My seventh grade principal stood before a crowd of wiggly prepubescent boys and girls and in a loud, yet calm voice challenged us to, “Think before you act.” That advice somehow found a way into one of my brain membranes and stuck. It’s something I’m working very hard at teaching my children. Impulse is a deliriously controlling beast. It is fun to act on impulse all of the time, but that’s not how we are called to act. Tell that to the same brain membrane that memorized the words from my seventh grade principal.
I love spontaneity, as do children. It’s simply a part of their makeup.
Continue Reading »
Last week I endured one of the most embarrassing experiences of my life. My second grader threw what could best be described as a full scale hissy fit during her first soccer practice. She flung up her arms, wailed and insisted she couldn’t do it, ignored the coaches’ gentle prodding and begged me to come onto the field to practice with her.
It was a mess and my insides were screaming from humiliation. I felt like I tried every parenting tip I remembered. Deep breaths, encouragement, briefly removing her from the situation, and attempting to get her to discuss her feelings–the whole bag.
Continue Reading »
I love how the Bible can so perfectly apply to a certain situation. I woke up this morning, cupped tea in my hand and dug into the Word to find this…
“My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed by you.” Galatians 4:19-20
Staring at the three combative faces before me, disgruntled and caught up in a frenzy of anticipating school anxiety, this verse sprung to life. In the aftermath of the bout of whining and an abrupt lashing out between siblings, sometimes that is the exact word I feel, perplexed.
Continue Reading »
Yesterday my husband took our youngest daughter on a special trip to the park. She shook her little body in excitement as she moved closer to the swings. My husband gave me the play by play of events since I’d been on a walk with our two older girls. He told me how he hoisted our toddler up and into the bucket swing and commenced with a strong push. She flailed her arms in the air yelling for him to stop.
“Daddy, I don’t have a hold. Too high. Too high.”
My husband immediately stopped the swing in order to comfort her and help her set her hands just right, clasping them to the two chains.
Continue Reading »
Little girls adore crowns. They love to make them. They love to decorate them. They love to wear them. As a mom of three little girls I see evidence of this, especially around my girls’ birthdays. Each one of them wishes to be crowned queen for the day on their birthday. I’m willing to bet there’s a soft side to all of us that would feel honored to have a crown placed upon our heads.
Paul writes to the Corinthians about athletic games, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize.
Continue Reading »
Paul writes how he was given a thorn in his flesh. What’s your thorn? I’m willing to bet we all have one. I’m also convinced that our thorns manifest themselves in our lives in unique ways. I believe we are given specific thorns for specific seasons. Is your thorn depression, an irritating neighbor, a boundary-less relative, splitting headaches, a cancer diagnosis, or the inability to let go of past memories?
“To keep me from being conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
Continue Reading »
I’m not in a boat ready to capsize and I’m not singing praises in jail or facing the terrifying glow of an angel, but I hear it. Some days it sounds like a whisper. Some days a bellowing command.
Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down.” Mark 6:51
When my parents call with the results of my dad’s lung CAT scan—Take courage. When I need to make a decision about how to handle the neighborhood bullies—Take courage. As I roll out of bed with a biting headache—Take courage.
Continue Reading »
The definition of slump, according to Merriam-Webster online is to fall or sink suddenly or to assume a drooping posture or carriage.
How much would I love to blame my recent slump on the endless days of rain we’ve had or on countless other things! I can’t though. I can’t blame my slump on anything but myself. I’m the one with the poor spiritual posture. I’m the one who hasn’t fallen on my knees before God asking for His blessing or direction. I made this slump, now I need to sleep in it. Or instead, I could listen to the Counselor.
Continue Reading »
