The Duggars and Redemption in General

I was shocked as I'm sure that you were to hear the news of Joshua Duggar come out. To learn that child molestation was in his past at the age of 14 was not something that I thought to be possible.

There are so many thoughts that come to my mind when I think about this whole ordeal. The first one may be surprising to you.

It makes me like the Duggar's more

I have loved watching 19 kids and counting ever since the show started. They are such a wonderful HUGE family that are very inspiring and encouraging to watch. They were even the first family that got me interested in the idea of homeschooling my children.
But.... I always had one complaint. They seemed TOO PERFECT. Their children were always well behaved, their house clean, and they're 100% debt free. They seemed to find the perfect balance with their time as they found time to write books, speak at conferences, take missions trips, learn musical instruments, develop a deep relationship with Jesus AND have a hit show.
Don't forget to mention the way all of their children so far have chose to have the perfect courtship including not even kissing until their wedding day.

I don't know about you, but watching a "perfect" family on TV can be encouraging, but it can also make you feel a little less about yourself. I know the thought has crossed my mind that I wished that I had done things this way or that way like the Duggar's, but I hadn't.
It's a great testimony in living out your life the right way, but sometimes people need to know that you're relatable. That as a Christian, you are in fact not perfect, but just a sinner that God saved.


It is his own personal testimony

Josh Duggar was ONLY 14 when he made his huge mistakes and has since repented of them. He is a man now with his on family and 15 long years has passed since the fact. I find it horribly wrong that people are putting him down for mistakes he has done in the past. I understand it coming from non Christians (now a days they'll use anything and everything against us) but not from Christians.

This is a redemption story, and in all reality a huge part of his own personal testimony. He sinned, (and according to his family and police reports) and then repented and got counseling and/or mentoring and has been a changed creature in Christ ever since.

Why in the world are Christians putting him down? Everyone has sinned, and to God all sin is the same. This is something that I believe Christians now a days really struggle with. They seem to completely forget that once people have repented of what they had done, and are working hard on changing, that their job is to stand by them and be encouraging. In all reality sometimes it seems to be the opposite. They throw stones at you while you're already down because they are disappointed in you or what not.

I do not think that this is what God wanted, not at all.

Joshua Duggar has already shown great integrity by stepping down in his position with Family Research Council. I personally have nothing but prayers and support for him and his family as they wait to see what God has for them next. Who knows, maybe God will be able to really use his past now to minister to others. Our God is amazing at turning bad situations into some good.


I hope another network picks up their show

I hate it that TLC has canceled 19 Kids and Counting. It makes no sense to me that something that happened 15 years ago is the cause for their show canceling. It was a very popular show and I know that many people are going to miss getting to share life with this precious family, me included.


Anyways, that's my thoughts on the whole ordeal. I really pray that us as Christians can really understand redemption the way that God does.
We tell ourselves that God has taken OUR sins and has cast them into the bottom of the deepest sea, never to be remembered ever again, but we are the first to remember EVERYONE else's sins. We need to pray for compassion and love for others.

 

Will you join with me and pray for these things?

Easy Home Learning

Bear's preschool homeschooling curriculum came last week!! We are doing Before 5 in a Row.

 

So far it has been awesome!! We started with "Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear"

I can't tell you how many times he has asked me to read it to him. We have read it WAY more than the suggested five times. It's no wonder. The books that come with the curriculum are simply beautiful. The story lines are great and the pictures captivating.

Some of the books you receive with the curriculum 

Here is one of the activities we did with Jesse Bear. It was a big hit!

Dressing Jesse Bear

(if you are interested in this activity, here is the link http://preschool2prek.blogspot.com/2011/08/before-five-in-row-jesse-bear-and.html)

One of the things that the Five In a Row mind set has taught me is just how simple learning at home can really be. Before, I was pretty overwhelmed with what to use, how to do it, and just the hugeness of the undertaking. But now, it has made me realize that learning at home can happen all of the time in a gentle, fun manner.

Our main reason for choosing to homeschool is that we want our children to learn to love learning. We want them to cultivate a learning spirit that they will always have with them, far after they graduate.
In order to do that, I need to make learning normal and done as often as breathing (okay not that often, but you get the idea!)

Here are some of the things that we've been doing lately.

 

Cheerios and Daniel Tiger 

 



 Making Veggie Tales out of potatoes and talking about potatoes

 

 

 

 

Reading the Bible out loud to them while they're playing

 

 

I've only just scratched the surface with homeschooling, but I can already tell that it is making me a better mother. It has changed my whole out look on what my days should look like with my children. It has changed what I consciously think about talking with them.

 

On car trips, I used to just turn on the radio. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE music. There is absolutely nothing wrong with good wholesome music, but I don't turn it on as much. Instead I ask them about what they are seeing around them. If they seem interested, I may take the time to talk to them about how God made everything, or answer any questions they have.... which at 4 and 2, they have A LOT!!

 

I wake up more excited to spend the day with them and to gently learn things with them. You may be thinking, "well isn't she miss perfect!!!", and NO I am the furthest thing from it. I was literally counting down the hours till bedtime tonight. It was one of those days.

 

 

 

I am telling you this because even if you don't choose to homeschool, I do believe that learning always begins in the home, and I want you to realize what a joy it can be. It can be done in a relaxed manner that you can incorporate in your everyday life. 

 

So that's my two cents for now. I think I hear my bed calling my name. :)

 





Laughter is Truly the Best Medicine

A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.

-Proverbs 17:22

 

One thing I am good at is laughing. My friends used to always get mad at me because I would ALWAYS laugh whenever they got hurt. Of course if they were really hurt I wouldn't have laughed.

 

                                        

This movie is soooo my humor

 

I get it honest though. All of the women in my family do it. I have to really bite my lip at times to keep from laughing when my children fall down or what not. The last thing I want to do is give them a complex!

Lately I have come up with an even better use for laughing. Extreme stress for me now normally results in laughter.... lots of it.

Tonight was one of "those" nights. My husband works for an elevator repair/maintenance/developing company. On occasion he has to work over and will miss dinner. I was expecting that this would be the case tonight and decided to fix waffles with some yogurt for dinner. On nights when I've had the kids all day to myself, I'm in need of an easy peasy dinner. 
The kids have been a little on the fussier side this week. Miss Boo is in the process of getting her first tooth (yay!!) and the other two just seem more tired than usual. I'm guessing they're growing... like always... ;)

While making the waffles, Miss Boo was loudly letting me know she was hungry in her pac-in-play, Bunkin was trying to wash the few dirty dishes that were in the sink and decided to start stabbing my new sponge with a knife, and Bear found the container of chips that I had not found the time to put away (imagine that) , on the table, and was happily munching away.
I hurriedly got the waffles done, slapped a waffle and yogurt on the plate for the boys, and tore up a piece for Miss Boo to start on. Things were going to finally be quiet right??? Wrong!!!

Never again will I consider waffles to be an "easy" dinner. Somehow in the craziness of things I had forgotten how Bear will completely and totally freak out if a part of his food tears or breaks before he wants it too. I have worked really hard on telling him that it still tastes exactly the same and that it's okay, but on nights when he's tired, there's no convincing him.
I eventually had to send him to time out because he was still screaming and crying hysterically after I tried to calm him down. While he was in time out (still screaming) Bunkin managed to fall off of his chair. This of course resulted in lot's of tears. While I was checking him over to make sure that he wasn't REALLY hurt, Miss Boo (whose waffle was gone) became very upset that Mommy wasn't shoveling food into her mouth every 5 seconds and screamed her little head off.

So one child in time out screaming and crying, one child crying his eyes out because he fell of his chair, and one impatient screaming baby all at the same time.

What did I do?? At first I started to cry. It had been a very long day and with no end in sight. But then.... I started to laugh, and laugh, and laugh.
Eventually things calmed down. I got Bear out of his foul mood by singing a silly kids song with funny voices and jazz hands, and the boys even helped me clean off the table when we were done.

This has been a trend in my life lately. I've been through huge amounts of stress in the last few years, and for the past year, I have taken to laughing about them.

Don't get me wrong, it's very involuntary. Most of the time I can't STOP laughing once I start. My husband of course teases me that I'm loosing my mind.... and maybe I am!

But I feel that in a way that it's something I've learned.

This saying is so true. I feel that through all of my trials, I've learned that all of it doesn't really matter. Life will go on. God will still be there. You can make it through ANYTHING with God on your side.

I feel I laugh as a stress relief, and because I know that in that moment, things are not as bad as they may seem. And they will get better.
God will make beauty out of ashes, if you allow him too.

We all know how good laughter is for you. In case you want a reminder here's a great link by the mayo clinic ---> http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relief/art-20044456?pg=1

Since I want you to experience some of the great benefits of laughter, I'll leave you with two funny things Bear has said this past week

1. My husband was going to drop me off at a store, and take the kids to another one, and when he told Bear that we were going to drop Mommy off at the store he said, "Are we going to go buy a new Mommy at the next store?? I like my Mommy!!"
2. It had been one of those long days and I was trying to get the dishwasher loaded when the boys came up and just HAD to have drinks right that second. I told them to hang on a minute, and when they continued to pester I made a low growl out of frustration. Bear said, "Use your words Mommy!"

Hope that made you laugh!! Till next time :)

You Know You're a Mom When....

 

 

My husband and I just bought a brand new washer and dryer set!! The first new ones we've ever bought.

With three small kids, I spend a lot of my life doing laundry... don't we all?? You know you're a mom when... getting a new washer and dryer is the highlight of your year. Okay maybe not year, but it's probably close (wink)
It got me to thinking, what else makes you realize that you're a mom?? With Mother's Day being tomorrow, I've come up with a list that I think is fitting. Feel free to add your own.


You know you're a mom when.....


Hearing the word Mom out of your baby's mouth for the first time produces smiles/tears

Hearing the word Mom out of your child's mouth for the umpteenth time that day produces hair loss/insanity

Talking about bodily functions at the dinner table is the norm

You don't go to the bathroom while out unless accompanied with a child

 

You laugh way more than you used to

The greatest fear you will ever know is when you think you're child is in danger
Side story... When Miss Boo was born, she wasn't breathing. My labor progressed rapidly when they broke my water. I went from 7 cm to 10 cm in three contractions. I then pushed her out in half a push. (no joke just ask my doctor) Because of how fast everything went, she went into shock. I held her for a second and then they took her from me. The next thing I knew, the nurse had pushed the panic button and literally 12 nurses came rushing into our room.
Talk about fear. They wouldn't tell me what was going on, and everyone avoided eye contact with me. My husband became my rock as he told me over and over that everything was going to be okay as I tried not to hyperventilate.
In the end, everything was fine. She just needed a little help from the nurses and a little extra kangaroo time with Mommy (Oh darn... :) )

When getting out by yourself, even if you're just going to the store, feels like a mini vacation

 

The majority of the food you eat that is supposed to be hot, is cold

You don't care about making a fool of yourself to get your child to laugh

You know a ton of cartoon show's songs by heart

You have heard any song from the movie Frozen enough to make your ears bleed

 

You feel over the moon when your child accomplishes something new.. and maybe a tiny bit sad that they're growing up so fast

You realize who your true friends are
Side thought... Not to sound negative, but it's the truth. When you have a family, time is VERY precious and you have to prioritize what is most important to you. It also becomes obvious who really wants to spend time with you because they will do their best to make time for you as well.

You become a master thrift shopper

 

You become an enforcer of the 5 second rule

 

You spend a lot of weekends in, snuggling and having family time

Spending some money on yourself is a rarity

You master the "tone"/finger snap/look to get your child to behave

You become more protective and dare I say feisty towards people who oppose your children/family

You know what nights children eat free at each restaurant

You have a zoo membership or are at least considering it

You have a "stash" in your vehicle for emergencies (and if you don't you should)
Side story... Recently my husband had an appointment that we thought was going to last about 20 minutes. We we're going on a date and dropping the munchkins off at my sisters afterwards, so to save time we all went.
HA. The 20 minute appointment turned into a hour and a half due to the amount of people in front of him. My kids like TV some, but the older they get the less they like it. Which in all reality is a good thing, but not when you're stuck in the car FOREVER!! I about lost my mind. When my husband came out, he found Bear playing with his tape measurer (who would have thought something so random would entertain him), and Mommy entertaining Bunkin and Miss Boo with Mr. Pull Up (my desperate version of a puppet) I vowed to always keep a stash of books, toys, coloring books, crayons etc. in the glove department of our van from now on.

You end up with spit up/poop/food/boogers/something on your clothes every time you're out in public

Christmas morning has never been more exciting for you

You go out on a date and still end up talking about your kids

Your floors have never been dirtier, and in all reality they should be at their cleanest

You end phone conversations with "I HAVE TO GO" on numerous occasions

You forget to reply to a text message and don't realize it until days later

 

You have sympathy for that Mom in the grocery store/church/restaurant with the loud unhappy kid because you've been there.

People stare at you when you "are there"
Side thought... at first it used to mortify me when people would stare at me when my kids acted up in public. It still does a little, but now I have a hard time not leveling them with a look. It's not easy having three kids this close together and odds are, someone is not going to be happy. If they understood, they wouldn't be looking! I guess it's another part of my Mama Bear coming out in me ;)
(You can pray for that for me lol)

The kids get bathed more often than you do

When your child is born and you gain even more respect for your own Mom

You realize that even though this is literally the hardest job in the world, you wouldn't trade it for anything.

Happy Mother's Day!! Enjoy your day, you deserve it :)