Being the Best Mom

Archive for January, 2010

Today I was blessed to

• make pancakes and scramble eggs for growling tummies.
• watch Brian play with Maddie and Owen in swirling snow.
• snuggle a feverish Benjamin, whose body is usually too busy to be still.
• read more books than I have fingers to count.
• hear Gavin’s detailed instructions on how to build a Lego ship.
• wash mounds of snow-soaked sweaters and mittens.
• stir chocolate into milk for a rare afternoon treat.
• peel the backs off of numerous stickers to help Owen make a birthday card.
• tuck blankets around sleeping bodies and kiss sleeping brows.
• watch a movie with Brian– and only Brian.
• embrace life as a wife and mother.

Yes, the privilege is all mine.

 

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O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.

Psalm 139:1-2

I have joined Leah in a scripture memory challenge, and have been meditating on the above two verses for a few weeks now.
At first I was simply delighted to consider the fact that God knows me so well, and still loves me. But over the course of this past week, He has helped me to see myself – to perceive my own thoughts – a little more clearly. And honestly, I was rather disappointed with some of the things I came to know.

Oh, I want to be less like me. And more like Him!

But the LORD has searched me and He knows me. And still, He loves me. He knows exactly what is necessary in my life to make me into the woman He wants me to be. The woman who will delight His heart. And I am trusting Him to do it. Committing to be faithful to Him through the work He has begun, which He will be faithful to complete.

I am so thankful for the Word of God, and for the ways He speaks to me through it. Let me encourage you to join in the Memory Challenge. (It isn’t too late.) We’re memorizing Psalm 139 this year – one verse every two weeks. BUT, if you participate, you must be prepared for God to speak to your heart.
And though you may not like what He says at first, I know you can trust Him to do a good work in you.

May the peace of Christ reign in you this weekend. I’ll see you back here Monday!

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So, last week I posted a sweet story Elizabeth wrote. I told you the next one would pull at your heart more. And I think it will.
Brings me to tears. Because of how she sees things. And because of her tenderness and compassion. You may want to prepare yourself. (Amanda, you always said I should post a warning about tears…)
To be fair, Elizabeth did admit to spicing things up a bit for a more dramatic effect. Like the burnt casserole. I have never burned dinner! LOL!

The Mad House

“I hate you! I hate you! I HATE YOU! AND YOU HATE ME, TOO!” Joshua shrieked. “YOU NEVER LET ME DO ANYTHING!”

“Joshua, of course I don’t hate you,” whispered Mom, her voice wavering. Her short hair was rumpled and messy, and her eyes were red and watering. Josh didn’t seem to care at all. He kept on ranting and making Mom feel awful about herself. All I could do is sit there and watch, horrified at what was happening. A winter chill drifted in through the open window, making me shiver uncontrollably. “Elizabeth, close the window,” Mom snapped. Jumping up hastily, I scampered over to the window and pulled it shut with a bang. From the kitchen the smell of burnt casserole wafted to my nose. Joshua’s shouts and stomping gave me a headache.

“Mom, why can’t I go to Jeremy’s house?!” Joshua tried again.

“Because dinner is almost ready and we will eat as a family,” she responded. A single tear rolled down her cheek, and others threatened to come. I could not see my mom like this! It was too much to bear. She loves me and Josh, and she raised us to be loving, too. To see my brother treat her this way; to break her heart, filled me with anger.

“Josh, maybe you could play with him after dinner…?” I suggested softly.

“Shut up, Elizabeth! It is too dark after dinner. You’re not even part of this!” he yelled back. His hair was frazzled as well and his eyes said he wanted to hurt someone. It was hard, though, to suppress the giggle begging to come out. So instead I held my hands up and backed away.

Josh spun on Mom and yelled the most hurtful thing you could ever say to her. “I truly hate you Mom! You never loved me or you would have let me play with my friends! I wish you would just fall dead!”

I gasped. So did Mom. “I hope you don’t mean that, Joshua,” she croaked. As a reply, Joshua stomped off to his room and slammed the door with such force that it almost broke. With tear stained cheeks, Mom yanked the casserole out of the oven and ran off to her room. That feeling that I could do nothing to comfort her choked me. I swore to myself there and then, that I would never fight with my parents. I would never break their hearts like Josh did.

So there you have it. A picture of one of the bad days. Through Elizabeth’s eyes.

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1. Happy Friday, everyone! I hope you had a great week. It seems like I’ve run into a ton of great sites and information lately, so get ready to start clicking. But first, I wanted to say…

Visit my website at www.mycup2yours.com for full content, links, and more…
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As parents, I think one of the greatest things we can do for our children is to pray for them. And sometimes it’s easy to know what to pray.
*Our children are facing a struggle, and we pray for resolution to their trouble.
*They have a test coming up in school, and we pray they will do well.
*There’s an overload in the sibling rivalry realm, and we pray for peace.
*They’re driving us nuts, and we pray that God will grant us patience.
Ahem, I mean, I’m not the only one who experiences this, am I?

Click here to read the rest.

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Welcome to Talkin’ About Thursdays!

<center><a href=”http://www.mycup2yours.com/”><img…

Visit my website at www.mycup2yours.com for full content, links, and more…
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“I want to be like you, Mama.” She says this as I loop her apron strings into a bow around her waist. She fingers my apron and beams. “Now we look alike.” She turns to look up at me with the clear blue eyes like her Daddy’s. Minus her rounded nose and flowing hair, she looks far more like her Daddy than me, but our matching red apple aprons and this rare time alone in the kitchen is enough for her.

To continue reading, please click here to join me at Internet Cafe Devotions.

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Ever since our dog Lady died, and especially since our daughter got her kitten, our son has been wanting a puppy.

Mike and I thought it would be fun to get him one for his birthday, so…

Visit my website at www.mycup2yours.com for full content, links, and more…
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I hope you had a chance to watch yesterday’s video, which really is the first part of this post. If you did not, please click here to catch up.
I am totally and completely sincere in my belief that God is gracious and understanding when we are weary.
Everything I said in yesterday’s video? I meant it with all my heart!

However, as I have been thinking about Gianna’s question I have realized there is another important factor we need to consider.
If you are exhausted, I think it’s important to ask the question, Why?
Because it’s important to understand the reason if we are truly going to give God our best. And this is where it gets a little uncomfortable because I *might* say some things that will step on a toe, or two. It isn’t because I want to offend anyone, but because I believe God always deserves our best.
So, Why are you exhausted?
Is it because of the things I mentioned yesterday?
Rest assured, God understands!
OR, are you exhausted because of the choices you’re making? Because of how you’re choosing to spend your time and care for yourself?
Are you staying up too late – watching TV, updating your Facebook status, or *gasp!* reading blogs?
Are you eating foods that feed only your stomach, and not your body?
Are you giving your body the exercise it needs?
Do I sound like a fitness guy’s wife, or what???
Are you over-scheduling yourself with too many things to do? Even though they’re all “good” things?

I know from my own experience that very often the choices we make can lead us to exhaustion, and that keeps us from giving God our very best. So today, I am encouraging you to take an inventory of how you’re feeling and why. Perhaps you’ll see the need for a change, or two.
And if you do need to make a change, I know just the One who can help.
Ask Him!

***Update on Allie: She’s home! Yay! Thank You, Jesus!!!

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****Update on Allie: Her platelet count is 80,000. Up from 41,000 yesterday. Which was up from 16,000 the day before! Thank You, Jesus! And thanks to each of YOU for praying!

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