Bible ABC's

I am so excited to be sharing what I've been working on the last few months! So a little background first... we do not have plans to put Isaac in preschool, and we are still on the fence about homeschooling. But regardless I want him to have some sense of "school time," even if he's not in a traditional school setting. Obviously I want him to know his alphabet, to learn to use scissors, to draw shapes, and all that. But I also want him to be exposed to God's Word and His truths as soon as possible. At almost 3, he is not too young to understand some of the basic concepts from the Bible. Teaching these to him are more important than the alphabet or being a well-behaved student.

So I came up with this idea that combines both learning God's Word and practicing "school." The plan is to schedule time twice a week (Tuesday and Thursday mornings during Joshua's nap) to introduce a new letter, Bible topic, and verse. We bought a Scripture of the Week chalkboard to write each week's verse. Here's the structure:

Day 1: Write the new Scripture on the board, read it, and have Isaac repeat. Talk about what it means and come up with motions if that helps to remember. Color the alphabet letter sheet and talk about the topic (ideas for discussion are pre-planned). After discussion, ask what else starts with that letter and spell out different words on the back of the paper. Pray together about what we learned.

Day 2: Repeat the verse (ideally we're finding time to do this every day), review the letter and words, and do the craft or activity. Pray together about what we learned.

So far I have everything planned through the letter I, which gives me a good head start to make sure I'm staying ahead!

Here's my planning page. The word I'm planning to use is in bold while other ideas are listed as well. Some of the words have coloring pages I've found online, but ones without a link next to them I've had to create. I would love to hear your thoughts or ideas for the rest of the alphabet!

A- Angel, Abraham, Adam, Afraid (Psalm 56:3, Isaiah 43:5), Angry

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

Color & discuss: What makes you mad? What does God want us to do when we get mad?

Craft/Activity: Act out different emotions (happy, sad, surprised, confused, tired, angry). When you get to angry, talk about things that make you angry (when Mommy asks you to do something you don’t want to do, when Grizzly doesn’t obey you, when you have to share a toy with Joshua, when someone takes a toy from you) and talk about what to do (Stop, breathe (pray), use your words). Explain that God understands how we feel and He will help us do the right thing when we feel angry. Create a "stoplight" using tape on the ground. Jump in the red circle. Talk about something that would make you angry. Jump into the yellow circle. Talk about how when you feel angry, you should slow down, take a deep breath, and pray. Jump into the green circle and talk about how you should then use your words.

Pray

Materials: coloring page & colors, red, yellow & green duct tape

 B- Bible http://ministry-to-children.com/bible-alphabet-coloring-pages/

Verse: Hebrews 4:12, "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double edged sword."

Color & Discuss: Gather a few different Bibles- study Bible, toddler Bible, etc. Look through them together. The Bible is a book that God wrote for us. He told people what to write and now we get to read what He says. It’s important to read it and understand it, because it’s how God talks to us. Show the different chapters and verses, Old Testament and New, etc. Explain the Bible is very special and the most important book we can read!

Craft: Color a bookmark for your Bible https://www.google.com/search?q=printable+bookmark+to+color&biw=1440&bih=946&tbm=isch&imgil=LYuLs3lybmewLM%253A%253BJ4VX0sLs08FgeM%253Bhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.etsy.com%25252Flisting%25252F168267285%25252Fbookmarks-to-color-diy-zentangle&source=iu&pf=m&fir=LYuLs3lybmewLM%253A%252CJ4VX0sLs08FgeM%252C_&usg=___kgKZ-OmXgFDdOWL8DC6b6Ukv0A%3D&ved=0CCcQyjc&ei=jd-SVarMCMX7sAWHj4KIAQ#imgrc=_&usg=___kgKZ-OmXgFDdOWL8DC6b6Ukv0A%3D

Materials: Coloring page & colors, bibles, white bookmark, ribbon for bookmark, hole punch for ribbon

C- Creation, Cross

Verse: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1

Color & Discuss: God made the whole world & everything in it! Ask child to name all that God made. Ask, "Did God make…??" naming animals, plants, people, you & me.

Craft: Creation Scavenger Hunt: http://www.ouroutofsynclife.com/2014/06/creation-scavenger-hunt.html

Materials: 7 baggies, white & chocolate chips, white pudding, blue food coloring, M&Ms, pretzel sticks, raisins, cheese cut in a moon shape, starbursts or star-shaped cereal, goldfish, animal crackers, large marshmallows

D- Daniel, Die, Disciple, David

Verse: 1 Samuel 17:37, "The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of Goliath."

Color & Discuss: Review the story of David & Goliath if necessary. Ask questions about the story: "Was Goliath nice or mean? Who was scared of him? Who wasn’t scared? What happened when David & Goliath fought?" etc.

Craft: Read the story of David & Goliath found in 1 Samuel 17. Make a slingshot and act out the story: http://www.livinginlilliput.com/2012/02/david-goliath-marshmallow-slings.html

Materials: Large marshmallows (from last week), felt, leather string, needle & thread

E- Eve, Easter

Verse: Genesis 3:6, "Eve saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it."

Color & Discuss: Read the story of the Fall found in Genesis 3:1-7 (change some of the words to kid language if necessary). Talk about the serpent being Satan (S is for Sin so now would be a good time to talk about Satan). How he tricks us, he is against God, he makes us want to do bad things, he lies to us, he wants us to be bad. He made Adam & Eve do something they knew was wrong. They disobeyed God and that made Him sad. God wants us to obey Him, not Satan.

Craft: Read the story of the Fall again. Make a paper snake (Make sure you talk about the snake being bad, not funny or cute- you could even jump on him or "fight" him when he’s dry if you have a boy like mine who loves to fight bad guys): http://www.littleblots.com/BibleCraftsSneakySnaky.html

Materials: Paper plate, paint & supplies, googly eyes, red felt or pipe cleaner

F- Faithfulness, Forgive

Verse: Luke 11:4, "Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us."

Color & Discuss: Forgive means that we aren’t mad at someone for doing something to hurt us. If we do something to hurt someone else, we need to say sorry so they can forgive us. Give examples of times your child has needed to apologize or you have had to apologize to your child. Teach the child that when you need to ask forgiveness, say, "I’m sorry, will you forgive me?" and the other person will say, "I forgive you" and vice versa. *Make sure to talk about how sometimes we do things to disobey God and we can pray and ask forgiveness from God too.

Craft: Simplify this: http://www.ouroutofsynclife.com/2014/06/how-to-teach-your-children-to-apologize.html Using a stuffed animal, we are going to pretend to be mean. Say or do something to hurt the stuffed animal. Make the stuffed animal cry. Go through these steps:
Apologize for the specific action done
Explain why it was wrong (think Fruits of the Spirit- "Saying a mean thing is not kind," or "I did not show you that I love you," or "Hitting is not gentle"
Ask forgiveness. Put a bandaid on the stuffed animal and give him/her a hug
Repeat with common actions the child does that require forgiveness
Materials: Stuffed animal, bandaids

G- Goliath, Goodness, Gentleness, God

Verse: Deuteronomy 6:5, "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."

Color & Discuss: God can be hard to understand because we can’t see God. But He is everywhere, even with us right now! God is bigger than the whole world, He is strong & powerful, He created everything! He loves you & me, He takes care of us, He hears us when we pray to Him, He knows what we think about in our heads and all we do. God is the most important thing in our lives! We have to believe He is there, even if we can’t see Him. We are going to learn a little more about God today, but God is so big that we can’t know everything about Him.

Craft: http://ministry-to-children.com/toddlers-knowing-god/ (God is my Shepherd- Following my Shepherd, God is All-Powerful- What is Powerful? & What Does God Control?, God is Everywhere- Hide & Seek)


Materials: Shepherd Staff? Snack, bowl of water (God is my Shepherd), Pictures of train, boat, lion, baby, kitten, fish (God is All-Powerful)

 H- Heaven, Holy Spirit http://ministry-to-children.com/bible-alphabet-coloring-pages/

Verse: "In my Father's house are many rooms. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also." John 14:2-3

Craft: Heaven mobile http://ministry-to-children.com/heaven-mobile-craft-project/

Materials: Printed letters & phrases, markers or crayons, hole punch, yarn

I- Israelites, Isaac

Verse: Exodus 3:10, "So now go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."

Color & Discuss: Read the story of Israel’s oppression & freedom from a child’s Bible if possible. If not, talk about how the Israelites were slaves of Pharaoh, made to work very hard. God wanted to free them from slavery so he sent Moses to talk to Pharaoh. Pharaoh wouldn’t listen, so God sent the 7 plagues and Moses led the people out. The Egyptians tried to catch up to them to bring them back, but God let the Israelites cross a wide sea and wouldn’t let the Egyptians through. Then they could go to their Promised land, a beautiful place to live (very paraphrased).

Craft: Make bricks (From "Bricks Without Straw"), Act out 10 plagues (From "Ten Plagues"), Red Sea craft (From "Through the Red Sea")

Materials: Graham crackers, powdered sugar, peanut butter, Oreos, Gallon Ziploc bags, bowl, spoon & wax paper (For Bricks without Straw, Small plastic rocks or paper wadded into balls (For 10 Plagues), Paper plates, Red Sea pattern, glue, scissors, markers (for Red Sea craft)
 
J- Jesus, Joy http://ministry-to-children.com/bible-alphabet-coloring-pages/

Verse: John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Craft: Make 2 hearts and a cross on white paper. Let your toddler color one heart black while you talk about the sins that make our hearts black. Then place the cross between the black heart and the white one and say that when Jesus dies, He made a way for our hearts to be clean.

K- Kindness, King

Verse: Ephesians 4:32, "Be kind and compassionate to each other"

Craft: Talk about ways to be kind to others. For every way you come up with to be kind, add ingredients to cookies that you make for neighbors & deliver

 L- Love, Lord http://ministry-to-children.com/bible-alphabet-coloring-pages/

Verse: Matthew 22:39, "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Craft: Sing Jesus loves me, Sing again & each time change the first three words to Jesus sees me, Jesus heals me, Jesus hears me, etc.

M- Miracle

Verse: Psalm 77:14, "You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples."

Craft: Have goldfish & bread and read the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000. Start with 2 goldfish, and 5 small pieces of bread. Invite stuffed animals to listen to the story and place a bunch around the table (or in a circle) with you. Put the 2 goldfish and 5 pieces of bread in the middle of everyone. Pretend to get really hungry and act confused as to how everyone will be able to eat since there is only a small amount of food. Pray over the food, thanking God for what you have, before you eat and while the child’s eyes are closed during prayer (hopefully), pull a large basket of goldfish & bread out from under the table. Give thanks to God and have a meal!

N- Noah

Verse: Genesis 6:9, "Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God."

Craft: Read the story of Noah. Rainbow craft: http://raisingmytwogirls.blogspot.com/2012/06/preschool-at-home-week-8-noahs-ark.html and make rainbow sprinkle cookies!

O- Obey

Verse: Colossians 3:20, "Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord."

Activity/Craft: Simon ("Mommy") Says, Make an "Obedience Chart"- simple tasks such as picking up toys or taking a nap. Reward for completed tasks (or maybe when all tasks are completed in one day)

P- Prayer, Peace (Matthew 5:9), Patience, Praise (Psalm 150:6, 139:14) http://ministry-to-children.com/bible-alphabet-coloring-pages/

Verse: Proverbs 15:8, "…the prayer of the upright pleases him."

Craft: http://www.littleblots.com/BibleCraftsPrayerChain.html or make a prayer book of people to pray for, or M&M prayers- Pinterest

 Q- Quiet time http://ministry-to-children.com/bible-alphabet-coloring-pages/

Verse: Mark 6:31, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."

 R- Rainbow, Resurrection http://ministry-to-children.com/bible-alphabet-coloring-pages/

Verse: Matthew 28:5-6, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ^{6　He is not here; he has risen."}

Craft: Act out Jesus’ resurrection- cry when he died, wrap him & bury him, go away for "3" days, come back & rejoice! ^{http://meaningfulmama.com/2014/04/resurrection-craft-easter.html}

S- Self-control, Serve, Satan, Sin (Romans 3:23), Sheep (Luke 15:3-7), Sabbath/Sunday (Exo 20:8)

Verse: Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

T- Thankful, Trust

Verse: Psalm 136:1, "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever."
Craft: ^{http://www.orientaltrading.com/color-your-own-i-am-thankful-for-wheels-a2-13604481.fltr?prodCatId=550175+1967+1613}

 U- Unity ^{http://ministry-to-children.com/bible-alphabet-coloring-pages/}

Verse: Romans 12:16, "Live in harmony with one another."

Craft: Work together to… paint? Build a tower? Keep a balloon up in the air?

 V- Victory ^{http://ministry-to-children.com/bible-alphabet-coloring-pages/}

Verse: 1 Corinthians 15:57, "But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

W- Wise men, Walk with Jesus, Worship (Psalm 147:1), Work, Words (Psalm 34:13) ^{http://ministry-to-children.com/bible-alphabet-coloring-pages/}

Verse: Romans 12:1, "…offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God- this is your true and proper worship."
Craft: ^{http://www.littleblots.com/BibleCraftsPraiseShaker.html}

 X- eXalted, eXcellent ^{http://ministry-to-children.com/bible-alphabet-coloring-pages/}

Y- Yahweh ^{http://ministry-to-children.com/bible-alphabet-coloring-pages/}

Z- Zaccheus

Verse: Luke 19

Craft: Read the story of Zacchaeus and act out the opposites- up/down, short/tall, walk/stop.


Other Craft Ideas: balloons, soccer/sports related, paint, bean bags
^{http://meaningfulmama.com/2014/06/100-best-bible-crafts-activities-kids-mega-cash-giveaway.html#_a5y_p=1870788}

If you're interested in having any of these documents, I'd love to share, just comment with your email address and I'll send them to you! 

All for God's glory!
Sara

Joshua's Birth Story

For some reason I find birth fascinating. Labor, delivery, the story behind it all is so intriguing to me. Not that everyone is as interested as me, but if you are, here's Joshua's birth story:

My due date was March 20, 2015. My first son was 12 days late, so I was trying to be patient and wait for little Squirt to come whenever he was ready. But going into labor late is difficult. So when my doctor told me at 38 weeks that she thought I only had a week or two left, I was ecstatic! I was trying to cram a lot into the last few weeks of pregnancy, so I was very busy & active. I had a final girl's night out celebration on Friday, March 13th. That Saturday and beyond, we had nothing planned and I was hoping little Squirt would come any day!

Well he must be a good listener, because that night, the 14th, I had just put Isaac to bed when my water broke around 9:30pm. I was sitting on my bed and stood up and it felt like a bubble of water escaped, and when I went to the toilet I told Michael, "I don't think this is pee- it just keeps coming out!" We decided to go to bed and get as much rest as possible. Of course, Michael was able to fall asleep and I wasn't, which is nothing that I haven't come to peace with since Isaac was born.

My contractions started mildly within an hour. I quickly downloaded a contraction timer app and began timing my own contractions. I walked around the living room a little, and I was able to lay down in bed through most of them. They were regularly about 8 minutes apart and very mild. I would just breathe slowly through them and be fine. Actually, Isaac woke up around 1am and I was able to go in his room and rub his back until he fell back asleep. I probably had 2 contractions in his room. They were not really uncomfortable at all, clearly!

Then suddenly, at 2am, it's like my body turned a switch. I woke Michael up because my contractions were getting stronger. I took a quick shower, put in my pearl earrings, and got dressed. Michael started timing my contractions and they went from regularly 8 minutes apart to regularly 3 minutes apart in a span of 15 minutes. My sweet husband. He woke up quickly, called his parents and our doula, started packing the car, and getting us ready to go to the hospital in one minute intervals while he wasn't rubbing my back during contractions.

Just like my last labor, most of it was in my back. I had a heating pad that I had used during pregnancy on my neck for a pinched nerve, and there was nothing I wanted more than the heating pad pushed into my lower back. I was conscious enough to pack the heating pad for the hospital. I pretty much just stayed near the bed and leaned on the bed during contractions. It wasn't long, however, until we realized it was really time to go. I do remember thinking that I just knew he was coming soon.

I'm not sure if Isaac heard me, felt me, or just happened to wake up, but he woke up right as we were leaving. It was a chaotic transition, with Grandma & Grandpa taking Isaac, me trying to console my grumpy, sleepy 2 year old, having contractions, and just trying to get the heck out the door. Thankfully the hospital is less than 5 minutes from our house, so we were there in a matter of minutes. I do remember Michael driving over a speed bump in the parking lot and me screaming at him, "MICHAEL YOU KILLED ME! YOU JUST KILLED ME!!" But soon we were in the door and the front desk attendant is asking me for my driver's license. I have no idea where my driver's license is, can we maybe do this later?? I think they quickly realized I was pretty advanced so I was brought to a labor & delivery room. At this point, the contractions were just coming right on top of one another. At points there was no break- they just continued from one to the next.

We got into the labor & delivery room and I'm like seriously about to push this baby out and the nurses start asking me admittance questions. I know it's part of the process and all, but it's very distracting to answer questions during the transition phase. "Are you currently using recreational drugs? When was the last time you smoked a cigarette?" Even, "what's your blood type?" is a difficult question to answer during a contraction.

After satisfying them as best I could, they start monitoring the baby's heartbeat and this one nurse could not find it very easily. So, they put me on oxygen, which was horrible. I felt like I just wanted to rip the thing off my face and breathe normally, but since the nurse couldn't find the heartbeat I didn't really have a choice. After about an hour in the labor & delivery room, it was time for me to push. It only took about 2 contractions and maybe 4 pushes for Joshua to make his grand entrance!

Joshua James was born at 5:01am and was 7 pounds exactly. We were in the hospital for about a day and a half, then have been home comfortably for two weeks now!

From water breaking to baby was 7 1/2 hours; almost 11 hours shorter than with Isaac. I remember having moments where I swore I would never do this again, and I remember questioning my sanity for doing this naturally again. But looking back, it really was a relatively easy labor, and I did feel the same empowerment and general euphoria after birthing Joshua naturally. *If* we have another, I would like to do a natural birth again, but possibly at home this time... Stay tuned, there's a lot of convincing I'd have to do with the husband on that. All to say, the experience was beautiful and I'm just so grateful to have a healthy, strong, happy baby boy. He has been a blessing and a beautiful addition to our family.

I have to share one last thing about Joshua's story. We had asked Isaac during my pregnancy what he thought his brother's name should be (we had given him a few options). From day 1, he said his brother's name was Joshua and he rarely, if ever, said anything different. It's like Isaac knew this baby was to be Joshua. Also, Michael & I started a Bible reading plan that took us through the book of Joshua in the month of March (we didn't know that when we started). And finally, on the day of Joshua's birth, this was the reading, from Psalm 127:

Unless the Lord builds the house,
    the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
    the guards stand watch in vain.
In vain you rise early
    and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
    for he grants sleep to those he loves.

 Children are a heritage from the Lord,
    offspring a reward from him.
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
    are children born in one’s youth.
Blessed is the man
    whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
    when they contend with their opponents in court.

 

Welcome to the world, Joshua James Hollar! May your life be full of the presence & blessings of the Lord!



 

 

 

 

 

  

You Know You're Near the End of Your Pregnancy When...

I haven't written in awhile, and it will probably be about 3 years before I write anything again, but this has been stewing in my brain and I wanted to get it out while I still can. Little Squirt is due in less than 3 weeks, which is both frighteningly near and terribly far away! Having been through this before, I am now reminded of the joy of the last few weeks of pregnancy. *Please detect sarcasm.*

I love being pregnant. Not true. I loved being pregnant with Isaac, but this one is a totally different story. I do, however, realize the miraculous, wonderful blessing that it is to be pregnant. I feel lucky, blessed, thankful to be carrying a child. Honestly I do. If you don't believe me after this, please read my miscarriage story. Carrying a child in your womb is extremely intimate and like nothing you will ever experience.

But... Squirt can evict himself whenever he is ready. Because, for real, I am ready.

These weird things start happening. Awkward, embarrassing, uncomfortable things. I hope you want to hear about them. Well, if you're reading this you have no choice. So whether you are a newly pregnant lady, one who's been through it, or if you just want a laugh, please continue...

You Know You're Near the End of Your Pregnancy When...

1) You cannot reach the socks in the bottom of the washing machine. No matter how much you try to turn to the side and reach in, or get a little higher on your toes, there are socks that are always out of reach. Clothes have been known to go through another laundry cycle (or possibly just sit in the washer until next time) because there's no way to get them out.

I can't reach it...

2) You have to grab onto the door frame or other supportive device to put on underwear, socks and/or pants.

3) Bending over to pick things up becomes your last priority, regardless of your determination to keep a clean house. Sometimes, you've just had it with the bending. So, diapers, random empty boxes, miscellaneous trash, shoes, toys, and especially small items will just stay in the middle of the floor until, 1) Another member of the household picks them up, or 2) You decide kicking it to the edge of the room will suffice for now (until you can make #1 happen).

Here you have books, some underwear and a diaper (neither of which apparently made it onto the boy...), a dropped (but thankfully empty!) cup and spoon and a minion. Not bad, really.

4) Shaving your legs, taking care of your feet, or maintaining anything below your belly is nearly impossible.

5) You wear the same 7 shirts in a row. Laundry day to laundry day, there are not many changes. Earlier in your pregnancy, you could get away with wearing non-maternity shirts. Now, the maternity shirts barely fit.

6) Even maternity pants are no longer big enough for  your watermelon belly. In fact, you hardly have access to any comfortable pants. Maternity jeans, which are supposed to accommodate and stretch, aren't even big enough. Unless you have pants in two sizes above your normal size, you'll be wearing pajama pants or skirts for the last 3 weeks.

Do you see this seam?? Stretchy, belly-covering part meets real jean part? One word: ouch.

It's my 'I'm wearing jeans!' celebration pose. And no sooner did you say, 'She got jeans on,' that I took them off. :-)

7) You have to do the strange hunchback pose every time you do the dishes. Normally, you lean on the counter in front of the sink while doing dishes. Well, imagine a bowling ball in your way that hurts if you lean against it. Therefore, you uncomfortably hunch over to keep your belly off the counter while trying to wash dishes as fast as humanly impossible.

8) Hugging your husband (not to mention anything beyond that) becomes terribly awkward. You go in for the hug, realize you have to turn to the side to even get close, and then try to wrap your arms around him. What you have is a weird side hug that you would give your dad. Sexy.

9) You waddle. You really waddle. You don't want to waddle. You think about how you need to stop waddling and walk like a normal human being. You tell yourself, "My gosh, woman, stop waddling." But you can't stop the waddle. There is no other option. Your legs and hips do not cooperate.

10) It takes you 37 years to get comfortable when lying down for bed. You put this pillow here, that one there, swing your ginormous belly to this side, scoot the blankets down here... It's like a freaking marathon. I've never actually ran a marathon, but I imagine it would leave you fairly breathless. Similarly, after you're settled in bed, you lie there panting from exhaustion, then realize... you have to pee.

Oh, the joys of the end of pregnancy. It's a beautiful time. It's a painful time. It's a short season yet feels like a long season. It's wonderful. It's exhausting. The most important thing is, it's worth it! Soon Squirt will be here and I know I will quickly say that I would endure it all again. Until then, enjoy your regular-person jeans, and next time you bend over, thank God you're not pregnant. :)

The Measure of a "Good" Mom

Do you ever have those times when you hope someone feels the same way you do, even though you're afraid to ask? You wonder if anyone is going through the same thing, but you don't want to bring it up in case they think you're crazy? Well, here we go.

There have been times in the last two years that I've felt like I'm back in high school. I've worked for peer approval, I've over analyzed criticism, I've kept "unpopular" choices to myself. If you managed to get through high school without feeling insecure, unsure of yourself, or judged, count yourself lucky. Personally, I'm glad to have high school behind me, along with the popularity contest that usually comes with it.

Or... wait. Why is it, 11 years later, I still feel insecure, unsure of myself, & judged? It's not because I'm 18 and immature; it's because I became a mom. Motherhood sometimes feels like a world of "fitting in." Am I doing it right? What would they think if they knew? Maybe I should do what she does. Maybe I need to try something different.

Makes me feel like...

There are many people who want you to believe that "good" moms do things a certain way. Good moms breastfeed. Good moms have their kids on a schedule. Good moms get their kids sleeping through the night early. Good moms never let their kids eat fast food. Good moms homeschool. Good moms feed organic foods. Good moms don't let their kids watch tv. Good moms have good kids who never misbehave. Good moms just try harder.

The truth is, being a good mom is not about what you see with your eyes. Being a good mom has nothing to do with how quickly your child sleeps through the night. How early they are potty trained, or can recite their abc's or colors. Being a good mom has nothing to do with throwing the perfect themed birthday party complete with a homemade three tiered smash cake. It's not about how your children behave in public. It's not about how cute you can dress up your child for church on Sunday. Being a good mom is not about how many professional or Instagram-worthy photos you have. Being a good mom has nothing to do with your weight or how often you exercise. It's has nothing to do with the cleanliness of your home. Being a good mom really has nothing to do with you. Being a good mom goes way beyond methods & daily practices. 

My child eats chocolate, ok??

Lots and lots of chocolate...

The interesting thing is that most of these ideas we obsess over are not biblical at all. There is no biblical mandate on how long (or even to) breastfeed, how to get your child to sleep through the night, whether or not to circumcise your boy (nope.), what brand of food to feed your children, where to send your child to school, or really any of the other methods we argue about. 

Whether or not you're a Christian, most people would agree that the Bible offers many good moral principles to live by. So what's actually in the Bible that relates to our mommy battles?  

Encourage one another. (2 Corinthians 13:11) 

Be at peace with each other. (Jesus in Mark 9:50)

Love each other. (Jesus in John 15:17 & John 13:34, 35)

Honor one another. (Romans 12:10)

Live in harmony with one another. (Romans 12:16)

"Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister." (Romans 14:13)

Serve one another humbly. (Galatians 5:13)

Be kind & compassionate. (Ephesians 4:32)

"How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!" (Psalm 133:1). 

Are you sure there's nothing about organic foods? Or bedtimes or crying-it-out? I double checked. I'm sure. You may eat organic food, or throw a $300 1st birthday party, or put your kids on a schedule. That's great! I'm not against methods. But hear this: Whatever you choose to do is fine, but the success or pride you have does not give you a pass to show off to all the other moms how amazing you are. I am tired of having those women in my life. They are not encouraging or gracious, & I've found my life is simply better without them. (Wow! Harsh. But true.)


What I see in the above verses is what I want to focus on from here on out. I don't want to care if people approve of my parenting choices, I don't want to try to push what I think is "right" on other moms, I don't want to compete for "Mommy-of-the-Year." I want to encourage moms to love their kids. I want to be at peace with other women. I want to love and honor and live in harmony together. I don't want to pass judgment. I want to serve and be kind & compassionate. Above all, let's aim to live in unity with each other. Can we join together in this difficult, beautiful time in our lives & encourage one another to do the best we can? If you're willing, let's do this together. Otherwise, you can take your haughty, know-it-all mama self & go find some new friends.

Joyful, Patient & Faithful (Rom 12:12)

I have been absent from the blog for awhile. It's so easy for months to go by without taking the time invest in something. When Isaac is napping, or he is asleep for the night, my body slumps onto the couch or bed & I just don't have much brain power left for thinking. I can easily lose my motivation for many things: from growing in my relationship with God to even writing a blog. How quickly we forget the simple things that please God: be joyful, be patient, & be faithful.



"Be joyful in hope..." Be at peace, be calm, be thankful, & be content when you're waiting for the good you do not yet have. When we are hoping for something in our lives (a home, a baby, a spouse, a new job, etc.), the waiting time is always the hardest. But that is the time to practice being joyful. That is when the Lord is pleased with you that you wait for Him, you trust Him, & you give your plans into His hands. I suck at waiting. Whether it was for a house, or a baby, or new friends, or 5:00pm for Daddy to come home, I suck at waiting. I whine, I complain, I dwell on all that is horrible & unfair in my life. Joyful? Not exactly. My heart needs a dose of joy in the waiting.

"Be patient in affliction..." Is this world full of affliction or what? Not even talking about world poverty, wars, or human trafficking, the things that don't affect most of us (but Lord, is that true affliction!). I know people afflicted with messy custody battles, a "strong-willed" child, infertility, a bad job, money troubles, debt, cancer. What are we to do? Be patient. Let God work things out instead of rushing to take complete control of the situation. ME? No... I've never done that. But I suggest you stop trying to single-handedly change your situation, forging ahead while you pray desperately for God to come along with you. Ok, maybe that's me. A little. I need to learn to be patient. To breathe, accept the situation as is for a period of time, find the good in it, & wait for God to show me what to do next. Now that pleases God!

"Be faithful in prayer..." Whatever your hope or affliction is, we should be praying about that daily. Can I stop here & confess something? I am really, really, ok really bad at praying consistently. I tense up & get all weird talking to God, especially out loud. What should be an intimate, powerful experience is stumped by my awkward "I don't know how to do this" attitude. So guess what? Most of the time, I just don't. This should most surely not be! We should be faithful in prayer. Keep going, don't stop! We should pray until we receive an answer. 5 years is not too long to pray for someone or something. In our culture, it is so hard to stop, quiet our lives, and speak and listen to an invisible God. Let's not follow in our culture's footsteps, let's learn to be faithful in prayer!

When I look at this verse, I see three simple ways that we can please God. For a change, let us seek to please Him instead of expecting Him to serve us all the time. Can you commit to memorizing this verse this week along with me while becoming more joyful, patient & faithful?

When You Don't Feel Content

I have a confession to make (and this one isn't really funny): I am really struggling with being content. I know. I have a beautiful home, a happy marriage, an incredibly adorable son, the best job on the planet, and really anything I could ever want. Why is it hard for me to just rest with what I have? We are currently trying for another baby, and after my miscarriage (read about that here) I have really started losing sight of what makes my life so beautiful. I hate that I'm even saying that. It feels so... insignificant. So minor. So selfish. But it's so real in my life right now.

We learn a few things from this verse that I have found apply directly to the issue of contentment.

1) God is able to give us anything ("...the God we serve is able to deliver us..."). A spouse, a child, a restored relationship, a raise, anything. God is able to give us anything. We have to believe that He is powerful enough to do whatever He wants.

2) God does not always come through in the ways we wish He would ("...even if he does not..."). This is clear because we struggle with wanting things we don't have. Because God is a good God (see Psalm 136:1, Psalm 100:5, 1 Timothy 4:4, & Psalm 145:9 to begin if you don't believe me) I have to infer that if I don't currently have something I want, it's because God thinks it is best that I don't have it. (I know, that's not really easy to hear.)

3) We should worship Him anyways ("...we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up..."). I know that it's hard to long for something that keeps slipping from your grip. I'm not denying that it's hard. It's ffffff...ing hard. But that doesn't mean that we give in to the "poor me, I've got it rough" attitude and let it steal our joy. If you're a Christian, you know that true joy comes from worshiping God. Even if you're in a season of longing, that is where you will find your joy. No matter what. Even if we never get what we want.

There are a few ways I have found that help me fight back against the temptation to be discontent:

1) Avoid comparison. If you crave a child, don't spend time looking at Facebook pictures of your pregnant high school friends. If you long to be married, stop looking at wedding dresses on Pinterest. If you wish you had more money, stop online "window" shopping. Don't let your mind, your eyes, your heart or the Internet lead you to compare what you have with others.

2) It's a battle of the mind. It's not really that my life is so bad. It's that I THINK and therefore BELIEVE that my life is not enough. We have to control our thoughts. Cut out and refuse to dwell on the destructive thoughts the moment they pop up in your head. It's half the battle, I promise.

3) Find the answer to the question: What makes my life beautiful? Some have to look harder than others, but if Malala Yousafzai or our Compassion child Masereka can find the beauty in their lives, so can I. Your life is blessed, I promise you. There is always someone who would give anything to have what you have. We need to open our eyes to see the blessings and choose to focus on and be thankful for what we have now.

There is no step by step, "How to Be Content" instruction manual because it's an ongoing process, but I hope walking through this verse can help us become more like the apostle Paul, who has "learned to be content whatever the circumstances." 

How can we pray for each other today?