Fantastic Find Friday on Steroids

I hit the best garage sale today.  Here is all the loot I came away with:

My favorite find is a dress.  Precious tried on many like it this weekend when I took her shopping for her birthday.  They all cost around $40.  I got this one for $1.  Yeah, that's right, $1!

He Speaks

When I was a young Christian it was hard for me to understand how God could actually speak to us.  I sort of thought people who said that were a little crazy.  As my relationship with God has grown and strengthened, He has given me the privelege of hearing Him speak more and more.  Sometimes it is an ever-so-slight nudge, but yesterday I felt like He was scolding, almost yelling, at me. 

I know that the Bible says not to worry about anything. 

Matthew 6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?"

Matthew 6:27  "Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"

But why is it that I seem to give myself a pass when it comes to my kids?  Because, after all, what good mother wouldn't worry about her kids?  Precious has been having a little girlfriend drama going on at school and it put me into a worry talespin.  I spent most of the day yesterday trying to figure out how to fix her problem.  And that's when God started yelling.  I have to learn to trust Him with my kids.  Just think how many lessons I would keep them from having by trying to fix everything for them.  We all want our kids to grow up to be good people.  Did you ever stop and think about how that will happen?  How did you learn your life's most important lessons?  God knows we learn so much better through experiences.  I can think of many times in my life when God has allowed me to go through a valley in order to learn a lesson and come out on the other side a better person.  I want my girls to be better people.  So I stopped worrying, got down on my knees, and turned Precious' situation over to Him.  Even if that meant she had to walk through a valley with only God by her side.  I also want Precious to know that she is smart enough and kind enough to handle these situations without me.  I'll still keep a good line of communication open with her though.  Just in case she needs her momma for something.

P.S.  Turns out the situation pretty much resolved itself while she was at school.  I was worrying about it when it wasn't even an issue anymore.

It has always been hard for me to put into words the peace I feel about sending my kids to public school.  I knwo that's what God's plan is for my family, but trying to explain it to someone else has always eluded me.  My friend sent her first child to kindergarten this year and posted this on her blog.  It happened to be the entry in the book she was reading for a few days before her daughter's first day at school.  It put into words the feelings that I have about letting go of my kids so that they can become better people.  It is from the Jesus Calling book by Sarah Young.

"Entrust your loved ones to Me; release them into My protective care. They are much safer with Me than in your clinging hands. If you let your loved one become an idol in your heart, you endanger that one - as well as yourself."

"When you release loved ones to Me, you are free to cling to My hand. As you entrust others into My care, I am free to shower blessings on them. My Presence will go with them wherever they go, and I will give them rest. This same Presence stays with you as you relax and place your trust in Me. Watch and see what I will do."

Father, As I cling to you for comfort and peace, please use every experience my kids have for your glory.  Shower them with all the blessings that only you can give.  Show our family your overwhelming, magnificent glory and grace.  Amen.

Bubba J

My brother-in-law was visiting a few weekends ago, so I was telling him the story about when I said, "Bubba!"  in a scolding tone and my husband turned around even though I was talking to Babby Bubba.  I have always called my husband Bubba and that has carried over to our son. My brother-in-law decided the baby should be Bubba Junior or Bubba J, so from now on Babby Bubba will be Bubba J:)

I'm a different mom this time.

I know people always say that when you have kids far apart, you change the way you parent, but I never thought I'd be one of those parents.  We were deliberate about everything we did with the kids.  Every decision we made, we thought about carefully before we made it.  Why would we do anything differently?  But I can't forget all the things I've learned and stories I've heard since the girls were little.  I can't forget about my friend telling me about the babies in Ethiopia that don't cry because no one ever comes.  I can't forget about the many friends that I have that have lost precious babies before they ever got to meet them.  I can't forget how fast this time goes by.  How quickly my girls have become young ladies.  So when Baby Bubba is crying, I will pick him up.  When he wakes up in the middle of the night (even though he should be fine),  I will go feed him, rock him, or just snuggle him.  Later, I'll read him that book for the tenth time today and play monster trucks or dinosaurs for a little longer.  Because I can't forget.

Things I NEVER Want to Forget

I wish I could put all of these things in one post, but I can't think of them all at once, so I am going to start a series of things about the kids that I hope I never forget.

Baby Bubba:
The way he reaches for my face and grabs hold like he never wants to let go.
The way it takes all of his concentration to hold onto a small object and move it from hand to hand.
The feeling I get when he's fussing and I'm the only one that can make him smile:)
The way he nuzzles my shoulder when he's so tired but won't go to sleep.

Sissy: 
The way she hugs me so tight in the morning before school and in the afternoon afterward like she truly missed me while she was gone all day.  If you've never gotten to be on the receiving end of one of her hugs, she gives the best bear hugs ever!

Precious: 
The way she sees the good in people no matter what.  She loves people that have hurt her with all the love that she did before they hurt her.  I could take a lesson from that.