New Year, New Adventures!

     So, y'all... it is 2020!  Not just a new year, but a new decade!  Does anyone else remember when it was the year 2000, and that seemed so amazing?  (I mean,after the Y2K thing was over...haha!)   I'm just saying...that was a fast 20 years!

     In the last 20 years, so many things have happened to our family!  We went from carefree, impulse-trip-to the-beach kind of people to fall-into-bed-at 9:30 kind of people.  Four kids will do that to you.  We bought a house, rented the house, and moved to the parsonage.  We went from Hubby working a 9-5 office job, to taking on the running of a school.  From a stay at home mom to a working full time (plus some!) mom.  From babies to big kids to mostly grown ones. 

     I look back on those people, and I wonder where they went some days.  When the biggest decision I made in a week was whether to pack a picnic lunch or buy one when I took the babies to the zoo on Friday!  Man...that was so long ago.  I admit--I wonder what my life would look like now if things had continued in the same way.  Would I be a cookie baking, Latin teaching homeschool mom?  Would I be worn to a frazzle trying to do everything around the house because it was my "job"? 

    You see, change necessitates growth.  I wouldn't recognize myself in that world because I am not that person anymore.  When I lived there, I could totally see that person...in fact, I thought it would be inevitable that I would become that person.  But now, she seems so strange to me.  I've outgrown her. 

    Not that I regret outgrowing her.  I don't think a butterfly looks back at the chrysalis with regret.  But it took change to become the new creature.  And change is painful at times.  I don't know if you have ever done one of those butterfly cage things...but y'all...that thing surprised me.  I knew the butterflies had to emerge from the chrysalis and that it was a struggle for them that allowed them to grow the muscles needed to move forward to the next step.  But when we did one in our class, the chrysalis stage was way more intense than I expected. "Emerge" is such a gentle sounding word.  Y'all...the butterfly cage looked like a murder scene!  Red goo everywhere from the force of the chrysalis breaking open and the butterfly forcing its way out!  (The class was awed and grossed out at the same time!) 

     But isn't that how our lives are?  I mean, I know there were things that I've been through in the last 20 years that made me feel like I was struggling out of one stage in an explosion of red goo...only to wind up floundering about at the bottom for a while until finally getting to the next stage.  Just to have it start all over again once I thought I had a handle on it.  But this process is how we grow.  Hopefully, the more this process happens, the less struggle it will take over time and the process of change will be smoother.  It's growing up, y'all. 

     I know I'm about to enter a whole new time of change.  My kids are turning from kids to young adults.  In 5 years, my First Born will be 20.  It's our job to get them through this final critical stage of childhood so that their entry into adulthood isn't covered in red goo with them struggling at the bottom of the cage.  My prayers for my kids have been turning more and more into asking that God will guide us in helping our kids become adults.  That they will see us living our lives in obedience to God in a consistent way.  And that they will begin to see the reality of a life lived for Jesus rather than for self. 

     So, as I reflect on the last 20 years, and ponder the next 20, I know this life will be filled with new struggles, new adventures, and new growth.  But my prayer is that there will be less red goo and floundering and more "growing in grace."  And that 20 years from now, I'll look back and be amazed at what God has done!  :)

   

   

Find Us Faithful

     Fall has arrived...but just in name only around here!  Even though it is still hot, I am ready to start celebrating fall!  it is my favorite season, and my feelings can be summed up in a quote from one of my favorite books, "I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers!"

     Of course, fall does kick off a busy season around here!  We have several events filling up the calendar for the next few weeks.  School, Scouts, church, and family activities keep up moving around here for sure.

     One of those activities I have been taking part in for about 25 years.  That event is our tent revival meeting with the Stewarts.  I first met them when I was about 13 or so, and they have been a part of my fall season every year since then.  We first had them for a tent revival when my Dad was pastoring in Pennsylvania. (Just FYI, Octobers in PA are a lot different than Octobers in AL... it was freezing our first meeting!)  They began doing them here at church before we moved down here when my grandfather was pastoring here.

    This year, as I was watching my boys help set up the tent, I was thinking about faithfulness.  I did the same jobs 20 years ago that they are doing now.  I can pass on this tradition to my kids, and that makes me happy.  But that wouldn't be possible without faithfulness.  The simple faithfulness of two humble servants of God who just simply serve each day to the best of their ability.  Since I was the age my kids are now, they have steadily served in this ministry.  (I think their official count is 30 years with the tent.)  This is such a rare thing now.

     People just aren't content to do the same thing steadily for any length of time.  We are always looking for the next big thing, or content to think we just don't have time or energy to be faithful.  We struggle with just getting up and meeting with God every day, much less putting our whole life to the same task.  Have we lost the importance of simple faithfulness in the hustle and bustle of this crazy life?

    As I see the Stewarts slowing down just a little more each year, I pray that I can carry on their legacy.  Not necessarily as a tent evangelist, but just the faithfulness to the minstry God has called me to.  I think the legacy of faithfulness is growing ever more rare.  I want to pass it on to my kids.  I want them to be able to look around and see those who are steadily faithful on a daily basis.  Just doing the right thing each day because it is the right thing.

     I hope this encourages you to determine to be faithful....even in the busy times of life.  Because those who come behind us need to see our faithfulness so they can be faithful.  It is a legacy we can't afford to neglect.  :)

Making Miles and Memories

     Well, I didn't make the July blog post, but it is still officially August, so I made this month's at least!!  July was a really busy month for the Lipskoch family!  Between summer school prep, family get-togethers, and cross-country road trips, there wasn't much time for blogging! 

     We managed to pull off another road trip for two weeks in the middle of July.  It had been three years since our last trip out West to see Daddy's family, so we decided it was about time to pull out the suitcases and get packed up.  And it takes a lot of suitcases for 6 people to take a two week road trip!!  But finally we got it all together and got on the road!

     One of the main purposes of the road trip was to visit family we don't get to see very often.  The kids enjoyed spending lots of fun time with cousins they don't get to see very often.  Good times were had by all!

    Travel is an important thing for you to do with your kids, as much as you are able.  There is so much of the world to see, and you'll never see it if you never leave your own back yard.  Observation, planning, flexibility, and confidence are just a few of the things kids develop when they are exposed to new places and things.  Not to mention the sense of reality it brings when they can compare their experience to the things they may learn about in school.  Those covered wagon journeys don't seem so far removed when you driven across the country for a thousand miles!  "Big" takes on a whole new meaning when you stand under the shadow of a mountain.  "Wild" seems a whole lot more real when you're looking at the claw marks of a bear in a tree on a trail you are on!   And prairie dogs are really cute up close and personal!

     We ate sandwiches on paper towels as we drove down the interstate.  Daddy and First Born stopped in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere to see the Milky Way.  Middle Biscuit and Stitch taught Little Sister to play 21 in the back seat.  I got flattened pennies where ever we could find them.  (The best souveniers!)  Miles were traveled, memories were made, and that was the whole point.  It wasn't a resort Disney vacation.  We didn't stay in five star hotels with pools and wi-fi.  (We didn't even have cell signal most of the time!)  But I hope they remember it as one of their best times.  We know we don't have much time left with all of them together.  Soon enough we won't be able to coordinate everyone's schedules to take the time to go somewhere together.  But until then, we'll keep traveling and talking and laughing and arguing and being a family.  Because that's what's important.  :)

   

Growing Their Roots; Spreading Their Wings

    So, I'm trying to do a blog post every month this year... so far, so good! ;)  My baby boy just turned 10 a couple of days ago.  I was looking through old pictures to make the obligatory Facebook post showing his growth--always a bittersweet experience.  Those little kid days seem so long ago. 

    This was really brought home to me even more this weekend, as First Born and Middle Biscuit were going their separate ways to do separate things in their respective areas of interest.  This has been happening more and more as they get older, and it has me being reflective. 

    As they grow, they will spend less and less time here in the nest.  Which is, of course, the goal.  (No 30 year olds living in my basement, thank you very much!)  I was listening to our local radio hosts the other morning, and they were commenting how that those baby and toddler years seem to last forever, but that once your kid gets into high school, it's like the time speeds up to warp levels, and they're gone before you know it.  And I am reminded of a little plaque that hangs in my grandmother's house.  I remember reading it as a kid, and not really getting it.  But now I do.  It's the one about roots and wings, and how we need to give our kids both. 

    First Born is in high school this year, and Middle Biscuit is in junior high, and I can see the end coming.  It's barreling down the tunnel, and there's no getting out of its way.  So, I'm thinking: have I done all I can to get them ready?  Are they grounded in their faith?  Can they stand up for what's right?  Do they have manners?  Can they clean up after themselves?  Are they on their way to being decent human beings?  And I can only answer: We're trying, and we're not giving up yet! 

    It seems like that happens often.  People just sort of stop parenting once their kids get to be about 11 or 12.  I guess I figure that is actually the worst time to stop parenting.  You see, your kids are going from kids to adults in those last few years.  Before, they were only changing from little kids to a little bit bigger kids.  You have to teach them staying-alive skills, like listening, obedience, don't eat cat food, etc.  Which are really important, of course. 

     But taking your hands off the wheel just when your kid gets to the controls is a bad idea.  Am I an advocate of "helicopter parenting?"  No way.  (I'm probably the least helicopter parent I know, ha!)  But there's a difference between hovering and intentional parenting. 

     Intentional parenting is parenting with an end goal in mind.  Not just stopping a behavior or decision because it's annoying or inconvenient, but because you have a definite purpose and plan for your kids.  You want them to be adults one day.  Competent adults that know how to do things. 

    So, what are some ways we intentionally parent?  I'll share a few with you, but there's no one-size-fits-all plan.  But I think these are good starting points, and they are how we try to raise our kids.  Who are by no means perfect (WHY CAN NO ONE FIND THE HAMPER?!?) but are growing every day a bit at a time. 

     1) Prayer.  Of course, this seems like an obvious one, but unless you start the habit early, you'll find time has flown by and your kid is out the door.  This is one that can be done any where, any time.  Start simple--pray for them to have a good day at school.  It's easy to go from there.  Pray for their attitude; pray for their behavior struggles; pray for their friends; pray for their future spouse.  I know people who choose a verse to pray over their kids.  There's no one right way to pray, except to just start. 

     2) Tell them the truth.  We don't lie to our kids.  About big things or little things.  We don't tell them things we know aren't true.  The truth is a very big deal in our house, and pretty much the earliest lesson we began teaching.  But how does a kid know not to lie if the adults in their life do?  You can tell the truth no matter what.  We say Santa is a fun pretend, not that he's real, or that he brought their presents.  We tell them the truth when they ask the hard questions.  And, believe me, it's not always easy.  Some of those questions can be really hard.  But your child's trust in you is a key aspect of their eventual trust in God.  So be very careful to be honest with your kids, even when it's difficult.

     3) Protect them.  This seems like a no-brainer as well, but so many kids are thrown to the wolves every day.  *soap box warning*  Because their parents give them access to electronics without knowing what that entails.  You turn on the parental controls and assume everything is great.  But her "friend" is the one telling your daughter she could stand to lose some weight.  His "friend" is introducing your son to thoughts and images he will never recover from.  And all I hear is, "But...but... but..."  But I know what I have seen kids turn in to when they get their first phone.  I know the ways they get around you.  I listen to them talk to each other when they think no grown-ups are listening.  So, protect them.  Maybe your kid has a phone.  Fine.  Do they need internet on it?  Probably not.  Maybe they watch Youtube.  Fine.  Do you go back and watch everything they do?  Do you spend as much time on their accounts as they do?  "I don't have time for that," you might say.  Fine.  Then they don't have time for it either.  You know the statistics.  You know the numbers.  Why would you risk it?  We decided that we would be in charge of what our kids have access too.  It works for us.  (I have a college acquaintance who recently wrote an article about why his teenage son has a flip phone.  I've linked it here.  It's worth the five minutes or so to read it.)

     4)  Don't shelter them.   This might seem a contradiction after the last one, but (at least to me) there is a big difference between protection and sheltering.  I do not think that the first exposure to the world around them should happen when your kids get out on their own.  I've seen too many kids who have been too sheltered become overwhelmed when faced with the myriad of things (good & bad) life has to offer.  They spin their wheels, lose their focus, and sometime lose their way.  So, don't hide the world from your kids.  Find the right balance of exposure and protection.  And don't forget to tell them the end of the story.  Show them the results of bad decisions, don't hide it from them.  Be truthful.  Help them grow their own filters and discernment while you still have a majority of the control.  Then when they are on their own, they will have a grounding point.

    5)  Challenge them.   Let's face it...one thing you learn about life is that it is not easy.  Now, imagine you are a kid who everything has been easy for because your parents never pushed you out of a comfort zone.  What is going to happen when the first tough thing hits you?  You're either going to cave or run home to your parents to fix it.  So, challenge your kids.  Make them do stuff they don't want to.  Make them try new things.  Try new things together.  Make them find away to get along with "that" kid or "that" teacher.  (There are always going to be "those" people in your life.  You won't always be able to switch classes or instructors.)  Make them get up and go again if they fall down.  Mop up the blood and move on.  Because that's what life has to be sometimes.  You fall. You bleed. You get up. You go again.  Teach this to your kids.  There are too many quitters out there.

     Well, this post is getting long enough.  I hope it encourages and inspires you to be more intentional with your parenting.  Look for the end of the tunnel, because it's rapidly approaching.  Ask yourself the tough questions: what kind of person is my kid going to be?  Am I passing on my faith?  Can they do hard things?  Can they find the hamper?  :)

S-T-R-E-T-C-H!

     Well, once again it's been a while since I had a chance to sit down and blog a bit.  The second semester of school has flown by, and tomorrow is the last official day of school!!!  It is time for a break for students and teachers alike!

     As I look back on this school year, I realize that there has been a lot of change in my life.  As some of you may know, I am not a fan of change.  Which is probably why it has been a big part of my life the last few years....hmm...

     My life is so different now than it was only five years ago. I have gone from a house of littles to a house of bigs.  Big clothes, big shoes (that I trip over a lot), big mouths (!!), and big attitudes!  They have certainly jumped into the preteen/teen age group with full force!  I have decided that parenting littles brings a physical tiredness, and parenting bigs brings a mental exhaustion!  But it's good too...because you can begin to see the people they are becoming.  And this:

    

     In those same five years I went from being a SAHM to working full time in the school.  This has been challenging in its own right.  I admit I never had plans to work when I had kids.  I was content to stay home with them and do the mommy thing.  But God had other plans, which meant change for me!  And y'all...He has had to do it!  Because I have been the teacher for the littlest students, which means glitter, glue, paint, scissors, loose teeth, wiggles, and "accidents" of all kinds!  None of these things appeal to my OCD side, let me tell you! But it's good too... because you can see the light bulb moment when the words they are reading suddenly turns into a story.  And this:

     I guess I tricked myself into thinking that because I was approaching "middle age" that my life would be more of the same.  However, God had other plans.  And those plans involved me being stretched to my personal limits so I would be forced to realize that I wasn't doing it in my own strength...it was only Jesus working through me.

    You see, that's why God sends those stretchy moments in our lives.  Especially to those of us who "have the plan."  So we can come face to face with the truth that "not I, but Christ."  I can't juggle kids and work, but Jesus can give me the strength.  I can't fix all the behavior issues that arise, but Jesus can give me wisdom.  I can't heal the scraped knees or hurt hearts of the young ones God has place in my path, but Jesus can give me peace and the power of prayer.

     So, this week, as I face yet another new thing and I think to myself "There's no way I can do this!"  I will remember--"not I, but Christ."  And as you face the stretchy things in your life, I pray you will remember the same thing!  "Not I, but Christ!"  :)

Going Up!

     So, I've been mulling something over for the past few days.  (English nerd sidebar: I love the word "mulling."  We don't use it much any more. Too bad!  Probably because we don't do it much any more!)  Anyway, I have been thinking over this random thought, and it lead me to some interesting things.  Maybe it will be an encouragement to some of y'all too. 

     It started when I was having my devotional time a couple of days ago.  Last year, I was gifted a copy of "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young.  (Disclaimer: I don't know much about this author, so don't take this as a blanket endorsement!)  It has short portions of Scripture and essays written as if Jesus was speaking directly to you.  This week has been focused on the rest Jesus gives us.

     Today's portion really brought out the inner conversations that I had been having with the Holy Spirit lately.  It was based on the Scripture verse Ephesians 2:6:

"And he hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus."

 

     The essay was about how Jesus wants to raise us up above the circumstances in our lives and make us more like Himself.  Which I know, right?  I mean, if you've been in church for any length of time, you have heard a message on that verse.  Jesus gives us the power in our Christian life if we walk in obedience to Him.  We can be above the circumstances, problems, trials, and temptations through Him.  Of course...so simple, so obvious.

     But then this though came to me:  How often would I rather pull Jesus down to where I am rather than let Him pull me up?  Would I rather wallow in my frustrations than turn them over to Him?  It is so much more satisfying (to my self) to think of Jesus as my BFF who will listen to all my aggravations and agree (!!) with my side of each situation.  Without letting Him insert His opinions about what I should do.  And that's where the problem comes in.

     We have fallen into a trap of relegating Jesus to someone who is there to listen to us (which He does), feel sorry for our hurt feelings (He does care how we feel), and gleefully plot our plans for revenge with us (umm...maybe not so much).  We don't really want to rise above; we want to feel above.

     So, I ask myself: can I let Jesus pull me up, or will I try to pull Him down to sit with me and commiserate on my hurt feelings or aggravations?  Will I let Him take me above the circumstances and begin to view things from His point of view rather than assume He must see everything from mine, because of course I'm right?

     When Peter climbed out of the boat and started to walk to Jesus on the water, it certainly wouldn't have done him much good if he hadn't allowed Jesus to pull him up.  And Jesus didn't commiserate with Peter's fear---He asked him why he doubted and why he had such little faith.  (If I had been Peter, my first thought would have been, "Well, hey, I'm better than those guys...they didn't even try!")  But Peter let Jesus pull him above his circumstances (without patting him on the head and "affirming" him!) and they walked to the boat together.  And the Bible says that the storm didn't stop until they were on the boat.  Jesus didn't calm the storm until after Peter had walked through it by Jesus' side.

     So, the next time I have a circumstance that I want to be above, I want Jesus to pull me up to where He wants me to walk.  I want to walk through the storm by His side, on my way to those "heavenly places."  I want to be raised up!!  :) 

Reflections at 35

   So, in a few days, I will be 35.  Most people consider this middle age, but I guess I have to echo the trite sentiment--"But I don't feel middle-aged!"  But I have never understood what people meant by saying they feel an age...what does an age feel like?  I haven't noticed any marked changes that have occurred at a given age...you know, like 16, 18, 21, 30...the supposed "milestone" ages.  And thank the Lord and good genetics, I have never actually looked my age.  When I was 16, people thought I was 12, which I hated...then.  Then during my twenties, when I was having babies and being a grown-up, people gave me pitying looks like I was a teen mom, or asked questions like "Are those all your kids?!"  (In an incredulous voice, of course.)  So, age has always been just a number for me.

   But now that I am about to reach yet another "milestone" age, I have been thinking about what I might say about such an event.  I mean, according to the "three-score and ten" principle, I am halfway through my allotted span.  So, have I reached any conclusions about life that I could share?  Have I learned any lessons that I can pass on to younger moms and wives to save them maybe having to learn them the hard way?  Are there things that I have yet to learn that I can get busy on in the time I have left?   I have been mulling over these points and thought I might share a few things on my li'l ol' blog.   So, here are a few things I have had occasion to try out, fail at, try again, learn, re-learn, and practice in my life.  It's my hope that something will encourage you, challenge you, make you laugh, or remind you of God's direction in your life.

   1.   God does have a plan for you---even if it not the plan you thought.  This was a big one for me early on in my life.  You see, I am a planner.  But often, God's plan for my life was to change the plan I had.  One early lesson I learned in this was when we moved right before my sixteenth birthday.  This was a difficult time of my life, and I was not very pleased with my parents (and to be honest, God) for disrupting my life and uprooting me just when I felt I was "coming into my own."  Unfortunately, I struggled with this lesson for a while before finally just giving up.  (Yay for a senior trip to the Wilds!)  I decided that it might be easier for me to let God plan my life for a while...you know, just to see what might happen.  Well, things did happen, and three years after that "traumatic" move, I was married!  Which leads me right into my next musing...

   2.  Marriage is good...but hard.  I mean hard.  No one really tells you this.  You hear the trite phrases about love being blind or deaf.  And you expect to have a spat here or there with your spouse.  But no one tells you about the flat-out, gritty reality of marriage and the work that goes into making one work.  The sleepless nights where you are emotionally so drained you think maybe this was a mistake.  The days where nothing goes right and the only thing you can do is take it out on the person whose fault it seems like.  The times where you would cheerfully punch the daylights out of the person you said "I love you" to earlier that day.  But after this is the plain out satisfaction of getting through all that.  Together on the other side...hopefully wiser, closer, more together.  So, all you newbies out there, my advice would be tough it out.  When the shine is off, when the stress takes it toll, when you want to walk away, or wish the other person would.  Stay. Fight. Don't quit. Talk. Yell. Love.  Beat the odds...together.  Because...

   3.  People are watching.  Looking to you, even though you have no clue what you are doing.  This is one I am still not comfortable with.  I don't think I have it "all together" like--oh, I don't know--several hundred other people that are way more "together" than me.  So when the thought crosses my mind that people are looking to me to be a leader, I still kinda freak out.  I don't really want to be one.  Because, let's face it...it's way easier to say "Follow someone else."  But, at some point--although I don't really know how it happened--I was a leader.  People came to me for advice.  They looked to me to set the tone of a situation.  They assumed that since I was there, I was in charge.  When, mostly, I just wanted to say, "Wait...I'm not a grown-up...you can't put me in charge!  I've never done this before!"  I guess this is part of point number one that I am still working on!

   4.  There is no magic formula for parenting.  At some point, early on, maybe even before you have kids of your own, you have already had a mental dialog with yourself about "well, when I have kids, they will never..."  And you assume that there is a set formula of love, patience, discipline, and firmness that you can plug in and out will come a well-adjusted, well-behaved little person.  And there pretty much is...but the formula seems to change everyday...sometimes multiple times a day.  And no one tells you that some days you will just be happy with kids that are still alive at the end of the day...because some days that's an accomplishment all by itself.  It is hard to choose the battles to pick...but critical to win the ones you choose.  And people will give you advice, article, books, dissertations, blogs, and criticisms...all in the name of good intentions.  And you have the best intentions to try and follow it all.  But then life happens.  And all the good intentions go out the window and your husband comes home to find the children in pajamas, in front of the television, eating carrot sticks out of a bag while you just stare at him.  Vacantly.  And he takes you all out for supper, because he is great.  And then the next week you find the "magic formula" one day, and he comes home to happy kids, a warm supper, good dessert, and a clean house.  And he just smiles and says, "How was your day?" because he is great.  So, mommies, hang in there.  The magic formula is simply this--there is no formula.  Pray for, take care of, and love your kiddos...so easy--yet so challenging.

   5.  Life is full of big challenges, but little things are what's important.  As I look back on my life up to this point, I can remember the "big" things most clearly.  Getting married, having babies, losing babies, major illnesses of family members, natural disasters, job changes, moves, conflicts, trials, loss...all the things that make the milestones that people use to measure their life by.  You know, "It's been three years since this tragedy" or "It's been two weeks since that happened."  I guess it's human nature to quantify our life on a timetable of what has happened to us.  But we need to be careful that we don't get trapped in measuring our lives by the negative things that have happened.  If we are simply waiting for the next complication with which to measure our life by, we may miss the everyday blessing that God sends.  The phone call from a friend, the chubby fistful of flowers from your toddler, the new book you started reading, a fancy coffee for no reason at all, a trip to the grocery store by yourself.  The time you wished you had cookies, and the next day a church member brings some to church.  The wonderfulness of your washing machine, dishwasher, or Crockpot.  A thing you have always harbored a secret wish to do, and out of the blue God gives you a chance to do it.  Don't forget these seemingly little things.  Because they are the things that God send us to help us get through those challenging times.  We can store them up and take them out and look at them and remember that God is there, and He loves us, and He will help us through the hard times because look how good He was when we weren't looking for it.  Little things are still important...which is kinda what this blog is about after all.

   I have by no means mastered anything on this list.  I don't know if it is even something that can be "mastered" or not.  But looking back, these are a few things that stick out to me as lessons that I have revisited the most often.  Now I have a place to come and read them the next time I need a refresher course!!  Keep looking for those little things!  And remember, age is just a number! ;)

Resolved!

     We have had a great holiday season around here.  I hope your Christmas time was filled with fun things, family times, and reminders of God's blessings in your life.  Our family really enjoyed our break from the "grind" of school, and we spent several hours just doing nothing for a change!  I even stayed up late playing video games--*gasp!

    I was pretty glad to get back to the routine today, though.  Schedule is soothing to my OCD soul.  Although, I already miss the sleeping in!

    As most people look at the new year, they think about the things they want to change, or the weight they want to be, or the goals they want to accomplish in the new year.  I always feel that my "new year" begins in August, when school starts back.  That is usually when I take stock of our lives and see what is working and what isn't, make changes, and things like that.  So, the New Year for me is more of a time to check in on the plans from August and see how they are working.  (So far, so good!)

    Secondly, I think that in order for resolutions to make any impact in your life, they should really be made on a daily basis, rather than a batch of "I want to..." at the beginning of a year, most of which are forgotten by the end of the month!  I thought I would share a few things that I try to resolve to do each day.  Like a lot of things, some days it works, and some days it doesn't!  Which ones would make your "daily resolution" list?

       1. Pray more purposefully.   We pray over our meals, and there are the quick, desperate "mommy" prayers ("Please keep me from completely LOSING it!"), but praying purposefully can be something that is difficult to do on a daily basis--especially for us busy moms!  Praying purposefully means to me that I have sought a quiet time, alone, to go to God and talk with Him in a coherent, thoughtful way.  I have tried to clear my mind of the busy clamor of life to spend some time worshiping and communicating with my Heavenly Father.

       2. Think about God's Word.   Again, this is not a snatched verse here or there, but a time apart to read an spend time meditating on God's Word and what He would have for me to apply in my life.

       3.  Tell my husband I love him.  Yes, this is something I have to decide to do.  When you and your spouse are busy working hard all day, and then you come home to kids who need you to take care of them, it can be easy to push through until bedtime and then crash and burn at the end of the night.  Then, before you know it, it's been three days since you have said anything meaningful to your spouse besides "Did you remember to pay that bill?" or "Have you done anything for supper?" or "It's your turn to deal with that!"  Take the extra minute to connect with your love.

      4.  Hug my kids and tell them each I love them.   Usually this is something that happens daily at bedtime, but once in a while even the bedtimes are rushed and it is just time for EVERYONE TO GO TO SLEEP RIGHT NOW!!  Your little guys and girls (and your big ones, if you have them)  still need to feel those special moments, even in the midst of your busy life.

     5.  Remember this song.  We have an old Johnny Cash album recorded at San Quentin prison, where Johnny Cash is singing with the Carter Family and the Statler Brothers.  One of the songs on this album has the best words for mommies (and other people) to have in the back of their mind on a daily basis.  Here are the lyrics, and you could probably hear a recording on Youtube, if you looked it up.  So simple, yet powerful if you take a few minutes to think about them.  It's like a mommy theme song!

"Less Of Me"

lyrics by Glen Campbell

Let me be a little kinder
Let me be a little blinder
To the faults of those about me
Let me praise a little more

Let me be when I am weary
Just a little bit more cheery
Think a little more of others
And a little less of me

Let me be a little braver
When temptation bids me waver
Let me strive a little harder
To be all that I should be

Let me be a little meeker
With the brother that is weaker
Let me think more of my neighbor
And a little less of me

Let me be when I am weary
Just a little bit more cheery
Let me serve a little better
Those that I am strivin' for

Let me be a little meeker
With the brother that is weaker
Think a little more of others
And a little less of me

    Anyway, those are just  few of the things I try to resolve to do on a daily basis.  What's on your daily "resolve" list?  If you don't have one, maybe that can be your New Year's resolution! :)

   

Life Lessons from a Woman Who Lived Them

   Recently I was able to attend an annual ladies retreat.  At this retreat, one of the returning speakers is Mrs. Mina Olgesby.  She has a wonderful music ministry in addition to speaking at many conferences.

    I am always blessed by her topics and her sincerity as she speaks about what the Lord has laid on her heart.  In my last post, I told you that I would attempt to share some insights I received while I was at the annual ladies retreat this year.  I wanted to start with a session that Mrs. Mina shared which she titled "Life Lessons from a Woman Who Lived Them."  I don't think she would mind me sharing her points and the applications she made from Scripture with you.

     This lesson was all about the account in 2 Kings 4: 8-37.  This is the account of the prophet Elisha and his interactions with a great lady of the land of Shunem.  She is not named, but is commonly referred to as the Shunamite woman.  This woman went through many things in her life and yet remained faithful and humble in her walk with the Lord.  She can be an example to us today in many areas, and some of these ways are what Mrs. Mina brought out. 

    The first thing that is seen about the Shunamite lady is that she was more interest in giving than in getting.  We see this recorded in verses 8-10.  She freely invited God's man to partake of her hospitality, and even went so far as to approach her husband about having a special room built especially for Elisha's use when he passed through their area.  (The "original" prophet's chamber!)  When Elisha asked what he could do for her in return for this hospitality, she simply said, "I dwell among mine own people."  To me, this statement says that she had everything she needed, and she had no need for accolades of other men, or to have her kindnesses published abroad.  How many times do we perform services for others with a hidden desire for these deeds to be made known and made much over?  This lady realized that her reward for service was from the Lord, and that what she did here on this earth was seen by Him in Heaven, and that was enough for her. 

     Another thing that was brought out as a life lesson from this great lady is found in verse 9.  She was spiritually perceptive.  She recognized God's man, and saw God's holiness in him.  This is an important lesson for us, especially as women.  We need to be careful to be discerning about the things of spirituality in our lives.  Check what comes across your radar against Scripture--even if it is from a Christian source.  It is a dangerous practice to accept any and all teachings from a particular church or person without checking for Biblical accuracy.  Staying in the Scripture and having it a daily part of your life will help you grow in your spiritual perception, and false ideas will be more likely to sound false when filtered through a strong Scriptural filter. 

    There are several more things that were brought out in this lesson that I want to share with you.  Stay tuned... :)

Summer Start-Up!

     The first week of summer is officially over!  We were glad to have a relaxing week, recovering from the craziness that was the last week of school!

     I really don't want to waste the summer.  I have all these things in the back of my mind that I want to get done before school starts.  Things like cleaning, organizing, and stuff that never seems to get handled when school starts up!  So, in that spirit, I got up this morning and organized and cleaned out all the cabinets in my kitchen!  I was so glad to get this much-needed task done!  Now, if I can only get the hoodlums and the Hubby to help me keep it this way!  :)

     I don't want the boys to waste the summer either.  They would be perfectly happy to sit in front of the TV watching movies and playing video games all summer!  So, in the interest of not turning their brains into mush, we have signed up for the summer reading program at the local library.  They keep up with how many books they've checked out and read, and then at the end of the summer, they get a prize pack from the library.  We did it once, two summers ago, and the boys really enjoyed it.  We have read a lot of books so far!

     We are also working on some Cub Scout projects and electives as well.  Today, First-Born made a weather chart, which he is supposed to use to track the weather for two weeks.  Middle Biscuit will be working on his Tiger Track over the summer as well.  One thing you have to say about Scouts--there's always something to be working on!  They've learned that bored kids get into trouble!

     Hubby and I were talking earlier this week about that idea as well.  We want the boys to be busy learning and growing.  It's kind of scary to think that you really don't have that much time to teach the important things to your kiddos!  (Of course, some days it seems like they're never going to grow up!)  But there are so many good things to learn, and, unfortunately, there are so many things everyone else will want to teach them---and most are not good!  We have to be so vigilant to be the first to fill our children's minds with good, profitable knowledge and wisdom, before the world can fill it with mindless fluff and garbage.

     So, just a word of encouragement---be your kids' teacher!  Try to impart some small lesson in wisdom everyday!  Spend some time thinking..."What do I want my kids to learn from me today?"  Because they will learn something--no matter what!  It's our job to make sure it's something that nurtures or admonishes!  :)

Adjustments!

   You know that statement about being careful what you pray for, because you might get it?  Well, let me tell you, it's true!  You see, for the last couple of months I've been working on being a little more flexible, and trying not to sweat the small stuff so much. I knew there would be a couple of big changes coming up in the future, and I thought I'd "get the jump" on them by practicing my flexibility. Well, apparently, God decided to answer my request for a more flexible outlook on life with a great big "OK, here you go!"  Nothing teaches flexibility like a big ol' wind that comes along and blows away lots of stuff! :)


   So, now I'm working on adjustments.  My parents, whose house was wrecked in the storms last week, are staying with us for now.  All the stuff we rescued from their house is also staying here, and over at the church building.  So, my house, which was fairly full before, is now completely full, and running over!  For someone who suffers with "anti-clutter-itis" (this is a syndrome where you have a compulsion to clear every table in your house from whatever has been deposited there on a daily basis), this is a little difficult for me to take in.  I am having to learn to stop, take a breath, and remind myself that "flexibility" is the keyword of my life right now.  I know God is helping me, because I haven't had a complete melt-down, or shut myself in the closet, or anything drastic yet! :)


   I know I'm not the only one "adjusting" right now either.  My poor parents, who were just getting used to (and enjoying) their "empty nest", are now surrounded by three rambunctious boys 24 hours a day!  Plus they are relegated to basically one room, which is rapidly filling up with stuff!  Even our pets are learning flexibility, as we went from a one cat (who was already anti-social) household to a two-cat-and-one-dog household! (So far we haven't had any major fights...just a few hisses now and then!)  


   It's about to get even more interesting around here, as hubby's parents are coming back through at the end of the week!  They will be staying for a little while before heading back to their "home base."  I hope they are still sane when they leave...is craziness catching?  Let's hope not, because there's enough here to go around!  :)  


   So, that's what's been going on around here lately.  I'm sure someday my life will be back to its boring old self.  Or not.  Whatever.  See, I'm learning...flexibility!  :)