Snowflakes and Joy

In the military there is a saying, "The only easy day was yesterday." If I may be so bold, I'd like to take that quote and apply it to motherhood. Each day has challenges, easy day can be tough. The only easy day is yesterday. Yesterday is easy, because it is over. I thought that all my daughter's firsts would be wonderful. They are, but they are bittersweet. As we celebrate her accomplishments I know they are moving her forward, growing her up and helping her gain her wings. These are all things I want for her. Yet, it means that we are one day closer to when she uses those wings to fly. Once again, good but when she builds her own nest, mine will be much quieter. I love the elementary kid that she is. I applaud her for her accomplishments as I'm encouraging more growth. I miss the munchkin she was. I remember the cuddly newborn stage, how sweet it was! Teaching her to walk and watching her take her first steps in my parent's hallway on the gold shag carp...

I've been struggling with this post for months now. I haven't wanted to write it. I haven't wanted to revisit the feelings, the memories. I haven't wanted to put my thoughts out there, But I owe it to my daughter. I owe it to myself. Most of all, I feel like God wants me to share my thoughts. Even if only person is blessed or helped by this post, then it was worth it to me. Spousal abuse. It happens every day. It happens in a marriage of non-believers and it is happening in the marriages of people you see at church everyday, in the marriage of people who love Jesus. Christians aren't immune to abuse. I think within the Church it is hushed up. For a few reasons. A big one is shame or embarrassment. We don't want to admit that our spouse is abusive. We feel like we are Christian failures if our Christ loving spouse is hurting us. Second, the concept of submission is not well understood in our "modern" society. Maybe just maybe this is how we submit, or...

Just 6 short days to go and Holy Week 2019 will be upon us. Easter seems to be super late this year, yet it came upon me very quickly (if that makes any sense). January slogged but the rest of the year has zipped. Now, I find myself on the precipice of my favorite week of the year. Holy Week is my favorite week, but it isn't a pleasant week or any easy week. It requires that I take a long look inside. Something I try to do more than just one week a year, but this week of weeks is special. It is the week we remember all that Jesus suffered on our behalf. It begins with a loud celebration, what seems to be a triumphal entry and the adoration of a myriad of souls. It ends with the true triumph, a quiet morning on a hillside where the most amazing and important event in the history of mankind took place. The cross is important, it is integral to our salvation, but it is just a part. The saddest, more horrible event, but not the whole story. Don't get me wrong, the cross is VERY...

How soon do we start teaching our kids what is important? Today if not sooner. When I was pregnant, I would tell my Snowflake, "I hope you grow into a kind, helpful, hardworking young woman who loves Christ more than anyone or anything else. Be a child and woman after God's own heart." There is nothing wrong (and many good things with) be a game winning athlete, A+ student or Nobel Prize winning scientist. Those things are good, but after the celebration is over you may be in a book, but you are forgotten. Think about it. Who won the last three to four Super Bowls (World Series, Stanley Cups, Triple Crowns, or whatever sport you follow)? Who are the three to four kindest people in your life? Which list was easier? For me it is naming people in my circle who are kind and I love the NFL, horse racing, gymnastics, NASCAR and baseball. Yet, even though I know stats, I can quickly name the people that are kind. They bring a bigger smile to my face than trophy winners. Supe...

As parents we all fight battles we don't tell people about. We have failings that we don't want to admit to and we hate that God sees them. We screw up and try to hide it from our children, friends and families, from our co-workers and bosses. I'm not talking about illegal activities, just personal failures that we wish we could undue. If as adults we have times where we fail ourselves, shouldn't we be more understanding of our children? Shouldn't we remember that the are not just little adults, but young people still figuring out a world that we haven't figured out yet? I have to remind myself of this on a daily basis. That my Snowflake is still little. She's only been on this earth for a short time and in that short time she hasn't had the opportunity to learn everything yet. So I exert patience. I try to make moments teachable and not all about punishment. Consequences yes, but natural ones. If she makes a mess I don't get mad, but I do hand h...