I'd Choose You

"Mom, nothing's gone right since I left for school this morning," groaned Norbert.....
"Did you miss the roller coaster ride to school again?" his mother asked. "Well, I got to the coaster stop just in time, but everyone else already had someone to sit with. So I had to sit all by myself."
As he spoke, a big, big tear rolled down his trunk.  "Norbert," his mother said, in her softest, warmest voice, "if I could use my arms to hug only one child, guess which one I'd choose....."

..."If I could use my voice to cheer for only one child, guess which one I'd choose...."

.."if I could give a 'You're Someone Special!" medal to only one child....guess which one I'd choose."

..."if I could help just one child realize what an exciting and wonderful future God has just for him, guess which child I'd choose."

...if I could tell him what an exciting and wonderful future he has, especially on those days when he doesn't get picked....guess which one I'd choose every time.

I'd choose you, forever and always!

"Son, God chose you too. On your worst days and your best days, God's love always shines on you," his daddy said...
                                                                        ------ "I'd Choose You!"   by John Trent



With the new school year starting, I am finding myself very weepy.  {Which really, I'm always weepy. Especially when it comes to my children. What can I say? I'm a weepy mama}.    Even though I'm not experiencing the 'real school' yet, I know time is passing me by so quickly and as bad as I want to stop it, I can't!





Anyway,  I love the message behind this precious book.

The point being made is as parents we should always remember to give our children 'our blessing.'






It's not a formal ritual or something complicated or confusing.  It involves five simple steps from the Bible that place affirmation, encouragment, and acceptance right in a child's heart.

• giving appropriate, meaningful touch, such as a big, loving hug
• speaking words of affirmation, represented by cheering
• expressing high value, as seen in the "You're Someone Special Medal"
• picturing a special future (children often hear parents' predictions about their future with literal effect)
• making an active commitment to include the blessing as a regular part of their lives





The author's example of his blessing to his children goes like this:::

"Lord may you bless Kari and Laura today.  May you help them to know how much you love them and what a wonderful future you have for them.  Thank you for all the warmth and love you've put in their lives and how kind and strong they're both becoming.  And Lord, may they always know that we love them, and may they always know that out of all the kids in this world----- we'd choose them.  Amen."

So simple but with such a huge impact on a child's heart for now and all the years to come!







I pray that you all have had a sweet "first day", and that God will bless your precious ones as they {and you} embark on a new journey!

And may we all always remember to let our sweet ones know that no matter what, we'd choose them!

"The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people,  his treasured possession."  ----Deuteronomy 7:6

Who really knows what this post is about.....

I had a whole bunch of good ideas that made perfectly good sense that I had planned to write here, but after several interruptions from some cute little kiddos, and with it now being entirely too late, I lost all of it.  So.....here is a.....well I'm not sure.

I really like this red barn abd the simplicity of the house.  Looks so calm and relaxing.

source

I have been studying on what to do with my bathroom for months.  I love the look of this one.

How do you like my new haircut?

Just kidding ;-)
I'm totally too chicken to do this, but I love this hairdo.



 source

I need a few copies of this to post around my house;)

"True unity is not agreeing on everything, it’s working through the mess together. Comparison steals unity and joy. Want to combat jealousy? Actively praise someone else! Encouragement brings women together. Use my platform to promote others."
                                                           -------- Joy, Gracefull Mama

"Learn to see God in the details, in the laundry, the dishes, the ants on the ground. We were created to resonate with stories. God loves stories, Jesus is a story. Also, read good fiction. When I read good storytelling, I’ll learn to tell my stories better."
~Sarah Markley, The Best Days of My Life



"God appoints people who disappoint to point to the God who doesn’t. There are no Rock Stars here. Christ is the Rock and we are the stars who reflect His light. Success is found in servanthood and obedience right where I am. Christians aren’t about applause, they are about an altar. God wants real, honest, threadbare women to do His work His way. I’m not rain, I can’t quench the dry places. I can only point to the one who can. But I can have my voice join my sisters’ voices and together we make thunder!"
 ~Ann, A Holy Experience

Good night friends!

Happy Friday~

Mirror Mirror on the wall....

Marriage is a major vehicle for the gospel’s remaking of your heart from the inside out and your life from the ground up.” ----Tim Keller, The Meaning of Marriage

{The story behind the pictures: I had gone to do my morning walk (I'm trying!), and when I got home John had made the bed and left this note.}

You know, it really stinks sometimes when you want someone to "see all their faults and shortcomings, and do life the way you think they should."   But somehow it kinda backfires on you.   God puts a mirror in front of your life and you see all of your own faults and shortcomings.

It has occured to me in the last few months that marriage can be one big fat mirror.....to the point of being totally obnoxious.....like, I don't want to see my faults, thank you very much....this is not about me, it's about him.....please stop pointing those things out to me......he's not perfect either Lord.....I mean really, I can't take all the blame, right?

And no, I'm not saying that my John is perfect.   But when I started this Love Dare journey, I was thinking I would learn a lot and I could teach him a thing or two.

I believe we think that way so often about all situations in our lives.   We judge people thinking our sins are somehow 'less' offensive.   When Christ died for all sin.

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;  Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." -----Romans 3:23,24

"You can give undeserved love to your spouse because God gave undeserved love to you----repeatedly, enduringly."

"He was willing to love you even though you didn't deserve it, even when you didn't love back.  He was able to see all your flaws and imperfections and still choose to love you.  His love made the greatest sacrifice to meet your greatest need.  As a result, you are able to (by His grace) walk in the fullness and blessing of His love.  Now and forever."
                                                                                -------The Love Dare

To me, that's the beginning and the end of all my questions.   When I want to point my finger at my husband and pick out all of his problems, this is what God continuously brings to mind.   This is my mirror.   God loves me.  Even enough to die for me.  And he continues to love me.   And I do not deserve it.  Period.

There's the wonder of sunset at evening, The wonder as sunrise I see; But the wonder of wonders that thrills my soul Is the wonder that God loves me.

O, the wonder of it all! The wonder of it all! Just to think that God loves me. O, the wonder of it all! The wonder of it all! Just to think that God loves me.

 There's the wonder of springtime and harvest, The sky, the stars, the sun; But the wonder of wonders that thrills my soul Is the wonder that's only begun.

O, the wonder of it all! The wonder of it all! Just to think that God loves me. O, the wonder of it all! The wonder of it all! Just to think that God loves me.





Many days I find myself worn-out with life.   I can't keep up.   I can't be everything to everyone.  I can't figure it all out.   I can't be super-mom and super-wife.   I let people down.  I let myself down.  And most importantly, I let God down. 

Marriage is not a sprint but a marathon.  {As is life in general.}  And if I can learn something new each time it gets ugly, I'll take it.  I believe that God uses marriage to grow us.   To grow us in lots of ways, but mostly to grow us into creatures that are more like HIM.

"Chasing what doesn’t matter is the temptation in this life and when we do, we speed up life and miss what is important."

source

I so often chase what doesn't matter.   My to-do list, my empty desires, comparisons.....    and everytime I come up empty with nothing to show for it except wasted precious time.



But everyday is a new day. His mercies are new every morning.

I need God every single day.  This is not a part-time proposition.  He alone can satisfy, even when all else fails me. 

Keep up the faith my dear friends! 

We are on a life-long journey together~

We are what we think...

At one time in my life I cringed at the thought of having to write.   Now, I find it somewhat relaxing.   Almost therapuetic.   I always feel better when I can talk things out.   When something is weighing heavy on my heart and mind, talking helps me work through it and move on.  But not always is talking to other people an option for whatever reasons.   I know praying is always the best option and I have learned a little better to pray out to God when I am dealing with hurt or anger when at one time I'd immediately just pick up the phone and call someone to vent my frustrations.  {Not usually the best idea}. 



But now I write.   Whether here or in my journal.   I know a sweet Godly lady from my Bible Study that one time told her story of journaling.   I've never forgotten it.   She is probably now in her 70's and she said that earlier in her life she started keeping journals.   She would journal about her prayer requests and make short little entries about what was happening in her life at the time or in the lives of those she loved and was acquaninted with.   After all these years, she had accumulated an entire wall of bookshelves full of journals!   The most awesome thing about her story was that she could periodically go back through her journals and find one time after the other where God had changed lives and answered prayers!



I know that not many people really care what I write.  It's not like I have many comments, followers, subscribers, etc...  The blog world is full of well-written, hugely followed blogs so who needs my ramblings?   I guess I do.

Lots of days when I'm struggling with past failures, bad decisions, or regrets over my unsightly actions, I write.  You know the times when you are in dire need of some peace and quite and your children will not stop being children and that terrible look comes across your face, a big obnoxious sigh comes up and then you let it out, and you bark something like, "I wish I could have two seconds of peace and quite around here!"   Yeah, I've actually said that. 



When I'm beating myself up in a mental tug-of-war over how I handled a situation or just plain confused and lost on how to parent my children, I write.

Or when I become so angry with my husband that I totally lose control and act like some rabid animal that would scare the living daylights out of any creature {in front of my innocent children}.  

And reading other people's experiences help me to figure it all out for the moment. It's amazing how when you think you are the ONLY one in the world 'feeling this way' there's always someone that has been there and is now on the other side of the emotional mountain. I land on those kinds of stories all the time. Not by coincidence. I know that.

If only I could realize before the loud 'bark' that if I wanted to live in a house that was perfectly organized, spotless, and quite I should really consider moving into a museum. There I could have perfect peace. I could also have miserable children who were afraid to 'live' in their 'home'.

Why oh why can't I remember that?!?!!!

Who knew being a parent could be so darn hard?!?!   And that being married was a full-time job?!?!   {With no vacation days:}

And then there's the lie from Satan that I'm not enough.   The horrible insecurities that come from comparisons.   And after I compare my life and every little detail of it to others that I see on blogs, Facebook, neighbors, friends, magazines, and people I don't even know from Adam, I begin to believe that lie.   And then that's where the trouble comes in.   When I believe the lie, it changes the way I see everything.   I become discontent.



So then I turn my thoughts to the truth.    I literally write it out.

Because 90% of who we are is what we think.   Can you imagine?   That is unreal to me.   I'd say our thoughts are pretty powerful.

  

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is anything praiseworthy----meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you."

Source: moonlightrainbow.tumblr.com via Ashley on Pinterest

THINK GREAT THOUGHTS MY FRIENDS~

Love Dare

Several years ago the movie Fireproof was released and everyone {including myself} was impressed to say the least.   The movie was so real-life.   And the truth about it is none of us are immune to the sins of this world that are destroying our marriages and families everyday.

My sin struggle may not be pornography, as in the movie, but  trust me, I got sin in my life.   And lots of it.   And satan is working over-time!

I bought the book that accompanies the movie way back then and sadly I have never opened it.   No particular reason I guess.   But God put it on my heart the other day so I grabbed it off the shelf.

"Unconditional love is eagerly promised at weddings, but rarely practiced in real life.   As a result, romantic hopes are often replaced with disappointment in the home.   But it doesn't have to stay that way."

Let me say this.   I love my husband and am blessed, blessed, blessed to have him.   At the end of the day, I can always find a reason to be thankful for him.   But if I were completely honest, I'd say we are constantly needing improvements.   We have most definitely not got it all figured out.  

Therefore, this wife/mama is now on The Love Dare journey.   The Love Dare is a 40-day challenge for husbands and wives to understand and practice unconditional love. 

The Love Dare is a journey I need to take.

It occured to me while looking through this book that not only would this 'dare' be helpful to my marriage but also to my role as a mama.

 

For example.   Day 1::: Love is patient.   I'm not sure about y'all but patience is not a really strong quality of mine.   And my relationships prove it.

"Love is built on two pillars that best define what it is.  Those pillars are patience and kindness.  All other characteristics of love are extentions of these two attributes.   And that's where your dare begins.  With patience."  ----------  The Love Dare.

"When you choose to be patient, you respond in a positive way to a negative situation.  You are slow to anger.   You choose to have a long fuse instead of a quick temper.    Rather than being restless and demanding, love helps you settle down and begin extending mercy to those around you.   Patience brings an internal calm during an external storm."

"Patience helps you give your spouse permission to be human.   It understands that everyone fails."

Now that statement alone was written just for me.   I forget that not only am I human, but so is my John and my kiddos.   I expect for them to except my failures, but do I except their failures?

The journey moves on to "love is kind", "love is thoughtful", "love is not rude", "love believes the best", "love is accountable", "love agrees in prayer", "love is a covenant" etc, etc.......

"Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.   Love never fails."

I Corinthians 13:7-8

DARE TO LOVE.

By the way-----I'm so thankful to be an American!   God Bless America!

Have a lovely week~