Can I Text You?

I have two kids who never - and I mean NEVER - stop talking. They both attend coop classes with our home-school coop. The minute they get into the car at the end of the day there is a battle for who gets to talk. I try to make them take turns, but I am not always successful. If you by chance have one of my kids in class, by the time the evening is over I know just about every detail of everything that went on in your class.

Honestly, I wouldn't want it any other way. Sometimes I get a little worn out, but if they are willing to talk then I am willing to listen. If your child is a friend of one of my kids and you are wondering what is going on with your child, give me a call and we can talk! LOL

Today, though, I really needed to help Little Man with his homework. He is taking a class that is way out of his comfort zone and needed a little one-on-one with Mom to get started on his assignment. Puppy had not used up all of her words. Poor thing. I told her that I really needed her to stop talking so that I could give Little Man my full attention. Again, she interrupted with something that was . . . ummm . . ."very important." How important? Well, on a scale from one to ten with ten being the most important it was about a ZERO!

Finally, I said to my sweet Puppy, "If you cannot stop talking, you have to leave the room. I really need to give Little Man all of my attention. You can have another turn later." To which she promptly replied, "Can I text you?" Oh that kid. NO! You cannot text me.

I wonder sometimes if God feels like Puppy wanting attention. We are going about our days moving here and there taking care of this and that with no regard for Him whatsoever. He is doing everything to get the attention He deserves and yet we continue to ignore Him. I know I am very guilty.

It is very hard as a wife, mom, home-school teacher, dishwasher, laundry service, taxi service, cook, and every other job we do to stop and just be still with God. The thing about it is that we are absolutely nothing without Christ. He doesn't want our attention for selfish reasons, but because time spent with Him will improve our very being. As we are told by Jesus in the book of John:

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5

May you have JOY in being attentive to the call of Christ.

Tami

Friendship and Laughter

Yesterday was not the best of days. The morning started with my feelings being hurt, not once but twice. My mother-hen feathers were big and bold and they were ruffled!* That is not a good way to start the day.

To top that off, I had to make the 45+ minute drive down to UH to have new lenses put into Little Man's glasses. That in itself was not that big of a deal, but because a major change was made in the prescription for the left eye, Little Man had trouble seeing out of them. To confirm everything was how it was supposed to be, we had to go back and see the doctor again. Needless to say, the appointment took longer than anticipated. Since we had not eaten lunch prior to leaving home, we were both starving by the time it was all said and done.

Thankfully, God sees and God knows. Nothing is hidden from him. He knows when feelings have been hurt and spirits are weary. He knows our every need.

Late in the day, Puppy and I headed over to the lakes at the entrance of our neighborhood to check out lighting for her upcoming photo sessions. As we were walking around one of the lakes with Puppy snapping pictures, our neighbor was driving by, spotted us, and stopped to check out what we were doing.

She ended up hanging out with us for a while. We laughed, we talked, we walked, we laughed a little more, we stopped, we posed . . . Puppy snapped lots and lots of pictures . . . we laughed, we walked, we talked, and we laughed some more. I know the lady walking the circle around the lake for her evening exercise must have thought we were crazy. It makes me smile just to think about it.

I will say it again, God sees and God knows. Nothing is hidden from him. He knows when feelings have been hurt and spirits are weary. He knows our every need.

God knew that I needed to laugh. He knew that I needed a friend to show up. This friend didn't know that my day had started with my feelings being hurt. Until she reads this, she still doesn't. No mention was made. There was no need for her to know. But God used her just the same to bring light into the darkness of the day.

Spending a couple of hours of laughing about insignificant things changed the day. Puppy also got some crazy pictures that are very good blackmail material she could use against my friend and me. I'm thinking that we need to stay on her good side!

If your day is not going as planned, your feelings have been hurt, and you are frustrated, I pray that God will send laughter your way. It truly does change everything.

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22

There is JOY in laughter.

Tami

*Apologies have been made. Forgiveness is a good thing.

Celebrating the Kids

Have you ever noticed? Kids are EVERYWHERE! If you do not have one living in your home, all you have to do is go to the grocery store, Wal-Mart, the drug store, or just step outside your front door. They are EVERYWHERE!

There are tall ones,

short ones,

and in between ones.

Some are intelligent beyond their years

and others are working hard to keep up.

Some are star football players,

soccer players,

baseball players, golfers,

or basketball players.

Some are white belts,

yellow belts,

green belts,

black belts,

or somewhere in between.

Some can't walk across the room

without tripping on their own feet.

Others can't walk at all.

Some love math

or spelling

or science

or grammar.

Some hate math

or spelling

or science

or grammar.

There are ballerinas,

spelling-bee champs,

actors,

young scientists,

math whizzes,

and wallflowers.

Some talk . . . all the time.

Others never say a word.

There are some who like to

spin

and twirl

and dance

and sing.

There are others who like to

sit perfectly still.

Some like yoyos,

origami,

and computers.

Some like taking pictures.

Others like being in pictures.

Some are loud

and rambunctious.

Others are as quiet

as a mouse.

Some are dramatic

while others are dull.

Some are

the life of the party

while others

blend into the wall.

There are those who

can draw and create

while others have trouble

holding a pencil.

Some can't seem

to get enough sleep.

Others don't seem

to sleep at all.

There are some that

never stop laughing.

Others seldom

crack a smile.

There are those

who will never be able

to read enough books.

There are others

who will never pick up

a book unless forced.

There are others

who are writing books.

They come with

dark

medium

and light skin.

They come with hair that is

red,

brown,

black,

blonde,

and all shades in between.

And then some do not

have hair at all.

Some are healthy

while others are sick.

Some are fighting for life.

Some are losing the fight or

have already lost.

Some have brown eyes,

some have blue,

some have green, and

some have hazel that

just can't seem to make up their mind.

Some are in your life for your lifetime

some are there for a few years,

a few months,

a few weeks,

a few days,

a few hours.

No matter if you have one, two, three, or more, celebrate the uniqueness of the kids in your life. Rejoice that no two are exactly the same because they are all "fearfully and wonderfully made." Psalm 139:14.

May you have JOY today in Celebrating the Kids!

Tami