Blessed by Feet
For the week of February 1 – 6, 2011
#1. Warm, fleece covered, 3 year old feet, gentle on your back as you awaken to a new day.
#2. Still sweet, 5 year old feet, balancing, straining to see yummy cookies on the counter.
#3. Large, strong daddy-feet, at the door after a long day at work.
#4. Pretty, painted-toe feet, of daughters growing up too fast.
#5. Cute, painted-toe feet, of a baby boy patiently allowing his big sister to paint his toes green!
#6. Massaged feet.
#7. Four-legged, man’s best friend feet (paws), that diligently guard the beloved family day and night.
#8. Postman/woman feet, that bring us news from far away and coupons for sale day.
#9. Cashier feet that stand all day, eventually in soreness, to ring up my groceries.
#10. Military feet that go places I don’t even know exist and bring freedom to my home.
#11. The feet that leave footprints in the sand when I’m too weary to walk.
#12. Friend feet that bring soup when I can’t make it for myself.
#13. Snowy feet that grace my backdoor in celebration of a new snowy creation.
Blame
“Don’t blame me!”
“I didn’t do it!”
“It wasn’t my fault!”
“She did it!”
“He made me do it!”
“They did it first, so I had no other choice!”
Ahhh…if I only had a nickel. You, too, recognize these phrases, I’m sure. Do they echo in your halls as they do in mine?
Blame. We rarely want it to fall on us. Sometimes it’s not our fault. Sometimes it really was an accident. Occasionally, it was premeditated. Most always it’s embarrassing. We wish the shadow was cast elsewhere. Somehow it might make us feel better if we could push off the anger and frustration onto someone else. If only for a second, it wasn’t us in the spotlight.
If for a brief moment we didn’t fail because of our choices. We didn’t fall because of our actions.
As moms, we must tread carefully on the skillful art of training our children. We want them to learn from their mistakes. We want to make the proverbial punishment fit the crime. But we have such power in our tongues. The power of accusation.
Adam must have felt the pressure of blame when God questioned his behavior in Genesis 3:11 & 12. {It was the woman…}
Eve surely felt that way when she deflected the blame for her failure in Genesis 3:13. {It was the serpent…}
And though they were wrong and felt ashamed and afraid, God still comforted them by clothing them. (Genesis 3:21)
What happened between 13 and 21? The discipline.
They made the mistake. They put forth the blame. God set the consequences of their actions. Then He provided for them again.
The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. – Genesis 3:21
What a remarkable example of how we should parent when our children fail. Swift discipline followed by care for our child’s well-being. They, like us long to be right. Wrong hurts.
How we all need the gift of God’s mercy and grace — Jesus. He allows us to be faultless. Blameless. Above reproach. Spotless. Unrebukeable. Clean. Perfect.
Finding Perfect Fulfillment in Being a Mom
For many years I’ve disliked filling out paperwork at a doctor’s office or school that asks for my employment status. I struggle with knowing the right adjective or title to describe all I do in a day. Usually, I simply put “homemaker”. That never seems fair to anyone. Does that mean that the mother who works is not a homemaker, too? No. Does that mean that all I do all day is manage my home? Of course not. So really, it’s not fair to any moms anywhere…
I’m continuing this discussion over at Keeper of the Home today…come join me!
The 2:1 Conference
I am so excited to spread the word about the Titus 2:1 Conference. In doing so, I am also entering for a chance to win a ticket from The HomeSchool Village to attend the conference!
I want to be at this conference for 4 reasons:
I do all these things on this spectacular journey called motherhood.
I do these things to better my family. I do them to stay in touch with loved ones. I do them to leave a bit of an online journal of my life with my children-to chronicle our lives electronically. I do these things to intensify my relationships. I do them things to stay educated. I do them, above all else, to serve my Lord.
If you blog, twitter, facebook and homeschool, I’m sure you can identify with my reasoning. Life is about serving Jesus. I serve Him by nurturing my family and others. I put our lives “out there” so God can use them according to His purposes. He blesses my life with the social interactions and the extensive knowledge that is available online to aid me in my homeschooling endeavors.
By sharing my experiences, my insights, my laughter and my faith with anyone who happens to stumble across my humble words, I pray that He will use me to touch someone for Him.
The 2:1 Conference is designed to help me grow as a blogger and homeschool educator. It will give me the tools I need to continue to walk the delicate tight rope of life while balancing my family, my faith and my social outreach. It will hone my homeschooling and blogging skills and refresh my spirit.
I want to go to the Titus 2:1 Conference in April 2011! Hope to see you there!
Why Life Can Seem Like Work
I want to speak grace, confidence and encouragement into my children. I want to do this every day. Every hour.
If this is what I want, why does it seem so difficult at times?
It’s been said that if you love what you do, you will do it well. I love my children. I love being their mother. So, if I love them so much, why do I feel so guilty at the end of so many days? Why do I feel like I failed at being their best mom?
Perhaps this is similar to what Paul meant when he said in Romans 7:15, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”
It’s so much easier to brush my children off to play with one another instead of taking the time to site down and play one-on-one with them. It’s easier to pop a frozen meal into the oven for dinner than to work two hours to make something healthier and well balanced for their nourishment. It’s easier to receive encouragement and laughter from a friend over the phone or via text than it is to be present to sort through an argument my kids are having.
But these are my battles. These are the daily choices with which I’m faced. “What I want to do…” {interweave my life into the lives of my children through daily, intimate interaction and involvement}”…I do not do. But what I hate…”{spending too much time with distractions that have no eternal existence}“…I do.”
So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. – Romans 7:21
Holy Father, I pray You will work in me. Work through my sinful nature. Cast Your powerful shadow over my opponents. Give me the tools I need to do life in this body – to do my work effectively. To love my children as You love them. To speak grace, confidence and encouragement into their hearts and minds daily. Hourly. In the name of Your son, Jesus, amen.
How do you find the courage to actually do what you really want to do?
Wiping bottoms and piercing ears
Wiping bottoms and piercing ears. All in a day’s work for a mom, isn’t it? You never know what the day will hold. That’s part of the beauty.
In a span of 10 minutes, I was called on to both change a dirty diaper and re-pierce my daughter’s ears.
The baby toddled in with droopy drawers. The odor that followed him “uplifted my nose” as my sister and I like to say. I knew everything I was doing must be stopped immediately to tend to his deposit.
As he ran off with a clean diaper, I admired the clearer air, washed my hands and sat down for what I thought was to be a few minutes of email time. No sooner had I begun to read when my baby girl tween rushed into the room and sat down across from me. I reluctantly looked up from my reading to see tears streaming down her face.
Unable to hide her frustration, as our eyes met, she blurted, “I can’t get my earrings to go back in the holes!”
Saying it out loud really crushed her spirits and the flood gates threw wide open. She sat there sobbing.
What I wanted to say (but didn’t) was, “I told you this would happen. I told you to be more careful. I’m not paying to get your ears pierced again and you know this…..because we’ve talked about it REPEATEDLY!”
What I chose to say instead was, “Do you want me to try to help you? It might hurt.” And I touched her knee to console her.
A whimpered “yes” came out quietly and then she jumped up to go retrieve the tiny studs.
Over the next five minutes she sat, mostly patiently, as I worked gingerly to re-open the contrary holes. When I declared the job a success, she was elated. I hoped, again silently, that this near miss was enough to teach her the lessons it seems my words of warning never will. Only time will tell.
As I settled myself back into my comfy seat to once again attempt to read, I realized what had just transpired in my little house with my little people.
Life.
In 10 minutes of life, I had just partaken in the repetitive, dull, predictable and mundane – like changing my son’s dirty diaper – to the opposite extreme of the unexpected, exciting and emotional – re-piercing my daughter’s ears.
It amazes me. I like to be amazed.
How has being a mother amazed you today?
Why Celebrate Christmas at Thanksgiving?
No, I’m talking about changing the day we celebrate Christ’s birth. I’m talking about exchanging gifts at Thanksgiving instead of Christmas to help simplify and re-focus the Christmas season on Christ. At Thanksgiving, we’re thankful for each other. My family simply shows an extension of that thankfulness in the form of gift giving.
Why we give gifts at Thanksgiving instead of at Christmas (& why we’ll keep on doing it):
- it cuts down on shopping during an already hectic
seasonmonth - makes consumerism and commercialization take a back seat to the celebration of Christ’s birth
- helps my
kidsfamily to focus on what we can do for others instead of what we want or hope for ourselves - flows easily out of being thankful for one another {especially for those with “Gift Giving” as their primary love language}
- children and college students are out of school so there’s no need for calendar massage to make the special day work {parents are generally off work then, too}
- decorations go up the week before Thanksgiving Day {my daughter insisted on having presents under a tree
for nostalgiaso her friends wouldn’t think her parents were extra special weird} so that’s one less thing to do during the Christmasseasonmonth - we get to focus 100% on other people in the weeks leading up to Christmas – think service, service, service
- we get to enjoy all the Christmas parties we’re invited to because so much of the chaos-inducing activities are finished (i.e. gift buying, wrapping, home decorating, etc.)
- grown and married children don’t have to travel to multiple households on Christmas morning – our family’s big extravaganza has already happened so they won’t miss a thing! {Did I mention their in-laws love us?}
There are many, many more reasons why we’ll keep celebrating like this, but I hope the ideas above have intrigued you to learn more about this alternative way to celebrate the Christmas Holiday. I’ll be talking more about it in the next week or so over at Keeper of the Home. Don’t worry, I’ll let you know when!
What do you do differently at Christmas to make the holidays focus more clearly on the birth of Christ?
Sweet Sibling Dance
This time of year it’s easy to get whisked away with all the busyness. I’m glad I had my camera ready to capture this sweet shot of my eldest and youngest spending their time “dancing” with one another. {Ignore the chaos in the floor and just focus on the kids – if you can.}
I’m no photographer, but this snapshot is part of An Ordinary Mom’s Saturday Snapshots blog carnival. {Now you know, she’ll let anyone participate!} Go link up your favorite shots of the week!
2011 Coupon Schedule
Ever wonder when to expect coupons in the Sunday paper?
Well, my friends {ok, so they don’t have a clue as to who I am, but I like them, so I’ve declared us friends} over at Grocery Coupon Guide have a list on their blog of when to expect the SmartSource coupons! They indicate that they will be adding the RedPlum information as soon as it is located, too. {See, aren’t they great friends to have?}
So, now if you don’t want to subscribe to the Sunday paper, you will be able to plan when to actually buy one from the little yellow paper machines. SCORE!
Also, you can figure out when to go “recycle dumpster diving” and when to hit up your favorite Starbucks for newspaper coupons. {Yes, I am not above finding creative ways to get my coupons.}
After all the planned collecting, you can then use the coupon database to match up your coupons.
Happy couponing!
When is meat done, done?
I’ve always gotten confused with meat temperatures in the kitchen. Finally, I decided to do something about it! I hope you’ll find this information as helpful as I have.
If you haven’t already invested in a meat thermometer, I highly suggest you do! Not only is this the best way to check to see if your favorite dish is done, but it will bring you peace of mind that you are feeding your family fully cooked meals. No more guessing!
1 out of every 4 hamburgers turns brown before it reaches a safe internal temperature. The only safe way to know if meat, poultry, and egg dishes are “done” is to use a food thermometer.
- USDA research
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends the following internal temperatures as minimums:
- Steaks & Roasts – 145 °F
- Fish – 145 °F
- Pork – 160 °F
- Ground Beef – 160 °F
- Egg Dishes – 160 °F
- Chicken Breasts – 165 °F
- Whole Poultry – 165 °F
Happy cooking!
