Change, Change, Change
AAAAGH! Does my new banner scare you? I am not a hyena in real life – I promise. I found this picture of an extremely ecstatic me after Meredith was born in September, and it just made me laugh. I thought it would embody my “blog motto” perfectly – at least until one of you or I get sick of looking it. Adding the picture made me think about all of the blessings and joys that God orchestrated on to the pages of his symphony in my life in 2006 . . .
- The aforementioned wonderful birth of our daughter Meredith - the third child of our family and her healthy pregnancy / delivery
- No severe sicknesses or health problems
- A marvelous husband who loves God, loves life, and loves his family
- Countless days of pure fun together in our home (sprinkled with days of toddler hardships just to keep me sober and on my knees)
- Being involved in two fantastic local churches
- The company of friends, warmth of our families, and the counsel of disciples of Christ
- Lastly but most important: the nearness of God through Jesus
This year has seen its share of woes in my life – many of them temporary and self-inflicted, while others proving to be the perfect, pruning hand of my Master. I have so many thoughts to journal about my prayers, intentions, and dreams in 2007, as you probably do. I want to put them in a post soon share and hold myself more accountable. Indeed there is something about writing down your goals that seems to mentally solidify them into a heavier state of resolve. I’m compiling my thoughts over the next few days. Meanwhile, as you ponder the coming year and celebrate the arrival of 2007, I bid you the joy and medicine of a merry heart that comes freely and only from Jesus Christ.
For He himself has said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).
Happy 2007!
Goodwill
Sweet! A few minutes later Lydia was running around with the angel and shouting, “Glory to GOD! Glory to GOD in the HORSES!” I said, “Lydia, the angel said ‘Glory to God in the highest!’ ” I smiled.
“Mommy?”
“Yes, Lydia?”
“Why does the angel shop at Goodwill?”
Back in the saddle?
I started running again this morning. Finally! I fed Meredith, put her in bed beside a sleepy husband, and I headed out the door. “You’re going where?” he asked. Ha. “Just don’t let her fall off, okay?”
I was a gymnast for 18 years, and I relished just about every minute of training, stretching, pounding, rushing, and competing. It was my life for a little while, and I really loved it. After my sophomore year in college I stopped cheerleading and took up running. I decided it wasn’t worth getting dropped on my tailbone anymore in front of thousands of people (yes, it really happened once, and I had to wear a pillow on my butt to chemistry class for weeks because we had hard, wooden seats in there).
I took the cell phone in case I got desperate. That bad, huh? Needless to say, I haven’t been running much in the last 2 years. Breathing in the air was nice. Watching the early winter sun rise was even better. I saw a couple dogs and owners, and I managed to not get hit by any cars. The pain was worse in my ears more than anywhere else. I have sensitive ears in cold, morning air. Running in the ‘burbs just isn’t that exciting, though. I’d rather be in a busy downtown or off on a distant, country road, but I’m not complaining. Anywhere is nice as long as I’m able to run. However three babies and no work-out regiment calls for a real strain on a body when you just jump-start it like that. I’m definitely going to need to build up to a good level, and I’m not going to expect too much while I’m still breastfeeding since I don’t want to burn all the calories I need for my little baby.
It was funny. Around 11 am I was EXHAUSTED. By 1:00 I was a goner. “Lord, I’ve already put in a good seven hours today. I just don’t know if I can do eight or nine more!” (Nobody told me that homemaking + motherhood really is a 18-24 hour job, or if they did I guess I didn’t believe them until now!) It was about 1:30 pm when I cuddled into Steven’s bed and said, “Okay, guys, Mommy is going to take a little nap while you play.” (Bad idea!) Lydia was so cute, playing “doctor” on me. “Mommy, you’re 65.” (She was taking my temperature.) “You need a shot.” She proceeded to “hammer” on my arm with the toy syringe. “Bang BANG BANG!” until I said, “Um, I think you got it in there fine, honey.” I’m thankful real shots aren’t administered quite so forcefully. She said, “Mommy, you need to take off your shirt because I’m going to get blood on it.” I sat up. “What?” “I’m going to take your blood pressure. Now take your shirt off so you don’t get bloody.” Oh, chuckle, chuckle. Next it was “see how many toys we can pile on Mommy’s head!” Ouch! I erupted in contagious laughter. “How in the world is Mommy supposed to sleep like this?”
They played really well, though, for about thirty minutes. Then the screaming and pushing started — all over the green crayon. It was wild. I had to get my bearings, reluctantly discipline (oh, why is so hard to be consistent?), and then it was “forgive, give kisses,” and naptime for those two sillies. Meredith slept through the whole thing from her crib against the wall. She has no clue what she’s getting into.
(PS – If you haven’t seen this yet, you should. Very interesting, and if you had/are having a baby this year, this is certainly a baby-book keeper.)
"He wasn’t a baby long!"
One time when Lydia was about four months old, I held her in my arms at church and told a friend, “Ohhh, how I wish she could just stay a baby like this forever!” I remember my friend smiling and chuckling to herself as she said, “I know, it’s wonderful, isn’t it? But you wouldn’t want that. A baby is meant to grow older, and as you watch her grow, you will be so happy that she didn’t stay a baby forever .” I figured she knew what she was talking about since she has three grown daughters and one still growing. Now that Lydia is a little older, I agree from experience (and have the same thoughts all over again with the other two)!
Words – D. Herbert, printed in the Gadsby Hymnal, 1838.
Music – Clint Wells and Brian T. Murphy, 2004
Come boldly to a throne of grace,
Ye wretched sinners come;
And lay your load at Jesus’ feet,
And plead what he has done.
“How can I come?” Some soul may say,
“I’m lame and cannot walk;
My guilt and sin have stopped my mouth;
I sigh, but dare not talk.”
Come boldly to the throne of grace,
Though lost, and blind, and lame;
Jehovah is the sinner’s Friend,
And ever was the same.
He makes the dead to hear his voice;
He makes the blind to see;
The sinner lost he came to save,
And set the prisoner free.
Come boldly to the throne of grace,
For Jesus fills the throne;
And those he kills he makes alive;
He hears the sigh or groan.
Poor bankrupt souls, who feel and know
The hell of sin within,
Come boldly to the throne of grace;
The Lord will take you in.
"Replacement Words"
Okay, so no one liked my plastic bags post. I didn’t either. It was sort of silly anyway – think I’ll delete it.
I was thinking today about something and thought I’d ask all the other bloggoparents out there – or maybe you don’t have kids but are around kids a lot, so feel free to join in the fun and offer your comments! I don’t know what you call them in your house, but I like to think of them as “replacement words.” Doesn’t everybody have them? There those little words and phrases you have used all of your life, and now that you have young children who are listening to everything you say (and repeating mercilessly), you realize how irrelevant, negative, or just plain silly they sound. You decide that you have to break your habit. Worse than breaking the habit – you have to replace the phrase with some creative verbal concoction that will satisfy both you and your children’s little ears. I don’t mean that I said curse words all the time before I had kids, but it is amazing how the things I have always said don’t sound so good anymore. Here are some of the words and phrases I have found myself wanting to change…
“What in the world?!” — this isn’t so bad, but it has no meaning whatsoever
“Oh my goodness!” — When I was 8 years old, my mother’s good friend who taught me piano called me out one day after I said this. She said, “Kristi, have you ever thought about what that means when you say you are good? The Bible says no one is righteous.” I remember going home and sulking and never understanding what she said for months, if not years. Now I smile because she was trying her best to correct an attitude in my heart that was coming out in my habit of sarcastic speech. And to this day, I respect that woman very highly. Lydia said, “Oh my goodness” the other day (no doubt because I have said it many times), and thought of that piano lesson flooded my mind.
“Oh my gosh!” — trying to eliminate (why did I ever get into the habit of saying this?!)
“Chill out” — this has to be one of the silliest things I’ve ever gotten into the habit of saying — Eric and I say it way too much
“Nevermind“ — there has to be a better way to express my frustration than this
“Stupid” — a day is bound to come when my kids say it for themselves or call someone this and I feel guilty
“Whatever” — I don’t usually say “whatever” by itself, but I use it entirely too often when talking about whatever’s on my mind (haha) — trying to replace with just plain “what”
“Like” — I have the “like” disease (inserting the word “like” into all kinds of sentences), and I don’t want my children to have it!
“Awful” — there are plenty of words like “bad,” “negative,” etc. that I could use because I use that word way too much
“What’s your problem?” — The truth is probably my kids don’t always have a “problem” when I ask them this. This phrase flies right out of my mouth too often, and I just need to slow down and think before I ask a direct question to see what the situation needs.
It’s not so much that I want my children to speak correctly (although that is a goal I have), but I think too often my words convey an impolite or casual attitude when I should be more respectful. I want our kids to speak to us and other people with respect, so I’m in that process of trying to break some habits in my speech to do so. I know that kids are going to learn words from other sources than Eric and me, but we are doing almost all of the teaching at this point, so we need to do our part. Does anyone have any suggestions? What are your “replacement words?” Does anyone have funny stories concerning this? I’d love to hear
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29 (When I read this verse, I find it so hard to believe that the Apostle Paul didn’t have kids!)
Holiday Demos
Right here on this very blog, you can view Christmas history in the making!
My friend Jill (What? You don’t know her? I thought everybody knew Jill!) from FL made a recent recording with a few of her friends in Canada, and the little I can hear is fabulous. Click this Myspace Music site to check out the clips. (Give it a bit to connect and buffer to play.) Jill is a great person who loves Jesus Christ extremely, and it always comes out in her angelic, Godward voice. I miss you, Jill!
Also, more pictures. Here is this morning’s attempt in our family to make a snuggly Christmas kids pajama photo. Oh, poor Meredith! Anyone with toddlers (like my friend Carrie!) has shared this experience, I’m sure. If two of the kids were smiling, the other one was bound to be running away or screaming! I got a pretty good one for keeps, but of course it’s a secret for the grandmas to see later. I hope these make you smile and laugh!
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