Two years ago, I remember being convicted in my Re-Entry. We had stayed, traveled, and then came home much like this year. I had piles and messes and toys to deal with. I remember being stressed about where to put it all! I found myself holding a new toy and realized that I was more concerned about where to put it then I was with wanting to engage my son with it. I looked around the living room and noticed that I hadn’t played with any of the toys with the children - I had just put them away. It crushed me……
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At the Sink Again
Doing my dishes every night in 2013 instilled in me a discipline that the work doesn’t get done until you get the work done. Redundant, yes I know.
And as the homemaker, I didn’t expect my husband to do them and my two-year-old and baby were certainly not jumping up to help me wash, dry, and put away either.
Those dishes were left for me. Me.
In the process of washing cup after cup and spoon after spoon, my negative attitude of missing my dishwasher from our previous house changed. Spending a minimum of an hour over that sink every single day forged in me an awareness and an appreciation - even a joy - that I was the one who got to create an orderly and clean home. Me……
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When Titus Happens...
Sunday night I sat him down and stared at him for a minute without talking, truly frustrated and upset that I had lost a few hours’ worth of work. We had ourselves a little stare-off and I realized there was absolutely no way to explain to him in order for him to understand that my document was lost and that I couldn’t figure out a way to find it……
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Clock No. 23 & 24
That morning, as I sat reading my Bible in the quiet of my living room, with nothing but the sound of the heater taking the edge off of the chilly air and the kitty purring on my lap, I impatiently thought, Get to the point already!
I had things to do and clocks to hang and didn’t truly care all that much about the dimensions, construction materials, nor color schemes that I was reading about.
Where are you God in this? And where will I find those last two clocks? were closer to my thoughts that morning……
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Sitting at the Adult Table
I recognized I was being stretched and could feel every percent of it.
I couldn’t imagine taking on one more thing - especially such an important thing.
But so often, we have to weigh our “yeses” and separate the good ones from the best ones.
I was asked to think about it, pray about it, sleep on it, and call back in the morning with an answer……
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Everyone Has Something: Part 2
I was going to allow myself the luxury of sleeping in, until I could no longer.
(Truthfully, I was going to sleep in until one of my children woke me up to help them wipe their bottom or change their diaper. ‘Cause let’s face it - sleeping in doesn’t really exist for mothers.)
I made it all the way to 7 a.m. when Titus began begging for a “warm baba” and needed a diaper change. I stumbled downstairs to attend to him and then decided to retreat to my bedroom once again. I was surprised when the next time I opened my eyes, the clock read 9:30 a.m.
I had fallen back asleep hard. So very hard……
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Everyone Has Something: Part 1
It was a particularly dense weekend. And I woke up Monday morning feeling every one of the five services I had attended. My head was splitting and my hair was still full of the hairspray that I had used to keep my curls intact from the day before.
I looked rough and felt rougher and that’s when I discovered them……
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For the Love of the Run: Part 2
On my last training run - three days before the race - I woke up to my alarm and to the sound of rain.
I got out of bed and laced up my shoes anyways.
I ran in the steady rain and felt like I could have been on a Nike commercial. I smiled when I realized that I had trained in all of the possible elements come Race Day - heat, humidity, cool, wind, hills, and…rain.
I came home, soaking wet, to find my husband so I could tell him I was officially trained. I was fired up and he just smiled……
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For the Love of the Run: Part 1
In the spring of 2017, my love for running woke up from a deep sleep. With three marathons and four half marathons under my belt, I wanted to run another half — specifically Chicago’s. If I wasn’t able to fundraise in time, then I decided that my city’s half marathon in Clinton, Iowa would suffice.
I prayed about it and didn’t feel the peace that I knew I was hoping for. I was still nursing Titus (who had had just turned one) and planned on continuing for the majority of another year……
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First Days
It was a day of firsts. The first day of school. And the first day to have two in school at the same time.
I homeschool, which means I have the flexibility to choose our curriculum as well as our schedule. We start the day after Labor Day and all my teacher friends are jealous……
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