But wisdom is proved right by all her children." - Luke 7:35
A heavy, work-related decision for my husband has us both asking God for an increased measure of wisdom. Requests for insight, discernment and sound judgment fill our prayer times as we wait for God to give us direction.
I can’t help but notice that I tend to ask for wisdom when facing big decisions. However, as a mom, I make millions of little decisions every day that also require wisdom. Deciding on how to get nutrients into my kids’ mouths most efficiently and with the least amount of mess requires wisdom (and creativity). Leading my kids through their daily homework with a positive attitude takes wisdom (and patience). Deciding which friendships to encourage and which one to keep quiet about uses wisdom (and discernment).
I want to remember to ask God to be my guide in every aspect of my life, even the mundane, every day actions like making dinner. With an extra dose of His wisdom, I know I can do a better job taking care of my family.
In what areas of life do you need His wisdom?
Friday, April 23, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
Off The Mark
“I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint." - Jeremiah 31:25
Thank you for sticking with me, my faithful readers. I apologize that my Christmas blogging break extended into a longer hiatus.
Recently, I had the amazing opportunity to accompany my 9-year-old to her first archery class. She had been practicing with a toy bow and arrow for years and eagerly anticipated the day when she could get her hands on the real thing.
After stretching and warming up, she finally strapped on a protective arm guard and picked up a real bow. She straddled the firing line, aimed, and let her arrow fly. It streamed through the air, straight and true. Success. One after one, her arrows hit targets fifteen yards away as her smile got bigger and bigger.
I have no idea how many arrows she launched, but after about 40 minutes her bow was tipping to the side and her arrows hit low on the target. Fatigue led to a loss of focus, and therefore, less accuracy.
I’ve sure had that feeling as a mom. When I am tired, I am much more likely to ignore an offense that really should be disciplined. I serve food that is easy to get on the table, even if its nutritional value is marginal. Dawdling is allowed to the point where the kids go to bed later than normal when I don’t have the energy to keep them on track through the bed time routine.
When mom is tired, everyone suffers.
Now, when this happens occasionally, I don’t worry about it. What concerns me is when it becomes the normal state of family life. Sometimes what starts as fatigue turns into apathy.
Mom, please make the commitment today to take whatever steps are needed to give yourself more energy. Maybe you need more sleep. Maybe you need to cut sugar or simple carbs from your diet. Maybe you need to eat more veggies, or take a multi-vitamin, or get some exercise. Maybe you need a little downtime to just play. Maybe you could ask God to help, and spend some extra time in prayer with the Giver Of All Good Things. You may even need to experiment with some different ideas to figure out which ones really make a noticeable difference for you.
After putting down her bow and stretching again for ten or fifteen minutes, my daughter went back to the firing line and started hitting her targets again. As moms, we can be on the mark as well with just a little refreshment.
What do you do to re-energize yourself when you start feeling weary?
Thank you for sticking with me, my faithful readers. I apologize that my Christmas blogging break extended into a longer hiatus.
Recently, I had the amazing opportunity to accompany my 9-year-old to her first archery class. She had been practicing with a toy bow and arrow for years and eagerly anticipated the day when she could get her hands on the real thing.
After stretching and warming up, she finally strapped on a protective arm guard and picked up a real bow. She straddled the firing line, aimed, and let her arrow fly. It streamed through the air, straight and true. Success. One after one, her arrows hit targets fifteen yards away as her smile got bigger and bigger.
I have no idea how many arrows she launched, but after about 40 minutes her bow was tipping to the side and her arrows hit low on the target. Fatigue led to a loss of focus, and therefore, less accuracy.
I’ve sure had that feeling as a mom. When I am tired, I am much more likely to ignore an offense that really should be disciplined. I serve food that is easy to get on the table, even if its nutritional value is marginal. Dawdling is allowed to the point where the kids go to bed later than normal when I don’t have the energy to keep them on track through the bed time routine.
When mom is tired, everyone suffers.
Now, when this happens occasionally, I don’t worry about it. What concerns me is when it becomes the normal state of family life. Sometimes what starts as fatigue turns into apathy.
Mom, please make the commitment today to take whatever steps are needed to give yourself more energy. Maybe you need more sleep. Maybe you need to cut sugar or simple carbs from your diet. Maybe you need to eat more veggies, or take a multi-vitamin, or get some exercise. Maybe you need a little downtime to just play. Maybe you could ask God to help, and spend some extra time in prayer with the Giver Of All Good Things. You may even need to experiment with some different ideas to figure out which ones really make a noticeable difference for you.
After putting down her bow and stretching again for ten or fifteen minutes, my daughter went back to the firing line and started hitting her targets again. As moms, we can be on the mark as well with just a little refreshment.
What do you do to re-energize yourself when you start feeling weary?
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Blessed or Stressed
While flipping through a catalogue last week, I noticed a coffee cup bearing a saying that has become my new mantra: "Too Blessed To Be Stressed."
This phrase really socked me in the gut. How often do I let the little, often unimportant, worries of life cause me to forget how abundantly I am blessed. Or worse, am I sometimes too stressed to even receive a blessing sent my way?
Now, thanks to the fresh insight brought on by this simple coffee mug, when I feel my stress level rising, I remind myself that I am too blessed to get bogged down in unnecessary silliness, pettiness, or guilt. My children are a blessing, even when they sing in loud, high-pitched squeaks like little chipmunks. My husband blesses me every day, and I don’t want to overlook that when he leaves his dirty dishes on the counter instead of tucking them in the dishwasher. Things may break in my house, and it may never stay clean for more than fifteen consecutive minutes, but I am still blessed to have a safe, secure, warm home in which to rest, enjoy my family and friends, and worship my Lord.
At Christmas time, we are bombarded with things that can push us to our limits. Sometimes it even seems as though we are expected to stress out during December. This year, I encourage you to push that convention aside and enjoy your blessings instead. Maybe that means buying fewer presents because the mall crowds are driving you crazy. Perhaps you could skip sending out Christmas cards this year, or you might leave the exterior of your house unlit, simply because you are content and won’t feel guilty about avoiding a chore you find isn’t meaningful to you this year. Whatever it may be, feel free to cut a stressor from your annual Christmas routine so you are better able to see and appreciate your blessings.
Have a wonderfully Merry Christmas!
In celebration of our Savior’s birth, I am taking a blogging break until the New Year. See you in 2010!
This phrase really socked me in the gut. How often do I let the little, often unimportant, worries of life cause me to forget how abundantly I am blessed. Or worse, am I sometimes too stressed to even receive a blessing sent my way?
Now, thanks to the fresh insight brought on by this simple coffee mug, when I feel my stress level rising, I remind myself that I am too blessed to get bogged down in unnecessary silliness, pettiness, or guilt. My children are a blessing, even when they sing in loud, high-pitched squeaks like little chipmunks. My husband blesses me every day, and I don’t want to overlook that when he leaves his dirty dishes on the counter instead of tucking them in the dishwasher. Things may break in my house, and it may never stay clean for more than fifteen consecutive minutes, but I am still blessed to have a safe, secure, warm home in which to rest, enjoy my family and friends, and worship my Lord.
At Christmas time, we are bombarded with things that can push us to our limits. Sometimes it even seems as though we are expected to stress out during December. This year, I encourage you to push that convention aside and enjoy your blessings instead. Maybe that means buying fewer presents because the mall crowds are driving you crazy. Perhaps you could skip sending out Christmas cards this year, or you might leave the exterior of your house unlit, simply because you are content and won’t feel guilty about avoiding a chore you find isn’t meaningful to you this year. Whatever it may be, feel free to cut a stressor from your annual Christmas routine so you are better able to see and appreciate your blessings.
Have a wonderfully Merry Christmas!
In celebration of our Savior’s birth, I am taking a blogging break until the New Year. See you in 2010!
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Productive Character
“We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” - Romans 5:3-4
Ten days ago, life took an unexpected turn when my husband started the day with a stomach ache and ended it in the ER having his appendix removed. Since then, caring for him has been my top priority.
In being a nurse for the past week and a half, I’m reminded of an overwhelming feeling I had when I first became a mom – unproductive. Sure I was busy when I had a new baby in my arms, but did twelve diaper changes, six feedings and four loads of laundry really count for much? It took me a while to see the immense, life-altering value in caring for my child.
These memories came back while caring for my husband. It is easy to get caught up in doing things that other people see and acknowledge. The truth is, however, that the work we do while hidden within the walls of home is often more meaningful and does more to shape our character than any other work ever could. For the past ten days, those in the outside world have seen my cancelled appointments and my declined invitations (and truthfully, even within my house, my husband and kids have noticed the little piles of “stuff” growing in the various corners of our home where the things I haven’t gotten to yet are building).
But God knows our hearts and our intentions. He understands that being a caregiver is not a natural role for me, and that it takes more thought and effort than it might for someone else. He knows that He did not gift me with any special abilities in the kitchen, so thinking up bland, soothing, post-surgery meals distracts me from some of my normal responsibilities. He acknowledges that sometimes He uses other people’s troubles to build our character.
I’ve noticed that the times in life when I’ve felt my character stretch and grow the most are the times when I have had nothing tangible to show for it. Perhaps we are not designed to produce worldly goods and divine goodness at the same time. The experiences that shape me with the most definitive edge are the ones that bring an internal change alone – no paycheck, no product, no recognition, no earthly value.
How do you know when you are being productive? Is a stronger character a valuable product?
Ten days ago, life took an unexpected turn when my husband started the day with a stomach ache and ended it in the ER having his appendix removed. Since then, caring for him has been my top priority.
In being a nurse for the past week and a half, I’m reminded of an overwhelming feeling I had when I first became a mom – unproductive. Sure I was busy when I had a new baby in my arms, but did twelve diaper changes, six feedings and four loads of laundry really count for much? It took me a while to see the immense, life-altering value in caring for my child.
These memories came back while caring for my husband. It is easy to get caught up in doing things that other people see and acknowledge. The truth is, however, that the work we do while hidden within the walls of home is often more meaningful and does more to shape our character than any other work ever could. For the past ten days, those in the outside world have seen my cancelled appointments and my declined invitations (and truthfully, even within my house, my husband and kids have noticed the little piles of “stuff” growing in the various corners of our home where the things I haven’t gotten to yet are building).
But God knows our hearts and our intentions. He understands that being a caregiver is not a natural role for me, and that it takes more thought and effort than it might for someone else. He knows that He did not gift me with any special abilities in the kitchen, so thinking up bland, soothing, post-surgery meals distracts me from some of my normal responsibilities. He acknowledges that sometimes He uses other people’s troubles to build our character.
I’ve noticed that the times in life when I’ve felt my character stretch and grow the most are the times when I have had nothing tangible to show for it. Perhaps we are not designed to produce worldly goods and divine goodness at the same time. The experiences that shape me with the most definitive edge are the ones that bring an internal change alone – no paycheck, no product, no recognition, no earthly value.
How do you know when you are being productive? Is a stronger character a valuable product?
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