Coming soon...

Thanks for stopping by!

Just a few notes on things

to come in

November

Don't expect this EVERY month...

I'm generally not this

"organized"...

That's right. I consider this

to be organized!

First, in a few days I'll let

you all in on a little secret.

I'll give you a teensy hint:



Okay, that was probably MORE

than teensy...but that's all

you get.

Second, I will be working through

some Holiday Resources from

Passionate Homemaking...

to hopefully add some

PURPOSE

to the holidays.

Love that site...check it out!

Third, I will also be working through

a couple ebooks from Kat

at Inspired To Action:

AND

Mission Statements For Moms

Let me just insert here

how much Kat has

truly inspired me

and dare I say...even

changed my life!

There.  I said it.

I originally wanted to do the

"mornings" one first,

because that's the one

she is focusing on

over at her BLOG.

I have, however; decided to do the

Mission Statement

first because

that should help me focus

my time wisely when I'm

attempting to get up before

my rugrats children

every morning.  Right?

RIGHT!

This is all a little

scary for a self-professed

lazy procrastinator.

Telling you what I plan to do.

Now I'll have to do it

or you will find out I'm really

not joking when I call myself

that...

This cannot happen!

That's why I'm doing it!

ACCOUNTABILITY!

GO ME!

Anyway...stay tuned.

Mom-iversity Week Three: Parents Don't Need Permission!

You're back!

Thanks for stopping by.

As a re-cap:

I am reading the book

I got the digital copy at:

http://www.borders.com/online/store/TitleDetail?sku=0307514188

Here are the nuggets:

(there weren't as many because

a lot of the subject matter

didn't pertain to my circumstances...)

Children should wake up to an alarm clock, not a parent

The reason for this IS partly for responsibility reasons.  I mean, are you going to wake up your 20 year old son for work every day?  I don't think so.  But also to avoid YOU being the one to drag them from their warm, cozy nest and sweet dreams right away in the morning.  Then you are the bad guy and FIGHTING ENSUES!  Tsk. Tsk.

"When children are hurried, they take their time"

I have been whining about this one for 13 years!  The faster you need them to go, the slower they move.  It is not your imagination!  It's good old passive-aggressiveness at work, people.

"It's important not to let a child decide the parent's response or mood"



Yeah. I have a tough time with that one.  It makes sense, it's just hard for me.  I let EVERYONE determine my mood...my kids, my husband, the postman... Now I know better and I will do better, right? 

Respond to complaints by acknowledging the child's complaint.

I guess it bears repeating here:  DO NOT ARGUE! (I repeat this only because I personally need to remember it!) If you try to "fix" or even offer your opinion, it will likely end in an argument.  If you acknowledge, you leave the impression that you understand...and leave it up to the child whether to enter into a discussion.  Plus I wonder if you just keep acknowledging and mirroring...the child will probably figure out her own solution to the complaint...maybe even while thinking YOU did all the work!!

Here's an example of acknowledging the complaint:

Child: you NEVER buy me anything

Parent:  There is something you would like me to buy you.

To be honest, I sometimes wonder if this is going to come off sounding a little FAKE and maybe a little INSULTING to the child...but I am willing to give it a try as an experiment.

It is not realistic to expect a child to put cleanliness ahead of playfulness.

This was already a no-brainer in my observation...but I was maybe a little bit disappointed by this statement. It burst my bubble.  I've always suspected that I'd have to wait until the children were 18 before I got to have a nice, neat house with everything in it's place...and everything coordinating and beautiful.  Now my hopes are dashed.  Now I just want to remove the furniture, buy cushions and bean-bag chairs and embrace ugly once and for all. Plus, it makes me really angry when I see another mother's house looking worthy of a spread in Better Homes, while I'm still trying to work the "Hand-me-down-chic" look because I don't dare buy anything lest it get ruined, pronto.

Helping is better than haranguing.

Uh-huh.  I'm guilty of this.  My instinct is to say: "I didn't get the blocks out or play with them.  Why should I help you clean them up?"  That unfortunately turns into my children saying that to each other...and then me having to play the detective game to find out who got them out so I could harass the correct child to pick them up...fighting and arguing ensues...and I go to bed with a migraine.  That was really draining - and the detective stuff was just too much work.

It's just easier to pick up the stupid blocks...WITH the child of course.  And don't keep track of how many you pick up versus how many they pick up.  I'm pretty sure that won't end well either.

After school, instead of asking "How was your day, dear", make statements that convey your understanding of the trials and tribulations at school.

For example:  "You look like you had a hard day" or "You seem glad to be home"

Those were the two I thought sounded most plausible for me to say.  There were more examples, but I just couldn't see them sounding genuine coming out of my mouth. 

 Again, these chapters challenged my acting skills a little bit.  I want to be comfortable in my home.  I do not want to be one of those mothers (and I know you've seen them) who are constantly "ON". You know what I mean.  They are the sing-song-y mothers who always operate in a perpetual excited state...as if everything they do is SO MUCH FUN!  Come and join me!  

"C'mon!  Let's scoop the dog doo from the back yard!  Yay!" 

"Whoo-hoo!  It's laundry time!  Who wants to sort the underwear!?" 

 I half expect them to bust out with a cheer or do a back flip.  I am not one of those.  I was BARELY one of those when my children were babies...when it's just natural to talk that way to your kids.  So, some of the things they suggested were a little bit "ON" for my taste.  I couldn't even bring myself to pass them on to you.

In case you haven't figured this out yet:

"In most situations, making statements is preferable to asking questions"

Questions make children feel as if you are interrogating rather than trying to understand.  This is a good  example of how it is different talking to children than to adults. 

"It hurts to share a parent"

Because:  "in a child's experience, sharing means getting less, like sharing an apple or a piece of gum."

Really?  It's that simple?  Who would have thought?

When a child's desire for our undivided love is acknowledged, the child is reassured.

That is about the only "technique" offered in the fight against sibling rivalry.  There either weren't a lot of examples here or I need to go back and read it again. 

It seems simplistic.

It is important that a child's life not be ruled by the adult's need for efficiency.  It drains the child's resources, prevents growth, stifles interests, and may lead to emotional meltdowns.

This is another area I would like to go back to read again.  I'm not an ultra-efficient person by nature, so I think I skipped over most of this thinking it didn't apply to me, and now I have questions. 

This last statement I really thought was a gem.  Especially now, in this parenting culture.  I actually have issues with today's parenting culture...but I'll save that for another post.  I just think that the line is blurred a lot between parent and child these days.  Parents are trying so hard to be EVERYTHING to their children...and I think sometimes children are permitted to make decisions they have no business making...whether overtly or inadvertently.  So here it is.  Feel free to write it on a post-it and carry it around with you when you need back up.  And remember, don't talk too much.  it shows weakness. 

"Parents do not need permission or agreement from children on how to live their lives!"

So there you have it.

I will probably go back and read

these three chapters again.

It was very challenging and

overly simplistic to me...

on subjects that aren't simple.

On to next week's assignment...

Progressive Dinner, Blog Style!

Remember

The blog hop tomorrow!

It Wouldn't Be Fall Without Pumpkin Patch Pictures!

Personalize a free photo collage

Lydia's trip was rainy and cold...and muddy.  It didn't stop the class from having fun though.  We learned that the pigs are employed at the farm to buldoze certain areas so Miller's can plant more apple trees...how awesome is that?  I couldn't get a picture of the cows, whose job it is to "mow the grass" because they were too far away.  I love that everything on the farm has a job and a purpose.

Create your own free collage

Nate's trip was sunny and chilly, but not too cold.  It had rained the previous few days, so there were still muddy spots...again:  mud=fun, so the kids didn't mind a bit!

We Are Called To Love. We Are Not Called To Harass.



I am going through something...

CORRECTION:  I am not going through it.

I am witnessing someone I love

very dearly go through it.

It just FEELS like it is happening to me

sometimes.

As a Christian (a follower of Christ and his teachings), I am called to "love others as myself".  He even went so far as to call this the greatest commandment only after putting him first and foremost.  So:

1. Love God first and most
2. Love others AT LEAST as much as you love yourself.

Seems simple and straightforward, right?

Love is all we need

Love makes the world go round...

I'm feeling very loving and fluffy now.

It CAN be very straightforward and simple.  But it can also get complicated.  For example, under the "love umbrella" I am called to do some pretty hard, often unpopular things.

Like point out to my fellow Christians when they are sinning or about to sin.

Ouch.  That feels a little like a

picker in my fluffy cotton ball.

I dislike conflict.

But I'm all about the love...

Doing this should never assume or imply that I am sin-less myself, or that I am "better than" anyone.  We quite literally are all equal in God's eyes. 

If you mull that over a bit...

it's a hard pill to swallow.

I want to be SPECIAL!

I want to be MORE special than...

SOMEone...

I feed the poor. 

Surely that makes me

"BETTER THAN"

Someone, right?

So, where do you draw the line?

I'm supposed to point out when my sister in Christ is sinning.  Fine.  I'll do it.  I'll be grudgingly obedient to my Lord and Savior.

But how many times do I point this out?  Once?  Twice?  Do I point it out every time I see her commit this sin?  Do I call her in the middle of the night when I have another example/argument/idea about how to MAKE HER STOP this train wreck?  Do I text her this one last time to DRIVE THE POINT HOME?

Does this remind you of any

Christians in your life?

Bible thumpers?

Jesus Freaks?

STOP THE MADNESS!

Here is what I think.  Take it or leave it...or you can comment and pass this along to your friends so someone will actually READ this blog...and we can discuss.

1. I am to love others as myself.
2. I am NOT to point out to a non-Christian her sins (that is a whole other rant, my friends)
3. I AM called to point out the sins of my fellow sisters in Christ
4. The above point assumes that I have a RELATIONSHIP with said sister that is intimate enough to have any business opening such a discussion in the first place.
5. IT IS NOT UP TO ME TO SAVE MY FELLOW CHRISTIAN FROM THE SIN!!!
6. Repeat number 5 while banging your head into a wall because it is THAT IMPORTANT to remember.
7. Maybe repeat number 4 too...and think about that.  Hard.

My own interpretation of people who continually bring up the same sin over and over again?



visions of rabid pit-bulls

are dancing in my head

now.  So much for

fluffy love.

1. It is harassment
2. It demonstrates a complete lack of faith in God
3. It takes the focus off God and puts it on you.

Just FYI, #3

is a no-no.

To God be the glory

and all that.

(Christian etiquette 101)

Hold on a minute!  Harassment is a pretty strong word to be using, don't you think?  Where do you get off?

Harass:  –verb (used with object)

1.

to disturb persistently; torment, as with troubles or cares; bother continually; pester; persecute.

2.

to trouble by repeated attacks, incursions, etc., as in war or hostilities; harry; raid.

 

Thank you Webster's Dictionary.  I love you.  http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Harass

 

Hey!  Love is a verb too!

Funny.

 

Do you think harassment fits the bill now?  I thought so.

 

Have the discussion.  Then let it go, and let God do what God does.  It is not up to you to stop the sin...it is up to God.  Get out of his way.

 

...and get out of MY way

'cause I'm looking

for the fluffy

love.

Just Amy

I am The Curious Quilter, and I Approved This Message. | The Curious Quilter

Okay people...I follow the Curious Quilter through my Google Reader...and today her entry was JUST TOO MUCH!! If you are sick and tired of political ads...or if you love fabric....or love quilting - you MUST click this link and visit this particular blog entry. My favorite (of course) is the last one...

Click it. You know you want to.
I am The Curious Quilter, and I Approved This Message. The Curious Quilter

Mom-iversity, Week Two - Parents talk too much!

Mom-iversity!

So glad to see you again.

These are my week two "nuggets"

I've been reading the book

I got it at:

http://www.borders.com/online/store/TitleDetail?sku=0609809881

Here goes:

"In discipline, whatever generates rage should be avoided.  Anything that enhances self-confidence and respect for one's self and others is to be fostered"

     Bossiness: Bad

     Understanding:  Good

Can I just point out here that THE BIBLE corroborates this theory in the book of Ephesians, Chapter 6, Verse 4:

⁴Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Some versions say "provoke"...basically means, do not cause your children to rage and become angry.

"Misbehavior and punishment are not opposites that cancel each other; on the contrary, they breed and reinforce each other"

• Raising your voice to end noise
• Using force to break up a fight
• Being rude to impolite child

I don't know about you, but this one was a lightbulb moment for me!  It was a little like Deja Vu...didn't I know this already?  Doesn't it make sense!?  Now why didn't I think of that?  What happens in your house when you yell at the kids to shut up?  Does everyone suddenly become quiet?  Sometimes that happens in my house...because I become a raving lunatic and they all stop yelling to watch the show!

Here's a good one (that I already knew...)

"When children are punished, they resolve to be more careful NOT more obedient or responsible"

Tell me you have seen this one with your own eyes.  If you haven't, you will.  You catch Jr. coloring on the walls and spank him (or yell, or...whatever).  You don't catch him coloring on the walls again...but when you move his dresser you see lots of pretty artwork!!  BEEN THERE!!!

Permissiveness = the willingness to accept the childishness of children.

Over-Permissiveness = allowing undesirable acts.

Children cannot be held responsible for their feelings but only for their behavior.

Got that? Feelings happen.  It's your reaction to those feelings that you can choose. 

"We set limits on acts; we do not restrict wishes or feelings"

So, we limit our son from hitting his sister, but we do not limit him from feeling hatred or ill-feelings toward her.  I think we do this a lot as parents.  I dare say that CHRISTIAN PARENTS suffer from this one more than the average.  We don't WANT our children to hate their siblings (or anyone, really) but can you honestly say that YOU have never hated SOMEONE in your life?  Really?  So can you imagine what we do to our children when we punish them for something they really have no control over?  It's like punishing a newborn for peeing in her diaper. 

Limits should be stated so the child knows clearly

1. what constitutes unacceptable conduct
2. what is an acceptable alternative

Different ways of stating limits

1. Recognize the childs wish and put it in simple terms
2. Clearly state the limits on a specific act
3. State examples showing how the wish can at least partially be fulfilled
4. Help child express resentment that will probably arise

An example for an instance when your daughter wants to go to the movies on a school night:

1. "You wish you could go to the movies"
2. "But the rule in our house is 'no movies on school nights'"
3. "You may go to the movies on Friday or Saturday"
4. "It is obvious you don't like the rule"

I'm not sure #4 is a home run comment...I can see a lot of eye-rolling and "well deh" on the part of the daughter after that...but I'm willing to try it when the time comes!  Do YOU have a better suggestion?  (love your comments!)

Young children's motor activities should not be over-restrained

     - it results in emotional tension and may lead to aggression

This was yet ANOTHER "well deh" moment.  I especially notice this with my boys.  I can tell when my Kindergardener has not had a good opportunity to run around at school because he generally comes home ready to blow.

Okay, so we've stated the limits...but what happens when a child violates those limits (which we all know is right around the corner)

DO NOT ARGUE!!

I know, I know...you do it.  I do it.  BECAUSE WE'RE RIGHT!!!  And I want to win...and point it out to you that I am right...because I AM RIGHT!  lol.

• don't get sucked in to a long, drawn-out discussion about how fair or unfair the limit was in the first place (you know they'll get you to this place in two seconds FLAT)
• Do not invoke long explanations for the limit or the enforcement of it.

Short and to the point:

"People are not for hitting"

"Windows are not for breaking"

STOP TALKING NOW!!!  lol.

And here is the big one.  The one that just made me sit back in my chair and go: "I've been doing it all wrong"....and yet again...DEH.

"IF PARENTS TALK TOO MUCH, THEY CONVEY WEAKNESS"

Seriously.  Can I just point out again where the bible agrees with this?  It's one of my favorite Proverbs 'cause I'm a guilty, guilty party in this area (in case the blog hasn't convinced you)

Proverbs 10:19 says:

¹⁹ The more talk, the less truth;
   the wise measure their words.

This is "The Message" translation...I thought there was a translation out there that actually said "shut your mouth"...but maybe that was my own little translation.  hehe.

What about spanking?  Well, here is an interesting take on spanking:

"Spanking relieves guilt too easily"

The child feels that after the spanking he has paid for the misbehavior and is now free to repeat it.  Again, made lots of sense to me.  I hit my sister and get a spanking....next time I feel angry, I will say to myself....I can take the spanking.  It's worth it.  I think I have actually seen this at work in my middle son!  I've seen him think about it, weigh the consequence and belly up to the couch to repent and absolve himself until next time....

So there you have it!

My nuggets of parenting wisdom

Gleaned from a great resource.

Hope it was helpful.

Even if it just makes you feel like

you and your family are

PERFECTLY NORMAL! 

Until next time...

Just Amy

A Progressive Holiday Meal...Blog Style!

Hey Y'all!

I know I've been sporadic...

oh well.

I'll get on the ball eventually.

Maybe I should just dedicate

this blog attempt to all the

Procrastinators

and

Underachievers

out there...so I'm not the

only one who feels as if I

do nothing all day in the face of

all that the other bloggers achieve...

ANYWAY.

Check out this blog hop:

Here is the Schedule (for those of

us who are NOT procrastinators

or underachievers of course):



• October 19 – Wardeh from GNOWFGLINS (that’s me!) starts off with soups
• October 26 – Katie over at Kitchen Stewardship shares her favorite appetizer
• November 2 – Donielle will be serving salad at Naturally Knocked Up
• November 9 – Enjoy wonderful bread dishes at TBA
• November 16 – Main dishes will be served at Keeper of the Home with Stephanie
• November 23 – Extra side dishes are always a must! Join Kimi at The Nourishing Gourmet.
• November 30 – Kate at Modern Alternative Mama hosts our week on desserts.
• December 7 – Drinks will be served at Frugal Granola with Michele.

You’re Invited!

So please check out my fellow bloggers

according to the above schedule.

Most of all: 

 HAVE FUN EVERYONE!

Just Amy

Mom-iversity Week One

Mom-iversity?  What's that?

Well, I'll tell you!

It is the brainchild of Kat @

http://www.inspiredtoaction.com/.

Basically, it's a course where we moms

choose the content and the pace...

and share what we've learned about

being better moms.

As ALWAYS, I am behind. 

But only by a week, and I'm trying to

catch up.

So, while Kat is already on Week Two, this is my

Week One epiphany:

Course Materials



     I have chosen to read the book Between Parent and Child:  The Bestselling Classic That Revolutionized Parent-Child Communication by Dr. Haim Ginott.  I am trying to read 2-3 chapters a week, but as I said, I got a late start and am trying to cram.  Coincidentally, I am also attending a ladies bible study that is dealing with Christian parenting AND attending a Strengthening Families program offered through my son's school.  Can you tell God speaks to me by using the "power of three"? 

Nuggets of Wisdom

     There are so many!  As I read through this book, it makes so much sense to me.  I feel like I already knew this stuff at one time (obviously BEFORE I ever became a parent!)...as if I am coming back around to what once came naturally.  It's actually a little bizarre. 

     Here we go...

"Statements of understanding should always precede statements of advice or instruction".

     "That must have been very embarrassing"

     "Wow!  It was a bad day for you"

Because...

"Feelings MUST be dealt with before behavior can be improved"

     Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew this to be true already.  God has been poking me about this for awhile.  I've known that I NEEDED to work on my relationship with my children FIRST....because why would they ever want to listen to anything I have to say if we don't have a relationship?  And having a relationship is all about dealing with feelings.  Acknowledging them, accepting them, understanding them...

"Children learn about their emotional likeness by hearing their feelings reflected back to them".

"Praise should ONLY deal with Children's efforts and accomplishments, NOT with their character and personality.

     For example, if my son cleaned up the yard for me, proper praise would sound something like this:

     "Wow, the yard was really messy!  I thought it would take days to clean it up, but you worked hard and got it done in one afternoon.  Good Job!"

     Ineffective praise would look like this:

     "You are such a good boy for cleaning up the yard like that!"

     See the difference?  One praises the effort, the other evaluates his character.  We are to stay away from character evaluation.

Criticism = Evaluative Praise

Guidance = stating the problem + a possible solution - character evaluation.

Do say: "The milk has been spilled on the floor. Let's get a towel to clean it up."

Do not say: "You spilled the milk again! Hurry up and clean up your mess"

And finally, possibly the most helpful nugget of advice thus far (if not the most challenging at times):

When things go wrong, it is best to deal only with the event not with the person.

     That's going to get into character evaluation.  The above statements are good examples of this.  You deal with the fact that milk was spilled and we need to get it cleaned up.  You do not deal with the fact that this is the 18th time the child has spilled the milk today, or the fact that he was goofing around at the table and that's why it was spilled in the first place....you can see how that would disintegrate into chaos in 5 seconds. Been there.

In my Strengthening Families program, we learned this week to make "I Feel" statements.  I've heard this before in pre-marital counseling, but now I have a handy-dandy note-card on my fridge!  I've already used it with my 5 year old today and we just learned it a few hours ago!

     It goes like this:

I Feel:_______________

When you ________________________

Because __________________________.

I Want you to ________________________

Let's use my experience tonight as an example.

My five year old was dawdling after his shower.  I heard my husband tell him AT LEAST three times to get his pj's on and brush his teeth.  So I actually said this to him:

I feel frustrated when you make daddy repeat himself several times because it is very disrespectful.  I want you to do what daddy asks the first time he asks you to do it. 
    

     Seriously.  I said it. He didn't even look at me like I had six heads!  He sighed and said "Okay mommy" and went and got his pj's on and brushed his teeth!  Meanwhile, my hubby and I are giving each other looks of disbelief behind his back...High five!  Go me!

     Any other night, I would have yelled...my husband would have yelled...my son would have yelled, and we all would have gone to bed with headaches, hating each other.  Well, I would have gone to bed with one because I get physically ill these days when I get stressed.  But tonight?  Calm. Peaceful.  My heart rate didn't even raise!  It was like "Leave it to Beaver"!

So that's what I have gleaned from my first week.

Keep in mind this is only the first 1.5 chapters!

I may or may not do a Week One part 2...

I haven't decided yet.

I hope that my blogging this will help anyone

who reads it.  Even if it only entices you

to buy the book yourself or maybe

you can head over to

http://www.inspiredtoaction.com/

yourself and check out her Mom-iversity resources.

Kat has been a real inspiration to me

in my motherhood journey, maybe she

will inspire you too!

Just Amy

Friday Free-For-All

10 years ago I was opening a box at work.

I had acrylic nails and one of them got caught up in the box.

It hurt, but it didn't bleed and that was the end of it.

2 days later, I ran into a co-worker (literally).

When I held out my hand to steady her, said nail got caught on her sleeve.

Ripped the nail right off my finger. 

It was hanging there by a corner.

 this

is not my actual nail, it's a stand-in I found on the web.

Now before you go all green and squeamish on me:

It did not hurt as badly as you'd think it would.

Honest.

If you are a nail biter, it hurt no more than when you

bite "to the quick".

Guess What?

It kinda happened again!  Well, the first part, anyway.

This time I don't have on acrylics (learned my lesson).

And this time I was not opening a box. 

I was sleeping.

Sleeping!

Got the same nail caught on my sheet when I

rolled over in bed!

Got that same feeling as I had when I

was opening that box and the ole' hand slipped.

I see a little spot toward the bottom where it's

quite possible there's separation...or at least weakness.

I have cut what little nail I had peeking above my finger.

I have wrapped it up in a couple band-aids.

I'm keeping it bandaged until I'm confident I won't

rip it off doing something mundane.

I am now a follower of the no-nail-above-your-finger

trend!

The moral of the story:

Sometimes nails need to bend.

Don't use products (like nail strengthener)

that prevent this or you may rip your nail

off in your sleep.  :-)

Longsuffering

Perhaps you will need to have longsuffering when dealing with me!



Long-suffering means that we have patience with people.
God expects that we will have difficult people in our lives and He knows that it will sometimes be painful. So He calls us to suffer a long time with people, be patient with them, while He is working out His plan in our lives and in their lives. He is working out a plan in their lives! Who am I to mess with that?

This week’s Homekeeper’s Journal is all about Long-suffering ….

God has worked in my life regarding patience and long-suffering in these ways …………Long answer: I have never considered this question before.  I'm pretty sure I have always looked at long-suffering as a punishment.  Why should I have to suffer through this?  What have I done NOW?  *enter grown-up temper tantrum complete with foot-stomping* Short answer: He gave me children and a husband. :-)  PAHLESE do not read that to mean that I look at marriage and mothering as a punishment! Not so! (most days, anyway) I mean to say that I am an extremely selfish person who wants what she wants when she wants it...HOW she wants it...and this selfishness creates the need for God to use my very own family blessing as a lesson in long suffering sometimes.  That's all.  Maybe I'm supposed to be long suffering with myself!

The hardest part of showing long-suffering is …………. Keeping "that tone" out of my voice and not exhibiting "that posture" that gives my thoughts away EVERY TIME.  I am not being long-suffering if I am letting everyone around me know how irritated I am that I have to put up with this.  In fact, I once read a definition of long-suffering that hit the nail on the head: "Enduring provocation long and patiently"    http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/longsuffering?&qsrc=
PATIENTLY is the key.  I am not enduring provocation patiently if I am tapping my foot and snapping my fingers while sighing every five minutes...
 

The most rewarding part of showing long-suffering is ……….. Knowing in my heart of hearts that god is thinking "very well my good and faithful servant" when he sees me do it well...which I don't think he's seen yet.  Teehee.

The one kind situation that I have the most trouble showing long-suffering in is ………I'm not sure this is a situation as much as it is a time of day.  Every day.  Of every week...  all year long. lol.  But from the time I start making dinner until the children are in bed.  Those four hours are what I call the "witching hour" here because I'm tired.  I'm cranky.  I cannot see over myself to even care what anyone else is needing.  The tank is running on vapors. I want to hand the reigns over to the husband, but he doesn't want to take 'em because he's been working all day.  I want to change my name and move to Bermuda.  I'm making it a goal to work on this horrendous attitude from 4-8pm.  Maybe it can be a blog thing!  Basically, until this moment, I did NOT show long-suffering at this time of the day.  I'm going to work on that.

I see how kindness goes hand in hand with long-suffering because ………. It's just nicer to accept people, warts and all, than it is to point out how irritating their behavior is to me.  It's not all about ME!  lol. 

I want others to show long-suffering to me when ……… Well, when I am selfish and cranky and am running my mouth too much about things that, frankly, do not build anyone up or encourage anyone at all.  So...all the time? ;-)  Suddenly my husband is looking mighty attractive!  He's the KING of long suffering, apparently.

God shows long-suffering to me in these ways ……….. Well, he hasn't SMOTE yet, so, he shows me long-suffering all the time.  He shows me when I ignore him yet again.  He shows me when I say harsh words to my loved ones...especially when I say them to His darling babies.

Ephesians 4:1-4 says …..   ¹ Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. ² Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. ³ Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. ⁴ For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.

This week I will begin to ask God to ……….. Teach me how to be long-suffering. Fix my heart so my attitude reflects His love and willingness to make allowances for His children.  Get me through the witching hour without sinning!

Until next time, my peeps!

Just Amy

Begin at the Beginning

In the beginning, there was this blog.

  This blog was formless and void.

  Then I said, "Let there be words" and it was so. 

 It was good.

I feel like I should warn you:

I'm not a blogger.

I haven't yet decided what this blog is going to contain.

I can tell you what I MAY contain:

1. My various quilt projects

2. I plan to post from Christian Home Journal

3. Probably things having to do with the kids

4.  Most definitely things having to do with housework

5.  Anything having to do with keeping a home...as a Christian.

This isn't a definitive list of course. 

Just some ideas rattling around in the brain.

C U Soon!

Just Amy