Now She's Up!

My day started out horribly, but ended wonderfully. Someone, please pass the Super Mom Award. LOL!
This morning Joshua was upset that he couldn't find a bug to feed his praying mantis and was concerned it was going to starve and die while he was at school. (Which, therefore, made school a terrible place to be.) He was upset with me because he didn't think I care as much about the praying mantis as he does. (Got me there!) He thought I was unreasonable for not going to the pet store to buy crickets to feed said mantis.
Well, the good news is Joshua found two grasshoppers at recess and since I had packed a snack for him in a ziploc bag he was able to use the bag to transport the bugs home. And I was given "credit" for helping him get bugs for the praying mantis. Bonus! Spot (the praying mantis) immediately enjoyed one of the grasshoppers, Joshua was happy, and I got placed back on his "good list." Oh, I'm happy!
Then Elizabeth told me she and a friend were talking about going to each other's house to make a cake for their class at school. In trying to decide whose kitchen they should use, Elizabeth's friend asked, "What's your mom like with messes?" Elizabeth said, "Oh, she's OK with it as long as you clean it up." And her friend said, "Then let's do it at your house. My mom is too picky."
What's this? Someone is preferring me as the less uptight option??? That makes me happy!
And when I tucked the kids into bed tonight, Joshua called me back into his room to tell me something *important.* In school today he had to write in a journal about what he's been doing lately. He wrote about the bugs he's been playing with. (For the record, Ring died and is now on the bug board. Spot is the new praying mantis. We have two grasshoppers - of the non-food-for-Spot variety - and one large dragonfly which used to be flying around Joshua's room and is now proudly displayed on the bug board.) Tonight he told me he also wrote he knows I love him because I'm letting him have these bugs in the house. Yep, for the love of Joshua. No way I'd allow it otherwise!
Honestly, I'm not real crazy about these critters, except it does give us opportunity to talk about God's creativity and attention to detail when we examine Jumper close up. More than that, though, it makes me very happy to know these little bugs in the house help Joshua know I love him so much!

One of *Those* Mornings!

This morning I did not like being a mother. Oh, I still love my kids like crazy, but this mothering thing...I was so ready to let it go!

Brian left yesterday afternoon for Denver. He's there this week receiving training for a new business he's opening soon. (It's a personal training franchise called Fitness Together. Yep, I'm thinking he should walk around with a t-shirt that says, "If you want a body like mine, you've got to train at Fitness Together." That'll bring the clients in!) Anyway, I'm flying solo this week and this morning I thought I was going to crash and burn.
I'll skip the details. It's probably enough to say Joshua was unhappy about everything, Matthew was mad at Joshua, and I was looking for somewhere to run away and hide. At one point, when two out of three of us were in tears and the other one was just grumbling, I honestly wondered if I should let them stay home from school. Not that I wanted to spend an entire day with this chaos, I just wasn't sure I wanted to send them out in this condition. Seriously, it was that bad of a morning.
Thankfully...
A lot of prayer and a nice walk to the bus stop seemed to help all of us.

At the bus stop I met another mom and as we were walking home she invited me in to her house for a visit. Oh, there is so much to get done today and I really thought I should pass on the invitation, but I went in anyway. I am so glad I did! We had a delightful conversation and after about an hour and a half of visiting, we found out we are very much alike. When I got home I found that no one had folded the laundry, cleaned up the kitchen, gone to the grocery store, or any of the other things I need to do today. Yep, those tasks are still here. And now I'm going to conquer them all, feeling a little refreshed from time spent with a new friend, and feeling hopeful that God will carry me through even my most difficult mothering moments.

I Bet This Won't Surprise You

A week ago I posted about the various critters we've had invading, I mean visiting, our house. One of those critters is a praying mantis the kids have named Ring. I mentioned Joshua is keeping Ring well fed (which is why we thought the bug was so fat) and I also referred to this particular bug as he. Well, well, well...
This morning Joshua called me excitedly and said, "Look what Ring made last night!" I went out and saw something that looked like a mini-wheat sitting on top of the cage. Although there was a box of Mini-Wheats on the breakfast table, I knew Joshua wasn't tricking me with cereal. Ring is a she, and she was fat because she had a bunch of eggs just waiting to be laid! Yep, that was an egg sac she made last night and now we have a slender bug. (I should have known it wasn't a male. Haven't all the males mated and been eaten by this time in the season?)

I got on the Internet to learn what I could about praying mantis egg sacs while the kids were in school today. I learned females lay their eggs in the fall (in sacs containing between 20-100 eggs!) and they hatch in the spring. I also learned that some people actually buy these eggs to put in their gardens because the adult praying mantis will eat pests. One site said, "Due to high demand praying mantis egg sacs are unavailable until 2008." Aren't we the lucky ones? We got an egg sac for free!
So the plan is, we're going to put the egg sac in a box in the garage for the winter and will put it among the flowers in the spring so the eggs can hatch and eat the pesty bugs around our yard. (I wonder if they'll eat the off-spring from one of the two bees that stung me the other day. That would make me happy!)
I think I might be as excited about this egg sac as the kids are. It really is amazing to think this thing was produced by a bug over night. And I'm glad for the "science lesson" God has just dropped in our laps. So long as we get them outside next spring before they hatch and take over the garage!

Once again, I live in a zoo.

To Amanda, mother of 4

Amanda, I am so glad you visited my blog and left a comment. First I would say, No! You are not alone. Second, I would love to talk further with you and am praying you'll stop by here again and will see this message. Please email me at Karen@IrritableMother.com.

In Hope,

Oh, No! It's Starting!

I have always known my children weren't going to stay little forever. I knew the day would come when they would grow up and wouldn't need me, and maybe wouldn't *sniff* even *sniff* want me. *sniff, sniff* But I thought they would at least be teenagers when that happened.

Elizabeth has been doing a wonderful job this week of getting up on her own (though she did forget to set her alarm last night and I had to wake her this morning). She gets herself ready, gets her breakfast, and leaves for the bus without any prompting from me. This behavior is such a change from last year, and I have admired how much she's grown up just over the summer. It did scare me a bit last night when we went to the shoe store though. The clerk measured Elizabeth's foot and, are you ready for this? (I wasn't!) My little girl's foot is a half size larger than mine!
OK, so she's really growing. But she's only eleven. What happened to waiting for her teen years before she started growing up???

Well, at least I still have my little boys, I thought. Then came this morning. Joshua asked, "Mom, do you have to walk us to the bus stop today?" (Background: Tuesday I went with them just so they could find it, but we had to turn several corners along the way and it seemed a bit confusing. So yesterday we went to a different one - maybe a slightly longer walk but waaaaay easier to navigate. I suggested this second bus stop specifically so they would be able to manage going by themselves, but I didn't expect Joshua to ask me to not go with them!) I asked him why he didn't want me to walk with them and he said, "I want to grow up a little." Oh!!! Matthew does want me to walk with them (he even holds my hand!) so I asked Joshua if it would be OK with him if I walked them to the bus today, but didn't tomorrow. He agreed.
So we're walking along this morning and I'm looking at Joshua - he's only 9! - and realizing he is growing up right before my eyes, too. We talked about school and bugs and the neighbor's cat, and I tried to cherish the moment. Then the bus came and even though he's growing up, even though his new friends were standing around, Joshua hugged me and gave me a kiss and told me he loves me. As he boarded the bus we even did our "You Rock!" routine. And as the bus drove away I saw both of my little boys sitting in the back of the bus, waving good-bye to me out the back window. Precious, I'm telling you. Absolutely precious!

I still don't know what to do about this "growing up" thing happening so far ahead of schedule, though!

I'm Doomed!

Yesterday was my kids' first day of school. Everyone got up and dressed and was excited to go to their new school. Our new neighbors came over to walk with Elizabeth to her bus stop, and about an hour later I walked with the boys to theirs. It was after school, when Elizabeth and I walked to meet the boys as they got off the bus, that I realized I'm doomed.
Also standing there, waiting for her son, was a neighbor I hadn't yet met. We chatted for a few minutes and she seemed quite nice. When the bus came and our boys all got off somehow the conversation turned to bugs and mice. (Go figure. Joshua comes upon the scene and there goes the conversation!) Something about this woman's demeanor made me think she wasn't so big on bugs and mice and she seemed eager to change the subject. However, before I could do anything about it Elizabeth told her we have pet mice, and she said something about wanting a rat. I thought, Great. Here goes any chance this woman will ever want to come visit our house!
But, no! She smiled and told us she loves rats, that she used to have one. Immediately Elizabeth engaged her in a conversation about the merits of having a rat for a pet and I practically stood there watching all my arguments against said pets, flying out the window. (OK, I really only have one argument. I think their tails look like snakes, and that just creeps me out!)
This woman's testimony about pet rats, coupled with the fact one of Joshua's pet mice died yesterday and the other one has got to be going any minute now, has me fearing I will soon be inundated with requests for a pet rat. This is why I think I'm doomed. A reasonable sounding adult said she likes rats, and my kids heard her say it. We're going to have an empty cage soon! Pray for me friends! I need to be strong. I must resist the temptation to give in to this insane request. I cannot say "Yes" to a rat. Besides, what will my mother say if I tell her I'm going to let my kids have a rat??? She'll never come to my house again! (OK, perhaps that's the real reason I don't want a rat. I'm almost 36 years old and I'm still trying to please my mother!)

I want to thank those of you who were praying for me and the women to whom I spoke last night. It was a great evening. If you are interested, I would love it if you checked out my schedule and prayed for each of the groups for whom I speak. My prayer is always that God would prepare the women for what He wants to say to them, that He would bring hope and healing to their hearts, and that He would reveal to each woman the ways He is using her struggles for good. I have a group of ladies from my church to whom I send out regular prayer requests for my speaking, but I was so encouraged by the comments and emails I received from you about praying that I wanted to share my schedule with you so you could continue praying. Thanks so much!

Party Time!

When we decided to move, my kids were understandably sad to be leaving their school and friends. We didn't move very far though, and we assured the kids they could still see their friends. Even so, they wanted to have a party to say goodbye.
That is, they wanted to throw themselves a going away party. As in, while I was in the midst of packing our stuff, cleaning and fixing up the house to get it ready to put on the market, and dealing with my own feelings about moving, the kids wanted me to invite over all their friends so they could say, Goodbye. Call me crazy but I thought that was a really bad idea.
Fortunately I was able to think fast and I suggested rather than having a "Moving Party," we should have a "Moved-in Party." I told the kids they could invite their friends over to our new house, and that way everyone would know where we live. (And I could buy myself some time!) The kids agreed, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

Well, as you know, we're in our new home. Starting about five minutes after we were here, the kids have been asking, "When can we have our 'Moved-in Party'?" This past week I was thinking about it, realizing school was just around the corner, and declared Sunday afternoon to be the official time for the Moved-in Party. I had the kids make a list of who they wanted to invite and I got on the phone to extend the invitations. We started brainstorming ideas for activities and went shopping to get some party supplies. (The shopping trip was another opportunity for me to be thankful that I have a creative and frugal daughter. She wanted to get a pinata for the party but we couldn't find one at the Dollar Store. The ones at WalMart were $15 and $16 and I just couldn't see spending that much money on something kids were going to destroy with a baseball bat. She said, "That's OK. I'll make one." So she decorated a brown paper bag and called it a pinata.)
Finally this afternoon, after a week of anticipating, fourteen of my kids' friends came over for an afternoon of games and fun. We had a three-legged race, batted the pinata, ate snacks, and played sardines. After the "organized" activities the kids gravitated to their respective groups (the little boys, the bigger boys, and the girls) and did their own things.
I walked in on the girls playing Truth or Dare and taught them how to play HaHa. (Did anyone else play that game at slumber parties?) The bigger boys enjoyed catching bugs, and Joshua thrilled them all by feeding Ring a moth. And the little boys climbed the trees and the sign in our front yard. It was a true joy to see them enjoying themselves so much.
In fact, Joshua just walked through the room and said, "This was a fun day."
Yes, some days I feel like I'm getting it "right." Some days the kids are happy with the things I do for them. Some days I'm a little more able to overlook the crumbs on the floor and the doors that keep getting left open, and I can just be happy that my kids are having fun. Today is one of those days, and I'm going to cherish it!

Nice Mom? Ya Think???

Thank you for the comments about me being a nice mom for letting the kids bring Lucky into our house. My "kind" act may seem a little less remarkable when I tell you the kids already have pet mice, so I'm used to them. (And, yes, I do hold them on occasion, and I even think they're cute!)

The ironic thing is, for most of the day today I have been feeling far from "nice." Maybe because I stayed up too late last night and had a headache for most of the day. Maybe because I took the kids with me on errands this morning and one or the other of them was constantly complaining or wandering off in another direction. Maybe because my husband has been working long hours this week and I'm tired of feeling like a single parent. (How do you single moms do it???) Or perhaps it's because I just moved into a new house, things are still kind of a mess and my emotional wick is shorter than usual.
Whatever the reason, for most of the day today I have been pretending to be nice. That is, I have been trying to behave contrary to my feelings. This is the kind of day when I have to take frequent deep breaths, when I rely on a lot of self-talk like, Relax, Karen. It isn't really a big deal, and when I must regularly remind myself of what is True.
Honestly, there were times today when I felt like the most rotten person on planet Earth. These kids are great. They are gifts. I am blessed to have three healthy children! How can I possibly be so irritated with them? What's wrong with me??? And so I battle with myself, fighting between who I am and who I long to be.
Over the past few mornings I have been reading about the events leading up to Jesus' crucifixion, marveling at His perfect love. He was betrayed and abandoned by His closest friends, yet His love never faltered. He was mistreated and ridiculed, but He never turned His back on those He came to save. I want to be like Him. I've had a line from a song running through my head lately, I'm so tired of me. Jesus, I want to be like You! Yes, that is my heart's desire.

I have my first speaking engagement of the year coming up Tuesday night. It's been three and a half months since I've spoken and I am so looking forward to getting back into it. The thought did cross my mind today, Perhaps God, in His goodness, is allowing me to have a day like today in order that I might be more ready to relate with the women to whom I'll be speaking next week. He is always working things out for His good purposes and perfect plan. It wouldn't surprise me if He were up to something good today.
Yes, even in the midst of my yuck, He is still good. I am so thankful God's goodness is not affected by my circumstance. Aren't you?

Not So Lucky

Do you remember Button? A few months ago Joshua rescued a fallen baby bird, and in spite of the fact I told him I thought it would die without it's mother, we took care of that baby and took it to a wildlife rescue center.
Well, Monday the kids went up to the playground at the boys' school and came home with another critter. Joshua was out of breath as he walked into the house and addressed each of my objections before I could even voice them. He ended with, "And remember, you didn't think Button would live, and we took care of her! So, can we keep it?"
It was a baby mouse they'd found at the playground, abandoned by its mother. I looked at the fire in his eyes, listened to the passion in his voice, and thought about Button. What could I say? "What are you going to name it?"
It's name was Lucky because Joshua said the baby mouse was lucky the kids had found it. Cute.
Joshua got out the heating pad to make a bed for Lucky and Elizabeth got online to research "how to care for a baby mouse with fur, whose eyes are not yet open." We went to the store and bought sweetened condensed milk and the kids nursed the orphan carefully. Once again, I loved seeing their compassion on display.
Lucky was with us for a couple days, but he died yesterday. Not so Lucky, I guess. Nonetheless, it was another good experience for the kids and I'm glad they got to experience it.

Lucky is just another of the various creatures we've had in our new home. Joshua had caught one butterfly which he wanted for the bug board he's making. He didn't want to kill it right away so I let him keep it in his room until it died. Then a friend of ours told Joshua he'd found a walking stick at his house, and Joshua asked if he could have it. So Twiggy was added to the mix. Then he found another butterfly. Those three have all since died and have been carefully tacked to the bug board.
The one living creature which remains (in a cage!) is a praying mantis. The day Joshua found Ring we were up at the playground and I watched Joshua stalking a grasshopper. He leaped for it, caught it, smiled at me and said, "Lunch!" Sure enough, when we came home Joshua put the (live) grasshopper in the cage and we watched Ring eat lunch. That's quite a sight.
I suppose if Joshua stops catching gourmet bugs for Ring, he'll become part of the bug board some day. Until then he'll remain a fattened bug. (And I'm glad he finally ate the cricket. I was getting tired of the chirping!)

Yes, I live in a zoo. There's never a dull moment!

A Kid at Heart

Our new house is about half a mile from the boys' elementary school and the kids have loved taking advantage of the sidewalk that goes the whole way from our house to school. They ride their bikes up and enjoy the playground. One of Joshua's greatest joys has been the small collection of fire crackers he has gathered at the playground which someone else left behind.
Today one of Joshua's friends came over to play and Joshua was anxious for Brian to get home because he wanted his friend to be able to see the fire crackers explode. When it looked as if Brian wasn't going to be home before his friend left, Joshua begged me to light a fire cracker. I did, the boys squealed with delight, and I enjoyed their response. Then Brian got home and the real show began.
Joshua ran up to Brian and asked him to pleeease light more fire crackers, which he readily agreed to. Matthew joined them outside, so Brian and the three boys yelled with excitement as another cracker exploded. With the next *bang* there was laughter and I learned it was because the noise scared a squirrel in the back yard so much that it jumped, dropped its walnut, and ran in the other direction. At that, the boys called Elizabeth and her friend up to see the show, and Brian came into the kitchen where I was making dinner. (And watching the show through the window!)
Brian saw an empty soup can on the counter, grabbed it and said, "Perfect!" Just as quickly as he'd appeared, Brian was back outside with his little following right by his side. I heard him say, "Now we'll make a rocket!"
Leaning over the counter and peering out the window, I saw what he was up to. Brian had put the can over the fire cracker, with just the wick peering out from underneath. With the kids safely behind him (I'm sure he knew his over-protective-always-worried-someone-will-get-hurt-are-you-sure-you-should-be-doing-this?-wife was watching!) Brian lit the wick and jumped back for 3-2-1-Blast off! The fire cracker exploded, the can flew into the air, and all the observers hollered with delight. I can't say for sure, but I think the "kid" who experienced the greatest amount of pleasure in seeing the "rocket" take flight was none other than my beloved husband.
Yes, this evening I believe I caught a glimpse of Brian when he was nine years old. It was wonderful!

Awww, Thanks!

Over the past couple of weeks, both Karen at Karen's Ramblings and Shawna at Scamp's Place told me they'd nominated me for an award. They told me to come check it out when I wasn't busy. I'm hardly settled in the new place, so I don't think I qualify as not busy, but I checked them out anyway. So glad I did!

Both Karen and Shawna think I'm nice.

I couldn't figure out how to copy the cute award icon, but this is what the award said:

This award will be awarded to those that are just nice people, good blog friends and those that inspire good feelings and inspiration! Those that care about others that are there to lend support or those that are just a positive influence in our blogging world!

Thanks so much, Karen and Shawna. I'm glad to know someone thinks I'm nice. (And, oh, the irony. I just told Matthew he can't have a snack so now he's yelling at me about how I'm so unfair and mean.) Yup, I really needed your encouragement today! LOL

I know I'm supposed to pass this award on to other nice bloggers, and I do know there are so many who are deserving. I hope you'll forgive me as I "drop the ball" on this one, though. Things are still quite crazy around here and I honestly don't have the emotional energy to put into it now.

Please know I love you all and appreciate how *nice* you've been to me over the past weeks with your prayers and words of encouragement!

Good to be Back

Time is such a funny thing. I can't believe it was just a week ago at this very moment we were moving into this house. In some ways it seems like so much has happened and I'm sure more than seven days have passed. In other ways I don't even feel like I'm moved in yet, so the fact we have been living here for a week seems impossible.
But we are here. And we have a new digital camera. So come along with me and I'll show you around a bit!

Last time, I told you about my spice rack...Here it is!
I love the kitchen. It has so much cupboard space! In our old house I had a "pantry" in the basement. That is, I had two racks of metal shelves in the basement, on which I stored extra food and paper products because the kitchen was so small. In this house I still have a cupboard I haven't filled yet.
And the oven is great, too. It actually beeps at me when it has finished pre-heating so I know it's ready to bake. I'm telling you, simple things make me happy. Like alphabetically stored spices!

The kitchen goes right into the family room. We had a fireplace in our first house, and I'm glad we have one again. Cold winter days are somehow more bearable when you can light a fire in the fireplace.
Right now the family room is pretty empty though. We had one family room in our old house which was quite full with a couch, glider, end table, TV and bookshelf. Now we have a family room and a living room and have split the furniture between the two, for two fairly empty rooms.
On the upside, with wood floors and not much furniture the family room has great acoustics. (like my shower!) Random fact about me: Barry Manilow is my favorite secular recording artist. So I have thoroughly enjoyed playing Barry's CD Singin' with the Big Bands while I'm singing and dancing around the empty family room.

This is a picture of the bar in our basement. Honestly, this feature is what "sold" me on the house. It's a fun place for the kids and we have all enjoyed sitting here playing games together. I have taught my kids the card game called Speed, which I grew up playing with my sister. As an incentive for the kids to get ready for bed quickly, I tell them we can have Speed Tournaments at the bar if everyone is ready on time. That form of motivation has been quite effective!
Elizabeth and her friend spent time turning this area into the "Pinto Ranch Bar" and served everyone lunch here. It was really cute.

Finally, this picture was taken from the room in the basement next to the bar, looking into the room containing the bar. From this view you can see the doorway to the room which will be our office and guest bedroom. (You're welcome to visit anytime!) From this view you can also see one of the reasons I'm so excited about having a finished basement. Those round red, blue and green things are bouncy balls my mil got my kids for Christmas last year. The kids love them, but whenever all three of them started bouncing around I was always afraid one of two things was going to happen. Either they would crash into the bookshelf and send things flying, or they would break through the floor and end up in the basement. Now they can bounce around as much as they want with no worries on my part! Ahhh. *heavy sigh*
So there you have it. A quick (albeit incomplete) tour of my new digs. Guess you'll have to come visit if you want to see the whole thing. How's that for bribery? *grin*

We got phone and internet service here Thursday, so I'm feeling a little more connected. (Literally.) I'll be around to visit your blogs soon and will be posting here on a more regular basis, too.
Ahhh, yes, it's good to be back!

We're In!

This is gonna be real quick, but I wanted to let you know the latest.

We successfully got everything out of our old house Saturday and put in the new one. (Notice I said "put in" and not "put away"!)

We won't have internet service there until Thursday. I'm at our old house now, where everything is still hooked up.

Two cool things I discovered at the new place:
1. I have a spice rack in the cupboard which allows me to arrange my spices alphabetically. The house is chaos, but I know right where my spices are.
2. My new shower has awesome acoustics!

I miss you all and hope to get back to normalcy and blog reading within a week.

Loving Jesus,

Checking In

I only have a few minutes until I need to leave for church, but this may be the last opportunity I have to be at my computer for the next week. I wanted to check in real quick to let you all know I'm still alive and the boxes haven't swallowed me up. Yet.

It's been a crazy week, with some anxious moments. But God delivered words of life through a dear friend's email just when I needed them.

The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth and even forevermore. Psalm 121:8

He is so good that way, and I love that He knows just what I need.

We're heading out of town this afternoon and will return Friday - to close on our new house and enroll the kids in their new school. Then, Saturday, we move. I've read some of your horror stories about getting internet in your new abode and am prepared to be missing it for awhile. However, there is a WiFi coffee shop "just around the corner" from where we'll be living. Nonetheless, it may be awhile until I post again.

Thanks so much for your prayers and encouragement for me through this process.

I love you!

Can I Have a...?

OK, is it "cheating" if I post another entry from the book I'm writing? I wanted to post something for you today but we're moving, you know...So I'm going with something I've already written. I pray you'll be blessed.

Can I Have a...?
My children love animals. They always have. Whether it’s some exotic species at the zoo, horses in a field by which we’re driving, or simply squirrels in the back yard, my kids will stop what they’re doing and look up immediately whenever someone says, “Look! It’s a…!” They just love God’s furry creatures.
When they were quite small my kids began wanting a pet, but I had always felt we weren’t ready for one. One day I realized they were outside catching bugs, putting them in containers, naming them, and calling the bugs their pets. Yes, they were resorting to bugs for companions! Oh, I thought, I really need to let them have a pet.
In time, we were in a pet store and I fell in love with the mice. Call me crazy if you wish, but I really did fall in love! At Christmas time the next year, we added pet mice to our family. The kids loved these little critters. They played with them, cleaned their cages and cared for them. And for awhile they were satisfied. Eventually, though, their minds began to wander. They began to want more.
This wanting was especially true of Elizabeth. She began asking for various new pets. A guinea pig. A hermit crab. Perhaps a lizard. She talked about which cage from the attic she could use, so she could get a new pet without buying a new cage. Sometimes she asked about getting books to study about the animals so as to be more knowledgeable and ready to care for said pet. I know, this behavior all seems very responsible and admirable but after I’d just gotten her a mouse I was hoping she’d be content with it. I was getting tired of this new line of questioning.
One particular day she was asking me how much I thought a hermit crab would cost at the pet store. “Honey, I have no idea,” was my reply. Elizabeth stated, “I think they’re probably only $1, since the mice are only $2, and hermit crabs are smaller than mice.” And she asked me again for my opinion. Slightly wary of the conversation, I just said, “I don’t know!”
Then my sweet little, persistent daughter looked at me with her big eyes and asked, “Mom, can I get a hermit crab?”
I looked back at her, a bit exasperated and just thought, Ugh! You wanted a pet and I got you a pet. Now you keep asking me for another pet. And you want me to tell you how much a hermit crab costs. I’m telling you, I don’t know! But that isn’t good enough for you. And now you want to know if I’ll buy you a hermit crab? Girl, you ask too many questions!
When I finished my internal tirade, it was as if God held a mirror up to my face and asked if I could see any similarities between my daughter and me. Oh, they were there! Besides the blue-green eyes, the brown hair, and the charming smile, I saw a woman who asks an awful lot of questions.
God, what should I do in this situation?
That woman really hurt me. How am I supposed to forgive her?
When is this trial going to be over?
I’m so confused, Lord. Will you please lead me through this valley?
Why does mothering have to be so hard?
Do You really know what You’re doing here?
God, why do I have to go through this situation?
Then I looked at the difference between my response to my daughter’s questions, and God’s response to mine. God doesn’t get bothered by my questions. When I ask Him things, He never says, “I don’t know!” He is perfectly willing to listen to me as I share my uncertainties with Him, and He never gets tired of the conversation. Rather, He looks at me and loves me while I’m asking. I pondered this picture for awhile and thought, How thankful I am that God doesn’t tire of my questions! Even when I ask the same ones over and over again.
Can you wrap your mind around the wonder of God’s patience? Although we may grow weary of our children peppering us with inquiries, He is not like us. He knows the concerns and desires of our hearts. He knows the questions filling our minds. None of it is news to Him, yet God patiently and lovingly listens to our requests. Over and over again. And in His perfect time He will give us His answer.

Your Turn:
Is there a question, or questions, you have been asking God repeatedly?
Do you think He gets tired of you asking, or that He patiently and lovingly listens?
Make a list of the questions burdening you today and present them to God. Spend time in prayer thanking Him for listening to you, for loving you, and for answering in His perfect time. Ask Him to speak to your heart and spend time just listening to Him. Perhaps today is the day He will give you some of the answers you have been seeking.

I'm Overwhelmed, but God is Good!

OK, Overwhelm is setting in.

First, we thought we were going away for a week (for hubby's job, but also good family time worked in) then coming home, closing on the new house and moving. Then we found out we had the dates wrong and wouldn't be going away until one week later. That change caused a few other changes but it gave us an extra week to pack, and that seemed good. Now, we've gotten the closing date moved up and are anticipating moving one week from today, before we leave for that week.
The decision to schedule things in this way was really an attempt to choose the lesser of two very stressful options. I hope we chose right!

There is so much going through my mind that most days lately, when I wake up I lay in bed for a minute just trying to figure out what day it is and running through a list of What do I need to do today?

So what am I doing blogging? Lunch break and the need to decompress. It always helps me gain perspective when I put my thoughts into words.

I am remembering in the midst of packing and wondering what to keep, what to throw away, and Where should I put this? Jesus is still good. He is not thrown off balance by my stress. He is my Rock. Oh, how I need Him!
A few nights ago I got the coolest image in my head. I truly don't know if I was dreaming or awake because I was in and out of sleep so many times. But this is what I saw: A very large hand, and little tiny yellow suitcases softly stacking up on the thumb. It was as if the hand was God's and the suitcases were all my burdens. (Did we choose right? What if Fitness Together doesn't take off? What if there are no kids near us in the neighborhood? Will our house sell? and on and on...) And it was like God was reminding me my burdens are not too difficult for Him. I don't need to worry. I just need to trust!

Even as I'm sitting here typing this out, God is speaking! I'm listening to Pandora.com and typed in Kathy Troccoli as my favorite artist. As I was beginning to type out my burdens, KT's song He Will Make a Way started playing. I love it when He does that!!!

So, break time is over. God is so good. And I'm getting back to packing!

Thanks so much for your prayers and words of encouragement to me. I so appreciate them all.

Much love,

Joy in Jesus

Ahhhh! I just had a wonderful time with the Lord and before I start on the rest of my day I want to take a minute to share with you.
I was reading John 11:1-45. Three times in the first three verses, it says Lazarus is sick.(Now a man named Lazarus was sick...This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick..."Lord, the one you love is sick.") I read over it a couple of times and thought, OK, Lazarus was definitely sick. I've got that. My mind went to so many people I know of who are sick right now and I began to pray for little Allie, big Allie, Izzy, Micah, Chloe, Ron, Heather, and Andrea. I realized and thanked God that he knows each one is sick, He knows what they need, and He loves them. As I reflected on Jesus' calm response to Lazarus' situation I thanked Him for His power and sovereignty in each of these other situations, too.
I considered Martha's faith, "'Lord,' Martha said to Jesus, 'if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.'" (v.21-22) And I prayed for the families surrounding these individuals. I asked God to cover them with His Spirit, to build their faith and to give them confidence in His perfect plan and perfect timing.
When I read about Jesus calling Lazarus out of his grave, I prayed and asked Him to call these individuals out of their sicknesses. And I sat praising and thanking Jesus for His power and His perfect plan. He knew just what He was doing when he delayed going to Lazarus. The whole situation was for His glory (v. 4). So I prayed that He be glorified because of little Allie, big Allie, Izzy, Micah, Chloe, Ron, Heather, and Andrea.

I am so full of joy this morning because of Who Jesus Is and because of what He can do, and I just wanted to share it with you!!!

Now it's time to eat, shower, and get back to packing.

Have a blessed day!

5 Minutes for Mom is Giving Away a 37" Flat-Panel LCD HDTV

Seriously! 5 Minutes for Mom and Best Buy are teaming up for this great give-away and you can enter to win, too. If you want to decrease my chances at winning and getting this great TV for my new home *sniff, sniff* follow this link for all the details!

Moving Forward

Brian and I worked so hard last week! My forearms are sore from the scrubbing, sanding, and painting but it's looking good around here. There are so many spiritual lessons to be learned from getting a house ready to sell - I have in mind to write them down so I can share them here sometime. But I've no time to do it just now...
The kids are all home now, and are actually excited about the move. (Mixed with an expected amount of sadness.) The For Sale sign is in the front yard. And this week we focus on packing, as next week we'll be gone and soon after we get back we'll be closing on our new house and moving in. Can anyone say, Wow, this is going fast!!!

On another front, I did do something unrelated to the house last week. I had lunch with a woman who heads up a moms group so we could get to know each other a bit and discuss the possibility of me coming and speaking for those moms in the fall. We had a great time together. She asked me about my talks and I told her about one which I have yet to write, but which God has been laying on my heart for quite awhile. She thought it sounded great and asked if I would come in the fall to share my fist talk and again in the spring to share the one that's still in my heart, waiting to be written. I am so excited. Now I have a "reason" to write this talk and it may also be the motivation I need to complete my next book. (Which, for the record, received almost no attention last week!) Though I'm tired from all this *moving stuff*, I am still in love with God and excited about what He's doing.

Have a blessed day. (Or week...not sure when I'll post again!)

It's a Go!

I mentioned Sunday that I was open to the possibility God would give us a great new house by moving in the seller to accept our low-ball offer. Well, the seller countered and Monday we went to look at the house again to decide if we wanted to make a new offer. (Brian calls this negotiating process a dance. I didn't realize we were going to be doing the Tango!)
As I walked through the house, totally loving it, I asked God if this was the place He wanted us to live. When it came time to decide on our offer I was content to "risk" it by only going up a little bit. If we didn't get the house, I was trusting God was behind the decision. Well, the seller didn't budge on his counter offer and I was content, believing it to be God's answer.
Shortly after we told our realtor we weren't going to accept the counter offer, things started happening. They asked us to meet in the middle, and a host of other things from which I'll spare you the details lest my head start spinning again.
We were at the point of considering coming up a little bit more but were wondering, What if God was closing a door today and now we're re-opening it? I wanted this move to be God-led. I wanted His best. If His best was for us to stay right here, that was fine with me. And if it was for us to move, that's what I wanted to do. But we just weren't sure to how to know if this new line of negotiation was God moving, or us.

Ultimately we came up a little bit in our offer and before we called it in we prayed, telling God we didn't want this house if it wasn't what He knew was best for us. We asked Him to close the door again, if He had in fact closed it earlier in the day. We begged Him to protect us from doing something stupid. Then we called our realtor.
A few minutes later he called us back saying the seller wanted us to come up another thousand dollars. Yes, just one thousand dollars. We said, NO WAY. We had just asked God to close the door if necessary and there was no way we were going to move to open it.
Well, Tuesday evening we got the call that our offer had been accepted. We're getting the house! I can hardly believe it. The kids are each going to have their own bedroom. Brian and I are going to have our own bathroom. The basement is finished and will be a great place for the kids to hang out with their friends. It has a huge yard. And we're going to have an extra bed in my office (right now my "office" is a corner of the kids' playroom!) sooooo, anytime one of my bloggy friends wants to come to Michigan, I'll have a place for you to stay! *hint, wink*

We'll close on the house in a few weeks and right now we're in a mad dash to get our current house ready to sell. For the past two days I have been patching and sanding, washing walls, moving furniture and deep cleaning, sorting, and throwing away. Today painting is on the agenda. Today I am also going to call and get the kids registered in the new school district. It's hard to believe this is all happening, and so quickly. School starts in less than six weeks, and in that time we'll be getting this house ready to sell, settling into a new house, helping the kids get acquainted with their new digs and meeting new friends.
My posting here will surely be sporadic (I've been wanting to write this post since Tuesday night!) and brief, at best. I would certainly appreciate your prayers, especially for my kids as they adjust to new schools!
Thanks so much. I love you!

Time Travel Tuesday ~ Spouse Encounter

Oh, what fun. This week Annie is taking us back to the first time we met our spouse. She asks, Was it love at first sight? Or did it take a little longer... I love the story of how Brian and I met and usually make him tell it, but today I'm telling the story.

In all honesty, though I remember the occasion, I don't remember specifically meeting Brian the first time we met because it happened at a time when I was meeting lots of new people. It was September in 1989 and Brian and I were both freshmen at Western Michigan University, living in the same dorm.
The Resident Advisor on my floor talked to me about serving on the Hall Council and I agreed to be the Programming Committee Chairperson. I like planning activities and being involved and thought Hall Council sounded like a good way to do both those things. Little did I know how taking on that role would lead to a major life change for me!
One floor up, the Resident Advisor on Brian's floor talked Brian and his roommate (Jeff) into being Floor Representatives. This role wouldn't involve much commitment. They'd just have to choose a committee in which to participate and help out here and there. Brian had no idea this low-commitment activity would eventually lead to a life-time commitment!

So there we were at the first Hall Council meeting of the year. Hall Council consisted of three committees and at the first meeting, each of the committee chairs stood up and described our committee so the floor reps could choose the one on which they wanted to serve. Brian and Jeff chose to be on the Programming Committee, and that's when we met. So, you see, I was meeting lots of new people that night, which is why I don't specifically remember meeting Brian.
Here's the kicker - and the reason I like this story so much - Brian chose my committee, not because he was interested in planning activities for the dorm but because he thought I was cute!!! Nope. No real desire to make the dorm a fun and enriching place to live. He just thought the chairperson was hot! (Now do you know why I like it when he tells this story?)
Since Brian was on my committee I would stop and talk with him whenever I saw him working at the front desk in the dorm. I got to know him and thought he was a really nice guy. Eventually my interest in him grew and I slyly used our connection on the Programming Committee to spend more time with him. (Alone, even!) hee hee By November we were "an item" and the rest is history!
I'm so glad Brian's RA convinced him to be a floor rep. If he hadn't done that, who knows how my life would be different???
Please visit Annie for more Time Travel Tuesday fun!

A Welcoming Lap

OK, the kids are all in bed and all their bags are packed. Tomorrow morning at approximately 8:00 we're hitting the road to deliver them to their "good week" destinations. Elizabeth is going to camp, while Joshua and Matthew will be spending the week up north with my mom and dad. I just know this week is going to be filled with great things for each of them and I am thankful for the memories they'll be creating.
Back here at home, Brian and I will surely enjoy some time alone in peace. Of course, I am open to the possibility that God will give us a great new house by moving in the seller to accept the ridiculously low offer we've submitted, which would mean Brian and I will use this week to clean, purge, and fix up our house - taking advantage of a kid-free week. However, what I'm really hoping for is some time to focus on my current writing project.
Not sure if I've mentioned it here in my blog, but I'm working on a new book. This time I am writing a devotional in which I share stories of how God shows Himself to me through my children. Tonight I'm going to include one entry here for you to preview. I'm calling this one, A Welcoming Lap.

It was a cloudy, cool summer afternoon in northern Michigan. I had my kids and my niece with me and we were at a lake. Because we were up north and because they are kids, my little charges felt it a necessity to go swimming. I, on the other hand, being a reasonable adult, realized it was just too much on the cool side of summer to actually get wet. Let the kids swim if they must, but I was content to sit on the beach wrapped up as much as I could be in a towel, trying to ignore the goose bumps surfacing all over my body.
After a fair amount of running, yelling and splashing, Matthew left the water and approached me. He was feeling the chill of the air on his wet skin and wanted to wrap up in a towel so he could sit on my lap to soak up some of my warmth. I observed the goose bumps rising on his skin, listened to his chattering teeth, considered how cold he must be, and thought, No way!
I didn’t want Matthew to sit on me and get me wet, too. He was the one who made the choice to go swimming, not me. Hadn’t I made it clear enough at the start? I was willing to take the kids to the beach, but I wasn’t going to be getting wet! Besides, I didn’t think I had any warmth to share. Having Matthew sit on my lap would only serve to make me colder than I was already.
But he stood there and looked at me. Water was dripping from his chin and ear lobes, his little body was shivering, and his eyes spoke ever so softly, “Mommy, can I please sit on your lap?” What could I do? I had to let him sit on my lap.
As I opened my arms and welcomed (albeit reluctantly) my cold little boy onto my less-than-warm lap, I thought about how God accepts me. I come to Him broken and needy. I struggle with selfishness, irritability, impatience, and a lack of self-control. As much as I desire to be a reflection of my Lord to the world around me, I know I fail to do it. And He knows it, too. Yet He accepts me.
Isn’t it wonderful to know we don’t have to be acceptable in order to be accepted? God knows who He wants us to be. He who began a good work in us will see it through to completion. God knows the trials through which we’ll need to go in order for us to be mature and complete. He will bring just the right amount of adversity into our lives so we may become holy, even as He is holy. Yes, He has a vision of who we will be when His work in us is finished.
I so want to be the woman God wants me to be!
But I’m not there yet.
And God knows it.
Ever so graciously, God accepts us right where we are. He patiently and perfectly works in our lives so we may become more like Him. Our job is not to become acceptable. Our job is to trust in God and cooperate with His Spirit as He makes us acceptable.
Sitting on the beach with Matthew on my lap, I prayed and thanked God for accepting me onto His lap in any condition in which I come to Him. I don’t need to be dry and warm.

Your Turn:
Do you believe God accepts you just as you are, or do you sometimes think you need to clean yourself up so He’ll love you? If God accepts you as you are, and is working to make you into the woman He wants you to be, what would He say to you about how He sees you right now? What would He say about His vision for you? Imagine what His words would be, and write yourself a letter from Him. Then spend time in prayer thanking God for His love and committing yourself to cooperating with Him as His Spirit works to transform you.

God is so good! I pray you are encouraged today as you consider how much He loves you!

Jesus' Calm, Quiet Confidence, Part 2

Last week I wrote about Jesus calm, quiet confidence in the midst of difficult or uncertain circumstances. This morning I was reminded of His confident nature again, as I read Matthew 14:13-21 where Jesus feeds 5,000+ people with only five loaves of bread and two fish.
The disciples saw the large crowd and the small amount of food and wanted to send the people away to get something to eat. I can imagine them saying to one another, "We've got to send these people away to get food. There are so many of them and it's time to eat. They aren't even thinking about dinner, they just want Jesus to heal them. When they realize how hungry they are and that there's nothing here, they're likely to get unruly. What should we do? Let's tell Jesus to send them away - they'll listen to Him."
But Jesus simply said, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat." (Mt. 14:16) Can you imagine the disciples' reaction? Matthew 14:17 says, "'We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,' they answered." I, however, would guess their response (if only within their own heads) was more like, "Are you kidding, Jesus? Five thousand people. Five loaves of bread and two fish. Do the math. It isn't enough!" Yet Jesus wasn't worried. He made it enough. No, He made it more than enough! Without getting upset or anxious Jesus took what the disciples had, gave thanks for it, broke it and gave it back, and it satisfied everyone. With calm, quiet confidence Jesus displayed His power again.

So, a few days ago, as I was thinking about how God is repeating this lesson to me about Jesus being completely and perfectly in control of everything, my mind started wondering...I wrote, Yes, part of me wonders if You are preparing me for something big - in which I will really need to know You are in control. (being sarcastic now)...As if I can handle the small stuff on my own and only need You for the big deals. O, No! I need You for everything, Jesus!
I realized my tendency to look to God for the "big stuff" and the implied notion that I don't need Him for the every-day-boring-run-of-the-mill-not-a-big-deal aspects of life. Not so, friends. God is involved in every boring detail of our lives and I am so thankful He patiently leads me and speaks to me until I "get it."

I closed my first post about this subject asking about the storms which may be brewing in your life. Today I remind us both that Jesus is just as present and powerful in the gentle breeze as He is in the storm!

Have a wonderful day!

Time Travel Tuesday ~ Camp!!!

Oh, yea! This week Annie is inviting us to travel back to summer camp. Annie asks, What is your favorite memory(s)from summer camp? My daughter is leaving for camp next Monday, and thinking about her experience to come brings back lots of fun memories.
I went to summer camp at Camp Greenwood in Gowen, Michigan. My first year of camp was when I was nine years old, just after fourth grade, and I loved it from the start. My mom told me she missed me so much that first time (It was a short camp, just four days/three nights.) and when she came to pick me up I almost made her cry because I told her to go home - I was having too much fun at camp and wanted to stay.
Seven summer camp experiences have filled me with lots of memories, but I'll try to pick just a few to share here, lest your eyes get tired from too much reading!

...I loved all my counselors, but especially Barbie. She was my counselor three years in a row. I sang in her wedding and we still exchange Christmas cards, twenty-one years after our last camp experience together!

...One of the years Barbie was my counselor she told us to bring buckets and shovels to camp, from McDonald's Happy Meals. She supplied the vanilla ice cream and Oreo cookies and one night at camp we made our own Cookies'n'Cream ice cream and ate it with the shovels out of the buckets - in celebreation of the Oreo cookie's 75th anniversary.

...It was at Greenwood I learned to play, "Honey, if you love me." This is how the game works: Everyone sits in a circle and the player who is It tries to get someone to smile by saying, "(Annie) if you love me, would you please smile?" The reply is, "(Karen), I love you, but I'm sorry. I just can't smile." And, of course, this line is delivered without smiling. Then the player who is It gets to lay it on a little thicker. eg, "(Annie) if you really, honestly and truly love me, won't you please just give me a little smile?" The reply, again without smiling, "(Karen) I do really, honestly and truly love you. But I just can't smile for you." Finally, the player who is It can touch the "victim" - tickling their chin or cheek, or holding their hand - and say something like, "Oh, (Annie), you're breaking my heart. Please, if you love me, pleeeease won't you smile for me?" In the same fashion, the reply would be something like, "(Karen) I surely don't want to break your heart, and I do love you. But I just can't smile for you."
If the victim is successful and doesn't smile, the player who is It has to try on someone else. If the victim smiles, he or she becomes It.
I now enjoy playing this game with my second and third grade girls at the end of Sunday school. Every week they ask, "Can we play Honey, if you love me?"

...I also have fun memories around the waterfront. Learning how to canoe, having the boys from one of the cabins come around and swamp all our canoes, the greased watermelon contest, and learning some synchronized swimming.

...Of course my favorite summer camp memory is when I was a counselor and Brian proposed to me. But that may be a visit for a future Time Travel Tuesday, so I'll save it!

Yes, summer camp is awesome. Thanks, Annie, for bringing us here! Be sure to visit Annie to read about other summer camp memories.

A New Day

I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. The are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."
Lamentations 3:19-24

I am so thankful for a new day, for new compassion and God's everlasting faithfulness. Because last night was a pretty rotten night.
My kids have been on a kick lately of doing a portion of a job and then stopping, saying, "I've done enough." They don't want to do one iota more of work than someone else. And if I ask them to pick up something which isn't "theirs" you can be sure there is going to be an argument. Needless to say, I am very tired of it.
I have even considered doing childish things to drive home my point that we're a family - and functioning as a family means doing things for other people and even putting away things you didn't get out or use last. I have thought about starting to make dinner and then saying, "I've done enough," and leaving the kitchen. Maybe when they're all really hungry they would get the point. Or maybe I could sort the laundry and then stop without ever washing, drying, folding, and returning everyone's clothes. When Joshua asks if I've washed his favorite shirt I would just say, "No. I've done enough." Maybe that would teach them.
Anyway...Last night after dinner my husband ran an errand with our neighbor but before he left, he instructed the kids to clean up the messes they had around the house. They started off OK, but it wasn't long before the I've done enough mentality took over. I talked to them about functioning as a family and even told them my ideas about how I could take on the I've done enough attitude, hoping if they just thought about it they would change their attitudes and work together.
Nice try, Karen.
Eventually the house did get picked up, but not before the kids did quite a lot of bickering - with me and with each other - and not before I was really tired of dealing with the arguments. Then Brian got home, asking, "So, how did clean up go?" Impeccable timing, dear.
When it was time for the kids to get ready for bed, the trouble continued. I will spare you the details. The bottom line is, I was in tears. I was resenting my kids for acting their age and I was upset with myself for having that attitude. In the midst of it all God was reminding me how much I love them and how blessed I am to have them, and I was a mess of mixed up emotions.

But this morning I woke up to a new day, with new compassion. I've been humming that song, The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning, new every morning, great is Your faithfulness, O, Lord. Great is Your faithfulness.
Yes. It is a new day. I am loved by God. And I love my children.
Have a great day!

God's Smile

Oh, so many things I want to share with you today. More about Jesus’ calm, quiet confidence; thoughts from the sermon I heard this morning; excerpts from the new book I’m writing. But those entries will have to wait. (Yes, you may consider this to be a preview of my blog this week…Of course, I am a woman and I reserve the right to change my mind at any given moment!) For now I have settled on talking about the sweet thing God did yesterday.
Brian and I and the kids spent the afternoon and evening yesterday visiting a friend of ours who lives on a lake. This friend is single and has no children so she was eager to share the fun of being on a lake with my kids. After the kids ran through her house and admired the space and the view of the lake, we all got our suits on and boarded the boat. (Though I honestly had no intention of getting into the water! It was just too cold, IMHO.) We rode around on the lake for awhile and stopped at one place to swim. Brian and Elizabeth got into the water, but the boys and I opted to stay dry. Another time Matthew got into the water, too, and as I visited with my friend I could tell Joshua wasn’t really enjoying himself. However, I was hopeful he would perk up when we went back to the house and he got to go fishing.
Upon our return, I found my hopes fading. Joshua was a bit cold, he was bored from waiting for everyone to be ready to leave the swimming hole, he couldn’t find any worms for bait, and he had a headache. (Which I’m pretty sure was a physical manifestation of his attitude and disappointment.) I helped Joshua look around for worms, but only found bugs, so he set off to fish with his rubber worms and other lures. However, the fish in that lake are not like the fish in the river by our house and they showed absolutely no interest in Joshua’s offerings. He was very disappointed and I was sorry for his frustration. I so wanted him to be collecting fun memories rather than regret. However, try as I might, I couldn’t do anything to help him.
Then, from out of nowhere, Elizabeth called out, “I found a worm!” Joshua ran off the dock to get his prize and promptly threaded it on his hook. I think he was back on the dock, line cast and ready, in less than a minute. This was all very nice, and I was so pleased with Elizabeth for finding that worm but in all honesty, I thought, It’s the middle of the afternoon and boats are going all over the water. What is the chance he’s going to get a nibble, even if he does have a real worm? Oh, me of little faith.
Just moments after I let that thought go through my head, Joshua called out, “There’s a really big fish over here!” I was truly surprised, as we hadn’t seen any fish all day. I started praying. God, I know this really isn’t a big deal. Catching fish really isn’t important. But if You would just let Joshua catch that fish, oh, he would be so happy.
I knew nothing major would benefit from such a catch. World peace would still be an issue. Gas prices would still be way too high. And chances are the debate over cloth vs. disposable diapers would continue. But I also knew catching a big fish would make a world of difference in Joshua’s day and I knew God could let it be if He wished.

He wished.

Joshua quickly and carefully walked off the dock, proudly displaying the very large Large Mouth Bass he’d just hooked. He relished in his feat for a moment before releasing his catch, since no one knew how to cook it and no one wanted to clean it. None of that mattered. Joshua was just thrilled to have caught this very large fish.
After the bass, Joshua caught several little Blue Gill and there was a noticeable spring in his step. His headache went away, too! Later in the evening, as we were eating dinner, Joshua was talking about how cool it was that he'd caught such a big fish. I told him I had asked God to let him catch it. He smiled and said, "Thank you." I smiled back and said, "Thank God!" He did.
Since Joshua was feeling better after dinner, he decided to join in on the other fun everyone was having - which included tubing with Elizabeth and Matthew behind the boat. Oh, did they ever have a great time! As I watched my kids bouncing over the water on the tubes, admired the huge smiles on their faces, thought about the new experiences they were having, and remembered that very large bass, I thanked God for the wonderful day we were having and His favor in the fish department.
I have a friend who would say God smiled at my family yesterday. He did sweet things and poured out blessings on us which were totally unnecessary. We didn't need or deserve any of it. I think the whole day was a sweet expression of His love, and I am so thankful for His smile.
How have you noticed Him smiling at you?

Laughing with Purpose

As parents we're supposed to give our kids cultural experiences to grow them and make them well rounded individuals, right? Like take them to art museums and cultural festivals and symphonies? Do shows with Christian comedians count?

Last night Brian and I took our kids to church to see Keith Deltano. We explained to the kids that a comedian is someone who makes you laugh. They thought that sounded OK. When we told them there was going to be ice cream after the event, they were sold.
What we didn't know was that Keith would have such a great message to present in the midst of the laughter he brought to us. He shared about his past and what he went through with pride and prejudice - thinking he was better than that kid from the south. Keith was very funny and related well with the audience. He has been a sixth grade teacher and worked in ministry with kids, and while his presentation was enjoyable for the adults in the audience it was also totally appropriate and relavent for the kids. We had some good conversation with our kids about the content afterwards.

If you ever have the opportunity to see Keith in your area, I highly recommend going!

Jesus' Calm, Quiet Confidence

Have you ever had a season of being drawn to a particular quality in Jesus? I am always impressed by His compassion and patience. However, over the past couple of weeks I have been also noticing His calm, quiet confidence and am wanting more and more to emulate that characteristic.

When Jesus was a boy He stayed behind at the Temple in Jerusalem while Mary and Joseph, unknowingly, went on without Him. Discovering they were missing Jesus, Mary and Joseph went back to look for Him. Finding Jesus in the Temple Mary said, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxioulsy searching for you." (Luke 2:48) And Jesus responded (as I read it) very calmly, perhaps matter-of-factly, "Why were you searching for me? Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" (Luke 2:49)
And in Luke 4 when Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil, I see Him - again - responding confidently as He relies on the Word of God.
In Luke 5 Jesus calls the first disciples and I am again drawn to His confidence. Jesus tells Simon to put out the boat, drop the net to catch fish (though the men had been working hard all night without any success), and when the men are shaking at Jesus' feet He simply says, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men." (Luke 5:10b)
Finally, this morning I was reading Mark 4:35-41 where Jesus calms the storm. In the midst of the storm Jesus was asleep on a cushion, not because He didn't care but because He simply wasn't afraid. In calm, quiet confidence Jesus commanded the wind and waves to calm down and they did just as He said.

I noticed when there was turmoil around Him (Mary's anxious words, Satan's tempting, the fearful fishermen, the furious squall), Jesus remained calm. He knew His Father, the Word, His mission, and His authority, and He had perfect confidence in them. Oh, I want to have that kind of confidence in my Jesus!
This morning I wrote, Lord, I believe You are able to handle the situations around me. And I went on to write them out. Some of them my issues and some of them other people's issues about which I am praying. I continued, Well, that's quite a list - but I know it doesn't overwhelm You or cause You to fret and worry. Thank You, Lord! I pray You'll move in me to bring me to the place of trust where I will be calm and have a quiet confidence because I know in the depths of my heart You are in control and will work out all the details.

I wonder what storms are brewing in your life today. May Jesus' calm, quiet confidence be yours and bring you peace today. Jesus, draw me close. Please make me more like You.

Time Travel Tuesday ~ First Car Experience

This week Annie is asking about first cars and early driving experiences. She asks, What was your first car? Do you have an interesting experience to share about learning to drive or about your first driving experiences?

Hmmm. My first car car was a Cutlass Ciera. I don't know what year, but I remember it was silver and had maroon interior. To be honest, I didn't care much. It was a car and it got me around. That's all I really needed.
What I do remember is my first experience driving in a car full of adults. It was also one of the few times I ever yelled at my dad...
I took driver's training during the summer and had just gotten my learner's permit. My family and I were up north in Gaylord, MI for the weekend at my parents' cottage, along with one of my high school principals and his wife. Saturday was grey and yucky so we decided to go into town to find something to do. Everyone thought it would be great practice for me to do the driving, and I agreed. Only, when we got into town I discovered the problem with this great idea. Being that it was a grey and yucky day, no one wanted to go to the lake so everyone decided to drive into town. Wow, the streets were very crowded.
I did alright with the four adults telling me when to stop and when to go, when to turn and when to straighten out. However, by the end of the afternoon I'd had just about all the "coaching" I could handle.
We stopped at a gas station to fill up and as I was getting ready to pull out of the parking lot I was a bit overwhelmed by all the traffic. I'll admit there were several times I could have made the right turn into an open lane, but I wasn't confident enough to make the turn without both lanes being clear. My dad kept saying, "You can turn now," or, "You could have gone there." Finally I looked at him and yelled, "I'll go when I am good and ready to go!"

He didn't say anything else for the rest of the drive.

It's hard to believe that all took place 20 years ago. I'm glad I got better at making tight turns. Saves me a lot of time now!
Visit Annie for more Time Travel Tuesday driving tales.

My First Interview!

A couple months ago I received an e-mail from Carrie Lauth, of Natural Moms Talk Radio, asking me if I would be interested in doing an interview with her on her program. I immediately thought, Oh, that would be fun! I would love to do an interview. But before I accepted I thought I really should learn more about the program to see if I would be a good fit for them.
As I listened to other interviews and clicked through some of the links on the website I began to wonder if I would be a suitable guest. So many of the other guests talked about *natural* things. Organic foods, breastfeeding, eco-friendly tips, etc. I have no problem with any of those topics, but they aren't the focus of my book or the things about which I speak.
I talked about it with my husband (a.k.a. my Voice of Reason) and he said, "Hey, you're a mom and you get irritable. That's natural!" Carrie was sure the women in her audience would benefit from what I would share, so I agreed to do the interview.
A couple of weeks ago I sat on my bed, recording the interview with Carrie over the phone. It was fun and I'm so glad I did it. I am not sure if the women who normally listen to Natural Moms Talk Radio are Christians, but I am praying God will speak to the hearts of each one who hears my interview. Lord, You know each woman who will tune in to that interview and I pray You'll use my words to deliver hope. Be glorified, Lord!
If you would like to hear the interview (It lasts about 15 minutes.) you can link to it here.

Five Things I Dig About Jesus (a meme)

Continuing the meme started by John Smulo at Smulo Space.

John started a meme called Five Things I Dig About Jesus.

Here’s how it works:
Those tagged will share five things they dig about Jesus.
Those tagged will tag five people.
Those tagged will leave a link to their meme in the comment section of this post so everyone can keep track of what’s been posted.

You can go to Five Things I Dig About Jesus to see what other people have said.

Here are Five Things I Dig About Jesus:

1. His compassion is amazing. I read through the Gospels and see the crowds pressing in on Him, making demands, whining and complaining, “hearing” Him but not listening, and even following Him when He tries to go to a quiet place and pray. In spite of all this chaos, Jesus looks at them with compassion because they are like sheep without a shepherd. His compassion overflows and I absolutely love that about Him!
2. Jesus is so patient with me. I am like those sheep without a shepherd sometimes. I wander around wondering what to do next. I tell Him I want to be like Him and then I go and do my own thing until He lovingly and patiently brings me back. If I were in His position, I would have given up on me a long time ago, but Jesus patiently calls my name and He is making me His own.
3. Jesus is a perfect servant and He shows me how I am supposed to live. He left the glory of heaven to show the way here on earth. The Lord of lords and King of kings washed dirty feet and hung on a cross. He gave His very life that I might live. I am so thankful for His example and want to pour out my life for His glory.
4. Jesus never changes. Let’s be real. I am a woman with hormones like a roller coaster. I can’t depend on myself to think rationally most of the time. I am so glad that no matter what my state of mind or emotion Jesus is the same and I can count on Him and His truth regardless of where I am in my “cycle.”
5. Jesus is good, and everything He does is good. I know whatever is happening in my life He has allowed it and, even if I don’t understand, I can trust He will work all things for good.

Isn't He wonderful?

I want to hear what you have to say, so I tag Deborah, KarenW, Angela, Coach Jenny, and Annie.

Have wonderful day!!!

A Visit to the ER

I have a combined total of 27 years of raising kids - my kids are 11, 9, and 7 - and last night we had our first-ever trip to the emergency room. Considering my history, I think it's quite impressive that it took "27 years" for me to take someone to the ER.
When I was a pre-schooler I was with my mom at the grocery store, slipped and hit my head at the check-out counter, and had to go get stitches.
In kindergarten I slipped on the ice (on the way to ballet lessons, no less!) and fell and cut my head open on the porch. More stitches.
In first grade I was picking up a toy from underneath my dresser and when I stood up I hit the back of my head on the corner of the dresser. Stitches again.
In second grade I broke my elbow when I was "sledding" during recess at school.
In third grade my friend and I were playing kickball and as I was running backwards I tripped and fell, hitting my head on a pile of rocks. Yep. More stitches.
In fourth grade I fell during indoor recess at school and broke my finger.
Finally, in fifth grade I really did it. I was trying to fit in with the boys by riding bikes over a jump. I ended up with a concussion and was in the hospital for a few days following surgery to reattach my lip to my gum line. Now I have a pretty funky scar inside my mouth!
Can you understand now why I am so impressed with my children's lack of need for emergency room care???

So, yesterday we came to my mil's house to celebrate the Fourth of July. Last night I told the kids to all use the bathroom before we left to go see the fireworks display and that's when the excitement began. Joshua screamed for Brian and I from the bathroom and when I went in, I saw blood running down his forehead. We got him cleaned up and were debating whether or not he needed stitches when my bil came in with a bloody head. He'd had a little accident on the dirt bike. So now we had two heads possibly in need of stitches, and two guys who did NOT want to get stitches.
We bandaged Joshua's head and went to the fireworks, deciding to "wait and see" if further attention was necessary.
Being the worry-wart that I am, I kept watch on Joshua like a hawk. I wouldn't let him go on the playground, preferring him to just sit with me on the blanket. As time went on his wound began to bleed again and we decided he needed to get those stitches after all. So at about 11:30, after we'd gotten home from the fireworks, Brian, Joshua, my bil and I all went to the ER.
My little guy was so scared. It was all I could do to not cry with him. When the doctor told him she would need to give him stitches, the flood gates opened and he cried his little eyes out. At first the doctor gave him a topical anesthetic but he could feel her suturing him so then she injected one and that worked. I sat with Joshua praying and singing to him, doing my best to look in his eyes without looking at what the doctor was doing. I wasn't sure I'd be able to stomach watching her sew him up. Yuck.
Finally, about 2:00 A.M. we were finished at the hospital, came back to Grandma's house, and fell into bed.
This morning Joshua is feeling better. We have talked about our adventure in the ER and how, although it wasn't "fun," now Joshua has a memory to share with his kids the first time he takes on of them to the ER.

It was interesting to me to do my own reflecting about my response to this whole situation. Perhaps part of it was fueled by a quote I read on someone's blog yesterday. I don't remember who said it and I probably won't repeat it accurately but essentially, it said, "To be a mother is to choose to watch your heart walk around in someone else's body." When Joshua was hurting, I was hurting. When he was scared, I wanted to cry. My protective nature went into overdrive as I thought about how much I didn't want him to hurt anymore. The same little boy, who was driving me nuts with his complaining during the drive from Lansing to Holland earlier in the day, was now the object of my deepest concern and affection.
It is amazing to me when I think of how much love God can fit into this heart of mine. At the same time, I realize His love for me is far greater still. Though I complain about this or that circumstance, though I struggle to be the woman He wants me to be, though I am imperfect and broken, He loves me. Now that is amazing!
My friend, please remember today, He loves you, too!

Blogger Reflection Award

Awww, I love receiving awards, and Annie has given me this Blogger Reflection award.

I have shared before that it is my desire in this blog to be a source of hope and encouragement - especially to mothers - but really to anyone who happens by. I share about life, sometimes silly things just to make you smile (or laugh at me!), and about the things God is teaching me because I think His Truth is true for all of us. It is my heart’s desire to reflect God’s goodness and love to the world around me – including the blogosphere. So, thanks Annie, for seeing this in me.

Here are the rules for passing this award on: The reason for the title is because this award should make you reflect on five bloggers who have been an encouragement, a source of love, impacted you in some way, and have been a Godly example to you. Five Bloggers who when you reflect on them you get a sense of pride and joy... of knowing them and being blessed by them.

1. Copy this post.
2. Reflect on five bloggers and write a least a paragraph about each one.
3. Make sure you link this post so others can read it and the rules.
4. Go leave your chosen bloggers a comment and let them know they've been given the award.
5. Put the award icon on your site

Here's my top 5 in no particular order:

Jesus Loves Me, This I Know…Penny and I first met in junior high school and lost touch after graduation. Over the past year we have become reacquainted and Penny very recently started a blog. I have been looking for an opportunity to tell you about Penny’s blog and when I read the qualifications above to share about a blogger who fills you with pride and joy I knew this was the time. Penny is a new mom and is in the beginning of a journey being wooed by God. I absolutely love reading about her journey and her thanks to God for His love. I truly am filled with joy when I read her posts.

Jenileigh’s Journey…I love Jenileigh, not just because she says nice things to me, but because she loves her girls so much. When I am feeling frustrated with my children I can visit Jenileigh and (after I giggle at the silly pictures) renew my perspective. Her love for her girls is infectious and helps me see past the petty frustrations and realized once again how blessed I am.

Irrational Love…I passed the Thinking Blogger Award to Jen some time ago, and am happy to give her this one, too. Jen loves God and shares the things she’s learning from Him on her blog. You cannot read her posts without having an ah ha! moment or the desire to pull out your Bible to read more.

As I read the original post for this award I saw we have permission to give this award to bloggers who have already received it, because “they deserve it as many times as it’s given.” So my final two awards go to bloggers who have been recognized already for their reflective blogging.

Karen’s Ramblings…Karen loves to read and she often includes posts on her blog about the books she’s consuming and how God is speaking to her through them, while she challenges her readers to seek Him as well. I love Karen’s heart for God and her desire to be used by Him. She is an encourager.

My Life As Annie…I have to say, “Right back at’cha, Annie!” Truly, I am blessed when I read Annie’s blog, especially as she shares about her experiences with Izzy. Annie’s love, patience, and servant’s heart shine through in her posts and really make me wish I knew her IRL and could spend time learning from her.

So there you have it, friends. My picks for the Blogger Reflection Award. What a joy it is to know you and share life with you over the blogosphere!

Time Travel Tuesday ~ Wedding Edition

Ahhh, it's summer and love is in the air! And Annie is taking us back to our wedding day. She asks, What are your memories from your wedding day? Were you nervous? Do you remember walking down the aisle? What about the rehearsal dinner, anything special happen that night? This will be fun!

Brian and I are coming up on our fourteenth anniversary. We were married on August 7, 1993 and I can hardly believe it's been that long. At the same time I can remember our wedding like it was just yesterday.
Unfortunately our digital camera is broken right now so I'm not going to be able to include pictures for you. Boo hoo. Trust me when I say, we were adorable!
Brian and I paid for most of the wedding ourselves, so I didn't get in on much of the pampering that some lucky brides enjoy. I did my own nails, hair, and makeup, but somehow I still felt like a princess on that day. Probably had something to do with the beautiful white gown and the fact that everyone stood up when I entered the room!
We got a couple of good laughs during the ceremony - and no, I wasn't nervous at all! The pastor almost forgot to have us exchange rings and I had to remind him about it...which brought about a chuckle. The best one, though, was during his message to Brian and I. He said, "During our counseling we talked about many things. Brian and Karen seemed to know the answers to all the questions before I even asked them. Oh, they know there will be times when they will be irritable." Right when he made that statement - as if it were scripted and rehearsed - Brian and I looked at each other in "shock." The entire congregation erupted in laughter and Pastor Al said, "Maybe we didn't talk about that part." It still makes me smile to remember that moment.
Brian and I wrote and memorized our vows and at the end of the ceremony we talked to the congregation about God's love and faithfulness and how we wanted to mirror it to one another in our marriage.
At our reception - and this was Brian's idea - we "performed" our bridal dance. I choreographed the steps, we rehearsed for months, and then danced for everyone to Harry Connick Jr.'s song We Are in Love. I wish there was a way to, check that, I wish I knew how to format the video so I could post it here. I'm sure you would love it. Once again, you'll have to trust me - we were adorable!

The thing I can't get over is how young we were. Brian was 22 and I was almost 22. I thought I was so grown up and knew so much about life and love...Now I realize I knew almost nothing. One thing I did know was how to pick a wonderful man. I am such a blessed woman to have Brian as my husband. Thanks again, Annie, for a wonderful trip down memory lane.
Visit Annie to read about more weddings!

Please Pray!

Many of you know about Allie, the little girl for whom I've asked you to pray in the past. In case you're a bit new around here, you can find Allie's story here. I just got an update about Allie, and she needs all of us to be praying right now. Please click here for the update and join me in praying for Allie's miracle.
Thanks so much!