Happy ‘Pinning’ Y’all!!

“But, Johnny’s mom does it!” says the child. “Well, I am not Johnny’s mom” says the irritated mother. This is one of those age old scenarios that has probably played out in different homes, speaking different languages all across the world! Thank God, we aren’t Johnny’s mom, right?! Because if we were Johnny’s mom, we wouldn’t be our little ones mom.

 

God made us all different, with different features, likes, styles, and talents. You get what you get and don’t throw a fit, right? Wrong, although, that may be true for the piece of cake you get handed to you at a birthday party, it is not true for your purpose in life! God specifically made you the way you are for his purpose, he gave you the children that you have for a reason! It is our job to use our gifts that we have been given to build God’s kingdom, our job as mom’s is to train up children in the way they should go (Proverbs 22:6). Sounds easy enough…so why do we make it so hard?

 

I’m sure that in the days before the ‘world wide web’ mom’s felt inadequate, but in this day and age our inadequacies seem to be plastered or ‘pinned’ everywhere we look! Mom’s get discouraged hourly with just a quick scroll through Facebook, Pinterest, or countless other social media outlets. We are envious of the mom who baked an apple pie, from scratch, only using all natural, gluten free products. We think, why can’t I have the time to make my kid’s Halloween costume like ‘Suzy’ down the street. We feel like bad mom’s when we realize that the pack of baby wipes that we just finished was recalled for being contaminated with bacteria, and then of course it doesn’t help when we read the comments about this and find out that other moms actually make their own wipes! You can make your own wipes?! Who knew!

 

God made us perfect in his image for his purpose, and it is up to us to fulfill that purpose he has for our lives. He gave us the children we have for a specific reason, and he equipped us with our own talents that are unlike the mom who can make her own wipes… for a specific purpose! So, instead of being envious of the mom on Pinterest, ask God to reveal to you what your talents are and get to ‘pinning’ them in your life and not just on your computer! You have a purpose and it is beautiful, so start living it!

 

Daily Bible Verses:

 

1 Peter 4:10 “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”

 

Romans 12:6-8 “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”

 

Matthew 5:14-16 ““You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

 

Daily Prayer:

 

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord, please open my eyes to the talents you have woven in me and I will use them according to your will. Help me to remember that I am unique and beautiful in your eyes and I need not to compare myself to anyone else. Help me to be the best I can be with the gifts you have given me and please guide me as I set my children on the path that you have destined for them. Thank you Lord for the blessings you have given me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

 

*This post is also seen on Just A Mom.

Just another day? Oh no it’s a BIRTHDAY!

Today was Snookums birthday! I love me some birthdays! Around this house a person’s day of birth is something to be celebrated! For the kids I usually decorate their bedroom doors and their place at the table. They will be allowed to open one birthday present that morning before school and the rest will be saved for that evening after dinner. We always let them pick out what or where they would like to eat their special birthday dinner. One year we got off real easy, Why For (our first born) insisted on having Campbell’s Chicken Noodle soup for his special meal! Now he want’s a steak! I try and make sure I have all the birthday person’s favorite things on hand for the day. As you can imagine birthdays keep us pretty hooked up throughout the year considering there are twelve months in a year and we have eight birthdays to celebrate in our family!

When I woke up this morning my thoughts went straight to my mental notes on what I needed, to make this day great! Of course Snookums gets up way too early to head into work for me to decorate his door:) Plus I can’t quite imagine the words that might come out of his mouth if he were to groggily stumble into a web of streamers taped across the door waiting for him to bust through. He isn’t exactly a morning person. Although, come to think of it… I may have to try that next year with a camcorder ready to capture his “excitement”! That could be just the video we need to get that reality t.v. deal we’ve been working on rolling! Just kidding, about reality t.v. anyway, the entertainment world isn’t quite ready for our crew’s shenanigans! To sum it up today has been a full day of preparation for the celebration of my husbands birth 33 years ago:)

Of course birthdays are never quite as big of a deal to him as I make them. Earlier while on the phone with him I asked him if he was having a good birthday so far. His answer was “it’s just another day”. WHAT?!?! How can he think that? Today is the day that my soul mate was born! Today is the day the father of my six children made his debut into the world! Today is the day his mother’s life changed forever! 33 years ago today this world became a better place! I believe this is a day to be celebrated! Call out the marching bands because we need to have a parade:)

Birthdays are meant to be celebrated. Really, do you know what a miracle you are? It’s amazing that any of us made it through life in our mother’s womb, let alone the first five years of life, what, with learning to walk and climb and learning what the meaning of hot was and a whole lot more important safety lessons. Then of course you have our adventurous years from about five to eleven-ish, and don’t even get me started on on the pre-teen and teenage years, survival of those years are for sure a mother’s answered prayer. But let us not forget the ones who were taken from us to early. For these beautiful souls alone we should celebrate. A birthday is not to be taken for granted. A birthday is the mark of yet another year that God has so graciously given us. Another year for us to rewrite our dreams and set new goals. A chance to mark events and or places off of our bucket list. Yes, our birthdays are special, it’s the start of a new year in our lives where we can leave the past behind and look forward.

So now before you catch yourself saying “oh well, it’s just another day” think about all the people that wouldn’t be the same without you or wouldn’t be at all, if you hadn’t been born on that glorious day the angels sang. Celebrate like there is no tomorrow, because after all they aren’t guaranteed!

Happy Birthday to you, you handsome husband of mine:)

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” ( Jeremiah 1:5)

Thanks for reading and don’t forget to celebrate with somebody on their special occasion! If you liked this please click on the Top Mommy Blogger link to vote for my blog!!! Make sure you follow my blog so that you don’t miss out on my next post, just click the follow link! Feel free to share this with anyone and everyone, especially if it’s their birthday!!!

XOXOXO~

~Mommamamom~

Soccer Balls, Cleats, and Shin Guards Oh My…We are All Precious In His Sight

It has been a busy season in our household! Out of six children we have four of them in a sport. The oldest, “Why For”, is in swimming year round and at the moment football, the second in line, “Sporty McGee”, is currently playing football and within the next week he will be starting basketball, the fall season that is, because where we live you can play any sport in any season! Number three, “Butter Bean” and number four, “The Challenger”, are both playing soccer. Soccer…I have come to realize is not just a sport but a lifestyle, at least it is where we live anyway. You know a person would think that this town would be all about football considering we live in a town with a University that has one of the top football programs in the nation, but in the world of parents and children soccer is THE sport here. We are blessed to have a wonderful soccer association that organizes games for over 1400 children every Saturday in the Fall and Spring, and that’s just in the recreational league!

When Butter Bean decided he wanted to play soccer last spring my first thought was “aw man…soccer” and not in the “WAHOO” way but in the “DARN” way! I know I can speak for Snookums on this too, soccer was not our forte. In fact when it comes to sports I am completely inexperienced, I’m learning right along with my children. Snookums on the other hand was Mr. Athleticism while growing up, even now the man doesn’t lose in a competition! So when Butter Bean said “I want to play soccer” I knew we were in for a loooong season of ball watching. Neither myself nor Snookums knew a thing about soccer. But of course like any good little parent I signed him up and payed the small fortune for his name to be thrown in the bowl with about a thousand other kids just to be plucked out by a random stranger. A random stranger that our family would have to be closely involved with several times a week for the next ten weeks, give or take. As you can imagine we were bubbling over with excited anticipation. I was so excited when I finally got the email from Butter Bean’s soccer coach giving us the details of what our lives would consist of the next couple months. When I read the coaches name I discovered our first hurdle…I wasn’t sure how to pronounce his name. Living in a college town for almost a year now I have grown very accustomed to the diversity that this world has to offer. In fact I am in aw of how well this town seems to blend together. That brings me to the point of my story. Different cultures, backgrounds, colors, religions, names… those things do not matter when you have one common goal.

Previously I wrote a post about how we have lost the love of the game. The story was written specifically about baseball but the idea could be applied to any sport. Well I am excited to report that the love has been found, I found it growing and nurturing children on a field composed of little grass, a few stickers and a lot of dirt! This last weekend Butter Bean played his first official game in the Hispanic Soccer League. One thing and possibly the most important, I got out of our first of many games played at this field was how much these children truly loved this sport. Not only children of all ages but their parents too. I’ll be honest I was a little nervous. I was nervous to be taken out of my little box of comfort. My little box where everybody spoke the same language, a language that I understood. My little box where the soccer fields were nicely trimmed and all the jerseys matched. Another lesson I learned from our first game in this league was how boring and small my little box was! Why do we imprison ourselves? We box ourselves in nice and neatly with almost no wiggle room, and by doing this we miss out on so many wonderful experiences. We seem to forget that there is in fact a world out there, and a rather large one to be honest, that doesn’t revolve around us alone!

Let me go back to our last spring season, the season that started our soccer experience. Our random draw for a team couldn’t have worked out better for our little Butter Bean if we had personally selected his coach. He ended up on a team with a coach that moved to the United States on a soccer scholarship from Argentina. Not only does this coach know the game, respect it, and love it but he also has a way of teaching these children how to truly play and enjoy it! I can see that Butter Bean has a God given talent for this sport and God has given him a coach and a team perfect for him. Watching these children play together is nothing short of amazing. They have been taught to play TOGETHER and at this age that is a huge accomplishment. I have seen so many times children playing team sports for themselves. What I mean by this is they are taught to worry about how they look and how they play individually. Our little soccer team has been together since the start of last spring, they got together a few times throughout the summer and kicked the ball around and started back into regular practice times shortly after school started in preparation of the start of the fall season. In that short amount of time they have been taught certain team skills and soccer skills that take some, years to develop. I accredit that to the natural talent all these boys have, their dedicated coach and of course all of us parents that put our time and effort into making sure they are where they need to be when they need to be there.

Our team of eight little boys is made up of four different cultural backgrounds…American, Argentine, Honduran, and Vietnamese. This makes me so happy. One thing Snookums and I want for our children to know is that the world is bigger than they can imagine and it is there ready for them to grab a hold and run with. How can we ever teach them that if we don’t show them what’s out there? People learn best from experiences. I may be the only parent on the team that sees it this way but I believe that our children are learning a lesson far beyond how to kick the ball, they are learning to love each other despite their differences. They are learning that different is good. They are learning that as different as they may look they are more alike than anything. They are learning that not every child has the opportunity to play on finely manicured fields. They are learning that in order to play the game you don’t have to have the best equipment, field, etc.. you just have to have a mutual love for the sport with others. They are learning that language barriers can be broken easily when you have two goals on each end and a ball between you. Further more these children are teaching me that the view of this world and life I have been taught can be changed. Despite all the hate we see on the news and in everyday life we can live together and love one another the way God tells us too. We just have to step outside of our little boxes and experience life. I am so proud of Butter Bean’s team. I am proud of the message that I see being broadcast to everyone who is willing to open their eyes, ears and heart and listen. Boys from different backgrounds and cultures playing together like brothers. The brothers God intended them to be.

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! Please share it with ALL!!! Have a Blessed day!!

~XOXOXO~

~Mommamamom

a child lost…

Dear Mommy,

Sometimes I get scared at night and cry for you, sometimes I feel like you’re lost and I’ll never be able to find you. But don’t worry Mommy, the nice lady brought me to a pretty house. There are lots of kids here, and there is a Mommy and a Daddy here! My new people gave me a clean new bed, new clean clothes and toys to play with. I learned about God, Mommy! Did you know that God loves you? Even when you’re bad he loves you. They give lots of hugs here but Mama they aren’t as good as yours. I like it here, but I miss you, I want to be with you. Mommy, why did you leave me alone? I was scared, that’s why I went to find you. I’m sorry Mommy, that I got taken away by the people with the flashing lights. I’m sorry I made you yell at me. I’m sorry I made a mess with your lip crayon, I promise if you let me come home I won’t ever touch it again. I’m sorry I left and now you have to miss me. Do you miss me Mommy?

Mom, why weren’t you there for me? Are the drugs more important than me? Do the late nights and all the men make you happier than what I can? I’m mad at you Mom. I am so angry, I just want to hit someone! These people here don’t understand. They think I’m just trouble. They don’t understand that I want to be good. I want to be happy. I want to be apart of their family. I want them to love me. I want to be wanted. I need to be loved. I try and control my anger but I have so many feelings. I feel like I’m drowning, like I’m going to explode, I feel so lost. Sometimes it gets so bad that I break things and at times the only thing I know to do is scream. I get so mad I take it out on the nice people. I know it’s not their fault, but who’s fault is it Mom? Is it mine?

Mom, what does it feel like to be high? I’ve been thinking maybe if I do the same thing you do, you’ll want to be with me again. I would do anything to make you proud of me. I remember the look in your eyes and the smile you would have when you would finally get your ‘medicine’. Does it make your sadness go away? Would it make mine disappear? I am so sad Mom, I just want to lose myself in another world. I just want to be good enough for you. I think if I do enough bad things, the nice people will get tired of me. Maybe if I’m mean they’ll make me leave and then I can come back home to you. Will you let me come back home? Would you give me another chance? The family I live with now are real nice, I feel safe here, but Mom they aren’t you. Mom, I just want to be with you again.

Mother, I want you to know that I still love you. I am so thankful that I have a chance at a better life, I feel like I’m finding my place in this crazy world. I still have my days, but mostly I’m not angry with you anymore. I know now that you only knew what you were taught. I know now that the drugs and alcohol took a strong hold on you and didn’t let go. I know now that some people aren’t strong enough to break the cycle. But Mother, I want you to know that I am. The bad stops here. I will not continue down your path, I will pave my own. I will create a life for myself to be proud of. Some days I still wonder why I wasn’t good enough, but then I am reminded that I am worthy. I am reminded that none of this was my fault. I am reminded everyday, several times a day that I am loved. I am wanted. Mother, I know you would love my new family. We have so much fun together, they are really good people. They are the ones that remind me and reassure me that I can and I will be somebody and something to be proud of! I want you to know Mother that I am happy. I am so very happy! My new family has taught me what it feels like to be in a family so now when I have my own I will know how to be a mommy. They taught me that I had to love myself first so that I could give my love to others. Mother, this will be the last time I write to you. Please know that I’m ok, and that a piece of my heart will always belong with you. I have been found Mother, I have been adopted! I have to go now, I have to let go now.

Love,
Your child…

To my dear child,

This world is scary, it is big, mean, cruel, unjust, cold, evil, unloving, and at times very dark. I want you, my child, to be aware, stay alert and be on your toes at all times. Be ready to fight and stand up for what is right. Be ready to be judged, mocked, laughed at, and sometimes beat down. You will be yelled at, spit upon, cursed, possibly by the person you love the most. There will be times when you have to stay strong in the midst of complete and utter fear and despair. You can’t let your guard down, not even for a second. Your heart will be broken, you will lose jobs, you will lose loved ones to death and sometimes even worse…drugs and alcohol. You will see grown men cry and innocent children hurt beyond repair. In your lifetime you will witness famine and war. You will see people of power, people in which you are suppose to trust, lie, cheat, steal, and kill. Sadly you will hear of people being murdered because of their choice in clothes, lovers, music, freedom of expression. There will be children that kill themselves because the cruelty of other children is unbearable. In your lifetime you will have to watch your spouse, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, sisters, or possibly even God forbid your children fight battles with cancer and other diseases. You will suffer loss so horrific that you won’t be able to see the sun shining for weeks, even on the brightest day. Sadly, there will be times you feel scared and alone.

However, you are not alone. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6) I want you to know my dear child that through all of this you will never be alone. All earthly people will at times disappoint you, even me, the one who felt you grow from within me for nine months, even me, the one who prayed for your existence in my life and felt you grow within my heart. The greatest people will disappoint you in times of your greatest need. In all of your existence there will only be one that can truly give you what you need. There is only one that will always be there, showing you the love, grace and forgiveness that you need. You will not feel deserving or worthy of it. You won’t believe that it is really there. You will probably always question it. I do. But I want you to know and to believe that you are worthy and deserving and special. You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). Our God, your God is always there and never disappointing.

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10) Now you know that through all the angst of the world in which you have no choice but to live in, there is hope. There is hope in God, and if you have hope in God then you have a chance at life. Please hold onto the hope and love that God gives you. If you can do this, you will live a life full of color and happiness. With hope in your heart you will see hunger being satisfied. You will see smiles and hear laughter. You will see war’s coming to an end and lives being rebuilt. With hope, doors will close and new ones will be opened for you. You will reach for the stars and succeed. You will see the good in helping people up after they have fallen. You will want to be the solid rock in which helps them climb up instead of the jagged edge that trips them. There will be first dates, first kisses and late night phone conversations. You will run and be free and oh baby, you will smile, will you ever smile! You will dance at your wedding and be a witness to life being born. You will know true love and pure joy. There will be sunsets and sunrises that are so beautiful that no words could ever describe. You will sing so loud you’ll lose your voice and dance so hard you’ll lose your breath. You will laugh, oh child, you will laugh so hard tears will fall! You will rejoice in battles that have been won, and you will hold onto those you love when they start to lose hope from battles lost. There will be birthdays and cake, yes, lot’s of cake! You will walk barefoot in soft grass and warm sand. You will swim in waters that have no end in sight. Did I mention you will love and you will be loved? There will be great joy in looking back at the years you have lived and knowing that you lived, you really lived a life full of hope, love, grace, and happiness.

There is one more thing I want you to know. Always remember that I love you. I have loved you from the beginning and I will love you until the end. There will be times I disappoint you and I know that there will be moments I am disappointed in you, but there is one thing that will never end and that is my love for you. A life without disappointment is no life lived at all. Go out and spread your wings. Live this life to the fullest. Achieve the greatest and don’t be afraid to fall, just get up and try again. Smile that beautiful smile of yours. It would be a disservice to the world to keep it to yourself. Try new things. Meet new people. Visit new places. Make mistakes and learn from them. Open your heart and mind and love life. Listen, listen, listen to the sounds of the world. And pray like there is no tomorrow. Ask for God’s guidance in all that you do and you will live a successful, promising life and you will leave a mark on this world to be proud of. “The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Psalm 118:6)

Love,
Your Mom…

P.S. I hope I’m there to see it all!

Loving Blindly in a Colorful World

Colossians 3:12-14 says: Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Imagine if the world loved as God intended us too! If we loved in perfect unity would we suffer from hunger, sickness, abuse of any kind? Would we be terrified of the masses of children seeking shelter in our grand Country? Would we still live in fear to this day of losing what our soldiers, their families and our founding fathers have given their blood, sweat and tears for? Would we have to bring back heroes in coffins with flags draped over? Would we still be fearful of another 9/11 attack? Ask yourself this if we loved the way God asks us too, would we have to worry about our belongings being stolen out of our vehicles or being mugged, raped, or murdered coming out of the store after last minute Christmas shopping? Would our children be safe to walk home from school without carrying whistles and a can of mace? Would we have to worry about our children going to summer camp and being “alone” with other adults? What if our only worry was our child falling down and getting a scrape, when they went out to explore the neighborhood, instead of being snatched up by a stranger. Imagine what kind of world we would live in if more people truly used the Bible, God’s word, as a guide to live life! What if people behaved the same way they do in Church on Sunday throughout the whole week?

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34. Loving each other the way Jesus loves us would require an amazing amount of love, forgiveness, and a huge dose of open mindedness. The code that we live by today tells us that a love like this in impossible. We are taught to be judgmental and close minded. We are taught to be afraid of the homeless, the immigrants, the gays/lesbians and so many more. God doesn’t say show love to only those who YOU think deserve it. He doesn’t say shun the sinners. He doesn’t say only give to those who you know for sure need it. He says, “As I have loved you, you must love one another”. He says, “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:17-18. He says, “If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs.” Deuteronomy 15:7-8. Did God not give us the WORLD? God does in deed talk about the sin of homosexuality in the bible, if you don’t agree read the book of Romans. But something else that he talks about is the fact that there is no one sin greater than the next. He is adamant in the fact that he, God, is the ONE and ONLY Judge. So for those of you who condemn others for their sin, I ask you one question…Have you, yourself lived a life without sin? LOVE the sinner, hate the sin. If we could hold true to this commandment everything would fall easily into place. To love in this fashion would mean to forgive, to not harbor hate in our hearts, to not spread malicious rumors (gossip), to not judge one another for our mishaps but to help each other up when we fall.

When we were given the choice to give our love to a child through adoption, Snookums and I knew the right answer immediately in our hearts. We sat the boys down (at that time their were 4) and we discussed what it would mean for our family to open up our hearts to another child. A child that would not look like us, a child that we had not been prepared for, a child that would be a different color, a child that may or may not have health concerns that we weren’t aware of, but ultimately a child our Heavenly Father made specifically for us! While discussing this, we explained to our children that people would more than likely look at us and judge. That at times it may be hard for them to take. I’ll never forget Why For’s answer to whether or not we should give our hearts, life and love to this beautiful child that did not grow in my belly. He simply said…”Well, she’s human ain’t she?”… “YES! She is.”, we exclaimed. “She deserves our love then.” he said.

God want’s us to have a child like innocence. To have an innocence like this would mean to love blindly. To love blindly would mean to love in the purest form. Maybe we should all strive to live by State Farm’s motto…”Like a good neighbor, State Farm I’ll be there.” So….imagine if we upheld one of the greatest commandments of all, to love one another the way Jesus loves us. Our world would be full of smiles and laughter. Our children wouldn’t know hunger or prejudice. We would all work together to clothe, feed, and nurture each other. God’s commandments would be our law. Imagine if we lived in a blind world!

Thank you for reading!! If this spoke to you in any way please feel free to share it with the world!! If you are new to my blog and like what you read then click the follow link on my page to get email notifications when I write something new! Tell everyone you know to check out my stuff!! I love hearing back from you so please leave your thoughts about this:) As always I hope you have a truly blessed day! Go out and love blindly!!!!

XOXOXO~
~Mommamamom~