Caution tape
All of you mothers with teenagers will be laughing at me here, but I’m already freaking out! Sometimes I comPLETELY understand why parents would want to shut the doors and wrap all electronic devices up in the yellow tape. Let’s take the cd player/ipod for example.
Eric bought our kids this CD last week. We have LOVED it so far! Definitely will be a family favorite….
But AAAAgggh I want to cringe when I think my kids have the potential to grow up and say, “No, Mom. I think I’d rather listen to this one.” Cause we all know, “Dark things will happen to them anyway….” Right?
My kids listening to “gothic children’s cds – ” now that would be a series of unfortunate events. Lord, help me!
6789-10!
I’m so glad my husband loves being a daddy!
Slow me down
(Some of you Silers Bald fans are humming it with me now…)
Anyway, God did just that this past weekend. Thank you for emails and comments lifting up my mother-in-law in prayer. She is doing much better but still in the hospital.
I have had more breastfeeding “issues” with Meredith than the other two children combined. God slowed me down the last few days, and at the very end of the Sabbath I am just starting to feel better. We had missionaries in our home tonight to share with our family and friends from church, and I was upstairs listening to the whole evening from my bed. As I ate the plate of food my husband brought to me, I listened and thought, “Lord, You must have had a very good reason for me to have to stay up here tonight because You know how much I love foreign missions and missionaries (and India, which is where they live).” I almost started crying, but I realized that God knew best and knew where I should be during this time of fellowship. (Perhaps He didn’t want me to say anything! ha!) Well, after this weekend God confirmed even more to Eric and me what an amazing church we came to last year. This place is all ablaze for the work of God in missions. The missions “conference” was such a sweet time of fellowship, prayer, and information concerning what God is doing through people all around the globe and how we can join and give of our time, money, prayer, and lives. I was challenged again and encouraged that this is the abundant life. Giving away your life is true joy! I could be wrong, very wrong, but like many, many times before (mama says it first happened when I was 12), God stirred in my heart his calling to foreign missions. My heart in many ways is in the Eastern hemisphere with the unbelievers there, and I hope to see the day where my husband, children, and I pack it up and transport our hearts and bodies to a place we have yet to call home. But (happy sigh) . . . I am not God, and I firmly believe He has called us to this place to love and serve Him until he shows otherwise. What peace cheers the believer’s heart when she knows the sure path following Christ! The road is before me, the well is deep, the water is pure, and the Savior’s hand is ever strong and true.
Someone is laughing at my idealistic romanticism – I can hear you laughing! Well, I’ve lived in a foreign country long enough to know that it’s not all blossoms and storybooks. It downright stinks sometimes. That’s how I know that a calling to somewhere like that isn’t just “made up” in your heart…. it has to be put there. And I think it was something in a Piper sermon I heard once that made me realize that it’s not just the love for people that keeps you somewhere – it’s love for the glory of God…
On a totally different note, here’s a funny picture of the kids before going to church this morning. Meredith is totally incapable of being distracted now that she has found her toes, her new source of complete amusement!
The all-encompassing "I will never leave thee…"
Please lift up a prayer for my mother-in-law, Cathy. She had a procedure done yesterday, but something happened that caused her to bleed and have pain, and long story – short, she had surgery last night and is in ICU recovering. Eric drove to be with her, and I will know more later today.
I thought I should post an excerpt from my daily Spurgeon thoughts for this day . . .
Be thou bold to believe, for he hath said, “I will never
leave thee, nor forsake thee.”In this promise, God gives to his people
everything. “I will never leave thee.” Then no attribute of God can
cease to be engaged for us. Is he mighty? He will show himself strong
on the behalf of them that trust him. Is he love? Then with
lovingkindness will he have mercy upon us. Whatever attributes may
compose the character of Deity, every one of them to its fullest extent
shall be engaged on our side. To put everything in one, there is
nothing you can want, there is nothing you can ask for, there is
nothing you can need in time or in eternity, there is nothing living,
nothing dying, there is nothing in this world, nothing in the next
world, there is nothing now, nothing at the resurrection-morning,
nothing in heaven which is not contained in this text-”I will never
leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
These last couple of days (or few weeks, rather) have been busy and also somewhat stressful. I am trying to pray and fight against my natural tendency to “control” and “fix.” It’s hard when circumstances “outside” your home seem to be crumbling, or perhaps only testing your faith, especially when you want to be on the phone, in the car, etc. to help the situation. You can’t do that when you are anchored by the duties of taking care of wee ones. The sin of Worry bursts through your defenseless door of doubt, and barges into your mind, as you try to compose your meager soul. You remember that He is the Vine, and your are a mere branch, needing to abide in that Vine desperately, or you will crack, break, and bear no fruit. You pray the weak soldier’s prayer, “O God, help Thou my unbelief!” I know that God never leaves his children…. and at his right hand are pleasures forevermore, and that He is our strong tower, our Refuge. All of this protection, the gift of trust and assurance in God’s providence, the grace and faith bestowed on us by the blood of Jesus Christ – all of this is where our eyes fix themselves during the storms and trials of our journey.
PS – I can’t help but notice that my prayer ending my previous post was, “Keep it coming, Lord! You and I will fight together!” I should know better than to ask God for trials – He is faithful to answer!
Resolutions
Well, it’s been almost two months since I set some goals for 2007. I posted them earlier, so they would be in a sense staring me in the face.
How am I doing?
Well, I know that my efforts (fighting as they may be) are quite frail without the power of prayer. “Faith, without trouble or fighting, is a suspicious faith; for true faith is a fighting, wrestling faith.” ~ RALPH ERSKINE
By the grace of God, I have been able to start meeting him earlier in the mornings regularly, and that has by far been the best thing that has changed in my life in months. I crave that time now in the morning. I know you know what I’m talking about when I say that I honestly FEEL God’s presence more when I take the time to hear from him in the morning. I seem to have a joyful communion that is much more realized and persistent as the Holy Spirit lavishes His presence on me throughout my day. I was lacking this before, and it carved a cancerous hole in my attitude and spirit. It’s funny though. This lifestyle change has been an answer to my prayer, but maybe not like I thought it would be. In order to get me out of the bed, God has made Meredith consistently wake up around 5:30 or 6 am to nurse! If she were my first baby, I’m sure I would be annoyed, maybe even angry or worried. But – as in many “third child” situations, I smile, and thank God for the little time I have to get up and get going after I feed her. This has been a wonderful blessing in disguise! So moms – consider how God may just be making you more disciplined to get UP if your baby is waking a little earlier than you would prefer! Now I equate her sunrise cries with God’s still, small voice: “Come, child! And meet with me!”
By the grace of God, I think this regular Bible and prayer time has overflowed to benefit the big areas of my life, and I am seeing small changes in my sanctification as I serve my family. Hopefully (!) my husband and kids are seeing a difference in my facial expression, submission, and attitude (although for some reason I am always scared to ask, “What do you think?”) – ha. Not to mention all that I am learning in his Word…
I am trying to do a better job of teaching the Word consistently at home. Thanks for all who emailed me and commented about scripture memorization. What an invaluable activity.
I am also getting those date nights in with Eric, thanks to great family and friends! It is such a joy to be able to spend more time with him, especially since M will take a bottle. I am spending more and more time with the teenage girls who live next to me, and that is a great thing.
As for the rest, I’m not doing as well as I’d like, but I will keep praying, fighting with faith, and working. I need to do better in the kitchen. I gave up on running because I was freezing outside – I am a whimp when it comes to cold! But we did join the gym finally last week, so I’m excited about that. I need to be more disciplined at bedtime reading with the kids, even when I’m tired. I cringe on those nights when I get into bed and say, “I didn’t read to them the whole day!” I haven’t been doing much quilting because I am working on some other projects, but I am at least reading some great books on my list that are enriching my mind and soul. That makes a big difference, too! When you have small children, you would think you have no time to read hard stuff, but I am finding that, like exercise, it has a backwards effect and actually “works out” my brain more.
I am praying about some other opportunities God has put in my path, and it thrills me to see what God may have in store. I am praying that I won’t get too passionate about them and leave my true calling – motherhood – on the back-burner. I will share more as God unfolds the details!
If you’re still reading, why, I’m sho’ surprised! It’s good for me to write this out, though, and keep on track of the things God has placed on my heart for 2007. So, keep it coming, Lord! You and I will fight together!
Grab Bag Thoughts
This post is somewhat divided — the stuff swirlin’ in my head at the moment . . .
1) Does anyone want to share with me some suggestions for scripture memory for children? Lydia and I have been working on this for several months, and I am convinced that learning whole passages is better than a verse or two here and there. She is great at reviewing, but whenever I start a new phrase to learn, she gets really upset and impatient. She (naturally! I’m this way) doesn’t always want to take the time to learn it. I think Pastor Andy Davis’ memory plan is great for adults, but I’m wondering if there are better methods for kids. I’m talking the nitty gritty practicalities. Thoughts?
2) For all of you Myers-Briggs fans, I found this article that takes your type and elaborates on it against the backdrop of motherhood. I read mine (ENFJ) and thought it was pretty accurate. One interesting aspect of my type is that I am always trying to talk about feelings!! This is particularly wonderful as my kids are beginning the preschool phase and want to talk about how they feel all the time. My tendency / weakness to cause stress was labelled by this site as INTENSITY. Me? Intense?! haha Anyway, the tip for “not stressing” for this type is to rely on sporadic humor to balance my interactions with family members, thus lightening up a little more. Great advice!
To quote Barbara Mommylife):
This Myers-Briggs stuff is not some far-out weirdness, but a really great tool for understanding your own strengths and weaknesses as well as those of other members of your family. In fact, while the test has its Christian critics, who seem to see it as akin to astrology – other Christians have drawn the connection between understanding your inborn nature and the Christian mandate to improve your character, becoming more balanced and conformed to Christ . . .
I just thought I’d pass that along. I’d love to hear some of you moms who read here share your types and a little tidbit or two about it plays out in your relationships and activity as a mom.
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