Woops - I guess the real day 6 and 8 out of 40

So I'm not really sure what happened...I just realized tonight that I forgot to blog Monday which should have been day 6, which meant yesterday was day 7 and today is day 8! Oh well...day 6, the real day 6, Monday, went well. These days with three kiddos to take care of I have a hard time remembering what I ate for breakfast let alone what I did two days ago but I'm pretty sure it was a success. I did have some time with the Lord, no exercise, and we had fun doing something :)...I just can't seem to remember what that something was. Oh yeah! Nothing like pictures to remind you of what you did. 

We painted bread and then chowed down...don't worry, not real paint, just colored milk. We also made a prayer pail. Pumpkin wanted to play with the sticks at first but once I gave him a bunch of his own blank sticks, he was good. We've used the prayer pail the last two nights of family devo's and its been a fun way for Noah to pray for people. 

So that was day 6...AGAIN! And this is Day 8....

Not sure why Pumpkin again was up before 7 am but he was. However, I was still able to get in a shower and a few quiet moments with Jesus. The fact that the windows were opened in February helped me to thank Him all day for sunshine, fresh air, screen doors being used, playground fun. The boys and I had some good reading time on the couch before lunch and some playtime outside before dinner.
Thanks to my awesome mentor, I also got in a day of exercise (WOOHOO!)...which means 3 down out of 29 days of exercising. We worked it hard for 45 minutes of power walking...walking and talking which makes the workout even better. Thank you friend!

I pray that tomorrow, whatever the day may look like, that I would continue to grow in self-discipline and self-control...especially in controlling my temper, my anger and instead, clinging to Proverbs 15:1..."a soft answer turns away wrath but a harsh word stirs up anger."

Off to watch Leap Year on Leap Day!

Day 6 of 40

Have you ever noticed that when you commit to doing something it seems like extra things come up, the uncommon becomes more common, and you feel like someone is specifically trying to stop your efforts? In my case, the enemy probably is that someone, trying to stop efforts of fruit production for the Lord's kingdom. Miss O was up twice last night and Pumpkin climbed into bed with me before my alarm even went off. Yikes. Thankfully, Pumpkin fell back asleep and I slept a few minutes past my alarm. I did have a few sweet quiet minutes in my brown chair before all were up and ready to go. A few minutes but certainly not enough. No, my mind really wasn't renewed. I wasn't surrendered and ready to cling to the Lord all day. Its almost as if when I wake up in the morning I am covered with yucky sinful goop (yes, goop...in other words, myself and selfishness). If I don't purpose to have the Lord scrub that off each morning, I'm dragged down by it all day and sinful choices and actions result.

I did enjoy my children though more today. Thanks to a freezer meal, the last hour of the day before Mr. B got home (my least favorite hour), I was able to just play in Pumpkin's room with him and Taz. We spent some time outside this evening as well. How refreshing to just inhale the cool breeze!

6 days down, 34 to go!

Day 5 of 40

Its crazy to me that its already day 5! Day 5 of choosing self-discipline, choosing to do what's sometimes hard, not fun, not my first choice. Like this morning when I wanted to sleep in. I wanted to sleep in since Pumpkin was sick again through the night and we were up with him. But my own words came ringing through  my head...that I would get up and renew my mind with the Lord regardless of how my night of sleep went. I was extra thankful for my extra Panera coffee I had leftover from yesterday's breakfast date.

The weather was beautiful today which helped pull me outside for a run while everyone else was napping. Hard, but good. Good for my body and even better for my mind.

I didn't do a great job enjoying my children today...mainly due to my excessive attention toward planning Pumpkin's birthday. Tomorrow is a new day though. A new day to choose to enjoy them, love on them, play with them, laugh with them and just let them be who God made them to be.

By the Lord's gentle, yet firm, reminders, may I see them through His eyes, see their strengths, their gifts...to remember that they are their own person and they have been entrusted to me. I pray that tomorrow I will choose to be thankful, to love, and to live out the beautiful gospel and Word of Jesus.

Day 4 of 40

Yep, I was right - waking up at 7 am on a Saturday morning is NOT easy! Thankfully though the Lord woke me up a few minutes after as I realized my alarm on my phone was on silent. Oops! It was a nice quiet morning - that is for about 40 minutes. But I'll take it! One of my favorite things right now about waking up early is sitting in my recliner chair which is right next to the window and having the light from outside pour in over me. Its back to that time of year where I don't have to have a lamp on because its too dark inside. Nope, spring is around the corner and brighter mornings is just what I need to keep me awake.

There was no exercising today but I certainly enjoyed my family as my husband surprised me with a morning date....

We enjoyed each other's company as we shared a cup of some of our favorite Panera coffee. We were able to have this kid-free date thanks to an amazing godly couple who has been asking to babysit - can't turn that down folks! We came back to pick them up and found Pumpkin, of course, dressed up.

If you can't tell, he was in his element! All three kiddos did great for them which we were grateful to hear. The rest of the day held naps for all, an errand run for just Pumpkin and myself, a haircut for Pumpkin by daddy, and just laughing together.

Taz isn't feeling well and when I started to fear about his health, one of the verses I'm memorizing in this 40 day journey, came to mind and boy, did I cling to it..."When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust. I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?" Psalm 56:3-4. Another reminder that God's word is sharper than any double-edged sword...discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12)...in my case, cutting away feelings that cover lies that steal my joy.

Our favorite line of the day was my Pumpkin..."Hey Mommy, this is where the police man came when you were going faster. We have rules about that!" Nothing slips past that boy.

Day 3 of 40

It was a bit harder this morning to pull myself up off the mattress but I finally did it. Its funny how in the moment, a five or ten minute snooze seems so necessary and yet, once I'm out of bed, I realize how insignificant that 5 or 10 minutes of sleep would be compared to 5 or 10 minutes in the living Word of God. I'm seeing that Pumpkin has an internal alarm clock set to 7:30 so I better be up and out by 7 if I want my quiet time. During Miss O's breakfast, I was able to pray for my children and my friends. Right now, two of my girlfriends and I are dedicating Friday mornings to pray for our children. 

Today's prayer for our kids: Godly friends and spouses someday

I'm thankful its all in the Lord's hand but how I pray that my children will guard their hearts, will have friendships with others who will encourage them and challenge them to be better people and followers of Christ, and to perhaps someday have Godly husbands or wives. 

Fridays are "chore day" so Noah picked up his room and helped me dust.

The boys had fun playing with their new water table...

I was so easily pulled to do other things, clean, laundry, tidy, etc. but I made sure to sit there for 10 minutes while we played pirates and shark chase. I had to let go of the water on the floor that of course was going outside of the towels laid down. I prayed that at the end of 40 days, I won't have to force myself to stop and play for 10 minutes but that instead, I would look forward to those moments without feeling pulled to other much less important things.

As my 40 days are quickly elapsing, so are my 29 days of exercise....which was enough motivation for me on this Friday night.

Oh yeah, Chalene and Turbo Jam! I definitely didn't finish the 45 minute workout but 20 minutes was good enough! 

Off to spend time with Mr. B...one of my favorite times of the day. Pray that tomorrow I'll have the self-discipline provided by the Lord to get myself out of bed early on a SATURDAY morning!

Day 2 of 40...in more detail

After 2 or 3 hours the immense burning pain at the tip of my right index finger finally subsided....leaving behind a nice white blister that still hurts every time I type those blasted middle-of-the-keyboard letters. Nevertheless, my 40 day journey continues. Yesterday, as I said yesterday, was a good day. I had a whole 30 minutes of quiet time, time in the Word, praying and journaling and it was wonderful. My days, at least the first half of the day, goes so much smoother when I've renewed my mind and surrendered myself to Jesus.

Pumpkin had preschool, but afterwards and after naps, came the sweetest part of my day. You can see why below.

If you look closely you'll see that I'm sitting with all three of them. At one point, Pumpkin had his arm wrapped around mine, Miss O was in my lap, and Taz and I were holding hands. I thanked God for such a blessing, for three sweet children, and for the privilege it is to be their mother.

Taz wanted me to keep reading this book we got from the library the night before. Cute book!
Miss O and I read a few books before bed...a habit I'm absolutely cherishing!
Mr. B and the boys spent an hour or so putting together Taz's Christmas gift from the grandparents while I worked on a matchcar toy track for the boys...and that's where the burnt finger comes in. Hot glue gun and I never seem to leave each other unscarred...but I guess its better than getting the sewing machine out.

I'll post later pics of the track.

Thank you Lord for one more day! 38 days left!

Day 2 of 40

Well, today was a good day.  Unfortunately though, I'll have to expound on its results tomorrow... assuming my right index finger heals from the hot glue gun burn I got while putting together a toy track for the kids.  There's major burnination right now.  Have a good night!

Day 1 of 40

So day one went well...

The boys did an awesome "room time" for almost an hour which meant I was able to sit with the Lord, pray, journal and soak in His word.

We made a cupcake kit and Noah enjoyed decorating his cupcake...

Micah had fun pushing poms into the cup...

Noah, Olivia and I read books this afternoon.
During Miss O's afternoon snack I was able to read, drink some tea and work on memorizing some verses.

Overall, good day one! Thank you Lord!

29 in 40

I have exactly 40 days until I'm 29 years old. What's significant about 40 days or 29 yrs old? Nothing really - only that it helps me have some rough plan or framework or goal. So what am I doing with these next 40 days? By the Lord's grace and strength, and hopefully, all for his glory its my 40 days of self-discipline. It's a theme I've felt pressed upon me by the gentle yet firm hand of the Lord for the last 8 weeks or so. I so much want to instill that virtue in my children -self-discipline, self-control. Yet, how can I teach them that if my own life does not embrace that and exemplify that trait? And I know that the Lord designed each one of us to be self-controlled and self-disciplined because he tells us that in 2 Timothy 1:7. It just takes our part too as we train in that. Well, they say it takes 30 days or something like that to make a certain thing a habit. Well, I'll be generous and give myself 40 days. Maybe it won't necessarily be a habit but I pray that the Lord would use these next 40 days to train me in being more self-disciplined. I plan to use this blog to chronicle the next 40 days and share whatever it is that day that I am doing on this journey of self-discipline. As I am praying through this some goals come to mind...

• 40 days of being in the Word first thing in the morning....yes, that may mean getting up at 7 am or earlier and yes, that may mean even getting up when I've been up all night with sick kids (side note: I know at times we just need to give ourselves grace and sometimes the most godly thing we can do is get some sleep. But, for me at least, in this season, I tend to err more on the side of sleeping when I really just need to renew my mind and chew on the Word of God first thing in the morning. Plus, I'm only doing this for 40 days. After that, sure, there may be mornings where I choose to sleep in)
• 40 days of being more intentional in my children's lives...reading to them, fun and new activities, devos, sharing scripture with them
• 29 days of exercising - well I have to be honest with myself. 40 days of exercising would just NOT happen and would also not be the best for my body....so its 29 since I'm turning 29 in 40 days. 
• 29 memorized verses...again, 40 verses in 40 days? I could do it, sure. But I don't want to miss the point or check a box when learning the precious words of God. I want to savor that sweet honey he has freely given us through His word. 

So, whoever may read this, feel free to check in with me, keep me accountable, or even perhaps join me in something similar. In the words of Peter Pan, "Here we go!"

Grave clothes

Satan.
There is no victory for him in the death of a lover of Jesus. No, that individual's eternity has been sealed by the blood of Christ, sealed for eternity in Heaven with the God of this universe. So where can he find victory? In our every day living, the here and now. If he can keep us living like we are still in the grave, then he will take that victory. I have been crucified with Christ and raised with Him. But sadly, I, and don't many of us, still function as if we are still in the grave, still in the tomb? The abundant life is waiting on the other side of that rock and yet we are satisfied with grave clothes and crumbs, the meager life. It doesn't usually seem meager though, does it? The world paints the meager life as the abundant life, masking it in smiles, happiness, love and the notion that if you want it, then you must need it, and would be happier if you had "it".
Christ offers us abundant life, peace, joy, contentment. At what price? Nothing on our part. No, he paid it ALL. The price was his blood. The sale complete with our surrender, our total surrender, devotion, trust.

So why, if we know what awaits us each new morning on the other side of that rock, do we choose to live the day in grave clothes? All we have to do is let go, make a choice moment by moment, choose to trust that I am a new creation - the old has gone, the new has come!

Help me Jesus, today, to throw off the grave clothes and live as what you have already declared me to be....a new creation!

sick of the sick!

15 days and counting. 15 days of one medical thing after the other, sparing no one in our family. Death toll? Zero. Mentally exhausted toll? All 5..well at least husband and myself. Starting with a cut finger, a trip to the ER, the stomach flu for 3 out of 5 of us, 8 days of diarrhea for Taz, 5 days of on and off vomiting for Taz, colds for all 5 of us, Strep throat for myself and a whole lot of crying, sleepless nights, bottles of cleaner, and laundry. Phew! I'm just tired typing it all out again. Every time I thought we were done with one thing, something else would spring up. Something else like an infected finger for Pumpkin. Add one to the list.

How have I done being thankful? Can I rewrite the above with a attitude of grace and gratefulness? Let me try...
15 days and counting. 15 days of lots of medical issues that have been very minor. Death toll? None, thank you God! We weren't even close to that! Mentally exhausted toll? All 5...well at least husband and myself. But, at least I have a working mind that can get exhausted. It certainly wasn't a boring 15 days! Starting with a cut finger and a trip to the ER -thank you Lord that my finger is totally healed, fine, and no infection occurred; stomach flu for 3 out of 5 of us - thank you God that we didn't have to go to the hospital, husband so selflessly took care of us; 8 days of diarrhea and 5 days of vomiting for Taz - thank you Lord that I have a little boy who we can take care of when sick and thank you that it was only a virus; colds for all 5 of us - thank you Lord that we have working respiratory systems that can get colds; Strep for myself - thank you Jesus for medicine, an opening at the Dr. to see me, help from parents; Lots of crying - thank you that we don't have a silent house because there are no children to fill the rooms; Lots of sleepless nights - thank you God that you sustain us, not sleep; Lots of cleaner - thank you God that we have money to buy cleaner; Laundry - thank you Lord for a washing machine so I don't have to wash things by hand; infected finger - thank you Lord that Pumpkin has working fingers to get infected.

Wow. That took a lot longer to write but left me a whole lot more encouraged and uplifted. But its easier to look back and type out a different perspective. Far more difficult to actually embrace that outlook in the moment, in those minutes following another blow-out, those dark hours in the middle of the night when you'd rather be in a warm bed rather than cleaning up vomit. Yes, its much easier to just run with how you feel in that moment.

Easier does NOT = best, good, encouraging, helpful. Easier can often = discouraging, fear-producing, bitterness, anger, etc.

Lord Jesus, help me choose that which is best, even if it takes longer to type (or to preach to myself).
Help me say thank you, not just with a keyboard, not just with my mouth but truly with my heart.

"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18