Just Breathe

Our foster daughter become sick this week. Monday night she coughed and hacked endlessly. Tuesday morning she asked to sit with me. As she lay on my chest, her stomach kept bumping me whenever she took a breath. It was a bit like Chinese water torture, so I moved her to a different position. Then I could hear the wheezing. She was really struggling to take in air. I immediately called the doctor and took everyone into the office (including my two boys and two overnight friends). With steroids and breathing treatments, she is doing much better this morning. This whole experience got me thinking (and listening to my God's beautiful voice)..


This time of year, just before school, is always so busy for me trying to get my children ready for the days ahead. And I often forget to just breathe. I rush around, taking kids to get physicals and notebooks and backpacks. I am running and running and I forget that I have to breathe in and breathe out. I am thankful to be capable of breathing without effort. And this I know is a true blessing, as many people really struggle with this basic need in our lives. But many of us forget.

I love this time of year, where Fall is just beginning and we get a glimpse of the cooler weather to come. When I sit outside, I close my eyes and just breathe in His presence. I love to imagine what my God must smell like. I think He smells like rain and newly cut grass and freshly fallen leaves. When I breathe in His presence, I can feel the change of temperature in my nostrils as it moves to the pit of my lungs. Take a deep breath right now and feel it. Close your eyes, breathe in slowly and deeply for at least 7 seconds. Hold your breath for another 7 seconds and focus on His presence inside of your soul. He's there! Feel Him! Smell Him! Enjoy this brief moment with Him. Then breathe out slowly (another 7 seconds).

How precious is the air we breathe. What a gift from God! I am so thankful for every breath I take. It means I have one more second to live on this earth and experience a life like no other, a life that was created and designed just for me. It means I have one more second to love others and to serve a God in ways only He can imagine.

Today, I am thankful for the air I breathe. I am thankful that I have the capacity to take in deep and long breaths. I am thankful for a God who has given me such a simple pleasure in my life.

Something to think about (and maybe share with the rest of us)...

1. What does God smell like to you?

Good Way on a Bad Day

Today is a good day. I am definitely a happy mommy. I was able to get to the gym, go grocery shopping (sans kids :)), and I had a good half hour of uninterrupted quiet time with my God. So far, so good!

It is in these moments, these good times, that I am reminded that I need God the most. I need to use Him more now to store up His Word and listen to His voice. I need to prepare for the bad days that I know are coming. God never promises that we will have peaceful days for the rest of our Christian lives. He most definitely promises the opposite~ that we will have trials(James 1:2). And He says we need to be prepared in season and out of season(II Timothy 4:2). It is in these peaceful moments,like today, that I am most willing to listen to God . I don't have such a negative attitude. I can be thankful for the tiniest little things. And I can focus long enough on God (and not my own selfish problems) to be able to really store up God's Word in my heart.

This morning I came across Jeremiah 6:16. "Ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls." This is a new verse to me and one that I will store away to use when my soul is feeling unsettled. I am reminded to ask God on a daily basis what He feels is the best path for my life (whether it be to play with my kids or clean my house or rest my body.) I need to listen to His voice, and then I need to do it! These are not mere suggestions that God is offering. He is not saying that these actions might make me feel better on a particularly rotten day. This is a command!! And it comes with a promise that God will give my soul rest when I choose to obey Him.

I prayed this verse today. The "good way" for me this week is to take this precious time before school starts and create lasting memories for my children and me. Today we are going hiking up at Buttermilk Falls. My house is a disaster and it is driving me crazy! But I know that God has a better time planned for me to take care of the house, and today is not that day. I want my soul to be at rest by knowing that I am choosing the path that God has created just for me. It's funny that God would be making my "good way" an actual hiking trail through the woods.

We'll see where His path leads us today. I love knowing that I am choosing God's ways and then wondering what treasures He will lead me to. It's like seeing all the wrapped presents under the tree on Christmas Eve, knowing they are going to be great, but not yet being allowed to open them!

Something to think about (and maybe share with the rest of us)...
1. What does this verse mean to you? Jeremiah 6:16 Read it and put your name inside. God is speaking to you!

Wearing emotional sleeves

I have the tendency to wear my feelings on my sleeve. Everyone in the world knows how I feel. I have a hard time hiding it. And I feel like I'm being fake and not true to who I am if I try.

When I am happy and feeling talkative, people flock in my direction. But more often, I am quiet and tired, or sad, or just plain frustrated with my kids. I have a hard time faking joy in those moments when I have none. God calls us to find joy in all situations (James 1:2), but it is sooooo hard to do.

Last Easter was particularly difficult for me for a number of reasons. But mainly I think it was because satan really wanted to steal my joy on that very special day. Anyways, it doesn't matter why I was upset. I just was and everyone knew it. "If mamma ain't happy ain't nobody happy." Most people avoided me that day. One young lady, though, walked right up to me and gave me a big hug. She said, "Looks like you needed this today". And I did. If I had known her better, I probably would have burst into tears right there on her shoulder. But I was in a public place and I tried my best to compose myself. I treasured that hug on Easter morning and still do. I needed a hug. God knew it and He gave it to me. I was still sad most of that day, but I found hope and a small glimmer of joy in my heart.

It's these moment that I now look for in other people. Moments to encourage and bring joy to those who have none.

Thank you to a God who loves me no matter what I am feeling. Thank you to friends who love me in the same way. Thank you to people like this young girl who listened to God telling her to give me a hug. Thank you for letting me be me and work through my life~ laughter and tears. If we didn't have the pain, we wouldn't know how good the joy really feels. So cry when you need to cry. And give a hug when you see someone needs it.

Lovin Hugs,
Karin

Wading Through the Crap

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body. I Corinthians 6:19 & 20

I have struggled with maintaining a healthy body all of my life. I don't like to exercise and I am most definitely an emotional eater. Many women are. For example, last Saturday I was having a rough morning for whatever reason (i really don't remember). So, I ate about ten Oreo cookies for breakfast. And it felt good! For the moment. Then I realized what I had done and felt even more miserable. Anyone out there know what I'm talking about?? This verse in I Corinthians is such a good verse for me. And it is one that God often brings to the forefront of my mind.

I must take care of the body (temple) that He gave me. This is not a suggestion, but a command from God. I must exercise daily. I must choose healthy foods to put in my body. I must rest and take care of me. When I don't do these things, I find that I am more susceptible to depression and just plain feeling rotten. And when I feel this way, I don't make a very good mommy. Now I am not saying that I need to go to the gym everyday and become a vegetarian. But I do need to get my body up and moving everyday. And I could eat a little more broccoli and a little less cookies. ( note- I said a little less cookies. I'm not giving them up all together. Cookies and a tall glass of milk are two of my best friends after a hard day.)

IMAGINE~ A church. Your sanctuary. No one has kept it up. It's dusty and dirty. There is trash laying around. The lights are out. The piano is out of tune. The windows are broken. You can hear the outside noise- lawnmowers, cars driving past, honking horns, and siblings arguing. The septic has overflowed. You have to wade through the crap in the foyer to even get to the sanctuary. The black gunk is oozing into your shoes. There is an overwhelming stench causing you to gag.

Why would we want to come here? Would you be able to focus and worship our God? You could do it and you probably would do your best to be with God here, but it would be VERY difficult to get much worshipping done.

Then why do I let my body get like this? ~ Crap to wade through, the outside world seeping in, darkness in the corners, dulled music. I have allowed myself to become unhealthy physically and mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Would God want to spend time in this sanctuary that I have created for Him? He lives in my heart no matter what the condition, but would He be happy to be there?

In order to be a good mom, I must first be with my God. I need a healthy and Holy place where we can meet. I need my physical body to be a cleaned up temple for God without any crap inside.


I'm working on it.



Something to think about ...(and maybe share with the rest of us)

1. What things are you doing that honors the temple that God gave you?

Need a hug??

I have a small sign on my children's bedroom doors. It has a picture of a child throwing a tantrum and screaming"NO!!" It reads "The child who is hardest to love is the child who needs love the most". Followed with a verse from the story of The Prodigal Son(Luke 15:20), "He ran to him, threw his arms around him and kissed him." This sign is a constant reminder to me of how I can show God's love to my children. Sometimes we need a little discipline in our lives, some consequences to our actions. But sometimes, we just need a hug.

Buying a Rocket to Visit God

My son and I had an interesting conversation today. Sometimes I'm not sure where my kids get some of the things that come out of their mouths. Maybe it was VBS or maybe it was the radio or maybe it was simply a toddler's wondering mind...

He asks, "Mommy, why doesn't God come down here?"

Wow! This is a very deep, theological question! I must answer this one very carefully. So I begin with, "Well, Jesus came down to earth a long time ago. He died and went back to heaven. And He promises to come back again another day. We just don't know when. So, honey, to answer your question...he'll be here soon."

My son, as usual, already had an answer to this question before he ever asked. (Do your kids do that? ~ Ask questions they already know the answer to? Like, "Can I have gum for breakfast?" I get that one a lot btw.) Anyways...

Paying absolutely no attention my intellectual answer (I think he was quiet during my response just to be polite), my son replies to his own question. "He must be sick. Yes. God is sick and has to stay in heaven until he gets better."

Well. Ok then. That's it. God must rest and drink lots of fluids. So, for those of you wondering when Jesus is coming back... According to the theological genius of a four year old, he'll be here when he's feeling a little bit better and wants to come out to play. Aahh, the heart of a child. God never ceases to amaze me.

Our conversation continued until I was informed that God lived on the moon and we couldn't go to visit because we did not have a rocket ship. "Can we get a rocket ship?" Again, with the questions that he already knows the answer to.

It's a new day

Since April 11, 2008, I have been studying "motherhood" during my quiet time with God. Right now I am reviewing all that I have learned over the past few months and focusing on God's promises to me as a mom. Yesterday, I came across an entry that I am feeling led to share with you. This does not reflect my current emotional status, but it is definitely a good reminder to me. My hope is that it will encourage you today, as well. (keep in mind that this is a journal entry and may be a little scattered and disorganized.)...

4-23-08
Today's Verse: Lamentations 3:22 Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is your faithfulness!

God loves me so much. No matter how bad things get, I can start over tomorrow. God has compassion on me even when I screw up. Every morning is a new day to try and get it right.

In order to be more like Christ (which is really my ultimate goal), I need to treat my children in the same way. I will forget what happened yesterday. Each day is a new day for them to try and get it right. I often don't even give them a chance to make good choices because I remind them of their bad choices from yesterday. I will choose to have compassion and begin each day with a clean slate.

On another note...
I will not be consumed!!!
I will not be consumed by loneliness- I have Brandon, Jolene, Jake, Nick, Myann, Mom and God (He's all I really need!!)
I will not be consumed by sadness- I have so much to be thankful for.
I will not be consumed by things to do- I will choose what is better: playing with my kids and spending time with God.

Treasure Hunting

A few months ago, I was running errands with my children, and I was in a hurry (as usual). I had to make a quick stop into the post office. My two oldest were racing ahead of me and my youngest was taking his sweet time about five hundred feet behind me. I kept urging him to "hurry up". He completely ignored me as he sang some silly song and carefully walked over every single crack in the sidewalk. I became rather frustrated when he bent down to look at an ant. At that point, I quickly grabbed his hand and pulled him along side of me. He didn't complain. He just started looking at the shapes in the clouds. An older gentleman noticed my frustration and said, "Don't you rush him. He is enjoying the world and you better let him do it!" As a mother, I immediately became defensive and thought (as I smiled begrudgingly to this man), "Don't tell me what to do with my children. I'm in a hurry. You're retired. You have all day to get your stuff done. I don't have time for this!!"

I will never forget that wise, wise man. He was so right.

On our trip to the beach last week, I practiced what this man taught me. We all slowed down to enjoy our God and all that he has created for us. My youngest son showed us "calapitters" , baby lizards and turquoise jellyfish. We saw the moon every day, even when the sun was up. We got excited over school buses. We went on "adventures" in the pool. And we found treasures along the beach. What a blessing. And how funny that God would use an old man and a little boy to teach me such an important lesson in my life. It is one I've always known was important, but I never really practiced it. What blessings have I missed because I was in a hurry? What treasures does God have for me to find when I choose to stop and look for them?

Even though I can no longer enjoy the lazy days of vacation, I can still make it a point to enjoy my God and all the blessings He wants to give me - everyday. I just have to slow down even when the world is spinning so, so fast. Today, I'm choosing to go on an adventure and find God's treasures!!

Something to think about (and maybe share with the rest of us)...
What treasures has God shown you through your children??