Where'd Christmas go?

Christmas has come and gone and a new year is quickly approaching. My husband and I were commenting to each other yesterday how it seemed like Christmas came and went in quite a hurry this year. It was here and then the day was done. It was fun but it was busy. Opening presents...twice. People coming and going. Multiple family members coming down with the flu. But we made it. Maybe it flew because of how much was going on. You know what they say: "Lord, how the day passes! It's like a life: so quickly when we don't watch it, so slowly when we do." (John Steinbeck, East of Eden). It sure was a great reminder to look back on the blur of the day and see that ultimately it wasn't the presents we gave or got that matter, its the moments we got to experience with the people we love. Its the opportunity we were blessed enough to be part of in celebrating our Savior's birth.

Be Intentional

Well...I had the best of intentions when I started writing on this blog. But intentions don't get you very far. So here it sits empty for over a month. Life sometimes takes over and we make excuses for why we can't do something, or don't have time for some person, some need, some activity. Good intentions don't mean much. Intentional living isn't about meaning to do well its about actually deliberately doing it. So, maybe by saying this outloud (virtually anyway) it will hold me accountable to actually being deliberate about blogging. Rather than having good intentions I'm instead going to live intentionally. I can think of a million other ways that this could apply to my life as well...not just in the blogging world. Its time to be intentional.

I am intentionally going to:

- read more
- write more
- yell less (sometimes hard to do w/ 4 kids and 4 pets :))
- turn the TV off more
- shut down Facebook more
- volunteer more
- spend quality time with my kids and husband

I'll catch you on the flip side and let you know how it goes...

Have a great day!

Watch Me, Watch Me!

This morning, my little one picks up his guitar and starts strumming and squeals, "Watch this, Mama! Watch this!" I turn to watch and he starts singing, playing and dancing simultaneously. Then on the way to school, we are walking our older brother and sister to class, and he again squeals, "Watch this Mama! Watch this!" I turn and say, "What little man?" He begins to gallop with a very proud look on his face.

I'm sure he has picked up this little phrase from his older brother and sisters but he just all of a sudden began using it and it took me by surprise. It also got me thinking...

We sure do start at a young age caring soooo much about recognition and attention from other people. We want to be seen. We want to achieve. We want others to like us, approve of us, attend to us. What's amazing is how all too often we don't grow out of this infantile behavior. Maybe our parents screwed us up :) Maybe they didn't look at us enough when we screamed, "Watch me, watch me!" Or maybe its just a human response. We just inately want others to recognize us and admire us.

I know when I look at my toddler making this seemingly innocent request of his mother that it reminds me of how often I act like that in my own life. I want people to know all the great things I've done, I want others to see all that I've accomplished. But Jeremiah 9:23-24 reminds us that we should be living differently:

"Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches. But let him who boasts, boast of this, that He understands and knows Me. That I am the Lord who exercises loving kindness, justice and righteousness on the earth. For I delight in these things," declares the Lord.

Yeah, its nice when someone notices something I've done, or compliments me on a thought I've had, or how well behaved my children are but those things don't matter most. If I'm walking through life waiting for people to recognize the "things" in my life that I do, say, own or create I'm going to end up living a very empty life. When I recognize this, stop myself when I start caring too much, and realize that only in God do I find my security and significance, real growth can take place. Instead of being so busy, walking around going, "Watch me, watch me" I am made free to be who I was created to be.

What is it in your life that you find yourself grasping for significance and security in? Possessions, money, prestige, titles, house, relationships? Those things fail us every time. Only One is worth boasting in. In Him is found true significance.

1st day of school

Today Clint and I dropped three of our four children off at school...one of them for the first time. This year we have a 5th grader, a 2nd grader, and a Kingergartener. Poor little Cayson didn't quite understand what was going on. As we made our way through the building, dropping off one kid, and the next, and the next, you could see him starting to pick up on what was happening. It was like the lightbulb just went on for him, "Wait! They are staying here!" When we began to leave Caitlin in her K room, Cayson started crying. He finally figured it out. I'm glad someone got to cry. I knew I would but the morning was so hectic and busy that I didn't have time to think about it and just process until after we got home. Why oh why is that Kindergarten drop off soooo hard?

Oh my, its quiet in the house today. But that can be good right? Thank you Lord for summer. But thank you for school. Thank you for children romping through the house, laughing, fighting, creating. But thank you for the quiet...time to reflect, be still, and give some much needed one-on-one time to my little guy.

Can't wait to see what God has in store for us today!