Sometimes I need to be reminded just how amazing God is when it comes to the smallest of details in our lives.
Last week I met a woman at a networking meeting of Children's Ministry Directors. We talked for a short time and began to realize we were at similar places in life and ministry. We were able to connect after the meeting thru email and met today for coffee. We talked for 3 hours. It was one of the most encouraging and refreshing times I have had recently.
Personally our backgrounds are very similar. Currently our personal lives are similar as well. We have both been married for 11 years. Our children's ages are almost identical (3 out of 4 are the same). Due to the subject of our networking meeting, we found out our personalities are similar. And we tend to lead in a similar style.
And in ministry there are even more similarities. We are both newer in our positions, both churches have lost senior pastors recently, and we are dealing with the same ministry struggles.
This week I was looking at my list of things I need to do and projects that are ongoing or need to be started. I was feeling overwhelmed and beginning to allow discouragement to seep in. Then today, I got to talk and listen and connect with someone else who feels the same things I do; as a mom, as a wife, and as a director.
No projects were magically completed. Nothing got marked off the "to-do" list. In fact some things that needed to be completed got pushed back to later today or this weekend. But I feel energized, refreshed and ready to face those tasks and projects.
I love how God knows what our needs are and how to meet those needs for us, even if it is a three hour coffee break.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
It's Been A While
I realized today that I hadn't posted in over a week. Life happens sometimes.
Last weekend, Emma and I went to Columbus, OH with Kathleen (my god-sister) and met my Mom, Laura (sister), Lacey (sister-in-law) and Kaitlyn (niece). It was our annual girl's shopping weekend. We go each year in October to begin Christmas shopping. Emma loves this trip and this year was particularly thrilled that there were "no boys allowed". (She did freak out for a moment in a restaurant when there were boys at the table next to us.) For the past two years I haven't actually done much shopping, but always come away with great ideas.
This past week has just been busy. Today I am actually taking one of my scheduled day's off for the week. It has been nice to just take my time this morning. The house is so quiet with all the kids off to school. Aaron is on the home computer trying to get our web cam connected. I think we will probably head to the store in a bit to finish our grocery shopping that we started at the discount store on Tuesday. There are just some things that need to be bought at the mainstream store, but it never fails that it takes me a few days to get it all completed.
The past few mornings I have gotten some great pictures of the sunrise. I will post some later this weekend (hopefully). I still have to get them off my camera. I may try to get some pictures of the kids to put up as well. So until then, have a great weekend.
Last weekend, Emma and I went to Columbus, OH with Kathleen (my god-sister) and met my Mom, Laura (sister), Lacey (sister-in-law) and Kaitlyn (niece). It was our annual girl's shopping weekend. We go each year in October to begin Christmas shopping. Emma loves this trip and this year was particularly thrilled that there were "no boys allowed". (She did freak out for a moment in a restaurant when there were boys at the table next to us.) For the past two years I haven't actually done much shopping, but always come away with great ideas.
This past week has just been busy. Today I am actually taking one of my scheduled day's off for the week. It has been nice to just take my time this morning. The house is so quiet with all the kids off to school. Aaron is on the home computer trying to get our web cam connected. I think we will probably head to the store in a bit to finish our grocery shopping that we started at the discount store on Tuesday. There are just some things that need to be bought at the mainstream store, but it never fails that it takes me a few days to get it all completed.
The past few mornings I have gotten some great pictures of the sunrise. I will post some later this weekend (hopefully). I still have to get them off my camera. I may try to get some pictures of the kids to put up as well. So until then, have a great weekend.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Follow Me!
Have you seen the footage of the Chilean miners being rescued? Oh my goodness, I wept. The story is incredible. It is so amazing that after 69-70 days these men are seeing the light of day and feeling the warmth of their loved one's hugs. I was struck by the obvious camaraderie and closeness that has been brought on through these circumstances. Seriously--they fought over not who would be first but rather who would be last to get out. WOW! And even after their own loved ones were lifted out of the mine, the families are sticking around for the next one and the next one and the next one to emerge. I was also struck by the commitment of the shift supervisor to be the last one out. He was their leader prior to the mine collapse, but he stepped it up and led them to survive this ordeal. It makes me consider my leadership and whether or not I lead well in times of crisis and stress. Leading other people is hard, even in great circumstances, but a great leader really shines when the pressure is on.
Parenting is HARD. I know, I am not the first person to realize this nor the last. In fact, from the moment my first child took his first breath, I knew that life would be filled with challenges. Parenting shows us just how selfish we are, it makes our own personal struggles glaringly obvious. And I know that as the kids get older and the more influences they have on and in their lives the job will continue to get more and more difficult. But sometimes I just want to scream and say "enough already." Some days it feels like one step forward and three steps back. It's HARD! However, the reality is that without the struggle and the challenges it would be very difficult to see the rewards. When your child finally understands the point of the discipline for the same issue for the 100th time it is such an amazing feeling when they get that it is not just to obey but the need to obey. But no matter how hard it is or gets, I LOVE my kids with a love that is so big. I know they don't get it, but maybe some day when they have their own children they will. (Though quite honestly, I am praying that Jesus comes back before then.)
As we have been dealing with some parenting struggles, God has given me perspective into His parenting struggles. You see, I know I am not a perfect child. (Just ask my mom and dad. And yes, I have apologized to them for my childhood behaviors. My own kids did a great job of pointing out the reality of "what goes around, comes around.") But as a child of God, He is the perfect parent and yet His children (ME) are far from it; so why would I expect that out of my imperfect parenting that my children would be perfect? And yet if I am completely honest, that is what I expect. Crazy, huh? And even crazier is the fact that God's love for me and for my children far exceeds what I can even comprehend. Yet just like me, I am sure there are days when He cries in frustration when His child(ren) just don't get it. I need to do a better job of asking God for parenting help, and not just that He fix my kids but rather asking Him to fix me. As only the Perfect Parent can, His advice and molding will create a better result than anything else I attempt or try on my own.
Parenting and Leadership...
I was reminded this morning that Jesus is the perfect example and His leadership command was/is simple: "Follow Me!" First, I need to do just that. I need to drop my "nets" immediately and follow Him. No questions asked, no discussion about why, no "just a minute"; I just need to obey. Then once I am following I need to lead by example. When I lead my volunteers, they need to see me loving and caring for others needs, so that they know what is important. When I parent (lead) my children, I need to remember that if I don't want them to do something, I need to be sure that I am leading them by example to do it another way. As a leader and even more so as a parent, I am being watched. My volunteers and my kids, while they have to be responsible for themselves on many levels, are ultimately a product of what I have demonstrated. That is a weighty responsibility and if I get completely honest with myself it's often a place in my life where I let things slide. I figure my title as "mom" is enough to get obedience out of my kids. My example to them is a better way to ensure they are truly following my lead. Same goes for my role as a leader in ministry. I better not use my title to get results. True results come from being led by example.
Christ taught His disciples by His example. He loved others. He cared for the "least of these". He taught them to pray by doing it. Even His death was an example to them. We all have areas of influence in our lives. What kind of influence are you having?
Parenting is HARD. I know, I am not the first person to realize this nor the last. In fact, from the moment my first child took his first breath, I knew that life would be filled with challenges. Parenting shows us just how selfish we are, it makes our own personal struggles glaringly obvious. And I know that as the kids get older and the more influences they have on and in their lives the job will continue to get more and more difficult. But sometimes I just want to scream and say "enough already." Some days it feels like one step forward and three steps back. It's HARD! However, the reality is that without the struggle and the challenges it would be very difficult to see the rewards. When your child finally understands the point of the discipline for the same issue for the 100th time it is such an amazing feeling when they get that it is not just to obey but the need to obey. But no matter how hard it is or gets, I LOVE my kids with a love that is so big. I know they don't get it, but maybe some day when they have their own children they will. (Though quite honestly, I am praying that Jesus comes back before then.)
As we have been dealing with some parenting struggles, God has given me perspective into His parenting struggles. You see, I know I am not a perfect child. (Just ask my mom and dad. And yes, I have apologized to them for my childhood behaviors. My own kids did a great job of pointing out the reality of "what goes around, comes around.") But as a child of God, He is the perfect parent and yet His children (ME) are far from it; so why would I expect that out of my imperfect parenting that my children would be perfect? And yet if I am completely honest, that is what I expect. Crazy, huh? And even crazier is the fact that God's love for me and for my children far exceeds what I can even comprehend. Yet just like me, I am sure there are days when He cries in frustration when His child(ren) just don't get it. I need to do a better job of asking God for parenting help, and not just that He fix my kids but rather asking Him to fix me. As only the Perfect Parent can, His advice and molding will create a better result than anything else I attempt or try on my own.
Parenting and Leadership...
I was reminded this morning that Jesus is the perfect example and His leadership command was/is simple: "Follow Me!" First, I need to do just that. I need to drop my "nets" immediately and follow Him. No questions asked, no discussion about why, no "just a minute"; I just need to obey. Then once I am following I need to lead by example. When I lead my volunteers, they need to see me loving and caring for others needs, so that they know what is important. When I parent (lead) my children, I need to remember that if I don't want them to do something, I need to be sure that I am leading them by example to do it another way. As a leader and even more so as a parent, I am being watched. My volunteers and my kids, while they have to be responsible for themselves on many levels, are ultimately a product of what I have demonstrated. That is a weighty responsibility and if I get completely honest with myself it's often a place in my life where I let things slide. I figure my title as "mom" is enough to get obedience out of my kids. My example to them is a better way to ensure they are truly following my lead. Same goes for my role as a leader in ministry. I better not use my title to get results. True results come from being led by example.
Christ taught His disciples by His example. He loved others. He cared for the "least of these". He taught them to pray by doing it. Even His death was an example to them. We all have areas of influence in our lives. What kind of influence are you having?
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
My Baby Girl is 4!!
Sunday, Emma turned 4. She is so thrilled to be 4! I just can't believe it is possible.
We did not have a big party for her (a first for our family). This last week we were originally going to travel to IN to celebrate with the extended family. However, due to illnesses in the house we did not go. Then this past weekend we found ourselves distracted with another trip to the hospital for my Grandfather.
We did however enjoy her birthday with just the six of us. It was a great time and she didn't seem to mind going without a big party. (She is actually having another party in Columbus, OH this coming weekend during our girl's weekend trip.)
We started by having McDonalds for supper. It's her favorite. She then enjoyed opening cards from family out of state and then opening her gifts from us. She also really enjoyed her ice cream cake. Below are some pictures.
Opening her Alvin and the Chipmunks card. It plays music.
Opening her fuzzy slipper socks and her Dora necklace and silly bands.
Checking out her new Bible. She has taken it to the hospital to show Grandpa and to school to show her teacher and her class. It is so fun that this is her favorite gift.
With her ice cream cake. I should have gotten an after picture, but imagine her with blue lips and you will have a good idea of how much she enjoyed her cake.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
A New Look for Em
This is how my little girl looked just 24 hours ago.
She asked this week for a haircut like mommy's. So we took her to a salon for her first official haircut. She was excited about the whole process. She liked how her hair got wet and her face didn't during the shampoo.
Then we moved to the chair. She loved her cape. And so the cutting began.
Then came styling. I told her that the hairdryer was the part where I usually felt like I could fall asleep. She became very relaxed.
Here she is...
Beautiful.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Heart
What you
HEARt
with the
hEARt
of your
HEART
is displayed in your life as
heART.
Above all else, guard your heart
for everything you do flows from it.
Proverbs 4:23
What kind of "art" are you displaying in your life?
At the root is what we allow our hearts to hear and believe.
Be on your guard.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Time out!
UGHH...literally moments after typing my previous post in which I said "it seems everyone else has avoided it", Stephen got sick.
So last night was another sleepless night.
I am ready for something to change. This is draining, physically and emotionally. It's hard being a mommy when your kids are sick. You can't fix it. It has to run it's course. How great would it be to give the flu a time out?!
It would be nice if we could avoid anyone else getting sick, but the chances of that seem fairly improbable at this point. So we will pray for a few good nights so we are ready for another round. Though it would be a pleasant surprise to not have to deal with it at all.
The good in all of this, is seeing the family taking care of the ones who are sick. Brothers who typically fight are asking if the other is OK. They are praying for each other to feel better. It is cool to watch how even when our family doesn't feel good, God is at work. I may not enjoy it when my babies are sick, but God is drawing us closer together and that makes it do-able.
So last night was another sleepless night.
I am ready for something to change. This is draining, physically and emotionally. It's hard being a mommy when your kids are sick. You can't fix it. It has to run it's course. How great would it be to give the flu a time out?!
It would be nice if we could avoid anyone else getting sick, but the chances of that seem fairly improbable at this point. So we will pray for a few good nights so we are ready for another round. Though it would be a pleasant surprise to not have to deal with it at all.
The good in all of this, is seeing the family taking care of the ones who are sick. Brothers who typically fight are asking if the other is OK. They are praying for each other to feel better. It is cool to watch how even when our family doesn't feel good, God is at work. I may not enjoy it when my babies are sick, but God is drawing us closer together and that makes it do-able.
Monday, October 4, 2010
let it rain, let it rain, let it rain
After the deluge of rain we got last week, we had a day of reprieve and now it continues to rain. And the temperature has dropped into the chilly mid-50's. Fall is definitely here.
With fall often comes the flu. Well in the past week we have had the stomach flu and then quickly moved on to the head/chest cold. Emma got the stomach flu and then I got the head/chest cold. What a nasty week. Emma is feeling better and I am getting there. And even better than that, it seems everyone else has avoided it.
This week also starts the Manheim Farm Show. Apparently it is a big deal around here. So much so that they give the students 2 1/2 days off school. Stephen is excited to go tomorrow to the Farm Show with his class. I am curious to hear all about it.
The rain seems to be here to stay for the next few days, fortunately this time around it is mostly staying outside. Since it's dry inside, let it rain, let it rain, let it rain...
With fall often comes the flu. Well in the past week we have had the stomach flu and then quickly moved on to the head/chest cold. Emma got the stomach flu and then I got the head/chest cold. What a nasty week. Emma is feeling better and I am getting there. And even better than that, it seems everyone else has avoided it.
This week also starts the Manheim Farm Show. Apparently it is a big deal around here. So much so that they give the students 2 1/2 days off school. Stephen is excited to go tomorrow to the Farm Show with his class. I am curious to hear all about it.
The rain seems to be here to stay for the next few days, fortunately this time around it is mostly staying outside. Since it's dry inside, let it rain, let it rain, let it rain...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)