Let me preface this post with this disclaimer:
I love my children. They are my most precious blessings. They infuse joy and wonder into the everydayness of my life.
They also drive me up the wall some days.
Today was one of those days.
It all began after I got out of the shower and was drying my hair. I discovered that the cap on my brand new mousse, that I had just bought yesterday, was cracked. That's odd I thought to myself. I don't remember it being that way when I bought it. Then another thought occurred to me. Someone had messed with it and broken it. There were only three suspects to choose from. The first person in my line up was Mr. Querido. After a short deliberation, I decided that he wouldn't have touched my yummy smelling hair stuff because he hadn't taken a shower that morning. This left two other household members. I rounded up the alleged perpetrators.
"Who touched my mousse?" I queried. In my head I was trying to imagine what they must have been thinking: "I don't see a moose? What is Mama talking about? What moose?"
I show them the evidence.
Looking directly into the older suspect's eyes I ask pointedly. "Did you do it?"
"No. I didn't"
I remember on a crime scene show that if they are lying, people tend to look up and off to the side. Carefully I watch his eyes. Up and over they roll. Gotcha!
Just to cover my bases, I question the younger one. He says the same thing, only his eyes keep looking directly into mine. Either he is really good at lying to my face, or he is telling the truth.
"I heard Brother in the bathroom playing with your stuff." Ah-ha! A witness. Mr. Independent is not a suspect any longer. He has an alibi. He was in bed!
I close in on Mr. Dramatic. "Did you touch my stuff?"
"No."
Question and response continues for another couple of rounds. Then I ask him the motive behind his deception and destruction.
"I don't know."
At this point I close the case. Time to figure out a punishment to fit the crime. I retire to the judge's quarters to ponder sentencing.
As the judge, ahem I mean as I, put on my make up I also discover that my new eyeliner isn't twisting up anymore. That's weird I think to myself, again. I wonder why it worked last night but not this morning?
The perp struck twice! He had taken my eyeliner and drawn on the underside of the bathroom cabinet.
In desperation and extreme exasperation the judge and jury calls in the big guns.
"Mom? What do I do?!?!"
My mother, sage woman that she is, listens patiently and then proceeds to point out that he might need more to occupy his time. She says that usually when kids get into things, they are a)finding a new creative outlet, b)not thinking through the consequences, c)expressing their God-given talents and skills, d)all of the above. I decided that D was the answer to this multiple choice conundrum. She challenged me to find a different artistic outlet for him. I thought that reams of paper, oodles of crayons, markers and pencils was enough. She said that perhaps he needs a different medium to work with.
I tell you people, having creative kids is hard work!
Oh, and she also said that he needs to pay me back. Which is a bit of a problem since he doesn't have an allowance. She said to make a math lesson out of it. Get a big piece of paper, hang it up where he can see it, write the total of the items damaged on the top. Then for every chore I dream up for him to do, subtract 5-cents.
I'm going to be waiting a while for my eyeliner replacement.
I calculated it out and it will take him 139 days to earn it all.
The funny thing is, when I handed him his sentence, he seemed kind of excited about it. Is punishment supposed to be fun?
Does anyone else out there have problems with your sweet darling lying multiple times to you? Even going so far as to blame his little sister (who can't even reach the countertop yet!)?
Sigh. Just another day in the life of a stay-at-home mom.
FIVE IN THE POTTER'S HAND
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
The Paradox...
Lately, I have come to the conclusion that I am a bit of a paradox.
I love being organized. However, you wouldn't know that by looking at the state of my home. Oh sure, I could blame it on the kids. But that wouldn't be entirely true. I could also blame it on my lack of funds to purchase better organizing goodies. But that too would be a half truth.
The sad fact is that I love being organized, but I am a terrible time manager! If I were an employee, I would have been fired long ago. Oh, I start off with the best of intentions. But inevitably I get sidetracked by something else. Say for example, hypothetically of course, blogging. Not that I ever let that get in the way of my organization. *clears throat*
Speaking of getting sidetracked... oh wait, what was I talking about?
And I most certainly can blame the lack of functioning brain cells on my dear daughter who doesn't sleep through the night completely yet.
It wouldn't be such a horrible malady if it didn't interfere in the harmonious relationship that is my marriage. My husband is a neat-freak. I love him for it. But we are total opposites of the housecleaning spectrum. God bless him, he doesn't complain all that much. He's a saint really.
Saint Mr. Clean, that is.
He can bust out a room in one-fourth the amount of time it takes me. He is focused. Determined. Driven. I, on the other hand, am not really described accurately by any of those above adjectives.
But I am a paradox because I want to be. When will the neat-freak house cleaner in me be freed from the time management failure she is imprisoned in? Only time will tell.
I love being organized. However, you wouldn't know that by looking at the state of my home. Oh sure, I could blame it on the kids. But that wouldn't be entirely true. I could also blame it on my lack of funds to purchase better organizing goodies. But that too would be a half truth.
The sad fact is that I love being organized, but I am a terrible time manager! If I were an employee, I would have been fired long ago. Oh, I start off with the best of intentions. But inevitably I get sidetracked by something else. Say for example, hypothetically of course, blogging. Not that I ever let that get in the way of my organization. *clears throat*
Speaking of getting sidetracked... oh wait, what was I talking about?
And I most certainly can blame the lack of functioning brain cells on my dear daughter who doesn't sleep through the night completely yet.
It wouldn't be such a horrible malady if it didn't interfere in the harmonious relationship that is my marriage. My husband is a neat-freak. I love him for it. But we are total opposites of the housecleaning spectrum. God bless him, he doesn't complain all that much. He's a saint really.
Saint Mr. Clean, that is.
He can bust out a room in one-fourth the amount of time it takes me. He is focused. Determined. Driven. I, on the other hand, am not really described accurately by any of those above adjectives.
But I am a paradox because I want to be. When will the neat-freak house cleaner in me be freed from the time management failure she is imprisoned in? Only time will tell.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Stoking the Fire...
This morning we ran out of matches.
We used the last one to start up the fire. And now it is up to me to keep it burning all day long.
Normally, I can let it go and let it get cold and just throw some crumpled up newspaper in there, light a match and it blazes to life again. Today, I don't have that luxury. Now, I have to keep a constant watch to make sure it doesn't fizzle out completely.
I have had two close calls so far. Just barely warm embers that I have to coax flames out of. So if I don't want the kids and I to freeze today, I have to keep the fire on top of my to-do list. Until we can get to the store to get more matches, it is up to me to keep the fire burning.
This whole scenario got me to thinking. (And yes, it is about sex. What can I say, with my weekend getaway only 29 days away, that is uppermost on my mind as of late!) When I am mindful of my love life, it keeps the sexual fires stoked. It is easier to make that mental switch from mother/ housewife to lover when I have been consistently keeping the importance of our love life in mind. And it makes a difference in how I feel. I feel less like I am fulfilling an obligation and more like I am fulfilling a desire for my husband as well as myself.
How often have I let our "homefires" get pushed aside by the everyday needs of three children and life? How often do I keep the fires stoked and burning hot so our love life doesn't grow cold?
So I am going to light a match and keep close watch...
We used the last one to start up the fire. And now it is up to me to keep it burning all day long.
Normally, I can let it go and let it get cold and just throw some crumpled up newspaper in there, light a match and it blazes to life again. Today, I don't have that luxury. Now, I have to keep a constant watch to make sure it doesn't fizzle out completely.
I have had two close calls so far. Just barely warm embers that I have to coax flames out of. So if I don't want the kids and I to freeze today, I have to keep the fire on top of my to-do list. Until we can get to the store to get more matches, it is up to me to keep the fire burning.
This whole scenario got me to thinking. (And yes, it is about sex. What can I say, with my weekend getaway only 29 days away, that is uppermost on my mind as of late!) When I am mindful of my love life, it keeps the sexual fires stoked. It is easier to make that mental switch from mother/ housewife to lover when I have been consistently keeping the importance of our love life in mind. And it makes a difference in how I feel. I feel less like I am fulfilling an obligation and more like I am fulfilling a desire for my husband as well as myself.
How often have I let our "homefires" get pushed aside by the everyday needs of three children and life? How often do I keep the fires stoked and burning hot so our love life doesn't grow cold?
So I am going to light a match and keep close watch...
Shed A Little Light...
This weeks challenge is a good one! Now I came to the conclusion that we need a dimmer switch on our bedroom light...lol! So for now candles...a lot of candles...will work just fine.
Underlying the obvious, making love with the lights on is the issue of confidence. Do I have enough confidence about my body to allow him to see me nude? (Just sounds better than naked...lol) Do I have enough confidence in his desire of me and my body?
For me those are both hard ones to address. I for one don't feel that my body looks as fabulous as it did pre-children. How I love my babies, but my tummy is flat no more and the stretch marks are a bit unsightly. Yes, I know he went through the pregnancies with me and the changes were gradual and over a period of time, but still I long for the body I had before I had kids. Which makes me wonder if he does too? There comes the confidence part again. I have to trust that he loves and desires me just the way I am. Thank God my husband thinks and feels differently than I do...or we would never make love...lol...just kidding...maybe.
I think that this week's challenge sheds light on more than just our bedroom...
So here are some things I will be thinking about:
1) My husband takes great pleasure in seeing me naked. That is the way God designed him to be.
2) I need to work on my self-confidence levels.
3) God carved my body exactly as how He knew my husband would delight in it.
4) My husband appreciates it when I step out of my comfort zone :)
5) Thinking about our love life keeps the sexual fire stoked and HOT!
So I challenge you...shed a little light
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Don't Forget...
Still participating in the I Corinthians 7:5 Challenge?This week is one all of us married ladies need to be mindful of...our unmentionables!
Here's to tossing the holey, threadbare, elastic-is-no-longer-there parts of our wardrobes! Let's remember that yes, the rest of the world sees what is on the outside, but our husbands (the most important opinion on the subject) see what is underneath.
For me it is like piling up all of the odds and ends in my bedroom because "no one looks in there." But my husband does! So I make it a point to keep our bedroom clean and organized, because we spend time in there. In the same way, I need to remember that someone besides me does see my underthings...and he is the one who will appreciate the "housecleaning" I will do in my lingerie drawer (oh wait, I don't have a lingerie drawer...hmmm...might need to work on that!)
Inevitably, when discussing buying lingerie, we tend to think of the expense as an unnecessary investment. You can have the best of both worlds...just because it isn't Victoria Secret doesn't mean it isn't sexy. I found that Walmart.com has a lot of cute pieces for great prices...and you can't beat the 97-cent shipping! For a minimal investment, I am going to gain maximum returns! :D
Check out the challenge for this week!
How Well Do You Know Your Bible?
Or for that matter, how well do your children know the Bible?
Need some motivation?
Check out the first national Bible Bee!
There are three age groups that can participate:
7-10 Primary
11-13 Junior
14-18 Senior
Did I mention that the national winners receive...
(I copied the below information directly from the website)
Age 15–18 (Senior Group)
Age 11–14 (Junior Group)
Age 7–10 (Primary Group)
1st Prize (Gold)
$25,000*
Gold Bible Bee Contest trophy
2nd Place Prize (Silver)
$10,000*
Silver Bible Bee Contest trophy
3rd Place Prize (Bronze)
$5,000*
Bronze Bible Bee Contest trophy
Contestants will be quizzed on over 300 scriptures as well as their overall Bible knowledge.
For example...
Did you know that there were two guys in the Bible named Uz and Buz?
If you think your child could be a contender, check out the Bible Bee website!
Need some motivation?
Check out the first national Bible Bee!
There are three age groups that can participate:
7-10 Primary
11-13 Junior
14-18 Senior
Did I mention that the national winners receive...
(I copied the below information directly from the website)
Age 15–18 (Senior Group)
First Prize (Gold)
$100,000*
Gold Bible Bee Contest trophy
2nd Place Prize (Silver)
$25,000*
Silver Bible Bee Contest trophy
3rd Place Prize (Bronze)
$15,000*
Bronze Bible Bee Contest trophy
Age 11–14 (Junior Group)
1st Prize (Gold)
$50,000*
Gold Bible Bee Contest trophy
2nd Place Prize (Silver)
$20,000*
Silver Bible Bee Contest trophy
3rd Place Prize (Bronze)
$10,000*
Bronze Bible Bee Contest trophy
Age 7–10 (Primary Group)
1st Prize (Gold)$25,000*
Gold Bible Bee Contest trophy
2nd Place Prize (Silver)
$10,000*
Silver Bible Bee Contest trophy
3rd Place Prize (Bronze)
$5,000*
Bronze Bible Bee Contest trophy
Contestants will be quizzed on over 300 scriptures as well as their overall Bible knowledge.
For example...
Did you know that there were two guys in the Bible named Uz and Buz?
If you think your child could be a contender, check out the Bible Bee website!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Sacred Joy Restored
Originally this post was written in July. But I was afraid it was too touchy of a subject to put on a Christian blog. However, the I Corinthians 7:5 Challenge and my husband's gentle prodding have emboldened me to actually publish it instead of letting it languish in the drafts file.
Today's post is going to be a little sensitive. I had a revelation while doing my Biblestudy. I am still going through that marriage Biblestudy I talked about here.
The topic was the sexual relationship inside of marriage. So, you have been forwarned. Also, let me remind my readers that this blog is always rated G for God-honoring. You will not find any crass, lewd or ungodly thoughts about sex here. And I do not profess to know everything there is to know about this topic either. I am simply sharing what God shared with me while I did my Biblestudy.
So, without further ado, let's dive in!
So what do you think about when you hear the word sex? Dark, dirty and shameful? Beautiful, God-pleasing and guilt-free? I must admit that my first inclination is to think the former rather than the latter. But, my views on sex within marriage have been tainted by sin. My husband and I had premarital sexual relations. Sadly, we were both Christians at the time. For a long time I thought that made what I did so much worse. I knew the truth and yet I traded it for a lie. In my eyes, that was much worse than someone who didn't know God and did that before they got saved. But sin is sin. In God's eyes there is no worse sin than the other. It all has the same effect: separation from God. For years, I believed the lie from Satan that because I had fallen in that area, I wouldn't have a testimony worth sharing. I had screwed up. There was no redemption in my eyes. But then I started to notice that most of the people in the Bible that God used, had sinned grieviously, such as I had. But He used them in spite of their sin. Our God is a God of redemption. I realize that God's plan for my life wasn't derailed back then. He still has a purpose for me, a good purpose. Not a second rate calling. He didn't look down and say "Well, I guess I can find a place for her to serve, but it's going to be a bit difficult considering the circumstances." He works through all kinds of people, with all kinds of sins in their past. Just the fact that my husband and I are still together is testament to His power, not ours. A while back, I read a statistic that impacted me. Out of five marriages that began with premarital relations, one in five will last beyond the first five years. We are already into our sixth year. Praise God! And we have three beautiful children whom we are raising up to serve and love the Lord. He truly creates beauty from ashes. From the ashes of the consuming fire of selfish lust, He created a strong relationship that glorifies Him.
Which brings me to today's revelation.
"Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge." Hebrews 13:4 (NKJV)
Do you know how many times I have read that verse and really not taken it to heart? Too many. But last night His Word spoke to me. The marriage bed is undefiled. What does defile mean? To make foul, dirty, or unclean; pollute; taint; debase. Another definition reads: to make impure for ceremonial use; desecrate. So undefiled would mean it is good, clean, unpolluted, not tainted, pure for ceremonial use and sacred. Do you think of sex as something sacred between you, your spouse and God? It never really sank in until last night. God created that special relationship. When a man and a woman come together within the protective bonds of marriage, it is a good thing in His eyes. We are suppose to enjoy each other and refresh each other. When I am pleasing my husband sexually, I am pleasing God too. Does that sound sacreligious to you? Sex and God, in the same sentence. Equating satisfying my husband with glorifying God. I will admit that there are parts of me that still feel (for lack of a better word) weird to even think of the two in the same context. But God even uses the sexual relationship to help define for us the relationship between Christ and the church (Eph 5:31-32). Why would He use something that isn't holy to define what is holy? The answer is simple. Sex, between a husband and wife is holy. God ordained it to be so.
Do you feel like your marriage bed has been defiled by sins from your past? I certainly did. But according to the Bible if I am in Christ I am made new and the old things have passed away. I don't have to let the sins from my past define who I am in the present or who I will become in the future. It says "all things are made new." All things is inclusive of everything. Everything, even my relationship with my husband can be made new if I am in Christ.
Here are my thoughts after reading those verses:
"The marriage bed is undefiled. He has cleansed me from all unrighteousness. My past sexual sin is covered under His Blood. My marriage bed is cleansed from past sin, wrong thoughts, mindsets or attitudes. My sexual relationship with my husband brings honor, not shame. I am no longer slave to my guilt. There is no condemnation because I am in Christ Jesus."
So I challenge you to revamp your thinking about the sexual relationship of marriage if your thinking doesn't line up with His. He created marital sex to reflect something holy. It is pure even if it didn't start off pure. Within marriage sex is holy and sacred. Don't let the world define it for you, let God define it for you. And if you have committed sexual sin in the past, confess it and He will forgive it and remember it no more then you too can start out anew, afresh.
Today's post is going to be a little sensitive. I had a revelation while doing my Biblestudy. I am still going through that marriage Biblestudy I talked about here.
The topic was the sexual relationship inside of marriage. So, you have been forwarned. Also, let me remind my readers that this blog is always rated G for God-honoring. You will not find any crass, lewd or ungodly thoughts about sex here. And I do not profess to know everything there is to know about this topic either. I am simply sharing what God shared with me while I did my Biblestudy.
So, without further ado, let's dive in!
So what do you think about when you hear the word sex? Dark, dirty and shameful? Beautiful, God-pleasing and guilt-free? I must admit that my first inclination is to think the former rather than the latter. But, my views on sex within marriage have been tainted by sin. My husband and I had premarital sexual relations. Sadly, we were both Christians at the time. For a long time I thought that made what I did so much worse. I knew the truth and yet I traded it for a lie. In my eyes, that was much worse than someone who didn't know God and did that before they got saved. But sin is sin. In God's eyes there is no worse sin than the other. It all has the same effect: separation from God. For years, I believed the lie from Satan that because I had fallen in that area, I wouldn't have a testimony worth sharing. I had screwed up. There was no redemption in my eyes. But then I started to notice that most of the people in the Bible that God used, had sinned grieviously, such as I had. But He used them in spite of their sin. Our God is a God of redemption. I realize that God's plan for my life wasn't derailed back then. He still has a purpose for me, a good purpose. Not a second rate calling. He didn't look down and say "Well, I guess I can find a place for her to serve, but it's going to be a bit difficult considering the circumstances." He works through all kinds of people, with all kinds of sins in their past. Just the fact that my husband and I are still together is testament to His power, not ours. A while back, I read a statistic that impacted me. Out of five marriages that began with premarital relations, one in five will last beyond the first five years. We are already into our sixth year. Praise God! And we have three beautiful children whom we are raising up to serve and love the Lord. He truly creates beauty from ashes. From the ashes of the consuming fire of selfish lust, He created a strong relationship that glorifies Him.
Which brings me to today's revelation.
"Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge." Hebrews 13:4 (NKJV)
Do you know how many times I have read that verse and really not taken it to heart? Too many. But last night His Word spoke to me. The marriage bed is undefiled. What does defile mean? To make foul, dirty, or unclean; pollute; taint; debase. Another definition reads: to make impure for ceremonial use; desecrate. So undefiled would mean it is good, clean, unpolluted, not tainted, pure for ceremonial use and sacred. Do you think of sex as something sacred between you, your spouse and God? It never really sank in until last night. God created that special relationship. When a man and a woman come together within the protective bonds of marriage, it is a good thing in His eyes. We are suppose to enjoy each other and refresh each other. When I am pleasing my husband sexually, I am pleasing God too. Does that sound sacreligious to you? Sex and God, in the same sentence. Equating satisfying my husband with glorifying God. I will admit that there are parts of me that still feel (for lack of a better word) weird to even think of the two in the same context. But God even uses the sexual relationship to help define for us the relationship between Christ and the church (Eph 5:31-32). Why would He use something that isn't holy to define what is holy? The answer is simple. Sex, between a husband and wife is holy. God ordained it to be so.
Do you feel like your marriage bed has been defiled by sins from your past? I certainly did. But according to the Bible if I am in Christ I am made new and the old things have passed away. I don't have to let the sins from my past define who I am in the present or who I will become in the future. It says "all things are made new." All things is inclusive of everything. Everything, even my relationship with my husband can be made new if I am in Christ.
Here are my thoughts after reading those verses:
"The marriage bed is undefiled. He has cleansed me from all unrighteousness. My past sexual sin is covered under His Blood. My marriage bed is cleansed from past sin, wrong thoughts, mindsets or attitudes. My sexual relationship with my husband brings honor, not shame. I am no longer slave to my guilt. There is no condemnation because I am in Christ Jesus."
So I challenge you to revamp your thinking about the sexual relationship of marriage if your thinking doesn't line up with His. He created marital sex to reflect something holy. It is pure even if it didn't start off pure. Within marriage sex is holy and sacred. Don't let the world define it for you, let God define it for you. And if you have committed sexual sin in the past, confess it and He will forgive it and remember it no more then you too can start out anew, afresh.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Challenging!
Today I was reading my favorite mommy blog and she issued a challenge to all of us married ladies...
For thirty days I am PURPOSing to kiss my husband at least once a day--with passion!
I don't know about you, but when was the last time you had a soul-sizzling kiss with your man? One that gave you butterflies and goosebumps? Sigh. Yeah me too. Far too long ago.
So as I PURPOSE to make my marriage a priority, I am going to do so with PASSION !
Do you want to join me? Grab the button from the blog!
And, here is challenge number two, which takes a bit more energy...
Which, is something that also too often takes a back seat to every day life. This February, I am so excited because our church is having a marriage retreat at the beach. And we get to GO! Let me set the stage for you...we have not been away for a weekend with just the two of us EVER...we have been married almost seven years. Yeah, pathetic I know. But between babies and being broke, we just weren't able to fit it in.
Our dear friends from church have so graciously agreed to watch our three kids. GOD BLESS THEM! And we are going to rekindle the flame in our passion...as well as walk on the beach...lol!
So I figure jumping in on this I Corinthians 7:5 Challenge is just what I need to ramp up the expectation :)
You can join up with the IC7:5C at this blog.
Are you up for the challenge?
For thirty days I am PURPOSing to kiss my husband at least once a day--with passion!
I don't know about you, but when was the last time you had a soul-sizzling kiss with your man? One that gave you butterflies and goosebumps? Sigh. Yeah me too. Far too long ago.
So as I PURPOSE to make my marriage a priority, I am going to do so with PASSION !
Do you want to join me? Grab the button from the blog!
And, here is challenge number two, which takes a bit more energy...
Which, is something that also too often takes a back seat to every day life. This February, I am so excited because our church is having a marriage retreat at the beach. And we get to GO! Let me set the stage for you...we have not been away for a weekend with just the two of us EVER...we have been married almost seven years. Yeah, pathetic I know. But between babies and being broke, we just weren't able to fit it in.
Our dear friends from church have so graciously agreed to watch our three kids. GOD BLESS THEM! And we are going to rekindle the flame in our passion...as well as walk on the beach...lol!
So I figure jumping in on this I Corinthians 7:5 Challenge is just what I need to ramp up the expectation :)
You can join up with the IC7:5C at this blog.
Are you up for the challenge?
Everyday Blessings
Good friends are a blessing from the Lord!
(My daughter is not choking on anything...she is industriously chewing on a spoon!)
Trying Again...
It has been almost three weeks since I sent off a letter of forgiveness to my estranged father.
I still haven't gotten a reply.
But I might have sent it to the wrong address.
So, I am going to send another one out to a more updated address I got from my sister who (unbeknownst to me) has been in letter contact with him since last year!
I have high hopes. She got some really nice sounding letters from him. Dare I say, letters that make me think he has changed from when I last knew him. However, it is easy to shine it on when you are hundreds of miles from meeting face to face. She lives in Alaska.
My dad and I live in the same state. Actually about forty minutes apart. A face to face meeting is more realistic for me than for my sister.
I went through a lot of heartache before I decided it was just time to let go of him. I don't want to have to go through that again. But without risk there are no rewards. I will however, be very careful to erect emotional barriers so as to protect my vulnerable heart. But it is hard to lay out boundaries for yourself when you want something so badly.
And I want a real relationship with my father...badly.
So, with a lot of hope and prayer, I send off a second letter.
I still haven't gotten a reply.
But I might have sent it to the wrong address.
So, I am going to send another one out to a more updated address I got from my sister who (unbeknownst to me) has been in letter contact with him since last year!
I have high hopes. She got some really nice sounding letters from him. Dare I say, letters that make me think he has changed from when I last knew him. However, it is easy to shine it on when you are hundreds of miles from meeting face to face. She lives in Alaska.
My dad and I live in the same state. Actually about forty minutes apart. A face to face meeting is more realistic for me than for my sister.
I went through a lot of heartache before I decided it was just time to let go of him. I don't want to have to go through that again. But without risk there are no rewards. I will however, be very careful to erect emotional barriers so as to protect my vulnerable heart. But it is hard to lay out boundaries for yourself when you want something so badly.
And I want a real relationship with my father...badly.
So, with a lot of hope and prayer, I send off a second letter.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Even Mondays...
" Jesus Christ is the same Monday, today and forever."
(Quoted by Mr. Independent when asked to recite our memory verse--Hebrews 13:8-- for the week)
I guess we all need to be reminded that Jesus is the same...even on Mondays! :)
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Amen."
Hebrews 13:8
(Quoted by Mr. Independent when asked to recite our memory verse--Hebrews 13:8-- for the week)
I guess we all need to be reminded that Jesus is the same...even on Mondays! :)
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Amen."
Hebrews 13:8
Monday, January 5, 2009
Finding the Purpose.....
My word for 2009 is PURPOSE.
No, I don't particularly need to find my PURPOSE. I decided to pick PURPOSE because I need to be PURPOSEful in what I do and how I live.
I find that a lot of times, I just do things without really thinking about why I am doing them. It is all by rote and without meaning.
This year I PURPOSE to find PURPOSE in the everyday. As a keeper of the home (KOH), it can feel like I am not making a dent in anything except for my laundry pile! Everything I do as a KOH has PURPOSE in it, but it is up to me to find it.
My PURPOSE in the organization of my home is to have a welcoming sanctuary. A smoothly-run place to raise my children in. A great example for my children about how to be a good steward of what God has given us.
These are the underlying PURPOSEs behind organization and cleanliness.
I want to create a home where people feel peaceful, rested, rejuvenated, revitalized, serene, welcomed, protected, safe, secure, warm, invited, joyful, etc. Having a cluttered, disorganized, poorly kept home does not make people (especially those that live here) feel any of what I just described above.
So for January, my word is ORGANIZE. I PURPOSE to ORGANIZE my home so that it flows better and becomes the welcoming place I want it to be.
No, I don't particularly need to find my PURPOSE. I decided to pick PURPOSE because I need to be PURPOSEful in what I do and how I live.
I find that a lot of times, I just do things without really thinking about why I am doing them. It is all by rote and without meaning.
This year I PURPOSE to find PURPOSE in the everyday. As a keeper of the home (KOH), it can feel like I am not making a dent in anything except for my laundry pile! Everything I do as a KOH has PURPOSE in it, but it is up to me to find it.
My PURPOSE in the organization of my home is to have a welcoming sanctuary. A smoothly-run place to raise my children in. A great example for my children about how to be a good steward of what God has given us.
These are the underlying PURPOSEs behind organization and cleanliness.
I want to create a home where people feel peaceful, rested, rejuvenated, revitalized, serene, welcomed, protected, safe, secure, warm, invited, joyful, etc. Having a cluttered, disorganized, poorly kept home does not make people (especially those that live here) feel any of what I just described above.
So for January, my word is ORGANIZE. I PURPOSE to ORGANIZE my home so that it flows better and becomes the welcoming place I want it to be.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
My Word...
A brand new year has begun. I find it increasingly difficult to keep up with life's breakneck pace. Some days I feel that I am treading water trying to keep my head up. And other days I don't do near quite as well!
But regardless of how I feel, a new year is birthed today. A year that will be full of firsts, challenges, hopes, dreams, growing, falling, loving and living.
I was reading through one of my favorite inspiration blogs, Mt. Hope Chronicles, and Heidi has this project dubbed "One Little Word." Every year, she picks one word to focus her energies on for that year. And then she picks a word for each month that ties in with her OLW for the year.
I like to think of it as a sort of meditation for the year. A small way to keep the focus on what is really important.
So, with that in mind here are some ideas I came up with:
Diligence:: who doesn't need more of that...I certainly do, just ask my hubby!
Family:: it is so easy to get sidetracked with raising a family that being one falls by the wayside...
Enjoy:: with life's pace, it is so hard to remember to stop and take part in the little joys of it.
Organization:: as a mother of three little ones, this is definitely an ideal I could aspire to!
See how hard it is to just pick one!
But after much deliberation, I have chosen Purpose as my OLW for 2009. I can save other ideas for my monthly words.
Thanks Heidi for the inspiration!
But regardless of how I feel, a new year is birthed today. A year that will be full of firsts, challenges, hopes, dreams, growing, falling, loving and living.
I was reading through one of my favorite inspiration blogs, Mt. Hope Chronicles, and Heidi has this project dubbed "One Little Word." Every year, she picks one word to focus her energies on for that year. And then she picks a word for each month that ties in with her OLW for the year.
I like to think of it as a sort of meditation for the year. A small way to keep the focus on what is really important.
So, with that in mind here are some ideas I came up with:
Diligence:: who doesn't need more of that...I certainly do, just ask my hubby!
Family:: it is so easy to get sidetracked with raising a family that being one falls by the wayside...
Enjoy:: with life's pace, it is so hard to remember to stop and take part in the little joys of it.
Organization:: as a mother of three little ones, this is definitely an ideal I could aspire to!
See how hard it is to just pick one!
But after much deliberation, I have chosen Purpose as my OLW for 2009. I can save other ideas for my monthly words.
Thanks Heidi for the inspiration!
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