My Morning Talk with God

Tother day I found myself thinking "Man, those people made horrible choices and look, they ended up with everything better than me, and I've done all the "right" things and still can't seem to catch a break or get what I want"

YIKES! how terrible that sounds when you say it? We replay that horrible sentiment back to God, as if He must not know how "good" we've been.

But truly consider how you sometimes may feel that too-the guy at work who is a total jerk gets the promotion over your hard working husband; That teenage girl who is suddenly pregnant, while you and your husband have been praying and trying for years to have a child of your own; The family down the street in all kinds of careless debt gets to just walk away from their house, but you put all your hard-earned money down on your house and now cannot sell it to move on to the next stage in your life. It's not fair, why would God allow that or give those people the things you so desperately yearn for.  

As I was praying about our future, I pulled that "It's not fair!" 3-year-old whiny stuff with God.

His answer was instant-He said,  "Kim, why do you even worry about her-You are a sinner just like her! Look at all I have given you-how sad that you're missing what I'm really showing you.   When I make you wait or saying "No!" to the things you THINK you want, it is because I have something so much better for you!! I will take care of all of the things that weigh on your heart, but you have allow Me to do it, not you, not the world, ME!"  

I thought about what God told me during our prayer time,  the question I kept thinking, was "Why?" not "Why did God answer me that way" but "Why do I feel the need to constantly ask Him for something more or greater than what I already have?" 

The answer is humbling: I am selfish and unthankful.  No mincing words here-God has given me so much, so much that others pray for and sometimes never get.  I have a Godly husband, wonderful children, enough money to stay home with my kids and still provide comfortably for the entire family.  More than that, I have a God and Savior who has something so amazing for me, that my human desires can't even imagine its greatness!  He has answered all of those prayers with abundance, so why do I continue to wonder if what He's doing for someone else means He's not doing for me?! I know He's got this-He always has and even in my greatest moments of disappointment, He's brought me things I never would've thought to ask for, better things! 

So I am working on being truly thankful: Heart Thankful.  The "God, I am thankful that YOU are in charge and I will not doubt that what you are providing for me is exactly what I need for Your plan in my life, even if I don't understand it now!" Because true Heart Thankfulness is actually true faith and joy as well! 

I encourage you to also pray the Heart Thankful Prayer above! Let's see what God reveals as we follow him in full faith, joy, and thanks! 

Now I have so much more!

It seems like a recurring theme with the mommies I hang out with, the idea of what we “used to be” or have before we had kids.  There is nothing wrong with thinking about the past, but these conversations always seem to be laced with negatives of how we can’t get our bodies back, go out spontaneously with the hubby, or sleep in anymore.

 I am a natural “glass half empty” kinda girl.  Not to say that’s always bad, but in the New Year, God has challenged me to stop romanticizing the past and take stock in the things I have now! So I thought it would be fun to make a list:

1. I USED TO have no stretch marks, NOW I have a body that God has blessed to carry children and see the reminder of His miraculous gift to me as a woman every day when I look in the mirror

2. I USED TO be able to sleep in every weekend, NOW I am awoken with little kisses, laughter, and joy of a wondrous new day by my toddlers VERY early every day

3. I USED TO have time to read real adult books, NOW I get to instill love of reading in my own children by reading silly, funny, and simple kids’ books

4. I USED TO have a meticulously clean house, NOW I get to play tea party, dress up, and legos all day without worrying about those pesky dust bunnies!

5. I USED TO go the grocery store and leisurely stroll around without a list and just enjoy shopping, NOW I have 2 little assistants who help me see the world in a fun way, and save me time by making the trips short

These are just a few little ones, but I challenge you to do your own list and be thankful that God has given you the awesome gift of looking at your world in a whole new way

Just The Beginning

It's Christmas time, so we love to talk about Jesus' Birth-Let's start by reading that story in the Bible

Jesus’ Birth:

Read Luke 2:1-20

Jesus is the ultimate gift-Why?

            -B/c he is fully God and full man!

At Christmas we focus on His birth, but that’s just the beginning of the story.  His perfect life without sin, death on the cross, and resurrection are what make him our Savior.

Read Mark 15:22-37

If His death was the end of the story, Jesus wouldn’t be our Messiah, so let’s see what happens next.

Read Matthew 28:1-10

So you see, that sweet baby in a manager was just the start of the Christmas story and miracle!

People often say that Jesus is the greatest gift of Christmas-that is true, but what He gave us by being human, dying on the cross, and raising from the dead, those are the real gifts we should be sharing with others at Christmas: Forgiveness and Eternal Life

Coffee Filter:

Here’s my soul-it starts out clean and fresh, but soon I start sinning

What are some sins we all do on a regular basis? (Write the sins they name on the coffee filter in WASHABLE marker)

Now it’s dirty and I can’t wipe these off myself (get out a rag/napkin and try to wipe the words off)

The only thing that can truly get these sins from my soul is the blood of Jesus (take cup with red-food coloring dyed water and pour it over the filter slowly)

(Hold up the coffee filter) See, the sins are gone! Also, if I were to dry this filter back out, would it ever be white again? Why not? B/c once you ask Jesus to forgive your sins and have faith that He will do that, you belong to him forever.  AND you will have eternal life with him forever. 

Closing prayer.

What is that Brown Stuff on your hand?!

 

We LOVE Nutella in our house-it borders obsession really, so we eat it in some form or another pretty much every day! I don’t pretend to believe that’s good for me, but man, it just tastes SO good no matter what you put it on!

Anyway, it was a normal Tuesday morning-getting up early to get Natalie ready for school.  She asked for Nutella with toast on it-yea, I wrote that correctly, after all, it’s the Nutella that’s the important part! So I get her the Nutella with toast on it and give Annie, my 2 year old, a bowl of cereal, as per her request.  I always wanted to be one of those “hot breakfast every morning” moms, but well, cold cereal and toast is where we’ve landed, and I am totally fine with that-oh the grand ideas you have BEFORE you actually have kids!

The girls finish their breakfast and we’re off to get Natalie to school.  On the way, I hear the girls giggling in the backseat b/c Annie keeps “Ripping-one” (thanks Grandpa for teaching her that!) and is going poop in her diaper-For my regular readers, I told you I’d end up back in the bodily fluids genre sooner or later! They’re laughing at every little noise that Annie is now making a good effort to squeeze out.  I had to laugh along, kid’s giggles are just too sweet, no matter what their reason!

As we pull in to Natalie’s school, she begins to yell “EWWWW!” I asked what was the matter and she explained that Annie somehow ended up with poop on her hand.  I get Natalie out of the car and investigate this brown substance on Annie’s hand-just as I turn to grab a wipe, she shoves her hand in her mouth and says, “It’s OK, Mommy, No, poop, just Nutella like Natalie’s breakfast!”.  I am paralyzed with disgust, but before I can yank her hand out of her mouth, the mysterious brown substance is already licked clean, with Annie making a weird face, but still saying, “YUUUUUMMMM!” 

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Kids are GROSS!! If it was Nutella, how on earth did Annie get it on her hand? She ate cereal, so that means she would have been playing with Natalie’s mouth? I guess, I don’t know.  If it was poop-Nope! Can’t even go there with my brain! I guess we’ll never know if it was poop or Nutella-the evidence seems clear, but with toddlers is anything ever really what it seems? In this case, I choose to believe that Annie’s love for Nutella trumped her grossness….Either way, I’m still shuddering with a BIG case of the Yuckies over this one!

Holiday Traditions

My kids are starting to get to the ages (2 and 4 years old) where I'm dying to start traditions that will last a lifetime-you know the kind that they remember forever and do with their own children someday.  That's a pretty tall order when you start surfing the internet for "Family Holiday Traditions"....as a matter of fact, in first 30 seconds of seeing all the amazing things people do, I shut my computer and resigned to the thought that there is NO way I could do any of those on a regular basis and still make happy memories!

My husband and I have been married for 8 Christmases-each year has brought something completely new, surprising, and unforeseen the previous year.  I won't bore you with the details, but in the past 5 years we've moved across the country twice, had 2 of our own kids, been blessed with 2 nephews and 1 niece, and lived in 5 houses (all in different states!).  This Christmas we are in Tampa, Florida, but only until January.  If you'd asked me last year where we'd be doing Christmas 2013, I would have said my family would be coming to our house in Maryland to celebrate all together.  Nope, not even close!

I'm not complaining, but rather making an observation that so many of us try to avoid, hide from, or simply don't notice: Life is constantly changing! It seems so obvious when you say it like that.  But when you think about holiday traditions and where you'll be with family next year, it's easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle and focus on what the plan is for the next thing, rather than enjoying the now!

So, as I'm looking at starting some holiday traditions that my little ones will cherish, I am reminded that the needs of others is something we can always help to meet-so we go to the store, the kids each pick their favorite toy and give it to some organization helping families/kids who wouldn't otherwise have anything.  We read the Christmas Story and talk about Jesus Birth.  We go to the Candle light service on Christmas Eve and come home to unwrap new jammies and watch "The Christmas Toy".  We make an expertly decorated (by my 2 and 4 year olds) Birthday Cake for our infant Savior and sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus on Christmas morning. 

These are simple things, but when I think about the holiday, wasn't Jesus' birth in the most simple circumstance, really?  I'm so thankful that during this Christmas Season, in our ever-changing lives, Christ is never changing! When I wake up on Christmas morning and enjoy watching my toddlers in the magic of the holiday moment, I will remember that this is a day that God has given me to cherish b/c those two most precious gifts from him will never be this age again!

I would love to hear what Holiday Traditions your family has that you just LOVE :)

Be Faithful AND Thankful

As I was standing in front of my refrigerator this morning, hemming and hawing about what to eat, I was reminded of a memory from my childhood.

I was 8 years old and we had just moved.   My parents built a gorgeous, brand new house in Wisconsin.  It was a beautiful Cape cod, with amazing space to play, a swing set in the backyard, and a lake just a short bike ride away.  It was my mother’s dream house!

Being the Godly people they are, my parents followed God’s calling away from their dream home to  Michigan.  We had been unable to sell the dream house, so having to make that house payment meant sacrifices were made until we had the money to buy something more permanent.  

We’d been living in Michigan for a while and one day we opened the fridge to find a hot box full of warm food-YIKES! That night at dinner, my parents explained we had no money to fix the fridge, and we were going to have to pray that God would provide.  We didn't ask God to give us a new fridge, we prayed that He would PROVIDE for us.  We all went to bed wondering how our faith would manifest itself.

We woke up the next morning to snow on the ground and lots of it! My mother said THIS was God’s provision we'd prayed for.  As an 8 year old sitting at the breakfast table, I really thought mom was losing it.  How is snow God’s answer to our prayers?  She took out a cooler and made us follow her outside.  She took that cooler and filled it up with snow, put in the gallon of milk, placed the top on and marched us back inside. 

We all sat around the table and praised God for His provision and answer to our prayers! That winter we prayed for snow every day and for 3 months we always had enough snow to keep our food cold in that cooler on the deck.  It was one of the snowiest winters in Michigan's history!  By the time Spring came around, God had sold that dream house in Wisconsin and we were able to buy a  working fridge.

Today God reminded me to be thankful because He always sees our need and will always provide.  I am also abundantly thankful for my parent’s Godly instruction! My mother was so faithful that she saw God's answer to prayer even though it wasn't in the form we expected.  

So this Thanksgiving, don’t forget to be thankful for the little things and the ways, however unexpected, God provides for you and your family!

I've Got All the Pieces

 

This past weekend we went to the Lego Store.  They have anything and everything you could possibly think of in Lego form.  My husband loves Legos and my 4 year old, Natalie, wants to be a part of that b/c she is a Daddy’s girl to the core.  

We got in the car and Natalie pulled out the Lego Christmas Catalog they gave her.  She began flipping through and talking about how cool all the large castles, pretty cars, and neat spaceships were.  After about 15 minutes of perusing, she said, “Oh, you have to build it?!”  All I could do was laugh! Of course you have to build it, silly girl!

While thinking about that, God put a thought into my head.  Natalie’s realization that the Lego sets don’t come pre-built is the same realization I often need in my walk with Him. You see, I look at the box with the completed picture and of course that’s what I want for my life.  A want a full, intimate relationship with my Savior with Heavenly Glory beyond my imagination!

But then I open the box and find pieces….The Holy Spirit, The Bible, Worship, My Church Community, so on....Hmmm, this doesn’t look like the picture AT ALL! Why, b/c I have to build it.  I want the picture on the box and God has given me all the pieces, the instruction manual, and He's even there to guide me.  So what’s the problem? Well, in my life, it’s me! I look at the picture of completion longingly, but look at the pieces and steps with disdain.  I want that intimate relationship with my Savior and my full-on, Heavenly Glory right now.  I don’t want to have to study the word, pray, serve, and wait to get what God has for me.

I’m selfish, impatient, but mostly I'm just plain human.  I want things to be easy, but God did not call Christians to easy! Quite the opposite. He calls us to follow Him and actually guarantees that the path will be hard.  So I give my longing heart over to God, get on my knees, and know that putting those pieces together won’t always be easy, but I don’t have to do it alone! When I reach Him in Heavenly Glory I want my life to match His picture of completeness for me, then my joy really will be complete.

I challenge you to step back and ask God what pieces you are struggling with.  I am  asking him to help me stop and wait for His instructions.  I want to use all of the pieces He’s given me for the purpose He has!

Psalm 25:5

 Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day.