Easter Craft

I am planning my daughter's Easter party for her preschool and ran across this simple and cute craft that I plan to do with her class. It uses a coffee filter, markers, or my favorite- the Do-A-Dot Art Sponge Tip Applicators ( they make dots!), and a pipe cleaner. My daughter colored this butterfly herself using the Do-A-Dots on the coffee filter. I then gathered up the filter together in the middle and secured it with the pipe cleaner. I made the pipe cleaner curly by wrapping it around a pencil.  It turned out super cute, but what I love the most is the significance of the butterfly. The butterly is a symbol of the new life we have in Jesus because He died on the cross for our sins and rose again. I enjoyed having this discussion with my daughter while she made the butterfly. The butterfly serves as a reminder that if we put our faith in Him we will have new life not only on this earth but in heaven when we live with Him for eternity.

Devotion #12- The Look

"Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." James 1:19

 

I was recently the recipient of  "the look." You know the one. The one that says, "What is wrong with you? Why can't control your kid!" The one that makes all your insecurities as a mom come bubbling up and your cheeks glow hot and your mind frantically race. I'm sure I've had that look aimed in my direction countless times, but somehow I have always managed to be stealthy, keeping my head low and eyes diverted so as to avoid possible eye contact just long enough to get out of there as quickly as possible. My sister calls them "circling the wagons" moments. You get your little tribe together and all their paraphernalia gathered in record time and flee, never looking back for fear of what you may find.

I was at a Weight Watchers meeting feeling accomplished that I had actually lost weight for several weeks in a row and proud that I would find the bravery to bring my 18 month old with me to the meeting knowing that she is highly mobile and loves to destroy things. I was attending on a day when I don't typically go without my friend and her baby who provide additional entertainment reinforcements.  This particular day I was sitting in the back with tons of snacks, ironic at a Weight Watchers meeting, with quiet books trying to keep my wandering socialite under control. This particular meeting she sat on the laps of at least three Grandmotherly types in close proximity who honestly seemed to enjoy her and thought she was cute- all except for the highly vocal one across the room.

During a loud segment of the meeting my little one decided to get on the floor and scream. I knew she would get up fast if I ignored her so that is just what I did and sure enough it worked. Disaster averted or so I thought. A head whipped around and the stare lasted a little too long to be friendly. The funny thing is I initially thought the older lady giving me the look was actually being friendly so I enthusiastically smiled back at her but then I noticed her eyes narrow and I heard her say loudly to the woman behind her and to whomever cared to listen, "Cuteness only goes so far!"

 It took just one long, hard look. I sat there with my thoughts becoming more and more defensive. "Did that lady even have kids!? I'd like to see her come back here and trade places with me and deal with tantrums and chase a toddler until she's tired!" "I'd like to see her resist stress eating her weight in goldfish or animal crackers!"

I have always admired people who are quick witted. My mom was quick witted while I was always stunned into silence during a confrontation, feeling sick to my stomach and looking for the nearest exit which never appeared close enough for comfort. I grew up wondering why I wasn't more like her- fearless. Recently during my Bible study time I was reminded in James 1:19 "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." James goes on to say later that God doesn't want us to respond to others carelessly.  Instead we are to be peace-loving, considerate, full of mercy, and sincere. This passage gave me a new perspective of my seeming weakness in my mind to hold my own during confrontations with strangers. It wasn't a weakness but actually a blessing.

 

Quietly, softly like the gentle tug of a little one at my sleeve I heard, "Pray for her because you don't know what she is going through right now." It was so easy for me to wallow in my sea of emotions and miss the subtle lesson intended for me in that moment- it's not always about me. How simple to pray but so powerful. I will most likely never see the ripples that my prayer pebble created, but they are there nevertheless.

Devotion #11- "Seek Ye First" Experiment Part 3

 

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:33 (KJV)

 

I am realizing more and more the power of spending time in God's word.  I love how the same scripture can speak to me differently at different times in my life and it is always what I need at just the right moment. I love that the more time I spend in the word and the more ways I try to get the word into my soul (family devotions, personal Bible study, reading Christian books, listening to Christian music) God will weave themes throughout that directly speak to me. If you are looking for Him and seeking Him, He will not let you down. You will not leave His presence empty handed. He rewards our seeking with more peace I have found. He has the undistorted mirror of truth. Why would I look in my dim mirror that is warped and cracked when I can see clearly His truth when I spend time with Him? If I use this world's mirror I will become confused and disoriented to the point where I am rendered completely ineffective and I will feel that lack and emptiness in my bones. It will ooze into all areas of my life and create a sense of hopelessness. If we look for Him we will find Him.  

Ann Voskamp in her book One Thousand Gifts talks about having a spiritual experience at her kitchen sink washing dishes. "And I only notice because I'm looking for this and it's the rays falling, reflecting off the outer surface of a bubble...off the rim of bubble's inner skin...and where they meet, this interference of life, iridescence on the bubble's arch, violet, magenta, blue-green, yellow-gold."  Our everyday lives are filled with awe and wonder of our creator if we will only take the time to notice. How we must grieve Him by our busyness and failure to fully see the gifts He gives us- a gorgeous sunset, a peace-filled moment, spring erupting once again, a healthy family. Open your eyes to the miracle that surrounds each and every day. That is how much our heavenly Father loves us. 

I read somewhere that obedience leads to blessing and that has been so true in my "Seek Ye First" experiment. What started out as a forced, disciplined time with God has lead to a deep yearning in my soul to spend time with Him and a new appreciation of His word.  The blessings have been enormous. I have been keeping a list of what I call my "These Things Shall Be Added Blessings."  Here is just a quick sampling:  a more peaceful home, calmer children, patience with my children, more marital grace extended, better time management, honest relationships with extended family,  less stress, motivation to take better care of myself by eating better and exercising which has led to losing a substantial amount of weight, my four year old interested in her own daily Bible activity time since she sees me spending time in the Bible and hears me talking about it,  family devotion time,  and an enjoyment for my life and a feeling of fulfillment in my stay-at-home mom role.  Life is still hectic and busy and full to bursting, but I don't feel like I am fighting against an unseen current clawing my way along the muddy bottom making pitiful progress despite the effort. Instead, the power of the current is propelling me forward and I am riding the wave in wonder of the view from the top with this overwhelming sense of joy and thankfulness to be allowed on the ride.  

The best part is that these blessings are not mine alone, but you can't afford to wait until you feel like it to respond to God's gentle wooing. It is worth fighting your inner resistance. The want to will come later once you taste and see that the Lord is truly good for yourself. The cost is everything and it is worth the price to have the Creator of the Universe as your constant companion and guide through this crazy, wonderful gift of life.

 

Devotion #10- "Seek Ye First" Experiment Part 2

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:33 (KJV) 

 

What finally did end up working for me was putting God first by giving Him the best time of my day, not what should have been my best time or someone else's best time, but what actually was my best time of the day. This change of attitude made all the difference. I'm sure it will change with the seasons of life, but for now this is what works. After lunch I put my 19 month old down for a nap and my oldest is given a Bible activity to do while I go into the living room and spend quality time with God in my Bible doing an end-depth Bible study, writing, and praying.  

By giving Him my best time, I am giving Him a sacrifice of my time trusting that He will give me that time back later in the day to tackle the dishes, the laundry, the cleaning- anything that I have put on hold in order to meet with Him. Somehow, the time is never missed, and often I am using that time to talk to Him or think about scripture and what I have recently learned. I was planning to have more time for writing once my four year old started pre-school this past fall, but I knew that making time for seeking Him above all had to come first. The miracle of that sacrifice is that my writing has now bubbled over from my time with Him.  

I do still check in with God first thing in the morning and pray, but I have found that for me this time in the morning is not the best for an in-depth prayer time or Bible study. I tend to pray while I make my bed. For some reason it just feels right in my soul to make order out of disorder and at the same time thank God for my life and all my blessings. It starts my day with an expectant spirit about what He had prepared for me.  If I were to rely on this time alone as my only time with God though it would not be enough.  It could easily turn into a "drive thru" prayer mentality with God-  I'll say hey and put in my order hoping to get a quick response and get what I want and then I will be on my way doing things my way. A relationship with God doesn't work like that or any relationship for that matter.  Without more time with God later in the day life starts to suffocate me much like a boa constrictor sucks out life breath. The quiet time helps me to breathe easier.  I begin to crave time with him more and more. What started out as a seeking because I recognized my need, began a daily longing to have quiet time. I have come to realize that I don't need more girl time or pedicures or me time. What I need more than anything is more Thee time. 

So I can say all these things to encourage you, but it comes down initially to faith. Will you trust that God will meet you? Will you make Him the focus of  your moments? I have heard it said that how you spend your moments is how you end up spending your life.  I love God's seeming contradictions... for those moments will become big ones.

 

I will continue to share more of my journey in "seeking Him first" by exploring more on "these things shall be added"  in the next devotion.

Devotion #9- "Seek Ye First" Experiment Part 1

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:33 (KJV) 

Last fall I embarked on an experiment of sorts. I was frustrated from getting that "spinning wheels" feeling multiple times a day. I had grown weary from hearing that I should just "put God first" and that would solve everything.  What did that look like in a busy family with young children? Was it even possible or something reserved only for monastics? I decided to find out. I began by signing up for an in-depth Bible study. It had been years since I had been part of one and I was nervous that the nightly homework would prove to be too much with the many responsibilities of having young children and trying to run a home.  Regardless,  I knew that I needed to make time with God a priority in my life, but my previous attempts had sadly been just that- attempts. 

I had tried earlier in the year to read through the Bible yet again, a New Year's resolution I had made so many times before that always seemed to last until April or Deuteronomy, whichever came first. Somehow, I would get behind on my daily reading plan and instead of continuing on, I would give up. Crazy, I know. Why give up? Just keep going for goodness sakes! Who cares if you read through the Bible in thirteen months instead of twelve! Those unchecked boxes on my reading plan mocked me. The legalist in me just couldn't cope with the failure.   

I had tried getting up earlier in the morning for a devotion time to start my day. These never worked for me either. Somehow my kids would know that I was up. My preschooler would get in my bed and the baby would start to cry. How they knew that I was up when all I would do is turn on my bedroom light and read my devotion book in an over- stuffed leather chair in the corner will forever remain a mystery.

I also tried putting devotion books in various places around the house in an attempt to use spare moments to focus on God. This did help but only to a point. I would be in the middle of a reading when the interruptions would inevitably start. 

So my conclusion was that reading through the Bible without a clear purpose like questions to answer or some thought to focus on wasn't working for me. Any good reading teacher will tell you that comprehension starts with a purpose for reading. For me, not setting a purpose was setting me up for confusion when I read. Getting up early in the morning wasn't working either. I have to admit that I felt extreme guilt over this one not working as I had always heard that having time with God first thing was the best time. David even talks about it in the Bible. Randomly  reading devotions felt just that- too random. I needed something more intentional and purposeful. Bits of moments with God wasn't enough. I recognized the depth of my empty soul. Plain and simple- I was desperate in my need for more of Him and I wasn't getting relief from these scraps.

I will continue to share more of my journey in "seeking Him first" and what did end up working for me in the next devotion.

Devotion #8- Holiday Organizing

"For God is not a God of disorder but peace." 1 Corinthians 14:33

 

Over the weekend I was finally able to tackle a project that has been lingering for months on my list of things to do and frankly I was sick of seeing it written on the top of my calendar each week. I have been using a notebook for several years to keep lists of my Christmas tasks. Things like gifts given, thank you notes sent, things to do, card lists, and meal plans are all included in it. It has helped me over the years to not feel as stressed and it keeps me mindful of what I have done in the past and what has worked and what has not worked thus alleviating the need for me to recreate the wheel every year so to speak.

 

I had been feeling, however, that my notebook system was getting a little messy and needed an overhaul. I had shoved various magazine articles and emails in it so it had become harder to find things. Over Thanksgiving my sweet husband accidentally spilled turkey drippings all over it as he assisted me in my need to make gravy from scratch. The gravy turned out surprisingly well, but the notebook did not forcing me to take action. Instead of using a notebook this time I decided to use a binder with page protectors. I created four sections and labeled them Traditions, Christmas Information,  Card List, and Recipes.

 

The Traditions section includes a list of our family traditions. Doing this helped me to decide on what activities I value and want to make time for during this busy season. I was able to see what is important to me so now when other opportunities and activities come up I can easily decide what things should stay on our schedule and what things just aren't important for our family. For instance, we found a great place to view Christmas lights this year so I included the address in this section because it would be hard to find without it. I also included a magazine article which included "Elf on the Shelf" ideas.

 

The Christmas Information section is the main part of the binder. I have a page protector designated for each year. In each page protector I have a list of Christmas gifts given that year and to whom, meal plans for all holiday meals cooked, and a list of thank you notes sent and for what gifts. I never have to worry that I have given the same gift twice. I also don't have to keep coming up with new meal plans. I see what worked and can go with that again.

 

The Card List section allows me to quickly see how many Christmas cards I need to buy. It also served as a great help when it came time to send out birth announcements. I never have to go through my address book again hoping that I haven't forgotten someone.

 

The Recipes section is a page protector with all the tried and true recipes that I use. I had gotten tired of gathering all my recipes before the holidays to create my shopping list. Now all the recipes are right together and easy to find. Most of these recipes I never cook during the year anyway so it made sense for me to keep them together. 

 

I also decorated the cover of my binder using Christmas scrapbook supplies. Someday perhaps my girls will enjoy looking over the binder reminiscing about holidays long gone. I know I would have loved something like this from my mom. So it ends up not only being a practical help, but a memory keeper as well. Completing this project makes me feel less stress and more peace about the next holiday season. I want to enjoy the holidays with my family and not feel burdened by all that needs to be done. Being organized in this way helps to make that a reality. I want to focus on the real reason for the season and make sure that Jesus is our focus- not my list of things still left to do!

I Woke Up

I woke up this morning to a quiet, dark house and a little body crawling into bed with me whispering that she was cold.

I woke up this morning to no power and an inside temperature of 58.

I woke up this morning to the outside thermometer reading 19.

I woke up this morning to the realization that there would be no hair dryer for me, no oatmeal for the 18 month old and no Curious George for the four year old.

 I woke up this morning to no home phone and a cell phone that provides spotty reception since we live surrounded by trees.

I woke up this morning to the need to put coats and gloves on the girls while we sat and ate our breakfast.

I woke up this morning wondering if I would be able to manually open the garage door allowing me to take my oldest to preschool since my husband who typically does that kind of thing is out of town.

I woke up this morning to the realization that for too many this is their everyday existence being cold and trapped with nowhere to go to escape the ache in their bones.

I woke up this morning and thanked God for my blessings realizing that I have been blessed not to hoard them as they will rot and stink just like the manna of old did for the Israelites, but I am blessed to pass them freely along with an open hand holding tightly only to the One who will never let me go even if my hand threatens to slip away from His.