Splash the Puddles

I watched across the room as the other children hurdled past him, effortlessly flopping one foot, then the next down the stairs that led to a basement promising much exploration and adventure. Even from my distant stance, I recognized from his profile, the disheartening expression of fear and uncertainty on his face. Stairs weren't normally a problem.  He so desperately wanted to take that next step, the one that took him off the platform of the safe floor and on to certain unknown adventure, but there was a problem-the exposed beams of an unfinished wall and no handrail.  Before I even knew I was moving, I was with him. He turned to come back, resigned to miss the adventure, and as he did, his gaze met my outstretched hand; his protector, waiting patiently for him to reach out and accept my guidance. Instantly his face softened. The certain terror and uncertainty that had momentarily encompassed his face, was replaced with a smile, a captivating tenderness and a new found con...

I heard you, beautiful mama around that outdoor dinner table, when you shared your struggles of balancing your career and your family. I recognized your feelings of guilt as you recollect your thoughts on leaving  the office at 5, getting home by 5:30 and immediately starting dinner with little ones at your side. You want so badly to have more hours in the evening to snuggle them close, to play on the floor, to do homework with them. But bedtime calls because tomorrow is a new day, and those angels have to be well rested to do it all again. I listened as you shared about sometimes adding fruit to accompany the PBJ your sweet, precious babies had for dinner  on the way to sports practice because you feel guilty it's PBJ night again. So soon. You fall into bed exhausted, with no time for yourself and sometimes feeling you had not enough time with them. You're stretched thin, balancing a career, serving your husband and growing your relationship, and nurturing those babies. My he...

If you'd been in my kitchen around 8:15 last night, you'd have overheard this conversation:  Me: "What if he's getting sick again and he doesn't get to enjoy his party?"  Him: "Are you all worried about THAT now? He just has a cough." (implying previous trends of worry from me) Me: "I'm his mom. It's my job to worry. SOMEBODY has to worry about it." (Implying previous trends of NO worry from him...)  Him:  "No. Somebody doesn't. You don't HAVE to worry about anything." Me: (grumbles under breath...) Him: "Seriously, we've never once has a situation in our lives when your worrying and stressing out actually wound up being warranted. We've never experienced ANYthing that didn't end up okay..." I had no rebuttal. He's right.  I'm a worry wart by nature. I worry about everything. I can turn a mole hill into a mountain faster than I can snap my fingers. It's just my human inclination.  ...

I tell you what, this parenting thing can be downright difficult sometimes, amiright?  ☺  There are days when I get so bogged down with the frustrations of not seeing the fruits of my labor with one or both of my boys, that I can really wallow myself into a deep pit of self-pity and mommy guilt.   I’ve been there this week.  I’m sure you’ve been there too at some point or another, because aren’t we all navigating through the same struggles, desperately wanting our children to learn to show love, respect, maturity and selflessness as they grow?    I can get down on myself as a mother when my children aren’t compliant or exhibit behaviors and attitudes that warrant a little tough love on my part.  It’s easy to feel like I’m failing.  I know I’m not alone in this, as I recently had a conversation with a dear friend who is desperately struggling with her daughter’s attitude and emotions-a mom feeling completely out of control, heartbroken an...

 Cravings.  We all have them.  What do you crave?  I weighed today for the first time in a week hoping to see some progress from all my calorie counting and daily exercising I’ve been doing.  There was progress alright.  Just not in the downward direction. I felt instant frustration.  I climbed into the shower feeling defeated.  I’ve been working so hard!  I’ve felt good about myself and my choices.  Interestingly enough, I didn’t feel fat.  Just defeated.  I wanted the satisfaction of seeing progress on the scale.  Boy was I disappointed.  My dominating thought throughout the morning was, “When I get to work I am just going to eat that cookies-n-cream pop tart that’s been sitting in my desk drawer that I’ve resisted the last three weeks.  What’s the point, anyway?”  It’s funny how God starts working in your heart in an area that you don’t even know needs work before you even realize what He’s doing...

My husband was scheduled to teach the youth aged class during our 8:30 service at church this morning, therefore he would be attending the 10:00 service for worship. My plan was to meet him at the 10:00 service. I was excited to sit with him in church this morning. I realized after he left, that I couldn't remember the last time we actually sat side by side during our worship service due to both serving in various areas of ministry at church between the two services.  Beyond being excited to just be heading to God's house this morning, I was thrilled to know I could squish my shoulder up against Cliff's arm (cause let's be honest, I'm way too short to sit shoulder to shoulder). Just love any chance I get to sit alongside my husband and grow in our relationship with Christ together.  I was calling out orders around 9:45, "Walker get your jacket, Will put your tablet down.." when the front door opened, nearly giving me a heart attack. I wasn't expecting ...

2014 was an unusually quiet year for our family. I don't mean quiet as it relates to noise-trust me, there's rarely any of that sort of quiet around here, but rather the sort of quiet that sums up a year void of medical emergencies, financial difficulties, major home repairs, or involuntary loss of personal property. We suffered no unimaginable circumstances, faced no heartbreak, and experienced no grief.  Quite gratefully, we experienced a year that just didn't carry some of the hardships we've faced in previous years. On the contrary, 2014 brought many happy and celebratory moments for our family.  As 2015 crept upon us, I found myself feeling thankful for the year behind us. It was a fruitful year.   I've shared before, my tendency to draw nearer to The Lord during the difficult times in my life-those moments that bring me to my knees, where I'm fully aware that I could not face the next obstacle without my Jesus leading me. With the exception of one seemingl...