Obedience

Have you ever REALLY wanted to do something but couldn't?  That's what this little story I am about to relate to you is - something I REALLY WANTED to do, but God, the guiding force in my life, said NO.  Over and over and over He said NO.  I fought this battle for a year.  You see, back in 2005 I became a "Veterinary Assistant" (my employers always referred to me as a technician but this is not legal and offends those who are registered =) ).  Anyway, ;-), I worked for a man who was smart but practiced medicine from the dark ages.  He sold this practice to his young apprentice - a woman - who was very hard to work for.  She was not just tough, which I am OK with, she was demeaning - this I am NOT OK with.  After around 2 years in this practice working primarily with a very intelligent male doctor who taught me everything I know, with a few exceptions, I went to work at a speciality animal hospital.  I LOVED MY JOB!  The medicine, the flow, the creatures, the people, and the doctors - it was all wonderful - for about 2 years.  Then, I realized I was way too dedicated to my job and not dedicated enough to my family.  I tried to balance it all.  At one point I was working 3rd shift 4 days a week and part-time else where.  I had a "Superwoman" complex.

I knew something had to give but I DID NOT WANT it to be my job.  I fought this for around a year.  The type of medicine I was helping to practice, that I had busted my backside to learn, and that I became exceptionally good at,  (per the doctors I worked for) required total dedication to the profession.  When you are a Christian mother and wife of 6 little blessings you can expect to be torn.  My family suffered.  I suffered.  I, in particular, suffered from burn out and love of money.  I mean come on, the money was great and God was telling me to walk away from it.  Are you serious Lord?  Do you know what I have been through to get to where I am?  This just isn't right.  So I fought, and fought, and fought.  I was miserable.  I regretted not being there for my family.

The day came.  I gave my notice and left the practice.  It has been one year and one month since I have worked outside of my home.  I still miss practicing medicine with the docs but I do not regret being obedient to the Lord's call.  We went from 2 incomes to one.  The bills piled up.  The bill collectors called.  It was frustrating.  This was a time of learning for us all.  Learning to depend solely on God for EVERYTHING we need.  Guess what?  He always supplies in HIS time, right on time.  If you are a mother struggling with wanting to stay at home with your children, please don't sacrifice their childhood for your material gain.  It will not be easy but let me give you an example of how God works.

I have a car, thus I have - ahem, HAD - a car payment.  I was behind, not quite 30 days, but getting there.  The bank said and I quote "You should NOT be having children.  YOU need to figure out a way to make the payment.  You NEED to figure it out and get caught up.  We cannot work with you on this."  I just said 'OK', I'll see what I can do.  So then I prayed to my loving Father.  HE sent someone my way who said "How much do you owe on your car?"  What?  ARE YOU KIDDING?  I told them and they wrote me a check for $6000.00!!!!!!!!!!!  Can you believe that?  They said God wanted them to help us so they did.  You  must also know that the amount given us was right at $400.00 over what we needed for the payoff.

The point of my long story is this.  God told me to quit my job, be a mom, a wife, and a friend dedicated ONLY to Him and Them.  It was hard but I did it.  People don't agree with it, I DON'T CARE.  I have learned it is better to Trust and Obey than to go your own way. Had I learned this sooner I would have saved myself from lots and lots of heartache.  When you obey what is right good things are sure to follow.

Word of the Day:

Obedient = Dutifully complying with the commands, orders, or instructions of one in authority.

I am a Mommy

Blogging seems to have made me wax poetical (is that a word?) so here we go!

I am a Mommy.
This I know for sure.
I was there the day it happened.
My baby born innocent and pure
would soon show me God's love
in a light not seen before.

If we do not embrace Christ's love for us
We will never know the joy He had in store
when he sent this wonderful gift of life
that invokes love to the very core.

The sweetest smiles I ever did see
came from the wee child sitting on my knee.
Love so pure and bright shone from those little eyes
making even the trials of life seem nothing to me.

How quickly our priorities shift out of place
Taking for granted the love in their face.
Lord, help me remember, when my nerves can take no more
there will be a day I shall miss them for sure.

They do not mean to get in the way
They just want our attention and love,Help me give them all they need  Lord, with thy help from above.

Thank you Lord, for now a joyful mommy I shall be.
Remind me my strength comes from above
and I can only find it when I am down on bended knee.
Only then will I be capable of showing them the love
that pales in comparison to Christ's love for me.

Daily, I find myself questioning my capability as a mother.  Daily Christ reminds me that I am not perfect and I must seek Him in order to be the person, mother, and wife that I aspire to be.  As you continue through the rest of your week strive to seek strength that you can only find on bended knee.

Word of the Day:

Joyful - Feeling, expressing, or causing great pleasure and happiness

Badge of Courage

My badge of courage
I wear it with pride.
The signs of it are in every stride.

My hair has turned gray
My hands have lost their strength
but thank the good Lord I still have my teeth!

My back hurts when I stand
My knees crack and creak
I have bags under my eyes
and my bladder seems to have sprung a leak!

My vision diminishes with each year that passes.
Now where is it I put my glasses?
Oh yes, over there by my easy chair.
I left them there when I was looking for my hair.

What?  What's that you say?
You don't think I am too old to play?
You are right!  I am not old!
My strength comes each day.
Sometimes more easily than others
simply because it's about my  sisters and brothers.
For if I am too wrapped up in myself
who will be there for them just because I don't feel up to par?
My badge of courage has not come as a result of slackness.
Rather, it came as a result of perpetual regard.

My badge of courage,  I wear it with pride.

Now watch me walk with unequaled stride!   

When we no longer have all the same attributes we had as children, teenagers,or  young adults we tend to start making excuses and around-to-its (Well, you know, when I get "around-to-it") as to why we cannot help our brothers, sisters, and friends.  You may be tired.  They are probably more tired.  Maybe you are depressed.  Most likely they have been depressed for quite sometime just waiting on that special someone to come by.  Are you lonely?  Are you friendless?  When is the last time you did something for someone just because you could?  Maybe it was someone you didn't even know.  What did you do today that made a difference?  I have no money you say?  It doesn't take money to make a difference in someones life.  I have no time you say?  Really?  How much time did you spend on the computer, phone, texting, or sleeping?  Our life is all about our priorities.  The lessons we learn that sometimes show themselves through our "Badges of Courage" allow us to help others as we go along.  Your priorities will be reflected in your daily activities, conversations and actions.  Wear your Badge of Courage with pride and please do not use it as a tool in which to hide.

Word of the Day
Courage =  The quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain,        
etc., without fear
To have the courage of one's convictions, to act in accordance with one's beliefs,                                 especially in spite of criticism.

Teeth

I took my children to the dentist today.  One of them has 4 cavities! 4!  Man!  So I got to thinking about cavities and the Lord said "A tooth with a cavity is just like your heart with a little bit of the world in it!"  Wow!  What a thought!  If we let one little thing get into our heart that keeps us from being totally focused on our life for Christ it will grow and spread just like what starts as a little cavity in a tooth.  One of the teeth bearing a cavity is not a simple fix.  It must have a crown.  The decay has spread farther than can be reached easily.  This tooth will require more work than the other 3.  Do you see the parallel?  If we don't give everything to God and not hold back even what we consider a "small thing" our heart will be overcome, losing it's ability to solely focus on Christ. You can hide things from the people around you but God can see your heart - ALL of it.  If our focus is distracted how can we hear the Lord?  The work it will take (read - trials) for the Lord to get us back to Him will be more difficult than if we give it all as soon as we identify that which we may be holding on to.  Take a look inside and see what you find?

Is it focused faith, favorable fruit or formidable fallacy?  Think about it.



Word of the Day:
   Fallacy - a deceptive, misleading, or false notion, belief, etc.: a misleading or unsound argument

Do you hear what I hear?

When you go about your daily tasks what do you hear?  What do you see?  Are you in such a rush that you can't recall the last 3 people you saw?  Do you only see the outward expression or do you take time to evaluate what may really be going on inside of that person?

Maybe they just need a friend.  Maybe their child is sick.  Maybe they  just lost a job.  Take a moment to consider the other person.  You may very well be in those shoes one day and just need a listening ear.  Be a friend, a factor, and a face worth remembering.  The difference you make today will affect your tomorrow (and theirs).

Word of the Day:     

Factor: one of the elements contributing to a particular result or situation

Badge of Honor

My badge of honor I should wear with pride
but instead it's very appearance I try to hide.

My badge of honor does not conform to this world's ideal
The way it looks when I see it does not immediately give me a thrill.

Why must I feel the shame it brings instead of the joy that caused it to be?
This world I live in has surely done this to me.

You see, my badge of  honor came to me when I had six miracles.
The little angels God blessed me with were sheltered safe inside.
As they grew, I grew and so did their abode.
When their time of departure came the harbor in which they dwelt stayed much the same.
What a shame that we carry such a heavy load.

This thought came to me Thursday evening as my children and I were walking through the freezer section of the grocery store.  I caught a glimpse of myself in one of the doors to the freezers.  "Ick" I thought, "I don't know if I'll ever look good again".(I was telling myself, you big dummy, your youngest is only 3 months!!!)  Immediately, the loving Holy Spirit said "Look again".  When I looked I saw my children all standing around me.  The Holy Spirit said "See the blessings?  Why must you continually look at the negative?  Remember for your blog I gave you the thought - You can not have victory when defeat lives in your mind.  Rejoice in what you do have and what I have blessed you with."  "Yes Lord, you are right. Please forgive me and help me not to be so hard on myself for I am only human fighting a battle I have fought for as long as I can remember."  "I love you"  He said.  "I love you too Lord and Thank you" was all I could reply.

I think all women have issues with their body.  It is a battle that society has helped to fuel.  May I encourage you to love yourself the way you are?  You are special just exactly the way you are.  "But" should be banished from your thought process.  "But my husband, but my friend, but I, but my parents, etc."  A person who TRULY loves you will love you just exactly the way you are.  As I continue to try to remember what the Lord told me,  I must also remember that looking like what I feel would be perfect would be detrimental to my health, time, and energy.  My focus instead should just be on being healthy.  What is your focus?  What image of yourself do you have?  Is it negative or positive?  Strive for the positive while putting the truly negative out of mind.  Strive for health not misery.  Physically and mentally your health is extremely valuable.  Don't diminish it with unnecessary taxation.

Wear your badge of honor with pride. Chances are you are much harder on yourself than anyone else in your life.

Word of the Day

Honor = a source of credit or distinction;  integrity in one's beliefs and actions;chastity or purity in a woman.
           (taken from Dictionary.com)

Falling Down

How many times do we fall down in life?  If you are like me the answer is most likely daily.  How many of us are guilty of the sin of omission?  Surely if we fail to do those things which are minimal we will never do the things we stash in our memories under the category of "someday".   Someday will never come.  Today is all we are promised.  We must make the most of each moment of today so that we will be better prepared should "someday" come.

A child's view of life is so simple. Today is where they live, living for each new moment the day may bring.  Children need their mommies to be performing at the maximum, not the minimum.  Watch your child.  When they mess up they don't just quit and say "Oh well, guess I'll never get this done".  No, they say "again, I'll do this again".  What is your mentality in those things which you constantly seem to battle?  You cannot have victory if you live in defeat. Success does not come in the first, second, third, or twentieth try.  Success comes from conquering each tiny challenge in your life.

The road to success for the Christian mother is paved with humility.  Do you remember giving birth to those precious babies?  How much modesty did you lose in that process? =)  Humility begins at the very start of being a mother and should last until you take your last breath.  We are not here for ourselves but we are here for our families.  Imagine what your child would think if you fell down at his or her feet and said "What can I do for you today? What do you need most?"  Obviously we do not do that or our children would think we had lost our minds and would try to turn us into slaves. (Children are out to take over the world you know!) However, that is the mentality we should try to maintain. 

Instead of looking down and burying your face when you feel you have fallen down in the walk of life why not look up and see all the things you are doing right?  When Jesus was on the cross He hung His head but ultimately He looked up towards His father.  Looking downward takes you, well, downward.  Looking up takes you, well, upward.  Which direction do you desire to move today, tomorrow, the next day, or next year? Set your sights close by keeping them squared on your family.

If this blog makes no sense I had 6 little distractions the entire time and now feel completely scatterbrained!  Please feed my fish at the bottom of the page!  Feel free to comment!

Word of the Day:

Success =  the favorable or prosperous termination of any thing attempted.
        (taken from the Original Noah Webster Dictionary)

How is your heart?

How is your heart today?  What do you hold within it?  Is your heart focused on love, hatred, bitterness, compassion, truthfulness, deceit, melancholy, envy, or giving?  The motives of your heart will be revealed in your daily actions.  I urge you to put aside, remove from your heart, those things which are negative.  Focusing on the positive is a sure way to make the most of your day. 

I have a friend who uses the term "love fiercely".  I love her terminology because it describes how Christ loved us.  Fiercely He loved us, Fiercely He died for us, and Fiercely He will return for us.  Are you ready?  Live each day loving fiercely those who are worthy of your love.  Pray for those who are not but do not hate them.

As you focus on your motherly and wifely duties today, accomplish every task as if the completion of that task will be the very thing that makes your entire family happy.  Do your tasks as unto the Lord.  Focus to have a clean house, clean heart, and clear head by the time you lay down this evening.

Phillippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

Word of the Day:  

Melancholy = a gloomy state of mind, especially when habitual or prolonged 
                       (taken from  Dictionary.com)

I did it!

Well, I finally did it!  I finally made the time to set up a blog.  Somehow I think this was the hardest part.  Taking the first step in any project is always the hardest step.  Now, off to blogging!