Call It What It Is
I think it’s really important to call things what they are and speak the truth. I’ve heard so many mothers refer to their defiant children as “spirited” or rebellious children as “passionate.” Really? I don’t want a defiant or rebellious child, but I sure would love a spirited passionate one! So, what’s wrong with simply telling the truth and saying that your child is rebellious? Or why must we justify a cold by saying, "my child might have allergies?” It’s a cold! That’s ok. We’re not going to leave them that way! But it’s important to call things as they are, speak the truth, so we can identify the true problem and heal, change, transform and bring about repentance. We make excuses, apologize, disguise, justify… but that isn’t helping anyone. In our own life it’s easy to do this with our own problems or struggles. But if we are honest with ourselves and God, and call it what it is, then we can be forgiven, transformed and move on. As long as we are misnaming reality, we will continue to live in a fantasy land where the truth isn’t known and no one is living into their full potential.

Change is Good
I recently lost about 10 inches… off my hair! For some reason I love to grow it out long and then cut it all off. It feels so great and the drastic change is so much fun.
My father always said the only difference between a rut and a grave is a lid! Change is good, it breathes new life. Change is also hard. I think of the work and stress of moving. When going through everything to pack up it feels great to get rid of old junk that we no longer need, and there is always a hidden treasure waiting to be rediscovered! We probably would have never taken the time to let go of the dead weight and unveil lost beauty if it weren’t for the move. It’s fun to reminisce, but also emotional to let go of the past and start new. But someone once told me, “where there is risk, there is reward.” That has proven true in my life time and again. Sometimes it takes a drastic move to get a whole new perspective on life. It’s easy to become so comfortable in our ways that we have no vision for anything different. Yet there might be great opportunities or self discovery just out of sight if we’d simply turn our head, go a different direction, change our environment, or simply cut all our hair off!!!

Little Update
Well, I’ve had a few busy weeks and a little departure from my “normal” blog entries. With the baby turning one, Valentine’s Day and a ton of family coming into town, I haven’t had much time! I have to share this update:
Friday I ran out to get a few last things for my son’s big birthday party on Saturday. It had been a rough week and the kids didn’t sleep well, so I averaged about 4 hours a night last week! I was tired, a bit stressed with rain forecasted and an RSVP list of 50 people for the party (all in doors if the forecast held!). All of the grandparents and Auntie were scheduled to arrive around 3pm Friday, which meant crunch time for one tired, cranky mommy! I got in the car to make my first stop at Jo Ann fabrics. As I drove my mind was cluttered with complaining, frustration, and some anger / bitterness about various things. I immediately thought of my post from Feb. 8 “It’s Your Choice.” And I pretty much said out loud in my car, “OK, I’m really tired and prideful and would much rather gripe and complain, but I’m going to choose joy and praise God.” I then started listing all the things I was thankful for. (Honestly, I really don’t do this normally. I know I should, and I’ll encourage others to, but I don’t myself!) I arrived at Jo Anns- full parking lot – and a front row spot opened up just as I drove up! I went in, grabbed all I needed, headed to the register just in time to overhear a lady say, “here are my coupons.” SHOOT, I forgot to print out my coupons! “That’s what I forgot,” I quietly said. “$87.42,” the cashier said. “Oh my gosh! What did I buy?” “Let me run some coupons for you mam. OK, that’s $62.47.” I started to cry. I told the kid he was my new best friend and left saying, this time with a genuine heart, “thank you Lord.” Next stop was to Costco – even more busy than Jo Ann’s! Just as I drove up, a front row spot opened! WHAT? I smiled and said, “thank you Lord.” My time was short so this little blessing was huge! Last stop was to the grocery store, just as I drove up, a front row spot opened up! Seriously, by this time I was just laughing! I got all I needed and as I drove home I started to cry again, thinking of the clerk at Jo Ann’s, and all the front row spaces I got that saved me so much time! I thanked God and praised him for his faithfulness. It’s amazing what can happen when we choose to praise instead of critique, bless instead of curse, smile instead of pout. I hope to get back on track this week with normal blogging and I have some fun dinner ideas to share too!

Baby Fish

I can’t believe you’re one today. And why does it break my heart? I want you to stay little forever, so you fit perfectly on my chest with your head on my shoulder. I was so in love with your sisters when they were born, I really didn’t think that could happen again. But then you came along and my heart grew so that I could fall in love with you too. You are my bright spot. You are my ego boost! You always light up when I walk in the room! Thank you little Macky Boy. You’ve added so much joy to my life and I thank God for blessing me with your precious smile, happy head, funny faces, and most of all your cuddles. Happy Birthday Baby Mouse. Mama loves you.

LOVE

love is patient, love is kind. it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. it is not rude, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. love does not delight in evil but rejoices with any truth. it always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. love never fails.

happy valentine's day

Get Closer
I heard a parenting specialist say, we need to get closer and quieter. He was referring to speaking to our children. We can sit on the couch and shout orders and they rarely respond. But if we speak quieter, they need to lean in to hear. They need to get closer. Isn’t that where we want our kids anyway?

I was reminded of this today as I, the “Party Mom” for my girls’ preschool class, celebrated their Valentine’s Party. As with any group of children hopped up on pink pancakes and syrup, there was a little chaos. I tried to shout to get their attention and found my own voice adding to the noise. I began to whisper and like magic, they got quiet so that they could listen to my small voice.

We often complain that God is being silent in our lives. We pray and pray and ask and ask and get nothing in reply. It seems like He either isn’t listening or is being silent – both of which feel unacceptable! But perhaps He is not silent. Perhaps we are not listening. Perhaps He is whispering so softly as to draw us in closer, just where a Father most wants His child – close.
Lean in, get closer. Be quiet and listen. You’ll hear His small still voice. Powerful, life changing words can come in the faintest whisper.

It’s Your Choice

When my twin girls were little babies, I used to dangle their jammies over them as they lay down on the changing table before bed. One pink pair, one yellow pair, “which do you pick?” I would ask each of them. They didn’t really care, they just had fun batting at the jammies and grabbed which ever one they could. For some reason I felt guilty always putting one in pink and the other in yellow, as if yellow was second best! So if I didn’t have 2 pink pairs, I’d let them choose and then I didn’t feel badly!! (Silly I know, it’s one of the many dilemmas of having identical twins!)

I thought of this story today as I talked to a girlfriend about the many choices we have the power to make in our lifetime. I choose how to react to the rude checker at the market. Do I smile or throw it back at her? I choose how to respond to tragic news in my life. Do I turn to God for comfort and peace, or do I sew seeds of bitterness and hate? I choose how to respond to my children when they disobey. Do I discipline them in love, or unleash on them in anger?

It’s all up to me. I have the power to choose to love instead of hate. I have the power to smile at people instead of sneer. I have the power to be grateful for all that I’m blessed with instead of picking at the few things that I’m missing. I have the power to embrace trials and grow through them instead of burying my head and complaining for months.

It’s my choice.
I choose.
It’s your choice.
What do you choose?

Freedom

Children have such amazing freedom! Perhaps their innocence, inhibition, and lack of experience liberate them in powerful ways. They can walk out of the house wearing a miss-matched outfit and we call them adorable! They can point to someone at the park and say whatever comes to their mind like, “she’s fat,” and we giggle and wisk them away to explain that some things are better left unsaid! When any music comes on they bounce and dance around without a care and often without any pattern or rhythm, but we watch in awe at their creative movement.

At what age does all of that freedom in life disappear? When do we become so aware of what we look like, what others think of us, what others look like… that we start living smaller lives? One night at the college retreat in Seattle, I was sitting in the front row before I got up to speak. The kids who emceed the weekend got everyone to their feet to teach them the Soulja Boy dance to “Crank Dat Dance.” I thought, “of all the nights to sit in the front!” I wished so badly that I could step back in time when I was probably the one up front leading everyone in some crazy dance, but I couldn’t. I stumbled through the steps, nervously laughing the whole time, secretly praying that it would soon be over!

That night, as I lay in bed, I had this overwhelming desire to experience total freedom like my children. To just enjoy every aspect of life without fear, worry or insecurities. Sadly, I know my children’s days are numbered before the lies of the world creep in and corrupt them, placing insecurities, fears and worries upon them. For now I’m going to try to learn from their freedom and should the day come that their freedom starts to disappear, I hope they can learn from me that true freedom in life comes from knowing Jesus.