Ways I Know My Kids Have A Good Dad…

So this was our week of spring break. I so enjoy my husband being home more during weeks like these (most of the time anyway ). I was reminded this week of what a great dad my kids have. He’s really a dream dad in many ways. I thought I’d list a few for posterity’s sake… or for when he irritates me again and I need to be reminded! lol!

So here are some of the ways I know my kids have a great Dad:

• My daughter (11) just got her Easter dress in the mail. She was EAGERLY anticipating this package. She did what all girls do… she immediately washed her hands and put it on. She went to her dad and said, “Do you like my dress, Daddy?” She then blushed a little. Of course he loved it… how could he not? The fact that she wanted to show Daddy her new dress reminded of what a great dad my kids have.
• I know my kids have a good dad when the neighborhood kids knock on the door wanting to know if Greg can come out and play with my other kids. Good… I’d say a sign my kids have a GREAT dad!
• Yesterday boy2 wanted Greg to come play with him in the gym. He was aggravating the stew out of him if the truth be told. So once he had some free time Greg took him to the gym. A couple of my kids followed along. A little while later girl1 came in from outside and asked, “Where’s Dad?” I responded, “He went with boy2 to the gym to play.” She decided to go play in the gym where her daddy was rather than going back outside. You know your kids have a good dad when they choose were to play based on where he IS rather than where he IS NOT.
• The number one way I know my kids have a good dad is that Greg is actively seeking to share Christ with his children as well as children in the city of New Orleans. He takes it seriously. That is a great dad.

I’m so blessed to have a Godly man as my husband and the father of my children…

Malachi 4:6
He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers

 

“YESsss!”… “Cha-ching!”…. “OH YEAHHHH”… Homeschool Victory of the Week!

I suppose it was Tuesday of this week and I was doing laundry. Of course, that could be most any day but I believe it was Tuesday. Boy3 (2nd Grader) walks in to the mud room and shows me his work on the Flashmaster.

I highly recommend the Flash Master if sitting with your child doing flashcards makes you think you’ll loose your mind. WELL worth EV-ER-Y penny!!! I make  no money from them This is a great, compact, electronic tool that functions practically as a flashcard-computer. You can drill addition, subtraction, multiplication as well as division facts. You set the level of difficulty and if you want the missed problems repeated or not. Ok. Comercial over.

Boy3 is supposed to be working speed drills on addition and subtraction. He shows me the flashmaster and it’s set on multiplication tables. “Oh, Boy3, look… you’re supposed to be doing addition and subtraction speed drills… not multiplication… you have to switch it out after Boy2 (4th grader) does his work.”

Here’s the Hallelujah Chorus moment…

“Oh, mom… I know how to do multiplication.”

“What? How?” (All the while I’m thinkin’, “yeah right.”)

“Boy2 taught me last week.”

“I’m sorry? Did you say Boy2 taught you?”

“Yeah, he taught me how to multiply numbers up to 2.” (translation: 0, 1 and 2 facts)

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! V I C T O R Y! (Insert party dance here!)

He then proceeded to show me how he could work a set on his own with 100% accuracy.

This is one of the most rewarding moments as a homeschooling mom… when a big kid teaches a younger sibling how to do something. This time I was doulbly rewarded. He taught him MULTIPLICATION!!! It’s so good for all parties involved. When a big kid teaches a younger child they really have to think through the steps, the logic, the history or whatever is required for that particular task. They become the teacher and that is so good for their leadership skills. Not to mention that they take the time, effort and dare I say love required to teach that younger child.

I was so proud.

Now what? On to the 3s.

I hate multiplication tables… have I mentioned that?

 

My First Valentine

I’m not talking about my classmate who sheepishly walked around the corner of my home in first grade to deliver a little red heart with 7 or so candies in it. I’m talking about my Daddy.

Daddy in his letter jacket...

Every year on Valentines day for as long as I can remember my Daddy would go down to Don’s Drugs and purchase the largest box of heart shaped candies they sold. That was for my Mom. The second largest box in the store went to me. Typically, he presented it to me before I was off to school.

Dad had many faults. The greatest of which was that he was an alcoholic. He had been for years before my birth. Dad grew up with much less than the average kid. I’ve heard my Aunt Pat and Uncle Jerry talk about my Papaw Jones and the family during their share-cropping days. It was by all accounts a difficult life. Dad was a handsome man. I’ve heard many people (women especially mention that my Daddy was the “most handsome man in Jones County). Based on photos, I think they were on to something.

Dad joined the army at the young age 17 (legend has it that he may have fudged on his age to be enlisted).  He quickly found himself on the front lines of the Korean war. Vietnam was also in the Lord’s plan for his life. Dad was a soldier. He lived and breathed military and loved each little aspect. I’ll never forget the day that Operation Desert Storm was in full effect. He called the local recruitment office and explained who he was (his rank and such) and told them he was ready and willing to join them. So precious… comical but hysterical none the less.  I’m beyond thrilled to tell you that Daddy accepted the call to be a soldier of the Lord within the last few weeks of his life. Anyone who knew my Daddy would know this was nothing short of a miracle.

Dad in Korea- on the Right

People question if I’m in denial… if I’ve forgotten all the childhood/teenage pain that Dad’s poor decisions made in my life. By no means. I’ll never forget them. They helped shape who I am today. I’m also pleased to say that I chose 20 or so years ago to give all the hurt that growing up in a dysfunctional home provides to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I’m not perfect (ask my husband, hah!) but I’m reminded of the Lord’s grace and mercy. I’m reminded that He chose me and it’s only the Lord’s grace that sustains me daily.

Be encouraged! I’m the first to laugh out loud (literally) when I think of myself being a minister’s wife. Who’d-a-thunk-it? Not me for sure. The Lord is able to use the least of us to accomplish His will. Simply amazing!

I’m so thankful for my first Valentine… I miss him still. I always will, but I’m so thankful to know that I will see him again one day! I love you, Daddy.

Mom & Dad at my wedding in 1995

 

Six-kid Shock

Ok. I love Target… not that it has anything to do with anything important really… just want to make all the other Target loving folk out there jealous. We have a GREAT 2 level Target here in New Orleans (Metairie actually). It’s lovely. FYI.

So the other day I took a rare trip alone to Target… to pick up a “few” things. I saw several times throughout the store a lady with a son who appeared to be around 5. He was a typical, rowdy boy. I mean that in a good way. He was bad by no means but just eager to run off, examine every clothing rack and such. From what I could tell, the mom handled the little guy well. She was beginning to look a little ragged around the edges but kept her chin up.

I get in the check out line and find myself behind the little boy and his mom. He was interested in beef-jerky so mom decided to get him some. She was much more patient than me (something I’m falsley accused of on a regular basis). She was frazzled by this point. Again, he wasn’t being bad but could have had a good, “Stand here, and don’t move… we’re nearly done.” lecture. Mom told him to hand the cashier the beef-jerkey and he suddenly thought he was Drew because he rared back like nobody’s business. Mom intercepted and appologized to the cashier. The kind cashier told her that she had raised 2 sons so she knew he had no ill intentions…

“That’s just the way little boys are.” She said.

At this point the man behind me chimed in about his son…. agreeing that they are busy and such. He then told us his wife just had their second child (a girl) and that they decided, “One and one and we’re done!!!” This was said with great ferver.

I decided to chime in (oh boy). “Yeah, he’s just a boy. We have 3 boys.” I hope you’re smiling at this point .

The man says, “YOU HAVE 3 BOYS! BLESSSS YOUR HEART. We decided, “One and one and we’re done!!!” 

Then I immediately responded, “And 3 girls.” Oh boy.

“WHHHAAATTT!????”

“Yep. 3 girls and 3 boys”

……..*little pause for calculation sake….

“SIX KIDS? We decided, “One and one and we’re done!!!”

“Yes. We have 6 kids. How old is your new baby?”

“2 weeks.”

“Then you’re in now place to decide you’re done…” Said with a belly laugh and smile.

“This must be a blended family of some type.”

“No. They all belong to both of us.”

….. *another pause…

“Do you have any twins???”

“No. No twins. All single births.”

He then was too stunned to ask anymore questions.  I did get a complement at that point from the frazzled mom. That helps off-set the 3 headed looks you get at that point, haha!

I then say in the direction of frazzled mom, “Yeah, boys are always busy… always making messes… but with the girls you have all the great drama.”

Guy behind me, “You must have teenagers!”

“Well, one teenage son and a pre-teen daughter.” (I didn’t bother telling him the drama begins at around 8 months, ha!)

“I ask because I’m a youth minister in Mississippi.” (Of course, that makes you an expert in teenagers)

“OH really!”

Aside: I’m a Mississippi girl so this was interesting

Me: “Where in Mississippi?”

“XYZ town at XYZ First Baptist Church”

“Oh. I grew up in Ellisville.”

“Yeah, I’m here working on my doctorate at the seminary… and my wife is a student. She couldn’t drive since she just had the baby 2 weeks ago… so I drove her down.”

“Really? My husband works at the seminary.”

“Really? What area?

“He’s the chair of the church music division… Greg Woodward. Sorry, I didn’t introduce myself. (hand shake) I’m Michelle Woodward. Nice to meet you.” (This would be a great time to mention that I’m wearing sweats head to toe and I’m pretty sure I was wearing the same make up I fell asleep in the night before.)

Well this is all fine and well. I’m sure this guy is a God-fearing man. He’s most likely a good youth minister and will be a great dad/husband. It’s not my intention to judge. I do find it peculiar at one meeting in a random Target that his opinions were so pronounced regarding having children. I just can’t help think that this man will week after week give his “one and one and we’re done” lecture to his youth group and probably the church in some capacity. Well, that’s real Biblical.

Don’t misunderstand, I realize everyone can not have a large family for whatever reason(s). Many times big families aren’t possible for medical reasons. This is NOT what I’m talking about. I AM suggesting that God’s will for the vast majority of the world today isn’t, “One and one and we’re done.” While I can not give you a pie chart of “God’s perfect will for family size,” I do see evidence in His word that He likes full quivers…. that having a large family is a blessing. I am suggesting that the church has bought into the lies of the enemy and has joined hands with the world in this area.

Look at it from a numbers standpoint! Christians should be producing and raising Godly young men and women for the Kingdom.. men and women warriors for Jesus! I’m afraid we will look around in a few years and see that other radical religions have out birthed us while we were fast asleep on the couches of “one and one.”

We need to pray for wisdom and discernment in every area of our lives… giving our entire bodies to the Lord for His purposes. It is not always easy having a big family. It’s not. Some days I can see how easy “one and one” looks. Then the Lord gives us a moment… a reminder that He is in control… that He LOVES children… that He uses children to make Godly men and women for His kingdom. 

Pray. Ask the Lord what He would have for you and your spouse’s family. Then pray for courage to walk in obedience.

 

It’s The Little Things That Will Get Ya’

This is a list I plan on adding to as they come to mind… Feel free to add your “little things.”

• Just about the time you think laundry is caught up… you realize the kids haven’t brought the laundry down from their rooms in a week.
• Do not expect more from a hair-dresser than their head shows.
• The single greatest use of a Q-tip: Getting the glob of mascara off the bridge of your nose that came from the tip of the wand.
• Once grits harden you might as well throw the dish away.
• The first fall-like day always makes you more energetic.
• Interesting things always like boy pockets better than girl pockets.

 

Homeschool Social Woes…

As a homeschooling mom (6 children, 4 school age) I get the socialization questions/concerns on a regular basis.

A couple ball seasons ago I was at the baseball field for Boy1′s game. I was there with all kids in tow (I think Greg was out of town.) I forgot to make sure the stroller was in the van and so I had Girl3 in the carrier on the ground and Girl2 was a crazy maniac (sort of . Either way, it was not ideal. Someone asked that lovely question, “Are ALL these yours?” Ah… “Yes.” Anyone who lives in NOLA knows the next question. “Where do they go to school?” That is a big status symbol here. “They’re homeschooled.” The E N T I R E group on those bleachers looked at me in stunned silence as if I had told them I send them to Jupiter each morning. This one more vocal mom started “the” questions. One of which was socialization.

Let me say that we had been the wierd-ish, Christians all season… and that was fine. I knew I had to give a gracious, God honoring answer.

I tried to tell that lady (and the folks who were tuning in) that there ARE indeed kids who have been  homeschooled and are socially inept. I could name several! I also tell people that I know plenty private/public school kids who are social failures. There are plenty on both sides.

As far as my options here in New Orleans… Just last week we had 8 people shot (several died) within a few miles of our home. I’d be willing to bet that the majority of these shooters were raised by the public schools and were “socialized” there. It’s tragic. I do realize however, that NO is an extreme situation. I don’t think I would turn over my child’s development to the public school here. I’m sure there are great private options if you sell kidneys on the black market… even then, what does that socialization produce? We’re blessed with the options we have.

Public/private schools “teach” our children to “relate” (btw- free sex is a great way to relate) to their peers in a similar age category. I suggest that homeschooled children learn to socialize on many levels. Let me give a couple examples:

My older 4 children (age 8-14) work well with young children… they’ve learned about child development and behavior from their younger sisters. They know how to hold infants, guide toddlers and change diapers. Those are life skills that will benefit them greatly one day… skills that even the best home-ec (do they still teach that?) class can’t teach. I’ve seen adult women that were raised in public schools who can’t function with basic infant care skills- dirty diapers, spit up… (Note: This does not include ALL women) I’m not suggesting this is the FAULT of the school system… just an area where homeschooling could be considered a perk.

Homeschoolers often learn to socialize with sr. adults. Being a musical family often provides great opportunities! My children have been asked to sing for sr. adult luncheons/dinners. They learn how to relate to these precious members of society. Senior adults often need special understanding. These people are often dispised and cast off. There is no class on spending time with seniors in the public/private school system. I’m not suggesting that public/private schools are anti-sr. adult as much as I’m suggesting being homeschooled might create an extra perk in this area.

In our home, our kids must learn to spend 24/7 with their siblings and parents. Their weaknesses are often confronted and they are forced to deal with them. We work through sickness & health. We work as a team; sharing responsibilities to make it all happen. What GREAT socialization! 

Let me just say that this is not true for my kids only! Many homeschooled kids have similar experiences. I’m suggesting that having the opportunity to socialize with different ages is beneficial.

Homeschooling is NOT for everyone. It’s not. But to think that socialization is a legitimate concern is bogus. Let’s just lay this silly concern to rest.

Deal?

See... he looks socialized, right?

 

Happy Birthday Boy3!

This weekend we will celebrate Boy3′s birthday. It’s hard to believe but he will be 8 years old. While we have 6 total children, Boy3 is the “baby boy”… (shhhh… don’t tell him). He will always be my baby boy. I plan on writing a blog around (notice the general term there) each of the children’s birthdays… so October is a great place to start!

October 28, 2003 I had my final OB appointment before I was scheduled to be induced in the wee hours of the next day. Seen as though I was over-due, my midwife tried to encourage things along. She gave me all the proper warnings, instructions and sent me on my way. Where does any mother about to give birth to her 4th child go after her final doctor appointment? Walmart. Yep. I did… I don’t remember what I purchased, but I’m sure milk, bread, sandwich meat, toilet paper, diapers (still had Boy2 in diapers) and some pretty smelling something was on the list.

Greg’s parents and my sweet mom were on their way from Mississippi since we knew that baby boy had no choice but to come the next day. I was trying to clean those messes that guests always find but you were somehow oblivious to when you see them everyday. I had been having some contractions all afternoon… really starting at Walmart but nothing super consistent. At that time Greg was teaching at Truett McConnell college and we had the annual swing dance that night. Greg and I love to dance (yes, we’re Baptist…!) We always have… Show-choir in high-school… school dances (where he won my heart) and whenever a good opportunity arose. That to say, we were NOT going to miss the opportunity for a good, clean dance! So we did. Greg’s parents and Mom graciously kept the kids and we were on our “final date” before the excitement of a new baby.

We’re there and enjoying some instruction on swing dancing and getting a good laugh at a few folks although  most people that attended the swing dances could hold their weight. I have always gained 40 plus pounds with each child and since I’m a whopping 5’2″ that should tell you what I looked like at this stage of the game… E-nor-mous. Now I should go ahead and tell you that I had not told Greg at this point that I had been having contractions virtually all day… I didn’t want to create a stir with parents and such needlessly.  During the dance fun, I was at the point that I was looking down at my watch and needing to stand still for a sec during these contractions. I decided the dance was over for me. I became a wall-flower and sat with some other instructors, staff and friends in the far corner. Greg is still in party mode. “Yes, honey, I’m fine… I just need a rest.” Song after song passes and all the while he is coming over to me… “Come dance!…. WHAT is wrong?…. Are you mad?….. Come dance with me!” I’ve put him off until finally he’s convinced that I’m being snotty and I whispered in his ear, “I’ve been having contractions every 6/7 minutes for the last hour and a half/2 hours. I CAN’T dance.” At that minute it seemed all music and talking stopped; so my whole table heard me… including a nurse. Well, the “panic” set it. “Really, I’m fine! I have realllllly long labors…” I sent Greg off to one last dance… an elderly lady needed a partner and then we were on our way home. Straight to my bed to hunker down for an hour or so. I remembered how HUNGRY I get during those 20 plus hours of labor and my sweet father-in-law went out for a Subway sandwich (not many options in the big city of Cleveland, GA). I grabbed a few things after monitoring and we were off to Habersham Medical Center… strangely calm.

I walked in the ER and the triage folks sent me to the maternity ward. The triage nurse there asked me a bizzare question, “Why are you here?” Seriously? She hooked me up to a machine to make sure I wasn’t nuts. After nearly 3 hours of consistent contractions 5-7 minutes a part I had ONE stinkin’ contraction on that table. An hour on the table and ONE contraction- nothing to make your head spin either. My doctor was in and it was a CRAZY night… too many laboring women for that small hospital. He told her to give me some medicine to “help me rest” (make me shut-up) and put me in a room since I was scheduled to arrive only 6 hours later for an induction. This medicine made made me a little crazy. I remember begging my husband for green tea with lemons… “Is that too much to ask!?”… well at 12 midnight in Habersham county… Yes, it is! He did the right thing, tuck himself in for a few hours sleep before the party really began (and tried to ignore his drugged up wife)

After the medicine wore off, I woke up around 7 with one intense contraction literally on top of another. I realized that the nurse had taken me off the monitor during the night. I immediately woke Greg, told him about the state of my contractions and told him the lady turned off the monitor. Greg’s a pretty nice guy… but he was ANGRY. You see, I had a section with our first so I HAD to stay on the monitor at all times to be sure the baby was ok and that my uterus had not ruptured. He goes yelling down the hallway… the new  nurse on call (Thank you, Lord Jesus! She was GREAT) came in, did an exam and decided to call  my doctor NOW. He is still in the midst of several labors/deliveries… a couple which were more intense- twins and one with great complications. This sweet nurse and my precious husband basically delivered the baby. The doctor walked in to basically tell me to push 3/4 more times and party was over. Since this was my first delivery with no pain medication, I remember saying to Greg, “I’m going to die.” At which point the doctor very unaffected said, “No, you’re not… push.” He was a great Christian doctor who was always friendly and kind… I suppose the the night was wearing on his nerves haha! It makes for a great story.

That was it, October 29th… a BEAUTIFUL North Georgia fall day. My sweet baby boy was born. Brothers and sister came to visit later that day… grandparents… friends… all celebrating the birth of our son. He is a joy to my heart and to my life. I am so excited to see what the Lord does through his life. I pray that he will walk in truth and be a warrior-man for the Kingdom!

 

It’s all about L O V E

I had the privileged of going to see my friend today… Dr. Wirfs. I love Dr. Wirfs but I went because I could tell the fall (albeit questionable here in New Orleans) was taking a toll on my sinuses. I had to break down and make an appointment. Thanks to modern medicine, I am the owner of a celestone shot which gives me an extra energy boost… so I’ll be up for a while! I decided to use my time wisely and post a blog. I decided to share some of the thoughts the Lord is impressing on me.

my baby girls

Strength for the day… If I’m honest, when “those” people (we homeschoolers all know “those” people, ha!) who make comments about how patient I must be… how full my hands are… and how they couldn’t (wouldn’t) want my job… some days I just want to say, “YEP… you are SO right! I”m out of  my impatient mind! I would rather be workin’ a 9 to 5.” Then the Lord allows me a moment like He did just a couple days ago. Girl3 (age 2- in the foreground of this picture) was on her way upstairs to join her siblings in some sort of fun fest. She rounded the corner of the stairwell just out of my sight and her sweet voice said, “I yu you, Mommie.” Ahhhh. The Lord allowed her words to give me the courage to press on one more day! Praise the Lord! He is so faithful to me! He is teaching me to rely on Him for each word, each breath, every action… am I at 100%? Ha! Not even sniffin’ it… I’m a slow learner so I’m thankful I serve a patient God! Having the opportunity to teach my children at home is an incredible responsibility-  not just academics (which are very important, no doubt). It’s the daily goings-on… the little things, if you will, that provide the most opportunities to teach them. I pray the Lord finds me faithful in this great task.

I was so blessed by Boy1 the other day. 3 of the children and I set off to share some Light with a dark area of town. We baked some cookies (well, broke them apart, put them on a greased cookie sheet and put them in a hot oven…. that’s “baking” right?) and had the intention of sharing them with 3 contacts we’ve made in this neighborhood. Stop 1… fail. He wasn’t home. Stop 2… semi-fail. She wasn’t home but I was able to wedge a plate of cookies in her barred door with a note. Stop 3… success. We gave a goodie to a lady having a birthday. GREAT!  Although we have 1 plate of cookies left I start herding my crew toward the van thinking about who to give the last plate to. Before I could think, Girl1 suggested we give the plate to a rather disgruntled looking young man who had been staring at us the whole time. I spoke to him once asking if his neighbor was home… let’s just say he wasn’t “chatty.” He was pretty intimidating from my perspective. Boy 1 responds, “Yeah! Give it to me… I’ll take it.” So he popped out of the van and proceeded up the steps and asked if he would like some cookies (he was a teenager… easy sell). As Boy1 was walking down he waved back at that young man and made some type of statement like, “God bless you, man.” (in a very cool, teenage sort-of way) Wow. THAT is what this is ALL about. Teaching my children to LOVE the unlovely… the “scary”… the hungry… the outcast… the business man/woman in need of a Savior… If I don’t succeed here, I’m a failure. I’ll still be in heaven because I’ve given my life to Christ… but from an earthly sense, I’ve failed with the greatest gifts the Lord has given me… my children. Are they perfect? MERCY NO! haha… we gotta’ long way to go! But the Lord, in His time, is teaching me and He is teaching them. Sure, we gotta get reading, riting and rithmatic… but the Lord is showing me my job here as “teacher” is so much bigger!

It’s ALL about love… not just any love, the love of the one and only God… the King of Kings, Lord of all Lords, Jesus the Christ. The love that would cause a perfect God to choose to come to a fallen world and give His perfect life for me… and you. THAT, my friend, is a powerful love. It’s that love that motivates me to love others… my husband, children, family, friends, church body, stranger down the street and even my enemy. I was so excited to know the Lord may be calling us to New Orleans. I have always loved this city (yes, it has downsides… but there are wonderful aspects as well) Once we were in motion… packing and saying our good-byes I must confess I began to become fearful. I was fearful of moving my family to a city that is marked by evil and crime. Yikes… no thanks, right? We got here, plugged into an amazing church, and started working. I am so thankful that the Lord heard my prayers and has given me a heart for the people of this city. I can remember driving through the city at night, looking over the physical darkness and being aware of the spiritual darkness. I would sing, “You’re the God of this city.” Whether or not the city as a whole realizes that is irrelevant.

What IS love, you may ask?

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1Cor. 13

I love the Lincoln Brewster song… “The Power of Your Name.”  That will be my prayer in closing.

Surely children weren’t made for the streets
And fathers were not made to leave
Surely this isn’t how it should be
Let Your Kingdom come

Surely nations were not made for war
Or the broken meant to be ignored
Surely this just can’t be what You saw
Let Your Kingdom come
Here in my heart

And I will live
To carry *Your* compassion
To love a world that’s broken
To be Your hands and feet
And I will give
With the life that I’ve been given
And go beyond religion
To see the world be changed
By the power of Your name
The power of Your name

Surely life wasn’t made to regret
And the lost were not made to forget
Surely faith without action is dead
Let Your Kingdom come
Lord break this heart

And I will live
To carry *Your* compassion
To love a world that’s broken
To be Your hands and feet
And I will give
With the life that I’ve been given
And go beyond religion
To see the world be changed
By the power of Your name

Jesus Your name
Is a shelter for the hurting
and Your name
Is a refuge for the weak
Only Your name
Can redeem the undeserving
Jesus Your name
Holds everything I need

And I will live
To carry Your compassion
To love a world that’s broken
To be Your hands and feet
And I will give
With the life that I’ve been given
And go beyond religion
To see this world be changed
By the power of Your name

And I will live
To carry Your compassion
To love a world that’s broken
To be Your hands and feet
And I will give
With the life that I’ve been given
And go beyond religion
To see the world be changed
By the power of Your name

The power of Your name

May you be glorified, Christ Jesus, in my life…

 

Toilet Troubles.

I just read a FB post by my friend, Robert. He and his precious wife, Juliet have 3 amazing boys. Robert posted a picture of one of those great “boy” toys… see through tubes, tunnels that are intended for one thing: balls. We have all had this “picture” happen to us. There was the see-through tube filled with miscellaneous items- none of which belong in the toy. His post read:

The good news is I found the remote. The bad news is Boy2 may have won this puzzle challenge. Any ideas {on getting the remote out} besides destroying the toy?

I couldn’t help but laugh. We’ve all been there… especially with our boys! It reminded me of one of my favorite stories… so I thought I’d share it with you all.

One spring day in the NE Georgia foothills: The toilet… it wouldn’t flush… well not correctly. A little would go down but not the whole bowl’s worth. I feared something was wrong… boy was I on to something!

Let me just pause and fill you in. I’m the handy one at my house. My husband is super-duper intelligent. He has a PhD from Florida State (GO NOLES!)… graduated with a 4.0 in fact… Greg can answer virtually any book, philosophy, Bible, political question… but if you need something untwisted, unclogged, a plumbing mystery solved, I’m your girl.  It’s just how I’m wired. Many who know me would find this odd. My father (retired Army soldier through and through) was never as proud of me as when I figured out how to unclog our toilet one morning. I was in high school. I had been out late with Greg… came in, sleepily brushed my teeth and heard something fall around the sink. I looked but didn’t see anything. The next morning I awoke to Dad and Mom having a panic attack because the toilet was clogged… TOTALLY. I glanced up and saw the aerosol deodorant can sitting there… top-less. I knew instantly what had happened. I knocked the lid into the toilet… and of course, I didn’t check the toilet for loose items the previous night. I assessed the situation and knew what must be done. I got all the water out of the bowl, heated the tip of a crochet hook with a lighter and quickly put the heated end to the cap in the bend of the toilet. You see the problem was that it had created a vacuum in the tubular part right past the bowl (I don’t do technical language… just stay with me). I had to break the vacuum… hence the hole. Sure enough, after 15 minutes or so of this melting process (and skint knuckles due to the porous surface of the bowl tube thing) I removed the DO lid and life was ago again. My dad talked for weeks… months… about his plumber daughter and the amount of money I saved him that day! haha! I must give Greg much deserved credit. After several ordeals with our main line in GA, he was able to rent a roto-rooter and unclog our main line… on more than one occasion. I’m so thankful… do you know how much $$$ that saved!? My Dad would be so proud of him!

Back to the previous toilet story. In GA… and I am pregnant.. it had to be either Boy3 or Girl2… not sure… but that won’t create difficulties in the story. Greg is at work. Very much like my Daddy, I can just see dollar signs flashing around… No need to pay a plumber. I can do this thing… “Plumber-Girl Activate!” I do all the normal stuff… plunger & small snake. Nothing. Next step: Ace hardware for a BIG snake. Nothing. After hours of this mess (no pun intended) I have determined I must pull up the toilet. Maybe there is something in the line. So here I go, unbolt that sucker and flip it over. I’m looking all down in the line with a light… I can see NOTHING. I try to run the snake down… nothing. About that time I glance over at the upside down toilet and the mystery was solved. I wish I had the thought to photograph my findings… but I didn’t. Coming out of the bottom of the toilet was nothing less than a toy Ninja Turtle (funny if you know the origins of the Ninja Turtle)… head first with his little arms as if he was trying to push his way out. Hysterical. So I removed him, put down a new seal, resat the toilet and life was ago again. I decided that moving the tub toy bin would be most advantageous.

So that’s my story of Toilet Troubles for the day… I hope I don’t have another one to share for a very long time. I sure do love my boys… all three of them. They hold this mother’s heart.

 

When To Say, “When”… Defining Boundaries For Our Kids

Some of my Facebook friends (and friends of friends) and I had/are having a great discussion on TV/movies and where to draw lines for our children/families. It has provoked me to think about how we make decisions for our family.

As far as movies go, we tend to take it on a movie/by/movie basis. I’d rather our oldest watch some R rated movies about WW2 than a “sexy” PG movie. I’d rather them watch some PG-13 movie than a Shrek-type movie because they pick up all that potty mouth humor that I hate… and boy does it stick. We watched “The Conspirator” the other day as a family (it is historical movie about the assassination of Lincoln) It had a hangin’ and some violence and “mild” cursing. We watched “King’s Speech” as a family (we FFed through the scenes with the “f” word). GREAT movie. I’d rather that than a tacky, potty mouth filled “cartoon.” I also have what I call “one time watches”… movies/shows i don’t mind them watching once but not over and over and over.

Here is another thought of mine. Do I trust the WORLD to determine (the rating system) what my kids will watch? Similar thought to my above thought. As I see Disney TV… there are some boyfriend/girlfriend type stuff that is just inappropriate to me. The “I Love You Like A Love Song” video (that plays virtually non-stop) by Selena Gomez is very sensual. I actually think it’s more dangerous because it’s so “innocent” and such. Another thought- what about Hercules… it’s G (I believe) but all that Hades/demon type stuff is questionable at best… it’s in the guise of “cute & funny” and there is NOTHING cute/funny about Satan or his demons. We do let ours watch “Lord of the Rings” and “Star Wars.” For us, the distinguishing factor is that evil is clearly evil… good is clearly good. So for us, Harry Potter (evil and good blurred with the “good” guys being into witchcraft -IMO) is not a good option. Greg and I have determined (not officially – but practically) that rating systems aren’t our decision making tools… although they DO help. So, while we’re very conservative… I try to look at what makes a movie receive a certain rating. Sex  and “sexy” stuff- is out whether it’s pg, or pg 13. If there is some cursing or some violence that is “required” to be historically accurate, I’m more flexible. Even then, we have to be careful.

What about causing our children to rebel. It’s a REAL thing. There are often those who think their children are picture perfect because they “obey” in front of parents/adults… it’s not always the same away from parents. We all knew these kids growing up. I certainly had that tendency! I knew one kid whose parents allowed NO candy/sweets. Well, when that kid got “out”… he/she ate enough sweets to choke a horse. Those parents (well intended) “caused” (yes, i know he makes the choices) the child to rebel in this area because he/she was treated unrealistically (my opinion). This is one reason I have chosen not to be “Dugger-ish” about swimsuits for my girls… modest and cautions but not freaky. I don’t want her to feel so “out of the loop” that she feels she needs to prove something to me/the world and wear floss. We have let our boys play organized sports. I felt the need to let Boy1 know about a really bad word the other day… I said something like, “I just want you to know this is a terrible, bad, horrible word.” He let me know that he knew it was terrible because he had heard playing soccer. Ugh. I feel that they need to know how to participate in team sports but this is definitely a  downside. It’s a delicate balance. We are to be set apart… but we have to function in this world the Lord gave us. Otherwise, we will be a group of people who exclude and shun others to a fault… then who will love the unsaved, wild ones?

It’s just plain difficult. So many point out that we must let our kids out into the real world… “experience” real life… especially our homeschooled. So, what areas do we let them “out” into the “real” world… where to we “shelter” them? WHEN does all this happen? That is why we as parents have to know our children (and all are different) and pray for wisdom. Each set of parents tend to have different convictions based on our past and the experiences thereof. At the end of the day, we have to make the best decisions we know to make based on God’s word and the insight He gives us as parents. Greg and I have chosen to keep our TV (albeit antique, hah) and seek to be cautious. Do we make mistakes? YES. And if I know me… I’ll make a few more before it’s said and done. We try to point out the wrong and encourage the good. We try to admit to our children and one another when we’re wrong. We try to shape their decisions as they walk this journey. Rules for legalism sake will benefit no one. All our rules and regulations must be based in truth and must come from a heart of love. It is a daily battle! It changes and morphs as they grow and change… the world becomes more evil… but Jesus is the same… so that has to be our steady. Pray and ask the Lord to show you where to draw the likes for your children… He is faithful and will give us insight.