Monday, April 28, 2014

A good read....

This blog post came at a good time for me..........
Go here for original post by Melissa at "Your Mom Has a Blog"



The “Me Time” Myth


We moms are always talking about “Me Time.”  We seem to spend a lot of brain power thinking about it and how to get it.  I even recently saw a red carpet reporter whose sole assignment was to ask celebrity moms how they get the all-important Me Time.  And, each celebrity had different answers.  Pedicures and coffee were favorites.  Lunches and going to the gym were mentioned.  Basically any activity that doesn’t involve the children can qualify, although if doesn’t involve the children OR the husband, then it is really considered a treat.
me4
And I know why we say this.  It’s because being a mom is tiring.  And draining.  And some days it’s not all that fun or even interesting.  Being a mom requires lots of hard work, lots of putting others first, and lots of doing things that you don’t necessarily feel like doing.  So, when we have been doing this for a while, when we can’t even go potty by ourselves, we start to crave time to just be alone or to be with friends, minus our kid crew.
Hear me when I say that there is nothing wrong with this.  It is okay to go and do things without our kids or our husbands.  It’s okay to want to.
But, there is real danger in the Me Time mentality. I mean actual, harm-your-family danger.  Because if we aren’t careful our desire for Me Time can cause us to resent our children and our husband, as if they are keeping us from exploring something about ourselves that we can’t while we are mama and Mrs.  We can easily come to a point where we are self-centered and self-serving, thinking only of what we need and want. Where do you think the popular divorce mantra “I deserve to be happy” originated?  I’ll just bet you it all started with placing overblown importance on Me Time.
The truth is that Me Time is an abstract concept that means not a whole lot of anything.  It’s  a myth, really, just something we like to say to make ourselves feel, for a moment, that there is more to us than mommy-ing and wife-ing.  We use the term as if it means that it is possible to have time that is just ours and no one else’s.  As if we can really step away from mothering and separate ourselves from it.  The reality is that once you become a mother, the rest of your life is an exercise in willing yourself  to focus on whatever is at hand, while some part of your heart and mind is still feeling around in the dark for your children, how they are, what they’re doing, or what they need.
So, we can continue to talk about and seek out Me Time, and we can grab lunch with friends or get a pedicure or go to Starbucks and read a book without pictures for a change.  I think all of that is fine and probably advisable, because when we do those things we feel refreshed and energized for the tasks of mothering.  But, Me Time isn’t the glorious missing piece in our lives.  Life actually isn’t all about us, as some would have us believe.   Our time belongs to God, to our children and our husband, AND to us.  There is no such thing as Me Time. Maybe we should just call it Time When I’m Not Physically in the Same Room With My Children.
What?  It could catch on.
By all means, today you should take a few moments for breathing deeply, drinking a Dr. Pepper on the back porch, or even going to get your nails done.  But, if you are in the midst of raising kids right now, your Me Time is here and now, in the moment, sharing space with your people.  These are the days you’ll look back on with joy.  Don’t wish them away by dreaming of some mythical idea of important time spent by yourself.
Me Time isn’t an essential of living.  And, someday, when we’re older and we don’t have children hugging our knees or pre-teens asking for rides to the mall or teenagers trying our patience, we will have lots and lots and lots of Me Time.
And we’ll long for the days when we couldn’t go to the bathroom alone.
That’s the upside down and backwards world of motherhood.  Welcome.  I think you’re going to like it here.

Friday, April 18, 2014

A special weekend to remember

Thinking much on the death of Jesus and what this means for me. It's not up to me to try to earn my way to God - there's nothing I can do - it's only the death of Jesus, paying for my sins on the cross that can allow me to have peace with a holy God so that I can spend an eternity with Him. What a gift!
Read the about the death of Jesus here
And the best part - He isn't dead! He was raised to life 3 days later. He is alive!
Read about His resurrection here



Have been thinking of these songs as Good Friday approaches and then Easter Sunday!


Song about Jesus' precious gift of life to us on the cross:


When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o’er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.


On Christ being risen from the dead:


Let no one caught in sin remain*
Inside the lie of inward shame
We fix our eyes upon the cross
And run to him who showed great love
And bled for us
Freely you bled, for us

Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake!
Come and rise up from the grave!

Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with him again
Come awake, come awake!
Come and rise up from the grave!

Beneath the weight of all our sin
You bow to none but heavens will
No scheme of hell, no scoffer's crown
No burden great can hold you down
In strength you reign
Forever let your church proclaim

Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake!
Come and rise up from the grave

Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with him again
Come awake, come awake!
Come and rise up from the grave

Oh death! Where is your sting?
Oh hell! Where is your victory?
Oh Church! Come stand in the light!
The glory of God has defeated the night!

Oh death! Where is your sting?
Oh hell! Where is your victory?
Oh Church! Come stand in the light!
Our God is not dead, he's alive! he's alive!

Christ is risen from the dead
Trampling over death by death
Come awake, come awake!
Come and rise up from the grave
Christ is risen from the dead
We are one with him again
Come awake, come awake!
Come and rise up from the grave

Rise up from the grave...
Read more at here


source






Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Snow in April.....?!?!

Glad I resisted the urge to plant anything after those 2 warm days this weekend......yikes!!!!
Lucy was so excited - she thought the snow meant it was time for her birthday again since I've been saying "Your birthday isn't until it's cold and snowy again....." OOPS. :(
But she was happy enough just to go out and play in it - snow angels, snow man, singing songs from Frozen, you know, the usual! :)
Here's to hoping our next photos are sunny and we are all in shorts!


 








Saturday, April 5, 2014

Home......

We are home from a vacay in Arkansas.........
Yes, you read that right. More details to come, so stay tuned!