Modern Day Miracle

Who would have thought that a rickety roller coaster and a sweltering day at a cheesy quaint amusement park could bridge huge holes of the heart?

God.

Who would have thought that the day would be full of smiles and fun, rather than anxiety and angst?

God.

Who would have thought that racing go-karts together (see daddy way there in the back, ha!) would be freeing in so many ways?

God.

Who knew that this mama’s heart would behold {all} her children reunited on this side of heaven?

God.

Saturday was a very special day for our family.  It was the first time we had all been together, the five of us, in the same place at the same time in THREE years!

God gave me a gift that I had given up on a long time ago. 

And I have been unwrapping it ever since!

{If you haven’t been here long and this post confuses you, you can read some of the back story here and here.}

Joining the M.O.B

I am married (to a guy).

I have three brothers.

My husband has two brothers.

My brothers each have a son.

I have three boys.

I am swimming in a world of testosterone.  And, to be honest, I think God sits up in heaven and chuckles at me.

You see, I am a girly girl.  I have always liked dresses, shoes, manicures and pink and purple are my favorite colors. 

I loathe getting my hands dirty.  I don’t understand the hilarity of flatulence.  I cannot relate to the desire to wrestle on the floor until somone yells “uncle”.

Yet, God has surrounded me by boys.  And, now they are adolescent boys.  Whole.different.ballgame. people!

So, I have agreed to write about my expertise experiences in raising three rowdy boys for the new site- the M.O.B Society.  There are over 20 contributing writers to the site and I can’t wait to see what they all have to say about the day in and day out challenges of raising the male variety of offspring.  The site officially launches June 1st and I for one can’t wait.  I will be writing a series about S.E.X and also a column about raising older boys. 

So, if you are a mama of boys, you will want to check out this incredible site. You will also be able to learn more about M.O.B  during a special Twitter party, May 31 from 9:30-10:30pm.  Use the hashtag #mobsociety to join in the fun.

 Kudos to my friends, Brooke and Erin, for working so hard to bring this new site to fruition.

I am unwrapping the gift of parenting boys today at Chatting at the Sky.

Think on these things

As our children get older, it is important to place decision making in their hands more and more.  Where better for them to make mistakes or missteps then under the umbrella of our authority and guidance?

While it is easier said than done for this mama to relinquish control (hello?  I am a recovering Type A) it is imperative for their growth so I am committed to doing so.  An opportunity to do so presented itself this week and it developed into a great learning opportunity for both of my boys.

Picture two teen/tween boys standing at the Blockbuster Express kiosk, being allowed to rent any movie they want on their day off school.  They chose a movie that was, to me, going to have questionable content.  They even gave me those sideways glances to make sure I was aware that they were renting *that* movie.  I said a silent prayer and swiped my debit card.

After popcorn was popped and the movie was on for about ten minutes, Jared fast forwarded (I have no idea if that is a word) through an inappropriate scene.  Matt got mad and said “why are you skipping stuff?”.  Jared responded, “I can’t watch that with mom sitting next to us”.

Inwardly I was grinning but I said not a word (do you know how hard that was?).  Matt nodded in understanding and they went on with the movie.  Within three minutes, Jared said “Matt, I don’t think we made a good choice with this movie.  Do you want to go play basketball?”  AND THEY TURNED IT OFF AND ASKED ME TO RETURN IT.  Later that day, they told their dad about it (they genuinely felt remorse) and offered to pay for the rental since “mom wasted her money”.

Can I just tell you my heart soared?  Was it soaring when they chose that movie?  Heck no.  I was thinking “why did I choose today to let them pick any movie?  I knew this wasn’t a good idea”.  But, I trusted the prompting of the Spirit and let them choose their way.

Now, do I think that every time they have the opportunity to  make a choice they are going to make a good one?  No.  I don’t have stupid stamped on my forehead.  But, I do feel much more comfortable in this parenting approach.

Later that night, during our family time, I read the boys Philippians 4:8.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things. 

 I told them that with their decision to turn the movie off and go do something else they had put that verse into practice.  And that is what God’s Word is all about- guiding us through decision making in life with God’s will not ours.

If you have a post about teens/tweens please feel free to link up with us.  You are not alone on this parenting journey!

So Different, Yet Friends

One is blond, the other has jet dark hair. One has braces, the other glasses. One is athletic, the other looks for ways to avoid physical activity. One is shy, the other outspoken. One is popular, the other doesn’t want to be popular. One is organized, the other is disheveled. Yet, they are friends.

Have you ever wondered how you can give birth to two humans (only 16 months apart from each other) and they can be so completely different? Jared is going out for the basketball team and has played some type of organized sport since he was in kindergarten. Matt just joined the chess club and for the first Halloween in five years, he is going to be something other than Darth Vader (he is going to be Yoda).

Jared is an overachiever. He is upset if he gets a grade below an “A” (I have no idea where he inherited the perfectionist gene from LOL). Matt could care less about his grades. He puts his efforts into the subjects that interest him and doesn’t see the point in effort in the subjects that bore him. Jared has a plan (NBA player) for his future. At his mother’s insistence (I don’t think the boy is going to even make 6 ft. tall), he also has a back-up plan (being a lawyer). Matt changes his plans for the future like he changes his underwear (once a week LOL). Whatever he fancies at the moment is what he thinks he will do for the rest of his life.

They are so different yet they are brothers and friends. They can spend hours outside, working on their treehouse fort, hiking in the woods, riding their bikes. Matt will humor Jared and play basketball in exchange for Jared playing video games with him. They look out for each other at school. In fact, Matt stood up for Jared this weekend and ending up getting punched. (yes, little brother stepping in for big brother- how sweet

When I look at them, it is so incredible to think that God created their inmost being and knit them together in my womb (Psalm 139:13). They are created specifically for the purposes He has in mind for them. They are wonderfully designed for what lays ahead. Even though I carried them in my womb (and I want extra points for all the bedrest, incompetent cervix issues, magnesium sulfate, etc, etc, etc.) God designed them. That is why they come from me but are so different.

The next time I am frustrated with the sarcasm that comes with being twelve, the inexplicable avoidance of all things hygiene related, the bickering of sibling rivalry, the offense taken at suggesting they do not know everything quite yet- I will stop and remember that they were lovingly created by my God with a purpose and design in mind. It is my job (and hubby’s) to nurture, develop and appreciate that about them. Different, yet special. Different, yet family. Different, yet friends.