Memories.

Lately Seth has been considering the idea of his "sins" finding him out; and with confession being good for the soul...he has been spilling his beans.  Now I could be upset and I do try not to laugh, but it's TOO innocent to not appreciate the sweetness of it.  Here's a couple of the latest. 

He walks up and whispers in my ear, "Mom. I need to tell you something."  Ok.  "Well, I held the fish.  I mean, I reached in and kept in under the water, but I held the fish. Oh, and I drew a smiley face on the table." I ask, "Did you clean it all up?  And is Eli's fish still alive?"  The answer to both questions was "Yes."  Forgiveness was his and off he ran.  Then I shared it with Daniel and we both laughed. Guess sometimes you just GOTTA hold your pets and if you're happy and you know it....you draw a smiley face on the table.

A couple of days later he asks, "Am I going to get found out if I just THINK of a really bad name to call Aaron, but I don't?"  The discussion went on from there and left knowing he was free from the burden of guilt.  

He adds adventure to all our lives!  And a sweet reminder to his momma about how good it feels to talk to a loving parent about the things you did that in your heart you KNEW weren't such a good idea to begin with.....and how it feels to be set free after you've confessed and talked it out!  That's how it works with God too.  Now the fish could have died and I do have a smiley face on my table, so I'm not saying there aren't consequences.  Just that there IS forgiveness and peace that is ours if we open our mouths and confess.  

All my sons provide me with precious memories and loving reminders of my Father's love.  Also a lot of LAUGHS!  I'm going to make it point to record more of those on here so we will have all them to look back on.  

God, thanks for the MEMORIES!

Silly story about Seth......

So.  I come into the living room and he is behind the couch with a piece of foam in his hands and a sheepish grin on his face.  Did I mention he's sitting next to the air vent?  I asked, "what are you doing?"  He said, "I'm just opening and closing the vent."  RiiiiiiiiiiiggggggghhhhhT.  I told him that we were going to look down the vent--so take off the cover.  Suddenly he didn't want to.  Hmmmm?  He did and, yep, it was FULL of junk.  Including a corn dog stick!  I had him clean the entire thing out.  He didn't care for the job so I am hoping this will hinder his interest in dropping things down there.  Funny, but irritating.  He's such a character.  I love ALL my boys!  Thank you God for each of them and their sweet uniqueness.  (Is that a word?lol!)

Bugs and other virtues.

Boys are amazing and curious creatures. (Of course they say the same about us, don't they?) What is it that allows a 5 year old boy to pick up a still alive wasp by the wing and run in the house yelling, "I have a bug for brother's bug collection!" Not get stung and send every adult in the house scurrying for cover---yes, we had company. Undaunted he stood there stomping his foot expecting one of us come and retrieve his valued prize. All we could do was scream, "Take it out and let it GO before you get stung!!" He did and he didn't get stung. Whew.

I really DO want to understand males more, honest. I keep trying. As the only female in a household of 7. I am often living among aliens. But I love each of them so very, very much. And so the research continues.

I can tell you they need to be verbally built up a whole lot more than you might have ever imagined, from the youngest to the oldest. You can almost watch them get taller, especially when they "overhear" you talking to someone else about them. However they know a phony when they see one too so make certain it comes from the heart.

It's so easy to correct and criticize and forget to praise. ugh. Make it something you determine to do intentionally or else it just won't get done.

If your like me, you goof this up all too often, but sister hope is not lost.

Psalm 51:10 "Renew a right spirit within me." Renew. To get the thing back. Right spirit. His spirit-love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Within me. Matthew 15:18 (New Century Version) "But what people say with their mouths comes from the way they think;"

So. Let's break that down. What we are thinking is what comes out of our mouths. If we are filled with the right spirit, it'll be all that good stuff. It can be renewed when we get our thinking out of whack.

You can battle with me till the cows come home as to WHY a grown man needs to be verbally praised (I could even do it for you!) I'm trying to move beyond that. I'm just telling you he does. Plain and simple. Like it or not. I see it in my boys, I see it in my husband. I have spend too many years on the other side of this issue and I am laying this one down.

RENEW MY SPIRIT LORD!!!

Living with my Legacy in mind........

Like many (likely all of you) I have a story.
The experience has solidified in my mind the idea of living each day with my Legacy--that which I will leave behind me--in front of me.
I want to share with any who will listen the truths I am learning about God, marriage, parenting, myself, and anything that the LORD lays before me. I want to be a student of life. Never satisfied to be a passenger. No, I won't get it all right. Frankly that's part of what I hope to share. I don't enjoy failure but I want to learn from it.
I have been in Proverbs lately and am seeking to become "a wise woman". It will never be a destination I reach but I am praying for God to lead me in that direction. As a wife and the mother of 5 sons, understanding "men" and teaching young women has become one of my goals. There was just so much I simply did not know.
I pray this is something that will reinforce my learning, will be useful in my legacy, (prayerfully) beneficial to at least one woman in understanding the "men" God has placed in her life.
Blessings.