14 Days of True Love

It's coming! Join me as we go back to the source of true love and debunk the fairy tale myth! True love beats the sugar coated candy hearts, that give a temporary high but comes down with a crash! Join me each day. starting February 1st. This journey can be taken by anyone. Whether you are single, married, parenting or not- you will want to join us!

Love Doesn't Come From Cupid

It's finally here! I hope you are as excited as I am!! For this special series the posts will look a little different. Rather than the typical theory vs reality; we will start each day with a Reality Check aka God's Word. This series will apply to anyone but if you have children, make sure you check out the Family Activity at the bottom. Use these to relate what you read in the blog to your kids (who probably aren't interested or old enough to read it ;) ) Enjoy! And don't forget to comment to be entered into the Valentine's Card Give Away!

Reality Check

“We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” 

1 John 4:16

The fact is that without Christ, we would be incapable of loving. ! If God is love- then the beginning of our journey would logically take us straight to him! Have you ever noticed that on the days that you start your day with prayer, Bible reading and/or devotions- things seem easier? The coffee that baby knocked on your blouse, as you walk out the door, is not quite as frustrating as it was last week when it happened. The comment your spouse made that would usually send you into a tizzy, is easily glanced over with grace. Why is that? Because when we start with God, we start with love. And when we start with love we have; patience, kindness, a lack of jealousy. We have humility and meekness, and we act with decency; we are not selfish or easily provoked; we do not take into account a wrong suffered, or rejoice in unrighteousness, but we rejoice with the truth; we are able to bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, and endure all things. Because we know that Love never fails!

Practice: Start with love. Place a sticky note in a place you will first see when you wake up or start the day. Write a reminder to start with God, who is love and gives us the ability to love.

Family Activity: With your family, make bracelets that remind you to love always. Use “love” colors like red and pink, or letters that spell love. Talk about how God is love and that’s why we are able to love each other. Discuss the meanings of the words in 1 Corinthians 13, and give examples. (Depth of discussion will depend on age. You may also decide to focus on certain meanings more than others.)

Let Her Cry

Life In Theory: 
Research sleep methods; follow carefully; have sleeping beauties for babies and toddlers.

Life In Reality:

Let Him Cry 
By Loopy and the Mom's Wish

Let him cry, baby's tears fall down like rain
As I sing, hoping it eases all his pain
Let him lay, put him in the crib to sleep
And if he falls asleep without crying
Let him be, let him be.

(If you didn't catch it, the lyrics are a  
Hootie and the Blowfish parody
of Let Her Cry.)


Every mother's wish is that her children would sleep easily, soundly and not wake up early ;) But rarely does this happen. I have at least 4 books on the topic of sleep. I have spent countless hours scouring the internet. Sometimes it works, other times they cry. And cry. And then cry some more.

I can remember sitting in front of Styder's door, with tears streaming down my face. And every time I heard the "thump, thump, thump," wiping the tears, opening the door, picking him up and putting him back in his bed. "No honey, it's time for bed. Good night, I love you." And he would scream,"Mommy!" This went on for 3 hours.

That was the worst night but we've all been there. Cringing at the whimper, the sobs for mommy or daddy. Whether it's nap time, in the car, bedtime or because they are in time out. None of us want them to cry. It would be so much easier to swoop them into our arms, wipe their tears and pull the smile back on their face.

But we all know that we have to allow them to cry sometimes. Whether it's because we can't pull the car over (or hold them while driving), they need to learn a lesson, or they have to learn to sleep- we have to let them cry. It's part of our job description in watching over and caring for our homes and families.

I will leave you with the best advice that I have ever heard from the Baby Sleep Site. You are not making them cry, you are letting them cry. That makes all the difference to me, because if I am the cause of his tears- it's a little too tough to handle.

Proverbs 31:27 

She watches over the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.

When your ready to blow your top, go on a treasure hunt!

Life in Theory: Adjuster comes out to fix car, get quote, get check, fix car, be on my way.

 

Life in Reality: Over a month later, still waiting...

"How do you deal with anger, when there is nothing you can do about it?" I pleaded for an answer from my mother on the phone today. After not having my car for over a month because of insurance circles (on a car accident that was not even remotely my fault); I was mad. I was tired of spending hours on the phone, leaving message after message, just to be thrown in circles. No one knew the answer, no one could help....ahhhhh!!!

I'm not dealing with lost souls here, I'm not even dealing with offended souls...but the amount of anger and frustration that was is continually building was is having a serious affect on my life, my children, my attitude, my____ fill in the blank and it's probably affecting that too!

It is simple, the innocent will be condemned in the fallen world. Not just the innocent in God, but because our world is becoming more corrupt my the moment- all innocence is being stomped on. 

What do we do about it? What I should be doing instead of writing this, basking in God's word, bathing in prayer, seeking him as if he were more precious than gold. It's actually that simple- but sometimes I think we don't want it to be. We want to have something that we can claim as fixing it, but all that soothes our soul is Him- only Him! 

We have heard over and over, seek him as a treasure, but why don't we? Imagine this- A man comes to your door and hands you a map (assuming we aren't in a fallen world, and somehow know this isn't a trap ;)). He says, "this map will bring you straight to hundreds of millions of dollars in gold. All you have to do is read it each  day, it will get you there." We wouldn't stop reading that thing. We wouldn't put it down, we would not care about the dishes, the laundry would pile up, we'd have our kids reading it out loud while we made lunch, we would be memorizing the locations just in case we lost it, our life would center around it. 

That's what it means when we say to seek Him as if we were seeking after a treasure.

So what do we do? If Christ becomes our treasure and His word becomes our map... I think the things of the world, the car, the un done dishes, the socks on the floor, the ____ won't really matter because they will no longer be our focus. They become merely things, in their rightful place-just things.  

Mathew 6: 33-34  

But seek FIRST his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things 

will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, 

for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Only

Life in Theory: Get some important things done.  
Life in Reality: Get some really important things done but feel like a failure.

Because some days, all you do is wipe noses.  Nothing gets checked of the to do list, the house only gets messier. And feeling like a complete failure sets in.

Even your husband might say, "That's ok, you can get something done tomorrow." And he says it with love, with no intention of putting you down.

But what about today? If we didn't get anything done, why does it feel like we've worked so hard? Why are we ready to fall asleep as soon as the kids are put to bed? Why does it feel like we've run a triathlon?

It's a sad part of our modern culture in America that says nothings been accomplished when all you've done is take care of children all day. What we think of child raising is reflected by what we pay child care workers! When you've only changed diapers, only made 10 meals, only changed clothes, only sang songs, only nursed your babies, only played blocks on the floor, only read 20 books, only got children to nap and apologize to each other, only stopped 18 hands mid-air from slapping the nearest thing/person in the vicinity, only wiped 6 sticky faces and 12 sticky fingers, only kissed 3 booboos...

ONLY

I think a new saying should be started. "Make it an Only Day!" When I have a day, when I only take care of my children, then I've done something right! I've set my priorities in order! If nothing else happened in an entire week, it would be a victory.

Because really... what is more important? 

Unfortunately we can't do that, we have to do those other not so important things. Bills have to be paid, dishes have to be washed, and for some reason we think facebook has to be checked.

But the next time the world is tricking you into believing, you've only taken care of your children and you're feeling guilty....change your mindset to, "Oh thank God, I only took care of my children. I got the most important job done today!"And once you've done that, then you can see if you have time to waste on the other junk ;) Because when you've only raised children, you have got more than enough done for the day!

Proverbs 22:6 

Train up a child in the way he should go; 

even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Si & Christmas Held Hostage

Theory: Si flies back home, we continue our advent calendar with tidings and comfort of joy. 

Reality: Hostages and ransom notes!

Have you noticed that Si hasn't come back from WV yet?! We didn't want to alarm anyone since Si has a habit of doing his own thing but...

As a Christian mom, the Christmas season has morphed into an "What Would Jesus Do?" boot camp. It sounds silly but any of us can get caught up in it. (Even during other holidays) We become anti-Santa, avoid talking about wish lists and instead we talk bearing gifts and traversing afar (these things aren't bad in themselves). We miss the point sometimes. We should be no more focused on Christ during Christmas than we are the rest of the year! Then we I do crazy things like hold Christmas hostage.

Christ should be everyday!  Every heart should prepare him room! 

I heard a joke about chreastions...Christians who show up on Easter and Christmas. But why? Why are these holidays so much more important than every other day? Why do we feel the need to chastise our children during these seasons so that we ensure they don't become commercialized? Aren't we teaching them to come and adore him every day?

The fact is, if we are living Gods word everyday, we won't have to worry about our kids buying into the commercialism. Santa will be a mere decoration, Santa won't have their hearts-Jesus will! They won't be asking what child is his?

After spending all night on an advent calendar, "knowing" that this was going to change little  hearts in my home...a ransom note showed up."If you don't share these bags with your brother..." Christmas is held hostage!

Two days later, on a not so silent night, two of my boys were wrestling over an ornament from the advent calendar, I started pulling the calendar down. Irrationality, frustration, lack of patience- my flesh had set in! 

Momma (dad), have you been there? 

The thing that was going to teach about the author of mercy, patience (long-suffering) and LOVE; I was tearing down because I had no patience, no mercy, no love.....ouch! Spirits were not being made bright!

Fortunately my boys had learned about Gods mercy and forgiveness and easily extended it to me!

I realized in that moment, that it was not these papers, it was not this season, it was not a specific activity that was going to teach my boys. It was the Holy Spirit and his working through me (and other people/things), that would make the difference. 

My boys won't know God because we amp up learning during Christmas, they won't learn to share by holding Christmas hostage, they will learn who God is everyday by my actions, words and watching the Holy Spirit at work.

I have to ask my boys for forgiveness a lot, and that teaches them about Christ. I am sooo thankful that even in my mistakes, God can use them to build his kingdom up...starting with my boys.

Have you been there?

Disclaimer: Advent calendars are wonderful, focusing on Christ and serving others during the Christmas season is great...the post was merely to point out that it shouldn't end there :)

Deuteronomy 6:6-9

⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.⁸ Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.⁹ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Si Heads to West Virginia Day 5 Cont.

Greenbrier West Heads to State Championship!

Si helps see them off!

So since becoming a big star, Uncle Si Elf was able to get Roaming Gnome, over at Travelocity to negotiate him a sweet deal for a red eye flight. He travels surprisingly light. His cup, a gallon of tea and his Bible. The TSA told him he either had to dump his tea out or drink it before he could head through security. Guess what he did?!

"Hey Jack, we can't waste perfectly good tea!"

 
My mom picked him up from the airport and brought him over to J & S, to see the Cavaliers off. Uncle Si got there a little early so he decided to read his Bible for a bit and pray for the team. And of course, Si being Si, he had to take an afternoon nap! He napped for so long, he almost missed seeing them off. 

Si on camera with Local 59!

Uncle Si is long past being camera shy, since the start of the show. Rainelle's local channel 59 had a reporter there. He tried to get an interview. "Boys, these are exciting times! Hey, go get that team, physically and metaphysically! I came here to drink ice tea, and watch ya'll kick butt! You know I like football jack!"

Greenbrier West Heads to State Championship
You can click here to view the boys leaving and see Si!

Uncle Si Gnome hanging out at J & S

Seeing the boys off! Uncle Si Gnome gets on the bus!

Si chatting with the ladies!