God's Grace and Parenting

I recently picked up a book about applying God's grace to parenting. And marriage. And I have to say that it's opened up a whole new world for me. For a long time I've rebelled against the train of thought that my children should 'obey' me, simply because I'm the parent. Because I'm bigger, and stronger, and I pay the bills. This book shows through scripture why this doesn't have to be the only train of thought when it comes to parenting your children. Although I'm not finished with the book yet, so far I love it. It applies to us, our family, and to me personally. Today, while in the grocery store, I started applying some of it's principals when we had a sticky situation in the pasta aisle. A situation that could have ended up with screaming children and an angry mommma. And it worked for me, enough to diffuse the situation and give us all a chance to breathe. And still finish the grocery shopping without further incidents.
As I was saying to Kevin the other day - we're not bad parents. We're truly not. But we're also not the best parents that we can be. There is so much more we can do to help us raise kids to love God, each other, and themselves. So in the midst of the holiday rush, the Christmas shopping and gift wrapping, cookie baking and craft making, I'm trying to apply God's grace to daily life. And coupled with my resolution not to be so judgemental, it's making me a happier person.

And a better mom.

And the winner is . . .

Before I mention the winner, I have to say that comment number 14 had to be the most interesting of the lot.

I've been looking for a good gift for my dog. The Mystic Valley Traders Custom Colefax Sheets and Pillowcase Set at CSN stores is perfect. Snuffles will be so happy when he curls up in his doggy bed after it has been lined with these $9,999.99 sheets! What a small price to pay for canine bliss.

Not sure about Snuffles, but I do wonder what it would be like to fall asleep in $10k sheets. I'm sure I'll never know.

And to the point of this post -


I used a random number generator to determine the winner, and the winning number is



No, I didn't send paypal money to Scott for his number generator, but it did come in handy for this giveaway - LOL!

Comment #15 is the winner!! Comment number 15 is Liz B!! Congratulations Liz, you won a $35 promo gift code to CSN stores. I'll be sending an email your way shortly.

And if you didn't win, stay tuned, I have some other giveaways coming up in the near future.

Learning to Accept Imperfections

Last week, while in the hospital waiting room, I picked up a magazine to pass the time. Near the beginning of the bright red glossy pages, there was a passage that made me pause.
Learning to accept your imperfections
That's a hard thing to do, isn't it? Accept the things about yourself that you like least? What makes this even harder is the world that we live in. A world full of people who judge you for the very imperfections that make you cringe when you look in a mirror.
Unfortunately, it pains me to admit that I'm part of that world. Part of the large population of people who feel better when they compare themselves to others, and find the others lacking.
It's so easy to do. Feeling a few pounds overweight is nothing compared to someone who is three times your size. When you feel like a bad parent, all you have to do is look down on all the parents around you who are obviously not doing their job. At least, the ones that you feel are not doing their job.
Think you're a bad housekeeper? When you see the house with faded plastic toys in the front yard and trash bags piled on the front porch, you can't help but believe that you're doing a better job.
For me, I believe that this judgement stems from not accepting the parts of myself that I like least. For believing that, due to these imperfections, I am somehow less in people's eyes. In God's eyes.
But God doesn't work that way. He doesn't judge us based on our imperfect natures or our flaws. At least not now. The handsome President of the Company isn't placed higher than the aging janitor. God values them both, loves them both the same. Just as a parent loves each and every one of their children with all their heart.
Although I've often heard the phrase, "We are all perfect in God's eyes", I think that it should say
In God's eyes, we are all equally imperfect
Every one of us has our flaws, our imperfections, that separate us from God. And somehow, I know I need to learn to accept the flaws that I see in myself. If I take that first step I can accept what I perceive as flaws in others around me. To accept them for who they are, and not judge them for who I think they should be.

I've been taking baby steps - from not judging the driver who cut me off in the snow, to smiling at the guy who failed to hold the door open for me when I had my hands full. We all have our bad days.
And it's not my place to judge someone on what might potentially be the worst day of their life.

God knows what is in their heart, not me.

And perhaps there is a reason I like having these guys around.



And I have four of these.



They love me no matter what - imperfections and all.

Giveaway Deadline Moved Up!!

I'm moving up the $35 gift card giveaway to CSN stores to
Wednesday 12/15 (TOMORROW!) at 10pm. The winner will be chosen randomly after the contest closes. I'm moving it up so that Christmas delivery might still be possible.

To clarify contest rules-
One entry per person, please
Leave an email address so I can send you the promotion code
Choose any one item from CSN stores that you like (does not have to be $35 item)

And that's all there is to it! Good luck!

$35 Giveaway for CSN Stores!

This is so exciting! A giveaway that is just in time for Christmas. You have a chance to win a $35 promotional code to CSN stores. Remember, CSN stores has everything from modern bar furniture, to glassware, to plastic toy kitchens.
Here is what you have to do -
Visit the link above and browse through CSN stores (they have over 200 of them) and leave a comment telling me what you would like to buy. I'll choose a random number from the list of comments, and the winner will get a $35 promotional code to use at any of the CSN stores! Remember, right now most of their items ship for free. Be sure to leave an email address where I can contact you.
That's it! It's easy, and could leave you with some extra holiday cash to find a gift for someone, or pick up a special treat for yourself.
The contest runs until Wednesday 12/15 at 10pm EASTERN.
Good luck!

(HERE is another link to CSN stores)

Christmas Giveaway from CSN Stores!

I have a upcoming giveaway to announce, just in time for Christmas!!
It's from CSN stores - they have everything available from modernbar furniture to dollhouses, to dog boots. And right now, they're offering free shipping on most items!
The giveaway post will be up soon - be on the lookout for it and you might just be able to get the perfect Christmas gift.

In other news, we've had some cold weather here in the midwest that included snow. And when you have little ones, snow is awesome. The boys disappeared outside for HOURS. They build a snow fort, had a snowball fight (after which Lex came back in crying because Hunter hit him in the face), and tried to build a snowman. Unfortunately, Gwen was sick, so she stayed inside with the 'girls'.









But she felt better when we pulled out the cocomotion machine. I love this thing, and it mixes up some great hot cocoa.




This is Lex's 'I love hot chocolate!' face




We're slated for more snow tomorrow, and the kids are doing their happy dance. I'm doing mine as well. Only four more working days until I start my Christmas break . . .

Crazy

Crazy is the word I would use to describe our life right now. Certifiably nuts.
And for some insane reason, we're refinancing our mortgage RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
Just to add to our already overloaded schedule.
But that's okay, I'm remembering to breathe, to feel the joy that this season brings. And you know what?
I love my family. I really, truly do. I love having Kevin home, here with us almost every day. I don't take it for granted.
This morning we woke up late, and in the middle of rushing around attempting to get ourselves and four kids dressed, Kevin grabbed me and wouldn't let me go. For a mere minute, time stood still, and I no longer cared about getting Callie's hair put up or Hunter's homework log signed. I cared only about that moment, a moment in which my husband made me feel needed and loved.
Appreciated.
That's something we all need sometimes, in our lives that are so filled with the chaotic mess of life. We need that moment where time stands still, and we remember what brought us here in the first place.
Love.
He took me back to a time where it was just the two of us, learning to be together, live together, and truly love each other. A simple time.
But as we stood there, in the kitchen, reality set in fairly quickly when I heard Gwen from behind us.
'Ughhhh. Daddy's kissing mommy, again.'

One of these days, she'll get used to it.

And a photo from September, to remind me of a time when it wasn't 7 degrees and snowy. When we could walk outside without losing feeling in our fingers.
Ahhh, those were the days . . .

The List

This time of year consists of many checklists.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the holidays, but they can get very chaotic and demanding.
There are just so many things to get done before Christmas.

For example, there’s the simple task of getting out Christmas cards. The very first year we were married, I used a wedding picture and printed cards from home using that picture. Once Hunter was born I started making the card using a picture of the kids, or at least including one in the card. Then I designed my own Christmas cards using a photo taken specifically for the occasion.

See how it can escalate? Last year I made such a big deal out of getting a good photo, that when I didn’t get one I didn’t even get cards printed or mailed.

And that’s just the tip of the ice-berg. There are decorations to put up (check), gifts to make and buy (check), cookies to bake (check), parties to attend (check), Christmas programs to watch and videotape (check) . . . The list goes on and on. So much to do, and less than 4 weeks to do it in.

But in the midst of the checklist, the celebration is getting lost. Not just the real meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus, but the enjoyment of the holidays. Giving to someone else because it makes you feel good to see the smile on their face when they open their gift. Feeling the Christmas magic as you stand in church, surrounded by sparkling boughs and wreaths as you sing carols of hope, peace, and love. Catching the children’s excitement as they count down the days until that one enchanted morning when they wake up to find their stockings filled and presents under the tree.

It’s not about the things to do, it’s about doing them. It’s not about buying the gifts, but about giving them. It’s about spending time together with family, and letting others know that you love them by handing over a plate of freshly baked and decorated cookies that were made with the help of eight little hands. It’s sitting down at the table to construct craft with the kids, and gathering around the tree to hang ornaments while listening to Christmas songs.



Yes, I still have a checklist.

But years from now, I’m not going to remember all the things that I ‘checked off’ my list.

I’m going to remember the laughter, the togetherness, the giving, and the feeling of being loved. I’m going to remember the peace of knowing that no matter how many mistakes I make every day, God gave us His child to fix my mistakes. And my children’s mistakes. And over the Christmas season, we celebrate that love and selfless giving for an entire month.

I’m not going to get lost in the ‘checks’. I’m going to get lost in the joy.