Mama said Part 2

It's still raining. Oh, well. One of those days you just have to pray for sanity and patience with two kids indoors. I bought three new flashlights today after our power outage yesterday. I don't think they will do any good if we have another one considering I let it slide and the kids have played with them most of the day. Back to my previous post... So we already established yesterday was not so great. I went to bed with unifinished business including a HEAPING mound of laundry and TWO sink fulls of dishes. Unfortunately, I learned I am no magician. They were still there waiting on me when I woke up. So was everything else-including, ironically enough, another HORRIBLE day of bad weather! I know that you shouldn't go to bed mad and that the sooner you start the process of healing the sooner the pain subsides and the more proactive you are about your future the more vividly it's seen in today but I still go to bed mad, do not pray for healing, and get comfortable with where I am today. Horrible, I know. But, I'm learning. Learning that when you wake up with high hopes of a sun filled morning you must first sweep up the peices of yesterday and until the dust settles the day will be quite hazy. I can't remember how many times I said goodbye to yesterday. I laid in bed for a while awake saying, "Adios!" and yet today I woke with the same annoying sting from the wounds of yesterday. Don't be like me. Don't wait for tomorrow to do that laundry, wash those dishes, look for that perfect house...just do it. Otherwise the bad day grows to worse and it becomes a bad week. If it's already bad but finish it with bad landry and stinky dishes and endless internet searching...it matches the mood, huh?

Mama said there'd be days like this...

It's 10:38 p.m.. We all know we I am not a p.m. poster but I must add another theory to my life...if you have laughed at your day, cried several times, yelled at least one person, asked God to forgive you then there is only one left to do-BLOG! I don't even know where to begin-so I won't. This day has been absolutely horrible. That's a start. Sometimes the details of it all just aren't ready to be re-lived but I think this is a great post b-c it's a compilation of the many things I have learned on bad days. These did not all come to me b-c of today but a lot of them did. 1. It's way better to cry alone than to cry in the presence of someone who should care but clearly does not. 2. When I talk about the somewhat petty components that make up a bad day like our entire family had to dress in the dark b-c of a power outage (yes, that really happened today) and you begin to quote statistics about how many countries don't even have power that does not make me feel guilty, only terribly annoyed and slightly infuriated. 3. Whoever said when it rains it pours...they were a genius. 4. Most of my bad days are related back to a known need not being met by someone I know and care for. 5. It should be a crime, absolute crime to expect a mother of two to have the entire family fed, dressed and to church in a thunderstorm. I'm sorry I love God and love church but seriously it's nearly impossible to be in a good mood after weathering a storm with a kid by hand and baby on a hip WHILE BALANCING IN HEELS! Yeah, take that to the circus! 6. The sun will not come out tomorrow until the rain clouds of today finish clearing. In other words, sometimes a new day means new problems in addition to the ones you never dealt with today. Be confrontational and get it over with. 7. What I want most in life is to be heard. If I call you on a bad day I probably don't want free therapy, advice, to be condemned for actually being human and feeling emotions due to crappy events, I probably just want you to listen. Oh, and if I talk really loud and emphasize a really dramatic event that really has me going GASP really loud and throw in a few OMGs just so I feel like SOMEONE actually relates to the crappiness of my day. 8. On bad days I rarely feel sad. I feel mad. Mad at too many people who aren't me. Why do I tend to be very responsible in life but refuse to take responsibility for what I could have done better to make the day go smoother?? Ok, now I feel like I can sleep.

Road Block...

I've never seen myself picky with houses. If it has four walls and a roof, plumbing and central heat and air then it can be considered. However since we've been looking I've realized I am not only picky I am IMPOSSIBLE!

I don't know what's wrong with me! Of course the listings come by adress with a link to see the pictures and additional details of the home. I however have been catching myself stopping at the addresses! I'm sorry but I just couldn't reason addressing Christmas cards and placing a return address label with a address of Falmouth Drive. No matter how you pronounce that A it sounds like Foulmouthed. And there was Aunt Polly Trail. Who the heck is Aunt Polly?? And of course I can't forget Huckleberry Finn (can't remember if it was rd or st). Talk about a reminder of my Tennessee roots!

So I have hit a road block....literally a road is blocking me from choosing. Oh, did I mention we have to be out of our apt by May 31st and give a 60 notice we are leaving. Yeah, I better get on the stick. On a more serious note, pray we find a home that meets our needs and everything goes smoothly.

Since I am talking about wants more than actual needs....I have always wanted to go see the Regis and Kelly show. Mario and I are going to NY this summer and it may just be my chance to catch good ole Reg before he retires! Pray I get to see him! I know its not that important but I want to see him in all of his morning glory!

I have to mention that my parents were able to visit last month, I visited them this month, I am meeting a friend and my goddaughter for lunch today (they are on vacation), more friends in town this weekend for Sonfest and my dad is passing through later today and we are having dinner. I am really happy I've been able to see so many people!

March

Sometimes updates are easiest done by small one liners...

I just returned from a visit to Tennessee.

I had precious moments with family and laughter filled visits with friends.

I came home to very tired husband, busy schedule (how does that happen when you are unemployed) and two kids totally off their routine (grrr).

I just found out there will be a male and female addition to the Vining family. My cousins (sisters) are pregnant and another cousin started the adoption process. HOW EXCITING!

I have become the NO TV NATZI and I have been very tempted to cancel our cable lately. My son is constantly begging to watch cartoons. I do NOT like this.

I came home to two books on the table. I ordered Bittersweet and Summer Snow before I left. Can't wait to start Bittersweet after Summer Snow.

That's all for now!

Never Say Never

Didn't you always vow to never say, "Because I said so," to your kids or promise to never make your daughter wear bows, frilly socks or panty hose? I'm sure, if you are anything like me, you swore when you got married you would ONLY wear Victoria's Secret panties and never lose your pre-baby body. Then of course, I must remember looking at those college graduates who were nearing the BIG 3-0, still living at home and waiting tables and doing nothing with that expensive degree and declaring, "That would never be!" I remember occaisonally running into the stressed out stay at home mom from church and thinking, "Why would someone do that to theirself? Stay home all day?? NEVER!"

But here I am *arms wide open, big cheesy grin, hair a mess, face bare* and I realize how nieve, unprepared, ignorant I was to have ever made those statements. I stay home with the kids, my daughter wears bows (NOT the big ones and I haven't ever made her wear the frilly socks-torture!), I wish I could say my underwear were brand new and only from a pink striped bag but shamefully that's not the case. I think about Psychology a lot but in a professional setting its not been used much.

I'm just curious....are there any other people that said never this or never that and find that always is more the case?

FREE

The last two days my husband and I were able to take advantage of a Youth Pastor's Summit in Orlando for FREE. We were able to hear from some of the most well known voices including George Barna and Francis Chan. The best part...it was FREE.



So was breakfast and lunch, Universal tickets, numerous books, a pre-screening of the movie Courageous, concert by Attaboy and life changing challenges. I love FREE STUFF! I am moved that so many ministries are able to offer amazing conferences such as these for free. If your family is anything like ours, it's not always doable to attend amazing things such as the one just mentioned.



Sometimes the best things in life ARE free. I loved George Barna and his simplicity. I loved that he refused to mention exact places where he had seen "church" done "right" or "wrong". I loved even more that he said if I mentioned the right ones you would have never heard of them because they are small and have no interest in being put on the map because they are too busy being about the true father's business.

He also suggested when asked, "Is there a specific church model we can look to, to be successful?", we simply measure our success not by numbers, sqaure footage, attendance, or staff but by fruit. So simple! Basically if your strategy isn't producing fruit, you aren't succeeding. Very humble and smart man.

I had never had a privledge of hearing Francis Chan in person. I am so glad I had the opportunity to hear of his life in the last year. What a man of faith! He left his church of 16 years after feeling he was hearing "Francis Chan" more than "Holy Spirit". His family (expectant wife and 5 kids) have spent the last year traveling the world waiting to hear where God tells them to go next. He has returned to the states to finish a few things God wants to do through him here but you could see absolutely NO RESERVATION to pack his entire family up and move across the globe all for the sake of the kingdom. Wow. I must admit I wanted to erase every blog post about having a hard time moving 8 hours from home. This man gave up his entire life.

I was introduced to a new author, Melody Carlson. Heard of her?? I am anxious to read her new book Forgotten. It was FREE! Back to my previous post, the entire conference I kept hearing whispers of "just because" straight from God. I hadn't earned my right to be there but I was and I left with some very influential thoughts and challenges. What have you gotten lately for free??