For days I contemplated whether to send my mother a Mother’s Day card or not. I personally don’t care for the cards, but decided to send her one anyway. I searched and searched until I found one saying something remotely close to what I would say. I placed a stamp on the envelope and it was in the mailbox on Wednesday. Unfortunately, I realized a little late that the envelope had only one 33 cent stamp on it. Good grief! I called Mama to apologize for my scattered brain mistake. I then waited for the cards to return to me, so I could add the correct postage. Mother’s day came, but the cards didn’t make it back to me. I called Mama to say Happy Mother’s Day and she received her card! I didn’t try to figure it out, but I thanked the post office and thanked God! Mama said the post office probably knew it was a Mother’s Day card and felt sorry for me. Whatever the reason, I was grateful. My old 33 cent stamp also bought me a priceless Mother’s Day life lesson. As a wife and mother, when I come up short, God has my back – in everything. When I’m low on energy, He fills me up. When I’m low on money, He is my sufficiency. When I’m low on giving, His giving Spirit steps in. When I’m low on love, His love covers me and comes through. When I’m low on serving, He serves me with an extra ounce of His grace and mercy. Thank you, Lord for being my sufficiency, my energy, my strength, my peace, my light, my joy, my comfort, my HELP, my everything! It’s another Monday morning and as I ask God to fill me with His Spirit to get through the day, I will also remember to ask Him for a refill when I begin to run low. Let’s have a marvelous Monday!
My Haitian Babies
This weekend, my pastor and a few others from my church returned from a mission trip to Haiti. While they were away, they sent journal updates and pictures via Facebook. The pictures of the Haitian children tugged at my heart. I looked at those big brown eyes and innocent faces over and over again. I wanted so badly to take care of one. Knowing they couldn’t, I asked the mission group to bring one of those precious babies to me. Sunday, while driving home without my Haitian baby in my arms, the Lord let me know there were plenty of children all around me needing love. I’ve mentioned before how our house is the neighborhood gathering spot for children to play. Since the boys have been in public school, there are even more children around. We have more sand than grass in our yard because of the football, baseball, and endless games of hide and seek and tag going on. The children God wants me to love aren’t from Haiti, but they are from Him. I failed to recognize the work God has for me right in my front yard. I get tired of knocks at the front door, but these knocks are God’s knocks. I have children all around me, but noooo, I wanted a Haitian baby! I have two teenagers that need all the love and attention I’m capable of giving, but noooo, I wanted a Haitian baby! I have nieces and nephews that I need to be a loving aunt to, but noooo, I wanted a Haitian baby! There is a youth ministry in my church needing help, but noooo, I wanted a Haitian baby! The message is loud and clear. I don’t need to look for someone to love because the need is all around me and my first ministry is the homefront. Have a marvelous Monday and if you’re looking for someone to help, check your homefront first!
My Search Has Ended
While visiting my parents over the weekend, my mother dragged me to her friend’s yard sale, which was held in an empty parking lot. Her dear friend was selling items her deceased mother left behind. A mid-sized U Haul truck pulled up packed with items to be sold. We helped unload the truck full of clothes with tags still on them, countless boxes of shoes and hats, dishes, linen, kitchen ware, and so many other items. Unloading the truck brought my recent job search to mind. The bottom line is… I want more money. Do I need the money? Well, everyone can use extra money, but I don’t need the money. All my needs are met. My bills are getting paid – some may be paid late, but they get paid. We always have food and to be honest, we eat too much. We don’t have enough closet space for our clothes and we have transportation. What else do I need? My heart truly wants to be at home using the gifts God gave me, but the opportunity to make more money stole my heart. More money means more stuff. More stuff will require a U Haul truck that can’t go with me when I die. My unusual job search journey showed me I wasn’t as content as I thought I was. The U Haul truck reminded me my heart is at home. My job search has officially ended. If God wants me to work outside the home, He’ll have to drop a job in my lap - literally. I’m back on track seeking His face instead of the face of a new boss or the face of dead presidents. It’s scary and sad how stuff can steal our heart from God. Subtle acts of idolatry aren’t easy to recognize. God knew my heart from the beginning and the continuous resume rejections were actually blessings! I’m content being at home – where I belong and obviously where He wants me. Yes, my search has ended and thank God I didn’t get a job before the U Haul truck showed me the way back home!
STRETCH
A woman’s body is stretched to hold and carry the seeds we conceive. Our bodies are stretched to deliver our bundles of joy. Our hearts are stretched to love our children. Our mercy is stretched to help and forgive our men. We are stretched from one end to the other meeting everyone’s needs. We stretch a dollar when we need to make ends meet. We stretch meals to feed others besides our family. We should stretch our muscles…it’s important as we age. We amazingly stretch all we do into 24 hours. We stretch our eyes to help with late night homework and projects. Our energy is stretched when it’s time to turn into a sex machine. Our patience is stretched when our family doesn’t recognize we’ve been stretched. Our character is stretched as God draws us closer to Him. In the evening, we finally allow our bodies to rest as we stretch out.
This morning, I thanked God when my eyelids stretched open. I stood up, stretched out my arms to Him and received a fresh supply of His strength, energy, and power. My connection with my Power Source is secure and I’m ready for another day of stretching. Stretch, one, two, three, stretch! A woman’s ability to stretch in so many ways is amazing, yet it doesn’t compare to how our Lord stretched out His arms to die for us. Because He stretched, we can.
Burger King Doesn't Want Me!
After eight years of retirement life, being a happy homemaker and homeschooling mom, I’m on a job search. I’ve completed several online applications to jobs that ‘fit’ my criteria. After receiving several rejections, I applied to Burger King. Can you believe Burger King didn’t want me either! This job search has definitely been a humbling experience. After I retired, I said I would never work outside the home and here I am eating my words. Both boys are in public school and I’m still at home. I love having dinner hot and ready at 3 p.m. every day and greeting my three men one by one. What a life! Well, my ‘what a life’ has been stirred. I really don’t want to leave my warm, cozy home and I love watching everyone else play the 9-5 game, yet I’m applying for jobs like I’m in a trance. Hubby doesn’t care if I work or not, so what’s up with this, Lord and what’s up with all the rejections? Burger King, are you serious? Well, I recently heard of a few other jobs that ‘fit’ my criteria. I applied and now I wait. I’m not waiting on a phone call, but on God. This whole process is a life lesson. My blind faith is being sharpened, my pride pruned, and my obedience tried. I realized my job search isn’t about a job at all, but about the journey. Through my many rejections, I learned that if I continue to look for the end result, the grand prize job, I’ll miss the journey. Life is a journey! Whether it is getting a job, a raise, having a child, children graduating, getting married, or retiring…we miss out on life waiting for an end result. End results don’t always end up the way we want them, but the journey is full of life! I’ll keep you posted on my job search, but until God moves me, I’m enjoying my life! What a life!
Live Your Life!
I’m not a fan of cell phones, yet my Tracfone serves its purpose for urgent calls and I’ve been using the same 60 minutes for three months now. Keep this thought while I digress. Saturday morning, I awoke with unusual thoughts about my life. I have one life to live. One life – one shot – no second chance. My thoughts reminded me to take full advantage of all the opportunities given to me and grasp every minute. There are three people I don’t want at my funeral – Mr. Should Have, Miss Could Have, and Mrs. Would Have. My thoughts pricked my heart to be all I was created to be. These early morning thoughts about my life were received although the timing was somewhat strange to me.
Back to the cell phone. Later Saturday, I noticed my Tracfone was flipped opened – yes I have the flip feature (smile). I didn’t even know I had a screen saver, but guess what words were traveling across the screen? The screensaver read…Live your life…Can you believe this? After having this Tracfone for over a year, this particular morning I was supposed to read those words. I excitedly told Hubby and the boys and Firstborn mentioned he created the screensaver when the phone was his…he has since upgraded. Talk about my Tracfone serving its purpose! No one seemed excited about the timing of my screen saver message except me, but it was meant for me – only me. Coincident? No. God-incident! Everyday, I must live my life to the fullest. I must expect great things. I must expect the impossible. I must know I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I must focus. I must live fearlessly without doubt. I must surround myself with like-minded people. I must allow the spirit of God to have His way in me, through me, and with me! I was created by God for God and my life is a gift! No more excuses – no more reservations – no more procrastination – no more! I must live my life…I only have one!
Are you living yours? Happy Monday!
Mom Renames ADHD
My blogger buddy, Amber, over at Faith, Love, Kids, and Me has renamed ADHD. Hmmm...I wonder who gave her permission? With that being said, I DO have permission from her to share her findings (smile).
Cleaning My Plate
I’ve been recently employed by Secondborn to assist with his cookie business, I have a teenager who is a sophomore athlete needing Mama’s extra encouragement and attention as he transitions to adulthood, both boys are active in sports and weeknights are late with practices, I have a high maintenance husband wanting all my attention, I have three or four active blogs, I have the Momsweb meditation I’m supposed to send out every Monday, I have a book I’d like to market a little more and others I’d like to get published, I have speaking engagements coming up, and you want me to do what and go where? My plate is about to crack again, so I must begin scrapping the things not served by God. I find this happening to me at least twice a year, but this time I’ve noticed the crack before it split in half.
A mother’s job is full time and I only have two children. God help the woman with more and God please give an extra ounce of grace to the single mother! Please don’t misunderstand me. I can fit anything I want in my schedule. I can MAKE IT HAPPEN, but why? I create our own stress, and God knows I can create some stuff to do! I can plan an event in a hot minute, start another business, volunteer, assist, and try to be involved in other beneficial causes, but why? Allowing God to order my steps allows Him to make the decisions for me regarding what and what not to get involved in. What a relief! Today alone is full, but staying in God’s will allows me to rest in Him and not complain about a busyness I’m capable of creating. As for me and my house, I choose to live in peace and maintain my peace of mind!
If your plate is about to crack, scrape a few things off....life will go on!
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