Check out what Paul pens in 2 Corinthians 7:5-6:
"When we came into Macedonia, we had no rest but were harassed at every turn - conflicts on the outside and fears within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus."
Sound familiar? Maxed out. Exhausted and overwhelmed with no rest in sight. Seems like everything and everyone are against you. Just wanna raise that white flag and be done. Just D.O.N.E.
BUT GOD.
Sometimes the most powerful words in Scripture are the smallest: BUT GOD.
I'll be the first to admit that it's tough to feel spiritual when I'm tired and overwhelmed. (Can I get a witness?!?!) And the longer the situation drags out, the worse things become!
BUT GOD.
Paul's words in 2 Corinthians remind me that in the middle of my exhaustion, God hasn't changed. He's still there. He's not tired or stressed out. In fact, He's patiently waiting to give me the comfort and rest I so need. All it takes is for me to take my eyes off my circumstances and focus on Him; to shift my mental and emotional energy from selfish sulking to God-centered praise.
Life is hard. Kids are demanding. Work is consuming. Ministry can be tiring.
BUT GOD.
He's got it all together. Always has and always will. I think I'll focus on Him today. You?
Monday, September 26, 2016
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Just You
1 Kings 19.
Elijah has just had a pretty incredible experience. Facing off against hundreds of pagan priests, boldly daring them to have their god send fire to ignite the sacrifice. Watching them pray, dance, even cut themselves for hours, all to no avail. Even taunting them... "Shout louder! Maybe he can't hear you. Keep asking! Maybe he's in the bathroom and will be back in a minute!" Pretty confident. Then praying to the one true God to ignite his sacrifice. Watching with mixed shock and satisfaction as God answers in a HUGE way, completely consuming the sacrifice with fire from Heaven. Slaughtering 450 prophets of Baal. Praying for God to send rain. Feeling the raindrops as God answers, ending years of drought. It's been a big day.
But then Queen Jezebel sends word that she's after Elijah, swearing that she will get revenge, promising to find and kill him. What does Elijah do? After being so full of faith, fearlessly challenging the nay-sayers, risking everything for God's reputation, what does this mighty man of God do in response to the queen's threat? He freaks out. He flees. And God sees it all. God watches as panic takes over and drains Elijah's faith. But instead of abandoning Elijah and his fickle faith, God runs after him. God meets him and minsters to him, giving Elijah the food, water, and rest he so desperately needs. But God's not done. Elijah doesn't realize it yet, but there's something else he needs much more than physical sustenance. Don't miss what God does next.
God speaks to Elijah. Not through a gale-force wind or an earth-shattering earthquake or a consuming fire, but through a soft whisper. And in the whisper, God teaches Elijah about Himself. In the middle of a life and death situation, God stops time to reveal Himself to Elijah. Because that's what Elijah needs most. Surrounded by deadly threats, lacking the basic necessities, running for his life - Elijah needs a lot of things. Food, water, shelter, protection, encouragement. But what he needs most is God. Elijah needs God to reveal Himself. He needs a fresh encounter with the Lord of the universe who creates, sustains, and controls everything. Through this encounter, Elijah's spirit is humbled, his faith rekindled, and his purpose renewed. The challenging circumstances remain, but now Elijah remembers the complete sufficiency and matchless might of God. Is anything too difficult for the God who set the stars in the sky simply by stretching out his hand?
Lord,
I now see that here and now, in the midst of my questions and worries, what I need most is not answers or provision. I need you. Just you. I need a fresh encounter with you. Reveal yourself, God. Speak to me. Show off! Split the sky, shake the ground, or just softly whisper. I'm waiting, watching, and listening for you. Because YOU are what I need. Just you.
Elijah has just had a pretty incredible experience. Facing off against hundreds of pagan priests, boldly daring them to have their god send fire to ignite the sacrifice. Watching them pray, dance, even cut themselves for hours, all to no avail. Even taunting them... "Shout louder! Maybe he can't hear you. Keep asking! Maybe he's in the bathroom and will be back in a minute!" Pretty confident. Then praying to the one true God to ignite his sacrifice. Watching with mixed shock and satisfaction as God answers in a HUGE way, completely consuming the sacrifice with fire from Heaven. Slaughtering 450 prophets of Baal. Praying for God to send rain. Feeling the raindrops as God answers, ending years of drought. It's been a big day.
But then Queen Jezebel sends word that she's after Elijah, swearing that she will get revenge, promising to find and kill him. What does Elijah do? After being so full of faith, fearlessly challenging the nay-sayers, risking everything for God's reputation, what does this mighty man of God do in response to the queen's threat? He freaks out. He flees. And God sees it all. God watches as panic takes over and drains Elijah's faith. But instead of abandoning Elijah and his fickle faith, God runs after him. God meets him and minsters to him, giving Elijah the food, water, and rest he so desperately needs. But God's not done. Elijah doesn't realize it yet, but there's something else he needs much more than physical sustenance. Don't miss what God does next.
God speaks to Elijah. Not through a gale-force wind or an earth-shattering earthquake or a consuming fire, but through a soft whisper. And in the whisper, God teaches Elijah about Himself. In the middle of a life and death situation, God stops time to reveal Himself to Elijah. Because that's what Elijah needs most. Surrounded by deadly threats, lacking the basic necessities, running for his life - Elijah needs a lot of things. Food, water, shelter, protection, encouragement. But what he needs most is God. Elijah needs God to reveal Himself. He needs a fresh encounter with the Lord of the universe who creates, sustains, and controls everything. Through this encounter, Elijah's spirit is humbled, his faith rekindled, and his purpose renewed. The challenging circumstances remain, but now Elijah remembers the complete sufficiency and matchless might of God. Is anything too difficult for the God who set the stars in the sky simply by stretching out his hand?
Lord,
I now see that here and now, in the midst of my questions and worries, what I need most is not answers or provision. I need you. Just you. I need a fresh encounter with you. Reveal yourself, God. Speak to me. Show off! Split the sky, shake the ground, or just softly whisper. I'm waiting, watching, and listening for you. Because YOU are what I need. Just you.
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Momma Bear
I've heard moms refer to their "Momma Bear" instinct, but I've never really experienced it first hand. Until today.
So we're back in the dentist office for the 4th time in 2 weeks (and that's a whole 'nother story). Jackson is back getting a filling while I'm sitting with Abie and Levi in the waiting room. Out of nowhere, a kid that is older and meaner than Levi walks up and, without introducing himself or waving or saying hi or anything civil like that, proceeds to whip out a pair of plastic handcuffs from his pocket, grab Levi's hands, and handcuff him. Levi looks at me with pleading eyes but doesn't say anything to the boy. And I'm totally taken aback. Honestly, I wasn't really sure what to do or say. The kid's Dad was sitting 6 feet away watching the whole thing. He looked at me, looked at his kid, and then shrugged his shoulders and chuckled.
Really? Who is your kid, and why is he handcuffing my kid? Who even does that?
Now let's review. The handcuffs are plastic, so there's nothing to worry about. BUT I'm pretty sure my kid is not enjoying what's going on. And suddenly my inner "Momma Bear" awoke.
Momma Bear. As in I may look cute and cuddly right now, but if you keep messing with my kid, I'm gonna tear your limbs off your body.
With my Momma Bear raging inside, I calmly looked at Levi and said, "Levi, do you like what he is doing to you?" Wide-eyed Levi shook his head. "Okay, then you need to tell him you don't want to play like that." Levi looked over at the kid and mumbled "please stop." To the kid's credit, he probably couldn't understand what Levi said, but he stopped, unhooked his handcuffs from Levi's hands, and went back over to sit with his Dad. But before I could put Abie down and talk to Levi, the kid came over again with handcuffs in hand.
This time, Momma Bear was not to be tamed. I looked at the kid and said, "You may not have heard him, but he said to please stop. So I think it's a good idea for you to go back over and sit with your Dad." The kid looked at me, looked at Levi, and then sauntered back over to his Dad. The Father never took his eyes off his iPhone. Some model parenting going on, obviously.
As soon as we got in the car, Levi and I chatted about being brave and speaking your mind, even if the person is bigger or meaner than you. I'll be transparent here: I never dreamed I would have to explicitly teach this skill of self-advocacy. Pretty sure I came of of the womb making my demands and desires clear to everyone. I've never had a problem telling others what I'm thinking, so I didn't realize this had to be taught. And thinking back, I'm glad we had that experience. It's important that my kids to learn to stick up for themselves before they're in a situation when the stakes are much higher.
PS: When I told Jackson about the incident, his response to the whole thing was, "Mom! Why did you let that kid bother Levi? You should have beat him up. I never woulda let nobody mess with my brother." Wonder how long it will be before I get a call from school saying the big brother has given someone a black eye for bothering the little brother.
PSS: For another story of a brave little learning to advocate for herself, check out this incredible kid-written blog by Ms. Ruby Witt. http://metalmouthinthesouth.blogspot.com/2016/08/ready-or-not.html
So we're back in the dentist office for the 4th time in 2 weeks (and that's a whole 'nother story). Jackson is back getting a filling while I'm sitting with Abie and Levi in the waiting room. Out of nowhere, a kid that is older and meaner than Levi walks up and, without introducing himself or waving or saying hi or anything civil like that, proceeds to whip out a pair of plastic handcuffs from his pocket, grab Levi's hands, and handcuff him. Levi looks at me with pleading eyes but doesn't say anything to the boy. And I'm totally taken aback. Honestly, I wasn't really sure what to do or say. The kid's Dad was sitting 6 feet away watching the whole thing. He looked at me, looked at his kid, and then shrugged his shoulders and chuckled.
Really? Who is your kid, and why is he handcuffing my kid? Who even does that?
Now let's review. The handcuffs are plastic, so there's nothing to worry about. BUT I'm pretty sure my kid is not enjoying what's going on. And suddenly my inner "Momma Bear" awoke.
 |
| Image from unsplash.com |
Momma Bear. As in I may look cute and cuddly right now, but if you keep messing with my kid, I'm gonna tear your limbs off your body.
With my Momma Bear raging inside, I calmly looked at Levi and said, "Levi, do you like what he is doing to you?" Wide-eyed Levi shook his head. "Okay, then you need to tell him you don't want to play like that." Levi looked over at the kid and mumbled "please stop." To the kid's credit, he probably couldn't understand what Levi said, but he stopped, unhooked his handcuffs from Levi's hands, and went back over to sit with his Dad. But before I could put Abie down and talk to Levi, the kid came over again with handcuffs in hand.
This time, Momma Bear was not to be tamed. I looked at the kid and said, "You may not have heard him, but he said to please stop. So I think it's a good idea for you to go back over and sit with your Dad." The kid looked at me, looked at Levi, and then sauntered back over to his Dad. The Father never took his eyes off his iPhone. Some model parenting going on, obviously.
As soon as we got in the car, Levi and I chatted about being brave and speaking your mind, even if the person is bigger or meaner than you. I'll be transparent here: I never dreamed I would have to explicitly teach this skill of self-advocacy. Pretty sure I came of of the womb making my demands and desires clear to everyone. I've never had a problem telling others what I'm thinking, so I didn't realize this had to be taught. And thinking back, I'm glad we had that experience. It's important that my kids to learn to stick up for themselves before they're in a situation when the stakes are much higher.
PS: When I told Jackson about the incident, his response to the whole thing was, "Mom! Why did you let that kid bother Levi? You should have beat him up. I never woulda let nobody mess with my brother." Wonder how long it will be before I get a call from school saying the big brother has given someone a black eye for bothering the little brother.
PSS: For another story of a brave little learning to advocate for herself, check out this incredible kid-written blog by Ms. Ruby Witt. http://metalmouthinthesouth.blogspot.com/2016/08/ready-or-not.html
Sunday, August 21, 2016
I Bet There was Blood Everywhere!
This morning's Sunday School lesson was about the suffering of Job.
On the way home from church, I asked the boys what they learned in Sunday School. The conversation went something like this:
Me: So boys, what did you guys talk about in Sunday School today?
Jackson: We learned about a guy named Job. Lots of bad stuff happened to him.
Levi: Yeah, and a big storm came up and killed all his family 'cept him. And I bet there was blood everywhere!!!
Jackson: And Job got sick and had these sores all over his body.
Levi: Yeah! And blood was just coming out of his skin probly (that's Levi-speak for probably).
Jackson: Levi, hush. So at the end, God told Job, "Do you know how this world works? Nope. I do. So just stop whining and believe in me."
Levi: Yeah, and God probably had blood on his head and stuff, too!!
At this point, I felt like we might be focusing more on blood and gore than Biblical truth, so I stopped the conversation. But I made a mental note to ask Levi's Sunday School teacher exactly what she taught them in Sunday School.
On the way home from church, I asked the boys what they learned in Sunday School. The conversation went something like this:
Me: So boys, what did you guys talk about in Sunday School today?
Jackson: We learned about a guy named Job. Lots of bad stuff happened to him.
Levi: Yeah, and a big storm came up and killed all his family 'cept him. And I bet there was blood everywhere!!!
Jackson: And Job got sick and had these sores all over his body.
Levi: Yeah! And blood was just coming out of his skin probly (that's Levi-speak for probably).
Jackson: Levi, hush. So at the end, God told Job, "Do you know how this world works? Nope. I do. So just stop whining and believe in me."
Levi: Yeah, and God probably had blood on his head and stuff, too!!
At this point, I felt like we might be focusing more on blood and gore than Biblical truth, so I stopped the conversation. But I made a mental note to ask Levi's Sunday School teacher exactly what she taught them in Sunday School.
Being a SAHM Means...
So I'm back home again. Not that I ever really left it (makes me sound like a prodigal!), but I returned to work 2 years ago when Levi was 2 and Jackson was 4. Now that we have a new little in our family again (Welcome Abie Jay!), I'm taking a break from teaching (again), and I'm back staying at home. (And just FYI, the previous sentence is a beautiful example of a Compound-Complex sentence. See? You may leave teaching, but it never leaves you.)
As I was piddling around the house this morning doing chores, some ironies came to mind. Some conflicting dualisms, if you will (or even if you won't, too bad!).
Being a Stay At Home Mom Means:
1. Being able to be the one who feeds sweet Abie Jay (but sometimes that feels like that's ALL I do. I mean, EVERY. OHTER. HOUR. for crying out loud. Plus it means that I'm the one who gets thrown up on. A lot.).
2. Getting a jump-start on tonight's dinner, cutting up the veggies for stiryfry ahead of time! (However, being on one income means fresh veggies for stir fry are a treat and not the norm.)
3. Having my morning Bible study - my "Quiet Time" - at 8am instead of 5:30am (but the later time means I have a buddy that helps me with Bible study, and it's no longer a "Quiet" time.).
4. Being able to wash dishes and vacuum in the middle of the day instead of at midnight. (Beware, though! Others WILL misunderstand your job description and think this is all you do. Even the hubster may be prone to ignorant remarks. Recent example: "You didn't get this celery washed and cut today? What happened?")
So let's review. These days, my hours are filled with:
- lots of making, feeding, and washing bottles
- lots of preparing, cooking, and cleaning up meals
- lots of baby snuddles (in case you don't know, that's snuggles and cuddles combined)
- lots of household chores
- lots of budget balancing and couponing
It's way different from working, and it is its own kind of hard. But I'm thankful for the opportunity, and I'll work every day to enjoy this season of life.
#thedaysarelongbuttheyearsareshort!
As I was piddling around the house this morning doing chores, some ironies came to mind. Some conflicting dualisms, if you will (or even if you won't, too bad!).
Being a Stay At Home Mom Means:
1. Being able to be the one who feeds sweet Abie Jay (but sometimes that feels like that's ALL I do. I mean, EVERY. OHTER. HOUR. for crying out loud. Plus it means that I'm the one who gets thrown up on. A lot.).
2. Getting a jump-start on tonight's dinner, cutting up the veggies for stiryfry ahead of time! (However, being on one income means fresh veggies for stir fry are a treat and not the norm.)
3. Having my morning Bible study - my "Quiet Time" - at 8am instead of 5:30am (but the later time means I have a buddy that helps me with Bible study, and it's no longer a "Quiet" time.).
4. Being able to wash dishes and vacuum in the middle of the day instead of at midnight. (Beware, though! Others WILL misunderstand your job description and think this is all you do. Even the hubster may be prone to ignorant remarks. Recent example: "You didn't get this celery washed and cut today? What happened?")
So let's review. These days, my hours are filled with:
- lots of making, feeding, and washing bottles
- lots of preparing, cooking, and cleaning up meals
- lots of baby snuddles (in case you don't know, that's snuggles and cuddles combined)
- lots of household chores
- lots of budget balancing and couponing
It's way different from working, and it is its own kind of hard. But I'm thankful for the opportunity, and I'll work every day to enjoy this season of life.
#thedaysarelongbuttheyearsareshort!
Sunday, April 27, 2014
What Are We Doing Tomorrow?
Jackson Bird asks A LOT of questions, as do most kids his age. But the most annoying question is easily the one he asked 45 minutes ago, and then again just now, and will ask again in 30 minutes. Without fail, totally out of the blue, multiple times each day, Bird will ask, "What are we doing tomorrow?"
Sometimes I think ahead and briefly list aloud our routine for the next day. Other times I'll switch it around on him and say, "Well, what do YOU think we're doing tomorrow?" But most often I feel like pulling my hair out and yelling "I've already answered this question 50 times today! And if you ask it again, you won't live long enough to see tomorrow!!"
Despite my frustration, the same question keeps coming. So I had a brilliant brainstorm. I created a "calendar" just for Bird. It has the days of the week on it, labels for YESTERDAY, TODAY, and TOMORROW, and picture cards for various activities that might come up during a normal week (like school, church, library, grocery store, bank, playground, going to grandparents' etc).
Here's What I Did:
1. Bought an oil drip pan from Wal-Mart. ($13??)
2. Covered it with burlap & ribbon using hot glue
3. Printed the label cards on the computer & mounted them on card-stock
4. Printed the picture activity cards from Mrs.Riley's.com (free 24-hour trial to create these)
5. Laminated all the labels and picture cards
6. Took plain magnets I had left over (from Hobby Lobby) and hot-glued plastic buttons on top
7. Hung it on the wall using 3M removable adhesive strips
8. Allowed Jackson to help me arrange the board in the correct days-of-the-week order and put the activity cards under the correct day.
Here's a closer look:
So I'm hoping this will help him learn the days of the week, recognize YESTERDAY, TODAY, and TOMORROW, and it might even reduce the number of times he asks me, "What are we doing tomorrow?"
We only spent about 5 minutes on it tonight, but so far he LOVES it. Bird enjoyed picking out the pictures and putting them under the appropriate days. And because my Bird loves logic and order, I'm guessing he will take great joy in seeing that the activity picture cards match up to the real activities of each day.
Levi, on the other hand, has already discovered his favorite activity card. It's a picture of the Chick-Fil-A logo. Eating nuggets & playing on the indoor playground at Chick-Fil-A is one of our favorite Friday activities. You can see how Levi feels about it...
Pure excitement coursing through his 21-month-old veins. Nothing better than Friday lunches at Chick-Fil-A.
So, how do you teach your littles about calendar skills & routine? Any ideas?
Sometimes I think ahead and briefly list aloud our routine for the next day. Other times I'll switch it around on him and say, "Well, what do YOU think we're doing tomorrow?" But most often I feel like pulling my hair out and yelling "I've already answered this question 50 times today! And if you ask it again, you won't live long enough to see tomorrow!!"
Despite my frustration, the same question keeps coming. So I had a brilliant brainstorm. I created a "calendar" just for Bird. It has the days of the week on it, labels for YESTERDAY, TODAY, and TOMORROW, and picture cards for various activities that might come up during a normal week (like school, church, library, grocery store, bank, playground, going to grandparents' etc).
Here's What I Did:
1. Bought an oil drip pan from Wal-Mart. ($13??)
2. Covered it with burlap & ribbon using hot glue
3. Printed the label cards on the computer & mounted them on card-stock
4. Printed the picture activity cards from Mrs.Riley's.com (free 24-hour trial to create these)
5. Laminated all the labels and picture cards
6. Took plain magnets I had left over (from Hobby Lobby) and hot-glued plastic buttons on top
7. Hung it on the wall using 3M removable adhesive strips
8. Allowed Jackson to help me arrange the board in the correct days-of-the-week order and put the activity cards under the correct day.
Here's a closer look:
So I'm hoping this will help him learn the days of the week, recognize YESTERDAY, TODAY, and TOMORROW, and it might even reduce the number of times he asks me, "What are we doing tomorrow?"
We only spent about 5 minutes on it tonight, but so far he LOVES it. Bird enjoyed picking out the pictures and putting them under the appropriate days. And because my Bird loves logic and order, I'm guessing he will take great joy in seeing that the activity picture cards match up to the real activities of each day.
 |
| Very proud of his new calendar |
Levi, on the other hand, has already discovered his favorite activity card. It's a picture of the Chick-Fil-A logo. Eating nuggets & playing on the indoor playground at Chick-Fil-A is one of our favorite Friday activities. You can see how Levi feels about it...
 |
| Ready to dominate the Chick-Fil-A indoor playgournd |
Pure excitement coursing through his 21-month-old veins. Nothing better than Friday lunches at Chick-Fil-A.
So, how do you teach your littles about calendar skills & routine? Any ideas?
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Mother Hood Is:
Motherhood is lots of things, and much of it really defies description. But there are a few basic elements of the motherhood experience that can be put into words.
Motherhood is missing your daily mid-naptime treadmill workout because your 20 month old is hammering on his bedroom walls instead of napping.
Motherhood is doing a 20 minute workout video in your living room while a toddler sits on your stomach during crunches or hangs onto your leg during jumping jacks.
Motherhood is listening to an opinionated 4 year old yell about his distaste for water served with his hot dog, and then giving him water anyway.
Motherhood is watching any given Disney movie no less than 20 times straight before a new movie is even considered.
Motherhood is going to the bathroom with children in tow. Every. Time. (I mean GOOD GRIEF! Little People! Can I not even put in a tampon alone?)
Motherhood is going out of your way to make a fresh-fruit smoothie for you kids and then having your oldest tell you, "This is gross!" while the youngest gulps down both servings.
Motherhood is trying not to throw up while on your hands and knees cleaning up the 2 servings of smoothie the toddler drank and then up-chucked after playing chase.
Motherhood is calmly ignoring your kicking, screaming, struggling-against-the-buggie-straps kid at the grocery store while smiling at others you pass.
Motherhood is counting down the minutes until Daddy gets home, only to have him walk in the door and ask, "Is dinner ready now, or do I have time to go work out?"
Motherhood is early-morning snuggling during Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, late-afternoon reading to lap-dwelling littles, and just-before-bed splashes in the tub with giggling boys.
You can't beat it.
Motherhood is missing your daily mid-naptime treadmill workout because your 20 month old is hammering on his bedroom walls instead of napping.
Motherhood is doing a 20 minute workout video in your living room while a toddler sits on your stomach during crunches or hangs onto your leg during jumping jacks.
Motherhood is listening to an opinionated 4 year old yell about his distaste for water served with his hot dog, and then giving him water anyway.
Motherhood is watching any given Disney movie no less than 20 times straight before a new movie is even considered.
Motherhood is going to the bathroom with children in tow. Every. Time. (I mean GOOD GRIEF! Little People! Can I not even put in a tampon alone?)
Motherhood is going out of your way to make a fresh-fruit smoothie for you kids and then having your oldest tell you, "This is gross!" while the youngest gulps down both servings.
Motherhood is trying not to throw up while on your hands and knees cleaning up the 2 servings of smoothie the toddler drank and then up-chucked after playing chase.
Motherhood is calmly ignoring your kicking, screaming, struggling-against-the-buggie-straps kid at the grocery store while smiling at others you pass.
Motherhood is counting down the minutes until Daddy gets home, only to have him walk in the door and ask, "Is dinner ready now, or do I have time to go work out?"
Motherhood is early-morning snuggling during Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, late-afternoon reading to lap-dwelling littles, and just-before-bed splashes in the tub with giggling boys.
You can't beat it.
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