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Encouragement

Encouragement

A Good Looking Gadget that Makes Me Look Good

It’s…my slow cooker. Really! I am sharing about this product because I love it and this one really makes me look good. My husband got it for me at William Sonoma. It was a splurge (my whole Christmas present 2 years ago, and I didn’t even get the one with the stove top liner) but it was soooooo worth it. Here’s why: 1. I can cook at night while I sleep. 2. I can cook all day while I am at work. 3. It makes one dish meals – meat, veggies and more all in one pot. 4. It is easy to clean. 5. It is huge and makes enough for my big family or enough to freeze for another meal. 6. It makes my whole house smell good when I walk in from work. 7. It saves me time. 8. It makes great comfort food. 9. It makes me feel like superwoman because I am doing two things at one time! 10. It makes me look good to my family. They love to eat. Here are my favorite recipes… Chicken and Dumplings Pot Roast Spaghetti Sauce

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Encouragement

On the Other Side of Surgery…

is a good place to be. That is where I am today. I am thankful. Not that yesterdays surgery was a terribly dangerous one but it was the 7th for this crazy heart. I have a faulty little gadget running this body. My heart, and its unpredictability, is a constant reminder to me of the tenuousness of my life. It is a good reminder. One that I need. It reminds me to really love those that I love. Every surgery forces me to review my life in case this is the end of my life. Every surgery is a run through of what I will be thinking about when my heart finally does go over the edge. When my heart first began misbehaving I was 17 and I had a cardiac arrest. In the moment that my life seemed suspended, my heart ached for people only. Not one vision of anything material. So I know from experience that when I do have that final moment my thoughts will not be filled with worry about work, bills, grades, or laundry. Nope, my thoughts will be only of people, only the ones I love.

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Encouragement

Where do I begin?

How about this? This is a really encouraging story. Last night I got one of those rare and precious gifts that become unimaginable as your children age. You know, when your kids are little you can count on at least one peanut butter and jelly kiss or hand crafted, crayon smudged love note a day, depending on how many kids you have. But when you hit those teen years, love notes are either not on their radar or otherwise directed! Back to the story. My teen, not going to say which one, wrote a paper and I found it. When I think that I might not have found the paper I could cry at the thought. I might never, ever imagined my child thought this way. Either way tears were in the making because this child thought about me deeply and that made me really cry. The point I want to make my dear, precious, fellow mom is that this is not just me. This paper is about you, too! Your children adore you even when you think they are not even aware you exist!

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Encouragement

Saying Goodbye to Santa

I know I know, you said goodbye weeks ago. Well, I didn’t. I put it off and I have a reason. My mom was born right before Christmas and I was born right after. When you have a Christmas birthday and the decorations go up it invokes double the excitement. This is my time of year, my only time, Christmas and birthday in one. My mom never let my birthday get lost in the holiday because hers was at Christmas, too. My mom also died just a few days before her birthday and Christmas. This time is now such a mix of anticipation and reflection. When I say goodbye to the vintage Santa of my childhood, now on my grown up roof, I am saying goodbye to a connection I have with my mom. The good news is that year round I can look to Christ for that connection with my mom. If I look up at my Santa I can only see the past with my mom, if I look up to Christ I can see my future with her.

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Encouragement

Linus is not Lyin to Us

He knows the real meaning of Christmas. We all need a Linus – someone in the midst of our Charlie Brown frustration to calmly refocus our attention. There are two nuances I love about this clip. The first is that everyone is literally in the “dark” about the meaning for Christmas until Linus says “lights please” and standing in the light, sheds light on the true meaning by reciting the Word of God. The second is when Linus says “and they (shepherds) were so afraid and the angel of the Lord said unto them ‘fear not’”. The second Linus says “fear not” he drops his security blanket as if no longer afraid. The birth of Christ is what Christmas is all about. This is a fact. Linus is not lying to us or telling a fictional story. All the presents and decorations and parties cannot conceal this fact. So take a Linus moment and step out of the busyness and into the light. Fall on your knees and hear the angel voices. You will find that same thrill of hope that Charlie Brown so desperately needed from this holy night! O holy night! The stars are brightly shining, It is …

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Encouragement

My House is a Mess

The reality is I really don’t care. Yes, I do. Well not enough to really do anything to change it—for more than a week. It would be so interesting to walk in somebody else’s shoes for a while—somebody that actually puts their shoes away. I might learn an alternative lifestyle. I went to a friend’s house this morning. I go there every week to pray with five long time friends. Her house is always put together. Not just clean but accessorized—orchid on the kitchen island, flowering plants potted at the door and tea kettle piping on the stove. Do you think it is my hurried lifestyle that makes me messy? My friend’s kids are grown and gone, mine aren’t. Who am I kidding I always have an excuse. I will still have stacks of paper on my dining room table when I am a grandmother! The reality is I really don’t care. Yes, I do—just not enough to change.

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Encouragement

Thanksgiving – How I Finally Got it Together

Whether you are serving five or 25 guests, a traditional Thanksgiving dinner is a lot of work. In my case, it is usually closer to 25. So after the first few years I realized that I was never going to enjoy the dinner if I single-handedly served it. That’s when I came up with a plan to get all the guests involved with the process (it makes everyone feel at home and a part of the family), delegate jobs I really didn’t need to do (and because the jobs are small the kids don’t mind them either), spend a little time with everyone in the kitchen (so that I don’t feel like I never got to see some people by the end of the night), and finish the day with enough energy to really be thankful! The plan is simple: Map out every task from putting water in the glasses to serving dessert (see my list). Choose a guest to complete each task. Choose a task manager to rally little taskers and remind older ones (this keeps you focused on dinner rather than running around). Post the list so all can see it. Since I formulated my plan, iMOM has …

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Encouragement

Better than a Halleluiah…Sometimes

I often feel like I’ve failed before I even open my eyes in the morning. It’s a tough way to start the day. Mentally, I go through the pressing “have-to-do-checklist.” My brain scrambles to eliminate things—whatever it can—in an effort to manage the panic. Unfortunately, that means I tend to put off the things that are most important (devotions and prayer, quality time with family, working out) for tomorrow, but tomorrow rarely comes. As one day bleeds into the next, a dull gray of guilt settles over me. Then I notice “the chair.” My guilt pierces me like a sword to the heart. The chair resides in my living room and became “the chair” after a conversation with wise friend. She told me that more than anything; God wanted a relationship with me. And every relationship requires time. She challenged me to pick a prominently visible chair in my house. She went on to tell me that I should picture the Lord there—waiting for me. In fact, He is waiting—patiently—for me. Why is it so easy to neglect God? If my husband, child or friend were sitting in “the chair” I wouldn’t leave them there, unattended and ignored for days. …

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Encouragement

Another Reason I Miss My Mom

My mom was a Midwestern girl—very, very practical—and oh, so CALM. I, on the other hand, tend to swing a bit more on the emotional pendulum. Things just seemed to be a bigger deal to me than they were to her. So perhaps that’s what I’ve been missing as I’m raising teenagers—my mother. After listening to me vent non-stop for 20 minutes straight about my children, I miss her calmly saying, “Susan, you’re not married to this decision. You can change your mind if it doesn’t work out.” “They will grow and learn from this experience. It’s not going to ruin their life.” “She’s just being creative! Don’t make it a big deal, and it won’t become a big deal.” My mom always knew how to give me advice, because she knew me. Without any explanation, she knew what I was really thinking. Therefore, she knew just what to say to get me to adjust my thinking. I wish I were more like her. So, what I’m thinking now is, “Am I going to calm down as I age so that I can be to my kids what my mom was to me?” —Or— “Am I going to find a …

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Encouragement

What is your dream?

What’s your dream? If your children are small, it might involve getting a night of uninterrupted sleep, or 15 minutes to yourself! Even if we have older children, moms often push aside their dreams to tend to the day-to-day demands of mothering. But, today, take a moment, like these ladies did, to give your dream a voice.

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