https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s27AJK67K_w

The above link is the song that helped me realize God's answer for me to have children was not necessarily a NO. I was HIS child. I earnestly sougt him day and night with the same request. He wasn't ignoring me. He wasn't "not answering". He wasn't telling me no. He had a greater plan in mind. A greater yes! I WAS to have children... just not in my time. His plan for me wasn't about me conceiving. It wasn't through a traditional adoption. Although, we did adopt, we weren't the ones chosing.

Through-out our married life there have been valleys I wouln't have wanted our children to have to walk through. I see that now. There have been people that could've quite possibly hurt our children. I see that and am so thankful now that God didn't give them to us then. I could go on with these "I see that now", "what could've been".. but it all comes down to this ...

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, 
my thoughts than your thoughts." 
Isaiah 55:8,9

God, in His infinite wisdom, holds us in his hands every day whispering "Trust Me", Trust Me", "Trust Me". "Be patient, my child, I will work it out for your good".   

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

So, how did we get to adopt these 2 precious little boys, our nephews? Something tragic happened to one of them, that to this day, I still don't know the truth. And I guess it doesn't matter because my sister and husband do and so does God and they will have to live with it for the rest of their lives while I get to live with the boys for the rest of mine. Two people made a selfish decision by putting their own will and safety over that of their 3 week old son and have continued to do that  with every other person in their life since that day.  After sugeries, hospital stays, evaluations (mental and health), court hearings, etc., a year and a half later, We officially became mommy and daddy. And there it was - my greater yes! 

Motivated Moms

I highly recommend this website www.motivatedmoms.com (the link is over there ->)! Especially if you are a list maker. It has an app for checking off daily chores, to-do-lists, cooking, reading the Bible, etc. And the list is made for you! 52 weeks of getting everything done that needs to be done and even the stuff you think about doing but never get around to... it's on the list!!  

Examples:
-change hand towels in master bathroom
-sweep/vacuum dining area and entry
- clean toilet in guest/kids bathroom
-organize laundry room
-wipe down dishwasher and refrigerator doors.

I know it sounds silly; having a list to tell you when and how to clean  but I hate cleaning! I know, I know .. "but, you're OCD or CDO as some may call it.. how can you not want to clean your house." Well, I lOVE having a clean house but I'm not germophobic so dirt doesn't scare me :)  I just wish I didn't have to spend the time doing it because there is not even time in the day. If I could think clean and it would be clean then fantastic, but that's not happening .. ever! So, since chores are such a chore for me (and seriously, who "likes" chores?) this app makes perfect sense. I'm not stuck in the same room or area for hours on end .. I can move around doing different types of cleaning through out the day or all at once. 

So, check it out  and tell me what ya think!  Be sure to leave a comment below. 

Love you because Jesus loves me!!

How To Teach Christian Character

I found this article I saved and thought it needed to be shared. I'm not sure where/who I got it from. I'll be posting meanings of character traits in the next couple of days. You can get a head start by reading up on the fruit of the spirit in Galatians 5.

As our children's primary mentors, we need to consistently display Christian character traits and surround our children with others who share our values. Harvard and Stanford Universities have reported that the reason a person gets hired for a job and promoted in that job is due to eighty-five percent attitude and fifteen percent technical or specific skills. But, we often teach the opposite! This statistic makes it very clear that our children's character will matter more in life than their academic performance. Here are some ways to instill Godly character traits.

1.      Have your child develop relationships with teachers, leaders, and mature Christians who can mentor them. There is much truth to the African proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child." Surrounding your child with adults who display Godly behaviors is the key to character building. Your participation in church can create a desire to know God more intimately. Belonging to a church and creating a network of Christian friends gives children a sense of community. The Sunday school lessons, music, and pastor's sermons can stimulate interesting questions and conversations.

2.      Please do not treat your child's Bible like an ordinary book. It does not belong on a bookshelf or tucked away in a drawer. The Bible is God's instructions for life, and it needs to be visible at all times. The more your child sees it, the more likely he is to pick it up and begin reading it. 

My children's favorite Bible is placed on their dresser, and my husband reads them a story every night before bed. I also have an assortment of children's Bibles throughout the house, such as on our coffee table and in their reading basket of books. God's word needs to be available to our children on a consistent basis.

3.      Parents, I would like to stress the importance of keeping God first in our homes. It is so easy to wake up, make breakfast, get yourself and your child dressed, and begin the day's school routine. We often say to ourselves that we will make time for God later.

Show your child God always comes first by giving Him the first minutes of your day. Set your alarm 15 minutes earlier, and wake up before your family to have coffee with Jesus. Read your Bible or a devotional and have a quiet prayer time. We need to seek God's guidance BEFORE we begin our day.

I got married when I was 19. I am still married today to the same man. Yep, this July will be 17 years! So if you do the math that means I'm 36. When I was approaching 30 I was looking forward to it. I felt being 30 would actually mean I was a real adult. I didn't have to sit at the kids table anymore. Although, for me, it was a choice not a chore. I was gathering information and gaining experience.  For what? To be the perfect mom? NOT! But to learn how to speak and love and react. Reaction is key and speaks volumes about a person.

In my early childhood there was a lot of negative reaction. I think I knew/felt that wasn't the way to handle things. I was determined to do it differently.  And so I do, sometimes, but there are times I fail. I make it right with my husband and kids AND the Lord and move on. I have to teach them it's ok to mess up because that's when we learn how to do it right. 

J-1 is "potty trained" ... sort of. He waits until the very last second and his bladder is about to explode before he runs to the bathroom screaming "I have to potty!" Which is usually followed by a short silence and then I hear the sound of water trickling to the floor. The first words out of his mouth? "I'm sorry mommy." or "awe, man, my underwear's wet". Honestly, the first couple of times he did it I thought he would get better because he's learning, in training, I have to teach him to go when he first feels it and not to wait until it is about to come out. But then it kept happening. A lot. I soon found myself "reacting" with aggravation then anger. And since our actions speak louder than our words I knew I was headed for a lesson I didn't want my son to learn. I stopped dead in my tracks. I repeated the rules for using the potty and had him say them back to me. We cleaned up the mess and spent a few minutes alone to think about what just happened. Better known as "Timeout". It was more for me than him. Parents need a time out, too, right?  In fact, we need a few timeouts each day. 

* If taking a 10-second count down mixed with a few deep breaths causes you to fall down instead of calm down - you need a time out!

* The moment you find yourself talking to God in a stern voice "Lord, I need you to lay your holy hand on my child before I get to 3." - you need a timeout!

Love you because Jesus loves me!

It's been 10 days since I left my job to be a S.A.H.M. Oh, those 4 little initials. They are so tiny yet carry so much weight. Stay. At. Home. Mom. I've longed to be able to say that about myself. Finally, the Lord has granted my request. Thankful! Oh so much! And even more so now that I'm in my new home in a new town serving in a new church.  So many things lined up to bring us where we are doing what we're doing. 

The boys are .. well, boys! And I've got to create a schedule and stick with it. I am too easily distracted and find myself involved in multiple things before completing one. I know if I don't stay on track then J-1 and J-2 will drive me bonkers and I'll be caving in instead of pressing on. So I turn to ... the world wide web .. isn't that where you'd go for a SAHM schedule?? Man, oh man, some of these women have breakfast at 9am!! Because they get up at 8:30!! Seriously? Seriously! I laughed out loud when I read a schedule where the mom made breakfast at 9 for little sally then 9:15 for bubba and 10 for big sissy. Uh huh! No way! These boys are up at 6:30, 7:00 at the latest. Sometimes 5:45 if they hear the door close behind daddy as he leaves for work. J-2 pops his head up and immediately says, "where daddy go?" 

Ok, just realized it's 2:30 AM! Guess I shouldn't have had coffee with my supper. 

Love you because Jesus loves me!!