“Love the one you’re with- a lesson in contentment
Man the Lord taught me a huge lesson in contentment this past year.
So in 2012 I bought a Sienna minivan while pregnant with my first son. I traded in the sweet little paid-off red Corolla I bought when I was 17, and totally embraced the mom car life. It was a bit emotional as I had worked so hard to pay that car off and it was the best on gas mileage. But I knew I wanted my baby to be safe.
Starting Over
As I write this, the clock is just about to strike midnight, closing the last day of my 34th year here on earth. How does time pass by so very slowly yet strikingly fast all at once? I have to say, this past year has been like the biggest “renovation” I’ve ever lived through. Like sandpaper to a painted surface, my final year of the “early thirties” era has revealed my true self. Layers of paint covered up the beauty of that untreated, raw wood. It truly has been like starting over.
Meaningless
Until yesterday, this passage in my favorite book (by my favorite author might I add), seemed a bit dismal. I will admit I am by no means a Bible scholar, but rather I have decades of a real, raw relationship with a Creator capable of doing more than we can see or imagine. He knows the hairs on our heads and He suspends the stars in the sky, displaying His Glory. He knit us together before we were born, knowing that we would be born into sin. He gave us Jesus (aka an undeserved second chance) because He loves us unconditionally.
Scraping Glass
What if I told you that I used to spend my days scraping a piece of glass repeatedly whilst life spun around me? What if I told you that you likely do it too? What if I challenged you to put your “smart” phone away for 12, 24, 48 hours? Does just reading that make you nervous? Do you feel anxious even thinking about turning that power button off? I get it, I’ve been there. But let’s explore why you may be feeling like that, shall we?
It’s Too Late
The guilt was so heavy I had to turn my body around and cover my face with my hands. The memory is so vivid I almost re-live it real time when I recall it. Hearing him cry, knowing he was being forcefully held down and “shot” was excruciating. We knew. We had done our research, we had made our decision, and yet somehow we still ended up right where we didn’t want to be.
We Broke Up
This year ((2020)), has been one of the best years of my life. Does that sound like a super strange thing to say, given the current “circumstances”? Well let me assure you that January 1st of this ‘strangest year ever’, God had plans for my family’s life that I would have never even fathomed. I started listening to Him. And I don’t mean just what I’d been doing for the other thirty-some years of my life. I surrendered self and truly started following his gentle nudges in humble obedience.
How to: Overcome Picky Eating
Weary, busy parents. I am right there with you. I know the stressor and pressure of working, homework/homeschool, activities, home-keeping and trying to have somewhat of a social life. But start today. Im here for you. Please contact me and check back here on this blog for more info. You can so do this. Start with refined sugar or dyes or MSG or corn syrup. One at a time, eliminate it from your sacred home. We are the gatekeepers. We get to choose health or hurt with what we allow our kiddos to eat. Choose nourishment. Poor food choices are typically a reflection of being too busy, too stressed, too tired. And poor food choices reinforce all of these. Start today. One bite at a time. Give yourself a pat on the back, smile at your littles, and work as a team to improve it. They’re not picky, they’re just programmed. YOU. GOT. THIS!!!!
Even When it Hurts Like Hell
Everyone’s journey to motherhood looks different. It is our unique story that only we can own. Mine looks hard. It is messy. But in the end, it was victorious.
In December 2011, after a few years of marriage, we decided it was time to start “trying” to have a baby. We were both so ready, having waited until the timing was “just right.” I stopped the hormonal birth control I’d been on since High School and we just jumped right in, even after I asked my doctor if we should wait and he said absolutely not.
Speak Life
We, as grown-ups, have the unique “ability” to speak death into situations. Before you wriggle your nose up in disagreement, hear me out. Have you ever heard your kid say something like “I never pick fights with my brother” or “I’m the prettiest princess in the whole world” or “I won’t do that ever ever EVER again, mommy.” And we immediately doubt what they’re saying. Because of past experiences with them. our own life’s woes, and our “realistic” adult view of life, we tell them its not the truth, or we water it down for them. Or we even try to explain why that isn’t true by reminding them of the time they hit their brother just five minutes before, or how miss “princess” marked all over herself with permanent marker and then proceeded to stick her tongue out at you with a stink face on.
Off to the cupboard with you, Chip
This is for those parents who have ever had to put their child in time-out for a minute just to cool down! I mean for the parent to cool down. Im sure I am not alone in this. Parenting can be downright hard when you have some extraneous stressor in your life. I have been dealing with some things outside of my inner circle lately (my husband and our kids) and it was all getting to the best of my emotions! I would have to put my kids in “time-out” for a few just so I could cry alone a minute or take a few deep breaths. It wasn’t the fact they left their cup on the couch, it was that my mind was really trying to handle things outside of them. Like work, extended family, finances, etc!
Daddy’s Green Thumb
Growing up, we had a giant garden full of the most delicious fruits and vegetables. It was surrounded by some of the Pacific Northwest’s finest flowers too. My dad sure had a green thumb! Naturally, I thought I could somehow “inherit” that part of him. Not the case at all!
To my despair, I learned that I had a brown thumb. It was amazing. I was even able to kill plants that were “foolproof,” that “anyone could grow.” Even succulents were toast in my house because I would forget to give them the couple drops of water they needed every few months.
Sweet Sweet Sugar
Over the past seven years, our home has been transformed into a non-toxic environment. Our bodies have purged so many health problems simply by eating a healthier, less-processed diet. We eliminated perfumes, fragrances, harsh chemicals and even candles! We kicked monosodium glutamate, artificial dyes and preservatives out of our pantry also.
Momentum
Everything worthwhile is uphill.
There are a million times in my life that Ive learned this to be true… But one truth that is common among those moments- I never allowed myself to be crushed by the boulder.
When starting something worth having in life, picture a giant boulder. You do everything you can to get that big stone rolling and it does… at first it rolls easily, then more slowly as you approach the incline. You dig your feet in and push with all your might. There’s no movement but the stone hasnt rolled backward.
The Bell
Do you ever have that moment when you look back and wish you could do certain things over again? A second chance to retrace and rewrite your story?
I am going to be bold here and say that every person over the age of eight has had these thoughts. I know I sure have. Last year, I started to lose my singing voice. I would wake up and it would be slightly more difficult to make the notes come out. Then my speaking voice was affected. I knew in my heart that God was telling me to rest and not push it. Knowing and doing; well those are completely different entities.