Teaching kids to reach beyond themselves....

Any friends have ways they teach kids to reach beyond themselves?  I'm thinking of serving, making something for people who are sick, etc.  Anyone have a way they practice this in their families?  Thanks!

Wintertime fun!

For all of you picture people, here are some fun things we have been able to do this winter here in SD!  

* Winter Wonderland - a huge display of Christmas lights at Falls Park.
* Sledding - SO much fun!  

Look Up!

One of my favorite parts of our new house here in Sioux Falls is in the ceiling.  This is the ceiling over our dining room table.  I LOVED our old house in Illinois.  Yes, I loved it so much that I have shed several tears over leaving it.  I still tear up sometimes thinking about it.  It was my dream house - it had everything I ever envisioned in a house & then some.  So, it was very bittersweet to leave it.

Don't get me wrong, I like our new house here too.  It is beautiful!  It is very different than our other house in Illinois, which is hard.  I am so good at comparing what this house doesn't have that our house in Illinois had or wishing this house had something it had, etc.  You know the drill.  

Today, I was looking at the ceiling here & thinking about how often I don't look at it.  It is one of my favorite things here but I get so caught up in my day to day life that I overlook this beauty.  It made me wonder how often I do that in my daily life.  I get so caught up in what is going on around me that I miss what is above me.  How many times do I engrossed in wishing I had something else that I forget what I have?  How often do I forget to look up & thank God for all He has generously given me?  I encourage you, my friends, to look up today & be thankful!

  

Would I be a better mama if I worked?

That is a question I often ask myself.  If I wasn't home all the time with my kids, would I be a better mama?  Would I enjoy my time with them more?  Would I be more present when I am with them?  Would I feel like I had something for me?  A way to interact with adults & use a different part of my brain?  These are some thoughts I have multiple times during the week.  What are your thoughts?  Are YOU a better mama because you work?  I love my kiddos & am so thankful for them & to be able to be home with them.  I don't want to take that for granted, yet at the same time, I have a need to have adult interaction & use another part of my brain.  Thoughts?  It's your turn, please:)

Today's Bible nugget....

From my One Year Bible - "Then, I pray to you, O Lord.  I say, "You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life." ~ Psalm 142: 5.  May that be my desire for my life!

Houses?

Ok, I notice something about myself.  It seems like whenever I am "working through" something in my life, that comes through in my house.  For example, when we lived in IL, I went through a time of cleansing - working through old wounds, baggage from the past, etc.  It manifested itself in our home by me doing the same thing there.  I was on a kick to clean things out, get rid of what was unused, etc.  I thought it was a fluke....until we moved.

Here, I am feeling a bit unsettled, out of place, etc.  It is manifesting itself here by me doing things in the house to make it more "me," "like me," "home," etc.  For example, I re-organized the pantry to make it pretty today.  I want to re-paint because the color that was here when we moved in, isn't "me."  It's a fine color, but I don't love it.  So, I'm doing things here in this house to make it more "me" so I feel more settled because in my current situation, I feel unsettled & out of place.

Am I normal?  Does anyone else do this, too?

Time for Me...Time to Be....

Since we have moved to Sioux Falls, I have started doing something new.  It's so new, I have only done it one time, but it's some time for me/time to be.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have been so caught up on labels, part of that is also doing rather than being.  I have always focused on what do I want to do vs. what/who do I want to be?  I heard on Focus on the Family one day a few weeks ago (that is a whole God story how I heard it, but if you want to know, ask me!), that if you are a mom who has lost sight of yourself in motherhood, to hire a babysitter or swap friends with kids one day so you can do things you enjoy doing.  Thank you, Focus on the Family, I will do that!  It is almost like I needed permission.  So, one day/week, both kids are at preschool & I have a whole day to myself!  It is awesome - it is quiet, I can get a lot done, run errands, eat what I want & just do what I want to do.  It is a bit selfish, but I also know that I need that time.  So many times as a stay at home mom, I feel like I'm suffocating, so I'm enjoying knowing I have a WHOLE day to myself once/week for me.  Thank you, Lord, for that gift!