Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Gut Feeling
Do you ever get that "gut feeling" about something? That "this doesn't feel right" feeling? So many times we get that feeling and we brush it off. Call it paranoia or being too sensitive or better yet....we think we are being judgmental towards someone.
I can not tell you how many times I have had a bad feeling about someone or something only to speak up about it after the fact. Well, a while back I made a decision to start speaking up about my feelings. Now I don't necessarily point at people and scream "EVIL" but I do have conversations with my hubby or even my children.
So now I have gotten to the point where I will pull him aside and say something like, "I can't put my finger on it, but something is off about XYZ." Sometimes we can talk it out and figure out why it is that I have that feeling but sometimes we just trust the gut feeling. That gut feeling has had me take a different road home, do a double check on door locks, not befriend someone, pull my children closer, and even choose to stay home sometimes.
I believe that God gives us this feeling as a way to protect us. I think many times it is the Holy Spirit alerting us to something going on. Who knows what things God has protected me from all because I have listened to to that "gut feeling".
One day we were at Walmart and I had the Littles with me. They were probably 5 or 6 years old at the time. We were in line and a gentleman in front of me turned and spoke to the two of them. Bear turned and looked at me (as if to ask permission to speak to the man) and then with an ok nod from me, he proceeded to have a small conversation. But not Pey. She turned towards me and step very close almost like she was hiding. I didn't push, I didn't even draw attention to what she was doing. I simply put my arm around her and let her stay close. After the man left and we went on our way I had a conversation about what had happened. I praised Bear for getting permission to speak to a stranger and then I ask Pey what had happened. I asked her to try and explain how she felt. Of course she couldn't so I asked,"Did you feel happy, sad, scared, or embarrassed, when the man spoke to you?" And she said,"I kind of felt embarrassed, but kind of scared." What she was feeling was that "gut feeling" I am talking about. And I know it because I felt it too. The truth is, when this man spoke to my children I immediately wanted to walk away. But we were in the line at the store. So I stayed. What I didn't tell you, was that I had this entire conversation with my children while we sat on the bench in the front of Walmart, because my "gut feeling" said wait to go outside.
Now I can't tell you that this man was some pedophile or on America's Most Wanted, but I can tell you that 2 out of the 3 people that met him that day in Walmart, had a bad feeling about him. My point in telling you this story is to encourage you to tech your children to pay attention to how they "feel" in situations. If they "feel" unsafe then they probably are. If the "feel" like someone or something is out of place, it probably is. People can be very fake and can try to make you feel like everything is ok But trusting the Holy Spirit to lead a guide you is something that is deeper than that surface level stuff that people can put on.
That day in the store I told both of my children about "gut feelings". I told them how God does that to protect them. I also went on to tell them that they will never get into trouble for being rude to someone if they have a gut feeling and act on it. I guess worse case scenario is that they would be wrong and they would offend someone. But I can apologize for that. I can't apologize for someone harming my children or harming me.
2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love and sound judgement.
LL
Monday, January 28, 2013
Embracing the little things
In the chaos of our lives it is easy to miss the little things because we are wrapped up in multi-tasking.
How many times do we say "in a minute" or "be right there" or hit the ignore button, simply because we are in grossed in some silly little thing that we feel can't wait?
I know that is true for me and my life because of our current chaos. I find that I am constantly trying to mulit-task. Do the laundry, while I brush my teeth and answer a text. I mean come on....by the time I am finished, I have folded the phone, brushed the laundry and my breath still stinks. Or how about this...yesterday I baked cookies, made 2 quiches, did a Spanish lesson (for myself, thank you Rosetta), put together a birthday present, ran laundry up and down the stairs, and....got caught up on a tv show. I even managed to dump some baking soda in a dish and put vinegar in some bowls with food coloring for Barron to paint/create some science. All in a matter of about an hour and a half. Why did I do all of that? Because I have convinced myself that I have no time other wise.
But the truth is 1, 2 ,3, kind of sort of 4 children in my home got 0% of my attention. In all of my "accomplishments" I managed to miss the forest for the trees. I missed the opportunity to let someone bake with me, to maybe teach a teenager how to make a quiche, to let a little person help with laundry,to spend time talking instead of watching tv, to do Spanish with a child and let them help me :-) or to enjoy science together as a family.
The funny thing (not so funny thing) is that when I finished yesterday, I thought... "wow! I am supermom." But in reality I just endured our chaos, instead of embracing it. I don't say all of this to feel sorry for myself. I say it because we all run around trying to cram so much into our lives that we miss the little things that God uses to show himself to us. If we can just slow down a little and look up from ourselves then we can begin to embrace the life that God has given us. The husband, children, family, friends that God has given us.
I know that life gets away from us sometimes. Sometimes the laundry gets out of control, sometimes dinner is burning, sometimes you just need to sit down....alone....in a room.... alone..... But what if when our kiddos said "hey mom, can I show you something?" we got up from whatever we were doing and went and saw. Or what if when they asked us to play...we went and played. What if when your husband said "hey can we talk for a second?" you sat your stuff down and listened. What if you sat down your phone and looked you teenager in the eyes and said, "tell me about your day." What if when that needy friend, who always has a little more drama that you can handle....what if when she calls, you answer the phone and listen with compassion.
We have to come to a point where we realize:
The phone call can wait.
The laundry can wait.
The cooking can wait.
The cleaning can wait.
The texting can wait.
The facebook can wait.
Our social life can wait.
The project can wait.
or
Your family can wait.
If your family waits for too long.... they eventually will grow up, they will get busy, and someday they will walk around you instead of to you.
Life keeps moving at crazy speeds rather we like it or not. We have to open our eyes and embrace the little things (and little people) around us or we are going to miss out on so much that God has for us.
More than Endure the Chaos.....Embrace it!
LL
How many times do we say "in a minute" or "be right there" or hit the ignore button, simply because we are in grossed in some silly little thing that we feel can't wait?
I know that is true for me and my life because of our current chaos. I find that I am constantly trying to mulit-task. Do the laundry, while I brush my teeth and answer a text. I mean come on....by the time I am finished, I have folded the phone, brushed the laundry and my breath still stinks. Or how about this...yesterday I baked cookies, made 2 quiches, did a Spanish lesson (for myself, thank you Rosetta), put together a birthday present, ran laundry up and down the stairs, and....got caught up on a tv show. I even managed to dump some baking soda in a dish and put vinegar in some bowls with food coloring for Barron to paint/create some science. All in a matter of about an hour and a half. Why did I do all of that? Because I have convinced myself that I have no time other wise.
But the truth is 1, 2 ,3, kind of sort of 4 children in my home got 0% of my attention. In all of my "accomplishments" I managed to miss the forest for the trees. I missed the opportunity to let someone bake with me, to maybe teach a teenager how to make a quiche, to let a little person help with laundry,to spend time talking instead of watching tv, to do Spanish with a child and let them help me :-) or to enjoy science together as a family.
The funny thing (not so funny thing) is that when I finished yesterday, I thought... "wow! I am supermom." But in reality I just endured our chaos, instead of embracing it. I don't say all of this to feel sorry for myself. I say it because we all run around trying to cram so much into our lives that we miss the little things that God uses to show himself to us. If we can just slow down a little and look up from ourselves then we can begin to embrace the life that God has given us. The husband, children, family, friends that God has given us.
I know that life gets away from us sometimes. Sometimes the laundry gets out of control, sometimes dinner is burning, sometimes you just need to sit down....alone....in a room.... alone..... But what if when our kiddos said "hey mom, can I show you something?" we got up from whatever we were doing and went and saw. Or what if when they asked us to play...we went and played. What if when your husband said "hey can we talk for a second?" you sat your stuff down and listened. What if you sat down your phone and looked you teenager in the eyes and said, "tell me about your day." What if when that needy friend, who always has a little more drama that you can handle....what if when she calls, you answer the phone and listen with compassion.
We have to come to a point where we realize:
The phone call can wait.
The laundry can wait.
The cooking can wait.
The cleaning can wait.
The texting can wait.
The facebook can wait.
Our social life can wait.
The project can wait.
or
Your family can wait.
If your family waits for too long.... they eventually will grow up, they will get busy, and someday they will walk around you instead of to you.
Life keeps moving at crazy speeds rather we like it or not. We have to open our eyes and embrace the little things (and little people) around us or we are going to miss out on so much that God has for us.
More than Endure the Chaos.....Embrace it!
LL
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Embracing the Chaos
Our lives have changed considerably over the past 5 months. We went from being fully employed in the ministry world to being sometimes half, sometimes none, sometimes a lot employed in the real world. I hesitate to use the labels "real world" and "ministry world" because that insinuates that the ministry world is not real. If you ask anyone who is or has been in ministry they will quickly tell you that the ministry world is far too real sometimes. But none the less they are two different worlds.
When we decided to resign our position at our church, it was extremely difficult. On one hand we loved our church and loved being a part of what God was doing there. But on the other hand we could see that God was showing us, through different things, that it was our time to leave.
Once we left our church, I believe we had grand expectations about what God would do with our obedience... But instead....He has placed us in a holding pattern while He teaches us some lessons. I would be tempted to complain about what God is doing right now, but....I can see and feel what He is teaching us. He is molding our hearts and opening our eyes to be able to view things through new lens.
I have been chomping at the bit for a while to get back into writing, but I just haven't had the words to put down. A full heart and a ton on my mind, but no words to write until now.
I recently heard a sermon by John Piper while he was at Passion 2013 click to listen/watch
titled Embracing Suffering. He spoke about enduring suffering vs. embracing suffering. It is definitely a wow! sermon that is worth your time. Now I by no measure can call what we are going through "suffering" but I can definitely call it chaos. Many days hubby and I are flying by each other trying to home school, feed, love, have fun and not ruin our children. The other days when we find that we actually have a moment to spare, we are too tired to really do anything.
So how do you do more than "just survive"? How do you embrace the chaos that many of us live in, rather than just enduring it? Life has been busy in the past, but not like this. We were busy in ministry because the job or the church demanded it; but we are busy now because we are paid hourly and each hour provides for a need of ours. Definitely a different perspective that I am incredibly grateful for God allowing us to see.
Back to answering my questions....
With kiddos you can't just survive. If you do "just survive", you will wake up one morning and they will be graduating from high school and you will have missed out on SO much. But working, cleaning, shopping, cleaning, sleeping, cleaning, cooking, much less church and or volunteering in one, doesn't allow for much time to BE with anyone...kids, spouse, God, friends,etc. It is a tough job to balance it all.
I use another blog sometimes and it is called Intentional Chaos. It is a place where I blogged about intentional ways that we spent time with the kids. Most of the time it is through Family Nights. These nights are always themed something crazy and include food, movies, dress up and games around that theme. It is a fun way to include some intentional family time into a busy life. We would just stop doing "whatever" for one night and be intentionally chaotic to have som family fun.
But how do you stop doing something when everything you do serves the purpose of providing for your family? You don't. You learn how to do those things that you HAVE to do in a way that is fun and inclusive for your family. You learn how to spend time together without spending money. You learn how to live simply, by simply living life together.
Somethings that I do to help with a busy life are no different than what I used to do. One thing that I have done for a while is Menu Planning. It is a life saver. I was constantly stressed out at dinner time. Cooking the actual meal didn't stress me out, but coming up with what I should cook would stress me out. It also keeps the kids from continually asking "Mom!!! What's for dinner???" Which would also stress me out. So here is how I do Menu planning- I use forms off Donna Young's website. If you have never been there then you are missing out. She has a form for everything!! Menus, calendars, hand writing practice etc. I recently made a binder that includes a calendar, shopping lists, and menus. I keep it out of the way on the counter and I write in it anytime I need to add something to the grocery list. I make my grocery list according to my menu. It helps keep buying under control. You don't buy anything you aren't planning on eating that week. I shop for two weeks at a time so all I need it two menus. I used to put dates on my menus but I have now stopped dating my food planning menus. That way if I am not in the mood to make a new menu I can just pull out one of the old ones and use it.
I love cook books and Pinterest even more :-) So I keep blank menus in my binder for when I see new recipes I want to try. I just add them onto the menu. So I always have a working menu going on. I will write the recipe on the back of the menu or just write "pinterest" after the title, that way I can remember that I pinned it to my Recipe board on Pinterest.
This week I wanted to try a new menu but didn't really want to sit down and come up with everything new. So I named this week "Favorites week" I went to each one of the kids and asked what their favorite meal was (that we eat at home :-) and then I made our menu.
It looked like this:
Sunday- Left overs - No Cooking :-)
Monday- Chicken and Steak on the grill with veggies. (Hubby and My favorite :-)
Tuesday- Noodle Pizza - PeyPey's favorite Pre-made pizza crust, one bag of cheese and a box of PastaRoni. Not the healthiest but with a salad it keeps you from a carb coma.
Wednesday- Hamburgers and Mac n Cheese - Bear's favorite
Thursday- Potato Soup in the Crock pot -Bay's Fav.
Friday- Breakfast-Eggs, bacon, biscuits, hash browns - Shel's fav.
Saturday- Quiche and Asparagus
So for this week I literally came up with 1 thing to cook. AND each one of the kids feels special because they have a night that THEY came up with. ou should see the smiles when I am making ttheir favorite. It is a way that I have embraced our chaos of planning meals with the family and included the kids in the task.
Life is CRAZY no matter what world you live in. But it is up to you if you will just pull yourself up by the boot straps and endure it OR if you will run to the chaos and embrace it.
Some may say that we are promised prosperity, goodness, and favor but the Bible speaks differently. So to put my hope in the things of this world or in the things that this world can bring me would be foolish. Instead, for the here and now I will look only to Jesus and allow him to help me embrace this chaotic world. But I will certainly keep my eyes looking forward, because this world is not my home. And in the meantime I will embrace the chaos.
Rev. 21
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place[a] of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people,[b] and God himself will be with them as their God.[c] 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
~LL
When we decided to resign our position at our church, it was extremely difficult. On one hand we loved our church and loved being a part of what God was doing there. But on the other hand we could see that God was showing us, through different things, that it was our time to leave.
Once we left our church, I believe we had grand expectations about what God would do with our obedience... But instead....He has placed us in a holding pattern while He teaches us some lessons. I would be tempted to complain about what God is doing right now, but....I can see and feel what He is teaching us. He is molding our hearts and opening our eyes to be able to view things through new lens.
I have been chomping at the bit for a while to get back into writing, but I just haven't had the words to put down. A full heart and a ton on my mind, but no words to write until now.
I recently heard a sermon by John Piper while he was at Passion 2013 click to listen/watch
titled Embracing Suffering. He spoke about enduring suffering vs. embracing suffering. It is definitely a wow! sermon that is worth your time. Now I by no measure can call what we are going through "suffering" but I can definitely call it chaos. Many days hubby and I are flying by each other trying to home school, feed, love, have fun and not ruin our children. The other days when we find that we actually have a moment to spare, we are too tired to really do anything.
So how do you do more than "just survive"? How do you embrace the chaos that many of us live in, rather than just enduring it? Life has been busy in the past, but not like this. We were busy in ministry because the job or the church demanded it; but we are busy now because we are paid hourly and each hour provides for a need of ours. Definitely a different perspective that I am incredibly grateful for God allowing us to see.
Back to answering my questions....
With kiddos you can't just survive. If you do "just survive", you will wake up one morning and they will be graduating from high school and you will have missed out on SO much. But working, cleaning, shopping, cleaning, sleeping, cleaning, cooking, much less church and or volunteering in one, doesn't allow for much time to BE with anyone...kids, spouse, God, friends,etc. It is a tough job to balance it all.
I use another blog sometimes and it is called Intentional Chaos. It is a place where I blogged about intentional ways that we spent time with the kids. Most of the time it is through Family Nights. These nights are always themed something crazy and include food, movies, dress up and games around that theme. It is a fun way to include some intentional family time into a busy life. We would just stop doing "whatever" for one night and be intentionally chaotic to have som family fun.
But how do you stop doing something when everything you do serves the purpose of providing for your family? You don't. You learn how to do those things that you HAVE to do in a way that is fun and inclusive for your family. You learn how to spend time together without spending money. You learn how to live simply, by simply living life together.
Somethings that I do to help with a busy life are no different than what I used to do. One thing that I have done for a while is Menu Planning. It is a life saver. I was constantly stressed out at dinner time. Cooking the actual meal didn't stress me out, but coming up with what I should cook would stress me out. It also keeps the kids from continually asking "Mom!!! What's for dinner???" Which would also stress me out. So here is how I do Menu planning- I use forms off Donna Young's website. If you have never been there then you are missing out. She has a form for everything!! Menus, calendars, hand writing practice etc. I recently made a binder that includes a calendar, shopping lists, and menus. I keep it out of the way on the counter and I write in it anytime I need to add something to the grocery list. I make my grocery list according to my menu. It helps keep buying under control. You don't buy anything you aren't planning on eating that week. I shop for two weeks at a time so all I need it two menus. I used to put dates on my menus but I have now stopped dating my food planning menus. That way if I am not in the mood to make a new menu I can just pull out one of the old ones and use it.
I love cook books and Pinterest even more :-) So I keep blank menus in my binder for when I see new recipes I want to try. I just add them onto the menu. So I always have a working menu going on. I will write the recipe on the back of the menu or just write "pinterest" after the title, that way I can remember that I pinned it to my Recipe board on Pinterest.
This week I wanted to try a new menu but didn't really want to sit down and come up with everything new. So I named this week "Favorites week" I went to each one of the kids and asked what their favorite meal was (that we eat at home :-) and then I made our menu.
It looked like this:
Sunday- Left overs - No Cooking :-)
Monday- Chicken and Steak on the grill with veggies. (Hubby and My favorite :-)
Tuesday- Noodle Pizza - PeyPey's favorite Pre-made pizza crust, one bag of cheese and a box of PastaRoni. Not the healthiest but with a salad it keeps you from a carb coma.
Wednesday- Hamburgers and Mac n Cheese - Bear's favorite
Thursday- Potato Soup in the Crock pot -Bay's Fav.
Friday- Breakfast-Eggs, bacon, biscuits, hash browns - Shel's fav.
Saturday- Quiche and Asparagus
So for this week I literally came up with 1 thing to cook. AND each one of the kids feels special because they have a night that THEY came up with. ou should see the smiles when I am making ttheir favorite. It is a way that I have embraced our chaos of planning meals with the family and included the kids in the task.
Life is CRAZY no matter what world you live in. But it is up to you if you will just pull yourself up by the boot straps and endure it OR if you will run to the chaos and embrace it.
Some may say that we are promised prosperity, goodness, and favor but the Bible speaks differently. So to put my hope in the things of this world or in the things that this world can bring me would be foolish. Instead, for the here and now I will look only to Jesus and allow him to help me embrace this chaotic world. But I will certainly keep my eyes looking forward, because this world is not my home. And in the meantime I will embrace the chaos.
Rev. 21
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place[a] of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people,[b] and God himself will be with them as their God.[c] 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
~LL
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