Grasp

When my Little Men were very young, I learned that they weren't mine.
It was an interesting process.  God didn't bless us with children in the easy way others are blessed with them.  We had to work for ours.  I had surgery, shots, charting, and frustration.  There were tears, angry words, and hurts.
THEN, we found out we were expecting!  There were more shots, lots of ultra-sounds.
I became a Christian at the age of 21.  I was not secretive about our fertility issues.  I would tell anyone willing to listen and even some who weren't willing.  However, I learned that often these people would offer to pray for me, for my family.
So, when our first Little Man came along, I realized I had no hold on him.  He is mine.  God gave him to my husband and me.  But, he belongs to God.  He belongs to all those wonderful people who prayed for him to exsist.
Then, our middlest came along.  He was not as hard to get, coming just a short 18 months after his big brother.  Two Little Men in 18 months.  He is not mine.  I did not work for him.  I do not deserve him.  I am so blessed to call him son and mine.
Our youngest came along 21 months later.  Again, he is not mine.  He is a blessing from God for one so undeserving.
I am truly blessed as I grasp these Little Men and enjoy them every day for as long as God allows.

You can come play along by clicking on the picture. 

Wide

I wish my bed was wider.  As I sit here watching my husband and three sons fight over the covers.  The giggles, squeeles, tugging, and tucking as they all try to get a piece of the blankets. 
My youngest is not on the bed, but with his little feet planted firmly on the floor, he tries to pull all the covers off the bed.  He, then, drops them and starts peeking under them, looking for toes to tickle, I imagine.  My husbands foot pops out and my youngest lets out a laugh.
My middlest, has the covers over his head and almost looks like just a pile of blankets, minus the giggles and comments coming from the pile.
My husband is participating in one of his favorite a.m. activities.  His HAM radio is cracking and popping as men check-in for the morning.  He comments about Dave as he signs on for the day.  My children know Dave, we have picked apples in his backyard. 
My youngest has reset my timer.  As I tell him to, "STOP," I figure my time is about up and I should, STOP.

Focus

Focus...This makes me smile. 
I go to open up the prompt in my e-mail box knowing, "it will just take 5 minutes."  But, behind me, I hear a 7-year-old calling for the dog laying at my feet.  Not our little cocker spaniel, but my parents' labra doodle.
My 5-year-old is asking for more popcorn and can't find his bowl which was lost to the underside of the couch and can't be retrieved for all the other items that disappear under there.
My 3-year-old is quiet at the moment.  Wonder what that means...
So, I get popcorn and a new cup for my 5-year-old.  And grab the timer set for 5 minutes 10 seconds and head back to my bedroom to spend, "just 5 minutes," typing on focus.  :-)
I really look forward to these 5-minutes.  I am glad I caught it sooner this week then last.  Last week, it was Saturday night before I remembered.  Today it is Friday 6:30pm.
My youngest is crying as my 5-year-old says, "I'm heading to tell on you," then walks in the room in tears.  Lead by my 7-year-old tattling on his 5-year-old brother and bouncing on my bed.
Focus.  I enjoy focusing on them.  When I am done with my 5-minutes, my 7-year-old needs to do some school.  My 5-year-old needs a snuggle.  And my 3-year-old needs help picking up whatever his older brothers found necessary to tattle on him for.  So, I'm off to once again focus on those bouncy bundles of energy.
I'm blessed.

Graceful

Graceful?  Who?  Not me.
I am tall and awkward.
Now that I have grown, I am more graceful than my youth would have suggested I would be.
I have more confidence now.  Then I ever thought I would see in me.
Sometimes, I wish I could go back and have the confidence of my 30s back in my teenage days.  However, when I really think about it, I realize that God protected me.
The confidence of my youth, if there had been such a thing, would have lead to poor choices.  There was little guidance in my teenage years.  Some fear, but not an adult that would guide and watch over to keep me from making stupid mistakes.
So, God provided.  He provided awkwardness.  He provided a poor sense of style.  He provided enough fear not to wear anything to revealing.  He provided a lack of interest in boys and boys having very little interest in me.  He allowed me to come with few scars through the trauma of adolescence.  So, as a 21 year-old I could fall into His arms.  And find security, style, faith, confidence, and a boy who was interested in me.  THEN, He provided three Little Men who don't care if I'm graceful or in-style and who call me Mommy.







 

Change

It is that time of year when everything seems to be changing. 
For one, we are in Kansas this weekend with my in-laws.  We are not doing our normal routine.
For two, next week when we return home, we will be diving into the fall routine.  We home school and started school a week and a half ago.  That was a change too.  For the first time, I have a 1st grader, actual laid out curricula, and major goals and objectives for him for the school year.  I, also, have a kindergartner. 
After we get through most of next week, I will start teaching a co-op class for home schoolers.  I am planning to teach cooking to 8 1st-3rd graders.  My boys will, for the first time, take classes.  My oldest is going to take a chess class.  My middlest is going to take an art and tumbling class.  And, my youngest is taking a story time class.
The following week, we dive back into BSF.
And, then, the following week AWANA starts.
Some time in there, I need to confirm that I will be starting or not starting a child birth series.  Currently, I only have one couple signed up for the class.   I wish more people realized the importance of taking a non-hospital affiliated child birth class.  And, I look forward to when my life will be less busy that I will be able to advertise.  However, currently, my life is wonderful.  God plans my classes or lack there of and for the most part, I'm okay with that.

Join

To join or not to join, that is the question...
I became a Christian 12 years ago.  January 17, 2000 to be exact.  So thankful the world didn't end with the millenium.
I became a member of the church I attended about a year after being saved.  My husband and I were planning our wedding.
Then, in 2007 we switched churches.  Pretty much immediately, I sought out info for becoming members.
January 1st of this year we switched churches.  I haven't really sought out info for membership.  THEN...
Our pastor stepped down a few weeks ago.  His wife contributed a lot to children's ministry.  I sort of think I should become a member to help fill the missing space.  HOWEVER, the circumstances from which our pastor stepped down leave me VERY opprehensive about becoming a member.
Part of me, actually, would like to switch churches again because of the circumstances.  But, I'm pretty sure my husband would not be thrilled with that idea and my boys, my middle child is just starting to warm-up to the new church.  I can't imagine making him try out a new church again.  So, we stay...
Waiting...
Do we join and fill the missing space?
Do we not join and just see what happens?
Do we switch churches?


 

Stretch

My 5 foot 8 inch frame does not like to be stretched physically.  I started running 3 years ago and know that runners often stretch before and/or after running, but I didn't.  Then, earlier this year I saw a physical therapist for a shoulder issue.  She gave me stretches.  Then, I switched chiropractors, and he gave me stretches.  So, I'm stretching...  I'm not good at it.  I can't touch my toes.  But, I keep stretching.  Every other day.  Little by little the floor gets closer to my finger tips.
I stretch in other way fine, I think.  Our family stretched at the beginning of the year by trying out a new church.  Our new church is close to our home.  It is nice to be able to walk to church for week day activities.  Our oldest has taken to riding his bike to church.  Which, I love that he desires to be physically active and that he enjoys going to our Lord's house.
I thought I was handling this stretch just fine, until two weeks ago when there was a bump in the road.  Our Pastor stepped down.  It isn't really...
Stretch