Caring enough

Today my pastor talked about Jesus healing the blind man on the Sabbath. Then this afternoon I read this post. This kind of thinking has been on my mind a lot lately. Enjoy your Sabbath!

Being a good friend

Lately, I've been thinking about friendship. Specifically, what makes a good friend. As said here:

"Friendship is one of the most enduring and wonderful gifts of being alive. Friendship is universal in humanity. Young children start friendships with the sharing of curiosities, toys and laughter. As we grow, some friendships develop with us for a lifetime providing companionship, support, and love for each other’s beings. I believe that friendship, throughout our lives, serves as a mirror of our very essence. The love, laughter and concern we share with friends gives us a sense of self which can sometimes be thwarted within our family relations. Our friends become our historians, secret keepers and comrades on life’s journey. In the years I have worked as a therapist, the friends of my patients have filled my practice space with their presence as fierce defenders, continual cheerleaders and often lifesavers."

I never want to take the friendships in my life for granted. They are precious gifts. Friendships help me survive LIFE. They are God's precious gifts and I want to be good stewards of them. I NEED friends in my life: to laugh with, love with, be with. And I want to nurture those friendships because they are so special to me. If someone takes the time to invest in my life, then I want them to know I appreciate them, and I want them to know I am thankful for them. 

Here are some links to posts on friendships that I return to often:

Make time for Godly friendships
A "go-to" friend
Two are better than one...
Joy--the fruit of giving love away
Acts of service

This is what I aspire to:

1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ,
if any comfort from his love,
if any fellowship with the Spirit,
if any tenderness and compassion,
2then make my joy complete by being like-minded,
having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.
3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit,
but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

4Each of you should look not only to your own interests,
but also to the interests of others.

5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

6Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.

8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

-philippians 2:1-11

photo by: jay wilkie

Gratitude and contentment...the neverending journey

The past few days I have been struggling with contentment. Winter really got to me. I thought I had been doing good focusing on the blessings of winter, even as evidenced by my last post. But then I heard how the South got a lot of snow and how it melted the next day....

and I started feeling sorry for myself for living in a place where winter is nearly 6 months...

and I started feeling jealous of all those Southerners who get to enjoy the snow for a day and then are back to mild winters....that's my kinda snow!

These feelings of discontentment made me feel homesick for my hometown and my family....

and all the familiar feelings flooded me and brought me down....

just when I thought I was doing much better accepting where I live.

And, I reminded myself that the Christian walk is always two steps forward, one step back. I gave myself some grace.

And I tried to have gratitude. But only because He asks us to, and I want to obey Him.

(and most things in me scream: "I don't want to be thankful for this situation!!")

"Enter His gates with Thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name...for the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations..." ~Psalm 100:4-5

"...for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances...." Phil. 4:11

But this....this is why we have gratitude and learn to be content:

"I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.." John 15:11

gratitude image from here

How Great Thou Art

O Lord my God

When I in awesome wonder..

Consider all thy worlds thy hands have made...

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder..

Thy power throughout, the universe displayed..

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art, How great Thou art.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

Happy Weekend!

The Motherlode

On a day like yesterday, when we got almost 2 feet of snow.....

there's not much to do except be available for little kiddos who insist on going in and out of the snow all day long...

finish up on laundry...

drink lots of hot drinks...

and cook lots of yummy things in the kitchen.

These pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are some of the easiest to make.

They don't take very long, and they make a motherlode of muffins.

Enough for a large family to snack on all day, and the next, and the next....

Or enough for your large family and enough to give away...

whatever you like--

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

4 eggs

2 cups white sugar

1 (15 ounce) can of pumpkin

1 1/2 cups canola oil

3 cups all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat)

2 t. baking soda

2 t. baking powder

1 t. ground cinnamon

1 t. salt

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tins or use paper liners.

2. Beat the eggs in a large bowl, and mix in sugar, pumpkin, and oil.

3. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Blend in the egg and pumpkin mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips. Transfer to the muffin pans.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove muffins from pans, and cool on a wire rack.

Mama Monday

Today's Mama Monday is the sweet and lovely Susan from the blog

Heart Pondering

It has been a pleasure getting to know Susan more through this interview.

Make sure you pop over to her place and say "hello"...

You all know how precious comments from readers are...

Let's not be lazy commenters!! *smile*

Greatest thing about being a mom:

The blissful moments when everyone’s mood is good and we’re all enjoying life together. Giggling or playing or singing silly songs or enjoying the sunshine. The sense of unity, togetherness, and shared family joy that shine through. One glimpses in such moments the reality of the legacy being built and the profound privilege and delight of being able to spearhead and lead a family with my husband. For me such moments bring meaning and perspective to everything I’m doing as I mother.


 Hardest thing about being a mom—

Right now the hardest thing is staying present to the evolution that continually occurs in a family – maintaining attentiveness to children as they age and develop, gain new skills and capacities. So that I am not just reactive (which for me creates annoyance and resentment) but rather proactive. If I anticipate and plan the next stages I can stay joyful and enthusiastic about my kids in the stages they’re in - and about mothering in general.

Favorite blogs/websites—

Mothering-related—

Your site (in all candor – it’s one of my top 3)
Owl Haven www.owlhaven.net
Preschoolers and Peace www.preschoolersandpeace.com
Raising Godly Tomatoes www.raisinggodlytomatoes.com
A Path Made Straight http://mamahooper.blogspot.com
Simple Mom http://simplemom.net

For activities to do with young kids (I am not crafty so these are lifesavers!)—

Children’s Learning Activities http://learningdevelopmentactivities.blogspot.com
Let’s Explore http://lets-explore.net

How do you find balance in your life—

I love to run; when I run I feel the presence of God. I can behold his glory and hear His words more clearly; it’s my best, my most living, prayer time. So running helps me foster balance, refreshing me in spiritual and physical ways. If I can take two 30-minute runs twice a week it makes a world of difference.

Taking time to read, even 20 minutes a day, is also critical for me to maintain balance. The act of getting outside my own head and life to gain a perspective beyond the confines of my own daily space is powerful to see my own life in proper focus. Reading also helps me think more clearly.

In 2009 I rediscovered my love of writing through blogging, and writing a few times a week also keeps me balanced. The quiet space and the writing act - to move thoughts and words out of my own head and into a broader space where they take on life and meaning – brings balance.

 One word that describes you—

Reflective. (If I had to choose two, my second would be ‘loud.’)

Such an interesting combination Susan! =)

 Favorite color--

Purple.

 Hobbies/interests---

Other than running, reading, and writing, I also love outdoor activities like hiking and camping. We pursue these as a family as often as we can, especially because we are rural-heart folk currently living a suburban life. I love to swim and water ski as well.

 I couldn't live without—

The web. I do virtually everything there – bank, budget, mealplan, stay in touch with family, work, write. I actually find it a bit disconcerting to see how central it is to so many aspect of my life.

 What helps me through tough days---

My mom. She’s a treasure and a model for me of what present, consistent, intentional mothering is about. My joys are her joys – and likewise she makes herself available to me to help me process my tough days (even across the country!).
Dark chocolate and black licorice are close seconds.

 What the Lord has been speaking to you about lately—

Homeward diligence. This was my biggest revelation in 2009 and a frequent topic of my blogging over the past four months. I’m not domestically attentive by nature and my organizational and administrative gifts didn’t translate into home life for the first three plus years of my mothering. Now that I have three children and my professional life (as a strategy consultant to Christian nonprofits) occupy fewer than 5 hours per week, I realize that I’ve shortchanged myself and my family by not maintaining the level of home organization we all need to thrive. So this is an arena of focus and attention for me in 2010.

What do you like best about yourself—

Thanks for asking that question! Isn’t it so unusual for women to ask this of each other?
While I frequently talk too much and intensely, I’m also a good listener and am often able to draw out people’s heart and inner thoughts. Being able to laugh at myself is another thing I like.

 If I could encourage a young mother, I would say--

Carefully consider how much you can do well, and continue to reconsider this regularly as your children grow. Match up your theoretical life priorities with your actual priorities (ie, how you are spending your time and energy on a day-to-day basis?) and be willing to make radical changes, as God may call you to, to align the two.
This counsel comes from my own struggle as a part-time working mother to align the content of my days with my commitment and desire to mother in a way that is faithful to God’s call. Related is the suggestion to be as intentional as possible about employing discipline in your daily use of technology (web and cell phones especially) as you mother. Distraction is perhaps our biggest enemy in childrearing.

 One book you would recommend to read--(besides the Bible)

Boundaries by Cloud/Townsend
Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss (I read this in 2009 at your recommendation, Andrea!)


Thank you Susan!!!!!

Saturday

My best friend in elementary school had an embroidered sign in her bathroom that said:

"If you sprinkle, when you tinkle, please be neat and wipe the seat."

I always read it when I went in there, to...you know....

and therefore memorized it....

....and always thought about that little sign, even to today, with my own family....

and have always wanted to put inspiring pictures and words in the family bathroom, because, you know--you do spend a lot of time in there looking at the walls.......

All it took was a lazy Saturday morning....

prints from Dazey Chic

frames and mats from Michael's craft store

little hands to help with taking the cardboard corner thingys off the frames...

Kids can be creative with anything you give them....

Do you like the final result?

Weekend reads

My own maryland blizzard
Great Expectations?
Practicing Gratitude this week and year round
Happy Weekend!!

February Funk

Last week I was in a winter funk.  We had a few days of 40-50 degree weather which teased me and made me think Spring was on its way soon. But as you may have heard, that silly groundhog saw its shadow this morning, which means 6 more weeks of winter......

Then we had a bitter cold weekend with highs of 18 degrees and that made me even more grumpy because I do not like weather that cold....

Then I got an idea. I needed to have things to look forward to every week in February so that March would get here soon, and then hopefully......Spring!

So every Friday in February I have something fun planned so that March will get here soon!

This Friday: lunch with a friend.

February 12: this week a good friend and I are planning fun things to do with our children. It's "winter break" where I live so the children will be out of school. We plan to go to museums and other things we always say we want to do, but don't.

February 19: not sure yet!! any ideas??!!

February 26: I'm getting a massage with a gift certificate my husband gave me for Christmas 2 years ago (I know, crazy.)

And by then? February will be over, and I will have made it more than halfway through winter!!