1000 Gifts: Unwrapping My Gifts

"I begin the list. Not of gifts I want, but of gifts I already have...I don't even know they are gifts until I write them down. Gifts He bestows. This writing it down--it is sort of like...unwrapping love."  

--Ann Voskamp in 1000 Gifts.

(I apologize again for the length of this post...still catching up to my late start this year!)

0021. modern medical imaging that can see what our eyes can't

 

 

0022. the words of kind medical staff who help ease my edgy nerves

 

 

0023. a husband content to be there for me...for 2 hours in a waiting room

 

 

0024. a good report from the doctor

 

 

0025. words...written and spoken

 

 

 

0026.  e-mails from far-away family

 

 

0027. surprise encounters at the grocery store, and leaving encouraged

 

 

0028. prayer meetings

 

 

0029. being part of a community of believers

 

 

0030. coffee

 

 

0031. those who are willing to stand for truth

 

 

0032. the man at Little Miss's school who is there every day with a smile 

to help her out of the van and give Little Man a high-five

 

 

0033. books, lots and lots of books

 

 

0034. holding little hands while we walk

 

 

0035. friends with "kindred spirits"

 

 

 

0036. a napping child

 

 

0037. the imagination of my children

 

 

0038. the scent of a freshly-cleaned house

 

 

0039. Little Man's laughter

 

 

0040. watching my husband with our son

 

 

0041. seeing my husband in our son

 

 

0042. Sunday afternoon naps

 

 

0043. watching my son sing about God's love and dance with delight in children's church.

 

 

0044. waking to freshly fallen snow

 

 

0045. a snow day at home (a.k.a. PJs and no-makeup day)

 

 

0046. hot cocoa in cold cheeks

 

 

0047. encouragement from a friend

 

 

0048. a date with my love

 

 

0049. snow angels

 

 

0050. warming by the fire

 

 

0051. "fresh" blueberries frozen from last summer's outing

 

 

0052. footprints in clean snow

 

 

0053. warm bread and soup on a chilly day

 

 

0054. big dreams

 

 

0055. not-so-tiny hands that still need help.

 

 

0056. the beauty of imagination + art supplies

 

 

0057. learning to "let go."

 

 

0058. squeals of children playing outside

 

 

0059. simple ideas that turn out so well

 

 

0060. a good night's sleep

Last-minute Valentine's Day Cards and Giveaways!

As someone who recently had a panic attack at the realization that Valentine's Day is only a week away, I'm so thankful for someone like my friend Kelly over at live.laugh.rowe. With amazing creativity and mad Photo Shop skills, she has come up with some adorable and oh-so-easy Valentine's Day card fun for the artistically-challenged rest of us.

Honestly, what says "Love" more than 1 Corinthians 13:4-8? That's what makes this printable perfect for a last-minute Valentine's Day card (just in case there's anyone besides me who hasn't thought about them before now!)...Simply print it (here) on card stock, how cute!

And don't forget to spread the love with your own family this Valentine's Day! This quote from Anthony Brandt would make great card, or framed as a gift, for a family member. Print it here. So easy!

I've known Kelly for more than 10 years, and she is as fun as she is creative. She never ceases to amaze me with her talent for the crafty, like these fun and funky Valentine card ideas! PLUS, she's got a full week of giveaways this week. Who doesn't LOVE a great giveaway!

So, head on over to live.laugh.rowe and take a look around. Tell her Nancy sent you! :)

1000 Gifts: My List

It was several months ago, that my friend Lora@MyBlessedLife introduced me to Ann Voskamp. Not in person, mind you, but in the blogosphere.

I'm always intrigued by what Lora is reading. One of my lifetime friends, she is also a fellow book-junkie. So when she first posted about the book, I was interested.

I quickly realized this was one I needed to not just read...I needed to devour it. I needed to read, put it down, step away, and truly meditate on what was being said. It challenged me like no book has in quite some time.

Ann is an exceptional writer, but it was more than that.

Her message...of giving thanks in everything, for everything...is what I needed to hear at the time.

Having experienced the pain of personal tragedy at an early age, Ann learned to do what we all do so well...busying ourselves with the day-to-day to the neglect of what is truly important, what is truly life-giving.

While I cannot relate to the deep pain Ann and her family experienced or the "soul-hole" as she calls it that it left, I can relate to her longing for something more, for a deeper purpose, a higher calling. Who hasn't wondered if there's really more to life (especially a mom's life) than folding laundry, wiping noses, and cleaning messes. Sure, we all know on some level that motherhood is "the highest calling." Let us not forget we are molding and shaping the minds and spirits of the future...yeah, that's the pressure I need on 4 hours of sleep!

Ann discovered it...the "it" we all search for, she and revealed it in her book. Thanksgiving. Not once-a-year-family-gathered-to-eat-turkey-type Thanksgiving. No, daily....truly...thanking God in everything, for everything. In her own words,

"Thanksgiving is the evidence of our acceptance of whatever He gives. Thanksgiving is the manifestation of our Yes! to His grace...thanksgiving is necessary to live the well, whole, fullest life."

And isn't that what God wants for us...life to the fullest? (See John 10:10). So, won't you join me this year in taking The Joy Dare? It's simple, really. Find 3 things every day to be thankful for. Three things. That can't be too difficult, too time-consuming, right? If you need a little help getting started, check this out.

Here we go!

0001.  a surprise lunch with my husband

0002.  sunshine in February

0003.  God's amazing grace

0004.  snuggling with my boy

0005. kisses from my girl

0006. amazing friends with whom to "do life"

0007. worship music

0008. a home to share with friends

0009. lazy weekends with family

0010. birthday celebrations

0011. food made with love

0012. kind words

0013. inspiring conversations with friends

0014. homemade valentine's from my daughter

0015. a healing God

0016. watching the "light bulb" moment when my kids are learning

0017. listening to my daughter practice piano

0018. watching my kids tackle their dad when he comes in the door

0019. chocolate

0020. bike rides and neighborhood walks

If you'd like to join me in The Joy Dare, leave a comment and link directly to your list! You can also link up at A Holy Experience (but at least leave me a comment and let me know you're in it with me!)

Happy Birthday, My Love

You are patient, you are kind.

You do not envy, you do not boast, 

You are not proud. 

You do not dishonor others, 

You are not self-seeking, 

You are not easily angered, 

You keep no record of wrongs.

You do not delight in evil but rejoice with the truth.

You always protect, always trust,

always hope, always persevere.

Thank you for sharing the last 12 years with me.

I'm looking forward to many, many more!

Happy Birthday, My Love!

A Rough Start

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This morning when I dropped my Little Man off at preschool a rare thing happened. Instead of his usual good-bye kiss and smile, he clung to me and wailed, "I don't want to go, Mommy! I don't want to go!"

I resisted every urge to hold him tightly and cry, "You don't have to! You don't have to!" If he had been my first child or this was his first day of preschool, chances are that's what would have gone down. But he has come to school many, many times before, always with a smile on his face, and he comes home later in the day excited about the things he has learned, the songs he's sung, and the friends he has played with. He has been coming to this, our church preschool, since he was two. I know the staff and the teachers...and so does he. He sees them at church every week. They are our friends, and  he loves them as much as I do.

So I called upon every Mommy superpower I could muster, kissed his head, hugged him tightly, assured him I'd be back at the end of the day and handed him off to his teacher. As I climbed back in the driver's seat, I watched him reaching for me screaming, "No, Mommy! Don't go!" Summoning the rest of my Supermommy powers, I drove away...around the corner, out of sight...and cried.

I'm not one of those parents who throws her kid into the pool to teach him to swim. My philosophy is, "let's dip our toe in first and see if we like it." If they like it, we'll ease into it. If not, we'll give it some time and try later. I'm not saying mine is the best way...it's just what works for us. So, to drive away from my screaming child went against every fiber of my being.

But the logical, mature side of me knew that I wouldn't be doing him any favors by going back for him...even if that logical part was being completely drowned out by the emotional Mommy side of me at the moment! He is in a loving environment with people who care deeply about him. He is there five hours a week because we believe it reinforces the values and truths we are teaching him at home while preparing him for full-time education. I had to be strong and look at the bigger picture.

That's when I realized how many times I had felt just like my Little Man. In the middle of whatever I was facing, I looked at God and screamed, "What are you doing?! How could you just leave me here?! I don't want to be here! Don't leave me!"

The truth is, He doesn't leave us. Ever. He has promised not to. Even when we feel alone. Even when we feel abandoned. He is right there...holding us, weeping with us, loving us through every moment. All the while, seeing the bigger picture. Seeing the other side. Knowing how we will come through it stronger, more mature, and more dependent on Him.

Even though I physically left my Little Man today, you better believe I called and texted his teachers until I was convinced he had calmed down and returned to his happy, easy-going self (which he did within 30 minutes). You see, for a mom "out of sight, out of mind" is a foreign concept when it comes to her children. If I...an imperfect, human parent...am that consumed with my child--his safety, his well-being, his happiness--how much more our perfect Heavenly Father!

 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble. 

Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

Psalm 9:9,10

 

What are you going through today that makes you feel alone? God has not forgotten you. He has not abandoned you. He is with you. Hold tightly to Him.

40-B4-40: Letting Go

Dedicated to my fellow first-born, over-achieving, Type-A peeps.

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Ten years ago I would have been hesitant to admit I'm a Type-A person. (We're always the last to find out, right?) In most of my adult life (and childhood for that matter), I was fairly easy-going. I was often happy to go along with whatever restaurant or activity my friends chose, content to just hang out with them. I really had little need to "be in charge."

So it was with great disappointment that I finally admitted to my husband and friends (who already knew) that yes, I am a control freak. You see, it's not really that I have to control everything. If I'm participating in or helping with someone else's "thing," I have no problem going along with it. If you're in charge, we can do it your way.

However, it was in the things that I did have control over that my inner control freak began to rear her ugly head. My house--since I'm here most of the time, it shouldn't be too difficult to keep it relatively spotless at all times. And meals...how hard is it to have tasty, nutritious meals on the table for my family every evening. Children...it's not too much to ask that they be well-dressed, well-fed, well-behaved, and content most of the time. I'm not unreasonable. I realize they are children and will have their moments, but I'd say hitting the mark 90% of the time isn't too much to ask (for my children anyway.) Yeah, right!

As for my personal life....well, there's no reason I shouldn't be able to workout daily, have a quality devotional time, and find time to write on a regular basis, right? I mean, it's really just a matter of scheduling and prioritizing. I just need to make the right lists (I do love my lists!) and find the most efficient way of doing them. It's totally doable. And since it's doable, I should be able to do it. Sound about right?

Fortunately, God has a sense of humor and paired me up with someone who could make me step back, take a breath, and realize that if we have cereal for dinner and the kids are running around like monkeys, it's OK. That's just where our lives are right now. Sure it would be nice to have a quiet, peaceful, spotless home in which to unwind each evening. But the sight of toys strewn across the floor and the sound of giggles and pounding feet as our children chase one another through the obstacle course that is our home remind me that my to-do list isn't the most demanding issue right now. So my first step on my journey to mature, well-adjusted, middle-agehood is to LET IT GO. (Aren't you proud of me for not making a list of things to let go of? :))

Over the holidays, I hosted family gatherings while my kitchen floor remained un-mopped (horror of all horrors!) We ate some late dinners (and consequently had late bedtimes) so that I could spend time enjoying my family instead of rushing through our evening. The kids' teachers received cookies "creatively" decorated with love instead of magazine-photo-perfect gingerbread men. This week, I sat and drank coffee with a friend while our boys played in our basement which looked like an episode of Toys R Us Gone Wild. (It's a wonder we didn't lose of them down there.)

But guess what? No one mocked my sticky kitchen floor, the teachers loved their cookies, and my friend and I had a wonderful chat while the boys relished in the toy rubble. Maybe, just maybe, if I can push past my initial, hand-wringing moment of worry when the door opens to my less-than-immaculate home and can focus on the person and the moment at hand, everyone will have a better time...mostly me.

Now, if you'll excuse me we are having guests this weekend and I need to go scrub my bathrooms. (Baby steps, right?)

40 B4 40

Happy 2012, everyone!

As you may have noticed, I took a small break through the New Year. I intentionally spent time enjoying family, having fun, and relishing every moment with my kids while they were out of school.

I also spent some time planning, dreaming, thinking, and praying about 2012...including my blog. More on that later. Let me just say you may see a few changes around here as I begin to experiment with some things (for example, the new look...what do you think?) It's not exactly there yet, but it's a step in the right direction.

As I gazed into 2012, I came to a stark realization: It is approximately 40 weeks until I reach a milestone birthday. (I will leave it to your keen deductive skills to infer what birthday that might be. Hint: read the title of this post carefully.) So, I've decided for the next 40 (or so) weeks, I will take a moment to share a specific lesson learned, challenge conquered, adventure taken, or anything else that might help me say, "Take that [insert next decade here]! I'm not going down without a fight!"

So stay tuned, dear friends. It's going to be a great year!

Do you have any big plans for 2012?