Excess (Part 6 of 7) - Parties

I DVR'd the Royal Wedding this morning for my little princesses to watch when they get home from school. OK, truth, I really want to watch it myself. I was 8 when Diana and Charles married in 1981 and for years I was obsessed with her and her sheer princessness. In 1986, Prince Andrew married Sarah (Fergie) on my birthday. I got up at the crack of dawn to watch the proceedings. Not quite as grand as Charles and Diana's, it was nonetheless, a royal wedding. Now a new generation is watching this and sighing a little sigh. Isn't Kate beautiful? Isn't it romantic? They are royalty after all, so one would expect a wedding or any other party to be on a grand scale. But what about the rest of us. I'm speaking of excesses with parties and gift giving for our children. I have known of little 2 year old's birthday parties where there were ponies, bouncy houses, and "goody bags" that were on par with the rich and famous. Kids are getting TVs, cell phones, gaming systems, and all sorts of other high ticket items as gifts at younger and younger ages. My question is where do you go from there? Next year the child expects that and more. What ever happened to inviting a couple of neighborhood friends over for some cake and ice cream and maybe pin the tail on the donkey?

And the weddings! I'm living in mortal fear of having the twins decide to get married too close together. As twins, I'm secretly hoping for a double wedding to defray some of the cost. Forget college, we're saving for weddings. They have become in our society bigger, better, and "I can top you" weddings. Wedding dresses in excess of $10,000, cakes that are more than our annual salary (and that's just the groom's cake), gifts for the guests to take home that are nicer than anything my husband and I got at our own wedding. Where does it end? Again, what happened to standing before a minister saying "I do" and meaning it? It's time for simpler living. Let's leave the excess to the people who know how to do excess best. I want a simpler life where keeping up with the new Jones means we have a new game to play at a kid's party, and not the game of "Who Can Top This". Anybody with me?

Excess (Part 5 of 7) - Food

When  I was a little girl every time I ate an onion, especially if they had any sort of crunch to them, I gagged. There are foods we don't like. It's a fact. I think boiled okra is the most disgusting vegetable known to man, but MOTH loves it. This generation of children has found a way around this pesky little problem. They just refuse to eat all the foods that don't look, smell, or taste appetizing. Then the parent feels like the child might starve and makes them anything they will eat. If you have more than one child, you're looking at up to 4 or 5 meal preparations at one time to keep each child happy. I'm very familiar with this phenomenon because my test child (eldest) ate nothing but chicken nuggets, fries, and Pop Tarts with the crusts pulled off for about 2 years. When we moved from our home when he was almost 3 we found a pile of Pop Tart crusts behind his bed. He had been smuggling them to his room. He was so skinny I was afraid to not let him have the handful of foods he would eat. When the twins came, my Pediatrician set me straight. The child will not starve. I began serving dinner and dinner was dinner. I don't make a child eat something they just can't stand because let's face it, there are just some foods I won't eat either. But I also don't make anything else and I don't allow them to either. I usually serve a variety of foods, that way there are several choices for the pickiest child in the house, and I do have one. The child who survived off chicken nuggets and Pop Tarts now eats a wide variety of healthy foods as well as all sorts of ethnic foods. He won't go near a Pop Tart. The excessive cooking and serving multiple meals each day just leads to unhealthy habits and children that think if they say they want something else it magically appears.

The other food excess is overeating. I have a real problem with portion control. I love my food. But I realize as an adult that there are consequences when I over indulge. I feel miserable for one thing. It makes my exercise program that much harder to do when I'm lugging around 20 extra pounds. It gives me indigestion on top of it all. Children need to be taught portion control. It's a form of setting boundaries and teaching self control. The statistics say that for the year 2010, 3 out of 4 children were either overweight or obese. This puts them at high risk for coronary artery disease by their 30s. We as parents are responsible for this. Excesses of chips, cookies, and snacking in general have created these startling statistics. Some of the other excesses I have spoken of in this series are annoying. This one is just dangerous.

Worry is Like an Armadillo

Stay with me here. I'm departing (again) from my 7 part series on excess because this is on my mind and I'm willing to bet it's on others too. Not the armadillo part. The worry part. Years ago, before kids and when the only baby that lived in our home was a sweet Basset Hound named Tootsie, there was also an armadillo. One evening when MOTH was working a shift as a paramedic, I was awakened by the howling/barking that only hounds can produce. I went to the back sliding window and called for Toots. The howling continued until I was worried the neighbors would be awakened. It was 2:00 am after all. So, I found shoes, went outside, down the back steps and when I got to the backyard, encountered a sight I may never see again. There is my 55 lb. Basset being chased by an armadillo. Toot's ears were slicked back and she looked like she was being chased by the Devil himself. Her eyes shifted to me and she gave what looked like a "Help me!" look. I laughed a bit, thinking to myself that this was a small animal, Toots was a chicken, and I'm a large human. I figured I'd stomp my foot at the beast and it would run, frightened, for all it was worth. So I stomped my foot. About 2 minutes later the procession looked like this: Toots in the lead, me in my pajamas behind her, and the psychotic armadillo chasing the both of us. My stomping had not worked.

Sometimes worry is that armadillo. You think you are going to stomp your foot at it and make it go away but it ends up chasing you in the middle of the night. I've read all sorts of devotions on the topic of worry. Some say it's a sin. Some say it's because of our human nature and means we don't have enough faith. But let's face it, every now and then the armadillo creeps in when we feel what we love is being threatened. (The Devil is good at putting that little seed of worry and doubt out there.) Maybe it belongs there to help us find a solution we couldn't think of any other time. Of course, there is a point when there is too much worry, and that is a problem. It affects your health and your relationships with others. In all times of worry God wants us to seek Him. God will always win out against worry when we honestly seek Him. I'm happy to report that Toots and I escaped the armadillo unscathed that evening. I know that God will see us all through the worry that creeps in at night. Seek Him, and stomp away the worry today.


So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today. (Matthew 6:34)

Old Man's Memory

As a Father and Husband, we are tasked by God to be the spiritual leader in our household (although it seems that most often the Mom/Wife assumes this role). Although I do think it would be great for a husband and a wife to assume a co-leadership position for leading a family through the daily walk in life, stepping up to this role is something that most of us men fail to do. We get too busy with our jobs or our extra activities such as golf, exercising, sports, coaching, or a multitude of other activities. With these preoccupations, we lose sight that our focus should be on God first, then our family. It is ingrained in our beings to be the provider for our families so we get so caught up in getting ahead financially, that we end up paying the cost with loss of family time. One problem that I have is that my kids seem to know more about the Bible than I do. My brain just does not retain the information like it use to; whereas, my kids soak it up like a sponge. I have to read some verses 10 times to their one time, to memorize it. I know for myself, I have to work more on memorizing and familiarizing myself with more of the Bible so that I can be a better spiritual leader in my household. Here is a little trick that I have started using. I am creating my own screen savers with a Bible verse that scrolls across the screen. After some length of time (whatever it takes for me to memorize it - maybe a week, maybe a month, depending on how the brain is working), I will change it to a different verse. Creating your own screen savers may sound difficult, but it's really easy. I have Windows XP so here are instructions for XP. Instructions for other versions of Windows will be similar.

1. Click on Start then Control Panel.
2. If the Control panel opens up in the Classic view click on Display. If it opens in Category view, click on Appearance and Themes then Choose a screen saver.
3. When the Display Properties screen opens up, select Marquee and click on the Settings button.
   
   
4. In the text box, type in the Bible verse you want to remember, adjust the scrolling speed, and click on OK.
   

It is that simple. While this won't be the flashiest screen saver you could have, it may hopefully help us to think of God and improve ourselves a little among our busy schedules of life.

Excess (Part 4 of 7) - Clothing

A few weeks ago we went to the roller rink for some good old fashioned family fun. We were disappointed. The music was not fit for anyone to listen to (I'll address that in another blog) but what really got us was the attire on a great many of these little girls. My 10 year old son said he just didn't know where to look. Low cut tops, behinds hanging out from beneath the shortest shorts I've ever seen on girls of 10-13 years of age. Too sexy, too soon. These girls are not being taught that whatever is under their clothes only needs to be seen by the husband they will someday have. Also, if they're wearing the smallest shorts known to human kind now, what will they be wearing (or not) by the time they are 17. I'm not advocating covering every square inch of these little girls. I'm just wondering what happened to modesty? I'm referring to all that excess skin. Leave something to the imagination....

The other clothing excess that gets me is the need for brands. Now, I love a good piece of well made clothing as much as the next diva but I don't own a $100 pair of jeans. But I know a lot of teens that do. Again, where do you go from there? Jeans that are $200?? Don't get me started on these guys with their pants sagging either. Really guys, I don't care what color underoos you have on today!! If you have to hold your pants up while you walk across the parking lot, get a belt. That's what our parents told us, right? For Heaven sake, cover it up, pull it up, and save your money.

Showing Easter Grass Some Love

I'm departing today from my 7 part series on excess to discuss Easter grass. I believe I just heard a collective groan from every parent on earth.  You know the plastic Easter grass that we parents put in our children's Easter baskets year after year, even though we loathe the stuff. It shows up wound around the bar at the bottom of our vacuums. It finds its way into our washing machines. There are pieces in rooms that they should never be found in. We see it all year round even though it's supposed to be put in the trash on Easter afternoon. Well, this year MOTH and I were so smart. We decided to get beach buckets (big ticket items for little beach bums) for the kids' Easter goodies and figured they would never notice that the Easter grass was missing. They didn't, score one for us! Except that there is still Easter grass all over my living room and under my couch. It is there because when I pulled out their Easter baskets from last year and all those plastic eggs to be hidden, it was lurking there. And now I will see it for another year.

So maybe there's a reason why the Easter grass keeps haunting me. According to about.com the origin of Easter grass appears to have come from the idea that Easter eggs were left in grassy areas by the Easter Bunny, and then children searched through the grass for these wonderful prizes. The grass is a symbol. I started to think of other grassy areas surrounding Easter. I'm betting there was grass in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Grass reminds me of all the times my children have run through the grass playing and having the time of their lives running to find Easter eggs filled with candy. Grass grows in the spring when everything is fresh and renewed. Grass is awesome. So maybe I should quite hating on the Easter grass and give the grass its props. I decided I love the Easter grass and all it means to me. Happy Easter!!

Sneezing and Spreading God to Others

In the course of a normal day, you may either say "Bless You" after someone sneezes or be told "Bless You" by someone else after you sneeze. This is often done out of habit and without thinking. There are many tales about the origin of this expression. One of the stories says that back in 590 AD there was an epidemic of airborne germs and the Pope began offering this blessing to sufferers from the illness, since in those days it was a high probability that death was imminent with any illness. Over time, and particularly over the last few decades, the "God" part of the expression has been left out and shortened to just "Bless You."
What if we started the trend of adding "God" back to the "Bless You?" What a simple and non-offensive way to slip God back into any situation, even with non-Christians. Since this phrase is so common after sneezing, it is not threatening to those who normally would shy away from any conversation dealing with Christian aspects. In this world we live in, we are so reluctant to spread God's word, even though we have been commissioned to do so. It always seems particularly uncomfortable to start up conversation about religion with any self-proclaimed non-believers. A simple "God Bless You" will show your concern and give you yet another opportunity to spread God's name in a positive light.

Matthew 28:18-20

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (NIV)

Excess (Part 3 of 7)- Gaming

Picture it. A 30-something year old woman supposedly exercising on the Wii Fit Plus. She's burning calories like crazy. No, wait. She's trying  to run over a gopher/mole. That woman would be me. A few days ago I was perched on the Wii balance board trying to defeat some sort of critter, while pretending to ride a Segway on a beach. The premise of the game is you are riding a Segway on the balance board while trying to gain points by running over balloons that pop up. If the balloons turn into gophers (Wii says they are moles but they look suspiciously like a character from Caddy Shack) and then the gophers taunt you while you lose points. Sounds fun right? In order to get the Segway to go faster you must lean forward on your toes and steer with the handheld control. I'm not sure how many times I actually played the game but I looked up and realized that quite a bit of time had escaped me. I continued however, singing "I'm alright, nobody worry 'bout me." for all I was worth. I was obsessed. I had to run over that gopher. The next day my calves ached and I had lost at least an hour of my life.

It's easy to see how children can become equally obsessed with gaming. I'm 30ish and I should know better, but there I was trying to run over a defenseless animal (he was mocking me). Children when not monitored, don't know better. What is it about these games that draws our children? Perhaps boredom. Perhaps seeking the feeling of accomplishment that is so hard to find in the world we live in. The world says if you are not number 1 then you shouldn't play. The world teaches it's not about how you play, but that winning is absolutely everything (there's a whole other blog in there). The problem with excessive gaming is that it is too much too soon. The images in games are often not exactly what we want our kids seeing, but it keeps them busy so we say nothing. The rating for each game is on the box, but some parents fail to look at it, or assume the big T means Totally Awesome and the M means Mostly OK. Kids also lose track of time when they play and half their life is spent, not on finding that which fills their soul, but that which takes their mind off everything else. Then everyone wonders why the work force is full of people with no imagination or work ethic. Again, as I've said before, I am not anti tech, I am just pro child. Give them some legos and see what happens. Pull out a board game (a what???) and watch your kids' eyes light up. Our kids are craving us, not the images they see on games. I think I will let the gopher/ mole rest this evening and have a chat with my kids instead.

Excess (Part 2 0f 7)- Technology

Recently the family and I were heading into a restaurant and another family with 2 teenagers were walking in at the same time. The mother turns to her teenager and says, "Please, put the phone away and talk to us." The teenager never looked up.  In Walmart a few days ago I saw a child, that looked no more than 5 or 6, being led down the aisles because she was playing her DS and couldn't seem to bother looking up to  watch where she was going. Both situations caused me to chuckle at the time and be saddened afterwards. One child with a parent begging for their time and one child literally being led through life. The excess of electronics for this generation is frightening in its consequences.

We are by no means anti-tech at this house. There is every gadget known to man in every room. I understand that without my iphone my life just would not be the same. However would I sit in Starbucks and reload my gold card without my miraculous phone? But I pray that I am teaching my children that there is a time and place for these things. I love the conversations we have at family dinners out because the excessive gaming and texting is not allowed. I find out valuable pieces of information during these conversations. My kids aren't allowed to bring gaming devices into Walmart because I want them to learn something while we're there. The value of a dollar, what kind of detergent works best, and what is good for you and what is not, can all be learned there. I don't want to send my kids out into the world only knowing how to beat Mario Kart. I absolutely think there are good uses for technology (calling when you are going to be late) but I think some limits need to be placed to avoid excessive technology that causes us all to loose touch with each other. What will you ask your kids to put away today?

Excess (Part 1 of 7) - TV

Yesterday my kids were watching the I Love Lucy where Lucy and Ethel decide to raise chickens and end up with 500 baby chicks in their living room. A few days ago they watched the Leave It To Beaver where Beaver sells water to the neighborhood kids after the water gets turned off for the whole neighborhood. Anybody remember these? How about The Brady Bunch or Gilligan's Island? Looney Toons? Tom and Jerry? I asked myself, after watching my 3 kids howling with laughter through these shows, why do my kids prefer to watch these shows instead of new cartoons and kids' shows? Perhaps they feel safer watching these shows because the newer shows portray concepts that they get enough of in the world. They need a break from all the excess you see in current "kids' programming." I'm talking about excessive rudeness among the characters,  excessive disrespect for others, excessive violence, and for the "tween" set, excessive sexual innuendo. Years ago, when my oldest still thought cartoons were cool, he watched one episode of The Fairly Odd Parents. He told me he would never watch one again. When asked why he replied, "They're mean to each other." Now, not every kid is going to monitor his own viewing and stay away from the shows that aren't right for him. We just got lucky (read blessed) with that one. It is our job as parents to monitor our children's viewing to protect them from the excess. Just because the language is alright doesn't mean the content is alright. I'm not indicating that there are not some worthwhile shows out there. I'm asking, do you know what your children are "into"? It's time to sit down, prop your feet up, have a good laugh, and see what your children are really watching. Happy viewing!

"Be careful little eyes what you see...."

Reality Sets In

I have a confession to make. I am obsessed by the show Hoarders. I don't enjoy watching it but am obsessed all the same. I can't seem to stop myself. I watch this show and see these poor people struggle through all manner of obsessive hoarding. Some hoard food, some hoard parents' belongings. Some hoard a toy, like trains that they loved as a child. It fascinates me that there is always a trigger to these events. A divorce, loss of a loved one, or economic hardship can all be triggers for these people. It just makes you want to stop and pray for them. Extreme Couponing is another show that fascinates me. What must these people be lacking or insecure about to cause them to have 100 boxes of cereal stashed in their cabinet? Now I also confess, couponing is not foreign in this house. We love a good BOGO with coupons that yields that box of Cocoa Crispies for $.70. I just don't think I feel the need to gather 100 boxes. It seems as though these people are searching, gathering possessions to fill a void. The hoarders will say so themselves. But what is that void?

Society as a whole is trying to fill the same void with "things". On a recent trip to Books-a-Million I stood in front of the shelf that said "Top 10 Bestsellers" on a sign above it. Six of the 10 books were religious in nature. Heaven is for Real. Crazy Love. The 5 Love Languages. Apparently readers are searching for "something" too. Our children are searching for "something". Drugs and alcohol are becoming a threat earlier and earlier because children and teens are trying to fill the void. We as Christian parents have the key to filling this void in our children. We need to ask ourselves though, are we passing the key on to our children? Are we reading the Bible to them? Are we teaching them self control? Are we praying for them daily? I, for one, could do a better job. Reality has set in. I don't want my children searching to fill a void that can only be filled by God. Do you?

Cinnamon Toast

Over a bowl of oatmeal and cinnamon toast this morning The Flower Child made an observation that struck me as rather profound. Of course, she didn't realize that, but was simply stating an observation. She thought it was interesting that she and her sister both liked cinnamon toast like their Dad, but The Man Child and I both don't like cinnamon. We do, however, both like cinnamon graham crackers. I began thinking of the traits and similarities between me and The Man Child. For several years now The Man Child has been the carbon copy of my husband. Everybody tells us so. His mannerisms, penchant for math, and square jawline all are MOTH's. But if you look very carefully his nose is mine. His sensitivity is a trait he got mainly from me. Neither of us can spell cinnamon without looking it up. Then there are the learned traits. Some good, some not so great. He is very cautious in new situations which causes him to think through what he will do and say. He tends to panic if he can't figure out what is going to be the end result of a situation. He embarrasses easily. I began to wonder, which traits has my son learned from me that may not be Godly....that he may regret learning someday?  Which traits do I want him to learn from me?

I would like him to learn to say what he means and mean what he says. For him to learn this I have to do this. I would love for him to use his sensitivity not to be hurt in every situation, but instead to love others. I have to do this first. I would like him to learn to use his cautiousness as a way to be "quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger." (James 1:19) As parents, we need to take a long look at ourselves and ask ourselves, "Is this a trait I want my child to have and use?" Your children can't help the nose they get or having a square jawline, but you can choose other traits. You can choose to be slow to anger. You can choose to have self control. What do you choose today?

I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected - even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. (Deuteronomy 5:9)

Your IW- Inner Weeeeee

As I write this I am listening to my children playing outside swinging and running and climbing trees. It's a lovely sound of squealing and, of course, the wonderful sound of "Weeeeeeee!!!" You've heard this sound. On a slide, roller coaster, or bicycle you have, at some time, made this sound. I hope you have. I have an old fashioned, mint green Huffy that I ride around the neighborhood and I have been known to let loose with a "Weeeee!!" from time to time. I'm finding my IW- Inner Weeeeee. In this era of cell phones, computers, and non stop gaming, I think our children may be loosing their Inner Weeees. It saddens me. I think God loves the Weeeee. I think he laughs with us and takes joy in the Weeeeee. Where is your IW? Has it been lost in the pile of laundry waiting or work that is piling up? Do your children have IWs? I challenge all of us today to find our IWs. Trust me you'll feel better. Weeeeeee!!!!

School Lunch Debate

I am writing today from high atop my soap box. "Why?" you ask. Well, today it is because I read an article from The Chicago Tribune about a public school in Chicago in which the principal has decided to ban lunches from home. Yes, really. When I first decided to write this blog I literally didn't know where to begin. There are so many issues with this I had to narrow it down to just a couple. So, let's begin with the first and, in my opinion, the biggest reason  this will not work. Principal Elsa Carmona said she was tired of seeing "bottles of soda and flaming hot chips" brought to school in childrens' lunches, so she decided children were not allowed to bring lunches from home. This week alone, in my childrens' school cafeteria, they have the possibility of eating hamburgers, tacos, breaded chicken chunks, and pizza. None of these scream health to me. My children are allowed to eat one day a week in the cafeteria because what I, or MOTH, pack them is healthier than school lunch. They get nuts, fruits, vegetables, whole grain breads, and occasionally a sweet treat.  Their drink is typically water or fruit juice. Not the chocolate milk they have the option of drinking in the cafeteria. Now, I am very aware that all childrens' home lunches are not brimming over with healthy food choices. The obesity rate among children in the U.S. proves it. This situation, however, is not teaching these children to make healthy choices. It is teaching them that you should eat what others tell you is healthy, and to eat what you are told to eat. When those children arrive home from eating these school lunches they will promptly begin to eat chips and drink coke. This school's funding and time would be better spent on nutrition classes for these students so they can make their own healthy choices as they get older. Make a no soda rule. Make a no chips rule. Don't punish the parents who are doing the right thing.

Now let's think of the cost of this mandate for the parents of these children. My childrens' school lunch costs $2.10 per child, per day. For one day that means $6.30. For the week that's $31.50. For the month, $126.00. Now let's factor in my eldest child. He is a thin child (never been over the 15th percentile on weight), but eats like a horse. When he does eat school lunch he brings an extra snack because the school lunch is not adequate in size for him. We had to start sending a snack because 2 years ago, every time the child ate at school he was spending $4.10. He was getting his lunch, then going back for another main course which added another $2.00. That puts us well over the $150 mark for 3 kids. How can parents possibly afford this?

These are by no means the only considerations. What about allergies? What about picky eaters who would choose to eat nothing rather than have to eat school "mystery meat"? What about a parent's right to choose what their child eats? I just hope no other schools get any wild ideas.

Salt Water Cure

I'm continually amazed by God's wonderful creation. I am not typically one of those stop and smell the roses kind of people and the birds that are living in my chimney with their incessant chirping is not exactly relaxing. I am however, one of those stop and smell the salt water kind of people. I am blessed to be able to live within minutes of one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The sand is sugar-white and the water is emerald. Saturday we decided to take the family to the beach because who wants to paint the bathroom or rake leaves on a beautiful Saturday? My week, like most other people I know, is chaotic. Too many places to be, too many things to do, too many people to look after. I step onto the sand, however, and it's all gone.

I believe salt water can cure everything. Cuts? Salt water heals. Stress? Salt water heals. Sinus problems? Salt water heals. I am continually amazed that God has placed this natural cure-all right at our front door. So what is your natural cure all? What has God placed at your front door that heals you? Take time to be healed. If you're not sure what it is in God's creation that heals you, look around. Find it.

"We'll all be planning out a route, we're gonna take real soon, we're waxing down our surfboards, we can't wait for June...."  - Beach Boys

Groovy Chicks and Godly Men

I am constantly amazed by the variation with which God can fill one household. In my home lives The Flower Child. This child is a happy child. She loves nature and animals and the 60s. She rarely worries about much of anything and has an unending supply of love for those around her. She is blissfully unaware of the ugliness of the world. She can be very sensitive and prone to short lived tears. In short, she is one groovy chick. The world (and the people in it) have often told me I need to do something about The Flower Child. Apparently I need to help her be wise to "the real world" or her sensitivity will cause her to become hurt. According to the world, she is too sensitive and too blissfully unaware. I believe though, that God sent her this way. I believe that this sensitivity gives her compassion for others. I believe that it will be of use to her in whatever calling God has chosen for her. I think the world will harden her on its own and I need to take her as she is. I believe she is OK.

Also in our home lives The Determined One who is shy and reserved. She is witty and wise. She means what she says and says what she means. The world says we need to make her more outgoing. I believe her tendency to listen before speaking is her God given gift that will be used in the plan God has for her.  The Man Child is extremely goal oriented, which occasionally causes him to beat himself up if he falls short of his goals. The world says I need to "lighten him up". The world feels he will fall apart if he pushes himself too hard. I believe he will become a leader; a Godly man who will do great things on the path God chooses. I'm sure you have examples of your own about the division between our God given gifts and what the world says we should do with them.

I think it's time to start seeing our children, and ourselves, the way God sees us. He sees those traits he has placed in each of us as tools to glorify Him, not as problems that need to be fixed. I am not saying we should not discipline our children or fail to give them boundaries. I am saying today let's take an honest look at all the groovy chicks and Godly men that we have been given and see the potential in them. The world is in chaos, but our children are images of God. Let's try today to take them just as they are.

What's On the To Do List?

It's 9 A.M. here. So far this morning I have made breakfast after waking up 3 tired kids, solved the problems of the world ("Mama, I've lost my library book again!"), brushed and pony-tailed 2 heads of hair, wrangled my own hair into submission (bad hair day....again), and washed a load of socks. This is no different from the morning that you had, right? Now, there is a list on the kitchen counter calling for my attention. Call for an eye doctor appointment. Buy snacks for school. Sweep the fur balls from the upstairs hallway. There are tasks left from Monday I haven't completed. Nowhere on that list is "must exercise today" listed. Unfortunately, that seems to be something I fail to put on the list.

There are many reasons why that one item fails to make it to the "to do" list. For one, when caring for several other people and a dog somehow the whole exercise thing just doesn't get priority. I can't finish everything on the to do list as it is, so why make myself feel guilty by adding something I know probably won't actually get done anyway. It will only leap from the page, screaming and taunting me. Not to mention the fact that I think exercise stinks. Never once have I felt a rush of endorphins. Must not be doing it right. Tomorrow I'll absolutely exercise. Maybe.....

Earlier this week I had a little revelation that may just change this pattern for good, or at least hopefully help me start a new habit. I began beating myself up once again for the fact that I haven't exercised all week. I just seem to lack the motivation. Then I began to wonder why should I exercise? I'm a decent weight, I feel pretty good, and I don't really have any major health problems. Then it hit me. Because God asked me to. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 discusses our bodies as a Temple for the Holy Spirit. It also says that our bodies to do not belong to us and we should honor God with them. It is specifically discussing sexual sin, but I think the rule still applies. If I don't stay healthy, am I honoring God? Am I using this body to do the work that he has called me to do, which is to take care of my family and minister to others? Oh, I might for a while but eventually I will get sick or deal with health problems because I didn't keep the Temple in tip top shape. Not to mention the fact that I will likely be irritable and less able to love those around me. I've often thought because I have so much to do I can't make time to do this for myself, I'm too busy putting others before myself. In reality failing to exercise has turned out to be selfish on my part. It is not serving others or God. So today I choose to serve God by exercising. I'm starting small, maybe a 15 minute walk. Will you join me?