Love Them Like Jesus

So love them like Jesus,
Carry them to Him
His yoke is easy, His burden is light
You don't need the answers to all of life's questions
Just know that He loves them and stay by their side
Love them like Jesus
Love them like Jesus

~Love them Like Jesus ~ Casting Crowns~   

This song has been stuck in my head for a week now. 

Why?

Sweet friends of ours were expecting twins ... due in June, but thinking probably a May arrival.  Last Sunday morning, our friend gave birth... approximately 15 weeks early. It happened so quickly, that hours later, everyone was still in shock.

Why?

"You don't need the answers to all of life's questions"

What do we do? What do we say?

"Just know that He loves them and stay by their side
Love them like Jesus
Love them like Jesus"

We don't need the answers. They don't expect us to have the answers. They just need our love. Our support. And most important: Our prayers.

Today, we had the honor to deliver a couple of cards from others to our friends. We also dropped off a care package full of all sorts of goodies.

What sort of things does one need in medical emergencies like this? Honestly, I don't know. I simply walked the aisles of the store while trying to think.  As always, God was there by my side, guiding me. I pray that our friends will find every single bit of that package to be of help in some small way.

• Food (easy-fix non-perishable healthy items, protein bars, and some fresh produce)
• Journals (one each... to use for prayers or letters to their children)
• Address book, note cards, and stamps
• Notebook & pens to jot down things they need to remember
• Reusable cups with straws for both mom & dad
• All packaged up in a handy book bag for easy transporting of their needed items when they visit those babies
• Travel size tissues

This couple is now staying at the Ronald McDonald House near the hospital.  I have learned that the RMH operates mainly by donation... both monetary and other items:

Ronald McDonald House

Chattanooga

Wish List

Donation Options

Our family will be working towards collecting items to donate for this wonderful charity.  If you would like to do the same, click on Wish List above. It provides a detailed list of what the home needs for its families. If you would like to make a monetary donation to RMH, click on Donation Options.

Our thoughts and prayers remain with this young family, the doctors, and the nurses...



It's the Little Things...

I have found myself feeling down that February is almost over and we still haven't completed our family outreach project for the month... between illnesses and extra work hours for my husband, we actually have not even planned one out!  (Told you we were very human!)

However, the more I thought about it...

Our plan is to be intentional... To look for opportunities...

And the Lord gently reminded me... it isn't about doing big things, well thought out things, elaborate things... It really is simply, the little things...

• taking a restaurant gift card to the new neighbor
• checking in regularly with friends who have had sick little ones
• praying for friends who are looking for better jobs
• sending a care package to my mom with blank cards and stamps (she loves to send out a ray of sunshine!)
• a husband working an extra shift so a coworker can attend a funeral
• giving a few dollars to the couple standing near a busy stop light who are having a tough time
• a listening ear for a young mom trying to face the challenges of a blended family
• a daughter who is working on a joint story with her grandmother (they are both enjoying this project so much & get so tickled when the other's installment of the story arrives in the mailbox)
• praying for family friends (plural!) who are working through the foreign adoption process
• a daughter who sends 'Get Well' cards out to sick friends
• a husband giving a ride to a coworker

Wow. I just surprised myself with how many little things we have done. 

No, I am not patting my family on the back here... just pointing out how the little things can add up. Those little things, seen often by little eyes and heard often by little ears, will become embedded into the hearts of our children.

THAT is our goal.

A Sweet Moment in Time...

I awoke this morning with a foggy head.  It soon erupted into a full blown headache and the children were so full of exuberant life... and I admit... I got grumpy. Very grumpy.

My sweet daughter brought me some medicine.  Ibuprofen and two cups of coffee later, the headache began to lift.  I quickly realized my normally loud home was rather quiet... which can only mean two things: 1) A small miracle has happened or 2) Trouble is afoot!

A quick tour of our small home found my youngest (7 months) and oldest (11 years) playing quietly in our daughter's room.  Sweet! (She is such a great big sister to her little brothers!)

Next I found our other three children (9 yrs, 4 yrs, & 2yrs) all gathered around the kitchen table drawing.  Sweetly helping each other as needed.  Kind words. Kind voices. Encouraging and lifting each other up... "Great job on that truck!" "Oh! That's an awesome fish!"

Living out this week's memory verse (Ephesians 4:31-32)... right here in our home.

Now, as a homeschooling mom with 5 children in her home almost constantly, my prayers throughout the day tend to be 'arrow prayers'. You know... "Lord, help me!" "Lord give me the words." "Lord? HOW am I supposed to handle this?"   Quick. Simple. Pleas for help.

But today... My 'arrow prayer' was different.  "Oh Lord, how precious. What a sweet blessing, thank you, Lord!"

I also sent a quick text to my husband telling him of this wonderful moment in my day, lifting his spirits as well. 

A small glimmer of sunshine, letting me know, that yes, my efforts are taking hold...
Reminding me...

"Do not grow weary in doing good, for in due season you will reap a harvest if you do not give up." ~Galatians 6:9~

The Family in the Mirror

"If you want to change the World...

Start with your own Family."

~Mother Teresa~

Got that cup coffee ready? Let's chat.

Our Mission is to teach our children to serve our Father.  We are working monthly on family outreach ideas... some simple, some more complex... but all working toward servant's hearts for our children.



Yet, first and foremost, they must learn to love family.  It is the learning blocks to the future relationships.  But, boy, oh boy! It's tough to teach children to love each other!

Our older children have very kind hearts toward others and often surprise us with their sensitivity.  But, at home? With each other? Some days I think they have declared war on each other! 

Lately, attitudes and tones of voices have been... um... rocky.  I find myself sounding like a broken record!!  "Speak nicely. No yelling.  Be kind......." 

So my dear husband has decided that since simple apologies do not work at correcting the behavior and establishing the desired behavior...

• Mistreating a sibling (either verbally or physically... either mild offense or strong offense) = timeout (regardless of their age!)
• An apology is required (Not just a mumbled "Sorry", but "I'm sorry I yelled at you for standing near my door")
• For EACH undesired behavior, the child must do TWO good things for the offended child... they decide the two good things, not mom or dad (Ex: "NO! THAT'S MINE!" while jerking away a toy... "I'm sorry I yelled at you and grabbed the toy. (1)Would you like to play cars in my room? (2)Here, this red one is my favorite, but you can play with it for now.")

The goal being:  To make them STOP and THINK before REACTING to their sibling. 

They are also guided in the 'right' way of handling the situation should it arise in the future. (Ex: Instead of "GO AWAY!!!...  "It really bugs me when you stand over my shoulder like that while I am on the computer. Could you please find something else to do?... Mom, I've asked him/her to please find something else to do while I am doing my math lesson, but he/she will not go away. Could you help?" - without whining or bratty attitude, of course!)

God has given us such an amazing, awesome, HUGE responsibility in raising each of these precious Blessings!  So we continue to pray and seek His guidance in this crazy, exciting, rewarding path of parenthood.  We continue to do our Monthly Family Outreach projects. And we continue to focus on the heart of each of our children, daily... teaching them to love each other, daily.

  
“Thus I command you to love one another.

John 15:17(MSNT)

When we change our hearts at home... we CAN change the WORLD!  It will just spill over into every thing we do! So, in the words of an old song... (go ahead, sing along, I did...)



"If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make the change
You gotta get it right while you got the time
’Cause when you close your heart, then you close your mind

With that man in the mirror , oh yeah
I’m asking him to change his ways
Better change, no message could have been any clearer

If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make a change"

Man in the Mirror / Michael Jackson

And oh, if you have a great idea to use in training these hearts... be sure to leave a comment for me and the other readers... Thanks! :)
 

Ooops! I did it, again!

Training up our children is such a huge undertaking... one not to be taken lightly. 


However, being human and far, far from perfect... there are many days I fail.  Yes, you read that right... I fail.  I fail to fill up those sweet little 'love tanks' in their souls.


Two days this week have been that way... Little sleep... interrupted sleep... almost constant 2 yo tantrums... I could give lots of excuses... And if I am honest with myself, that's exactly what they are: EXCUSES.  Yes, we get tired. Yes, we get worn down. Yes, we get frustrated. However, God gave me one of the most important jobs on the planet! 

I wouldn't let my lack of sleep or poor mood get in my way if I were out in the paid workforce!  No, I would leave those problems at the door and go about my workday with a smile on my face (even if there is no joyous song in my heart).  I would gladly serve my customers or my managers... I mean, my paycheck would depend on doing a good job each day!!

Benefits of motherhood are so much more rewarding than a check!!  Hugs, kisses, "I love you's"... seeing those lessons that we hammer into our children start to take hold... seeing their hearts being molded into caring, loving servants for our Father!

But it takes time... LOTS of time!  I am someone who loves to see quick results (one reason I have never taken up knitting!) but motherhood is NOT about quick results!!  Nine months to have a baby... two to three years until potty trained... Eighteen years til they reach adulthood!!  Wow!!  It's a long journey that requires LOTs of time, LOTS of energy (am I the only one lacking here?), LOTS of.... I don't like this word very much... PATIENCE!

I fully believe that is why so many mothers, myself included, feel so weary.  We can't do it all on our own... We need our Father's help!!  He will give us hope, grace, patience, strength... and everything else to keep us going!

I have been placing index cards with uplifting scriptures throughout my home... places I will see as I go about my day...

Galations 6:9 (NKJV)

And let us not grow weary while doing good,

 for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (The Message)

I know what I’m doing.

I have it all planned out—

plans to take care of you,

not abandon you,

plans to give you the future you hope for.
When you call on me, when you come and pray to me,

I’ll listen.
When you come looking for me,

you’ll find me.

Just to name a few :)

I am also seeking out encouragement... such as Hope for the Weary Mom and Raising Arrows.

Because raising my children's 'Heart and Hands to Heaven' begins with me.  Thank God for his grace and mercy in giving me another day to try again, to keep working toward our goal of servant's hearts for our children.  Thank Him for forgiving me when I fail... for forgiving me when I forget to leave it all with Him and try to do it on my own!

Now, I am off to fill some 'love tanks'! :)