For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. ~ Psalm 139:13
Monday, June 30, 2014
Staycation Day 1
For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. ~ Psalm 139:13
Friday, June 27, 2014
God's Not Helping Me
Last Wednesday, after dragging himself home from another baseball defeat, Dylan sorrowfully announce that "God is not helping me win". You see, this is Dylan's very first year playing organized baseball and their team is,... how can I put this nicely?... Ummmm. Not good. They haven't won a game yet this year and keeping this team of 12 year olds motivated is a full time job. I was watching the coach at the last game and thought that he must be exhausted.
Winning is fun. No doubt about it. But my suggestion is that we might find God's purpose in this event without focusing on the winning. We spoke about sportsmanship. God uses our everyday adventures to help us learn life lessons.
Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, lest the Lord see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him. ~ Proverbs 24: 17-18
And baseball is a great way to understand the need to learn and follow the rules of the game. Not all of life is a sporting event, but all of live has rules; written and unwritten.
An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. ~ 2 Timothy 2:5
And lastly, probably the reason that I most encouraged Dylan to participate in ANY sport this summer, is that God encourages our socialization and fellowship.
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Don't give up Dylan boy. Altough it seems like winning is the goal, the reward is in the teachable moments you're living every day.
PS. Please please please let them win just ONE game!!!
Winning is fun. No doubt about it. But my suggestion is that we might find God's purpose in this event without focusing on the winning. We spoke about sportsmanship. God uses our everyday adventures to help us learn life lessons. Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, lest the Lord see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him. ~ Proverbs 24: 17-18
And baseball is a great way to understand the need to learn and follow the rules of the game. Not all of life is a sporting event, but all of live has rules; written and unwritten.
An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. ~ 2 Timothy 2:5
And lastly, probably the reason that I most encouraged Dylan to participate in ANY sport this summer, is that God encourages our socialization and fellowship.
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Don't give up Dylan boy. Altough it seems like winning is the goal, the reward is in the teachable moments you're living every day.
PS. Please please please let them win just ONE game!!!
Saturday, June 7, 2014
I Have An Announcement.
It's a rainy Saturday morning. The dogs are laying on top of the new-ish furniture. Again. The laundry is piling up in my bathroom. Again. Our bedrooms are a disaster of Lego remnants, knick-knacks that always need dusting and clothes. I hate the clothes. They sit too long on the dresser until I rummage around them to find something and eventually I can't tell if it's been worn or is still clean.
So I walked down to the kitchen with an announcement.
"I have an announcement. I am officially going through a phase".
My husband looks at me and sits silently, blinking, expressionless, as he picked up his coffee cup. I know he's bracing himself. I've gone through phases before. I smile.
"I don't hear any groans", I say.
He replies, "Oh, I'm thinking it. ... I'm waiting."
Anne pipes in. "Are you going to starting dressing like a teenager?"
Ha. Baby, I've been through that phase about a decade ago. I'm over that. Like a bad hairstyle in the eighties... it was not good.
"I have decided that I am purging. I'm downsizing. I'm getting rid of everything I don't truly need."
And instantly I see the glimmer, just a passing shadow, of panic (or was it relief) on my husband's face. He knows that my purging phase will soon be in direct conflict with his hoarder phase. Wait. No. He's a hoarder. No phase involved.
It all started from this silly Facebook posting. 15 Reasons Couples Should Vacation Instead of Buy Stuff. But it has me thinking. I want memories with my children, and activities and adventures. I care about stuff, but I don't want to. And I am in control of my choices. I can decide what's important. Because it's true. Where you spend your money is an illustration of your priorities.
So... garage sale, yard sale, donations. It's going. Don't look for me at Target. Don't look for me at a high class boutique. Look for me at a waterfall, on a trail, in the ocean, watching a sunset or on an airplane. It's time to stop trudging through the stuff that prevents us from making memories and time to start slow dancing on a sandy beach somewhere.
I hope its not really a phase. I hope its a lifestyle change. Wish me luck.
And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not exist in the abundance of his possessions.” ~ Luke 12:15
So I walked down to the kitchen with an announcement.
"I have an announcement. I am officially going through a phase".
My husband looks at me and sits silently, blinking, expressionless, as he picked up his coffee cup. I know he's bracing himself. I've gone through phases before. I smile.
"I don't hear any groans", I say.
He replies, "Oh, I'm thinking it. ... I'm waiting."
Anne pipes in. "Are you going to starting dressing like a teenager?"
Ha. Baby, I've been through that phase about a decade ago. I'm over that. Like a bad hairstyle in the eighties... it was not good.
"I have decided that I am purging. I'm downsizing. I'm getting rid of everything I don't truly need."
And instantly I see the glimmer, just a passing shadow, of panic (or was it relief) on my husband's face. He knows that my purging phase will soon be in direct conflict with his hoarder phase. Wait. No. He's a hoarder. No phase involved.
So... garage sale, yard sale, donations. It's going. Don't look for me at Target. Don't look for me at a high class boutique. Look for me at a waterfall, on a trail, in the ocean, watching a sunset or on an airplane. It's time to stop trudging through the stuff that prevents us from making memories and time to start slow dancing on a sandy beach somewhere.
I hope its not really a phase. I hope its a lifestyle change. Wish me luck.
And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not exist in the abundance of his possessions.” ~ Luke 12:15
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Top ten reasons to love being the biggest girl in school
My girlie is the biggest girl in her class. I think she's the biggest girl (or boy) in the school.
We made a list of the top ten awesome parts of being the biggest.
10. When the teacher needs to reach something high, she asks you
9. You can make the smaller kids bounce really high on the trampoline.
8. You can double your wardrobe by wearing your Mom's clothes too (the stuff that's not ugly).
7. You can see over everyone else in the lunchroom (and everywhere).
6. Your Mom can find you easy on the playground.
5. You can carry your friends on your back when they get tired of walking.
4. You easily go over the hurdles at track and field day.
3. You get a big person bed sooner than kids still sleeping in kid beds.
2. Your friends always recognize you right away (out of school).
and the number one awesome reason for being the biggest kid in school is:
1. You can ride all the rides at the amusement park!
We made a list of the top ten awesome parts of being the biggest.
10. When the teacher needs to reach something high, she asks you9. You can make the smaller kids bounce really high on the trampoline.
8. You can double your wardrobe by wearing your Mom's clothes too (the stuff that's not ugly).
7. You can see over everyone else in the lunchroom (and everywhere).
6. Your Mom can find you easy on the playground.
5. You can carry your friends on your back when they get tired of walking.
3. You get a big person bed sooner than kids still sleeping in kid beds.
2. Your friends always recognize you right away (out of school).
and the number one awesome reason for being the biggest kid in school is:
1. You can ride all the rides at the amusement park!
I am a snoop.
And kind of a control-freak. I know this won't surprise many of you; my sister, my parents and maybe some ex-boyfriends.
The end of the school year drives my snoop into high gear. I love it when the backpacks come home, heavier than any child should carry, filled to the top with little insights into their life over the past year. I can't wait to dig in. You see, sometime around age 5, the kids go off to Kindergarten. And with that, I've lost control over so much of their lives. Suddenly they are spending more time with their teachers and friends than they are with me. My control freak kicks into high gear. Their day is influenced more and more by others and less and less by me. Truth is, I hate that. But short of quitting my job, homeschooling them and turning them into social outcasts, I don't see much of an option. I think this is the life of a parent.
The evidence of my snooping this year:
The end of the school year drives my snoop into high gear. I love it when the backpacks come home, heavier than any child should carry, filled to the top with little insights into their life over the past year. I can't wait to dig in. You see, sometime around age 5, the kids go off to Kindergarten. And with that, I've lost control over so much of their lives. Suddenly they are spending more time with their teachers and friends than they are with me. My control freak kicks into high gear. Their day is influenced more and more by others and less and less by me. Truth is, I hate that. But short of quitting my job, homeschooling them and turning them into social outcasts, I don't see much of an option. I think this is the life of a parent.
The evidence of my snooping this year:
 |
I didn't know she could draw this well. I think it's crayon and water color. |
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)