Inspiration–Ice Skating, Barbara Bush and Jesus
A few years ago we rented a small cabin in the Smokey Mountains. Since the log cabin was built into the side of the mountain there was no place to hike around. Our cabin was like an island on the lake of evergreen trees. The cabin had a spacious wrap-around porch which served as my personal retreat. Hubby and the girls were enthralled with the cable TV since we didn’t yet have cable at home.
The owners of the cabin provided an interesting library. The first book that caught my attention was my entertainment for the week. It was Barbara Bush’s Memoirs. I loved Barbara’s writing style. She told her stories of meeting heads of state with the same candor that she used when telling stories of family and friends.
One of the main themes from Mrs. Bush’s life that inspired me was her love of life. She lived to the fullest every day, every experience. She is the first to say she has lived a life of privelege. But she had this attitude towards life when she and President Bush were newlyweds living in a basement apartment. Even then she made the best of the their living arrangements by inviting friends over for simple suppers.
Since it is highly unlikely I will ever live in the White House or even meet a President of the United States, I am challenged to adapt Mrs. Bush’s attitude in my middle-class, midwestern town. Even though I too feel like a live a life of privelege, it is easy to let the daily grind steal the joys and pleasures of every day.
However, today was a day I followed Mrs. Bush’s example. Princess still had one more Christmas celebration with her fiance’s family. So this morning she still had gifts to finish–pj pants, pies, bread, and all the wrapping. It was crazy in our small kitchen–sewing on the table, and the kitchen counter dusted with flour, cinnamon, and sugar. The conversation was fun as the girls shared about the New Year’s Eve parties they attended the night before.
Finally, all the gifts were done, cooled, and wrapped with Princess on her way to the Christmas celebration. But no time to rest. Perfect Middle Child and Little Miss were patiently waiting for me to ice skate with them on the pond behind our house. On go the skates and off we go with hopes of not falling on the bumpy ice.
I am tired and sore tonight, but I loved every minute of the day. I love living my life “to the full.” Jesus, my Savior, promised me life to the full in John 10:10. He gave His life so I could have a rich life here and in eternity. Some days it is full of family and fun. Some days it is full of writing or laundry. Some days it is full of dealing with difficult people. But now matter what the day brings I know I am God’s child living the life He designed for me. It is up to me embrace it, experience it, and see what God has for me in it.
Mrs. Bush, thank you for inspiring me to life the life God planned for me.
1 comment January 2, 2009
Princess Riley
We did what we (Hubby and I) said we would never do–we got another puppy. Our last dog died suddenly at only age 7. Years ago Hubby said when Rusty died there would be no more dogs. He held fast to that proclamation until. . .two weeks after Rusty’s death Little Miss could hold it in no longer. During our family’s prayer time Litte Miss began to sob unconsolably. She had been counting the days since Rusty’s death. She missed his company and with Perfect Middle Child leaving for college within the year, she knew she would be lonely.
The negotiations began. Hubby was persuaded to get another dog on the contingency that his conditions be met. Perfect Middle Child began her internet search for the next perfect member of our family.
Discussion of our research–from the internet, my husband’s work buddies and associates, the vet, and anyone else we talked to in the three-day period–consumed all of our family time. My brain was about to explode.
Saturday morning, the day of decision, Hubby’s cell phone rang about 8:30am. It was one of the many breeders Hubby talked to. The last female puppy was now available. She was a golden retreiver. He was able to negotiate the price to our limit. Every condition Hubby asked for was in place. He made the appointment and within half an hour our family was in the van and headed to meet our new princess.
Of course, it was love at first sight. The puppy was chubby and frisky. She could have come right out of a toilet paper commercial. Princess Riley came home with us and lives a pampered life.
Since we are still house training her she spends most of her day in the kitchen. She has everything in the kitchen she could possibly want or need–food, water, toys, pillow bed, and me. Yet, she is not content. She jumps up on the chairs that block the doorways and tries to get out. She doesn’t realize how comfy the kitchen is. The dog next door lives in a 5′x10′ kennel year round. Riley has every creature comfort (except my carpet to pee on).
God used our little princess to show me how much like Riley I am. The past few weeks God has had me in the “kitchen.” He has put boundaries around me for the purpose of teaching and training me to know Him better and be more like His Son. These boundaries felt restrictive. I felt unblessed and like God was punishing me. I behaved a lot like Riley–not enjoying it, not trying to understand what God wanted to teach me, trying to get out.
But the truth is God has given me countless blessings and He takes care of my every need. This time was for my benefit. I needed to be in the kitchen with God to know Him in a way I could not have learned otherwise.
During this time I was not content. I jump up to see over the protection God has put around me to see what else I might be missing. Someone else might be enjoying a blessing that I didn’t get and I want to see what’s going on. Maybe God is holding out on me. Hmm, sounds familiar doesn’t it? It’s the original lie Satan used on Eve.
But the truth is God is not nor will ever hold out on me. He always gives me what’s best for me at the perfect time. It’s hard to accept, but sometimes what’s best for me is to spend time in the kitchen with God–no distractions, just the basics.
Princess Riley is learning the discipline she needs to enjoy the rest of our home and being part of our family. As God’s precious daughter, I am learning to know my Father and how to be the princess He created me to be.
Add a comment December 31, 2008
Mom’s Gut
“How stupid do you think I am?”
I can’t tell you how many times I have said that to our girls over the past two decades. Each child has tried to pull something over on me with a straight face and a halo that is only slightly tilted but quite tarnished. Just when I think they have figured out that God wants them to get caught and that He is helping Hubby and I out, they come at us again with total amnesia to their last attempt or to the history of their sisters’ failed attempts.
Tonight was aggravating. My gut feeling had been stirring for some time. But this afternoon God connected all the dots for me and I knew that Perfect Middle Child was not as innocent as she was portraying herself. Hubby and I presented our case. She denied it. See nothing makes a teen madder than when they know you know even though you don’t have physical evidence. They know we are right and they are so mad that we are right. She stuck by her story, but we will stick by what we know to be true. She will have appropriate boundaries instated.
I write about this family incident to encourage you moms (and any dads that are reading) to trust your gut. God gave it to you. He works through it. When something doesn’t seem right, inconspicuously start digging. Keep your ears and eyes open. It’s not that I want to catch my kids for the sake of catching them, but I want to catch them for their benefit–to prevent any harm or negative consequences coming to them.
Moms, God gave you a gut. Trust it.
2 comments May 17, 2008
Her New House
I had a pleasant shock of emotion yesterday. We helped our oldest daughter, Princess, unpack and start to settle into her new home. She is 21, living on her own, working fulltime and going to college parttime. She has rented her first house and we went to help her and see the house–thinking the latter would help keep my mom-worry to a minimum.
I couldn’t believe the house when we drove up to it–it was my dream of a house–the Arts & Crafts Bungalow–and was it cute. What made it even more appealing to me–the doer-type person–is that it needed work. Not a ton, mostly maintenance. Wow. I was in heaven.
As we walked up the front steps and onto what seemed to be the largest porch I have ever experienced, I felt like I was stepping into an Arts & Crafts magazine. The porch was roomy and cozy. It was about fifteen feet above street level making for a nostolgic neighborhood feel. I could picture neighbors and friends sitting on the porch enjoying conversation and drinking iced tea.
To add to my euphoria–the yard and garden were amazing. The previous owner works at a nursery so she filled the yard with plants found in an authentic bungalow gardens. With yesterday being our first real spring day, many green tips were poking up through leaves which did not get raked last autumn. The uncut dead plants, also from last fall, revealed the promise of their beauty to come this summer.
“A hydrangea! Princess, you have a hydrangea! And it’s huge!”
As I stepped into the house I immediately was overwhelmed with another Arts & Crafts original–between the living room and dining room were four-foot wood cabinets with lead glass doors and on top of the cabinets sat round pillars supporting the ten foot ceilings. The view was surreal. I have only seen Arts & Crafts homes in magazines. I have never been in one.
Once through the living room, the dining room held its own treat. The wall on the right of the room had a window seat and the windows above it were a simple stained glass. Wow.
The kitchen was small, but was full of bungalow originals. I felt like I was stepping back into the 1940′s.
We all had fun working both inside and out, and getting to know the this dear old house, that for a time will be home to my firstborn. Nothing like working together to get to know someone and the same is true for old homes. Hubby did electrical work, the heavy lifting and a security check. The girls and I organized, moved boxes and furniture and did a bit of yard work.
My natural inclination would be to go in and take over. But I remembered how I felt as a young adult on my own for the first time. I wanted to do my house my way. I didn’t want my mom telling me the best way to do eveything. So I bridled my tongue without bridling my enthusiasm. I wasn’t perfect, but I accomplished my goal–to bless, support and help my daughter while keeping our relationship strong.
What about my mom-worry? Did seeing the house help calm that? Yes and no. Yes, the house is secure and I was glad about that and it passed the Hubby security check. But I looked around the surrounding area and, while it is better than the last neighborhood she lived in, I wasn’t comfortable it was totally secure. Then I the realization came to me–no area is totally safe. We lock our doors at night, even the car doors that are on the driveway. There is nothing I can do to keep her totally safe.
Then this morning in church God gave me assurance He has the situation under control. The pastor read, “The Lord delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love.” (Psalm 147:11) That was exactly what I needed to hear. My hope was in God’s unfailing love for my daughter. What more could I ask or expect? I will sleep well tonight.
I look forward to many more days caring for this bungalow and helping my daughter achieve her dreams of independence and a college degree. Maybe someday she will own a bungalow of her own.
1 comment April 6, 2008
In the World Again
Okay, the movie, The Golden Compass is out. Once again for the record–I do not agree with the author or the message in the movie.
My concern is with the reaction of Christians to the message of this movie in light of all the other junk in the world. Yes, the message of the movie is bad. However, if we have done even half of our job as Christian parents, our kids should be able to see the problems in the book and movie and not be tempted to walk away from the Lord. My concern is more with the slumber of the Christian community regarding the subtle, yet real and effective temptations of Satan–temptations that many times catch us and do steal our children from the Lord. Why is there not an outcry regarding
~the misuse of technology by our kids which allows dangerous and often inappropriate conversations with who knows who
~the hundreds of other movies that present sex in a way other than the Lord intended
~the movies and computer games that glorify violence
~the chunks of time our kids spend at the mall, texting, or at a friend’s house that we really don’t have a clue who they are with and what they are really doing
~the cliques and bullying that happens wherever there are kids
~the fact that there is little difference between Christians and nonbelievers when it comes to moral, social issues–extramarital sex, premarital sex, abortions, divorce?
As parents and the body of Christ we need to be alert and ready to do battle in the world where we face hundreds of other temptations that are causing us and our children to walk away from the Lord, bring dishonor to the Lord and even take our lives. The apostle Peter challenges us in this very area, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” 1 Peter 5:8-9
Yeah, we need to be alert to the whole Golden Compass message, but parents, we need to get our head in the game on a daily basis. Satan doesn’t take a minute off when trying to get at your kids or our testimonies. Can we afford to let down our guard or attention?
1 comment December 17, 2007
In The World
I felt like a falsely-accused woman during the Salem witch hunts. The conversation turned to the soon-to-be released movie, The Golden Compass. My sisters in Christ were quite upset about the movie and the subsequent books in the series. (Go to this link to see why–http://snopes.com/politics/religion/compass.asp) I share in their concern and dislike for the whole mess. However, their tone greatly concerned me, because if I would have shared that our Little Miss had read the books, a great hush would have fallen over the room and I would have been labeled a “liberal” mom. The atmosphere was not one of room for various view points. Please know I am not condemning my dear friends. Plenty of times I have reacted just as they did. However, this time I was on “the other side.”
A few weeks ago Little Miss was given this triology to read. Little Miss reads constantly and we do our best to keep up on what she is reading. After she finished these books she told me, “Mom, these books were terrible.” Then she went on to list the lies of Satan, misrepresentations, offenses, etc. She knew what she was reading and why it was wrong.
I believe our job as parents is to prepare our kids for the real world by getting them in the Word; by talking about the Word; by interacting the Word with what we see on the news and TV and the culture. This is how we teach them a Christian worldview. I talk at the TV to the local and national news anchors as they are reporting the news. I challenge the politicians when they speak lies and twist the truth. I do all this while the girls are with me in the kitchen. It helps the girls see how to apply the truth of the Word to what the world is throwing at us. Teaching them the truth immunizes against the “germs” of the world while we are living in the world.
Jesus told us to be salt and light in the dark world, not to hold up in a holy huddle until He returned. Please don’t take this to the extreme. Of course, I don’t want or allow my kids to be in places that are dangerous or where kids are doing what they shouldn’t be. I am saying that we need to prepare and train our kids to interact with the world; to be able to offer a solution to the hurting and troubled; to know the Real Deal and not shake in their boots when confronted with junk from Satan. We have the Lord in us.
I’m not telling anyone to go or not go see the movie; to read or not read the books. My daughter read the books quite by accident and I believe she is a stronger believer for it because she exercised her biblical knowledge muscle to discern garbage from truth. No I don’t want her having a steady diet of this stuff, but when she ran into she was prepared. As believers we should be about the business of knowing the Word and then being relevant to a hurting, searching world. They need our knowledge and they need our love.
1 comment October 31, 2007
Lessons Learned from My Kids
I truly believe one reason God gave me kids is to get my attention so He could teach me and work in me all the things I desparately need to learn and couldn’t learn any other way. Sometimes I can see a biblical truth played out in our kids’ words and lives easier than any other way.
Yesterday as I was dropping Little Miss off at school in Perfect Middle Child’s car, a reminiscing thought came to mind–the times that Princess and Perfect Middle Child have grumbled about Hubby and I using “their” cars/gas to run an errand. (Sidebar–Hubby and I bought cars for Princess and Perfect Middle Child to use. It was made clear that they did not own the cars, but we do.) In all fairness, we have not heard these grumblings often, but they have come up and my immediate response was one of –You’ve got to be kidding! You’re whining about a little bit of gas after all we have done for you!
This time when that thought popped into my head I heard my heavenly Father gently say to me–”After all I’ve done for you.” Yes, how many times have I grumbled about unfairness or been unforgiving and the Father could say, ever so justly, “After all I’ve done for you.”
After all He and Christ gave for me how can I grumble when I’m cut off in traffic, when the clerk isn’t as perky as I would like, when I’m gossiped about or misunderstood, when I’m not invited to the shopping trip or dinner out, when my kids cop an attitude? How can I complain instead of giving grace? The LORD has given everything for me and forgiven my uglies that I’m way too embarrassed to mention here. He loves me and has accepted me and suffered immensely for me and died for me and still I grumble about the injustices done to me.
Several Scriptures speak really powerfully to this–Matthew 6:12-15; Matthew 26:67-68, 27:27-31; Mark 15:15-32; Luke 23:34; Ephesians 4:1-7 Read these in context and prayerfully.
This everyday woman is going to be chewing on this thought for quite awhile, because this child has a lot to learn from her Father.
1 comment October 27, 2007
Fear What?
Recently the girls’ youth minister presented a lesson on the most often given command. Can you guess what it is? (I’m trusting his research here)–Fear not; do not be afraid, be strong and courageous. The command is stated in a variety of ways. I was intrigued by this fact so I started keeping a list of verses that stated this command–fear not.
I am getting a great list. This morning I came on one more–Judges 6:23, “And the Lord said to him, “Peace to you, do not fear, you shall not die” (God to Gideon after he saw the angle of God). God brought this verse back to me today as I contemplated a conversation I needed to have with someone but had been putting off because I was afraid of how this person would respond.
“You shall not die.” Hmm. What is the worst that can happen? I won’t die from having this needed conversation. And what is even more important is the reason I don’t want to have it–fear of man. Another great fear verse is Psalm 118:6, “The Lord is for me; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” When I put fear of man before what God calls me to do, I am putting this person up as an idol. Anything that comes between God and myself is an idol. O-o-o-o, don’t want to go there.
So I loaded my mind full of truth and made the call. I didn’t have the nervous voice that says I called to say something you’re not going to like. I spoke the words I had to say in a confident voice that was kind and not confrontational.
How did it go? First, remember we are not for responsible for others’ reactions. I addressed the situation with truth and grace. It went well. No hard feelings and I must trust God to help this person process it. We go running down the path to unhealthy relationships when we tamper with the truth and don’t deal with a situation because we are afraid of the other person’s response or that they “can’t handle it.” (My mind is instantly recalling the line from A Few Good Men when Jack Nicholson’s character says, “You want the truth! You can’t handle the truth!” This instant recall of military movies is the result of being married to an ex-Marine.)
I don’t know how much my girls were affected by the lesson on not fearing, but their everyday mom was and for her it will be a life lesson.
Add a comment October 25, 2007
Spatulas, Kids and God’s Plan
Sidebar: I’m back from a hiatus. Thank you for your faithfulness to keep coming back to see what’s new.
“Hey, Mom, isn’t this picture cool?” Perfect Middle Child was thumbing through one of my favorite magazines, Real Simple, and she found a creatively designed picture of spatulas. Yes, spatulas. It looked like a piece of art to be displayed.
“I wanted to do that when I was young. I wanted to major in home economics in college and design the food layouts for Kraft.”
“Oh, Mom, I’m sorry.” Perfect Middle Child has a sympathetic heart.
“No, really, it’s okay. If I would have done that I wouldn’t be where I am now doing what I am now. God takes our circumstances and makes His will in our lives. He’s not going to drop us.” As I was speaking this truth to her, I’m sure I was the one hit by it the hardest.
Yes, college was not an option for me, but God knew the potential was in me. He gave me a husband that is my biggest cheerleader. He gave me three great kids who have supplied me with endless material to write and speak about and then in these recent years He has given me an outlet to do that. Just yesterday I received confirmation that I am going to be a guest on Focus on the Family Weekend Edition. God works His plan in our lives.
I love being that example to my kids. Even though my life wasn’t what I had planned in high school, it is what God had planned all along. I can trust God.
It’s good to be back with you. Again, thanks for hanging in there with me,
Everyday Woman
Add a comment October 20, 2007
The Truth and Nothing but the Truth
Little Miss came to me about 4 weeks ago and announced, “Mom, I want to try out for IMEA.” (IMEA is an audition orchestra from the “region”–several counties. Most kids practice over the summer for this and tryouts are Columbus Day weekend. The orchestra then plays a concert in November.)
“Sure. Okay. What did your band director say?”
“He said I could if I would come in for lessons and practice every day for 1/2 hour.”
And so she began to whip her musical self into a condition that could compete with the best junior high musicians in the region. She worked quite hard and many times without me reminding her.
She had her audition a couple of days ago. She was psyched–really in the zone. During her warmup her saxaphone would not play a couple of notes. She went into the audition and did her best–again her saxaphone would not produce some notes. The judges acknowledged this. All she could do now was wait and see.
Yesterday she came home with the results. She did not make the orchestra. She was so fine with it. She told me, “Mom, it’s probably best I didn’t make it. With all I have going on and all the extra practices, it would have been too much.”
Wow. She’s mature. I am not that quick to process disappointment. The key to her attitude–she processed and owned the truth. Lately God is showing me in bold language that much of thought process is not based on truth, but on the lies I have imbedded in my mind and how these lies are the root of my actions. These are subtle lies. Nothing I could easily identify without the help of the Holy Spirit. Lies about who I am, my worth to God, how I bring everything back to me when life is not all about me but living for Him resulting in pride and self-centeredness.
Hmm, I wonder what lies you are believing. Be bold and ask God to show you then to fill your mind with His truth.
This verse has been my continual prayer lately,
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2
We are transformed by renewing our minds. Our minds are renewed by the Word of God. We must read it, meditate on it (put it on an index card and go over it throughout your day), and then memorize it. Then when we need it, it is right in our minds. As the verse goes on to say, “that you may prove what the will of God is.” Once we know the truth and believe it, we will live it. We will be living out God’s will for us–full abundant lives (John 10:10). We won’t be bogged down and sucked dry by Satan’s lies buried in our subconscious. We will be living boldly and freely in God’s truth (Galatians 5:1).
We will know what God expects of us as
~a wife
~a mom
~a friend
~an employee
~a servant in ministry for Him
We will know and we won’t have to look to others or wonder. We may have more to do in some areas, but we may be freed to back off in areas where we were going beyond our role.
Woo! Amen and amen! Eveyday women, live in the freedom and truth Christ brought and bought for us!
Add a comment October 10, 2007
