BIG GIRL BRITCHES

Jesus the One and Only

2012-01-29T06:06:00.000-08:00

Jesus the One and Only

In 2000 I had the privilege of journeying to Israel and to sit under the teachings of Beth Moore as she filmed “Jesus the One and Only.” I sat in the audience with my bleached blonde hair and my bright red lipstick, soaking in every word that was taught and singing to the top of my lungs in worship to my Savior. I tried to take in everything I saw, tasted, touch and even smelled as I experience the ONE and ONLY birth place of Jesus. I listened, took notes and was encouraged and challenge as I was taught by my favorite Bible Study teacher, the ONE and Only Beth Moore. But at the same time, I was longing and my heart was broken by the person that I thought was my One and Only!!

Today in 2012 as I watched myself (bless my heart) on the DVD, I could not help but want to scream out to my then 23 year old self…It is going to be okay! I did not know it back in 2000 when my heart was breaking from being dumped by my college boyfriend, of two years, what exciting journey God had in store for me. I did not realize at the time both the trials and triumphs that would come my way in the next 12 years and how much I would go back to the simple but profound truth that Jesus is the ONE and ONLY!

· 2001- Our world changed on 9/11 and I feared my brother was on the Boston bound plane. Who gave me peace and my brother protection, Jesus the One and ONLY

· 2004- On December 16, God in His grace and mercy chose to take my precious nephew home to be with him. Who was it that my family trusted in during our darkest hours of grief, Jesus the One and ONLY

· 2006- On March 25^th, I married my best friend Adam and the memories of that boy that broke my heart were just that a memory. In that amazing moment of when two became one, in whom did I rejoice, Jesus was the One and Only

· 2007 and 2008- When my body felt broken and my heart and soul were desperate for a baby, who did I cling to, Jesus the One and Only

· 2008- December 30^th My precious preemie was born, so little and so fragile. I was so scared and so worried. Who was my refuge and my strength, who did I run to in my fear, anger, sadness, happiness and joy, Jesus the One and Only

· 2012- Present Day. When I am dancing around the kitchen to praise songs with Ava. When I am laughing again at one of Adam’s joke. When I am sitting on the beach with my parents, brother, sister in law and neice and nephew, Adam and Ava. When I am sitting quietly by myself, study Gods word. Who am I thanking, studying about, worshipping, amazed by….Jesus the ONE AND ONLY!!!

This Little Light of Mine

2012-01-17T04:19:00.001-08:00

I absolutely love this song! I hope this song encourages you today! God has amazing plans for you life, don't be afraid to take a step out in faith!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVeB7ACVgO0

My Poetry....Hilarious!

2012-01-16T16:53:00.000-08:00

I have always liked to write. Even from way back in high school, I enjoyed writing...even if it was terrible and so very cheesey! Today, I was going through some of my documents looking for a specific file and I came across these jewels! Below are some "poems" that I wrote from high school through Seminary (1991-2002).

Poem One

Who Would You Choose

(high school- 1991 to 1995)

There is a boy I know and I love him so, I am not sure If he likes me or her

She is my best friend, I don’t know what I would do if he should choose her over me

If he did pick her, I’m not sure what I would do

Because she is my best friend

If he chose her, my heart would be there to mend

I love him so, I wander if he knows who to choose

I love him so but she is my best friend

I don’t know what to do, who would you choose?

Poem Two

(high school)

Why do I sit here and cry. I’ve always put my heart into every relationship I start

You don’t know how much my heart broke when you wrote me that note.

I guess you were trying to even the score, Lets not write notes anymore

You have the win

But if I ever had another chance to begin

I would hove you all over again

Poem Three

Love and Pain

(college- 1995 to 1999)

Love and Pain, Why are these two things the same

Why does love hurt so much

Who would think of such

But what is it all about

Love is great, but it doesn’t last

Son it will all be in the past

Because it seems every time you love someone, they just leave you out to dry

Soon that day comes when you have to say goodbye

It’s always ok to cry

Love and Pain are just the same

If you love someone you sometimes have to loose them to realized why

Love hurts so much

Poem Four

Guy I Love

(college)

I know this guy that I will love forever, I only wish we were still together.

I felt so special when an older man took my hand

Then this year I saw him with another girl

I had to shed a tear because I fear he will never love me again

Poem Five

Children

(seminary-200-2002)

Children.

They are the toothless smile of a five year old little boy.

They are the innocent laughter of a two year old little girl who has discovered the joy of bubbles

Their smiles can brighten our day and their little hugs can melt our hearts

Poem Six

Looking at the Sunset

(seminary)

Looking at the sunset and remembering how we met

Running through a field and catching fire flies

Looking up at the stars and wondering why

Why?

Why did God bring you to me?

How I long I had dreamed

How many tears did flow

But oh how I could never see

See that God had a perfect plan

God was creating a Godly man

A man who was after God’s own heart

A man whose love will never depart

Oh bring him to me

Let with my very eyes see

The one who is better then them all

The one by whose name I will be called

Poem Seven

No Matter What

(seminary)

Who would you die for?

Your dad, your mom, your big sister or little brother?

Maybe your girlfriend, wife, boyfriend, husband

But would you die for that ex-boyfriend who kissed your best friend, or that one who assaulted you or an abusive parent.

Jesus did just that. He died for the Roman soldier who whipped him

He died for Judas who sold his soul for thirty pieces

He died for Peter who denied him

Jesus died for you. He died for you no matter what you have done or said or thought

Won’t you allow Him to come and make you whole and love you no matter what!

Taking Tentative Steps

2012-01-10T10:34:00.000-08:00

¹² "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³ Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵ All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. ¹⁶ Only let us live up to what we have already attained."

Philippians 3:12-16

***Disclaimer: This is a very honest, real, blog posting. If it hurts feelings, I am sorry, but it is my life experience. If you don't like what I wrote...don't read it.***

This Sunday at church our pastor, George Wright, began a new series on growth. Being that it is the start of a new year, many people are trying to set goals, resolutions, changes they want to do or make in the coming year. As George was closing his sermon on "Christian Growth", he included some points, scripture and dialogue about how we sometimes let our past prevent us for moving onward and upward in what God has called us to do with our lives. He made this point about our past. "Do not be defined by your past but by Christ who covers your past." He also stated that our past can prevent us from having growth in two ways. The first way is that we can say that our past disqualifies us. The second way is that we can say that our past entitles us. WOW! Both of those thoughts about our past, my past has crossed my mind. I have used both those excuses lately for not following God's calling and God's will in my life!

My past ENTITLES me! I feel like I have used that excuse so often in the last few years. I so many times feel like my past entitles me to either get special treatment or to be excused from service. Why do I think my past entitles me for certain privileges? I grew up in a strong, intact, Christian family. I grew up going to church every time the doors were open, being a GA, being part of Bible drill, and a leader in the youth group. As I grew up, left the nest and went to a Christian college, I was called the "shining star" by many of my professors. In Seminary I was told I was "their favorite student", by my professors. Then as I entered into the ministry world I had the privilege of working on staff at one of the most amazing, wonderful, growing, Gospel preaching churches in the Southern Baptist Convention. So if you ask me had I put in "my time" in Christian growth and service I would have said ABSOLUTELY!

My past DISQUALIFIES me! I have also used this excuse many times, probably the most in the last few years. I have used it as a cop-out, reason, and an excuse for why I am not stepping up and risking doing anything out of my comfort zone. What in my life, in my past am I so scared of repeating? Why am I so shy to be bold and brave again? Funny you should ask! After my stunning, shining and sensational ministry life experience from college through my ministry position at the mega church, I took a new position at another church and it was a train wreck. Maybe I was over confident in my ability. Maybe it was a "growth opportunity" for me. But whatever it was, it was very hard and to be honest very scarring. I went to work at a church where I really felt and still feel today that God was leading me to, but the experience was tough...scary...hard. It was nothing like anything I had experienced before, and it has changed me.

So where do I go from here? Well two things first. One, I am not going to rely on or wear like a medal, what I did six to ten years ago in ministry as a way to feel, think or even sometimes act superior to others. Two, as far as my "trying experience" in ministry I am going to forgive, learn, grow and most importantly move on!! I will not let Satan, anything or anyone else steal the "joy of my salvation'!! I will move. I will worship. I will teach. I will write. I will pray. I will follow. I will serve. I will grow!

Changed

2011-12-30T19:30:00.001-08:00

2nd Samuel 7:18

“Who am I, Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought US this far?"

November 1984-Day the Lord saved me, June 1995-I graduated from EHS and began working at Marietta Baptist Camp, August 1995-May 1999-Many memories were made at GWU. August 2004-met Adam Cooler. March 25, 2006-I married Adam Cooler.

December 30, 2008-Ava Elizabeth Cooler was born!

The above dates mark the days that changed my life! Today we celebrated one of the most life-changing days in my life...the birth of my precious Ava Elizabeth. Her names mean "Desired and Consecrated to God". The meaning of her name fits her impact on my life perfectly. First of all Ava was VERY DESIRED...longed for! It took us two years of a hard, heart-wrenching infertility journey before I became pregnant with Ava. Secondly and most importantly, she is CONSECRATED to the Lord. From the moment I became pregnant with her, I prayed that her life would be used to bring glory to God. One of the most common verses that I prayed over Ava while I was pregnant with her was, Isaiah 26:8 "Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws,we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts." As Ava grows up and moves from a toddler to a teen to a woman, I pray that she will always follow God's truth and love Him with all her heart!

On December 30, 2008 at approximately 2:00 am, Adam floored the 4-Runner to get me to Kennestone Hospital as quick as possible. When I arrived I explained to the nurse that I was having some complications with my pregnancy. I reminded her that I had just been their four days ago after being on bed rest at the hospital for 10 days. The nurse quickly got me to a room and took a look at the situation. She put monitors on me and check to see what was going on. From the look on her face I knew that it was not good. She quickly called the doctor and told me that he was on his way. After what seemed like forever, my wonderful doctor, Dr. Bardwell came in took take a look at Ava and I. He looked me in the eyes, held my hand and said very calmly, "We have to take the baby now." With one word from Dr. Barwell, there were what seemed like ten nurses in my room. They rushed me into the emergency room and started prepping me for an emergency C-section. While they were getting me ready, I totally lost it and started trying to get off the table, taking swipes at whomever was around me. The next thing I knew, I was waking up with a scratching throat and Ava had been born.

There began a journey of faith, prayer, family, friends, therapy, tears, laughter and unconditional love! After Ava spent 57 days in the NICU. We brought her home at a whopping 4 1/2 pounds, eating about 2 ounces of formula and wearing a heart monitor. Slowly but surely Ava grew bigger, ate more and FINALLY got off her heart monitor. Soon we started with therapy to help her reach her potential. Even though it might of taken her a little longer and she had to work a little harder to reach some of her milestones she did it! Now at three years old, she is pretty much caught up with her peers! PRAISE GOD, FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW!!

The journey has not been easy. The journey has not been fair. This journey has not been without some tears. But this journey from NICU to now, has changed my life! Before we began on the journey first, trying to become pregnant and then the last three years since Ava's life, I cared alot about what others thought about me. What I looked like, how I acted, what I had or didn't have, how smart, pretty or funny I was...today I really don't care. Through the journey we have taken, I have come to understand truly about unconditional love. Through this journey I have come to realize how important it is to have a strong marriage, strong family and supportive friends. Above all I have come to realize that it is only through the Lord's grace, mercy, strength and peace that I could have endured any of this journey. A line from Laura Story's "Blessings", states perfectly how this journey has changed my life. "What if my greatest disappointments, or the aching of this life, is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy."!!

Interesting Christmas Article

2011-12-23T04:44:00.001-08:00

First Person: Should We Have Church on Christmas Morning? Of Course!

By Peter Beck

Published December 22, 2011

The Grinch has finally stolen Christmas. Funny thing is, it turned out to be an inside job.

Just weeks after Christians joined forces in a chorus of boos for retailers who refuse to acknowledge that Jesus is the reason for the season, churches across the country have decided to take the Christians out of Christmas instead. No, they’ve not given up on the holiday. They’re not refusing to say “Merry Christmas.” They’re certainly not buying “holiday” trees. They’ve just decided to stay home for Christmas.

Beck

Since Christmas falls on Sunday this year for the first time since 2005, some churches have decided to close their doors that morning. The rationale goes something like this: Our folks are busy enough on Christmas morning. They’ll have guests in town for the holiday. Attendance will probably be low anyway. Let’s just encourage everyone to spend the morning at home with family.

It’s not that I have a problem with spending time with my family. In fact, there’s very little else I’d rather do than spend time with my wife and kids. However, I do have a problem with canceling church on Christmas morning.

Such a decision not only keeps God’s people out of church, it keeps God’s praises off their lips. Most of those who decide to stay home that morning aren’t going to be singing a rousing rendition of “Joy to the World” at 10:45. Instead, they’ll do what they do every Christmas morning. They’ll get up. They’ll peek under the tree. Dad will get some coffee. Mom will get the camera. Let the festivities begin!

Yet, when you read the biblical accounts of the first Christmas, you see that it’s all about worship. Mary worships God when she’s told the wonderful news of the impending incarnation (Luke 1:46ff). An unborn John the Baptist worships in the womb. Zechariah worships at the birth of John (Luke 1:67-79). The Magi worship. The angels worship. The shepherds worship. Simeon worships. And Anna worships. Do we see a trend here?

Deciding to stay home on Christmas morning has spiritual implications. Rather than gathering as a body of believers to worship our God and Savior, many will spend the morning doing anything but that. Let’s not, in the name of family, join our unbelieving neighbors in denying God the praise He deserves on Christmas morning.

Such a decision also sets a bad precedent. Rather than driving home the biblical message of Christmas to our children, we’ll be staying home instead. Rather than emphasizing to little Suzie the importance of church and community, we’ll tell her that there are some things that are more important. Rather than training our children up in the way they should go, we’re telling them that, sometimes, it’s OK not to go at all. Is this the message that we want to send to our children?

Lest someone accuse me of saying that going to church is more important than family, I’m not. I believe that there are precious few things more important than family. However, I am saying that the worship of the one and true living God and His Son is one of those things.

Why can’t Christians have both on Christmas Sunday? Church and family? They can. They can take their family to church on Christmas morning and worship God as a family with the family of God. Let’s show our children the true meaning of Christmas rather than just telling them about it.

The media has made much of the Christian outcry over the removal of Christ from Christmas. Retailers have raised our ire. We’ve boycotted. We’ve called. We’ve let our collective voice be heard. “Non-believers must know that Jesus is the reason for the season!”

We’ve won the day. Stores are allowing their cashiers to say “Merry Christmas” once again. There is, indeed, victory in Jesus. Now we’re going to stay home and bask in the glory of our success?

If we’re not careful, our unbelieving neighbors may catch on. By our actions, not our words, they will sense that Christmas isn’t that important of a Christian holiday. In fact, their Christian neighbors appear to be doing the same thing on Christmas day that they are. Perception will become reality in their minds. They won’t be likely to forget that the next time you tell them how much church means to you.

Many retailers have changed their corporate minds. It’s not too late for the church, either. We must save Christmas from ourselves this time.

The Grinch learned a hard lesson after he tried to steal Christmas. As he stood there on that frigid mountain, he realized that Christmas in Whoville was going on without him, or perhaps in spite of him. Standing there with his Santa hat in hand, “the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before!” “Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas ... perhaps ... means a little bit more!”

Let’s learn a lesson from the Grinch. Let’s not steal Christmas from ourselves. Let’s not steal it from our children. Let’s not steal it from our neighbors. Instead of staying home that morning, come to church with the sole intention of worshipping God. Bring your family. Bring your neighbors. Let them hear the gospel. Let them meet the Christ of Christmas.

— Beck serves as an assistant professor of religion at Charleston Southern University

Spilled Milk

2011-12-06T11:10:00.000-08:00

Have you ever heard the saying, "Don't cry over spilled milk"? Well there was crying at our house last night over spilled milk. Last night at dinner time my precious almost 3 year old daughter spilled her milk. Now if it had been an accident there would have been no problem, but the spill was not an accident. It was blatant disobedience.

As we were finishing up dinner last night, my daughter picked up her glass of milk. I told her to be careful and make sure she doesn't spill her milk. She looked directly at me, gave a little smirk and poured her milk out all over the table. Believe me when I say the punishment was swift and effective. After a few tears, I went over to where she was sitting, in the time out chair and we had a little chat. I told her that mommy and daddy loved her very much, but that she had to obey us. I told her that it was okay if she knocked her drink over by accident, but what she did tonight was not an accident. I told her that even when she did not want to and even when it was not fun or fair, she still had to obey mommy and daddy. We hugged really tight, said I love you and went on with dinner...and life went on.

After last night it made me think about boundaries, sin, obedience and love. When Adam and Eve were living in the Garden of Eden, they were living in perfection. Perfection of bodies, perfection of love, perfection of food, perfection in their relationship with the Lord. Everything they would ever want or need was provided for them, in complete protection, peace and perfection. All God asked of them was to be obedient, and not obedient to hundreds of thousands of rules, but to just one rule. That rule was to not eat of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. Yet, just like my daughter last night with the milk did, they doubted God's words. They paused, thought about it and maybe even smirked a little, and took a big, juicy bite of the fruit. In an instant, perfection, protection and peace was ripped away from them and sin, pain, hurt, heartache, toil, troubles and destruction entered into the world...and continues even today.

Why do I want my daughter at even a young age be obedient to the rules of our household. It is not because I am mean, or like being the boss or want to take away some joy from her life. No not at all! I want only good things for her and the boundaries are set up to teach her, guide her and protect her. That is how our Heavenly Father looks at us. His rules and regulations are not set up to steal our joy in living but they are there to protect us.

Tending Sheep

2011-10-20T06:58:00.000-07:00

"There is still the youngest, Jesse answered, "but he is tending the sheep". 1st Samuel 16:11

David was the youngest, the smallest, least likely to be the king. When Samuel came to his house to annoint the new king of Israel, David was last on the list! But God whispered into Samuel's ear, "he is the one, that will lead my people." Even though David was doing a dirty, disgusting, mundane task, God chose him as the new king.

I know that I have been called by God to serve Him with my life. Yet, right now I am in a season of life that is consumed with Little People, Elmo, The Fresh Beat Band and Disney Princesses! Everyday, my life is seemingly consumed with mundane or insignificant activities. I spend most of my days, cleaning house, changing diapers, cooking meals and the many concerns of a stay at home mom. But every morning I take the time spend time in the word and to get on my face and pray to God to help me glorify Him in all of these daily chores. Even though right now I am not standing in front of thousands, in the trenches in the "scary part of the world", or working at a mega church, God is still using me every day. My ministry right now is to raise, teach, disciple and love my daughter so that when she grows up, she will love the Lord with all her heart, soul, mind and spirit.

What had God called you to do today? Don't miss out on a blessing that God desires to give you because you feel like you are just tending sheep!

Don't just talk about it!

2011-10-14T03:20:00.000-07:00

"Enough talk already....do something about it!" Those words burned in my head so often during my days at seminary. I went to a VERY conservative seminary and I was around a wide range of people pursuing ministry. I had the privilege to be friends and acquaintances with people that are now doing amazing work for the Lord. People that are in the trenches right now. Whether that trench is living in a foreign country or on staff at a local church. These people are the real deal and they "put their money where their mouth is!" so to speak. But in my seminary days, I was also around people that did ALOT of talking. They were either talking about, debating about or studying about the Bible, theology, religion, etc. I can remember almost at the same time each week a certain group of men would sit around at the local eatery and discuss a variety of subjects, and seemed to know all the answers. Yet, I never saw or heard of them going on a mission trip, serving in their local church or for some of them, just being a nice person!

I am beginning a study on David and a verse stuck out to me this morning about David, his personality and his drive. Psalms 78:72 states, "And David shepherded them with integrity of heart and with skillful hand he led them." David who is called a "man after God's heart", led with both integrity (thoughts and convictions) but also with skillful hands (actions). David did not just hoard the knowledge of God in order to become the smartest and most theological savy of his time, but he applied this knowledge and actually led...He did something.

After reading the above passage and really contemplating about David's life it really convicted me. Am I just content to sit in or lead Bible study after Bible Study but too chicken to step out and actually "do" something for Christ? Am I content to go to church each Sunday, sing the right way, and give the right answers but are not willing to share the gospel with those I come in contact with in my daily life? I want to be called and thought of as a woman after God's heart. So taking a cue from David, I need to start putting "my money where my mouth is"!!!!

What Weakness-Christian Devotions

2011-09-18T17:15:00.001-07:00

And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table; he was lame in both feet. 2nd Samuel 9:12

“Why can’t I be in the red group for math?” Those were the words I spoke through tears as my fourth grade teacher moved me away from my friends and into the low math group.

Her answer: “It doesn’t matter what math group you are in. You won’t graduate from high school anyway.”

Those words stung my heart and marked the starting point of believing I wasn’t good enough. I’d been taught God loved me and had an amazing plan for my life, but I really didn’t believe it. Then I read the story of a man with a funny name, Mephibosheth (say that three times fast). He was lame in both feet—handicapped—a burden. During his life he faced many challenges, heartaches, and difficulties. Yet he didn’t realize the king of Israel was about to bless his life. King David was the most powerful man in all of Israel, but he went out of his way to bless someone others viewed as unworthy. Our King of kings, our great Lord Almighty desires to do the same for us.

Have you been told you are too fat, too skinny, too short, too tall, too young, too old? You may be dealing with a handicap, the loss of a child, divorced, single, unable to have children, without a job, or living with regret over past mistakes. We all face challenges and difficulties in our lives that make us feel unworthy to serve the Lord.

We feel there is no way God could possibly use us and we only see the things we can’t do for Him. But stop. Think about the things we can do.

God doesn’t look at our outsides, our limitations, or our failures. He looks at His perfect creation (that’s you and me), and says, “I can use you; I want to use you.”

Live in this truth and don’t let anyone or anything stand in your way of serving our great King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

Dads and Daughters

2011-09-14T11:20:00.000-07:00

50 Rules for Dads of Daughters {by Michael Mitchell}

August 30, 2011 by Christine - From Dates to Diapers
Filed under guest post

189 Comments

I saw this posted on a friend's facebook status. I thought is was precious!!

About Michael
Michael Mitchell is an (almost) thirty-something dad who blogs daily tips and life lessons for dads of daughters at lifetoheryears.com. He spends his days practicing the arts of fatherhood and husbandry, while attempting to be a man of God and a professional raiser of philanthropic funds. On the rare occasion he’s not tied up with the aforementioned and other pursuits of awesomeness, he enjoys fighting street gangs for local charities and drinking from a cup that’s half full. Bookmark Life To Her Years, follow Michael on Twitter, and “like” him on Facebook for more “rules”.

1. Love her mom. Treat her mother with respect, honor, and a big heaping spoonful of public displays of affection. When she grows up, the odds are good she’ll fall in love with and marry someone who treats her much like you treated her mother. Good or bad, that’s just the way it is. I’d prefer good.

2. Always be there. Quality time doesn’t happen without quantity time. Hang out together for no other reason than just to be in each other’s presence. Be genuinely interested in the things that interest her. She needs her dad to be involved in her life at every stage. Don’t just sit idly by while she add years to her… add life to her years.

3. Save the day. She’ll grow up looking for a hero. It might as well be you. She’ll need you to come through for her over and over again throughout her life. Rise to the occasion. Red cape and blue tights optional.

4. Savor every moment you have together. Today she’s crawling around the house in diapers, tomorrow you’re handing her the keys to the car, and before you know it, you’re walking her down the aisle. Some day soon, hanging out with her old man won’t be the bees knees anymore. Life happens pretty fast. You better cherish it while you can.

5. Pray for her. Regularly. Passionately. Continually.

6. Buy her a glove and teach her to throw a baseball. Make her proud to throw like a girl… a girl with a wicked slider.

7. She will fight with her mother. Choose sides wisely.

8. Go ahead. Buy her those pearls.

9. Of course you look silly playing peek-a-boo. You should play anyway.

10. Enjoy the wonder of bath time.

11. There will come a day when she asks for a puppy. Don’t over think it. At least one time in her life, just say, “Yes.”

12. It’s never too early to start teaching her about money. She will still probably suck you dry as a teenager… and on her wedding day.

13. Make pancakes in the shape of her age for breakfast on her birthday. In a pinch, donuts with pink sprinkles and a candle will suffice.

14. Buy her a pair of Chucks as soon as she starts walking. She won’t always want to wear matching shoes with her old man.

15. Dance with her. Start when she’s a little girl or even when she’s a baby. Don’t wait ‘til her wedding day.

16. Take her fishing. She will probably squirm more than the worm on your hook. That’s OK.

17. Learn to say no. She may pitch a fit today, but someday you’ll both be glad you stuck to your guns.

18. Tell her she’s beautiful. Say it over and over again. Someday an animated movie or “beauty” magazine will try to convince her otherwise.

19. Teach her to change a flat. A tire without air need not be a major panic inducing event in her life. She’ll still call you crying the first time it happens.

20. Take her camping. Immerse her in the great outdoors. Watch her eyes fill with wonder the first time she sees the beauty of wide open spaces. Leave the iPod at home.

21. Let her hold the wheel. She will always remember when daddy let her drive.

22. She’s as smart as any boy. Make sure she knows that.

23. When she learns to give kisses, she will want to plant them all over your face. Encourage this practice.

24. Knowing how to eat sunflower seeds correctly will not help her get into a good college. Teach her anyway.

25. Letting her ride on your shoulders is pure magic. Do it now while you have a strong back and she’s still tiny.

26. It is in her nature to make music. It’s up to you to introduce her to the joy of socks on a wooden floor.

27. If there’s a splash park near your home, take her there often. She will be drawn to the water like a duck to a puddle.

28. She will eagerly await your return home from work in the evenings. Don’t be late.

29. If her mom enrolls her in swim lessons, make sure you get in the pool too. Don’t be intimidated if there are no other dads there. It’s their loss.

30. Never miss her birthday. In ten years she won’t remember the present you gave her. She will remember if you weren’t there.

31. Teach her to roller skate. Watch her confidence soar.

32. Let her roll around in the grass. It’s good for her soul. It’s not bad for yours either.

33. Take her swimsuit shopping. Don’t be afraid to veto some of her choices, but resist the urge to buy her full-body beach pajamas.

34. Somewhere between the time she turns three and her sixth birthday, the odds are good that she will ask you to marry her. Let her down gently.

35. She’ll probably want to crawl in bed with you after a nightmare. This is a good thing.

36. Few things in life are more comforting to a crying little girl than her father’s hand. Never forget this.

37. Introduce her to the swings at your local park. She’ll squeal for you to push her higher and faster. Her definition of “higher and faster” is probably not the same as yours. Keep that in mind.

38. When she’s a bit older, your definition of higher and faster will be a lot closer to hers. When that day comes, go ahead… give it all you’ve got.

39. Holding her upside down by the legs while she giggles and screams uncontrollably is great for your biceps. WARNING: She has no concept of muscle fatigue.

40. She might ask you to buy her a pony on her birthday. Unless you live on a farm, do not buy her a pony on her birthday. It’s OK to rent one though.

41. Take it easy on the presents for her birthday and Christmas. Instead, give her the gift of experiences you can share together.

42. Let her know she can always come home. No matter what.

43. Remember, just like a butterfly, she too will spread her wings and fly some day. Enjoy her caterpillar years.

44. Write her a handwritten letter every year on her birthday. Give them to her when she goes off to college, becomes a mother herself, or when you think she needs them most.

45. Learn to trust her. Gradually give her more freedom as she gets older. She will rise to the expectations you set for her.

46. When in doubt, trust your heart. She already does.

47. When your teenage daughter is upset, learning when to engage and when to back off will add years to YOUR life. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

48. Ice cream covers over a multitude of sins. Know her favorite flavor.

49. This day is coming soon. There’s nothing you can do to be ready for it. The sooner you accept this fact, the easier it will be.

50. Today she’s walking down the driveway to get on the school bus. Tomorrow she’s going off to college. Don’t blink.

Lessons learned at Whitewater

2011-08-10T10:53:00.000-07:00

This summer my daughter (2 1/2 years old) and I had season passes to Six Flags/Whitewater. Whitewater is this immense water park full of slides, splashing, floating and fun. Since we had season passes we went to Whitewater at least once a week, if not more. As my daughter, Ava and I were enjoying our time together, I found myself doing some people watching. From our fun-filled time at Whitewater, I learned five important lessons....no particular order!

1. Confidence comes in all shapes, sizes and ages! I saw size 2 sixteen year olds wearing bikinis and also saw forty/fifty year old mothers of four kids rocking the same bathing suit. It was amazing to me to see the different type of confidence (not cockiness), that an older/more mature woman has than a high school girl. The forty-year old knew that she did not look like she did back in high school but she could look around herself and see and hear the joy in the voices of her children. Those sights and sounds trumped any sixteen year old six pack!

2. There is nothing like the great, big smile on the face of a little girl who is having a special father/daughter day. Several times this year I would see a daughter holding tightly to her daddy's hand as they would slide, jump waves and float in the lazy river together. You could not help but smile yourself when you saw the shear joy on the face of the little girl. She knew it was a big deal that daddy had taken off work and set aside time to spend with her. It made me be thankful for the amazing daddy I had growing up who, even after an exhausting day or week at the office would invest in my life. I am also thankful for the incredible daddy that Ava has who is her own personal rock star!

3. It is the simple things in life that can be the most fun. Two of Ava's favorite things to do at Whitewater was to float/swim in the lazy river (Little Hooch) and to splash and twirl in the wave pool. With all of the slides and splash park that were created for just her age group, she preferred the simpler things. While watching her I was over and over again that sometimes the simplest things can bring so much joy.

4. We all need a time out every now and then. Since Ava is an independent 2 1/2 year old, there were times this year that we had to stop our fun and just take a minute to sit down and regroup. As her mother I could see when the behavior or tantrum was about to escalate, so I would just take her to an empty chair and have her sit down and take a break. Even as adults we need to remember to stop and take a break. When we feel our temper getting ready to explode or our mouth about to say something we can not take back, we need to put ourselves in a time out. "Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be ever pleasing to you oh LORD my God!"

5. Being brave can be as simple as holding hands or holding on to someone you trust. At the beginning of the summer, my little 2 1/2 year old was a little weary of Whitewater. In the lazy river she would want me to hold her and on the slides she would cling to me like a spider monkey. Fast forward to the last few weeks of the summer and she is swimming in the lazy river and does not want me to touch her and on the slides, she is going down them by herself. All it took was for her to do these once scary things a few times with me, her Mommy whom she trusts, and then she was willing to do them by herself. Many times in our Christian walk when God asks us do something out of our comfort zone, it can be scary. But once we are are willing to step out on faith in the small things, we build our confidence and are will to step out and grow our faith in big things.

The Letter Z

2011-08-03T18:34:00.001-07:00

I know that we have taken a little break from doing a letter of the day. But we are back to finally finish up the letter of the day curriculum with the letter Z. We started the day by getting up and getting ready to go to Whitewater. Ava loves to zip down the water slides...she now goes down them by herself. After we got home we read together, the Greedy Zebra. The book was a gift from my roommate from college Melissa. She and her husband used to live in Africa, and they actually got to see real zebras. When Ava woke up from her long nap, we played Zingo and sang and danced with "Zacchaeus was a we little man". My favorite part is when Ava sings, "Zacchaeus you come down." She points and shakes her little finger...hilarious!

Day 26

The Letter Z

Verse of the day:

Revelation 1:8
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Bible Story of the Day:

Zacchaeus and Jesus

Activities

Play Zingo

Watch Zacchaeus song DVD

Zip down the slides at Whitewater

Read the Zebra book

Food:

Zebra Cakes

Ziti

Zucchini

Zero candy bars

Letters V-Y

2011-07-29T18:49:00.000-07:00

Day 22

The Letter V

Verse of the Day:

Psalm 18:6

In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.

Bible Story of the Day:

The Jericho wall falls when the Isrealites lift their voices!! Joshua 6

Activities:

Play with the Very Hungry Caterpillar

Play “Very Hungry Caterpillar” game

Read the “Very Hungry Caterpillar”

Life voice and sing

Build a “Jericho” wall

Food:

Velvetta Cheese

Red Velvet Cake

Day 23

The Letter W

Verse of the Day:

Psalm 27:1

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Bible story of the day

Jonah and the whale

Activities:

Paint or Color a Whale

Watch Jonah and the Whale DVD

Make a piece of watermelon using finger prints as the seeds.

Take a walk at the park

Food

Watermelon

Water

Day 24

The Letter X

Bible Story

King Xerxes marries Ester

Verse of the day

Esther 8:4

Then King Xerxes extended the gold scepter to Esther and she arose and stood before him.

Activities:

Decorate a crown like queen Ester

Paint toe nails, reminds us of how Queen Ester took time to prepare for King Xerxes

Dress up like queen Ester

Do Xtra-ordinary things are Gymboree

Complete X worksheet

Play computer game at starfall.com on the letter X

Day 25

The Letter Y

Verse of the Day:

Isaiah 40:30-31

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD, will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Bible Story of the day:

Paul tells Timothy not to let people look down on him because he is young (1^st Timothy 4:12)

Activities

Play with young cousins

Wear yellow

Dance to YMCA

Food:

Eat a yellow popscicle

Drink yellow lemonade

The Letters R-U

2011-07-18T13:59:00.000-07:00

Day 18

The Letter R

Verse of the Day:

Hebrews 12:1, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

Bible Story of the Day

Isaac meets Rebekah

Activities:

Wear Red

Run around with our friend AJ

Make an “R” craft with raisins

Finger paint with red paint

Have a red bath

Food:

Red strawberries

Raisins

Day 19

The Letter S

Verse of the Day

“Serve the Lord with gladness!” Psalms 100:2

Bible Story of the Day:

Samson the strong man

Activities:

Decorate an “S”

Watch Sesame Street

Slide into the pool

Splashing

Food:

Spaghetti

Sauce

Swiss cheese

Day 20

The Letter T

Verse of the day

“Turn away from evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” 2^nd Timothy 2:22

Bible Story:

Tell the World about Jesus! Matthew 28

Activities:

Learn to talk better at speech therapy

Watch Telly on Sesame Street

Paint a picture of a turtle

Read the story the Turtle and the Hare

Touch different items: hot, cold, soft, rough, dry, wet

Foods:

Turkey

Tater Tots

Tomato

Tortilla chips

Day 21

The Letter U

Verse of the Day

“Unto you, oh my strength will I sing: for God is my defense and mercy.”

Psalm 59:17

Bible Story of the Day:

God made the universe: the sun, the stars and the sky

Activities:

Complete “U” worksheet

Watch Little Mermaid-Listen to “Under the Sea”

Swim under the water at White water

Ride in the umbrella stroller

Play a game of putting items under: the table, the bed, the blanket, etc

Glue and paint picture with sun, stars and sky (God made the universe)

Letters O-Q

2011-07-07T17:14:00.001-07:00

Day 15

The Letter O

Verse of the Day:

“Children OBEY your parents”. Ephesians 6:1

Bible Story of the Day

Philemon and Onesimus

Foods:

Oranges

Orange Jello

Orange Chews

Oreos

Cheeri..O’s

Activities

Go visit and meet Baby Olivia

Day 16

The Letter P

Verse of the Day

“I will PRAISE you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made!”

Psalm 139:14

Bible Story of the Day

Paul and Silas in jail

Food:

Peaches

Peanut Butter Crackers

Eat a popscicle

Activities

Play with Little People

Have a play date with some of our favorite people-Addison and Will

Panda Puzzle

Playing in the hose

Day 17

The Letter Q

Verse of the Day

“Be QUICK to listen, slow to speak and slow to become anger.” James 1:19

Bible Story of the Day

Queen Esther saves her people

Activities:

Paint the letter “Q” with verse on it

Make quick friends at Gymboree

Go to QT for an icey

Make a queen crown

Food

QT Icy

Letters K-N

2011-06-30T18:46:00.001-07:00

Day 11

The Letter K

Verse of the Day:

Proverbs 2:6

For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Bible Story of the day

2^nd Samuel 6

Food

Rice Krispie cereal

Hershey Kiss

Kool-aide

Activities

Color/Paint the letter “K”

Dance to Christian music like David

Kick a ball in the yard

Play in Ava’s little kitchen

Day 12

The Letter “L”

Verse of the Day:

1 John 1:5 “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.”

Bible Story of the Day:

Daniel and the Lion’s Den- Daniel 6:4-27

Foods:

Lollipop

Lemonade

Lasagna

Lima Beans

Activities:

Play “light it up” word game (use flashlight to work on labeling items)

Glue leaves on a large letter “L”

Play with our little people Lions as the pool

Make a “lions den” with blankets

Day 13

The Letter M

Verse of the Day

“May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be ever pleasing to you Oh Lord!”

Bible Story of the Day:

Baby Moses in the basket

Activities:

Go to Menchie’s

Move on down the lazy river

Paint the Letter “M”

Make a picture of Moses in the basket

Food:

Milk

Marshmallow

Menchie’s ice cream

Mexican food

Day 14

The Letter N

Verse of the Day:

1 Timothy 4:12

Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

Bible Story:

Noah and the Ark

Activities:

Meet Miss Becky’s NEW baby

Play with Little People Noah’s Ark

Use our nose to smell different around the house.

Take a Nap (mommy and Ava)

Foods:

Nuggets

Noodles

Nature Valley bar

The Letter J

2011-06-27T10:54:00.000-07:00

Day 10

The Letter J

Verse of the Day:

Luke 6:37

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

Bible Story of the Day

John the Baptist, baptizes Jesus, Mark 1: 1-11

Food:

Peanut Butter and Jelly (Ava is not a fan of bread, so we will put it on a cracker, but feel free to put the PBandJ on a sandwich)

Juice

Jello Pudding

Activities:

Color or paint the letter “J” with Bible verse written on it

Make a dove with tissue paper…dove landing on Jesus when He was baptized

Make shapes with jello

Work on jumping: In and out of a circle (hula hoop), on the bed, in the yard

Go to White water or DAC Kids to jump in the water or on the jumpies

Holland not Italy

2011-06-25T16:20:00.000-07:00

My precious preemie....no one and nothing is going to stop her!

Last night a read an amazing article about a young many who was graduating from JL Mann high school in Greenville, SC. No big deal right? The reason the story was so poignant to me was because when this young man had been born 21 years ago. He was born very, very early. In fact in the article I was told that he was born a whole trimester early. Because he was born so early he had some developmental delays and some learning disabilities. In fact, because of his learning issues it took him 6 years to complete high school. The article was so inspiring because even though he had to try very hard at school, he never quit. At the end of the article, he was asked what was one thing that he would change. He said, "To not have been born so early.....but that was God's plan for my life!"

In the article, the writer included a great story that describes how a parent of preemie feels.

WELCOME TO HOLLAND

by
Emily Perl Kingsley.
c1987 by Emily Perl Kingsley. All rights reserved

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child born too early. I to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It’s like this……
When you’re going to have a baby, it’s like planning a fabulous vacation trip – to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It’s all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, “Welcome to Holland.”
“Holland?!?” you say. “What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I’m supposed to be in Italy. All my life I’ve dreamed of going to Italy.”
But there’s been a change in the flight plan. They’ve landed in Holland and there you must stay.
So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.
It’s just a different place. It’s slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you’ve been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around…. and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills….and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy… and they’re all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say “Yes, that’s where I was supposed to go. That’s what I had planned.”
But… if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn’t get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things … about Holland.

Even though my sweet Ava was born 10 weeks early (about a half a trimester early), we still face some of the same struggles that the young man in the article. It took her a little longer to crawl, sit up, walk and talk then children her same age. But with every task she worked hard, and always did it with a smile and spunk! There are times when I look at my friend's children that came into the world at the exact time and with seeming ease, and wonder. What would Ava and our life be like if she had been born at the correct time? When the questions, doubt, sadness and even anger creep into my life, I take a moment and bring all of those negative thoughts to the Lord. Again and again he gracious reminds me of Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you DECLARES THE LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." I am also reminded of Ephesians 2:10, "For we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do GOOD works which God prepared in ADVANCE for us to do!". I cling to those scriptures, one because G0d has nothing but amazing plans for Ava's life, today and everyday. Second, that God had already written out every step of Ava's journey! Her being born 10 weeks early, in a very dramatic fashion did not catch God off guard. He had already written out every step of her incredible journey. Do I know what future holds, no...but I do know who holds the future. In HIM I put my trust, find my love and peace, and place my child!

The Letter F-I

2011-06-20T17:31:00.000-07:00

Day 6

The Letter F

Verse of the Day

“A Friends loves at all times”! Proverbs 17:17

Bible Story of the day:

“Jesus tells the fishermen to FOLLOW ME”!

Foods:

French Fries

Fried chicken

Fruit

Frosty

Activities

Hang out with Friends at the pool

Color/paint the Letter F

Paint pick of our hand and fingers

Go look at fish at Pet Smart

Matthew 4:18-22

Day 7

The Letter G

Verse of the Day:

Lamentations 3:22-23 Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Bible story of the Day:

God made the World: Genesis 1

Activities:

Go to Grammy’s house

Wear Green

Color the Letter “G”

Watch “God Made Me” DVD

Food

Green Jello

Graham Crackers

Grapes

Granola bar

Day 8

The Letter H

Verse of the Day:

2 Samuel 7:22

“How great you are, Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.

Bible Story of the Day:

Hannah prays for a baby

Activities:

Play with our cousin Hudson

Make a hot air balloon

Read “The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses”

Paint/Color Letter H

Watch DVD with story of Hannah

Food:

Hot dog

Hummus

Day 9

The Letter I

Verse of the Day

Ecclesiastes 3:10 “He has made everything beautiful in its time”

Bible Story of the Day:

Story of Abraham and Isaac, Genesis 22

Activities

Go get an Icy

Play games to learn about In and Out

Swim In the water

Color/Paint the letter I

Food
Ice cream

Great website

2011-06-16T12:39:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine just sent me a link to a great, creative website for teaching your preschooler. I hope that it helps!! I have just briefly looked at it, but I am going to be using some of the examples in my upcoming blog posts! Love it!

www.icanteachmychild.com

The Letter D

2011-06-15T18:51:00.000-07:00

Day 4

The Letter D

Bible Story:

David and Goliath: 1^st Samuel 17

Verse of the Day:

“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart” Psalm 374

Foods to Eat:

Dairy foods: Ice cream, cheese, yogurt

Donuts

Activities

Go diving in the water at Whitewater or at a friends pool

Paint rocks: Go along with David and Goliath story

Dance around the house to some fun music

Skype and talk to DOC (Ava’s granddaddy)

Color the letter “D”

Make hearts with our feet in paint: ….desires of your heart.

Letter of the Day: A-C

2011-06-15T04:50:00.000-07:00

Before I became a stay at home mom, I was a teacher, working in Children's ministry for seven years and was a camp counselor in college. This summer I decided to take those skills and create a program for my daughter and I to do each day. My goal is to weave Christian principles and truths through her academic learning. Please feel free to use any of the ideas you see to help you have a great summer! Right now I have just done A-C, but will be updating the blog with the remainder of the letters in the upcoming days.

Letter of the Day

Summer Curriculum

Day 1: The Letter A

Verse of the Day:

“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength

Bible story of the Day:

Proverbs: 6:6-8, The Story of the Ant

Foods to Eat:

Applesauce, Animal crackers, Apple cereal bar, Apple Juice

Activities:

Color sheet of an Apple and the lower case “A”, use a red and green color to review colors

Paint a picture of an upper case “A” with the memory verse on the bottom of the sheet

Make a play date with an “A” named friend. We played with our friend Addison.

Color or Paint a picture of an ant that goes along with the Bible Story (Proverbs 6:6-8)

Watch “Annie” (the original)

Day 2: The Letter B

Verse of the Day:

Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

Bible Story of the Day

Numbers 22, Balaam and His Donkey

Foods to Eat:

Bananas, Beans (green beans), broccoli

Activities:

Watch Barney

Go to the library and read books at story time

Play with bubbles

Color/paint a picture of the letter “B”

Fingerpaint a heart-about being kind/ and tenderhearted to one another

Day 3: The Letter C

Verse of the Day

Psalm 20:3-4
“Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and aclean heart,”

Bible Story of the Day

Jesus heals the Centurion’s servant

Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10

Foods to eat

Chick fil a, chicken, cereal, chocolate milk, ice cream, carrots

Activities

Go play at Swift-CANTRELL park

Color/paint a picture of the letter C

Eat and Play at Chick fil a

Color a cow picture

Watch Sesame street counting DVD

Mind your Manners-Part 3 (Manners)

2011-06-05T10:41:00.000-07:00

M: Mealtime Manners

Always remember: “Eat to your left, drink to your right”

Fork is on your left, knife and spoon on right

Salad on left and drink on right

Wash your hands

Say the blessing

Pass towards the right

Never reach across

Place napkin in your lap

A: Always be thankful

Say thank you to servers and hostesses at restaurants

Write a thank you note when you are a guest or get a gift

It’s the right thing to do

It helps me remember the gift and feel more grateful

It’s like giving a gift back

If the gift came in the mail, it lets the giver know you received it

People who receive thank you notes want to give more gifts!

N: Never make a big deal

If someone has a stain on there shirt or food in teeth, mention it in private not in public

Use your quiet voice

Do not embarrassed anyone

If someone falls, do not laugh but help them up and encourage them

N: No, No’s about manners

Don’t say everything you think

Don’t point out people’s bad manners

Don’t say “we don’t do it this way at my house”

Don’t forget to say thank you

E: Even to your siblings

No teasing, tattling, or fighting

Don’t hurt feelings

Sticking up for them

Be respectful of feelings and property

R: Remember the Golden Rule

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!

S: Staying Safe

Never talk to a strange adult unless you are with a parent or responsible adult

Stay with your group when you go on a field trip

Do not give out your number or address over the phone

If you are alone home, do not answer the door or let someone know who calls that you are home alone

If you do not feel safe tell a parent, teacher, or counselor

Mind Your Manners-Part 2 (Your)

2011-06-03T17:43:00.000-07:00

Y: Your Home

When someone comes to your house you are the host or hostess

You are practicing hospitality

Make introduction, hang up coat or purse, offer drink or snack

Put person first.

O: Others House

Appreciation for hospitality

Bring a hostess gift

Respect privacy

Follow rules of the house

U: Uncomfortable Situations

Accidents will happen

Say you sorry if you spill or get food in your teeth

If I eat something too hot- take a quick drink of water

If I eat something I don’t like, quickly swallow it

If I bite on a bone or fat, discreetly take it out and place it on my plate

R: Respecting Adults

Respect any adult/authority figure

Use your “mams” and “sirs”

Use Mr. Or Mrs. and the persons last name

Even if the adult says use can use their first name you can still add the Mrs./Mr To the name

Mind Your Manners-Part 1 (MIND)

2011-06-02T18:56:00.000-07:00

Introduction:

Two of the most important thing that a young lady needs to learn about is manners and modesty. We will first talk about manners and then move on to talk about modesty. You may hear your mom, teacher, or another grown tell you to “mind your manners.” So what exactly does mind your manners mean. I am going to try to teach you a brief overview of the importance of manners and how you can apply them in your own life.

M: Manners are important

Manners helps you feel confident and happy, instead of shy or embarrassed

People are nicer and respect me when I use my manners

Manners help me have a kinder heart

I: Introductions

When you first meet someone, smile and say Hello or How are you

Offer you hand, say my name is ……

Use small talk to “break the ice”

N: New Friends:

It is always fun to have everyone involved in the coversation

When you are with a friend and meet someone your friend doesn’t know, make introductions

When you are introducing your age friend to an adult always say the adults name first.

D: Dialing the Phone

Be respectful when you answer the phone

Say: Hello this is “your name” or “your last name’s residence”

When taking a call for someone else ask the person on the other end to wait just a minute

When you are calling a friend, when some answers say, this is “name” may I please speak to.

If someone calls you and it is the wrong number, tell them they are wrong in a polite way.

Questioning??

2011-05-17T10:24:00.000-07:00

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:9

I believe the Lord is holy, just, loving and all-knowing, but today I am struggling with the question, "Is God fair?" This question comes out of my heart, aching for a good friend. This amazing Godly friend and her sweet husband had to say goodbye to their little girl, way too soon. After caring this precious little girl for 28 weeks and praying for a miracle, through tears they let her go.

So I battle with the question, "Is God fair." In my questioning, I have to cling to the truth of Romans 8:28, "And we know that in ALL THINGS (the good, the bad, the terrible and the triumphant) God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Today as I ache for my friend, I trust that God will be glorified, even in our grief!!

**In honor of Jennifer and Jimmy and their precious Reese

Happy Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-08T11:56:00.001-07:00

1st Samuel 1:11, "And she made a vow, saying, “LORD Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a child, then I will give that child to the LORD for all the days of its life!"

For a year and a half of tears, tantrums, prayer and needle pricks I cried out to the Lord for a child. My husband and I married a little bit older in age then some of our other friends so we were not going to wait too long to start a family. After being married for just a few months we began the journey towards parenthood. Since I took 6th grade science at Greenville Middle School and learned about the "birds and the bees", I knew that "A" plus "B" equals "C".

I thought conceiving and having a child would be easy. Little did I know the journey God would take our little family. After a year and a half of much crying, prayers, and modern medicine I became pregnant. When I did, I thought whew the hard part is over. Then ten weeks before my due date, my precious Ava decided to make her entrance into the world. My first glimpse of my little, tiny daughter was through the glass of an incubator. She had all types of tubes, wires and IV's coming out of her two pound body. During the 57 long days that my sweet Ava was in the NICU, God taught me about his faithfulness, grace, mercy and strength. Today I celebrate Mother's Day by being so very thankful for the miracle little girl with whom my mighty, loving, powerful Lord and Savior blessed me!

Infertility Etiquette

2011-04-25T11:01:00.000-07:00

Many of the readers of my blog are facing or have faced infertility issues. I found this article on www.resolve.org. I thought it put into perfect words how I and many other women feel about facing infertility issues.

The etiquette question that I like the best is the one about "Not pushing adoption(yet)" Right now I have many friends that have or are in the process of adopting. I think that is fabulous. I have bought baby gifts and attended showers for these precious additions. I have been to fundraisers and sent support to friends in the process of adoption. So I definitely support adoption! I just don't feel like that is a path in which God is leading our family down. After enduring infertility treatments (that made me crazy, my hair fall out and my skin to breakout) and because of all the trials that we have and continue to face because our daugther was born so premature, I just don't have it in me.

I believe, (and Scripture backs me up), that God is the giver of life. In His wisdom, power and graciousness, He gave my husband and I our miracle little girl. In the same sense, if God is His infinite power, grace and mercy TELLS US to adopt, then I will obey. Oh yeah, and I have read and know all about James 1:27 and it says to "look after orphans and widows"! This means to take care of orphans (and widows), and I believe you can do that in ways that may or may not include adoption.

Before you read this, I do want to say that I have such a fabulous family and amazing friends that have supported me on my good days and my bad days (even when I did the ugly cry) in dealing with my own infertility issues. Many of my friends have been blessed with two, three, four and even five children. I appreciate so very much that they have followed the "rules" when it comes to infertility etiquette. I just wish random strangers, would do the same!

Infertility Etiquette

Chances are, you know someone who is struggling with infertility. More than seven million people of childbearing age in the United States experience infertility. Yet, as a society, we are woefully uninformed about how to best provide emotional support for our loved ones during this painful time.

Infertility is, indeed, a very painful struggle. The pain is similar to the grief over losing a loved one, but it is unique because it is a recurring grief. When a loved one dies, he isn't coming back. There is no hope that he will come back from the dead. You must work through the stages of grief, accept that you will never see this person again, and move on with your life.

The grief of infertility is not so cut and dry. Infertile people grieve the loss of the baby that they may never know. They grieve the loss of that baby who would have had mommy's nose and daddy's eyes. But, each month, there is the hope that maybe that baby will be conceived after all. No matter how hard they try to prepare themselves for bad news, they still hope that this month will be different. Then, the bad news comes again, and the grief washes over the infertile couple anew. This process happens month after month, year after year. It is like having a deep cut that keeps getting opened right when it starts to heal.

As the couple moves into infertility treatments, the pain increases while the bank account depletes. The tests are invasive and embarrassing to both parties, and you feel like the doctor has taken over your bedroom. And for all of this discomfort, you pay a lot of money.

A couple will eventually resolve the infertility problem in one of three ways:

They will eventually conceive a baby.
They will stop the infertility treatments and choose to live without children.
They will find an alternative way to parent, such as by adopting a child or becoming a foster parent.
Reaching a resolution can take years, so your infertile loved ones need your emotional support during this journey. Most people don't know what to say, so they wind up saying the wrong thing, which only makes the journey so much harder for their loved ones. Knowing what not to say is half of the battle to providing support.

Don't Tell Them to Relax

Everyone knows someone who had trouble conceiving but then finally became pregnant once she "relaxed." Couples who are able to conceive after a few months of "relaxing" are not infertile. By definition, a couple is not diagnosed as "infertile" until they have tried unsuccessfully to become pregnant for a full year. In fact, most infertility specialists will not treat a couple for infertility until they have tried to become pregnant for a year. This year weeds out the people who aren't infertile but just need to "relax." Those that remain are truly infertile.

Comments such as "just relax" or "try going on a cruise" create even more stress for the infertile couple, particularly the woman. The woman feels like she is doing something wrong when, in fact, there is a good chance that there is a physical problem preventing her from becoming pregnant.

These comments can also reach the point of absurdity. As a couple, my husband and I underwent two surgeries, numerous inseminations, hormone treatments, and four years of poking and prodding by doctors. Yet, people still continued to say things like, "If you just relaxed on a cruise . . ." Infertility is a diagnosable medical problem that must be treated by a doctor, and even with treatment, many couples will NEVER successfully conceive a child. Relaxation itself does not cure medical infertility.

Don't Minimize the Problem

Failure to conceive a baby is a very painful journey. Infertile couples are surrounded by families with children. These couples watch their friends give birth to two or three children, and they watch those children grow while the couple goes home to the silence of an empty house. These couples see all of the joy that a child brings into someone's life, and they feel the emptiness of not being able to experience the same joy.

Comments like, "Just enjoy being able to sleep late . . . .travel . . etc.," do not offer comfort. Instead, these comments make infertile people feel like you are minimizing their pain. You wouldn't tell somebody whose parent just died to be thankful that he no longer has to buy Father's Day or Mother's Day cards. Losing that one obligation doesn't even begin to compensate for the incredible loss of losing a parent. In the same vein, being able to sleep late or travel does not provide comfort to somebody who desperately wants a child.

Don't Say There Are Worse Things That Could Happen

Along the same lines, don't tell your friend that there are worse things that she could be going through. Who is the final authority on what is the "worst" thing that could happen to someone? Is it going through a divorce? Watching a loved one die? Getting raped? Losing a job?

Different people react to different life experiences in different ways. To someone who has trained his whole life for the Olympics, the "worst" thing might be experiencing an injury the week before the event. To someone who has walked away from her career to become a stay-at-home wife for 40 years, watching her husband leave her for a younger woman might be the "worst" thing. And, to a woman whose sole goal in life has been to love and nurture a child, infertility may indeed be the "worst" thing that could happen.

People wouldn't dream of telling someone whose parent just died, "It could be worse: both of your parents could be dead." Such a comment would be considered cruel rather than comforting. In the same vein, don't tell your friend that she could be going through worse things than infertility.

Don't Say They Aren't Meant to Be Parents

One of the cruelest things anyone ever said to me is, "Maybe God doesn't intend for you to be a mother." How incredibly insensitive to imply that I would be such a bad mother that God felt the need to divinely sterilize me. If God were in the business of divinely sterilizing women, don't you think he would prevent the pregnancies that end in abortions? Or wouldn't he sterilize the women who wind up neglecting and abusing their children? Even if you aren't religious, the "maybe it's not meant to be" comments are not comforting. Infertility is a medical condition, not a punishment from God or Mother Nature.

Don't Ask Why They Aren't Trying IVF

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a method in which the woman harvests multiple eggs, which are then combined with the man's sperm in a petri dish. This is the method that can produce multiple births. People frequently ask, "Why don't you just try IVF?" in the same casual tone they would use to ask, "Why don't you try shopping at another store?"

Don't Be Crude

It is appalling that I even have to include this paragraph, but some of you need to hear this-Don't make crude jokes about your friend's vulnerable position. Crude comments like "I'll donate the sperm" or "Make sure the doctor uses your sperm for the insemination" are not funny, and they only irritate your friends.

Don't Complain About Your Pregnancy

This message is for pregnant women-Just being around you is painful for your infertile friends. Seeing your belly grow is a constant reminder of what your infertile friend cannot have. Unless an infertile women plans to spend her life in a cave, she has to find a way to interact with pregnant women. However, there are things you can do as her friend to make it easier.

The number one rule is DON'T COMPLAIN ABOUT YOUR PREGNANCY. I understand from my friends that, when you are pregnant, your hormones are going crazy and you experience a lot of discomfort, such as queasiness, stretch marks, and fatigue. You have every right to vent about the discomforts to any one else in your life, but don't put your infertile friend in the position of comforting you.

Your infertile friend would give anything to experience the discomforts you are enduring because those discomforts come from a baby growing inside of you. When I heard a pregnant woman complain about morning sickness, I would think, "I'd gladly throw up for nine straight months if it meant I could have a baby." When a pregnant woman would complain about her weight gain, I would think, "I would cut off my arm if I could be in your shoes."

I managed to go to baby showers and hospitals to welcome my friends' new babies, but it was hard. Without exception, it was hard. Stay sensitive to your infertile friend's emotions, and give her the leeway that she needs to be happy for you while she cries for herself. If she can't bring herself to hold your new baby, give her time. She isn't rejecting you or your new baby; she is just trying to work her way through her pain to show sincere joy for you. The fact that she is willing to endure such pain in order to celebrate your new baby with you speaks volumes about how much your friendship means to her.

Don't Treat Them Like They Are Ignorant

For some reason, some people seem to think that infertility causes a person to become unrealistic about the responsibilities of parenthood. I don't follow the logic, but several people told me that I wouldn't ache for a baby so much if I appreciated how much responsibility was involved in parenting.

Let's face it-no one can fully appreciate the responsibilities involved in parenting until they are, themselves, parents. That is true whether you successfully conceived after one month or after 10 years. The length of time you spend waiting for that baby does not factor in to your appreciation of responsibility. If anything, people who have been trying to become pregnant longer have had more time to think about those responsibilities. They have also probably been around lots of babies as their friends started their families.

Perhaps part of what fuels this perception is that infertile couples have a longer time to "dream" about what being a parent will be like. Like every other couple, we have our fantasies-my child will sleep through the night, would never have a tantrum in public, and will always eat his vegetables. Let us have our fantasies. Those fantasies are some of the few parent-to-be perks that we have-let us have them. You can give us your knowing looks when we discover the truth later.

Don't Gossip About Your Friend's Condition

Infertility treatments are very private and embarrassing, which is why many couples choose to undergo these treatments in secret. Men especially are very sensitive to letting people know about infertility testing, such as sperm counts. Gossiping about infertility is not usually done in a malicious manner. The gossipers are usually well-meaning people who are only trying to find out more about infertility so they can help their loved ones.

Regardless of why you are sharing this information with someone else, it hurts and embarrasses your friend to find out that Madge the bank teller knows what your husband's sperm count is and when your next period is expected. Infertility is something that should be kept as private as your friend wants to keep it. Respect your friend's privacy, and don't share any information that your friend hasn't authorized.

Don't Push Adoption (Yet)

Adoption is a wonderful way for infertile people to become parents. (As an adoptive parent, I can fully vouch for this!!) However, the couple needs to work through many issues before they will be ready to make an adoption decision. Before they can make the decision to love a "stranger's baby," they must first grieve the loss of that baby with Daddy's eyes and Mommy's nose. Adoption social workers recognize the importance of the grieving process. When my husband and I went for our initial adoption interview, we expected the first question to be, "Why do you want to adopt a baby?" Instead, the question was, "Have you grieved the loss of your biological child yet?" Our social worker emphasized how important it is to shut one door before you open another.

You do, indeed, need to grieve this loss before you are ready to start the adoption process. The adoption process is very long and expensive, and it is not an easy road. So, the couple needs to be very sure that they can let go of the hope of a biological child and that they can love an adopted baby. This takes time, and some couples are never able to reach this point. If your friend cannot love a baby that isn't her "own," then adoption isn't the right decision for her, and it is certainly not what is best for the baby.

Mentioning adoption in passing can be a comfort to some couples. (The only words that ever offered me comfort were from my sister, who said, "Whether through pregnancy or adoption, you will be a mother one day.") However, "pushing" the issue can frustrate your friend. So, mention the idea in passing if it seems appropriate, and then drop it. When your friend is ready to talk about adoption, she will raise the issue herself.

So, what can you say to your infertile friends? Unless you say "I am giving you this baby," there is nothing you can say that will erase their pain. So, take that pressure off of yourself. It isn't your job to erase their pain, but there is a lot you can do to lesson the load. Here are a few ideas.

Let Them Know That You Care

The best thing you can do is let your infertile friends know that you care. Send them cards. Let them cry on your shoulder. If they are religious, let them know you are praying for them. Offer the same support you would offer a friend who has lost a loved one. Just knowing they can count on you to be there for them lightens the load and lets them know that they aren't going through this alone.

Remember Them on Mother's Day

With all of the activity on Mother's Day, people tend to forget about women who cannot become mothers. Mother's Day is an incredibly painful time for infertile women. You cannot get away from it-There are ads on the TV, posters at the stores, church sermons devoted to celebrating motherhood, and all of the plans for celebrating with your own mother and mother-in-law.

Mother's Day is an important celebration and one that I relish now that I am a mother. However, it was very painful while I was waiting for my baby. Remember your infertile friends on Mother's Day, and send them a card to let them know you are thinking of them. They will appreciate knowing that you haven't "forgotten" them.

Support Their Decision to Stop Treatments

No couple can endure infertility treatments forever. At some point, they will stop. This is an agonizing decision to make, and it involves even more grief. Even if the couple chooses to adopt a baby, they must still first grieve the loss of that baby who would have had mommy's nose and daddy's eyes.

Once the couple has made the decision to stop treatments, support their decision. Don't encourage them to try again, and don't discourage them from adopting, if that is their choice. Once the couple has reached resolution (whether to live without children, adopt a child, or become foster parents), they can finally put that chapter of their lives behind them. Don't try to open that chapter again.

STOP, THINK, LISTEN and OBEY!

2011-04-14T17:21:00.000-07:00

My precious preemie princess is now two and a fourth. When she was a mere two pounds and fighting to live in the NICU, I loved her fighting, spunky strong will. Now that she is a two year old that stomps her feet, crumples to the ground and throws a tantrum when she is told no I am not enjoying the strong will as much! I have read “The Strong Willed Child”, “Dare To Discipline”, “Bringing Up Girls” and now I am re-reading “Shepherding a Child’s Heart”. In going through, reading and studying these books, I have tried to put their methods into practice. I desire to teach my daughter to love the Lord, love the scriptures and have a desire to love others.

While I was growing up, the verse that was a big hit in our household was Exodus 20:12“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” Now as a mother I want to instill the same principle into my daughter’s life. In trying to find a method and mantra that my daughter would respond to, I took a look back at my own life. I pulled out, and dusted off a skill I have not used in a while…CHEERLEADING! Here it is: STOP (put hand out in a stop motion), THINK (put pointer fingers on each side of your head, on the temples), LISTEN (cup hands on both ears), and OBEY (put hands on hips).

Here are some scriptures that go along with the
“STOP, THINK, LISTEN and OBEY cheer.

Stop:

Isaiah 1:16
Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong.

1 Corinthians 15:34
Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning;

Think:

Proverbs 21:2
A person may think their own ways are right, but the LORD weighs the heart.

Romans 13:14
Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Listen:

Psalm 85:8
I will listen to what God the LORD says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants

Proverbs 1:8
Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

Proverbs 8:33
Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not disregard it.

Obey:

Ephesians 6:1
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

Colossians 3:20
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

Psalm 119:34
Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law and obey it with all my heart.

Trying to be Transparent

2011-04-06T16:43:00.001-07:00

In many blogs I read, I see children and parents living out picture perfect lives. I have also found myself only posting pictures and stories showing my daughter being precious. It would be easy for someone to read my blog and feel that my life was problem free and but that would be a misrepresentation of reality. So in trying to always live a transparent, genuine and authentic life, I want to be a little vulnerable in this post. In doing so, I hope it will free other mom bloggers to show flaws...even in blog land.

Many of you who have followed our family's journey, know that my sweet Ava decided to enter into the world a little early and in a dramatic fashion. This early entrance was not necessarily her doing, but that whole story is for another post! Due to her being born a little too early, we have had to face some "bumps" in the road the last two years and three months. At every developmental stage crawling, walking, eating, and now talking we have had to work just a little bit harder. Now that she is over two, and is still a little delayed in speech, we have decided to ask for some more professional assistance. Ava has begun going to speech one day a week. She goes to the Pediatric Therapy Clinic and has an amazing therapist, Somer working with her each week. In just two visits I can already see Ava improving in her talking and communication.

I am so thankful that God has placed such a wonderful facility and people in Ava's life. A verse that keeps coming to my mind as I struggle with feeling insecure in telling others about Ava's delays is 1st Corinthians 1:27 "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong." I am excited to see what amazing things God is going to accomplish in and through Ava's life! In fact, I can not wait for the day when one of her teachers at school sends home a note that tells me that Ava needs to talk less in class. It just might get framed!

Blessings in Disguise!

2011-03-14T04:26:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I had the privilege of going on a women's retreat with my "home church". The church I grew up in and has been and continue to be a spiritual nest in my life. It was such a blessing and a treat to be able to go on the retreat with my mom, sister in law and some of my very best friends. This is my third or fourth year (I think), of making the retreat a tradition in my life. I love going on the retreat because it is sort of like a "homecoming" for me. So many of the ladies on the retreat have been like extra moms and mentors to me through out my life.

Our speaker and worship leader for the retreat was Laura Story...INCREDIBLE!! She is an amazing worship leader, song writer and just the real deal. During the weekend she shared a song off of her new album, called "Blessings". When she started singing the song, my first thought was "this is new...I wonder if I will like it". Then after about three lines of the song, I was a HOT, MESS!! I had make up and mascara running down my face. As my tears flowed down my face, I was just reminded of the tests and trials that I have faced in the last few year. But in my soul I cried out, that I would not change a thing because my faith and my thirst to know Christ has been changed through these trying times.

The song made me think back to 2004, when we had prayed and prayed for healing for my nephew and God chose to heal him in Heaven. I remember falling to my knees outside of the hospital room and telling God that "I was done!". In the moment, God's still small voice said, "FINALLY, I WILL take it from here!". So from that moment, I felt as if I was starting over with my faith walk. Step by, step by step, day by day, my faith began to grow and mature, based not on how I felt or what my circumstances were but on WHO GOD IS!!

As the song played on I also began to think about the two years my husband, my family, friends and I endured as I worked and waited to become a mommy. I can remember many sleepless night and tear-filled days of waiting and wondering, when was it going to be my turn. When I look back at those days, even though they were testing, trying and full of tantrums and tears, I would not trade them. The reason is, because through those times, I have never felt closer or more in tuned with my Heavenly Father. Each step I took, each negative pregnancy test, through countless needle prickes and body probing, I felt God's hand on my heart.

My favorite line of the song is, "What if my greatest disappointments, or the aching of this life is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satify"! The reason I love this line, is because it finally but in to words, how my relationsip with my Lord and Savior has changed and grown through the tests and trials. Was going through and continuing to go through trials fun...Absolutely not. Yet, the lessons learned and the closeness I have now with my family, my friends and most importantly with my Heavenly Father would not be here if not for those challenges...for those blessings in disguise!!

Laura Story - "Blessings" Lyrics
We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
But long that we'd have the faith to believe

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home, is not our home

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise

I Don't Have Enough Time!

2011-03-08T07:38:00.000-08:00

Last week I was the guest blogger on www.househoncho.com

I DON’T HAVE ENOUGH TIME!
Read Ecclesiastes 3: 1-11

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens . . . He has made everything beautiful in its time.

When I was in the 3rd grade, I participated in the most important event in my young life, the Mitchell Road Elementary Talent show. I walked up boldly onto the newly waxed, wood stage in my lavender overalls. When I got to the microphone I belted out, “In His time, in His time, He makes all things beautiful in His time!"

I never would have thought that more than twenty years later, I would be using that song as the inspiration for my housekeeping. The song, “In His Time,” is taken from Ecclesiastes 3:11. In the verse we see that God makes all things, our lives, beautiful in His time. We can use this verse as inspiration in making our homes, families, schedules and daily chores beautiful all in the right time.

Just as God is a God of order and time, we as followers of Him, should also be orderly and use our time wisely. Below I have listed the schedule that I use, and I hope that you will find it useful.

Monday: Laundry, Make Grocery List, Clean Kitchen
Tuesday: Dust and Vacuum House, Go grocery shopping
Wednesday: Clean Bathrooms
Thursday: Vacuum and Mop house, Laundry day again
Friday: Dust blinds, baseboards and chairrailing

Do not be intimidated or frustrated by the schedule. It is just a guide, a road map that you can use on your journey to have an orderly home.

Mephibosheth

2011-02-18T05:53:00.000-08:00

2nd Samuel 9:12
“And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table; he was lame in both feet.”

Why can’t I be in the red group for math? Those were the words I said through tears to my 4th grade teacher when she moved me away from my friends and into the low math group. Her answer, “It doesn’t matter what math group you are in. You won’t graduate from high school anyways!”...Me

Those words stung my heart and started me down a path of believing the life that I was not “good enough”. I was taught that God loved me and had an amazing plan for my life, but I really did not believe it. Then I read about the story of a man with a very funny name, Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth (say that three times fast!), was lame in both feet, handicapped, a burden. During his life he had to face many challenges, heartache and difficulties. Yet, he did not realize that the king of Israel was about to bless his life. King David, was the most powerful man in all of Israel, but he went out of his way to bless someone that others viewed as unworthy. Our King of kings, our great Lord almighty desires to do the same with our lives.

Have you ever been told that you were too fat, too skinny, to short, too tall, too young, too old. You may be, dealing with a handicap, the loss of a child, divorced, singleness, unable to have children, without a job or living with regret over past mistakes. We all face challenges and difficulties in our lives that make us feel unworthy to serve the Lord. We feel that there is no way that God could possibly use us, because the things that we cannot do for Him. But do we ever stop and think about the things that we can do for God. God does not look at our outsides, our limitations of our failures. He looks at His perfect creation (that’s you and me), and says, “I can use you, I want to use you”. Live in this truth and do not let anyone or anything stand in your way of serving our great King of kings and Lord of Lords!

Rachel

2011-02-09T17:37:00.000-08:00

Seriously! Seriously! She is pregnant AGAIN!! How many times can one person get pregnant. Why God, Why! All I want it one child. I am not asking to have a litter of children like Leah and the rest of the ladies around here...but is one child too much to ask. It seems like every time I turn around we are having another baby shower for Leah. How many baby gifts do I have to make or buy from the market before it will be my turn to be a mother. I know Jacob says he loves me, but I see the disappointment in his eyes as year after year goes by without me giving him a child. What do I have to do for it to be my turn?

Read Genesis 29-30

Rachel longed for a child. She sat sadly and helplessly as her sister Leah had child, after child. Not only were Rachel and Leah sisters, but they were also both married to the same man, Jacob. Now don't be freaked out or think this is an episode of "Sister Wives", because that was the accepted practice in the Jewish culture in the Old Testament. Leah was Rachel's older sister. Since Jacob loved Rachel and wanted to marry Rachel, he had to marry Leah first in order to keep with Jewish culture. Rachel may have had the undying love of Jacob but what she really wanted was to be a mother like her older sister. After enduring many, many years of longing for a child, Rachel's prayers were finally answered and she gave birth to a son Joseph, and what a mighty man he turned out to be! If you want to read more about Joseph's life, Read from Genesis 39 to the end of the book.

Do you or are you feeling like Rachel? You may be feeling that everyone around you are just checking off their life goals and you are waiting to put down the first check mark. Are you single waiting for your spouse? Are you a wife waiting to become a mother? Or are you a mother of one who is feeling the pressure to expand you brood? The world and sometimes even the church define a “complete Christian” as one who is married and has two to three children. A woman that is single or childless or maybe just has one child, is many times made to feel that she is an incomplete Christian. It is the desire of most Christian women to be a wife and a mother, but that is not always God’s plan for their lives. The message that needs to be said loud and clear is simple. The Church and those in “Christian land” need not to dim the light of God’s amazing plan for these ladies’ lives by making them feel inadequate.

Sarah

2011-01-27T07:39:00.000-08:00

So.....Abram keeps telling me that God told him that he is going to be the father of a nation. Really God...with whom? Do you not know that my womb has continued to prove that it is not a place where a baby wants to be. Don't get me wrong, I believe and trust that God created the earth, saved Noah from the flood, and can give my sweet Abraham a nation, I am just not sure it will be through me? HMMMM, maybe my servant Hagar could help him out? I wonder how that would turn out? It could work, right!

In Genesis 16 we see Sarah's plan for giving Abram an heir to begin the great nation that had been promised to him by God. Sarah was going to "help" God out. She figured if she could not give Abram a child, she could give her servant Hagar to Abram, who in turn would give Abram a child. Once Hagar had the child, the child in which Sarah thought would be the solution to her childless problem, an abundant amount of problems came to be. Hagar became insensitive and prideful. In response to Hagar's actions and attitude, Sarah kicked Hagar and her newborn child out of the camp. Sarah was again left with no child and now had no servant.

How many time do we in our lives to do this? You may be asking God for a job, a house, a husband, or a child, and waiting on Him to answer. Well, in theory anyways!

We claim God's promises and answers to our prayers, but sometimes we try to "help" God out. We will work harder, prayer more, volunteer at every church event and even give God suggestions as to how He could answer our prayers. When really all God wants us to do is to "be still and know that HE IS GOD!". So today as you are waiting on God to answer your hearts cry, be still and allow God to work in His on time and with His own plan. Sarah tried to do her own plan instead of waiting on God, and we see what happened. Learn from Sarah and even when it is easier said then done sometimes....WAIT!

Jesus throughout the Bible

2011-01-23T15:42:00.000-08:00

Just in case you thought Jesus only showed up in the New Testament..

In Genesis, He is the Seed of the Woman.

In Exodus, He is the Passover Lamb.

In Leviticus, He is our High Priest.

In Numbers, He’s our Pillar of Cloud by day and our Pillar of

Fire by night.

In Deuteronomy, He is the Prophet like unto Moses.

In Joshua, He is the Captain of our salvation.

In Judges, He is our Lawgiver.

In Ruth, He is our Kinsman Redeemer.

In First and Second Samuel, He’s our Trusted Prophet.

In Kings and Chronicles, He is our Reigning King.

In Ezra, He’s our Faithful Scribe.

In Nehemiah, He’s the Rebuilder of the broken walls.

In Esther, He’s our Advocate.

In Job, He’s our Ever-Living Redeemer.

In Psalms, He is the Lord, our Shepherd, so we shall not want.

In Proverbs, He is our Wisdom.

In Ecclesiastes, He is our Goal!

In the Song of Solomon, He is our Lover and our Bridegroom.

In Isaiah, He’s the Prince of Peace.

In Jeremiah and Lamentations, He is the Weeping Prophet.

In Ezekiel, He’s the Wonderful Four-faced Man.

In Daniel, He’s the Fourth Man in the burning, fiery furnace.

In Hosea, He’s the Eternal Husband, forever married to the

backslider.

In Joel, He’s the Baptizer in the Holy Ghost.

In Amos, He’s our Burden-bearer.

In Obadiah, He’s our Savior.

In Jonah, He’s the Great Foreign Missionary.

In Micah, He’s the Messenger with beautiful feet.

In Nahum, He’s our Avenger.

In Habakkuk, He’s the Evangelist pleading for revival.

In Zephaniah, He’s the Lord, mighty to save.

In Haggai, He’s the Restorer of the lost heritage.

In Zechariah, He’s the Fountain springing up with

everlasting life.

In Malachi, He’s the Son of Righteousness, rising with healing in

His wings.

In Matthew, He’s the Messiah.

In Mark, He’s the Wonder Worker.

In Luke, He’s the Son of Man.

In John, He’s the Son of God.

In Acts, He’s the Holy Ghost, moving among men.

In Romans, He’s the Justifier.

In First and Second Corinthians, He’s the Sanctifier.

In Galatians, He’s the Redeemer from the curse of the law.

In Ephesians, He is the Christ of unsearchable riches.

In Philippians, He’s the God who supplies ALL of our needs.

In Colossians, He’s the fullness of the godhead bodily.

In First and Second Thessalonians, He’s our Soon-coming King.

In First and Second Timothy, He’s the Mediator between God

and man.

In Titus, He is the Faithful Pastor.

In Philemon, He’s the Friend of the oppressed.

In Hebrews, He’s the Blood of the everlasting covenant.

In James, He is the Lord who raises the sick.

In First and Second Peter, He’s the Chief Shepherd, who shall

soon appear.

In First, Second, and Third John, He is Love.

In Jude, He’s the Lord coming with ten thousand of His saints.

In Revelation, He is King of kings and Lord of lords.

EVE

2011-01-17T12:11:00.000-08:00

"Stupid, Stupid, Stupid! How could I have been so stupid, so easily misled? I knew that sinister serpent was sketchy! What had Adam always told me, most importantly what had God said? Do not eat of this one fruit, you can eat of anything else in the Garden but do not eat of this ONE fruit. AHHH the Garden. It was perfect there! We could run around and not worry about being hungry, or clothes, or fear of the animals or health issues, or pain, it was perfection, paradise. I did not have this pain and grossness every month, and wow do I not look forward to having another child. Cain and Abel were born with such ease, but now I do not look forward to having "pain" in childbirth. Adam did not have to work so hard to provide food and shelter for us. Poor Adam...OOOh Adam was so mad at me after he ate the fruit! Wait a minute, he ate the fruit too, why is he mad at me!!! Even though Adam is still angry and disappointed in me, the biggest regret that I feel and the one thing I miss the most is the true, real, no boundaries relationship I had with God. Now it is different, there is a seemingly cavern between us. Will our relationship ever be restored?"----EVE

The above are just some dialogue that I thought Eve may have possibly had running through her mind after she realized what she had done in eating the "forbidden fruit". She had lost her home, her health, her perfect marriage and most importantly her unhindered relationship with the Lord.

In Genesis 2 we see that God had created Eve as a partner for Adam. God had given her a perfect partner and a perfect life. Eve had flawless beauty and had no pain, no need, no suffering. All God asked in return was contentment. Contentment....not love, obedience, works, or sacrifice, but contentment. Eve's downfall and subsequent loss of her perfect life, happened because of her DISCONTENTMENT!

But don't we as women fight discontentment every day? If you are single, you want to be married. If you are married you want a child. If you have one child, you want another child. If you have a house, you want a bigger one. If you have a car, you want a better one. If you have your health, you desire beauty and perfection. We as women fight discontentment every day and in so many ways!

Yet, in trying to get rid of our discontenment we may be throwing away the paradise that God has planned for us! The paradise God has planned for you may be to be single while the paradise for many of your other friends may be marriage. God's paradise for me may be to be the mother of only one child while the paradise for some of my other friends may be to have a quiver full of children. Many times as women we miss out on enjoying the paradise God has for us because of our discontentment with the paradise that God has already given us! John Piper states in Desiring God, "God is most glorified, when we are most satisfied in HIM!"

What are you discontent about in your life?

Treasures in my heart

2010-12-26T17:18:00.000-08:00

Luke 2:19, "And Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart."

In reading the Christmas story in Luke 2, I have always been drawn to the above passage. The fact that in the midst of the miracle of God becoming flesh, Mary took a moment to just take it all in, amazing me. In the midst of the miracle, Mary took a moment to just be a mom. There were several times when my husband and I were trying to become parents that I wondered if I was ever going to experience the pondering of the thoughts and experiences of a new mom. Then once I became pregnant with my daughter I finally realized the sweet moments that you do treasure. The first heartbeat, the first movement, the first kick and the first hiccup.

At a mere 28 weeks pregnant I had some major complications with my pregnancy that caused me to put on bedrest at the hospital. In those tense and scary moments of monitors and medicine, I treasured each heartbeat I heard, and every moment that was given to me with my daughter. After nine days in the hospital, the complications were finally settled down and I was allowed to go home...it just happened to be Christmas day, 2008! Over 2000 years before the biggest, most amazing miracle occurred, GOd became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ! In 2008 God did another miracle in allowing me to be in my home for Christmas and for my child to still be growing and thriving in my tummy.

As I sat in front of our Christmas tree that Christmas day, I treaured the fact that God had been gracious and my daughter was still thriving and growing inside of my. Then 5 days later in the early morning of December 30th, my husband rushed me to the hospital and that visit resulted in my precious, miracle daughter being born, when I was just 30 weeks pregnant! The next eight weeks my daughter fought for her life, and over and over again God showed up in a miraculous way in my daughter's life, in my life and in my family's life. In every God moment I had, I treasured them into my heart. Eight weeks after my daughter's early arrival, she was able to come home and enjoy her baby cradle for the first time.

Fast forward two years! Yesterday on Christmas day, instead of being rolled out of the hospital with a baby inside me, I was able to celebrate Christmas 2010, with my precious miracle daughter, my husband, parents, brother, sister in love, niece and nephew, and many extended family members. I was able to testify about God's goodness, faithfulness and love that He had poured onto our family. Again yesterday, I pondered the many joys that God had given to me the last few years. I say joy and not happiness, because joy is that deep, everlasting love and enduring faith that God showed to me and confirmed to me in my heart the last few years. I accepted God into my life when I was just eight years old, with a child like faith. Now at almost 34 years old I have a faith in God that is real and has been fleshed out in both joyous and very saddening times! I love God not because of what He does or doesn't do in my life, but because of WHO HE IS!!

Suffering Stinks: Semi-Homemade

2010-12-06T04:29:00.000-08:00

In full disclosure, this blog is semi-homemade. That means that I did not come up with all of the content of this blog by myself. The main points of this blog are from this Sunday's sermon at Cedarcrest Church given by George Wright. It was an incredible sermon and I wanted to share the main points. In sharing with you the main points of the sermon, I also wanted to expound on them what God has taught me through suffering. The passage of scripture that we looked at this Sunday was Acts 16:25-34. Paul and Silas were in prisoned for thier faith, yet they still praised the Lord and led others to salvation.

Let's all admit that suffering stinks. Whether you are suffering from your first broken heart in the 9th grade, failing a class, loss of a job, loss of a child, infertility, depression, divorce, suffering is no fun. Just because you are a Christian doesn't mean enduring suffering isn't hard. In many cases as Christians we have a distorted faith about God. We believe that if we do good things then God will give us good things but if we have bad things happen in our lives it must mean with have or are commiting some great sin. All of this untrue! For proof that this believe is untrue just look at the like of Job. (You can read about the life of Job in the Old Testament book of Job). Many times God allows suffering in our lives to happen, because God desires to deepen our faith or to get out of our lives some things that should not be there. Other times, suffering happens just because we live in a sinful, fallen world, with sinful fallen people. So how and why should you worship, serve and love God when you are suffering? That question was answered for me not only in this Sunday's sermon, but also through personal heartache.

1. Worshipping in the midst of suffering reminds us what is important.
Since 2004 my family has endured some not so fun suffering. From the death of my precious nephew at birth in 2004, to myself and some of my other family members struggle with infertility, to my own daughter being born 10 weeks premature, suffering has seemed to be the theme. But in the suffering it helps me take the focus off of what really didn't matter in life and put my focus on what really mattered. Before the suffering, I was more worried about what my clothes and my hair look liked, instead of worrying about what my faith looked like. I was more concerned about other's approval then I was about my Lord's approval. Suffering helped me refocus on what was and still is very important in my life; faith, family and friends.

2. Worshipping in suffering protects us from using suffering as an excuse for sin.
There have been many times during my times of suffering when I just said to the Lord, "I am done". I wanted to go out and do activities that I knew were wrong,I felt like I deserved to be a little bit bad because of all the "badness" that was occurring in my life. Thankfully I had a strong support system that brought me to my senses and told me that if I did those activities, I was just going to feel worse not better!

3. Worshipping in suffering takes the focus off the suffering and places the focus on Christ. It helps us forget what is wrong with ME and focuses on what is right with THEE (God).
A friend of mine gave me one of my most favorite quotes about dealing with sufffering and sadness. She said Abbey, "Life is hard, God is good, don't get the two confused!" I have come to realize that statement is so very true. Life is hard, but God is so very good. Do we as children of God, always go through good stuff and not bad, no. But through in every step we see that God is good and faithful.

4. Worshipping in suffering is an amazing testimony to those around you.
After the death of my nephew, I will never forget my brother telling me of all the people that were calling, encouraging and praying for him and my sister in law. One of his friends from high school who had been away from the Lord for many years, in seeing the strength of my brother's faith turned back to the Lord. In my own life, I have had friends tell me that they had not prayed in years, but when they heard about my daughter being born so early and so little, they prayed. That is what it is all about! As Christians our goal is to bring glory and other people to God, even it means that we have to suffer in the process.

5. Worshipping in the midst of suffering reveals God's faithfulness.
I can definitely vouch for the fact that of God's faithfulness. When my daughter was born 10 weeks early an spend 8 weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), I experienced God's amazing faithfulness. One occasion in particular energized my faith like nothing I have ever experienced. While my daughter was in the NICU the doctors did a battery of tests to get a base line for the care they would be giving her. One test they gave her was to test and see if she has Cystic Fibrosis. The test came back positive, but the doctor said they were going to redo it just to confirm. At that moment, I broke down. I went crying to my car and sent out a massive text to my friends and family and asked them to stop what they were doing an pray! The next day the doctor came back in my daughter's room and told me that they had redone the test and my daughter did not have Cystic Fibrosis. God truely did a miracle in not only in my daughter's life but in the life of many people who observed the miracle. I am so very thankful that God chose to do show me His faithfulness in such a great way.

So in closing be encouraged to worship in your suffering. As Paul states, in Romans 8:18"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us." Suffering stinks, but through it God molds and refines us, others are encouraged in their faith and through it we learn to worship God in a whole new way!

Don't give up on your dreams!

2010-12-03T04:48:00.000-08:00

One of my most favorite things to do is watch movies. Whether they are on TV, rented from Redbox or actually going to the movie theater. One of the reasons I love movies, is that my mom and I (Ava's Grammy), love to go to movies together. I guess we started the tradition back when I was in college and we would do it as a speacial treat. Then when I moved to Georgia we would meet up several times half way at the Mall of GA for some shopping and of course catch a movie. Now when I go back to Greenville to visit, if we have time, we try to catch a movie together. All in all watching movies is my thing. So yesterday was a special moment between me and MY daughter...wow that is fun to say! After waking Ava up from her nap, I realized it was a little too cold and windy to go play outside. I asked Ava if she wanted to watch a show (which to her is a dvd). She pointed to her stack of DVD's and said, "beast, show" which means Beauty and the Beast. I put in the movie and then went in the kitchen to pop some popcorn. After burning one batch, I had our popcorn and we were ready to watch the movie. The movie started and Ava crawled into my lap and we watched Beauty and the Beast together...well at least half of it. While I was sitting on my den floor, with the Christmas tree lit and my precious daughter in my lap, I was almost brought to tears in thanking God for the great things He has done in my life.

Other then the fact that I was able to have a speacial moment with my daughter on a cold, blustery winter's day, what was the big deal. I guess the reason that it was such a big deal to me was that there were some times that I did not think the dreams I had of being a wife, let alone a mother would ever happen. I can remember like it was yesterday, driving back from the Shelby Mall with my then new, but now great friend Corie. We were just about 5 days into our freshman year at GWU. As we were driving I said, I bet I am going to meet the man of my dreams here. Well, I did meet the man of my dreams while I was in college....several of them! I dated several Godly, handsome, great Christian guys in college, but in 1999 when I walked across the stage at GWU it was a single woman.

Flash forward eight years and fourteen bridesmaid dresses later, and I was still not married. I prayed, fasted, read every "How to be a Godly single woman book" I could get my hands on and still no husband. Then, when my heart had been broken for the last time, and I said that was done with dating and I was just going to be a Lottie Moon....my knight in shining armor came along! Adam Cooler was everything that I had evey asked or imagined for in a husband. God had created him perfectly for just me! Now after almost 5 years of marriage, I can say very confidently that he was DEFINITELY worth the wait.
Now after I met he man of my dreams (one hope and dream checked off the list), I wanted to be a mom. I have always wanted to be a mom. In Miss May's K-5 class all I wanted to do was play in the home living center. I always enjoyed being around children and even chose a career path that I would be working with them. Yet, when it came to be having my own child, it just wasn't happening the way I thought. But God was again faithful to me. After two and a half years, of crying, begging, needle pricks, medicine, procedures and heart ache, I finally was able to give birth to the most precious, spunky, miracle little girl.

So my point in all my ramblings of this blog post today is to not give up on your hopes in dreams. Though they my linger, wait and be taking a whole lot longer then you would have wanted them to, don't give up. In my period of waiting there were two verses that I would always go back to and they would give me encouragement. They were Psalms 1:6, "For the Lord watches over the way of the righteouss" and Psalms Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress and be merciful to me and hear my prayers." I clung to the knowlege that God loved me and wanted the very best for me, and that He knew my deepest wants, hopes and desires. So today, just be encouraged to know that we have a Lord and Savior that loves us and longs to give us everthing that we could ever ask, want or imagine!

How we would all liketo be treated

2010-11-07T11:10:00.000-08:00

In the movie "Radio" the football coach has a very inspiring quote about Radio. He says, "Radio treats everyone the way we wish were treated half the time."

I was reminded of that quote this morning on the way to church. As we were driving to church I asked Ava if she was ready to go to church. I said she would see her teacher Miss Malinda, all her friends and learn about Jesus. Ava then looked at me and said "church", "Mitchell" It made me tear up a little bit. Why you ask? First of all, we have been working really hard on Ava's talking, and to hear her use two words in a row was awesome. But what made me tear up the most was that she said, "Mitchell", when I asked her what friend she was excited to see at church. You see

Michell was created a little be extra special by God. He has cerebral palsy and brings his super cool walker at church. Ava loves Mitchell! Every Sunday she looks for him and they play together in class, he's only run over her once in his walker, ha ha! In fact today, as I was walking by Ava's class she was crying which is unusual because she loves Sunday School. When I picked Ava up I asked the teacher why did she started crying. She said, because Mitchell left. Then as we were leaving church today, Ava saw her buddy Mitchell and reach out and tapped him on the arm.

I love the fact that Ava doesn't care that Mitchell may walk or talk different or get around using a walker. All she knows is that he is her friend and she has fun with him at church I pray that her heart stays tender to those around her that need a little be more love and care. My little miracle baby, made this mama beam with pride today. I am thankful that what I am teacher her about "Love one another", is actually being played out in her little heart and life.

Finding Balance

2010-10-20T04:51:00.000-07:00

Laundry, dishes, meals, playgroups, date nights and time with family and friend..how do we maintain the balance? Who in scripture can we look to for direction and instruction?

Like many Christian women, I grew up in the church and grew up hearing about the great Proverbs 31 woman (Proverbs 31:10-31). This seeming perfect woman has been drilled into my head. . I grew up going to Sunday School, choir, GA’s, Wednesday night supers and youth retreats. I was saved at the age of eight but I have been a Baptist since birth. Every year on Mother’s Day I heard messages on “her”. Every youth trip and college retreat I ever attended would have a “girls only” session, and we were given instruction on how to become the Proverbs 31 women. During my single days in my twenties I read every book that Lifeway or the Family Christian Bookstore carried on becoming the Proverbs 31 women. Then in 2006 I became a wife and in 2008 I became a mother. Then all my knowledge I had and all the plans I had made about being the perfect woman went out the window!

Before I had my daughter I always said that when I become a mother, my house will stay spotless, my child will follow every word of Babywise and I will NEVER leave the house without looking like I just walked out of an Ann Taylor catalogue. I was never going to be one of those “frumpy, stay at home moms”. Then I actually had a baby, who was premature, on a three hour feeding schedule, and who had gas, constipation and reflux! One afternoon I realized we were out of diapers and formula and I needed to run up to the local grocery store. I got dressed, got my daughter ready, and headed to Kroger! I took my time in the store, bought the formula and diapers, and went back out to my car. As I was about to pull out of the parking space, I looked in my review mirror. That is when I notice the dried sweet potato in my eye brow! So much for being the perfect, Proverbs 31 woman who has her life balanced and figured out!

After that embarrassing but funny incident at the local Kroger, I thought to myself, “It’s time to regroup”. How can I can I complete everything on my “to do list”, spend time with my friends, family, husband and child, and maintain a dynamic walk with the Lord. As I thought about and prayed about my “regroup”, three “P’s” came to my mind. Even though it has been eight years since I finished seminary I have a hard time giving an explanation without using three points (or four points in this case) and alliteration!

1. Plan: Plan meals, plan your grocery list, plan your days, plan when you will do housework, put plans on your calendar and plan ahead for all things unexpected. By making plans you can take the seemingly endless to do list that we all have in our lives, and break it down into smaller chunks of times, so we do not get overwhelmed. Like my mother always told me, “Plan your work and work your plan”!

2. People: It is so very important to maintain the relationships with those special people in your life. They are your family, friends, husband and children. Make time in your daily, weekly and monthly life in order to grow, nurture and invest in to these relationships. This can be a playgroup with friends, date night with your husband, or celebrating special occasions with family members.

3. Perspective: At the end of the day, have the right perspective. When your child is eighteen, graduates from high school and moves from under your roof, what will they remember? Will they remember your house being spotless, eating organic, homemade food for every meal, and their clothes always being perfectly pressed or will they remember that you loved them unconditionally and invested in their lives?

4. Pray: Above all, cover your family, friends, household, spouse, children, with prayer. God has commanded us to pray without ceasing. You can pray at each red light, over your children while they sleep, at mealtime with your family, and all throughout the day. By seeking God and His will first, everything else in your life will fall into place.

So while you and I continue to try and strive to become a well balance woman, like the the Proverbs 31 women, we need to give ourselves a break. It is okay to stop and have a cup of coffee and read a book during naptime instead of making, cleaning or picking up something. It is okay after a difficult day, to run by Little Caesars and pick up at $5 pizza. You and I need to remember that God’s grace is sufficient and we need to give ourselves some, each and every day!

Prayers for my child

2010-10-17T10:18:00.000-07:00

Psalm 34:4
I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled

Deuteronomy 6:13
Fear the LORD your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name.

Psalm 63:1
O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

Psalm 97:10
Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked

Psalm 119:71
It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.

Daniel 6:3
Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.

Romans 13:1
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

Proverbs 1:10
My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

1st Corinthians 6:18-20
Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. 19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

2nd Corinthians 6:14
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

James 4:7
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Romans 12:1-2
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, this is your spiritual[a] act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Hosea 2:6
Therefore I will block her path with thornbushes; I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way.

Psalm 51:1-3
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.

Ephesians 6:1
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

Isaiah 54:13
All your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be your children's peace.

Proverbs 13:1
A wise son heeds his father's instruction, but a mocker does not listen to rebuke.

Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.