I Moved!!!

It is with great excitement that I announce my move from this current platform over to WordPress!  It has been a great run here, on Blogger, but I am eager to give WordPress a try...

Keep in mind that my new site is still very much a work in progress...there will likely be some bumps for a while, but I'm feeling ready to tackle whatever may come!  See you guys over there!!

www.WisdomGraceAndCurls.com

Snuggle Me Timbers and Snug-a-Bugs! Why I will never feel guilty again about napping...

My Sweet Girl,

I can't tell you enough how blessed I feel for having you and your brothers in my life.  Just as with them, from the day you were born, we've always had a thing going, you and I.

You're my lady..

..we're best girls..

and we always will be, 

no matter the age or time in our lives.  

Yesterday, when I woke up with you from yet another one of our delicious snug-a-bugs (or snuggle me timbers!, as you also like me to say), I was feeling tremendously guilty.  One look around our insanely chaotic and cluttered house, and I was immediately reprimanding myself for having taken the time to sleep...
...but then I realized, it is just so SO much more than that.

We've been snuggling together from the time you were 4 months old and even before that, really...you'd always refused our repeated offers for the crib in favor of our arms...

...and I'm so incredibly grateful that you did!

I realized yesterday though, that these naps we get to take together each day...they're coming to a close...pretty soon, once the Fall is here...these afternoon naps will pretty much be a thing of the past...

I know too, from experience with your big brother, that once kindergarten hits, your life will begin to fast forward at a pace that your dad and I will both struggle to be comfortable with.

Not only will naps become a thing of the past but also those middle of the night snuggles you give when you sneak into our bed and, along with it, so many of your wonderful little girl traits and habits.

  

I love you so much, Baby Girl (you know you'll be my baby girl for always!).

I love how you both love and need to be where I am at all times.  I love that you run back for a kiss at preschool if we didn't get a proper one...I love that you want me by your bedside as you fall asleep, and I love how you run out to me in the living room when you wake up and realize I'm not there.

Where I am, you need to be...

and I am so humbled and honored by that...

I am both completely undeserving 

and completely at a loss for words over your love for me.   

So yes, yesterday as I awoke from our nap, I did feel guilty, but I assure you that I never will again.  Life and time is too short.  Fall is approaching, and there is so much excitement awaiting you there, but I know too, that my heart and my arms will ache for just one more of these times with you.

You really are growing up, and this Fall is a huge deal on so many levels...I'm so proud of you, and I love you more than words could ever say.  I just hope so much that one day, you'll remember all these deep and meaningful moments we've shared along the path of your childhood, and I hope that you'll carry them with you always and pass them on to your own, because my heart,...my heart will never forget.

I get it now, that it is so much more than a nap...

It is a sweetness and a love that I will hold onto for the rest of my life...

So I will snuggle with complete abandon, My Girl...these napping days are winding down and I just will never be ready to open my arms and let you go...

The Bliss of Living A "Bottom of the Coffee Pot" Kind of Life

We are a "bottom of the coffee pot" kind of family.  

Photo by Jim Lost At Sea via FreeImages

Doesn't really sound like the kind of label anyone would want to wear, but I'm especially proud of this one...

Every Wednesday night, my family and I rush across town to our church.  It's group night there, and all of our activities begin promptly at 6:30.

I've seriously tried everything I can think of to get us there on time (including dinner in the car!), but no matter what I do, we are always late.  For the last 2 months, each and every Wednesday, my family and I arrive after everything has already started.  Week after week, without fail, we sheepishly check in our younger two while my eyes dart around, quickly scoping out the scene to see whether there could possibly be another family arriving after us.

A little camaraderie, perhaps?

Usually, there is not.  

It's just us.  

Last night, we were especially late.

After hurrying to get the kids to their rooms, my husband and I dashed to the coffee table, hoping for a little caffeine to keep our minds alert and our eyes open after putting in a hard day's work.

Once again, I held our cups while my husband tipped the coffee urn forward, each of us hoping for enough to fill our containers!  While laughing at the fact that here we are, once again, tipping that pot, hoping for the parts of the coffee that no one really wants, it dawned on me:

This is where I want to be, tipping the pot with my husband.  

We work so hard.  

We try our best.  

We're giving this life everything we've got for our King.  

Right now, it's true, we're a "bottom of the coffee pot" kind of family, but I know that neither of us would trade it in for the world.  Some day, when our kids are grown and life slows down, I'm sure we'll be receiving first fruits from that coffee pot, while some other family comes lagging behind for their burnt drops of coffee, but I'm in absolutely no hurry for it.

I drink in full my burnt coffee, knowing that I have got the best of it all...with my life and heart for my God, and my mission and purpose for Him and my family.

Thank You, Lord, for the bottom of the pot coffee that my husband and I drink from on the regular.  I pray, Oh Lord, that we will always be grateful for these cups You have us drink from, and that we never ever forget the precious reasons we drink from this particular part of the well.  Thank You for our blessings, Lord.  They are worth every precious bit of burnt coffee we pour into our cups...because of You, that burnt coffee tastes like the sweetest, richest flavor of all.  Praise You, my King.  I love You with all that I am.  

In Jesus'  Precious Name, Amen.

Photo by AA via FreeImages

Doing the Bible With Play Dough: Jonah

I know, I know...When I first started this series, I swore I'd post a new play dough story each week, and already, I have not.  Unforeseen circumstances with my back and three sick kids sort of rewrote that story, but we're here now, so let's get started!

Materials:

Play dough - Like last time, you can buy it, or make your own.  Whichever works best for you!  We seem to have a lifetime supply of the stuff and won't be making ours anytime soon, but I'd love to know how that recipe works out for you, if you try it!

Bible - This week's story comes from Jonah.  This one is four chapters long.  Now, before you go cringing at the thought, let me assure you that these chapters are short, and this story is so fun to visualize, which makes it easy to keep their attention the whole time!

All I basically said was that God wanted Jonah to go to Ninevah but Jonah said no.

Yes, we're using the Jedi men again...this likely won't be the last you see of them!
We used the mold for Jonah and two other guys for the boat!

He gets on a ship heading in the opposite direction.  (For this, we just used any container that mildly represented a boat and put all three of our play dough men inside.)

A huge storm comes. (Here, I let my daughter rock the boat all around.)

Jonah knows that the storm is his fault.

He tells the people to throw him overboard to calm the storm.

See...nothing extravagant here...just enough to get the point across.
Their imaginations will take care of the rest!

The storm immediately calms.  (Depending on your child's attention span, an important tidbit you can add here is that, when the storm calms, the remaining men on the boat realize how powerful God is and turn their lives to Him.)

Jonah sinks.

But a GIANT fish comes along and swallows him up.

I'm assuming Jonah's was a little more intimidating...

He stays there for 3 days.

Once he prays and tells God that he is sorry, God has the giant fish swim to shore and spit him up.

God tells Jonah to go to Ninevah and this time Jonah says yes.

The people in Ninevah hear what Jonah has to say, change their ways and ask God to forgive them.

I skipped the very last part for my daughter.  You know, the part where Jonah gets really mad that God had compassion on them.  I didn't want the first part of the story to get lost over the confusion she'd likely have with Jonah's reaction, so I just left it for when she is a little older.  

So that's it!  I think the most important thing to remember when you are doing these with your own child is to keep it simple (for the both of you):  The creations do not have to be extravagant and the story should be as short and to the point as possible.  You, of course, know your child better than I, but I find over here at this house, the shorter and to the point I am, the better she retains what I'm saying!

Oh, also...and this is a BIG one for us.  Make sure to have some fun making other creations as well!  Before our Jonah reenactment began, I let my daughter have a free-for-all with the play dough.  
Then we paused for the Jonah story and then picked back up with the free-for-all once again!

So, I hope you guys have so much fun with this one!  If you take any pictures of your Jonah story (or other play dough creations), send them my way, and I'll be sure to add them to my post!

Missed the first play dough story?  You can catch it here!

He Will Leave You Not Alone

I'm not going to write very much today...I just don't have it in me to, really. 

Today was hard. Brutal hard. My back, after months without severe injury or pain, took a "revisit" to a most agonizing place. 

I'd like to think I've handled it better than in times past, and in many ways, I think I have...but I know in so many other ways still, I've many miles yet to complete in what God is trying to form within me. 

One thing before I go:  As I realized with dread what had happened, I immediately began to pray...but I did not pray very well.  It was rushed, my words were all jumbled together, and I'm pretty sure I just said the same thing over again. 

Once the shock of my situation had settled, I remember thinking, "Man, I wish I had gone to God better."  I was disappointed...but just as quickly as I had begun to dwell on it, this came to mind:

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”

Romans 8:26 NIV

See, I really didn't do it wrong. God wants us to trust Him...to go to Him. 

I did that today, even though I likely spoke gibberish. I went to Him and, in response, He took care of the rest. 

What have you been waiting to go to God about?  Are you worried you won't find the right words?  

Just like me, if you go to Him, He will most certainly take care of the rest. 

Praise You, Lord, for Your everlasting kindness. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for praying on my behalf when I just did not know how to. I love You, Father. Thank You for working Your good through an otherwise intolerable situation. In Jesus' most precious name. Amen. 

Doing The Bible With Play Dough: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego

I'm just going to get this right out in the open:

Yes, 

I am doing a series

on teaching kids about the Bible through play dough.

No, 

I do not have even the slightest of talents 

in the art of play dough creations!

Even still, I'm just so excited about the idea (thank you, children's church group!), and I'm super encouraged by my daughter's reception of it!

During the series, we'll be studying a new story from the Bible each week and reenacting it via play dough.  (So, if you've got any stories you'd like to see unfold, let me know!)

Materials:

Play dough - We used store bought, because, as you can see, we have A LOT!  If you're looking for a homemade recipe though, here's one that I pinned from Living Well Mom.  I haven't tried it yet myself, but it looks very simple!

Bible - This week's story comes from Daniel 3.  It's a huge plus to have read the story prior to trying to recreate it with your kids.  I have found that, while I certainly do read straight from the Bible to my daughter, her attention stays with me a lot better if I can give her an excited and animated summary instead. 

This all is really very easy.

I told my girl a 30-second version of the story first, and then suggested different things we could make with the play dough. 

We went for the obvious and started with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

And, of course, don't forget the angel!  

Why, yes!  Shadrach does look just like a jedi!
(Hey, you work with what you've got!)

My daughter was amazed by this part - that there was a fourth "person" in the flames with them.  

Over the years, we have collected a ton of play dough tools.  We just fished around and found what would fit with our story.  If you don't happen to have any tools, you could always just make the flames yourself...Even if you're challenged like I am, simply making blobs of orange and red for the fire will do just fine..if your kids are anything like mine, they'll just love the fact that you got the play dough out!

Once everything was all set, I told my daughter the story once more, but this time I used the figures we had made.  When we got to the part about their hands being bound, I squooshed their hands together.  When we got to the part that they were walking around freely in the fire, I just pulled their hands back apart.  You get the idea..

So there you have it!  Our first Bible reenactment via play dough!  Despite my lack of play dough know-how, my daughter absolutely loved this project!  She actually said in the middle of it all that "this was the best day ever!", so really, a chance to teach my child about God AND a chance to do it in an exciting way for her is really a complete win-win in my book!

We'll be doing these reenactments each week, so be sure to check back in!  Got any play dough reenactments that you guys have done at your house?  Send those pictures my way!  I'd love to see!

Yogi, or Not Yogi? That is the question...

Ugh, being convicted can be so, SO hard...especially when it involves something that you love!

You might recall that I have had some issues with my back over this past year.  (In case you missed it, you can find it here and here)

2016 was a tough one physically, for me.  Once so strong and hardcore athletic, I found myself floundering in my new injury and all of the limitations it carried with it.  I went to physical therapy a couple times, a chiropractor a couples times (multiplied by 10!), and a back specialist, but nothing seemed to help me...

Then yoga resurfaced into my life...

Image by Aaron Neifer via FreeImages

I'd done it over the years here and there, but starting this past Fall, I picked it up again and really became attached to it.  I was astounded by the way my back began to heal and I felt...I mean, I really and truly felt, that God had led me here to help me heal and grow strong again.

...but then it happened...

...My oldest and I were doing a Bible devotional the other night, and the topic was:  "Is it wrong for a Christian to do yoga?"

In my head, I immediately knew the answer..."Of course not!"  Now, I knew already that yoga was rooted in a religion that I did not align myself with, but I felt with all of my heart that, if I kept my head out of that end of things and just did the poses for my back, I was totally fine...

...but then, yes, the video...

It was only two minutes long, but it stuck in my head like an unwanted thorn in my side.

I couldn't believe this guy was telling me 

that yoga was not okay for a Christian to do.  

How could something so beneficial for me 

not be something God was in agreement with?  

I tried to write the guy off, proclaiming this was a "gray area" and that if you do the poses with the right intentions in your heart for God that it was just fine....Needless to say, the devotional time with my son was a complete wash.
I'm not sure he got much out of all the confusion that ensued on my part,

but I'm starting to see now that 

the devotional was never meant for him. 

It was meant for me.

To backtrack, a couple of weeks prior to this devotional incident, I was starting to feel a pull from God when I was doing yoga.  It wasn't anything huge...just a little-by-little thing.  I was doing yoga videos off of an app on my phone, but something just wasn't right with some of the things they were saying and I could feel it.  Foolishly, I pushed on through, because I was nearly done with my session (or whatever other justification I could conjure up!).

Back to the video though, that thing got into my head and it just wouldn't go.  I mean, I actually started to feel a little mad at the guy for what he'd said.

He was altering my whole plan for my back 

and, to be honest, 

I just plain love yoga!  

I always feel so great and peaceful afterwards, and it always relieves my back.

I prayed about all of this a lot, and I also went to the internet...

First I went to my trusted source...(I love Got Questions?)...
They didn't support my cause either.

Next, I outright Googled it.  That obviously was no help.  I mean, let's be honest, you can find support for any side of any conflict that there ever could be on Google.

Despite two strikes against me with the devotional and my trusted source, I was back to square one, still hunting for someone with Christian roots to give me that "green light" I was wanting!

Fast forward to my women's group:  I tell my group leader the situation, complete with how it heals my back (I mean, that has to give me a pass...right?!), and asked for her input.  As it turns out, she too was very into yoga for a time but then felt convicted and quit the practice all together!

Great.

Still searching for my godly influences to throw me a bone here, I went to one final person who also agreed that any postures created to worship pagan gods were no postures for a Christian at all.

Ugh...like I said...conviction, right?  

God wasn't letting me get away from this!

That night, I dreamed that I was searching for the answer, and I woke up this morning with my quest still fresh in my mind.

Surely Christian yoga could be my answer, right?

Wrong.  

Everything just goes back to the root of the matter.  

These yoga postures were created for worship of other gods.  

There's no other way to slice it.  

I was being convicted...and more and more deeply by the second.

I realized that I was holding onto yoga and was shaping my perception in such a way that would allow me to keep it...
...but the kicker was this...

What if, when I got to Heaven, Jesus asked me:  

"...but why...why if you love me so much, 

did you choose to be a part of a practice 

that does not honor or worship me at all?"  

And then I thought of my daughter...
...my sidekick both in the house and on the yoga mat.

So maybe I might not be misled amid the roots of yoga, but what about her?

What if I became the reason she pressed on with yoga even after God called her away from it...
What if I was her "green light" that told her this was the way to go?

Even if I did not follow the beliefs behind yoga, 

what if she did?  

What if I lost her to this, 

and it was because of the example I set?

Even the idea of this is enough to bring me to my knees.

I've realized, quitting yoga isn't harmful, but sticking with it actually could be...

I don't want to get to Heaven and have Jesus ask me 

why I had led my children down the wrong path...

I mean seriously, why would I be willing to jeopardize their faith by putting questions in their heart about what faith and loyalty to God really looks like?

How do I explain to my kids 

that sometimes it's okay 

to intertwine themselves with things rooted in darkness?  

I mean, is that really the lesson I'm looking to give?  

How dangerous and slippery a road is that when they then take these same lessons and apply it to their own lives and their own situations!

No.  Thank.  You.

It's not worth it.  None of it is worth it.

I have everything to gain 

by quitting yoga 

and everything to lose 

by sticking with it.

I no longer believe that God has healed my back through yoga.
I believe that He healed my back despite it.

I know that, in my obedience to Him, He will not leave me stranded.
He will not leave my back to suffer, but even if it does ail once more, my heart and my soul are free, and I know that I am able to be the teacher to my kids that I long to be.

They will be able to look one day at a situation they are in and hopefully apply the lessons of my choice here to whatever circumstance they find themselves to be in.  Oh yes, they might still make the wrong choice, but because of my choice here today, in regards to yoga, hopefully, just hopefully, that will anchor them in and make all the difference in the steps they take thereafter.

So now to the heart of the matter:

Yogi, or not Yogi?  

That was my question.

and NOT yogi 

has finally become my answer.

It may have seemed harmless to me on the surface, but I realize now that I had far far too much to lose by staying.

Lord Jesus, take me deeper now than I have ever been before with You.  Thank You for clearing my path and for helping me to establish the paths for my children.  Thank You for Your gentle yet powerful insistence, Holy Spirit.  Thank You for Your patience.  And thank You, Father, for loving me so much that You never leave me alone.  You surround me with Your presence in Christ and the Holy Spirit.  Thank You for Your forgiveness...for the reward I have felt since making this choice for You.  I will praise You and rejoice in Your Holy Name forever.  In Christ's Name, Amen.

How to Get Your Child to Do Chores

For any parent who has ever tried to get their kids to do chores, you know the struggle that often comes with it.

If you're anything like me, the hassle alone might have been temptation enough to cut them loose from the whole chore thing altogether.  I mean after all, sometimes it's just easier (and more peaceful) to do it ourselves, right?!

I admit, I am guilty of this...
Judge me if you want to, but when we got knee-deep into the holidays this year, there was just no way that I wanted to deal with the aggravation of it all, so liberate them (and myself) I did!

With it now February, I've got my head on as straight as it will go and am ready to fire up those chores once again.  To avoid the debacle that was last time, however, I've come up with a new way to assign chores.

While the kids still have the responsibility of their own rooms to keep clean, I'm trying something a little more outside-the-box for them.

I've selected a handful of chores that desperately need attention around here and have written each down on a piece of paper.

Every Sunday, each kid will be selecting two chores from the bag (yes, that's a Reindeer food bag...I'm hoping that instead of attracting Santa and his sled, we can maybe attract a little cleanliness!)

They will be responsible for their two chores (and their room) for that entire week.

Once the week is done, they can toss those chores back in the bag and select new ones for the week to come!

See, I'm loving this because there is nothing rigid in place.  If they are hating their chore, they just need to persevere through the week before they choose a new one in its place.  Also, I can add or take away chores from the bag at any time.  

So that's it...
...That's the plan around here.

We start tomorrow.
I'm sure there will be complaining, but it wouldn't be our house if there wasn't!

What about you?  What helps your kids stay on task with their chores?  Leave your suggestions in the comments below.

How to Be Organized!

While that post title may be a little ambitious for me, I am motivated with my new whiteboard that I got from Walmart!  (No, I'm not being paid to advertise for them, but I figure, if it helps you, why not share?!)

Check it out:

I've got everything color-coded by child, so I can see at a glance, who's got what to do!  While it's still a work in progress, and not everything is even close to being listed here, it's a start for me and a complete load off my shoulders with not having to remember absolutely everything for everyone all at once (even if I haven't hung it up yet!)

What about you?  What's your secret weapon of organization?  

So far, for me, my weapon is this this whiteboard!

Want to know my most favorite part?  

Getting to erase the task when it's all done!!

How My Mom F-A-I-L Moment Has Been A Wake-Up Call

I think when I first became a stay-at-home mom, I believed that I would get so much done with each and every day:  The beds would be made and the house would be clean, there'd be crafts with the kids, and I'd have everyone on an organized schedule.

That was when my daughter was two.

Fast forward nearly three years and another child later, and I can safely say that we are SO far from that goal.  On a typical day, I am able to write off the craziness and chaos by telling myself that all the other moms are no better organized and orderly than I.

Last night, that bubble of mine totally burst, 

leaving me to realize that I seriously need some help!  

On Wednesdays, my family and I go to varying groups at our church.  Each child is in a different classroom, and my husband and I go to ours as well.  As it goes with classes, there is homework, and while I was never able to complete the entire thing each week with my daughter, we always read through the exercises and had the memory verse completed.  I really thought this was enough and actually felt pretty good about it.  There's just no more space to pack anything else into our days, and I was happy to feel I'd done my best...besides, there's no way other parents were getting all of this homework done...at least not everyone...right?

Wrong...so so wrong.

Turns out, my girl was the only one in her entire class to not have all of the items checked off in her book, which also meant that she was the only one to not have earned all of her badges.  While her teacher explained to me that this was the reason she had had a melt down in class, my heart just dropped.  I felt completely horrible for having let my daughter down, and I was just plain embarrassed.

Seriously, talk about feeling like I'd just committed a major parenting F-A-I-L!  

As we drove home that night, I couldn't help but think, "Where am I suppose to put this all?" and "How on earth am I seriously the only one to have not had this completed with my daughter?!"  I felt incredulous and truly like I was failing at this whole mom thing.

I think the long and short of it is that I just need to get organized.  I feel like the walls in this house are literally coming down around me with the dirty dishes and the clutter and the mess and our flying out of the house and arriving at the last minute all the time.  I seriously need to get off of this cycle and start a new one.

Remember that Crystal Paine book I was talking about?  Yeah, still the first chapter; but I picked it up again today.  I didn't make it very far, but she has me writing down everything I already do in a day right as I'm doing it.  I thought it would show me all of my time-wasting moments, but so far, what I'm seeing is more of a chaotic pattern.  While I may go into the kitchen to start the dishes, I'll notice something on the table that needs to go into the other room and redirect to there, and so on.  There's no rhyme or reason.  No order or structure, and while part of me likes that, it's also not working.

My husband thinks I should buy a giant white board so I can get everything down in one place.  I think I will.

This is going to take a while.  Last night was a wake-up call for me.  I'm sure it was imagined, but I could just feel that teacher wondering how I could let something so important fall by the wayside.  Really, that's just not true.  We aren't like that in our home.  We are constantly discussing the topic of God and Jesus Christ with our kids, but the sting was there and I've awoken to the fact that I need help...some serious organizational and cleaning help.

I just have not figured out how to balance 

time with kids and time on the house, 

and clearly both are feeling the repercussions of that.

What is the main thing that you do to keep your house and family organized and running smoothly?

I'm sure hoping this book will shed some light for me, because even though I so badly want to cut from my previous mold, this is all so much harder than it looked from the outside!

One thing I am certain of, however, is that whether I figure this whole thing out or not, my God loves me.  He sees my heart and knows my intentions.

We are all works in progress...sometimes I forget about that.

God did bring a verse to my heart though.  I love the entire passage, but in particular, I can feel that He wants me to focus right here for a while until I can also say it for myself:

"...I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances..."

Philippians 4:11

May you also learn contentment, no matter where in your life you may find yourself.  Give yourself grace and a large portion of mercy, and remember, we are all works in progress for Him, and He will continue His good work in you straight on through to completion (Philippians 1:6, paraphrase mine).

Photo by Cheryl Empey via Free Images

Did You Know That Jesus Owns a Vacuum?

Sometimes, I mess up so royally that I find myself wishing I could be...I don't know...something along the lines of flawless...especially as a mother!

Alas, "flawless" is not a characteristic that courses through my human veins, so I have discovered myself in more than a few self-created messes where I wished I could take it all back.

I mean, just imagine if we could use our vacuums, 

and make it all go away, 

as though it never happened in the first place!

Yesterday I really could have used this vacuum.

My daughter is absolutely amazing.  She's brilliant and artistic and funny and loving and a million other wonderful things.

She's also feisty...very, VERY feisty.  

Now, I've got this little girl down to a science.  I am able to connect with her and reach her on a level that only a mother can.  Despite this fountain of knowledge, yesterday, when we were rushing out of the house and I knew...I mean, I knew...that the socks I had quickly grabbed were the "wrong" ones, I still tried to press forward.

You can guess how that went, I'm sure:  With her foot darting about from side to side, as I tried to get even one sock to stay on, we both quickly went from humored to highly agitated and frustrated.

Now, I know this is not the approach for my girl...I mean, I knew it before I knelt down to put these socks on, but we were late and I didn't have time to find another pair, so I simply forged ahead!

On a side note, any short cuts I am ever to try 

on any of my three kids, is actually the long way in disguise.  

Have you found this to be the case with you and yours as well?  

The shortcuts never work out, and this time was proving to be no exception.  It certainly would have been quicker to have found another pair of socks, but see, I'm feisty too and so now, this had become a battle of the wills.

Yup.  Very mature.

So there I was, amid the floundering of socks and our impending battle of the wills, and God was showing me that I was about to say something I'd regret, but I didn't heed His warning.  Next thing you know, I'm pulling my daughter towards the door and telling her to go walk in the snow barefoot.

Not my proudest moment.

I'm actually very embarrassed to even write that and had no intentions of sharing this story any further than the reaches of my front door, but I felt prodded by God to blog about it.  It's important for people to see that even the best-meaning, most loving of hearts can completely blunder and hurt the ones they love.

Maybe my actions seem like nothing to you.  Maybe it seems completely appalling, like I too felt it was.  Either way, my reaction caused both my little girl and me to completely stop in our tracks (and yes, I did retreat finally for those socks).

Now, my little girl was left completely unscathed by the whole thing (and no, I did not make her walk barefoot in the snow).  As for me, I apologized, we hugged, we talked, but I was completely traumatized by the whole thing.

How could I get here...and over a pair of socks?!  

It really did get me thinking about how I just wish 

I could always treat my kids, my family, my God, the way I feel in my heart...

It is deeply disheartening to have those moments 

where I've gone and spewed out a bunch of trash 

that I didn't even mean but can never take back.

I longed to have that vacuum to clean this whole mess up and have it be like it never happened in the first place.  The dread from it all was unbearable, and afterwards, I rode much of our drive in silence.  My daughter had forgiven me and moved on, but I was so ashamed of how I'd treated this gift God has entrusted me to take care of.

Then it struck me.

This is what God's grace and mercy are all about.
I messed up.
Big time.  There was no hiding this fact.

There was no excuse that could soften my culpability...

but see, that's where Jesus comes in.  

We go to the Cross with our burdens and sins, we ask for forgiveness, and...get this...we actually get to leave our burdens and sins right there for Him to take care of.

I messed up.  

Yes.  

But I don't have to carry the burden of it around with me.  

No one does, no matter what the error.  

So, you better believe, I went to that Cross, and I asked for forgiveness, and just like that, our Lord's "vacuum" that cleans up the mess of all who have sinned, asked for salvation and sought forgiveness was switched to "On".

While it is true that sometimes I do wish that I could be flawless in my life, especially as a mother, I'm realizing that to be so would mean that I did not need Christ, and I'm not willing to ever experience that.

So, I take my flawed existence, and I bring it to my God and thank Him for giving His undeserved grace and forgiveness, for granting me freedom right here and now from the chains that bind, and because of Him, whenever God sees me, all He sees is Jesus living in me...

Wholly

and completely

flawless.

Picture by cbcs via Free Images

Cleaning Hack for the Kitchen Sink

For those of you who read my previous post on organization, you might recall that I ended it by saying that I would begin reading Crystal Paine's book, Saying Goodbye to Survival Mode.

That was two weeks ago.

I am still on chapter one.  

Though, in my defense, there was an intro.

Even still, changes have been made and progress has been noted in the household.  I think there's something about even deciding that you are going to make a change that sparks something from deep within, because even though I have made nearly zero headway on that book and it's promise of organizational wisdom, I was able to reclaim the living room.  I have also claimed victory over the dishes, despite the nasty fight they seem put up hour after hour!

It's pretty amazing to watch how one small change within a household can really spread and affect pretty much everyone that dwells there.  Seriously, as soon as that living room was back in order, I noticed that my kids actually started to put things away after they had used them!!  The first time I watched my daughter bring her plate to the kitchen sink immediately after she had eaten, I nearly fell over, and I remember thinking, "Well, I have got to do this again!"

Let me tell you, with the living room and the kitchen and now even the kids stepping up to help, I have been inspired to forge ahead!  Amidst all this inspiration going on, I bring you an all-natural cleaning hack for the kitchen sink (because yes, I did that too!).
Who knows, maybe this could be your turning point in the house, if you've been stuck just like me!

Photo by Ross Brown via Free Images

What you'll need:

Baking Soda
Water
Toothbrush
Vinegar
Paper Towels

What you do:

-Dampen your kitchen sink lightly and sprinkle baking soda over your entire sink area (for the sides of the sink, I just swept the baking soda up with my hands as best as I could).

-Wait about 15 minutes and then go at it with a toothbrush.  I'm not sure about the science behind the magic, but I'm telling you, anything that's on your sink will come right off!  It works best when you work up a paste with the water and the baking soda, but even without it, something about that baking soda all on its own will make your sink shine!

Next time I clean my sink like this, I will provide pictures as evidence to the process, but trust me when I say that I was simultaneously intrigued and disgusted by the amount of "brown/black" that was on that toothbrush!

-Once you're done scrubbing your sink down with the toothbrush, rinse everything with water.  From here, you can either move on to the next step, or call it a day and wipe everything dry with a paper towel.  We had run out of vinegar for the next part, so this was as far as I went this time around, but the vinegar is a great disinfectant and is highly recommended.

-For the vinegar, cover your sink with paper towels and lightly pour vinegar over them until the paper towels have become saturated.  Another way to do this would be to pour some vinegar in a bowl and dip the paper towels in one at a time.  I try to find the fastest way to do things, so, for me, I skipped the bowl and placed the paper towels right in the sink.

-Leave the vinegar for 20 minutes then wipe up with a paper towel, rinse your sink with another round of water and wipe dry.

-Enjoy your new sparkle and shine!  Cheesy of me to say, I know, but that is exactly what I did!  My house still has a long way to go, but that day...I'm just going to say it...that day I was proud!  I'm also pretty sure I gathered my kids around to admire, but with there being so much more to go in my organizational quest, how could I not soak in a little of this victory!

Got any cleaning hacks for me?  I'm trying my best to stay on this home improvement streak right now, so please send me some ideas while I'm on a role!

Choosing Hope Over Self-Pity...

God really has a way of reaching us right where we are.  Have you ever noticed that?  Whether it's through the word of a friend, or the Word of God Himself, He knows what we need to hear and when we need to hear it, and He is always faithful to provide.  Through the course of my life, I have felt these moments with Him, but each and every time it happens, it never ceases to amaze me.

I'm struggling still, with my back and my body.  The pain and discomfort is not all the time, thankfully, but I'm aware of it and its limitations with nearly every movement I make each and every day.  Some days I feel the progress, while still others, I feel like I'm closer to the start again.  Some days I feel triumphant while on others, I am full of self-pity.

Last night, I was full of self-pity.

While I am so grateful for the change in me spiritually, sometimes I get so frustrated with the physical end of things that I become overwhelmed with disappointment.  I have always been an athlete, from the time I was a small child clear on through to adulthood, and now that I'm here, unable to do the things I once have, I sometimes feel lost and trapped and wishing I had appreciated what I had when I had it.

But regret is not something God wants us to carry upon our shoulders...

and neither is the state of feeling lost or limited...

...and true to our loving God, this was not a place He was going to let me stay in for long without Him speaking in some way.

My oldest and I were going over a devotional last night...It was about this monkey who had reached his hand inside of a cage to get a banana.  When he went to pull his hand back out, he found he was trapped because the hole was too small for the banana, and he wasn't willing to let go of it.  Therefore, because of his own choice, this monkey had limited himself and became completely unable to move due to his unwillingness to let go.

Immediately, I realized that I am the crazy monkey 

holding on for dear life to that banana.  

God has this freedom that is mine for the taking, even amidst my current situation, but in order to receive it, I need to let go.

I need to accept my current physical state.

I need to give Him my plans.  

Each morning, I tell Him that the day is His...that my life is His to use, but when I hold on to disappointment and am overcome with sadness because I can no longer run or swim like I once loved, I really am not giving Him my day and especially not my life...not entirely.

Who ever wakes up in the morning and excitedly proclaims, "Today, I will give God just a tiny portion of myself"?  I mean, that sounds crazy, doesn't it?
Yet, that's what I'm saying with my reactions:  "Here, God, have all of me, but wait...no, not that...or that...and You can't have that..."

How nuts is it to say to the Creator of all things...

to the One that is All-Knowing...

that you just aren't sure if you can trust His plan?!  

I mean, seriously...do I really think that my plans could ever dare to compete with even a fraction of one of His?
Jeremiah 29:11 states clearly that "[He] knows the plans [He] has for [us].  Plans to prosper [us] and not to harm [us], plans to give [us] hope and a future."
Romans 8:28 goes on to say that "in all things God works for the good of those who love him".  

So what was I worrying about again?  Why am I so bummed out about this and not excited by the hope that He brings through these encouraging words alone?!

It's so easy to get lost when your eyes aren't on Christ.  It's so easy to fall into the trap of self-pity and bitterness and depression when you only look at your plans and don't leave yourself open to the plans of the Almighty One.

Why hold onto the banana, so to speak, 

when God is waiting to give you an infinite supply?

The Lord really moved in me through this whole monkey story last night, but He drove the point home even further this morning through my husband and this verse:

"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, 

for my power is made perfect in weakness."  

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, 

so that Christ's power may rest on me.  

That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, 

in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  

For when I am weak, then I am strong."

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

His power is resting on my injuries...

As difficult as this journey with my injuries has been, it has really been a gift in disguise.  I may not have what I initially wanted, but I am realizing that I have something far greater than I ever could have imagined.  The Lord has blessed my marriage through this experience, He has prioritized my life, shown me where my faith is weak and has made it far stronger than it ever was before.

Could I have learned these things through a different means?  

Sure, if the Lord had chosen, 

but He knew the best way to reach me, 

and this was it.  

I have always had my identity so deeply engraved in my own athleticism.  When my healing didn't come as quickly as I wanted, I admit, I became lost for a while, but now my identity is in Christ far more greatly than it ever was before.  If God knew this was the best and most effective route, why would I ever want to choose another way?!

Yes, I may be limited physically right now, but the Lord has blown away all of the walls of my self-made spiritual limitations, leaving me with a freedom that stretches farther than the eye can see.

My only choice is to hang on to the One who holds the mightiest plan of all, and for that, this monkey has become more than willing to let go of that once-coveted banana.

Praise You, Jesus, for knowing what was best for me...for not giving me what I was longing for because You had something far far greater planned.  Please help me to keep my eyes on You and Your Word...help me to choose You over self-pity...to remember that You have a plan and a purpose for my life, far greater than any I could ever choose for myself, if I will only open my arms to receive it.  Help me to be an example for my kids...help me to be transparent for them so that they can bare witness to the struggle and see how faith in You triumphs over all.  Help them to remember these days and times with me in this season, and I pray that they will use it to Your glory for their own lives when they find themselves in their own valleys.  Lord, I pray for healing, but more than that, I pray for a complete adherence to Your Will and contentedness no matter the circumstances.  Your will be done, Father.  Praise and glory to Your name for the lessons, even when, in my humanness, I don't want to experience them.  Your Will always be done.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

Picture by Len Nguyen via Free Images

Organizational Improvements and Those Crazy Apples Not Falling Far From the Tree...

I've been on my son's case a lot over his organizational challenges and, to a lesser and more proportional extent, I've been on my four year old's case as well.  Everywhere I look, their clothes are strewn about, their rooms are just straight-up disasters, and their chores have all but been abandoned since we hit the holiday season.

 

Yes, disorder and madness seem to sum everything up quite nicely, but as I was driving home from dropping my daughter off at preschool today, frustrated by being "late again", it dawned on me that perhaps the largest reason for their complete rejection of even the idea of organization has everything to do with me.

I try my best here at the house, I really do.  I'm up before 6 during the week, and don't often get a chance to sit down for the night until after 10.  I have, what I feel, is a wonderful balance of work and quality time with each of my three, but I'm now wondering:

Just what might happen if I got my own self organized?  

Would the kids follow suit?  

I mean, after all, I often hear them repeating things I've said or done (all good things, thankfully!).  Wouldn't it then stand to reason that if I got myself in gear that they just might do the same?

I look around this home and yes, while I may work my butt off, it definitely doesn't show in terms of the final home product.  I've been fine with that, for the most part, because I know where my time has been spent.  These kids of ours...these blessings...are happy, healthy, well-adjusted children, who are given the time they need and know how to play and love on their family and, most importantly, God.

I know that the house taking the fall 

in favor of time with the kids has been the right choice, 

but what if there was a better way to spend the time that I do dedicate to housework?

I don't want or need a rigid schedule in my life, but as I take a look around and see our stairs lined sometimes nearly to the top with projects and whatnot...as I go to put the Christmas decorations away and realize that I never even fully put all the Fall ones back...and as I hesitantly cast a glance toward the kitchen sink and see the dishes pouring from it and out onto our counter top, I can't help but think that organization just might be my friend.

So I'll conduct myself a little experiment here:  While I will continue to work on my kids' skills, I think I'll add working on my own to the mix and see how it impacts them.

I think I already know the outcome here.

There was a book I had downloaded onto my phone nearly a year ago by Crystal Paine called Say Goodbye to Survival Mode.  I only made it to chapter four.  I think I'll start there and see what happens.

What about you?  Have you mastered organization or are you more like me?  

Any life hacks for keeping your home and your family organized?  

As I fill out my daughter's preschool tuition payment five days late, 

I'm thinking I could use any advice you care to give!