eyes.to.See - JOY

Today was a day that I got to soak in the awesomeness that is Tball.  My oldest had his very first game today & his grandparents were able to come up & join us, while celebrating 40 years of marriage.  What a blessing.  It started off humid, but somehow, lifted & we had our very first glorious fall day.  Lovely golden sunlight & a cool breeze & just enough heat in the sun for warmth.

Our buddy had one pitch hit, two Tball hits, and even made an out as the third baseman!  We had an absolute blast watching his game.  The league can leave us with much to be desired when it comes to organization & communication, however, we didn't let that rob our day of all that was before our eyes.

The little guys had a whole lot more fun in the cheering section today.

Our James in his 'base ball ready' stance.  Boy oh boy I loved watching my boy play.  He made us so proud.  Not because he was the best on the team, but because he enjoyed his time & was focused on the game.  (which was a surprise!)

Little Hayden is getting ready for his turn to start playing next Fall... ;-)

 We are so glad that Mimi&Grandpa were able to come up & enjoy the fun with us.  James, Hayden, & Calvin had the best time.  All the excitement, screaming, laughing, playing, swimming & wrestling.  You really couldn't ask for a whole lot more.

JOY.

"...do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."

Nehemiah 8:10

This weekend has come for me in the wake of some sadness.  Two different kinds of loss came to those close to me & my heart grieved long on Friday.  The peace that comes from the Lord to those who suffer loss of any kind is probably the most amazing thing in this world.  The sadness seems so easy to understand, while the peace & quietness in what seems like the pit of sadness is beautiful & confounding to watch.  Without the JOY of the Lord, what is your strength?  JOY isn't happiness.  Even though I believe that the Lord has blessed me with a day of simple pure happiness wrapped up in Tball & beautiful weather.  Joy is found in the Lord, and JOY can be your strength.

How do we teach JOY to our boys?  Well, I haven't really tried to verbalize it yet.  They understand happiness & they understand that the Lord gives them things that make them happy.  We have modeled for them how to say thank you to the Lord for what they've been given, and now they do that unexpectedly & it blesses me beyond words.  But JOY.  I hope they see the example, and when they are older, they will be able to disconnect joy from happiness.

Lord, thank you for your JOY.  The pure joy that we can receive from your hands is one of the best gifts in this life.  Thank you for the simple pleasure found in a Tball game & all the joy that wells in my heart from you in gratitude for my family.  Thank you for teaching me about JOY found after mourning, and that we can lean on you in our times of sadness.  Thank you Lord that we do not despair, but that we have hope.  Those who hope in your will not be disappointed.  Amen.

eyes.to.See - diligence

"Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones.  Learn from their ways and become wise."

Proverbs 6:6 NLT

Today seems to be the perfect circumstance for focusing my efforts on diligence.  My list for today is long, and the time for each chore & activity is short.  My flesh desires to be quick tempered, and complete each task rushing to the next, but my heart says, be in each moment.  Don't rush through preschool drop off or the trip to the grocery store, but in the minutes see the children, see the choices, and be diligent!  Take the efforts, and give them cheerfully.  If I make a lovely chicken&dumplings meal from scratch, but act terribly from the 'stress' of getting it all done, who am I serving?  Who will be able to feel the gift of the work & be glad?  (not my kids that's for sure!) 

I must slow, not linger, but work hard.  Like the ant.  Each chore, each act, must not be belabored, but moved through cheerfully!

My favorite author for godly parenting advice is Rachel Jankovic.  She has two amazing books, Loving the Little Years & Fit to Burst.  They have impacted me in such an amazing way, but her words on teaching children to be diligent have stuck like glue.  

I'll do my best to summarize her (for in diligence, I must finish this task, and move on to the next! yikes, as much as I'd like to linger...)  She says the children can be told, "clean your room" & they have two choices: to complain & lay themselves over the bed moaning, or to jump in.  Isn't it encouraging to see your child choose to jump in?  

Don't I do the same thing??  See the kitchen that must be cleaned, the laundry, the bed changing, the bathroom cleaning... Do I jump in or do I moan a bit beforehand?  Thanks Rachel - such a great kick in the pants for those days that I am not quick to jump in.

Lord, continue to show me wisdom to see the opportunities to take slow & linger with friends.  To see the moments that I must say 'no' to other activities to make myself busy for my family.  To show my boys how to jump in to the work, and not to become overwhelmed by it.  Thank you Lord. Amen.

eyes.to.See - obedience

"Then the Lord asked Moses, "Who makes a person's mouth?  Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see?  Is it not I, the Lord?""

Exodus 4:11

I am continuously amazed by how the Scriptures speak into my life, especially when I'm not looking for it.  Today I attended a Bible Study Fellowship meeting, totally unprepared because of a busy week & a heart so expectant for this writing challenge.  And the Lord met me there.  Speaking to me about eyes.to.See & ears.that.hear & this mouth of mine that he's made.  I am so blessed to feel his comfort & his promise that when I feel inadequate.  I like Moses, he reminds me his power & purpose will supersede my own.

OBEDIENCE.

  Teaching my sons what obedience means appears easy.  It seems to be simple.  You hear the words, you do them.  Not a deep concept really, but the action of obedience takes the power of WILL.  Sometimes my boys hear me, sometimes they don't listen.  Sometimes my boys hear me, and listen, but choose to disobey.  They either think their way is better, what they are doing is more important, or that what I asked can wait.  It all boils down to disobedience.  

How do I teach them?  Do I always hear & choose to obey? no, I don't.  I battle the same will.  It take active listening, active posture to hear & not ignore, active heart to surrender my will to the Lord's (or my sons to mine).  I do share with them that they must obey mommy because the Lord gave them that job.  That their obedience to me, is obedience to God.  I must be obedient to the Lord & teach them the same.  He gave them to me; he made them my sons.

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right."

Ephesians 6:1 ESV

Does it turn out to be an easy lesson? (are you laughing yet?)  nope.  Not easy, not simple.  Obedience feels so complicated, because we make it out to be that way.  But when you do choose to obey, not to second guess, not to question, it is simple.  Reality of life & all the temptations that we face can muddy the waters of even the simplest acts of obedience to the Lord.  

Lord may you continue to teach me how to listen actively for your voice & your directions.  May I model obedience to my children, that they may see me surrender my will to yours.  That they may feel safe surrendering their will to mine.  Lord give me wisdom to be kind in asking for obedience, to teach, re-teach, and serve my sons as they grow.  That I may teach the importance of obeying quickly without delay, but that I may not ask for anything outside of what is a benefit to them & our family.  Thank you Lord for never becoming frustrated with my disobedience the way I do with my boys'.  You always forgive Lord, give me the grace to give my forgiveness cheerfully as well.  Amen.