Taking a Moment

It's the moments that matter. Whether it is watching your children splash in a wading pool, have their first (or fiftieth) taste of sweet watermelon, taking a walk with those you love, or taking them to make a donation for those who have lost everything, it is the small moments in which you can teach the most and that they will remember the most. Today I took the boys to do what we could for the people of Joplin, MO. We picked out a box of diapers and dropped it off at the truck that was being loaded at our church. We talked about why the people there didn't have these things and how important it is for us to help out when we can. I pray that these little lessons shape the hearts of my boys and teach them not just to sit by when tragedies strike, but to reach out and help in any way they can. First and foremost we can help with our prayers. Then we can figure out what we feel we can do to help. As the boys put the box of diapers into the truck, Isaac noticed that someone had donated a pillow pet just like the one he has. I think that struck him to realize that the children in Joplin have literally lost everything. We will continue to keep all of those affected by recent tragedies in our prayers, and we will continue to find ways that we can help others. There is no better way to teach your children how to be compassionate than to be compassionate yourself.

Stars, Smiles,and A Sleepy Boy

Tonight at family devotional, our verse was Psalm 96:1 "Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth." After reading the story and lesson from our current devotional book, God's Amazing Creatures and Me by Helen Haidle, I asked Isaac "Do you praise God when you get up in the morning?" He replied "My heart does". Oh, the smile that brought to my face! Even if we are not singing out loud, we can praise God with our hearts! Ethan must have been exhausted because the poor little guy fell asleep at the table during devotional. Before going to bed, Isaac asked me to read his current favorite bedtime story, Mommy's Little Star. It is a really cute story about a curious little fox who wants to know how high the sky goes. I love spending precious time with my boys! I am so thankful that God has blessed me with these two boys to raise, and I pray that they will follow Him as they grow and become men.

Taking Inventory of What Matters

For the past 8 and a half weeks, two good friends and I have been meeting each week and discussing our current Bible study. It is a Women of Faith study, entitled "Living Above Worry and Stress". As moms with young children who are active in our church and community, we deal with a lot of stress on a daily basis and we all felt this study would do us good. This week, a particular line from the leader's guide jumped out at me. "The world's idea of an active, community-minded, well-rounded individual may be good, but God's will for His children is perfect." I never wanted to be one of those families that seemed to be running here and there, always too busy to take time for what mattered. Unfortunately, in the last few weeks I know that has happened to us. With my husband having to drive over an hour to work and back, and not getting home until late, most of the shuttling of the kids has fallen to me. While running from violin practice to soccer practice to church activities and dealing with the daily errands that have to be dealt with, I longed for time to just relax at home with my family. After leaving my son's soccer game Saturday morning, I started coming down with a cold. My head ached, my nose was runny, my throat was itchy, and I just felt plain bad. I was reminded of another lesson in our study in which we were asked "Is there a chance God is using stress to get your attention?". So I have spent the last two days relaxing, reading to my kids, and trying not to let my to-do list bother me, although that is something that is very hard for me. It has been good for us to recharge and spend time together without a schedule. I'm not going to take my son out of his activities, and I can't change that my husband is not home until late most evenings. What I can change is what I let bother me (my house not being clean the way that I like it) and my attitude. After all, I'm not here to please those who might look down on me because my house is not perfect or I don't attend all of the events they think I should. I'm here to please my Lord and Savior and His will for my family is perfect!

Road to Becoming a Runner

Three weeks ago I decided it was time for a change. I did something that I have never tried before. I got up early in the morning, went outside, and started running. I ran as long as I could, then I walked until I caught my breath and ran again. After I got home, I realized that running has certain perks to it. I felt better, had more energy, and was proud of myself for trying something new. I think I just broke out of the rut that I was in. After searching online, I found a beginner's running program called Couch to 5K. It is supposed to take someone from being inactive to running a 5K race in 9 weeks. I decided to give it a try, and so Monday, June 7th I started the program. That first week, I was afraid I would not be able to run for the 60 seconds at a time the plan called for, but I pushed myself. It was then I realized another benefit of running. In the last 3 weeks, I have found that strength that I knew I had inside that has seemed hidden for so long. The second week of training I was supposed to increase my time to running for 90 seconds at a time, followed by walking for 2 minutes and then repeating the cycle for 20 minutes. Again, I reached deep inside myself and pushed myself to complete each workout. This week marks the third week of the program, and I have completed two of the three workouts for the week. This week, I am running for 90 seconds, walking 90 seconds, running 3 minutes, walking 3 minutes, and then repeating. As the end of the week approaches, I look to week 4 and wonder if I can do it. Can I run for 5 minutes straight, while decreasing my walking time between running? I know I will have to push myself to do it, but I know that I can do it. There is something so satisfying about coming in after a run, knowing that I completed the workout. I never thought running would be something that I would enjoy, but I am beginning to.

Summer is Drawing to a Close

I can't believe summer is almost over. This summer has been so much fun. I wish I had some pictures to post, but our camera was broken at the beginning of June and I am really hoping we can get a new one soon. I met a neighbor family last weekend. They have two adopted children and were having a garage sale to raise money to bring home the older brother of their little boy. We bought a toddler bed for Ethan, a wireless keyboard, and a wireless mouse from them. I really hope they are able to bring their little boy home.

Isaac and Ethan are their usual goofball selves. I love that my little guys have so much fun together! Isaac and I baked bread today, and I made a tent in the living room for the boys to play in since it was raining outside. They loved it!

We are planning Isaac's birthday party. It seems impossible that he will be turning 4 next month, but he is. Where has the time gone? I am so proud of him. One of his little friends from church had an appointment today to have surgery on his eardrum. He had tubes in his ears and they stayed in too long and cause a huge hole in his eardrum. This morning Isaac and I sat down and said a prayer for his friend. Later I got an email that said the little boy ended up not needing the surgery after all because the eardrum was completely healed! Praise God! The doctor reportedly even pointed up and said "He did this". God is so amazing!

Happy Father's Day

Tomorrow is Father's Day, and I am definitely a Daddy's little girl. I have always looked up to my dad because he is a man who has worked hard all of his life to provide the best he could for his family. He expected a lot from me growing up, and I am thankful for that. It was never a question in my mind that when I graduated from high school I would go to college and get a degree. That may seem normal enough, except that I was the first person in my entire family to ever graduate college with a Bachelor's degree. I learned from my dad that you have to go for what you want in life. You have to work for success. You can't just sit back and wait for good things to happen to you. He also taught me to trust in God and seek Him and His will for my life. He taught me that no matter what I do in life - no matter what mistakes I make - God will always love me, and He will forgive me and hold me in His arms and comfort me when I need to be comforted. My dad taught me that you have to stand up for what is right and that you have to face the consequences of the mistakes that you make. He taught me that you should always be thankful for what you have because there are a lot of people in the world with a lot less. He also taught me that no gain is worth sacrificing your integrity. Thank you, Dad, for molding me into the woman that I am today. I will always be grateful. I love you.

Mother's Day 2008

I woke up this morning to my two precious boys and my wonderful husband bringing me homemade Mother's Day cards and hugs. It was so heartwarming to hear my 3 year old say "Happy Mother's Day Mommy" over and over again. Kevin made a delicious breakfast of french toast for me, and then we got ready and went to church. Isaac sat with us for part of the service, and every time Mother's Day was mentioned, he turned to me and said "Happy Mother's Day Mommy" and gave me a hug. It was so precious! He was getting restless though, so Kevin brought him to the nursery before the preacher started the sermon. After church we had lunch, I got to take a nap, and then we went to my mom's house. Michael and Jennifer fixed steak and baked potatoes for everyone, and we all had a great time talking and eating. Isaac attempted to write his first word, too. POP. His "P"s came out looking like "T"s, but it was a good first try, and he knew what he wanted to write and how to spell it. I am so proud of him! It was a beautiful Mother's Day, and I will treasure the memories I made today. I am so blessed.