Seasons Change

Our Sweetie Pie turned three recently, and even after 16 years of motherhood I still look at my kids and wonder at how we manage to have something of an oasis in a home that often resembles managed chaos. She’s potty-trained now, verbally expressive and has been crowned “Queen of the Facial Expression” by unanimous vote.

When you’re in the thick of chasing multiple little ones, the task feels overwhelming. You look forward to the day when they can walk, when they can feed themselves, when they’re potty trained. If I could take back every one of those thoughts now, I would. I can’t of course, and exasperation is a realistic emotion when you’re trying to juggle it all, especially the way most of us do it today- alone, or at least without a support network of older mothers, or even our own mothers, while our husbands are out working hard to support us.

As I thought about this I was reminded of an older post I wrote when Sweetie Pie was just a few months old. I’m re-posting it here to encourage the mothers of little ones. Have a blessed weekend!

Why Perspective Really IS Everything

What a difference a decade makes. Yesterday, after my husband left for work and I got the big girls off to school, I looked around my house in dismay. It was a disaster, I hadn’t had time to take a shower, little Princess was pulling at the leg of my sweats (yes, I was wearing sweats- thoroughly unfeminine), and Miss Maya was ready to be fed. For a brief moment, I was tempted to feel sorry for myself because the one thing I wanted most (a shower) would have to wait until I put the Princess down for her nap which wouldn’t be for another four hours. Instead, I decided to thank God for the opportunity to be available to see my children off to school, for the fact that the Princess was at home pulling on my pants rather than at a daycare center, and for the great blessing of giving us the new and precious gift of Miss Sweetie Pie.

And when I thought back to the last time I was at home with a newborn (well, two, because there were twins) and a toddler, I had to take a moment to praise God for the perspective and wisdom He has given as I tackle the challenges of managing my home with very little ones underfoot.

When our twins were born almost 13 years ago, my first born was 5 days shy of her first birthday. Yes, that’s right: we had 3 babies born in the space of one year! After about 3 weeks at home with my three precious little girls, I was an emotional, depressed, out of control basket case. My poor husband had to deal with my incessant whining and spontaneous bouts of crying because I was “stuck” all day at home with these babies, overwhelmed with trying to be a decent mother. Truthfully, I was unconcerned at that point about being even a marginal wife. It took all of my mental and physical energy to care for the girls. That time in my life is the main reason why it took almost 12 years for me to even consider having any more children.

But our God is faithful. He truly is working in us according to His will. Back then I never could have imagined that I would once again welcome the blessing of more children into our family. I now view each challenge as an opportunity to lean on God and to show His love to my children. Sadly, many friends and family members also bristled at the fact that we have flung open the doors of our hearts to welcome more of God’s great and precious gifts into our life. Has our growth occurred in a vacuum? Sometimes it is hard to feel so misunderstood. Why is it that when I saw parenting my children as an 18 year detour on my road to freedom, I could find so many who related to and agreed with my perspective?

The fact that I am preparing to home school is another miraculous change of heart. When my older kids started school, I enjoyed the freedom that was afforded me to fulfill my duties without the distraction of little ones running about. Now I look forward to consistent morning devotions, trips to the library, home school groups, and taking vacations on our schedule rather than the school districts.

What a difference a decade makes, indeed. I was younger and more energetic back then, but I lacked the perspective needed to appreciate the blessing and honor that it is to be a wife and mother. I am so grateful to God for shaking me and allowing me to get a grip while my big girls were still young enough for us to impart life into them and love them the way they needed to be. Of course, when I think about the time I wasted feeling sorry for myself and viewing the roles of wife and mother from the world’s perspective, I can only praise God more for His word.

He has indeed restored the years that were eaten by the locusts of self-pity, selfishness, and lack of perspective.

This and That: Some Random Musings

This and that, as the catchy title of the post implies…

~Has it already been 2 years since I posted this? Where did the time go! Our Sweetie Pie is two years old today. She is getting into any and everything, the wobbles in her walk are fading, and her vocabulary is on the increase. Of course, there are times I wish I had a translator handy when she decides to string together a sentence! Happy Birthday, Sweetie Pie!

~And at the other end of the spectrum: I have a kid in college. Yes, you read that right. Down here, high school students who prove via testing that they can do the work can take college classes for free. Our high school sophomore, BrightEyes, is taking college algebra at the local community college. She’s feeling pretty ambitious, hoping to take enough classes to get her A.A. at the same time as her high school diploma.

When her dad and I dropped her off, and she started to jump out of the truck, the reality of what it meant was a bit lost on me at first. Then she said, “It feels like the first day of school.” And my husband said, “I hope your mom doesn’t start to cry.” Then it hit me. My kid is in college! And my eyes welled up, but I didn’t cry.

~So I’m browsing around in this great used bookstore: And I run across the very controversial marriage book by Debi Pearl, Created to Be His Helpmeet. It isn’t a new book. It’s been around quite a while, in fact. But I’d never read it for several reasons. First, I read many reviews of it when it was gaining popularity a few years ago. There were a few women that raved about it being convicting and a revelation, but many more thought it was disgusting, heretical, and disrespectful of women. I didn’t want to spend my husband’s hard earned money on a book that was filled with error or that I might hate.

Secondly, I’m not a big fan of marriage books. I have always been of the mind that marriage is pretty cut and dried in the Bible: What to do, what not to do, how to be a godly husband, and how to be a godly wife. Marriage books, I figured, just muddy the thinking, so I tend to skip them. I’ve onlyever read two:  Elizabeth George’s A Wife After God’s Own Heart, which was a solid, balanced book, and a great book on marital intimacy written by my blogging friend Sheila. I reviewed it here, for those interested.

The Debi Pearl book piqued my interest again, however, after Brenda recently mentioned enjoying it on her blog. Not all of her readers agreed, of course, so when I saw the book  for a very manageable $6, I thought I might read it. I purchased it. I haven’t gotten very far, but what I have read has been interesting. I hope to share my thoughts over the next week or so.

When I do, I welcome the thoughts of those among you who have also read this book. I hope to have fun time reviewing it, whether we all agree or not.

~America unhinged? When I was in the car the other day, I happen to stumble across the radio program of a conservative talker who was all in a tizzy over the new Supreme Court nominee. What, I thought, is this all about? I am no fan of our current President, but as the saying goes: elections have consequences and power comes with privileges. Among those privileges is the ability to nominate judges whose take on the law matches his own. There are plenty of policies and legislative initiatives we can take exception with, particularly things have to go through Congress, where theoretically voters have some say. I don’t think this woman is qualified, but that’s not my call to make.

Additionally, there was even a woman screeching on about denying Miranda rights to the guy who tried to set a bomb off in NYC a little over a week ago. Generally, I loathe the practice of reading rights to foreign, non-citizen terrorists. Miranda rights are rights guaranteed to American citizens. Guess what? That guy was a citizen! An alleged terrorist, yes, but a CITIZEN alleged terrorist. The show host agreed with her inanity. I was dumbfounded. Just proves that irrational, ideologically driven foolishness isn’t isolated to those on the left, though I do think they have a worse case of ideological delusion than those more conservative. Once you say citizens can be stripped of their rights based on the nature of the crime, we are all in jeopardy. What a waste of airtime!

 That energy would be much better spent educating listeners on the way government is supposed to function and arming them with the information they need when they go to the ballot box. Hearing that just reminded me of why I stopped listening to talk radio except on rare occasions. I’ll take Allistair Begg over Rush anyday.

~How often do you think about heaven? When was the last time you heard a message on the Second Coming? After hearing a message at church recently, it occurred to me how much time and energy we (meaning me) spend attempting to get our faith to work for us with the end result being relief from difficulty and increased comfort in the here and now. I realize that Scripture and faith are to be applied in this life. But I’m supposed to be building up for myself treasures in heaven. Unfortunately many of the most popular preachers of our day are encouraging believers to do more of what we do naturally: looking for perfection here. If life were perfect here, we wouldn’t long for heaven. And that also goes for our faith walk. If it were possible for us to be perfected now, how prideful, arrogant, and useless to the kingdom we would be! I dare say delusions of personal perfection are what’s keeping us from winning souls as it is. Just some food for thought.

Enjoy a relaxed, worshipful, and family-filled weekend!

One year ago…

I posted this picture.

What a difference a year makes!

Happy Birthday Sweetie Pie!

Fitness Friday: Starting Over Edition

My name is Terry, and I’m a fitness dropout. (This is where my fellow meeting members say, “Hi, Terry!). This is not to make fun of 12 step programs. Just the opposite. This post is my acknowledgment that we really do tackle these challenges a bit better when we do so with someone else. Which is why I’m glad to be rejoining Fitness Friday, hosted by Brenda at The Family Revised.

Well, ladies, as you know, I fell off the fitness bandwagon, and hard. Apparently Brenda did, too, so we are renewing our commitment to Fitness Friday posts. The encouragement, ideas, accountability, and support go a long way in helping us remember that when we take care of our bodies, not only do we benefit, but our families benefit as well. This week we are supposed to list our fitness goals and rank them in order of importance. I’ll do that first, then list a few of the steps I want to implement to help me get to my goal.

5. I want to be able to run a mile. I ran 1/4 of a mile about 3 weeks ago, in the depths of my fitness funk, which isn’t bad. I know this seems trivial, but I just really want to be able to do this.

4. I want to look better. My height (almost 5’9″) has always been a great camouflage for my extra pounds, but since I had Sweetie Pie, 11 MONTHS AGO, the pounds aren’t as well hidden. Did I mention that I had a baby 11 MONTHS ago? I’m so thankful for my husband, who thinks I’m beautiful in spite of, and tells me so. (Just a little encouragement for you ladies with body image issues.)

3. I want to wear a smaller clothing size. I’ve never been a size 6 and I never will be (too many curves for that, even as a youngster), and thankfully, my maternity clothes are too big (whew!), but I need to be smaller. Period.

2. I want to set a good example for my kids and encourage my family to eat healthier.

1. I want to be healthy and full of energy. As I am now chasing two toddlers, as well as the daily grind of keeping up with 3 teenagers, I am increasingly reminded of how out of shape I am.

So how, you may wonder, do I plan to accomplish my goals?

1. Exercise at least 4 days a week. The goal is 5 days, but Wednesdays are pretty busy so I’m going to plan in advance for the possibility that I won’t be able to do it.

2. I am seriously considering Mother of Dog’s suggestion that I cut out all sugar, though I have to admit, I get a headache at just the thought. Since sweets are my Achilles heel, I’m trying to view it as an opportunity to master something that has mastered me for far too long.

3. And of course, eating balanced, healthy, plant based meals, and treating meat as a tasty addition rather than the main course. I want to start every dinner with salad. if I fill up on that, I’ll eat less of the heavier stuff.

Do you need to get fit? Just want to develop healthier habits? Join us! Click over to Brenda’s for more Fitness Friday encouragement.

Monday’s Random Musings

I hope you all had a restful, relaxing, and worship-filled end of the week. It was a beautiful Palm Sunday weekend here and in addition to weekly worship we spent a great deal of time outdoors. It was much too lovely to remain inside. It is my aim this week to get caught up on some much neglected housework since last week was Spring Break for my big girls and though we did a few Spring cleaning projects, our week was largely consumed with simply enjoying each other’s company and having fun. A few of my musings this beautiful Monday morning:

A sad reflection of the times in which we live: I first ran across this story in my local hometown newspaper and found it truly disturbing. How can this woman, who lived in a community, be dead for 18 MONTHS and not a soul realize it? Her death was discovered only when her property was auctioned off due to her unpaid property taxes- which apparently went unpaid due to her unnoticed demise. I can only wonder how many of the people in this community passed this woman’s house week after week on their way to church- or synagogue, when the Bible admonishes us to care for the widow and the orphan?

Fitness Friday follow-up thoughts: Sweetie Pie will be 11 months old next week. We are already getting questions from family members about how we plan to celebrate her 1st birthday next month. I, personally, have always considered my babies’ first birthday as the official moment when I could no longer blame my extra pounds on my pregnancy. Her impending one year mark, coupled with my startling reversal of fitness progress have given me just the kick in the pants I need to jump back on the bandwagon. Workouts have resumed and the desserts are returning to the ranks of occasional indulgence.

This will be a dessert weekend: Since we bought this, our first home, seven years ago, I have had an annual “Easter” dinner at our house, the one time per year that both my whole family and my husband’s whole family get together and have a grand time. I almost didn’t do it this year. Some of you may remember the lively discussion we had here back in December about Christmas and Christmas trees as potentially idolatrous. While I didn’t agree with the person who first approached me on that subject, I did find quite a bit of merit to their argument against Easter. I was really embarrassed that I did NOT know that Easter is actually the name of a pagan goddess and that the celebration of the Resurrection was renamed “Easter” by the emperor Constantine to appease the idolatrous worshippers who were becoming quite unsettled by the spread of Christianity throughout the Roman empire. Eggs and rabbits as symbols of fertility and all the sordid rituals that were apart of that worship were enveloped into the Christian celebration of the Resurrection and we have what we now know as “Easter” today. Upon further reflection, however, it occurred to me that we can still celebrate the Resurrection of our Savior without partaking in things that are offensive to God. So we have abandoned the term “Easter” in favor of Resurrection Sunday. No more eggs, bunnies, and things like that are a part of our celebration. I know that there are some who have decided it best to just ignore Easter altogether. But I cannot, will not, ignore the event on which the whole of the Christian faith hinges. That would be throwing the baby out with the bath water, wouldn’t it?

What if God decides to give directions for the family to the wife? Now y’all know that I believe the husband is the head of the family. I submit to my husband joyfully because I am certain that it is what God has commanded and I want to be pleasing to Him. It doesn’t hurt that my hubby is just awesome, cute, smart, loving, and more! But I’d submit even if he was none of that. I do, however, get really annoyed with the line of thought that insists that a wife cannot be trusted to offer ANY direction in a family. You know, since Eve was deceived and all the other reasons used to relegate women and girls to second class status. A couple of weeks ago I read the story of the birth of Samson, and was struck by the fact that the Lord came to Samson’s mother, not only with the news that God would bless her with a son, but also with directions for how he was to be raised. Samson’s father, Manoah, prayed for the Lord to reveal to him what He had revealed to his wife. And the angel of the Lord appeared not to Manoah, but to his wife- again! She had to run and get her husband to come and speak with the angel of the Lord. Clearly, God was interested in speaking to this woman infinitely more so than to her husband. Now I don’t know why that was, but it certainly makes me say hmmm… How many men are missing the word of the Lord because they won’t receive it from their wife?

I could muse all day, but I think that’s more than enough to think about on a Monday morning. What do you think about what I’m thinking about?

Sometimes I Think My Brain Needs A Break!

And then I look around me and think that there are far too many people who don’t think about things enough. The evidence is all around us everyday. So let’s muse, shall we?

Are we tough enough? I was thinking about the state of our economy and the potential effect it could have on my generation, those of us around 40 or under. There are those who think that this will get a whole lot worse before it gets better and it occurred to me that for most of us, there is no real recollection living without, of having to endure financial hardship such as that of, say, my father’s generation. He was a young boy during the depression, endured Jim Crow and lived through what was a pretty severe recession the latter half of the 1970’s and early 1980’s. Since then however, American life has been pretty good. What’s more, most of us have developed the expectation that our standard living should go up, not down as time goes by. If it does get worse before it gets better, I frankly wonder if we’re tough enough, as a people addicted to convenience, to take it without far reaching panic and chaos taking hold. I mean, this is the generation that has elevated to iconic status people like Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Phil, and talk show hosts who encouraged us that our feelings reign supreme. Since going without doesn’t usually feel good and folks can’t even handle being cut off in traffic without flying into a rage, I’m just wondering.

What happened to ruling in the best interest of the child? I’m sure most of you have heard by now the case of this judge ordering the mother of three homeschooled children to put them in public school. This case intrigued me for a couple of reasons. The first was that the judge was pretty up front about the fact that he objected to the religious tone of the mother’s homeschool curriculum. That makes me a bit uncomfortable. Will it become commonplace to rule against homeschoolers because of religion? The religious bias here should have been enough to get his ruling overturned. But this was a divorce proceeding and the mother was homeschooling against her husband’s wishes, at least that’s what the husband says now. That, if true, was also telling and why I so object to women jumping on bandwagons that their husbands aren’t driving. I would argue that her husband, upon seeing the evidence of his children’s far superior education, should have enthusiastically supported the homeschool. It was said that the children tested a full two grade levels higher than their public school counterparts. But he didn’t support it, and in the end he got his way anyway. For better or worse.

By any means necessary? The debate over federal funding of embryonic stem cell research is open and shut for me as far as using tax dollars to support it. Believe it or not, however, I hadn’t ever really thought about the fact that in-vitro fertilization, by its very nature calls for the routine destruction of unused human embryos. Then I read an editorial in my local newspaper last Wednesday and all of a sudden my ambivalence about this method of producing children gave way to deep thought. I’m still in the thinking phase of it all, but here’s a bit of the op-ed piece that made gave me pause:The desire for children is both legitimate and laudable, but not every means is morally acceptable for those wishing to become parents. As Dignitas Personae says, “The origin of human life has its authentic context in marriage and in the family, where it is generated through an act which expresses the reciprocal love between a man and a woman. … The desire for a child cannot justify the ‘production’ of offspring, just as the desire not to have a child cannot justify the abandonment or destruction of a child once he or she has been conceived.” Artificial contraception opened the possibility of sex without procreation; now in-vitro and related technologies proffer procreation without sex. Such technologies divorced from moral reasoning devalue the meaning of human sexuality itself.
This was written by the head of the local Catholic archdiocese and really made me say hmmm…

BabyWise, Attachment Parenting, I liked them all: Our first daughter slept with us sometimes, and sometimes she didn’t. We fed on demand early on and moved to a more scheduled approach when she was little older. Our twins never slept with us and were on a much more regimented schedule out of necessity. And concern for my sanity. When Little Princess came along, she slept with us. All. The. Time. As a matter of fact she slept with us right up until her second birthday. And yes, it cramped our style. But we also relearned how to make the most of time alone when we got it. When we finally mustered the resolve to kick her out, here’s what we did: We let her fall asleep in our bed, then picked her up and put her in her own bed, in the room she share’s with Bright Eyes (14). They don’t really share the room because all the Princess’ stuff is in our room. She just sleeps there. Anyway, every night, around 2 AM, she’d get out of bed, cross the dark house, and get in our bed. We let that go on for a couple of months. It was tolerable for us since our style wasn’t being cramped anymore. Then we started taking her back to her bed. After a couple of weeks, she stopped waking up. Now she starts off in her own bed and stays there. Sweetie Pie has never slept with us. All that to say I think that since all babies are different, any of these parenting approaches can work depending on the baby. We did them all, and I haven’t read any of the books. Don’t know why I was thinking about that. Hope it helps someone.

School stuff: It’s standardized testing season for my kids. They see it as a nice break. They don’t find the tests challenging, but homework and everything else comes to a standstill, freeing their after school hours and they are much more relaxed. Parents and teachers down here meanwhile are having meltdowns and staging rallies to protest budget cuts that are affecting the schools. I meanwhile, am calmly counting down the days until my twins graduate and this is no longer my problem. There are a few things that give me pause, certainly, as some of the proposed cuts are pretty draconian. Like possibly cutting sports. I’m not sure my brother would have graduated had he not had to keep a 2.0 to play football. Boys are already getting the short end of the stick in public schools as it is. So I’m not oblivious. It just doesn’t move me the way it used to. But I can remember when all this would have had me down at the school board office, too.

Most times I’m Prin, but I have been Prag: Not in my own marriage of course, but it’s a metaphor for the church. You’ll have to read this article for any of this to make sense. I’m curious you guys’ thoughts about it. As I read it this Scripture came to mind: For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Romans 10:2-4. I would really be interested in you guys’ thoughts on this one.

Now that you’ve read my mind, weigh in and let me pick your brains, too.

Happy Monday, all!

If You Have Littles and You Want To Get Something Done…

…You have to get up. Early. Very Early. I have been a mom for almost 15 years now and I can say unequivocally that the single most important factor in consistently keeping my home orderly is getting up before there is anyone else up to distract me from what I need to do. Theoretically, I guess you could stay up later than everyone else, but that won’t work for me. The husband wouldn’t appreciate it. We use that child-free time to spend with each other.

This morning when my last child left for school at 8:45, I had already washed, dried, folded and put away 3 loads of laundry and was working on the fourth. I’d had my quiet time, cleaned the hall bath, and gotten myself dressed before the first of the littles woke up at 7:45. Without fail, when I sleep past 5:30, I spend my day behind the eight ball, playing catch up. When I’m up before 5:15, the days sail smoothly, and everyone gets what they need, including me, because I can spend nap time doing something I enjoy rather than rushing around to do what I didn’t get done earlier in the morning. In fact, it’s nap time right now! Take my word for it, and disregard the time this posts. It’s nap time.

I hesitated to write this post because I can so relate to those of you who are not morning people. That used to be me when I was younger. I figured it’s up to each mom to decide for herself what system works best for her family, and if she can sleep until 7 or 8 and still get it all done, more power to her. In reality, once our children are older and can do a few things without our constant supervision, that’s actually true. Sleeping a little later doesn’t make much difference. But when your days are spent entertaining, chasing, supervising, nursing and training toddlers and infants, there has to be a time to get work done without distraction. For me, that’s first thing in the morning. And I’m writing this post because I believe that by and large, that’s probably the case for most of us.

I have been thinking about this for a couple of weeks, in fact, but I wanted to ponder it some more before throwing it out there. Upon further reflection, I am convinced enough to make this statement: The secret to productivity with littles underfoot, in addition to hard work, is early rising. I was so convinced that I decided to search the Scripture for references to the virtue of rising early to do one’s work. Of course, I found this most well known verse in Proverbs 31:

She also rises while it is yet night,And provides food for her household, And a portion for her maidservants. (Proverbs 31:15)

This passage of Scripture is one that I and many of my sisters in the blogosphere have confessed our desire to emulate. And she rises before daybreak to get started with the days duties! I didn’t find many other verses that were as demonstrative as that one, but I did find quite a few admonitions about sleeping more than we should. When I first read them I disregarded them because I know very few moms who get enough sleep at all, let alone extra sleep! After thinking about it further, I reminded myself that ALL of Scripture is useful to ALL of us ALL the time.

So for the rare mom who may be inclined to sleep in when she should be rising, I thought I’d include a couple of those here:

Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty; Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with bread. (Proverbs 20:13)

A little sleep, a little slumber,A little folding of the hands to sleep— So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man. (Proverbs 6:10-11)

So that’s my mommy tip of the week. If you want to get something done, get up!

Fitness Friday: Things That Make Me Feel Good

It’s been a while since I’ve done a Fitness Friday post and I’m ready to jump back into the swing of it. Before I answer Brenda’s question of the week: What things make me feel good?, a progress report might be in order so here goes.

As is common during the holiday season I was a bit less careful about what I ate, but it wasn’t all bad. I tried to make every effort to be sure and focus on consuming things that are good for me and less energy on the things that I shouldn’t be eating. The result was a lot of water, fruits, and fiber, in additional to the Christmas candies and cookies. Normally, December would be all candies and cookies and almost no good stuff. I would excuse my inattention by proclaiming a holiday exemption. Not so, this year, and as a result, I didn’t gain any weight over the holidays.

Since saying goodbye to Christmas baking and eating, I have faithfully worked out at least 3 days a week the past two weeks. I have been trying to break the power of the scale as the only measuring tool for success, but I feel the need to mark my progress weekly somehow, so I weighed in today and I am down one more pound.

As for what makes me feel good: the first thing I’ll have to say would be getting up early enough to spend time in the word. It’s something I’ve always valued but during the first four months of Sweetie Pie’s life with us, I was trying to get enough sleep just to function so daily focused Scripture reading took a back seat to a quick Psalm here and there. When she started sleeping through the night (she’s approaching eight months now), I had gotten out of the habit of an early morning quiet time so it feels good to rekindle that in my daily life. This relates to Fitness Friday because for me, starting the day this way has a way of helping live a more intentional and focused life in every area, including my health and fitness goals.

Working out makes me feel good. My energy level is always better on the days that I work out. That translates into a better day with the kids, too, because I feel more energized to chase them. Yes, I said them, as Sweetie Pie is on the crawl now and always into something. Not to mention keeping up with the schedules of the big girls, too. Exercise is valuable for so much more than just weight loss.

I also feel better when I’m focused on what I WANT to accomplish rather than on what I DON’T want to see happen. For me, this means planning on eating a certain number of fruits and vegetables rather on what foods I’m going to avoid. This little shift in perspective goes a long way for. When I get hungry for a snack and I haven’t eaten the number of fruits I want to eat on a certain day, the brownies aren’t even a temptation. I gravitate toward an orange (my favorite fruit) almost automatically. It could work for those of you who struggle with drinking water, too. it’s pretty much all we drink in our house anyway.

Other things that make me feel good: reading a good book, a good, clean, funny movie, and family get togethers. Oh yes, and the weather down here right now. Sublime!

Those are just a few of the things that make me feel good and help me stay focused on my fitness goals. Visit Brenda at The Family Revised for more Fitness Friday encouragement.

Gazillions Of Thoughts But No Time To Explore Them All

So I’ll just throw ‘em all out and let you all explore them!! Here’s what I’ve been musing and mulling over recently:

• The lively discussion brought on by my Christmas Tree post has still been on my mind a bit. No matter how many ways I look at it, I find myself reflecting on Colossians 2 or Romans 14. If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus and are celebrating unto the Lord, this is a non issue. Prayerfully follow your own conscience. And most importantly, remember John 13:35. This is certainly not worthy to cause division among believers. Let’s focus on what we agree on in our dealings and extend love and grace to one another on the things we don’t agree on.
• Did you see this story? I remember when I used to say things like, “Well if I had the money for a personal chef and a personal trainer, I’d be in great shape, too.” Her O-ness has simply reinforced my conviction that this is a spiritual battle as much as any other. And I’ve got something better than a personal chef OR a personal trainer. I’ve got a personal Savior who will help me gain the victory over my flesh in this area. Not to mention the Fitness Friday gals!
• I am thoroughly convinced that our generation suffers from a severe deficit of imagination. I’ve been thinking about the issue of “working mothers” lately. It occurred to me that we forget or don’t know that there are hundreds, if not thousands of ways to make money while still being at home with our children. This is not necessarily an either/or proposition. Particularly with the technology available to us today, there are many ways to make money from home if you have a phone, a computer, and a few basic skills. I, for one, have taught my daughters than entrepreneurship is the way to go if you want to utilize your talents without compromising your commitment to home and family. Why are we addicted to the commuter/paycheck mentality?
• I love hearing ministers preach who have a sound grasp of theology, who have the understanding that our faith is not one devoid of reason and logic. Our faith does indeed make sense. Anyway, this man was the guest speaker at our church this past Sunday and he asked a very probing rhetorical question of our congregation. He started by pointing out that at any and all times we are in a state of worship. We are beings of worship, made for worship and communion with our Father. When our eyes are not on the Lord, they must be fixed on someone/something. When you are not focused on God, what do you default to? Where do you reach for that fulfilment your heart so longs for? I’ll leave that for your consideration.
• Anna has a post up that certainly has given me yet another reason to attempt to declutter my home. She’s right on a number of fronts but I know that for me, the more junk I have around, no matter how useful I’ve convinced myself that it is, the more time I have to spend dusting/cleaning/rearranging said junk. I think I’m off to get rid of some stuff. Oh, one last thing,
• I walked into the room this morning to find Sweetie Pie pulling herself up on the side of the crib. Yes, I snapped a picture but I really don’t have the time right now to upload the picture. Will do it soon, though. Can you believe she’s 7 months already?
• I hope you are enjoying your families more than the mall during this holiday season. After all, what are your kids gonna do with all that junk anyway? We are using this approach to gift giving this year with our kids. It’s not where we got the idea, but Sheila articulated well the direction we have decided to go.

Have a wonderfully blessed day!

Update on Sweetie Pie and Some Other Thoughts

Firstly, Sweetie Pie is doing okay. She has tolerated all of the doctor visits, medicine, poking, and prodding very well. The specialist she saw yesterday was a wonderful doctor. I am thankful that we found our way to his office. At this point, we are still looking at the possibility of surgery due to the severity of the infection. It’s simply a matter of it will be done in the next couple of months, or if we will wait until she is a little older since she is only 6 months old right now. The reason this is an issue is that statistically, if she’s already having infections at this young age, chances are that they will recur frequently. Thankfully we have a doctor who is willing to wait and see if that is going to happen rather than simply making an apointment to operate. I’ll keep you all posted and thank you for your prayers.

I really think its appropriate that I follow up on what I posted yesterday after reading the comments. Let me start by saying if you read this blog expecting to read the thoughts of someone who has it all the answers and has it all together, you’ve come to the wrong blog. That ain’t me. I know in Whom I believe. I know my Redeemer lives. I know His word is true. That’s about the extent of what I know. When I posted the link to the article at by the liberal feminist, it was not to say that I agreed with her word for word. I apreciate the complexities of life, the callings of the Lord that may seem unorthodox to those of us on the outside, and the fact that I don’t know with certainty what the Lord may call me to in future days. It’s why I stated emphatically that given what I know, my vote would be the same. That said, I’d be less than honest if I didn’t admit that some of what she said resonated with me. It resonated with me however, not because of Sarah Palin, but because it made me question if I was contradicting what I claim to believe. And there were conservative Chrisitian leaders, many of whom rail against feminism and the way it has pulled mothers away from the home, who jumped on the GOP bandwagon upon the announcement of the VP nominee. I believe a questioning of our motives is valid. Whether or not this woman is the one who should be doing the questioning is another matter. That’s why I think it’s a good thing for the church to discuss this among ourselves and why I raised the issue.

I know that God sometime uses women in nontraditional roles. I am certain of it. The purpose of the link was not to judge and ridicule, but rather to have meaningful discussion about the way the culture interprets what they would consider doublespeak on our parts. Maybe the issue isn’t whether or not women should or shouldn’t stay at home (though I believe most of us should). Maybe the issue is whether or not we should spend less time talking the talk and more time walking the walk. I thank you all for the stimulating conversation. You have helped me string together a coherent thought on the subject. I think that for me, this is the conclusion of the whole matter: spread the gospel. Preach the good news of redemption from sin though the blood of the Savior. Live the gospel before men, and leave the convicting to the Holy Spirit. Julie is a wonderful example of taking every opportunity to tell someone about Jesus. You can read her post here.