Passage of time

Jacob is in 8th grade now and informed me that he would start buying his lunch. Since kindergarten I have made the lunches of all 3 kids, now my youngest wants to eat like all his friends--they buy, they don't bring.

When I picked Jacob up from his youth group meeting tonight I wasn't quite sure what to do. My husband and I drove up, we saw Jacob up by the basketball goal. I looked at Paul and said "our oldest would have been mortified if I walked up to get him, but Jacob doesn't look like he will notice us." We waited, then decided to walk up. I tried to be cool. I wanted him just to notice we were there and not embarass him. He looked over and smiled.

Ahhh, the passage of time, but I love every stage of my children's lives.

Stop, Look and Listen

A friend was telling me that she was late for work because her and her son saw an animal nursing it's babies and had to stop and see the wonder of an event they hadn't seen before. May we all stop, look and listen. There are so many beauties to behold.

Lord Get Me Through Another Day

I pray that when I get frustrated I will ask Brady to pray who says things like, "Thank you for all the kids in this class so that we can be friends."

I ask that when the whole class starts chanting "Go, Frankie, go Frankie, go Frankie" I remember that they are being supportive not trying to disrupt the class next door.

I pray that when I'm asked for the 3rd time if they can feed the fish, I don't get frustrated because we always feed the fish at the same time everyday AND not while we are doing math!

As Jesus said in Luke 18: The Kingdom belongs to the children.

The Excellent Communicator

Jesus, the excellent communicator, as I continue with trying to not complain, I find so many biblical principals. I do agree with so many that we need to be able to talk to others about problems, its just so easy to tell EVERYONE, (most of whom do not need to know the complaints), and it fills their day with negativity.



Here is what I have found:

Prov. 11:1-The mouth destroys your neighbor

Prov. 18:21-The tongue has the power to hurt others

Prov. 15:4-The healing tongue brings life

Eph. 4:29-Encouraging words build up

Psalm 118:24-This is the day the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Romans 13:10-Love does no harm to its neighbor.

Deut. 12:18-Rejoice before the LORD your God in everything you put your hand to.

Phillipians 4:11-Be happy whatever the circumstances

1 Thessalonians 5:18-In everything give thanks.

Proverbs 16:24-Pleasant words are a honeycomb.



And finally the Beatitudes: Galatians 5:22 of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfullness, gentleness, and self control.



This tells us our words are important. I have still barely read the Complaint Free World, but it is on my list of things to do. I have been working on the campaign for 3 weeks. Some days are better than others, but I recommend the change of attitude and watching our speech.

Volunteering

I heard someone say that they didn't understand doing a job without getting a paycheck. They didn't understand how someone could volunteer their time. I can not understand how someone can go through life and miss out on helping others without expecting money in return.

I remember getting on my banana seat bike with the flowery basket and riding up to the library to volunteer. I would file cards for the new books coming in (yes, a card for each book--this was before a computer database).

Likewise, I would ride the bike and visit Mrs. Arrington who taught me to embroider pillows, and so many others who showed me their player pianos, taught me about hearing aids, banana trees, introduced me to the Reader's Digest books... I don't know if they were volunteering to help a young child or I was entertaining the elderly with my musings but we both benefitted.

I have a quilt my grandmother made with her quilting group. I've heard so many talk with love about my grandmother and how she helped others. What if she didn't volunteer? How empty.

Paul loves to tell the story of taking the Lord's supper to a shut-in and she was using the bathroom and said, "come on in, I will be here awhile". I was so embarrassed.

Yes, volunteering has its ups and downs but what would life be without it?
Volunteering to me is trying new things. If you aren't good at it, you can try something else. I've stayed connected with my children's schools by volunteering both in the classroom and on the PTA. It has given me respect for the school personnel, but also gives me insight into everything that the school is doing. The one year that I didn't volunteer, even though I was staff at the school, I didn't stay connected. In Acts 20:35 Paul told people “to remember the words of theLord Jesus, how he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

(Luke 6:38 NIV) Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
(Luke 12:33 NIV) Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.

I know that by being involved, your life is better.