A Lifetime of Love

I have had such a great morning despite the bickering between the boys. We went over to a friend’s house from church so I could get some godly parenting advice and tips. This woman also has 2 boys who are 2 years apart, and since they are older than mine, she knows exactly what I’m dealing with because she has experienced it with her own children. Additionally, she just recently resigned as the nursery coordinator for our church, so she knows my children extremely well and was able to provide me with some sound advice based on their personalities. I wrote before that I am doing a personal Bible study, and I have been convicted of my sins as a parent since the first page. She did the same study and encouraged me to keep going. She was such a huge blessing to me today, and I am so thankful to have such godly influences in my life. As I was leaving her house, I told her how much I appreciated her time. I honestly have already begun to put into practice some of what I learned today, and I ...

1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins." Today was a bad day for me as a mother. I can’t even say I “lost” my patience because that would imply I had patience to begin with- I didn ’t. I was immediately convicted as soon as my mouth shut. I apologized for all the times I angrily lost my self-control, but I know words hurt the heart more than anything. While waiting for TJ to get home, the kids and I were playing in the backyard as usual. We heard sirens, and I looked at my watch and noticed it was 5:30. Bad thoughts and panic set in, and I frantically began calling TJ on his cell phone. No answer, of course! I waited 5 more minutes before calling again. During that time, I prayed that God would forgive me for my bad attitude today, especially toward my children. I sometimes need moments like this to help me gain my perspective back. It’s funny- I was thinking if something horrible did happen to TJ on the way home, I wa...

My life has been hectic as usual. I sometimes can’t seem to tell whether I’m coming or going. I have been going non-stop since last week, and today is the first moment I have found to sit down and write. Saturday evening was spent at my sister-in-law’s house. TJ volunteered to help out with a major youth event at our church, which left the kids in my care. It’s an hour drive each way to her house, and by the time I arrived, I was already stressed out due to the arguing in the van. T.G. was ready to nurse shortly after our arrival, and just as I got situated, my 5 -year-old niece informed me Ta was outside. My sis-in-law lives on a dangerous road, and her house isn ’t that far from it. There’s not necessarily a lot of traffic, but cars speed by going 45 miles an hour. Needless to say, panic set in and I ran to get him. Thankfully the Lord’s hand of protection was upon him, and he was sitting on the porch. I couldn ’t discipline him because he didn ’t really understand what he did wrong...

I am a little misty-eyed as I write today. Carole’s blog entry from last night really touched me. I have been thinking about it since I read it because I have been replaying in my mind various trials and hardships that I have gone through over the past few years. I consider myself a strong woman, and having since experienced certain life situations, I feel relatively grounded in my faith and know I have gotten closer in my walk with the Lord. But, as I read and re-read Carole’s words, I found myself second-guessing myself. Am I as strong as I think I am? If I were in her situation, would I respond in the same manner and with the same strength? I don’t know, and I selfishly pray I don’t ever have to find out. But, by thinking about this, the Lord allowed me to reflect upon the ways He has cared for me over the years. I know, I know. I’ve written before about the Lord’s provision and healing for me, but I cannot find the words to express my true feelings of gratitude for all that God has...

I attended my church’s annual Mother/Daughter Banquet this past Saturday night with my daughter for the first time. Every year I attend, but this was a milestone in my life as a mom. I was very happy to have her with me. T.G. was awake from the moment I arrived, but content just watching her surroundings and everyone in it. After I ate, I excused myself from the table to go nurse her in the bathroom. She quickly fell asleep and slept the remainder of the evening, allowing me an opportunity to focus my attention on the speaker. This year’s theme was very different than years’ past. It was an international theme, and each table was beautifully decorated to represent either a different country or state within the U.S. We sat at the Florida table, and there were sand castles and sea shells as our centerpiece. I chose that particular table because one of my guests just recently moved to Rock Hill from Florida, and I thought her 3 year old daughter would enjoy a brief reminder of the...

I’m back after finishing all that needed to be done. Although the semester has ended, I still have obligations and must prioritize my day. Unfortunately, last week this took last place on my list. I enjoy writing and sharing here, but I have to make sure that this does not interfere with my devotional time or conflict with my duties as a wife, mom, etc. Th woke me this morning to the smells of breakfast cooking downstairs. . . cinnamon rolls, bacon, and eggs. He was so excited for me to walk down the stairs, and once I reached the bottom step, I quickly knew why. TJ had taken a piece of the boys' artwork and had it framed. Th’s was a butterfly and Ta’s was his hand prints. I also received a book I have been wanting written by a woman who came and spoke at our church back in 2004. She spoke on how to study the Bible, and last year, turned her “notes” into a book, and I can’t wait to read it. It is titled “What Do I Know about My God?” by Mardi Collier. I just started a dif...

I spent my morning at the doctor’s office with Ta and T.G. I missed Ta’s 2 year visit originally scheduled in March (due to another computer problem!) so it was a routine appointment. Except that anyone with kids knows there is no such thing as “routine”. Turns out he has a sinus infection and while we were there, the doctor went ahead and looked at the baby to save me from having to come back. T.G. has a double ear infection. I went in thinking the visit was free (insurance covers well visits 100%) and ended up spending $81 due to the various medications both kids were prescribed! Plus, I still feel yucky. I actually feel a little better; I just don’t have much of a voice. My kids are happy, and probably TJ too, but I hate it because I have to repeat myself more than I normally do! TJ felt sorry for me since I wasn ’t feeling well and didn ’t go to Charlotte after work. He mowed the front lawn and I hung outside with the kids and watched. With him home to help, we were able to have ...

Isn't it great! I still feel yucky today but I have friends coming over from the MOMS Club to do a Bible study. This is the last week so I feel compelled not to cancel. I have enjoyed leading this study. I have gotten to know some of the moms who participated better, especially those who are new to the Club. I am going to lead another study, but we need to decide if we’re going to continue through the summer or take a break. I prefer to go through the summer, but that means more people in my house since school will be ending soon! Whatever is decided, we are going to study “Lies Women Believe and the Truths that Set them Free” by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. I did this study about 3 years ago and it’s awesome. I look forward to going through it with the Club; it will be very beneficial for all, I hope. Our home computer is broken so I am forced to rely on TJ’s old laptop. I hate laptops, in particular the lack of a mouse, and pray TJ finds time to fix ours. He has meetings in Char...

I want to explain why I love the 2 books I read. The first, “Tallahassee Higgins”, is about a girl who goes to live with her aunt and uncle while her mother moves to California to try to get a break into Hollywood. The book describes Tallahassee’s search to find out more about her mother, her father, and her life as she adjusts to living with her aunt and uncle. I identified with Tallahassee because, although my mother never abandoned me, I moved around often, as did Tallahassee, until 7th grade. I know what it is like to constantly switch schools and have to make new friends, never feeling like you belong; I did it my entire life! Some years we’d move 2 or 3 times in the same year. I went to 12 schools in 13 years- you do the math! The second, “Dear Mr. Henshaw”, is about a boy who writes to his favorite author. I identified with him because his parents divorced, and he describes his feelings regarding the situation in his journals. In this story, the dad drives an 18-wheeler...

Since the weather was rainy on Saturday, we had an opportunity to be together as a family for the entire day. Th’s baseball game was cancelled so TJ and the boys went with the baby and me to run errands. We had a good time considering the boys hate to run errands. When we got home, we caught up on some indoor things that needed to be taken care of such as switching Ta’s clothes from size 18 months to 2T and storing stuff in the attic. We also played around with the boys. It was me versus TJ, Th, & Ta. We had fun, and the boys had a great time wrestling around. I have been fighting a cold or something since late last week. It finally hit me full-force yesterday. I woke up feeling horrible, and today is even worse. I am achy everywhere, my ears and throat hurt, and I just want to sleep. I finished Th’s scrapbook pages but still need to complete the other child’s and the 2 title pages. I was hoping to get more accomplished, but since I slept most of the afternoon, that didn’t happen! ...

Yesterday was a productive day. I began working on the scrapbook pages for Th’s teacher. I haven’t scrapbooked in almost a year, and it was nice to be able to get back into it, even if only for a short time. I told TJ he could use the space for his computers since I don’t have as much time to devote to scrapbooking as I’d like. It seems like he is constantly helping someone out with a computer problem, so it makes more sense to use the space for that rather than my summertime hobby. After I finish these pages, I will pack everything up for storage. That will be difficult to find as it seems we are quickly outgrowing our house! I’d like to store everything where I can access it when needed. I have to make a total of 9 pages by next Friday, and I have the layout completed for 1. 4 of the pages will be the same, so it’s really just a matter of copying everything once I get the 2 of them finished. I will try to take some pictures when I get them completed. It has been so hot here ...

Today is officially “Go-Up-To-Heaven Day”, coined by Th himself. Let me explain. . . In the van on the way to preschool, Th asked how old you had to be to go to Heaven. I explained that God doesn’t have a set age; He’ll take people whenever He’s ready. He then asked how old Annabelle was (she was my grandfather’s wife- she passed away last March and is the only person Th knows on a personal basis who has died). I told him, and before ending the conversation, I said we never know when God is going to bring someone home to Heaven. It could be today, or next week, or in a very long time. That’s when he said the aforementioned phrase. I think it’s awesome that his mind comprehends such abstract concepts. I can truthfully say at 4 years old I did not have an understanding of God, Heaven, or Hell. God really was a mystery until I got saved at almost 19. Sure, I believed in God, or I should say I believed there was a God, but I did not understand true salvation until after joining the Air For...

until they open their mouths! I was running errands with all 3 of my darlings. As I was waiting in line to pay, an elderly woman walked by and commented on how cute my kids were. Th piped up with his own comment: “Wow! She’s really old!” I wasn’t brave enough to turn around to see if she heard him, but the woman directly in front of me did and she laughed so hard I thought she was going to fall over. I obviously couldn’t see the look on my face, but I could feel it turning the same shade of red as my shirt. I absolutely wanted to sink into the floor! I am thankful for these wonderful, teachable moments! I explained (again!) that sometimes we don’t say things even though we think them. I hope he understands this time. . . or at least waits until he’s with TJ to say something embarrassing! It always seems to happen when he’s with me!