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Monday, September 16, 2013

Do you see it?

Do you ever see things going on around you that you can't believe you are seeing?  Things that seem so "normal," so common?  Things that you didn't notice before, but now all of a sudden you do?  And, then once you see them, they seem absurd? It has been happening to me, so I'm curious if it is happening to others as well.  There are a lot of things I'm seeing differently, so I will just list a few here.  I'm curious if this is happening or has happened to you too?  If so, please share.

* Yard sprinklers.  One morning, I was driving to work and I noticed several neighbors {including us} had sprinklers on.  Then I realized we have the ability, freedom, whatever it is to sprinkle our grass freely here, but in some countries, people don't even have access to clean drinking water.  What in the world?  Do we need to have green grass?  Why?  At what cost?  What if we would not water our yards and send the money we would have spent on that to countries to help people get clean drinking water?

* Enough?  It seems like we just don't have enough here in America.  Enough anything - time, money, things, technology, you name it.  We are always going for more, more, more.  Why?  We are always trying to earn more money, buy more things....for what?  Are we so busy striving and trying to keep up with the Jones' that we have lost sight of everything else around us?  We are so busy trying to get more that once we do get it, we don't have time to enjoy it!  Or once we do get it, there is a newer one that comes out that we "have to" have.  What in the heck is going on here?  We are discontent and it is ugly and robbing us and our families of life.

* Busy-ness.  This is a tough one for me.  I was the queen of busy.  Anyone would ask how I'm doing, and I would THRIVE on saying "I am so busy."  I'm not sure what I was busy doing, but I was busy.  I heard once that busy stands for Buried Under Satan's Yoke.  I feel like I'm seeing this a lot more now.  We are so busy things are happening around us that we are unaware of.  Decisions are being made that are affecting our children, our families, our food, our education and we don't know because we are so busy to be involved and know what is going on.  What if we weren't so busy and we were aware and in touch with what was going on around us.  What would our world look like?  What if we were active and involved instead of bystanders letting things happen?  What a force for good we could be then!

* Lack of voice.  I was talking with someone last night {who shall remain nameless}.  They were brought up in a family where the mindset was "it could be worse."  As a result, they learned that it could be worse and not to address the feelings they had, because it could be worse.  Yes, I agree, it could be worse.  No doubt about it.  However, I think it is also good to address how we are feeling and work through those emotions.  Long story short, as a result, I believe this person lost their voice.  They didn't see the point in speaking up for something, because it could always be worse.  My comment was "that is right where the devil wants you.  If you address your feelings and do something about it, you could be a change agent.  Isn't that what we are called to do as believers?  Speak out against injustice, poverty, help the orphans, widows, etc.?"  But if we don't have a voice, we are unable to do it.

What are you seeing differently?  I feel like I have a new set of eyes, based on just these few things I've listed above.  There are more, but maybe I will share them another day.  The question now, is what is God calling me to do with this new set of eyes?  Blessings!

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

An update in the life of us....

Well, our oldest has started school and it is very interesting around here.  I'm finding that getting up and out the door before 8 isn't as bad as I thought it would be.  Really.  I was worried about doing that 5 days a week, and it has been ok.  {We were doing preschool at 9 am 3 days a week last year, so this seemed like a stretch.}  I think we are all adjusting pretty well.

Our little guy misses his big sister during the day, but I think we are enjoying some one on one time together.  {We both are.}  I also enjoy when school is out, the house is full of playing together and happiness to see each other, not fighting.  It is nice.

Personally, I also enjoy that I have some "me time" during little man's nap.  {Thus the blog updates!}  It is a nice routine for us all, I have to say.  I did hear last week that when a woman has children ages 0-4, those are the most pressing times during her life.  Why didn't I know that when both kids were in that window? That would have helped a ton!!

So far so good, to school! :)

Rockin?

I was thinking of titling this post "how to rock it as a mom," but then I realized I have no idea how to rock it as a mom.  I know how to rock other things, freezer cooking, facebook, laundry, for example, but motherhood is completely something I will not rock.  And, I'm ok with that.  I think God created motherhood/parenting for us to lean on Him to be our rock.  So maybe it is good that I'm not rocking this motherhood thing, because I am letting my Rock lead me in it.....What do you think?

How the devil is like keys.....

I was on a walk a while ago {before school started, actually}.  The kids were at the gym's childcare and my keys were in my side pocket.  As I was getting started on my walk, the keys didn't seem to bother me.  I knew they were there, but they were not really impacting me.  However, as I continued on my walk, they started to poke me and become a nuisance.  I got frustrated with them after a while, so much so, that I moved them.  "Ahh, that's better, I thought."  Walk continues......the keys then got so annoying that they had been moved to the place they started at.  So I put them back in side pocket mentioned above.  Again, they didn't seem to bother me.  "Why did I move them the first time?"  "They weren't so bad there," are some of the thoughts I had.  Then it hit me, that is just like the devil!  You see, he isn't bothering us enough to do anything so we keep putting up with him and his tactics.  {Leaving keys in the pocket as above.}  Finally, we get to the point of needing to take action/do something so we do.  {Move keys to new place}  We are enjoying the freedom, the deliverance, the obstacles that have been removed, until it happens again.  We get comfortable and think "that wasn't so bad, why did I think that was such a problem before?" {Put keys back in original place}  So, we continue down the path we had been on {gossip, over-eating, idolatry, whatever it is}, only to realize we have had enough of it, again!  What does it look like to live a life of keys where they need to be?  Where they don't bother you?  What does that look like for us - to live a free life?  To be really free?  "So if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed."  ~ John 8:36  What are the "keys" in your life, friends?