The SuperMom Chronicles have been quiet for several months...but for good reason! Over the summer I started a new project with my sister, Renae. While visiting in VA, we decided to write a blog together. Between us we have six (count them) SIX kids! Most of them are hers...but still...it makes for interesting stuff, this parenting business. And with more kids come more kid adventures to write about. It's just plain funny. So head on over to Training Up Hearts and see what you think. Then subscribe!
http://traininguphearts.blogspot.com/
Monday, September 2, 2013
Sunday, March 17, 2013
THERE ARE NO GERMS IN HEAVEN
In the car on the way home from church today....
LAUREN: Mom, where do we go after we go to heaven?
ME: We stay in heaven forever and ever.
LAUREN: But if you go to heaven to die, then where do you go next?
ME: No, we actually die here on earth. Then we go to heaven.
LAUREN: I want to take my skin with me to heaven.
ME: (We've had this part of the conversation several times now.) I know it sounds weird, but we leave these bodies here and then God gives us a new body in heaven.
LAUREN: Why does he give us a new one when we already have one?
ME: Because the new bodies are better than these. The new body can't get sick. And the new body can't get hurt.
LAUREN: Oh, and the new body can't get killed?
ME: That's right...the new body can't get killed either.
LAUREN: So...there are no germs in heaven?
ME: Nope!
EVAN: There are no germs in heaven? I WANT TO GO THERE RIGHT NOW!! I'm ready to die. I want to die and go to heaven where there are no germs!
LAUREN: Me too!
ME: Well...I'm ready too...BUT...God has more jobs for us to do on the earth before he takes us to heaven.
EVAN: Until we're older.
ME: Yes, we stay on earth until we finish all of the jobs God has for us to do.
EVAN: I Probably need to clean my room then.
LAUREN: Mom, where do we go after we go to heaven?
ME: We stay in heaven forever and ever.
LAUREN: But if you go to heaven to die, then where do you go next?
ME: No, we actually die here on earth. Then we go to heaven.
LAUREN: I want to take my skin with me to heaven.
ME: (We've had this part of the conversation several times now.) I know it sounds weird, but we leave these bodies here and then God gives us a new body in heaven.
LAUREN: Why does he give us a new one when we already have one?
ME: Because the new bodies are better than these. The new body can't get sick. And the new body can't get hurt.
LAUREN: Oh, and the new body can't get killed?
ME: That's right...the new body can't get killed either.
LAUREN: So...there are no germs in heaven?
ME: Nope!
EVAN: There are no germs in heaven? I WANT TO GO THERE RIGHT NOW!! I'm ready to die. I want to die and go to heaven where there are no germs!
LAUREN: Me too!
ME: Well...I'm ready too...BUT...God has more jobs for us to do on the earth before he takes us to heaven.
EVAN: Until we're older.
ME: Yes, we stay on earth until we finish all of the jobs God has for us to do.
EVAN: I Probably need to clean my room then.
Monday, February 11, 2013
TWO YEARS OUT
Today was not my best birthday. It wasn’t my worst, either.
Funny how your perspective on everything in life changes
when you come so close to death. Tomorrow is the two year anniversary of the
day I almost died. Two years was really not that long ago. I still experience
some physical side effects from that medical ordeal, but the memory is finally becoming
a little more distant. Any hint of nausea does still put me on guard, though. You
can read more about my medical emergency here:
http://momchronicles.blogspot.com/2011_02_01_archive.html
and here: http://momchronicles.blogspot.com/2011_03_01_archive.html.
Last year I posted "ONE YEAR OUT" which mainly dealt with what I had learned from this experience. You can read that post here: http://momchronicles.blogspot.com/p/health-chronicles.html (scroll down a bit). I was still really wrapping my head around the fact that I actually almost died. Kaput. Finished. Almost kicked the bucket. It really and truly almost happened. I did take some time to examine what I had learned. The year that followed was such a whirlwind as far as getting a new job and jumping into a new leadership opportunity, and just plain trusting God with His plan for me.This year I think that my focus lies more in what He has next for me. I have been faithful and I have worked hard. The whirlwind has not died down in the least, but I know the path. It's not straight or narrow or clear of debris, but it is more familiar this time. I feel like I am home. I'm just so dagblamed thankful right now. Even on the stinky days.
It’s so ironic that this day falls around my birthday. Not
everyone has the privilege of having so many re-birthdays. I actually have a slew
of them now! At the top of the list is my re-birth in accepting Jesus Christ as
my Lord and Savior. That one cannot be outdone, of course, but the others are still
so much a part of who I am. This literal second chance at life itself is a close
second, with the third being weight loss surgery and losing 145 pounds in 2003,
which led to a fourth re-birth in leaving an abusive relationship the following
year.
Read that paragraph again. Wow! It may sound awful at first but truly...it just screams out so loudly...I HAVE LIVED! And I have. But there is so much more ahead. And here I am, Lord. Lead on!
O Lord, lead me in Thy righteousness, because of those observing me, make straight before me Thy way.
PSALM 5:8
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
DOC ON THE SHELF
By popular demand...here is the complete collection of Doc's 2012 adventures. Enjoy!
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Grandma gets full credit for this one! The kids and Doc spent the night at her house on December 23rd!
Doc's farewell...we will miss this guy! <3
Friday, December 14, 2012
NULLIFYING TRAGEDY
Today was a terrible day in Connecticut. An unconfirmed
number of children have been lost along with teachers and administrators. An
unconfirmed number of people will never get their child off the bus or pick
them up in carpool today. An unconfirmed number of people have been touched by
those who died or those who were traumatized firsthand by this event.
Imagine walking into your child’s school on Monday morning
and a whole classroom is missing.
Devastating.
Please understand the following: This was the result of evil
in the world. Satan rears his filthy head in many ways. He loves to make us
cry. He loves to tear our hearts apart. He knows what will get our attention.
Please understand this as well: No gun control law, no metal
detector, no fence, no visitation policy or school sign in sheet will keep a
tragedy such as this from happening again. These are mere bandaids.
There is one and only one thing that will keep evil out of
this world:
We must BE THE CHURCH.
What does this mean? It’s so simple. We must be
outward focused. We must take care of one another. We must do as much good as
possible. We must go the extra mile to help another human. We must take care of
ourselves and our families but we must put others first. Love them. Love the unlovable.
We can only match evil if we work at it relentlessly and chip at it
little by little, piece by piece each and every day. Some days I totally suck
at this…because I am human. But on the days that I am not my best, I am confident
that there are an army of believers out in the world making up for my
shortcomings.
But this army of goodness must increase in order to make a
difference in the world. Even if you don’t believe that Jesus Christ died for
your sins and that you will spend eternity in heaven with him (although I pray
that you do!), I know that it is fully possible for you to BE THE CHURCH and
follow His teachings. Think about it. YOU can make a difference in the next
near tragedy. YOU could be the person who showed a kindness to someone and
changed the trajectory of a life. Or lives. Think about that.
GO. DO SOMETHING. BE THE CHURCH.
Acts 20:28
28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.
28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.
Romans 12:3-5
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
1 Corinthians 12:12-26
12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body-whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free-and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.21 The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body-whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free-and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.21 The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
Friday, October 26, 2012
Mound of Earth
There is a fresh mound of earth in the woods behind my house. Beneath it lies my friend of eleven years. I've dug plenty of holes in my lifetime, but never a grave. It was difficult to do. There were many rocks and roots in the way. There were tears in the way as well.
As I worked I thought about why the tears were coming so easily now. My Lilly has been missing for nearly two weeks. Each night I checked the shelter websites and Craig's List for an ad that was never going to be placed. Kind friends helped me look. Friends tried to will her home. I had hope.
As I stood over the open earth and placed her in, I told her how sorry I was that we didn't know she got out. Sorry that we didn't even realize for a whole day. And sorry for all those times that I ignored her to do "work."
The quentessential Siamese, she was by my side always. She was so beautiful. And sweet. I know that she knew that I loved her.
But as much as I loved her for her, I really think my tears today were for eleven years of life that have passed in the blink of an eye. Lilly was with me through a divorce, a 145 pound weight loss, a move to a different state, a new marriage, two babies, job loss, new jobs, major illness, and much inbetween.
For two weeks I've prayed for my sweet cat to come home. I'm not sure why my prayer wasn't answered. I might not ever know. I just know I miss my friend who slept curled up beside my pillow each night.
There is some relief in knowing.
The hardest part has been watching a man who claims not to like cats walk outside each evening and stare into the woods...call her name, take off his hat, and shake his head. He loved her too.
Ahead of us lies a conversation with two little ones that will be much harder than dealing with my own feelings about this. If they ask me why Lilly had to go to heaven right now, I won't have an answer.
As I worked I thought about why the tears were coming so easily now. My Lilly has been missing for nearly two weeks. Each night I checked the shelter websites and Craig's List for an ad that was never going to be placed. Kind friends helped me look. Friends tried to will her home. I had hope.
As I stood over the open earth and placed her in, I told her how sorry I was that we didn't know she got out. Sorry that we didn't even realize for a whole day. And sorry for all those times that I ignored her to do "work."
The quentessential Siamese, she was by my side always. She was so beautiful. And sweet. I know that she knew that I loved her.
But as much as I loved her for her, I really think my tears today were for eleven years of life that have passed in the blink of an eye. Lilly was with me through a divorce, a 145 pound weight loss, a move to a different state, a new marriage, two babies, job loss, new jobs, major illness, and much inbetween.
For two weeks I've prayed for my sweet cat to come home. I'm not sure why my prayer wasn't answered. I might not ever know. I just know I miss my friend who slept curled up beside my pillow each night.
There is some relief in knowing.
The hardest part has been watching a man who claims not to like cats walk outside each evening and stare into the woods...call her name, take off his hat, and shake his head. He loved her too.
Ahead of us lies a conversation with two little ones that will be much harder than dealing with my own feelings about this. If they ask me why Lilly had to go to heaven right now, I won't have an answer.
For every animal of
the forest is mine,
and the cattle on a thousand hills.
I know every bird in
the mountains,
and the creatures of the field are mine.
~Psalm 50:11-12
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Even The Good Weeds
If you've read my blog before, you know that the title is in jest. I am not, nor will I ever be, Super Mom. I do try, however, to be a mom first and foremost. So that is why I have not blogged in THREE WHOLE MONTHS. *gasp* I've been a little busy. (That, of course, is an understatement.) So I've taken some time off. But beware, I am working toward a different season in which I may have a tad more time to myself. You know I'll spend some of my 'me' time with my kids and my husband but I bet that you'll also catch me blogging more. Fair warning.
And now...on to my actual reason for writing today...
Blogging is not the only thing I haven't done for three months. This morning I spent a couple of hours cleaning out a smelly garage and a very weedy flower bed. I'm not finished, but it was time well spent and it looks far better than it did. I don't remember there being this many weeds in my front flower bed in the four year history of living in our home. My husband had even tried to spray weed killer on the weeds and it had merely yellowed them a bit. They continued to grow.
Weeding is a love/hate relationship for me for a couple of reasons. I hate it because it's time consuming and it makes my hands hurt. I love it because I'm one of those people who loves immediate gratification. Within an hour I can turn an ugly patch of mess into a pretty mulch bed. The results are easily seen in a relatively short amount of time. Weeding also allows me time to think. Nobody really wants to help with the weeds so I tend to chop and pull all by my lonesome. Once in awhile, lonesome is a good thing. Especially lately.
So God and I had a bit of a chat, which we haven't done quite so much lately. Not the good kind of chat at least. I've prayed and prayed like I always do but I haven't really been listening. Or, maybe I've been listening but I haven't really heard. You know what I mean.
So as we were talking, I noticed that the weeds were much easier to pull than usual because of the rain that we'd had last night. That certainly made things go faster. In addition to the aforementioned variety of hearty, yellowing, poison-treated weeds, there were many others. There was one that looked like a little sycamore tree, one with tiny dandilion looking tufts on it, and one with thorns that I am still suffering a bit from. They were all easy enough to pull, place in my lawn bag, and get rid of.
But then....there were the morning glories...
I love morning glories. They're like a gorgeous little surprise gift each morning from August through the beginning of October or so. They come in such happy vivid hues, different sizes, and they are generally quite hearty. I certainly consider them a beautiful flower. But some gardeners and farmers consider them a weed because truly, they are so invasive. If they are not tended they will simply take over. And sometimes even if they are tended, they take over anyway.
Morning glories are tenacious as well. They come back year after year after year. There is a petite little variety of tiny, white, wild morning glory that comes back in one of my backyard flowerbeds each year. It somehow survived the year that we had the whole backyard(which was nothing but clay anyway) pulverized and covered in sod. It simply won't give up. I love the morning glories dearly, and I don't want to pull them.
So this morning glory is much like my life right now. There are SO many morning glories, or beautiful things, in my life that are just growing and thriving. I'm so pleased! So thankful! It's a wonderful time to watch God's work and I have been so blessed to be a part of such extraordinary grace. But, as you might guess, sometimes even the morning glories have to be tamed, to be 'weeded' if you will. Because otherwise, the healthy plants and earth below will only be healthy for so long.
Today I met many little earthworms as I dug out weeds and fluffed the mulch. They were not there four years ago. After careful ammending to the soil, it is now a good place for both plants and worms to live happily. Simply put, it's like ME. I've been tending myself carefully. I'm healthy, I'm richly blessed, and I continue to receive God's amazing love. But I have to take care. Sometimes even the good weeds have to be pulled in order to keep your heart healthy.
So I will. I promise.
And now...on to my actual reason for writing today...
Blogging is not the only thing I haven't done for three months. This morning I spent a couple of hours cleaning out a smelly garage and a very weedy flower bed. I'm not finished, but it was time well spent and it looks far better than it did. I don't remember there being this many weeds in my front flower bed in the four year history of living in our home. My husband had even tried to spray weed killer on the weeds and it had merely yellowed them a bit. They continued to grow.
Weeding is a love/hate relationship for me for a couple of reasons. I hate it because it's time consuming and it makes my hands hurt. I love it because I'm one of those people who loves immediate gratification. Within an hour I can turn an ugly patch of mess into a pretty mulch bed. The results are easily seen in a relatively short amount of time. Weeding also allows me time to think. Nobody really wants to help with the weeds so I tend to chop and pull all by my lonesome. Once in awhile, lonesome is a good thing. Especially lately.
So God and I had a bit of a chat, which we haven't done quite so much lately. Not the good kind of chat at least. I've prayed and prayed like I always do but I haven't really been listening. Or, maybe I've been listening but I haven't really heard. You know what I mean.
So as we were talking, I noticed that the weeds were much easier to pull than usual because of the rain that we'd had last night. That certainly made things go faster. In addition to the aforementioned variety of hearty, yellowing, poison-treated weeds, there were many others. There was one that looked like a little sycamore tree, one with tiny dandilion looking tufts on it, and one with thorns that I am still suffering a bit from. They were all easy enough to pull, place in my lawn bag, and get rid of.
But then....there were the morning glories...
I love morning glories. They're like a gorgeous little surprise gift each morning from August through the beginning of October or so. They come in such happy vivid hues, different sizes, and they are generally quite hearty. I certainly consider them a beautiful flower. But some gardeners and farmers consider them a weed because truly, they are so invasive. If they are not tended they will simply take over. And sometimes even if they are tended, they take over anyway.
Morning glories are tenacious as well. They come back year after year after year. There is a petite little variety of tiny, white, wild morning glory that comes back in one of my backyard flowerbeds each year. It somehow survived the year that we had the whole backyard(which was nothing but clay anyway) pulverized and covered in sod. It simply won't give up. I love the morning glories dearly, and I don't want to pull them.
So this morning glory is much like my life right now. There are SO many morning glories, or beautiful things, in my life that are just growing and thriving. I'm so pleased! So thankful! It's a wonderful time to watch God's work and I have been so blessed to be a part of such extraordinary grace. But, as you might guess, sometimes even the morning glories have to be tamed, to be 'weeded' if you will. Because otherwise, the healthy plants and earth below will only be healthy for so long.
Today I met many little earthworms as I dug out weeds and fluffed the mulch. They were not there four years ago. After careful ammending to the soil, it is now a good place for both plants and worms to live happily. Simply put, it's like ME. I've been tending myself carefully. I'm healthy, I'm richly blessed, and I continue to receive God's amazing love. But I have to take care. Sometimes even the good weeds have to be pulled in order to keep your heart healthy.
So I will. I promise.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
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