Methods of a Mindful Mother

Yesterday, was somewhat of a tailspin. Sundays are especially hectic and stressful. You need laying on of hands before you are ever out of the door, especially when there are four of you to bathe, dress, feed and (many of you won't understand this) fix hair. Trust me afros and curls take a lot of taming!

Since my son's birth I feel like I have been sprinting to a finish line that doesn't exist. I've been on the track of motherhood which isn't a competition and I haven't allowed myself to slow down and enjoy my kids enough. I've been sprinting through our days as a family trying every method, soaking in every word of advice and listening to all the critics give me less than a perfect 10.

Yesterday morning was one of those days. You wake up feeling defeated before you ever attempt to fight to make it out the door. One of my children was having a particularly difficult morning. They didn't want to go to nursery, didn't want to sit in service, didn't want their mom and once they had their dad he didn't do the trick either. Somedays your children just have to do what they have to do. They can't have their way everyday. However, as an adult I can attest sometimes we just don't feel like doing certain things and there can be a plethera of reasons why-illness, fear, anxiety, hestitation, exhaustion, and then sometimes we are just plain lazy and stubborn.

Every child is different! There is no one method or remedy, no magic in a wand only a prayer in my mouth always that I will choose the right thing to do. Just when I think I have decoded how to deal with my children the method fails me and I am on to the next. I learned yesterday I need to do a lot less trying and a lot more praying.

I am tired of wondering what Mother Hen or Mother Goose (you get the point) would do with my children. If they had the answer my children would have hatched from their eggs not birthed from my womb. God entrusted me with my children for a reason and I think it's because I have EXACTLY what I need to raise well balanced adults.

So walk in confidence that you too have whatever it takes to raise a great kid, succeed a prosperous business or teach a class of capable individuals....whereever you are in life God is equipping you. Stop trying and start praying!

Home Again.

The worst thing about abandoning your blog is you never know where to start and therefore it's so hard to end. I have been to three different states and Miami in the last month. While it has been so exciting, fun and memorable its also been eventful, exhausting and slightly stressful.

I could so get used to traveling on a regular basis. I love being in new places, room service and getting out of the daily routine for a bit. Let's start with Tennessee....

Tennessee-We went to a close friend's wedding and were able to see very close friends we haven't seen in a long time. Always nice to catch up and see another couple say i do.

New York- We went to a youth conference. WOW! They are doing awesome things up north! I mean AWESOME! We didn't hesitate to take advantage of a few tourist visits either including Statue of Liberty, Times Square, Rockefeller, Macy's, Madison Square Gardens and many more.

Miami-We went to another youth conference and took along our youth group. 28 in all! WOW! South Beach is not the place to be when you are liable for other lives. It's dangerous, lively and wild. We we offered illegal drugs several times, our kids saw a man pull a knife on another man, and they were chased by a homeless man shaking his change cup at them. Yikes! All in all God did his thing....as he always does.

Alabama-Another wedding! I just have to state driving from Orlando to ALabama is the absolute worst drive you could ever imagine. A lot of it is two laned roads surrounded by cow pastures. I have yet to go to a city in Alabama I like. But anyways I got to see college friends and of course we had an absolute BLAST!
Brittany's big day!

LOST on the subway

Rockefeller

Ok so pretty!

There is the minimal details of my life in the last month. Now I can continue on like I was never gone??

Studious

These pics were just taken this past Tuesday after church and I feel like they look studious so it works perfectly with this blog. This post is all about the student in me and hopefully in you as well. Because life is full of lessons when we choose not to learn, we choose not to grow.

When I said, "I do" my husband and I held a prayer in our hearts that we would always be teachable. It takes humility, which is the ultimate pride-killer, it takes admitting I am wrong and never boasting when I am right because just when you boast about your "rightness" there is something hiding around the corner you didn't really know in it's fullness.

God has really answered our prayer. He sent us two kids who I swear have taught me more than I have taught them.

So here is what I have learned about learning. Is there such a thing?

You must always study God's word as a student, even if you are a teacher. When you study as a student you are open to learning something new. Don't be intimated to learn new things or see things differently or to challenge your existing beliefs. This leaves room for new revelation.

I am learning sooo much about conflict. How to deal with it, how to detect it without someone saying there is a problem and most importantly when to walk away. I've learned that when you are confronting conflict to not say a word unless you KNOW, assuming will get you in big BIG trouble. It maximizes the problem and produces even more problems but when you know the resolution is maximized.

Most importantly when you are dealing with spiritual warfare don't expend your energy conflicting with others around you, you are a fighting a battle that was won a long time ago. End result-WE WIN-EVERY TIME.

Today is absolutely useless if I haven't learned. Learning prepares me for tomorrow and prevents me from running in a vicious circle of repetitive mistakes.

Sometimes you can't learn without admitting you were wrong. Listen, I make mistakes everyday and I hate admitting them but when I do I'm coming clean that there is something left for me to learn. I don't know the god of second chances but I know THE God of a million chances rather well. God's grace is rather apparent when we learn.