daddy's arms.

say it with... pancakes

... off to start the day's festivities!

happy to shelter, thanks.

Do you "shelter" your children? (by G. Suarez)

We're finding that's a bad word in some circles. Something is creeping into the church (and even the homeschooling community), and it isn't biblical. It is an "anti-sheltering campaign" of sorts, and it's full of holes. Think about it. What does it mean to shelter? Protect. Defend. Guard. Preserve. Watch over. Shield. Safeguard. Hmmmm, so far so good, right? Sure, until "pop psychology" comes in and tells us we should allow our children to taste a little of the world in order to understand it or pray for it - that we should not "over-shelter" them. Nonsense.

What's the opposite of shelter? Expose. Endanger. We parents are called to be like our Father in Heaven. He is the greatest "Shelterer" there ever was, and it is us He shelters - or watches over; protecting us, preserving us, shielding us. Praise Him for this! Glory to God who knows how to parent (shelter) us perfectly. May we as parents follow this model - His model. Let's continue to shelter (love) our children as He loves us. Dismiss the garbage that crawls in; don't buy it. We're promised there will be false teachers, liars in the church (and there are many). I want to keep my eyes focused on Christ, come what may.

Parents: Keep sheltering them. You are bringing them up in the love and admonition of the Lord, not in the latest "homeschool philosophy." God's word trumps any speaker! It dwarfs any author! May you be blessed as you continue to walk in obedience of His word.

Lord, thank you for sheltering me. Please never stop. "Over-shelter" if You will (if there is such a thing). Fine with me!

Over-protect, over-defend, over-guard me; please do! I'll take it all, Lord. Keep me tight to Your side. I'm safe in that place. There, I can breathe and thrive. It's where I live.

For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. - Psalms 61:3

the TRUTH does not hurt.

6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

smiles lost.

It's an uphill battle keeping the smile on this time of year - for me anyway! Thankfully, I "do community" with a message board chock full o'moms like myself, and a very wonderful woman had this to say about the battle with her own blues... I couldn't agree more and wanted to share her to-do list:

read the Bible, pray and be thankful for so very much you have

surround yourself with uplifting people

take a hike outside regardless of the weather

have a pamper me night or whenever...paint your toenails a new sassy color, dreamy lotion, pluck your eyebrows, etc.!

exercise and eat right

laugh

serve other people .... it's hard to be depressed when you're making a meal for a shut in neighbor or tray of cookies for the rest home!

smile, smile and smile some more...it's an instant mood-lifter

declutter your home

visit with someone elderly

play uplifting music (pssst! don't tell...but I popped in a very old John Mellancamp from my pre-mom years and danced around my kitchen!) it felt so good!

visit inspiring blogs

It's real, my friends... this Seasonal Affective Disorder. As hard as it may be to "shake it off", there really are some things you can do to lift your spirits until the trees bud and the days become longer.
Hang in there!

how will i know joy when i see it?

today is -

... not a good day.
Looking back, I woke up with the best of intentions.
Multiple circumstances have made this house next to unbearable for me right now.
My hands are tied, my children are fighting, there's no one to blame.
I want so badly to live in the moment, but right now I'd like to trade this moment for a peaceful, joy-filled one.