Love you Forever

Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:8

I just finished reading Kinley the famous book, I love you forever. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s the tale of the mother who rocked her baby and sang about how much she loved him. The story continues as the baby grows and she rocks her two-year-old and her nine-year-old and her teenager. Finally, she drives to her grown son’s house and when he is asleep, she creeps into his room and rocks him while he sleeps, too.

This book has found a way to always bring a tear to my eye.  It speaks straight to my heart about the beauty of parenthood and the continuous circle of life and love. As we go through the tough stages in raising our children, it makes me remember that this stage will not last forever.  

Even though my girls can drive me crazy at times, my love for them is unconditional.  I’m so happy I still have the opportunity to hold them in my lap and soothe them when their hurt.  I’m thankful that at this moment in their life, I am their whole world.  I am in charge of making their days happy and healthy and that right now I am enough.

I know there will come a day when my little girls will grow up and I will no longer be their whole world.  So for today, I’m going to cherish this precious time I have with them and expand my capacity for silliness and learn new ways to play with them.  I’m going to keep my promises and let them know that they are my greatest treasures.  I’m going to be generous with my hugs and kisses and treasure this gift of motherhood to its fullest capacity. 

Here is a beautiful prayer that I came across that reminds me that God's Love is present in helping me on this motherhood journey.

"Lord, you know my inadequacies.  You know my weaknesses, not only in parenting, but in every area of my life.  I'm doing the best I can to raise my kids properly, but is may not be good enough.  as you provided the fish and the loaves to feed the five thousand hungry people, now take my meager effort and use it to bless my family.  Make up for the things I do wrong.  Satisfy the needs that I have not met.  Compensate for my blunders and mistakes.  Wrap your great arms around my children, and draw them close to you.  And be there when they stand at the great crossroads between right and wrong.  All I can give them is my best, and I will continue to do that.  I submit them to you now and rededicate myself to the task you have placed before me.  The outcome rests securely in your hands."

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

Only for Today

Decalogue for Daily Living Only for today

I will seek to live the livelong day positively without wishing to solve the problems of my life all at once.  2. Only for today, I will take the greatest care of my appearance: I will dress modestly; I will not raise my voice; I will be courteous in my behavior; I will not criticize anyone; I will not claim to imporve or to discipline anyone except myself. 3.  Only for today, I will be happy in the certainty that I was created to be happy, not only in the other world but also in this one.  4.  Only for today, I will adapt to circumstances, without requiring all circumstances to be adapted to my own wishes.  5. Only for today, I will devot ten minutes of my time to some reading, remembering that just as food is necessary to the life of the body, so good reading is necessary to the life of the soul.  6. Only for today, I will do one good deed and not tell anyone about it. 7. Only for today, I will do at least one thing I do not like doing; and if my feeling are hurt, I will make sure no one notices.  8.  Only for today, I will make a plan for myself: I may not follow it to the letter, but I will make it.  And I will be on guard against two evils: hastiness and indecision.  9.  Only for today, I will firmly belive, despite appearances, that the good Providence of God cares for me as no one else who exists in this world.  10. Only for today, I will have no fears.  In particular, I will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful and to believe in goodness.  Indeed, for twelve hours I can certainly do what might cause me consternation where I to believe I had to do it all my life.  BI. Pope John XXIII

Encourage One Another

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.  Hebrews 3:7-19

In the last four years of my life, I have learned more skills and over come more obstacles as a mother than I ever have in my life. It’s amazing to me how my girls have stretched me beyond what I ever thought possible.    If you are a mother I know you can relate.  There are a whole new set of skills that you need to get through the challenges of your day.

Speaking from someone who just recently had a newborn baby, just the accomplishment of getting your baby to sleep through the night is like you’ve just conquered the world!

Most of the time I’m the only one who notices these small accomplishments in my day, so I’ll give myself a self-high five and move on. 

There are a number of people in my life who are great at noticing my small achievements too.   Even though many of my friends and family have already learned these skills long ago, they are really good at congratulating me on my small successes.  It’s this encouragement that helps me to keep striving for the next hopeful success as a mother. 

Even though we are able to accomplish good things on our own, it’s great when we have the support and encouragement of the people around us.  While we should not have to rely on the encouragement of others, it certainly goes a long way to assist us in our journey.  Romans 12:8 says, “If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging” It so wonderful that God reveals His love for us through the people in our lives.  He also invites us to be a part of his plan to encourage and help others too.  No matter how insignificant we may seem, each has an indispensable role to play in bringing Christ to one another and to the world. You never quite know how your encouraging words can help that person in your life, but I can tell you it’s a great feeling to know I’m not alone.

Proverbs 12:25, "An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up."
1 Thessalonians 5:11, "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."
Galatians 5:22, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness."

POP ROCKS

Matthew 5:14-16
You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.

Last week as the girls and I were checking out at the dollar store, I was all of a sudden taken back in time… right in front of the register was the famous Pop Rocks candy. As a kid, POP Rocks were the huge frenzy! The lady behind the counter and I had a short conversation about how exciting and cool it was as a kid to hear them crackle in your mouth. But, never forget the can of coke to make it that much funnier.

(A little background :) I vaguely remember the stories flying around about Mikey the famous kid in the classic life cereal television commercials. (“Let’s get Mikey”), noting, he hates everything. Apparently a few years after the commercials debut, an urban legend developed that the actor who had played Little Mikey had died soon afterward when his stomach exploded after consuming Pop Rocks and soda. Around 1983, enough pressure became too much and Pop Rocks were taken off the market. (That is, until recently)

When we got home, I shared a package with Kinely not telling her what she was about to experience. (I know that was a pretty brave thing to do, right?) She looked at me strangely as I poured them in her mouth and we both laughed as we couldn’t hear over what each other was saying because of all the popping that was going on in our mouth.

That night as I was discussing the event with Russell, I associated the similarity of the pop rocks with my relationship with Christ in my life. One of my continuous struggles in my life has been setting time aside for my devotional life. To be honest with you, quiet prayer time wasn’t engraved in my “muscle memory” as a child. So, when the business of motherhood came, I found it difficult to make time alone. Some of you may be stunned at such a thought. Your devotional life runs like clockwork. You find it impossible to make it through the day with out time alone with God. If that is true for you, may I tell you how blessed you are? (Even though it has taken me a couple of years to come to this discipline, it has been a gift of grace, not an accomplishment of my own making).

It wasn’t until my God mother showed me how important it was to weed out the noise in my life. Just like the pop rocks, I was consumed with the noise around me, and not on deepening my understanding with Christ. Through a 40 days devotional she wrote during lent, I began to slowly grow and thrive as the soil of my heart was tilled deep and fed by the Word of God. Her amazing study helped me realize how important it is to show Christ every part of my heart. It is not a duty. It is a delight.

What an amazing thought - that Christ wants to spend quality time with me. That he looks forward to our time together and misses me when I don't show up. Once that message started sinking into my heart, I started looking at my devotional time in a whole new way - not as a ritual, but as a relationship. And a relationship doesn't just happen. It has to be nurtured, protected, and loved.

Just as God continues to challenge me, he also challenges all of us to prune some of the unnecessary noise out of our life. I challenge you to spend time in your day taking short pit stops and spending time nourishing your spirit. He wants to invite us to sit with him and receive his abundant love. At the same time, he wants to give us energy for the work he’s called us to. May we all continue to strengthen our relationship with him so that we may go out and give away what God has given to us!

Psalm 46:10

Be still and know that I am God

Faith

“I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20

Last night, Russell and I met with a young woman who chose life for her unborn child. Just a couple of months ago, she went into our local pregnancy center not sure what she was going to do. Through God's own light and the help of amazing people at LifeTalk, she made the decision to keep this precious baby boy.

After we left, I got to thinking about how amazing God works through unexpected situations in our lives. It doesn't matter where someone might be in there life financially, spiritually, or emotionally, God always works for our good. All he asks of us is that we have faith the size of a mustard seed; and He will do great things in our lives.

Having faith in God is the key to removing obstacles and difficulties which keep us from doing his will. There is no doubt in my mind this woman followed God's voice and faith in her circumstances. What appeared impossible in her power was possible with God.

As we loaded up the baby bed in her car, she continued to thank us for meeting her and helping her; I couldn’t help but thank the Lord for helping me see faith in action through someone else.

But without faith, it is impossible to please God. For whoever approaches God must believe that he exist, and the he rewards those who seek him. Hebrews 11:16

Unexpected Blessing

"In her heart a woman plans her course, but the lord determines her step." Proverbs 16:9

Having Kinley was one of the best days of my life. Any mother can vouch for the amazing ride of emotions following this beautiful baby that God has brought into your life. For Russell and I it was one of the hardest times in our marriage. For several months I cluelessly wondered where my life was going, and felt extremely overwhelmed, and uncertain about going back to a job I absolutely loved.

Regardless of how prepared I was, and how much I was looking forward to Kinley arriving, my first year as a mother had some unexpected emotional highs and lows. I remember it was so lovely, but there were many times I just wanted to scream. Barbara Johnson says it perfect "No one likes change but babies in diapers." Man is that the truth!

When you become a mother, the love for your child makes you totally open and vulnerable. Here we were, two "Dinks" (dual income no kids) and all of a sudden the love I had for this precious baby girl took me further than I could have ever imagined.

I spent many nights walking my colicky baby girl not knowing what to do. I asked for strength when I was mentally exhausted from laundry, nursing, and maintaining my lifestyle with no sleep. I closed myself off to my husband and didn't feel the same connection I once had to my friends. Though I was going through this dark stage in my life, deep down I also felt this constant pull in my faith. Jeremiah 29:13 says “And you will seek me and find me, when you search for me with all your heart". That's exactly what happened; I finally started rebuilding my relationship with Christ. In a famous quote by St. Augustine, "God is the farmer, and if he abandons man, man becomes a desert. Man is also a farmer and if he leaves God, he turns himself into a desert." WOW! Was I was living in death valley!

As I look back on that stage in my life, I realized I was so busy staying busy, that I stopped spending time with the Lord. Once I invited Jesus back into the process, I began having hope. Finally God's light has helped me prune away old patterns and has taken me into a new direction.

Today I'm still a mom that has many struggles, and yes I still have those days where I want to sell my kids for two cents or... best offer... Having faith hasn't made me perfect, (ask anyone one who knows me especially my husband) but, it does give me hope that I can become even a better mom everyday with His help. God helps me appreciate my life on a whole different level.

Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.

I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you."

The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.

I bless the LORD who gives me conusel; in the night also my heart instructs me.

I keep the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also dwells secure.

For you do not give me up to Sheol, or let your godly one see the Pit.

You show me the path of life; in your presence there is fulness of joy, in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.Psalm 16:1-2, 7-11

"A mother's love" by Helen Steiner Rice

A Mother’s love is something

that no one can explain.
It's made of deep devotion
and of sacrifice and pain.
It is endless and unselfish
and enduring come what may
For nothing can destroy it
or take that love away...
It is patient and forgiving
when all others are forsaking,
And it never fails or falters
even though the heart is breaking...
It believes beyond believing
when the world around condemns,
And it glows with all the beauty

of the rarest, brightest gems...
It is far beyond defining,
it defies all explanation,
And it still remains a secret
like the mysteries of creation...
A many splendor miracle
man cannot understand
And another wondrous evidence
of God's tender guiding hand.

If it's free, it's for me!

Every excellent gift and every perfect gift is from above, descending from the father of lights, with whom there is no change, nor any shadow of alteration. James 1:17

Last Sunday after church, Russell realized it was July 11th. After a short discussion about how funny it would be to go get a Slurpee to celebrate, we headed directly to the closest 7-11 after lunch. Low and behold... they were giving away free Slurpee's all day! What a deal!

You will notice to the left, this is the employee who graciously allowed us to take a picture with him to celebrate such a momentous occasion. He was truly a sweet man and he was extremely excited!

After we left, Russell and I looked at each other and laughed at how excited we got. It still brings a smile to my face.
It amazes me, there are moments as a parent that God allows his grace to help me enjoy the simple pleasures in life. Nothing less is expected in God's own perfect design that we can see pure joy through the eyes of our children.

Matthew 18 says : "Amen I say to you, unless you change and become like little children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven." What can my daughters teach me about greatness? The beauty found in being humble and lowly of heart. Sometimes in my day, I let my own pride and self-reliance get the best of me. Or, that personal unrelenting pull of this world, luring me back to the so called "good" things that aren't quite the best things in my life. A wonderful mentor in my life said it perfectly "God tests the heart, both to expose what is hurtful and to strengthen what is good." How glorious to serve a God who can can keep my path in the right direction as long as I'm yielding to him.

Free Slurpee's are definitely the simple pleasures that life has to offer, but I'm slowly learning, the only source of perfect joy, is found in constantly strengthening my relationship with Him. "The mind is a great servant...but a lousy master".

I gasp for open mouth in my yearning for your commands. Psalms 131

Faithful Friends

Oil and perfume make the heart glad; so a man's counsel is sweet to his friend. Proverbs 27:9

My Birthday was a couple of weeks ago and for my gift, my wonderful friend Kirsten took me to her favorite spa. She couldn't have chosen a better present for me than spending a morning in complete relaxation, total peace and tranquility. Something I will have to admit I took advantage of back before my "mommy" days.

After our relaxing massage, we took some time to release some of our toxins in the sauna. This sauna even had a stereo inside! while Kirsten stood up to change the music, I noticed a small remote lying next to me. (Someone needs a charming Gardner to bring joy to their life right?) so I decided to turn up the volume. As she continued to wrestle with the volume, I finally decided she was getting a little irritated. I told her I was the culprit and showed her the remote. We both got a good laugh.

The book of Sirach says, A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; he who finds one finds a treasure. A faithful friend is beyond price, no sum can balance his worth. Sirach 6:14-15 After becoming a mother, my friendships have been my greatest source of pleasure. friendships are wonderful gifts to our lives straight from God and is one of the best ways He takes care of us.

You may have heard that saying, "In the cookies of life, friends are the chocolate chips". Friends are that sweet extra in life. I found this recipe and wanted to share.

Friendship Recipe



• Shortening - Provides texture. Our fellowship and friendship with our sisters in the Lord can add much depth and texture to our lives. We blend together in unity as part of the body of Christ.
• Sugar - Adds sweetness. Our fellowship with our sisters adds such a sweet taste to our lives. If we didn't have sugar in our cookies, we'd sure miss it. The same is with our fellowship with our sisters. We can't leave it out of our lives.
• Eggs - Holds ingredients together. Sisters in the Lord are someone to lean on. We are held together by fellowship with them. We are stronger because of them, their prayers, and their love in the Lord. We have a special bond in Christ.
• Vanilla - Adds flavor. Sisters add that flavor we need. They give us that extra sensation. Without friends and fellowship we become kind of bland.
• Flour - Adds substance. We need the substance a sister in the Lord can add. They give us many things by way of mentoring us when we don't even know it. Their shared testimonies and way they live their lives has an impact on us.
• Baking Soda - Leavens. Leavening agents in baking helps to lighten the dough. Friendship with our sisters in Christ lightens our burdens through their prayer and encouragement.
• Salt - Enhances flavor. We know that friendships add flavor and just when we need it, they help improve the tastefulness and quality of our lives. Friends are the type of people that know just what we are going through and are there when we need them.
• Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips - - The kind of chocolate chips we normally add to our cookies is semi sweet. Our sister friends tell us what they feel and think and that's okay. They can be honest and truthful to us. "Iron sharpeneth iron" (Proverbs 27:17).
• Nuts...Optional - Just a little craziness in a sister friend is great! Sometimes a little zaniness in our friends can be just the ingredient we need.

I saw a piece of wall art that said "We all let people into our lives, but..you will find that really good friends let you into your own." Thank You, Lord, for friends who walk together, cry together, do life together, grow together and laugh together.

"A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there
is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." Proverbs 18:24.

Little Box of Happiness

The righteous man leads a blameless life; blessed are his children after him. Proverbs 20:7

For father's day last year, Kinley and I decided to write several short descriptions on why Russell made a good husband and daddy. Here are some of my favorites:

I love to wave good-bye to my daddy when he goes to work in the morning. - Kinley

I love reading with you and when you act out the characters. - Diane

I love it when you play in my room. - Kinley

He has this little box of happiness that sits on his night stand and I'll occasionally catch him reading them and I know it makes him smile. Even though I know his job as a father and husband can be difficult, (especially since he's out numbered in our house by women) he always finds subtle ways to show he cares for us. There is no doubt in my mind that God brought us together to share in our life as one. It was truly a divine act of grace and I am so grateful and humble for a gift I did not deserve.

Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. - Psalm 37:4

Pretty New

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord - Psalm 27:14

Last week, Kinley and I went to a new consignment shop around the corner from our house. As I was looking through the clothes, Kinley came up to me and found a couple of crazy bands. For those of you who haven’t heard of the new craze, these are colorful uniquely shaped rubber bands that snap back into form when stretched and released.

Of course, not a surprise to me how my four year old knew exactly what they were! She couldn’t wait to get them home. As we were standing there discussing what we were going to do, we decided she needed to talk about taking them home with the owner "Angela". After a very entertaining conversation with Angela, they determined the best thing to do is put them in an envelope and hold on to them through the weekend. Just in case the little person who left them wound up coming back for them.

I don’t think God could have given us a better opportunity to learn this important virtue called patience. Being a mother is by far the most humbling experience I can ask for in my personal struggles with this virtue.

Patience takes work, discipline and self-control. In James 1:17 we are told that God our Father gives good gifts to us, His children. Not only does he give good gifts, but He knows perfectly what to give and when to give it.

There are many times I'm like my daughter, I want what I want when I want it. So I make the mistake of running out ahead of God's plan. If only I could have the perfect marriage, things would be better. If only my kids would let me get through the store without a wrestling match I wouldn't get so angry. If he would just fulfill that lifelong dream, I would be content. I am tempted to let my wants and desires get in the way of His plan for my life. But truth be told, God is never late.

I have seen many of God's perfect gifts unfold as I reflect on my life and patience has become the main key. When it comes to my spiritual growth, this too is a long process that requires perseverance and of course patience.

So, after four days in agonizing anticipation, we went in to see if the bands were still there. Thankfully Kinley left with a huge smile on her face and four crazy bands around her little wrist. Yes, God graciously continues to give me opportunities to grow in patience on a daily basis. I couldn't be more thankful for his subtle reminders.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. - James 1:17

Keep Your Eye on the Prize!

But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. Deuteronomy 4:29

Motherhood is the most challenging job out there. I read a funny resume written by a parent, at the end it said:"your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you."

As a mother it's so important to set our minds on something greater than the task immediately before us. When we are caught up in the trivial things of the moment, (and we all have those days as mothers) we can surely miss the forest for the trees. But there is hope! That hope is found in our creator our "Author and Protecter". God knows exactly what we need to get through those challenging moments in our days.

"We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

Heavenly father,

Please help me during those moments of despair and when my patience are wavering. help me have understanding when I'm caught up in the trivial parts of my day. Help me turn to you and know that you will give me everything I need. In the name of the father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, I pray Amen.

Love Bears all things!

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Corinthians 13:7

Do we really know what it means to "bear all things?" Yes, this is the right and Christian thing to do. But truth be told it is probably one of the most difficult things to do, because it requires us to empty ourselves and set our own emotions and feelings aside in order to love the way God intends us to do.

Bearing all things means sticking by the one's you love and encouraging them even if you are frustrated with them. It's doing what's right. Especially when we don't feel like it, because you love them and you want to honor God.

Jesus is the ultimate example of what it means to "bear all things" in order to show His love for us, he made the ultimate sacrafice. Just as it was for him, it will be painful, and it will include dying to your flesh. However when we bear each others burdens we are loving those around us the way Jesus showed his love to the world.

Turning to the Lord for help in my life is the only way to bear the crosses that I have been given. Through these personal trials, I know God is trying to draw me closer to him.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippans 4:13