Trusting Mother

Being a mother has stretched me into corners I have never been in.  I really never thought of what kind of mom I would be or not be.  Other then saying, “If I have kids I would like 2 boys” I really did not daydream of having kids. The last couple of weeks I have felt myself residing on the edge again.  I am ready for kids to be in school so we can have a routine.  However I want to end the summer on a high note and not falling off the edge. 

Usually it is when I am feeling out of control that I get intense and feel like I cannot handle anymore.  The constant repeating myself, the constant telling kids to hurry or the constant picking up seems to be my kryptonite.  Loosing control and not trusting brings frustration.  God asks us to trust Him and to allow His control to take over.  How does this apply with me being a mom?  

Where there is love there is no fear, perfect love casts out fear, I John 4:18.  When we give up control in any area of our life fear can settle in allowing frustration to make itself at home.  Yes, even when we want the kids to pick up their toys the first time we are at control.  It is like when we want ‘more patience’ we should actually slow ourselves down so we can walk in patience. So allowing ourselves to give over control we can actually find it in trusting God.  I like what Joyce Meyer writes on this, “Instead of trying to control, I needed to learn to trust God, pray, and believe in Him. Most of all, I needed to abide in His love".

I honestly believe that love conquers all. And as whimsical it may sound I believe that love will conquer my desire for control over a clean spotless house.  Not sure if I even make sense in what I am trying to say other then I need allow love to take control, allow love to cast out all fear that comes from my own frustrations.  Being a mother is tough but being a mom is all about love.   I must and do trust that God gave me three wonderful kids because He trusted me with them! If anything this post just reminds me of the following scripture:

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;

   don't try to figure out everything on your own.

Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;

   he's the one who will keep you on track.

Don't assume that you know it all.

   Run to God!

Proverbs 3:5-6 (MSG)

Amen! I am encouraged to turn my control into God’s hands and I pray that you too are encouraged that Love Conquers All!

My older son

I came across this picture of Alex and me....

 The moment I saw this picture I quickly felt my heart swell with gratitude. God healed my body during pregnancy so that I could have this miracle baby.  

He is very analytical which is great because finds new angles to what we are saying or how to do something.   He is always creating and thinking....although it sometimes makes it hard for him  to pretend with Noah, who is very imaginative! 

Alex is a constant reminder of God's power in our life! 

He is constant reminder of God's love for us!

Thought Transformer - The Biology of Hope

Norman Cousins did considerable research on the power of positive emotions such as joy, laughter, and hope. His book, Head First: The Biology of Hope, relates his ten years in the medical community, particularly on the faculty of the School of Medicine of the University of California.  Cousins held the only honorary degree in medicine awarded at Yale University School of Medicine. In his book, he presents massive scientific evidence of the harmful effects of negative emotions and emphasizes the power of hope, faith, and love to enhance healing. 

A study was done by Dr. Joel Dimsdale on those that survived the Nazi death camps during WWII.  Interviewing a number of survivors, Dr. Dimsdale found one element that towered above everything else.  It was hope.  Each survivor had a picture of the future. One saw himself with his family, another was to enjoy Hanukkah again.  Almost every survivor held to one form or another a blind, naked hope,throwing their thoughts into the future, they used hope like a magnet to draw them to safety.

 Action Steps

1). What does your future look like?  Study your thoughts and remove all the ones that bring you down. 

2). Fill your heart and mind with the promises of God.  Allow them to paint a picture of your future. 

3). During the day relive that picture over and over.  You will find strength and energy emerging inside of you.   

Remember you are God's Best, 

Dr. Rob Carman
PARTNER WITH US!  Join Dr. Rob Carman in changing the world. 

Click Here

Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rcarman2

Parenting Advice

In the last few days I seem to have had oppurtunity to speak with new or young moms.  I remember so clearly being in that stage of excitment and questioning.  Sometimes it may even seem like I am in that state as each new stage of childhood shows up.  I am thankful to be a part of a group of moms where I know I can learn from and grow.  I have come the place that if I had only one advice what would that be.....so I am re-posting a previous post just on my that:

Sitting at the dinner table with my kids and husband is my favorite time of the day.  I ponder many times on if there is a guarantee in parenting and where I can find it.  I have come to learn after asking many parents is that there is no guarantee other then just loving each child for who they are.

 What we do have is a guarantee that God's love conquers all! In God's love that we give to each of our children we can trust that they will grow into the adult they are to be.  The best advice I received as a new mom was that my newborn did not come with a manual on how to be a newborn and I did not come with a manual on how to be a new mom but that together as a family we would find what works best for us. 

 I can tell you that God's love has worked best for us!

Lipgloss Love

As soon as I opened this cute Pottery Barn baby back pack I was greeted with 3 simple items that I have been looking for.  I know right away it was Delisa who placed them there not just because it is her toy but its her trademark. For some reason I felt compelled to blog about this even though there really is no meaning to it.
She loves to 'stuff' things into her purses, bags or containers.  She stores them, hides them, keeps them safe.  If it is small and interesting then she will tuck it away.  We find her mannerisms interesting at times as they are a bit out there, creative. She makes me shake my head all the time with with her sayings and actions.  She is very bright and strong willed and I do not want to damper these characteristics as she is developing. So I am left to believe that in some way her burring things in such manner mean something in her creative mind.

As I write this I think of God as He thinks of us.  You know He says that His thoughts for us are of love? I can picture Him seeing something we are doing, shaking His head and saying "I sure do love her"!

¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJ)

His thoughts are of peace, nothing missing - nothing broken. I am filled with peace knowing that someone, that God thinks of me with so much love. As parents we think of children with love for everything they do regardless and God thinks of us with His immense love regardless of ourselves!

Finding God's love in something simple as Delisa hiding my lipgloss shows me how REAL He is!

Roller Coaster Surrender

I was reminded of this post from sometime back....

Listening to Kim Walker's song "I Surrender" this morning made me think about the word surrender.  You can find in the dictionary words like 'to give up possession', 'to yield', or 'to resign'.  However in God when we surrender we can look at the antonyms of surrender, we can 'withstand and stand firm' in Him.  We surrender, stand firm into His Grace and Love, we surrender into His blessings, we surrender into His peace and strength!  As we stand in line for the roller coaster we have that moment of hesitation as we know that we will allow the ride to take over and we give up in twists and turns.  We just take that breath, lift our hands, close our eyes and enjoy the ride with a huge smile.  How much more in God can we ride the roller coaster of surrender? We can lift our hands, close our eyes and enjoy life!

You've Got Mail

My husband and I were recently watching some show on HGTV where the designer asked "If you could live in house from any movie, which one would it be?" Both of us at the same time said 'You've Got Mail'! I loved that we both have the same living room in mind, Kathleen Kelly's home. This occurred about two weeks ago yet I remember it like some fond memory that brings warmth to my heart.

One of my favorite scenes: I love when she is typing on her computer and you see the wall bookshelf.  As I am typing I can imagine myself with a little nook where I can either read in comfort or blog on my laptop. As I sit on my couch blogging I have the movie playing in the background setting my mood for a cozy evening.

One of my favorite places in the movie:  With my husband we have had the opportunity to go to New York a couple of times. We enjoyed eating at the hot dog place Papaya Gray from the movie. It was delicious but enjoyable because of our love for the movie. Ahh I can close my eyes...see us sitting in this rink a dink chain restaurant enjoying each other in the city that inspires. I have a picture of the place framed hanging in my bedroom.

I do love my home even though at times I wish I could just stretch my arms out and push the walls giving us a bit more room. More importantly though I want us to walk into our home where we do have that warmth feeling in our hearts.  As I try to achieve that casual living inspired space like Pottery Barn I am impressed to not forget to have His love in our home. Our home is a place where we can be that safe nest for our marriage, our children, our friends and those who need to feel loved.  This statement says it all: In our home let love abide, and bless all those who step inside!

PS: Speaking of great movie lines and scenes this is my favorite....

Painting in our life

Silly things can get us to think on Godly things such as painting our home.  We painted my daughter's room this past weekend and I started to think about my life in God's hands.  There is so much to say about God and His love and grace in our life.  Just imagine with me this thought I have....

As I would brush the paint on the walls and see the strokes cover the old paint I could not help to think that God's love covers our old self like that.  Even more then our old self how about some of our current self? Paint can change, transform the room and so does the love of God.  

Pondering on all of this I also thought about how many times a house can change it is design.  Like in fashion one day it is in and one day it is out....haha I took that from Project Runway. What I am trying to say is that despite how many years a house can be it will have had at least one more coat of paint through the years.  Our lives will have more then one coat of paint regardless of what we say or do God can and will cover us with His love. So in that I find such expecatncy to know that the strokes of God's love is covering it all leaving His grace to be my color!