Category Archives: Parenting

Simple Days

Grace, mom, motherhood, Spiritual Encouragement, Uncategorized, , , ,

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A Terrible, Horrible, no Good, very Bad Day!

A simple day can bring may things.  Joy, laughter, pain, sorrow.  It can be simple, complex, confusing, long or short.  It can end quickly, or go on forever. We have all had those days.  But Moms go on.  They endure.

I left early to avoid the rain.  Well you guessed it.  As soon as I pulled in the lot the downpour began.  And shall I mention the lightning and thunder?  I had to get out and open the gate.  Umbrella up, strong shove.  No movement.  Lightning strike, umbrella up…stronger shove…success.  And the umbrella really didn’t work.

The morning settled down a bit.  I worked my shift, made a phone call about a trip I “won”, which of course was too good to be true.  My shift got over and I headed home for Monday chores.  Need I say more?

The sink got clogged, the washer overflowed, the dog threw up, the kids did not pick up their clothes, the stove burner quit working, and all this in one hour.  Yes, it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.  But Moms go on.  They endure.

I got to supper with a few more issues, but everything seem to slow down a bit.  I had bought meat to grill, and it was very thick.  I decided to pre broil it before grilling.  I made a huge mess, it would be tough but I tried to grill it anyway.  Once the meat was on the grill I put the potatoes on the stove top burner that worked and headed back outside to check on the meat.  I could tell you that the grill lid had come loose and the top metal rack was laying on top of the meat.  I could tell you that the grill lid was sliding off the back, too hot to fix and the meat had caught on fire.  Would you believe me? Nah…

The meat was now “done” and the potatoes were finishing.  I picked up a bowl to place in the dishwasher and of course it was full of milk that proceeded to jump from the bowl onto the floor, cabinets and my jeans.  I made some very loud noises.  They must have been of another planet because the boys came running and their dishwashing skills became quite evident.  

Did I mention that the smoke alarm sounded, I tripped over the dog and fell on my knee?  I didn’t think so.  “Lord, I need your help right now.” I murmured under my breath.  Dinner was completed, and somehow we found a way to eat the charred mess.  The potatoes survived.

Moms endure. But this momma needed a bike ride.  Why would this be any different than the rest of the day?  Soon the neighborhood dog was chasing me down the street, I was trying to get away from him and a car was headed straight into my path.  I swerved, got away from the dog and headed for home.

I got home and went to the bedroom and just sat.  I did not move.  But the bed did.  Two baskets full of clothes to be folded still on the bed…and as if to add insult to injury, it still fell off of one of its legs.  I gave up.  I yelled that I was going to bed and even though my husband offered to fix the bed, I declined.  He knew that this Mom had endured her limit for the day!

I woke up in the night (in a slanted position I might add)…and just thanked God for getting me through the day.  Yes it was terrible, horrible, not good and very bad…I still had a roof over my head, a healthy, sleeping family and the silence of the night. I had my life and the Lord had protected me through all the trials throughout the day.  I had endured…with His help. 

Matthew 6:34 “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

After all, tomorrow was a new day. Possibly a wonderful, delightful, good not bad day!!

~Teachable moment~ ALEXANDER’S TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY by Judith Viorist is a great book to talk about our circumstances and how it feels sometimes…yet God does not leave!

Be Blessed~

IN CHRIST ALONE
Isaiah 55:8-9

*google image, NIV*

Simple Feet (Part 1)

Christianity, Grace, Love one another, mom, motherhood, Parenting, Spiritual Encouragement, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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Simple Feet- Part 1

I have an aversion to feet.  There I said it.  Baby feet I can tolerate.  Sorry.  What kind of mom was I?????

But simple feet have a story to tell.

 John 13:2-8  “The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judias Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus.  Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his out clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.  After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.  He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord are you going to wash my feet?’ and Jesus replied ‘You do not realize what I am doing, but later you will understand.’ ‘No’, said Peter, ‘you shall never wash my feet’ Jesus answered, ‘unless I was you, you will have no part of me.'”

Friends, these were not baby feet!!  These were grimy, dirty, walk many miles in the mud and no telling what else, men feet.  And our Jesus actually washed them!! The King of Kings and Lord of Lords washed his disciples’ feet!!

Imagine sitting around the table, laughing, eating and having a good time.  The serious stuff had not happened yet.  I believe with all my heart that Jesus knew how to have a good time.  He was happy, charismatic and a man whose love drew people to him.  At any rate, he knew his time had come and he knew the lesson he had to teach. And Jesus, the greatest teacher ever, taught them in a way they would understand and remember. Can you imagine the horror on the disciples’ faces? I bet the silence was deafening as they all sat there with shock on their face!

Then Peter (love this guy) said what most all of them wanted to say….and then Jesus responded.  Jesus was showing them the love he had for them!  He showed the true humility of God’s servant by washing their feet.  He was setting the example…Luke 22:15-15 “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.  I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater that the one who sent him.”

I have a story to further illustrate this lesson next time.  Simple feet…a lesson indeed!

Be blessed,

IN CHRIST ALONE

Isaiah 55:8-9

*google image, NIV*

Simple Bubbles

Christianity, Grace, motherhood, Parenting, Spiritual Encouragement, teachers, Uncategorized, , , , ,

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Simple Bubbles

I think I am into “simplification” right now.  I just believe with all my heart that is a message for us.  And what could be simpler than “bubbles?”

As a preschool teacher the word “bubbles” conjures up images of that soapy, messy stuff.  As a grade school teacher up it brings to mind…….standardized testing!!!!! ICK!  Those bubbles of the little kind that a student must fill in and darken with a number 2 pencil so that the computer can grade it.  It must not stray outside the bubble, and no extra erasures on the answer sheet!  I won’t even start on standardized testing…that another blog!!

As a special education teacher, I had to read the tests to my students (except the reading test, which even though not on their reading level, they had to “read” it alone..uh-hum)  For some, darkening the bubble into a certain pattern on the page proved to be the exciting part of the test.  Others simply were discouraged by having to be so “perfect”.

As I walked around the room reading, I had to encourage many of them to “fix” the bubbling.  One had the darkened image outside in the margin, one simply missed them completely.  Finally Marley decided he had to say something.  “Mrs. B. Why do these bubbles have to be so perfect?  You always tell us that we don’t have to be perfect in here.”  Whoa.  He was right.  Efforts are all that are required.

What if our Christian walk was like that?  What if we had to fill the bubble perfectly each and every time we did something?  Unfortunately, I believe some Christians believe that, thus they give up.  Then try to fill out the bubbles on their own.  That is simply not possible.  We cannot achieve perfection in and of ourselves.  Only Jesus did that.  He just expects us to surrender.  He wants to live His life through us.

Marley finally gave up.  “Mrs. B., I cannot do this right…it just won’t stay in the circle.  Will you shade inside the bubble for me? You can just do that work through me!” I was very thankful for his IEP accommodations at that point!

Then it hit me…. well said little one, well said.

Ephesians 2:4-9 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Be blessed~

IN CHRIST ALONE

Isaiah 55:8-9

*google image, NIV Bible*