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I’ll be at Target–crying!

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(I wrote this post last night.  Now it is morning and I couldn’t sleep at all last night.  In the quiet of the night I realized that I’m just really afraid of losing my boy–how he is now.  This age is so much FUN!  I am so blessed that he is so awesome and I’m lacking the faith that the future holds great things and lacking the grace to keep it together.  I think I’ll go back and read Psalm 139.)

Tomorrow is the first day of school.  My girls are home with me this year and my little is in preschool (3 days a week) and my big is starting middle school.

When my big kid decided to finish out 5th grade with his sibs–I was ok with that.  Well, may be not.  But I know that it was the best choice for him.

Now he will be away all day at a school that I will probably only be working lunch duty at his new school. . . a drastic change from my previous involvement.

So today is our last day with us all together.  It is also my little’s birthday.  So we had an awesome morning together and are gearing up for dinner and a cake the girls made and decorated all by themselves (a Lego Ninjago cake).

On our way home the girls asked what they will be doing tomorrow since it is the boys’ first day of school.  And without skipping a beat my “old”, wise, funny son said, “you’ll be in Target–and Mom will be crying”, he went on to explain the first week of school I cry but it gets less and less each day until it is only at lunch that I cry.

All of that is true.  I do go to Target on the first day of school–I have since his first day of preschool 8 years ago!  I do cry everyday and I do often cry at lunch.

I’m not afraid to cry and tell my kids I miss them.  I did promise my big that I wouldn’t fuss over him.

Ok, now I’m pre-crying as I write this!  God help me.

I’ll be linking up with

 

Works for Me Wednesday iFellowship Women in the Word Wednesday Living Well Wednesday Unwrapping His Promises God Bumps and God-Incidences Whatever Wednesday

Work in Progress Wednesday

Thought Provoking Thursday Thoughtful Thursday Thankful Thursday Proverbs 31 Thursday Life in Bloom Thrive at Home Thursday

A Mother (in-law)’s Gift

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I write a lot about how God is working in my life–or more often about how He is working in other people’s lives that directly affect me.  I believe that God is the master knitter and each stitch is meant to be such an important part of the covering he is creating–all the time.

My original blog was “in everything give thanks” and I loved the idea of showing gratitude for each and everything in our lives–from each breath to the food on the table in the house where we live.

Work In Progress Wednesday

I was just given the best Mother’s Day gift ever.  I was able to spend a week with my Mother-In-Law.  We had a staycation in my home.  We cooked side by side, we knitted side by side, we folded clothes side by side and pondered the idea of whether I would actually get the vacuum run or the lawn mowed during her visit.

I only had a week to prepare for her visit–I knew that she was coming for a weekend but found out about the extended stay with just a week’s notice.  I started out in panic mode–with the normal crazy busy of our schedule I wondered how I was going to make everything perfect.  The Mary/Martha struggle that I live with.  Then I decided to proceed like Mary.

The highlight of the trip was my daughter’s First Communion.  I’ve helped her for months to prepare for this Sacrament and all of a sudden I shifted from spiritual preparedness to worrying about fingerprints and dust.  I realized that I needed to focus on what was truly important.  I stopped thinking about the cleaning schedule and gave myself permission to plan and be organized–then stop to enjoy this “First” moment.

For the first time I didn’t make myself and those who love me crazy with the Martha level of perfection.  I did the minimum and let the rest happen.

My MIL gave me the gift of time and I gave myself the gift of a humble pie,  accepting a wonderful opportunity to enjoy time with her without the agenda of a perfectionist.  I allowed myself to be imperfect, real, authentic and grateful.  I felt genuine gratitude–really felt it–not just the Hallmark card or the Helen Stein watercolor variety of gratitude–but real, take a deep breath and EXHALE.

It was an awesome visit.  I feel renewed and refreshed–and that you can’t buy in a store.  I learned that I have value independent of perfectionism.  I thought of my MIL as I vacuumed the house and mowed the lawn.  I hoped that she felt renewed, refreshed and loved.

Thank you God for putting amazing women in my life!  I am blessed to be inspired, encouraged and loved by so many of your daughters.  I only hope that through your grace I will be able to encourage and inspire as I serve you.

No Matter What–Divine Mercy

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April Children’s Adoration
Divine Mercy
What is Divine Mercy?

It is God’s love for us—all of us—no matter what.  God wants us to know that his mercy isgreater than our sins.  He loves us with kindnessand compassion—no matter what we do, say or think.

Why do we need God’s Mercy?

If God loves me—no matter what—why can’t I stop there?   Matthew 5:7 says “Blessed are the merciful,for they shall obtain mercy.”  God’s loveand compassion are never ending.  Ashumans we sometimes find it hard to be gentle, loving, kind, respectful and showingmercy can be difficult. 

In our culture we all want to be the best and often at theexpense of making others feel less.  Godloves us—no matter what—and to him it doesn’t matter if we have fancy boots,sparkly jewelry, a big house, if we are popular or not.  It doesn’t matter to him if we talk funny,walk funny or are just weird.  God madeus perfect in his way (Psalm 139).  Weneed God’s mercy to love us and forgive us.
How do we practice being merciful?
A-ask for God’s loving mercy in prayer asking him forforgiveness of our sins and for him to fill our hearts with mercy.
B-be merciful.  Whenwe ask God for his mercy in A, now we need to let the mercy come to us and use itwith others.   God wants us to showkindness and forgiveness to everyone we meet.
C-completely trust in Jesus. This is God math—the more we trust in Jesus the more we will receive.   Whenwe trust in Jesus he gives us more grace than what we need and it flows tothose around us.
Jesus asked a nun for Divine Mercy to have its own feast day—thiswill be coming up the Sunday after Easter. This woman was St. Faustina.  Shewas a poor girl who lived in Poland and had very little education.  How can a poor girl with little education haveconversations with Jesus?  Well, I thinkthat she trusted in Jesus so much that he trusted that she would be bold enoughto keep a diary of what he told her.  Ifwe met St. Faustina today and she told you about how Jesus comes to her andasks her to write things down for him so that she can share his ideas . . .would you be gentle, loving, kind, and respectful?  Would you show her mercy?

Be Blessed as you spend your time with Jesus whether it is in adoration, the car or watching your baby sleep.  Take a moment to practice being merciful andknow that God loves you—no matter what.