As a mom I feel like I have been, correction, I have learned to put a positive spin on most anything. My daughter was convinced this morning that her hair-do made her look like a boy or made her look bald. Huh?? She left with my husband crying, (she was crying...not my husband :) ) convinced that kids would laugh at her. Now for your information I just braided her hair this morning. Then I tied the braids together with a cute flower barrette. I even took a mirror to show her the pretty barrette. Yet she still left crying. "Kids are going to laugh at me. I'm nervous." I told her she looked absolutely beautiful and promised her that her teacher would think the same.
As I prayed this morning, I felt the Lord impressing on me something. We can really "spin" our circumstances in any light to people. Here is what I mean: If my daughter goes into her class today saying to her friends, "I look bald," I can almost bet that her friends would agree or say, "Yeah, I see what you mean." But if my daughter instead went into her class with confidence and said, "Don't you love what I've done with my hair today. It is unique," she might have gotten a "Wow. I like your hair," comment instead.
I spoke to a couple people yesterday about a situation and spun it very negatively each time I spoke about it. Should I be surprised that I was many times affirmed in my negativity, "Oh yes. That does sound bad." I wonder what would have happened if I approached this sharing in a "God is so good. He is helping me with this. I am doing well by His grace." I doubt that any friend would retort, "It is not as good as you think, friend. You should be upset because what you are going through is hard."
My heartfelt prayer and earnest desire today is that God would give me a positive, firm confidence. I want to approach life with a contagious "God is good" attitude regardless of my circumstances. If I want positivity I need to sew it. If I want truth in feedback I need to sew seeds of THE truth. I can do all things through Christ. I am going to walk with assurance the path before me and allow HIM to be my guide not my emotions. Forgive me Lord for valuing others opinions over your infallible word.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Dear Diary
My mom wouldn't ever let me have a diary when I was growing up. She didn't like the idea of me having secrets. I thought it was lame at the time. I am all grown up now and I think the idea of a diary is great. My blog is a diary! So today, I thought that I would just diary my day from start until now...
4:30 a.m.: First alarm goes off. I push snooze. I contemplate getting out of bed.
4:50 a.m.: Second alarm goes off across the room. I have to get out of bed to turn it off. I am smart to do this I think.
4:51 a.m.: I tiptoe in the bathroom and attempt for the second day in a row to put in my contacts via nightlight in the bathroom. I spent lots of time pressing my finger to my eye sure that the contact was placed. I put my finger in the case again. Pressed finger to eye. Nope. No contact. Finally, I found the contact only to have it fold on my finger. I held it as close to the nightlight as I could to try and figure out which way to pull it to get it flat. Success. Contacts in.
4:53 a.m.: I tiptoe downstairs to read my bible. Reading Holiness by Nancy Leigh DeMoss.
5:20 a.m.: Pray in kitchen. Pacing back and forth keeps me awake.
5:40 a.m.: Tiptoe upstairs to get on workout clothes. Without lights, my sports bra is hard to find in my drawer. I found a swimsuit, a tank top and then finally a sports bra.
5:41 a.m.: Jog in place workout video.
6:10 a.m.: Husband up and joins me downstairs. Lunch made for daughter: sandwich, goldfish, peeled orange, 2 cookies, banana and cheese for a snack. Juice and icepack added too.
6:15 a.m.: Hop in shower.
6:45 a.m.: Son and daughter awake. Son dressed. Daughter dressed and hair done. Breakfast prepared.
7:15 a.m.: 5 1/2 month old arrives to be babysat.
7:30 a.m.: Kids teeth brushed with baby watching.
7:50 a.m.: Kids shoes on and put in car. 2 trips with all baby stuff and school stuff.
8:00 a.m.: Depart for school. By the way, husband left at 7:40 a.m.
8:17 a.m.: Arrive at school. Daughter decides she is too scared to walk in by herself.
8:21 a.m.: Baby in stroller. Daughter with backpack on. Son asking lots of questions. Head into school.
8:25 a.m.: Daughter to her class. Couldn't get backpack open. Had to have teacher help her. Blew her a kiss.
8:27 a.m.: Walk to coffee shop in church with baby and son. Purchase cookie. Son refuses to walk and eat at same time. Wait for son to finish cookie.
8:35 a.m.: Walk back to car to go home.
9:00 a.m.: Home. Take baby and son for walk around the block.
9:20 a.m.: Play with baby and son.
10:20 a.m.: Put baby down for nap. Play with son. Read several pages in textbook for school.
11:20 a.m.: Baby awake. Change baby. Feed baby bottle.
11:45 a.m.: Baby in exersaucer. Make son lunch.
12:00 p.m.: I have been up for about 7 hours. Make myself lunch.
12:15 p.m.: Take son and baby outside for fresh air.
12:35 p.m.: Friend stops by to drop off some makeup I ordered.
1:00 p.m.: Friend leaves.
1:45 p.m.: Baby's mom arrives to get baby.
2:00 p.m.: Play with son and relax for a few minutes.
2:40 p.m.: Leave to get daughter from school.
3:10 p.m.: Daughter tired. Mommy tired.
3:15 p.m.: Drive to daddy's office.
3:20 p.m.: Daddy drives mommy, daughter and son to Starbucks for a special treat.
4:00 p.m.: Home with daughter and son. Clothes changed. Few phone calls made while son and daughter play.
4:45 p.m.: Husband home. Take walk with family.
4:50 p.m.: Short walk. Kids fought too much.
5:00 p.m.: Started dinner.
5:45 p.m.: Dinner ready. Dinner eaten. Dishes washed.
6:15 p.m.: Outside to play beanbag game with family.
7:00 p.m.: Neighbor comes over to borrow suitcase.
7:10 p.m.: Kids brought in to take shower.
7:20 p.m.: Break taken. Read several pages in textbook.
8:00 p.m.: Husband put kids to bed. Runs to store.
8:20 p.m.: Husband home with new foot bath for mommy.
8:23 p.m.: Mommy writes blog. Mommy wants to cry.
8:25 p.m.: Mommy wants to go enjoy foot bath. Husband is telling me my foot bath water is going to get cold. Good night.
4:30 a.m.: First alarm goes off. I push snooze. I contemplate getting out of bed.
4:50 a.m.: Second alarm goes off across the room. I have to get out of bed to turn it off. I am smart to do this I think.
4:51 a.m.: I tiptoe in the bathroom and attempt for the second day in a row to put in my contacts via nightlight in the bathroom. I spent lots of time pressing my finger to my eye sure that the contact was placed. I put my finger in the case again. Pressed finger to eye. Nope. No contact. Finally, I found the contact only to have it fold on my finger. I held it as close to the nightlight as I could to try and figure out which way to pull it to get it flat. Success. Contacts in.
4:53 a.m.: I tiptoe downstairs to read my bible. Reading Holiness by Nancy Leigh DeMoss.
5:20 a.m.: Pray in kitchen. Pacing back and forth keeps me awake.
5:40 a.m.: Tiptoe upstairs to get on workout clothes. Without lights, my sports bra is hard to find in my drawer. I found a swimsuit, a tank top and then finally a sports bra.
5:41 a.m.: Jog in place workout video.
6:10 a.m.: Husband up and joins me downstairs. Lunch made for daughter: sandwich, goldfish, peeled orange, 2 cookies, banana and cheese for a snack. Juice and icepack added too.
6:15 a.m.: Hop in shower.
6:45 a.m.: Son and daughter awake. Son dressed. Daughter dressed and hair done. Breakfast prepared.
7:15 a.m.: 5 1/2 month old arrives to be babysat.
7:30 a.m.: Kids teeth brushed with baby watching.
7:50 a.m.: Kids shoes on and put in car. 2 trips with all baby stuff and school stuff.
8:00 a.m.: Depart for school. By the way, husband left at 7:40 a.m.
8:17 a.m.: Arrive at school. Daughter decides she is too scared to walk in by herself.
8:21 a.m.: Baby in stroller. Daughter with backpack on. Son asking lots of questions. Head into school.
8:25 a.m.: Daughter to her class. Couldn't get backpack open. Had to have teacher help her. Blew her a kiss.
8:27 a.m.: Walk to coffee shop in church with baby and son. Purchase cookie. Son refuses to walk and eat at same time. Wait for son to finish cookie.
8:35 a.m.: Walk back to car to go home.
9:00 a.m.: Home. Take baby and son for walk around the block.
9:20 a.m.: Play with baby and son.
10:20 a.m.: Put baby down for nap. Play with son. Read several pages in textbook for school.
11:20 a.m.: Baby awake. Change baby. Feed baby bottle.
11:45 a.m.: Baby in exersaucer. Make son lunch.
12:00 p.m.: I have been up for about 7 hours. Make myself lunch.
12:15 p.m.: Take son and baby outside for fresh air.
12:35 p.m.: Friend stops by to drop off some makeup I ordered.
1:00 p.m.: Friend leaves.
1:45 p.m.: Baby's mom arrives to get baby.
2:00 p.m.: Play with son and relax for a few minutes.
2:40 p.m.: Leave to get daughter from school.
3:10 p.m.: Daughter tired. Mommy tired.
3:15 p.m.: Drive to daddy's office.
3:20 p.m.: Daddy drives mommy, daughter and son to Starbucks for a special treat.
4:00 p.m.: Home with daughter and son. Clothes changed. Few phone calls made while son and daughter play.
4:45 p.m.: Husband home. Take walk with family.
4:50 p.m.: Short walk. Kids fought too much.
5:00 p.m.: Started dinner.
5:45 p.m.: Dinner ready. Dinner eaten. Dishes washed.
6:15 p.m.: Outside to play beanbag game with family.
7:00 p.m.: Neighbor comes over to borrow suitcase.
7:10 p.m.: Kids brought in to take shower.
7:20 p.m.: Break taken. Read several pages in textbook.
8:00 p.m.: Husband put kids to bed. Runs to store.
8:20 p.m.: Husband home with new foot bath for mommy.
8:23 p.m.: Mommy writes blog. Mommy wants to cry.
8:25 p.m.: Mommy wants to go enjoy foot bath. Husband is telling me my foot bath water is going to get cold. Good night.
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Skirts Up
A friend of mine recently posted on her blog some pictures of her family visiting a wax museum. The museum was filled with replicas of famous people. One of the pictures was my friend's daughter standing next to Marilyn Monroe in that well known "skirt-flying-up" pose. I don't know the story behind that whole deal as it is a bit before my time, but of course I know of the picture!
Anyway, I thought of that picture this morning as I read a passage in Genesis. Rachel and Leah are fleeing with their husband Jacob and Rachel had stolen her father's idols before they fled. Her father catches up to them and in a long speech he reprimands them for stealing his idols. Jacob is unaware that Rachel had stolen them and had them hidden under her skirt. When being searched for the idols Rachel says to her father, "Please sir, forgive me if I don't get up for you. I'm having my monthly period" (Genesis 31:35). Ha! What an excuse!
Besides Rachel's cunning lie, I was intrigued with why Rachel stole her father's idols. Maybe this is obvious to you, but I found myself convinced that Rachel believed in her heart that just in case Jacob's "God" didn't pull through, she had a contingency plan. She had doubt in her heart. She didn't know Jacob's God as he knew Him. "Just in case we get in a bind, daddy's 'gods' could help us out" is what I see her thinking.
The application here to me, is what "contingency plan" do I have hidden up my sleeve or skirt as it were? Just in case God doesn't come through, I will strive. Or just in case things don't work out I will make a plan of my own. Just in case I'll just sit on this one.
With Almighty God we don't need a contingency plan. He is the "All Sufficient" God. The God who told Abram, "I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers" Genesis 17:1-2). God Almighty doesn't fail, doesn't fall short, doesn't need help, never sleeps, never changes and never leaves. Wow. Do you know this God? Do you know Him intimately?
Search my heart oh God. Reveal any idols that I have hiding in my garments. Help me to abandon any other gods and cling to the One True God. Goodness and mercy, righteousness, peace and joy unspeakable become my companions when I turn and embrace fully, with no inhibitions, the one TRUE God! I love you Lord. Be my everything today.
Anyway, I thought of that picture this morning as I read a passage in Genesis. Rachel and Leah are fleeing with their husband Jacob and Rachel had stolen her father's idols before they fled. Her father catches up to them and in a long speech he reprimands them for stealing his idols. Jacob is unaware that Rachel had stolen them and had them hidden under her skirt. When being searched for the idols Rachel says to her father, "Please sir, forgive me if I don't get up for you. I'm having my monthly period" (Genesis 31:35). Ha! What an excuse!
Besides Rachel's cunning lie, I was intrigued with why Rachel stole her father's idols. Maybe this is obvious to you, but I found myself convinced that Rachel believed in her heart that just in case Jacob's "God" didn't pull through, she had a contingency plan. She had doubt in her heart. She didn't know Jacob's God as he knew Him. "Just in case we get in a bind, daddy's 'gods' could help us out" is what I see her thinking.
The application here to me, is what "contingency plan" do I have hidden up my sleeve or skirt as it were? Just in case God doesn't come through, I will strive. Or just in case things don't work out I will make a plan of my own. Just in case I'll just sit on this one.
With Almighty God we don't need a contingency plan. He is the "All Sufficient" God. The God who told Abram, "I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers" Genesis 17:1-2). God Almighty doesn't fail, doesn't fall short, doesn't need help, never sleeps, never changes and never leaves. Wow. Do you know this God? Do you know Him intimately?
Search my heart oh God. Reveal any idols that I have hiding in my garments. Help me to abandon any other gods and cling to the One True God. Goodness and mercy, righteousness, peace and joy unspeakable become my companions when I turn and embrace fully, with no inhibitions, the one TRUE God! I love you Lord. Be my everything today.
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