Oh how I just love this song!
What a wonderful reminder that no matter what we are going through, happiness or sadness, worries or struggles...Come to Jesus!
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light."
~Matthew 11:28
Weak and wounded sinner
Lost and left to die
O, raise your head, for Love is passing by
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus and live!
Now your burdens lifted
And carried far away
And precious blood has washed away the stain...so
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus and live!
And like a newborn baby
Don't be afraid to crawl
And remember when you walk, sometimes we fall...so
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus and live!
Sometimes the way is lonely
And steep and filled with pain
So if your sky is dark and pours the rain...then
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus and live!
O, and when the love spills over
And music fills the night
And when you can't contain your joy inside...then
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus and live!
And with your final heartbeat
Kiss the world goodbye
Then go in peace, and laugh on glory's side...and
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus and live!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
Alive Again...
Late have I loved you.
Beauty at once so ancient and so new.
Too late have I loved you.
You were within, and I was without, and I searched the world for you.
Clumsily, I rushed heedlessly among the lovely things you have made.
You were with me, but I was not with you.
Things kept me far from you, even though they were not at all unless they were in you. You called to me; You cried aloud to me; You broke through my barrier of deafness.
You shone upon me; Your radiance enveloped me; You put my blindness to flight.
You shed your fragrance about me; I drew breath and now I gasp for You; tasted You and now I hunger and thirst for You.
You touched me and I burned for Your Peace.
~St. Augustine ~Confessions
Beauty at once so ancient and so new.
Too late have I loved you.
You were within, and I was without, and I searched the world for you.
Clumsily, I rushed heedlessly among the lovely things you have made.
You were with me, but I was not with you.
Things kept me far from you, even though they were not at all unless they were in you. You called to me; You cried aloud to me; You broke through my barrier of deafness.
You shone upon me; Your radiance enveloped me; You put my blindness to flight.
You shed your fragrance about me; I drew breath and now I gasp for You; tasted You and now I hunger and thirst for You.
You touched me and I burned for Your Peace.
~St. Augustine ~Confessions
Friday, October 2, 2009
31 Ways To Pray For My Children...
I haven't posted in a while...We've been quite busy with our brand new, very first year of home schooling! Wow! It hasn't been very long yet, but WOW!!! That's all there really is to say! Ok, stressful...there's another word...wait, insane...ummm...crazy...very time consuming...your house work will suffer...your family will think you've lost it!
I wanted to quit after week one! I cried and cried...I thought, "How in the world am I actually going to be able to do this?! I can't do this, this is crazy!" But, then I realized I was actually right! I CAN'T do this...But, God CAN!
We prayed long and hard about the decision to home school and God provided the way...There were a ton of obstacles, hoops to jump through, brick walls, hills to climb, etc...But, when I finally let go and trusted in Him...Ta-Da! That was it, He provided in the most amazing ways! (One of the ways was, a super-duper abosolutely wonderful Titus 2 woman allowed herself to be used as a blessing to a family in need...I thank and praise God for her!)
Well, we were so super excited when we had all of our materials and curriculum! The first day we were like giddy "school girls" (hehehe...get it? Silly school girls? We home school...we're ummm...ok, never mind!) Then...DUN-DUN-DUN...the regular day-to-day responsibilities started pouring into my dream world of perfect home schooling!
AHHHH...was my first thought!
Second, I had a mini nervous break down and a mild heart attack!
Then third, I freaked out on my family like any kind, loving, peaceful, and gentle mom and wife would!
Then forth, and lastly, I freaked out on God! I locked myself in my room and prayed soooooooooooooooo hard! I told Him of the many reasons this was a huge mistake and how there was no way I could continue on this "task of insanity"! I asked Him how and why He would allow me (a nervous wreck) to even consider home schooling let alone start it?! There was much more I said to Him, until all of a sudden I realized I was just talking, talking, talking...talking at Him...Him...my Lord...my Lord that gave me breath, that gave me my beautiful children, that gave me the ability and the opportunity to home school, that broke through every single obstacle that stood in our way and made it possible...a true miracle! I felt so convicted! How dare I come to Him and doubt Him! How dare I question Him in such a way! Where was my faith and my trust in Him? Gone because I was having a bad day?! How dare I!
I just knelt there at my bed and quietly cried. I realized I couldn't do it...NOT without HIM who gives me strength!
That is our home school verse now..."I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." ~Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)
Now, I know I can't go around claiming that verse for EVERYTHING! I mean; I can't yell it while I'm getting ready to jump off a cliff and hope to fly because I really believe I can do ALL things with Christ...like fly. That would just be crazy!
Anyway, if you would have asked me a couple weeks ago if home schooling was a good idea, I would have probably laughed hysterically like someone who should be locked up in an insane asylum, looked at you with eyes bulging and most likely twitching too, and said,
"AHHHHHHHHHH...Only if you enjoy having nervous break downs every single day and all day long! Only if the stress of every day life just isn't enough for you and you really desire a whole lot more! Only if you really enjoy the thought of wanting to beat your head against a wall! Only if you want to not only tear all your hair out, but also rip your brains out through your ears...than sure...do it!"
But, now I'd say..."Trust in the Lord, pray a ton, love God and your children more then your fear and do it!"
P.S. I am still crazy, but I'm trusting my God!
Ok, Now with ALL of that...I stole the following posting below from my sister. I soooo LOVE this! It's a wonderful reminder of how we should pray for our children...your's, mine, and our's...ALL of them...
Please feel free to steal, copy and paste this also...and pass it along!
31 Ways To Pray For My Children...
1) salvation "Lord, let salvation spring up within my children, that they may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory" (Isaiah 45:8, 2 Timothy 2:10).
2) growth in grace "I pray that they may 'grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ'" (2 Peter 3:18).
3) love "Grant, Lord, that my children may learn to 'live a life of love,' through the Spirit who dwells in them" (Ephesians 5:2, Galatians 5:22).
4) honesty and integrity " May integrity and honesty be their virtue and their protection" (Psalm 25:21, NLT).
5) self-control " Father, help my children not to be like many others around them, but let them be 'alert and self-controlled' in all they do" (1 Thessalonians 5:6)
6) a love for God's Word " May my children grow to find your Word 'more precious than gold, than much pure gold; [and] sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb'" (Psalm 19:10).
7) justice " God, help my children to love justice as you do and to 'act justly' in all they do" (Psalm 11:7, Micah 6:8).
8) mercy " May my children always 'be merciful, as [their] Father is merciful'" (Luke 6:36).
9) respect (for self, others, authority) " Father, grant that my children may 'show proper respect to everyone,' as your Word commands" (1 Peter 2:17a).
10) strong, Biblical self-esteem " Help my children develop a strong self-esteem that is rooted in the realization that they are 'God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus'" (Ephesians 2:10).
11) faithfulness "' Let love and faithfulness never leave [my children],' but bind these twin virtues around their necks and write them on the tablet of their hearts" (Proverbs 3:3).
12) courage "May my children always 'Be strong and courageous' in their character and in their actions" (Deuteronomy 31:6).
13) purity "'Create in [them] a pure heart, O God,' and let their purity of heart be shown in their actions" (Psalm 51:10).
14) kindness "Lord, may my children 'always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else'" (1 Thessalonians 5:15).
15) generosity "Grant that my children may 'be generous and willing to share [and so] lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age'" (1 Timothy 6:18-19).
16) peace, peaceability "Father, let my children 'make every effort to do what leads to peace'" (Romans 14:19).
17) joy " May my children be filled 'with the joy given by the Holy Spirit'" (1 Thessalonians 1:6).
18) perseverance " Lord, teach my children perseverance in all they do, and help them especially to 'run with perseverance the race marked out for [them]'" (Hebrews 12:1).
19) humility " God, please cultivate in my children the ability to 'show true humility toward all'" (Titus 3:2).
20) compassion " Lord, please clothe my children with the virtue of compassion" (Colossians 3:12).
21) responsibility " Grant that my children may learn responsibility, 'for each one should carry his own load'" (Galatians 6:5).
22) contentment " Father, teach my children 'the secret of being content in any and every situation. . . . through him who gives [them] strength'" (Philippians 4:12-13).
23) faith " I pray that faith will find root and grow in my children's hearts, that by faith they may gain what has been promised to them" (Luke 17:5-6, Hebrews 11:1-40).
24) a servant heart " God, please help my children develop servant hearts, that they may serve wholeheartedly, 'as to the Lord, and not to men'" (Ephesians 6:7, KJV).
25) hope " May the God of hope grant that my children may overflow with hope and hopefulness by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13).
26) the willingness and ability to work hard " Teach my children, Lord, to value work and to work hard at everything they do, 'as working for the Lord, not for men'" (Colossians 3:23).
27) a passion for God " Lord, please instill in my children a soul that "followeth hard after thee," a heart that clings passionately to you (Psalm 63:8, KJV).
28) self-discipline " Father, I pray that my children may develop self-discipline, that they may acquire 'a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair'" (Proverbs 1:3).
29) prayerfulness " Grant, Lord, that my children's lives may be marked by prayerfulness, that they may learn to 'pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests" (Ephesians 6:18).
30) gratitude " Help my children to live lives that are always 'overflowing with thankfulness,' 'always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ'" (Colossians 2:7, Ephesians 5:20).
31) a heart for missions " Lord, please help my children to develop a heart for missions, a desire to see your glory declared among the nations, your marvelous deeds among all peoples" (Psalm 96:3).
*** Thank you Stephanie for these 31 Prayers! ***
I wanted to quit after week one! I cried and cried...I thought, "How in the world am I actually going to be able to do this?! I can't do this, this is crazy!" But, then I realized I was actually right! I CAN'T do this...But, God CAN!
We prayed long and hard about the decision to home school and God provided the way...There were a ton of obstacles, hoops to jump through, brick walls, hills to climb, etc...But, when I finally let go and trusted in Him...Ta-Da! That was it, He provided in the most amazing ways! (One of the ways was, a super-duper abosolutely wonderful Titus 2 woman allowed herself to be used as a blessing to a family in need...I thank and praise God for her!)
Well, we were so super excited when we had all of our materials and curriculum! The first day we were like giddy "school girls" (hehehe...get it? Silly school girls? We home school...we're ummm...ok, never mind!) Then...DUN-DUN-DUN...the regular day-to-day responsibilities started pouring into my dream world of perfect home schooling!
AHHHH...was my first thought!
Second, I had a mini nervous break down and a mild heart attack!
Then third, I freaked out on my family like any kind, loving, peaceful, and gentle mom and wife would!
Then forth, and lastly, I freaked out on God! I locked myself in my room and prayed soooooooooooooooo hard! I told Him of the many reasons this was a huge mistake and how there was no way I could continue on this "task of insanity"! I asked Him how and why He would allow me (a nervous wreck) to even consider home schooling let alone start it?! There was much more I said to Him, until all of a sudden I realized I was just talking, talking, talking...talking at Him...Him...my Lord...my Lord that gave me breath, that gave me my beautiful children, that gave me the ability and the opportunity to home school, that broke through every single obstacle that stood in our way and made it possible...a true miracle! I felt so convicted! How dare I come to Him and doubt Him! How dare I question Him in such a way! Where was my faith and my trust in Him? Gone because I was having a bad day?! How dare I!
I just knelt there at my bed and quietly cried. I realized I couldn't do it...NOT without HIM who gives me strength!
That is our home school verse now..."I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." ~Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)
Now, I know I can't go around claiming that verse for EVERYTHING! I mean; I can't yell it while I'm getting ready to jump off a cliff and hope to fly because I really believe I can do ALL things with Christ...like fly. That would just be crazy!
Anyway, if you would have asked me a couple weeks ago if home schooling was a good idea, I would have probably laughed hysterically like someone who should be locked up in an insane asylum, looked at you with eyes bulging and most likely twitching too, and said,
"AHHHHHHHHHH...Only if you enjoy having nervous break downs every single day and all day long! Only if the stress of every day life just isn't enough for you and you really desire a whole lot more! Only if you really enjoy the thought of wanting to beat your head against a wall! Only if you want to not only tear all your hair out, but also rip your brains out through your ears...than sure...do it!"
But, now I'd say..."Trust in the Lord, pray a ton, love God and your children more then your fear and do it!"
P.S. I am still crazy, but I'm trusting my God!
Ok, Now with ALL of that...I stole the following posting below from my sister. I soooo LOVE this! It's a wonderful reminder of how we should pray for our children...your's, mine, and our's...ALL of them...
Please feel free to steal, copy and paste this also...and pass it along!
31 Ways To Pray For My Children...
1) salvation "Lord, let salvation spring up within my children, that they may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory" (Isaiah 45:8, 2 Timothy 2:10).
2) growth in grace "I pray that they may 'grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ'" (2 Peter 3:18).
3) love "Grant, Lord, that my children may learn to 'live a life of love,' through the Spirit who dwells in them" (Ephesians 5:2, Galatians 5:22).
4) honesty and integrity " May integrity and honesty be their virtue and their protection" (Psalm 25:21, NLT).
5) self-control " Father, help my children not to be like many others around them, but let them be 'alert and self-controlled' in all they do" (1 Thessalonians 5:6)
6) a love for God's Word " May my children grow to find your Word 'more precious than gold, than much pure gold; [and] sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb'" (Psalm 19:10).
7) justice " God, help my children to love justice as you do and to 'act justly' in all they do" (Psalm 11:7, Micah 6:8).
8) mercy " May my children always 'be merciful, as [their] Father is merciful'" (Luke 6:36).
9) respect (for self, others, authority) " Father, grant that my children may 'show proper respect to everyone,' as your Word commands" (1 Peter 2:17a).
10) strong, Biblical self-esteem " Help my children develop a strong self-esteem that is rooted in the realization that they are 'God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus'" (Ephesians 2:10).
11) faithfulness "' Let love and faithfulness never leave [my children],' but bind these twin virtues around their necks and write them on the tablet of their hearts" (Proverbs 3:3).
12) courage "May my children always 'Be strong and courageous' in their character and in their actions" (Deuteronomy 31:6).
13) purity "'Create in [them] a pure heart, O God,' and let their purity of heart be shown in their actions" (Psalm 51:10).
14) kindness "Lord, may my children 'always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else'" (1 Thessalonians 5:15).
15) generosity "Grant that my children may 'be generous and willing to share [and so] lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age'" (1 Timothy 6:18-19).
16) peace, peaceability "Father, let my children 'make every effort to do what leads to peace'" (Romans 14:19).
17) joy " May my children be filled 'with the joy given by the Holy Spirit'" (1 Thessalonians 1:6).
18) perseverance " Lord, teach my children perseverance in all they do, and help them especially to 'run with perseverance the race marked out for [them]'" (Hebrews 12:1).
19) humility " God, please cultivate in my children the ability to 'show true humility toward all'" (Titus 3:2).
20) compassion " Lord, please clothe my children with the virtue of compassion" (Colossians 3:12).
21) responsibility " Grant that my children may learn responsibility, 'for each one should carry his own load'" (Galatians 6:5).
22) contentment " Father, teach my children 'the secret of being content in any and every situation. . . . through him who gives [them] strength'" (Philippians 4:12-13).
23) faith " I pray that faith will find root and grow in my children's hearts, that by faith they may gain what has been promised to them" (Luke 17:5-6, Hebrews 11:1-40).
24) a servant heart " God, please help my children develop servant hearts, that they may serve wholeheartedly, 'as to the Lord, and not to men'" (Ephesians 6:7, KJV).
25) hope " May the God of hope grant that my children may overflow with hope and hopefulness by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13).
26) the willingness and ability to work hard " Teach my children, Lord, to value work and to work hard at everything they do, 'as working for the Lord, not for men'" (Colossians 3:23).
27) a passion for God " Lord, please instill in my children a soul that "followeth hard after thee," a heart that clings passionately to you (Psalm 63:8, KJV).
28) self-discipline " Father, I pray that my children may develop self-discipline, that they may acquire 'a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair'" (Proverbs 1:3).
29) prayerfulness " Grant, Lord, that my children's lives may be marked by prayerfulness, that they may learn to 'pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests" (Ephesians 6:18).
30) gratitude " Help my children to live lives that are always 'overflowing with thankfulness,' 'always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ'" (Colossians 2:7, Ephesians 5:20).
31) a heart for missions " Lord, please help my children to develop a heart for missions, a desire to see your glory declared among the nations, your marvelous deeds among all peoples" (Psalm 96:3).
*** Thank you Stephanie for these 31 Prayers! ***
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Does Dora Love Jesus?
My almost 3 year old (Bella) loves watching cartoons...I know, TV shouldn't even exist to a tiny tot of this age...but, sometimes I need it! That's my cleaning or getting laundry done time, or nursing the baby time, or sitting and cuddling with her time, or just sit and relax while I shut my brain off for a minute time!
Anyway, there are TONS of not so good shows on, most of the time the commercials are rather inappropriate too! We literally have to turn the TV off during the breaks. TV has become a sort of "danger zone" in our home. It's really not a "relaxing" family time, we are constantly dodging blasphemies, other inappropriate language, and other inappropriate images. This is all during the designated "family viewing time"! Most of the time we just watch our videos or DVD's because we know they're safe. It's very sickening what we have allowed to be put on the air for our children's eyes to see! And, then society wonders why "today's children" have lost the innocence of "yesterday's children"! It's probably because we bombard them with disgusting, shameful, violent, inappropriate images...ALL DAY LONG!
So, what do we do? Well, we as parents, have become the "TV Police". We have 6 children all at different ages ranging from 10 months to 11 years. So, there is going to be a difference in interests. But, there is a rule you can go by, have the children ask themselves..."Does this please God?" If the answer is "No", then change the channel. Or, ask yourself..."Would I watch this show with my pastor?" If not, maybe you shouldn't be watching it. Do they do this with a happy heart and a smile on their face? Nope! But, we are supposed to protect them...and their innocence. God gifted us with a conscience that will pinch us in the heart if we're doing something we're not supposed to be doing. I want my children to feel that and follow that nudging. If we allow them to watch a little "not so bad" shows here and there, eventually their conscience will start to quiet down, and it will be hard to hear and hard to follow. Right now they are very sensitive to their conscience and it's nudging, as we get older we start becoming desensitized to the "inappropriateness" of the world.
Is it ok to watch a movie or show with no violence, swearing or sex, but has 10 blasphemies? Well, would you sit through a movie that used your mother's name or your name as a curse word? Probably not. Do you want your children saying, "Oh my G**!" If not, then they probably shouldn't watch anything that does. Shut it off, change the channel. It's not ok to use our Holy God's name, who gave us life and breath as a filthy, four letter curse word! Do we use Hitler's name or even satan's name in such a way?! Our children should cringe inside when they hear our Lord's name used in vain, just as they would if they heard someone use the "F" word. We should not let that become a norm for them to hear, and allow there hearts to become desensitized to it. It should hurt us too when we hear it.
Our older children are already saying things like, "Well, so-in-so gets to watch such-in-such, it's not bad, why can't we?" This is hard because we don't want to be the "bad guy" but we can't back down. We just explain that in different families houses there are different rules, and that particular show is not ok in our house. Then we have to go back to..."Would we watch this show with our Pastor, would we tell him all about it when we get to church, does this show honor or please God?" If the answers are no, then it's not a good show.
Meditate on these things,...Brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things...Philippians 4:8 NKJV
How do you explain this to a 2 year old? Well, Bella and I had a discussion recently about different shows. She wanted to watch Sponge Bob, and that little guy is pretty funny sometimes I have to admit...but not for a 2 year old! So, I had to think quickly on how to explain appropriateness and inappropriateness to her. I tried and tried...using big-ish words, using small-ish words...trying to explain glorifying God, and not glorifying God...making Jesus happy, not making Jesus happy...I was getting so flustered and even confusing myself. Then she looked up at me and asked in such a cute little voice, "Mama, Sponge Bob not love Jesus?" And, I just smiled and hugged her. She totally understood...and she was also totally ok with it. What a precious little angel! God, totally did the talking to her...because I was a blabbering monkey!
Now, I'm not saying Sponge Bob doesn't love Jesus...He might, I'm not sure...I'm just saying there's a lot of stuff in that show that's just not ok for young kids.
So, my husband and I are for sure the "TV Police". Most of the time our children are super-duper wonderful about all of this, and they often hit mute, change the channel, or say, "Oops, don't look...it's inappropriate!" They're turning into our little "TV Police Cadets". I hear from friends and family that our children will even ask to change the channel at their homes too, because something is "inappropriate and doesn't make God happy". And, I am so proud of them!
Bella asks now when she wants to watch a show if that character loves Jesus! So cute!
"Mama, I watch Dora...does Dora love Jesus?" (I totally think she does!)
Anyway, there are TONS of not so good shows on, most of the time the commercials are rather inappropriate too! We literally have to turn the TV off during the breaks. TV has become a sort of "danger zone" in our home. It's really not a "relaxing" family time, we are constantly dodging blasphemies, other inappropriate language, and other inappropriate images. This is all during the designated "family viewing time"! Most of the time we just watch our videos or DVD's because we know they're safe. It's very sickening what we have allowed to be put on the air for our children's eyes to see! And, then society wonders why "today's children" have lost the innocence of "yesterday's children"! It's probably because we bombard them with disgusting, shameful, violent, inappropriate images...ALL DAY LONG!
So, what do we do? Well, we as parents, have become the "TV Police". We have 6 children all at different ages ranging from 10 months to 11 years. So, there is going to be a difference in interests. But, there is a rule you can go by, have the children ask themselves..."Does this please God?" If the answer is "No", then change the channel. Or, ask yourself..."Would I watch this show with my pastor?" If not, maybe you shouldn't be watching it. Do they do this with a happy heart and a smile on their face? Nope! But, we are supposed to protect them...and their innocence. God gifted us with a conscience that will pinch us in the heart if we're doing something we're not supposed to be doing. I want my children to feel that and follow that nudging. If we allow them to watch a little "not so bad" shows here and there, eventually their conscience will start to quiet down, and it will be hard to hear and hard to follow. Right now they are very sensitive to their conscience and it's nudging, as we get older we start becoming desensitized to the "inappropriateness" of the world.
Is it ok to watch a movie or show with no violence, swearing or sex, but has 10 blasphemies? Well, would you sit through a movie that used your mother's name or your name as a curse word? Probably not. Do you want your children saying, "Oh my G**!" If not, then they probably shouldn't watch anything that does. Shut it off, change the channel. It's not ok to use our Holy God's name, who gave us life and breath as a filthy, four letter curse word! Do we use Hitler's name or even satan's name in such a way?! Our children should cringe inside when they hear our Lord's name used in vain, just as they would if they heard someone use the "F" word. We should not let that become a norm for them to hear, and allow there hearts to become desensitized to it. It should hurt us too when we hear it.
Our older children are already saying things like, "Well, so-in-so gets to watch such-in-such, it's not bad, why can't we?" This is hard because we don't want to be the "bad guy" but we can't back down. We just explain that in different families houses there are different rules, and that particular show is not ok in our house. Then we have to go back to..."Would we watch this show with our Pastor, would we tell him all about it when we get to church, does this show honor or please God?" If the answers are no, then it's not a good show.
Meditate on these things,...Brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things...Philippians 4:8 NKJV
How do you explain this to a 2 year old? Well, Bella and I had a discussion recently about different shows. She wanted to watch Sponge Bob, and that little guy is pretty funny sometimes I have to admit...but not for a 2 year old! So, I had to think quickly on how to explain appropriateness and inappropriateness to her. I tried and tried...using big-ish words, using small-ish words...trying to explain glorifying God, and not glorifying God...making Jesus happy, not making Jesus happy...I was getting so flustered and even confusing myself. Then she looked up at me and asked in such a cute little voice, "Mama, Sponge Bob not love Jesus?" And, I just smiled and hugged her. She totally understood...and she was also totally ok with it. What a precious little angel! God, totally did the talking to her...because I was a blabbering monkey!
Now, I'm not saying Sponge Bob doesn't love Jesus...He might, I'm not sure...I'm just saying there's a lot of stuff in that show that's just not ok for young kids.
So, my husband and I are for sure the "TV Police". Most of the time our children are super-duper wonderful about all of this, and they often hit mute, change the channel, or say, "Oops, don't look...it's inappropriate!" They're turning into our little "TV Police Cadets". I hear from friends and family that our children will even ask to change the channel at their homes too, because something is "inappropriate and doesn't make God happy". And, I am so proud of them!
Bella asks now when she wants to watch a show if that character loves Jesus! So cute!
"Mama, I watch Dora...does Dora love Jesus?" (I totally think she does!)
Monday, July 27, 2009
Mama, I marry you?
One afternoon recently while Bella & I were coloring together (Joshua was trying to assist, but instead was actually really just stressing Isabella out!) she says, "Mama loves Bella, Mama loves Sissy (Victoria), Mama loves Joshy, Mama loves Daddy, Daddy loves Mama, Daddy marry to Mama, Mama marry to Daddy."
Then she paused and looked up at me and asked,"Ummm...Mama? You love me?"
I said, "Ofcourse I love you baby."
She thought and thought for a moment, then asked, "Mama, I marry you? You marry me, Mama?"
I giggled a little bit then said, "Well, I can't marry you, I'm already married to Daddy."
She gave me a sad'ish, grumpy'ish look, crossed her arms, pouted her lips and said, "Hmmmph."
I tried so hard not to laugh! I literally had to bite my lip a little! She looked so stinkin' cute!
Anyway, I hugged her and said, "Oh honey, I love you very much, and someday you will get married too, just like Mama."
She giggled and squealed, "I married too?"
Again, trying not to laugh I said, "Yes, to handsome young prince...who loves Jesus."
Her eyes got so sparkly and she squealed, "Yay!"
That made me kind of teary eyed...to think of my little baby girl getting married someday. How right now I am everything to her, but not forever. Someday a man will enter into her world and steal her heart. I actually pray for him now. When I say my prayers before bed, I often pray for all of my children's spouses and even their parents. I pray that God leads them and protects them. John Piper said in a blog that he hoped that whomever married his daughters would first have to fall in love with God to find them. I can't remember his exact words, but it was something like, My hope is that my daughter would fall so much in love with God that the young man would have to find God also in order to find his daughter, what a beautiful illustration!
I pray with all of my heart that the boys who enter into my daughters' hearts have only found her because he has already fallen so deeply in love with our saviour Jesus Christ, who has led him to her. This hope is also for my sons too. My prayer is that all of my children and their future spouses will have a true, sincere and genuine relationship with our Heavenly Father, that they will become true children of our King of Kings, which will indeed make them princes & princesses of the Greatest King, and that they will allow Him to guide and guard their hearts.
I do truly pray that my daughters will someday marry handsome young princes, and my sons will someday marry beautiful young princesses...who love Jesus!
Then she paused and looked up at me and asked,"Ummm...Mama? You love me?"
I said, "Ofcourse I love you baby."
She thought and thought for a moment, then asked, "Mama, I marry you? You marry me, Mama?"
I giggled a little bit then said, "Well, I can't marry you, I'm already married to Daddy."
She gave me a sad'ish, grumpy'ish look, crossed her arms, pouted her lips and said, "Hmmmph."
I tried so hard not to laugh! I literally had to bite my lip a little! She looked so stinkin' cute!
Anyway, I hugged her and said, "Oh honey, I love you very much, and someday you will get married too, just like Mama."
She giggled and squealed, "I married too?"
Again, trying not to laugh I said, "Yes, to handsome young prince...who loves Jesus."
Her eyes got so sparkly and she squealed, "Yay!"
That made me kind of teary eyed...to think of my little baby girl getting married someday. How right now I am everything to her, but not forever. Someday a man will enter into her world and steal her heart. I actually pray for him now. When I say my prayers before bed, I often pray for all of my children's spouses and even their parents. I pray that God leads them and protects them. John Piper said in a blog that he hoped that whomever married his daughters would first have to fall in love with God to find them. I can't remember his exact words, but it was something like, My hope is that my daughter would fall so much in love with God that the young man would have to find God also in order to find his daughter, what a beautiful illustration!
I pray with all of my heart that the boys who enter into my daughters' hearts have only found her because he has already fallen so deeply in love with our saviour Jesus Christ, who has led him to her. This hope is also for my sons too. My prayer is that all of my children and their future spouses will have a true, sincere and genuine relationship with our Heavenly Father, that they will become true children of our King of Kings, which will indeed make them princes & princesses of the Greatest King, and that they will allow Him to guide and guard their hearts.
I do truly pray that my daughters will someday marry handsome young princes, and my sons will someday marry beautiful young princesses...who love Jesus!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Times...
There are times in our lives when we feel that we are not worthy of God's love or can't even imagine how someone so beautiful and perfectly sinless could ever forgive someone like us.
How can this be true? How can it be possible that we can still be loved after all that we've done wrong?
God, our Heavenly Father knew...He knew even before the beginning of time that we would sin, what mistakes we would make, and how ugly we would be...
He chose to become man, He chose to send His one and only Son, He chose to take our sins and our punishment upon Himself. Jesus Christ chose to die for us in spite of who we are or what we did.
Jesus knew what we would be and still chose to come and die for us anyway...to love us anyway, to forgive us anyway, to save us anyway. Not because we deserve His love or forgiveness, but to display His amazing glory, His amazing mercy, His amazing love!
Through repentance and faith our sins are forgiven, there is no more condemnation, no more shame.
There is only love and freedom!
Thank you dear Lord for the cross! Thank you dear Lord for your amazing, merciful, saving grace!
Thank you dear Lord for being our Heavenly Father and loving your children even when we do fall.
Thank you dear Lord at times like these...times when we doubt, we have your Word filled with promises that we can run to...and please forgive us when we don't.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Homemade Laundry Soap...Yes, I'm serious!
So, during my pregnancy people often would compare our family to the Duggar Family. I had no idea who this Duggar family was. People would just say that we reminded them of that family. One person actually said, "Wow! Your pregnant again! What are you guys thinking?! Are you trying to be like that crazy religious family with like 20 or something kids...what's their name? Come on...you must know that show...Oh ya, I think it's Duggar!" Ya, real nice...that's always what your aiming to hear when God has blessed you with a baby! Especially when some of those comments are from your ever-so-sweet family members! And especially when you're already feeling super-duper with all the lovely eventfulness of morning sickness and such! It's always so encouraging to be asked..."So, are you guys going to stop after this one, Is one of you guys going to finally learn your lesson and get fixed, Wow! How many kids do ya guys need?!" Oh man, those were just some examples of the sweetness we were exposed to...again, mostly from our family! Real encouraging guys, thanks for that!
Anywho...the topic of this post wasn't supposed to be "Oh poor me with the mean-ness during Joshua's cooking time in my belly" It's about Homemade Laundry Soap! Yay! Ok, so here's the deal...I wondered who in the world this Duggar Family was that we were constantly being compared to...so I did what any curious person would do and Googled them...I watched a show, and quickly fell in love with this family! Well, the first show I watched just so happened to be them making their own laundry soap...I thought they were insane...nuts...crazy! Maybe I'm too lazy or something, but it seemed like just A LOT of unnecessary work! I'm a mom...I have enough work to do! Well, I can't lie...I was intrigued...dare I say...curious? Yep, I was curious...So, what did I do? I Googled it of course! Now, this is what I found...you can make the liquid detergent...A LOT of work, or you can make the powdered soap...not that much work at all. So, I bought the ingredients and made some! All I have to say is...AWESOME! It totally works and costs soooooo much less than the name brand or even the no-name brand stuff and washes great! Ok, so I sound like an infomercial. Ya, I'm a nerd...Ok, I got it! Hahaha...Tina's a dork...hahaha...she made her own soap! Ok, Stop it...Did you get that out of your systems yet?! Now listen...Why spend more $$$ than you have to? We have 6 children and only one income...I want to save anywhere we can. It works, I love it!
Here's the recipe...(found in the laundry isle)
1 bar Fels Naptha bar laundry soap grated (I used a box cheese grater)
OR you can use Ivory Soap for sensitive skin, eczema or babies
2 cups washing soda
2 cups Borax laundry booster
Optional but recommended:
1 cup color safe bleach powder
Fels Naptha bar laundry soap....$1.29
Arm and Hammer washing soda 55oz. box...$2.89 (try to find the off brand, it's cheaper!)
20 Mule Team Borax laundry booster 76oz. box....$3.99 (again, off brand!)
Everyday Living brand All color ultra bleach 30oz box....$1.99 (Any brand of color safe bleach will work. This is a store brand)
Ok, Now mix all ingredients together! And, Viola!
Store laundry soap in an air tight container so that moisture doesn't make it yucky. I keep our's in a big plastic ice-cream tub...you know...those gallon size Cookies N' Cream plastic tubs with the handle? I always double the batch, so I need a big container! Man, I love those tubs...I use them for everything (hair ties, Matchbox cars, Polly Pockets, etc...) Ok, sorry...back to the subject!
You only need 2 Tablespoons per large load of laundry! Awesome, right? And only 3 Tablespoons MAX for "hard working man" or super gross baby laundry. You won't see a lot of suds and that's ok...Suds don't clean, products do! It is also great for soaking clothes and treating stains too. AND You do not need any fabric softener anymore, the clothes come out nice and soft! If you do have static you can use a little white vinegar in your rinse cycle (amount depending on the craziness of the static!) or dryer sheets. And, if you love your yummy scents, you can also get some essential oils and drop a tiny bit in the wash or even the rinse!
Well...That's it...EASY-PEASY...not a lot of work at all, just grating and mixing. Also, when you purchase all the dry ingredients, you are purchasing enough to make more batches. Just buy another bar or two of the soap when you run out and then make up another batch.
I haven't made the liquid soap...I think I'm to lazy! But, it does seems like the best deal in saving $$$. So, who knows...I have to admit that I'm also kind of curious on how the liquid works out too. Maybe I'll Google that next!
Have Fun & Happy Saving! Ya, I know...I sounded like an infomercial again!
P.S. By the way...I LOVE the Duggar Family! They seem to really have it together. She seems like such a loving wife and mother, and he seems like a good husband and father, and they all seem to love the Lord! I find it a compliment to be compared to them!
Anywho...the topic of this post wasn't supposed to be "Oh poor me with the mean-ness during Joshua's cooking time in my belly" It's about Homemade Laundry Soap! Yay! Ok, so here's the deal...I wondered who in the world this Duggar Family was that we were constantly being compared to...so I did what any curious person would do and Googled them...I watched a show, and quickly fell in love with this family! Well, the first show I watched just so happened to be them making their own laundry soap...I thought they were insane...nuts...crazy! Maybe I'm too lazy or something, but it seemed like just A LOT of unnecessary work! I'm a mom...I have enough work to do! Well, I can't lie...I was intrigued...dare I say...curious? Yep, I was curious...So, what did I do? I Googled it of course! Now, this is what I found...you can make the liquid detergent...A LOT of work, or you can make the powdered soap...not that much work at all. So, I bought the ingredients and made some! All I have to say is...AWESOME! It totally works and costs soooooo much less than the name brand or even the no-name brand stuff and washes great! Ok, so I sound like an infomercial. Ya, I'm a nerd...Ok, I got it! Hahaha...Tina's a dork...hahaha...she made her own soap! Ok, Stop it...Did you get that out of your systems yet?! Now listen...Why spend more $$$ than you have to? We have 6 children and only one income...I want to save anywhere we can. It works, I love it!
Here's the recipe...(found in the laundry isle)
1 bar Fels Naptha bar laundry soap grated (I used a box cheese grater)
OR you can use Ivory Soap for sensitive skin, eczema or babies
2 cups washing soda
2 cups Borax laundry booster
Optional but recommended:
1 cup color safe bleach powder
Fels Naptha bar laundry soap....$1.29
Arm and Hammer washing soda 55oz. box...$2.89 (try to find the off brand, it's cheaper!)
20 Mule Team Borax laundry booster 76oz. box....$3.99 (again, off brand!)
Everyday Living brand All color ultra bleach 30oz box....$1.99 (Any brand of color safe bleach will work. This is a store brand)
Ok, Now mix all ingredients together! And, Viola!
Store laundry soap in an air tight container so that moisture doesn't make it yucky. I keep our's in a big plastic ice-cream tub...you know...those gallon size Cookies N' Cream plastic tubs with the handle? I always double the batch, so I need a big container! Man, I love those tubs...I use them for everything (hair ties, Matchbox cars, Polly Pockets, etc...) Ok, sorry...back to the subject!
You only need 2 Tablespoons per large load of laundry! Awesome, right? And only 3 Tablespoons MAX for "hard working man" or super gross baby laundry. You won't see a lot of suds and that's ok...Suds don't clean, products do! It is also great for soaking clothes and treating stains too. AND You do not need any fabric softener anymore, the clothes come out nice and soft! If you do have static you can use a little white vinegar in your rinse cycle (amount depending on the craziness of the static!) or dryer sheets. And, if you love your yummy scents, you can also get some essential oils and drop a tiny bit in the wash or even the rinse!
Well...That's it...EASY-PEASY...not a lot of work at all, just grating and mixing. Also, when you purchase all the dry ingredients, you are purchasing enough to make more batches. Just buy another bar or two of the soap when you run out and then make up another batch.
I haven't made the liquid soap...I think I'm to lazy! But, it does seems like the best deal in saving $$$. So, who knows...I have to admit that I'm also kind of curious on how the liquid works out too. Maybe I'll Google that next!
Have Fun & Happy Saving! Ya, I know...I sounded like an infomercial again!
P.S. By the way...I LOVE the Duggar Family! They seem to really have it together. She seems like such a loving wife and mother, and he seems like a good husband and father, and they all seem to love the Lord! I find it a compliment to be compared to them!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Do you ever feel overwhelmed...?
Do you ever feel overwhelmed? This was a question asked by a wonderful family member that I wish I could spend time with, and get to know more...I think we'd be good encouragement for each other...Well, this is how I answered that question...
Well, to answer your question...Oh I so promise you, I for sure get stressed out!
It's not easy, but I trust in God. I pray, talk to and praise Him all day long! If I don't then I have a bad day.
We have 4 of our kids Mon-Wed and then all 6 of our kids Thurs-Sun! And, 2 of them are under 2 1/2 yrs. old! It does get pretty stressful at times. But, we also have the most fun ever! I do understand the not having time or energy to do things after house work, homework, mothering, and wife-ing. But, that's when you pray...A LOT!!!
I look at it like this...they will only be this young for such a very small window of time. They are indeed my children but they are also God's gift to me. God has only loaned them to me to nurture, bring them up for Him and for His glory, and to love them. When they are all grown and out on their own they will take with them what they have learned. I want them to love the Lord, I want them to see the Lord and His love through me, I want them to remember their mom as a woman who may not have been perfect, but who loved them so very much and who also loved God with all of her heart. I want them to remember a happy me. Not a crazy, overly stressed out, obsessive compulsive, overly organized, things have to be perfect, unhappy clean freak, basically a not at all fun lady!
So, who cares if the house isn't perfectly tidy, there are toys out, the beds aren't made, the laundry isn't done every day, the dishes sit in the sink, or you haven't dusted since...well, who knows when! And, who cares if you haven't really gotten the chance to get dressed or even brush your hair yet in the morning (or the afternoon sometimes) but the kids want you to just sit and play...do it.
Sit, relax, praise God, thank Him, and love and enjoy them.
Your house will be clean and tidy...eventually...someday. But, right now your main job is to be an awesome, caring, and loving mom.
One day when they are all grown up and moved out, you will miss them so very much. You will miss the noisy-ness, the business, and even the messiness!
Now, with all that said...I do still get majorly stressed out and I often (constantly) have to remind myself that this is only for such a second in the whole entire grand scheme of things. I'm not perfect but I serve and love a perfect God. He would have never brought me to it, if He couldn't get me through it. Eventually they won't need me...as much, so I praise God for the time that I do have with them now. And, when they aren't depending on me I pray they will be depending on Him.
I thank God for my children everyday and I also thank Him for choosing me and entrusting me to care for His children.
I think it becomes less stressful when you keep that in mind, otherwise the day becomes really poopy!
Hey, by the way...Did you get our Christmas picture? Oh man, talk about stress! That was soooo ridiculous! They had to take and retake that stinkin' picture like 8 times, seriously! Finally I had to say, "Ok, that's enough...we'll just go with the best pose!" Some of the kids look a little...well, silly-ish and they're not all looking at the camera, and my hair is totally sticking out, but Joshua and Gary look perfect and we all survived and we are all alive and well and here to say we've made it! Ya, we probably won't be doing that again for a very long time! Yay, so much fun!
Well, to answer your question...Oh I so promise you, I for sure get stressed out!
It's not easy, but I trust in God. I pray, talk to and praise Him all day long! If I don't then I have a bad day.
We have 4 of our kids Mon-Wed and then all 6 of our kids Thurs-Sun! And, 2 of them are under 2 1/2 yrs. old! It does get pretty stressful at times. But, we also have the most fun ever! I do understand the not having time or energy to do things after house work, homework, mothering, and wife-ing. But, that's when you pray...A LOT!!!
I look at it like this...they will only be this young for such a very small window of time. They are indeed my children but they are also God's gift to me. God has only loaned them to me to nurture, bring them up for Him and for His glory, and to love them. When they are all grown and out on their own they will take with them what they have learned. I want them to love the Lord, I want them to see the Lord and His love through me, I want them to remember their mom as a woman who may not have been perfect, but who loved them so very much and who also loved God with all of her heart. I want them to remember a happy me. Not a crazy, overly stressed out, obsessive compulsive, overly organized, things have to be perfect, unhappy clean freak, basically a not at all fun lady!
So, who cares if the house isn't perfectly tidy, there are toys out, the beds aren't made, the laundry isn't done every day, the dishes sit in the sink, or you haven't dusted since...well, who knows when! And, who cares if you haven't really gotten the chance to get dressed or even brush your hair yet in the morning (or the afternoon sometimes) but the kids want you to just sit and play...do it.
Sit, relax, praise God, thank Him, and love and enjoy them.
Your house will be clean and tidy...eventually...someday. But, right now your main job is to be an awesome, caring, and loving mom.
One day when they are all grown up and moved out, you will miss them so very much. You will miss the noisy-ness, the business, and even the messiness!
Now, with all that said...I do still get majorly stressed out and I often (constantly) have to remind myself that this is only for such a second in the whole entire grand scheme of things. I'm not perfect but I serve and love a perfect God. He would have never brought me to it, if He couldn't get me through it. Eventually they won't need me...as much, so I praise God for the time that I do have with them now. And, when they aren't depending on me I pray they will be depending on Him.
I thank God for my children everyday and I also thank Him for choosing me and entrusting me to care for His children.
I think it becomes less stressful when you keep that in mind, otherwise the day becomes really poopy!
Hey, by the way...Did you get our Christmas picture? Oh man, talk about stress! That was soooo ridiculous! They had to take and retake that stinkin' picture like 8 times, seriously! Finally I had to say, "Ok, that's enough...we'll just go with the best pose!" Some of the kids look a little...well, silly-ish and they're not all looking at the camera, and my hair is totally sticking out, but Joshua and Gary look perfect and we all survived and we are all alive and well and here to say we've made it! Ya, we probably won't be doing that again for a very long time! Yay, so much fun!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Sleeping Dogs...
I got this in an email...This is so funny...This poor pooch would totally be my families dog if we had one...we have cat, and he get's pretty stressed out sometimes!
An older, tired-looking dog wandered into my yard.
I could tell from his collar and well-fed belly that he had a home and was well taken care of.
He calmly came over to me, I gave him a few pats on his head;
he then followed me into my house, slowly walked down the
hall, curled up in the corner and fell asleep.
An hour later, he went to the door, and I let him out.
The next day he was back, greeted me in my yard, walked inside and resumed his spot in the hall and again slept for about an hour.
This continued off and on for several weeks.
Curious I pinned a note to his collar: "I would like to find out who the owner of this wonderful sweet dog is and also to ask if you are aware that almost every afternoon your dog comes to my house for a nap."
The next day he arrived for his nap, with a different note pinned to his collar:
"He lives in a home with 6 children, 2 under the age of 3 - he's trying to catch up on his sleep. Can I come with him tomorrow?"
An older, tired-looking dog wandered into my yard.
I could tell from his collar and well-fed belly that he had a home and was well taken care of.
He calmly came over to me, I gave him a few pats on his head;
he then followed me into my house, slowly walked down the
hall, curled up in the corner and fell asleep.
An hour later, he went to the door, and I let him out.
The next day he was back, greeted me in my yard, walked inside and resumed his spot in the hall and again slept for about an hour.
This continued off and on for several weeks.
Curious I pinned a note to his collar: "I would like to find out who the owner of this wonderful sweet dog is and also to ask if you are aware that almost every afternoon your dog comes to my house for a nap."
The next day he arrived for his nap, with a different note pinned to his collar:
"He lives in a home with 6 children, 2 under the age of 3 - he's trying to catch up on his sleep. Can I come with him tomorrow?"
Monday, January 12, 2009
The Mom Song
Before you watch the video I wanted to say that I originally heard this song from my husband who played it for me off of a internet/radio program who has it posted on their website. Well, I usually agree with their views and opinions on most issues but on this I did not...but hey, we are all entitled to our own opinions, and the world would be pretty boring if we were to all agree on EVERYTHING.
P.S. They didn't like it...they said it sends out a message that moms are stressed out and un-happy. Oh brother...it's funny and true! But, in their defense they are men who said this...they probably don't or can't understand that you can be both completely stressed out and completely happy at the very same time! HeHeHe!
I think this video is hilarious! It's the perfect "MOM song" Mothers do have a very huge responsibility. On top of trying to keep our homes and "wife-ing" under control, running errands, and trying to remain calm and...well sane...we also have the stressful (yet blessed) responsibility of raising children! God must have a sense of humor! I'm sure of it...If I were a betting woman I'd "double down" on that one! It's so amazing to think that our families still come to us (moms) for advice...We are nuts!
Seriously though, I do praise God for trusting me with this amazingly, awesomely, wonderfully, blessed...dare I say job, or task? Well, it IS a job...Mothering is indeed work. I think some mothers cringe at that...Mothering = Job. But, why? We work hard at what we do (I literally work up a sweat sometimes!) and that's ok to admit. If it were easy then we'd have a world full of "little angels" and well...we don't! We were born sinners and well...we act like it! So, mothering does have it's challenges. But, it doesn't mean moms are unhappy or would rather be on vacation. Well, now that depends...I'd love to go to Hawaii! But, not without my kiddies! Well...maybe without them if it was a second honeymoon situation with my loving husbando...then that would be super-duper groovie! But, I would call them everyday...like a gazillion times! And, this probably would never happen until they are like in college or something!
Ok...Anyways, back to the subject on Mothering and it being ok to refer to it as being a job...That's it! Simply put! I will say that being a mom is the most enjoyable yet stressful job that I have ever experienced...and I LOVE every single moment of it! My children will be in my home and under "my wing" for such a small window of time, I want to cherish all moments of this time...even the poopy ones! During the difficult "back sassy" moments God is teaching both my child and I something...what is it? Well, I won't be able to find out if I don't do my "job". If I just sit on my hands and give in to my child and let him/her walk all over me so that I don't offend them or damage their self-image, or put a dent into their self-esteem, then I am really just hurting them for when they are out in the real world dealing with real life.
This world today is full of selfish, obnoxious, self-absorbed, arrogant, little brats whose parents weren't brave enough to obey God's parenting plan but instead chose to go with the world's psycho analyzing, liberal method! And, I'm not saying God's parenting plan is super easy-peasy...cause it's not! It would be so much easier to give in to the whining sassy pants stuff the kids throw at you. It's tough to have rules and remain consistant. It's hard to be the "strict", or the "over protective" mom when your children's friends and even other family members get to pretty much do whatever they want just as long as they're happy. But, I try to remind myself I'm not trying to be "cool", or be my children's "BFF", or get "props" from their "peeps". I'm trying to do a good job of Mothering them, loving them, keeping them safe, raising them to remain respectful even in our world full of "brats", and to love the Lord their God with all of their heart, all of their mind, all of their soul, and with all of their strength!
I fall short...all of the time! But, I do pray that I learn from my mistakes, and do a better job the next time. I thank God everyday for my children, I thank Him for the strength, patience and love He has given me. I am for sure a work in progress, and I am thankful for His patience with me!
When my children are all on their own and I'm sitting at home in my "empty nest", I will indeed be reminiscent of my happy, stressful, crazy at times, blessed beautiful "job" of being a mother!
I love being a mom, thank you God!
P.S. They didn't like it...they said it sends out a message that moms are stressed out and un-happy. Oh brother...it's funny and true! But, in their defense they are men who said this...they probably don't or can't understand that you can be both completely stressed out and completely happy at the very same time! HeHeHe!
I think this video is hilarious! It's the perfect "MOM song" Mothers do have a very huge responsibility. On top of trying to keep our homes and "wife-ing" under control, running errands, and trying to remain calm and...well sane...we also have the stressful (yet blessed) responsibility of raising children! God must have a sense of humor! I'm sure of it...If I were a betting woman I'd "double down" on that one! It's so amazing to think that our families still come to us (moms) for advice...We are nuts!
Seriously though, I do praise God for trusting me with this amazingly, awesomely, wonderfully, blessed...dare I say job, or task? Well, it IS a job...Mothering is indeed work. I think some mothers cringe at that...Mothering = Job. But, why? We work hard at what we do (I literally work up a sweat sometimes!) and that's ok to admit. If it were easy then we'd have a world full of "little angels" and well...we don't! We were born sinners and well...we act like it! So, mothering does have it's challenges. But, it doesn't mean moms are unhappy or would rather be on vacation. Well, now that depends...I'd love to go to Hawaii! But, not without my kiddies! Well...maybe without them if it was a second honeymoon situation with my loving husbando...then that would be super-duper groovie! But, I would call them everyday...like a gazillion times! And, this probably would never happen until they are like in college or something!
Ok...Anyways, back to the subject on Mothering and it being ok to refer to it as being a job...That's it! Simply put! I will say that being a mom is the most enjoyable yet stressful job that I have ever experienced...and I LOVE every single moment of it! My children will be in my home and under "my wing" for such a small window of time, I want to cherish all moments of this time...even the poopy ones! During the difficult "back sassy" moments God is teaching both my child and I something...what is it? Well, I won't be able to find out if I don't do my "job". If I just sit on my hands and give in to my child and let him/her walk all over me so that I don't offend them or damage their self-image, or put a dent into their self-esteem, then I am really just hurting them for when they are out in the real world dealing with real life.
This world today is full of selfish, obnoxious, self-absorbed, arrogant, little brats whose parents weren't brave enough to obey God's parenting plan but instead chose to go with the world's psycho analyzing, liberal method! And, I'm not saying God's parenting plan is super easy-peasy...cause it's not! It would be so much easier to give in to the whining sassy pants stuff the kids throw at you. It's tough to have rules and remain consistant. It's hard to be the "strict", or the "over protective" mom when your children's friends and even other family members get to pretty much do whatever they want just as long as they're happy. But, I try to remind myself I'm not trying to be "cool", or be my children's "BFF", or get "props" from their "peeps". I'm trying to do a good job of Mothering them, loving them, keeping them safe, raising them to remain respectful even in our world full of "brats", and to love the Lord their God with all of their heart, all of their mind, all of their soul, and with all of their strength!
I fall short...all of the time! But, I do pray that I learn from my mistakes, and do a better job the next time. I thank God everyday for my children, I thank Him for the strength, patience and love He has given me. I am for sure a work in progress, and I am thankful for His patience with me!
When my children are all on their own and I'm sitting at home in my "empty nest", I will indeed be reminiscent of my happy, stressful, crazy at times, blessed beautiful "job" of being a mother!
I love being a mom, thank you God!
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