I started following Christ when I was a freshman in college. While in school I was introduced to the concept of praying for my husband, even though I didn't know who he was. I thought the concept was good and I'd occasionally remember to do it, but it wasn't anything I did regularly.
A few years later I was at a conference and the speaker talked about how, when he was single, he picked a star in the sky to be his reminder to pray for his (future) wife. This man wasn't talking about "Wishing upon a star", but he used the star as a reminder to pray to the One who created the stars for the woman he would eventually shar his life with. Since I'd already proven to myself I wasn't very good at remembering to pray for someone I'd never met I latched on to this idea and decided to adopt it myself. I picked the middle star in Orion's belt.
Though I didn't know it at the time, on November 8, 2002 God introduced me to the man I had been praying for. Our first date was December 8, 2002 and we both knew fairly quickly this was "it". In March, 2003 my (now) husband told me he knew he was going to marry me, but he wasn't ready to ask me, yet. (Aside: 9.5 years and two kids later I still think that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard because were 26 and 36, he had a steady job, he owned his own home and I couldn't think of a single thing to wait for, but that's a story for another day. After we got engaged I told him how I felt back then and he still thinks it's hilarious; in fact, he tells me if he'd known how ridiculous I thought it was he would've waitied longer to propose. Goof.)
Memorial Day weekend, 2003 we loaded up my (now) husband's Nissan Xterra and headed for the mountains. We didn't really have a plan, we just wanted to get out of the Phoenix heat and spend time together (I worked one full time job as a flight attendant and a part time job working retail so I had insane hours and we didn't have much free time together). One of the ideas we'd talked about was just throwing a couple of sleeping bags in the truck and sleeping there.
Eventually we made our way to far Eastern Arizona and ended up camping there the entire weekend. I had never been to that part of the state and immediately fell in love with it. (I was already in love with the guy I was with!) One night during our trip we found our way to a meadow where we were just staring at the stars and talking. Even though we couldn't see it in the summer sky, during that conversation I told him about Orion's belt and how I'd used that as my visual cue to pray for him.
This past week our little family of 4 rented a cabin about 20 minutes from that campsite that is so special to me. As we were getting out of the car after dinner last night I looked up at the night sky for the first time all week. Whether it was because of the time of year or time of night I couldn't quickly find Orion (it was COLD and wanted to get the kids in bed so I didn't look long), but I told our 6 year old and our 4 year old about how I prayed for Daddy years before we met.
Last night as I tucked my 4 year old into bed she and I prayed for her husband. Orion and Eastern Arizona are significant in the story my husband and I share. Now every time I see that constellation, or am in that part of the state, I am going to pray for two more I haven't met, yet: my future daughter-in-law and my future son-in-law.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Just a Mom
I've always been fairly confident in the decision my husband and I made, before getting married, that I would stay at home while our kids were little and I would not work outside the home until our kids were in school.
Now that my kids are getting older and my social circle is expanding from my friends to parents of my kids' friends I am often finding myself the only mom in the room who doesn't earn a paycheck and admit that when the question is asked of me, "What do you do?" I shyly admit, "I'm just a mom". I see the looks and hear the unspoken words from these moms who have "real" jobs and my confidence in our decision gets shaken.
In addition to the new experiences of my expanded social circle, for several years I have looked around at what others my age have accomplished professionally and I can't help by wonder, "What have I done with my life?" I have a degree in a field I'm no longer interested in entering. I worked up until just before the arrival of my oldest, but I've just had "jobs" and I've never had a career. I have come to the realization that I will probably never have a career, even when I do re-enter the work force and get a job outside of the home.
In short, I have started to see my role as "just a mom" as one that is less than my peers who work outside the home and are wonderful parents.
Last week an amazing godly woman was called home to be with Jesus and I spent time this week thinking about her legacy. I don't know if she worked outside the home while her children were young. I don't much of her story, but I have spent time with her at family gatherings for as long as I've known my husband. I didn't know "GG" well, but I know some of her kids, her grandkids and her great-grandkids and I know the legacy she and her husband built has impacted countless thousands of lives for all eternity.
GG has one daughter who has been as a missionary overseas her entire adult life serving children who desperately need Jesus' love and compassion. GG's daughter has been Jesus' hands, feet, arms, and so much else to these children for several decades and the lives she has touched have been changed for all eternity. I honestly don't ever remember having met this daughter (maybe a brief introduction once), but I know her family and I've heard of her and her work for years.
GG has another daughter who I know primarily as my friends' mom. My friends' mom is the board of directors for a missions organization and is the missions director at her church. My friends' mom has raised a son and daughter who love Jesus, who serve Him in their community and who are raising their kids in the Truth. I count both of her children as friends.
One of GG's grandsons and his wife are close friends of ours. My husband and GG's grandson grew up in the same church together and have a friendship that has lasted decades. GG's grandson taught at a Christian school and was a youth pastor for many years before he and his family went on the mission field. Now Stateside this man is a pastor leading his own congregation.
GG's granddaughter is also a friend and she is raising her family in the same church she grew up in. While not in vocational ministry GG's granddaughter is serving her Jesus and is a light in her community to those who know her. GG's granddaughter and her husband have two young kids who they are raising in God's Truth.
GG has 4 great-grandchildren ranging in age from 19-2 and I can only imagine the future God has in store for them.
This amazing legacy of faith that has spanned several generations, multiple continents and to countless thousands of lives is all because one couple loved Jesus and demonstrated that love to their children.
While this legacy can (and IS) left by families where both parents work, single parent families where working is the only way to put food on the table and everything in between, it has caused me to re-think how I view myself and my role as Mom.
No matter if I one day have a job that out earns my husband's or if I never earn a paycheck again, I look at GG's life and remember that parenthood has an eternal impact for generations to come.
I am not "just a mom" . . . I am a woman who is one half of a couple raising our kids for eternity and praying we leave a legacy of Christ followers that lasts for generations to come.
Now that my kids are getting older and my social circle is expanding from my friends to parents of my kids' friends I am often finding myself the only mom in the room who doesn't earn a paycheck and admit that when the question is asked of me, "What do you do?" I shyly admit, "I'm just a mom". I see the looks and hear the unspoken words from these moms who have "real" jobs and my confidence in our decision gets shaken.
In addition to the new experiences of my expanded social circle, for several years I have looked around at what others my age have accomplished professionally and I can't help by wonder, "What have I done with my life?" I have a degree in a field I'm no longer interested in entering. I worked up until just before the arrival of my oldest, but I've just had "jobs" and I've never had a career. I have come to the realization that I will probably never have a career, even when I do re-enter the work force and get a job outside of the home.
In short, I have started to see my role as "just a mom" as one that is less than my peers who work outside the home and are wonderful parents.
Last week an amazing godly woman was called home to be with Jesus and I spent time this week thinking about her legacy. I don't know if she worked outside the home while her children were young. I don't much of her story, but I have spent time with her at family gatherings for as long as I've known my husband. I didn't know "GG" well, but I know some of her kids, her grandkids and her great-grandkids and I know the legacy she and her husband built has impacted countless thousands of lives for all eternity.
GG has one daughter who has been as a missionary overseas her entire adult life serving children who desperately need Jesus' love and compassion. GG's daughter has been Jesus' hands, feet, arms, and so much else to these children for several decades and the lives she has touched have been changed for all eternity. I honestly don't ever remember having met this daughter (maybe a brief introduction once), but I know her family and I've heard of her and her work for years.
GG has another daughter who I know primarily as my friends' mom. My friends' mom is the board of directors for a missions organization and is the missions director at her church. My friends' mom has raised a son and daughter who love Jesus, who serve Him in their community and who are raising their kids in the Truth. I count both of her children as friends.
One of GG's grandsons and his wife are close friends of ours. My husband and GG's grandson grew up in the same church together and have a friendship that has lasted decades. GG's grandson taught at a Christian school and was a youth pastor for many years before he and his family went on the mission field. Now Stateside this man is a pastor leading his own congregation.
GG's granddaughter is also a friend and she is raising her family in the same church she grew up in. While not in vocational ministry GG's granddaughter is serving her Jesus and is a light in her community to those who know her. GG's granddaughter and her husband have two young kids who they are raising in God's Truth.
GG has 4 great-grandchildren ranging in age from 19-2 and I can only imagine the future God has in store for them.
This amazing legacy of faith that has spanned several generations, multiple continents and to countless thousands of lives is all because one couple loved Jesus and demonstrated that love to their children.
While this legacy can (and IS) left by families where both parents work, single parent families where working is the only way to put food on the table and everything in between, it has caused me to re-think how I view myself and my role as Mom.
No matter if I one day have a job that out earns my husband's or if I never earn a paycheck again, I look at GG's life and remember that parenthood has an eternal impact for generations to come.
I am not "just a mom" . . . I am a woman who is one half of a couple raising our kids for eternity and praying we leave a legacy of Christ followers that lasts for generations to come.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
The day the Lord has made!
"This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 119:24
Today is September 11, 2012
Almost all of us, over about the age of 16 remember where we were, what we were doing and who we were with when we heard about the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C.
I was a flight attendant with America West Airlines and I happened to have the day off. Less than 2 weeks earlier I had moved and was living with a new roommate, in the townhouse she owned. My roommate (Kristina) was also a flight attendant and we were both accustomed to working red-eye flights and going to bed at odd hours, even on our days off so when the phone rang very early (probably around 6:30) I didn't get out of bed to answer it. Because I knew by the distinctive ring that the call was from one of my roommate's friends or family I stayed in bed wondering who would call her on our home phone this early, knowing we were day sleepers and rolled back over to get more sleep before having to start my day.
I don't know how long it was after the phone rang, but at some point afterwards Kristina opened my bedroom door and woke me up by saying, "There's been a terrorist attack on U.S. soil". "Huh?" Her words registered, but it sounded so foreign and so far out of anything I'd ever considered that it took me a few minutes, plus I had just woken up after only having a couple of hours sleep so I spent a moment trying to shake off the sleep and attempt to comprehend what she'd just told me.
The phone call I'd ignored was Kristina's dad telling her to turn on the news. We didn't have cable, and the only TV in our house was upstairs in her loft bedroom so we spent the next several hours watching TV while fielding phone calls from concerned friends and family wanting to find out if we were home or if we were working. While we fielded phone calls on our cell phones and our home phone we also were making outgoing phone calls to check on our friends who also worked in the industry. At one point I looked at the date on my phone and saw it was 9-11. Weird.
Kristina had a guy friend (who is now her husband and theirs was the wedding I'd attended the night I met my husband) who landed at Boston's Logan airport just as American Flight 11 was taxiing down the runway for it's doomed flight.
As Kristina and I sat on her bed while news reporters tried to make sense of the attacks Kristina and I knew what nobody else was saying: We KNEW the pilots were dead, and were not in control of their aircraft, when those planes hit their targets. Having worked in the airline industry for 3 years we knew that there was NO WAY the pilots would've crashed the planes into those buildings while they were alive. We knew, even with a gun to their head, the pilots would've crashed their aircraft into the Hudson before killing innocents on the ground.
As the reports came in about United 93 our first reaction was that the pilots had taken it down in an effort to save lives on the ground because we'd learned a few things about pilots in our day and we KNEW there wasn't a pilot out there who would commit these heinous acts, even under duress.
As the day progressed we knew our loved ones were on the ground and we had to continue living in the real world. (As an aside, I remember going to Wal-Mart at 9:30 that night to buy a toothbrush and feeling guilty for doing something so routine on such a horrific day when so many people had lost their lives.)
If I remember correctly Kristina had a dentist appointment. I was scheduled to work at my part-time job at a Christian bookstore. Two things from my afternoon shift stand out to me. I remember talking with people about how the world changed that day for all of us and I remember saying, "No. The world didn't change. Our perception of the world has changed. The world has always been an evil, fallen place. The only thing that's changed is we thought we were immune to these problems that happen in other places"
I also remember ringing up a lady's purchases and as I placed her items in the bag I noticed one of the things she had bought was a plaque with Psalm 118: 24 on it "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." In that moment I felt God speaking to me and reminding me that even on a day as dark as that one He is still God and He is still in control. Regardless of my circumstances He is still God, He is still in control and every day is a day He has made. Evil may seem to take over, but God is still God.
For the past 11 years every time I see that verse I am reminded of that moment and God's message to me. No matter what circumstances you're facing right now remember that today is the day the LORD has made and we are to rejoice and be glad in it.
Today is September 11, 2012
Almost all of us, over about the age of 16 remember where we were, what we were doing and who we were with when we heard about the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C.
I was a flight attendant with America West Airlines and I happened to have the day off. Less than 2 weeks earlier I had moved and was living with a new roommate, in the townhouse she owned. My roommate (Kristina) was also a flight attendant and we were both accustomed to working red-eye flights and going to bed at odd hours, even on our days off so when the phone rang very early (probably around 6:30) I didn't get out of bed to answer it. Because I knew by the distinctive ring that the call was from one of my roommate's friends or family I stayed in bed wondering who would call her on our home phone this early, knowing we were day sleepers and rolled back over to get more sleep before having to start my day.
I don't know how long it was after the phone rang, but at some point afterwards Kristina opened my bedroom door and woke me up by saying, "There's been a terrorist attack on U.S. soil". "Huh?" Her words registered, but it sounded so foreign and so far out of anything I'd ever considered that it took me a few minutes, plus I had just woken up after only having a couple of hours sleep so I spent a moment trying to shake off the sleep and attempt to comprehend what she'd just told me.
The phone call I'd ignored was Kristina's dad telling her to turn on the news. We didn't have cable, and the only TV in our house was upstairs in her loft bedroom so we spent the next several hours watching TV while fielding phone calls from concerned friends and family wanting to find out if we were home or if we were working. While we fielded phone calls on our cell phones and our home phone we also were making outgoing phone calls to check on our friends who also worked in the industry. At one point I looked at the date on my phone and saw it was 9-11. Weird.
Kristina had a guy friend (who is now her husband and theirs was the wedding I'd attended the night I met my husband) who landed at Boston's Logan airport just as American Flight 11 was taxiing down the runway for it's doomed flight.
As Kristina and I sat on her bed while news reporters tried to make sense of the attacks Kristina and I knew what nobody else was saying: We KNEW the pilots were dead, and were not in control of their aircraft, when those planes hit their targets. Having worked in the airline industry for 3 years we knew that there was NO WAY the pilots would've crashed the planes into those buildings while they were alive. We knew, even with a gun to their head, the pilots would've crashed their aircraft into the Hudson before killing innocents on the ground.
As the reports came in about United 93 our first reaction was that the pilots had taken it down in an effort to save lives on the ground because we'd learned a few things about pilots in our day and we KNEW there wasn't a pilot out there who would commit these heinous acts, even under duress.
As the day progressed we knew our loved ones were on the ground and we had to continue living in the real world. (As an aside, I remember going to Wal-Mart at 9:30 that night to buy a toothbrush and feeling guilty for doing something so routine on such a horrific day when so many people had lost their lives.)
If I remember correctly Kristina had a dentist appointment. I was scheduled to work at my part-time job at a Christian bookstore. Two things from my afternoon shift stand out to me. I remember talking with people about how the world changed that day for all of us and I remember saying, "No. The world didn't change. Our perception of the world has changed. The world has always been an evil, fallen place. The only thing that's changed is we thought we were immune to these problems that happen in other places"
I also remember ringing up a lady's purchases and as I placed her items in the bag I noticed one of the things she had bought was a plaque with Psalm 118: 24 on it "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." In that moment I felt God speaking to me and reminding me that even on a day as dark as that one He is still God and He is still in control. Regardless of my circumstances He is still God, He is still in control and every day is a day He has made. Evil may seem to take over, but God is still God.
For the past 11 years every time I see that verse I am reminded of that moment and God's message to me. No matter what circumstances you're facing right now remember that today is the day the LORD has made and we are to rejoice and be glad in it.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
When Life Gives You Lemons . . .
You make lemonade. Right? Wrong.
Friday night a friend was blindsided by the devastating news that, after 14 years of marriage, her husband has been having an affair and wants a divorce. Ironically Thursday this same friend had written a blog post about handling life's rough situations. Saturday morning, before her news was known to all of her friends, her Facebook post started by saying, "Figures I'd post about rolling with the punches and life decided to hand me lemons the next day."
Saturday afternoon I received a message from her in my Facebook messages explaining the situation and my heart broke for her. I spent most of yesterday in shock and in prayer for this family.
As I was falling asleep last night, my friend and her family heavy on my heart, I started thinking about life and getting an entire lemon tree dumped on you. I started thinking of the lemon tree in my backyard that exploded last year leaving us over 100lbs of lemons.
 |
| Immediately after the first round of picking |
 |
| After more picking + going door to door giving them away |
By the way, by the looks of our tree, we're going to have another bountiful harvest this winter so I'll be more than happy to share my lemons with you :)
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
What I'm Reading
Hello again! If this just popped up in your reader you're probably wondering, "Heidi still HAS a blog?" Yeah, it's been ignored lately. Life happens and writing gets pushed aside . . .
I'm an avid reader. Always have been. My husband bought me a Kindle for Christmas and I'm in love. I was a Kindle hold out for years, thinking that I just love books too much to switch to an e-reader. I love reading, but I also love holding a book, seeing the words on paper and having a full bookshelf to show off how well read I am :) I'm out of bookshelf space since my kids feel the need to sleep in beds (crazy kids) and space for beds trumped space for Mom's books :(
The unexpected blessing of having a Kindle is FREE BOOKS! Two of my favorite words combined! It's heaven on earth!
We've been laying low at home for the past week and I've had more time to read than I have in quite awhile so I took advantage of it. In the past week I've finished 2 very powerful books that I can't stop thinking about and am in the middle of the 3rd. All 3 are biographies of those who have survived some of the worst experiences a human can inflict on another. While one deals with current affairs, two tackle periods of human history that cannot not (SHOULD not) be forgotten. After I finish my current book I think I'm going to need some mindless fiction to take a break from the heavy subjects I've been tackling.
I "bought" all three books for free for my Kindle from Inspired Reads.
I stopped writing book reviews when my professors stopped requiring them ("book review" tries to sound more sophisticated than a 4th grade book report, doesn't it? Yeah, it's the same thing. Hi, Dr. Helfers!) so all I'll say is all 3 books were great and I'd give them 5 stars if I were rating them on Amazon. I'm listing them in the order in which I read them:
My Father, Maker of the Trees: How I Survived the Rwandan Genocide
Official Book Description:
My Father, Maker of the Trees is a story not only of surviving the Rwandan genocide--it is also a story of spiritual rebirth, healing, and redemption of a land and a people. This incredible true account shows readers the reality of evil in the world as well as the power of hope. Eric's message of God's relentless love through our darkest circumstances will encourage and inspire. Now available in trade paper.
Passport through Darkness: A True Story of Danger and Second Chances
Official Book Description:
While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement
Official Book Description:
On September 15, 1963, a Klan-planted bomb went off in the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. Fourteen-year-old Carolyn Maull was just a few feet away when the bomb exploded, killing four of her friends in the girl’s rest room she had just exited. It was one of the seminal moments in the Civil Rights movement, a sad day in American history . . . and the turning point in a young girl’s life. While the World Watched is a poignant and gripping eyewitness account of life in the Jim Crow South—from the bombings, riots and assassinations to the historic marches and triumphs that characterized the Civil Rights movement. A uniquely moving exploration of how racial relations have evolved over the past 5 decades, While the World Watched is an incredible testament to how far we’ve come and how far we have yet to go.
As an interesting side note . . . when I was describing While the World Watched to my husband the other night he asked me about another woman from Birmingham, Alabama who was growing up in the 60's: Condoleezza Rice. My husband said he thought he had heard something about her and the church bombing that Carolyn Maull McKinstry survived. After doing some research I found out Dr. Rice was a childhood playmate of victim Denise McNair.
I'm an avid reader. Always have been. My husband bought me a Kindle for Christmas and I'm in love. I was a Kindle hold out for years, thinking that I just love books too much to switch to an e-reader. I love reading, but I also love holding a book, seeing the words on paper and having a full bookshelf to show off how well read I am :) I'm out of bookshelf space since my kids feel the need to sleep in beds (crazy kids) and space for beds trumped space for Mom's books :(
The unexpected blessing of having a Kindle is FREE BOOKS! Two of my favorite words combined! It's heaven on earth!
We've been laying low at home for the past week and I've had more time to read than I have in quite awhile so I took advantage of it. In the past week I've finished 2 very powerful books that I can't stop thinking about and am in the middle of the 3rd. All 3 are biographies of those who have survived some of the worst experiences a human can inflict on another. While one deals with current affairs, two tackle periods of human history that cannot not (SHOULD not) be forgotten. After I finish my current book I think I'm going to need some mindless fiction to take a break from the heavy subjects I've been tackling.
I "bought" all three books for free for my Kindle from Inspired Reads.
I stopped writing book reviews when my professors stopped requiring them ("book review" tries to sound more sophisticated than a 4th grade book report, doesn't it? Yeah, it's the same thing. Hi, Dr. Helfers!) so all I'll say is all 3 books were great and I'd give them 5 stars if I were rating them on Amazon. I'm listing them in the order in which I read them:
My Father, Maker of the Trees: How I Survived the Rwandan Genocide
Official Book Description:
My Father, Maker of the Trees is a story not only of surviving the Rwandan genocide--it is also a story of spiritual rebirth, healing, and redemption of a land and a people. This incredible true account shows readers the reality of evil in the world as well as the power of hope. Eric's message of God's relentless love through our darkest circumstances will encourage and inspire. Now available in trade paper.
Passport through Darkness: A True Story of Danger and Second Chances
Official Book Description:
As she shares her extraordinary stories of fighting human
trafficking as an ordinary mom, Kimberly Smith offers hope for readers who
wonder if God is calling them to greater things.
Passport Through Darkness takes readers on Smith’s journey from normal family life and business, to Europe, to the deserts of Africa and ultimately, to the deserts of her own soul as she tries to live well as an imperfect American mom, crusade for justice for orphans around the world, and embrace God’s extraordinary dreams for her. When Kimberly and her husband risk everything to answer God’s call, they see God change and restore them—even amid exhaustion, marital struggles, and physical limitations.
This heartbreaking, heartlifting book is for anyone who longs to see God move their life from normal to one that matters. It is a call to readers to take one more step on their journey to know God’s heart
Passport Through Darkness takes readers on Smith’s journey from normal family life and business, to Europe, to the deserts of Africa and ultimately, to the deserts of her own soul as she tries to live well as an imperfect American mom, crusade for justice for orphans around the world, and embrace God’s extraordinary dreams for her. When Kimberly and her husband risk everything to answer God’s call, they see God change and restore them—even amid exhaustion, marital struggles, and physical limitations.
This heartbreaking, heartlifting book is for anyone who longs to see God move their life from normal to one that matters. It is a call to readers to take one more step on their journey to know God’s heart
While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement
Official Book Description:
On September 15, 1963, a Klan-planted bomb went off in the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. Fourteen-year-old Carolyn Maull was just a few feet away when the bomb exploded, killing four of her friends in the girl’s rest room she had just exited. It was one of the seminal moments in the Civil Rights movement, a sad day in American history . . . and the turning point in a young girl’s life. While the World Watched is a poignant and gripping eyewitness account of life in the Jim Crow South—from the bombings, riots and assassinations to the historic marches and triumphs that characterized the Civil Rights movement. A uniquely moving exploration of how racial relations have evolved over the past 5 decades, While the World Watched is an incredible testament to how far we’ve come and how far we have yet to go.
As an interesting side note . . . when I was describing While the World Watched to my husband the other night he asked me about another woman from Birmingham, Alabama who was growing up in the 60's: Condoleezza Rice. My husband said he thought he had heard something about her and the church bombing that Carolyn Maull McKinstry survived. After doing some research I found out Dr. Rice was a childhood playmate of victim Denise McNair.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
What A Day!
Phew!
I'm glad it's almost 9 and all is quiet in my kids' rooms. Today was a day. Yes, I've had worse, but my venting today is too long for a facebook status so I came here :)
My husband had to go to CA for a meeting today, meaning he flew out at 7:30 this morning and was scheduled to fly back home at 8:05 tonight (which means he should be in the air right now). Definitely a long and tiring day for him! I am incredibly thankful for how hard he works to provide for our family as the only wage earner.
This morning, after the kids woke up, I had them grab several books and we all crawled into my bed where we read stories. In my mind we were going to have a blissful morning spent cuddling and reading books. The reality is the kids got ansty after 3 books and we moved onto the next activity. My son's preschool class is planting flowers in the school flower bed and the students will be tending to the flowers for the remainder of the school year (about 6 weeks). My son's teachers asked each student to bring in a flower this week to plant in the flower bed. Because of Good Friday my son doesn't have preschool Friday and tomorrow is the last day he'll attend this week so I knew we had to go buy his flower today.
We have been having problems with our dishwasher and the repairman was scheduled to come install a new motor today between 12-5. I finally was able to get the kids fed, dressed, and out the door around 10 when my husband called saying he just received a phone call from the repairman asking if it was ok if he was early because he could be there in about 30 minutes. I said, "Yes" and figured we could go buy my son's flower after rest.
After the kids had lunch and rested I tried getting them out the door, but again they were dragging their feet and we didn't actually leave for Home Depot until about 4pm. The three of us fought the evening congestion around an industrial park to head to Home Depot--the closest store with a nursery. Once at Home Depot my son picked out a marigold and we headed to our next few errands---Costco to get gas and then to the grocery store. We got to the grocery store around 5pm and it was pretty crazy. I managed to survive with some of my sanity in tact, considering at 5 and 3 my kids are too old to ride in the cart, but too young to not get distracted by all the interesting things in the grocery store.
The kids and I got home around 5:30 and I began to unload the groceries from the car while the kids ran inside. Before I finished unloading the groceries I noticed my son had broken the flower off his marigold. I had kept the potted plant in the front seat during our errands and I carried it inside once we got home telling him not to touch it, so I was a little frustrated knowing time was running out before he needed to deliver it to school. I considered telling him, "I'm sorry. You didn't listen to me and you broke it. That's the plant you're going to take to school. I'm sorry you won't have a pretty flower in the garden", but in the end I decided to load the kids back up and head back to the store. Home Depot is only about 3 miles from the house, but the errand took us 45 minutes because of traffic.
I had been hoping to get the kids in bed early, but I didn't. I did manage to feed them and get them in bed at their normal bed time (in part because we skipped baths tonight. Shhh . . .don't tell anyone), but I was pretty emotionally drained from our hectic afternoon. To top it off, when I picked up the mail I saw that I have been summonsed to serve jury duty with the City in May. I guess I should be thankful I don't have to serve on my birthday, which is that same month :)
I'm glad it's almost 9 and all is quiet in my kids' rooms. Today was a day. Yes, I've had worse, but my venting today is too long for a facebook status so I came here :)
My husband had to go to CA for a meeting today, meaning he flew out at 7:30 this morning and was scheduled to fly back home at 8:05 tonight (which means he should be in the air right now). Definitely a long and tiring day for him! I am incredibly thankful for how hard he works to provide for our family as the only wage earner.
This morning, after the kids woke up, I had them grab several books and we all crawled into my bed where we read stories. In my mind we were going to have a blissful morning spent cuddling and reading books. The reality is the kids got ansty after 3 books and we moved onto the next activity. My son's preschool class is planting flowers in the school flower bed and the students will be tending to the flowers for the remainder of the school year (about 6 weeks). My son's teachers asked each student to bring in a flower this week to plant in the flower bed. Because of Good Friday my son doesn't have preschool Friday and tomorrow is the last day he'll attend this week so I knew we had to go buy his flower today.
We have been having problems with our dishwasher and the repairman was scheduled to come install a new motor today between 12-5. I finally was able to get the kids fed, dressed, and out the door around 10 when my husband called saying he just received a phone call from the repairman asking if it was ok if he was early because he could be there in about 30 minutes. I said, "Yes" and figured we could go buy my son's flower after rest.
After the kids had lunch and rested I tried getting them out the door, but again they were dragging their feet and we didn't actually leave for Home Depot until about 4pm. The three of us fought the evening congestion around an industrial park to head to Home Depot--the closest store with a nursery. Once at Home Depot my son picked out a marigold and we headed to our next few errands---Costco to get gas and then to the grocery store. We got to the grocery store around 5pm and it was pretty crazy. I managed to survive with some of my sanity in tact, considering at 5 and 3 my kids are too old to ride in the cart, but too young to not get distracted by all the interesting things in the grocery store.
The kids and I got home around 5:30 and I began to unload the groceries from the car while the kids ran inside. Before I finished unloading the groceries I noticed my son had broken the flower off his marigold. I had kept the potted plant in the front seat during our errands and I carried it inside once we got home telling him not to touch it, so I was a little frustrated knowing time was running out before he needed to deliver it to school. I considered telling him, "I'm sorry. You didn't listen to me and you broke it. That's the plant you're going to take to school. I'm sorry you won't have a pretty flower in the garden", but in the end I decided to load the kids back up and head back to the store. Home Depot is only about 3 miles from the house, but the errand took us 45 minutes because of traffic.
I had been hoping to get the kids in bed early, but I didn't. I did manage to feed them and get them in bed at their normal bed time (in part because we skipped baths tonight. Shhh . . .don't tell anyone), but I was pretty emotionally drained from our hectic afternoon. To top it off, when I picked up the mail I saw that I have been summonsed to serve jury duty with the City in May. I guess I should be thankful I don't have to serve on my birthday, which is that same month :)
Monday, April 2, 2012
Holy Week traditions
According to the Christian calendar yesterday was Palm Sunday, the day Christians remember Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem where he was greeted by crowds praising him with cries of "Hosanna". By the end of the week Jesus would be dead and buried a tomb belonging to Joseph of Arimathea.
I often imagine that Saturday as one of the darkest days in human history as Satan thought he had won by killing Jesus, not realizing the ultimate victory would come on Sunday!
My kids are now 5 and 3 and I love watching their faith grow and hearing them speak the Truth. Last night at the dinner table we were discussing Easter and even my 3 year old was able to tell me we celebrate Easter because Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead. This morning I was in our spare room/office when my daughter came in, out of the blue, and said "Mommy! Jesus is the Truth!"
I want to take time this week and help my kids focus on the meaning of Easter. For the past few days I have been trying to think of different ways to prepare their young hearts and minds for the commemoration of the most important day in all of human history. I would also like to establish some traditions for our family as we mark this monumental week.
One friend and her husband participated in a reverse Lent project that they completed over the weekend. I love this idea so much that I'm going to discuss with my husband the possibility of doing it in our home next year.
Last week a friend posted a picture of this Easter garden and I immediately went to the store to get the necessary items. The kids and I made our own on Thursday and we'll remove the stone on Sunday morning. My son was quite concerned we were waiting so long (over a week) to roll the stone away because, "Mom! Jesus rose from the dead on the third day! Why are we waiting so long?"
Each night we read to our kids out of their children's Bible as their bedtime story. Generally my husband reads to our son, while I read to our daughter. We made sure last night to read them the story of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and will continue to read the events of this important week each night.
Though we will not be having a Seder dinner I am thinking about making a special dinner on Thursday night to remember the Last Supper.
Because we go to a large church they hold Easter services on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Our family will attend church on Saturday night, leaving Sunday for our family celebration.
Sunday morning we will hunt for Resurrection Eggs and discuss the story of Easter as we open the eggs.
As I look forward to the week I'm left wondering about what other traditions we can establish and activities we can do to remind us of the ultimate sacrifice made on the cross and the incredible victory of Jesus conquering death.
What are some activities your family does to mark Easter?
I often imagine that Saturday as one of the darkest days in human history as Satan thought he had won by killing Jesus, not realizing the ultimate victory would come on Sunday!
My kids are now 5 and 3 and I love watching their faith grow and hearing them speak the Truth. Last night at the dinner table we were discussing Easter and even my 3 year old was able to tell me we celebrate Easter because Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead. This morning I was in our spare room/office when my daughter came in, out of the blue, and said "Mommy! Jesus is the Truth!"
I want to take time this week and help my kids focus on the meaning of Easter. For the past few days I have been trying to think of different ways to prepare their young hearts and minds for the commemoration of the most important day in all of human history. I would also like to establish some traditions for our family as we mark this monumental week.
One friend and her husband participated in a reverse Lent project that they completed over the weekend. I love this idea so much that I'm going to discuss with my husband the possibility of doing it in our home next year.
Last week a friend posted a picture of this Easter garden and I immediately went to the store to get the necessary items. The kids and I made our own on Thursday and we'll remove the stone on Sunday morning. My son was quite concerned we were waiting so long (over a week) to roll the stone away because, "Mom! Jesus rose from the dead on the third day! Why are we waiting so long?"
Each night we read to our kids out of their children's Bible as their bedtime story. Generally my husband reads to our son, while I read to our daughter. We made sure last night to read them the story of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and will continue to read the events of this important week each night.
Though we will not be having a Seder dinner I am thinking about making a special dinner on Thursday night to remember the Last Supper.
Because we go to a large church they hold Easter services on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Our family will attend church on Saturday night, leaving Sunday for our family celebration.
Sunday morning we will hunt for Resurrection Eggs and discuss the story of Easter as we open the eggs.
As I look forward to the week I'm left wondering about what other traditions we can establish and activities we can do to remind us of the ultimate sacrifice made on the cross and the incredible victory of Jesus conquering death.
What are some activities your family does to mark Easter?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)