2011 August

When You’re Out of Sorts

She’s mad as a hornet, and she’s mad at me. Her demonstrative, fiery personality blazes when she’s angry…stomping feet, slamming doors, screaming fit. But she never stays that way for long. She hates the unsettling, wobbly feeling in her heart that comes from being out of sorts with me. When things aren’t fine, she won’t pretend they are. She *has* to make amends, and the sooner the better.

While she proves herself passionate when getting mad, she also proves herself passionate when making up. She flies back downstairs and runs full tilt before crashing straight into me. She throws her arms around my waist, squeezes big-kid tight, and sobs into my shirt,

“I’m so sorry, Mama! I love you so much!”

Even when I’m mad as a hornet I can’t help but forgive her instantly. It’s easy when her heart beats genuine regret.

May we all view restoration with our heavenly Father this way, where we dread being out of sorts with Him so much we can’t help but admit our sin as we run full tilt into His always-open arms. May we bury our faces in His ready shoulder and cry,

“I’m so sorry, Daddy! I love you so much!”

Believing with you, Sisters, in the One who loves us enough to always forgive quickly and easily. He holds us close while throwing our sins far, far away.

“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:11-12

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August 29, 2011 2 Comments Filed Under: Grace, Parenting

Where Grace Lives

By Kristen

He chatters away early in the morning, telling me joke after joke. I had slept in longer than I wanted and not had my chai as soon as I wanted. So I desperately try to keep bleary-eyed crankiness at bay as I listen and {hopefully} kindly engage. I mentally re-read these words on grace:

How to Know Where Grace Lives

All the neighborhood kids want to hang out at the house where grace lives.

There is always enough for one more where grace lives…one more for dinner…one more to sleep over…one more hug…one more kiss.

You can see people dancing where grace lives.

You can hear things like “Please forgive me, I was wrong…You are my treasure…”

The eyes of the children where grace lives shine with joy and anticipation. They have not been wounded by impossible expectations. They have not been distanced by rejection. They have been embraced and accepted and loved.

The moms at the house where grace lives are just regular, everyday moms, but God lives inside them. By His power, they are becoming holy and righteous and good. They stumble but recover quickly. They make mistakes but say, “I’m sorry.” They get blown by the winds of heartache and adversity, but their hearts remain tender toward God.

Angela Thomas, Tender Mercies for a Mother’s Soul

Wherever this weekend finds you darlings, may you have enough for one more joke, one more story, one more Uno game. Not because of your own will, but because of God’s power flowing through you heart and soul. And if you stumble as I often do, may we both recover quickly knowing He lives inside us, and His grace reaches farther than we imagine. Let’s grab onto grace today, let it rule in our homes, and may we rest knowing He has us covered.

And the winner of Brooke’s Notes to Aspiring Writers is commenter no. 3, Cindy! Cindy, I’ll be in touch with specific instructions ASAP! Congrats to you and thanks to all who entered!

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August 26, 2011 5 Comments Filed Under: Grace, Parenting

For the Love of “No” {and a Giveaway}

By Kristen

{This giveaway is now closed.}

As a young’un, I had a sassy streak a country-mile wide. In particular, I liked to argue. A lot. While my parents pretty much encouraged me to pursue whatever career interests I wanted, over and over my Daddy told me never to become a lawyer because, “You’ll always be held in contempt of court for arguing with the judge!”

Well, he may have had a point.

If you’re like me and carry a tendency to argue {even if as grown-ups we have matured a leetle in this area}, you probably aren’t exactly BFF’s with the word ”no.” I know my heavenly Father gives firm “no’s” for good reasons, but sometimes hearing them brings a fit out of me big enough to make any toddler proud.

And then I read something like Notes to Aspiring Writers and I get a B I G dose of perspective in its succinct design. Notes to Aspiring Writers: Your Dream God’s Plan, penned by the savvy Brooke McGlothlin, gives priceless inspiration to new and experienced writers alike. In fact, the encouragement found in this book is fitting for all gals, writer or not! Why? Because the heart of the book’s message beats for discovering the joy found in laying aside our plans for His.

Brooke authors the website Life in Need of Change and is co-founder of the best boy mom blog on the block, the MOB Society. Whether parenting, managing her home, or writing, this girl throws herself passionately into all she does. And lemme tell ya this: If prayer moves mountains, this girl has shifted the entire Rocky Mountain chain. Her popular Warrior Prayers e-book proves this girl knows how to walk the walk while inspiring others along the way.

In Notes to Aspiring Writers, Brooke encourages us to take “no’s” received and view them in the lens of His design, to take tight-gripped intentions and lay them in His open palms. While doing this doesn’t necessarily feel like a cakewalk, it does provide weight-off-your-shoulders freedom.

Living the Christian life means letting go. But the hope lies in knowing when we sacrifice in Jesus’ name, the return is so much greater than the deposit. In that light, Brooke tells us to rest knowing our future – and our dreams! – are securely in His hands.

“In HIS time, He will bring His dreams to you. Focus most of your time and energy on knowing Him, loving Him, and walking in intimate pursuit of relationship with Him.” p. 12

When we receive the no, we don’t have to twiddle our thumbs and feel sorry for ourselves. We are gifted with a plan of action in the waiting: walking in intimate pursuit of relationship with Him. We follow His lead to the “next step,” the next best thing for us. We remember accepting the “no” now means we accept an even better “yes” later.

And while I may not *always* love it, that’s something I just can’t argue.

If you’d like to get your hot little hands on Brooke’s ebook, click here {it’s only $2.99, y’all}! It’s available on Kindle or as a PDF download. Also, enter for a chance to win a copy by leaving a comment below. {Don’t worry…I’m the only one who sees your email, and I need it so I can contact you if you win.}

August 24, 2011 8 Comments Filed Under: Authors Extraordinaire, Giveaway, Writing

How to Breathe Fresh Air Life into Your Young’uns {and not suck it out of ‘em}

By Kristen

I lectured for the entire car ride, right up ’til I pulled into the school parking lot. OK, so we live about three minutes from school. Still, I know good and well three minutes in lecture time feels like thirty minutes in real time.

I realize my mistake and tried to put a band-aid on it with sudden, enthusiastic “I love you’s!” and “Praying you have a great day!” They answered with barely there smiles and unenthusiastic replies. There’s nothing like starting the day by sucking the life out of the morning. Out of them.

Ya, I had some valid points in my lecture, but when I give in to emotion and mix up poor timing with verbosity, I serve up a joy-killing cocktail that tastes terrible as it deflates spirits. But when I say and do things that breathe fresh air life into my kiddos, I deposit joy, love, and grace into their emotional bank accounts. It also takes the edge off unwise withdrawals.

Here are some soul-satisfying things I can go on and on about that help my young’uns breathe in a little fresh air life.

How to Breathe Fresh Air Life into Your Young’uns:

I will hug them first thing.

{Because the Lord’s compassions never fail and His mercies are new each morning! Lamentations 3:22-23}

I will look them in the eyes when they speak to me and I speak to them.

{I always have His full attention! Psalm 3:4, 62:8}

I will tell them mistakes ARE allowed.

{Because the expectation of perfection leads to devastation. If God expected perfection, He wouldn’t have given us Jesus. Hebrews 10:14}

I will not wait to tell them, “I am sorry.”

{Because these three words model humility and wipe out egg-shell walking. Acts 3:19}

I will ask them their highs and lows of each day.

{Both are opportunities to offer prayer and show gratitude! Philippians 4:6}

I will remind them they are a treasured possession.

{Because we are His! Deuteronomy 26:18}

I will create family “inside” jokes.

{Because laughter heals and I want them to enjoy home! Proverbs 17:22}

I will call them affirming nick names and pet names.

{Because it helps seal their identity as a part of my family! And we are all a part of His! Romans 11:17}

I will pray my gratitude for them out loud.

{Because every gift is from God and they should know they are a gift! James 1:17}

I will end the day with “I love you” and “I’m proud of you.”

{Because ending on a good note cancels earlier bad ones and sets the stage for a fresh start tomorrow. Ephesians 4:26-27}