How I Got Here, Part 1

When Elena and Chloe were little, all my friends were talking about educational choices for their kids. It was the new hot topic. I had planned to work part-time, so the girls could go to a Christian school. (Back then, we had 2 kids with no plans for any more.) I laughed when people suggested homeschooling. I wasn't one of those moms who enjoyed being with my kids all day; how could I possibly have the patience to homeschool them??

I had a very hard time adjusting to being the mother of two. In fact, it was so hard for me, I went back to work so that I could put them in Mother's Day Out. I needed some Me Time! I just knew some time away each day would help me adjust.

But it didn't. It made it worse. When I was at work, I was thinking about my kids and when I was at home, I was thinking about my duties at work. I was never fully engaged in either.

Then a mentor friend gave me a copy of The Mission of Motherhood and I began to understand for the first time the value of motherhood and the blessing of my children. Kyle and I decided that I should quit work and stay at home with my girls. It took time, but being fully engaged at home allowed me to adjust to motherhood and I became more commited to my role as mother.

To be continued. . .

Which Comes First: The College or the Wedding?

I mentioned in a recent blog post that the concept of waiting to have kids until you've been married several years is a crock. It's selfishness; it has nothing to do with creating a strong foundation. Children make us holy, because they strip away our selfishness. That's a good thing.
But let's back up to the wedding. I have seen so many young Christians in love who are told to wait until they have finished college before they get married. What do we communicate to our children when we say that? We are letting them know that we place more value on their careers than their marriages. I've been listening to this fantastic sermon by Voddie Baucham. He gives a great analogy for the temptation we put our children in when we devalue marriage. King Solomon fell into sexual sin; King David fell into sexual sin; and Samson fell into sexual sin. Do we really expect our children to stay in a commited relationship for a couple of years while they finish college, when it will require them to be wiser than Solomon , more godly than King David, and stronger than Samson??
The Bible says, "He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord." (Proverbs 18:22) The same favor is not promised to those who postpone marriage to pursue a college degree. Do we teach our children to be temporally-minded when we communicate to them that their degrees are more important than their marriages?

It's a Girl Thing

Something tells me this girl's gonna grow up and marry a really good listener.

Money Hungry

Yesterday our washer stopped spinning. Not wanting our laundry to back up before we have it fixed, I decided I'd rather go to the laundromat. So, I asked Maya & Isaac (the only money-motivated children in this house) if they had any quarters. Isaac said that he had plenty, so I told him I could trade his quarters for dollars.
So he asks: But how many quarters for a dollar?
I said: Well, how many quarters are in a dollar?
You should have seen his face deflate as he realized I was going to do an even trade.

In true Isaac fashion, he held up 2 fingers and said, disappointingly: Four quarters.

Children of Caesar

Wordless Wednesday

Pregnancy Tickers

Redeem the Time

It has been heavy on my heart lately that I don't have much time with my Maya left. She's almost 12 and I can easily see her marrying young. When I am sick, she runs the household. She cooks half our dinners single-handedly. She's a very trustworthy sibling-sitter; the littles respect her when she gives direction. My mom recently said that when she has all six at her house, it's not difficult because Maya keeps them all in line. She said: She opens her mouth to say something to Lydia and Daniel, but it's Ginger's words I hear.
She has been a quick study in child-training; I know she will be a great mommy one day. I trust she will know better than my generation who were taught that we should wait to have kids until after we've been married several years and have developed more selfishness, I mean: a "good foundation". What a crock!
As confident as I am in Maya's skills as a future keeper of the home, I am just as concerned about our relationship. I love and enjoy her so much, but does she really know that? When I correct her attitudes, do I do it with gentleness or does she hear criticism? Will she confide in me when she has something more serious than a scabbed knee to talk about? Does she recognize the pride in my eyes when I look at her or are my words more effective?
Lord, give me discernment to know how my kids need love. Give me the humility to be deliberate in my love for them. And please, oh please, let them all live within a ten mile radius of home when they grow up.