A song I want stuck in my head

Last weekend, we were visiting family and so attended their church with them. The worship team played this Jared Anderson song, and I was in love. It makes me want to flat out weep, and so that qualifies it as my new favorite.

Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites:
‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

Exodus 3:13-14

As I listened to and sang this song during church, I kept having a visual in my head of Jesus, smiling so hard He was near laughing. He was looking at me, asking,

 "Is anything too difficult for me?"

You know the answer to that question.

Here's to the great I AM.

Virtual iced tea

{linking up with Amy this Tuesday morning}

It's warm in these here parts! No place for hot drinks for me this week. I'm all about the iced tea right now.

And if we were meeting up at Starbucks for iced tea (like I am with this friend this morning!) this is what I'd order (though those Coconut Mocha Fraps look SOOO good!) "Grande black tea in a Venti cup with extra ice, unsweetened," and this is what I'd share.

Summer is super fun, but also sorta rough. I'm getting very, very few of my regular jobs accomplished. Why oh WHY do I think, "Oh, in SUMMER, I'll reorganize the craft pantry." "Once the kids are out of school, I can work on the photo albums." On and on I deluded myself a few months ago. What on earth was I thinking? I get far LESS extra projects done in the summer than during the rest of the year, because my number one priority is doing these things with my kids.

Yes, that is a great priority. Yes, enjoying summer activities is truly at the top of my agenda. Yes, these years will fly by, and one day, I'll have more time than I can dream of to organize the pantry. I'll probably feel sick to my stomach at how much free time I have in an empty house during the long, hot summer days fifteen years from now.  So yes, every summer I choose the same thing. But also, every summer, I feel increasingly behind on my jobs. I guess I can't escape it. I just have to roll with it.

Today, we played with friends, went swimming, painted with watercolors, ate popsicles, made cookies, did some journaling and workbooks, and had a great family dinner. It was seriously an awesome summer day.

Who's to say that doing those things with my kids is not really doing my jobs? Isn't that exactly what my main jobs are all about? Yes. I think so. I'm totally making a good trade.

The hideous craft pantry will have to wait. Yeah, I know. Good thing it has doors.

So what are you up to this Tuesday? And more importantly, do your kids "organize" like mine do?? Just curious.

Have a great day.

Generous July, Part 1

When my brain starts hatching a plan, and I get on blogger to start sharing my plan, I don't ever know where to start. I am a big muddled mess of what I'm calling "energetic thoughts". They are ideas with momentum. And tonight, my ideas were triggered by a book. (That always happens to me.)



This book! Please buy it right now. Now now now. It is arguably one of the most important books you can read to your kids. OK? Just trust me because we've read a zillion books. (See how my thoughts are all fidgety and zealous!!??) Breathe Leslie. Here's a synopsis.

The Quiltmaker's Gift is about a woman who makes quilts only for the poor. She refuses to take money from the various wealthy who come to her door to purchase them. She makes one at a time, finds someone in need, covers them in the cold night air, and goes home to start a new quilt. But the king of her land is very greedy. He commands his people to bring him gifts. And then he commands the Quiltmaker to make him a quilt. She refuses, as he is clearly not "in need." Though she has compassion on him, seeing how sad he is, and challenges him: "Give away all your things, and I will add a piece to your quilt for each gift you give." Of course, in his pride, he refuses. But eventually, very slowly, he begins to give. By the time he's given away all his possessions, a task that takes him through years of travelling the world to find new people to bless, he's so filled with happiness that he forgets about the quilt. When the day comes for the Quiltmaker to present him with his quilt, he is finally poor, dressed in rags, owning next to nothing. But he contests that he is quite the opposite, that he is the richest man alive, his heart bursting with joy. And he has saved his final possession - his throne - for her. The story ends as the two partner in giving, she making the quilts, and he delivering them to the needy in the town. 

This book has been on our shelf for a few years now. But something about tonight's reading was different. The kids were older, and could understand more of what was being communicated through the story (My daughter said, "Mom! This story has a moral!" Yes it does, sweetie). Then the subject of Vacation Bible School came up, and how, in two weeks, we'd be raising money for an international cause, one of the focuses of our church's VBS. Three years ago, we did a lemonade stand. Two years ago, it was a lemonade stand, bake sale and I made some barrettes to sell. Last year, we partnered with friends and had so many things to sell they were hanging from the trees. My son decorated "telescopes" made of covered paper towel tubes. My daughter traced the covers of her favorite books neatly onto tracing paper. And my friend made bottle cap necklaces. We made over $250. So tonight, The Quiltmaker's Gift got us talking about what makes a person truly rich. Our conversation turned into a little brainstorm as to how we might sacrifice in order to be generous.

Some ideas were the usual, lemonade and cookies studded with MnM's. But we also tossed around making book bags, and building simple lego creations, and braiding friendship bracelets to sell alongside our treats.

I reminded my kids that all our things come from the Lord. Not just our material things, but all of our time, talents and treasures. These are our resources. They are really all God's things. And He has given us more than we need so that we can be generous people. It doesn't really matter what we sell, does it? Just so long as my children know that we are blessed to be a blessing.
Since we will be working on little projects until VBS in late July, I'm calling it Generous July.

I know you could do it too. Find a cause (that's the easy part) or just a family in need. Talk to your kids and get their ideas. Stir their hearts for someone else. Show them how truly blessed they are. And then remind them WHY. 

Let me know if you want to casually participate in a Generous July project as well. It could be as simple as a corner lemonade stand, or a car wash on your cul-de-sac. Your kids have no concept of the amount of money involved. You could raise ten bucks and it could powerfully impact their hearts for the needy. It could plant a seed of compassion that will grow into something more one day. Your project need not be elaborate. They must only see that your family values blessing others with what God has given you. I'd love to hear your ideas.

And I'll certainly keep you posted on ours.

Looky here, lurkers

Hey, I decided this weekend should be de-lurking weekend.
(know what that means? a "lurker" is a name for those who read blogs but prefer to stay unknown or "silent")

Waitwaitwait! Don't go away. This is what I mean.

I myself sometimes fall into that category.
So I'm going to comment on AT LEAST one blog I've never commented on before.
I'm going to say Hi to a nice, cute, blogger friend, and let her know she is making a difference. Because each of us truly is, in our own corner of the world. And I believe we should take the time to lift each other up. Also, I'm not about to ask you to come out of hiding on this blog, if I'm not willing to do the same elsewhere.  

So let's de-lurk together.
(I think the more I use that made-up word, the more I'm thinking it's real.)

How about you? If you've never said Hello and introduced yourself here before, why not now?

I know a lot of you are newish. So who are ya? Where are ya? Do you blog? If so, about what?
What's something you love?
Weiner dogs? Cross-stitch? Kayaking? What?

{This post contains a random list of things you may not know about me.}

Or if you don't want to comment here, that's cool. But I'd encourage you to say Hello somewhere else. Let someone know you benefit from what they are putting out there.

Blogging feels risky at times. And it's nice to know that a community is nearby, listening, praying, and sharing your joys and pains.

And if you have been following along for a while, I want to say thanks for encouraging me in the many ways that you do. It means so much to me.

Every one of your words blesses me.

So thank you.

Now I'm off to try to shake my "lurker" status and bless someone else...

10 Summer secrets

I'm in the mood for a list.

Today I'm sharing with you a few random summer secrets getting us by right now...

1. Nickels.



I pay my kids a nickel a page for doing workbooks in the summertime. I buy ones that target their weak spots: handwriting for my son, division facts for my daughter, and they both have age-appropriate spelling books. Then, they save up their nickels for spending money on any trips or outings we take. They actually like it, and we've done this for the last 4 summers. Win-win, people.

2. Washing my car.

Somehow, the idea of washing my car in the driveway, in swimsuits, with a big bucket of suds sounds like crazy fun to my kids. (Except when there is some accidental spraying of the hose at one another. Or at me. Then things go sour.)

3. Dollar movies.

Find them in your area. Now. Pop your own corn. Pack your own treats. Doesn't matter if the movie's at 10 am. Popcorn, dry cereal, and a juice box count as breakfast in the summer, right? RIGHT?

4. Library with a capital L!



Dude. We have a summer's worth of books to read and stories on tape that we recently checked out. We even went to Goodwill just to buy an old cassette tape player so that we could check out the cassette tapes. We have like 10 hours worth of Jungle Book and Pollyanna to listen to. After we checked out all that happiness, we visited the "Friends of the Library" annex, where they sell old donated books for pennies. And we got a heap of that stuff too, all for twenty-five and fifty cents each. {I even scored on two vintage children's records for hanging up.}



5. Make your own Popsicles

Lemonade and blackberries. Limeade and diced strawberries. The possibilities are endless!

6. Make your own Cherry Limeade

Limeade, grenadine, sparkling water and sliced limes. Now, if I drove through Sonic to pick up a bag of their perfect pellet ice, it would be Sonic Cherry Limeade heaven.

7. Life {the board game}.

My kids and I have just started playing this game. It was one of my favorites as a kid. And we are having so much fun! We laughed hysterically the other night when my six year old son had twins, and then landed on the space that said he then adopted another set of twins! Then he became president. He thought it was the funniest game ever. (It says ages 9+, but he played it just fine. I just had to count the money for him.)

8. Trading beds.

My son's been begging to sleep with me. Neither of my kids were ever interested in sleeping in our bed before, so I'm inclined to say a big yes to that rare request. So last night, he was in my hubby's spot. Tomorrow night, I get the boot, and my daughter gets my spot. Any chance to change things up a bit keeps life interesting, right?

9. Maintaining some structure.

Such a boring one, but so important for me. Kids' bedtimes are still at 8. We try to be home by 3 each day and have "down time" until 5, when I try to start dinner. And some days, I'm realizing we need to stay at home and do chores. That's real life, that keeps me sane. I simply cannot provide a Disneyland experience for my kids every day, all day long, for the entire summer. Someone's still gotta run the house. And they need to be helpers with that as well. I don't live strictly for their entertainment.

10. My own personal quiet time.

I'm trying to get up at 7 most days, and spend time reading and praying before all things start to whirl around me. It's amazing when I make it happen. I need that time. I'm craving that time. Pray for me, if you think about it, to stay consistent.

Well, friends, that's what's been going on in the day to day in our house! What about you? What have you been doing to survive this summer? (Or winter, if you're below the equator...haha...PJ...Widge...)

Hugs today.

Grace on a Thursday: Looking in the Mirror

Today I was reading of a fellow blogger's journey as a new mom. She is a brand new mom. Like one month new. She was sharing her struggles, and listening to God's voice comfort her as she already battled feeling like a "bad mother." She was surprised that parenting was so challenging right out of the gate.

I was recognizing that I'm nine years into this motherhood deal, so I stopped to think about how things had changed from being one month into parenthood till now. I still have days where I battle feelings of being a "bad mother" too, so I wondered what was different. What, if anything, have I learned in nine years about myself and what kind of mother I am?

One thing is pretty certain: I haven't grown more perfect. I cannot confidently say that I am "better" at mothering overall. I'm better at some things, skill-related things, of course. I can whip up some good meals, handle a mean diaper rash, and securely install a carseat (and that's not so easy). But I still melt down at silly things. I still yell. I still overreact, under react, control, complain, and feel cranky when my child only wants to eat my lunch and not their own.

I still battle my broken, selfish nature all the time. It is not any less present in my life, compared to nine years ago.

So here it is. The one thing I am certain has changed, the one thing by which I feel confident I can measure some growth is that I am more comfortable facing that nature. Being a parent makes us look in the mirror and face our brokenness way more than is humanly comfortable. And in the last nine years, I've gotten more used to it. More used to feeling humbled. More used to accepting the Lord's correction. More used to asking for forgiveness, from God and from others. And all of that means I've become more familiar with grace. You can't really understand grace unless you experience it over and over, and you can't really experience it until you face your mistakes head on.

A child has a way of causing our weaknesses to bubble up to the surface. That little life is a catalyst for a perfect "refiner's fire," for exposing our sin, and revealing opportunities for God to prune and heal us. And that's why parenting requires so much courage. The courage needed, at least for me, is not for training up my children. In comparison, that's the easy part. The courage I need is to face myself - my mess, my broken and selfish nature - and allow God to work in my life. That is truly challenging. Because I could choose not to. I could shut my eyes to my past, my pain, and my issues. I could choose to feel sorry for myself and believe and behave as if I'm destined for failure. That's an option.

But God is holding out grace, available every day. How can I resist that? He is waiting to wash me in love, heal my issues, and then teach me how to love my family. His offer is so attractive that I am drawn to it much more than the self-condemning pity party.

I feel like such a slow learner as a mother, but somehow that's okay now. I can accept my weaknesses because I trust that He is my strength. Nine years ago, I didn't accept myself in a lot of ways. I was afraid to look in the mirror, and I knew I'd be disgusted with myself if I did. I'm not saying we should be comfortable with our sin. Not at all. Grace is not an excuse to continue in a bad habit. But if we are followers of Jesus, then we have no business condemning ourselves when He does not. That cheapens everything we know about the cross. Grace gives us the freedom to look in the mirror, unashamed.

The surprise is that I see exactly who I was created to be: a daughter of the King, and a mama who is lovely because He loves me.
 

On my heart

A few things on my heart {for Casey's linky...wow you should read her post today on vows. wow.} in list fashion:

1. I'm so excited! It's Friday. It's a holiday weekend. My husband took a few days off. And the SUN is finallly, persistently, out! All that makes my heart sing. Plus, we have a much needed date night tonight. Yay. Also, the 4th of July may be my favorite holiday, after Christmas and Easter. We even have contra-ban sparklers. Shhh.

2. I saw a piece of art at Cost Plus the other night. I wanted to buy it. But then I decided I could MAKE it. I'm going to the craft store to buy a giant canvas today. Can't wait to show you.

3. I feel discontent taunting me. I want a new purse. Mine has been on my arm for nearly one year. I go to make my bed, and want new color, different pillows. It's like an itch you subconsciously scratch for an hour before you realize you've broken the skin. Lord, free me from this itching for what I do not have, and replace it with contentment. 

4. I've spent the last four mornings waking early to spend time reading and with the Lord. My daughter has joined me on three of those. It has been awesome, but also reminds me how terrible I am at walking through a routined quiet time. I need to write more about this later, and ask for your tips or ideas. I don't drink coffee, and I'm not a morning person. So it's a little harder than I expected to get into a rhythm. This book has helped. It's been recommended to me three times this year, and then I saw it at Costco. So I'm taking the hint. OK, Lord. Reading it.  

Well, those are my thoughts for the morning. I hope your day is going smoothly and peacefully this Friday.

And here are two side notes in case you missed them...

Today is the last day to enter our "I heart summer" giveaway at my other blog, Cake & Cotton.

{You do follow Cake & Cotton, too, right??}

A winner will be chosen tonight at 10 pm, California time.

And secondly, if you haven't already seen it, you must check out this photo shoot, where my best pal Shauna (my Cake & Cotton cohort) and her family pretended they were eating pies in a field sometime in the 1950's. It's the coolest.