Life Lessons from Mister Rogers

     So, I have been asked to do more book reviews on the blog.  If you know me at all, you know that I am a reader.  Reading is not just a hobby to me...it is more of a compulsion.  I can barely remember a time that I could not and did not read.  However, book reviewing is something I haven't done much of at all.

    So, here goes an attempt to review a book that I read recently.  I got it at my local library (my happy place) a few weeks ago.  The name of the book is "The Good Neighbor: the Life and Work of Fred Rogers" by Maxwell King.  I found it to be a truthful and touching account of the life of a well-known figure who played an essential role in the childhood of millions of Americans during the '70s, '80s, and into the '90s.

     The book is biographical, telling the story of Mister Rogers from his birth, upbringing, education, and his passion for the children he ministered to in his life.  And "ministered" is the right word.  He believed with his whole heart that God had called him to be a light in the lives of the children he came in contact with, and also the ones he visited with on a daily basis in his "television neighborhood."  He actually was an ordained minister in the Presbyterian church, with the special dispensation that his ministry was to children through the medium of television.  He had to convince the board of ordination of the fact that this was a legitimate ministry, and it worked.  After some wrangling with the Presbytery, he was ordained, and his official congregation was the children he loved.

     And that is one of the main truths that I took away from this book.  Page after page, his love for his fellow man, especially children, shone through.  In one of the most impacting parts of the book, the author quotes several people who knew Mister Rogers talking about what made him different than other people.  And every person in this particular section said the same thing.  "What would Christ be like?" said one of his teachers from theological school.  "He would be like Fred Rogers.  He would encourage you to do right and help other people."  Another long-time acquaintance said, "He was the most Christ-like person I ever knew."

     What a testimony!  Isn't that what we all want as Christians?  Isn't that exactly what Jesus said to us in John 13:35?  "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."  It seems pretty clear that Mister Rogers lived this out.  Was he perfect?  No.  But the driving theme of this book was his authenticity.  He truly did his best to live what he believed in a way that had an impact on those around him.  Certainly something we can all aspire to.

     As a parent and teacher, I like Mister Rogers for another reason.  He told children the truth... even when the truth was unpleasant.  He didn't believe in shielding children from the scary things in this world, but preparing them to face  by those things by giving them the tools they needed to do so.

     When the goldfish dies, he doesn't stop rolling to replace it.  He calmly removes the fish, talking about what "dead" means, and simply wraps it up in a paper towel and walks to the backyard and quietly buries the fish.  He didn't shy away from hard topics that little children had to face like divorce (something that became more and more common as the years went on), death, fear, national tragedy, or just meanness.  He simply explained in his calm, quiet way that these things are, and that they are scary or sad, but that if you have people in your life that love you, you can face them.

     I find it interesting that there has been a bit of a revival of interest in Mister Rogers.  There has been this book, published this year, a couple of movies about his life made in the last two years, and even a Google Doodle a couple of days ago.  (Watch it here if you didn't get to see it... it was great!) 

     So, why this interest?  Well, I've been giving it some thought, and I think it might come down to the two pillars that Mister Rogers held dear: love and truth.  People are searching for these two qualities, and Mister Rogers shows us what it can look like in our everyday life.  He gives us examples of how to show these two things in tangible ways, like drawing a picture for a sick friend, or sharing something we learned that was interesting to us with someone else, or inviting our friend to put his feet in a pool of water with us on a hot day.  ( Go to 5:50 to see this example of neighborliness.) 

     So, do I recommend this book? Yes.  And I encourage you to take a lesson or two from Mister Rogers.  I know after I read it, it made me think about my own life, and what kind of impact I am having on the little people in my life.  And I think we can all show a little more love to our neighbors. :)


     

   

   

When God Shows Up

    Hey y'all!  Trying to get a little better about consistent posting again... two in a row!!  Last time, I posted an update type blog... today I want to do one about something that has happened to me over the last couple of weeks. 

     So, a few weeks ago, I went to a local church's ladies retreat.  I have several friends at this church, and it is only five minutes from my house... so it was easy for me to get away for a bit and take part in this event.  It was going to be based on the principles of prayer, using the movie "The War Room."  Although, I hadn't seen the movie, I knew mainly what it was about, so I was excited to see what was in store.

     Y'all.  I really did not expect what I received from this.  You see, that's what God does--waits until we aren't expecting Him to show up, and then he shows up.  What I got out of this time of study and prayer was so much more than I was expecting. 

    You see, on some level, we all know prayer is important, yet why does it seems to be the easiest thing for us to shuffle off to the side when we get busy with life?  I'm guilty of it myself....I will take five or ten minutes to sit down and read my Bible, but prayer was no more than a cursory effort. 

     This event used clips from the movie as a spring board for discussion and study on the what the Bible has to say about the importance of prayer and its power in our lives and the lives of others.  There were small group discussion times, large group sharing, and activities to encourage us to delve more deeply into this business of prayer.  There was just such a wonderful time of prayer with these ladies.  I left so encouraged....

     ...and determined.  I was going to start making a serious effort to spend some concentrated effort in prayer for a certain amount of time each day.  I started a prayer journal, and began by just writing out a short prayer to focus my thoughts before I prayed for my requests for the day. 

    But have you ever started something thinking that it was going to be the "same old, same old?"  I mean, I knew God answered prayer, but it had been a little while since I had seen it in a meaningful, personal way in my own life.  But one of the points of the session was that we should pray because God is literally bending down to listen to us.  (Psalm 116:2)  So, I wanted to give this a real effort. 

    And God showed up. The second day, I prayed for two small things... just things that were nagging at the back of my mind that I was worried/frustrated about.  So, I just jotted them down and said a prayer about them.  And the next day they were both answered in a positive way.  Surprise!!  Oh me of little faith! 
 
    Well, needless to say, this was a huge encouragement to me to keep it up!  And it's a good thing, because within the next two days, I got a prayer request that was literally a matter of life and death.  No exaggeration.  So, with renewed and encouraged faith, I started praying.  Every day.  For a week.  And then I got a call that said the request had been answered... positively!  Needless to say, the next day's prayer time was one of rejoicing! 

    So, I just want to pass on the encouragement I got from these last few weeks in this area.  Have I seen such immediate results since then?  No, but you know what... I know God is still listening.  And my spirit has been renewed and refreshed in this area.  So, if you are in a spot in your life where it seems like your prayers are going unanswered, or maybe you've been missing that area in your life entirely, I want to encourage you.  Try again.  You may not expect God to show up, but He's waiting and listening.  He just wants you to come to Him and share your heart.  And then wait for Him to show up.  :) 

I'm Back! Updates & Advice!

     So, I had to clean the cobwebs off this page before I could write anything!  :)  Not really, but I was looking and it's been almost a year since I last posted!  That is sad, y'all!  I'm just gonna give you a little rundown of everything that's been happening, and then a bit of advice on how I keep my plates spinning!  (In case you are feeling overwhelmed yourself!)

     Well, to begin, our family has taken on a couple of new projects over the last few months.  We have returned to Scouting, and now have two boys in Scouts, and a boy in Cub Scouts.  Daddy and Mommy run the Cub pack, and Little Sister goes along for all the adventures! 

    School is back full time now, and we tackled several projects over the summer here on the grounds.  Including cutting a big hole in the wall between the classrooms and adding a window!  Our Fearless Leader is also taking on another teaching job at a local Christian school...two math classes....his favorite!

     I have added another teaching job to my repertoire as well... piano lessons!  I have been teaching (read: forcing) my boys for several years, but this past school year, several students expressed an interest in learning piano as well.  I am by no means a professional music teacher, but I'm excited to share the fun of music with more kiddos!

     I have continued with my parenting classes at the local pregnancy resource center as well.  I am about to celebrate my 1 year anniversary there!  It has been a good year, with a chance to get to know and encourage some young girls in this adventure of motherhood!  And it is always an opportunity to praise God when someone chooses life for their baby!  There were at least two girls in my classes this year who came into the center deciding on abortion, but changed their minds!  What a blessing!! 

    I've also entered the world of direct sales.  This is more of a hobby for me, and a challenge for me to grow in an area personally.  I am selling Plunder jewelry, and having a blast!  It has really encouraged me to step outside my comfort zone and tackle something I didn't think I could do.  Plus, it's really fun, and I get to wear amazing jewelry! :)

    Of course, this is on top of teaching, wife-ing, & mommy-ing full time.  So, you might be wondering.... how do I do it?  (That's okay... I wonder that myself sometimes!!)  Here's a few tips that help me stay sane in the midst of the chaos! 

     1) Quiet time.  Nearly every day, first thing in the AM, I sit down with my current Bible study book, my Bible and a pencil and have some study time.  I really feel that I am more centered and focused on God's voice through out the day if I start my day this way. 

     2) Exercise.  I know.... this isn't a fun one.  But, really, y'all... it helps!  I'm not running any marathons or winning any Crossfit challenges, but I try to walk a mile every other morning, and do some kind of muscle exercises (crunches, squats, etc.) the other days.  Like I said, not fun, but it really helps me to feel better about the rest of the day, even if nothing else goes right.  "At least I got my mile in this morning!"

     3) Make your kids work.  Now, I know this seems like something "mean," but come on y'all.  Get serious.  Do you really need to be waiting hand and foot on the miniature people living in your house?  Do their legs and arms work?  Then they need to be cleaning their rooms, making their beds, and helping with other chores.  Currently, the chores in the house are divided up like this: Middle Biscuit and Stitch are responsible for the dishes and KP every day.  First Born and Little Sister are in charge of the laundry for the household, and First Born also has to clean the kids bathrooms.  I handle the vacuuming and the adult bathroom, along with the other extras.  It takes a little effort on your part, but believe me, when your kid is grown, and you don't have to go to his apartment and clean it, you'll thank me.

    4) Google Calendar and a notebook. I write out a weekly schedule in a notebook on the weekend and put all appointments in Google calendar.  Fearless Leader has Google Calendar too, and anything we add shows up on each other's schedule.  Life saver for busy people. 

     So, those are the things that help me juggle my busy life!  And while I'm busy and tired at the end of the day, it's worth it.  Because I know it's the path God has put me on, and there's no place I'd rather be!  I hope that I can get back here soon... I've had a couple of book review requests, and I really need to keep this going!  Thanks for checking in with my little family, and I hope it was a bright spot in your day!  Here's the most recent pic of the crew...so much change this mommy can barely handle it! :)