What a Happy Mama I Am!

Sophie in front of the "Tree of Life" at DW

What a happy Mama I am! Last Friday, November 29^th, our Sweet Sophie prayed to receive Jesus Christ

as her Lord and Savior. After she prayed, she could not stop smiling. The girl was absolutely full of joy. She said she had waited for this her whole life! She even wrote a note to Jesus telling him she loved him and how happy she was to be saved.

She had been talking about being saved for a few weeks, and she seemed to have a firm understanding of what it all meant. When she asked me when she could be saved, I told her that we could pray whenever she was ready.

I know Sophie is young at not quite 7 years old, but she is spiritually mature for her age. Every time someone asked her what she was thankful for at Thanksgiving, her first answer would be, “Jesus dying on the cross for our sins.” Every time. Even before she was saved, she talked about Jesus all the time, how much she loves Him, and she is truly excited about him. Last night, Steve saw her kneeling beside her bed praying all by herself. Normally, she prays with one of us, but now she is praying on her own without even being prompted. That just touched my heart. She is serious about this. It’s not just something she thought she should do because she had heard about it so much. She truly wants Jesus in her life.

I am so proud of her. I know God has great plans for her. I pray that her joy and enthusiasm for the Lord continues to grow and spread to those around her. Heaven knows that we could use some enthusiastic Christians in this world!

Changing Seasons

What gorgeous fall weather we are having in South Georgia! Last night was a cool, breezy night of fun playing in the backyard with the family. Throwing the football, swinging, and eating chili on the deck made us not want to come inside. Alas, the need for baths and an 8:30 bedtime came too quickly.

With all the hustle and bustle of life, there is nothing better than free-time outside with the ones you love. Especially when the cool, crisp air makes you feel like you are on vacation in the Smoky Mountains. Last night was pure contentment for me. Our family likes to keep life as simple as possible, but sometimes things run a little crazy. It’s evenings like this that really remind me of what life is all about. It’s the simple pleasures of being with the ones we love most and enjoying the goodness of God.

I told Steve I wondered if God created four seasons just so we wouldn’t get bored. It’s easier to appreciate each one when they don’t last but 3 months! I’ve learned to be thankful for the goodness each one brings. The cool, crisp air and the beautiful colors of fall, the warmth of the fireplace and snuggling up with a blanket and a cup of hot chocolate in the winter, the beautiful flowers and chirping birds in the spring, and hanging out at the pool and vacationing at the beach in the summer. Of course, when shared with my family, it’s that much sweeter.

The more life changes for us, the more I am realizing that I need to relish in these simple pleasures. With the kids growing up so fast, the death of Steve’s dad, my dad being so sick and all the chaos around the world right now, life is too short and changes too often not to enjoy the blessings God has given me... and I am so blessed!

Praise the Lord, Oh My Soul

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. Psalm 103:8. 
I wish I would have been slow to anger this morning. Instead, I snapped at my son for stepping on my already injured toe. Of course it was an accident, but my knee-jerk reaction was a little harsh. My, how I need to practice this verse.
On a once in a blue moon occasion, I was shopping by myself two days ago.  I had taken a much anticipated trip to Hobby Lobby, and one of their buggies took a mean gash out of my pinky toe.  It looked to be healing fine, so I left it exposed after my shower.  Not a good idea.  Nathan was showing me some karate moves this morning when he rammed his tennis shoe right into my poor pinky toe, opening the wound all over again.  I yelled, "OUCH, Nathan watch what you're doing!!!"  Then a smidgen calmer, "I know it was an accident but you don't have to be acting crazy all the time."  I finished brushing his hair while I composed myself, and told him to finish what he was trying to tell me.  As he started, he began to cry.  I pulled him close and hugged him reassuring him that I knew it was an accident and I didn't mean to react that way. I know he felt really bad for hurting me, especially after he saw my toe bleeding again.  But my initial reaction made him feel worse.
How I wish I could control those initial reactions better.  I never knowingly want to hurt my children's feelings. As I looked at my toe this morning, I saw how much farther I have to go.  Then I heard Matt Redman on the radio discussing his story behind the song, "10,000 Reasons."  (one of my favorite songs). He explained Psalm 103 had been the key verse behind the song because the Psalmist can't seem to stop talking about all the many reasons he has to praise God.  Before I even got home from taking the kids to school, there were tears streaming down my face. Perhaps, if I were more thankful for all the blessings in my life, my knee-jerk reactions who be a little different. I opened my Bible and read Psalm 103. There is no telling how many times I have read this chapter, but oh how beautiful it was this morning.  Thank God that he knows I am formed of dust and has compassion on me.(vs.14) Perhaps it would benefit my children more, if I did the same for them.
I am humbled this morning because of a crazy incident concerning a hurt toe and the beautiful words of Psalm 103, given to me at just the right time. It's good to be "taken down a notch" once in a while, and no-one can do that better than God.
Listen to "10,000 Reasons" and count your many blessings. Even in the midst of trials or just the everyday mundane, there's something we can thank God for. After all, the sun came up this morning.  

Love is Not Irritable

Kids can be brutally honest, especially boys. At least at our house. When we’re young, we don’t always have the good judgment to think before we speak. Actually many adults don’t either, but that’s a different story for a different day.

One busy Sunday morning a couple of years ago, I was frustrated trying to get everyone ready and out the door for church. Steve had already left to drive the church bus before Sunday school, and I was running behind. I remember standing in the kitchen wiping the milk from Nathan’s face, and I was quite grumpy. He sighed a heavy sigh and asked, “Why do you always have to be mad?” Ouch!

Now I wasn’t necessarily mad. I was irritated by the string of little things that had built up my frustration level that morning. But to a 6 year old, it all seems the same. My heart sank. I didn’t want that to be the way Nathan saw me. It was another eye-opening comment from one of my children.

Sometimes, the pattern of becoming easily irritated simply becomes a habit, a bad habit. It’s a pattern that needs to be broken. 1 Corinthians 13: 5 (NLT) says, “Love is not rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable…” It isn’t my “right” just because things are not going my way to get irritated with those around me. That isn’t showing love.

I don’t want my kids to roll their eyes, sigh and think, “That’s just the way mom is.” That is not what love is, so that is not who I want to be. And it isn’t who I have to be. I can wait quietly before the Lord, for my victory comes from Him. Psalm 62:1. Through the help of the Holy Spirit and time spent with Jesus in prayer and in God’s word, we can overcome any struggle with sin. We can have the victory. “Overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” Romans 8:37

Nathan irritated with me for taking a pic of his bed head!

Laugh a Little (or a Lot)

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.

Proverbs 17:22

Our pastor sent us this adorable picture of Sophie that he took during VBS stating that “nothing is cuter than little girls when their giggle boxes get tipped over.” He’s right. I love to hear Sophie laugh. It’s infectious. And there is something about a group of little girls who have the giggles that is just contagious.

Oh how I wish I could laugh like that more often. I love getting together with friends and laughing. It just makes everything seem better, lighter. My thought about this picture was that I wish I could laugh like Sophie does. Sometimes I let stress and circumstances get the best of me. Sometimes I just need to take a break and share in my children’s laughter or take some time to be with friends who make me laugh and feel good. Notice I said, “take the time”. So often our busy schedules put those times on the back burner. But the busyness and stress of life is why we need to make time to be with friends and family. Sophie wasn’t laughing alone. I’m sure she had some little buddies laughing right along with her.

I know life has many difficulties, but that is why it is so important to find a way to be cheerful and laugh some during the day. Just thinking about the sad, bad and stressful stuff saps our strength. The Good News Translation puts the second half of Proverbs 17:22 this way. “It is a slow death to be gloomy all the time.” Hmm…a slow death. That’s what it can feel like when you are sad or perplexed all the time, right? So, take a break and share a laugh with someone. It’s like medicine without the icky taste. 

I dedicate this article to my father-in-law, Bob.  I wrote this last week not knowing that we would have to say goodbye to him today.   He was a man who loved to laugh, and he was a natural at making others laugh. He loved to have fun, but he was also caring and encouraging. It was hard to feel bad when he was around.  I only knew him for 11 years. I wish it could have been longer. We will surely miss him.

Trust Trumps Timidity

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. 

2 Timothy 1:7.

When Nathan was younger he loved to sing in front of the church with his Cherub Choir. He always had to be square in front of the microphone, and if he wasn’t, he’d inch his way over so that he could be. Nathan was never a shy baby or toddler. He loved the spotlight. As he has gotten older, he has become very nervous about being in front of people. Not only that, but the little boy who never met a stranger has become too nervous to introduce himself to kids he doesn’t know. I never saw that coming.

Sophie was an extremely shy baby but grew out of that into a socially happy child who loves to meet new friends. She also loves to sing with her choir and recently did a terrific job with her first solo part. However, when she discovered that she had actually done a solo (she thought that since the other kids were standing with her, it wasn’t a solo) she said she was too nervous to do it again.

I know the agony of letting fear rule my heart through nervousness. Unlike Nathan and Sophie who are nervous because people are watching, my fear was what people would think or that I would mess up. It happened a lot in school and kept me from doing things I would have enjoyed, like chorus or trying out for sports. I didn’t want anyone to see me mess up.

I don’t want that for my children. My heart breaks to think that they hold back from doing things they are really good at and enjoy because they are too nervous. However, when I try to encourage them, I hear a little voice saying that I should be listening to my own words. I have come a long way, but I still have a ways to go. I play the comparison game and am afraid others will do the same. When I recently sang my first solo part in front of our church during our Easter musical, I dreaded it for weeks. I was so afraid of what people would think. What if I messed up? What if I sounded awful?  One day when I was thinking those things, I felt Jesus whisper to me, "If you really believe the words, then sing it to me and don't worry about everyone else."  That brought me peace. It didn't take away the nervousness completely, but I knew he was with me.

Our motto last week in VBS is “Facing Fear, Trusting God.” I pray that this was ingrained in my children to help them overcome their fears of being in front of people. I know God has gifted them with talents, and I don’t want them to be too afraid to use them. I also know that I need to be a good example to my children and face my own fears, trusting God to see me through. I don’t want Nathan and Sophie to be prideful, but I want them to trust God and not let fear paralyze them and hold them back. That’s not God’s desire for them. According to 2 Timothy 1:7, fear and timidity doesn’t come from him, but power, love and sound judgment does. God is helping me to overcome my fears. He is giving me confidence. Not in my own abilities but in what he is doing in me and wants to do through me. I pray that he does the same for Nathan and Sophie, only much, much earlier.

Kindergarten Graduation Day

 I had a really tough day today. My baby graduated Kindergarten. Wasn’t it just last week that I wrote about her first day?! This crept up on me yesterday, and I didn’t even realize why I felt emotional until I started ironing her graduation gown last night. I caught a glimpse of ironing her high school graduation gown. To make it worse I looked back through her preschool keepsake books that her wonderful teachers made. Then the tears began to fall.

As a mom, I sometimes get tired of being needed all the time. Come on, I am sure if you are a mom, you’ve felt that way too. Having your name called 1000 times a day, answering the 100^th question of the day or looking for that lost _____ (you fill in the blank). Sometimes it all seems a little exhausting. However, it makes me sad to think that the older my children get, the less they will need me. I’ll admit it; my whole life has revolved around my children. But the older they get, the more they need to take responsibility in order to learn how to manage life. The more they need to do things for themselves and work problems out on their own. It makes me very nervous to think about having to let my kids start making some decisions on their own. But if we don’t, they will always expect mom and dad to “fix” everything. They can’t go through life like that and turn out  to be responsible, well adjusted teens and adults.

Of course I know that as parents, our job is to guide their decision making process so that they learn to make right choices on their own. Right now, we still have the means and the responsibility to make the right decisions for them if they can’t or won’t. I pray that Steve and I are instilling in them the wisdom they need to one day make those important and even everyday decisions on their own (with God’s help). We will always be here for them, but the day is coming when we will not be able to be by their sides telling them what they need to do in every situation. Oh, I dread that day!

I realize that they may not always need me holding their hand to get them through everything, but they will always need my prayers, love and support…and they will always have it.