#267 - MOM, You Are Enough Just As You ARE!

Happy Mother's Day! :) If you are a mom, today's blog is devoted to you!

Proverbs 31:28 - Her children rise up and call her blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied); and her husband boasts of and praises her...

Lets just say, yesterday was one of THOSE days! Many of you mom's out there maybe able to relate if you have young kids, but even for those mom's with older kids, this is for you! If you can hang with me until the end of the post… there really is a message for you! :)

Day in the Life…
It was Tyler's Day of Rest, which we both highly value our Day of Rest. The day that we can just have "me-time" to unwind, recharge & not do ANY work. The kids and I were going to HEAD OUT to run errands, always an interesting thing with 3 kids 4 years old and under, but we wanted to give dad some space & quiet. (AS I write this, on Mother's Day, Tyler went upstairs to check on Trinity, who is 2, as she was just waking up…. never a good sign when you hear bath water running. Uh-oh!)

Anyways… back to yesterday… I'm going to try not to go into too many details of our interesting day yesterday, but you have to know everything to really appreciate the whole picture!!! We started getting ready to head out around 10:30.

• Before leaving, I had to change Tyler Jr TWICE. Our kids walk in DIVINE health in Jesus name, but some things were going around at pre-school, and Tyler Jr had the squirts. #possibleTMI
• Tyler and Trinity were playing, and Tyler Jr shoved Trinity down, so he got a spanking. (We do time-outs a lot, but if it is something mean or deliberate, or something they know better, they get a spanking). 
• Loaded Tyler Jr and Trinity up in the van while I'm finishing their summer schedule at the kitchen table (one of our errands - to go pay MyGym) and packing Timothy up. The door leading to the garage was open and the van door open so I could see and hear (and load Timothy right in). All of the sudden, I hear a very loud RACE CAR (van) ENGINE REV'ING! Tyler Jr had come to the front seat and was playing with nobs, and pressed the gas. This was not the first time this had happened and he was told NOT to do that, probably the 4th. I screamed b/c it scared me, Timothy immediately started crying because I was loud and the van was loud. Then I went out to get Tyler Jr. He knew he was in trouble. I brought him inside and we sat down (as Timothy is still crying). Now Tyler Jr is crying, while apologizing, "I'm sorry mommy. It will never never happen again." As a sanguine child, he always is soooo remorseful when he does something wrong. BUT, in the past the "never never happen again" doesn't always play through and truly "never happen again." As we were sitting there, I told him, "Tyler Jr, I'm going to pray and ask the Holy Spirit if you need to get a spanking for this. What you did is VERY dangerous. When you play with nobs in the van, and press on the gas, that is VERY dangerous." My flesh didn't want to spank him (because he truly did look very remorseful), but as I asked the Holy Spirit, he said yes. This was the 4th time! Need to connect the BUTT with the BRAIN! So… spanking #2!
• Upon waking, Trinity took off her diaper and got poop smeared on her carpet, bed, sheets and door. Lovely. She was given a warning. 
• We FINALLY left the house around 12:30!
  

  

  Do you ever have days where you FEEL like how Trinity
  LOOKS in this picture?!

• Got back home, I laid Trinity down for her nap & went back in her room about 15 minutes after she was in there to check on her. She had taken off her diaper and got poop smeared on her carpet, bed bumper pads and rug! SECOND TIME in one day! If this wasn't about the 4th time this week….. but this time I followed through on the warning and she got a little spanking. My 3rd spanking of a child for this day! (I rarely have to spank, so this was quite an exception day!)
• PRAISE THE LORD - we got a last minute babysitter (after the day I was having, I needed out!!) for a date night. She got to our house and said the neighbors door was wide open and their dogs (3 of the 5!) were out. 
• I went outside to see if Ms Patti knew her door was wide open. As I was in our driveway, getting ready to go holler for her, the white poodle came barking at me. I decided NOT to go to her door because their big boxer was barking and I was getting "chased" by the poodle. Then, while in my driveway, the poodle jumped up on my hamstring and BIT ME!!!! BIT ME!!!(which is now black and blue).

REALLY?! Could the day get much more interesting?!?! 

Crying in my closet, partially from pain, partially from exhaustion, partially because my post-baby body I couldn't find anything to wear. I just wanted to get out of the house.  We left, went and ate (while in line, I got a phone call asking if Trinity had a diaper on when she went down for her nap - b/c it was off and poop everywhere - 3rd time!!!) and went to see the movie, "Mom's Night Out." 

At this point, I just wanted to unplug my brain! As long as my kids ate something for dinner, ANYTHING, popcorn, candy, chips (I didn't care) and went to bed before I got home, I would be happy! 

So… the movie was GREAT!!!! SOOOOO funny!!!! Tyler even LOVED it! It was OUR LIFE!!! The mini-van, the mom cleaning only for her house to get destroyed just hours later by kids, the mom escaping into her closet to get a break and hide while eating chocolate! I thought, "This is MY life!!!" 

When we chose the movie, I didn't know it was made by some of the same producers of Facing the Giants, a great Christian movie. SO, WHO KNEW that during a movie, I was going to be so ministered to and reaffirmed that GOD made me to be a mom, and despite the chaos at times, the messes, I was JUST ENOUGH being me! I even cried twice during the movie. 

Then… when we got home last night, looking at a card on the counter that I was getting ready to mail, I remembered. A few months ago, a girl I know was hit by a drunk driver and her 2 year old son Josiah was killed. ……………………………………………..

…………………………………

……………………

It sunk in. And I thanked God. She would give ANYTHING to be cleaning up poop off the carpet. She would scrub the poop with tears of JOY! If only she could do that. My Timothy's middle name is Josiah. Timothy Isaac Josiah McCart. 

So friend, despite whatever chaos may be going on in your life… maybe you've even had days like my day yesterday…. despite it all, God loves you and sees you! You ARE good enough! You were made to be the mom of your kids! And even on the roughest of days, the days you want to go hide in your closet and eat chocolate, THAT'S OK! God loves you and sees you AND you are a GREAT mom!!

I decided for me, I'm going to enjoy this time. I'm going to stay in the moment. I'm going to THANK GOD for the opportunity to be the mom of my kids, poop and all! 

What are YOU thankful for on this Mother's Day? I would love to hear your thoughts!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! 

#67 - "Tell them, I will hear their cries."

Good morning. It is definitely turning fall here in South Carolina. It's nice. :) Summer has been great... but the breeze of fall is welcoming and refreshing. Can you believe that Christmas is not far away? In the meantime, Tyler and I have been discussing and trying to plan a trip for our 10 year anniversary. 5 days. Will it be Vail? Aspen? Northern Michigan? Vegas? Or the Caribbean? Cold or warm? Well...we are just thanking God for giving us wisdom and letting us know the perfect place. Quaint. If it was a ski place. A chalet would be nice.... or a suite in the lodge. Where we could just ski out of the back door, not have to drive anywhere.  Coffee. Good food. Hot tubs. Pools. Just nice, yah know? Or... warm... the feeling of Venice or Italy. You walk out and enjoy lunch outdoors, drinking in the smells.... enjoying authentic spaghetti, tastes you have never experienced in such a rich fashion. Wrap your hands around a mug, while sitting in a cafe, drinking in the taste and aroma of good coffee. Though I doubt this time we will go as Italy or Venice, you get the idea. So... we are excited about what it will be, knowing God has the perfect place, the perfect price and the perfect experience. :) 


Ok... let's see what He has to say today...


Reading Schedule: Proverbs 31:10-31, Proverbs 13, Psalms 13, 43, 73, 103, 143

Proverbs 13:10 - By pride and insolence comes only contention, but with the well-advised is skillful and godly Wisdom.

Psalms 13:2a - How long must I lay up cares within me and have sorrow in my heart day after day?

Psalms 73:16-17, 28a - But when I considered how to understand this, it was too great an effort for me and too painful. Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood... But it is good for me to draw near to God...

Psalms 143:1a - Hear my prayer, O Lord...

Proverbs 31:15 - She rises while it is yet night and gets (spiritual) food...

Pride.... here are some of the definitions and synonyms given in the dictionary:

• a high opinion of one's own dignity.... a high opinion of one's self. 
• imply an unduly favorable idea of one's own appearance
• a lofty and often arrogant assumption of superiority

And... contention is another word for strife. So we could say, "with pride comes strife... esteeming yourself higher than you are causes strife....being arrogant or self-centered brings strife."

How long must I lay up cares within me ... 


Have you ever felt like the following? Why do bad things happen to me? Why does my life seem like such chaos? Chaos. Annoyed all the time. Frustrated. Always in a hurry. If it's not one thing, it's the next. I'm always busy, in a hurry. No time for me. Arguments with my spouse. My friends aren't very good friends. Troubled relationships. Specific people who are a major 'thorn' in my life. AHH! Everything is just so annoying! I live in a constant world of frustration. 


Have you considered that maybe nothing will change until YOU go into the sanctuary of God ? That strife in your marriage, strife in your work, strife in your relationships, strife with your kids, strife in your life.... that you will continue to live in a state of strife until something changes? Until YOU decide to get before the throne.... to take that 1st, awkward time and actually approach God? Like Julia Roberts in the movie Eat, Pray Love, "Hi God. Nice to meet You. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to talk to You. But, I need your help. I really need your help. I need answers." She cried. Have you ever considered that NOTHING changes until SOMETHING changes? 


In reading the verses today... I asked the Holy Spirit what His thoughts were about all this... this is what He told me: 

There are people Amy, who do call themselves Christians but really do not know ME. They go about filling their lives with everything BUT ME. They fill their lives with idols & other gods, with hobbies. They murmur & complain and then wonder why their life "sucks." Amy those very people don't even ask or acknowledge Me for help. They are to busy doing everything else, while parts of their life is in turmoil. Yes, they are going to heaven, but why live this hell on earth with chaos & turmoil when if they just turned to ME, I WOULD give them direction. I would answer their questions. I would help. There are some that will just continue in life, being miserable, complaining, and not every truly knowing Me. Help these people. Help awaken the few who will change & turn to Me. Who will make Me #1 in their life above all else. You can't save them all. They have to choose to save themselves. They have to choose to change. Tell them I will answer their cries. 

Yah... the first time may feel really weird. The first time when you come to God. Like Julia, you may be in your bathroom in the middle of the night, get on your knees and begin to cry. You may be in your car. You may bring your Bible and go sit on your porch..... and there, you begin with, "Hi God. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to come talk to you. Hi." You feel awkward, you feel weird and maybe even silly. You look around and kinda hope that no one is watching or listening. This introduction, all the while, you know that HE knows who you are, and HE knows everything about you, but He is a complete stranger. And... there.... there you begin. You begin a relationship. One that you want to grow. You desire to KNOW, really KNOW Him. You desire to have direction. You desire to really, truly BE happy and find happiness. You desire to be fulfilled and not continue having that empty feeling inside. The void that you have been trying to fit EVERYTHING else in it's place. Soccer practice, the mom's group, running, working out, craft projects, your children, your spouse, obsessively cleaning your house all the time, staying at work late, taking on extra projects just to stay busy, or brainlessly sitting in front of the TV while life itself drifts away... you not making even a dent of impact. The VOID. You begin to fill the void with the ONLY Person who can really fill it to the full, until it overflows and is running over. You begin to crave this spiritual food in a relationship with Jesus. That just like breakfast, lunch and dinner... and fasting from those would leave you hungry and extremely famished.... that the same would be true in your time with Jesus. That not having it, not getting that food would leave you hungry and unsatisfied. 


I pray if this is you, that you will decide to take the first step... and then that you continue with the 2nd and the 3rd... that you work past the introductions, and awkwardness of a new relationship, and that you would work to a friendship, a love, a peace, fulfillment, a wholeness that you have never experienced in your life. 


It is there for you. And like He said to me, "Tell them I will answer their cries."


Will you make Him #1. Put down the idols. Let the dishes wait. Will you let HIM fill the #1 place in your life? 


Start today. 

#39 - Power of Association

Good morning! As I sit here at my kitchen table...I just realized why I almost always have my quiet time outside on the screened in porch... lack of clutter! It is so nice to just have "your place" that you go to spend time with God. To spend time in the Word. Listening, reading. A place that is special. Or at least, the more time you spend there, the more special it becomes. A time that can be filled with revelations and "ah-ha" moments. This morning I stayed inside, at my kitchen table because I knew it would be a quicker morning than usual. We are going out of town this afternoon, and I have a lot to do before we leave. And... yes.... clutter of a kitchen table. I heard once this lady say how to cut down on "clutter".... she said, "When you come in to your home, don't lay something down, put it away." We are still working on that!!! I definitely don't like clutter...not to mention, clutter creates a little bit of "chaos." If not in the actual home, just in your spirit. If words could be married.... I think these words go together: clutter & chaos, organization & peace. It's like when you walk in a cluttered house, you just feel uneasy, yucky. But when you walk in and things are put away and neat, you just feel at peace. Well, I am still working on certain areas staying un-cluttered in our home, especially the kitchen table and kitchen bar.


Ok... well, let's roll....

Proverbs 23:20 - Do not associate with winebibbers; be not among them nor among gluttonous eaters of meat.

Proverbs 31:18 - She tastes and sees that her gain from work [with and for God] is good...

This morning there were so many good directions we could go; food (v 1-3), wealth (v 4-5), thoughts (v 7), discipline (v 13-14), envy (v 17), hope & expectation (v 18), truth (v 23), wine (v 30-35). Since Proverbs 23 talked so much about gluttons, eating, drinking... it actually began the chapter with the danger of being a glutton, and ended the chapter talking about being drunk.... the verse almost in the middle talked about both. That seemed like an appropriate verse to park on for today. 


Since we don't use the word "winebibbers" on a daily basis... I thought I'd look it up and see what the meaning was in the dictionary. To my expectation, it means "drunkard" or "a person who drinks much wine." How powerful is the beginning of Proverbs 23?! Do not associate with. Wow. We have read a lot of books, listened to a lot of CD's that talk about the POWER of association. And here, in the #1 book of all times, is also directing us in who NOT to associate with. Do not associate with drunks... and do not associate with gluttonous eaters. The dictionary calls a glutton, "a person who eats and drinks excessively or voraciously." A glutton, most often are probably the people who are overweight. A glutton or winebibber, they lack discipline or restraint from drinking or eating. They overdo it. They are excessive. 


So what's the deal with the POWER OF ASSOCIATION? I have heard a very common quote many times over the last 10 years... you may have heard it as well, but it goes like this: "You can determine where you will be in 5 years by looking at the people you associate with and the books you read." Another one on association: "Your income is most likely within $5,000 from the circle of friends you hang out with." A good rule of thumb:

• If you want to be a drunk, hang out with partier's.
• If you want to be fat, hang out with people who overeat.
• If you want to be poor, hang out with broke people.
• If you want to be negative, hang out with people who always complain or have something bad to say.
• If you want to be wealthy, hang out with wealthy people.
• If you want to be fit, hang out with fit people. 
• If you want to be motivated, hang out with people who have a dream, who are going somewhere.
• If you want to have a great walk with the Lord, hang out with passionate Christians.
• If you want to quit smoking, hang out with NON-smokers. 
• If you want to have a better, more positive attitude, hang out with optimistic, positive people.

If you are always with people who drink alcohol, you will most likely mirror what they do. Looking at your association is much like looking in the mirror. You most likely will begin to mirror and look like, and do the same things that those people you hang out with do. 


Who is your DREAM YOU? Find who that person is. Go out of your way to spend time with them. Ask if you can buy them a cup of coffee. Once a week. Once a month. Just get around them. Surround yourself with people who are in life where you want to be! Ask if you can buy them lunch. Even if it was just once/month. Ask them questions. "How did you get where you are? What books did you read? How did you overcome the hurdles along the way?" Everyone has an innate desire within themselves to help someone else. ESPECIALLY if the person is asking them questions. It is an honor. People love to feel special. 


Our Proverbs 31 friend... she tastes and sees. She enjoys the fruits of her labor. If she bakes a chocolate cake, she enjoys a piece. She doesn't eat the whole thing! :), but she enjoys it. Enjoy life, but don't be excessive. 


Is overeating a problem? Begin to take small steps. Cut your food in half. Serve your plate from the stove, don't bring the whole dish to the table. Get chips or pretzels out of the bag, measure them out, then put the bag back in your pantry versus sitting on the couch with a WHOLE bag of chips! Out to eat? Cut your food in half and ask for a box before you even get your plate. Put half of it away before even starting. Or split a meal with your spouse. You will be surprised that you really are satisfied. Chips and junk-food a problem? Don't even buy them when you grocery shop then! Buy fruits, veggies, yogurt, jello, sugar-free pudding, carmel rice cakes. Set yourself up to win. 


Is drinking a problem? Change your association. If all your friends are drinkers and partier's, begin add some new association, become part of a new group, get involved with a young singles group at church, or business team, or softball team. Do something that gets you away from your "old association."


Take control of your life! If you do not do it now, 5 years from now you will be older, fatter, poorer, and not a bit happier. Choose wisely who you associate with. 


Be who you've always dreamed you could be. Be the dream YOU! Start today with your association!