Last night was our weekly family night at church. When the adults were done with our study time together, it was time for prayer requests. I shared a request from within our family that right now is manageable but over time could quickly get out of hand. It was a valid prayer request and was met with nothing but encouragement and support from those in attendance.
And then others shared prayer requests...
...for seriously ill children that are one way or another a part of their lives.
Children.
I know what it's like to have a seriously ill child. I know what it's like to fear that child will die. I know what it's like to fear for their future.
Suddenly, my prayer request didn't seem as significant.
If faced with the choice of having to choose my current prayer request or the prayer request we were faced with nine years ago, I would choose today's situation...hands down.
When children are seriously ill, well...it brings the rest of life into perspective.
At least it does for me.
"Gracious God, I pray for all the sick and ailing of this world...especially the children...who don't understand what's going on. Let them all feel your healing hand upon them. Let them feel your warmth surrounding them. Let them know that you are as near as their breath. Surround them with your love and peace. In Jesus name I pray. Amen."
Wishing you a peaceFULLYsimple day.
peace.
jeanine
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
THE COMPANY YOU KEEP
"Tell me what company you keep, and I'll tell you what you are."
~ Miguel de Cervantes
Yesterday I had coffee with a friend.
We meet at a our regular coffee shop and our visits can last for hours.
I look forward to these meetings.
Yesterday I left the coffee shop to head out on errands for the rest of my day before getting home in time for the kids to get off the bus and I was refreshed and energized. I felt blessed by this friend...by her words, by her honesty, by the fact that we can both talk to each other about pretty much anything that's in our hearts. We talk about our families, about being moms, about how sometimes we can lose ourselves in caring for others. My friend does not judge my quirks. I haven't really found any about her that would even make me think to judge her. It is a genuine friendship. It was initiated by God. He is part of our lives and our conversations.
I hope you have a friend(s) like this.
I have several.
It's a good thing...friends like these...
...because...
"If you choose to awaken a passion for God, you will have to choose your friends wisely."
~ Lisa Bevere ~
And then when you meet them for coffee, you can go about the rest of your day feeling blessed and happy that God has placed such beautiful people in your life.
Wishing you a peaceFULLYsimple...and "coffee with a friend" kind of day.
peace.
jeanine
~ Miguel de Cervantes
Yesterday I had coffee with a friend.
We meet at a our regular coffee shop and our visits can last for hours.
I look forward to these meetings.
Yesterday I left the coffee shop to head out on errands for the rest of my day before getting home in time for the kids to get off the bus and I was refreshed and energized. I felt blessed by this friend...by her words, by her honesty, by the fact that we can both talk to each other about pretty much anything that's in our hearts. We talk about our families, about being moms, about how sometimes we can lose ourselves in caring for others. My friend does not judge my quirks. I haven't really found any about her that would even make me think to judge her. It is a genuine friendship. It was initiated by God. He is part of our lives and our conversations.
I hope you have a friend(s) like this.
I have several.
It's a good thing...friends like these...
...because...
"If you choose to awaken a passion for God, you will have to choose your friends wisely."
~ Lisa Bevere ~
And then when you meet them for coffee, you can go about the rest of your day feeling blessed and happy that God has placed such beautiful people in your life.
Wishing you a peaceFULLYsimple...and "coffee with a friend" kind of day.
peace.
jeanine
Monday, February 25, 2013
WELL...THAT'S AN ATTITUDE WE NEED TO CHANGE!
On our way out of church yesterday we were visiting with one of the Sunday School teachers and when we got in the car Faith said, "He's a funny man! I get him next year when I'm in 4th grade." My husband and I commented on how men have a different "style" when teaching Sunday school. My comment was, "Sometimes men seem to be better than women at these kinds of things because they make it more fun and silly."
Note the key word here was "SOMETIMES."
Faith said, "Yeah...sometimes."
And then Parker said, "Yeah...and women are just better at the diaper changin' and stuff." Then he gave me a quick glance out of the corner of his eye, smirked his big "Parker smirk" and waited...
...for mom...
...to respond...
And respond, I did! "Whoa, whoa, WHOA, there mister! You get that attitude out of your head right now or you're going to be one woman-less man when you grow up! Better at changin' diapers and stuff! You won't get far with that kind of thinking!"
Parker laughed because he knew he was going to get me going with that comment. It was his plan when he said it. Scott thought it was all hilarious...but knew better than to chime in to help Parker out.
Better at changin' diapers...
Best be changin' that attitude.
Oh how this boy of mine can make me laugh. And if he keeps this up, he'll be MY boy for a long, long time!
Wishing you a peaceFULLYsimple day!
peace.
jeanine
Note the key word here was "SOMETIMES."
Faith said, "Yeah...sometimes."
And then Parker said, "Yeah...and women are just better at the diaper changin' and stuff." Then he gave me a quick glance out of the corner of his eye, smirked his big "Parker smirk" and waited...
...for mom...
...to respond...
And respond, I did! "Whoa, whoa, WHOA, there mister! You get that attitude out of your head right now or you're going to be one woman-less man when you grow up! Better at changin' diapers and stuff! You won't get far with that kind of thinking!"
Parker laughed because he knew he was going to get me going with that comment. It was his plan when he said it. Scott thought it was all hilarious...but knew better than to chime in to help Parker out.
Better at changin' diapers...
Best be changin' that attitude.
Oh how this boy of mine can make me laugh. And if he keeps this up, he'll be MY boy for a long, long time!
Wishing you a peaceFULLYsimple day!
peace.
jeanine
Friday, February 22, 2013
GIMME A BEER!
It's Lent.
Although I am no longer Catholic, my side of the family is.
Lent for Catholics means no meat on Fridays.
Due to snowy, slushy, slippin' and slidin' weather today, I drove my mom and dad to an out-of-town medical procedure for my mom. I have four-wheel drive...they don't. And...dad's 87 and mom's 85. I am not. They didn't need to drive on a day like today.
On the way home we stopped for lunch. Mom was looking for fish on the menu. When the waitress came dad said, "I'll have a hamburger!" Mom said quickly, "Oh...no-no! It's Friday...you can't have meat."
The waitress was quick to offer them their fish special for the day.
Mom said, "I'll have that, with a glass of water, please."
Dad grunted a little at being told he couldn't have a hamburger and then said, "I'll just have that, too. And gimme a glass of beer!"
I honestly started laughing out loud...and mom and the waitress both giggled.
Can't have meat...but by golly...give the man his beer!
Love those two.
Wishing you a peaceFULLYsimple day. And go ahead...tip back a cold one while you're at it!
peace.
jeanine
Although I am no longer Catholic, my side of the family is.
Lent for Catholics means no meat on Fridays.
Due to snowy, slushy, slippin' and slidin' weather today, I drove my mom and dad to an out-of-town medical procedure for my mom. I have four-wheel drive...they don't. And...dad's 87 and mom's 85. I am not. They didn't need to drive on a day like today.
On the way home we stopped for lunch. Mom was looking for fish on the menu. When the waitress came dad said, "I'll have a hamburger!" Mom said quickly, "Oh...no-no! It's Friday...you can't have meat."
The waitress was quick to offer them their fish special for the day.
Mom said, "I'll have that, with a glass of water, please."
Dad grunted a little at being told he couldn't have a hamburger and then said, "I'll just have that, too. And gimme a glass of beer!"
I honestly started laughing out loud...and mom and the waitress both giggled.
Can't have meat...but by golly...give the man his beer!
Love those two.
Wishing you a peaceFULLYsimple day. And go ahead...tip back a cold one while you're at it!
peace.
jeanine
Thursday, February 21, 2013
NOW you tell me!
It was twenty-nine years ago and I was months away from graduating high school.
Yes...twenty-nine years ago. I'll just do the math for you and tell you I'm 47. Now that we've got that covered...let's move on.
Where was I? Oh yes...months away from graduating high school.
The world was a blank slate before me. There were so many things I could do with my life. The possibilities were almost endless.
Except for one...small...thing.
I had NO IDEA what I wanted to do with my life! No only that, but my confidence and self-esteem was less than stellar. I was absolutely TERRIFIED and the fact that it was made very clear to me that no one wanted me to leave home...even for college...only made it worse.
Oh sure...I had thoughts of what I wanted to be when I "grew up." The top two were veterinarian or photographer with photographer taking the lead. However, it seemed when I spoke of these things rather than being encouraged, I was discouraged. It was suggested that I wouldn't make a good veterinarian because I would want to "save" all the animals...but I would also be required to let some of them go...or even "help" them in their deaths. I decided they were right...I didn't have what it took to be good vet. I was told by a successful photographer that should I choose the path of photography that I better plan on just giving up my life to the job. They told me it was a 24/7 job...plus a few more hours if I could manage to squeeze them in. I did know that I wanted a husband and a family and these less than encouraging words certainly didn't make any of that seem possible. I guess this person was right, too...I didn't have what it took to be a photographer, either.
I would learn many, many years later that these people...without intending to be...were "saboteurs." Their words, actions and lack of support and encouragement were sabotaging my dreams...and I wasn't strong enough to resist them.
I did end up going to college for a year. It was horrible. I stunk at anything math and science related (which would have probably ruled out the whole veterinarian dream right there). I enjoyed history and political science (that last one surprised me then and it still surprises me today). My psychology class was fun. Literature classes were okay...but writing classes were better. By the end of the year, though, I was adamant about the fact that college wasn't for me. I convinced myself that it was because I didn't know what I wanted to do. Really it was the fact that I felt guilty being away and when I decided to pursue something that would keep me closer to home...although less exciting...it made people very happy. I realize now that I never even allowed myself to be excited about the possibilities that were ahead of me.
The following year after my one and only year of college I decided to attend business school. This was more like a job rather than school. I attended classes daily...almost like high school...and went home every.single.Friday afternoon. I had a job back home and I worked every Friday night, all day Saturday from noon to midnight and had Sundays off. The last quarter of business school was during the summer. I had to be out of my living quarters in May so I stayed home that summer, driving an hour to school every morning and an hour home every afternoon. That summer I worked every.single.night of the week, noon to midnight on Saturdays and again, had Sundays off. I told myself it was good.
By the time I was done with business school I had a degree in Travel Management. I could have booked you for an awesome vacation at any tropical destination of your choice. Except I couldn't seem to find a job. Again...I was encouraged not to move away. Stay home...it'll be cheaper and you can save money. So I thought, "I'll commute...really far. It'll be fine." But I couldn't find a job that would not only help you book the vacation of your dreams...but maybe take me to some far-off destinations as well. Soon I was applying for non-travel jobs and ended up with one that was far different than what I expected. Administrative. All future jobs followed this same path. And they were all fine. I was good at these jobs. I know this because people told me I was good at them. They requested me for projects. Some even asked me to do projects for them outside of work. Eventually I was asked to supervise those who were my peers.
It wasn't all horrible. Really. It was during this time that I started building confidence. I started to break out of my shell...as well as break some rules. (Actually, I started to break lots of "rules.") I started to discover who I was and gained self-esteem and independence. I met the man that would become my husband. When we started our family, that's when I found the contentment I had been looking for...being a wife and a mom. Me being home with our children is what both my husband and I desired for our family.
But deep down, I knew I desired something for myself, too. I told myself that in time I would discover what that was.
A few years ago I was offered the opportunity of having a life coach. It all sort of just fell into my lap and the bonus was that it was FREE for six months. Sold! My husband had a life coach once that was provided through work. I saw so many changes in him during his time with his coach. When he shared with me some of the conversations he had during their sessions I almost felt like a sponge, trying to soak up as much as I could from what my husband would share with me. Now it was my chance to experience this and I was beyond excited!
My coach lived in Missouri so we would meet via phone. I can't even tell you how much I looked forward to these calls every week. Through our sessions she was able to help me uncover things about myself that I didn't even know existed. She encouraged me to find "me" and seek out the things that made me happy. She encouraged me in my vision of creating "peaceFULLYsimple" and although I don't fully understand yet where God wants me to take this concept, my coach was the one who inspired me to at least breathe some air into the dream and make it something real and alive in my life. I don't have time to explain my concept of "peaceFULLYsimple" right now...but the dream I have of seeing it grow into something has become part of my daily life. My coach is the one who made me aware of my past "saboteurs" and encouraged me to be aware of any future "saboteurs" I will meet along the rest of my journey.
My coach inspired me in ways I never imagined.
When the time came to end our meetings due to a promotion my coach received at the company she for worked full-time, one of her final questions to me was, "So where do you see yourself going now?" She encouraged me to think on this and then send her my response.
The answer that was revealed to me was nothing I expected and nearly shook me to my core.
The answer came in a quiet voice...almost a whisper. And it was very matter-of-fact.
The voice said, "Be a life coach."
I remember just sitting there...dumbfounded...thinking, "Where did THAT come from?"
I know exactly where it came from.
God.
It was God saying, "You know all those trials in life that you've experienced? You know how even in the worst of them you came out stronger on the other side of it? You know how even when it was really, really hard I encouraged you to trust me? You know how your coach just sort of "fell into your lap" and helped you discover things about yourself that you never even imagined? That was all me...helping you discover what I've seen all along. Now help someone else find in themselves what I already see in them...just like someone did for you."
This certainly wasn't anything I expected to hear. Being a life coach had never even crossed my mind until my coach asked me, "So where do you see yourself going now?"
So...have I done this?
No.
I am confronted with new "saboteurs." Saboteurs like money. We can't afford the training I need for this. At least not today. Saboteurs like training that would take time away from my family. But my children are older now and able to help in providing their care rather than needing all care to be provided too them. Saboteurs like, "buy my husband has dreams he wants to fulfill." So do I. My dreams are valid, too. Today I am aware of saboteurs. Twenty-nine years ago I was not.
So as I sit here today, typing what's in my heart, I think back to 1984 and realize that if I had chosen my "life's path" way back then, my life today would be completely different. I think of all that I would have missed, too...especially during the last 23 years of knowing "my man" and being his wife and the mother to our children. I believe the "life" God placed before me is the path I belonged on. It is the life that God desired for me. It is the life he made me for. He chose to educate my heart...because he knew that's what I really longed for. Now...because I am ready...he has planted in me the desire to share what he has taught me with others. Not because I'm a product of higher education...but because I am his continual student.
My life coach brought out so much in me that had been hidden and buried for more years that I can remember. She uncovered in me things I didn't even know existed within myself. However, in the grand scheme of life...God is my continual life coach...seeing me just as he designed me to be...and helping me to see it, too.
Wishing you a peaceFULLYsimple day.
peace.
jeanine
Yes...twenty-nine years ago. I'll just do the math for you and tell you I'm 47. Now that we've got that covered...let's move on.
Where was I? Oh yes...months away from graduating high school.
The world was a blank slate before me. There were so many things I could do with my life. The possibilities were almost endless.
Except for one...small...thing.
I had NO IDEA what I wanted to do with my life! No only that, but my confidence and self-esteem was less than stellar. I was absolutely TERRIFIED and the fact that it was made very clear to me that no one wanted me to leave home...even for college...only made it worse.
Oh sure...I had thoughts of what I wanted to be when I "grew up." The top two were veterinarian or photographer with photographer taking the lead. However, it seemed when I spoke of these things rather than being encouraged, I was discouraged. It was suggested that I wouldn't make a good veterinarian because I would want to "save" all the animals...but I would also be required to let some of them go...or even "help" them in their deaths. I decided they were right...I didn't have what it took to be good vet. I was told by a successful photographer that should I choose the path of photography that I better plan on just giving up my life to the job. They told me it was a 24/7 job...plus a few more hours if I could manage to squeeze them in. I did know that I wanted a husband and a family and these less than encouraging words certainly didn't make any of that seem possible. I guess this person was right, too...I didn't have what it took to be a photographer, either.
I would learn many, many years later that these people...without intending to be...were "saboteurs." Their words, actions and lack of support and encouragement were sabotaging my dreams...and I wasn't strong enough to resist them.
I did end up going to college for a year. It was horrible. I stunk at anything math and science related (which would have probably ruled out the whole veterinarian dream right there). I enjoyed history and political science (that last one surprised me then and it still surprises me today). My psychology class was fun. Literature classes were okay...but writing classes were better. By the end of the year, though, I was adamant about the fact that college wasn't for me. I convinced myself that it was because I didn't know what I wanted to do. Really it was the fact that I felt guilty being away and when I decided to pursue something that would keep me closer to home...although less exciting...it made people very happy. I realize now that I never even allowed myself to be excited about the possibilities that were ahead of me.
The following year after my one and only year of college I decided to attend business school. This was more like a job rather than school. I attended classes daily...almost like high school...and went home every.single.Friday afternoon. I had a job back home and I worked every Friday night, all day Saturday from noon to midnight and had Sundays off. The last quarter of business school was during the summer. I had to be out of my living quarters in May so I stayed home that summer, driving an hour to school every morning and an hour home every afternoon. That summer I worked every.single.night of the week, noon to midnight on Saturdays and again, had Sundays off. I told myself it was good.
By the time I was done with business school I had a degree in Travel Management. I could have booked you for an awesome vacation at any tropical destination of your choice. Except I couldn't seem to find a job. Again...I was encouraged not to move away. Stay home...it'll be cheaper and you can save money. So I thought, "I'll commute...really far. It'll be fine." But I couldn't find a job that would not only help you book the vacation of your dreams...but maybe take me to some far-off destinations as well. Soon I was applying for non-travel jobs and ended up with one that was far different than what I expected. Administrative. All future jobs followed this same path. And they were all fine. I was good at these jobs. I know this because people told me I was good at them. They requested me for projects. Some even asked me to do projects for them outside of work. Eventually I was asked to supervise those who were my peers.
It wasn't all horrible. Really. It was during this time that I started building confidence. I started to break out of my shell...as well as break some rules. (Actually, I started to break lots of "rules.") I started to discover who I was and gained self-esteem and independence. I met the man that would become my husband. When we started our family, that's when I found the contentment I had been looking for...being a wife and a mom. Me being home with our children is what both my husband and I desired for our family.
But deep down, I knew I desired something for myself, too. I told myself that in time I would discover what that was.
A few years ago I was offered the opportunity of having a life coach. It all sort of just fell into my lap and the bonus was that it was FREE for six months. Sold! My husband had a life coach once that was provided through work. I saw so many changes in him during his time with his coach. When he shared with me some of the conversations he had during their sessions I almost felt like a sponge, trying to soak up as much as I could from what my husband would share with me. Now it was my chance to experience this and I was beyond excited!
My coach lived in Missouri so we would meet via phone. I can't even tell you how much I looked forward to these calls every week. Through our sessions she was able to help me uncover things about myself that I didn't even know existed. She encouraged me to find "me" and seek out the things that made me happy. She encouraged me in my vision of creating "peaceFULLYsimple" and although I don't fully understand yet where God wants me to take this concept, my coach was the one who inspired me to at least breathe some air into the dream and make it something real and alive in my life. I don't have time to explain my concept of "peaceFULLYsimple" right now...but the dream I have of seeing it grow into something has become part of my daily life. My coach is the one who made me aware of my past "saboteurs" and encouraged me to be aware of any future "saboteurs" I will meet along the rest of my journey.
My coach inspired me in ways I never imagined.
When the time came to end our meetings due to a promotion my coach received at the company she for worked full-time, one of her final questions to me was, "So where do you see yourself going now?" She encouraged me to think on this and then send her my response.
The answer that was revealed to me was nothing I expected and nearly shook me to my core.
The answer came in a quiet voice...almost a whisper. And it was very matter-of-fact.
The voice said, "Be a life coach."
I remember just sitting there...dumbfounded...thinking, "Where did THAT come from?"
I know exactly where it came from.
God.
It was God saying, "You know all those trials in life that you've experienced? You know how even in the worst of them you came out stronger on the other side of it? You know how even when it was really, really hard I encouraged you to trust me? You know how your coach just sort of "fell into your lap" and helped you discover things about yourself that you never even imagined? That was all me...helping you discover what I've seen all along. Now help someone else find in themselves what I already see in them...just like someone did for you."
This certainly wasn't anything I expected to hear. Being a life coach had never even crossed my mind until my coach asked me, "So where do you see yourself going now?"
So...have I done this?
No.
I am confronted with new "saboteurs." Saboteurs like money. We can't afford the training I need for this. At least not today. Saboteurs like training that would take time away from my family. But my children are older now and able to help in providing their care rather than needing all care to be provided too them. Saboteurs like, "buy my husband has dreams he wants to fulfill." So do I. My dreams are valid, too. Today I am aware of saboteurs. Twenty-nine years ago I was not.
So as I sit here today, typing what's in my heart, I think back to 1984 and realize that if I had chosen my "life's path" way back then, my life today would be completely different. I think of all that I would have missed, too...especially during the last 23 years of knowing "my man" and being his wife and the mother to our children. I believe the "life" God placed before me is the path I belonged on. It is the life that God desired for me. It is the life he made me for. He chose to educate my heart...because he knew that's what I really longed for. Now...because I am ready...he has planted in me the desire to share what he has taught me with others. Not because I'm a product of higher education...but because I am his continual student.
My life coach brought out so much in me that had been hidden and buried for more years that I can remember. She uncovered in me things I didn't even know existed within myself. However, in the grand scheme of life...God is my continual life coach...seeing me just as he designed me to be...and helping me to see it, too.
Wishing you a peaceFULLYsimple day.
peace.
jeanine
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
CREATIVE TOILET ART
I discovered this in the kids' bathroom this morning as I was collecting laundry.
Apparently, creating "art" with the empty roll is far more fun than throwing it away.
This has "Parker" written all over it!
I love silly little surprises like this from my kids.
Wishing you a peaceFULLYsimple...and "creative" day!
peace.
jeanine
Apparently, creating "art" with the empty roll is far more fun than throwing it away.
This has "Parker" written all over it!
I love silly little surprises like this from my kids.
Wishing you a peaceFULLYsimple...and "creative" day!
peace.
jeanine
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
LONG NIGHT AND SIMULTANEOUS SNORES
It was last night at 11:15 PM.
I had just fallen asleep...that point where you've just finally entered peaceful slumber...when I was startled awake!
It was Faith standing next to my side of the bed.
"Mom...I can't sleep. I'm hot."
Oh dear.
I immediately touched her cheek. Nice and cool. No fever...thank goodness!
"Okay...let's go get you into cooler jammies."
We went back to her room, changed her into shorts and a tank top and snuggled her back into bed. I kissed her goodnight, told her I loved her and went back to bed.
This time I was just drifting back to sleep when I heard her next to the bed again.
"Mom...I still can't sleep."
I went with her back to her room and asked her if something was troubling her.
Nope...no troubles.
She said she was stuffy so we put a Breathe Right strip on her little nose. She wanted me to stay with her in her bed. So we moved all of her stuffed animal sleeping buddies out of the way and snuggled into her twin-sized bed together. "Scratch my back, please," she said sweetly as she nuzzled in next to me.
So I gently scratched her back. I kissed her forehead. I prayed and asked God to take away whatever it was that was causing her to have a hard time sleeping.
Just when I thought she had finally fallen asleep, she popped up and said, "I need a tissue," and grabbed one from the shelf on her headboard and blew her nose loudly. I hoped no one else in the house would wake up!
Benedryl. Let's try Benedryl, I thought.
After swallowing one little capsule and requesting I stay with her again, we made another attempt at sleep. Soon the breathing became heavier and I thought she had finally drifted off. Then her little head popped up again and she said, "Mom...you can go back to bed."
Okay. I kissed her again. Told her I loved her again and went back to bed.
I don't even know what time it was when I heard her next to the bed again. At this point I told her to grab her pillow and climb in with me and daddy. She was happy to join us.
As she went back to her room to get her pillow, I scooted to the middle of the bed, threw the covers back for her. She climbed in to make herself comfortable...and IMMEDIATELY fell asleep. I don't even think her head hit the pillow yet and she was out.like.a.light!
Eventually I drifted off to sleep, as well.
Until 5:30 AM. There I was...sandwiched between my snoring husband and my snoring daughter. When one breathed in...the other breathed out. Not only that, but I had a ten pound puppy curled up in a little ball sleeping on my chest.
yay.
I had to go to the bathroom. How in the world was I going to get out from under the covers without waking anyone?
I wiggled my way out as slowing and gently as I could hoping I wouldn't disturb anyone.
Success!
On my way back from our bathroom, I thought, "There's an empty bed in Faith's room!"
I grabbed the puppy (because I actually like sleeping with the puppy) and my phone (which is also my alarm clock) and made my way down the hall to Faith's room, crawled into her bed and counted the minutes I had left to sleep.
Fifty-two. Fifty-two minutes left until my day would begin.
Darn it all if I wasn't going to make the best of those fifty-two minutes!
I was asleep in seconds...and in what seemed like only a few seconds more...the alarm went off!
I got Parker up and off to early morning jazz band and decided to let Faith sleep in a little. Daddy was still home so I wasn't worried.
When I got home from dropping Parker off, there was Miss Faith...wide awake and eating breakfast. Daddy was making her lunch. She was ready for the day!
While we were on our way to school I asked her again, "Sweetie...was there something troubling you last night? Something bothering you? You know you can talk to mommy about anything!"
To which she responded, "No, mom! There's nothing bothering me at all. I think I was just excited about getting back to school today and seeing all my friends!"
Wait...?
...All that because she's was excited to get back to school?
I guess when she puts it THAT way...I certainly can't complain now, can I?
Wishing you a peaceFULLYsimple...and wide-awake day!
peace.
Jeanine
I had just fallen asleep...that point where you've just finally entered peaceful slumber...when I was startled awake!
It was Faith standing next to my side of the bed.
"Mom...I can't sleep. I'm hot."
Oh dear.
I immediately touched her cheek. Nice and cool. No fever...thank goodness!
"Okay...let's go get you into cooler jammies."
We went back to her room, changed her into shorts and a tank top and snuggled her back into bed. I kissed her goodnight, told her I loved her and went back to bed.
This time I was just drifting back to sleep when I heard her next to the bed again.
"Mom...I still can't sleep."
I went with her back to her room and asked her if something was troubling her.
Nope...no troubles.
She said she was stuffy so we put a Breathe Right strip on her little nose. She wanted me to stay with her in her bed. So we moved all of her stuffed animal sleeping buddies out of the way and snuggled into her twin-sized bed together. "Scratch my back, please," she said sweetly as she nuzzled in next to me.
So I gently scratched her back. I kissed her forehead. I prayed and asked God to take away whatever it was that was causing her to have a hard time sleeping.
Just when I thought she had finally fallen asleep, she popped up and said, "I need a tissue," and grabbed one from the shelf on her headboard and blew her nose loudly. I hoped no one else in the house would wake up!
Benedryl. Let's try Benedryl, I thought.
After swallowing one little capsule and requesting I stay with her again, we made another attempt at sleep. Soon the breathing became heavier and I thought she had finally drifted off. Then her little head popped up again and she said, "Mom...you can go back to bed."
Okay. I kissed her again. Told her I loved her again and went back to bed.
I don't even know what time it was when I heard her next to the bed again. At this point I told her to grab her pillow and climb in with me and daddy. She was happy to join us.
As she went back to her room to get her pillow, I scooted to the middle of the bed, threw the covers back for her. She climbed in to make herself comfortable...and IMMEDIATELY fell asleep. I don't even think her head hit the pillow yet and she was out.like.a.light!
Eventually I drifted off to sleep, as well.
Until 5:30 AM. There I was...sandwiched between my snoring husband and my snoring daughter. When one breathed in...the other breathed out. Not only that, but I had a ten pound puppy curled up in a little ball sleeping on my chest.
yay.
I had to go to the bathroom. How in the world was I going to get out from under the covers without waking anyone?
I wiggled my way out as slowing and gently as I could hoping I wouldn't disturb anyone.
Success!
On my way back from our bathroom, I thought, "There's an empty bed in Faith's room!"
I grabbed the puppy (because I actually like sleeping with the puppy) and my phone (which is also my alarm clock) and made my way down the hall to Faith's room, crawled into her bed and counted the minutes I had left to sleep.
Fifty-two. Fifty-two minutes left until my day would begin.
Darn it all if I wasn't going to make the best of those fifty-two minutes!
I was asleep in seconds...and in what seemed like only a few seconds more...the alarm went off!
I got Parker up and off to early morning jazz band and decided to let Faith sleep in a little. Daddy was still home so I wasn't worried.
When I got home from dropping Parker off, there was Miss Faith...wide awake and eating breakfast. Daddy was making her lunch. She was ready for the day!
While we were on our way to school I asked her again, "Sweetie...was there something troubling you last night? Something bothering you? You know you can talk to mommy about anything!"
To which she responded, "No, mom! There's nothing bothering me at all. I think I was just excited about getting back to school today and seeing all my friends!"
Wait...?
...All that because she's was excited to get back to school?
I guess when she puts it THAT way...I certainly can't complain now, can I?
Wishing you a peaceFULLYsimple...and wide-awake day!
peace.
Jeanine
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Friday, February 15, 2013
BEAUTIFUL MESS?
Beautiful:
1. possessing qualities that give great pleasure or satisfaction to see, hear, think about, etc.; delighting the senses or mind
2. make untidy or dirty
Beautiful and Messy. These two words certainly don't seem to go hand-in-hand, do they? I don't think they do, anyway.
I once had someone in my life who seemed (or so I thought) to have it all together. So I asked her how she did it. She said, "Jeanine...I'm a beautiful mess."
Huh?
How can you be "beautiful" and a "mess" at the same time?
Then I started to think about it. Beauty...as in the eye of the beholder. God created me and in His eyes I am beautiful.
I, however, mess up. A LOT!
I'm a continual "work in progress"...in body, in mind, in spirit.
I see my flaws. I see wounds accumulated during life's journey. I look in the mirror and still see the scars of teenage years and have a difficult time allowing people to look at my face for fear they will see ugly. God looks at me and sees none of it...only the me He created and loves.
I see an imperfect body. One that over the years has changed and sagged and expanded in more ways than I can count. God sees a body that carried lives from their very beginnings...and three times to their early journeys back to Him.
I open my mouth and fumble what comes out. I hear only the mistakes or slip-ups of my words. God hears the words of my heart.
I see the once proficient talents and skills that kept up with the world around me but have lessened in adequacy during my season of mothering. God sees a woman who has new talents and skills and encourages and supports her to see them herself.
I see a woman who falls short as a wife and mother. God sees the abundant love in her heart for her husband and children and the desires she has to nurture them, encourage them and support them in each step of their life's journey. He knows this love because He has this love ten-fold for her.
As hard as I try not to...I create messes or I see messes within myself. Oftentimes, I allow the messes to define me.
But God doesn't see me that way. He doesn't define me as a mess. He loves me...with all my imperfections and flaws and insecurities and self-judgement. He makes it clear to me every day how much He loves me. He shows Himself to me each day...sometimes in big ways...but most often in the small and ordinary things of the day. Even though He doesn't have to, He proves Himself...especially in times of doubt and worry and distress.
He does this because He "is."
It's that simple...and complex...all wrapped into one.
He "is"...God...Almighty...Creator...Father.
So as I journey through life I know that I will continue to mess up, to make mistakes, to doubt, to fear, to judge...to be human. And every day...because of God's grace and mercy and His love for me...He will look past the mess and see beauty in the person I strive to be for Him.
peace.
Jeanine
1. possessing qualities that give great pleasure or satisfaction to see, hear, think about, etc.; delighting the senses or mind
Mess:
1. dirty or untidy state of things or of a place2. make untidy or dirty
Beautiful and Messy. These two words certainly don't seem to go hand-in-hand, do they? I don't think they do, anyway.
I once had someone in my life who seemed (or so I thought) to have it all together. So I asked her how she did it. She said, "Jeanine...I'm a beautiful mess."
Huh?
How can you be "beautiful" and a "mess" at the same time?
Then I started to think about it. Beauty...as in the eye of the beholder. God created me and in His eyes I am beautiful.
I, however, mess up. A LOT!
I'm a continual "work in progress"...in body, in mind, in spirit.
I see my flaws. I see wounds accumulated during life's journey. I look in the mirror and still see the scars of teenage years and have a difficult time allowing people to look at my face for fear they will see ugly. God looks at me and sees none of it...only the me He created and loves.
I see an imperfect body. One that over the years has changed and sagged and expanded in more ways than I can count. God sees a body that carried lives from their very beginnings...and three times to their early journeys back to Him.
I open my mouth and fumble what comes out. I hear only the mistakes or slip-ups of my words. God hears the words of my heart.
I see the once proficient talents and skills that kept up with the world around me but have lessened in adequacy during my season of mothering. God sees a woman who has new talents and skills and encourages and supports her to see them herself.
I see a woman who falls short as a wife and mother. God sees the abundant love in her heart for her husband and children and the desires she has to nurture them, encourage them and support them in each step of their life's journey. He knows this love because He has this love ten-fold for her.
As hard as I try not to...I create messes or I see messes within myself. Oftentimes, I allow the messes to define me.
But God doesn't see me that way. He doesn't define me as a mess. He loves me...with all my imperfections and flaws and insecurities and self-judgement. He makes it clear to me every day how much He loves me. He shows Himself to me each day...sometimes in big ways...but most often in the small and ordinary things of the day. Even though He doesn't have to, He proves Himself...especially in times of doubt and worry and distress.
He does this because He "is."
It's that simple...and complex...all wrapped into one.
He "is"...God...Almighty...Creator...Father.
So as I journey through life I know that I will continue to mess up, to make mistakes, to doubt, to fear, to judge...to be human. And every day...because of God's grace and mercy and His love for me...He will look past the mess and see beauty in the person I strive to be for Him.
peace.
Jeanine
Thursday, February 14, 2013
James 4:17
"So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin."
Last night we got a beautiful snow. It's probably not so beautiful today for those with a morning commute. It was a heavy, wet snow so the roads are a slushy-gushy mess. But these heavy, wet snows stick to stuff...like trees...and when they sparkle in the sun they look like diamonds!
Heavy, wet, snow sticks to street signs, too. It was a stop sign that lead me to look up scripture when I got home from taking the kids to school.
Wait...
A snow-covered stop sign lead me to scripture?
Yep. That's sort of how things work with me. It's the every day, ordinary stuff that gets me to thinking about stuff.
The stop sign looked like this:
Looks like stop sign. But the message of "STOP" is covered up by wet sticky snow.
I KNOW this is a stop sign. I KNOW I'm supposed to stop. I KNOW because it's the rules of driving. Just because the message is covered up doesn't mean I can ignore it. I doubt that should I have decided to proceed through this stop sign without stopping and got pulled over by a police office that he...or she...would cut me much slack if I said, "Well...you see officer...the words on the sign were covered with snow so how was I to know I should stop?"
I don't think the police office would appreciate a comment like that...and they darn well shouldn't! I'd probably get slapped with a whole lot more than a ticket! It's not acceptable because I KNOW the right thing to do...whether the message on the sign is covered up or not.
So then I got to thinking about this a little more. It's a little like this in life, too. Okay...it's a LOT like this in life. We know the right thing to do. We know, for example, to treat others the way we want to be treated. Yes...it says so in the Bible. Jesus tells us this right there in Luke 6:31: "Do to others as you would have them do to you." But do we need to have the Bible opened to the exact page in the Bible that contains this scripture so we can see the words to know that we need to abide by them and then carry that Bible opened to the exact page with us throughout our day so we know to follow this message?
No.
Do I as a parent need to put a sign up in our house that reads, "The following words are not allowed in our house: ______, ________, ________ and especially not ____________!"
No.
My children know that if these words are said they will get in serious trouble. Do they get to leave the house and say them because they can't see the sign that mom has posted at home?
No. And if they do...they will not be able to come up with enough excuses for why they used these words because they know the right thing to do.
So just because the sign is snow covered or the book isn't open to the exact page doesn't mean we can ignore the message. When we know what's right, we must do it. When we see a wrong being done, we must stand up to it...because it's the right thing to do. When we see someone tearing down we must do the right thing and build it up. When we see someone hurting, we must do the right thing and help bring healing. When we see chaos and destruction, we must do the right thing and bring peace. When we see hatred, we must do the right thing and show love. When we see naked, we must do the right thing and provide clothing. When we see hungry, we must do the right thing and provide food. When we see homeless, we must do the right thing and provide shelter.
Is it always easy?
Nope.
Jesus never said it would be.
He just tells us it's worth it.
So go ahead...do the right thing.
Put on a Nike shirt if you need to for inspiration and go on...
..."Just do it!"
peace.
Jeanine
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