I have really great friends of all colors, sizes, and religious views. The recent scandals that involve police brutality vs. hoodlam behavior have brought out the issue of race and disagreement in SHARP relief. I care. One of my African American friends, René, and I were discussing a thread were a mutual friend, we will refer to as "Carol," had posted a blog about raising her bi-racial children. The article said how disheartening it was for a white, bio-father to tell his black son how hard life will be for him. NOW, we will all have unique challenges to face in this world. I am not telling my kids how easy their lives will be because they are white. This would be a lie. Hurts, hatred, and trials are faced by all races. However, the trials and tribulations of one group are not exactly the same as the trials and tribulations of another group.
As if to prove her very point, "Carol's" "friends" came on her thread and exhibited the most hateful, racist, prejudiced and hurtful comments that ranged from, "Racism is not really still a problem," to this ironic "So you have black kids. Stop writing these stupid articles and blogs. We get it." Obviously you do not, sir. God calls us to unity and in this area, unity, where gained, has been HARD WON and oft times through Jesus. Where there is still not unity, is a HUGE blight on our "civilized" society. But my friend René said something that was so true that I have to share it now, "We as people don't give our fellow men enough space to share where they fit in this human experience."
See, this woman was not coming under fire for being a bi-racial family, she was coming under fire for trying to share her perceptions and her reality of it. So often our view point can vary so greatly. I have learned the most from people who do not agree with me. I have learned that people with diametrically opposing world views to mine can have the same goals I do. I have learned not to judge by race, size, or religious view. I allow my friends to tell their stories and I try very hard to listen well. I make mistakes. I get it wrong, but by God's grace, I have learned to let people talk it out.
If there is to be unity, relief from pain, fixing of this world at all, we must first allow those with stories to share to tell them with out criticism and argument. The first step is speaking. The next step is hearing. The Bible says itself that the hearing is the start of learning. What is your story today? Share and keep sharing until you are fully heard.
I have been married to Peter Ansorge for 16.5 years. There have been many times we were thick as thieves and times where we felt distant. Today was a restoration day. The stress of owning two homes and dealing with all of their many needs and repairs, mixed with the many stresses of just being parents, found us feeling distant. Today we were able to go out, have terrific, wonderful fun like we did as teens together. By the end of the magical time, I remembered my friend, companion, and lover. We feel inseparable. The cure was quality face time.
How many times have I felt distant, meandering, and far away from God? During all of those times it was because I had taken away my eyes from Him and put them on my stressful circumstances. Or worse, I have looked to friends, earthly comforts, or family to soothe the weary places. These always disappoint AND push me farther from God. The only way to restore closeness is to stop leaning on other things, and look to His words and listen for His voice to move me closer. In an instant, the gap closes and I am Daddy's sweet child again.
If you are feeling far away from loved ones or from the loving care of the Father, spend the time it takes to restore the friendship. Do not put God off for flimsy excuses. "I am so tired." "I have worked hard." "I would rather use that time to run to get a coffee." But show God how much you value him by pushing through these excuses and seeking out His face. You will not regret it.
Been a rough week. I am not going to lie. As I sit here contemplating what I could say or type, so many things pop into my mind. Fragments that come all at once include these: A friend telling me that time and solid wisdom were invested into another friend who turned around and said, "you deserve hell." FERGUSON. What could I say that hasn't already been said? Gutwrenching no-easy-fix pain is happening there. Judgements on both sides are flat out wrong in some cases. The three hours I spent holding my son's hand as his body healed from severe dehydration due to virus. Catching said virus myself. Getting a tree as big as a whale. Surfing for good deals on things that will not be valued after a month. The treating of a lack of knowledge and a lack of intelligence. Falling down dead asleep before I could even say much of anything to Pete. Really troubling information about the natural environment and our lack of care for it. An insinuation that my husband, who is a family practice doctor, does not know the basics of viruses.
As I sit here with this mixed bag of hurt and hope in my heart, I realize that the answer is truly love. So sappy, so complex, so called for. I cannot help but feel that it cannot be said enough we need to stop, take deep breaths, stop deeply offending each other, stop taking offense and push through to understanding. This is not a human reality. This is not something I can accomplish on my own. I personally need Jesus to overcome this. I need help to know when I am right, wrong, or something in between. I stand with Benjamin Watson in total agreement. We need love from Jesus and we need it now.
I am thankful for the safety of my home. So many tonight are unsafe. I am thankful for the kindness of friends who hear. There are so many left unseen. I am thankful for a job to do. Many have no calling. I am thankful for the healing that has come. There is much brokenness to repair. God give us the grace to respond with giving and gratitude by helping the one next to us. For while we can not fix the big hurts of the world, we can help the small one next to us.
There is a celebrity that decided to moon us all this week. She has no other talent or skill. She is famous for being famous. The public eye had started to tire of her and look away. So, she mooned us. Those of us UTTERLY uninterested in her behind were deluged with debate and discussion. She was considered brave and beautiful. really. Then, there was a scientist who is a bit of a nerd. He wore a racy shirt with scantily clad, but clad nonetheless, women all over it. He was shamed and his ideas not discussed. He was condemned as sexist by porn stars and preachers. The shirt was tacky. The celebrity a waste of my time.
This week also saw the end of life for a man that sought nothing but help for the downtrodden. Peter Kassig was by all records a valiant and decent human being. He worked hard to feed the hungry and bring a light on human conditions in desperate need of improving. He went to war torn areas and tried to do some good. He was beheaded for it by people of the same religion he followed. This week, Saeed Abedini, a Christian man, sat in a cell damaged from two years of abuse. His crime was coming to Iran and building an orphanage. Saeed told a man helping him that he believed in Jesus. Saeed was arrested soon after. This week, families displaced by war, because they believe in Jesus, asked only for prayer. They were given aid by International Christian Concern. Speaking of that group, here is a link to all that happened in our world from their point of view: International Christian Concern
But, my newsfeed was not filled with those stories. It was filled to the brim of PASSIONATE OPINIONS WITH ELOQUENT WORDS about the right or wrongness of this naked behind and that shirt. Please, I understand these things are funny diversions and they are good talking points with teens. Please do not make these things your entire concern. Google the needs of people in the world at war. The Johanites of Iraq, Christians in Nigeria, Buddhists in China, all of them have the right to choose what they believe and all of them need freedom from persecution. The beauty and glory of the Gospel I choose to follow is that it is everyone's free choice. Forcing others into it and forcing others away from it is wrong. Something must be done.
Yesterday was Veteran's Day and as per usual, my mother put a stunning picture of my Pappy (Irish Grandfather) on her facebook. He served in WWII in Iwo Jima. I was reminded of the very safe person Pappy was. He was comfortable and gentle, loving and kind. And yet, TOUGH AS NAILS.
My mom loves telling certain parts of my birth story and the others are just too painful. But the part about Pappy is everyone's favorite. I was a scheduled Cesarian that went wrong. The pressure of the birth canal was absent and my lungs needed the push to start. I was blue. I wasn't crying because I was focused on breathing. My mother started to fill with anxiety and in the cruelty of the era, she was sedated. I was taken to the baby ward and my writhing form was placed in a pressurized isolette filled with oxygen. My Pappy stood guard. He stood long hours and prayed. He fought by my side against the deficiency in my lungs. My Grandmother would remark that "He prayed you pink." Hands on the sheet of glass separating he did not stop fighting. He did not leave my side until I was oxygenated, calm, and sure to survive. He then found Mom who by this time was awake and told her that God had done the work. His strength was humility.
On days when I feel beat up, lied about, and crushed by hateful words so that I am barely able to breath, I remember that God put a Warrior on my path to fight for me with love. He loves when I have none left. He gives when I am empty and He heals what I have no power to fix. Jesus stands by my side now hands on my heart speaking love over me. He reminds me I was chosen to exist and that He has an amazing plan. He reminds me that Mom and I could have easily died that day but that He kept us both here. We laugh about my favorite rock and roll quote that is also my favorite piece of existential philosophy, "Think of me what you will. I have a little space to fill." (Tom Petty)
I do have a space to fill. I do have a job to do. I choose to put in my daily life those who will tell me when I'm wrong in a loving way and those who will applaud what I do right much more loudly. But, in all things I remember humility and love. Pappy laid down an example in those areas I will never forget and choose to live out now.
I have been guilty. I have been guilty on THIS BLOG. I get so caught up in what I randomly happened to do right for a change, I inadvertently slam other moms. AAAAAACK!! NO!!!!!! The last post written by Jeanne Miller has me thinking hard about the attitude that we as moms take towards those that are really hurting. The descriptions of what people said broke my heart. (Jeanne is truly amazing, by the way.)
For my life, I stumble through parenting and when I bump into something I actually can do and it is actually helpful I get all really excited about it. I do sincerely apologize for being obnoxious about it. Let me set the record strait! I also have EPIC mom fails. Forgotten lunch money, failure to turn in permission slips on time, punishing the wrong kid for the crime committed, coming down too hard, or going too easy all clutter up my parenting track record. I goof off when I should be busting my bottom and overwork myself into a frenzy of exhaustion. Balance is so hard. If you want to judge me for it, that is your prerogative, but what if we could all reach out in honesty about the day our kid ran out of underpants in his dresser drawer and we just said, "wear the ones you slept in."
Then I go to my daughter's preschool for a sticky, gooey, candy laden party. A mom there works outside the home. She comes to me and says, "I managed to get the day off and come. Do you work?" As always, the internal struggle starts up. "Not for a paycheck, but yes, I work as a mom." What ensued next was just the snarkiest comments about stay home moms I've heard in a bit. I said that I really admire moms that work outside the home because they are doing two jobs. It fell on deaf ears. And I do, by the way. I really deeply admire those that are struggling with parenting, a job for pay, marriage, and bills. YOU GO!! YOU ARE AWESOME!!
Can we stop this? Can we just change our tone? Jesus called for life to be filled with unity, love, support and humility. I'm starting with me. I'm taking out my edgy tone. I'm not staring at the obvious Autistic meltdown at WalMart. I'm not making snarky posts on facebook about "Those moms" when I so obviously mean one of my friends. DONE! Why do we sow these seeds of discord? Look up! You are an amazing mom. You are not perfect. GUESS WHAT!! I am a complete, rolling train-wreck of imperfection used by some amazing work of the Holy Spirit to bring Him glory. I want to celebrate my successes with kindness and love. That is what Jesus is all about. Go out and be awesome.
Recently, I went out to do all my very favorite fall activities. I reveled in corn mazes with my children, saw the biggest pumpkin ever, spent time with a dear friend, and begged candy from strangers at the zoo. The leaves, colors, smells, peace, and weather of fall make this season my absolute favorite.
But for so many of us, there is tension. School troubles, worry for winter, disagreements about which holidays we celebrate and which we do not all rob us of the joy in this glorious season. I'm reminded to enjoy the good God has given me now instead of worrying about the future or pining for the past.
Whatever you feel about times not now, focus your thoughts on right now and soak up the joy of this amazing time. You'll feel better and see Jesus more clealy.
This month's theme of our church's small group is the scandal that is God's grace. God meets each person where we are, accepts us in whatever condition we are in, and moves us forward in love. Grace is the key I have to love God. God's outstanding acceptance of any human that shows up at His door in any condition, makes me deeply and truly love him.
I am so happy to have found this love and this grace I so profoundly need it. In the sermon that the pastor gave introducing the topic he described the most common responses to God's grace that we as humans can have. The first is humble acceptance with open arms. Humble because we admit that there is nothing we can possibly do to earn this gift we have to take it completely without pride. The second is flat out rejection. We reject because we think we are too sinful--too far gone. Or we reject it because we do not feel that we need it. Both are pride. Both say that, "I am bigger than God. I am beyond God and He cannot help me."
After we rightly and honestly give our mess to God, He calls us to the most difficult of our callings, He wants us to have this for our fellow humans. It is hard to be hurt. It is hard to see what that person has done and said and then let it go. I was recently watching my favorite murder mystery show and they ended with this quote from Faust: "Forgiveness does not change the past but it does enlarge the future." This is the life I want to live and this is who I want to be. I must realize that I have been given God's grace because I need it, therefore, I must also extend it to others. I want a bigger future.
I love goofball songs from the past. One of my very favorites is a Roger Miller classic, "Can't Roller Skate in a Buffalo Herd." The song lists crazy impossible stuff you cannot do. Like, shower in a parakeet cage, change film with a kid on your back, or go fishing in a cabbage farm. The one thing that the song tells you you CAN do is be happy if you've a mind to. "All you have to do is knuckle down, buckle down, do it do it do it" Oh bless you Roger Miller for that. God uses these sort of things to teach me. He reaches down, thonks me on the head and says, "Listen" here is what I've learned.
In my life I have tried to do the same broken and ridiculous task over and over determined that it will bring me happiness. I've tried to fit in. I've tried to "make" people like me. I've tried to change my personality completely. However all of the above is as smart as trying to roller skate with buffalo.
I can be nice. I can be nicely dressed. I cannot force something to happen that isn't. This is a mindset that says, "I can't change these things (circumstances, looks, core personality etc...) but I can be happy in this." I recently had a friend say I was flawed but, "You're the sort of person who can find fun in a burning building." That's just life and living it. You can keep trying to do the impossible (not the good kind of impossible, I mean the parakeet shower sort of impossible) or you can just be. Just be happy.
This past week, I woke up with a headache that started on Wednesday. It was a doozy. I took headache meds. Nothing touched it. I went about my day, I went to bed, next morning, I still had a headache. I went to my daughters school for class pictures, fell into a hole, and wrenched my ankle. Not broken, not twisted badly, but it makes me limp a little still. Came home took meds tried to sleep but now head AND ankle throbbed all night. Friday, I woke up with the same headache. This had never ever happened. Then I started crying for absolutely no reason. I called my doctor, she set up a same day appointment for me, I called my mom, and she and Dad came that day.
Now, Dad had been sick for a week and Mom wasn't feeling great, but they came. When they showed up, the relief was palpable until I saw their condition. Well, buy this time I had been administered a shot of Toradol in my hip and the headache was gone. But we then proceeded to help each other.
God brought us together in a time when we were both hurting physically and used our care for each other to alleviate pain. I started getting soup out and they started talking and laughing with me. As is so often in life, when I stopped focusing on me and started focusing on others, my hurts started to feel better.
The shot in my hip was meant to break the headache cycle. What God uses comraderie for is to break the poor pitiful me cycle. The Bible says it this way, "A cord of three strands is not easily broken." We as people need each other. I know I get a palpable boost in my mood when I dig in and help others. Remember in hard times to look up, look around, and love where needed most.
All my life I have had supportive parents. They have been there telling me I was smart and pretty my whole life. All the things you should tell your child. But there were other words too. Unanimous words. Words from peers and teachers alike. Ugly, stupid, and worthless. Now, I did believe my parents did think I was good. but thanks to Warner Brother cartoons, we all know the old adage, "She has a face only a mother could love." All my elementary classmates knew that one too. I grew up failing and flopping around because I was, in reality, stupid, ugly and worthless....right? I ended up firmly believing this to be true.
My parents had it right. I should have listened. It wasn't until 5 years ago when more and more friends started being intimidated by my intelligence did I realize I was missing something. I had more and more people coming to say that I was scary smart and did I have any insight into their problems. No one. I mean NO ONE had ever said those words to me. Now, everyone in my life was saying and still saying them to me. This was stunning and new to me. I still felt really ugly though. I was now the ugly smart girl.
Last year. 36 years into my life, God started breathing the words, "You are beautiful" into my soul. I was stunned. I mean I had the 1 Samuel verse framed in my bathroom to encourage me. "Man looks at outward appearances, I see the heart" See? It didn't matter I did not have a pretty face with a clear complexion God saw my heart. No matter what the outcome of primping was to be, God loved me on the inside. So when in the spring of 2013 when God started daily telling me "You are beautiful," I became very very confused. "Who me? I still get zits! I'm never happy with my Hermione Grainger hair. I'm a little pudgy around the middle. I think that is my genetic shape. You can't mean me, God." But He did. He made me. He does not make trash. None of us are trash. NONE of us are worthless.
Then my life fell almost completely apart. God used His healing words echoed by good friends, amazing parents, and my husband to hold me together. "You are pretty. You are smart." I was being attacked by Satan in those two areas right on the head. He was whispering, "See, you're ugly and you should have seen this coming. You're stupid." Our words are important. Our words have the power to take life and to build it up. Today my Bible reading was from Psalms 52. As I read the words as I am asking you now to do, I was struck at the havoc the words of others had caused my life and heart. I want to be rooted on the words that bring life. I want to be rooted on the very Name of God Himself.
No matter where your talents lay, God has given us each a spark from His hand. He has given us each a special gift that is important to life here on this planet. You may feel unimportant or average, or like I did, waaaaaaaaaaaaay below average. I am here to tell you that God has given you a gifting. Call out to Him and ask for truth and love to be spoken into your life. You are important to God. You matter. I had to stop believing lies from Satan and hear the truths of God to learn that I mattered.
My Irish Grandfather was a union line breaker. If the union physically restrained him from breaking the line, he went to work elsewhere. He painted houses and did odd jobs because, "Unions are just bad news, honey. They take away jobs not create them. A job is a job and a family needs to be fed. I want to work not fight. If you get a job, keep your job and fight to keep it. A job is worth keeping." When the union was not striking, he worked at a plant called Celanese. Don't look it up. It no longer runs. It closed when I was very, very small. Maybe before I was born. I can't recall. Here is his version of why it closed. "The union closed it. The management could not keep it open AND meet their ridiculous demands. Unions close companies. Don't ever forget. Keep the job you have." OVER ALL, my entire family advised to get an education any which way so as not to have to deal with those issues.
I remembered his words the many years I toiled at McDonald's. All through college, I gave McDonald's 5 full years of my life with very little complaint. I received glowing praise from managers. I got a better job at Barnes and Noble because of the way the management of McDonald's raved over how I worked. To quote my Barnes and Noble boss, "No one ever gets a recommendation like that from such a nasty job." I kept the job I had.
Fast forward 15 years of my life. I met a union family who quickly became my best friends. I kept my opinions about the "Union YES" bumper sticker well hidden. I loved these people. Jesus had brought them into my life during a very difficult trial. Jesus then allowed me to see the conditions under which this man had toiled for years and years. The smell of machine oil was sickening and even though the AC was up to a decent temp, it was still not comfortable. "This isn't bad. With all the machines running, the air conditioning keeps it at 95 degrees. The union saw to that." oh. Jesus opened my eyes. At a bank of very expected office sized water bottles for the water cooler, my friend became very proud. "I'm happy the union finally got us this water. Management wouldn't let us have it before." Jesus opened my heart. I became angry. In 95 degree conditions, the management had to be threatened with strike to allow the men to have WATER! Insert bug eyed emoticon here! These men aren't striking for a higher wage or cushy retirements, these men were fighting to get the air set to 95 and water to cool themselves in the heat. Basic, AND OBVIOUS needs.
It is easy to be quick to judge something we do not understand or a Christian teacher that is really controversial. When faced with a difference, our first response under God's teaching and care should always be to stop our mouths, listen with ears and heart, and mostly, apply grace.
It always amazes me how my attitude affects my learning. It shouldn't surprise me but it does. I am suspicious of overly marketed or hyped studies or books. I always question the author's intent when there are coffee cups, bookmarks, pens, framed art, and t-shirts to promote the book ostensibly about Jesus. Case in point, Power of a praying person series by Stormie Omartian.
I worked in Christian retail when these books hit and wrote them off as another of a series of gimmicky books written to market pottery. Then my friend showed up on my door saying God called her to do "Power of a Praying Wife." And could I please do it with her. Sigh. Fine.
I opened myself to the book and Stormie and was immediately struck. I got on my knees in prayer and God revealed another major idol I had. I was rebuilt in that moment. In a really good way.
God calls us. When we open our hearts to His words, we allow Him to reach inside and change. It can be His Bible, a Bible study, a sermon, or word from a friend. However Jesus comes, we should open our hearts and listen.
I'm gregarious. Outspoken. Colorful. Adventerous. (Truly!) Dogmatic. Scatterbrained. Learning disabled. (Thanks for the grace on my grammar issues.) Brilliant. Sinful. Moody.
I have friends that LOVE to post horrible news stories about churches flat out being evil. 90% of the time I completely agree with them and repost their news stories with an all caps, "CHRISTIANS, WE NEED TO FIX THIS!!!" But, before I hit the share button, I always dig a little deeper to find out what was happening. As I said, 90% of the time, I find out my friends are absolutely correct to post as they did. Recently I found one of those 10% where the church went back and is trying to fix it.
I sat down at my computer to be greeted with this headline in my timeline. "Church sues homeless teen over $2.25 worth of cookies." I read about how a homeless teen had wondered in, found a tray of cookies in the kitchen, ate some of them from starvation, and left. The church then pressed charges. I was AGHAST. I was ready to fly to California and give this church a SOLID piece of my mind. UNTIL I went to the church's website to verify any of this. I found this statement, “On
the afternoon of June 29, 2014 a young man entered our church building,
triggering the security alarm. As a result he was charged with
burglary, but the charges were dropped on July 22 following an unrelated
arrest. At the time, we had no indication he was homeless. Our church
family is reaching out to the young man and his family.”
Well, that changes it quite a bit! I see in my mind's eye a bleary eyed pastor that is awoken by the ringing phone and a security service saying that his church had been burgled. He calls the police in to check it out. As you see, as soon as they found out the entirety of the situation, they dropped the charges and started doing what all churches should do, help the young man and his family.
We have a tough job to do. Many times, we make mistakes. I fail often at understanding the entirety of the situation. I judge and condemn before I have all the information. I am called to be the church I want to see and I want to attend. I want the homeless teens to find our outer foyer doors unlocked and the foyer space filled with sandwiches, cookies and waters. I want to be the place that donates blankets to homeless shelters and does grocery drives. The change has to start with me and this must be a priority. Otherwise, I have not love and am nothing but a clanging gong or rhythmless cymbal.
I am constantly surprised at how the internet works. Sometimes you lose family and people you've never met become family. God has given me the priviledge of leading a group of lovely women in a Good Morning Girls Bible study. We are spread from Canada to California, Maine to Florida, and all points in between. My group is unique because we all bond over the fact that we all have special needs kids.
This very day, God has provided me an opputunity to visit two friends I have made through Good Morning Girls. I have laughed and cried with both of these women who have become dear to me.
I am so pleased that God is working off my sharp edges and replacing them with shepherd's heart. I go to meet them now excited that we have really encouraged each other and fully expecting a relaxing lunch.
It took me this long to realize that this is a place to either repell people or connect with them. I chose connection.
This morning I read several Bible passages about love. I need more in my life. The fact that I have become too dogmatic and isolating for my own good, has recently become apparent to me. Love has nothing to do with being right all the time, but everything to do with what God wants.
I hear all the time from people who have not really read the Bible deeply that the vengeful God of Israel could not possibly be the same as the God who sent us Jesus in the Christian Bible. This morning's paassages spoke the exact opposite. This God is One. This God loves profoundly.
From Exekiel 33:10 and on God makes an passionate plea for the wicked to turn from sin because He is not willing that any should perish. He sent Exekiel to be a watchman and warn that God was upset with His people's sin. He sent Exekiel to plead for them to return to God and forsake idols of unrighteousness. His reasons are, He loves His people, wants to feed them personally, and like a father speaking to a child He says, "Do not make me punish you for this, turn away from wrong."
In Romans 8 Paul tells us we can not turn from wrong doing, but on this point, God again made a way. Not wanting that any should perish, God gave us His righteousness. The worst of all sinners, even I, can have flat out righteousness that gains salvation from the death of Jesus and belief in His resurrection. Out of love, He said our past was over we could have His life. To read of grace and love in both parts of the Bible is to truly understand the plan God has for us. Believe and be saved today.
Here is the passage from Exekiel 33:10-16 that shows us the loving God of Israel:
Summer break was always my MOST favorite time of year. My joy at watching my children soak up days of little pressure and responsibility parallels mine when I had summer vacation off. Even though this time of year is my busiest, I cherish every moment. I have been jealously guarding their glowing screen time for I am THAT mom. (RE: Rabid and Extreme.)
God has given me a clear goal with my kids. It has been a hard one. No kids, you aren't getting a Game Gadget 3000. Oh! How I wanted to give them one! God said no. The whining insued. I looked up at God and He gave me strength to not break down and buy it. I wanted to be the cool mom. The mom that gave their kids the best gifts. Admidst the loud complaints I kicked them outside. Again at God's clear leading. They scream for 20 minutes every day about it.
There have been pay offs. Big ones. My children surprised me no end when the most cantankerous one piped up at lunch, "Sarah, (his oldest sister) remember that game we played in your closet with the lights? Let's take Ellanor (youngest sister) in there and play that really great game we made up." After lunch is tv time. He'd rather play with his sisters! Then we went to the park. My kids started spontaneously rolling down the hill because that is what Buttercup did to Wesley in the book they just READ. (ok we did watch the film after the book was managed, who wouldn't?) My son and daughters laughed as they called out, "AS YOU WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiish!" (read The Princess Bride the backstory on Fezzik alone is worth the author's rambling about the movie; that part you can freely skip.) Last night my children found the most DELICIOUS and AMAZING wild blackberries because I "80's mom style" told they had to go out and play in this crazy-mild, summer evening. My children became explorers.
Yes. This has been hard on me and them. "MOOooooom I am the only one in my class without a phone." Says MOOOoooom, "You have a phone. It is called a land line. Your friends can call it anytime." MOOOoooom, all my friends have Game Gadget 3000 with earbuds!" Says Mom, "Great in 5 years time your hearing will be WAAAAAAAAAAy better than all of your friends."
****************You're so MEAN MOM!****************
God strengthened my own weak spots. These are the tools that helped me get to the good side. You don't have to start where I have. But start somewhere. Use a loud timer to limit the glowing addiction time, kick them outside and make them earn the time they play on computer by an agreed upon time they play outside. The delicate process of unplugging their little, forming, precious minds from things that go BEEEPLYBOOP to things that really inspire them is so totally worth it.
Galloping play time.
Rollicking laughter.
Splashing pool and spurting lawn sprinkler.
Simple crafts on rainy days.
Look! A Turtle!
Mommy do you see my inch worm?
I'll name all of them "Inchy."
Sunshine that is warm on my face.
Grass that smells like children.
Familiar creak and groan of the swing set.
Jeans fallen apart now cut offs.
Grubby hands reaching for "popsticles."
Deer with fawn and hopping bunnies.
Red hunks of perfect meat sizzling over charcoal fire.
Fireworks.
Gratitude for so many rich blessings.
Tears for fallen. Tears for those in chains.
Wishes. Prayers. Dreams.
Whispers of a God that loves us
