Chad and I are starting a study on Acts together, and something I read the other day stood out to me as though it was the first time I ever read it (I do love that about the Bible). In Acts 5, the Sanhedrin is bringing various apostles before them at various times, threatening them to stop teaching in the name of Jesus. Then they send the apostles out, and a Pharisee named Gamaliel sort of takes a breath, and remembers that this has happened before – someone starts teaching things they don’t like, they kill them, and their followers … Read the rest
Raw Momma Honesty
This may sound terribly, horribly selfish to some. I’m ready for that. These are my feelings right now, and I’m going to put them out there in case there are others who are feeling the same and need to know they aren’t alone…
I work part-time at our church and love it. I work three days a week while the kids are at school, and it helps me stay sane. I’ve had the most incredible baby-sitter for a few years now, and last Thursday was her last day with us as she is now 39 weeks pregnant. This week I’m … Read the rest
Wednesday Wit: June 8, 2011
Ada: Mom, I will give you a sticker whenever you don’t yell at me.
Me: I had to get a cap put on my tooth.
Ada: A CAT?!?
Ada: I got a little cheese on the floor.
Me: Grab the dust pan.
Ada: Can you show me where it is.
Me: Yes.
Ada: Oh, thank you, mom. You’re a good helper.
One of Grace’s new chores is sweeping under the table after supper. While working on this chore…
Grace: I hate sweeping!
Me: I know, I do too.
Grace: … Read the rest
God Gave Me the “But”
Just stay with me on this one…
I love to pray the way David does in the Psalms. He pours his heart out in the most honest, raw way I’ve ever seen. He sometimes doubts and questions God’s timing. Then he says the most important word: but. He’s honest with God about how he’s feeling (He knows how we’re feeling anyway, so why not be honest about it), then stops, and relies once again on his faith and trust in the God that he knows and loves. He’s not being fake, he’s not just saying what he thinks God … Read the rest
Feeling Useless, Part 2
I didn’t know there was going to be a Part 2…
After I wrote what turned out to be Part 1, I went to bed and just laid there. I laid there and I started talking to God. It wasn’t like a formal, “Dear Lord” kind of a prayer, I just started talking to Him. I told Him how I really wanted to do something for the Bucks, but I didn’t know what. There was nothing I could do. At least not today. And I hated that. I hated that I couldn’t do anything. I hated that I couldn’t hug … Read the rest
Feeling Useless
My pastor, my friend, my boss, had a brain tumor removed two weeks ago. The next day he was emailing, making phone calls, on Facebook, it was amazing. Miraculous even. He was better than before having the surgery. Then today happened. He and his family got news that the tumor was stage 4 cancer. Cancer. Quite possibly my most hated word. It’s been 8 1/2 years since my life was bruised by that word and I would have been perfectly happy to never hear it again. Tonight I got another bruise, along with the hundreds, possibly thousands of … Read the rest
Wednesday Wit: June 1, 2011
Ada: (gasps) Mom! Where’s Eli?!?
He had been in Chad’s car for about 30 minutes…
Grace: Dad, can you give mom directions, but not in cursive, to the place where you got Eli’s slushy?
Because I can’t read cursive?
The girls are playing with Barbies, I’m helping Ada with her doll’s shoes (this is why I usually just throw them away…)
Grace: Are you coming?
Ada: Yes, someone’s just helping me with my shoes. It’s a giant. I know giants.
Ada: I can spell net. n-e-t
Myah: What about jet?
Ada: j-e-t
Myah… Read the rest
The Great Rescue
We’ve had a bird in our attic. I don’t really know if you can call it an attic, it’s more of a crawl space padded with insulation. But there has been a bird up there for a few days now, and he has been VERY unhappy about it. He sits on the hatch to the attic and yells. He wakes my children. He almost makes me want to go up there and get him out myself. Almost.
Yesterday morning I was out on a date with Grace and Chad sent me a text saying the bird was sitting on the … Read the rest
The Kind Act Consequence
It’s no secret that I struggle with Eli and his outbursts towards his sisters. One day last week when I was in carpool line, I pulled up to find him standing right next to the teacher. Uh-oh. She informs me that he punched Grace. Again. So they get in the car and he immediately asks me what his consequence will be. I told him I didn’t know yet. He asked if it would be the Wii. I decided no, because we have a deal. If he gets a green (in our day it would be like not getting your … Read the rest
Calm and Confident
Or at least fake it til you make it, right moms?
This is who I’m trying to be while parenting… calm and confident. You want to throw a fit about the fact that it’s time to do homework? Awesome. You are free to do so in your room. I will not be joining you in your fit. I am calm and confident. No, you may not stomp on every stair along the way. No, you may not grunt like an animal along the way. No, you may not punch the wall along the way. Downstairs we are calm. We are … Read the rest