Joy

I am thankful to say that the twins did not plot against me today. What a relief! As always in our household, there was a small issue with our 6 year old, aka wild woman. You may wonder why I call her that. Anyone who has met our little Emily can testify that wild woman is only putting it mildly! She is completely my opposite. She can "work a crowd" by getting a group of kids to do what she wants just because she can make it sound like fun. She has a great sense of humor and it an energetic ball of energy. She loves to dance and thinks she will one day be Hannah Montana's replacement. She is our Emily and we love her dearly. One thing our dear, sweet Emily struggles with is temper tantrums though. Yes, I know what you are thinking. A six year old!!! Yes, I know. We should be long past these terrible little fits, but we are not. I have spanked her, punished her and talked to her. Unfortunately, to little avail. This morning, she decided to enjoy a little TV time before school. This is one of those privileges that is not allowed on school mornings. After hearing this story, you will know why. Emily snuck these few little snippets of TV time relishing in the moment until I asked her what she was doing. She quickly ran upstairs to make herself look busy. Well, I could see at this point that we were not going to have a good morning today. When she gets a taste of relaxation, she just has a problem letting it go. For the time came to leave for school and I bet you can't imagine who did not have her shoes on, her bag packed or her jacket on (she also had forgotten to put her lunchbox up, so that was missing in action as well). These issues might not seem like much to you, but to Emily this is life shattering. I told her it was time to leave and proceded to take the twins out to get in the car. She started screaming. Not just a little scream but a gut wrenching, terrifying, torture to the ears kind of scream. I could hear her quite clearly from outside. In fact had I not been outside, I am pretty sure the neighbors might have called the police to investigate! What to do... I decided today to tell Emily she had a choice to make. She had to decide if she was going to obey by calmly getting into the car or walk herself to school. While the walking to school might be tempting on a warm day, today was no such day. It took her all of maybe 3 seconds to change her mind. The funny thing is that she was able to turn it off that quickly. If anyone has any good ideas on how to make her deal better with her frustration, bring it on! I have done all that my little miniscule mind can think up. It is amazing how God can allow us to have so much love for our little ones yet the frustration we feel when they are not quite perfect can be overwhelming at times. Can you imagine how God feels when we are disobedient? Disappointed? Upset? Frustrated over how many times He has told us? I can't help but wonder if He doesn't feel alot of the same feelings we feel as mothers and fathers. Yet He is gentle in His reminders . Sometimes watching a trial in our lives refine us. Always wanting the best for His children. Allowing us to faulter knowing that it will produce a step forward in spiritual maturity. So, in closing, I believe that this trial I went through with our sweet Emily today, although small, will help her to examine her heart. Thus, I am counting it joy that we went through a little frustration to reach a step forward in maturity! Count it all joy, sistas!

Naked Pottying

Potty training is so much fun! Will and Ben have been doing pretty good at it. Although it has not been something that comes naturally every day, we have been trying to use the potty every day. Wouldn't you know that the boys have really been good lately and I have not had any great stories to share...I am definately not complaining as I am thankful for no major messes. There is a but to this story though. This morning in the hecticness of trying to get everyone ready for school with lunches made, and the coats and backpacks ready to go, the boys did their normal routine of taking off their pjs for me. I really don't mind if they do this for it saves me a step. Well, I was packing lunches when I noticed the boys running around screaming, "I neakked! I neakked momma!" I tell them how proud I am of them and they continue running around the "track" as we call the circle that takes them from den to kitchen to dining room. A few moments later, I noticed that Will has gone completely naked and is now yelling "neakked dance mommie. I do neakked dance! Yeah!" This is my cue to find clothes and a diaper fast. Potty training or not, running naked around my house is not a good idea. I consider it like telling a dog not to eat a steak that is sitting on the edge of the table. So with that in mind I go immediately to get clothes. Will is still running around doing the naked dance. Ben decides to join in the naked dance, so being the smart mom I am I took them both to the potty to get it all out! Yeah. They both went and I am feeling good. After Will went, I sent him upstairs to get some more pull-ups. We had run out down stairs and a little errand never hurt a 2 year old. Ben finishes up in the bathroom and I have the clothes. Where is Will? Before I could fret, Will comes running up with a curious look. He turns around with his back to me, bends over and says, "My booty is dirty..." Can you guess what that little guy did? He went upstairs and literally pooped in the floor. This is a first. I have never had any of my children poop like an animal in the floor. Frankly, I never had even thought to mention in my prayers that I was thankful this had never happened. Well, I have been taught a lesson today. For I am hoping that I will never have to clean my childs poop out of the carpet again! Luckily, it wasn't too bad. I think my prayer for my boys tomorrow is that all the poo and pee will land in the right place...the potty.

Call on HIM!!!

Well, I am absolutely exhausted. I actually just took a shower and fell asleep while my eyes were closed. I woke up when I started to sway! I thought I would share a quick thought though. I have been doing a Bible study on Jehoshaphat and his ability to trust God. With that said, the study has been trying to make you think of areas where you are not trusting God completely. I prayed and ask God to show me areas in my life where trust is not working so well for me. That was yesterday morning. Last night, Philip and I went to the movies. We had a sitter and we were both just looking forward to some time together. After we left the house, we thought we might just see what was playing at the theater. I really did not recognize any films, but the one titled, P.S. I love you, seemed sappy and lovey and I thought that sounded great. Girls, can I just tell you I cried throughout the whole movie. The movie was focused around a couple in love. The husband passes away at the age of 35, but he sends his wife letters after his death. I was falling apart. While I was having a tissue moment, I realized God was using this to show me an area where I truely am not trusting God, fear. I never really would have said I wasn't wholly trusting in God in some areas of my life, but I was smacked between the eyes with this one. Since we married, I have had a fear of Philip passing away before me. It has intensified with each child we have had...most likely because I am scared to death of the thought of parenting 5 kiddos by myself. Long story short, read about King Jehoshaphat. To see the trust he had in God when a battle was ensuing toward him only 30 miles away is amazing. God told him to do nothing other than show themselves to the enemy. Jehoshaphat never fell short in the way he handled the situation with God. He used his trust in God to give him the strength to follow through with what God wanted him to do in that situation. How hard is it in our job of mothering to trust God and follow through on what we know we need to do as mothers? Sometimes I think the Holy Spirit needs a bullhorn to shout in my ear, "PRAY NOW!!!!!" For too many times I try to handle situations with the kids myself, instead of calling on our Savior. I have prayed that the Holy Spirit will be quick to remind me of what I need to hear in every situation...call on Him!

Stop and adore...

I can't believe I have let so much time pass since my last post. I promise to try to be better! We are getting back into the swing of things since Christmas. It feels good in a way to be back...yet another part of me yearns for summer! Seasons are like pregnancy. They are long and make you crave what is coming! Anyway, I sat down the other day to cut little Will and Ben's finger and toe nails. Ever since those boys were born, they couldn't possibly hate having their nails cut any more. They scream. They cry. They kick. I spank. I ask them to be nice. Then I spank harder. Then I loose the battle with my temper, and I sit the boys in daddy's lap to make them continue this dredful task. Well, when I attempted to do it the other day, I was pleasantly surprised to find both boys allowed me to do their fingernails with little to no fight. It was so nice to have those little guys mind me, I almost lost myself in this sweet little moment. Have you ever just gotten googly eyed over your baby when they did something just precious? That is how I get over obedience. Mushy. Lovey. Kisses galore for those little guys when they choose to mind me! Lets just say the moment didn't last long enough. I moved on to the toes and wow! You would have thought I was pulling Will's toes off to trim the nails. Back to the screaming and kicking. I finally finished this crazy task with a little daddy intervention! Wheew! Did you know that counting myself, I have 120 toes and fingers to keep up with. That is a bunch of fingers and toes! Luckily, my oldest is starting to do his own at times. Yeah! Only 100 left! Do you ever think of all the little tasks we have to do as moms? As well as all the big ones? Most days, I am so incredibly busy. Weary is a good way to describe most of my days. As I was cutting Will and Ben's little nails (when they were being so good and so still), I felt a whisper from the Holy Spirit. "Be still and know that I am God." That day had been especially hectic. In fact, even though is was around 7:30 at night, I am pretty sure that was the first time I had sat down that day. Just like how much I adore my kiddos when they are behaving, I adore those little tidbits that God knows I need to hear. Be still. Doesn't that seem almost too hard at times, yet that is what God wants us to do. Stop what you are doing right now and be still. Pray. You will never regret it! I read something in my Bible study this week. God looks forward to those times we have with Him just as much as we do. Don't let Him down!

Let the captives free!

After a long day of cleaning and cooking, I pick the kids up from school. I am exhausted and worn out. I have barely gotten anything done with chasing the twins from room to room. They seem to think it is alot more fun to destroy than to clean. With yet a longer list of things to do the next day. I have from 4-5 pm to get homework done, finish cooking dinner and slap a big smile on my face for the husband. Then comes dinner, dishes, bath time, laundry, etc, etc, etc. Do you ever dream of the day the kids come home only to say, "Hey, mom. I saw that you cleaned up. Can I ever thank you enough for the clean sheets. And the floors look great. I was real careful in the bathroom, because I could really tell you worked hard to get everything spotless. Mom, what would we do without you!?!" Then, your husband walks in. "Oh, honey, what an incredible job you have done today! Boy can I tell you have had a long day. Why don't we pack up and head out for dinner. I am sure that you are exhausted after such a job well done." Why is it that we crave a standing ovation over a toilet well cleaned? I can tell you girl! Being a mom doesn't always mean that your job gets a lot of thanks. In fact, the job of mothering can be a breeding ground for disappointment. How many times have I been there! Satan knows that and is ready for attack. Have you ever gotten disappointed and then realized that disappointment was just the beginning? Your thoughts are sometimes funny. For example, I have thought that my children were my arch enemies when they come home from school. Having to remind myself that they really did not plot against my clean floor by daring to eat Oreos and dropping their little crumbs everywhere! Then, when I find myself noting to never buy Oreos EVER AGAIN at the store, I come to my senses and realize that there is no mastermind plot to overcome the clean floor! Kids will be kids. More importantly though, I am realizing one of my major struggles as a mom is my thoughts. I can get stuck in this disappointment stage and my mind can take me where it shouldn't. Thinking I am a terrible mother. Thinking my husband must not really love me. Wondering if everyone would be better off without me. Daydreaming about getting a job where someone may think I do a good enough job to pat me on the back. Those are just some of the thoughts I struggle with. I can't help but think that I am not the only one. Satan is taking hold of me in just a tiny instance and proceeding to take God's plan out of my head. God put us all in this precious spot of mothering and our job is so important. Look at how many instances mothering resembles the life of Christ. We are servants, disciples, leaders, lovers, disciplinarians, and I am sure their is even more similarities than I have thought of spur of the moment. Claim a verse that will bring you out of thought captivity! I have started saying, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord My Rock and My Redeemer"!(Ps 19:14) Let the captives free!