Crazy days of Summer

I have sat down several times in the past couple weeks to write a post and always get interrupted. I have had ideas for several topics and this one doesn't hit any of them. Oh, well. This is just random thoughts on what we have been up to.

We had family pics done. I hope to have them posted in a couple weeks when we get them back.

Life has been crazy around here. I don't know why I would expect anything else. Every summer I think it will be so laid back with kids and husband going on mission trips and camps and such. And then in July I remember...oh, yeah this is how it goes. We have had lots of extra kids in the house, house guests and several trips back and forth to the camps. Our food budget for the month is completely blown. And the laundry pile comes in enormous waves. Tidal waves of dirty camp laundry.

We have also had a family reunion which is always fun and interesting. Isn't that the way it always is when you get family together? Why are families so weird? How did we all come from the same lot? I just don't get it. God has a funny way of building our character and patience with people.

Ron's niece called this past weekend and said she had two surprises. She is getting married and you can guess the other. The second surprise is cause for the first. This has led to a bit of a family dilemma. The first dilemma is explaining the situation to our kids. Thanks Sweetie. The second is they have asked Ron to marry them. Ron has committed not to marry anyone that is not eligible to be married, and that the couple receive at least 6 sessions of pre-marital counsel. This would include a believer marrying a non-believer as well as other situations. Ron's family does not share his stance on this point so things could get ugly. But God is bigger than the situation. We are praying that God will use this to bring this young man to a saving knowledge of Him, that they would desire to make Christ the foundation of their marriage, and raise their family in Him. If you think of it in your prayer time pray for this couple.

Well, all the girls and I are off to camp again today to bring the camp t-shirts up to the boys. Oh, the joys of being a minister wife. Can't wait to see my man, but I would love to skip the camp trip.

I love this song

John Waller - The Blessing
From the album The Blessing

Chorus:
Let it be said of us
While we walked among the living
Let it be said of us
By the ones we leave behind
Let it be said of us
That we lived to be a blessing for life

Let it be said of us
That we gave to reach the dying
Let it be said of us
By the fruit we leave behind
Let it be said of us
That our legacy is blessing for life

This day
You set life, you set death right before us,
This day
Every blessing and curse is a choice now
And we will choose to be a blessing for life

Let it be said of us
That our hearts belonged to Jesus Let it be said of us
That we spoke the words of life
Let it be said of us
That our heritage is blessing for life

For your Kingdom, for our Children
For the sake of every nation

My journey through motherhood

I read this post on 'Setting Your Course' at Raising Five last week and it has got me thinking. I have been both looking back 10 years and trying to look ahead to the next ten years. Where do I want to be, or more accurately where do I want our family to be?

10 years ago our oldest was three and we were expecting #2 in September. I was huge and hot (not like sexy hot, just huge hot). Fast forward: We now have 5 kiddos. Oldest is 13 and youngest is 1. Although I am not an expert, I have learned a couple things.

I thought I knew a lot about parenting. I tend to be back and white. I thought parenting had a formula and if done correctly would achieve the desired results. ha. Sometimes the formula applied correctly still does not get the desired result. I have come to learn that children actually have a mind and will and will use them. Sometimes creating unwanted behavior.

I thought the first three years were the most critical. ha again. They are all important. And if you ask a child the current moment is the most important.

I thought all good parents produce good kids. Ha. Sometimes bad parents produce good kids and sometimes good parents produce bad kids. This still makes me shake my head in unbelief. I have seen parents who go against every parenting rule and still have great kids and visa versa.

As I look ahead and think of our oldest 10 years from now and 23 (oh my goodness). And our youngest who has yet to speak a sentence or use the toilet and think of her going into 6th grade I am reminded how time flies. Two of our kids will be adults, two teens and one on the brink. I want our family to stand out as one that did not compromise. We held to Christ's standards. We did not cave to the world. We are salt and light and that we bloomed where we were planted. That our family made a difference for Christ in the world. That we touched people's lives and they felt Christ's love through us.

I still like things black and white. Formulas and such. God has given us a guide in His Word. Principals to live by. I have learned that God is creative and these can look different in each family. There is no one perfect formula. We are to train and teach our children the ways of the Lord and He promises to bless that. But children have minds and wills of their own and can make bad choices and choose the wrong path. That is the freedom each of us has.

Thank you Lord for your mercy and grace on this opinionated and judgmental momma.

5 Minutes for Mom has a great giveaway for a Lands End swim suit. Their suit claims to make you look a size smaller, so sign me up. Can I wear it all year?

Intentional Mommy

I have been reading My Heart's at Home by Jill Savage. The subtitle is 'Becoming the Intentional Mom Your Family Needs'. This year two words keep coming up: Purpose and Intentional so naturally I had to read.

In a recent chapter I've been reading about being your families cheerleader. That home should be a place of encouragement. I am not so good at that. It has always bothered me when parents (mainly mommies) go on and on about how great their kids are. All the accomplishments, awards and great grades their kids get. So I don't. But I need to some. This chapter really brought hit me with how important it is for our children to feel like mom believes in them. That mom is their number 1 fan. For that same matter so do our husbands. Need to work on that one too. So today as I sent hubby and our eldest off on a mission trip for the week I packed their bags with goodies and a card telling them how much I love them, will miss them and I am proud to be their wife and mom. Just a start.

We have some horrible stomach bug that keeps on finding its way back to our family. Five of the seven of us have had at least two battles with it, and it has gotten the best of us each time. Without the gory details we have never been sick like this before. SO...today I brought out the smoking guns.

I took several tubs of Lysol water and cleaned every solid surface I could get my hands on. Every door knob, cabinet, wall, counter, floor, window ledge, everything. My kids were lucky I didn't give them all a dip in the water too! The house has not smelled this Lysoly for a long time. Surly nothing can live through that. I guess Spring Cleaning is coming twice this year.

Here's to a clean house and healthy kiddos!

We are back from vacation and ready for all the fun and chaos that it brings. Being a family of a Youth Pastor means that when the kids are out of school dad is on duty more than the rest of the year. We came home Wed afternoon and went to church, had a summer kick-off party Friday night and youth and families to our home on Sun evening. It will continue like this til September. It is lots of fun, and lots of work.

While on vacation I picked up what promises to be a great book. My Heart's at Home by Jill Savage. I am only in Part I of four, The Foundation. Jill Savage has some great insight on the kind of home we need to have for our families. She also has great advice on not over-programing our children. A couple posts ago I talked about my inner struggle with wanting my kids to have all the opportunities available as we educate and disciple them. Mrs. Savage had several references that talked about how that it is actually bad for our kids to have too many opportunities. And how much they really need down time that is unstructured to use their imagination and learn to entertain themselves (without the TV). This was a great encouragement for me to really seek out God's best and not settle for just good things.

The book also has some great ideas and tips on Family Nights, Meal Planning, and the lost art of Neighboring or Porching. I look forward to the next chapters and will let you know if anything sticks out.