Random musings

I wish bringing up kids came with this disclaimer, "Do as I say, don't do as I do"! Unfortunately, just the opposite of it is true. I find myself lecturing Daniel on how not to bite his nails. His poor nails are bitten and there's hardly anything left on it. But, why would he stop? He sees his mommy biting her nails all the time, and she just can't stop either. I tell him to smile and say 'Good Morning' to people he meets. I expect him to play with kids his age, make friends. He doesn't want to do that, and I'm somewhat upset that he won't be polite. But, his mommy does much the same. I would rather dig  a hole and sit in it the whole day, rather than socializing and smiling at random strangers. If my children find me ignoring phone calls, and putting my phone on mute, they are going to find people a nuisance, and learn to do the same. If I choose to splatter my face with makeup or wear inappropriate clothes, my child is going to want...

Life, as I know it, is often defined by busyness. Running from one activity to the next. If it's not household chores, it is errands, or taking care of the kids, or entertaining or cooking. Sometimes, I go from day to day, exhausted, weary, and grumpy.  It was as if God was speaking to me, when I find this article by Mary DeMuth in my inbox today about rest. We’re on a sickening treadmill of accomplishments, tasks, busyness, and joylessness. Every year we increase the speed of our lives, all the while wanting to slow down. But society says we can’t, and we blindly follow its speedy advice. We don’t grow when we hurry. We grow when we dare to stop. Michael Yaconelli writes, “Spiritual growth is not running faster, as in more meetings, more Bible studies, and more prayer meetings. Spiritual growth happens when we slow our activity down. If we want to meet Jesus, we can’t do it on the run. If we want to stay on the road of faith, we have to hit the brakes, pull over...

With the coming of a New Year, we wish things for ourselves and others. Primarily, success, prosperity, love, joy, peace and blessings.  Found this article by Mary DeMuth in my inbox today and couldn't help thinking, SO true. Failure is a product of this fallen world. It’s part of your story, I’m sure. I know it’s part of mine. Oddly, Jesus seems to LOVE to take our seeming failures and make a feast from them. He takes our brokenness and brings wholeness, if we let Him. And yet, so many of us let failure dictate who we are, let it seep way down deep and taint our joy in today. It doesn’t have to. It doesn’t have that power. Looking back, I can now attest that most of my recent growth was birthed from the time in my life where every day felt like a crushing blow. Have you experienced that? Are you experiencing that right now? Take courage. Failure can bring wisdom. “Failure is the crucible God uses to increase Jesus and decrease us. It’s the venue God uses to increa...