I Was a Basket(less) Case

I did something today that I haven't done in six years.  I've known the time was coming; and, while that maybe should have just purely excited me, I've instead had mixed feelings at the thought of its approach.  To say the least, today proved that those mixed feelings were well founded.  That's right.... Shopping without a stroller is kinda nice.  And then again, it's kinda not....

Think back, fellow moms, to when your first child came along.  The only way you could get out of the house with your precious new baby was to take a stroller along, right?!  Suddenly, you had to relearn how to navigate the mall.  Opening doors became a magic feat involving parts of your body that had never before been used for such a task.  And the impossible undertaking of navigating through the aisles of crowded stores without catching tires and knocking garments off racks made you wonder if you really needed to get out of the house all that badly after all.  And then when the second child, complete with a double stroller, came along... forget about it.

But... on the other hand... navigation difficulties aside... you found out there are some perks of shopping with a stroller.... You know that handy little cup holder that made you feel like it was okay to take a drink with you into stores?  And that blessed little basket that held all manner of things including coats and purses and shopping bags and whatever else you didn't want to carry?  Yeah, maybe shopping with a stroller isn't such a bad thing after all....

And that is just where I was at.  After six years of pushing single strollers, double strollers, umbrella strollers, and hating every wheel-twisted moment of it, I sort of fell in love.  I knew that.  What I didn't know (until today) is that I forgot how to shop without one.  Today, I successfully abandoned a shopping bag from one store at the cash register of another; left items I intended to purchase... and my purse... sitting unattended and forgotten in the middle of a third store; and deserted McKenna, Amariah's $100 American Girl doll, in the dressing room of the same.  If not for the honesty of the finders (and my success in creating a fabulous family picture ensemble :-)), I would say my first stroller-less shopping trip in six years was an utter failure.  At least it was just my stuff I couldn't keep track of and not my kids....

Tweet

The Words They Hear

We were on vacation last week; and wherever we went, the twins were the talk of the majority of our passersby.  I was struck by how many positive, "They are so cute!" reactions Isabel and Elliana elicited from complete strangers.  I even commented to Travis at one point that the people in Wisconsin seemed more appreciative of children than so many others this mother-of-four has encountered over the past few years.... I have to remind myself of that positive impression as I sit down to write this post which springs from my musings over a couple of the not so positive (although innocent) comments the very existence of our children evoked last week.

I write not because I harbor resentment when a stranger doesn't seem to appreciate my children as much as I do, but because I have observed and experienced firsthand a certain insensitivity in well-meaning people.  And I wonder what age my children will have to be before these outspoken people will realize that my kids have ears and understanding and feelings... and that negative words springing from a sort of anti-children sentiment are hurtful to children.

One of the latest remarks to which I am referring actually came from a child herself.  As my family walked into the room, a pre-teen muttered in a less than positive tone, "Man, that's a lot of kids...."  And from where did she get that sentiment?

The other of the two remarks which have provoked this post was, to me, one of the most hurtful I've heard.  A random stranger was walking near us as we moved from one location to another at a waterpark.  She was commenting on how cute Isabel and Elliana's swimsuits are, to which I replied with a smile in my voice, "Yes, they sure are, and I got to buy two of them!"  Her quick and definitive reply came, "You got to buy two, but I sure wouldn't want twins!"  The smile in my heart faded and a sadness momentarily took its place.  All I could think was, "I sure hope they didn't hear what she just said."  They were walking not two steps ahead of us.

Elliana

Now, my kids have never indicated that they have noticed or been hurt by such "anti-children" comments; but if they notice and are affected by the positive comments, why wouldn't the same be true for the negative?

Travis and I are continually showing and telling our children how much we love and appreciate and enjoy them; and I suppose I can be comforted to think that that ought to be enough to protect their little hearts from the insensitive words they occasionally hear from strangers.  But still it saddens me that people can be so quick to speak, not considering that "rash words are like sword thrusts" (Proverbs 12:18 ESV)... and that the stab of their anti-children words is into the tender and impressionable hearts of the children in whose hearing they speak.

To my readers and to myself I say, let us take heed to our words--and even more so to our hearts, "for out of the abundance of the heart [the] mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45 ESV).  Words don't come forth without having some effect on the hearer.  If "death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Proverbs 18:21), then we can be sure that our words--good or bad--are helping to shape the people our children will become.

Isabel

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer" (Psalm 19:14).

Tweet

Before Them, There was Us

Travis and I have had the best extended weekend.  The NICHE (Network of Iowa Christian Home Educators) Conference was held here in Des Moines on Friday and Saturday, so the kids went to Grandma Tammy and Grandpa Terry's house for a few days.  This was only the second time we've been away from all four kids at once.  As much as we love being with our kids, we were admittedly excited for the little break.  And besides being frightened awake one night at 3:30 a.m. by the sound of our fire alarms going off because of what turned out to be a dead battery, it has been the most perfect of breaks.  Dinners out, late night runs, early morning walks, adult conversations, and two days at a homeschool conference.... Who could ask for more? :-)  Travis said it was kind of like a second honeymoon--and a timely one, too, as we just celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary last Monday!

Indeed, it has been a fun few days, but I would have to say that the very best part of our couples weekend has been the opportunity to remember just how it is that we got to this place of being the homeschooling parents of four amazing kids.  Before curriculum and conferences, before toys and tricycles, before diapers and "Da-da"s, there was us.  Had we never fallen in love and chosen to spend the rest of our lives together in God-ordained marriage, there would be no sending kids to Grandma's house, no attending a homeschool conference or purchasing curriculum.  Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the business of raising kids that we forget why we are in the business in the first place--because we actually like each other and enjoy spending time together and because we chose to be partners and companions for life!

God has given me four beautiful children whom He has equipped me to love and to care for and to educate, but He first gave me His choice of a man to walk alongside me through this life.  As I remember that to a fuller degree than I probably have in a while, I am in total awe of the goodness of God towards me.  I don't deserve to have a faithful husband who deeply loves God and me and our kids, who strives to follow Jesus and to lead his family, who works hard to provide and care for our household; but by God's grace, he is mine.

What a gift.  What a weekend.  What a God....

Tweet

I Guess They Were Right

"You're a busy mom...."

I can't begin to number the times I've heard that statement upon making any type of public appearance with my four young children.  I must admit, its overuse over the past couple years has bothered me some, mostly because I haven't felt all that "busy."  I suppose I have been... busy, that is... but I guess when you're busy doing what you have to do, you don't always take time to think about how busy you actually are.

Lately, however, I can say that the common opinion that I am a busy mom has felt quite true.  For one thing, the return of the school year has taken a considerable chunk of time from my days.  After only four weeks of teaching a kindergartner and a preschooler simultaneously, I have found myself further behind in housework than I've been in while.  Indeed, I can't deny that homeschooling is keeping me busy.

Oddly enough, though, that wasn't what changed my mind on the "busyness" assessment.  It was the countless number of times in a day that I hear, "Mom, Mommy, Mom!" that caused me just the other day to stop and say to myself, "Yes... yes, I guess I am busy."  I am the go-to person for four kids.  I am the helper for every need.  I am the answer-er for every question.  I am the listener for every story.  I am the entertainer of every idea.  I am a mother of four, and I. Am. Busy.

Tweet

Fun is Good for the Soul

So far, the month of June has brought Travis and me a couple of what I think have been the most fun weekends we've had in a really long time, and I think it's due in part to the fact that we are moving beyond the baby stage of parenthood.

I'm certainly not saying that parenting babies isn't fun.  In fact, saying goodbye to the baby stage has been bittersweet for me.  I will definitely miss all the pleasures of babyhood, and yet, I am excited by the prospect of moving on (presuming that is what God has in store for us...).  I think our recent weekend fun has been a foretaste of what I was sure would come someday--an increased ease in getting out....

Saturday, June 4th, was Travis and my sixth wedding anniversary, and we celebrated it as a family.  After a nice dinner out with the kids that evening, we decided on a whim to visit Bass Pro Shop.  A store recently opened in our area, and since we hadn't all been there yet, we thought it would be fun to walk through it.  We joked that it seemed kind of redneck-ish for an anniversary date (Ha!), but we really enjoyed looking at the fish, the stuffed animals, the camping supplies.  We even tried out the little shooting range/hunting simulation thing.  (Okay, so I don't even know what it was called, but it was fun!  It was actually my first time ever holding a (fake) gun!)

This past weekend brought lots of fun, too, but this time of the kid-free sort.  (Thanks, Mom and Dad Squires!)  Thursday night, Travis and I went out for dinner and a movie and had a wonderful time.  (We saw Water for Elephants--pretty good!)  When we got home at 1:00 a.m. in the middle of a hard rainstorm, we went directly to the backyard to put a tarp over our new and as of yet un-shingled shed.  By the time we were done we were literally dripping with water, but I tell you what... it was fun.  We were together, we were laughing, and it didn't matter that we were wet and cold because we were simply enjoying our friendship.

The next day, Travis and I attended our first homeschooling conference, and I don't think "fun" is a big enough word to describe it.  Tons of useful information, books everywhere we looked... this information-seeking, book-loving couple was on Cloud 9.  I already knew going in that I'll be using Sonlight Curriculum again this year, so that took all the stress out of weeding through vendors and sifting through books.  Instead of looking to buy, I could simply enjoy the browsing!  (Although, I did heftily buy from one vendor.... :-))

Saturday we were without childcare, so Travis and I took turns attending portions of the homeschooling conference.  That afternoon, our family was honored to attend the beautiful wedding of our neighbor followed by a most lovely reception and super fun dance.  We haven't been able to really enjoy a wedding dance since our own, but this one was different... because we have exited the baby stage.  Instead of our children having to be held during the dance, they were right there beside us dancing the night away.  I can't remember the last time we've had so much fun together as a family as we did on that dance floor.

All that being said, I'm feeling a little lighter than I have in several years, and I'm enjoying that.  My responsibilities as a mother, homemaker, and wife have by no means lifted; but the ease of leaving the house--with or without kids--seems to be finally setting in.  I hope that as I find more freedom this summer I can strike a proper balance between work and play; because though there is work that has to be done, a little fun--even if it's just standing out in the pouring rain--is good for the soul!

Tweet

Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.1

Double the Pleasure

I think there may be nothing cuter than the way a 24-month old child talks.  Well... maybe there is--the way two 24-month old children talk....

Isabel and Elliana are in the cutest stage of communication right now.  Their speech is still slightly unclear, and many of their sentences consist of about one word; and yet I can understand almost everything they say.  In their innocent and imperfect two-year old way, they ask me questions and tell me stories, they converse with each other and with Abel and Amariah, and they get better at it every day.

That's what panics me a bit.  It's not so much the fact that they are outgrowing their clothes or learning to dress themselves or climbing ladders or keeping up with their big brother and sister that gets me.  No, it's their developing communications that make me confront the fact that my "babies" are becoming "kids," and they'll never be babies again.

I know as well as any other mother that each stage of childhood has joys of its own--and, because of that, I've never had much trouble saying goodbye to babyhood in the past.  I suppose what makes this time a little different is that, as far as we know, this is our final goodbye to babyhood.  As I say farewell with reminiscent eyes, my heart rejoices in the blessing it has been to be able to enjoy each special stage doubly this last time around.

Tweet

My Refuge

As I write this from the warmth and safety of my comfortable home, the 26 mph northerly wind outside my window is angrily blowing the snow that continues to fall and is causing the 11 degree temperature to feel like a -10.  What a night to be thankful for the haven that is my home, my refuge from the storm.

Winter storm or not, we all need a refuge, don't we?  The mother of young children needs a refuge from the noise.  The husband with great responsibility needs a refuge from the stress.  We all need a refuge from something.  One frazzled mother flees to the shopping mall while another retreats to "FaceBlogging" (as Abel calls it :-)).   One mentally and physically tired husband zones out in front of the television and another escapes to the gym.  We all need relief from time to time, and we have all found our ways of coping with the demands of life.  But, no matter how seemingly effective are the temporal saviors to which we run, they are just that--temporal.

There is only one Savior who is a sure bet.  There is only One on whom I can rely to never fail me.  There is only One who will be there to help me no matter what happens.  What an assurance is mine when I reflect on the fact that "God is [my] refuge and strength, [my] very present help in trouble" (Psalm 46:1)!  What joy I feel in knowing that I can "trust in Him at all times... [and] pour out [my] heart before Him... [because] God is a refuge for [me]" (Psalm 62:8)!



Tweet

Not Done, But... Over!

About three months ago I became convicted that I was spending too much of my time online and not enough on task; and, with a renewed focus, I began taking extra effort to not "eat the bread of idleness" (see Proverbs 31:27).  The changes I made were spurred on by nothing more than a simple desire to live out the Word of God.  I gave no thought to what the rewards of obedience might look like (or even if there would be any); but, I must testify after the fact that there have been benefits of "look[ing] well to the ways of [my] household" (Proverbs 31:27)--benefits that go beyond the obvious pleasure of having a neat, clean home.

They say that a mother's work is never done--and, indeed, it isn't.  There is always "just one more thing" (or twenty) that we could do.  So, no, a mother's work is never done.  But... it can be over.

There are for me certain tasks that almost have to be completed before I can call it a day.  This has only ever been a problem for my family when too much of my work spills over into the evening hours because I failed to work hard enough during the day.  Too much of my day wasted in idleness meant that the time of day that should have been spent relaxing and enjoying my family (evening) was instead spent doing the most necessary of the stuff that should have been done earlier in the day.  The elimination of this problem has been the greatest reward for my increased efforts to "look well to the ways of my household."

At the end of a busy and successful day (where success is measured by the number of items checked off my list :-)), I not only have fewer tasks that must still be done but I also have greater peace in just being done.  I know that I have accomplished much during the day, and I know that I will be working hard to accomplish much again the next day; and that allows me to see my work--while never "done"-- as simply "over" for the day.

The peace and joy I feel in my heart each evening while sitting carefree on the floor enjoying my kids and engaging with my husband is just another confirmation to me that God's ways are better than mine.  I have eaten the bread of idleness, and I have tasted the fruit of hard work.  With God's help, I'll stick with the fruit.

"She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness." (Proverbs 31:27)

Tweet

Free Time, Fresh Air, and a Friend

I love my job as a homemaker, and I wouldn't trade it for anything; but... sometimes, especially after a week as big as this one has been, I really enjoy getting out of the house by myself for just a little while.  Yesterday was a beautiful January day here in central Iowa; and with only a few things on my grocery list for the rest of the month, I decided that a leisurely late-night trip to the grocery store was a perfect and timely excuse to get out.

While I was at the store, accomplishing my shopping without the usual hurriedness of a mother of four, I ran into a friend who was also enjoying a little late-night outing.  We got to talking about everything from vaccinations to homemade bread to android applications.  It was wonderful.

When I finally made it home with my handful of groceries, I felt totally rejuvenated.  I was encouraged, I was thankful, I was refreshed.... It's amazing what just a little trip to the grocery store can do for this mama. :-)

Tweet

Kids Say, vol. 11: Baring the Heart

"But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart...." (Matthew 15:18)

Raising children is a lot of work for a lot of reasons.  Parenthood requires sacrifice, selflessness, sometimes sleeplessness.  It involves teaching and training, preaching and praying.  From diapers to discipline, nothing about parenting is easy.  Yes, bringing up kids is hard work; but it certainly isn't without reward.  Reward may look like a lot of things--the child's unquestioning obedience, sincere thankfulness, true repentance, happy countenance--and these, among other things, are the results we hard working parents want to see in our children.  We want to see these rewarding behaviors because through them we see the state of that which is really at stake--the heart of the child.  When I catch glimpses of my children's hearts through words like these that follow, I know without a doubt that Travis' and my parenting efforts are paying off....



Abel (pumping his fist and trying to psych himself up):  "Mommy, I really wanna eat all my soup to make you proud.... I'm attempting to do it.... I'm gonna do it...."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Abel (while hugging me):  "I'm so glad God gave you babies.  I love my sisters."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Abel (just after getting reprimanded by me for a bad attitude):  "Mommy, I just want to go pray.... God, please change my mind.  I really want to be nice.  Please just help me, God.  I really want to change.  Please change my mind...."

Tweet

Becoming a Help Meet

I've just spent most of what is supposed to be my blogging time reading.  Debi Pearl's Created To Be His Help Meet, as hard a book as it is to pick up, can be a pretty hard book to put down.  Because of its challenging nature, I normally limit myself to reading only one chapter in a sitting in order to allow for ample processing time; so now that I've just read three chapters at once, I feel like I need to just sit and stare at a wall and think... and pray.

The next time I pick up Created To Be His Help Meet, I will be beginning Part 2 of the book--what Debi refers to as the "Eight Practical Game Rules" from Titus 2:

1. to be sober,
2. to love their husbands,
3. to love their children,
4. to be discreet,
5. chaste,
6. keepers at home,
7. good,
8. obedient to their own husbands.

Sounds good, doesn't it?!  I'm pretty excited to dive in.  I expect that it will take me years to thoroughly understand my role as Travis' help meet--and years more to fully become that--but my heart is ready to learn.    

Tweet

The Mission of Motherhood

Well, I said I was going to start reading more this year; and, thanks to September and the book read she is hosting, I am ready to officially begin working my way through my reading list!

Nearly two years ago, my sister-in-law gave me Sally Clarkson's The Mission of Motherhood: Touching Your Child's Heart for Eternity; but, my lack of time for pleasure reading has kept this book on the shelf... until now!  I was pretty excited when I learned that September is inviting her readers to go through this book along with her.  If you are interested in joining up, there's still time--we start this coming Tuesday!  Just head over to One September Day for the details, and leave a comment for September letting her know you're in!

I'll leave you with this excerpt from the book's back cover....

"No calling is greater, nobler, or more fulfilling than that of motherhood.  Every day, as we nurture our children, mothers influence eternal destiny as no one else can.  Tragically, today's culture minimizes the vital importance of a mother's role.  By catching a vision of God's original design and allowing it to shape your life, you can rediscover the joy and fulfillment that can be found in the strategic role to which God in all his wisdom has called you, for a purpose far greater than you can ever imagine." 

Tweet

Turning the Page

When I decided a few weeks ago that it was time to get rid of our storage tub full of baby toys, I had no idea how hard the actual parting with the toys would be.  As I boxed them up this past weekend to give to some friends who are expecting their first baby, my mind was flooded with memories and my eyes with tears.  "It's just stuff," I tried to encourage myself.  But the internal reasoning continued.  "But it is special stuff that reminds me of special people and special times, and... it's okay to keep some of it."

Reassured by my own thoughts, I pulled out the five most special baby toys, and I kept them.  The rooster and the bee that went everywhere the car seat went.  The rattle that all of my children held first.  The teething ring that was a favorite to all of them.  And the keys that I loved as much as they did.

2-month old Abel holding rattle for the first time

5-month old Abel and his rooster

8-month old Abel and "Mr. Bee"

2-month old Amariah holding rattle for the first time

3 1/2-month old Isabel holding rattle for the first time

3 1/2-month old Elliana holding (a different) rattle for the first time (because Isabel had the other one :-))

These well-loved items are far more to me than toys, you see.  They are mementos of times I can never get back--of the infancies of Abel, Amariah, Isabel, and Elliana,.. and of the opening of a chapter in my life which seemed to be finally closing with the giving away of their counterparts.

With a heart full of memories (and a handful of toys), we continue to move beyond the pages of babydom and into the many exciting chapters that lie ahead.  Indeed, though this first chapter may be complete (or so we suppose), the book of Parenthood is far from over!

Tweet

Just Thinking...

I am a thinker.  One of my favorite things to do when I get some quiet time to myself is to just think.  Actually, my preferred and best time to think is while lying in my bed at the end of the day.  As a mom, I usually don't feel that my day is over until the darkness of my bedroom and the warmth of my covers envelops me.  It is there with a sense of accomplishment and finality that I can finally relax my body and exercise my mind.

I don't mean to say that a day in the life of a stay-at-home mom doesn't afford the opportunity to exercise the mind--it certainly does.  A mother, wife, and keeper of the home is constantly faced with such "thinking" opportunities as child training, school teaching, wisdom imparting, problem solving, schedule forming, menu planning, list making.  A day as Mom requires that the mind be on task at all times, and that leaves little to no time for freedom of thought.

Now, I must admit that even in the midst of my mentally busy day as Mom, I do accidentally get lost in thought at times.  My husband, my parents, and probably even my children can testify to my not-so admirable ability to get so lost in thought that I completely tune others out.  This is a tendency I try--and sometimes fail--to keep in check; for in my thinking-induced unresponsiveness to those in my presence, I can inadvertently make them feel unimportant and ignored.

Indeed, the quiet darkness of bedtime is the most appropriate time in my day to freely think.  I would say that the busyness of my Mommy mind is what leads me to utilize--and need--the chance to let my mind drift to thought as my body drifts to sleep, but the truth is that I have been a "bedtime thinker" for as long as I can remember.  It is often there, in the still, responsibility-free environment of bed that my best thoughts, reflections, and prayers come and inspire the things you eventually read here at Eternal Outlook.

Tweet

It Takes Hard Work

Just when I thought I was finally getting into an "easier" stage of life, life reminded me that each stage presents new challenges. Yesterday was yet another reminder of that truth.

It started at the chiropractor's office when Elliana pulled all of the various sizes of exam gowns off their shelves and into one big pile on the floor... and then when Isabel threw a foot-stomping fit in the lobby, lost her footing, and fell face first into a ceramic vase, cutting her lip and coming up with a with a mouth full of blood.

It continued in the Wal-Mart parking lot when, as I was loading Isabel into her car seat, I turned to find Elliana standing in the empty cart basket where I had left her, giving me visions of a tipping cart and a falling child... and again in the Hy-Vee parking lot when my sweet Amariah (who is suffering with a sinus infection) began sobbing with pain while Isabel threw another fit, Elliana again dared gravity (this time standing in the top part of the cart), and Abel yelled above the noise in a plea for silence.

Yes, yesterday morning I felt like a walking advertisement for a negligent, pulled-in-too-many-directions mom.... Not the kind of image I want my family and myself to portray....

Was it humiliating? Yes. Eye-opening? Yes.

I have come through some tough stages of motherhood, but yesterday's not-so-impressive public displays certainly didn't portray that the current one is "easy." It isn't. And it shouldn't be, because raising well-trained, happy, obedient children requires hard work.

When Isabel threw her fit in the chiropractor's office, I wasn't working hard. In fact, I was taking the easy way out, doing something that I don't even approve of--ignoring it and hoping it would go away. And what was the consequence of my laziness? She fell and got hurt. I must say that I felt I somewhat deserved the extra embarrassment that came to me, because I should have handled Isabel's naughtiness differently--or maybe I should say, handled it period....

I may be past the "hard" stage of twin infancy. And, I may be done with the "hard" stage of breastfeeding twins. But now is certainly not the time to look for "easiness." Instead, now is the time to gear up and to buckle down, because I have some hard work ahead of me. Just ask anyone who saw my advertisement yesterday.... Eek.

Tweet

A Little Extra Grace

As much as I like to have all the answers (especially when it comes to my kids), the opportunity to realize that I don't never fails to arise.

I have taken pride in the fact that Isabel and Elliana have always gone to bed awake and put themselves to sleep quite easily (Thanks, Babywise!), rarely ever having to cry themselves to sleep... until recently.  For reasons I have yet to figure out, little Isabel has in recent weeks started crying every time I lay her down to sleep.  After determining that all her needs have been met, Travis and I have been fairly firm with her, instructing her to quit crying and to go to sleep.  And, she does.  But even after she has obeyed, I find myself still searching for possible reasons for her tears.  (Like I said, I like to have all the answers when it comes to my kids....) :-)

Last night, it was Elliana who threw me for a loop.  Both she and Isabel had gone to bed right on time with no complaints.  But after several minutes had passed, Elliana started crying.  This being unusual, I went in to check on her, discovered no reason for her crying, tucked her back in, and left.  Another several minutes later, her crying resumed; and, again I went in to quiet her.  We went through this cycle several times in the span of the following hour until finally, still seeing no obvious reason for her crying, I decided to do something that I never do.  I got her out of bed.

As I sat and rocked my sweet Elliana who was plastering herself to my chest and so obviously relishing in every ounce of my affection, I reflected on the joy of being able to extend grace to my children.  While for their own sakes I have guarded against them taking advantage of that motherly grace (You know the saying.... "Give him an inch, he'll take a mile."...), sometimes it just feels good to say, "You know what?  You should be sleeping, and I can see no reason why you aren't, but just this once I'm going to show you a little extra grace."

Isn't that what we all need sometimes?  A little extra grace?...

Tweet

Giving Thanks: God's Vocational Provision

With Thanksgiving Day upon us, I am spending this week at Eternal Outlook in intentional giving of thanks to God for His provision in every aspect of my life, and I invite you to do the same.  This will be nothing more than what we are called to do anyway--to be "always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father" (Ephesians 5:20).  All too frequently we allow ourselves to become so comfortable that we forget how much we need God.  Like the Israelites, we sometimes forget (or even fail to recognize) all the mighty things He has done--and is doing--for us.  Let this week be one of both recognizing and remembering God's provision in our lives.

Today, I am specifically praising and thanking God for his vocational provision in my life.  We human beings, myself included, are so prone to going through our daily routines in our own power without stopping to seek God’s help/strength/plan/blessing for the day.  Thinking we have it all figured out, we push forward as we push God aside.  The truth is, though, that we need to seek God even in the most habitual activities of everyday life; and, when we do, He will faithfully provide the strength, the focus, the grace, the patience… whatever it is that we need for the moment.

As I reflect on the fact that God is the One who created me, the One who called me, the One who leads me, the One who sustains me, I can’t help but realize that He is also the One who equips me.  He provides everything I need to live out (and even to excel in) the vocation in which He has placed me.  Homemaker, Teacher, Writer, Ambassador… He is the source of all that I need to do the things He has called me to do.  Because He works in me, I can work at home—and do it joyfully.  Because He teaches me, I can teach my children—and do it purposefully.  Because He writes His word on my heart, I can write my life on this blog—and do it eternal-mindedly.  Because He represents me before the Father, I can represent Him before man—and do it unashamedly.

Indeed, I am thankful to God for His vocational provision in my life as I strive, with His help, to be the best me I can be for the sake of the Kingdom!

Other Posts in This Series:

Giving Thanks: God's Spiritual Provision

Giving Thanks: God's Physical Provision

Giving Thanks: God's Relational Provision

Giving Thanks: God's Eventual Provision

Tweet

Connecting with Your Children

I heard a bit of wisdom from a mother more experienced than I that I am thankful to have received while my kids are still so young.  In Titus 2 style, this "older" woman encouraged me and the other young moms in my Bible study group to find a special connecting point--a common point of interest--with each of our children that can remain as the years pass by.  For her, a common point of interest with her son through the years has been in movies and music; and with her daughter, it has been in simply talking.

My kids, of course, are still too young for me to know what things might turn out to be special connecting points between them and me; but, even now, I am beginning to see some things that Abel and Amariah seem to have in common with me--areas in which we easily connect.

• Abel is his mother's son when it comes to both attention to detail and eagerness to learn.  I am confident that he could detail for anyone who cared to know exactly how I carry out certain tasks--and that he would do those things in the same way himself.  He is hungry for knowledge and excitedly seeks opportunities to be mentored by his mommy.  (Knowing yesterday that it was laundry day--and interested of late in learning the details of folding, hanging, and putting away laundry--Abel told me in a very assuring voice, "When we need to fold laundry, you just let me know.")
• Amariah is her mother's daughter when it comes to getting lost in thought or in song.  Amariah can be in the same room as the rest of the family and yet be in a completely different world.  She loves to think, and she loves to sing.  (Today, my heart was warmed when Amariah and I, at the exact same moment, broke into singing "Jesus Loves Me" while standing side by side at the sink washing dishes.)

It is exciting, of course, to see my children taking after some of the better parts of me; but more than that, it is exciting to be able to pick up on the little things that interest them so that I can take interest in their interests, both fostering a place of commonality and nurturing a place of potential.

Witnessing the uniqueness of each of my children has been a great blessing and an amazing testimony to God's special design for them.  In no way do I wish to place them into some sort of cookie cutter, forcing them all to be like me or one like the other.  Instead, I rejoice in their differences and am excited to partner with the One who created them to grow them into the best unique selves they can be.  And, as we discover some common points of interest along the way which will serve only to strengthen our mother-child bonds, all the better!

Tweet

What is Your Family's Legacy?

Over the weekend I finished the latest books of my favorite Christian fiction author, Francine Rivers.  (Actually, hers is the only fiction I read.)  Her Mother's Hope and Her Daughter's Dream, the two books that make up Francine's Marta's Legacy series, were definitely worth the time it took me to read them.  From the inside cover of Her Mother's Hope, this "sweeping and lyrical two-book saga... explores the depths of grace and forgiveness in one of life's fiercest bonds--the love between mother and daughter."

I've mentioned before not only the great blessing it is for a mother to have daughters but also the great responsibility it is to model before them the type of women they ought to be.  These things I am conscientious of.  However, as I read through this "deeply moving story about the silent sorrows that can tear a family apart," I realized that this is another facet of mothering daughters (and sons) which must also be given careful attention.

Although I have been blessed to have a regret-free relationship with my own mother (not because of lack of mistakes but because of no lack of openness and reconciliation), I realize that this isn't the case for all women.  Even within my own family lines, I have been made aware of hurts between mothers and their children that have made a definite--even if minor--impact on the lives and relationships of the hurt ones.  No one is perfect, and by nature it seems to be those whom we love the most that we hurt the most.  Hurt feelings and misunderstandings are going to happen within a family.  There is no way around it.  But in the absence of a desire to make things right--and certainly in the absence of grace and forgiveness--these silent sorrows have the power to transform a life and a family for the worse.

It is my desire as a mother (and as a daughter, wife, and friend) that as I continue to grow in Christ-likeness I would not only minimize the occurrences of hurt and misunderstanding in my relationships but that I would also have the wisdom to perceive the effects of my words and attitudes and actions on others so that I might seek both reconciliation and change.  I pray that I would in no way inadvertently bruise the tender hearts of the daughters and son whom I dearly love but instead that their hearts would be strengthened by the love and the grace and forgiveness which abounds within our walls because of Christ within us.

Tweet

A Day of Rest

"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you.  For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy." (Exodus 20:8-11)

Yesterday was the first Sunday after my first full week of purposefully avoiding idleness, and as such, it was the first Sunday in my memory that I truly felt enabled and entitled to not do any work.

According to The Wiersbe Bible Commentary on Exodus 20:8-11, "The word 'sabbath' means 'rest.'...  While the Sabbath was rooted in creation (Gen. 2:1-3), it was also a special sign between Israel and the Lord (Ex. 31:12-17; Neh. 9:13-15; Ezek. 20: 12, 20), and there's no biblical evidence that God commanded any Gentile nation to observe the seventh day (Ps. 147:19-20).... When the Jews observed the Sabbath, it was not only a mark of their devotion to the Lord, but it was also a witness to their pagan neighbors to whom the seventh day was just another day.  By resting on the seventh day, the Jews were promoting their own welfare as well as that of their servants and farm animals, acknowledging the lordship of Jehovah over time and creation (Ex. 23:12)."

Honestly, I've never had a good understanding of why a day of rest is important or of what a day of rest actually looks like.  Especially as a wife and mother, I've wondered if taking a day to not do any work is even possible.  (We've all heard--and probably testified to--the old addage, "A mother's work is never done.")  Yesterday... and the days leading up to it... proved to me that it is.  Possible.  To not work.

You see, yesterday was a day of not working like I've never experienced before.  The preceding six days full of completed household tasks and projects--and the Saturday of working a little later into the evening than normal--set me up for a day of rest that brought not only refreshment of mind, body, and spirit, but also joy and peace in knowing all that had been accomplished during the six days in order to make the seventh day possible.  So often we focus on the part of the commandment that says, "But the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work," to the exclusion of the part that says, "Six days you shall labor and do all your work."  What a blessing it is to have a day of true rest as a reward for six days of diligence in hard work!  I think God knew we would need such a provision in order for us to "keep on keepin' on."

Tweet