Write It On A Rock

Faith and Family
March 23rd, 2012 by Sarah

Going Unnoticed

I spend a lot of time doing tedious tasks. Making and cleaning up from meals, picking up toys, changing diapers, and filing away our bills.  It doesn’t feel very important.  If I am honest,  I can get a bad attitude when my work goes unnoticed for long periods of time.

I have always loved this verse.  On days when I worked outside the home and wanted to please my boss or on days as a mom when I feel unnoticed, this verse is a great reminder.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as if working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.” Colossians 3:23

In mundane moments I try to remind myself that even if my husband doesn’t notice that I just put away his laundry for him, or that I picked up his bowl, God does.  I am reminded that God asks me to do a good job because it’s good and pleases Him, not merely for the praise and recognition of others.

My children may not thank me for changing their diaper or coming into their room at night for the fifth time when what I really want is a break… but God sees when I work with all my heart.  This attitude has given me a joy in doing tasks that I don’t particularly love doing.

People may notice our hard work when we are working hard to please God, but that isn’t even the best reward.  The Bible says we will receive an inheritance.  An inheritance from the Creator of the world and owner of all things… that sounds amazing to me.

This poem for wives and moms by Roy Lessin really encouraged me.

CONTINUE ON

A woman once fretted over the usefulness of her life.

She feared she was wasting her potential being a devoted wife and mother.

She wondered if the time and energy she invested in her husband and children would make a difference. At times she got discouraged because so much of what she did seemed to go unnoticed and unappreciated. “Is it worth it” She often wondered.

“Is there something better that I could be doing with my time?”

It was during one of these moments of questioning that she heard the still small voice of her heavenly Father speak to her heart.

“You are a wife and mother because that is what I have called you to be.”

Much of what you do is hidden from the public eye. ” But I notice.”

Most of what you give is done without remuneration. “But I am your reward.”

Your husband cannot be the man I have called him to be without your support. Your influence upon him is greater than you think and more powerful than you will ever know. I bless him through your service and honor him through your love.

Your children are precious to me.. Even more precious than they are to you. I have entrusted them to your care to raise for me. What you invest in them is an offering to me.

You may never be in the public spotlight, But your obedience shines as a bright light before me. Continue on. Remember you are MY Servant.

Do all to please me.

By: Roy Lessin

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Posted in Devotional, Marriage and Family, Parenting, Uncategorized | 11 Comments »

March 17th, 2012 by Sarah

Baby Cuteness

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Some of you have asked if Hudson has adjusted to the fact that Jasper was born as an infant and not a “boy.”  Yes, he has!  In fact, out of all of the siblings, Hudson plays with Jasper the most.  He will sit and talk with Jasper.  He’ll bring him toys that Jasper’s not old enough to play with and he loves to hold him.

Jasper is already five weeks old.  Everyday I try to take a little time to lay down with him.  I know that,”it goes fast” is a cliche but I really know what that means with the newborn stage.

Sometimes I sleep next to him, with his little breath breathing onto my neck.  Or I just lay next to him and look at his little cheeks.

I have so much that needs to be done, but I know how fast this newborn stage goes.  I wish I could bottle up the smell of his almost bald head, the feeling of his soft hands, and the sound of his little noises.

To think that weeks ago he was in my womb.  Amazing.  Complete miracle.

It seemed like a long, hard pregnancy, but I look at what it created and it is more than worth it.  I love the seasons like right now, when I wish I could freeze time.  Yet I know that difficult seasons produce blessings like this.

I obviously prefer the good season to the hard, but sometimes it takes the hard to get to the good, and as I look at Jasper that is what I’m reminded of.

 

Posted in Our Family, Parenting | 1 Comment »

March 10th, 2012 by Sarah

Irish Brown Bread

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In light of St. Patricks day I wanted to share one of my favorite bread recipes.  It is so easy and delicious.

My mother and father in law took Jason and I to Ireland ten years ago, during our first year of marriage.

We drove around the countryside staying at a different bed and breakfasts each night.  It was beautiful, but my favorite part was staying in the restored mansions and country homes.

Each afternoon we were greeted with an afternoon tea… bread with jam, maybe some dessert and tea.  Jason and my father in law were not very interested in “tea time” so my mother in law, Colleen, and I usually enjoyed the girl time by ourselves.

Colleen asked for the recipe for this Irish brown bread at one of the bed and breakfasts, the Berry Lodge (shown above).  This lodge was also a restaurant and cookery where the owner taught cooking classes, but she was still willing to give this recipe to Colleen.

This recipe requires no kneading or rising.  It is easy, healthy and so delicious with jam.  Our family loves it with strawberry or rasberry jam.  I have also made it with whole grain white flour before and it is a little less chewy (and a little less healthy), but very good.

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Irish Brown Bread

2 c. Whole wheat flour

1 1/4 c. White bread flour

2 T. Steal cut oats

1 t. Baking soda

1 t. Cream of tartar

1 Good pinch of salt

1 t. Honey (I think you could substitute sugar if you don’g have honey)

1 T. Oil

1 Egg

2 1/4 C. Buttermilk

(I usually don’t have buttermilk so I substitute either half plain yogurt/half milk OR I make a substitute by mixing 2 T of white vinegar OR lemon juice with 2 1/4 C of milk.  Let sit for 5 minutes before you mix it with other ingredients.

Heat buttermilk, honey, and until hot, but not to a boil, in microwave or saucepan.  Mix in the rest of the ingredients.  Pour into a greased bread pan or 5×5 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes (until it sounds hollow).

Enjoy with your favorite tea!

 

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February 29th, 2012 by Sarah

Getting Kids to Eat Salad

Strawberry and Avocado Spinach Salad 500

I often make salads at dinner, but it seems more than half of the time my kids reject it before they have even tried it.  Kids eat with their eyes and like choices so I decided to make our own salad bar at our house.  We do this regularly and it works… all of our kids eat their salad and usually ask for more.

I try to use healthier lettuces like romaine, spinach, and spring mixes.  If you like the crunch of the not as nutritionally packed iceberg you can mix it in with another healthy lettuce and it works well.  Make sure to chop your kids lettuce/spinach into smaller pieces fit for their little mouths.  You can even use a round pizza cutter to smash it all up.

Here are some ideas for toppings (I usually just use what I have on hand):

Hard boiled eggs, cranberries, raisins, sunflower seeds, lunch meat, leftover grilled chicken, cheese, croutons, nuts, broccoli, shredded carrots, shrimp, strawberries, olives, mushrooms, leftover taco ingredients with tortilla chips, black beans, peas, tomatoes, any veggie!

Put out a few different salad dressings, (I love making my own and I’ll put some of my favorite dressing recipes on here soon).

It’s kind of a no throw-together dinner, and it’s so healthy.

spinach

My all time favorite item to buy at Costco is their one pound bin of organic spinach or organic spring mix.  It is almost the same price as a small bag at the regular grocery store, but there is probably three times the amount.

Do you have any other topping ideas or tips to get your children to eat veggies?

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February 29th, 2012 by Sarah

Don’t Give Up: Encouragement for Parents

 

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A few weeks ago I told my six-year-old son he needed to go to his room for ten minutes because of his behavior.  He tried to argue with phrases like “I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to disobey.”   I repeated back to him my usual response to manipulative arguing, “I love you too much to argue.”  His response… “No, you don’t love me, this last six years has been a lie!”  Oh the drama.  I had to keep myself from laughing this time at his attempt to get out of a consequence, but there are times when disciplining and instructing consistently can be overwhelming and exhausting.

Galatians 6:9 has become one of my favorite parenting verses.  It says “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”  I often recite this verse in my head when I am in a hard season of parenting.

There are moments as parents when doing “good,” like saying “no” when other parents say “yes,” or staying consistent when our kids are needing consequences can become tiring.  There are moments when you don’t see the fruit of your labor.  This verse encourages us not to become weary.

It says that if we are doing good we will reap a harvest of blessing!  The “harvest of blessing” in this verse is not promising perfect kids if we “do a good job,” since none of us is perfect no matter what our age, but there is a blessing that comes from doing what God asks us to do.

I have made many mistakes as a mom, but have really sought out God’s wisdom in parenting.  I wondered many times if the discipline I did was working at all.  I’ve walked the walk of shame through the grocery store more than a few times, leading one of my screaming two-year-olds to a time out in the bathroom as people stared at me.  I was tired and wondered if I would ever see the fruit of my labor.

I remember reciting Galatians 6:9 on some of my hardest days with a couple of strong willed children.  Though my children aren’t perfect, I am starting to reap some of the blessing of the hard work of fighting those long battles, encouraging my kids, and praying for them.  With our new two-week-old baby to care for it is a blessing to see our kids getting along, listening and being helpful, which is not something we’ve always experienced.

It is so easy to want to give into our children’s manipulation, or into our culture’s way of parenting.  It is easier to disengage sometimes.  Remember Jesus promised to never leave us forsake us.  He is with us, and we can always ask Him for strength and wisdom.

Parents don’t give up teaching your kids, setting rules and following through with consequences.  Don’t give up the habit of reading the Bible/devotions to your kids, even when they resist. It may seem too tiring at the time, but it is good and you will reap a harvest of blessing if you don’t give up!

 

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Why do children love to take all of the toilet paper off of the roll?

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It is so sweet when siblings love each other!

Do you have a memory of doing something you knew was good for your child where you ended up reaping a harvest of blessing for it?

 

 

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February 21st, 2012 by Sarah

Baby Jasper’s Here!

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Wow, Jasper’s two weeks old and as my friend Shannon puts it, “it seems like he’s always been here.”  What a sweet baby boy he is.   He was born February 7th at 2:28.   Labor and delivery went so well, and what a wonderful surprise it was to have another boy.  Three boys and one girl.  We are so thankful!
I had gone back and forth between whether it was a boy or a girl, but the last three weeks of pregnancy I really thought we were having a girl because of the way I was carrying.  What a fun surprise when Jason said it was a boy.  I really did not care if he was a boy or a girl but loved the surprise!  There is nothing like that moment of meeting the little kicker who I’ve been praying and waiting for the last eight months.
The kids are doing awesome with Jasper, and I am amazed at God’s grace and answers to prayer.  Micah and Hudson have been playing so well together allowing me the time I need to nurse and take care of Jasper.  Isabelle is two, and loves Jasper as well.  She gets in his face a little too much, but we’re working on thatl.  I feel so blessed, and am so thankful for our children.
I never would have thought I could do this six years ago, but God has given me more of a capacity than I ever imagined.  His grace is enough for me and His power is made perfect in my weakness!
I was having the baby blues for a few days worse than I had experienced with any of our other babies.  I felt so blessed and there was nothing to be sad about and yet for a few days it seemed like there was a cloud hovering over me.  I cried in the evening about absolutely nothing.  I emailed some ladies from my small group  asking them to pray and the next day I felt like a new person.  I feel back to myself…  a little more emotional than normal but I can handle that.
I am so thankful for supportive family and friends.  They have been so wonderful to bring meals, pray for us, and watch our kids.  I love you all so much!
A friend let me know about a photographer in the area who needed a newborn for a photo shoot.  We were blessed to get free newborn photos of Jasper, and wow is Jessica the photographer talented.  They turned out so cute.  This is a link to her blog with a sneak peak of Jasper’s photos.
One more quick story… it took Hudson a few days to adjust to Jasper because he thought when we said, “it’s a boy,” that meant a four year old boy like him!  Hudson was so disturbed at the hospital.  He was also disturbed that my “tummy isn’t flat.”  I asked him to give me some time, ha ha.  He has since learned that babies do not come out as 40 pounders, leaving mothers with flat tummies, and he is thankful for the addition of a baby, who will become a boy, to the family.
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January 23rd, 2012 by Sarah

The Purpose of Parenting

Seven months ago we found out that we are expecting our fourth baby.

Experiencing my three other children go from an idea in my head, to an ultrasound picture, to the little people each of them has become, has dramatically increased my awareness of what a miracle this little 10 ounce baby inside me really is!

For some reason, with this pregnancy, I’ve found myself worrying more. I worried that I would miscarry or that something would go wrong with the pregnancy, along with worries about the baby’s health.

However, this worry has driven me to God in a new way.

1 Peter 5 says to cast your anxieties on God, and as I’ve done that God has reminded me of two things.

First, He’s reminded me that He doesn’t make mistakes. God uses all things for the good to those who love him and are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).

And second, He’s reminded me about the purpose of parenting.

Colossians 1:16 says, “All things have been created through him (Jesus) and for him.” Every person created on this earth is created for God, to show who he is.

He gives us our little ones as a gift, but essentially they are first and foremost His to be taught about Him.

As I thought about our next baby and the worries that sometimes creep into my mommy brain I wrote this letter to him/her.

Little Baby Strand, I haven’t met you yet. I don’t know if you are a boy or a girl. I don’t know if you’ll have red hair like your brothers, dark like your auntie, or blonde like your sister. You may be colicky, hyper, or easy going, or spirited. You might like sports or maybe music or art. I wonder these things in anticipation of the beautifully and wonderfully made creation you are. I wonder as well if you will be born with something like blindness, Down’s syndrome, or a genetic disorder.

You see, it doesn’t matter to me if you have any of the above because God has made you perfect the way that you are. I don’t believe that God makes mistakes, and I will not label you in a limiting way. You are being created in my womb right now by God and for Him. I cannot wait to find out more about you, to teach you about the One who made you. I am excited to tell you that God made you “for such a time as this,” and to train you in the way you should go.

Baby Strand, this world values certain looks over others, learning styles and gifts more than others, but I want you to know that God is knitting you together right now exactly the way He wants you to be. I love you already, and I will love you as long as I live.

Love,
Your Mommy

It is freeing to think that our job as parents is not to try to mold our children into what we think they should be. Our children are not accessories given to us to make us look good by the sports they play or the grades they receive. We can trust an all-powerful God that He has created our children with unique gifts to be used for Him.

Whether our child has a easy time learning, has a strong-will, learning disability, an outgoing or shy personality, our goal is to bring out their gifts, but also to teach them about the power of God. Power that uses our weaknesses to show His strength.

Read Bible stories about God’s power to your children and relate it to their lives. Affirm the gifts you see in your children, and encourage them in ways that they can develop and use them. And, pray for your children that Jesus’ power will become real to them even through their weaknesses.

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January 22nd, 2012 by Sarah

Humbling Moments

Have you ever had one of those extremely humbling days? I had to learn from one recently.

My husband Jason was out of town, so I decided to do what I normally do when I’m on my own.  Say yes to everything I am asked to do, pretend I am superwoman and over plan too much in our day.

After already running our three little children around ragged, we went to a friend’s house for dinner. When it was time to leave I gave my five-year-old Micah a five-minute warning, and then five minutes later told him it was time to leave.  He threw the biggest brawling fit I have ever seen him throw, especially in front of an audience.  I had never seen him this out of control, but of course I didn’t want to sound like I was making excuses for him. We left, apologizing all the way out the door.  I know my friend loves me, but I couldn’t help but wonder if that was the last time she would ever invite me over after that scene.

We walked into our house, where I looked at us in the mirror. We looked exhausted, and my skin was burnt only in the places where I missed sunscreen. (That’s always a nice look.)  My kids were dirty from a day outside. They needed baths but there would none; we were going straight to bed.  Then I looked down, one of my pant legs was rolled up at least four inches higher than the other.  Apparently I was too busy all day to notice. I walked around Target and went to a friend’s house looking like this.

I know days like this happen, but I had to take some responsibility for the humiliation I was experiencing.  I learned a few things that day.

First, I am a “yes” girl, while Jason is good at saying “no.”  This difference in our personalities gets us into trouble often, but it is also the very thing that complements each other well.  When Jason is gone, my spontaneous and overly-optimistic-with-time personality kicks in and I then experience the negative consequences that can have on our family.  The way that Jason plans and designates our time balances out my desire to say yes to everything and visa versa.  Though personality differences in marriage can be a major source of conflict, God knew exactly what he was doing when he put us together. I e-mailed Jason right away to tell him how much I appreciate his personality even when it’s so different from mine.

Second, this particular day was unfortunately not in my top humbling moments. I’ve had many more, but I am learning to be thankful for embarrassing situations. Humiliation is one of the ways God uses to make us humble.

1 Peter 5:5 says that “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”  I would much rather be experiencing God’s favor than opposition. If left to myself I would think way too highly of myself, but when I hit certain lows I am brought to my knees in prayer.  Humbling circumstances remind me that I can’t do everything on my own. They remind me that Christ is my strength in my weakness, and I am nothing without him, but everything with him.

Third, I learned that day that I should probably check to make sure my pants are not four inches off in length before I leave the house the next time.

Are there personality differences in your family members that cause tension, but may also be a way that you balance each other? Is there a circumstance in your life that you cannot get through on your own right now? Maybe God is bringing you to your knees…wanting you to trust him so he can show his work and power in your life.

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January 22nd, 2012 by Sarah

Breaking Family Patterns

Though every family carries some dysfunction, I would certainly characterize my childhood as dysfunctional and chaotic.  It was plagued with my father’s alcoholism, witness of abuse in our home, divorce, and my mom’s mental illness.

I had accepted Christ as my Savior as a 5 year old, and Christ was always with me through the ups and downs.  My family’s church attendance was sporadic, but on one occasion, when I was 11 years old, our pastor talked about sins being passed down through families and generations.  He talked about how Christ can clean and change even our sinful patterns.  So on that day, I prayed a prayer that Jesus would allow me to break the patterns that had been carried down for generations, and give my family a legacy of faith.  I had a picture in my head of what that would look like.

Nineteen years later, I am amazed as I look at my family because He answered that prayer better than I could have imagined.  I’ve experienced the words of Psalms 40:1, “He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and the mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.  He put a new song in my mouth a hymn of praise to our God.”

A few things that I’ve learned through my journey thus far:

  1. Jesus is the only able One who can overcome sinful family patterns because he lived a sinless life and took our sin. When we put our faith in what He did on the cross, he makes us new and clean, making us new people and starting the process of being changed every day. After I committed to Christ there were tempting situations that were very difficult to resist, but I had to obey his commandment in order to enjoy the blessing that would one day come through obedience to him.
  2. Forgiveness: Studies have shown that family members who hold a grudge or cut off another family member are more likely to repeat the same behaviors themselves or marry someone who does. It’s fascinating that we tend to do the very thing we hate in someone else. When we decide to let God deal with the sin of the party that we were so hurt by, we are releasing ourselves from the burden as well.
  3. It’s a process. There is always a pull toward what we are used to, but that is not always the best direction.  Even now as a mom I sense myself being drawn to parent our three kids with my mom’s parenting style: compassionate but overly permissive. I have to be intentional in developing the daily structure that I myself did not grow up with. I pray often, asking God for wisdom, reading Scripture and seeking wise counsel so that I can learn to discipline and instruct my children well.  It’s a daily process of relying on God.

It’s encouraging to know that God is the One who’ll ultimately break our family patterns.

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January 22nd, 2012 by Sarah

Enjoying our “Little Blessings”

I can’t get enough of these three little kiddos, though there are moments when I want to hide in my closet with my secret stash of chocolate and a good book.  That’s not quite an option for me.  An hour after I leave them with the grandparents to go on a date I find myself missing them.

If you were a fly on the wall in our home, you would probably find it comical. Three children ages 5 and under will either leave you laughing or crying. Our two boys are usually running around in just their superhero underwear and a toy sword, baby Isabelle is usually whipping things out of a cupboard or wanting to be held, and watching me get all of the kids into the car would really make you wonder why we ever leave the house.

After having our third baby I made the choice that I needed to laugh through the chaotic moments rather than freak out.

In the midst of these mundane moments of changing diapers and sweeping up messes, these are three of the ways I enjoy life at home with my kids.

The first way is a round about way, but truly the secret. When I spend time with the Lord and give Him the first time of my day it seems like He multiplies my time and gives me more joy and patience with them. When I’m not up earlier than my children I often have them sit next to me with their Bibles while I read mine. As you can imagine, rising prior to them is ideal, but even if it’s not much time in the morning I try to focus even a little time until I can get another quiet moment to spend time with God. I also read a children’s Bible with them every day. It speaks to both them and me, and we get snuggle time.

If you were a fly on the wall in our home, you would probably find it comical. Three children ages 5 and under will either leave you laughing or crying. Our two boys are usually running around in just their superhero underwear and a toy sword, baby Isabelle is usually whipping things out of a cupboard or wanting to be held, and watching me get all of the kids into the car would really make you wonder why we ever leave the house.

After having our third baby I made the choice that I needed to laugh through the chaotic moments rather than freak out.

In the midst of these mundane moments of changing diapers and sweeping up messes, these are three of the ways I enjoy life at home with my kids.

The first way is a round about way, but truly the secret. When I spend time with the Lord and give Him the first time of my day it seems like He multiplies my time and gives me more joy and patience with them. When I’m not up earlier than my children I often have them sit next to me with their Bibles while I read mine. As you can imagine, rising prior to them is ideal, but even if it’s not much time in the morning I try to focus even a little time until I can get another quiet moment to spend time with God. I also read a children’s Bible with them every day. It speaks to both them and me, and we get snuggle time.

Second, having wondered many times—”Do I have what it takes to do this?”—God has supplied all my needs and given me this answer:  “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). He has done that for me and shown me how strong He is, even though I have so many inadequacies. Jesus gives me wisdom when I ask for it, whether through a parenting book, a friend or prayer and his word right when I need it most.

Third, I realized that what used to frustrate me to a point of discouragement at times (temper tantrums, broken lamps, middle of the night feedings, the sound of multiple cries etc.), is all part of the blessing of serving and teaching my children that causes me to grow in character. We become more like Christ when we practice the patience and love that he gives us.

Every parent has good days and bad days, but our days seem to go better with some kind of routine and intentional plan. There is a greater purpose to all of the mundane moments than we can see right now. Try to laugh in the chaotic moments, pray through the hard times, and encourage and hug your children throughout the mundane moments of the day.

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