So, did you all have a great weekend??? We had a great weekend around our house! Fri. night Kyle went to the Kid Rock concert (so crazy I think), and so I had a night with the girls. I actually had them in bed around 7:30 and I scrapped until about 11:00 when I was falling asleep. I of course didn't get as much done as I wanted to (that's always the story). Sat. morning I did some salon at home for family and then after the girls' naps we went out to Grandville for dinner and to the mall for Build-A-Bear! Dinner was great - ate at Buffalo Wild Wings, and the girls LOVED Build-A-Bear! I took pictures yesterday of the girls with their bears that I will have to post! Braelyn picked a pink sparkly bear and Selah the bunny! Braelyn named hers Cherry and Selah named hers Floppy (original right?) They are so into their stuffed animals! I am glad they like them - now we just need to get clothes for them - they are so expensive that we skipped the clothes. Braelyn took her bear (in it's box/home) to church (it stayed in the truck), then to my moms for lunch (she lost a bow she thought), and then later to my sisters where we had a little superbowl party (where she lost the bear and a bow). I have not told her that Cherry Pie now is staying in our house so we don't lose her. So - Sunday - yeah - church where I had to teach Children in Worship, lunch at mom's, home for naps, and then to my sisters for some good superbowl food and watching! 9 kids running around playing made it a little tough to really watch the whold game, but it was so much fun!!!
Pretty basic week - work, Braelyn to school, Dr. appt for Gracyn, etc... Braelyn has her school valentine exchange already this Fri. so I have to have her treat ready for that - we are also special helpers that day, so it should be fun! Tomorrow night Kyle and I get a date night! My sister and I have started to trade date nights/kids a couple times a month. We watch their 4 kids one night and then they watch ours another. Works out kind of nice. We have to go register Braelyn for her preschool (decided on the two days girls), and then dinner and groceries. Doesn't sound like much of a date, but hey - it's all stuff that has to get done and it's nicer to do without kids!
So when I had my first child, Brealyn, I got involved in a MOPS group b/c I needed an out with a colicky baby. One of the first meetings I went to was a GREAT "concert" by these two sisters - Sharon Lovejoy Autry& Laurie Lovejoy Hilliard. They have a ministry called 2Moms. They traveled in these great busses with their homeschooled kids and families and did inspirational concerts for moms. I really liked them and I really needed what I heard back then. Well, still to this day I have gotten emails from them like every other month or so. They have stopped doing their touring for their kids sakes, but they have books and they do these emails. I just wanted to share today's email with you - if you are anything like me - you will appreciate it ( I am a horrible cook - although I try!) Here is a link to their signup for their newsletter too!
Here it is:
Cooking with God
I felt like a failure! Failure as a mom (my kids had been fighting like cats and dogs), failure as a wife (I was chronically mad at my husband for no particular reason,), a failure as a speaker/author (because what could I possib ly have to tell women when I was a failure as a mom and wife!), and the icing on the failure cake...I was a failure as a cook.
I knew they would like my latest dish, Pizza Casserole, but as we sat down to dinner, nobody liked it (except me!). If I didn't really want to know what my husband thought about it, why did I ask him? I was crushed almost to tears (I saved those for later).
As I cleaned off the table, I thought, "I can't even cook!" At that moment a thought ran through my head: "You've never asked Me to help you cook." I immediately thought, "Lord, I don't want to! Shouldn't I be able to do something on my own?"
Miserable! That's what I was, through that night and on to Sunday morning, even as I sat in church. My pride wasn't letting me accept the help He was offering. He saw my misery and was trying to correct me to help. Finally, I surr endered . "Lord, I need your help with everything. I need your wisdom to parent my kids, I need your sacrificial love to be there for my husband, and Lord, I stink at cooking on my own. I can't do it on my own. I need you to help me make my house a home. To You alone be the glory." As I stood to my knees, the weight of pride fell off.
"Do not lose hope when He corrects you. The Lord trains those He loves...No training seems pleasant at the time. In fact it seems painful. But later on it produces a harvest of godliness and peace." (Heb. 12:5b-6a, 11).
What is it that you're trying to handle on your own? Maybe you're trying to parenting your kids on your own. Have you had a hard time loving your husband, lately? Have you ever asked God to help you with the daily things: cooking, getting everybody ready to go in the morning, buying groceries with the kids in tow (and not losing your temper), washing, drying, AND putting the laundry away, cooking for your family, planning birthday parties or even what to buy your child as a gift? If you ask Him, He is ready and willing to help with everything.
God and I have served several meals since the Pizza Casserole disaster. The meals were great, but so was our conversation. Without Him, I am a failure. With Him, there is joy!
Sharon
Lord, You are patient and kind. Thank you for your willingness to help with everything. Would you help me see areas that I am carrying the load by myself? And then, help me turn it over to you for your help. You said, "Come to me, all of you who are tired and carrying heavy loads. I will give you rest. Become my servants and learn from me. I am gentle and free of pride. Serving me is easy, and my load is light." (Matt. 11:28-30) So, Lord, I come to you with my feelings of guilt and failure, my heavy loads. Thank you for helping me. I love you! In Jesus' Name, Amen
I felt like a failure! Failure as a mom (my kids had been fighting like cats and dogs), failure as a wife (I was chronically mad at my husband for no particular reason,), a failure as a speaker/author (because what could I possib ly have to tell women when I was a failure as a mom and wife!), and the icing on the failure cake...I was a failure as a cook.
I knew they would like my latest dish, Pizza Casserole, but as we sat down to dinner, nobody liked it (except me!). If I didn't really want to know what my husband thought about it, why did I ask him? I was crushed almost to tears (I saved those for later).
As I cleaned off the table, I thought, "I can't even cook!" At that moment a thought ran through my head: "You've never asked Me to help you cook." I immediately thought, "Lord, I don't want to! Shouldn't I be able to do something on my own?"
Miserable! That's what I was, through that night and on to Sunday morning, even as I sat in church. My pride wasn't letting me accept the help He was offering. He saw my misery and was trying to correct me to help. Finally, I surr endered . "Lord, I need your help with everything. I need your wisdom to parent my kids, I need your sacrificial love to be there for my husband, and Lord, I stink at cooking on my own. I can't do it on my own. I need you to help me make my house a home. To You alone be the glory." As I stood to my knees, the weight of pride fell off.
"Do not lose hope when He corrects you. The Lord trains those He loves...No training seems pleasant at the time. In fact it seems painful. But later on it produces a harvest of godliness and peace." (Heb. 12:5b-6a, 11).
What is it that you're trying to handle on your own? Maybe you're trying to parenting your kids on your own. Have you had a hard time loving your husband, lately? Have you ever asked God to help you with the daily things: cooking, getting everybody ready to go in the morning, buying groceries with the kids in tow (and not losing your temper), washing, drying, AND putting the laundry away, cooking for your family, planning birthday parties or even what to buy your child as a gift? If you ask Him, He is ready and willing to help with everything.
God and I have served several meals since the Pizza Casserole disaster. The meals were great, but so was our conversation. Without Him, I am a failure. With Him, there is joy!
Sharon
Lord, You are patient and kind. Thank you for your willingness to help with everything. Would you help me see areas that I am carrying the load by myself? And then, help me turn it over to you for your help. You said, "Come to me, all of you who are tired and carrying heavy loads. I will give you rest. Become my servants and learn from me. I am gentle and free of pride. Serving me is easy, and my load is light." (Matt. 11:28-30) So, Lord, I come to you with my feelings of guilt and failure, my heavy loads. Thank you for helping me. I love you! In Jesus' Name, Amen
Have a great day - I will try to post pics tomorrow on my day off!!!
P.S. - Scrapbokpictures is having their sale - $1.49 for 8 x 8's - that is what I will be doing tonight - uploading all my LO's!!! Can't even imagine what my bill will be - I haven't had any printed since last April when they had their .99 cent deal. But at least I am saving .50 cents a LO! Anyway - just wanted to pop back in here and give you girls that scrapbook a heads up on this - they are the site I use - phenomenal prints!
2 comments:
oh wow manda, thanks for that insert i needed that today! you are such a blessing!
Hey there, thanks for sharing that..sometimes you forget or don't even think to approach god with little things, but that wa so awesome and true!! Did you get an email from scrapbookpictures? I just went out on their site and I didn't see it advertised? How long is the special through?
Amy
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