thank God for irritations

As I sit here on my computer, carrying on a conversation through facebook as well as an important conversation through texts on my phone, I am being distracted by a fly. Not a little, quick-flying fly.  No.  One of those large, slow-moving, LOUD flies, constantly buzzing by my head.  He's not content to find a windowsill and just hang out.  No, my hair is a much better place.  In place of a fly swatter, we have a small electric tennis racket.  Well, it looks like a tennis racket, but when the button is being pushed and it is making that low humming sound, you really don't want to touch it.  When we actually catch a fly with it (smashing it up against the windowsill), it makes the fly snap with electricity, followed shortly by the scent of burning hair.  (Who knew that electrified flies smelled like burning hair?!)  Well, this electrified tennis racket is not getting this fly.  So I sit at my computer, holding the racket in the air, hoping the low hum will keep the fly frightened enough to stay away.  I make a very humorous picture right now.

All this is leading up to a very valuable lesson, I promise.

A while back, after my daughter got a mosquito bite, I was able to answer her question (spoken with frustration) of "Why did God create mosquitoes?  What good are they?"  I can't remember where I heard this answer, but it did manage to stick with me and after that conversation, with her also.  Here was my answer:

I think God created mosquitoes (and flies) to be annoying on purpose.  You see, they are just a little bit irritating.  A small little annoyance that we can learn to put up with.  I think He gives us those small annoyances to help us handle the bigger ones that will happen to us one day.  Flies and mosquitoes help us build tolerance for large annoying and irritating things.

(Now here I will make sure that I take note for those of you who are allergic to mosquito bites.  That is quite nasty and more than just a little annoying.  In my family, however, it is just a small irritation).

So the next time we were in the truck and a fly got stuck inside flying back and forth in front of me while I was concentrating on the road, I told the kids to open their windows so the stinkin' thing would find its way outside.  My girl pipes up from the back: "I know why God created flies - so that we can learn how to deal with irritating stuff!"

I love it when kids get it.

KC

quotes by dobson

Recently I pulled out all my strong-willed child books.  I decided to write down my favorite quotes as I go along. It's sure taking me a lot longer to read my books because I write down a line from pretty much every page! I thought I'd share some with you.

Here's a few from Dr. Dobson's "The Strong-Willed Child":

"Most parents have at least one such youngster who seems to be born with a clear idea of how he wants the world operated and an intolerance for those who disagree." p. 10
(Yep, that about sums her up!)

On the mindset of a strong-willed child:
"I don't think you're tough enough to make me obey." p. 14
(Yeah, see, I wasn't strong enough when I first had kids.  Now I am.  But she still tests me regularly to make sure!)

On how I feel parenting this strong-willed child:
"This discourse may offer a lighted runway to pilots who circle in the darkness above." p. 10
(Yay!  Hope!)

One of my biggest fears:
"Why I place such stress on the proper response to willful defiance during childhood, for that rebellion can plant the seeds of personal disaster." p. 18
(This is the reason why I will educate myself from a Biblical basis on how to raise a strong-willed child.  This world offers too many temptations and I am going to do my best to instill the morals that God would have me instill so that my strong-willed child will stand strong for God, not for the world.)

"The ultimate paradox of childhood is that boys and girls want to be led by their parents, but insist that their mothers and fathers earn the right to lead them." p. 18
(*sigh* I'm exhausted already.)

The best description I have heard by far!:
"They come into the world, smoking a cigar and yelling about the temperature in the delivery room and the incompetence of the nursing staff and the way things are run by the administrator of the hospital." p. 20
(Yep, pretty much.)

On choosing my battles:
"Choose carefully the matters which are worthy of confrontation, then accept his challenge on those issues and win decisively." p.24
(Some people may wonder why I let some issues go with my daughter.  This is why.  We could battle about everything, but then we would never get along.  I choose the matters that deal with the heart and go after those battles.  I care about her heart, not about how clean her room is or if she brushed her hair that morning or if her clothes match.)

And would you look at that: only up to page 24!  Such wisdom and perspective in just 24 pages!!  More to come, I'm sure.

Surviving (but sometimes just barely) by the grace of God,
KC

blessings

Today I was going to write a blog about throwing a birthday party on a thrifty budget but there is this song that has been running through my mind and heart all day.  As I heard it on the radio today, I could completely relate to the words... but not for anything I am currently going through (at least not that I am aware of!)  But as I sat down to write out tonight's blog, I couldn't get the nagging feeling that I needed to copy and paste these lyrics.  I've read through them a couple of times just to make sure and yep, I just need to post them.  So if these words are meant for you, then I hope you "hear" what you need to "hear."

"Blessings"
Laura Story
We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
And all the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things
'Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from Your word is not enough
And all the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe
'Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not,
This is not our home
It's not our home
'Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise 



Within this song, there is a phrase that is one of my favorites, even from when I was younger, my constant reminder: "This is not our home."
This life is just a blink.
This life is just a quick breath.
This life is nothing when compared to eternity.
I can deal with this life and all its uncomfortableness and heartache, disorder and frustration.  I can deal with discrimination (for my faith) and sickness and even death.  This is fleeting.  Someday, I will be in heaven for eternity.
That will be my joy.  
That IS my joy.

KC

By the way, Laura Story will be in Ripon for a concert in the beginning of August.  There are flyers all over town, but you can also find more info here.

happy, happy, joy, joy

Do you know the difference between happiness and joy?

Here's how I understand it (let's see if I really can write this at 12:09 in the morning):
Happiness is a feeling depending on your circumstances and environment.
Joy is the deep down knowledge that no matter what, everything's going to be okay.
And as a Christian, true JOY is knowing that no matter what happens in this life, everything is going to be okay because God is in control and has provided us with an incredible gift of salvation.  Nothing is greater than that gift.  Having that knowledge in the forefront or back of my mind gives me a joy that never ends. 

Having joy does not mean that I'm going to be super excited about the nail polish spilled on the bathroom floor (nail polish now lives on the highest shelf in the closet).  Having joy does not mean that I'm going to be happy to find cat vomit on my family room floor.  Having joy does not mean that I am going to smile every time I find flip flops in the middle of the room instead of in the shoe basket where they belong.  No, none of that elicits happiness either!

But my joy is not dependent on my situation, on my environment, or on how great my day has been.  My true joy is constantly underlying - it is from God. 

KC

(And yes, I know that "Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy" is from that ridiculous cartoon, Ren and Stimpy and NO, I never watched it.  I think someone I know might have just sang me the song once upon a time and it stuck!)

just a little business

Tonight's project

Tonight's late night adventure: making a wreath.  Someone called and asked if I could get one together by tomorrow (evening, I hope) and of course I said yes!  The "no" button on me doesn't work (but my husband and my children would tell you differently).  Honestly, I had all the supplies needed and can get this beauty created by tomorrow, so why not?

I'm relatively new to the wreath world.  It kind of happened upon me by way of the gals at M and Em Signs.  I had a request for a custom order from one of the gals and then they invited me to be a part of their amazing boutiques that they do twice a year.  And, ta-dah! My business started.  I didn't think wreaths could be very popular, but now I can't live without one on my front door.  It makes my home so much more welcoming and inviting.  I don't actually own one that just permanently lives on my door.  I try out the new ones we create all the time.

I convinced one of my sister-in-laws to join me in this venture.  Sometimes being in business for yourself is a bit too overwhelming and time consuming.  I can't tell you how much pressure has been taken off of me since she decided to be a part of this with me.  And I think her creative side has grown a bit too!

So the best part of this whole business thing?  My sister-in-law and I are traveling to Tennessee to go to a Woman's Retreat in August and the profits from our business are able to cover the cost of the entire thing: tickets, flights, hotel and all!  (Now if we could just pack my other sister-in-law into one of our pieces of luggage, that'd be awesome!)

Anyway, back to the business at hand: creating that wreath.  Because making dreams come true usually takes hard work, serious lack of sleep, and a boatload of prayer...

KC

p.s. You can check out our little business here.  We love what we do and can create almost anything you can dream up or pin on Pinterest!

for the memories

Today I did something terribly time consuming.  Something that you probably won't find me doing again any time soon.  I made cupcakes.  Not just plain out of the box cupcakes (although they were technically out of the box).  I made My Little Pony and Angry Bird rainbow cupcakes.  Yes. I did.


My daughter has been watching this baking gal on YouTube.  I noticed that she was interested in the videos, making comments and exclaiming how cool the cupcakes were that the gal was creating.  I thought, "How fun would it be if we made cupcakes together today?!"  So I told her my idea and told her to pick out whatever kind she liked:  Rainbow.  My Little Pony.  Just like on the YouTube video.  Sheesh.

She got so excited!  She created a grocery list.  She watched the video again, pointing out important steps in creating these awesome cupcakes.  We went to the store.  She crossed stuff off her list as I crossed stuff off of mine.  We came home.  She measured and added all the ingredients (including cracking the eggs, something I usually do to avoid messes).  She put the cupcake liners in the pans.  We separated the batter into 6 different bowls.





We added copious amounts of food coloring to each bowl (AUGH!) to create all the colors of the rainbow (except red; we went with bright pink).  Each cupcake got a spoonful of each color.  We tapped the pans, just like in the video, to get the air bubbles up to the top (?!).  We stuck them in the oven and took them out about 20 minutes later.  Immediately, she wanted to break one open to see all the amazing rainbow colors inside.

Then we let them cool (and let Mommy take a break!!!)

Then we frosted them (from a baggie full of whipped frosting, just like in the video) and then the creative part came.  We (or rather "I") flattened out Starbursts with a rolling pin. Then the children ate Starbursts.  Then I cut our different "cutie marks" for each cupcake.  Then the children ate Starbursts.  Then I took pictures, documenting each of the 7 cupcakes that I had painstakingly created before the kids devoured one each.

Then we moved on to the Angry Bird cupcakes (because if sister got her cupcakes, then it's only fair that brother should too).



We (again, "I") cut out about 5 different Angry Birds.  This is a tough task when Starbursts only come in 4 colors and Angry Birds come in multiple colors!  Never.  Again.  When this craziness was complete, the kids immediately wanted to eat another cupcake.  After documenting the creations with a picture, I told them "no."  I can only feel so good about giving them so much food coloring!!




And why did I attempt this feat?  Because of the memories.

And why did I take so many pictures?  So that someday, when my kids look back and wonder why our house wasn't spotless or when they wonder why mom didn't go to work to make more money so that they could get more stuff and go on nicer vacations or when they remember all the times when their mother seemed so mean (by making them eat food they didn't like, or by putting them to bed at a decent hour, or making them brush their teeth - all the horrific stuff moms force on their children), I can have documentation that I was a good mom, that I did fun stuff with them, and I can show them that time spent with them is more important than money and all the things it can buy. 

In the end, it was worth it.  But maybe next time we'll just play a game together and take a picture of it...

KC