For a while, I was feeling guilty. Guilty that I wasn't volunteering here and there. I'm not active in a church ministry, and actually haven't been since Sam was born. I am a co-coordinator for MOPS, but that term is coming to an end in just a few months. I've been very diligent about saying no to things because what we really don't need is for me to say "yes" to more. I help out as much as possible with my kids' sports and, of course, we homeschool. I'll gladly pitch in on something very short term when help is needed and I know we're available.
In the midst of that guilt, God really spoke to me. It's so very ok that at this stage of my life that I'm not involved in much outside ministry. I have a big ministry right here at home, and it's about to grow even more by the (official) end of summer. My husband and children are my focus, and it's ok that nothing else is topping that. Pouring into my family, ensuring they are growing spiritually, staying healthy, and getting a good education are my calling right now. I have ideas in my head of things I'd love to do, but I know that the season for that will come. Right now, I'm going to turn away from the guilt that nags when volunteers are needed and I don't feel the urge to say yes. I would never turn down an opportunity that God led me to, even if I think it means I'll be too busy. I will be sure though, that He is leading me there, and not my "Oh but I probably should" thoughts.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Monday, February 6, 2012
The heart of a child
You never know how sheltered your child is...until they are met with "how the other half lives."
Now, usually, that makes us think of the time our kid went to visit a friend who seems to have so much more stuff. But today, it was the opposite experience. Ben (5 1/2) needed information on a missionary for his Awana book. He asked if I actually knew one. So, I showed him Luke & Sarah's website, and we watched the video. He was completely stunned. I saw the tears come as we talked about how some of those children lived each day. He weighed in his mind just how much he has in comparison. He told me that he feels really lucky to live here. He doesn't understand why those children have to live that way. Why don't they all have nice clothes? Why don't they all have lots of food? Why isn't that man sleeping in a bed? Those can't really be homes, can they Mom?
It raised a lot of questions, and now he's off playing. But I keep catching him lost in thought, and I can tell by his face where his mind has gone. I'm sure there are more questions coming. I think this is a lot for his little mind to process, and over time we'll explore what he wants to know.
We've spent time at Christmas telling the boys that they should give much of what they already have away before getting new things. But I think they really don't understand just how blessed we are in comparison to some other families. I'm realizing more and more that it's ok to show them the harsh reality of the world. They don't need to be a particular age to get it, and more likely, they'll get it better now than as a teenager or an adult.
Now, usually, that makes us think of the time our kid went to visit a friend who seems to have so much more stuff. But today, it was the opposite experience. Ben (5 1/2) needed information on a missionary for his Awana book. He asked if I actually knew one. So, I showed him Luke & Sarah's website, and we watched the video. He was completely stunned. I saw the tears come as we talked about how some of those children lived each day. He weighed in his mind just how much he has in comparison. He told me that he feels really lucky to live here. He doesn't understand why those children have to live that way. Why don't they all have nice clothes? Why don't they all have lots of food? Why isn't that man sleeping in a bed? Those can't really be homes, can they Mom?
It raised a lot of questions, and now he's off playing. But I keep catching him lost in thought, and I can tell by his face where his mind has gone. I'm sure there are more questions coming. I think this is a lot for his little mind to process, and over time we'll explore what he wants to know.
We've spent time at Christmas telling the boys that they should give much of what they already have away before getting new things. But I think they really don't understand just how blessed we are in comparison to some other families. I'm realizing more and more that it's ok to show them the harsh reality of the world. They don't need to be a particular age to get it, and more likely, they'll get it better now than as a teenager or an adult.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
It's been awhile
Life has been beyond crazy and busy lately. And if you glance at my calendar, you'd see it's not getting better any time soon. The great thing is that, with the exception of work commitments for Aaron, all things on the calendar are there by choice, and are something we enjoy. So, at least it's not laden with burden.
I've been feeling pretty down the past several days too. I've been feeling like a group killer. A few years back, I took over a mommy playgroup at our old church when my friend moved away. It didn't take long before it was dead, and it was quite apparent I was trying to breathe life into something that just wasn't coming back. I feel like the same is happening in another group now. I love these women, and what this group means for so many. It breaks my heart to see it faltering. We're meeting to discuss the future today, and I worry. What does worry do anyhow, besides give me more gray hair? It just grieves me to think that unless God breathes new life into the group, like he did in Ezekiel, it may be beyond help. Aaron has been reassuring me that it's not that I am the problem. Sometimes groups have a season. He helped me recognize how so many women moved on right after I joined the group even (not just when I became one of the leaders) because of the age of their children. And we live in such a consumer society. People just don't want to pour into something to get something back. People in general feel so drained already by life that there often isn't much more to give back. But now, the 20% who are doing 80% of the work are now completely drained. I've seen it with what my dad deals with in a junior rifle club I grew up in. When I was a kid shooting there, most parents had some form of active involvement. No one just got dropped off and left. Now? It's like free babysitting. The few coaches that are there are left with most of the work. When we'd go to national championships in Ohio, 30 kids would go and their parents often would as well. Now? Not so much.
On a much brighter note, we celebrated Drew's birthday this week! I can't believe my boy is 8 now. We started with Monster Jam on Sunday. It was awesome and the kids had a great time. We spent his birthday morning at Chuck E Cheese (note to self: check the local school calendar first...Prince William was closed, and that place was worse than a Saturday!!). Drew is very excited about his Lego store gift certificate and the tickets to Casting Crowns. All the birthday celebrating got Ben to open up and say he doesn't want to go to Yogi for camping this year for his birthday. He'd rather just go to CEC too. Umm...ok kid, that'll save us a boatload of cash! He said he'd rather have regular presents than vacation. I think we can handle that.
One last parting thought....
I've been feeling pretty down the past several days too. I've been feeling like a group killer. A few years back, I took over a mommy playgroup at our old church when my friend moved away. It didn't take long before it was dead, and it was quite apparent I was trying to breathe life into something that just wasn't coming back. I feel like the same is happening in another group now. I love these women, and what this group means for so many. It breaks my heart to see it faltering. We're meeting to discuss the future today, and I worry. What does worry do anyhow, besides give me more gray hair? It just grieves me to think that unless God breathes new life into the group, like he did in Ezekiel, it may be beyond help. Aaron has been reassuring me that it's not that I am the problem. Sometimes groups have a season. He helped me recognize how so many women moved on right after I joined the group even (not just when I became one of the leaders) because of the age of their children. And we live in such a consumer society. People just don't want to pour into something to get something back. People in general feel so drained already by life that there often isn't much more to give back. But now, the 20% who are doing 80% of the work are now completely drained. I've seen it with what my dad deals with in a junior rifle club I grew up in. When I was a kid shooting there, most parents had some form of active involvement. No one just got dropped off and left. Now? It's like free babysitting. The few coaches that are there are left with most of the work. When we'd go to national championships in Ohio, 30 kids would go and their parents often would as well. Now? Not so much.
On a much brighter note, we celebrated Drew's birthday this week! I can't believe my boy is 8 now. We started with Monster Jam on Sunday. It was awesome and the kids had a great time. We spent his birthday morning at Chuck E Cheese (note to self: check the local school calendar first...Prince William was closed, and that place was worse than a Saturday!!). Drew is very excited about his Lego store gift certificate and the tickets to Casting Crowns. All the birthday celebrating got Ben to open up and say he doesn't want to go to Yogi for camping this year for his birthday. He'd rather just go to CEC too. Umm...ok kid, that'll save us a boatload of cash! He said he'd rather have regular presents than vacation. I think we can handle that.
One last parting thought....
Romans 15:13
New International Version (NIV)
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
The joy of my boys
In case anyone missed the memo, I adore my boys.
They are loud, boisterous, crazy, and make me pull my hair out sometimes. But I love every moment of it. After 8 years, I'm finally starting to understand what it is to raise boys. No offense to all the girl-mamas out there, but it takes a whole other technique to have a boy in the house. They learn differently, communicate differently, and love differently. My boys wake up ready to go and don't stop until I tuck them into bed at night. There are nights I declare "DS Party!" so I can tuck them in earlier and they can play games together for a while because I'm just exhausted.
On Friday, Sam had his ear tubes removed. I, of course, was a nervous wreck about my boy being put to sleep and just undergoing surgery in general. Even if it only lasted 15 minutes! That's my baby they were taking in there. Sam, on the other hand, was a complete trooper. He told the nurse Dr. Stern needed to hurry and fix his ears because he wanted his breakfast. And after, in recovery, he grinned at me as he told me the nurse was going to give him a popsicle for being such a big boy!! He blew me away. This little one, who was dealt a big hand to play as an infant with all his allergies and ear infections, was so charming and sweet. All the nurses wanted to keep him.
I had the opportunity while I was there to introduce an all-boy-mama there to the reality of having boys. Hers are 2 and 4, and she said she just doesn't understand why they don't sit quietly ever. I said "That's the nature of boys. It's how they are designed to work." She let it soak in and said "Well, I never thought of it that way. How do you handle it?" I told her that they just need a lot of energy outlets, opportunities to climb and build and be the hero. They won't fit into the "girl behavior" box, but rather will just smash it down for the fun of it. I saw the wheels turning in her mind, and hopefully she will take some time to really consider what it is to have all boys. It's a special calling for mothers, that's for sure!
For all the times my boys make me wonder how many seconds are left until bedtime, there is a hug, a smile, a kiss, a "me loves you", there comes a realization that we're really doing a sort-of-good job with them that makes me step back and fall in love with them all over again.
It's a loud journey with these guys, and I have to get over my own girlish tendencies to survive...but I wouldn't trade it for anything.
They are loud, boisterous, crazy, and make me pull my hair out sometimes. But I love every moment of it. After 8 years, I'm finally starting to understand what it is to raise boys. No offense to all the girl-mamas out there, but it takes a whole other technique to have a boy in the house. They learn differently, communicate differently, and love differently. My boys wake up ready to go and don't stop until I tuck them into bed at night. There are nights I declare "DS Party!" so I can tuck them in earlier and they can play games together for a while because I'm just exhausted.
On Friday, Sam had his ear tubes removed. I, of course, was a nervous wreck about my boy being put to sleep and just undergoing surgery in general. Even if it only lasted 15 minutes! That's my baby they were taking in there. Sam, on the other hand, was a complete trooper. He told the nurse Dr. Stern needed to hurry and fix his ears because he wanted his breakfast. And after, in recovery, he grinned at me as he told me the nurse was going to give him a popsicle for being such a big boy!! He blew me away. This little one, who was dealt a big hand to play as an infant with all his allergies and ear infections, was so charming and sweet. All the nurses wanted to keep him.
I had the opportunity while I was there to introduce an all-boy-mama there to the reality of having boys. Hers are 2 and 4, and she said she just doesn't understand why they don't sit quietly ever. I said "That's the nature of boys. It's how they are designed to work." She let it soak in and said "Well, I never thought of it that way. How do you handle it?" I told her that they just need a lot of energy outlets, opportunities to climb and build and be the hero. They won't fit into the "girl behavior" box, but rather will just smash it down for the fun of it. I saw the wheels turning in her mind, and hopefully she will take some time to really consider what it is to have all boys. It's a special calling for mothers, that's for sure!
For all the times my boys make me wonder how many seconds are left until bedtime, there is a hug, a smile, a kiss, a "me loves you", there comes a realization that we're really doing a sort-of-good job with them that makes me step back and fall in love with them all over again.
It's a loud journey with these guys, and I have to get over my own girlish tendencies to survive...but I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Home again, home again....
After a great week spent with family, we are home. Peaceful, calm...
Oh wait, that was just my dream.
This week we are thrust into all the "stuff" that needs done. First on the list was grocery shopping, since apparently everyone here was about to starve. (hardly) Tomorrow morning, Sam gets his ear tubes out. I'm incredibly thankful for a friend willing to take both older boys so I can focus just on Sam tomorrow. I talked to him a bit today about the surgery, and he's all happy-go-lucky about it. "Ok Mama. No problem!" Yeah, we'll see how much "no problem" it is when we're in the thick of it.
In the times I wasn't completely frozen up in CT, I learned a little something about my boys. I never gave their musical tastes much thought, as they like much of the same that we do. When we were in CT, I had a classic rock station on and they were very agitated. The 2nd time we got in the car to that station, they said "Mom, PLEASE find a different station. This music isn't good for us at all. We need WPER." PER is the local Christian music station here in VA. I did finally find one that barely came in based in New York, and they were happy. Drew pulled me aside later to tell me that he really does not like to hear music that doesn't glorify God. Ben agreed. As much as I do, they find comfort in the themes and lyrics of the music we listen to here at home. I can't wait to take them to their first concerts this year. Drew's surprise for his birthday is seeing Casting Crowns in February (shhh....he doesn't know yet!!) and then we will all go see Third Day in March. We're so excited!!! So happy for birthdays that fall around these concerts so we can make them birthday gifts.
Oh wait, that was just my dream.
This week we are thrust into all the "stuff" that needs done. First on the list was grocery shopping, since apparently everyone here was about to starve. (hardly) Tomorrow morning, Sam gets his ear tubes out. I'm incredibly thankful for a friend willing to take both older boys so I can focus just on Sam tomorrow. I talked to him a bit today about the surgery, and he's all happy-go-lucky about it. "Ok Mama. No problem!" Yeah, we'll see how much "no problem" it is when we're in the thick of it.
In the times I wasn't completely frozen up in CT, I learned a little something about my boys. I never gave their musical tastes much thought, as they like much of the same that we do. When we were in CT, I had a classic rock station on and they were very agitated. The 2nd time we got in the car to that station, they said "Mom, PLEASE find a different station. This music isn't good for us at all. We need WPER." PER is the local Christian music station here in VA. I did finally find one that barely came in based in New York, and they were happy. Drew pulled me aside later to tell me that he really does not like to hear music that doesn't glorify God. Ben agreed. As much as I do, they find comfort in the themes and lyrics of the music we listen to here at home. I can't wait to take them to their first concerts this year. Drew's surprise for his birthday is seeing Casting Crowns in February (shhh....he doesn't know yet!!) and then we will all go see Third Day in March. We're so excited!!! So happy for birthdays that fall around these concerts so we can make them birthday gifts.
Monday, January 16, 2012
What a COLD journey!!
We've been spending some time enjoying a late Christmas visit with family the past several days. It has been SO cold though!! Temperatures that don't go above freezing, and it's windy...just not so appealing.
We took the boys duckpin bowling yesterday. What a great time with my sister and niece. Pretty sad that Allyssa and I came in 6th & 7th place though (as in, we pulled up the rear). The winners? Ben and Sam, tied at 85 each! Did I mention we also used bumpers? Yeah, that's right. We are stellar bowlers in this family.
The kids are really enjoying some time with grandparents. Over the course of the trip, they'll get to spend time with both Aaron's parents and mine. We also get to see 2 great-grandmothers this week. What a blessing that they can be so surrounded by family. I love living in VA. It keeps us close enough to visit all of this wonderful family we have without too much struggle. Other options for Aaron's industry are Texas and the west coast, so it's definitely great for us here.
Now, if we could just put in an order for nice warm temps when we return to VA, that'd be great. For now, we're shivering on this journey north!!
We took the boys duckpin bowling yesterday. What a great time with my sister and niece. Pretty sad that Allyssa and I came in 6th & 7th place though (as in, we pulled up the rear). The winners? Ben and Sam, tied at 85 each! Did I mention we also used bumpers? Yeah, that's right. We are stellar bowlers in this family.
The kids are really enjoying some time with grandparents. Over the course of the trip, they'll get to spend time with both Aaron's parents and mine. We also get to see 2 great-grandmothers this week. What a blessing that they can be so surrounded by family. I love living in VA. It keeps us close enough to visit all of this wonderful family we have without too much struggle. Other options for Aaron's industry are Texas and the west coast, so it's definitely great for us here.
Now, if we could just put in an order for nice warm temps when we return to VA, that'd be great. For now, we're shivering on this journey north!!
Friday, January 13, 2012
Isaiah thoughts
I'm doing another Bible in a Year plan this year, and last night, I was in Isaiah. I realized it was so easy for us to say "Haven't the Israelites seen enough of God's blessings and provision to want to follow him always?" Well, sure. But so have we. In the present day, we have seen and heard of God's miracles and provision, and yet, as a people, we are turning from him. Just look at the difference in the past 50-100 years of what is deemed "acceptable" and "normal", especially for our young children. There was a time when the most violence a child saw was a fistfight between teenagers, and he thought that was the worst it could be. But now? TV-Y7 shows are overloaded with violence, all in the name of "comic mischief". My kids love Star Wars, but I wonder if my grandparents would have let my dad watch it at 4,5 or even 7?
So, my reading has just convinced me to not take my eyes from Him for guidance, for provision, and miracles even when I don't realize I need them. Even when things are going along swimmingly, it's easy to drown when I'm not focused on all that God has done in our lives.
Keeping this verse in mind (I love the Amplified, wordiness and all), I will continue on my life journey with my family. Despite hardships, I will rejoice. In the good times, I will praise His name. And I will commit all things to prayer.
So, my reading has just convinced me to not take my eyes from Him for guidance, for provision, and miracles even when I don't realize I need them. Even when things are going along swimmingly, it's easy to drown when I'm not focused on all that God has done in our lives.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Amplified Bible (AMP)16Be happy [in your faith] and rejoice and be glad-hearted continually (always);
17Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly];
18Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will].
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Amplified Bible (AMP)
17Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly];
18Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will].
Keeping this verse in mind (I love the Amplified, wordiness and all), I will continue on my life journey with my family. Despite hardships, I will rejoice. In the good times, I will praise His name. And I will commit all things to prayer.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Counting small victories
Drew is our sensory-interesting kid. I'd say he's sensitive to texture, but that's not really the case (though it is). Smell, but I'm not sure about that either (though that's a big deal to him too). He's terrified of new foods, so it's hard to classify him. Terrified could put lightly what we have seen happen to him in the past 6 years about food. Panic attacks, shaking, self-imposed fasting for days because he's made himself a complete wreck over what's put in front of him. The worst has subsided over the past year, but we've seen him eliminate peanut butter this past year and it's scary. It was his major protein source for most of his life. What's his diet? He'll eat pizza, yogurt, cereal, toast, sometimes a peanut butter sandwich. Rarely anything else.
Tonight, he ate a pop-tart. It was a cupcake flavored one we saw in the store, and to be honest, to my pms, it sounded great. I got them more for me (sooo not WW approved!) than anyone else. But all the kids wanted to try it. Drew said "If I don't like it, do I have to keep eating it?" Nope. That's never the case. He initially said he didn't like it and I ignored him and kept doing what I was doing. He kept eating it. Until it was gone and had gained his approval. He actually smiled at me as he ate some of it.
At 5 years old, we were told the turning point comes between 8 and 10 years old, where food becomes less scary. We can reason with him more. He'll understand more. And slowly, I see the wheels turning. The pediatrician said for how severe she has seen him be about foods, she expects he'll be closer to 10 (and likely, puberty). We've prayed with him about it, that he will be courageous with God about food. That he'll trust us. That we wouldn't steer him wrong and ask him to eat french fried tree bark. He laughs, gets nervous and changes the subject. We're not seeing much good food-trying going on, but he did tell us the other day that next time we make spaghetti, he'll try it.
I'll take this small victory. It's all part of the journey.
Tonight, he ate a pop-tart. It was a cupcake flavored one we saw in the store, and to be honest, to my pms, it sounded great. I got them more for me (sooo not WW approved!) than anyone else. But all the kids wanted to try it. Drew said "If I don't like it, do I have to keep eating it?" Nope. That's never the case. He initially said he didn't like it and I ignored him and kept doing what I was doing. He kept eating it. Until it was gone and had gained his approval. He actually smiled at me as he ate some of it.
At 5 years old, we were told the turning point comes between 8 and 10 years old, where food becomes less scary. We can reason with him more. He'll understand more. And slowly, I see the wheels turning. The pediatrician said for how severe she has seen him be about foods, she expects he'll be closer to 10 (and likely, puberty). We've prayed with him about it, that he will be courageous with God about food. That he'll trust us. That we wouldn't steer him wrong and ask him to eat french fried tree bark. He laughs, gets nervous and changes the subject. We're not seeing much good food-trying going on, but he did tell us the other day that next time we make spaghetti, he'll try it.
I'll take this small victory. It's all part of the journey.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Packing it all away
Last night we began the process of packing away all the Christmas decorations. I'm looking forward to recovering a large corner of the family room where the tree still stands. I have everything else packed away, ready to get put up in the attic for next year. Over the past few years, I've acquired Christmas decorations from my childhood. My mom decorates a bit less each year now that my sister and I have moved away, and she's been passing on the decorations I loved as a child. It's great to see my kids enjoying them now the way I always did.
Sam thinks we'll just take this stuff out again next week to have Christmas Eve all over again. This year is the first time he "got it" and really anticipated Christmas. Apparently it was such a great experience because he can't wait to do it all again! I told him we have to wait until he's 4 to do it again, and he looked a bit sad. 4 seems a long way off when you've just turned 3, you know?
I wonder when I stopped anticipating the great things about Christmas? The past few years, all I could think of was all the work it takes to put out decorations, store other items in the meantime, clean up the messes, wrapping presents (I'm an awful wrapper, just ask my husband), and then cleaning it all up again after. It's something I'm going to work on this year, really preparing my heart to be excited to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Because that's what it's all really about. Celebrating His birth as we look forward a few months later to celebrating His resurrection. The whole reason for the hope I have in this life is summed up in those 2 moments of time. And so, as this season comes to a close, and we move on through the rest of winter, I will be preparing to remember exactly what my hope cost Jesus that day.
And, just a sidenote as I get back to putting my house back in order, whoever invented tinsel can come over now and clean up the mess!!!!
Sam thinks we'll just take this stuff out again next week to have Christmas Eve all over again. This year is the first time he "got it" and really anticipated Christmas. Apparently it was such a great experience because he can't wait to do it all again! I told him we have to wait until he's 4 to do it again, and he looked a bit sad. 4 seems a long way off when you've just turned 3, you know?
I wonder when I stopped anticipating the great things about Christmas? The past few years, all I could think of was all the work it takes to put out decorations, store other items in the meantime, clean up the messes, wrapping presents (I'm an awful wrapper, just ask my husband), and then cleaning it all up again after. It's something I'm going to work on this year, really preparing my heart to be excited to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Because that's what it's all really about. Celebrating His birth as we look forward a few months later to celebrating His resurrection. The whole reason for the hope I have in this life is summed up in those 2 moments of time. And so, as this season comes to a close, and we move on through the rest of winter, I will be preparing to remember exactly what my hope cost Jesus that day.
And, just a sidenote as I get back to putting my house back in order, whoever invented tinsel can come over now and clean up the mess!!!!
Sunday, January 8, 2012
21 days....
Our church is starting a 21 day fast next week. We've been talking about what we can fast as a family. The boys came up with some good ideas. Wii, Angry Birds, eating out on unplanned occasions (since we do have a plan to eat out for Drew's birthday at the end of the month), and drinking soda. We'll be talking about it more this week as we prepare for it. I think I will be fasting diet soda. It's become quite an addiction. I have at least 1 a day, and I know it's not good for me. I know it's an addiction when I'm cranky until I have one!! I was initially tempted to just say "Well, I'll just continue fasting Facebook!" but it won't be much of a sacrifice if I'm already in the midst of doing it. Aaron has suggested that he will fast beer. For my homebrew loving husband, this is a HUGE sacrifice!
Being off Facebook gets easier each day. The boys were stunned to hear that I am voluntarily not logging in. They're intrigued by this new mama, who isn't checking fb as regularly as email. I'm finding I have more time in my day (amazing how 5-10 minutes here and there adds up!!) and I have far more patience because I'm not falling behind on anything else or having to rush because I lost track of time in the pit.
Alas....2 loads of laundry and a messy kitchen are calling my name tonight. It's so much easier to ignore them when I have a good distraction.
Off on my journey to recover socks from the sock monster!!
Being off Facebook gets easier each day. The boys were stunned to hear that I am voluntarily not logging in. They're intrigued by this new mama, who isn't checking fb as regularly as email. I'm finding I have more time in my day (amazing how 5-10 minutes here and there adds up!!) and I have far more patience because I'm not falling behind on anything else or having to rush because I lost track of time in the pit.
Alas....2 loads of laundry and a messy kitchen are calling my name tonight. It's so much easier to ignore them when I have a good distraction.
Off on my journey to recover socks from the sock monster!!
Friday, January 6, 2012
63 in January???
Why yes it is!!!
And what do my boys want to do? They want to go to the WARF and swim. Inside. These nuts! I brought them for a while, then we moved on to the playground. How refreshing to be outside and WARM at the beginning of January.
This month is my Facebook fast. It's hard. Beyond hard. I have a cousin due any moment with her first baby that I'd love to hear about. Another friend is having her big ultrasound in just a few days. And I won't see that info for SO long if we don't email or call each other. But it's ok. It's time to break that habit. Our office is next to the kitchen, and completely open, so it's easy to just "take a peek" a few times here and there. The problem comes though, when peeking turns into 15 minutes. A few times in the morning, and again in the afternoon. When I should be starting dinner. When the kids really need to be steered to a new activity. So, I decided to cut it out completely and break the habit cold turkey. My guess is though, at the end of this month, I won't have missed much. I may find myself wondering why I was so into Facebook to begin with and walk away. Sometimes I wonder if I have any messages or notifications, has anyone even noticed that I'm not on there? The strong likelihood is no, there won't be, and no, no one has. And that's ok. The people I am closest too already know that I'm off for the month, and others know how to find me if they really want to talk. It's been nice to just text or call people and even to go back to the antique communication method of email. I have a lot of time on my hands now too. I think things might get accomplished much quicker this month!!
Off to enjoy that warm weather now...can't waste it here blogging!!
And what do my boys want to do? They want to go to the WARF and swim. Inside. These nuts! I brought them for a while, then we moved on to the playground. How refreshing to be outside and WARM at the beginning of January.
This month is my Facebook fast. It's hard. Beyond hard. I have a cousin due any moment with her first baby that I'd love to hear about. Another friend is having her big ultrasound in just a few days. And I won't see that info for SO long if we don't email or call each other. But it's ok. It's time to break that habit. Our office is next to the kitchen, and completely open, so it's easy to just "take a peek" a few times here and there. The problem comes though, when peeking turns into 15 minutes. A few times in the morning, and again in the afternoon. When I should be starting dinner. When the kids really need to be steered to a new activity. So, I decided to cut it out completely and break the habit cold turkey. My guess is though, at the end of this month, I won't have missed much. I may find myself wondering why I was so into Facebook to begin with and walk away. Sometimes I wonder if I have any messages or notifications, has anyone even noticed that I'm not on there? The strong likelihood is no, there won't be, and no, no one has. And that's ok. The people I am closest too already know that I'm off for the month, and others know how to find me if they really want to talk. It's been nice to just text or call people and even to go back to the antique communication method of email. I have a lot of time on my hands now too. I think things might get accomplished much quicker this month!!
Off to enjoy that warm weather now...can't waste it here blogging!!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
From the beginning
Well...I'm starting a new blog because blogger won't let you change your email to a gmail account, and that's what I have now. So, the old one will still be there, but I'm going to post from here.
The Ludwig Journey got it's start with the picture I have up from our wedding. Nearly 10 years ago!! And what a wonderful journey it has been. 10 years, 3 fabulous boys, 1 dog, 3 fish, and a hamster later, we are having a wonderful time as a family.
We're not a perfect family. There is really no such thing. We thrive on love, hugs, forgiveness, and more love. Jesus is the glue holding us together.
My boys love Jesus, fun, Legos, and each other. I couldn't ask for more.
I'm too conservative for some, too liberal for others. I say, if it's ok with my husband and falls in line with the Bible, then it's good for me. I love my husband, and I love that I'm home with my kids. No, I don't want a job outside the home. No, I don't need that to feel like I have defined my life or that I have an "identity". No, I don't need to "get away from these kids for the day" every day. Sometimes I just need a few hours to recharge. But I am called to my home, to being with them. My job is to raise them in the fear and admonition of the Lord, to be respectful and Godly men. One day they will be some lovely woman's husband, and I want them to treat her the way their dad treats me. My identity is secure in being their mom, Aaron's wife, and never the least, a follower of Jesus.
Want to journey with us?
The Ludwig Journey got it's start with the picture I have up from our wedding. Nearly 10 years ago!! And what a wonderful journey it has been. 10 years, 3 fabulous boys, 1 dog, 3 fish, and a hamster later, we are having a wonderful time as a family.
We're not a perfect family. There is really no such thing. We thrive on love, hugs, forgiveness, and more love. Jesus is the glue holding us together.
My boys love Jesus, fun, Legos, and each other. I couldn't ask for more.
I'm too conservative for some, too liberal for others. I say, if it's ok with my husband and falls in line with the Bible, then it's good for me. I love my husband, and I love that I'm home with my kids. No, I don't want a job outside the home. No, I don't need that to feel like I have defined my life or that I have an "identity". No, I don't need to "get away from these kids for the day" every day. Sometimes I just need a few hours to recharge. But I am called to my home, to being with them. My job is to raise them in the fear and admonition of the Lord, to be respectful and Godly men. One day they will be some lovely woman's husband, and I want them to treat her the way their dad treats me. My identity is secure in being their mom, Aaron's wife, and never the least, a follower of Jesus.
Want to journey with us?
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
School year ended for who??
Our school year finished nearly a month ago, but I haven't stopped thinking school. New curriculum planning was in full swing and I really wanted to be prepared for the HEAV convention. I don't think anything could have prepared me for that!!
The number 1 thing I walked away from convention with is the need to simplify my life. More than I already think has been done. Being busy is getting us nowhere. I want the kids to remember more than just "We ran this errand, cleaned this, worked on that." I want them to love homeschooling so much they want it for their own kids.
We found great curriculum options there. The best part about having my husband there with me was feeling so empowered to say NO. I get excited about books. I can't help it. He was able to bring my focus back to "Will you really use this? If yes, let's buy it. If not, or if you're doubting, then skip it. The boys won't lack in their education if you don't get it." I can't even imagine how much I would have spent without him there to make me really think about it.
We walked away from a great history curriculum because after mulling it over for hours, it just didn't make sense. It's cyclical, so we thought it'd be perfect. But, with the age differences in the boys and wanting to keep them all studying the same thing (so I'm only teaching it once), it wouldn't work. Maybe in the future in might be better for us, but right now, it is not the one.
We bought a Bible curriculum from Positive Action. It looks great, and I think the boys will really grow from it. We've decided to stay with Abeka for Language Arts and Math, so we bought all we needed there to get free shipping! We're going to do American History this year, just based on library reading. It will be a challenge for me, to be sure I plan it all well, but I have a good vision for what I want to do. Now to follow through!
We were so excited about The Fun Clase Spanish language curriculum. I was certain though that we were out of money. I think by the time we got there, we had just $50 left for book spending, and level 1 was $110. We hadn't bought the Bible curriculum yet either. So, we decided to just save up for a while longer and get the Spanish stuff later in the year. How awesome is God that just as soon as we got home, He showed me how I'd made a $100 error in my convention budget, and we had $27 left over from other budgeted areas for the weekend! I was able to order it right away!!
This summer, we'll have field trips and visits with family. The boys have started in "summer review" mode already, but it's pretty leisurely at this point. I'm considering shifting our school schedule a bit to make our months off more late April through mid-June instead of summer. Not one of us really likes being outside in the summer, and if we're inside anyhow, we may as well do school. We'd much rather be outside when the temperatures are more bearable and it's not humid!
Starting in August, I'll have a kindergartener and a 2nd grader. Who told my babies to grow up? I better slow Sam down. He already counts to 12 and tries to say parts of the alphabet. We just can't have him growing to fast, right??
The number 1 thing I walked away from convention with is the need to simplify my life. More than I already think has been done. Being busy is getting us nowhere. I want the kids to remember more than just "We ran this errand, cleaned this, worked on that." I want them to love homeschooling so much they want it for their own kids.
We found great curriculum options there. The best part about having my husband there with me was feeling so empowered to say NO. I get excited about books. I can't help it. He was able to bring my focus back to "Will you really use this? If yes, let's buy it. If not, or if you're doubting, then skip it. The boys won't lack in their education if you don't get it." I can't even imagine how much I would have spent without him there to make me really think about it.
We walked away from a great history curriculum because after mulling it over for hours, it just didn't make sense. It's cyclical, so we thought it'd be perfect. But, with the age differences in the boys and wanting to keep them all studying the same thing (so I'm only teaching it once), it wouldn't work. Maybe in the future in might be better for us, but right now, it is not the one.
We bought a Bible curriculum from Positive Action. It looks great, and I think the boys will really grow from it. We've decided to stay with Abeka for Language Arts and Math, so we bought all we needed there to get free shipping! We're going to do American History this year, just based on library reading. It will be a challenge for me, to be sure I plan it all well, but I have a good vision for what I want to do. Now to follow through!
We were so excited about The Fun Clase Spanish language curriculum. I was certain though that we were out of money. I think by the time we got there, we had just $50 left for book spending, and level 1 was $110. We hadn't bought the Bible curriculum yet either. So, we decided to just save up for a while longer and get the Spanish stuff later in the year. How awesome is God that just as soon as we got home, He showed me how I'd made a $100 error in my convention budget, and we had $27 left over from other budgeted areas for the weekend! I was able to order it right away!!
This summer, we'll have field trips and visits with family. The boys have started in "summer review" mode already, but it's pretty leisurely at this point. I'm considering shifting our school schedule a bit to make our months off more late April through mid-June instead of summer. Not one of us really likes being outside in the summer, and if we're inside anyhow, we may as well do school. We'd much rather be outside when the temperatures are more bearable and it's not humid!
Starting in August, I'll have a kindergartener and a 2nd grader. Who told my babies to grow up? I better slow Sam down. He already counts to 12 and tries to say parts of the alphabet. We just can't have him growing to fast, right??
Saturday, January 22, 2011
When less is less, and less is better
It's another episode of "What they don't have, they won't miss" around here. I packed away a TON of stuff. I left their Imaginext toys and castles, as well as their Christmas presents. Everything else that was not neatly stowed in containers in the closet in the family room got put away. And you know what?
They don't care. Not one little bit.
And in fact, they aren't even searching for the boxes I used like they normally do.
I'm going to hit the playroom soon too. That stuff is far more organized, but it's still alot. Trucks, cars, trains, dinosaurs, loads of action figures....Time to thin it all out a bit more. They are happier with LESS.
I remember as a kid, I never felt like I lacked anything. (Or, at least, that's how I remember it. My mom may beg to differ.) I had a big wooden toy box at the end of my bed that was pretty full, and around Christmas it'd get weeded out to make room for Santa's gifts. That was it. I didn't have all the space my kids do now. They have SO MUCH SPACE to have toys. We have play space upstairs in the family room. They have a basement playroom. They keep a couple of small toys in their rooms (but they have to fit on the shelf of their bed, no more than that). But with the little space we had in our 4 room apartment growing up, I felt satisfied. I didn't feel like mom & dad were holding out on me by not getting me the next best thing. Except for that one fit I still clearly remember throwing in KMart because I was certain my dad had promised me a toy and I wasn't getting it for some reason. As if that fit was going to convince him to buy it for me, right?
Sorry guys. :-) I'm sure glad you still loved me after that.
And so, this is a new year. I can see clearly that my kids don't NEED stuff for entertainment. The fact that they run around the house constantly with a blanket tied around them and waving my wooden spoons at each other tells me that what we have is sufficient. More than sufficient really.
I'm starting to look forward to consignment season.
They don't care. Not one little bit.
And in fact, they aren't even searching for the boxes I used like they normally do.
I'm going to hit the playroom soon too. That stuff is far more organized, but it's still alot. Trucks, cars, trains, dinosaurs, loads of action figures....Time to thin it all out a bit more. They are happier with LESS.
I remember as a kid, I never felt like I lacked anything. (Or, at least, that's how I remember it. My mom may beg to differ.) I had a big wooden toy box at the end of my bed that was pretty full, and around Christmas it'd get weeded out to make room for Santa's gifts. That was it. I didn't have all the space my kids do now. They have SO MUCH SPACE to have toys. We have play space upstairs in the family room. They have a basement playroom. They keep a couple of small toys in their rooms (but they have to fit on the shelf of their bed, no more than that). But with the little space we had in our 4 room apartment growing up, I felt satisfied. I didn't feel like mom & dad were holding out on me by not getting me the next best thing. Except for that one fit I still clearly remember throwing in KMart because I was certain my dad had promised me a toy and I wasn't getting it for some reason. As if that fit was going to convince him to buy it for me, right?
Sorry guys. :-) I'm sure glad you still loved me after that.
And so, this is a new year. I can see clearly that my kids don't NEED stuff for entertainment. The fact that they run around the house constantly with a blanket tied around them and waving my wooden spoons at each other tells me that what we have is sufficient. More than sufficient really.
I'm starting to look forward to consignment season.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
And it's January...
We're half-way through our school year now!! It's amazing. Drew is still flying through the material. I'm just aching to teach him something he hasn't already figured out!! He picked up a 2nd grade math book over our vacation and started answering questions. Umm...someone tell that kid he's in 1st grade! It's great though. I'm looking forward to opportunities to challenge him. We're moving into the "experiments" part of our science book, so he's defnitely getting more interested there. AND...we signed up for a chick-hatching project! We'll borrow an incubator from the local extension office, care for the eggs until they hatch, and then for the chicks for 4 weeks after. At that point, we will bring them back to the farm to do what chickens do best. Drew and Ben are really excited for this. I just hope our dog behaves!
Drew's going through a funk these past few weeks. He's decided he is scared of the pitching machine and doesn't want to play baseball this year. He really dislikes Cub Scouts. I told him he should really do something, and he said he'd like to start swimming lessons regularly. I think that's very ok. I'm going to see what we can do to get that going again. He's a natural in the pool and really enjoys it. Swim team could be in our future?? He's super competitive though (read: hates to lose), so he may struggle with that. He's got to learn somehow though.
Ben is flourishing even though we aren't formally doing school with him yet. We do a lot of reading together, and just tonight he started sounding out some simple words with me. He can write all his uppercase letters and numbers. He's so quick to pick things up it makes me feel bad that we aren't doing something more regularly with him. It has to be on his terms though right now, because when I ask him to do it, he fights against me. I told him that in the fall he'll have to do a bit more with me every day instead and he said "Well, of course mama. That's what kindergarteners do!" So, he'll be ready soon enough.
Sam is finally talking. It's so nice that he is truly communicating with us now!! Short sentences, clear words most of the time, and the rest of the time we can figure out what he's trying to tell us. All this from a child who was just grunting 4 months ago.
Well, I'm off to put a ton of toys into storage. All I've seen is toys strewn all over the floor for the past several days and no one playing with them. For the first time in ages, when I gave the boys a heads up that my plans were to do that tonight, they said "Yeah, that's probably a good idea mom." Yep, they've got far too much and they know it.
Drew's going through a funk these past few weeks. He's decided he is scared of the pitching machine and doesn't want to play baseball this year. He really dislikes Cub Scouts. I told him he should really do something, and he said he'd like to start swimming lessons regularly. I think that's very ok. I'm going to see what we can do to get that going again. He's a natural in the pool and really enjoys it. Swim team could be in our future?? He's super competitive though (read: hates to lose), so he may struggle with that. He's got to learn somehow though.
Ben is flourishing even though we aren't formally doing school with him yet. We do a lot of reading together, and just tonight he started sounding out some simple words with me. He can write all his uppercase letters and numbers. He's so quick to pick things up it makes me feel bad that we aren't doing something more regularly with him. It has to be on his terms though right now, because when I ask him to do it, he fights against me. I told him that in the fall he'll have to do a bit more with me every day instead and he said "Well, of course mama. That's what kindergarteners do!" So, he'll be ready soon enough.
Sam is finally talking. It's so nice that he is truly communicating with us now!! Short sentences, clear words most of the time, and the rest of the time we can figure out what he's trying to tell us. All this from a child who was just grunting 4 months ago.
Well, I'm off to put a ton of toys into storage. All I've seen is toys strewn all over the floor for the past several days and no one playing with them. For the first time in ages, when I gave the boys a heads up that my plans were to do that tonight, they said "Yeah, that's probably a good idea mom." Yep, they've got far too much and they know it.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
6 weeks down!
I can't believe we just finished 6 weeks of school! It's flown by. Our whole schedule got a bit thrown this week, and we were doing bits and pieces of school as we found time, but those 15 minute chunks of time really took care of things.
Thursday this week turned out to be all about names. Drew learned to write his whole name in cursive, and Ben decided all on his own that he could write his name too. He is beyond proud of himself, and I think whole week was a turning point for him with school. He's really interested now that he's seeing what he can do.
Aaron is doing the Top Gun Bible study at church. It's 34 weeks, and ALOT of reading. He's currently reading The Life You've Always Wanted by John Ortberg. Now, I know some husbands aren't sharing their morsels of greatness from this study with their wives, but since we typically do our Bible study time together at night, we're constantly sharing what we're learning. This week, he shared with me what J.O. calls "hurry sickness." And I realized how sick we all really are. The little races to get things done faster with the kids, the "we've got to leave NOW" calls just to go to the grocery store, or, sadly, to get downstairs to have school time. J.O. challenges his readers to slow down by purposely driving in the slow lane (ouch), picking the longest line at the grocery store and then let someone go ahead of you, among other things.
That said...The past few days here have been really busy. I've driven to Vienna 3 times this week. Twice with kids. We've had a cub scouts meeting. T-ball games. But I'll tell you this...once I figured out that the stress of busy-ness was making ME crabby, I decided to just not worry if I was a few minutes late to this or that. When Sam wanted me to read that book ONE MORE TIME (ugh....), I did it. When I really needed to be washing dishes or cleaning the endless mess that 5 people make here, I played the role of captured queen so my 3 superheroes could save me. For hours. And it's worth it. Every minute. My house is a disaster after this week of running, but my kids were happy. The house will get clean eventually, maybe even later today. But hearing my kids laugh and seeing them smile? Soooooo worth it.
Oh, and speaking of not rushing things....Sam's just got to stay in his crib, despite his climbing prowress. I envisioned what it will be like if he could get to his door, at 6am, and I was not excited. I'd rather just get up and tuck him back in. 6am is mommy time.
Here are a few other pics of our week:
We're really looking forward to the next 6 weeks!! We're going to introduce Story of the World for some history, and definitely change up the order of things. What we've got is working, but I need to shake it up a bit. Of course, that requires finding time to write lesson plans for the next few weeks. But first, the beautiful queen must be captured so the most handsome heroes in all the land can sweep her away.
Thursday this week turned out to be all about names. Drew learned to write his whole name in cursive, and Ben decided all on his own that he could write his name too. He is beyond proud of himself, and I think whole week was a turning point for him with school. He's really interested now that he's seeing what he can do.
Aaron is doing the Top Gun Bible study at church. It's 34 weeks, and ALOT of reading. He's currently reading The Life You've Always Wanted by John Ortberg. Now, I know some husbands aren't sharing their morsels of greatness from this study with their wives, but since we typically do our Bible study time together at night, we're constantly sharing what we're learning. This week, he shared with me what J.O. calls "hurry sickness." And I realized how sick we all really are. The little races to get things done faster with the kids, the "we've got to leave NOW" calls just to go to the grocery store, or, sadly, to get downstairs to have school time. J.O. challenges his readers to slow down by purposely driving in the slow lane (ouch), picking the longest line at the grocery store and then let someone go ahead of you, among other things.
That said...The past few days here have been really busy. I've driven to Vienna 3 times this week. Twice with kids. We've had a cub scouts meeting. T-ball games. But I'll tell you this...once I figured out that the stress of busy-ness was making ME crabby, I decided to just not worry if I was a few minutes late to this or that. When Sam wanted me to read that book ONE MORE TIME (ugh....), I did it. When I really needed to be washing dishes or cleaning the endless mess that 5 people make here, I played the role of captured queen so my 3 superheroes could save me. For hours. And it's worth it. Every minute. My house is a disaster after this week of running, but my kids were happy. The house will get clean eventually, maybe even later today. But hearing my kids laugh and seeing them smile? Soooooo worth it.
Oh, and speaking of not rushing things....Sam's just got to stay in his crib, despite his climbing prowress. I envisioned what it will be like if he could get to his door, at 6am, and I was not excited. I'd rather just get up and tuck him back in. 6am is mommy time.
Here are a few other pics of our week:
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| My boys...it doesn't get much better than this! |
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| Isn't he cute???? |
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| One of my heroes!! |
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| I'm probably a bad mom for letting a dinosaur eat his ear while I take a picture instead of helping him... |
Friday, September 24, 2010
Ups, downs, ups, more downs...
But, we've ended the school week on a high note!!
This week, we're straying a bit from the lesson plans as far as handwriting goes. We've been many lessons behind the rest of the curriculum because cursive is new to Drew and, knowing what a perfectionist he is, we're taking our time. We got to the point where there is a test to do, and I've put the brakes on. We're going back and just practicing everything we've learned so far for a few more days. I love the flexibility of homeschooling!!
The boys are getting lessons on stink bugs. They spot them before I do now, and help me get them odor-free out of the house. I'm looking forward to a frost that will send them into permanent hiding so I can walk out my door without first having to flick 20 or so off the screen.
I'm still trying to find a groove with Ben. He desperately wants to do school, but nothing I have for him works. I'm open to suggestions!! I'm not making a big deal out of school this year for him though. He's still a young 4, and I know he's very smart. He knows all his letters & their sounds, numbers, can read me price tags in the grocery store, tell time correctly from a digital clock (unlike Drew at this age who use to say 1-1-4-7 or 7-4-1-1 for 11:47), and does well with his shapes. He's never done much for drawing/coloring though, so we're working instead on those skills. I can't expect him to write letters if he isn't even very good at controlling a pencil in general. He loves puzzles, mazes, and flashcards, so we do a lot of those.
This ends 4 weeks of homeschooling. It's been alot of fun! There have been many challenges, like a teething baby, and a perfectionist 1st grader...but the rewards of having my boys all home with me far outweigh them. I wonder why I ever sent Drew to school at all. I'm seeing amazing things come from him. His heart makes mine happy. The great things he and Ben come up with to do each day. The content feeling Sam has that Drew is here each and every day. It's all worth it.
And hey, NOT getting up and out the door for a bus at 8am? TOTALLY worth it!!
This week, we're straying a bit from the lesson plans as far as handwriting goes. We've been many lessons behind the rest of the curriculum because cursive is new to Drew and, knowing what a perfectionist he is, we're taking our time. We got to the point where there is a test to do, and I've put the brakes on. We're going back and just practicing everything we've learned so far for a few more days. I love the flexibility of homeschooling!!
The boys are getting lessons on stink bugs. They spot them before I do now, and help me get them odor-free out of the house. I'm looking forward to a frost that will send them into permanent hiding so I can walk out my door without first having to flick 20 or so off the screen.
I'm still trying to find a groove with Ben. He desperately wants to do school, but nothing I have for him works. I'm open to suggestions!! I'm not making a big deal out of school this year for him though. He's still a young 4, and I know he's very smart. He knows all his letters & their sounds, numbers, can read me price tags in the grocery store, tell time correctly from a digital clock (unlike Drew at this age who use to say 1-1-4-7 or 7-4-1-1 for 11:47), and does well with his shapes. He's never done much for drawing/coloring though, so we're working instead on those skills. I can't expect him to write letters if he isn't even very good at controlling a pencil in general. He loves puzzles, mazes, and flashcards, so we do a lot of those.
This ends 4 weeks of homeschooling. It's been alot of fun! There have been many challenges, like a teething baby, and a perfectionist 1st grader...but the rewards of having my boys all home with me far outweigh them. I wonder why I ever sent Drew to school at all. I'm seeing amazing things come from him. His heart makes mine happy. The great things he and Ben come up with to do each day. The content feeling Sam has that Drew is here each and every day. It's all worth it.
And hey, NOT getting up and out the door for a bus at 8am? TOTALLY worth it!!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Drew's Baptism!!
He had such a great time!! We're so proud of him, and he was just thrilled that he had this opportunity. I've been trying to post the video, but Blogger is giving me issues. Here's some pics instead. Video is on my facebook.
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| With our pastor, Dick Wright |
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| "Pastor Poppy sure is talking alot today..." |
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| Swimming to get used to the COLD water!! |
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| Talking with Pastor about believing in Jesus |
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| His first dunk was on his own...tired of waiting, he dunked himself a few times! |
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| Getting ready to officially be baptised... |
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| It's Pastor's turn to dunk him! |
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| And here's my boy. Publically stating he loves Jesus. Watch out world... |
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Some things just aren't taught in the classroom
Tomorrow is a day that will be etched in my mind forever. I'm sure of it.
You see, last Saturday as I drove home from t-ball with my boys, Drew asked about baptism. What is it. Why do people do it. He thought a few minutes, then said "I'm supposed to do that mom. It's important since I believe in Jesus that I do it." Warmed my heart. After a few days of waiting and waiting to hear from our pastor about what the decision was on baptising him with the adults this weekend, I finally heard on Thursday that yes, they'll do it. Drew will just have to sit through the children's baptism class in the Spring.
But it's my pure joy to know that my children are starting now, starting young, loving and walking with the Lord. It's amazing to me to watch their pure, innocent faith. When Aaron asked Drew why he believes in Jesus, part of his response was "He hears my prayers." When further asked what about when God doesn't immediately answer those prayers, Drew said "I guess I'm just done for if he's not hearing and answering me Dad!" Aaron told him that sometimes God's timing isn't our timing, and we just need to wait and Drew said "So, it's like waiting to save up enough for a DS, or for the next vacation, or when you guys tell me that yes, I can do something, but it has to wait until next week....sometimes for the good stuff, we have to give God time." His faith is sweet and childlike, yet he's showing such a great understanding. Aaron was so moved by their conversation, by the depth that Drew was able to talk about things like salvation, the symbolism of baptism ("So, like Jesus died and rose from the dead, when I'm baptised, it's like I'm being born again!"), and the reasons he believes. Ben sits on his swings and has full out conversations with God and will look at you like you're eavesdropping on a private conversation. He wants to be baptised too (because, mom, I believe the same Drew does, I should do this too!), but I think we'll wait for him to have a little more concrete understanding. Or maybe not. I wouldn't want to be one accused of keeping any little ones from doing what they feel is right before Jesus.
But watch out...my sweet, faithful Drew is full of a fire & brimstone message. We're working on him also sharing LOVE.
I'm learning a lot from my boys. Pure, innocent faith. If only we all came like the children...
You see, last Saturday as I drove home from t-ball with my boys, Drew asked about baptism. What is it. Why do people do it. He thought a few minutes, then said "I'm supposed to do that mom. It's important since I believe in Jesus that I do it." Warmed my heart. After a few days of waiting and waiting to hear from our pastor about what the decision was on baptising him with the adults this weekend, I finally heard on Thursday that yes, they'll do it. Drew will just have to sit through the children's baptism class in the Spring.
But it's my pure joy to know that my children are starting now, starting young, loving and walking with the Lord. It's amazing to me to watch their pure, innocent faith. When Aaron asked Drew why he believes in Jesus, part of his response was "He hears my prayers." When further asked what about when God doesn't immediately answer those prayers, Drew said "I guess I'm just done for if he's not hearing and answering me Dad!" Aaron told him that sometimes God's timing isn't our timing, and we just need to wait and Drew said "So, it's like waiting to save up enough for a DS, or for the next vacation, or when you guys tell me that yes, I can do something, but it has to wait until next week....sometimes for the good stuff, we have to give God time." His faith is sweet and childlike, yet he's showing such a great understanding. Aaron was so moved by their conversation, by the depth that Drew was able to talk about things like salvation, the symbolism of baptism ("So, like Jesus died and rose from the dead, when I'm baptised, it's like I'm being born again!"), and the reasons he believes. Ben sits on his swings and has full out conversations with God and will look at you like you're eavesdropping on a private conversation. He wants to be baptised too (because, mom, I believe the same Drew does, I should do this too!), but I think we'll wait for him to have a little more concrete understanding. Or maybe not. I wouldn't want to be one accused of keeping any little ones from doing what they feel is right before Jesus.
But watch out...my sweet, faithful Drew is full of a fire & brimstone message. We're working on him also sharing LOVE.
I'm learning a lot from my boys. Pure, innocent faith. If only we all came like the children...
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