Dandelions

I enjoyed the opportunity to go outside with the kids today.  It's been raining the past few days, and they've been going a little stir-crazy.  My four-year-old stared in awe at the field of dandelions growing in the back yard and exclaimed "Wow!  We have pretty flowers!"  He was so excited.  Me? Not so much.  I knew that those dandelions represented a husband who is working overtime right now and hasn't had time to mow the lawn.  But my little boy in his childlike innocence saw the beauty in those dandelions.

And I chose to look at the beauty too.  I chose to count my blessings.

I have an absolutely awesome husband who works long, hard hours without complaining.  We have a nice big backyard where the kids can run and play.  I've been feeling a weency bit better, and I'm thankful I had enough energy to go out and play with the kids.  Speaking of...I'm thankful for my three little blessings too.  They are a joy and a delight.

God is good all the time, and I want to always look at the positive instead of the negative.

Thank you, Lord, for your blessings!  

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Will You Say Yes?

I have a deep admiration for God's servants.  When I see people who have given their whole life to Him to do whatever He asks, no matter how hard, I am motivated to be like that.  I am so encouraged when I see people who are making sacrifices and living through difficult circumstances with a smile on their face.  I've watched a missionary family live with numerous health problems and deal with inconveniences like their water being turned off for nearly a week.  I've watched a family proceed with multiple international adoptions in spite of the lack of finances and the emotional, physical, and spiritual toll it takes to parent adopted children.  I saw another missionary family who lost their 3 year old daughter in a tragic car accident, yet they are choosing to be thankful for the way God is using that accident for His glory.   These are just a few examples.  Everywhere I go I see people who have said "Yes" to God, no matter how hard a thing it is that He has asked them to do.


 I have spent much time in prayer asking God what it is that He has for me.  What hard thing is it that He wants me to do?  I am determined to say "Yes".  I will trust him for the grace each day to do whatever He asks of me.







...Or will I?


Fast forward a few days, and in your imagination come join me in my home.  I get up early, eager to tackle my lengthy to-do list.  I have big plans for all that I am going to accomplish.  I read my Bible and pray, then get up and start working on my list, humming as I go.  I'm excited to face the day, determined to be a great mommy and homemaker.  Several short minutes later, my well-laid plans are interrupted.  I hear a baby crying.  "He never wakes up this early," I think.  "Pleeease go back to sleep so I can get some work done."  After a couple more minutes, I decide that I'd better go get the little fella.  I'm too late.  My oldest boy, who shares a room with the baby, has already awakened, and there's no getting that one back to sleep once he's up.  To top things off, he gets so lonely while I'm feeding the baby that he has to wake up his little sister so she can play with him.

Okay, I can adjust.  I'll just go ahead and start working on the things I had planned to do after the kids were up.  Then I'll get them down a little early for their naps and go back to working on what needs to be done while they're sleeping.

All 3 kids are cranky all morning from getting up so early.  I'm stopping every few minutes to console a crying baby or try to thwart an emotional meltdown from my 2 year old.  In between grouchy spells they're running around like little crazy people, getting into everything they're not supposed to get into.  I'm trying to maintain some semblance of order, so I stop to deal with each issue that arises and clean up each mess.  By lunchtime, I've accomplished the amazing feat of getting everyone dressed and fed.  That's it.  Oh!  And I did throw in a load of laundry and make a loaf of bread.  Well, I dumped the ingredients into the bread machine, if that counts.  I'm eying the clock and eagerly anticipating naptime so I can at least get a little bit of work done.  I'm hoping that everyone (including myself) will be in better spirits after a good afternoon rest.

Naptime, however, is delayed due to the fact that the timer on the bread machine says that the bread will be finished exactly one hour later than I thought it would be finished.  I'm almost out of groceries, and that bread is about the only thing in the house that I have to feed the kids, so I'm stuck waiting for it to finish before we can eat lunch.  Combine hungry grouchy with tired grouchy, and we have a house full of very grouchy people.  And Mama is getting grouchier by the minute.  I'm very close to surpassing the grouchiness of my children.  Yes, that happy, humming mama that arose so excited about her day is acting like a child who is not getting her way.

But wait, it gets better.

Much to my relief, naptime finally arrives.  I make sure the two older older children have gone potty, and get everyone tucked snugly into their beds. 

For about fifteen minutes.

That's when I hear the footsteps in the hall.  "Mommy, I have to go potty," I hear a little two year old voice say.  "You just went potty.  Go back to bed," I reply through gritted teeth, trying hard not to sound as irritated as I feel.  As she turns to walk away, I see the little bulge in the back of her Pull-up.  I roll my eyes, thinking to myself, "WHY does she have to go stinky during her nap every. single. day????!!"  I change her Pull-up and put her back to bed.

For another fifteen minutes.

"Mommy, I have to go potty again."  I check the Pull-up.  Stinky again.  I change the Pull-up again and put her back to bed.

She's up and down several more times after that, not to go potty, but just the general two year old naptime avoidance tactics.  By the time I finally get her to actually go to sleep,  my oldest boy is up.  He's actually taken a good nap, so I have no reason to make him go back to bed.  I try to make him sit quietly and read books so I can have a few minutes of quiet.  Yeah, right.  Four year old boys and quiet don't belong together in the same sentence.

I finally give up and go to the kitchen to start supper.  My husband walks in the door, and is greeted with what is by this time a very grouchy wife   I start complaining to him about my day, how I'm so tired, and how I didn't get anything done today and that I barely have enough strength to make supper.  (Which is true.  I'm still nursing the baby, and I hadn't had enough to eat throughout the day.)  He just smiles at me and goes to play with the kids.  I sit down with my head in my hands and wish that supper would make itself.  There's not even anything that I can eat for a quick snack to give myself an energy boost.  I get up and manage to pull together some chicken and pasta, and while I'm cooking, the Holy Spirit speaks to me in His still, small voice.

"Didn't you tell me that you would do whatever I asked of you?  And that you would do it cheerfully?  Do you know what I've asked of you today?  I've asked you to love your husband and to love your children, and to have a good attitude even when your day doesn't go the way you planned it."

I confess to the Lord my selfishness, and for the rest of the evening I choose to be joyful.  I choose to say "Yes" to God, although I wish I had obeyed a whole lot earlier.



What about you?  What is God asking you to do?  We all have different life circumstances, and the thing that He asks you to do will be different from what He's asked me to do.  Maybe, like me, you haven't even stopped to recognize what it is that He's asking of you.  Will you take the time to realize what it is?  Then, will you say "Yes" to Him?   


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When Mommy Gets Grouchy in the Middle of the Night

"Mommy, I wet the bed."

Grumble, grumble, grumble.  Mommy thinks to herself, (sarcastically), "No problem.  I'll just throw all the wet clothes and sheets in the wash along with the dirty towels that I used to clean the bathroom floor when the toilet overflowed.  While I'm at it I'll throw in Kaylah's wet pants and panties that she wet after I had done all the laundry.  Then I'll get so awake giving you a bath and changing your sheets that I won't be able to go back to sleep and I will be sooo tired in the morning."

Why do I act like I'm dying?  I just need to be thankful!

Thankful that I have a little boy to come wake me up in the night.
Thankful that I have clean sheets to put on his bed.
Thankful that we have a bathtub to give him a bath.
Thankful that we have a toilet to overflow.
Thankful that I have a little girl and that she is learning to go on the potty.
Thankful that I have a washing machine to put all the dirty things into.
Thankful that I have a bed to get back into (and that I have a wonderful husband who is keeping the sheets warm.)
Thankful that all 3 kids normally sleep very well through the night.
And on and on and on I could go.

Thank you Lord for reminding me to be thankful!  I have absolutely no right to be grumbling about something so trifling.

Thank you Lord for your blessings! 

Rejoice in the Lord

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

These are the words of which the Lord kept reminding me.

He reminded me in the middle of the night as my fussy newborn refused to sleep.

He reminded as I cleaned up a {lovely} mess including a perfectly clean diaper and a not-so-clean bed after my toddler's nap.

He reminded me as my tired body ached for a nap and the phone kept ringing.

He reminded me as I finally drifted off to sleep and I heard a little boy's voice calling to me "Mommy, come wipe me!"

He reminded me as my husband came home from work (late again) and informed me that he'll be working 6 days a week for at least the next month. ("No! I'm so tired, and I need your help! I don't want you to be away! I don't want you to be tired because then I don't feel like I can ask you to help me!") It's okay. "Rejoice in the Lord!"

WHY????

Well, there are at least a hundred reasons, but I'll keep it brief and just list 10:

1. I'm saved! Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

2. God is molding me to be more like Christ (Whom I shall see someday soon!) 1 Peter 1:6-9 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

3. I don't have to worry about my problems - I can take them to the Lord in prayer. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 Rejoice evermore. 17 Pray without ceasing.

4. I have peace with God and complete access to Him through the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1-2 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

5. I have the complete Word of God to guide me, rebuke me, and comfort me. Psalm 119:162 I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.

6. God knows all that my day will hold, and he will give me the grace for each moment. Psalm 118:24 This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

7. My God is holy and he will never allow anything unjust to happen. Psalm 97:12 Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

8. God is in control of the universe (including my life!) Psalm 97:1 The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof.

9. The God of the universe is MY helper! Psalm 63:7 Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.

10. Rejoicing is a result of being filled with the Spirit - a state in which I need to be all the time! Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.


Are there little things piling up that are threatening to steal your joy? Think on the positive, and find reasons to rejoice!