P52 Challenge Details

Well it seems that posting late for the Photography Challenge has become a trend of mine. But life is what it is and that is well, life. This past week's challenge theme was Details. I love details, I believe that beauty is in the details.

Things can get so busy and crazy and sometimes we just run through the motions needed to get to the next necessary task. It is so important to stop for a minute and just take a look around you.

It is important to stop and really listen to and pay attention to the ones you love. Take a moment to breath and really look at the things around you so you can really see all there is to see.
I try to make an extra effort to just stop and look at least once or twice a week. If I don't I can find that all of God's beauty and the little fleeting moments with my munchkins will be missed.
I am looking forward to a few weeks of just resting and not having a lot going on. I don't know if it will happen but I know that it is needed.

This post is linked to P52 Photography Challenge with Darcy at life with my 3 Boybarians.

The Leaning Tree

I am in the early stages of putting away the Christmas decorations. It is such a bittersweet moment for me. All of the memories made, and fun that was had is now over and a new beginning is here. I find myself lingering every year, just wanting to keep everything out just a bit longer, but alas I know it cannot be. I must lovingly wrap up each item and store it away for 11 months until next Christmas season.

This year’s memories include all of the kids making their own Nativity Scene to put up in the house. We had one by the tree, one on the chest in the living room, one on the dining room wall and one in the media/play room. I love that pretty much anywhere you were you would see a reminder of why we as a family celebrate the season.

Our tree this year did not fall over as it did last year. For this I am so thankful. However it is leaning about 12 precarious degrees forward. It started out straight when we put it up. But every day it seemed to tilt just a little bit more than the day before. As I have been nervously watching the tree God keeps reminding me how easy it is for us to tilt in our walk with God, losing our focus on what is important. Just like it is so easy to lose focus during the craziness of the Christmas season.





I have been reflecting back on all the festivities of this past Christmas season examining how well we kept our focus on the Lord and all that is important in the midst of all of the fun activities and presents. For us, we have several gift-giving sessions with all of the family. When you have a large family, getting everyone together is almost a miracle in itself. In the middle of the packages and ribbons and bows with all of the oohing and aahing, did the focus tilt? That is where I am right now.

Every year, I want the focus to be on Christ. Why He came, and what He did and how important that is. I think we did really well not losing focus and I am praying that next year will be even better.

Busy Being Distracted

Busyness can be such a problem with moms. We have a tendency to become preoccupied with accomplishing tasks. Many times however those things that we seem to think need tackling are just distractions.
I have been finding myself being extremely busy even though I am trying not to be. My head lately has just been spinning and spinning. I am having a hard time finding the off switch. Busyness creeps in, I become so distracted from looking at the bigger picture, and I get hyper-focused. That is not how God wants us to be. I was reading Luke 10 trying desperately to get my head from spinning and just getting plumb with God. Why Luke 10? Because I have been told that I can be a Martha, I think it is true. I find myself getting distracted with all of the preparations that I miss the good stuff. I am listening but not fully. When Jesus came to Mary and Martha’s house, Mary chose to sit and listen to what Jesus was saying without being distracted. Martha was distracted. When she confronted Jesus about Mary not helping, Jesus gently rebuked her and said she was “anxious and disquieted about many things.” (Young's Literal Translation) Martha was stressed out. How often do I find myself stressed out? A LOT. Mary was resting at Jesus’ feet. She was renewing her strength and not allowing distractions to get in the way of her hearing the word of God. Mary chose not to be busy, distracted or stressed out. If we sit at Jesus’ feet, we will not become stressed out. I love that. My stress meter is ready to blow its top. I am exhausted, tired, and desperately trying to fit everything into my day and the kids’ school day. I am finding myself stressed and not relaxed like Mary.
I want to choose the good part and remember not to let myself get distracted.

And it came to pass, in their going on, that he entered into a certain village, and a certain woman, by name Martha, did receive him into her house, and she had also a sister, called Mary, who also, having seated herself beside the feet of Jesus, was hearing the word,

and Martha was distracted about much serving, and having stood by him, she said, `Sir, dost thou not care that my sister left me alone to serve? say then to her, that she may partake along with me.' And Jesus answering said to her, `Martha, Martha, thou art anxious and disquieted about many things, but of one thing there is need, and Mary the good part did choose, that shall not be taken away from her.'

Luke 10:38-42

Young’s Literal Translation

Mommyhood - Like a Child

There are many times throughout my day where I have the opportunity to hear God speak to me. I miss most of them I am sure, as I am self-absorbed in all that I have determined I need to accomplish. I watch Baby G as she goes through her day always learning and exploring letting no minute go wasted as she learns everything she possibly can about the world around her. She is so determined to learn everything all the time that she even refuses to nap or sleep if she thinks she will miss anything going on. She will not even sleep in her car-seat because she wants to watch everything that happens at wherever we have gone. As I watch her, I am reminded that I am to be like her, constantly on the lookout for what God wants to teach me next. I need to take more time to pay attention and less time being a Martha.

Several years ago when Little Man was probably 2 we were watching Veggie Tales Rack Shack and Benny and God spoke to me through that video regarding a current situation I was going through. Recently God spoke to me again through Veggie Tales while we were all watching Gideon: Tuba Warrior. He reminded me about the power of prayer and that the smallest amount of faith is all you need. There was a great man named George Mueller who opened an orphanage with 50 cents. He operated the orphanage by faith that God would be faithful to supply all their needs and never asked for a donation. Instead, God faithfully provided daily. Never once did the children go hungry-not once did they miss a meal. All because Mueller was faithful to pray and believe. Mueller asked and God did, it was that simple. Wow! What an amazing example for me right now when there are so many uncertainties. I pray and I do know that God is faithful but that day, I needed encouragement and God knew it.

God speaks through everything all the time and my job is just to pay attention. Do I pay attention as I should? Not very well, I am sure. I know that there are days that go by when I am constantly in prayer but I do not think I stop to listen. Other days I am so absorbed in accomplishing the day's tasks that I forget to slow down and pay attention. I need to watch how my little baby never wastes a learning opportunity and apply that to my adult life. I need to realize that just as I set up learning opportunities for my children He sets them up for me. I cannot be distracted with life and miss those opportunities.

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*Luke 10:38-42 "Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." (KJV)

*Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I [am] God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." (KJV)

*Luke 18:17 "Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein." (KJV)

Mommyhood Distractions

I find myself being busy a lot lately. Always trying to hurry so I can get to the next task and accomplish more in a day than humanly possible. I have been catching myself not letting the kids help me and just doing it myself because it will be done faster if I just do it myself. As when I get help, it is actually a lesson in how to do whatever it is that I am doing. I want them to be along side me when I am doing the things that make life happen. I want them to learn how to be self-sufficient and know that the clothes do not magically make it back in their drawers all washed and folded. The dishes do not clean themselves and, meals do not appear with the wave of a wand. I enjoy my time with them as we do these things together and I teach them the skills they need to succeed in life. But lately, I have been finding that I am pushing them away, telling them to go play and let me just work. They have been confused and frustrated that I am doing this but I have been in such a hurry, I haven’t even noticed the expression on their faces just the obedience of them leaving me alone to do the work myself. (My kids are great at obeying but that is for another blog.)

Why have I allowed myself to be so busy and not spend that time with them? I have been telling myself that I am trying to get things done faster so I can spend more time with them. I am convincing myself of this deception. Being busy and not being in relationship with my kids is harmful to them spiritually. I am letting the enemy come in and take a foothold in my relationship with my kids. This is what he wants; he wants to wedge distractions and frustrations between my kids and me. If he does that then he will have a foothold on them. I need to stop and be still with them. Slowing down and allowing them to come along side me again. Doing all the tasks I do together and not allowing anything to come in the middle of my relationship. My relationship with them is an example of the relationship that they have with Christ. If I allow that wedge, that wall, then I am going to show them how to allow a wall between them and their Savior. They need to learn through my relationship with them how to hold fast and build that relationship with God.

It saddens me that I have even allowed this cycle to start. I am glad that I am recognizing it so that I can correct the problem, rebuild what I am loosing, and grow from there. The enemy is after my family as he is after every family. He knows that if he can break up the family, he can accomplish his destructive mission.

So now, I am going to go and do the tasks that need to be done along side my little ones. I am going to build that relationship so that it is impenetrable. While keeping my eye on the eternal goals and not on the worldly goals of just finishing the tasks so I can move on to the next.


“My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
Colossians 2:2-3