Hibernation Un-Motivation

It is19 degrees out there today.  And not a hint of sun ANYWHERE.  Just deadness and gray.  Nothing to do but snuggle up and wait.  Which leads me to my latest theory....

Do you think that humans are supposed to hibernate???

What's Up

 
Dude!  Things have gotten busy around here.  Bu-sy!  I'm tellin' ya!  I'm not really sure what changed, but the days are fuller than ever and I haven't been bored for several weeks, not even for ten minutes.  And I guess that's a good thing, since a friend of mine recently told me that boredom is actually a need for meaning and purpose, rather than just "activity."

 I'm not sure about the whole meaning and purpose to what I've been busy doing... but I sure have had a lot of "activity" lately.

 
So, here's a few things we've been busy with...

W.W.?.D.?

 

Thanks to my crazy busy life, I haven't been keeping up with the ole blog too much lately.  But, here's an oldy that I thought some of my new blog friends might appreciate....

Remember the old WWJD days? Yep, been there, done that, even got the T shirt. When faced with a dilemma, you were supposed to ask yourself, "What would Jesus Do?", and then you'd supposedly know what to do. Sounds pretty straightforward, right? Only one major problem... Jesus was a single guy.

Put Some Windex On It

Do you remember the dad in My Big Fat Greek Wedding?  Gosh, I love that movie.  It makes me wish I was Greek.  But I'm not.  So, I rarely use Windex.  Except for cleaning windows.  But, VINEGAR, on the other hand....

Yeah, now you know my new obsession.

In Defense of Contentment

Hey Jen,
I had a question for ya.  What do you think of Pinterest?  I've noticed that you're not joining and I wondered why not.
--An Avid Pinner

OK, good question.  I'm glad you asked.

First off, I'll tell you that Pinterest is very cool.  Every time someone has introduced me to it and I've browsed it for a few minutes I absolutely Loved it.  Like tiramisu.

How to Surpass Them All, Part 2

OK, so what if you're not The Proverbs 31 Super Amazing Woman?

What if you’re not Mrs. Dugger?

  Or "Total Mom", Hannah Keeley?

What if you’re just a regular mom like me?

I mean, geez, some days I don’t do ANY of those things in Proverbs 31.  And none of my kids play violin!  What a guilt trip, right?

So, here’s what I’m thinking....

Let's Just Be Honest People

Have you ever seen the movie "Apollo 13"?  I'm not sure why, but I've seen it about 20 times.  Anyways, there's a scene where the astronauts were all buckled in their spaceship, getting ready to blast off to the moon, possibly into oblivion and the news reporters are interviewing their wives.  One of the wives had been through the whole ordeal before and the other one was brand new to the terrifying experience.  Right before the reporters arrived, the wise, older wife smiled confidently and said to the younger, "remember, you're proud, happy and thrilled."  Guess what the younger wife said when asked how she was feeling?  Yep.  She was proud, happy and THRILLED!

Really?? Why couldn't she just tell the truth?  "I'm pregnant, terrified and about to throw up... but I'm also very proud."

Help For Mommies AKA Don't Kill Your Family

About a month ago I received this letter from a young mom, asking for advice.  She asked a very relevant question, bringing up a common problem.  I didn't intend to write a book, but as I've been mulling it over, well, there's a lot to her question!  I thought I'd share my response, just in case anyone else might be wondering about the same sort of things.  Here we go...

"Okay. I have a question for your blog. How do you run your household with order without killing your children and husband? I feel like I am constantly putting stuff away and cleaning up after everyone and never have the time to do things I actually want to do. I do enjoy cleaning, but there are other things I would like to do with my kids...like go exploring and crafts and have a scheduled school time. What are the first steps to managing a less-stress, fun home?"

Although I’ve been raising children for nearly 20 years, I think it was a bit of a blur back when they were all really young.  You know, it’s all about survival.  Especially when you’re outnumbered!  But never fear, I asked my trusty source of all information, my husband, who was there with me during those years, but had more of his brain functioning.  He helped remind me of  how I actually survived those years and live to tell about it.  Here’s what we came up with.  A few first steps to managing a less-stress, fun home.

Let's Talk Gossip

Oh the D-R-A-M-A!  Where does it even come from??? Why is it so common among Christian people? What is wrong with this picture?

This article is in response to a letter from a young mom friend of mine.  She was asking my advice on how to handle a frustrating situation where lots of confusing, negative information was having a snow ball effect and causing division in a group of friends. 

For what it's worth, here's my advice.

W. W. ?. D.

Remember the old WWJD days?  Yep, been there, done that, even got the T shirt.  When faced with a dilemma, you were supposed to ask yourself, "What would Jesus Do?", and then you'd supposedly know what to do.  Sounds pretty straightforward, right?  Only one major problem... Jesus was a single guy.

As a young mom, I remember trying to make it work.  I know that Jesus would be patient and kind, etc.  And we have lots of examples of how He handled various dilemmas.  But what about marriage?? Child training?? I needed some serious help back then, and I still do.

What I really needed was an older woman.

I needed to be able to ask, "What Would Mom Do?" or "What Would Grandma Do?" Problem is that my own mom, grandma, aunts and siblings weren't around.  Six weeks after my first baby was born, I moved with my new little family to a military base twelve hours away from every single person I knew.  There I was clueless and alone.   What would Jesus do?  Hmmmm.   Ask for help!  I found some kind older ladies who had mercy on me and took me in.  I also read LOTS of books!

Back in the day when people didn't move around so much, communities were closer. Young moms were surrounded by good examples.  These days, it might take some searching.  If you happen to live close by wise, older relatives, then by all means, turn to those ladies for your example.  But if you don't, find someone you want to be like when you're older, and imitate her.

I was talking with a young mom the other day who was telling me that she wished that she could come be a fly on my wall.  She wanted to observe how we do things, but didn't want to be any trouble.  I remember feeling that same way.  Like my babies would be disruptive to someone with no babies.  I've just gotta say... How in the heck are we supposed to learn if we can't get right in there and observe??

When I was younger, I was blessed with a wise friend who was a few years and a couple of babies ahead of me on the same road.  She used to welcome me into her home and let me talk her ear off.  The whole time I was able to observe her household.  It was not perfect. (Sometimes I would show up just to clean her bathroom.)  But it was GOOD.  She was honest about her struggles, and that gave me a realistic perspective...something that we don't get from TV, magazines or even Christian books.  Being there is what mattered to me.  I'm sure my little kids were annoying, but she never let me know it.  We worked through all sorts of struggles.  You know-- Why is my husband being such a butt-head?  What should I spank these kids with? When do I teach phonics?  How do I cut up a chicken?  --- basic woman stuff.

Here's me and a dear friend figuring out how to cut up chickens together. 

I've been blessed with a handful of kind older ladies in my life.  Some were very organized.  I learned to manage my household from them.  Others were very hospitable.  I learned to always welcome drop-in visitors from them.  Some were country women.  They inspired me.

According to Titus 2:3,4, one of the PRIMARY roles of older women is to train the younger.  Train them to do what?  "...to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands..."  These are skills that are seriously lacking in our society.

Verse 4 in Titus goes on to say that the young women need to learn these things so that "no one will malign the word of God."  Now that's pretty serious business!  We're not talking about perfection here.  No Suzy Homemaker.  Just honest-to-goodness, nitty gritty stuff.  Like staying married, raising well behaved kids, managing your home.  The credentials for an older woman to be qualified to teach aren't too tough, either.  Just don't be a drunk or a gossip.  If you're an older woman with a really messy bathroom but you don't go out partying or go around gossiping, you love your husband and children, and you love the Lord, you probably fit the bill. There's a young woman out there who needs you.

That young lady might just be asking the question, "What Would SHE Do?"

Don't be afraid to invite her over and show her.

Happy visiting,
jen