Willingness to Serve ~ Ministry of Motherhood Week 11

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“It is natural to be selfish or self-absorbed. Everybody is naturally like that. It is supernatural to see the needs and desires of others and seek their best through your actions.”

~ Sally Clarkson, Ministry of Motherhood, p. 190

Service. While Rick and I have been involved in various types of service in our community, typically this isn’t something that we’ve included the kids in. After reading this chapter though, I’m most convicted to FIND ways to involve them more because they truly have sensitive hearts that look for ways to help others.

Like the time that one of our kids decided to have a Jump-a-Thon to raise money for Mercy Ships. Or set up a table at church to sell handmade {and super pitiful} bracelets to raise money for a missionary friend. Or find a Bible to give to a homeless man in our community.

Their hearts at times see things that I brush over, so in all honesty I think that service together as a family would be as much for me as it would be for them. :)

A few links…

~ My Blog Frog forums ~ several threads are going where we’re talking about the daily S.O.A.P. and our thoughts on the part of the book we’re reading.

~ Good Morning Girls Ministry of Motherhood posts

With all that said ~ start linking up and sharing what God showed you this week!

Just Laurianna….

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Can someone please tell me when she got so big??

The Process of Discipline ~ Ministry of Motherhood Week 10

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“No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening ~ it is painful! But afterward there will be a quiet harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.”

~ Hebrews 12:11

This past week’s reading {chapters 15 and 16 in Ministry of Motherhood} talked about training our children in prayer and for difficult times. One of the questions for thought asked if we can think of areas/issues with our children where we tend to ‘back off’ from discipline because the process is uncomfortable.

Oh….yes. Yes. Yes.

Not just one, but many. Depending on the child, there can be a variety of issues that seriously make me just want to curl up in bed, stick headphones in my ears and hope it resolves itself.

Which it doesn’t, so really, you think that I’d learn.

Before we became parents, so many of us had lofty ideas of how we would discipline our children and never do this or that….or always do something specific {please tell me this wasn’t just me???}. The reality of it is, parenting is exhausting. Tiring. Emotionally draining and seriously one of the most difficult jobs there is.

And I’m sure my parents will be ever-so-happy to hear me say this ~ I do NOT have all the answers. Just when I think we *may* have an issue figured out with one of our kids, something else gets thrown into the mix. I get confused as to how to respond since each child is different, frustrated with attitudes {mine and theirs}, and most days wish that there was a detailed instruction booklet that came specific to each of my children so that I could apply solution ‘B’ when problem ‘A’ happens. Problem solved.

Discipline can be a stinky thing. It requires persistence. Sometimes it is overwhelming ~ but I know I can do all things through HIM who gives me strength.

This week we’re heading out for a quiet week with Rick’s family and I think that he and I will be spending some time talking about specific areas that we need to hone in on with our kids and lovingly be persistent with our kids ~ because there are definitely a few we can tackle. :)

“…But afterward there will be a quiet harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.”  Hebrews 12:11

A few links…

~ My Blog Frog forums ~ several threads are going where we’re talking about the daily S.O.A.P. and our thoughts on the part of the book we’re reading.

~ Good Morning Girls Ministry of Motherhood posts

 

With all that said ~ start linking up and sharing what God showed you this week!

Persistent Parenting ~ Ministry of Motherhood Week 9

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“Jesus had to be patient with fully grown but spiritually immature men who seemed slow to respond to his training, so we must practice patience with our children ~ and ourselves. The very nature of training is that it usually involves immature individuals, which means it takes a long time to accomplish its goals!”

~ Sally Clarkson, Ministry of Motherhood, p. 146

Ahhh…I have to say that this was a rather ‘duh’ moment for me, but encouraging all at the same time. How many times in a day do I want to bang my head on the table and ask “SERIOUSLY??? Haven’t we been over this before?”  I’m willing to bet that phrase has dropped out of my mouth many, many times.

Patience. Deep breath.

I know that I myself have enough trouble getting some things through my own thick head and have a Heavenly Father who is most patient and understanding with me. My children haven’t even touched the tip of the mountain of immature moments that I’ve had in my life. {sigh}

Jesus walked on this earth with a group of men who watched him perform miracles. They were with Him night and day, observing His every move, word and action. There were many times when they just didn’t get it. He responded with patience and persistence.

Not only do I need to have patience with my children, I need to have patience with myself. How often do I try to immediately fix an issue that has cropped up and expect immediate results from myself ~ instead of understanding that some things are a process and will require a length of time for me to see it come to fruition?

Because we live in such an ‘instant’ society, I know that I personally expect a ‘quick fix’ is available for everything in life. A ‘how to’ book with the latest answer to all of my parenting issues is available for immediate download.  A video series will give me all the tools I need to raise my children in a specific way. I can have a NEW kid by Friday {according to some books!}.

But it really, truly requires my diligence. My perseverance. My prayers. Trust in God.

Patience.

“Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that He has provided.”

Hebrews 10: 35-36

 

~ My Blog Frog forums ~ several threads are going where we’re talking about the daily S.O.A.P. and our thoughts on the part of the book we’re reading.

~ Good Morning Girls Ministry of Motherhood posts

~ If you haven’t already, please be sure to fill out this quick survey and answer a few questions for me. I’m trying to create an email list to keep better in touch with all of you ladies, and this will help me out a bunch!

With all that said ~ start linking up and sharing what God showed you this week!

8 - 5 = Not Enough Eggs

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Mid-March we embarked on a new adventure. Chickens. When we picked out the fuzzy little chicks, oohing and ahhing over their cuteness, we only intended to take home six.

The woman at the poultry sale thought we should take home a few extra. “Just in case,” she said.

Because you just never know how many might turn out to be roosters.

Fast forward a few months and now the COOP Condo has been completed ~ shingles, a sliding window and siding to boot ~ and our poor coop will soon only house three lonely ladies.

That’s right. Three.

Because out of EIGHT chickens, five of them were roosters. I’ll share some pictures with you all, but let me give you a little tip.

When naming your chickens, do NOT give them names that can be gender neutral or shortened to a boy’s name. I firmly believe that this was our downfall.

Some introductions….

Meet Henrietta. The first of our flock who pushed all fear aside and made himself known as a rooster to my face. Henrietta quickly became known as ‘Henry’ and was sent to live over the mountain and now has a large flock of ladies and can crow to his heart’s content.

Next on the ‘must find a new home’ block was Blackberry. One of the prettiest roosters we had, with iridescent blue tail feathers, but also a peck-peck-pecker of my toe nails. He also now resides with a flock of 20 lady-friends.

Fuzzball was another sweet rooster. A loud crower, but definitely needing a home to call his own. He took the place of a mean old rooster at someone’s house and is watching over six female friends now.

Sunshine {now known as Sonny} was one of the sweetest roosters and a pretty white/brown mix. His pitiful crow is not one to impress the ladies, but he will soon have a new home.

BrownBack….such pretty colors beginning to show. A nice fluffy white tail, but mean, mean, mean to the neighbor’s chickens. Definitely time to find a new home!

So now our adventure continues as we look for a few more birds of the FEMALE persuasion to join the flock and contribute to the household egg consumption.

When Your Children “Borrow” Your iPad

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You know your iPad has been borrowed by your children when you turn on the camera feature and realize that there are over 150 pictures taking up space…and few of them were taken by you.

Obviously the Photobooth feature is too appealing to my children ~ and don’t tell them, but they secretly make me giggle.

Do you recognize these children?

  

    

Attached to the Vine ~ Ministry of Motherhood Week 8

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“My children must attach themselves to the Vine, not me ... I can and must model for them what life as a ‘branch’ looks like and show them ways to stay ‘attached’ … but I cannot be their ‘vine’.”

~ Sally Clarkson, Ministry of Motherhood, p. 131-132

I’ll be honest and say that during my reading this week I just sat thinking “I really wish that some of these thoughts would flow from my brain to my mouth for my children when we are in this situation.”  In reality, my mind goes blank, I often feel that I have nothing of value to share and I’m just grasping for a ‘reason’ when talking to our children about an important issue.

It’s in these moments that I realize how much and how often I really need to depend on the Holy Spirit for guidance and be attached as a branch to the Vine, because that is where TRUE wisdom is found. I need to dig deeper. Rely more. Demonstrate my dependence on God and how important He is in my life, which in reality should NOT be that difficult, since I know how much I need Him.

My children, better than anyone, know and see my shortcomings on a daily basis, so when I am fully relying on HIM and walking in His strength, it is most evident. There are so many things that I know I can do to incorporate God’s word and truth into our daily lives…and so many excuses that I’ve put together not to do those things.

This week, we’re going to start back doing one very important thing ~ reading the Bible together each day and doing devotions together. The kids have been doing them independently, but I’m feeling so much that we need to be a part of this with them and learn/study together as a family ~ especially so that we as parents can share our insight and struggles as they relate to things we study.

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me.”

John 15:4

 

 

~ Blog Frog forums ~ several threads are going where we’re talking about the daily S.O.A.P. and our thoughts on the part of the book we’re reading.

~ Good Morning Girls Ministry of Motherhood posts

With all that said ~ start linking up and sharing what God showed you this week!