So, I woke up this morning to the cooing of a morning dove! Usually those things annoy me like all get-out, because they sit right by my window and wake me up when I just wanna sleep in a little bit. But today, it was a very exciting sound, because it's yet another sign that Spring is finally here!

In other news...I'm totally addicted to playing Tetris on my cell phone. I've made it to level 12...but do you know how insanely fast those suckers move at level 12?? And I keep having to charge my phone. Yes, I am a geek. I know.

He's on your side

Here's another excerpt from my reading that I just couldn't resist posting...because it spoke to my innermost being and I never want to forget its message: God is on your side because He chooses to be. A few days ago I received word of a group in Cape Town, South Africa, going through the Bible study Breaking Free. The woman leading the study shared that a prostitute wandered in off the street while the class was underway. The troubled woman was simply looking for a place to sit and rest her weary frame. As our wonderful God would have it, she ended up listening to the entire class, approached the leader, and said, "I can never go back to my old life."

When I heard the story, I wept. That, Beloved, is one reason I love Jesus so much. He is the ultimate Prince Charming to every woman, especially the one who forgot she was Cinderella. He looked with loving eyes on that lifeless woman, knowing all she'd ever said and done. He gazed beneath her sin into the brokenness that caused her to devalue herself so thoroughly. He'd given His whole life for her and wanted her to know that she was worth it to Him. Christ, the Spotless One and the Righteous King, saw beauty beneath her wounded, weathered exterior and sought to make her His own. As surely as Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4, He drew a South Aftrican prostitute to the fountain of living Water and gave her a drink. Despite her self-destruction, Christ was for her. He was on her side when she was her own worst enemy. That's the way He is. He's on your side.

This excerpt is from Beth Moore's 'Stepping Up' and it comes after studying Psalm 124.

"I am FOR you, child!"

I've found, in recent weeks, that the decisions Ryan and I make as parents are less than popular among our children. Particularly with our eldest. He considers some of the decisions we have made (ie: early bedtime, saying no to expensive purchases, monitoring the junk food he puts into his mouth, etc) to be unfair or even mean-spirited at the moment. I like how Beth Moore (in my Bible study) puts it: "I even used the words from time to time, 'I am for you, child. For heaven's sake, I'm your mother! Why wouldn't I want what's best for you?'" But our kids are too young and immature to understand that our decisions are for them. We are thinking of their best interest, rather than their current whims.

And at times, when they will not be convinced otherwise, we will have to temporarily live with them thinking poorly of us and questioning our motives. "Still, the future ramifications were worth the present misunderstanding." (Beth Moore) And isn't that the way it is with God??

I love how she explained it in this week's lesson: "On a much greater scale, God can take a similar position. He knows when something glorious in the future necessitates something difficult in the present. Because He knows the glory will be worth it, God will risk being misunderstood. Yes, God wants us to have joyful, satisfying lives, but He also wants us to have crowns to cast. Rewards to receive. Character to develop. Compassion to give. Testimonies to tell. In the midst of those painful processes, God makes bold promises."

She references Romans 8:28-39, and as I studied this familiar passage, I jotted down these promises as they apply to me. And here is what it looks like:

God will make sure all things work together for my good.
He will conform me to the likeness of His Son.
He will call me, justify me, glorify me.
He will give me all good things.
He will intercede for me.
He will make me more than a conqueror!

Amen and amen! My prayer this week is that as the Lord endows Ryan and I with the incredible wisdom that is necessary for raising a 'tween' child...hopefully my kids will see God's love and promises through us. We want what is best for them. But ultimately God wants what is best for them. Even in those times when the answer is an unsatisfying NO!

Easter 2008

We decided not to travel this year for Easter. We stayed in the area...went to our own church (which was so touching)...and ate a special lunch at home. Nothing huge, just our favorite pasta dish. Then we spent the afternoon resting and playing outside. For dinner, we met up with the Brody's and Dahms' for a meal together. Then we headed to the Dahms' for dessert and more play. I love laid-back holidays, where we can spend time with the kids...relaxing, listening, sharing the things we learned at church, and just enjoying their company at these precious ages.

Easter Egg Hunt 2008

Every year we are invited to the annual Oakhurst Easter egg hunt. It is sponsored by some good friends of ours who represent Prudential real estate. They hide about 1,500 eggs, and a couple hundred kids come out for the scavenger. They treat us to donuts and juice, and then we even get to take a picture with the Easter bunny! Our first time attending was when Mark was only 3. And we have made it each year since then. This year, Mark wasn't too interested (he is such big stuff now!) But Reese and Marina were so excited to go! Here we are with the Easter bunny, about to go gather some plastic eggs filled with sugary goodness. LOL! xoxo

Easter Drama...

Here's the video of Mark and Marina participating in an Easter drama at church. Right away you will see Mark on stage being greeted by Jesus. At the end, Marina climbs the steps of the stage to Jesus. It totally melted my heart!

What makes this so great is that she really believes it's Jesus! So, she came out from backstage afterward and told Grandma, "I saw Jesus! I gave him kiss and looove!" Too, too cute!

"Mean Mommy"... Update

OK, so I am so grateful for family that can tell it straight. Particularly my sis-in-law who has 3 boys of her own...and has gone through this age already with 2 of them. I gave her a call today, because I didn't know who else to turn to. All my friends, as helpful and loving as they are, are still in the toddler stage of parenting. And those I have reached out to about my current concerns look at me like I'm crazy. And it makes me feel like a rotten mother for even going thru this in the first place! But, I have to remind myself that someday those women will too experience their own precious little guys suddenly develop a mind of their own, and a lip to match! So, knowing that my sis-in-law has walked this road before me, I called her up for advice.

And, let me say, I received much more than I expected! Not only did she reassure me that Mark is not the first kid to go through this stage of arguing with Mom and Dad...but she also helped me to see how I was feeding the problem. I won't get into it all now...but it was truly amazing to draw from someone else's experiences, and to learn how I can be a better parent. Mark is a great kid. He is very obedient when it comes to task oriented instructions. But the trouble comes when we are discussing a 'situational' issue. That's where he wants to talk over us, tell us how our idea won't work, etc, etc. So, here are the things I can do to keep control of those situations: ultimately, I need to be more selective as to when and where I start a discussion. (In the morning, while we were rushing out the door was not a good choice, even though that's when the issue was on my mind). I need to withold my own advice on issues (as tempting as it may be to barge in and give it...), and just wait for him to come and ask for it. And when he does come to me with a problem, I need to calmly say, "Mark, are you asking for my advice, or do you just need me to listen?" And then if he says he wants my advice, I need to let him know I will give it, but then he needs to take it! No arguing. And if arguing begins, I need to stop the conversation right away, take a break, and resume only when he is ready to speak respectfully. Boy! How I blew it today! I didn't follow even ONE of those rules! But, thank God for grace and 2nd chances! When I picked up Mark from school today, right away he gave me a hug (a split second one...but a hug nonetheless), and said he was sorry for this morning. Wow! That meant he had been thinking about it all day too! I had to ask his forgiveness as well. I made lots of mistakes in our conversation today. I let him know how things are going to change...on both ends! I'm not going to allow him to speak disrespectfully anymore. But I also will try harder to listen, instead of always giving my solution to his problem.

It's a lot to chew on...but I am excited to begin putting it into practice.

Lastly, what I learned from my dear sis-in-law is that it DOES NOT get easier as they get older! Her oldest is about to enter high school, so she is much further down the road than I am. And she was kind enough to be transparent with me about their fears and struggles as they parent their older kids. As I was listening to her speak of their current issues, and I realized the extreme amounts of wisdom and tough love that is needed in those instances, I couldn't help but think to myself, "Hmm...today's squabble kind of pales in comparison!" I truly treasure her honesty and 'kick in the pants' if you will. I know I'll make more mistakes, but I kind of feel like I'm looking through different lenses now.