Am I the only mom who has aspirations for her children? Please, tell me you do it too. At times I get caught up with the idea of who or what my child will become. Possibly an actor, maybe a negotiator or could it be professional football player? I am just hoping they won’t be in jail!
I have been thinking about this for some time now. When my husband and I married, we made a commitment to one another. It wasn’t in our vows and really wasn’t something we shared with people. It was a commitment that there was no way out of marriage. Every man in his family had at least one divorce in their life. He did not want to follow in those footsteps. The second thing we said was that together we would make right our family name.
Three sons later and I see how God is allowing that spoken prayer to be fulfilled. We now have three boys who will carry on our family name, but now what?
While I still want to them to do great things in their lives, I think my idea of ‘greatness’ is changing. The Bible says the following: “Whatever you do in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father“. More than what position they hold in their career or even what their career choice is, I simply want them to glorify God. Greatness to be is that they be full of integrity, slow to anger and quick to love, moved by compassion for others daily and at the end of the day, regardless of how good or bad it may have been, that they praise the Lord for that day.
I still think of what career they will chose as they grow up. I still encourage them in their strengths and want them to pursue things they enjoy. I am just finding that at the end of the day, I am giving God thanks for placing them in my life, regardless of what is happening in our lives.
I am not sure how predictable the weather is where you live but here, predictable it is not. One day you can walk out in short sleeves and feel comfortable and the next day there could be ice on the roads!
Last night is a good example of this as winds picked up and instead of rain or ice damage, there was wind damage all across the county. As I type this my hubby is at someones house from our church cutting up wood with his chainsaw.
I am not a fan of storms, or bad weather of any kind. I try to keep up to date with what is happening but let’s face it, with three boys it is difficult to actually hear what they are saying on the TV. Add to that we have satellite and when it goes out, so does my news.
Until now.
My husband got one of these for Christmas and I love it. It stays in our kitchen. It is plugged in always but it the power goes out we can hand crank it to make it work. The best part is that is has an emergency signal that comes on automatically if the weather is too severe. Well, it is a close first with the best part being I can listen to the radio or TV while cooking dinner on it!
Works for me! Check out what works for everyone else over at Shannon’s!
I love mission trips. They totally take me out of my comfort zone but I love them. I even met my husband on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic. I have had the opportunity to travel to the Dominican Republic twice, Mexico once and several places within the US. It is always so humbling to go on these trips. While I have seen some of the most impoverished places, I have seen those same people rejoice in the life Christ has given them.
Compassion International has an upcoming trip to Africa. They are taking some bloggers with them to do a live blog while there. How awesome will it be for everyone to read the blogs of these writers as they travel around Africa.
I encourage you to check out Shannon and Sophie’s blogs. Make sure to read the list of prayer requests from Shannon here. Since they will be live blogging, we will get to read in real time about their trip.
I know they would appreciate any prayers and encouragement as they travel this new journey!
A couple weeks ago, I wrote about the launch of the new campus of our church. I haven’t written an update for several reasons…most of them all selfish. For some time I have been trying to digest all the emotions that have come with this launch and more times than not I find it revolves around the ‘all about me’ mentality. You see, I used to walk in to sign in my children for Sunday school and never have to tell them my name. This last week, I had to tell my name, then correct the lady who not only spelled my last name wrong but put down the wrong first name, too. I wanted to cry. Not because she messed up the name…I am used the that at restaurants! No, I wanted to cry because I realized that I didn’t know her. She didn’t know me or my kids.Oh – it is totally not her fault! Believe me, there are so many new people walking in those doors I can’t keep track of anyone! The tears I held back were a mixture of sadness for what I was still leaving behind and excitement as I looked at this woman and realized I had a chance to really know her.
The message this last week was about community. I think I so often toss that word around as though it is not important. However, at the core of who I am, I need community. I am not talking about the walk in to church, smile and say hello and then leave community. I am talking about the call you at midnight because I am on the way to the ER community.
Heath and I have had the opportunity to lead a small group study over the last couple months. We have met people who have challenged us and made us laugh. We just have not gotten to where we can cry with them. By that I mean we are still learning to trust. They are still learning to trust. Sometimes it is so easy to get trapped into thinking that my life is complete with the friends I have. Let me tell you, I love my friends but I do think God is calling me to break out of that tiny circle.
I wonder if other people walk through those doors at church and want a friend. I wonder if they are searching people’s eyes for compassion and hope. I am taking steps to forge community with several people now…some in my small group and some that I just see each week. I want to take time to purposely invest in relationships not just smile at someone who I only see once a week. And so begins the journey of giving my trust to God first and allowing Him to direct my path with the relationships in the future!
Well, Sarah over at Ordinary Days is doing a fabulous giveaway….again! I tell you, she gives away great stuff all the time! What is it this time? A new Almay Smart Shade Foundation…in your choice of color. Free makeup? I mean can it get better than that? I don’t think so. Go on over and leave a comment, I am not sure if you have to have a blog or not. Once she gets 50 comments, she is closing the giveaway so hurry on over!
I must tell you I was in shock with I got the call that Heath Ledger died. I wasn’t a huge fan of his but it had more to do with the fact he was so young. I keep up with entertainment news often so I knew he had a young daughter. Turns out she was 2. The idea of dying so young, leaving a young child behind. It was just hard for me to think of that little girl learning her daddy was gone. Regardless of how he died, he left behind friends, career, a child. Things I would leave behind if I was gone. I processed it and thanked God I was still here and I could hug my boys goodnight when I tucked into bed last night.
Then I read this. If you don’t want to read it I will tell you that is says a church will picket his funeral because of his role in Brokeback Mountain. Seriously, I had to read it twice to believe it. I heard about it on the radio too. This is really getting around now. For goodness sake, what do we stand for as Christians that we are willing to go to the lengths of picketing someone’s funeral? I may not agree with every decision someone makes but I sure as heck would not take such a delicate and emotional time and exploit it. Furthermore, what gives us the right to cast judgement on anyone? Jesus told the Pharisees that if one of them was without sin they could cast the first stone at the woman. What happened? They all left and it was up to Jesus to cast that stone. And he didn’t of course.
I often wonder who gave us the idea that we could throw stones at people for just being people. We all have all made poor decisions, messed up something we regretted and just plain sinned. At the end of the day, Jesus doesn’t look at us, shake his head disapprovingly and say get ready for the smack of this rock. Instead, I believe he looks at me with soft eyes, open arms and says I am forgiven. Not perfect, forgiven.
He seemed to tolerate a lot of people, good and bad, in His day and still was the Son of God. If He can do things like eat with sinners why can’t I do the same thing? Picketing a funeral sure doesn’t seem like the thing Jesus would do. In fact, I think instead you just might find Him weeping for the loss of that little girl.
I am detoxing this week. Yes, it is true, I have become and addict. Late into the night I have been feeding this addiction. Then during the day I walk like a zombie around the house only doing what has to be done. What’s this addiction you ask.
Movies.
Yep – that’s it. Hubs and I rarely watch tv or at least not together. I am a huge Project Runway fan (not to mention Top Chef and Dancing with the Stars) but Hubs would rather gag on a wad of fabric than watch the designed form an outfit out of it. He likes Man vs. Wild. I would gag if I had to watch it all…and believe me, I have left the room with a queasy stomach while watching that show before! So watching something together is rare indeed. But for whatever reason the last week or so has been full of movies.
Now, before anyone falls into a fantasy and begins to think we set and watched all the romantic epics, please carefully step out of that dream. In truth, I am not much of a romantic kind of movie person. I do like them, mostly when my sister gives me a copy of one to watch but you won’t find me asking to see one of them. I love things with action, suspense and a little mystery. My top 10 movies are probably what someone would consider ‘guy’ movies.
We watched Shooter which is probably going to go on my top 10 list and kick something else off. It was great with tons of twists. I like it because it is pretty realistic…which is hard to find in an action movie sometimes. Then we watched Live Free or Die Hard. Being that I never saw the Die Hard movies I didn’t know what to expect. It is not very realistic but it was still a good movie. Add to those that we rented 3:10 to Yuma. The first half I saw was good…just a little slow. I had to go to bed and Hubs finished it. He said it was a good one. To further our crazy week of movie watching, we watched the three night mini series of Comanche Moon. It is the prequel to Lonesome Dove. I love Lonesome Dove. It is a fabulous story of friendship, love and adventure. Comanche Moon did not disappoint at all!
You see, instead of blogging, I am sleep walking most of the time! However, I am returning to normal now. It has been a good week just to sit on the couch with my hubby and stay up late and watch something together. It has been so long since we did that. And it felt so good to know he was right there with me.
Hope your week was full of excitement too and I will see you next week!
Crystal over at Biblical Womanhood hosts Frugal Fridays. This is my first time to try it but I intrigued at how she saves money. This week’s topic is how to save $100…painlessly! I have had to think about this one but here is what I have come up with:
1. We choose to only have the Sunday paper delivered. We get calls all the time with ’special offers’ for the rest of the week. Honestly, it is just too much wasted paper in our house.
2. We have basic telephone service. By basic I mean no long distance, no call waiting or caller id. We have cell phones and if someone needs us they can always call that if our phone is busy. Our cell phones also have long distance so we just them for long distance calls.
3. We price shop. We compare prices all the time…because prices are changing. We know if it is cheaper to buy bulk or to by with coupons.
4. Copying Crystal, my husband takes his lunch to work almost every day. I also send lunch to school with the boys.
5. We plan our shopping trips. By this I don’t just mean a list, even though we do that. We live in the middle of two towns, each with it’s own set of store. If we are going one way, we make sure to go to all the store needed while we are on that side of town. Sometimes, I give me husband a list to go to a store on his way home from work. This saves on gas and time.
How do you save money? Check out Crystal’s post for more ideas!
I have not had a chance to post on our holiday events so I think now is a good time to do that. Most of my family lives in town but there are always tons of celebrations. This year we had 5 different events to attend with our families. It can be a bit overwhelming but I really love it. I think family is important. The holidays are a bit sobering, too. Some people in my family are not Christ followers. It saddens me to think that the joy of Christmas is missed in their hearts.
Christmas is also the time we as a family is blessed. Our parents are so generous during this time. In previous years we have received a stroller for a baby on the way, baby formula that lasted half a year, and this year we got diapers. While they may not seem huge to many people, they are incredible blessings to us. It allows us the freedom to put money into savings or towards other items. The boys are also blessed as they get clothes, toys and books. One set of grandparents opened a savings account for each of them on their first Christmas and makes a deposit as part of their gift every year after. The boys may not know it now, but that will be a wonderful gift when they are old enough to appreciate the value of money.
This year, Heath and I decided not to budget extra money for gifts for each other and decided to buy for the boys instead. My parents got wind of that and my mom took each boy out to pick out a gift just for us. She wrapped them all, sent them to our house and on Christmas morning Heath and I each had a gift from each boy under our tree. It wasn’t necessary but it was a wonderful gift.
Some of the gifts at one celebration!
Yes, I may have to find a new place for the toys and books. I might need to hold some of the clothes until they grow into them. But at the end of the day, I look around and see blessings and I am thankful. I am thankful not for the items in my house but for the people who took time to bless us with them.
For other posts on thankfulness, check out Unequal Marriage, as she guest hosts this week.
I am so glad today is a Backwards Wednesday edition of Works for Me. Because, I so need some advice on this topic.
My 18 month old son, Silas, has recently decided that milk just isn’t for him. The older boys love milk so much so that I have to ration it to them or they fill up on that and nothing else. Not so with Silas. Silas sees me get the milk out of the fridge and starts screaming…after he has screamed for his cup. I have continued to pour it and hand him the cup only for him to throw the cup down and have a tantrum. He does drink juice occasionally but not too often. I know he could be wanting the juice but I am at a loss on how to get him to drink milk. He does eat pretty well but doesn’t care for things like cheese or yogurt on their own. I have to sneak in cheese to get him to eat it. Anyone have some ideas? I could sure use them!
If you have more advice, be sure to check out Shannon’s page.
