She did WHAT??

I never win anything. It's not sad, just a fact. I enter giveaways. I never win.
I was reading my favorite blog, When You Rise, and briefly scanned through her list of winners for different books that she was giving away. I noticed my name. Well, the "Laurel" caught my eye. Because, #1, is my name and #2, it's not very common. But alas, it wasn't me, it was "Laurel C." But I did go back and look at that because that used to be my name...my maiden is Cowser (there's some trivia for any of you who didn't know that and care to know...as if I have any readers who aren't family or close friends that already know that! ha! I shouldn't flatter myself so!). Anyway, I did think it was an interesting coincidence, but figured that once again I didn't win. No big deal. Then I got an email a few days later saying that if I didn't reply w/ the address that I wanted my book mailed to, my book would be given to someone else. WHAT? I actually did win? And I missed the first email telling me that I was chosen! Too crazy! I must have logged in w/ my FB acct to register for the giveaway and my FB name has my maiden name.
But that is not the reason for the title of this post! While it is unbelievable to me that I won a giveaway, the more unbelievable thing is that the book that I won is the personal story of how a mother read the whole Bible to her children ages 4 yrs old down to 9 months old.
SHE DID WHAT??
Read one chapter a day out loud TO HER CHILDREN. Not her high school children. Not her middle school children. Not her elementary children. Her children that were all preschool age and younger when they began. It took 5 years to read the whole Bible through...the first time...and then they did it again!!!
I had heard the title of this book in passing from different social media sites, blogs, radio, etc. I put it on my ever growing Amazon and Paper Back Swap Wish lists. I had forgotten about it as books like "The Strong-Willed Child" and "Homeschooling With a Meek and Quiet Spirit" were more on my pressing "to-read-now" list.
But then I won a free copy of this book about a mother who read the WHOLE Bible OUT LOUD to her KIDS!!
I love books, I love to hold them, to read them, to re-read them. I like the "new-book" smell. I'm usually reading at least 3 books at a time stashed at different places in the house. The reading goes ALOT slower now as I can usually only read a chapter at a time w/o being interrupted or needed...not to mention the sense of responsibility that overwhelms me and makes me stop "doing nothing" to go do housework or clean or play w/ the kids.
So, of course, I started reading this book right away! It's a smaller/shorter book with cute embellishments on many pages and a nice cover of a bird and her baby chicks. The chapters are short enough to read in about 5 minutes. The author is very personable, very real, transparent, and just overall likable! She doesn't hide the bad and the ugly. She portrays the good times and the hard times.
Here is one of my favorite parts of the book:
I prayed these two requests almost every morning of the whole five years of our first reading of the Bible. "Lord, allow my children and me to remember more than we think we are capable of remembering. And Lord, let us understand more than we think we are capable of understanding. Help us to believe what we read today and give us the desire and strength to obey Your commands. Use Your Word to transform us into the image of Christ.

I am convicted. I am excited. I want to do this. I can do this. I know it's important to teach the Word to my children, so why not start my "teaching" with reading straight from the Bible. Not a Kids Bible Story with picture version, but my Bible. Instead of them just seeing me read my Bible to myself silently. I need to read it out loud to them as well!
Together: Growing Appetites for God by Carrie Ward
I recommend this book hands down! I added it to my "favorites" on my bookshelf to the right side of the blog. (if you are reading this in an email or viewer, you will have to click over to the website here to see the bookshelf)

Book Review/Recommendation: Give Them Grace

I'm probably doing this backwards, since I already wrote 2 posts on my thoughts on the word "grace" which were spurned on by reading Give Them Grace and Grace for the Good Girl...BUT here's a more official book review/recommendation complete w/ quotes directly from the book:

I loved this book b/c it helped me start thinking of my parenting in light of God's Grace. After reading this book, I was really convicted that I have made Jesus into a sort of "Santa Clause" that rewards us when we are good and punishes us when we are bad. The author continually points out throughout the book, that we do have to live by the "law" (as they did in the Old Testament before Jesus came to earth to die for our sin--the laws that we break) to prove that we love God out of fear of what He might do. We only need to rest in what He has DONE...died on the cross for our sin.
Here are some quotes from the forward of the book:
Long-term, sustained, gospel-motivated obedience can come only from faith in what Jesus has already done, not fear of what we must do...The law shows us what a sanctified life looks like, but it does not have sanctifying power. It's the gospel (what Jesus has done) that alone can give God-honoring animation to our obedience. The power to obey, in other words, comes from being moved and motivated by the completed work of Jesus for us. So, while the law directs us, only the gospel can drive us.

One of my favorites part of the book is in the beginning...the author points out the irony of telling people that they can't earn their way to heaven by their behavior (but rather need to trust in Jesus instead of relying on their own "goodness" b/c we aren't "good" we are sinners) but then follow that up with telling them that Christianity is all about their behavior and whether God is pleased or displeased with their actions.
We will never be able to "behave" perfectly, that is why Jesus had to die.

Why are so many of the people who I grew up with (in a legalistic church and school) no longer attending church or having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Because there has to be more than just head-knowledge from following a bunch of rules. There has to be obedience from the heart. Rules will be ignored or bent, or obeyed on the outside, but with rebelling on the inside.

The primary reason the majority of kids from Christian homes stray from the faith is that they never really heard it or had it to begin with. They were taught that God wants them to be good, that poor Jesus is sad when they disobey, and that asking Jesus into their heart is the breadth and depth of the gospel message. Scratch the surface of the faith of the young people around you and you'll find a disturbing deficiency of understanding of even the most basic tenets of Christianity.

The author gives alot of examples of child rearing situations and how we should respond to train our kids to continually think of God's grace. One of my favorite examples is when 2 brothers were fighting and one is hitting the other and the mother said, "stop, you must love your brother". The child responded with "But he makes me so mad! I can't love him". What I would naturally say is what the author says that she used to say as well, "Oh, yes, you can love him and you will! The Bible says you have to, so you can"
That sounds good. I would have said that. I have said that. I default to saying that b/c that is how I was raised. But then the author points out that instead we should say something like this:

Exactly! I'm so glad to hear you say that, because it shows me that God is working in you. It is true that God commands you to love your brother, but you can't. That is the bad news, but that is not all the new there is. The rest of the news is so exciting! You can't love your brother like God is asking you to, so you need a Rescuer to help you. And the really great new is that God has already sent one! His name is Jesus! Jesus has perfectly loved you and perfectly loved his brothers for you, fulfilling the law to love in your place. If you believe in him, he doesn't punish you, the way you were punishing and beating up your brother. Instead of punishing you, he took all the punishment you deserve when he died on the cross for you. He knows how angry you are. He knows that there are times you are hateful and selfish with your brother. Be he has loved you in spite of your sin. And because of this, because of the way you have been lavishly loved, if you believe in him, you will grow to love your brother more and more. Because of Jesus alone, because of what He has already done for you, you can learn how to love if you believe that he will be that loving with you. But you'll never be able to do this on your own.

This should still be followed up with discipline and prayer!

And I love how throughout the book the author points out that no matter how much we work on training on our children in and with grace, our actions will not save our children. There is no formula that guarantees their salvation or obedience. Grace-based parenting is not the "magic" formula to be followed for a certain result. Salvation is of the Lord. He might use us as a means to accomplish His purpose.  But our children will only be saved by faith and it will be of God not of us.

These quoted portions in italics above are only from the forward and introduction sections of the book! There is sooo much more in the following chapters! Everything is backed up with scripture references as well! This is the type of book that I would like to read once a year to refresh and encourage myself in regards to parenting. Read it soon! Or MAYBE I'd let you borrow my copy although it's all marked up, underlined, and dog-eared! And by the way, as with any book, there are parts within the book that I may not agree whole heartedly with or they might *gasp* use a different version of the Bible that I don't personally own or my pastor doesn't preach out of...folks, THAT'S OK!! :-) We are big boys and girls and should be able to discern for ourselves. Compare things to what the Bible says!
I highly recommend this book (and I'm not getting paid or using any affiliate links that provide kickbacks) to any parent and grandparent! I would love to continue to post things I learned from reading this book as it would help cement these truths in my mind, but I don't want to lose the few readers/followers that I have on here! ha! Love to you all and thanks for reading what I write!

The word "Grace", Part 2

To read the beginning of my thoughts on The word "Grace", click here.
I mentioned that I was in a group book study on Grace for the Good Girl, and I will give more of a "book review" on that specific book in another post. But that book study was just the beginning of my desire to search out what it really meant to live a life focused on grace. While that book definitely opened my eyes to ways that I was attempting to "try hard" in my Christian life rather than resting in God's grace, another book made an even bigger impact on me mainly because its focus was on child rearing in light of God's grace. And right now with 4 and 5 year old boys in my house, anything on the topic of Christian child rearing gets my attention quite a bit!
This book that totally rocked my world and I just can't get out of my mind is Give Them Grace by Elyse Fitzpatrick and Jessica Thompson. I just can't say enough about this book. I will probably end up typing out quite a few quoted passages as the authors of this book said it better than I ever could!

I will start out w/ the synopsis that is written on the back cover of the book to give you an overview:

Every way we try to make our kids "good" is simply an extension of Old Testament Law -- a set of standards that is not only unable to save our children, but also powerless to change them. No, rules are not the answer. What they need is GRACE. We must tell our kids of the grace-giving God who freely adopts rebels and transforms them into loving sons and daughters. If this is not he message your children hear, if you are just telling them to "be good," then the gospel needs to transform your parenting too. Give them Grace is a revolutionary perspective on parenting that shows us how to receive the gospel afresh and give grace in abundance, helping our children know the dazzling love of Jesus and respond with heartfelt obedience.

Where I get conflicted and my thoughts get confused is in the fact that my kids are young. For the past 5 years, our child "rearing" has mostly consisted of children learning to talk, walk, eat independently, bathroom independently, and teaching about sharing, caring, and danger to just list a few. The book refers to this stage as "managing". Phrases like "don't run in the street", "don't throw your bat", etc.
"Rules" of this manner are necessary of course. But now we are transitioning into school-age children, I have to loosen my grip on my love for rules as a way to "show" that they love Jesus and go into more of the "unknown" of just resting in grace and what Jesus has already done for us.
And as I re-read what I just wrote, I am about ready to delete the last 2 paragraphs as I feel like I cannot accurately voice what I am thinking...but I will leave it as maybe some of you understand what I am trying to say.
Let's go back to some quotes from the book...which, by the way, as with any book there are parts within the book that I may not agree whole heartedly with or they might *gasp* use a different version of the Bible that I don't personally own or my pastor doesn't preach out of...folks, THAT'S OK!! :-) We are big boys and girls and should be able to discern for ourselves. Compare things to what the Bible says!

We tell them that they can't earn their way into heaven and that they have to trust in Jesus alone for their goodness. But then something odd happens when we start training the miniature unbelievers in our own home. We forget everything we know about that deadliness of relying on our own goodness and we teach them that Christianity is all about their behavior and whether, on any given day, God is pleased or displeased with them.

Let's face it: most of our children believe that God is happy if they're "good for goodness' sake." We've transformed the holy, terrifying, magnificent, and loving God of the Bible into Santa and his elves. And instead of transmitting the gloriously liberating and life-changing truths of the gospel, we have taught our children that what God wants from them is morality. We have told them that being good (at least outwardly) is the be all and end-all of their faith. This isn't the gospel; we're not handing down Christianity. We need must less of Veggie Tales and Barney and tons more of the radical, bloody, scandalous message of God made man and crushed by his Father for our sin.

So how do I transition from constant rules...which were really needed as small children to teach them  initial obedience (learning to obey Dad's and Mom's voice), social obedience (learning the social codes of society aka manners), civic obedience (learning to obey the laws of society)...
transition from those rules that have been a constant part of our life for 5 years to making sure that I do not make rules with an added phrase of "that will make Jesus happy if you do it". And instead I need to constantly talk about what Jesus has done for us and that we do not have to "do" anything more to be found "acceptable" in His sight.
so much more I'd love to share from the book and might do at a later time! I would highly recommend getting your own copy!
2 posts with NO PICTURE of the kids! Sorry Mom! I do however have new pictures in the blog header :-)

The word "Grace"

I have wanted to write a post about this for a while, but always got overwhelmed at thinking of how to put all that I am thinking into words...
I am still unsure of how to accurately portray all of my thoughts on this. I fear this post may be just a bunch of disjointed thoughts, but here it goes:

"Grace is undeserved favor"
"Grace is getting something that you don't deserve"

Both of those definitions have been ingrained in my head from my years growing up in the Awana club program at church and going to Christian highschool and Christian college.

I thought I understand what that little 5 letter word meant. But my world began to be "rocked" sometime last fall/winter when I started hearing more and more about Grace from different areas of my Christian "circles"...books, radio, sermons, etc. It seemed to be a very popular topic as everyone was talking about it. I wondered what the big deal was b/c it wasn't like that word was hard to define. I knew the definition. I knew that "mercy" is when God withheld the punishment (going to Hell when I die) that I deserve for my sin and that "grace" is when God gave me Heaven for all of eternity instead. Easy. Explained. Done. So what was the big deal? What was I missing?

I heard about a book study being led by a mutual friend. A group of ladies from her church was going to read "Grace for the Good Girl" and meet every week to discuss it. I had heard the title in passing from a couple of different social media sites. I googled it and it sounded like a book that I might have written myself had I ever been able to write a book! Ha!
I definitely grew up trying to be  "good girl" to a certain degree. I knew that I did not need to "try" to get to Heaven by being good. But the type of church and school I grew up in had a lot of rules. I liked rules...well, maybe not every rule. But rules are something this 'Type-A personality' girl thrives on. To me, rules are easier. Give me a list, I will follow it to the "t" and get the desired result. A good Christian girls does a, b, and c...ok, then I'll do a, b, and c and that will make me a good Christian girl.
But while I knew deep down that I did not have to do good things in order to get to Heaven (that was something that Catholics did, not us "Christians"), I was trained to believe that God would be happy if I was good and He would be sad if I was bad. So, I knew that I would go to Heaven no matter what b/c I had admitted that I was a sinner and could not get to Heaven by doing "good things". Bur rather, I deserved punishment for my "bad things".  And I believed that Jesus died on the cross as the punishment that I deserved for my sin. But then, I still felt like I had to live by certain rules to please God b/c he sent His Son, Jesus to die for my punishment so I could go to Heaven instead of going to Hell where I deserved to go.

And here is where I am still somewhat conflicted in my thoughts b/c to a certain degree, I should be living in such a way that will glorify God b/c He did create me and He did send his Son to die for me. But at the same time, I do not have to "do" anything to get to Heaven. I used to think that the places where the Bible states, "If you love me, you will keep my commands" meant that my motivation for keeping God's laws was to show that I loved God. But now I am realizing through many sermons I have listened to and many books I have read that a verse like I John 5:2 is simply stating a fact. Those who love God will keep on keeping His commands. It is not a way to show whether or not we love Jesus.

Queue the 2nd book that really, really rocked my world..."Give Them Grace"...wow!! I feel like I don't even want to speak to my kids anymore without first really evaluating what I am about to say. It comes so naturally for me to say, "Be kind. That will make Jesus happy". That's what I was told growing up. That's what I default to saying w/o even realizing it! Don't get me wrong, my parents did they best they knew how when raising me. I am not saying that I was ruined by this at all. It's just a totally different way of looking at everything in your life...so much more to say about this book...but...
to be continued...

Seasons (Part 2)

Last month I wrote Part 1 to this post about the Season of Change(s) in our life over the past 4 years. Here is the rest that I wanted to share about what the Lord has taught me. Please go back to the other post if you have not read it yet to catch up on the changes that I am referring to!

First of all, I was reminded by some close family and friends of all the people that had been praying for me thru those difficult months and years of change. And I want to say THANK YOU! Prayer definitely makes a difference and is a huge encouragement! Also, there were so many family and friends that gave of their time, which is a HUGE gift, to help us with the many moves...including packing, unpacking, watching the boys, cleaning, meals, etc, etc. I specifically remember 2 families who helped us with 2 or 3 moves. And by "moves" I mean, the whole nine yards, from boxes to furniture in and out of a u-haul, up and down stairs, cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning! And after all that, they helped again with the exact same items when we had to move less than 12 months later. That my friends is an unforgettable gift, and we will always remember that generosity! We were blessed by their self-sacrificing actions and it turned our eyes to the Lord who was shining thru their hearts!

The verse that has been most precious to me over the past 4 years is
Isaiah 58:11--And the Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.

Satisfying your desire in scorched places...scorched made me think of desert, dried up, too-far-gone, dead, no feeling. At times I felt like that...that there was no way we'd find a church family, no way I'd make close friends, no way we'd get to buy a house, etc, etc. But God said that he would satisfy my desire where it seemed "too-far-gone".
Then the verse goes on to say, give strength to your bones...boy did I NEED strength. Physical strength! I was very uncomfortably pregnant w/ a Ureteric stent (google it), a very, very big-for-his-age 12 month old who couldn't walk and had to be carried, lifted, etc. I needed strength!
And the last 2 lines of this verse talk about a picture of happiness...a watered garden, a never-ending spring of water. I didn't think it was possible, but this verse was an encouragement to me that the Lord would satisfy my desire even if I thought it was too far gone. The Lord would give me strength. And the Lord would make me look like a picture of happiness despite my circumstances.

"Disappointment happens, but discouragement is a CHOICE"

And finally, Psalm 37:3-5, 7--Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him and He will do it. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him;

When I read this verse I was really challenged to change my way of living in NC...I was to dwell in NC. Not just get by day-to-day and say woe is me, I have no friends, I have no room to invite friends over... Not to think that our time in NC might be only temporary b/c we might have to move to FL, and if it's just temporary, why should I even try to find a church or get involved or make friends? No, no!! I was to dwell here and become faithful. Even if our circumstances didn't get better and we had to move back to FL, I was to be faithful and dwell where I was while I was there. It wasn't an immediate change, but I started at least "trying" to like NC and let myself admit the things that I did like about it. We started going to church faithfully and making friends and getting involved. I just had to commit, trust and wait like those verses said. And I did...over a period of 4 years. I wasn't very patient about it, but the Lord kept bringing me back to this passage and I would be encouraged and challenged and keep trying to change my way of thinking and with the Lord's help, I did!

And I have to include at least one picture in the post...This is the best we got for a family picture when we went to Asheville, NC a few weekends ago. The boys are stinkers now about smiling for pictures. At times you can get a smile out of them if they are promised a silly pose/picture after the nice one! ha!

Seasons

I've been thinking about sharing some of this for a while now, but this post from a friend of mine really inspired me to share some of the things that the Lord has taught me over the past 4 years during our "season of change(s)"



-Change of State -- Florida to NC
-Change of living quarters -- 2 bed/ 2 bath condo, to an extra master bedroom WITHIN someone else's home (bedroom, living room, office, nursery bathroom all-in-one) to an 800 sq. ft. apartment (with 2 cribs in one room), to a rental house, to a small rental house, to OUR current HOME
-Change of offspring -- 1 baby to 2 babies
-Change of vocation -- working a paid 40 hr/week job outside the home to working an unpaid undetermined amount of hours as a wife, mom, and homemaker + working a paid 10hr/week job from home
-Change of social life -- many, many friends and great church family to knowing no one my age, and looking for a new church
-Change of emotions -- mom of a 6 month old (not pregnant) to pregnant

I did not list those w/ a complaining spirit...I have complained in past. Ok, I have complained ALOT in the past. But I can now say in complete truth that I really enjoy living in North Carolina! Yes, I said it! And the Lord has taught me so much. At the time I didn't understand His timing about everything on that list above, but now that I am thru it and on the other side, I see that it was for the best. His best for our family.

some pictures...
I am 8 months pregnant and Wyatt is 13 months old in this picture.





I'd like to share the verses that have meant so much to me thru the many seasons of change(s) over the past 4 years!

Ecclesiastes 7:9-10, 13-14...Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, for anger resides in the bosom of fools. Do not say, "Why is it that the former days were better than these?" For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this. Consider the work of God, for who is able to straighten what He has bent? In the day of prosperity be happy, But in the day of adversity consider -- God has made the one as well as the other So that man will not discover anything that will be after him.

There were many times that I was angry and saying to myself that it was easier in FL. We had a home in FL. We had friends in FL. etc, etc. I had to read these verses alot and ask God to help me to stop questioning why it was better in FL. And to instead realize that God has made this happen...the "good" times in FL, and the "adversity" w/ all the changes in NC.

Philippians 4:11, 13...for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am...I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

I would try so hard to be content, but I would get so discouraged about having no friends. I felt like I couldn't even invite anyone over to my "living quarters" (first few listed above) in an attempt to get to know them better in hopes of forming a friendship b/c I didn't even have an extra seat to offer them to sit on while chatting. But this verse would encourage me that I would be able to make friends despite not having room to invite people over. I could make friends b/c Christ was going to help me. And I could be content in a small living area.

Psalm 55...the whole chapter really, but esp. verses 6, 16, 17, 22, and 23. Oh that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest...I shall call upon the God...Evening and morning, and at noon, I will complain and murmur, and He will hear my voice...cast your burden upon the Lord, and He will sustain you...But I will trust in You.

I wanted to "fly" back to FL where everything was easy. I didn't have to look for a home. I didn't have to try to make friends. I didn't have to look for a church. etc, etc. But this passage shows that when trials come you can either flee, fight or fly ABOVE! At times I wanted to flee, other times I wanted to fight the changes and not let myself be happy. I would find the bad instead, and fight any type of feeling enjoying myself in this new season. But finally w/ God's help, I "flew above". God gives us burdens and we need to give them back to Him. Don't ask for wings like a dove to fly away, but for wings like eagles to soar ABOVE!

I have more verses and thoughts to share, but in light of this post, I need to get to bed, so I can get up before the kids tomorrow AM! So I'll share 2 more short ones and save the rest for another post...

Psalm 119:71...It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes.
Job 42:5...I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You.
Job acknowledges that his trials brought him into a deeper relationshp w/ God.
I can truely say that it was good for me to go thru those hard times b/c I have learned from God's Word. And like Job, I can see that back in FL, 4 years ago, I had heard the Lord, but now my eyes see Him.

and here are our family Christmas card pictures from the last 4 years:
2007

2008

2009

2010

Stop waking up TO your children and start waking up FOR your children

Even if you don't like schedules, making lists and having a "routine", please keep reading...I will share some personal changes that I'm working on at the end of this post.
The following is from Preschoolwise:
"Routine Matters--No matter how free-spirited and even defiant your preschooler can sometimes be, know that structure is the best thing for him and your entire household. When children don't know what's happening next, they can feel anxious. And anxious children are irritable, angry, uncooperative, and unhappy. Routines offer security and reassurance. In addition to having clearly stated family rules, many families find that using chore charts and incentive programs encourages good behavior."

That is so true at least in our house. AND it really applies to me as well...when I don't know what is happening next, I can get irritable and unhappy too! Even though that quote is regarding preschoolers, I will have to write another post about the changes we are making w/ the boys to keep them in a routine this fall. B/c like I said, this post is about changes that I am making. I find that when I have too much "down" time, then I lose motivation completely and get nothing done! I would rather have 3 or 4 things that I'm working on at the same time to keep me moving! But that's just me...

Probably since I've had the kids, I have struggled w/ having a consistent quiet time in prayer and reading God's Word. Most times since I didn't have a 30 min. chunk of time to sit and read and study the Bible, I just wouldn't do anything at all.
Then about 3 yrs ago, a friend of mine invited me to a Bible study where the leader really challenged us to just read "what we could, when we could". Only have 3 min while the macaroni is cooking? Sit down (or hide in the pantry so the kids can't find you) and read a few sentences. Then you can think on those few words while you go thru the next few hours of your day until you have another few min. I found that this actually helped me remember things more and really think about what I read.
That approach to Bible study got me thru the diaper stage of my kids' life.

Now that we are done w/ diapers, and they are much more self-sufficient in other areas as well, I knew that I should be able to find that "chunk of time" to read more. And I DESPARATELY recognized my need to start the day off w/ the right mindset and have a little "calm before the storm". Some of you aren't phased by this, but I struggle with it...little voices asking, asking, asking, needing, needing, needing...FIRST THING IN THE AM!! This sounds horrible I know. I mean they are my own children. I do love them. But I'm just being real. It's hard for me to start out my day totally selfLESS and beckon to their every call when I am still in the bed myself and would just like to eat one cookie w/ a bit of coffee before they see me and ask for one as well. Before they start fighting and arguing. etc, etc. (and yes, I often eat a cookie before breakfast) :-)

Somewhere in the blogs that I read, I came across I'm a 5:16 Gal a few months ago. And I last spring I did this w/ a few of my friends. It was good to have accountability w/ others!
-What is a 5:16 Gal? A 5:16 gal is a gal who has decided that she wants to redeem the time with her Savior. She is choosing to rise early, before the day takes her away, to sit at the feet of Jesus
-Why 5:16? Ephesians 5:16 says, "making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." The literal meaning is "redeem the time." We are seeking to redeem the time and make the most of every opportunity to seek the Lord with all our hearts. Because the days are evil. We must prepare for battle each and every day - sometimes just to get through the day.

Then just last month a great friend of mine told me about this WONDERFUL website called Inspired to Action dedicated to practically helping moms develop the habits and skills they need to effectively manage their homes and raise children who are prepared to change the world.
And on this website, there is great FREE ebook called Maximize Your Mornings!
This.Has.Changed.Me.
You have to read the ebook for yourself, or at least the first 5 pages, and then you'll just not be able to keep from the reading the rest!
It's just words that are really mostly known facts, but so, so true and obvious, and helpful all at the same time.
like, "An object in motion stays in motion", and "be consistent", and "just get.out.of.bed"

So, read the ebook, or at least the first few pages!! and to circle back to the beginning of this post about routine...I have made this a routine for the past 2 or 3 weeks. See, I can't even remember, so it must not that be bad to get up early if I can't even think back to when I used to sleep until the kids got up...ahh, that blessed used-to-be 7am wake up...
I won't say that every day has been w/o selfishness once they do wake up, or even that every day I have been alone in my early wake up (seemed to back-fire the first few days w/ them getting up early as well). but I can say that there are more days than before where I am happy, calm, cool, and collected when I hear those first little pitter-patters or the "I'm hungry...", or my favorite, "he's looking at me..."

I set the coffee to start at 6am, and the boys must stay in their room until 7am (we are still working on this). I get up and message some friends who are doing this with me for accountability. Just stating that I am AWAKE, and in the Word. Smart phones are great! It has been very helpful in my early AM study and accountability. I get daily emails on my phone from Back to the Bible, and then I read the corresponding passage in my Bible (see, I don't do everything on the smart phone). Then I have a Bible memory program on my phone called Remember Me and I work on the verse I am memorizing.
It's a start...how about you? Try it! You'll like it!

New Year

2010 is over. While it started off with a bang of bad news, it ended with some very promising news (to be disclosed in a later post...and NO I'm not pregnant)! A year ago, we found out that our landlord had gotten foreclosed on and never even bothered to let us know. Yes, the house we were living in, and had been paying monthly rent for the past 10 months was now owned by the bank, and we would have to move within 6 weeks. Finding a notice of a Sherrif's Auction on the door of your rental house is pretty shocking in and of itself, not to mention that that was the first place we had lived since moving to NC that finally felt "permanent".

We would have loved to rent that house for 5 years (our home in FL that never sold due to the housing market crash was limiting us from buying a home at the time). We had incredible neighbors, it was a great neighborhood, had a great fenced-in yard that backed up to woods, the boys had their own room (which was HUGE for sleeping habits of toddlers), I was finally making friends and enjoying living in NC (which was also HUGE b/c the move to NC and the subsequent 18 months was a little hard for me to say the least). Oh, and to add to the shock of how we found out about this, and to the disappointment of leaving that specific house/neighborhood...add to that, the "hassle" (not sure what word to use here) of moving...AGAIN...that was our 4th move in 2 1/2 yrs.
BUT as I think back on the past year, there are so many blessing for which to be thankful! At times I questioned why the Lord even allowed us to even rent that house if we were just going to have to move out after 10 months. I almost wished we had never gotten to live there b/c now I was going to compare any future housing options to that and be disappointed...BUT living in that house/neighborhood ended up bringing many blessings from the Lord.
While I would have never wished or desired to pack and unpack as many times as I have since Aug 2007, each place we have lived since coming to NC has "made me who I am today" (isn't that a phrase that you hear alot??...best way I could think to describe it although cliche). I've gotten to know many different areas, the pros and cons of different neighborhoods and parts of the town, and learned where lots of different stores and businesses are located. And most importantly, I have made all types of different friends (mom friends, friends for my children, dog-sitter friends, home-schooling friends, etc, etc) from all the neighbors that we have had. And most specially of the most importantly, I made one of the closest friends that I have ever had. A Christ-loving girl that is my age and has the same age kids. God is good!

And now the house that we moved to...another rental. We didn't have much choice b/c of the short amt. of time due to the lack of notice from the landlord (I need to let that go, I know!! But I still can't get over that!)
Thankfully, we were able to stay in Waxhaw and at the same monthly rent. But, the house was much smaller, the boys had to share a room once again ;-(, it was surrounded by trees (horrible for allergies--this is the girl who had to get allergy shots as a kid, and stay home from school b/c I couldn't see out of my eyes...so 50 oak trees covering my house is kind of a big deal for me), and other little things that just weren't my first choice. At least we were just renting it.

But there are lots of things that I must list that I am so thankful for and will be sad to leave:
the nice wood floors throughout, all of the extra custom cabinets in the kitchen, everything being so 'close' in the house b/c it's all on one level, the window over the kitchen sink letting me watch the kids while they play on the nice deck, the storm doors so I can let some sunlight in (I'm def. a "solar-powered" gal), closenss to Harris Teeter, less house to clean, and another neighbor who has become a great friend even though they moved to another neighborhood.
And I must list a few more things I love b/c I went into so much detail about the negative earlier...I just really like the town of Waxhaw in general...found the best re-sale kids clothing shop ever...Sweet Repeats, and discovered MOPS (Moms of Preschoolers) at Waxhaw Bible Church and made lots of sweet Christian moms there!

This is getting very long, so I will end with the following that I cut and paste from one of my favorite websites: Life as Mom She said what is my heart and what I desire.

What’s does the future hold?
I have no idea what will happen in the new year. I imagine that some things will change, some will stay the same. But, I know that I want to approach the twists and turns that are sure to characterize the road ahead with the right attitude.

I want to trust that God is ultimately in control. I want to remember to hold things loosely — what do I have that He hasn’t given me?
I want to laugh often and love much.
I want to say yes, be all there, and enjoy today.
Will these things guarantee that my year is a happy one? No, there’s no guarantee to anything in life.

But, I think if we expect the unexpected and prepare our hearts and minds to tackle stumbling blocks with determination and a good attitude, well, I think it can be a happy year.

Structure and Nourishment

The other day I had one of those "light bulb moments". This does not mean that I have by any means I have mastered this crazy, challenging thing called motherhood, but it was encouraging to have this insight "click" in my head!
When both of my boys have structure and nourishment they are so much more inclined to obey, be kind, and NOT do all those things that make you sigh and cringe and wonder if you are even making an impact in their life training. Let me explain...
Both of them, but Wyatt especially do not do well when I am occupied w/ my own work (whether that be Mommy work or Job work), and they have "free reign" of the house. Does any one else's kids act like they are bored after more than 20 min of free play? My kids do. I find myself wanting to say, "Play with TOYS, you are children, that's what children do!" Some of my opinion comes from things I have read in Babywise, Toddlerwise, and Preschoolwise books. It's like the child is overwhelmed w/ all of his choices (toys activities) and just gets bored OR into trouble! I have found that if I set a timer and say, "Mommy is going to do some work for 20 min, Wyatt needs to play his room, and Levi needs to play in the playroom", that helps at least the arguing and fighting issue. Then after 20 min, we'll do something all together like read a book, or color, or watch a 30 min show on PBS. Then the next time I need to get something done, I'll have them each go to the opposite room they were in the last time. Ahh, "new" toys, new environment, "confinement"--having free reign to run like indians thru the house just dosen't work for my kids! Then maybe another chunk of time later in the day or the next day, I'll bring out some toys that I had put away in my closet a few weeks ago..."new" toys again! Win! or we'll have a designated coloring time, or a time for "school", or a time for "outside". But giving a 3 yr old and 2 yr old the choice of what do to, or just "go play" usually ends up frustrating me and no fun for them. But when they know what "time" it is and what is allowed and expected, they do sooo well!!

Nourishment...this one mainly pertains to Levi, but I see effect in Wyatt as well. How many of us get edgy or grumpy, or even get a headache when we havne't eaten in awhile? And we are old enough to recognize those feelings and either do something about it, or try to keep our actions in check w/ some self control until we can get some food! It's amazing the difference in Levi when I give him just half a banana or some crackers and juice. When they are babies, they cry when they are hungry. Now I've noticed that instead of asking for some food (b/c I guess he's not old enough yet to recognize the feeling or need), he ends up succombing much more easily to all things "wrong". Sure he's 2, so he's apt to tempers, disobeying, being mean etc. But when he's hungry, it's 10xs as worse than his normal sin nature playing out. This isn't just for Levi, but he seems more prone to it...not sure if it's b/c of his personality or his younger age. So my new resolution is to give them both some healthy, not too big snack like fruit between nap wake-up and supper. Hopefully this will make for a more bearable dinner prep time for me, and a not-so choatic arrival home from work for Adam.
I know the troubles and trials are only going to get worse as they get older and I am thankful that right now I can solve things (or at least make them better) w/ some structure and some nourishment!
Here's a picture from Thanksgiving. Wyatt 3.75 yrs, Levi 2.5 yrs, Cousin Ethan (2 yrs)

Proverbs 31 with personal examples

I found this note in my Bible that I had written a year ago when the boys were more like babies. I often read thru Proverbs 31 and try to work on being a virteous women the way the Bible describes.
The following are things that I have a hard time with/have to work on:

1. Driving 30 min one-way to Super Wal-mart when I was used to a much shorter drive when we lived in FL. (She brings food from afar. Prov. 31:14)
2. Getting up in throughout the night and early mornings during baby/toddler stages. (She rises also while it is still night. Prov. 31:15)
3. Lifting my heavy boys who didn't walk until 14 months old. I must have a really weak back. (She makes her arms strong. Prov. 31:17)
4. Choices of what to do during the boys' nap time (She does not eat the bread of idleness. Prov.31:27)

Some of those might seem silly, but the verses really encouraged and challenged me.

Here are some pictures of what we've been doing lately up here in PA:


4th of July at Camp


Going to the trampoline in the lake at Camp


Wyatt "swimming" all by himself!


Doing a craft from No Time for Flashcards


Their first amusement park ride at Dutch Wonderland


Levi's Favorite Ride

Changes

Changing crib sheets is still one of my least favorite tasks. If you've never done this, it's quite an ordeal in itself and you usually end up sweating and thinking that you should invent something that would surely be more simple! ha! But today I had a flashback to just a little over 1 1/2 yrs ago, and realized how thankful I was to just have ONE crib to change the sheets on today!
I just had to laugh and shake my head when I remembered how just that short time ago I had TWO BABIES, both in cribs, both in diapers, neither could feed themeselves, etc, etc! Sometimes I think back and realize just how crazy it was. This picture is of Levi at 7 months old, and Wyatt at 21 months old. 21 months old...that's usually the age that the older sibling is when a new baby is born. And even then, people say that is "close in age". Well, for us, when the older sibling was 21 months old, we already had a 7 month old! C-R-A-Z-Y for sure! And belive me, when they are babies, a few months makes a HUGE difference. I really think that it's no so much the # of children that you have that make it "harder", it's how close in age they are and of course multiplied with each add'l child! I don't know how you mom's with 3 and 4 kids do it!

But in this picture, the AM started off w/ both boys leaking thru their diapers and both sets of crib sheets and mattress pads needing to be changed. So we were playing musical cribs along with the AM bottle feeding while I changed each set. Alot can happen during the time you are struggling to change crib sheets, so being confined to the other crib is a MUST. (I learned this the hard way)
We have made it thru alot of changes in the last year, so this summer has been much more enjoyable.

Here are some milestones that seemed HUGE for us and have made the summer in PA less stressful:
-They are both walking...WELL! For those of you know who have picked up my kids, you know how hard it would be to tote them around camp. This year, they enjoy to walk and run and don't ask to be carried hardly at all!
-They are both able to feed themselves! YAY! Now, I usually get to eat most meals myself.
-They both crawl up into their carseat! Huge timesaver and alot easier on my back!
-They are understanding the concept of danger for the most part. Again, a HUGE thing which you understand if you have young kids! It's so great to be able to say, "Stay in the back yard b/c the front yard is too close to the road" Before, they had no concept of distance or why roads are dangerous.
-There is only one child in diapers! And the other one can do the whole process by himself!
Man, I'm going to get really lazy and selfish w/o having to do all those things for them anymore. Guess I'll get bored...yeah right!! But it is much easier and more enjoyable! Praise the Lord!

Here is a picture of the boys and I with my Pop-pop (their great-Grandpa). He is a retired Dairy Farmer up here in PA.

(Trying to) Have Fun!!

Alot of this post comes from the following sources:
Professionalizing Motherhood by Jill Savage
Life as MOM blog (To Be More Joyful article)

I was really challenged by what I read in both of those places and wanted to post what I am trying to work on! I really want to have more fun with my kids and my family as whole. And just LAUGH more! I'm not sure what specific point it happened, but I either "grew up", got too busy, got to distracted with responsibilities, etc, etc, but I have stopped laughing like I used to! Please laugh along with me in understanding of the following points :-)

•Many times “fun” means “mess”. This is the first reality we have to come to grips with if we are going to have fun. If we don’t have the right perspective, this will feel like an interruption to our day. The right perspective, though, is that it is an ESSENTIAL part of our day. Having fun with our children is part of being a mom. And dealing with messes is sometimes a part of having fun.

•I am way too practical at times when I need to be spontaneous.

•Have the attitude of “sure, why not?”

•Life with kids is a life that is destined not to go as planned. You can react with anger or you can respond with grace, and even humor. Learning to respond with grace and humor is an act of replacing well-though-out plans with a bit of spontaneity.

•Cleaning your house [and, presumably, maintaining any other semblance of a normal life] while children are growing is like shoveling your driveway while it’s still snowing.

•If we don’t accept that life with children will include disorder, we will always be frustrated b/c we feel out of control. We can become obsessed with unrealistic expectations and allow them to steal our joy.

•There are some things I am trying to learn to accept (as a homemaker with more than 1 male under our roof):
1.It will always be noisy at our house.
2.The toilets and bathroom floors will rarely be spotless.
3.Physical activity is going to rule the day over quiet occupations.