Why My Mom is the Coolest

I've decided to do a once a month post on exactly why my mom is the coolest mom.  What makes her so cool?  She can do anything.  And I mean anything. 

When us kids were little my parents didn't have a spare dime to their name.  Of course, as kids we had no idea money was tight, our imaginations kept us good company. However, I do vividly remember my sister and I laying in bed at night listening to the mice running inside of the walls of our run down rental house. During our younger years, my mom helped my dad a lot on the farm and also had the small task of taking care of 5 kids. Since my dad was gone from sun up to sun down she became a jack of all trades. Dad wasn't around to help her hang curtains, fix an appliance, or hang sheetrock. So she took the bull by the horns and taught herself how to do things.

To show you some examples of what my mom has done, I'll post pictures.  Some unbelievable and some just plain cool.

So for December, this is why my mom's the coolest:

She made her horse into a unicorn for my girls...

This is just plain cool.

Who Makes you Give Thanks?

As a church we are memorizing Matthew 5:14-16

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill can not be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

First, let me give credit where credit is due, thank you Newsboys for helping me memorize this so quickly.

I taped these verses to my mirror and memorized while I straightened my hair, did my makeup and went over my Christmas shopping list for my day out.  It really is amazing how good I've gotten at multitasking...though I don't know if memorizing scripture should be put into my beauty routine (which is getting longer by the day, might I add). Whatever, it's in my memory and that can't be a bad thing.

As I was saying this verse over and over in my head I wondered if I give thanks to the Father in heaven for others' good deeds. At first I thought, no, I don't really give thanks much for those missionaries overseas and those who help the poor. I was kind of thinking large scale - giving thanks for the obvious things believers are doing for the Lord.

So I began to think what or who causes me to give thanks?  It didn't take me long to realize I had given thanks that week, many times, for what believers were doing. Here are a few examples:

My mother-in-law agreed to take the girls so I could do a little Christmas shopping. I called her the night before praying she hadn't backed out and she said "what time are my little cherubs coming? I've been looking forward to it." I breathed a quick prayer when I got of the phone and felt so grateful the rest of the evening. Thank you Lord for two wonderful sets of Grandparents, who love to spend time with my girls, I feel lucky.

I am the Preschool Director at our church. When the quarter switches over I frantically make phone calls trying to get volunteers to teach Sunday school and Children's Church. This completely stresses me out and I often wonder why the heck I agreed to do this in the first place. Then I remember, oh yes, I would much rather do this than volunteer to teach the kids! So this week I called one of the parents to see if she would do Children's Church a couple times for me and she said "yes, I've been wondering when you'd call." Thank you Lord for positive and willing volunteers!

I got an idea to have a birthday party for Jesus at my house this year.  It seemed like a great idea until I remembered that I'm about the farthest thing away from a party planner there is.  Not to mention I have no idea what to do with a group of kids. I began to stress about what I was going to do so I called my crafty sister Ann to get ideas. The next day she emailed me a full detailed list of what to do and when and how to do it. Amazing. Thank you Lord for setting an idea into motion so that I will carry it through for your glory.

I realize all these examples affect me personally, but what all these people did for me and their heavenly Father made me turn my eyes toward heaven and give thanks. They are letting their light shine before men. Cool, very cool.

My Humble Life in a Nutshell

Rylie: "Mom, what's leprosy?"

Me: "Leprosy? Well, back when Jesus lived many people had sores all over their body and he helped heal them. But no one gets it anymore."

Rylie:  "Oh, like the sores on your face?"

Me: "Nevermind. Just forget it."

Perfect Mother for a Minute

Yesterday I ran some errands with my 2 year old, Austyn, while Rylie was at Preschool. Is it not so much easier with 1 kid?? Anyway, I decided to stop and have a little quality time with her over a cup of coffee and a juice box. About 5 minutes into our coffee break, an elderly lady yells from a few tables over, "it's so nice to see a child sitting nicely and quietly, there's just no excuse for kids running around and screaming in places like this."

I opened my mouth to say, "this is a rarity." But then I stopped myself and gave her an "oh boy, do I know what you mean" nod.  Then I did what any smart mother would do....I inhaled my coffee, grabbed the juice box and said "let's get out of here" to Austyn. Why take the risk of tarnishing my "perfect mother" reputation?

Then, as if trying to sabotage my high, we went into a store with insanely tiny and breakable collectibles.  We were the only ones in there of course, magnifying my every motherly move.  Austyn's little fingers were itching to touch and making the salesperson a nervous wreck. Then, as if on cue, she started coughing so hard a lung almost came up.  Let's just say that if looks could kill, I'd be dead.  The cashier stared me right out of the place as if to say "what kind of mother are you? First of all, do not bring your child in here....ever.  Second, how can you even think of taking her out of the house with that cough?"

So right now, some old lady thinks I'm a mother who does no wrong, while some cashier has me pegged.

Be All There

Whenever I go on trips I like to take a step back and really look at my life. I like to pinpoint the things that I need to work on and just don't feel right about. I think it takes me getting away from it all to clear my head and have some thoughts of my own.  Thoughts that don't involve potty training, how I'm going to get my kids to share, or what I'm going to make for supper.

When I was in Philadelphia a couple weeks ago, I spent some time in thought and in prayer about how I viewed my life as a mom. I already told you a while back I have a hard time viewing my kids as interruptions rather than my focus in life. This is something I've struggled with for a while now so I decided it was time to deal with it. I spent some time trying to answer these questions: Why can't I just be content with the job the Lord has given me?  Why do I fight so hard against motherhood and all it entails? Where is that happy medium between a helicopter mom and a checked out mom?

Obviously I love my girls, but I knew I needed to be more present for them, not only in body, but mind and soul as well. Oh...we play hard, read countless stories, paint and color things, but I often feel distracted while I'm doing this. My mind pulls me away and tells me there's something better to do. I find myself fighting against what my life has become. Well, I didn't get any major answers on my trip, but I came back with some renewed energy and a resolve that I will be present for my children. Kind of that renewed love for your life after you get away from it for a while.

I did get a pretty firm answer the week after I got back though. My devotions took me to Luke to revisit the story of Christ's birth.  With my views on motherhood in the back of my mind, I saw Mary in a new light this time around.

I saw her as a woman who didn't ask to be a mother but didn't hesitate in the least to take that call. "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered, "May it be to me as you have said."  No fit throwing, no arguing, just acceptance.  I asked to be a mother and I feel like I'm hesitating.  God has given me 2 amazing gifts and I still feel pulled to a life that involves my rights, my needs...my selfishness. 

Mary was a trusting mom, not a hovering helicopter mom. At 12 years old, Jesus was accidentally left at the temple after the Feast of the Passover. I mean, sure, he was perfect and all, but she let go of her need to control his every move.  She didn't give into fear of the "what if's." (There was also the added pressure of making sure nothing happened to the Savior of all mankind.)

Even though Mary didn't hover, she was a very caring and thoughtful mom. She "treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart."  She treasured her moments with Jesus. She reflected on how people reacted to him and how he responded to questions. I'm sure she knew his time was short so she cherished what little time she had.

As if Mary's account in God's Word wasn't enough, I also came across this quote in a book I was reading:

Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.

 ~ Jim Elliot, Christian missionary and martyr

I believe motherhood to be God's will for me.  I need to be all there.  When I'm spending time interacting with the girls my focus needs to be on them. I need to treasure up and ponder their questions, answers, reactions, interactions in my heart so I might know and understand them. But I also need to trust the Lord with them when I'm not spending quality time with them - he can hover over them.

I'm sure at times I will be distracted, tired, irritated, and selfish but I will discipline myself to be there, and I will want to be there...I will be all there.