Surprised by Motherhood

It's been almost exactly a year since I blogged.  It has been an awesome, crazy year!  We just closed on our first house on Friday.  For almost 10 years we have lived in apartments and now we have a place that is ours.  Not a home, because home is where your family is, so all the apartments have been home, but something that is really OURS!  It's weird.  I have many other wonderful and not so wonderful things to share, but those are for another day.  Today is about Surprised by Motherhood by Lisa-Jo Baker. 

I LOVE this gal's blog.  I Facebook share almost every single post she writes, so when I heard she was actually writing a book, I freaked out a little- ok, a lot.  I was so excited.  My husband laughs sometimes because I talk about Lisa-Jo like we are friends, even though we have never met or talked.  When I read her blog, I am encouraged.  I feel like I am sitting down to read words of encouragement from a close friend.  (P.S. Lisa-Jo, if you read this and you are ever in the Seattle area, I would love to have you over for dinner and dessert.  I can bakes TONS of stuff.)  I have only read part of the book, since it doesn't actually come out until tomorrow, but I can't wait to read it all!

Here is a part in the first few pages that just sang to me:

        "But I would do some things differently. I would throw away most of the parenting books that made me feel like I was somehow failing at this most important test of womanhood-being a mother.  I'd throw out the advice about what I was doing wrong or should be doing differently or should aspire to be doing. I'd just revel in the daily, sleep-deprived merry-go-round and eat a lot more chocolate cake.
    Also, I'd go up to tired moms dragging screaming kids through Target and give them flowers. I would stop every single new mom I ran into with chocolate and promises that they could do it. I would tell them they're my heroes-for every month of pregnancy, every 3 a.m. feeding, every booboo kissed, every diaper changed, every plate of food they never got to eat hot."

Ok, I need to stop quoting the book or I will just type it all.  :-)  And that is just from the prologue where she explains why she wrote the book.  It just keeps getting better as you read.  I had tears running down my face. Good tears from being encouraged at a time I needed it. She writes, "You are much braver than you think."  Tired tears.  Tears from remembering the sleepless nights with little babies.  Tears from the melt-into-your-shoulder baby snuggles.  Tears of joy and laughter. 

I want moms to feel encouraged.  That is why I had been the MOPS Coordinator for so long.  MOPS helped me when I didn't even know I needed it.  This book will encourage all moms, no matter what stage of motherhood they are in.  If you want to be encouraged that motherhood is not a competition and we can all learn from one another, please head on over to Amazon to order the book: amzn.to/1hO81ji 

Also, check out Lisa-Jo's blog at: http://lisajobaker.com/ LOVE IT!!! 

I could write a TON more, but now I need to go snuggle this little monkey girl that is hanging on my arm.  :-)
   
 

Worth It

     I love to help people achieve their dreams.  One of the ways I have done that is by weight loss counseling.  Actually, that was the first place that I learned that I loved to help people figure out what they want and how to get there.  I met with hundreds of people.  That job was when I learned to help people dream their dreams and break them into doable pieces.  It was awesome.  I am excited because I am getting to work with someone again to help this person see dreams come to life.  I want to help people breathe life into their dreams.  Let them see the great big things that God has. 
     After meeting with the person the first time, I drove home in the clouds.  I love to help people dream.  It is the best feeling to see that spark in someone's eye that tells you maybe, just maybe, they believe what you are saying.  They believe this dream that they have had for such a long time, this dream they had hidden in the basement of their life somewhere, a long time ago, could actually happen.  They are worth this dream.  You are worth it.  Dust off that dream you had.  Go find it.  Hunt for it until you know what it is.  Then tell yourself, "I am worth it."  You are worth the sacrifice that it might take.  You are worth the hard work.  You are amazing and you have fabulous things to give to the world.  Thanks for reading.  :-)

What's Happenin'?

     I really cannot believe how much harder it is to blog three times a week instead of everyday.  When I was doing it everyday, I just knew I needed to make time to do it.  Now, I just think, "Oh, I will do it tomorrow."  So...sorry.  I need to figure out a better way, maybe everyday again.  I'll see.  How are your goals for the year or month going so far?  It is the first post of the month, so I want to check in.  Remember, now is a great time to start again or start something for the first time.  Or like me, try to figure out what works and what doesn't.
     I have been having an awesome time with my kiddos.  I have made sure that each week, for the past month, that we have a day at the house.  No running around.  It has been great for all of us.  Yesterday was a very exciting day at home.  We got a new washer and dryer!  They are AMAZING!  We rent, so I didn't pick them out, but they are sooooo much better than our old ones.  After they were installed, I started jumping up and down.  I realize that seems kinda crazy, but I really love them.  It made me wonder, when did I grow up?  At some point, I become the girl who is excited by a new washer and dryer.  I'm ok with that.  I like that I growing up.  It's weird, but I like it. 
     Another event that is strange is that my son is turning five on Sunday.  How can he be growing up too?  Where is the time going?  Next week, I am giving a talk about time budgeting.  All of these things happening are making me ask myself even more, "What am I doing with my time?  Am I making memories that I want to have?  What is important to me?"  I know I blogged about that last time, but it's so important.  As I prepare for the talk, I know that I will be thinking about it even more.  Go make some great memories.  Thanks for reading.  :-)
    

Legacy

     I know I have gone a week without a blog.  Sorry, but I am here now.  :-)  Last week would have been my mother and father-in-laws' anniversary.  My father in law died in 2007.  Their anniversary day got me thinking about legacy.  Even though my mother in law is still with us, I feel like I can talk about some of the legacy that she and her fabulous husband left to the world.  Their legacy to their children was demonstrating a God centered marriage.  I am sure they, like all of us, had their off days.  But they always showed one another love and respect.  My husband and I lived with them for six months and they were some of the most fun six months ever.  We played cards with his parents multiple nights a week.  I loved watching my in laws interact.  Sometimes my father in law would get this gleam in his eye.  We would know that he was about to do something that would make my mother in law laugh or something that she would joking tell him he shouldn't do.  They had one of the best marriages I have ever seen in my life.  I am so glad that not only did I know them, but I am in their family.
     They have left a legacy of good marriage to their kids.  Because when their kids were growing us they saw what an awesome marriage looked like, they are more easily able to walk that out in their own lives.  I am blessed that I married one of their sons.  Because we can walk in a Godly marriage, I pray that our kids will be able to too and so on through the generations.  So the legacy from my father and mother in law will touch generations that are not even born yet.  People that they will never meet this side of Heaven will be positively impacted by them.
     They also showed what it was to love your kids.  This too will, I pray, be passed from generation to generation.  My kids get to know the love of the Grandpa they will never meet here on Earth through the love of their Daddy.  I am so excited I am able to already see some of the legacy from my father and mother in law.  What about you?  What is your legacy?  Our legacies are what is left behind after all the material stuff we had is gone.  Looking at your life now, will your great great grand kids be glad that you were who you were?  Thanks for reading.  :-)

Balance

     If you have been following my blog for a while, you may have noticed that in the last few weeks I have not been blogging everyday.  I have been learning more about blogging the last few months.  What I have discovers is many bloggers do not blog everyday.  I think one of the reasons is so people who are reading the blog, don't feel like they are behind if they miss a few days of reading.  So, I have been keeping a few days in between blogs.  I don't know if it's a good idea or not, but I am trying it.  So I will still be blogging regularly, at least three times a week, I will not be necessary blogging everyday.  I might blog for a few days in a row...or not.
      So, on to life.  I have been trying to spend some days at the house with my kids not having anything to do except be at home.  I realized a few weeks ago that almost everyday for the last nine months, the kids and I have been out of the house for part of the day.  A lot of that was going to the gym.  I am still going to the gym, just not almost everyday.  Balance. 
     I have been thinking about how the way that you spend your time tells people about you.  I want people to know that I want to be healthy and that working out is important to me.  But I want my kids to know that there are times I just want to be with them.  We don't have to do anything else, but be together.  So I am making some more margin in my life.  I want to continue to look at what I am doing with my time and ask what it is saying about me and my priorities.  What about you?  Would people know what you would SAY is important to you by looking at how you spend your time?  Thanks for reading. 

The Sweatshirt on the Floor

     At the retreat, the Saturday morning session was about Fear.  One of the Bible readings was when the men dug through the roof so their friend could be healed.  Can you imagine being there and watching a man being lowered through a roof?  That takes commitment.  Our speaker said, "We don't have to act like we have it all together.  When we act like we have it all together, we miss the healing."  If that guy or his friends had acted like the guy was alright, they wouldn't have taken him to Jesus to be healed. 
     It sounds so easy doesn't it?  Just be honest.  We all know that no one has it together, but it is so hard to really put yourself out there.  To really say, "Yep, I have had a rough day."  Or "I made a horrible choice."  Or "I have absolutely no clue what I am really doing in this situation."  The joy comes though, when we can say that to each other.  When we can really be our true selves to those around us.  But we don't open up.  Why?  Because we are afraid.  Fear has us.  We are afraid of what people think.  Or of ruining the image we have going. 
     The speaker talked about how the enemy wants us to be comfortable with fear- to be used to it, not notice it hanging around.  She compared fear to a sweatshirt that is laying on the floor.  You walk by it the first time and think, "Someone should pick that up."  And then you walk right past it.  (Which made us all crack up.)  Don't we do that do?  Walk by the sweatshirt once, twice, three times...an hour.  And we keep thinking that some one should do something about it.  By the third day, you stop thinking about how someone should do something and now the sweatshirt is just part of the floor.  :-)  How many things in life do we do this with?  I know that I do it with things around the house.  (When I got home from the retreat, I went around picking up a lot of things that had just started blending into the landscape.) 
     But, I know that I can do it with fear too.  I get so used to thinking that I can't do something, I stop trying.  I don't want to do that.  I don't want to "trade abundant life for a mundane one" as the speaker said.  I want to be all that God wants me to be, not just what I think I can be.  I want to be ready for God's best for me.  One of my favorite verses right now is Ephesians 3:20, "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us..."  God can do IMMEASURABLY MORE then WE can ASK or IMAGINE.  Isn't that great?!?!
     When that fear comes back, I want to tell it to go away.  I want to have the abundant life that God has for me.  Is there anywhere that fear has become part of the landscape of your life?  Are you walking in the abundant life that God has for you in every area of your life?  What can you do to team up with God to grab a hold of all He has for you?  Thanks for reading.  :-)

I've had it!

     I am taking a little break from the retreat sessions.  We will return, but I wanted to blog about something else, so I am.  :-)  On Tuesday night, as I was sitting eating chocolate chips, raisins, and teddy grahams, I realized I am eating this and I am not even hungry.  In the last week or so, I have eaten 2 1/2 bags of chips, a TON of cookies and cookie dough, just junk.  Some of the stuff I don't even really like that much, I just keep eating it.  I don't know what happened.  I did great with food while I was visiting my family.  Most of the time, I gain 5-10 pounds when I am visiting there.  This time, I was up like 1.5 pounds (some of which was water weight from flying) and I lost that in a few days.
     But, once I got home, I went nuts.  I do not know what all was going on; well, I think there were lots of things.  I was glad to be home.  Traveling had been stressful and I didn't want to have to think about my food once I got home.  The problem, though, is my "not thinking about it" means just eating all the junk I want.  Why do I do that?  It seems silly to me as I sit and eat stuff I know is going to make me feel yucky and bloated in 30 minutes and still hungry, that I keep eating it.  After doing that for almost two weeks, I was just feeling not great.  And I have gained over 6 pounds in the last two weeks. 
    My husband and I watched a movie and one of the people said that when we are trying to eat healthy, "We need to stop thinking, I WANT that but CAN'T have it.  And start thinking, I CAN have that, but I DON'T want it."  Wow...that seems so easy.  I was trying to do that, the problem is I do want a bunch of chocolate.  But what I realized Tuesday was that, yes, I do want to eat it, but I HATE how eating everything that I WANT makes me feel so bad.  So, Wednesday, I actually stopped eating the junk.  It has been a good few days.  I am feeling better.  I wish that it would keep being as easy- trying to remember how yucky I felt will help me I think.  I know that it usually does get harder, but I just want to remember that I don't want to feel gross.  How about you?  Is there a part of your life that you keep doing something that you know is silly?  What step(s) can you take today to change that just a little?  Thanks for reading.  :-)