What's Going On Around Here?

This picture is of my youngest daughter, Bethany, but her expression completely explains my emotions today.  I sense she is saying, "What?!!?"  Which is exactly how I have felt today!  Have you ever woke up in a decently good mood but one small, and I mean tiny, thing just sets your mood for the day?  Yeah, that would be me today.  I have prayed, "Lord, please get me out of this bad mood, now!" only about a thousand times today and it's just now 1:00 p.m. 

The day began with someone completely ignoring me....and no, it was not one of my immediate family members.  Then it lead to cleaning up a huge, bad, poop accident that happened to the little 2 year old girl I babysit. This all happened before breakfast....not good!  Well, my two little ones finally woke up and I thought things would get better.  Samuel decided he didn't like the little friend we babysit and Bethany didn't want to share.  So, I became a referee most of the morning.  I decided we would have an early lunch and got out the little blanket we have our "lunch picnic" on everyday.  After getting all of the kids settled on the blanket Samuel yells out, "mom, something is really wet over here!"  Yep, our little friend's cup had leaked all over the carpet.  At this point I am begging God for nap time to come quickly.  Well, nap time finally rolled around and our little friend we babysit went down for her nap like a champ.  However, my child, Bethany got out of her bed about six times before I decided...why try anymore.  I let her and Samuel play with playdough while I folded clothes.  I proceeded down the hallway to put clothes away in there proper places only to turn around and see playdough being stuffed in my 3 year old's ears.  Really??  Playdough was done for the day at this point....up you go playdough!  Ok, let's try a cool cartoon and "rest" time.  LOL!!!  That was a joke!  Samuel comes running around the corner yelling, "I need to go poop!"  So, off we run to the bathroom, and quickly!  Once he is settled I thought I would put away more clothes...then, I hear a crash!  Bethany falls off a old trunk we have sitting in our living room....yes, she decided climbing it would be fun.  Bethany begins to scream and then Samuel starts yelling, "mom, I am done!  I need to get off the potty!"  I find myself looking at a crying 2 year old that wants to be held for comfort and hearing a 3 year old that needs attention...ya know what I mean.;)  I became frustrated!!  Very frustrated!!  The day was not getting any easier, in fact it was getting more difficult!  Then I decided....ya know, this sweet girl just wants to be held...just for a minute.  She wants someone to hold her and tell her it will be ok.  So, I did!  I told Samuel to wait and I took Bethany up in my arms, to love and comfort her.  At this moment I felt the Lord speaking to my heart.  Although I didn't want to make Samuel wait for me....he had too.  You see, I felt like God was saying, "if you are never told to wait...how then will you learn patience?"  In this world today everyone wants gratification and they want it immediately!!!  There are so many lessons learned in the "waiting" that would never be learned if every request were answered immediately.  I wanted God to fix my anger issue immediately this morning.  I didn't like the person I was.  But, ya know, I would have never had that "moment" with God to learn a lesson He was trying to speak to me if He had fixed my problem immediately.  It's ok to wait.  Look what He is trying to teach you during the wait.  And mother's.....it is alright to make your children wait for something....even if it's your attention.  They know they are loved and highly favored in your eyes but they will learn patience just like you during their "waiting".  Happy Waiting!")

Acts 20:35

"In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’"  Acts 20:35

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin."  Matthew 6:28


My  heart is full this morning!  Full of memories of being at places and times in my life when I wondered how things were going to work out; i.e., feeding my family, clothing my family, paying the next bill.  I am thinking about thousands of people in our world right now that are wondering about the same things.  I feel their heart and their weight they are carrying....why....because I have been there.  I am also reminded of all the people that reached out and blessed me all throughout my life.  The times when my parents wondered about the same things and then someone from our church would show up with a bag of clothes or a warm meal.  My dad has been a minister for over 40 years and if you know anything about ministry....well, the salary is not the greatest.  So, growing up I would have sweet women within our church bring huge bags of clothes to my mother and say, "hey, my daughter has grown out of these, if your daughter can use them then please take them."  What a blessing!!  As I have grown older and now have four children of my own I am still seeing that blessing today!  There are angels that have shown up on my doorstep with clothes for my kiddos!!


A few years ago Britt and I lost our full time job as youth pastors.  The pain was so great and then as time went on the pain shifted to worry.....our thoughts were, "how are we going to take care of our family??"  During this time we became pregnant with our fourth child.  I got so tired of people giving me weird looks and asking me, "don't you know how that happens??"  Really??  Not a great time to ask a mother that question!  Yes, I know how it happens and I also know how to prevent it, but God had other plans!!  We were completely dumb founded when we realized I was pregnant.  We had done everything we could to prevent another pregnancy.  But when God has a plan, He has a plan and His ways are better than ours!  So, once we got past the shock of our fourth pregnancy we felt so blessed.  We knew this child was going to bring much joy into our lives, hence her name....Bethany Joy!  When we lost our job we thought we would be without one for maybe a couple of weeks or even months.  Well, those few weeks and months turned into a complete full year!  There were days filled with worry, tears, anger, etc. but there were also days full of laughter, joy, and happiness.  Some of that laughter, joy, and happiness came from people simply reaching out and showing random acts of kindness to us.  I remember my sweet friends showing up on my doorstep with tons of food and energy!  What do I mean by "energy,"....well, they cleaned my entire house!  These same people (along with others) blessed us with money to buy our children Christmas that year and also a minivan.....yes, I said a minivan!  There were also people that tithed from their income tax refund and sent it our way!  There were others that would call and say, "I am thinking of you! I am praying for you! I love you!"...which touched my heart just as much!  There were others who gave us clothes or food.  You see, they didn't have to do any of this!  But they chose to bring a ray of sunshine to someone who felt they were in their darkest valley.  Those acts of kindness and those sweet people will never be forgotten!


Why am I sharing all of this....I don't really know!  I know God is making me do a major self-check right now in many areas of my life.  Today he has laid on my heart all those in need, because I have been there.  I am so thankful to God and to all of those who have ever given to me or my family....and I am not just talking about financially.  I pray that I can always remember how it felt for someone to show me a random act of kindness.  I pray that I can be, and also teach my children to be, the person that brings random acts of kindness to someone else.  Please, please, don't ever underestimate the power of giving!  You may not have money to give but you can always give a smile, a kind word, a touch, etc.  Just my thoughts today!  Happy Giving!:)