Plain and Powerful

It was a big day yesterday at our house!  Landon learned to ride his bike without training wheels!  Stan and I stood together watching him ride up and down the driveway with the training wheels on and quietly looked at  each other, saying, "He could ride that bike without those training wheels...".  Not 30 seconds later, Landon said, "Hey dad, can you take my training wheels off?  I haven't tried to ride my bike without them in a long time!"

So, Stan and I looked at each other with a sweet grin and I went to grab the camera- so I could catch this on film...because I truly believed he could do it!  He has always been one that HE has to be ready and once he puts his mind to it...watch out!

Training wheels off, Stan steadied Landon and prepared him for take off...

Determined...Landon took off...I love this picture with Stan's hand on his side, carefully protecting Landon and showing his sweet love and concern for our little boy.

With Stan's hand still in the picture....not far behind, Landon took off.

Daddy, racing beside him, Landon rode down the hill.

Ready for take off again, Landon was gaining confidence.

Daddy was a few steps further behind.

Landon looked at me with the greatest smile.  Look mom!!!  I am riding my bike without training wheels!!!

Daddy...now walking instead of running with the best smile ever...is he proud of Landon or what?

Now, he has his wheels...oh, the first wheels of many...

I reflected as I watched his daddy carefully guiding him, releasing him when he was ready- with his hand just within reach if he were to fall, slowly backing away, watching him succeed and experiencing parental joy at the sight of his child riding his bike without training wheels. Landon trusted his Daddy.  And, because of that, he accomplished a great rite of passage.

I love seeing Stan's hand in the pictures.  I think that our heavenly Father is a lot like that.  Always sticking close, within arms reach, always there to catch us if (when) we fall.  And who has more parental joy than God, when he watches us lead our lives for HIM, sharing his love with others.

I thought about my own trust in God.  Do I trust him, not to let me fall?  Do I trust him to always be there, his hand always lovingly guiding me?  Better yet, do I LET him guide me?

I took Landon on a date on Friday night.  One of the many cute things he said was, "Mommy.  I have a plain daddy and a powerful daddy.  My plain daddy is Stan and my powerful daddy is God."

I think of how his "plain" daddy guided and protected him in achieving this milestone and how much our "powerful" daddy does much of the same...yet, loves us so much that he even gave up his son for us which this "plain" mommy cannot even fathom.  "What is impossible with man is possible with God." Luke 18:27  We can achieve anything with God.  His hand never leaves our side, he is always right beside us, guiding us....his hand is never out of the picture of our lives...frame by frame, he is with us.

Let me trust you, God., my powerful daddy...just like Landon trusted his "plain" daddy.

Beauty in my Life

I am not gonna lie.  This time in my life is challenging.  But, I am really learning a lot by juggling three healthy babies.  I am feeling very grateful today, not focusing on the things I wish were easier or the things I don't feel I have control over, but on my very many faces of blessings.  I read this version of John 3:16 today, " For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever stretcheth himself out on Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life."  Let me stretcheth myself out on GOD!!  Man, I need him to cover me completely, just like stretching underneath a warm blanket in the winter, not even letting a toe come out from beneath it!  As I seek to keep myself covered up in Him, I also seek to live a grateful and thankful life, every single day.  The following pictures are how I have found beauty in my life the past week.

This little ray of sunshine brings a smile to my face with her contagious smile and laughter.  I mean, really, how could you not smile back at that face? 

Precious Connor, the adoring older brother, feeding his baby sister.  I just love how protective Connor is of his family.  He always talks about protecting his family and doesn't hesitate to tell us he loves us. His caring and sensitive little heart challenge me to be more like him.  He loves others with his whole being.  He is my little love-bug.

Lindsay Jane got some one on one time with her Nanny last week.  I see this picture and I see myself sitting on my grandmother's lap at the piano.  A picture of generations sharing treasured moments.

I am so thankful to live in a neighborhood with a driveway where my kids can ride bikes and play outside.  Connor will soon master his bike without training wheels...mark my words, he will before his big bro.

A picture of my peace.  I love being a mom.  I love this time in my life.  It is such a challenge at times, but feeling this little girl close to my chest, close to my heart, is a feeling like no other.  I am reminded of the gift of life and the gift of this fleeting time in my life.  Lord, help me to see the beauty every day in these crazy kiddos.

I cannot believe I am a mom of three.  Humbling to look at these faces and know that God put them in my care... AND STAN's!  What would I do without that man? :)

This face.  I adore it.  Having a third has been really hard work- not the third, herself, but juggling three.  But, I am reminded every single day of the great blessing it is to have been given these little angels on earth.  I am truly moved to tears when I consider the trials others have endured in health challenges with their little ones.  Lord, thank you, for your blessings, these three precious little lives.  Let me not become numb to the vastness of your blessings in my life.

Landon...this picture says it all.  He is ready for the world.  I am forever challenged by him as I see many of the areas in my life that need workin'.  God gave him to me to really refine me.  I am seeking to look at it that way.  He has made me grow more than any other person in my life.  He has a raw zest for life and a passion that I believe sets him up for the ability to do anything!  I have been fortunate enough to share the gospel in many ways with this one.  He is a seeker.  He is a handful.  He is likely gonna be my little preacher one day... we shall see...

Love this one. Makes me just smile from ear to ear.  Lindsay Jane has two little boys' numbers...you think?

One Thing

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things but only ONE THING is needed.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."  Luke 10:41

"Martha did not realize that though she and Mary were both serving Jesus, Martha was neglecting her guest."  NIV commentary of Luke 10:41.

This verse really stood out to me this week as I participate in an online bible study for women.  I also remembered this picture and had a connection.

This picture was taken last Sunday as we gathered with Stan's family to remember and celebrate Stan's dad's life.  You may remember this blog post.

Pa Cole got to spend a little time with Miss Lindsay Jane at the very end of our visit.  She looked at his hands, hands that have seen 88 years of life.  Hands that have raised four children.  Hands that have provided for his family.  Hands that have come together in prayer time and time again for his family. Hands that have lost a wife and a son. Hands that have become crippled by MRSA after a surgery for carpal tunnel.  Hands that are worn.  Hands that are weathered.  Hands that are the epitome of love.

These days, things are kinda a rat race around here.  As we drug all 3 kids out to Stan's family's farm, we skipped naps, left laundry undone, left lunches undone, left a kitchen undone, left a pile of mulch needed to be spread undone, left our lazy Sunday afternoon at home that helps to center us for the week ahead.

You know what else we left at home that day?  We left stress.  We left laundry, lunches, kitchen chores, mulch...Martha???  We left all the boxes that this type A mom likes to have checked off before the week begins.  Martha???

Since I have started this online bible study based on the book, Stressed Less living, I have been getting up before my roosters.  I mean, like 5:15 A.M.!!  How in the world am I doing this and feeling less tired throughout the day?  I am doing this with God's help and his promise that by focusing on him (the one thing) all other things fall into place and I realize their place in my "box-checking-mind".

So, last Sunday, I sat on the couch watching as Lindsay played with Pa Cole's hands.  She took her tiny hands and wrapped them around his.  She looked at his face with delight and wonder.  She had a few precious moments of connecting with her great grandfather.  That one thing was far more important than getting home an extra 15 minutes early.  That one thing is what Pa Cole talked to Stan about the next day, that he treasured from our trip.  That one thing connected Pa Cole to Lindsay Jane and in a sense, to her grandfather, LD.

I am a work in progress.  I am learning to focus on THE one thing each day.  By beginning each day in God's word, my life is much less harried and I am able to focus on other "one things".  I have begun the perpetual task of saying no to great things again, something I have battled before...but with 3 little ones, I simply cannot do all of the many tasks and favors and playdates and coffee dates and gatherings, etc. that I used to.  I thrive on pleasing people but also on caring for people.  I hate saying no to great things!  Especially when those things involve people I love and want to support and show them I care.  But, by focusing on my three little ones and slowing my pace and commitments down, I have been able to enjoy more moments like the one above in the picture.

Focusing on the one thing for me means sacrificing sleep.  I though I could not do it.  I thought I would be more of that grouchy mom that shows up sometimes when I am tired.  I thought I needed sleep.  Guess what I was reminded of this morning..."I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep." John 10:11.  God sacrificed his son, I think I can sacrifice sleep.

I will conclude by including some of the other wonderful pictures taken from last Sunday as we celebrated the life of Stan's dad.  What a blessed time.  What a reminder to focus on the one thing...and many other one things will fall in line.  Let me be more of a Mary, Lord.  Let me spend my time focusing on you and less on keeping up with all the tasks that make me feel more humanly in control.  Let me let you be my ONE thing.

Enjoying Durham with my Kiddies

I love where we live!  This is the second Tuesday in a row that Lindsay, Connor and I have spent the morning enjoying our neighborhood and today I thought it was worth a blog post!!

Lindsay really has been enjoying the big girl swings at the park down the street that I pushed the double stroller to...ahem!  :)

Connor was showing off all of his climbing skills, a natural, that boy.

Look mom!  I can do it all by myself!

Connor also really enjoyed the swings, especially since his little sister got to swing right beside him and he has learned how to pump his own legs!!

Love this boy!

Connor played peek a boo with me to apease me and my picture taking...

Lindsay and Connor on the slide together! Connor was delighted to have her at the park with him.  We even put her on the slide and I held her while she slid down.  She loved it!

And...Connor had plenty of sliding by himself too.

Snack time (health snack).

Snack time (not so healthy).  Dunkin Donuts is literally a walk away, so that is where we headed next!

Then, on to Harris Teeter where Connor got his own little shopping cart and was my very eager assistant.  He also has learned right where the free cookies are!

Well, you just can't leave Harris Teeter without a ride on Harry the Dragon!!!  Nice that my daughter was sliding out as I took this picture...nice...mom.

Then I jogged home after switching a prescription over to Harris Teeter and picking it up there so I didn't have to go back out.  So, I got exercise, playtime with both kids, errands, vitamin D and great pictures all right inside my little neighborhood.

We came home, had a picnic in our yard and snuggled in for rest time.

After rest time, I picked up Landon while our fabulous helper Erin, kept Lindsay and Connor while they slept and we headed outside with the neighbors and had popsicles and playtime...

And...there was even time for Stan to take the kids on a bike ride after he got home from work.

Life in Southwest Durham is just great.  I love my neighborhood and I love raising my kids here.  I am loving being mommy to these three precious gifts and being in this neighborhood makes it all that much sweeter.  We have the best neighbors who we often converse over dinner and/or wine in the driveway or as they walk by our house and stop for a chat, there are so many kids our kids' ages to play with, we all look out for each other and genuinely care about eachother, we have lots of dogs for my kids to pet so we don't have to get one and the list goes on...

The "Good" Part

I posted most of our Easter pictures on Facebook and will eventually get to posting them on here for those of you who only follow my BLOG.  But. I wanted to focus on the picture above that may not look like the best shot.

We had a resurrection Easter Egg hunt this year, as we have in the past several years.  This type of Easter Egg hunt goes through the story of Christ's death on the cross, leading up to it and ending in his resurrection. Each hidden egg is numbered and has a small symbol inside with scripture to be read along with it.  The final egg, is empty...representing the tomb.

This picture is a picture of Landon holding one of the symbols and thinking about Jesus.  He said, "That was a really bad day for Jesus".

His face at 6 astounds me.  I see hurt in his expression as he realizes the pain Jesus went through for us.

This year, our dear friends, the Smiths, did this hunt with us.  As Janise and I read through the story leading up to the cross, we looked at each other...when the scripture involved ears being cut off, hangings, physical torture, death...how do we "tame this down" for a 3, 4, 5 and 6 year old?

This got me thinking.  Though it is different when sharing the very gory details with our children, how do we, as God's children, wish the story was spared of such torturous imagery?

I know I don't like to watch the movie, The Passion of the Christ....because of that very reason.  I fear it will give me nightmares.  I watched it once and had to hide my face in my hands.

I don't like to think about what happened to Jesus.  Let's quickly get to the good part!

I am beginning a study now about stressing less.  The book is called Stressed-less living.  Today I was challenged to make a list of all the things that cause me stress, write down how they make me feel, how they affect my life and whether or not I have control of them.  Doing this was hard as my stresses took up two entire paged in my journal.  I felt myself rushing...I wanted to get to the paragraph we were supposed to read upon completing our list about how to fix it.  Let's get to the good part!

Then I realized that part of the good part is the bad part.  Isn't that true about the story of the resurrection?  Isn't that why we call the day Jesus died, suffered, was tortured, was treated less than a criminal..."Good".  I always wondered, why is it called "Good Friday?"  I think this year I really got it.  At 35.  It's "Good" because it's so bad.  Because that torture and absolute face-hiding story had to happen for Jesus to show his power, raise from the dead and save us from eternal separation from God, our Father.  Is there anything better?

So, I look back on Landon's little face.  He is getting it.  He is learning and understanding about God's unbelievably awesome love, power and grace.  He is also learning that we can't always skip over the bad parts...whether in the resurrection story, when I list my stresses and the pain they cause me, or when we endure any type of hardship.  But, because we have Jesus, there is always the "good part".

What an amazing concept that God uses our children to teach us, his children.  I am so delighted by my three  precious gifts and the humbling responsibility to teach them about Christ...while I continue to learn myself.

Worth a Blog Post

Hello friends.  As I sort through the crazed life I am leading, I decided it a worthwhile use of my only quiet time in the day to Blog about my encounter with my Connor today.

As some of you read, he awoke at 5:30 (a reason I should be sleeping during the quiet space of 45 minutes of nap overlap).  I asked him why.  He replied, "Mommy, I saw Jesus and I wanted to talk to him."

So, what in the world to I reply?  I posted on Facebook and loved the humorous comments back about what I could have said to him.  :)

One thing I have learned in this very tiring and mentally scattering job of being a mother, is that my opportunity to teach my children about Jesus is like no other.

I sat at the kitchen with a dear friend and we discussed our struggles with balance and parenting young children.  I felt the Lord speaking to me and I shared.  I reflected about how often people report that the people most influential in their faith are their mothers (and fathers).  What a responsibility....but what a humbling opportunity.

Connor continued about his day, playing with his friends at playgroup.

Once they all left, he began again.  "Mommy, why did Jesus die on the cross?"

Lindsay Jane was getting fussy and I had to get her down...mommy....just pause....

Put the baby down, she will be fine.  Your middle baby is searching, is looking to you for answers about the most important thing that will impact his life.  Lindsay was placed in her crib with her paci and left to put herself to sleep.  I returned to Connor.

I read the story of Jesus's death and resurrection.  His questions didn't stop.  His focus was amazing.  I got to share the gospel with my 3 year old this afternoon.  I really think he understands...as much developmentally, as a 3 year old can.  He looked at me and said, "I want to share my toys with Jesus".

I love being a mom in this time.  What a blessing and what a gift of being able to share the gospel with my baby and be a part of his faith story.  Thank you God, for using me.

So, I am not going to dispute that Jesus woke him up this morning...5:30am or not!!  :)

Captured

"For I know the plans I have for you, "declares the Lord,
"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plan to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11

This picture captured the essence of our baby girl's baptism.  What a blessing.

When life gets crazy, I will remember all of our faces in this picture.  One snapshot in time of God's presence in our midst, a smile on each face, a reminder of God's perfect plans amidst the day to day craziness of having three little children. 

Lord, bless this time and help me to see these faces when I become overwhelmed.