As He Leads

*I started writing this post with the full intention of sharing the weekly rhythms I'm trying to establish in our home, but it turned into something completely different....thank you, Holy Spirit!*

Photo credit

First off, thank you so much for the several non-blog comments I've gotten from many of you readers letting me know that you too are struggling to find rhythm in your days with little ones. I'm glad I am not in this alone. I've been praying a lot that God would give me the right perspective and attitude in these crazy days with young ones. A verse that I have clung to for many months now is this:

He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. - Isaiah 40:11

Let me repeat that...He gently leads those that are with young. God is gracious. Those condemning thoughts of utter failure, of being completely alone in this, of single-handedly ruining our kids forever (hmmm, am I being a little transparent here?), THOSE ARE NOT FROM OUR HEAVENLY FATHER. Rebuke them, put them to death (preaching to myself). He knows what it's like to have children who are utterly needy, who sass and seem to invent ways to disobey. And, it's by His example and only the power of His Spirit that we can, in turn, lead our children gently.

Our church is currently going through a preaching series on the Holy Spirit. Through this teaching and some really challenging recent conversations, I have been convicted that I don't ask the Spirit for help in mothering. Maybe I think God doesn't have the time or this job is such a small thing. And yet, He gently leads those that are with young. There it is again. Could it be any more clear that He is with me on this bumpy, sometimes confusing, often foggy, frustrating, hilarious, joyful, humbling journey of raising children. He wants to lead me, to help me, even when I don't know what to ask for.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. - Romans 8:26

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? - Romans 8:32

I feel like I'm reading Romans 8 with brand new eyes these days in light of my current place in life. Will you join with me in asking for God's Spirit to guide us and empower us as moms?

From around the web.

I am amazed on nearly a daily basis by the thought-provoking writing I'm finding around the blogosphere. Here is a taste of some of the great posts that have encouraged me, challenged me or just sent my brain reeling...

Of mermaids and moral dilemmas at SortaCrunchy - about little girls, The Little Mermaid and growing up too fast. There is some great discussion in the comments.

Combating the "You should get out of the house more" mentality at At the Well - why being shut in with our kids because of the snow, ice and cold may not be a bad thing.

And, some amazing posts on the joy of repentance and grace in this Lenten season over at A Holy Experience - When a Family Needs a Fresh Start: Making a Place of Repentance and A Family Activity for Lent: A Box of Repentances. Ann's writing makes me cry.

And, have you heard of the magazine, Seeing: The Everyday? Take a look at their site - amazing photos of everyday life, seeing the beauty and teachable moments in simple, ordinary things. I'm intrigued!

The Family Magazine

SEEING THE EVERYDAY

I choose...

I wanted to pass this on, because it is just so good (I didn't write it - obviously by the "wife" comment)...

It’s quiet. It’s early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming. In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met. For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day’s demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I’m free to choose. And so I choose......

I CHOOSE LOVE...No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.

I CHOOSE JOY...I will invite my God to be the God of circumstances. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical...the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I CHOOSE PEACE...I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I CHOOSE PATIENCE .....I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I’ll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clenching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I CHOOSE KINDNESS...I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

I CHOOSE GOODNESS...I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse.

I CHOOSE FAITHFULNESS...Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.

I CHOOSE GENTLENESS...Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

I CHOOSE SELF-CONTROL...I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will not, rule the eternal. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ.

LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS AND SELF CONTROL Gal.5:22,23

To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest with the peace that passes all understanding.

-- Author Unknown

A Christmas Meditation

Just a quick note to point you to this blogpost I happened upon tonight:


Why a Real Christmas May Hurt


Our church has recently been experiencing great spiritual renewal, however it has not come without pain and brokenness. But through that pain, we receive grace upon grace and the freedom that comes only through our Saviour who came to earth as a Babe in a manger.

Finding Breathing Room

As of late, I have felt a bit overwhelmed, overscheduled and all-around exhausted. I really blame no one but myself for not carving out margin in my days and saying "yes" to a few too many things. It is hard as a mom to ever feel like your job is done, because the "to-do" list never ends. But, that doesn't mean we should never slow down, rest or even just stop to smell the roses. I have a hard time slowing down - Sundays are often filled with "catching up" on chores or errands, and most evenings, instead of cuddling up next to my hubby to watch a good movie, I sit next to him on the couch writing to-do lists, reading books on health or nutrition or checking Facebook.

This Fall, our family has dealt with more than it's fair share of illness. Since late September, we've had 5 or 6 cases of yuckies make their rounds in our household - right now, Thang and I are fighting a mean virus. During our 3rd round of sickness, this one a stomach bug, I was forced to lay on the couch all day long as any slight movement caused my stomach to turn. Although I had been sick just a week before, and a week before that, this was the first that I had actually stopped to take care of myself. My wise husband made the comment that maybe this was the only way God could convince me to rest. Hmmmm.

It caused me to reflect on rest and to remember that we are COMMANDED to rest. I even went back and read the creation account to understand the beginnings of this idea of "rest".

"By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made." Genesis 2: 2-3

That's right, the God of the universe, the Creator of everything that is, the author of history, RESTED. So, who do I think I am not to rest? It seems I'm not alone. A few of the blogs I follow have had some great posts about finding breathing room as a mom, wife and homemaker, as well as someone who wants to serve those outside our household.


Put Bookends on Your Day
Take the Day Off (Moms Too)
Taking a Weekly Planning & Prayer Retreat
Balance Requires Sacrifice
Busy at Home


Thang told me recently to take some time away as a kind of spiritual retreat - to reflect, to pray and to plan. So, I have a day set-aside soon to do just that. I also recently got the idea to log the way I spend my time during the day for 2 weeks. I am thinking I will start this next Monday - I'm sure it will be eye-opening and very convicting. I got the idea after listening to this podcast of a Women's Training Day at Mars Hill Church, if you have some time, take a listen (also some great info on couponing!) .




Another resource I plan on referencing is Shopping for Time: How to Do It All and NOT Be Overwhelmed, by the ladies over at Girl Talk. I read through this right after I quit working to stay home with Nora. It was extremely helpful to me in thinking through what matters most...and I'm thinking it is time for a refresher! I already have an idea where the "fat" is that can be trimmed back in my life. But, it will be good to spend an extended amount of time really reflecting on what is most important and finding clarification on where God would have me spending my time wisely. With the Christmas season upon us, I do not want the next month filled with so much busy-ness that I can't reflect on the Greatest Gift I will ever receive and enjoying the people God has put in my life.


And, since no blog post should really be complete without a cute kid pic:

Miss Nora, at rest.

(I just love how she puts her arms behind her head, pure relaxation)

Real life.

After my last post, I was convicted, then I read a friend's blog post and was VERY convicted.

So often, when I read the blogs of friends and strangers, I get a picture in my mind of what their lives must be like...

* filled with well-prepared, nutritious and perfectly-presented meals,

* kids who are always smiling and well-behaved,

* homes that never have dust-bunnies, refrigerator science experiments or "what is that SMELL coming from the garbage?!"

* hours of nightly family Bible studies, deep, insightful, life-changing dinner-table discussions...

...you get the picture. And, it's easy for me to compare, get down on myself and think "Gosh, I am falling so short." After posting about my bread-baking, I thought, if I was reading that on someone else's blog, I would probably think "yeah, right, like I have time for THAT!" The truth is, I have been wanting to bake bread like that for several months, and it probably won't happen again any time soon!

But truly, blog life is just glimpses of our real lives - what we want the outside world to see (and let's be honest, with a blog the outside world could be anybody). Maybe it is also how we want to remember our lives when we look back in a year or more. Some folks just show pieces of their lives - cooking, home remodeling projects, crafting, theology. Others are brutally transparent and are an open book. I know for me, this blog is a way to record life, motivate me in many areas, but also to find beauty and joy in the mundane things I do from day-to-day.

I was recently inspired by a lady who humbly posted a picture of her dirty, in-need-of-scrubbing toilet on Facebook just to show the world that she didn't have it all together and that was ok. I often say that I feel more comfortable in people's homes when there are dirty dishes in the sink - it just feels more homey, real, like we are part of the family. So, here goes, some real life...

What my floors look like most days. No one warned me, before I became a mom, of the insidiousness of Cheerios (I find them, quite literally, EVERYWHERE in our house).

Unfortunately, more of this has been happening at our house than I'd like to admit. I wish I could say that my daughter never saw a television screen before the age of two, but Baby Einstein seems to be the only way to keep Nora from wanting to play in the garbage or empty the pantry while I'm making dinner!

Folks, this is about as bad as it gets.

Yes, that is my lower half. Yes, those are wool hiking socks, 15-year old Birkenstocks and some workout capries covered in flour. This is what my hubby came home to the day I made bread. Thankfully, I recently found this website. P.S. Please, don't nominate me for "What Not to Wear".

So, there you have it. A little bit of my daily dirt to balance out my last Suzy Homemaker post. Such a reminder of how abundantly gracious God is. He is teaching me how to better mother my daughter, but forgives me for the occasional mind-numbing, t.v.-babysitting session. He daily romances me despite my dirty workout wear, Birkenstocks and what you couldn't see in the picture. And, though my floors may be covered in cereal dust, He is slowly, but surely, cleaning and polishing my heart just for Himself.