A Telling Heart Ache

It's cloudy, cold, rainy, and windy today. I'm not really sad about it, since I had to stay home with a sick child anyway. This change in weather puts me in a cozy mood...I long for a family night where we snuggle on the couch, eat homemade pizza, watch a movie, all with a fire in the fireplace. Actually, it has been my plan all day, and we will probably stick to it...the only think that bums me out, is my 8 year old's quick "hi and goodbye" when I came to his school. He and a friend planned a sleepover. Usually, this is fine, and I love saying yes to him, because he absolutely loves to be social.
 But I already miss him! 
The end of the week feels like a time for our family to come together and reconnect...I don't know why, because we've nixed all our evening activities, so we've had plenty of time time together. Maybe it's those apron strings hanging on by a thread?

Whatever it is, I am sure I'll get over it soon.

 Sometimes I think my heart aches like this for the small things, so I'll treasure the time in preparation for the big things.

The Shadowy Tongue

Have you ever said something, then look back on it, to realize how absolutely terrible it sounded, resist the urge to call up everyone who heard it and take it back? Ah, the tongue is such a stumbling block in my life!

It's often said to "be careful what you ask for, because God might give it to you." Too many times I have fallen into this narrow-minded boxed up image of God, and cower in fear for something absolutely stupid that I have said...or even thought! If God was that conniving, that unmerciful, then I certainly would be a miserable mess.
So today, I am going to give a shout out to my Grace-filled God...to the all-knowing Father, whose foolishness is wiser than the wisest man, and whose plans could never be completely imagined by the most creative human being. How arrogant of me to think that anything I do outwardly could hide what's truly in my heart to the Lover of my Soul.

I am thankful that I follow a God who does not judge me based on my works, but on my heart alone!

To Feed or To Greed

It's easy to question God, or even turn away from him, when you see the suffering in countries like India, Africa, Guatemala. This past Sunday, our pastor pointed out that we produce enough food to feed every living person a 3000 calorie diet! He made a wise suggestion that it's not God's will, but man's own doing. With dictators, leaders, greedy men and greedy countries throughout history, starving children are a normal atrocity in each of our minds, a "think of those people who don't have has much as we do" lesson for our children, something we feel hopeless to help and want to throw money at them when we can. Man's free will is a door to eternal love for the God, but it's also a door of a narrow tunnel, spiraling downward into a pit of selfish deeds that affect millions.
I couldn't help but talk with my kids about it today, when Thanksgiving came up. They hear it all the time (we participate in the mentioned-above lesson at least once a day), but can they really grasp it?
My husband is particularly sensitive to this, and fears that we are raising materialistic, selfish beings, entitled and arrogant.

Our church is amazing at counteracting our greed-driven culture, and always has opportunities to "get your hands dirty" and use some elbow grease to help. One way we are going to participate, is by providing all the essentials of a Thanksgiving dinner for a needy family, using a convenient grocery bag and grocery list the church has handed out.
Something else we as a family are finally going to do is put our kids to work...at the regional food bank! Next Thursday, I pray their little eyes will be open and their hearts will beat wildly in their chests for the thousands of people they will help feed this holiday.
Christmas presents are also going to be downsized at our house this year. We always feel like we have to spend so much, but there's so much more to it than that. And I hope we build a foundation of outward focus for the boys, not of internal satisfaction. One way is that we have always packed shoeboxes full of gifts and necessities for children in other countries through Samaritan's Purse.
Can you make a difference this year in your own children? Check out Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child, or find a local food bank to help stock, box, serve!

A Mother's Tether

I came to Panera by myself, with every intent to study the word of God without the distractions of my busy house. The study I am in right now, has not found it's way into my heart as I hoped. I have definitely received nuggets out of it and have even blogged about it before, but either pregnancy ADD or my heart's condition has brought me up to a wall every time I try to push forward in the study. So, I logged into the free wifi, and went to one of my sure-thing websites, Proverbs 31. And yes, God was there waiting.

The first devotional I read was about friendship. It spoke of how "as iron sharpens iron, so does one man sharpen another." You know I have been contemplating my friendships these days. And I can only think of a few friendships in my whole life where this verse applies. One being my husband. How often I forget that he is my unconditional best friend. He sharpens me in such a way, that I sometimes struggle with the humility it brings. I pray that I sharpen him too!

But the second devotional...this gave me a word picture which I will never forget, and for that I am forever thankful. The message was about children who go astray as adults, and although I am not "there" right now, the author's words struck such an impression in my mind that I know I have gained much as a parent tonight:

"So go right now and tether your child to God with a lifeline of prayer."

Friends, how awesome it is that we have the power of the Holy Spirit to connect our children to God even when they refuse Him and have their backs turned? My children are at a young age right now, and I feel so privileged to be able to tether them to the God of the universe with prayer, before they even get the chance to stray. The author of the devo says that Jesus did this with Simon Peter and told him that "God has asked to sift him like wheat" but when he was ready to repent, to go and reveal God to his brothers. Jesus focused on Simon's eventual witness to bring glory to God after the trials. He didn't say he would take the trials away from Simon Peter, but that the trials would bring him through to God's plan! God allowed Simon Peter to stretch his tethered rope far from Him, knowing that he would eventually release the tension and come back to the loving hand of God.
Oh that I allow my children to take their own steps knowing that I have tethered them to God in prayer, and that I will give God the room to grow them through the trials!

President Mom

Sometimes I feel like a politician. Whether it be debating with my 8 year old about why he's in trouble, explaining myself or my ministry to those who in some sort of tizzy or other, or figuring out new "policies" to implement on the homestead that will bring more harmony to all.
Ugh, after a day of campaigning myself and my ideas, I am worn out! I always said I wanted to be a lobbyist, but now, sitting on a beach, writing a book and sipping on a pinacolada, sounds so much more enticing when I retire as President Mom!

Oh....GO VOTE! You have an hour!