Storms.

 

In the last couple of months, I've entered a season of 'life storms.'  I share the details with a VERY select few and it's not because I want everyone to think my life is perfect, but because I know prayer & faith are what I need as opposed to advice and judgment.  Yesterday, I had a slow morning and ALMOST skipped out on church, but I've found that the times I want to ditch church are the times I need I the most, so I packed my van full of kids and went.  And, as usual, the message tore me up in the best way possible.

 

We read through the calming of the storm.  The disciples are all freaking out, naturally, trying to get the water out of the boat and Jesus is sleeping.  So, they wake him up and say, "don't you CARE if we die?"  Jesus' response was not "of course I care.  My bad."  His response was: "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?"

 

In my own life, when things seems hard or I get really down, I am (slowly, but surely) realizing that it's because I am lacking the faith that is required of me.  I start to get all "WHY ME?!" and tend to think that I have done my part in this relationship with Christ enough to at least get a pass on the really hard stuff.  I was reminded this Sunday that Jesus died on the cross for me - I am owed NOTHING.

 

The BIG takeaway for me was that Jesus was there; he was there, IN the boat, WITH them the whole time.  He never left, he never abandoned, and he never worried.

 

I want to encourage you today with whatever storm you're going through that you aren't alone.  Yes, it will hurt and, yes, it will be hard, BUT if you believe in Jesus Christ and have that faith that so may of us are lacking, you are weathering this storm with the Creator of the universe.

 

You're in good hands.

October School Lunches!

The best part of October lunches was making treats "for the kids."  I've gotten some questions on what I feed my younger two and, generally, I feed them the same thing I send with my Kindergartener!  They're both pretty good eaters, but need variety so they don't get bored eating the same thing every day.

 

[PB&J, banana, Gogurt, Football shaped pretzels, confetti sugar cookies]

[Halloween Mac 'n Cheese, Trader Joe's organic Animal Crackers, Grapes]

[Annie's Mac 'n Cheese, Greek Yogurt w/ Sprinkles, Broccoli]

[PB&J, Cheez Itz, and Mixed Fruit]

[Homemade Lunchable: Chicken Chunks, Cheddar Cheese, Pretzel Sticks, Mini Cookies, & Grapes]

[Turkey, Cheese, Crackers, Banana Muffin, Grapes, & Dark Chocolate Chips]

[Spaghetti & Meatballs, Garlic Knot, Grapes, Mini Cookies]

[Beef & Cheese Burrito, Smoothie, Bitsy Brainfood Cookies, & Mixed Veggies]

On the day we made 'lunchables,' someone spilled Stevie's lunch and it was the worst day ever until they gave him pizza from the cafeteria.  I was SO THANKFUL when Stevie told me that one of the ladies that works in the school café took him back and got him a lunch when he was crying because I can only imagine his sweet little face when his food fell to the ground.

I scored a couple of boxes of Bitsy Brainfood Cookies from Target for next to nothing with a coupon on Cartwheel and he LOVES them; they're shaped like letters and the ones pictured are made from organic beets and chocolate!  I really like to give my kids 'fun food' and I try to make it homemade most of the time, but these are such a good option for quick grabbing.  Total bonus buy!

Choosing Love.

Facts:  A marriage does not stand the test of time because two people are good looking.  It doesn't last because two people have a lot of money to do all the things they want to do.  A marriage doesn't thrive because two people have kids that are obedient and sleep through the night.  A relationship with your kids isn't 'good' because you buy them the latest stuff or sacrifice a job to be home with them.

A relationship will outlast all the rest when it is rooted in Christ.  I KNOW I got some eye rolls there because I used to be the biggest eye roller when it came to this; what does it even mean when a relationship is rooted in Christ? 

I used to think that if two people were believers, that was enough to sustain a marriage.  I found over time that it wasn't; my faith alone wasn't enough to stop me from saying the things that would hurt my husband the most, it wasn't enough to keep me from feeling unloved and unnoticed.  I used to think that being a 'good parent' meant taking my kids to church, staying home with my kids & providing their basic daily needs; I found that being a mom who talked about Jesus, but got annoyed or frustrated when my kids wanted to tell me a story or lost my temper when they weren't being 'good' showed them more about the conditions my love had than anything else.

Believing in Jesus is life altering and is the 'thing' that ignites my soul every day, but until our belief shapes the way we act, the way we think, and the way we treat other people, it's dead.  I'm not talking about loving your spouse because he got you flowers or washed the dishes or told you how beautiful you are; I'm talking about loving the spouse that didn't notice you did you hair and put on make up for him, forgets to say thank you when you work hard to make him breakfast, and leaves his dirty clothes in the corner of the bedroom.  I'm not talking about loving the child that cleans his room, does well in school, & is obedient; I'm talking about loving the child who has screamed all day, thrown food all over the floor, and had ANOTHER accident in his pants.

It's not hard to extend love to people who serve our desires or who give us the warm fuzzies and recognizing love as more than a feeling is a great place to start.  In John 3:16, we learn how MUCH God loves

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

in 1 John 3:16-18, we learn how God wants us to love.

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.  If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?  Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

STOP talking about how much you love people and START showing it.  Love your kids?  Show them.  Sit with them, talk to them, be patient with them.  And when they drive you up a stinkin' wall, sit with them more, talk with them more, and be more patient.  Love your spouse?  Show him/her, too.  Sit next to him/her on the couch even when it's boring, ask him/her how the day was, buy him/her a cup of coffee (ALWAYS a safe bet).  And when he/she is being the absolute worst and is completely unlovable, lay it on harder.

Choose love.  Every day and even more on the hardest days.

School Lunch Roundup!

Good news, guys:  I'm learning that taking pictures of food on a white surface makes it look much more appealing.  I'm sure this is as exciting for YOU as it is for me.

 

[My mom's Mac 'n Cheese, Grapes, & Mini Cookies]

[Turkey Roll ups, Grapes, Football Pretzels, & Greek Yogurt w/ Sprinkles]

[Chicken Chunks, Horizon Organic Cheese Shapes, Grapes, & Broccoli]

 

[Pb&J, Goldfish, & Chocolate Covered Oreo]

[Spaghetti & Meatballs, Grapes, & Chocolate Graham Crackers]

Things I learned: 

- Spaghetti & Meatballs is a total family favorite!  The kids loved it the night I made it and for leftovers, which is VERY rare; definitely going back in the rotation!

- One word: Grapes.  Kids love grapes.  They're like $30/lb, but the kids freak out over them, so it's worth it.

- Kids at school think you're super awesome when your mom packs you anything with chocolate.

- Anything cut or made into shapes is really good times. 

Parental Statistics.

# of times I said I would never take my kids in public dressed in their pajamas:  1500
# of times I've probably taken my kids in public dressed in their pajamas:  3000

# of times I said I would never give into the demands of toddlers to make them stop crying:  30,000
# of times I've probably given into the demands of toddlers to make them stop crying:  50,000

# of times I swore I'd NEVER EVER, under any circumstance buy my children fast food: 400
# of times I have probably bought my children fast food: 300

# of pins on Pinterest for teaching toddlers at home: 15,000
# of days per week I implement teaching: 2

# of times I judged a parent after seeing a temper tantrum in a store: 20
# of times I really regret judging parents after my kids throw temper tantrums in stores: 300,000

# of times a day I have to change diapers/clothes: 20
# of times a day my kids act like I'm physically harming them during diaper/clothing changes: 20

# of times I try to sneak away to the bathroom and hide from my toddler dictators: 50
# of times they find me: 50

# of times a day I say, "I'm never having another kid:" 1,000,000
# of times a day I think, "Aww, I want more kids.:" 2,000,000


*Disclaimer:  these are 100% factual.  I take back nothing I've said.

Why I Will No Longer Cling to My Plans.

 

So, I revealed back in August that I failed the NCLEX.  If you don't know, it's the test graduate nurses take to obtain licensure in the state they plan to work.  It was a BIG deal to me and is a BIG deal to every nurse coming out of school. 

I remember sitting down at that test, answering the first five questions and immediately saying some not nice things under my breath.  I KNEW before I actually found out that there was no way I was going to pass that thing; I wasn't prepared, I focused way too much on content and not enough of prioritization.  My confidence after those first five questions went down the drain and continued to plummet in the few months leading up the next test.

When I got the news that I failed (which came with $250 price tag to retest - DOUBLE WHAMMY), I was crushed.  I knew the test didn't define me and I knew I was going to get back up and take it again, but it sucked.  I cried every night for several weeks, questioned my ability to be a nurse, and wondered what the last several years of school were even for.

BUT GOD...

I can't describe the transformation that has come over the last few months; when I sat for the exam the first time, I prayed to pass, when I sat for the exam the second time, I prayed that God would reveal His plan for my life no matter what the outcome was.  Have you ever wondered the extent to which you trust God?  Give Him the thing you cling to most and see how much you trust His sovereignty; give Him your children, your spouse, your career, & your finances without trying to control the outcome. 

That kind of trust is something I've never experienced.  I've been a Christian my entire adult life, but I've also been an anxious person most of my life; "what if" has been a life motto of mine and it's controlled my life for much longer than I'd like to admit.  I also went through a YOLO period time, which I think anyone who knew me then would agree was not any better.

It seems ridiculous, but giving up that need to control the future, that need to KNOW the future, & trusting the greater plan is easily the most freeing experience of my life.  Failing the NCLEX could've crippled me; by worldly standards, it should've brought me to a really LOW low.  But it didn't. 

And that had nothing to do with me.

What I'm not saying: being upset, frustrated, or disappointed aren't normal feelings.  THEY ARE.  Truth:  if I had failed a second time, this post would not have come as quickly and my acceptance of God's will would have taken a little longer.  Also true: what's meant to be will.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29: 11-13

MH&S Team Call 10/7/15: Brainstorming!