.  To create that last gift with time from the heart.  I want to spend more time with my children without feeling hurried, to play a game with them, read a book and just snuggle in front of a good cartoon.  To listen more instead of talking more.  Pray more.  I invite you to do the same this Christmas.  Slow down and smell the cinnamon pine cones and take in all the blessings you have in your life. If it wasn't for Jesus being born, we wouldn't be celebrating Christmas.  Don't forget the reason for this season. 

 

 Jesus!

 

                                                        flickr.com/Alessandro Pinna

 "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.

   And what does the LORD require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

   and to walk humbly with your God."  - Micah 6:8

Inspired by Pastor Nathan Custer, Columbia Heights United Methodist Church, 2013

Jesus Loves the Losers, Too

I've always been fascinated with culture.  I love learning how other people live and why they do the things they do.  I especially love learning about biblical times because most of us know some Bible stories and the people in them, but has anyone ever really thought about the people in those stories as real people?  You know, people with lives who probably had a personality, talked a certain way and maybe even had a hobby?

Back in biblical times, shepherds were considered the "low class".  They didn't socialize much, they weren't invited to parties because they've been known to steal, and because they were out in the fields with the sheep most of the time, they tend to smell.  They usually didn't have manners and they were outcasts most of the time.

http://mamabishop.blogspot.com/2011/09/shepherds.html

When Jesus was born, guess who were the first guests to His party?  Yup, the shepherds.  These "low class" citizens were the first to visit the newborn baby Jesus.

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angle of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." ~Luke 2 : 8-12

 Jesus loves everyone.  Everyone. Jesus loves you.  No matter what mistakes you've made, no matter what broken bridges exist in your life, no matter if you've fallen to addiction, no matter if you've recently found God in your life or if you've known Him all your life.  Even if you feel you don't deserve God's love, Jesus loves you. He invites you to His party every year at Christmastime.  He wants you there with Him.  The shepherds were loved and were invited to visit the baby Jesus right after He was born.  He wants YOU there, too!

http://www.lifeintheholyland.com/shepherds_flocks.htm

Santa Claus, Christmas lights and presents are nice, but the real present is You, Lord.  Be sure to keep Christ in Christmas.  He's the reason we celebrate Christmas in the first place.

"She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."  ~ Matthew 1: 21

May you all have a wonderful and blessed Christmas this year!  God bless!

http://spiritlessons.com

What's With the Fork?

There was a woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live.  As she was getting her things "in order", she contacted her pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes.  She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like to read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in.  The woman also requested to be buried with her favorite Bible.

Everything was in order and the pastor was preparing to leave when the woman suddenly remembered something very important to her. "This is very important," the woman continued. "I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand."  The pastor stood looking at the woman, not knowing quite what to say. 

"That surprises you, doesn't it?" the woman asked. 

"Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request," said the pastor.

The woman explained, "In all my years of attending church socials and potluck dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'keep your fork.'"  It was my favorite part because I knew something better was coming... like velvety chocolate cake or a piece of deep-dish apple pie.  Something wonderful and with substance!  So, I just want people to see me there in the casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder:

"What's with the fork?"

"Then I want you to tell them:  'Keep your fork... The best is yet to come.'"

The pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the woman good-bye.  He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death.  But he also knew that the woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did.  She KNEW something better was coming.

At the funeral people were walking by the woman's casket and they saw the pretty dress she was wearing, her favorite Bible and the fork in her right hand.  Over and over, the pastor heard the question,

"What's with the fork?"

And over and over he smiled.  During his message, the pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the woman shortly before she died.  He also told them about the fork and what it symbolized to her.  The pastor told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either.  He was right. 

So the next time you reach down for your fork, let it remind you, oh so gently, that the best is yet to come!

In loving memory

Mary Dickendasher

April 8, 1927 - October 18, 2012



Love Everyone. Everyone?

I was on my way to my parents' house one day and was traveling on the highway.  The kids fell asleep and I was enjoying such peace and quiet.  The traffic began to slow down to a crawl then all of a sudden, a loud buzzing noise goes flying passed me.  It made me jump and when I looked, it was a crotch-rocket motorcycle flying at least 90 MPH in between the traffic lanes.  He whizzed through many cars and got off the nearest exit.  Because I don't do sudden loud noises well, I was on the verge of tears and about to say, "You stupid.....(enter swear word here)..."  I stopped myself mid-sentence and then prayed for the poor (stupid) soul who was clearly about to kill himself or someone else.  I thought perhaps, just perhaps that kid had a good reason for flying through traffic like that.... maybe.  Just as I finished praying for his safety and the people around him, another buzzing noise comes flying through the traffic.

"And bless that stupid kid, too!  Amen!"

You know, if you ask someone about a time they tried to forgive someone for something wrong that was done to them, most often it's a story about traffic.  I came to the conclusion that roadways are a very popular place that needs forgiveness.  We have to share the road with many strangers, perhaps people we'll never see again.  It's easy to swear at and insult people we don't know or perhaps never see again when they do something wrong to us.

I've been cut off by people who stick their finger out the window at me and they were the ones cutting me off.  To me, it's very obvious that that person is clearly having a bad day and is taking it out on someone (me) that they don't know.  How easy for that to happen!

But God says, "Love thy neighbor."  (Mark 12:28)  If we all loved each other the way God wants us to, can you imagine what our world would be like?  A small step for man, a giant leap for mankind.  I suppose that's easier said than done, but if we could replace insults and mean words with prayer, maybe that's a small step that would make a huge difference!

Link up with me!  Tell me about a time you prayed for someone and felt peace.  I love reading your comments.  If you like what you've read, vote for me at the top right Top Mommy Blogs and We're On The Fence.  Have a super day!

The Delete Key

The Delete Key - That little button not far from my right pinky, the one I use way too often.  How easy it is to use, backup, delete a mistake and try again.  Too often, I use the delete key to go back and correct a mistake all to make another mistake or the same one again.  If only life had a delete key....

"The entirety of your life is made up of two percentages.  Ten percent is what happens to you.  Ninety percent is how you react to what happens."

In many cases, we couldn't have done anything about a bad situation when it did happen, even if we wanted to.  The key to staying on a faith journey is to learn to forgive, forgiving the person who did you wrong, even forgiving yourself.  Now let this statement settle in your heart:

The Bible doesn't tell us to forgive ourselves.  

There's nowhere in the Bible scriptures that say we need to forgive ourselves.  Christ suffered a horrible death to give us forgiveness.  His work on earth was so complete that "I will forgive their wrongdoing and never again remember their sin."  Jeremiah 31:34.  God has pressed the delete key over our sins, every one of them, and He has chosen to never remember them again, or have the intention of punishing us for them.  So why should we? 

So how do you go about forgiving yourself or someone else who did you wrong?

1.)  Refuse to hold a grudge.  Choose to release that person (or yourself) of the liability, then trust God to work on your behalf and bring healing to your heart.  Forgiveness means releasing into His hands the person, the circumstance and the outcome. All of it.  That's the way He did it with us, right?

I relate to this step by being a mother.  My kids do me wrong often.  They don't listen, they say I'm mean when they don't get their way and I occasionally get a mean face.  But I choose to forgive them because I love them unconditionally.  No matter how good or bad they behave.  We are all God's children, just the same.

When someone makes me angry or does something wrong to me, I oftentimes go over and over (and over) in my head what I should've said or done.  I replay that situation over in my head like rehearsing a play to the point where it exhausts me in every aspect of my life.  That's the clue that I'm still holding a grudge.  When I can release a little bit of that anger at a time, it allows me to become more free of that situation, accepting the fact that there was nothing I could've done to avoid that situation or to make it better. When I allow God to take over and make it right for me, I can begin to forgive.

2.)  Leave room for God to act on your behalf.  It's natural to feel as though forgiveness lets the other person just get away with it.  You're still the victim and they're still the offender, especially if that person never expresses any regret or gives a lame attempt at an apology.  If either of these is the case, it's not your job to make sure they get what they deserve.  That's God's job, in His own timing, His own way.

3.) Pray.  Forgiveness is a miracle and miracles can take time.  So don't expect instant results, but pray for God to empower you to be patient and have the willingness to forgive.

Forgiveness is not always easy.  It's a process.  We're not perfect, we're human.  We make mistakes, others make mistakes.  These steps are by no means easy to do, but hopefully they will help release us from those situations we experience in life that hinder us to live with true freedom and love.

"Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive."  Colossians 3:13

If you like what I had to say, please vote for me at Top Mommy Blogs and click on Spiritual and Religious on the right of their page.  I love comments and the biggest compliment anyone can give is the gift of sharing my words!  Have a wonderful day!

Inspired by The Resolution for Women by Priscilla Shirer

The Balancing Act

I recently looked at my calendar when a friend asked me to set up a play date with her before school starts back up again.  Lo and behold, there were not many days to pick from.  I didn't even realize how full my calendar was for August until I took a good look at it.  With doctors' appointments, eye appointments, dentists, school open houses, school shopping, birthdays.... my eyes got real big when I saw how close school is coming and I'm running out of time.  August 21 is going to be the day the earth weighs the least when all the moms jump in the air and yell "First day of school!  Yippeee!"  but I'm not so sure I'll be leaping into the air with the other moms.... well, I'm sure I will, but with a little panic mixed in with it.

With the mark of school starting, it usually means more events, commitments, activities and shrinking time zones.  I feel I need to come up with a game plan for the school year so I can keep myself in check to be sure I don't get overwhelmed with all the things I WANT to do verses NEED to do.  As I read Resolution for Women by Priscilla Shirer over the weekend, she explains the balancing act like clear, glass boxes.

Some of us may have lots of boxes and others just a few.

 

Imagine having several clear boxes sitting in front of you, filled with pretty blue water.  Each box is filled with the exact same amount of water, signifying various activities of your life.  Our tendency is to attempt to keep them that way, equally filled with identical amounts of ourselves and our efforts.  Balance, right?  This is what we think balance looks like but in fact, it's what life looks like out of balance.  Realistically, balance in life doesn't mean putting everything we've got into each activity of our life all the time.  We'd plummet into failure if we did that.  There's no way one can put 100% of themselves into home life, 100% into work life and 100% into family life, etc.  

How do we achieve balance, then?

freedigitalphotos.net

First step is to pray about God's priorities for us, in this season of life, then rearrange the boxes accordingly.  You may have to push some boxes to the back, bringing others to the front and perhaps emptying some of the boxes and dumping more water into others.  In those primary boxes where most of the water is dumped into are the boxes we put the best of ourselves and our efforts.  Does that mean the other boxes aren't important anymore?  Certainly not!  It just means that we don't need to be allocating the best of ourselves in those particular boxes for the time being.

"Balance is not when the boxes are equally filled but when we are free to fill only those that are important for now, without feeling guilt over the ones that we've left for another time and place."

So each box(es) can take turns, as God sees fit.  Whatever moment you're living in will cue you toward the responsibilities that are inherent for you in this time and space.  This gives you permission to say no to certain things that are not really yours to carry right now.  In doing so, you'll find that every yes comes with a lot more freedom and fulfillment.  I have to always remind myself that whatever I think I may want, isn't necessarily want God wants for me at this time and I have to pray for wisdom to know the difference.

What boxes do you need to push to the front or to the back?  Which one(s) need(s) to be filled more than the others?  

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens."  Ecclesiastes 3:1

If you like what you've read, please take a moment and vote for me by clicking on the button for Top Mommy Blogs and choose Spiritual & Religious on the right of that page.  Thanks and come back soon! 

Suprisingly Satisfied

"But godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.  But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that."  1 Timothy 6:6-8

 With our recent loss of our beloved Koda Bear, I ended up telling a lot of people who wanted to know what happened to her.  With one person in particular, the breeder where we got her from, I found myself saying that I have no regrets with Koda.  I can't say that I wished I had walked her more, wished I hadn't yelled at her, wished I'd love on her more, played with her more.  With an exception of a couple of weeks where the weather was too hot to be out for walks or our busy week at camp, she responded, "She was just happy to be lying next to you..."

That's contentment, if you ask me.  Just being happy to lie next to someone you love, getting the occasional ear scratch and when you're lucky, going for a car ride to nowhere in particular.  What more could a dog want?  I took Koda's story as a lesson learned: to be happy with life right now, with what I've got, with what I'm doing, no matter where I am.  I know I've heard myself say to my kids, "Just be happy with what you've got, at least you've got something, right?"  I can preach that lesson to my kids, but can I accept it for myself?

"I want to lose 10 more pounds..."  Guilty!

"I wish we had a little more on payday..." Guilty!

"Our bed set is getting old, I want a new look..." Guilty!

"There's 'nothing' in the house to eat..."  Guilty!

"I want a bigger car...."  Guilty!

"I've got nothing to wear..."  Guilty!

I've heard myself say these things at least once in my life, and I will be the first to admit it's harder than heck to not always want more.  When I look back on pictures of me at the time I wanted to lose 10 more pounds, I wonder what I ever complained about now that I need to lose 20 pounds.  We never seem to have enough money, but if we had a little more money I would want to go out to eat, go shopping, or get my hair done.  When there was nothing in the house to eat, it wasn't because our cupboards were literally bare, it was because I wanted Oreos or chocolate.  We humans have been conditioned in this life to always want more, to never be satisfied.  God never intended for us to live like that on earth.  What we think we WANT is not necessarily what we NEED.

"God can be trusted to grant you the supply you need to excel at His purposes.  So if you don't have it, whatever it is, it's because you don't need it.  You may want it, but it's not necessary in order to accomplish what He knows is most important for your life today."   ~ Priscilla Shirer, The Resolution for Women

 Do you have a special need or joy in your life that need a prayer?  Blog about it (or leave a comment) and link up with me to help get the prayer chain rolling!  I look forward to praying and rejoicing with you!

The Lost, the Least and the Last

THE LOST....

Since school's been out and summer has set in, my "normal" schedule got pretty out of whack for a while.  The kids were out of control, the house a mess all the time and my husband has been working a lot lately.  It was easy for me to fall into bad habits while the world started to fall down around me.  I can't seem to understand why my kids aren't listening anymore and I'm actually tired of talking by the end of the night because I've repeated myself so much throughout the day.  Okay I'll admit, that last part has to lie on my shoulders.  I shouldn't have to repeat myself to get my kids to listen and consequences should've happened in the first round, but OOOOOOOH boy!  My kids would spend the whole summer in the corner if I did that!

THE LEAST....

My feet were starting to stick to the kitchen floor, which was the only motivation that lead me to actually grab the mop and use it. I looked at my clean-spanking kitchen floor and sighed in pride.  It smelled good, it looked good.... it was good!  Then my little tornadoes came whizzing through and I was reminded why I don't mop the kitchen floor as often as I used to.  I came to the realization that cleaning house is like working for non-profit.  Now, don't get me wrong.  I used to work for non-profit.  People who work for non-profit don't work it for the money. They're there because they care, because their job means something to them.  But the problem with non-profit is that the job is never done.  There's never an ending to a task because once one part of a task is completed, you have to take that task and apply it to another perspective and file it, record it, then file it.... again.  Once you actually finish that particular task, you turn around and there's another one your desk.  IT'S NEVER ENDING!  Why bother cleaning the house if my little shadows are going to create the destructive path again right behind me?

THE LAST...

Well, I'm always last.  Everyone gets to eat first and once I clean up that meal, I'm finally getting to eat mine, but only scarfing it down because the kids are right back in the kitchen asking for a treat or a snack before I swallow my first bite.  I've adopted the term "KITCHEN'S CLOSED".  I'm last out the door because everyone else needs to be ready first (then I'm blamed for making everyone late).  Once I clean up one kid, they're messy again before I finish the second one.  Last to bed, first one up... well okay, there's a glitch there.

My point to all this madness?  God blesses the lost, the least and the last.  God sees what we do all the time.  Moms don't always get notice of all they do, let alone a "thank you".  Most often, mom is not quick enough, not clever enough, or not even good enough...  Our job never ends, it's hard and it still needs to be done even though we're dead on our feet.  Why do we do it then?  Because our job means something.  It's important.  Keep an honest heart, do the best you can and pray for guidance, and God will pour blessings on you.

morguefile.com/ jdurham

"But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first."  ~ Matthew 19:30

  Is anyone out there?  Anyone?

10 Secrets to a Happy Marriage

I recently visited my sister and noticed a picture frame on her end table that I made for her and her family a few years ago for Christmas.  I had forgotten all about it but didn't give it too much thought.  The second time I visited, I noticed the picture frame on a different table.  We started talking about it and I told my sister how honored I felt that she still has the picture frame out in a place where it can be seen.  It was the easiest Christmas present to make but the message meant a lot to me and wanted to share it with the people I love in a creative way.  Now I want to share it with all of you. 

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. ~Phil 4:13
For nothing is impossible with God.  ~Luke 1:37

Ten Secrets to a Happy Marriage

1.     God has you here to serve one another.  Love acted out is serving.

2.     Women need respect and nurturing. Love your wife so she knows you’d lay your life down for her. Continue to date her and admire her. Share a hobby- find something you can do to have fun together.

3.     Laugh often.

4.     Be patient.  Love crumbles quickly under the weight of unmet expectations.

5.     Spend more time trying to fix yourself than your spouse.

6.     Keep short accounts.  Do not let the sun go down while you are angry.  Make it a habit to forgive.

7.     Determine up front that divorce is not an option.

8.     Learn about love languages.  Not all people show love or receive it the same way. You want a back rub and your spouse wants a clean kitchen.  The love languages are fairly simple:  acts of service, time, physical touch, gifts, and words of affirmation.  Learn them.  Love is better received when it’s in the language that person speaks.

9.     Words of affirmation are a love language for all men.

10.    Men are born to be leaders.  He cannot lead unless she gives him the confidence to do so. Confident men do not seek love outside the home.

God is always faithful, whether a person is in a season of blessing or a season of growing, whether in triumphs or trials.  Life is a better ride when you let God take the wheel.  Because along the way there will bound to be unexpected turns; and some turns only God can maneuver.

Karen Kingsbury

Firstborn Series 

Join the Prayer Station!  What are you praying about?

 

 

For all my family and friends that they may have blessed and happy marriages. That they may overcome any trials and tribulations, love and depend on each other.

Here! Take the Wheel...

Have you heard the song by Carrie Underwood "Jesus Take the Wheel"?   The woman was driving on an icy road, low on gas, scared, overwhelmed in life.  Then she threw up her hands and prayed, "Jesus, take the wheel...." to take my life and lead it for me.  





Have you ever done that?  Have you ever been so overwhelmed in life, it seems you can't take one more thing to go wrong before you crack, to lift up your hands in surrender and say, "God, I surrender.  Lead my life cuz I can't do it on my own!"?

Have you ever wondered why it's hard to scratch your own back?  To clip a bracelet with one hand?  Have a baby?  Hang a gutter by yourself? Because we were made to not be alone.  Those are things we do as humans that are hard to do by ourselves, (but can be done if you get creative) but God didn't intend for us to be alone on this earth.  God wants us to depend on Him and ask for help when we need it.

I remember when my stepson was younger, he was playing a military game on the Playstation where he had to talk to his soldiers and tell them what to do so they could win the battle.  He would send the soldiers ahead of him to check things out before he advanced, but he wouldn't wait long enough for the soldiers to get there and proceeded to move on and do it himself (then he would die every time).  My husband stopped what he was doing to watch him and said to him.  "Son, if you send your soldiers ahead of you, you need to be patient and let them do the job you've given them to do."

When we are overwhelmed in life, taken on too much to do and about ready to crack, ask God to take your wheel and lead you in the path He wants you to go.  Throw your hands up in the air and say, "God, I just need a little help!"  Then sit back, take a breath and patiently wait for Him to lead you.  I'm not saying that something will miraculously appear and take away all your stress and craziness right then and there.  What we need to pray for is a clear mind and a little peace to help us see more clear, because when we can see and think more clearly, we are able to hear (or "see") the direction God wants us to go.... and it will always be the path that will lead us to peace.

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you I will uphold you with my right hand."  ~ Isaiah 41: 10

Link up with me and join The Prayer Station! What are you praying about?
 

For my family

What Doesn't Kill Us...

"Therefore we do not lose heart... inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."  ~ 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

My bad day from yesterday has yet to end.  Most often than not, I usually wake up with a refreshed attitude and yesterday's worries aren't so big anymore.  Not so much today.  It started off good, but then as I sat on the couch at noon, still in my pajamas, I realized that it's never a good idea to break your own rules.  Our summer rule is that everyone must be dressed and ready for the day and chores completed before 10am.  Seems harsh, but when we're up around 7am, three hours is more than enough time to lay around and be lazy.  Usually by 10am, the girls start fighting, I'm shooing them out the door to get them out of my hair and the house is left for me to clean up and get back in order.  Our day begins and I'm not even dressed.  Our summer rule lasted about a week and a half.  Now I'm realizing, they are rules that shouldn't be broken.

I am so thankful that my husband was home today.  He's been working a lot lately and we haven't seen him much, which probably explains why I'm getting burnt out.  Our 8-year-old has turned into a teenager overnight and our 4-year-old picked up whining and demanding.  It dawned on me recently how much I'm needed.... and it's not the kind of things that I'm really needed for, just like the Invisible Mom.  I'm needed to get a snack, find a part to a toy, referee an argument, etc.  I'm needed for one child to tattle on the other, to ask if friends can come over.  When I ask a question or say something needs to be done, I get blank stares as if I'm not even there.  All those things a mother can go days, weeks, even months before she realizes it's gotten out of hand.  And thank God for husbands who step in and take over when mom is about to break.

I mentioned to a friend that I don't make a very good Summer Mom.  We fall out of schedule very easily, I get lazy and let the kids do pretty much whatever they want but then get mad when I'm ready to get things back in order and no one wants to listen.  I love my friend so dearly, she always knows how to make me feel better.  "I don't think any of us [who stay home] make good Summer Moms...."  Thanks, Friend!  At least I'm not alone.

I do believe that no matter how old anyone is, lessons are always needing to be learned.  I certainly learned my lesson from yesterday.  I got the kids to bed on time tonight.  When we ask God for help or understanding, we are being renewed... everyday.  For our momentary troubles achieves us eternal glory, or maybe better said, "What doesn't kill us, makes us stronger."  But only if we ask God to help us through it.

"Do what you can do, even if you think it's not enough.  Do what you can do and God will do what you can't."  ~ Joyce Meyer

Join the Prayer Station!

I pray for my in-law's neighbors who got hit hard from the storm tonight. Trees came down hitting cars and houses and the neighborhood is a mess. I pray their power comes on very soon. We are blessed that no one was hurt.

For the people trapped in cars under power lines where my husband works. Please watch over them and my husband as he helps people get home safely.

For my friend Kristen who had surgery yesterday.

Many thanks for the extra energy to get my kids to bed on time tonight.

The Invisible Mother

It all started with a kick in the ribs.  Well actually, it started with a swear word right at my daughter.  I knew I was about to swear at her and I heard myself in my head say, "don't do it..." but I did it anyway.  The look on my daughter's face was shock and probably hurt.  As I yelled at her to get upstairs and start brushing her teeth, at the same moment I was struggling with my 4-year-old trying to get a deep-in-sleep child to take some medicine.  Marcella was trying to confess her mistake of spilling makeup on her white comforter and although I showed I was upset about it, I really didn't care.  It washes out.  Perhaps I was frustrated at trying to get my youngest to drink her medicine without spilling it on the couch and half frustrated with myself that I allowed my kids to stay up late again.  I haven't written anything in over a week and I was really missing my computer.  I was looking forward to getting some posts done and found myself frustrated at my daughters' lack of speed because of my own lazy negligence. 

Marcella and I have our best one-on-one talks at bedtime, but perhaps my lack of understanding of the spilled makeup caused her to be less than interested in talking to me.  All she wanted to do was complain about how bad her whole entire day was.  As I leaned over her legs to get a better look at her while I we were talking, she kicked me in the ribs as if she was "stretching" to get me to move off of her.  She's been doing that a lot lately.  She'll bounce her foot on my leg as we're sitting together when she sees me trying to steady my hand at something else, or she'll kick me to get me to move away from her.  When I stopped scratching her arm to move, she got upset with me because I stopped.  That's when I told her that I have feelings too and that it hurts me when she kicks me away instead of using words to ask me to move.  She doesn't treat her friends like that, why does she do it to me?

As I fell on my own bed in exhaustion, I couldn't cry although I wanted to.  A few minutes later Marcella comes in and I gave her more grief about getting out of bed (that's getting out of hand too).  She laid down on the floor and I silently cried.  I eventually went into the bathroom, shut the door and finished my crying fit. Then I saw this on the floor:

 When she wrote, "do you love me too?" it was natural for me to wonder if she feels enough of my love. We rarely ever get one-on-one time and when I am motivated to do something special with her, she'd rather play with her friends.  It seems so hard to love someone even more than I already do when it's hard to love myself enough to take care of myself.

I could justify all these crazy emotions over our crazy summer schedule lately, lack of sleep and certainly lack of "me" time.  I'm going to bed late and waking up early because that's the only time I get peace.  I can't even remember the last time I had a date with my husband.  I'm in desperate need of a break.

It is so strange how I came across the story of the Invisible Mother.  I'm sure you've read it.  It's been floating around emails for years.  It touched me so much that I printed it out and kept it all these years.  I came across it the other day and wanted to write about the story. How fitting it was over what happened to me tonight.  In case you've never read it, or want to read it again, here it is:

 The Invisible Mother

Author Unknown

I couldn’t make sense of the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids would walk into the room while I was on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on the phone?" Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all.

I'm invisible. The invisible mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more. "Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?" Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?"  I'm a satellite guide to answer "What number is the Disney Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Right around 5:30, please."

morguefile.com/anitapatterson

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history, music and literature and the mind that graduated sum a cum laud-- but now, they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she is gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package and said, "I brought you this." It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription:

morguefile.com/anka2103

"To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees."

In the days ahead I would read --- no, devour the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:

1) No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. 2) These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. 3) They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. 4) The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it."  And the workman replied, "Because God sees." I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place.

It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become."

morguefile.com/priyanphoenix

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction, but it is not a disease that is erasing my life.  It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness.  It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder; as one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree. When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand-bastes a turkey for 3 hours and presses all the linens for the table." That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend to add, "You're gonna love it there ...."

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Join the prayer station! What are you praying about?

Laughing at Faith

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?" ~ Isaiah 43:18-19

Have you had an attitude check lately?  I did not too long ago.  I remember being tired of being around myself.  It was hard to get out of bed, I had no energy and I really started to plummet into not caring about things around me.  Many nights, I couldn't care much whether or not I cooked dinner for my kids.  Grilled cheese was the #1 item on the menu.  But I remember waking up one day and was sick enough of myself that I decided to change my attitude.  Instead of dragging myself out of bed, I popped up and got dressed.  I made my bed immediately and started fiddling around the kitchen, making coffee and I think I even sorted through mail.  That was enough to motivate me to keep going.  I liked how I was feeling and was determined to keep the feeling going.  This new attitude even reflected around me as I was out and about.  Traffic didn't seem to bother me quite as much.  Even waiting in line took a whole new outlook.

Have you ever asked for something in prayer and realized that you have yet to receive your blessing?  Have you asked and asked and felt like God wasn't even listening?  This reminds me of the story of Abraham and Sarah.  They asked for a baby, then God spoke to Abraham and said, sure!  I'll give you a baby.... but then 20 years passed by and still no baby.  Sarah was in her 90's and Abraham was really old when they found out that Sarah was expecting.  Sarah laughed and the Lord said, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" Genesis 18:14

Sometimes we think we know what we need and/or want, but God's will is many times completely different from our own.  We have to trust that God's plan will far exceed our own and we have to have faith that we will have abundance of blessings if we just believe.  Sarah laughed at her faith when God finally came through.  He had His reasons, as you may recall was about the time Mary was with child as well.

moreguefile.com/darnok

We can laugh at our faith when our prayers aren't answered right away or in the manner in what we had hoped.  Sometimes we need an attitude check regarding our faith.  Are you asking for blessings and demanding results right away?  Did you thank the Lord when He does come through?  Always remember, God's plan will always be better than what we think we know is best for us.  Don't let your past determine your future.  God will answer your prayers all in good time.  It's important to keep our attitude in check while we're waiting.

Join The Prayer Station!

I just found out that the man we were saving plastic bottle caps for chemo treatment is now CANCER FREE!  The family is so grateful for all the saved bottle caps (and there were a lot!) that they want to continue to keep saving the caps and give them to other families who need them.  Thank you, Lord for You are good!!!

The Prayer Jar

Just copying posts from my old website...

My dad used to say to me, “the easiest thing in the world to do is to turn off your alarm clock and go back to sleep.”  Everyday, we all experience that alarm clock going off and will it to explode and disappear forever.  It’s also easy to start the day with a glum and negative attitude when we’d rather just stay in bed and sleep the day away.  One day, I woke up and decided that my own negative attitude was draining the life out of me and decided to change.  Instead of complaining about nothing ever going my way or nothing good ever happens to me, I decided to be happy.  Simply happy, for no reason at all.  I suddenly noticed a lot of good things were happening around me and then good things started happening to me.  I started smiling more and had more energy.  Not so long ago, I noticed many negative things happening in my life and started to get down on myself.  I started to get down on God for allowing bad things to happen to me.  The other day, I read a daily devotion about a prayer jar. Doris Speer writes her requests to God and puts them in a jar.  Then when she needs to, she pulls out the requests and sees how many prayers God has answered for her.

So I began to write a prayer journal.  I keep it with my Bible.  I don’t write specifics or write a long story, just short tidbits of something I prayed about. How easy is it to blame God for all the bad things happening around us and when we’re in a bad mood, it’s much easier to focus on the negative?  God answers so many little prayers for us all throughout the day.  Didn’t you find your keys when they were lost?  There was a parking spot right up front at the store when it was raining?  Your child came home safe and sound from school?  You made it to payday so you could buy groceries?
The next day, I reviewed the recent list of prayers and started to draw a cross by the ones that God had answered for me. Then it dawned on me, God answers so many prayers for me but I often forget to thank Him for many of them.  So now, when I look back on my list of prayers, I’m reminded to thank God for all the crosses drawn in my prayer journal.

“Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”  Mark 11:24

How Much is Your Worth?

Just copying old posts from my old website....


Do you count your earthly possessions?  How many of us have more than one car, more than two tv’s, lots of clothes, plenty of food in the pantry, jewelry, appliances, cell phones, gaming systems, savings accounts?  The list goes on and on.  If you think about it, even if you don’t have a lot of money in the bank, you’re still “worth” a lot of possessions.
But, what is your “worth” to God?

“Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”  ~Luke 12:7

Do you think God cares how much we have on this earth or how much we’ve accomplished?  Perhaps that’s why when we die, we can’t take anything with us.

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.”  ~Psalm 139:13. 

Things we have while we’re alive are not as important as the love we should have for God.

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!”  ~ 1 John 3:1

Have you ever loved someone so much, it hurts?  A love so deep, you can’t describe it?  That’s how much God loves us, and even more than that.  It’s almost too much to fathom.
Our job while we’re here on earth is to learn as much as we can about God and embellish our relationship with Him. The more we grow in our relationship with God, the more rewards we will possess while here on earth, and God’s rewards are the greatest possession we will ever have on this earth.

Remember these fun ways to love God:

FROG:  Fully Rely On God
DOG: Depend On God
PUSH: Pray Until Something Happens

Make Them Thirsty

It seems to me lately that there are millions of blogs out there now.  It seems to be the "in" thing to do.  Blogging is actually a very cool idea.  Many blogs are very creative, some are highly sought out for with high numbers of followers, and some are plain and simple, and some with just a few followers.  The main point of blogging is to tell someone something you want to say; however, it's up to the author of the blog to catch someone's attention and keep it.

Whether an author has one follower or one million, whether they blog, write a book, a journal or a simple email or Facebook status; to be an author means to have an incredible opportunity to make a difference in someone's life.  So once you have someone's attention, be sure to make it count.

A young Salesperson was disappointed. He had lost an important sale. In discussing the matter with the Sales Manager, the young man shrugged.

"I guess it just proves you can lead a horse to water, but you can not make him drink," he said.

"Son," said the Sales Manager, "let me give you a piece of advice: your job is not to make him drink. It's to make him thirsty."

"The two most important days in your life are the day you were born, and the day you find out why." -Mark Twain

1-2-3 Pause

You've heard it before, "Don't forget to stop and smell the roses...."  We are so busy these days most of us don't even have time to breathe.  Fast food restaurants are at an all-time high, eating on the run, making phone calls on the run, checking e-mails on the run....  Does that even sound appealing?  Who wants to live life like that?

Have you looked around our world?

I mean really looked? Our world's sunrises and sunsets are gorgeous, mountains of trees that look like broccoli, beaches with seashells, array of brilliance in flower gardens, stars in the night sky, even bugs that sit on a window for a rest can bring some kind of interest, even for a non-bug person like me.  As long as I'm on the other side of the glass, I can't help but to stop and look at a bug chillin' on a window. 

it's looking at me!

Have you ever wondered....

If you had the opportunity to create your own world, something completely different than what you know the world to be, how would you do it?  Perhaps you could come up with some interesting creatures and 'things' but have you ever thought about how you would create it in the very beginning?  It's almost too much to wrap around my brain.  I'm a creative person, but not THAT creative!

When I see something beautiful or interesting in this world, I can't help but give God credit for creating something like that.  I've learned to "stop and smell the roses" and ponder just how little I am in this universe.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.... And God said, "let there be light," and there was light.  God saw the light was good.  Then God created the sky and there was evening, and there was morning - the second day and God saw that it was good. 

morguefile.com demondimum

He also made the stars to give light on earth and separate light from darkness and God saw that it was good. 

morguefile.com/PatriciaEGreen

God said let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth and so God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing and God saw it was good. 

morguefile.comluisrock62

So God created man (and female) and God blessed them.  And God saw it was good....  Taken from Genesis 1

morguefile.com/phaewilk

It's so important to "stop and smell the roses" from time to time and give thanks to God for giving us such wonderful gifts.  God gives us light to see, flowers to smell and most importantly love that we all can never have too much of!

"Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.  Know that the Lord is God.  It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture."  ~ Psalm 100: 1-3

What have you stopped to ponder and wonder today?