My goal is to have 50 goals and I stalled out at 30. The Lord sent a beautiful blessing of rain this morning. Not only wonderful to replenish the earth, but it gave me a chance to slow down and have a nice, leisurely quiet time with the Lord. I spend quiet time with the Lord each morning, but with 3 loud boys I don't often have the luxury of lingering while I reflect.
This morning I went back through my 30 goals and updated progress I've made. I was pleased with how much I got to write. And I added a few more goals:
31. Help empower other parents to raise their kids to know God's love.
32. Decorate my home in a beautiful, simple way that represents our values.
33. Find a pulled pork recipe that my family loves.
34. Find an enchilada recipe that my family loves.
35. Use my Spanish blog to point others to Christ.
36. Teach others Spanish so that they can share God's love through it.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Friday, September 28, 2012
The fourth cake
September has been a long month. I just baked our 4th cake. Don't be impressed--they were all from mixes. Each has been for a specific occasion and I worked hard this week to get my second son to agree to have something besides cake to celebrate on his special night, but nope. Had to have a cake.
So, per his request, I made a strawberry cake and will ice it later as a monster truck cake. My excitement about the first monster truck cake has definitely waned. But, alas, motherhood marches on so I will decorate that cake this afternoon. The birthday boy requested root beer floats which I'm excited about.
So, per his request, I made a strawberry cake and will ice it later as a monster truck cake. My excitement about the first monster truck cake has definitely waned. But, alas, motherhood marches on so I will decorate that cake this afternoon. The birthday boy requested root beer floats which I'm excited about.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
True unity
I'm in a ladies' bible study that I love. This year, we're studying the book of Acts. The way this study works is that we meet together at the beginning and ending as a large group and then break into core groups to discuss the week's lesson.
We sing to begin those large group times. I love music. I have learned that loving music isn't the same as being a gifted musician. Yes, I sing well and have a strong voice, but it's not the loveliest voice in my church choir. I play the piano, but have never learned to perfect pieces and be an excellent performer. I've never really learned to control my nerves.
Today the group's usual pianist was gone and I was asked to step in for her. Granted, I only got the music yesterday, but it wasn't beyond my skill level. However, I still did not play it perfectly.
I had warned the music leader that I play well, but keeping a steady beat isn't my strong suit. I play to enjoy the music and worship the Lord. She was kind and appreciated my willingness to help out.
All this to say that today we studied the passage in Acts in which the early church is described. They had complete unity in all things. They held on to material possessions loosely so that they could share equally.
How often do I do that? Today I went outside of my comfort zone a bit to play the piano while we sang. The worship was rich even if my playing wasn't perfect. The point isn't my glory--it's the Lord's. I'm glad my willingness glorified Him.
It makes me wonder what other things I hold on to too tightly. The list is long. My prayer is that I can be aware of what things I need to loosen my grasp on so that I can shine God's light to others.
Last Wednesday night I had the unexpected surprise of teaching a missions class (30 minutes) to some kids at church. I told the kids about it the week before but there wasn't much interest. I didn't think the class would make. But it did. So, for the next 5 weeks I get to teach a handful of really motivated and sweet kids some Spanish. I love Spanish. My passion in Spanish is to teach kids that the world is bigger than what we see every day. There's a world out there that needs to know that Jesus loves them and they need to hear it in a language other than English.
Tonight I'll teach them the numbers and begin with the colors. We'll also discuss Jesus' love. It will be a blessing to them but also to me as I get to use my Spanish again.
I'm choosing to loosen my grip a bit on my Spanish skill to share it with the children of our church. I'm glad I speak and teach Spanish better than I play the piano.
We sing to begin those large group times. I love music. I have learned that loving music isn't the same as being a gifted musician. Yes, I sing well and have a strong voice, but it's not the loveliest voice in my church choir. I play the piano, but have never learned to perfect pieces and be an excellent performer. I've never really learned to control my nerves.
Today the group's usual pianist was gone and I was asked to step in for her. Granted, I only got the music yesterday, but it wasn't beyond my skill level. However, I still did not play it perfectly.
I had warned the music leader that I play well, but keeping a steady beat isn't my strong suit. I play to enjoy the music and worship the Lord. She was kind and appreciated my willingness to help out.
All this to say that today we studied the passage in Acts in which the early church is described. They had complete unity in all things. They held on to material possessions loosely so that they could share equally.
How often do I do that? Today I went outside of my comfort zone a bit to play the piano while we sang. The worship was rich even if my playing wasn't perfect. The point isn't my glory--it's the Lord's. I'm glad my willingness glorified Him.
It makes me wonder what other things I hold on to too tightly. The list is long. My prayer is that I can be aware of what things I need to loosen my grasp on so that I can shine God's light to others.
Last Wednesday night I had the unexpected surprise of teaching a missions class (30 minutes) to some kids at church. I told the kids about it the week before but there wasn't much interest. I didn't think the class would make. But it did. So, for the next 5 weeks I get to teach a handful of really motivated and sweet kids some Spanish. I love Spanish. My passion in Spanish is to teach kids that the world is bigger than what we see every day. There's a world out there that needs to know that Jesus loves them and they need to hear it in a language other than English.
Tonight I'll teach them the numbers and begin with the colors. We'll also discuss Jesus' love. It will be a blessing to them but also to me as I get to use my Spanish again.
I'm choosing to loosen my grip a bit on my Spanish skill to share it with the children of our church. I'm glad I speak and teach Spanish better than I play the piano.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Beauty that doesn't fade
I was reading an article about Soul Beauty in HomeLife Magazine the other day and I wanted to share the message along to you. The article was written by Dr. Bisignano and I thought by putting it out here, more could be blessed by it and I could add my thoughts as well.
Beauty is often measured by an earthly standard and we often feel lacking. Our hair isn't right--too curly, too straight or too something else. Mine is too poofy. Our bodies aren't right. Our houses, clothes, cars, etc just don't measure up. However, Dr Bisignano points out that God has created each woman unique and beautiful. He looks at us and smiles.
Even more than what the world sees when they look at us, soul beauty comes from the inside and radiates outward. I see that in my boys when they get really excited about something they're telling me. Their eyes light up and they just radiate joy.
Earthly beauty fades; don't let your identity be found in it. 5 years ago I had no grey. Now, they're coming with a vengence. I've always been a redhead and that's part of my identity. It strikes me that one day, I won't be and it seems like it could be tomorrow. Yes, I could color my hair but the thought doesn't appeal to me. I've heard that there's a lot of money, time and effort involved to match red. As of now, I'm choosing to let the red and grey mix peacefully. We'll see if that lasts. All that to say that I'm starting to see that my identity has been wrapped up in my appearance and God's plan is for us to find our identity through godly character.
Lastly, beauty is also found in who you're becoming. This last point struck me with this season of the year. I'm in MOPs, Mothers of Preschoolers, and each year we get new Discussion Groups. Right now, our groups are very young. We're building the foundation of trust and sharing. We'll build on these foundations through the year as we share our ups and downs. I'll be honest--I don't like this stage of relationships. It's like being on a first date, all awkward and not knowing if you can really invest yet in the other person. I like the comfort of later in a relationship where there are shared jokes and a peaceful feeling when you're together.
If you think of relationships like a building, the foundation has to be strong so that the walls and roof can be built. I love the stained glass--the really sweet moments in relationships when a moment is shared. I have to remind myself that if I invest in these new relationships, blessings will come. It's like reaping what we sow. If I sow the seeds of friendship and connection, I'll reap such benefits before long.
As a parting thought, remember today that you're beautiful. Your beauty is outward because God only creates beauty but your inward beauty is so much more. Share your beauty. Use it to radiate God's love to others.
Beauty is often measured by an earthly standard and we often feel lacking. Our hair isn't right--too curly, too straight or too something else. Mine is too poofy. Our bodies aren't right. Our houses, clothes, cars, etc just don't measure up. However, Dr Bisignano points out that God has created each woman unique and beautiful. He looks at us and smiles.
Even more than what the world sees when they look at us, soul beauty comes from the inside and radiates outward. I see that in my boys when they get really excited about something they're telling me. Their eyes light up and they just radiate joy.
Earthly beauty fades; don't let your identity be found in it. 5 years ago I had no grey. Now, they're coming with a vengence. I've always been a redhead and that's part of my identity. It strikes me that one day, I won't be and it seems like it could be tomorrow. Yes, I could color my hair but the thought doesn't appeal to me. I've heard that there's a lot of money, time and effort involved to match red. As of now, I'm choosing to let the red and grey mix peacefully. We'll see if that lasts. All that to say that I'm starting to see that my identity has been wrapped up in my appearance and God's plan is for us to find our identity through godly character.
Lastly, beauty is also found in who you're becoming. This last point struck me with this season of the year. I'm in MOPs, Mothers of Preschoolers, and each year we get new Discussion Groups. Right now, our groups are very young. We're building the foundation of trust and sharing. We'll build on these foundations through the year as we share our ups and downs. I'll be honest--I don't like this stage of relationships. It's like being on a first date, all awkward and not knowing if you can really invest yet in the other person. I like the comfort of later in a relationship where there are shared jokes and a peaceful feeling when you're together.
If you think of relationships like a building, the foundation has to be strong so that the walls and roof can be built. I love the stained glass--the really sweet moments in relationships when a moment is shared. I have to remind myself that if I invest in these new relationships, blessings will come. It's like reaping what we sow. If I sow the seeds of friendship and connection, I'll reap such benefits before long.
As a parting thought, remember today that you're beautiful. Your beauty is outward because God only creates beauty but your inward beauty is so much more. Share your beauty. Use it to radiate God's love to others.
Friday, September 21, 2012
Cake decorating fun
But instead of cowering in fear of the icing, I attempted a monster truck cake. It was greatly appreciated by my 3-year-old son.
Today I was a bit more ambitious and decorated for the next birthday boy. I used a toy truck to sketch out the basic shape, trimmed the cake down for the windshield and iced the details. I'm very pleased with the result.
My husband's response to it was great: "Did you get a little hungry? Did you nibble a bit here off the corner?" Not quite the comment one hopes to receive for a masterpiece, but I'll survive.
My son's response was also telling as to the interest in my family for the art of cake decorating. "Mom, is this a pumper truck or a ladder truck?" Not "Gee thanks, Mom. This made my day." Oh well. That's why I post things on this blog--to share triumphs with the masses so someone out there can nod her head and say, "Good for you, Laura. You tried something new and succeeded."
Taking a deep breath
I felt guilty yesterday that during Mom's Day Out I just relaxed and read for a bit. I'm not good at relaxing. At all. I feel like I should always be charging forward, making this world a better place. I'm slowly learning that when I take the time to stop, recharge my batteries and get rested, I'm much more effective and pleasant to be around when I do charge forward again.
Last weekend my brother got married. Joyous event, but with my 3 young kids with me, I had to do a lot of herding and shushing instead of just enjoying the moment as I would have liked. Taking the time to take a deep breath yesterday helped me recharge my batteries that got pretty depleted with the kid wrangling and managing family dynamics.
My big boys are also in soccer for the first time. It's not easy. They're not used to standing still and being in one place for set periods of time. They're also not at all used to ball control which causes lots of frustration for them and I cringe on the side lines as I watch them.
I'm learning an important lesson with this: not being great at something is a hard lesson for them to learn and a hard thing for me to watch. However, this is life. I know people who are really gifted at one thing and they love it. I, on the other hand, am OK at many things, but I love those things. I'm not a great pianist, but I love playing. It makes me happy. I love tennis and it's fun for me to bounce a ball off the garage door while the boys play. I wouldn't win a match against anyone except from time to time the Wii, but I like it. I want my boys to learn that this world is full of lots of things to enjoy but it's OK to just have fun with them.
Last weekend my brother got married. Joyous event, but with my 3 young kids with me, I had to do a lot of herding and shushing instead of just enjoying the moment as I would have liked. Taking the time to take a deep breath yesterday helped me recharge my batteries that got pretty depleted with the kid wrangling and managing family dynamics.
My big boys are also in soccer for the first time. It's not easy. They're not used to standing still and being in one place for set periods of time. They're also not at all used to ball control which causes lots of frustration for them and I cringe on the side lines as I watch them.
I'm learning an important lesson with this: not being great at something is a hard lesson for them to learn and a hard thing for me to watch. However, this is life. I know people who are really gifted at one thing and they love it. I, on the other hand, am OK at many things, but I love those things. I'm not a great pianist, but I love playing. It makes me happy. I love tennis and it's fun for me to bounce a ball off the garage door while the boys play. I wouldn't win a match against anyone except from time to time the Wii, but I like it. I want my boys to learn that this world is full of lots of things to enjoy but it's OK to just have fun with them.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Cake decorating success!
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| This isn't my cake. This is taken from Pinterest. A kind mom shared this loveliness and from it I draw my inspiration. |
How did I mess up the first step? I baked the cake a day in advance, knowing the cake had to cool. Yet today when I turned the sheet cake over to pop it out onto the cooling rack, about 1/4 stayed in the pan and made an ugly crater. Mom later told me I probably didn't cook it quite long enough. Good to file away for future cake adventures.
What to do? Choices: Laugh. Cry. Be embarrassed in front of my parents who will be here for supper. Happily, the cake I've chosen to emulate seems pretty forgiving, even with a huge chunk missing from the cake. My plan now: ice the sides green, spread brown over the top and do some fanciness in green. Here's hoping I don't make a huge mess.
It all worked out just fine as you can see above. I chose to skip the green sides. This icing took less than 5 minutes. I stuck the flag and trucks on just before it was cake time. Magic! The boys loved it! Of course, all 3 boys were much more taken with playing with the new monster trucks than eating the actual cake, but I know my audience.
At bedtime I asked the birthday boy what his favorite thing about his birthday was. "My cake, Mommy." The goal was to decorate cakes. I won't pretend I don't have any room for improvement, but the family thought the cake was great and I did, too. Success!
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