Yes, I know it's been a while. Life has been piling up; kinda like the laundry that I have going on my dining room table. Yes, you read correctly I have piles of clean, folded laundry on my dining room table.
As I was folding all this laundry, which I don't believe all of it was dirty, I was singing along to the ipod and thinking how many times do we let things pile up?.
Take for instance we let dishes pile up until there are no more spoons. We let laundry pile up until we no longer have any clean under ware. The trash, we let that pile up until the bag rips from stuff being shoved into it. We let bills pile up until we get that phone call that it is past due, or there is no water to do all that laundry with.
Don't we do that with everyday life too? We let all the little things that bother us about people pile up. We let things that hurt us pile up, we let worry pile up until we have ulcers. We let petty things bother us, until eventually we explode. Just like our laundry, or trash, or bills. Then it feels as though nothing can be done right by anybody. Our children seem to know when we have reached our boiling point and can sense that the explosion is going to happen very soon.
They know that if they whine just a little more, or disobey one more time, or fight with each other, then Mom is going to put on a show.
What if instead of letting things pile up, we took every little thing to God in prayer? What if we asked for help with time management so things wouldn't pile up? What if we asked God for insight on how to deal with those petty things that don't really matter anyways? I think if we did this maybe the whining and the disobeying, and the arguing wouldn't be that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things. I think we would be able to keep our house picked up and laundry done so we have skivvies to wear.
And isn't that what God wants, he wants us to have a relationship with Him. Don't we complain to our friends about things like the house and the kids and our jobs? Why wouldn't we go to God then? As the song goes: I am a friend of God, He calls me friend.
Hello God,
I know that you know that I have a lot on my mind right now, and I really need to talk to you for a minute. I may think it's petty and small, but small things add up to huge pile, and I don't want to explode. So here goes.
I hope you all find the time to go through your piles and give them to God.
Because of Him,
Michelle
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Training for a 5K
Well good afternoon all! We have big news in our home today! Adam and I have officially started training for a 5K. For those of you who do not know, that is 3.1 miles. YIKES! Now, as some of you know we've been walking that for a while now. Running it is a totally different story. I don't care if I win, it's not about the prize, I'm more worried about failing. So, in order to do my best at not failing, I have started to train for it. Adam has decided to jump on board with me. Let's just get one thing straight, I DO NOT RUN! He he. When I met Adam, he ran for miles a day. NOT ME!
As I was running on the treadmill today, it crossed my mind how awful it would be to register and start this race to never finish it. A big ol' failure.
How can this be brought into parenting? Well, God gives us a set of training tools...the Bible. We can toss it aside and just go at our own pace, thinking we know how to train our kids, and ourselves. Getting to the finish line when we feel like it.
We can read bits of pieces of it pulling out certain aspects in hopes of getting the jiff of it. Opening it up when we need a hand.
Or, we can read, apply, and train our minds and bodies in accordance to His training rules.
The same goes to running any race, not just a 5K. If you take the tools that are set before you, study them, apply them, in the end reaching the goal that you wanted to accomplish. So, not only am I training to run the UMA 5K in September, I'm training to be a servant of God. Training my children to live lives that please the Lord. Honoring Him, loving Him, and applying His commands to my race; and theirs. And in the end being a winner no matter what number we come in.
May you all enjoy training your children for the race of Life.
Because of Him,
Michelle
As I was running on the treadmill today, it crossed my mind how awful it would be to register and start this race to never finish it. A big ol' failure.
How can this be brought into parenting? Well, God gives us a set of training tools...the Bible. We can toss it aside and just go at our own pace, thinking we know how to train our kids, and ourselves. Getting to the finish line when we feel like it.
We can read bits of pieces of it pulling out certain aspects in hopes of getting the jiff of it. Opening it up when we need a hand.
Or, we can read, apply, and train our minds and bodies in accordance to His training rules.
The same goes to running any race, not just a 5K. If you take the tools that are set before you, study them, apply them, in the end reaching the goal that you wanted to accomplish. So, not only am I training to run the UMA 5K in September, I'm training to be a servant of God. Training my children to live lives that please the Lord. Honoring Him, loving Him, and applying His commands to my race; and theirs. And in the end being a winner no matter what number we come in.
May you all enjoy training your children for the race of Life.
Because of Him,
Michelle
Saturday, August 6, 2011
You're Stuck With It!
Today has been a long day to be perfectly honest. Anytime that Adam has to work on a Saturday night, my blood pressure goes up, and my tolerance level diminishes. Why is that? Anyway, We ventured out to the park today to meet some friends. They taught Shylah and Molly the "You're stuck with it" game.
What is that you may ask; well, you are in luck. I'm about to tell you. When someone says you're name, most people automatically say "What?" Well, then you reply "You're stuck with it" Go ahead, try it I guarantee that it will make you think twice about how you answer someone. In order to get "unstuck" you have to say "yes" or "how may I help you" anything else but WHAT the next time someone says you're name.
This got me thinking today, how many times do we say "WHAT?!" to God? "WHAT were you thinking?" "You want me to do WHAT?" "WHAT do you want me to do with this? I earned every penny of that?!"
I know that I question God way more than I should. WHAT if instead of saying WHAT we said:
"Lord, I'm not sure what you're plan is, but I'm going to trust you every step of the way."
or
"Lord, This is way out of my comfort zone, as you know. I'm not exactly comfortable in doing this, however, I know that you are with me always
; so, I will do it because I am a servant of you."
or
"Lord, even though we may loose our house, and we can't pay our bills, you say you will provide everything we need. I am giving you the first fruits of my earnings, as it all belongs to you anyway, and you are only asking for a very small amount of it."
Imagine how much nicer that all sounds to our ears, imagine if we actually said those, how it would sound to the Lord. I can only imagine that it would sound like music to His ears.
Now, take that same statement and apply it to our lives. Imagine how it sounds to our kids that want to speak with us, or want our attention. Instead of just half listening and saying what, WHAT IF we actually took the time to think of a different response and actually listened fully.
Think of this. "Mom?" "Yes? Shylah, you have my full attention and I'm ready to listen to you." And I love you so much, I am willing to stop, think, and actually be ready to listen to every word that you have to say to me."
Instead of this. "Mom?" "What?"
What if our Father said that to us, His children..."WHAT does she want now?"
I don't think that it how He works. I think He hangs onto every word that comes off our tongues. Why should we give our children any less?
So, I hope you join me in our new little game "Stuck with it."
Because of Him,
Michelle
What is that you may ask; well, you are in luck. I'm about to tell you. When someone says you're name, most people automatically say "What?" Well, then you reply "You're stuck with it" Go ahead, try it I guarantee that it will make you think twice about how you answer someone. In order to get "unstuck" you have to say "yes" or "how may I help you" anything else but WHAT the next time someone says you're name.
This got me thinking today, how many times do we say "WHAT?!" to God? "WHAT were you thinking?" "You want me to do WHAT?" "WHAT do you want me to do with this? I earned every penny of that?!"
I know that I question God way more than I should. WHAT if instead of saying WHAT we said:
"Lord, I'm not sure what you're plan is, but I'm going to trust you every step of the way."
or
"Lord, This is way out of my comfort zone, as you know. I'm not exactly comfortable in doing this, however, I know that you are with me always
; so, I will do it because I am a servant of you."
or
"Lord, even though we may loose our house, and we can't pay our bills, you say you will provide everything we need. I am giving you the first fruits of my earnings, as it all belongs to you anyway, and you are only asking for a very small amount of it."
Imagine how much nicer that all sounds to our ears, imagine if we actually said those, how it would sound to the Lord. I can only imagine that it would sound like music to His ears.
Now, take that same statement and apply it to our lives. Imagine how it sounds to our kids that want to speak with us, or want our attention. Instead of just half listening and saying what, WHAT IF we actually took the time to think of a different response and actually listened fully.
Think of this. "Mom?" "Yes? Shylah, you have my full attention and I'm ready to listen to you." And I love you so much, I am willing to stop, think, and actually be ready to listen to every word that you have to say to me."
Instead of this. "Mom?" "What?"
What if our Father said that to us, His children..."WHAT does she want now?"
I don't think that it how He works. I think He hangs onto every word that comes off our tongues. Why should we give our children any less?
So, I hope you join me in our new little game "Stuck with it."
Because of Him,
Michelle
Friday, August 5, 2011
The Gift of Whining
Well, it's been that kind of day. Really though, it's only been an hour since I have been home from work. Whining. Is this really how we teach our children to speak to us? I remember it very differently. Say Mommy. I don't ever remember saying "Can you say BBBUUUTTT MMMOOOOMMM?". Or "Shylah hit me", or "she took my blanket". I know that everyday God is taking on the task of trying to teach me patience. Couple words...NOT WORKING. I get so frustrated when my girls can't talk to me without putting in a whine.
Thinking of that though, do we whine to God? Do we try to make bargains with Him? "Are you kidding me Lord?" "If you just do this one thing for me, then I will never ask for anything again."
How do we expect our children to learn how to talk to us when we ask our Father for the same things that we tell our children not to do?
Here's the deal, you do this and I will do that. Well, negotiating isn't really going to work for you now is it. Is negotiating with God going to work either?
I have often felt that God is testing me on the patience aspect of my life. I have absolutely no tolerance for whining and even less for disobeying. But, how do you handle that? Whine when you talk to them, making it sound ridiculous, stomp my feet and jump up and down shouting "I don't wanna do that"? How about disobeying? Do you give them a chance, count to 3, do the "hairy eyeball" glance, send them to their room? Good grief, the possibilities are endless. I have decided to go to God in prayer!
"Dear Lord, please help me in making the right decisions in correcting my children right now." I'll let you all know how this works out for me, but I have a feeling that it's will all work out according to His plan.
Happy Parenting!
Because of Him,
Michelle
Thinking of that though, do we whine to God? Do we try to make bargains with Him? "Are you kidding me Lord?" "If you just do this one thing for me, then I will never ask for anything again."
How do we expect our children to learn how to talk to us when we ask our Father for the same things that we tell our children not to do?
Here's the deal, you do this and I will do that. Well, negotiating isn't really going to work for you now is it. Is negotiating with God going to work either?
I have often felt that God is testing me on the patience aspect of my life. I have absolutely no tolerance for whining and even less for disobeying. But, how do you handle that? Whine when you talk to them, making it sound ridiculous, stomp my feet and jump up and down shouting "I don't wanna do that"? How about disobeying? Do you give them a chance, count to 3, do the "hairy eyeball" glance, send them to their room? Good grief, the possibilities are endless. I have decided to go to God in prayer!
"Dear Lord, please help me in making the right decisions in correcting my children right now." I'll let you all know how this works out for me, but I have a feeling that it's will all work out according to His plan.
Happy Parenting!
Because of Him,
Michelle
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Well all, I've jumped on the blog wagon. This isn't the first time and it probably won't be the last. But, lately God has been putting on my heart that I need work when it comes to my parenting abilities.
I need to be a direct link to my children growing up to love the Lord. And I'm not so sure that I have been that role model that they need. Yes, I know that my girls know who God is, they know what He did and why...but is that really enough? Is it enough to put on a Veggie Tales video about obeying, or is there something more that I need to be doing? Yes, I am faithful to go to church every Sunday, yes, I am faithful to give, yes, I am obedient to help others before I think of myself, but what are we teaching our girls when I don't always obey what the Lord is instructing me to? When we are living in debt, when we cuss, when we don't take time to pray as a family, when we don't open His word everyday. How can I expect my children to obey and grow up loving Him when I don't show by example?
So, with this blog I hope to learn daily from my 3 girls. I am hoping that I can successfully open His word on a daily basis and learn on how to learn from them, but most importantly how I can raise 3 beautiful Godly children.
Thank you all for joining me on this journey! It will be one for the record books I am sure.
Because of Him,
Michelle
I need to be a direct link to my children growing up to love the Lord. And I'm not so sure that I have been that role model that they need. Yes, I know that my girls know who God is, they know what He did and why...but is that really enough? Is it enough to put on a Veggie Tales video about obeying, or is there something more that I need to be doing? Yes, I am faithful to go to church every Sunday, yes, I am faithful to give, yes, I am obedient to help others before I think of myself, but what are we teaching our girls when I don't always obey what the Lord is instructing me to? When we are living in debt, when we cuss, when we don't take time to pray as a family, when we don't open His word everyday. How can I expect my children to obey and grow up loving Him when I don't show by example?
So, with this blog I hope to learn daily from my 3 girls. I am hoping that I can successfully open His word on a daily basis and learn on how to learn from them, but most importantly how I can raise 3 beautiful Godly children.
Thank you all for joining me on this journey! It will be one for the record books I am sure.
Because of Him,
Michelle
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