What An Elmo Bed Taught Me About Being a Mom
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For any of you who might not know I’m a mother of 3 very little children. My oldest is 4 and my youngest is 19 months. My days are long, tiring, and my nights are full of interruptions in my precious sleep.
But after having three children 3 years and 1 month apart though I officially don’t have a baby in the house anymore. I say it’s official because my son has finally graduated to a big boy bed, and is no longer content to stay confined behind the mesh in his pack and play (not to be confused with a play pen which sounds more like a prison than a crib)
Off to the store I went, 3 little kids in toe. We bought an Elmo bed, simply because it was the cheapest one they had at Walmart, complete with a new mattress, which also happened to be the cheapest one they had at Walmart. Between me and my three kids (remember they’re still all 4 and under) we assembled the bed and had it ready by the amazing spider-kid’s naptime.
I assumed that since my two girls never had a problem with staying in their big-girl bed’s that mister climber wouldn’t either. But boys are apparently a bit different than girls. Needless to say my “big boy” spent maybe 10 minutes actually sleeping in his bed at nap time today, then he woke up and freaked out. Apparently he was unaccustomed to his mesh-free surroundings.
The rest of his nap time was spent sleeping on my shoulder. As I held him on the couch I tried to memorize the moment. I felt him breathing in my arms, and I held his tiny hands which aren’t as chubby as they once were. Then I smelled his sweet head and wondered when he stopped smelling like a powdery baby and started smelling like a sweaty kid. He no longer fits scrunched up on my chest but takes up my entire torso and some of my lap.
There he was my big boy and my baby asleep in my arms like so many times before. My days are so long, and there are days that are so hard, but my children are such blessings. Sometimes it takes a moment when my little guy gets freaked out by his big boy bed to treasure how small he still is.
Soon enough he’ll be embarrassed to hug his mother, but right now I’m his mommy. He wanted my arms and my love. And even though I had a hundred things that needed to be done this afternoon, there was nothing more pressing than holding my little one.
Now it’s your turn
What moments in motherhood have you stopped to treasure lately? Let me know in the comments.
Do Facebook Rants Or Comments Ever Change Your Mind?
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The Rant. We’ve all seen them in our news-feeds. Maybe it’s about a complete stranger, maybe it’s about a pastor, maybe it’s about a neighbor, maybe it’s about a church volunteer, but most rants follow the same pattern.
Ranter: Oh my goodness I can’t believe what just happened, so and so did this and this. I can’t believe how idiotic people are.
Commenter: The same thing has happened to me, people are just dumb.
Commenter: Yea, that was dumb.
I’m over-simplifying but when I see Christians post rants on Facebook, on Twitter, in Blog posts, or in Blog post comments I just want to cry.
It’s unkind, and many times it’s gossip. I’ve had commenters on blog posts of mine that have made me sick to my stomach and literally weep. But here’s the ugly truth, I’ve been that commenter too.
Read MoreWe Serve A Mighty God
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“For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” Matthew 12:34b
I’ve been bumped a lot in the past few weeks, bumped by medical worries, bumped by late nights, bumped by fussy kids and bumped by busyness. The list could go on.
I wish I could say all these little bumps have drawn me closer to God and that His grace and patience is what has been spilling over, but quite frankly it isn’t. In fact I’m quite ashamed to even consider writing what has been spilling over, not the character qualities of someone who is Christ like that’s for sure.
Sure it would be easy to rationalize that things are simply stressful right now. It would be easy to just give myself a break, but what spills out when we’re bumped should remind us what we need to be filling our lives with, even though it might be a natural human reaction to the situation.
If I’m skimping on devotion and prayer time, because I’ve got “too much to do” it will affect me. When I’m filling my life with good and godly things, that’s what will spill out. When I’m filling my life with anything but….. well let’s just say I shouldn’t be too surprised.
When we try to do things on our own, in our own strength we will almost always fail. But God is Mighty! God’s strength is enough. I serve the type of God that does miracles. And he reminded me this week how powerful he truly is.
My brother-in-law’s youngest brother lay unconscious in the hospital. He had taken a line drive to the temple from a baseball, his family was told he wouldn’t make it. They were told he’d be lucky if he woke up within 48 hours. EVERYONE started praying. Our church, their church, other churches, pastors, evangelists, missionaries, strangers on Facebook and twitter.
That same little boy to whom doctor’s offered no hope was up in 5 HOURS! He was TALKING, he was WALKING, he was eating Popsicles. Don’t tell me miracles don’t still happen today!
The point though is this: The same God that performs miracles, wants to help YOU. He wants to strengthen YOU, he wants to do a miracle in YOUR life.
Will you let him? Will you make a commitment to him?
It starts with abiding in Him it starts with trusting Him and drawing close to Him daily. What miracles has God done in your life lately?
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Daily Strength For Daily Needs, Devotions For May, June and July
Read MoreIt Starts With Love Not Rules (And Pin My Post Friday)
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I was trying to get my house in order the other day, and my youngest kept toddling up to me and grunting. You guessed it, he wanted to be in mommies very busy hands.
I gave him treats that would occupy him for a minute or so, but the following me around and grunting/tantrums wouldn’t stop (he doesn’t like to be worn by the way).
After about half an hour of this I lost it, I snapped, I yelled at him. And for what? Because he wanted to be held and snuggled by his mother? Not exactly my finest moment in parenting, but I share so you can relate.
Read MoreBeing Grace-Full
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Be sure to read the whole post so you can find out how to win a $100 gift certificate to a cleaning service.
I’m guest posting today at Growing Home (One of my favorite blogs by the way) about how to clean a Very Messy Home in Just a Week. This isn’t one of those drill sergeant posts though, it’s a real post from a real mom with a real house. And it comes from a place of suggestions and grace not judgement.
Cleaning can be a touchy subject for some reason though, especially in homemaking Christian circles. The last time I wrote a post about cleaning I got a very unkind comment that essentially said, “Cleaning your house is your job, your a bad mother if you can’t keep your home perpetually clean and fix dinner for your family every night. Your husband will wind up leaving you unless you get your act together.” OUCH! I deleted the comment but OUCH!
Read MoreDrawing Close To God And Pin My Post Friday
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“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” James 4:8
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Living Victoriously & Pin My Post Friday
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Do you ever try to do things on your own? Stop it. (Believe me I’m pointing a finger at myself too)
Abide in Christ, stay wrapped in his love. Live by the power of His might not your own. (tweet this)
Read MoreO Christian, only believe that there is victorious life! (tweet this) Christ the victor is your Lord. He will undertake for you in everything and will enable you to do all that the Father expects from you.
Be of good courage. Will you not trust Him to do this great work for you who has given His life for you and has forgiven your sin?
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About Me
I'm a wholly inadequate wife, mother, friend, and writer. And yet God somehow cleans up the mess, fixes the imperfections, and can be glorified using the very weaknesses I hate. 
