She shall be saved in childbearing...

The Treasure Hunt

post from Evlogia

As a mother of many children, attending the divine services is a matter of constant movement. Arms rarely empty, I cannot recollect ending a service in the same spot as which I began. Long ago I abandoned the naively willful notion that equates the distractions of caring for my young with lost opportunities of grace. Quite the contrary. A will pruned by repeated cuttings bears far more fruit than one at rest in external peace and quiet. She shall be saved in childbearing.

She shall receive the opportunity to live for another.

Read more HERE

Enduring

From The Natural Mommy:

The goal should not be merely to survive childhood, but to make the most of it. To train them up in the way they should go while enjoying their presence and trying your best to also make it enjoyable for them.

It’s a test of endurance, raising many small children. Breath in, breath out. Open my eyes. Slow down. But don’t stop. I can do this. With your grace and provision, God, I can do this

Some days certainly feel like I'm just "enduring". There are other days when all but a few moments are just wonderful. Things around the house get done, the girls play nicely together and don't need me every second and it's sunny and warm outside and we can get out to enjoy it. Yesterday was one of these days. So nice after a Monday that seemed endless, when nothing seemed to be right and I was a huge grump. I started the day with some much needed work I finally felt like doing, so I had a clean mopped floor, clean bathrooms, washed diapers and a nice walk in town. After nap time it was finally "hot" enough to get our little pool out. The girls loved it. Then it was over to the garden to watch Phil till and visit with some other young mommies. These are such small pleasures but very real pleasures in my life. I'm so thankful for the "easy" days.

Collecting Satisfactions

For some time now I've been wanting to jot down some of the things in my daily life that bring me joy or make me smile. I know that everyday there is a something that we can find wonderful but I find that I can get so "down trodden" with the tedium, frustrations and monotony of daily chores and child rearing that I overlook or take for granted these little things that happen that make it all so worth it.

I LOVE this blog I discovered a few weeks ago, and found a section in the author's archives that was interesting to me called "Collecting Satisfactions". Read about it here. She started a list of 100 things in her life that bring her joy. While I don't want a list of 100 things, I did like the idea, so here is my first "satisfaction".

Tonight my babies snuggled up to me while I sing one of our favorite night time hymns, Now Rest Beneath Nights Shadow. I wished it had been a longer song!

No Place Like Home.

I recently read a post on a blog I follow about giving your children "enriching experiences" on a budget. It talked about not needing money to have a fun and memorable time with your kids or a fun time learning something with them. It got me thinking. My girls aren't old enough to take places where we have to pay to have fun and learn something like zoos (though we have been there and I have to say it was more fun for me and Phil than the girls we know but we needed to get out) or museums. Even if they were we live pretty far from any cities that would give them this opportunity. So how do I make 'home' a fun and "enriching" place to be? I came up with some things ideas:

• Once the weather permits we will have a great time exploring outside
• We have a very nice park here in town (again Aubri the weather has to be "warmer" for this!)
• I loved building forts when I was little
• Dress up!
• Craft time of course
• Read books or go to our town Library
• Picnics inside! That was always so fun for me!
• Cushion Mountain and Cushion Bridge
  

I took the cushions off the couch and chair in our living room and made a "mountain" and a "bridge". The girls (and I) had a lot of fun and burned some energy for sure! Lily gets pretty riled up, but I think it's been really good for her.

I'll keep trying to come up with more ideas. If any one has other suggestions I'd love to hear them!

Cushion Bridge where you run as fast as you can and fall over. (It's fun, trust me)

Trials!

This has been a very trying and tiring month for this mama. Besides the cold, foggy, icy, snowy, cloudy long days the girls have been going through some rather unpleasant changes. Clara, now 7 months, is taking less naps, 1-2 a day sometimes 3 and needs a quiet place to do so which with Lily is very difficult to find. She went through a couple weeks where she was up until 10 or 10:30 which made for even longer days and is in the habit of waking at 3 or 4 in the morning then again at 7:30 or 7. Which could be worse I know, I just haven't figured out what to do with her since I don't want her to stay in her bed in the room with Lily crying as loud as she does. I've continued to move her out into the living room into the swing and give her a pacifier which she's happy with, but she completely fills that swing up and is really beginning to weigh it down! I'll have to figure something different out soon which I'm afraid will mean less sleep for me.

Our Lily is certainly at that wonderful "terrible twos" stage. She's gaining more independence, but has such clingy whiny times it drives me crazy. Sometimes if it's not whining she's up to it's crying/screaming at me. Poor thing. I know she gets so frustrated trying to tell me what she wants and when I finally get it it's usually something she can't have! That really sets her off. Then I'm stuck trying to distract her with something else instead of giving in to her and that not working and both of us frustrated.

And we've decided to give potty training a more determined try. We're using the "Naked and $75" method. It's been 5 days now putting her on her potty every hour and she's actually starting to tell us she's got to go then going once we put her on the potty! Today she even went all by herself without telling us anything! We were very proud, but there are still the 2-3 other times during the day that she's NOT using the potty but the carpet or her crib. Yes this "training" takes time and yes she's still only 18 months old I remind myself. I think she's getting the hang of it and I would hate to go back to letting her go in her diapers all day now because it might confuse her. I'm glad she's getting used to the idea and not afraid of the potty, that's a step in the right direction I think, but it's not an easy thing to get housework done, care for another baby and get to a naked baby before she makes a poo on the living room floor!

We've had some difficult days but with the hard times have come some very sweet moments. I want to jot them down so I don't forget and to remind myself that when I feel like my sweet baby is gone forever and been replaced with a Queen Toot and I think I'm gonna lose it, she can be so sweet and will always be my little girl who I love and am so proud of. Lily is such a doting big sister. A couple weeks ago while I was on the phone with my mom I saw Lily go to the table, find a paper towel and come back to the living room and wipe Clara's face. I hadn't seen the big spity Clara had ejected so big sister took care of it!

And I don't want to ever forget how cute she is after our bedtime stories and hymn, when she gives kisses, tucks her bottle under her arm, waves bye-bye and marches happily down the hall to her bedroom to pray with Daddy and go night-night. Tonight she was even yelling "nigh-nigh"!

As hard as it gets to be a mama, staying at home 24-7 with little ones I don't want to forget that as long as these days can be, they are short. These stages my babies are in will pass and then will come other stages. As hard as it gets to deal with these crying, yelling, pooping, messy babies they won't always be this way. My days have frustrations but if I can just stop for a minute I'll see they're really filled with sweet moments, proud moments, laughs, kisses and hugs that I'll carry for the rest of my life.

Luther on Marriage I.

On married life Luther writes that our natural reason,

turns up her nose and says, 'Alas, must I rock the baby, wash its nappies, make its bed, smell its stench, stay up nights with it, take care of it when it cries, heal its rashes and sores, and on top of that care for my wife, provide for her, labour at my trade, take care of this and take care of that, do this and do that, endure this and endure that, and whatever else of bitterness and drudgery married life involves? What, should I make such a prisoner of myself O you poor, wretched fellow, have you taken a wife? Fie, fie upon such wretched-ness and bitterness! It is better to remain free and lead a peaceful, carefree
life.. .

What then does Christian faith say to this? It opens its eyes, looks upon all these insignificant, distasteful, and despised duties in the Spirit, and is aware that they are all adorned with divine approval as with the costliest gold and jewels. It says, 'O God, because I am certain that thou hast created me as a man and hast from my body begotten this child, I also know for a certainty that it meets with thy perfect pleasure. I confess to thee that I am not worthy to rock the little babe or wash its nappies, or to be entrusted with the care of the child and its mother. How is it that I, without any merit, have come to this distinction of being certain that I am serving thy creature and thy most precious will? O how gladly will I do so, though the duties should be even more insignificant and despised. Neither frost nor heat, neither drudgery nor labour, will distress or dissuade me, for I am certain that it is thus pleasing in thy sight.'s

I'm not sure why Luther speaks from a man's viewpoint of doing all of these tasks. I'll have to ask Phil about that! But of course it applies to a mama as well. How often I get tired of the "drudgery" of the everyday tasks of caring for little ones. My flesh can look back on my single days and think "wasn't it nice to just do what you wanted, when you wanted?" But doing those things had no reward other than making myself happy. No chubby little baby looking back at me with love in her eyes happy to have a clean "nappy". I've noticed that when these tasks involve MY little one, one I love, they just become things "that have to be done", not disgusting or painful, I just do them. I now know what my purpose in life is. I am to care for all of the needs of these precious girls. In doing this I please God who blessed me with them and gave them into my care! What great responsibility!

An Issues Etc. program on "Vocation and Parenting" worth listening to.

Living the dream.

I'm reading a blog a stay at home mom in MT keeps. She posted one of her reasons for blogging;

I would like to encourage other homemakers in their chosen vocation and even provide a few laughs when appropriate. Hopefully I’ll even be able to convince some skeptics that some people, at least, can be happy and fulfilled as a homemaker/stay at home mom and be quite different from the unfortunate stereotype of either a bon-bon eating, cheap romance reading, lazy, wimp lolling around home all day while her husband labors at his chosen career; or a brow-beaten, uneducated, harried wife trying to care for unruly children while her husband is off enjoying himself. Perhaps that language is a bit strong. However, I hope that I fit in neither category (even remotely). I am thrilled to be living my dream of being a wife and mother, and I love my job. It is so fulfilling.

I think she has a wonderful goal. She sounds very happy. I was both chagrined and curious about her apparent contentment. I have to admit I am more often than not that "brow-beaten, harried wife" she condemns and actually bon-bons don't sound too bad if I had them. But I'm frustrated with myself, with the sinner I face everyday. I do have my "dream job". I am "living the dream". Being a wife and mother is all I ever wanted to be. But even so I find many ways to be so unhappy, so "unfulfilled", not "loving my job". Of course my flesh doesn't want me to be content, doesn't want me to find joy in the blessings I have. Being a wife is hard, being a mother is hard, managing a home is hard. The hardships often blind me from the fact that I'm fulfilling a divine call and that I've been so blessed with a loving, responsible, wise husband and two beautiful, sweet little girls. I am so thankful to be living my "dream" and I do find all the fulfillment I'll ever find in this life in doing this but I'm not always "thrilled" about it. I'm more thrilled that God helps me to faithfully daily fulfill the duties He has given me and knowing that I am absolutely fulfilling His "will for my life" and that He has given me such a precious family to give my life to, to live out my days in faithfulness to and to love abundantly until I leave this life and find everlasting fulfillment.

Change your mindset.

Phil sent this link to me today:

http://www.biblemoneymatters.com/2009/07/be-content-save-money-and-be-happier.html

Here's an excerpt:

Through all phases of life you are likely to see something or someone that you feel looks better than you or has something you want.

Let me paint a picture for you; You show up to a party and your girlfriend has on a beautiful dress with the purse, shoes and accessories to match and there you are with a dress that is 5 years old and flip-flops. Meanwhile, your husband is downstairs checking out the finished basement, with a projector TV and movie style seating. Now what? Do you completely blow your monthly budget, head to the department store and duplicate her outfit? Does your husband want to empty out your savings account or charge your credit card so he can have a movie theater in the basement? OR are you happy that you both have friends to visit, dress and shoes to wear and that fit, a means of transportation to the party, and a house to live in?

I hope you choose the latter, but chances are you will be pulling out the credit card!! It’s natural to feel envious and jealous, but these are also 2 of the 7 deadly sins. If we are constantly being jealous of others, how are we being thankful for what we have? God wants us to be like Paul and Job, who were content when they had everything and when they had nothing.

The act of being content is a challenge that one cannot face alone. Prayer is one of the most powerful tools God has given us, so use it. When you are feeling envious or jealous, pray for God to remove those thoughts and allow you to be more thankful and content for what you have. Instead of thinking about everything you don’t have, think about everything you DO have. Be happy that you are alive, have a family, can see, hear, walk, talk, drive a car, have a car to drive, clothes in your closet, food in your refrigerator, water in your faucet, a computer to read this article, the money to pay for the internet, a bed to sleep in, sheets on the bed, and most important a God in Heaven to call Father. When you see someone with something nice, be happy for them. Tell yourself that they work hard and God has blessed them and will bless you!

Change your mindset, change your life.