Opportunities To Improve...The Bubble Story

Have you ever heard something that totally changes everything? 

Maybe it was some preacher on the radio or TV (do they still have televangelists??). 

Maybe you read it in a daily devotional, or saw it on some annoying Facebook inspirational post.

For me, it was in church.  Isn't that what church is for?  Score one for church!!!

Here is what was said that socked me square between the eyes & left me sitting in my seat wondering if everyone could see my shame & humiliation:

"Remember that your children need as much mercy & grace each day as you do."

 

I know. 

 

Take a minute.

 

  Read it again.

 

 

  It's a cold glass of water to the face, isn't it??

 

 

 

He went on, of course, to include spouses & others that we come into contact with on a daily basis, but THIS was the one that got to me.

 

 

 

I would love to say right here that I have always known & done this & then go on to tell you what wonderful successes I have had with my kids as a result.

 

 

But I can't.

 

 

*Hangs head in shame*

 

 

The crazy thing is, I KNEW God KNEW I got it. 

 

He was looking right at me when I heard it & then said,

 

 "YOU GOT THAT?????  GOOD!!!" 

 

So much pressure when you KNOW that you have just been shown your ugly self in a personalized hand mirror.

 

 

 

So.  Now that I have established that I had an "A HA" moment in church last Sunday, let me give a pristine example of how God made sure I was paying attention.

 

 

Picture this:

 

 

Mom tells child (not named in order to protect the guilty innocent) to load dishwasher & start it after lunch. 

 

 

Story Background:

This has been unnamed child's chore for pretty stinking close to eternity, but child has EXTREME difficulties in remembering to do the job, therefore leaving us with NO clean dishes for dinner (remember, we use our entire set of multi-chipped, mismatched dishes at each meal).  In order to drive this chore into the said child's memory, many weeks of hand-washing (Mom!!!  Really??  I have to use my hands????) have occurred.

 

 

Back to my story.

 

 

After reminding child of their duties, Mom goes to lie down with the babies youngest children because THEY need a nap EVERY day.  Ahem.  It makes THEM nicer people in the afternoon.  True story.

 

 

I digress....

 

 

When Mom rises, cheerful & refreshed, she enters kitchen to see....bubbles. 

 

 

 

{LOTS & LOTS & LOTS of bubbles.}

 

 

Mom freaks.

 

(Please read this in calm, even tones as this is how I want you to think I did it....)

 

 

"What, exactly, was your thought process here????"

 

 

"We were out of dishwasher soap, so I put dish soap in there."

 

 

"No kidding.  Ummmm, why didn't you ASK if this was an ok substitute???"

 

 

"You were sleeping."

 

 

"Why didn't you just not start it since we were out of soap????"

 

 

"Because you always get upset & I didn't want to spend a month washing dishes by hand."

 

 

 

THERE.  Right there.

 

 

Did you see that?

 

 

THAT, my friends, was a healthy slap of guilty truth right across my face!!

 

 

Would someone PLEASE put down that incriminating mirror????

 

 

The child was correct, and respectful about it, even.  I do get upset.  I like things to run smoothly, like a well-oiled machine, which is why God gave me 8 kids (note to self:  do future blog on God's sense of humor.)

 

 

Whoops....digression....

 

 

When those words were uttered, I saw ME.  And I was embarrassed.  Then it happened, the words that were slammed in between my eyes the day before began dancing before my eyes.  This was my opportunity to show some grace for the mistake that had been made.  It was an honest mistake & one of those times that you think to yourself, "Self, why didn't you ever say that ONLY dishwasher soap is to be used in the dishwasher."  Oops.  My bad.  The child truly didn't know.  The child was trying to follow through with the job.  The child didn't want to be in trouble.  The child needed mercy.

 

 

Here it was:  OPPORTUNITY.

 

I had the opportunity to do this right.  So, I changed my tack.  I looked for the humor. 

 

WELL!  THERE IT WAS!!!  This situation was FULL of comedy!!! 

 

 

 

 

As I sat there surveying the massive quantities of bubbles, and wondered how do you clean this stuff up???, I realized that I had seen this only in movies.  And, they are just GONE in the next scene. 

 

Unfortunately, movies aren't a reliable source of reality, because, I didn't foresee a scene change coming up.

 

SO.......

 

I sent the kid for the shop-vac & as the said kid was preparing to suck up foam, I pointed out two new truths about their life:

 

1.  You now know all soaps are NOT created equal.

 

 

2.  You have just given the family permission to LAUGH about this for the remainder of your days.

 

 

The kid & I laughed together at the validity of these two statements.  Ha Ha Ha.

 

 

The kid started telling me what I could do to help with the clean-up, to which I laughed (we were, after all, already at the point of seeing the humor in the situation) and replied,

 

"Ummm, NO.  I wouldn't want you to be robbed of the valuable lesson of cleaning up this mess."

 

 

I'm cool like that.

 

 

Object lessons ROCK!!!

 

 

Today is a new day & that SAME kid will be home in a few hours, and will MOST LIKELY need more mercy today as this kid is particularly needy in this area. 

 

 

I hope I remember BEFORE I freak out, because THAT would be progress!!!



A Leap of Faith....

 

Have you ever wanted to reach a goal, a very HIGH goal, and you KNEW you could do it with diligence on your part, but you were too afraid of the results IF you achieved the goal?

 

Sounds rather convoluted, I know, but that sentence pretty much describes what I've been going through for the past 6 months, and much more intensely for the last week.

 

 

I normally keep this blog pretty light & even humorous, but today, I have a lot of rather deep things on my mind. 

 

Goals, dreams, destinations...they are exciting & new.  Some of them, we know exactly what to expect when we arrive.  Some have promise, but no definite outline.

 

For instance, at the end of 4 years of high school, you graduate.  A wonderful, exciting goal.  Also, a scary, confusing time. 

 

What comes next? 

 

What do you want to be when you "grow up"?

 

A wonderful time of accomplishment can also be rife with fear & uncertainty.

 

 

On the other hand, planning a trip to Disney World, is a pretty sure bet of good things to come!  No fears, no worries (except how to pay for it). 

 

These are both lofty goals & great achievements, if reached, but the emotions involved can be very different.

 

I guess, I should stop beating around the bush & just come out & say what's on my heart....

 

 

God, Jesus, the Church....have all been in my heart & a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember.  I have loved the Lord for as long as I can remember.  I don't ever remember a time where I didn't WANT to have Him in my life. 

 

However, a walk with God requires taking steps.

 

So, I've done the baby steps....I gave up the biggies that displeased Him.  I quit murdering, drinking, carousing, smoking dope....hey, those were no problem. :)

 

I have reached a place where things that bothered me as a younger person, no longer even phase me.  That's growth, too.

 

I feel that God has been asking more of me.  He wants MORE of my heart, MORE of me.  I have known this for a while now.

 

 

But, I'm scared.

 

Yeah, probably sounds crazy, but I'm being honest here.

 

Will He take care of me?

 

Will He catch me?

 

Will He make serving Him comfortable? (prolly not!)

 

Yesterday, we said goodbye to a wonderful friend.  I don't believe in making saints out of people after they pass, but this man was truly good.  He had many qualities in his life that I envy (whoops, one of the big 10....).

 

He never complained-even when in extreme pain.

He always made God his first choice, even when it would have been easier to stay home in bed.

He gave his all. Always.

He was selfless.

 

Um....I miiiiiigggght pull one or two of those out of the hat a couple of times a year, but not consistently by any means.

 

Sigh.  And therein lies my problem.

 

 

See...I don't like to suffer.  True story.  I like ease.  I like things my way.

 

Then I read about Job.  Sigh again.  I really don't think sackcloth and ashes are for me.  Boils???  Noooope.  Losing my stuff....well, I could deal with that.  Losing my kids?  There's the kicker.  THAT'S what I'm afraid of (I may be just a teensie bit MORE afraid of getting them back doubly!!).

 

Seriously, I know that serving God is a very rewarding life.  I also know that I cannot live in such a way that I benefit from the blessings, but never share in the burdens.  I hate to cry.  I have cried more in the last few years than in all the rest combined.  God created us to be emotional beings, but I just don't enjoy hurt.

 

 

Here's the bare bones of my dilemma:

 

Go on farther with a mighty God, knowing that trials, sufferings & heartaches may (most likely will) be interspersed (liberally) throughout my blessings, but that

the quality of the blessings will outweigh the trials.

 

 

OR

 

 

Sit right here on my white picket fence with one leg on each side leaning more to the side that feels most comfy for the moment. 

 

I have never thought of myself as a "fence-sitter" Christian.  And maybe I haven't always been.  There have been moments of total devotion. 

 

But somewhere along the road, as it has become more bumpy, the storms more fierce, the sorrows more painful, I found me a nice smooth section of fence & climbed right up there & made myself at home.

 

Deep in my soul, I know which side I will climb down on, but the jump from where I'm sitting to where I need to be is pretty steep & I'm afraid.  Fear is NOT of the Lord. 

 

This, I know. 

 

However, from where I sit....it's pretty scary.

 

 

Will You catch me???

 

I hear a whisper in my soul......

 

 

 

 

 

 

"YES!"

Wonder-FULL Wednesday: Job - Epic Fail!

I know some of you may have wondered where I have been the last couple of weeks.  Well, I've been here.  At home.  Having the time of my life.  Not the best time of my life, mind you...but it has definitely been "A" time of my life.

About 3 months ago, hubby & I made the decision for him to take a new job.  Hallelujah!!!  After 10 years of being self-employed, someone else would worry about taxes & payroll.  We have insurance and a regular paycheck deposited right in our account.  It's amazing....amazingly horrible.

You know, I have always been a believer in being careful what you ask of God because He might just give it to you.  I think that was the case here. 

Don't get me wrong, there were lessons learned from this experience, but when hubby announced that he was putting in his resignation....cheers went up all over the house!!!

So, what was wrong with the job?

Let me put it this way: in the month of October, he was home 5 days total.  Yeah.  Awful!  We knew that there would be some travel with this position, but it was estimated at 2 or 3 nights at a time.  Hmmmmm....we won't go into some long tirade about streeeeeeetching the truth.  Suffice it to say...it was a tad more.  Like twice as much.  Every week.

Meanwhile, back on the home front....

I started out doing great!  We had a plan, a schedule...it was all good.  Then came October.

As his schedule got more & more crazy, so did I.  I found I couldn't even enjoy him being home because I was already panicking about him leaving again.

Physically, I felt ill.  Exhaustion was taking a firm hold in my life.  Complete.  Utter.  Exhaustion.

I finally reached a place where I began to feel anxious & trapped.  Parenting 8 children with a partner is tough stuff.  Doing it alone: impossible.

Yes, my kids are great, but they are still kids.  They have constant, unending needs.  My days were a constant mental challenge.  My brain hurt.  The younger ones had gotten out of control...badly.  In short, I had gone into survival mode.  The highlights of my day were naptime & bedtime.

This past Saturday night, when I found out he wouldn't be making it home in time for church...I just fell apart.  When he came home & saw my status....he saw it as the sign he'd been looking for to resign.

Oh, the great relief!!!  I cannot explain how I felt.  I'm not sure I have fully comprehended it.  My body is still out of whack from the stress & anxiety I had been feeling.

I in no way want to put my husband in a bad light.  This time was miserable for him too.  We had prayed, counseled & really tried to put God first in the decision to take this job.  Maybe it was the right thing to do so that we would see that it was the wrong thing for us.

So, we are back to self-employment & the phone is ringing like crazy!!!  New opportunities are steadily presenting themselves.

God is good.  Yes He is!

We have grown from this experience.  We have learned more about faith.  I have learned that I cannot parent alone.  Maybe I could have done some things differently, but I now have a new appreciation for my husband's strength of presence.  Just having him here gives me strength to do what I need to do to be a good mom.

Do you find yourself in an impossible situation?

Have you prayed about it?

Faithfully.

Every. Single. Minute. of Every. Single. Day?

Is He answering by asking you to give up something that gives you a sense of security?  Find your peace & security in Him....it's the only REAL peace & security you'll ever have.

My God is real.  I feel like I am recovering from a 3 month long illness.  Sometimes, I can feel the darkness creeping back in, but I have the strength to fight it because we are where we are supposed to be.

So, the moral of the story:

Make sure it's God's will & not your will.  If it's His will...YOU WILL MAKE IT!!!


Disclaimer:  I am not advocating that you make a sudden major decision because you are unhappy.  I am simply telling you my testimony...

Wonder-FULL Wednesday: How We Roll (down the road)

For those of you who missed last week's "Wonder-FULL Wednesday" post...I apologize for not letting you know that we were going to be out of town.  However, on second thought, it's probably not a good idea to announce to the whole world that we will be leaving the homestead unattended!

*Not that I don't trust you guys, of course.*

I have pretty much run out of questions to answer, so until someone asks more...well, I'll just keep giving up some fascinating little tidbits of info on our family's comings & goings.  Hold on to your seats...it's riveting stuff! :o)

So---where did we go?

Kentucky.

Shepherdsville, Kentucky.

To many folks this town means absolutely nothing, but to our family (as well as many of our friends), it is a place of heritage & roots.  It is where we gather twice a year with like-minded people to learn more about God & how to more successfully become like Him.  It is a wonderful place on a hilltop that never fails to bring a tingle to my skin as we come 'round that last turn & see the campus sitting there.  I wonder how many thousands of people travel that road & never even glance at the grounds that mean so much to so many.

Anyway, I digress.

So, we packed up (5 suitcases, 4 garment bags, 1 snack bag....oh, forget it...we were stuffed to the gills!!!), and headed down the road.  It only takes until the 12th of forever to get there from here.  That is fairly managable in 2 stages, but, we drove it all. the. way. through.  We finally arrived somewhere around dawn the day after we left.  It was painful.  I won't lie.

The first full day of being in Kentucky was our 5th child's (aka our 2nd son) BIRTHDAY!!!!

  Whoop-whoop!!!  We love birthdays around here. :0) 

Barrett Paul is now 7, & so stinkin' handsome & pretty much smarter than any other kid alive.  Really.

The Birthday Boy just a few weeks before he turned 7



This is our group of sweeties partially rested up & ready for the fun to start.


You may wonder why we load up 8 kids & tons of luggage, drive 13+ hours just to attend church.  Well, it's our life!  Our whole purpose in this life is to serve God, so we try our best to mingle with other folks from all over the country (world, even) when we get the chance. 



Relax ladies...he is VERY taken!
(Envy is a sin...better go pray)  LOL

I can imagine that some of you moms may be asking,

"Isn't it hard to take all of those kids on a long trip,

and then sit through several hours of church at a time?"

ANSWER:

Of course it is!!!!

I won't lie to you, I get very stressed out. 

I have been found in the restroom crying.

I have chewed out the amazing man I'm married to for not helping more.

I have offered my offspring to the lowest bidder.

However, I cannot stress enough the importance of doing the hard stuff when it comes to doing what is right for your family.  In doing so, you are letting your children see what is the most important to you: their well-being.  Yes, it would be MUCH easier to stay home most of the time, but to what benefit?  I admit that I usually do not take the little ones to both camp meetings...usually only the fall one.  However, I really felt that I made a wrong decision this past June when half of my family headed down the road without us, so, we may be there everytime we have the money.

You know, we have teenagers & 'tweens' as well as little kids, and I love that we have an opportunity to introduce them to other godly young people.  They usually come home talking about the new friends they have met...some of which have even made the trip to Texas to visit!  COOL!

"Can you see all of our faces?"
"Yeah, mom!" 
Click



Triple Trouble!!!
I love that my boy (in the middle) is growing up with good young men!





Time spent under the pews can create lasting memories!



I used to think that little kids didn't get much from the services, but, many times over I have been proven wrong by the questions of a little one.  They do hear, they do think. 

Especially if their name is in the Bible (HA!)

 One other wonderful thing about going to camp meeting is the opportunity to serve others.  My family loves to work.  The older girls wait tables during meals, clean restrooms & play music during services.  My younger crowd loves to work at the snack bar at night, carrying trays, washing them & doing trash detail (of course, that free ice cream is a great incentive).  My hubby usually has something to do with driving folks around the huge property on golf carts.


 I....usually....watch kids. 

This year, I told the fam...mom will work too.  Our dear friends make pizzas for the snack bar & I volunteered to help.  I am almost embarrassed at how excited I was!  Seriously.  I haven't been able to work in years!  I was just thrilled! 

I never tossed the dough into the air, but I did a pretty good job, I think!

Isn't she a beauty? :)

Ok....here's the aftermath of 10 people going out of town for 6 days:

Mt. Laundrimous

It takes 2 days to pack & 4-5 days (if steadily working)

 to get it all unpacked, sorted, washed, dried, folded/hung/ironed & put away.

It's tough, but we love the experience -and- it only gets easier as the kiddos get older.

At least that's my theory.....

Wonder-FULL Wednesday: Tears & Faith

Once again, I am a bit late getting the Wednesday posting out...but hey, there are still a few hours left in today :).

Here are today's questions.  I lumped them together because, basically, they are intertwined.

QUESTION(S):

Do you ever sit down and cry for a bit or

are you past that stage now?

How has the Lord helped you keep it together

when otherwise you would've given up?

ANSWER(S):

In response to the first part of the question, um....Is the Pope Catholic???  HAHAHAHA!! 

 

Yes, I do sit & cry a bit now & then.  Crying is NOT one of my favorite pastimes (I've been known to hate on a person who knowingly made me watch a movie for which I needed a tissue), so I don't do it very often.  I tend to bottle my emotions up for a long time, then explode like a volcano full of all kinds fun stuff!  As much as I would like to insert a *JK* here, I'm not.

 

If I cry...I'm done in.

 

But, I do cry.  It's so....cleansing.  Sometimes, it's just the thing.

 

As for the part about being past that stage...I have been a parent for nearly 18 years, and I have cried, recently, regarding the oldest child!  So, I am thinking that there is no "stage".  As a parent, I believe we will cry forever when it comes to our kiddos.  After all....Jesus wept regarding His kids....just sayin....

 

There is nothing wrong with crying or feeling frustrated or overwhelmed.  It happens. 

 

However, if it happens A LOT, then there may need to be some soul searching.  What is the source of your tears? 

 

Hormones?

Depression?

Pregnancy?

Disappointment?

Selfishness?

Pride?

 

Notice I did not include any outside sources in this list.

 

I did that on purpose.

 

See, there is only one person for which we are totally responsible for, & that is the one in the mirror everyday.  Yes, outside sources are often a reason for our tears, but HOW we respond to those events/people is entirely up to us.

 

I've been depressed.  I know that tears coming from depression seemingly have no source.  Those tears need help.  Don't be ashamed to ask for it.  Your family needs you whole & coherent...do it for them....

 

Now...how has the Lord helped me???

 

I think a better question would be:

 

How has He NOT helped me???

 

As I've mentioned before, I never signed up for this life....He saw fit to give it to me.  So, I have relied heavily on Him to supply my strength.  After all, He promised NOT to give us more than we could bear (through Him...always a catch...), and I, for one &  am holding Him to that promise.  The Bible says that children are a blessing, and they are.  If I begin to feel that they are, shall we say: less than a blessing, then it is usually due to something I am doing.  Maybe we are over scheduled...or under scheduled.  Maybe I am hormonal, & therefore *gasp* irrational.  Possibly I am expecting too much from the kids or even myself. 

 

When God began dealing in my heart to home school my children, I truly did not want to.  I was scared.  What if I screwed them up for life??  Whew...let's let someone else do that...then we can blame them!!!  LOL  Anyway, I learned quickly to ask His opinion about how our days were to run.  While I never woke up with my lesson plans miraculously filled in through divine intervention, I did have an occasional stroke of genius or come across someone or something that was just what I was needing at the time.  In other words, He always provided.

 

I am not homeschooling right now, but I still ask for His help every day.  I specifically ask for wisdom & strength to get through whatever the day will throw my way.  I can truly tell a difference from the days I forget.

 

I don't know if I've ever felt like giving up, but I have felt woefully under trained & very inadequate for the job He has set before me.

 

I'll close with a scripture that He laid on my heart a few years ago as I was REALLY struggling with my lot in life:

 

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me"  Philippians 4:13

 

I would love to hear from you, whether it be a question or a comment, so feel free to either leave a comment here or drop me an email at:

 

photographer(at)kidshots(dot)net

 

I look forward to hearing from you....

Wonder-FULL Wednesday: Are We Done Yet?

Question:  How do you know when you're finished having children?

Answer:  WoW! What a question!

Luckily, I received this question in plenty of time to think about it (and pray, too).  This is a question I think probably most parents face.  I mean...who wants regret???  Not I!!! 

Since I am neither God, nor your spouse, I can only tell you what we did & opinionate to my heart's content  *for whatever that's worth*.

Let me first tell you a bit of our story:

As I have mentioned before, we didn't set out to have 8 kiddos...it just happened.  We thought 3, maybe 4, would be just fine.  God felt differently.  Now, I know that there are some folks who roll their eyes at the thought of God even caring how many kids we have, but I know FOR A CERTAINTY that He cared about the size of our family.  When we started out, we were like millions of other families...planning each birth as it seemed convenient for us.  The first two are just over 2 years apart...both girls...couldn't have planned it any better!  Our first son was 3 1/2 years later.  That was great timing, too!  Both girls were potty trained & on their way.  Baby #4 was also 3 1/2 later.  Still good.

From this point, it gets crazy!  When I was pregnant with #5, we made a major move (would NOT recommend that!!)  BTW.... there are only 14 months between #4 & #5.  Life was starting to get really busy.

***May I pause here to insert that, after each birth, we kinda felt out our hearts to see if we were finished, and each time, we agreed that we just didn't feel our family was finished yet.  So, we did nothing to change things.  This does not mean that I (me, personally) wasn't tired & very weary....I was, but God held me.***

Then came #6...the pregnancy was different from the beginning.  I had some medical issues that I hadn't faced before, and...not terribly surprising...we ended up with an emergency C-Section, and a baby in NICU for a week.  This was the point at which we began seriously discussing being finished.  However, we did nothing at that time.  For a year & a half, we prayed.  We talked.  We prayed.  We discussed.  We prayed.  We searched our hearts.  We prayed.  We made a decision.  We prayed.  We followed through with it.  We prayed.  We felt good about our decision.

I became pregnant.

What?????

Yep...it was true. 

Well, I admit, I was a tad excited.  After two boys, I was hoping for another girl to dress up.  We just figured that this was just a fluke, after all we were done.  So....baby #7 was born (a girl).  She became the family princess.  The pregnancy was rather rough with health issues, and we had some issues after the birth, but she was our *The End*, so it was ok.

Fast forward 10 weeks...

Me:  "If I didn't know any better, I would think I was pregnant.  I feel awful.  Probably getting the flu."

Hubby:  "Yeah, probably."

A few more days later...

Me:  "It's totally crazy, I feel like I do when I'm pregnant!"

Hubby:  "Better check."

Me:  "Nah...not possible. (truth: I don't want to know)

A few MORE days later...

I am popping my non-pregnancy safe blood pressure pills in my mouth & it occurs to me:  If I AM (by some strange stretch of the imagination) pregnant, this pill could harm the baby.  UGH.  So, I did what I thought I would NEVER do again....I bought a test....and stared at it in complete & UTTER DISBELIEF as it went from pink to blue ( or whatever it did).  NO WAY!!! NOT POSSIBLE!!!!

BUT...

I was.

So, 10 1/2 short months after baby 7 came baby 8.  God's final gift to the Young family.  She is a story in herself, but that's another blog posting.  Because of some serious health concerns as well as another C-Section, we had an additional procedure done at the same time.

Were we planning on those final two sets of little feet to pitter-patter around the house?  Nope.  God did it.

Do we feel like we made the wrong decison after baby #6?  Nope.  We feel like we did exactly what we were supposed to do.  God did it.

Ok, that's MY story.

Now, here's my advice about making a HUGE decision...

1.  Do NOT make a decision while you are pregnant, most especially during the first trimester!

     This would constitute as an emotional decision, and one that you may very well regret later.  During this time, extreme fatigue, nausea, emotions, extreme fatigue, emotions, extreme fatigue, emotions....(get it?) cloud your ability to make a wise choice.  When you are so tired or sick that you cannot even keep food on the table or clothing washed, it is next to impossible to imagine that adding another person to the family will be anything other than colossally impossible!!!  But, remember....this feeling passes.  The baby will grow.  The other children will grow.  You WILL (I promise) get your energy back....and then, when your baby turns 1 or 2, you will begin to stare longingly at every baby you see, wondering if that momma would think you were insane for asking to hold it. 

Or. 

You won't.

Which leads me to....

2.  Do NOT make a decision during the first year after you have a baby.

     If you pass the first birthday mark & still want to curl up in a ball at the thought of having another one...then you may want to start praying.



Do NOT make a decision on a day like this!!!



Which leads me to....

3.  Do NOT make this decison without God.

     Pray.  Pray.  & pray some more.  Ask for direction.  Ask for peace.  Ask for strength.  He will lead you, if you ask.  He DOES care.  You are raising children for HIM (hopefully), so of course He cares if you have more.

Remember:

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."  Philippians 4:13

He promised, so, if He has chosen you & your spouse to raise children for His glory...well, He will help you do it!  I know how humbling it is to think that He cares about our family to that extent or that He sees us as worthy of the responsibility He has given us.  But, it's the only way I see to look at it!  I can also attest to the fact that, as long as we hold His hand, He holds ours.  When we try to do it alone, in our own wisdom, we struggle miserably.

4.  I advise you to NOT try to convince your spouse.  If they aren't sure you're family is complete, then you must respect that.  And vice versa.  Again, this is where prayer comes in.  If you feel that you are done, then ask for God to change your spouse's mind as a confirmation.  Be willing to wait.  God tends to be pokey (sorry, Sir).  If you want more & your spouse doesn't, pray the same prayer as above.  Having children is not a one-person decision, it's a 3 person decision.  Please, leave no one out.

5.  Stress does not lend to good decision-making.  'Nuff said :)



Yeah, you guessed it....
don't make a decision on THIS day, either.

I hope that I have offered some insight that you may not have thought of before, but more importantly, I hope I have been able to stress the importance of keeping God in your decision-making process.  So many people pick & choose when He is to be included in their life, tending to leave Him out when they are afraid He will not agree with what they want to do.  If you don't like what God is asking of you, then I suggest you ask Him for a change of heart/mind & for the strength, mercy & wisdom to carry out what He is requiring.



HE WILL!!!  :)

****Great question!  If you would like to send me a question for Wonder-FULL Wednesday, you may either leave a comment or email me at  photographer(at)kidshots(dot)net.  Or, if you know me well, just text me.  LOL  ****

WHY?

Do you ever have a question that rolls around in your head, plaguing you like a pesky fly?

Ya know...one of those questions who's answer is something you really don't want to deal with...supposing you were to answer it honestly.

Ok...well, at this point, you're either with me.....or you're not, but this thought has been bugging me for days, so here goes:

"WHY do I do what I do?"

We have all heard the phrase, "keeping up with the Joneses", but I'm not even sure that's what I'm talking about.

I believe what has been nagging me has to do more with MY motives. The REASON behind the things that I do.

When I shop, do I buy clothing to impress my friends, the world, myself or my husband? How about God? (Basically, I buy what fits & what I don't think will cause myself public humiliation, but you get the point, I'll bet.)

When that AMAZING pair of turquoise heels SCREAMS, "Buy ME!!!" Why would I buy them? Because I NEED turquoise shoes (actually.....)? Because I can't wait for my teenagers to steal them from me, therefore I'm really buying them a gift? Because I want to be flashy? Because they are "hot" (BAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA)?

While this may be a pretty good example of what I'm talking about, my thoughts are running a bit deeper.

Inner motivation. My secret thoughts. The ones I may not even realize I'm having until it's too late, then I have to unravel a whole nest of icky stuff.

I knew a lady once that had a bunch of kids (more than me, but not as many as the Duggars). When I first met her, I think I had 3 children, so I was VERY impressed by the number she rattled off to me. When I asked their ages, she spat them out with complete accuracy & not a little bit of pride. I was impressed (still am...I have to think about it everytime). We quickly discovered that she lived very close to me & we made plans to do things together as we had several common interests. As I began going to her home, I began to see that her whole identity was wrapped up in the number of children she had (she added 2 more during the course of our acquaintance). That number brought shock, amazement & even awe when she spoke it. Unfortunately, having babies doesn't actually make you a good parent. While she wasn't horrible, there was discord in the home, the children were unhappy & unruly. She was totally wrapped up in her newest baby, & the older ones were kind of pushed aside. Sad, really. What was even worse is that I heard later that she & her husband divorced.

I know I probably just painted the exact picture that people who look down their noses at large families expect to see, but I can assure you that we are not ALL like that. In fact, I know quite a few larger families, and she is very much in the minority where that type of behavior is concerned.

The point I am making is that the WHY behind having so many children for her was not necessarily because she felt a need to have them as much as it was her identity...she impressed people when she told them how large her family was. She received her self-worth through the appearance of her family.

Now, I can honestly say that I have not had this particular issue, but I cannot say that I have not chosen to do things because I knew it would impress others.

C'mon...who can say that?

We all have pride. (nasty stuff!)

We all like to appear wonderful to others.

I sew. I sew pretty good. I like compliments. I sew cute stuff & put it on my cute kids & like the compliments it brings. Hmmmm....is that wrong?

Yes & no.

If I dressed them like fashion plates everyday...it might be a problem (if you were here today, you would know THAT isn't the case! lol). Buuuuutttttttt, there might be an issue if there is some competition going on to have the cutest, best dressed kiddo around. I'll think on that.

This thought can go into every single area of our lives, and it is natural to want to please self & others. However, our main concern should be pleasing our Lord. I don't think He has a problem with me making cute clothes for my kids, or having a well-organized home (HA), or driving a nice car, or being a pretty good cook, or even having a rockin' house full of kids. As long as my focus still remains on Him & His will for me, and I am able to keep all of the little extras in perspective...then I'm ok....I think.

I once knew a lady that felt that she had to run EVERY. LITTLE. DETAIL. of her life by God first.

McDonald's or Arby's?

Peanut Butter or Cheese?

Blue or Black?

You think I'm kidding. I'm so not kidding.

Maybe she was closer to Him than I am...maybe He told her that Macky D's fries were da bomb & she should never stray from them...I don't know. But, my inclination is that He gave us a pretty good mind & instructions to pray without ceasing & to be near to Him morning, noon & night. In other words, LIVE IN HIM. If we do that, then there will be no room for prideful motives. The WHY behind our actions will only be:

>>>>Because it will please my Lord.<<<<

I have so much work to do.

Shallow Thoughts/Deep Thoughts

Hello! I may need to reintroduce myself as it has been *like* forever since I've posted anything. LOL
I would like to say that life has been just >TOO< boring to write about, but it's actually totally the opposite. Have you ever disillusioned yourself into thinking that *SUMMERTIME* is a wonderful 12 week span of time where you stay up late, sleep late, & do very little except what you REALLY want to do in between?
Yeah, me too.

Um.

NOT!

Well, maybe. When you're a kid...a very little kid.

Reality is this: Summer is the time when you sweat profusely every time you move...and you simply MUST move...A LOT!!! Since school has let out, we have done the following (this is by no means a comprehensive list):
*had 2 birthdays

*planned, sewed & packed for 3 trips for various members of the family

*taken an impromptu trip to Houston (3.5 hours each way) all in one day with everyone including the Grands in tow for a funeral.

*planned (still planning) for 2 weddings which has included: making the maid-of-honor's dress, making flower arrangements, decorating, sewing a vest & tie for a handsome fellow to be the ring bearer.

*5,425 trips to the library, McDonald's, Hobby Lobby & various other "Must Go's"

*swim lessons

*last-minute-let's-invite-everyone pizza parties

I really could go on, but let's face it...you don't really care.

Our lives are busy. Very. Busy.

Sometimes, I love it. Sometimes not so much.

Would you believe that noise drives me insane. I know. God has a vicious sense of humor. :)

Seriously, though, while I do periodically long for peace..and quiet...lots of quiet, I truly love my life. Each day is the same, and completely different all at the same time. My kiddos make me laugh, drive me crazy, make me angry & make me want to cry. All within a 10 minute span of time! LOL

No.

Really.

Yes.

They do.

NEW TOPIC:
*Hee hee...my blog, I can just be random if I wanna... *

Yesterday, we made a whirlwind trip of 7 hours (total) drive time to Houston for the funeral of a wonderfully godly man. I have known him & his family for my entire life, and have been saddened by his passing. Not so much for the loss of life as the passing of an era. I know he has moved on to his reward, so, while he will be missed, there is also joy in knowing his race is complete.

In the past 20 years or so (not that I'm that old), I have noticed (since I was, like 2) that our funeral services have changed. They aren't always about grieving. More often, they are a celebration...of a life lived, and a new life that is waiting. Yes, I cried yesterday. I cried for his children as they wept. I cried for his friends as they expressed how they would miss him. But, mostly, I cried as I felt the spirit of the Lord give witness to the testimonies of how this man's life had positively affected others for good. I cried as I watched a video of him preaching his "farewell" message a few weeks ago as if he knew his race was completed. I guess, I can say that I cried for joy. Weird to many, I know, but true, nonetheless. When we sang, "It Is Well With My Soul", I knew it was. As his whole family, from his wife down to his 4 year old greats joined together to sing his favorite song, "The Reason I'm In This Church (I Don't Wanna Be Lost)", I knew he wasn't. He loved the moving of the Spirit of God, and, when it moved in his funeral, it only seemed natural to clap, to sing, to cry, & yes, to dance in celebration of a life lived wholly for God.
In the hours of quiet (BAHAHAHAHA) on the drive home, I pondered...
....there were 1,000+ people at that funeral! Wow! What a witness to a life lived right!

...there was rejoicing! What?!? Yes!

....there was peace! That passes ALL understanding.

I told my 11 year old son that he should aspire to have a funeral like the one we were in. In fact, I should aspire to have that kind of funeral! One that is a testament to a life lived rightly...for Jesus. One that brings joy to God. One that feels like a promotion rather than a demotion!

Such deep thoughts for 100+ degree weather! I just might need some cold sweet tea, & a ceiling fan to help me ponder farther. However, if you give a southern girl a glass of sweet tea & a fan, you may just find her resting her eyes while thinking on the meaning of life.....