As you well know we have kids.
My kids all have blankies. Each blanket has a special name from each kid. Significantly enough, these were the blankets we bought for them as soon as we found out we were having a boy or girl.
We have a 10 yr old Blankie Pink, which is now a well loved shade of greyish-pink. It started off a plush pink side, and a silky smooth satin side, which were affectionately referred to as "cold side or warm side."
For 7 years we have had a duo blanket team, because one cuddle blanket was not enough for this kid! They are Blankie Blue, and Blankie White. They also are composed of a "cold side" and a "warm side."
The newest addition to the family is a 4 yr old Blankie Green (which is actually mostly white, but Blankie White was already taken.) All of these of the same composition. Over the years though, blanket manufacturers got fancy, and started adding texture. You can see this evolution in our blankie family.
You see my kids know these blankets by no other name. These blankets are sacred. They are loved. They are security.
These blankies have been to nearly every doctors appointment, healed nearly every wound, and have wiped more tears (among other things) than you can imagine.It's a privilege for this mom to wash these well worn soldiers of our home.
Usually when I can sneak them away, these well loved blankets are dirty, smelly, and just plain gross. But soon they are washed clean, smelling new, and just as fluffy as they once were, waiting to be held.
My children have these blankets near them most of the time they are home. Just recently, my 10 yr old has started to question if she should still have a blankie...that it might be embarrassing to still sleep with it even trying to sneak it to a slumber party.
Reminding me so much of our faith.
As children we PROUDLY walk around spouting off bible verses and never wavering in our belief, confidently carrying around and loving on our Savior. But somewhere along the way we question if its still cool to carry Him around so boldly and proclaim our love.
We are diry, smelly, gross sinners. Im so glad He washes new every day, waiting to hold us. Renewing us.
I pray, that my children continue to CLING to Him as much as they do their blankies. I will always encourage them to hold dear to that which they love. No matter if it's still cool or popular.
Love on Him, lean on Him, let Him wipe your tears, and heal all your wounds, wash you clean.
His love never fails.
Warning to future spouses: Be prepared to get a special sentimental gift one day that has a "warm and a cold side" and goes by the name Blankie.
Monday, October 20, 2014
Monday, September 1, 2014
Spiritual Amnesia
Am-ne-sia
1. memory loss: loss of memory as a result of shock, injury, psychological disturbance, or medical disorder.
Synonyms: loss of memory, memory loss, forgetfulness, obliviousness, blankness, a total blank.
How am I so quick to forget?
"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ God forgave you." Ephesians 4:32
"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever." Psalm 107:1
Daily I forget. When life gets messy. Right now, in this moment, I have 2/3 children in their room for losing their tempers and flat out being mean. There is no kindness, no compassion. I have found myself crying out, where is the thanks in this moment!
How can I teach them to overflow with love, how can I watch them turn out this way when the words and actions I have spoken to loved ones in the last 24 hours have been a desert, dry and dusty. Amnesia. A total blank. No joy.
God is speaking directly me so much through reading "1000 Gifts" by Ann Voskamp as I mentioned in my previous post. Once again as I picked it up in thirsty desperation, He spoke through the story of Hagar, Genesis 21. Hagar and her son were sent away into the desert, once their supply of food and water were gone, Hagar thought all hope (and joy) was lost. She left him under a bush not wanting to watch him die. She was afraid of the way it would turn out.
But all she had to do was open her eyes to see the well and they were saved.
"Do I really smother my own joy because I believe that anger achieves more than love? That Satan's way is more powerful, more practical, more fulfilling in my daily life than Jesus' way? Why else get angry? Isn't it because I think complaining, exasperation, resentment will pound me up into the full life I really want?" (Voskamp 126)
Open your eyes, when the amnesia hits, just open your eyes. Where there is thanks, there is always a well of joy. Where there is joy there is love, forgiveness, compassion.
Thank you Lord for saving me. For reminding me to look for the well. For waking me up from my amnesia.
Giving thanks is the way to a full life, seeing God in every moment; not just the "good" moments, but the soul searching hard moments. He gives us those too.
I am thankful for this moment to be transparent and vulnerable with you. Now, to go and humble myself and pour out love and compassion to my children and husband.
Eucharisteo.
1. memory loss: loss of memory as a result of shock, injury, psychological disturbance, or medical disorder.
Synonyms: loss of memory, memory loss, forgetfulness, obliviousness, blankness, a total blank.
How am I so quick to forget?
"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ God forgave you." Ephesians 4:32
"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever." Psalm 107:1
Daily I forget. When life gets messy. Right now, in this moment, I have 2/3 children in their room for losing their tempers and flat out being mean. There is no kindness, no compassion. I have found myself crying out, where is the thanks in this moment!
How can I teach them to overflow with love, how can I watch them turn out this way when the words and actions I have spoken to loved ones in the last 24 hours have been a desert, dry and dusty. Amnesia. A total blank. No joy.
God is speaking directly me so much through reading "1000 Gifts" by Ann Voskamp as I mentioned in my previous post. Once again as I picked it up in thirsty desperation, He spoke through the story of Hagar, Genesis 21. Hagar and her son were sent away into the desert, once their supply of food and water were gone, Hagar thought all hope (and joy) was lost. She left him under a bush not wanting to watch him die. She was afraid of the way it would turn out.
But all she had to do was open her eyes to see the well and they were saved.
"Do I really smother my own joy because I believe that anger achieves more than love? That Satan's way is more powerful, more practical, more fulfilling in my daily life than Jesus' way? Why else get angry? Isn't it because I think complaining, exasperation, resentment will pound me up into the full life I really want?" (Voskamp 126)
Open your eyes, when the amnesia hits, just open your eyes. Where there is thanks, there is always a well of joy. Where there is joy there is love, forgiveness, compassion.
Thank you Lord for saving me. For reminding me to look for the well. For waking me up from my amnesia.
Giving thanks is the way to a full life, seeing God in every moment; not just the "good" moments, but the soul searching hard moments. He gives us those too.
I am thankful for this moment to be transparent and vulnerable with you. Now, to go and humble myself and pour out love and compassion to my children and husband.
Eucharisteo.
Monday, August 18, 2014
Growth
Friends, it has been approximately two years since I have even THOUGHT about writing on this blog. I will not get into all the details, but we are all now older and wiser and...cheerios still stick to my floors.
Wanted to take a moment to share what's going on in life, at least spiritually. Our heart is like any muscle, we can't expect it to grow with out exercise. And for me exercise is not always enjoyable, I crossfit because it's necessary for my health, and I love to see my body and mind do what I once thought was impossible.
Spiritual growth is not always fun either, but necessary for a full life, for joy. We also can see impossible things done through spiritual growth, as with physical capabilities.
Last week I started reading a few books, catalytic, life changing, books. One of them is Ann Voskamp's "1000 Gifts." With the power of the Holy Spirit, and through her words its like my soul has been ripped wide open only to be stitched back together with hope, thanksgiving, and grace. Here is a note I wrote to a friend before diving into "1000 Gifts."
At 34, with 3 kids ages 3.5, 7, 10 I have found myself in the trenches of parenting, you know the daily picking on each other, the fights over the last spoon of rice, and the endless laundry and dishes; l love my job as a mom. But child rearing is not for the faint of heart!!! Some days I wake up, put on the ref jersey and blow my whistle all day until my handsome relief gets home.
Yet I've found myself mourning the loss of these times (it's crazy I know!) The passing minutes that could have been better...more grace filled, patient, regret over tempers lost. Already seeing the end...hoping and praying they all turn out as God-fearing, loving, and kind adults.
Knowing each second they are one step closer away...how can you be one step in the present and already mourning the future?
The sweet Lord, answered my cry for help the very next day through the pages of Ann's book. Here was my reply, 24 hours later.
The key to finding joy in your present and living FULLY, is thankfulness in all things. Jesus gave thanks in even the hardest and trying circumstances. Today I found myself being thankful for my abundance of laundry, we are blessed. Thankful for my arguing kids, that means they are healthy, full of spirit! Thankful for the words of Jesus giving thanks to His father even though it was hard.
We have been living in a sin of ungratefulness. Yes, a sin. Any discontent, want for more, coveting of others gifts, this is a sin. Thinking we "deserve" more is a sin. God's gifts are always enough. We don't have to have something HUGE, and magnificent to see the gifts God has given us. As Ann says, the key to peacefulness is thankfulness. Wow. What a huge thing to lay down before God, to apologize to him for a lifetime of thinking you need more that you deserve more. That you won't be happy unless you have...I need just more time in my day to do it all. I am learning, practicing, we have it all, already. Can you see the gifts in your life? Are you able to see the little gifts of love the Lord gives us each day? Jesus gave thanks over and over again. He gave thanks on the cross as he was dying. He broke bread and gave thanks as an offering.
So, friends, I am putting pen to paper, I am working-out my soul, and I am writing my 1000 gifts, the everyday blessings we overlook because we think we need to see something grand as a gift.
1. Experiencing things through my kids for the first time
2. Coffee
8. Sharing cake with my husband late at night
19. Forgiveness shown and given
20. Little boys' "I love you"
22. Joy over losing a tooth
If you find yourself feeling time and patience stretched, slow down, and give thanks for anything and do it often.
Thank you, Lord for exposing my sin of ungratefulness and growing me into thankfulness.
Wanted to take a moment to share what's going on in life, at least spiritually. Our heart is like any muscle, we can't expect it to grow with out exercise. And for me exercise is not always enjoyable, I crossfit because it's necessary for my health, and I love to see my body and mind do what I once thought was impossible.
Spiritual growth is not always fun either, but necessary for a full life, for joy. We also can see impossible things done through spiritual growth, as with physical capabilities.
Last week I started reading a few books, catalytic, life changing, books. One of them is Ann Voskamp's "1000 Gifts." With the power of the Holy Spirit, and through her words its like my soul has been ripped wide open only to be stitched back together with hope, thanksgiving, and grace. Here is a note I wrote to a friend before diving into "1000 Gifts."
At 34, with 3 kids ages 3.5, 7, 10 I have found myself in the trenches of parenting, you know the daily picking on each other, the fights over the last spoon of rice, and the endless laundry and dishes; l love my job as a mom. But child rearing is not for the faint of heart!!! Some days I wake up, put on the ref jersey and blow my whistle all day until my handsome relief gets home.
Yet I've found myself mourning the loss of these times (it's crazy I know!) The passing minutes that could have been better...more grace filled, patient, regret over tempers lost. Already seeing the end...hoping and praying they all turn out as God-fearing, loving, and kind adults.
Knowing each second they are one step closer away...how can you be one step in the present and already mourning the future?
The sweet Lord, answered my cry for help the very next day through the pages of Ann's book. Here was my reply, 24 hours later.
The key to finding joy in your present and living FULLY, is thankfulness in all things. Jesus gave thanks in even the hardest and trying circumstances. Today I found myself being thankful for my abundance of laundry, we are blessed. Thankful for my arguing kids, that means they are healthy, full of spirit! Thankful for the words of Jesus giving thanks to His father even though it was hard.
We have been living in a sin of ungratefulness. Yes, a sin. Any discontent, want for more, coveting of others gifts, this is a sin. Thinking we "deserve" more is a sin. God's gifts are always enough. We don't have to have something HUGE, and magnificent to see the gifts God has given us. As Ann says, the key to peacefulness is thankfulness. Wow. What a huge thing to lay down before God, to apologize to him for a lifetime of thinking you need more that you deserve more. That you won't be happy unless you have...I need just more time in my day to do it all. I am learning, practicing, we have it all, already. Can you see the gifts in your life? Are you able to see the little gifts of love the Lord gives us each day? Jesus gave thanks over and over again. He gave thanks on the cross as he was dying. He broke bread and gave thanks as an offering.
So, friends, I am putting pen to paper, I am working-out my soul, and I am writing my 1000 gifts, the everyday blessings we overlook because we think we need to see something grand as a gift.
1. Experiencing things through my kids for the first time
2. Coffee
8. Sharing cake with my husband late at night
19. Forgiveness shown and given
20. Little boys' "I love you"
22. Joy over losing a tooth
If you find yourself feeling time and patience stretched, slow down, and give thanks for anything and do it often.
Thank you, Lord for exposing my sin of ungratefulness and growing me into thankfulness.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)