Thursday, February 27, 2014

thank you and i'm sorry

I had kids, two of them, and learned a very valuable lesson.  Well, lots of lessons, but it's just these two that I want to share tonight:

First of all, I owe my parents a huge amount of gratitude!  All the time and effort that I have put into our own children: it is unbelievable!!!  It is constant giving, sacrificing, frustration, exhaustion, and giving some more.  It never ends.  And my parents gave and gave to us kids.  Four of us kids!! I've only got two kids and I think they should be thanking me all day long!

Second of all, I owe my parents a huge apology. I know I was a pretty good kid, but even good kids are naughty and I deserved every spanking I got! Sometimes I pushed the limits as a teen. I was a stress case as a child.  I probably caused a bunch of grief through the high school years. I can't remember all the garbage I did, but I know now (having two kids of my own) that I did my fair share.

Now I get it.  And someday I hope my kids get it.

Mom - thanks for all you did for me and I'm sorry for all I did to you!
(Dad - if God decides to share this message with you up in heaven, thanks and I'm sorry!)

I love you!

KC

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

strong and healthy

I had a conversation with my 8 year old daughter the other day.  It was something I knew I was trying to teach her through example, but really hadn't had an "out loud" conversation with her about.

We chatted about our bodies and how they are God's temple.  He asks that we take care of the temples he has given us.  Immediately she caught on: "That's why you go to CrossFiit, right, Mom?" 

As our conversation continued, I realized that she truly was learning through my example.  We discussed how it wasn't the size or shape of our body that mattered, but keeping it healthy through what we eat and making it strong through exercise.  

I mentioned that many girls want to be skinny because that's what the world thinks is beautiful.  She wrinkled her nose at me as if that were a silly idea.  I told her that many people thought I was skinny and she immediately said, "I don't think you're skinny, Mom!"  (Which was followed quickly by my husband's chuckle!) 

And that's when it really hit me: my daughter has not been trained to think that being skinny is the cat's meow (I honestly cannot come up with a better phrase than that.)  Through all our reprimands of eating healthier food and keeping active and by setting the example of exercising regularly and eating healthier foods in front of our kids, she is catching on: being healthy and strong is more important than being skinny. 

Now I will admit that she has not been exposed to the magazines or advertisements with thin beautiful girls.  It's not really in our house.  And perhaps it will be something that comes up later in her teen years.  But I can hope that with this seed that has been planted, we can help her see the value in caring for our bodies, instead of attaining the world's view of beauty.

As for true beauty, that comes from inside: another lesson that we continually teach our girl, but that will fill up another blog post later on...

KC

Monday, February 24, 2014

an evening with the wise


A couple nights ago, my siblings and I threw a surprise party for my Mom. We had all her siblings (except one who lived a few states away) over for a night of dinner and conversation.  They reminised about their childhood and then chatted about their relationships with each other, with their children, and with their grandchildren.

My siblings and I sat and listened to this older generation.  There were so many things that we took away in our hearts from their conversation.  But the one thing that stood out in this young (yes, I still consider myself young!!!) mom's mind was that every parent there had never given up on their children to follow the Lord. 

Now my aunts and uncles are in their 60's and 70's.  They have children who are 30, 40, and 50 years old.  And they pray for them every day.  

I have 2 kiddos, one 8 year old and a 5 year old.  They have frustrated me to no end at times! Especially the child whose will is made of iron.  But I have never given up on those hearts and I never will. But that means that I've got years of praying ahead of me...

I am so blessed to have a mother who prays for me and for my children.  There are times when I wish I could send her a text saying, "pray right now!!" but she doesn't have texting capabilities on her phone. But I am comforted to know that I am not alone in figuring this "mom" thing out.  She is calling to God for help on my behalf and that is part of the reason that I am surviving!! 

So if you have been wondering where I had disappeared to, I was a bit busy finishing up all the details for the party and then recuperating from it!  But it was truly a blessed evening.

Happy Heventieth Birthday, Mom!! (Because I would never reveal her real age).

And all you moms out there - never stop praying for those children that God has placed in your care.

KC

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

bumpy roads

You know, life doesn't always go my way.  I've had lots of plans that I didn't end up following.  I've had bumps in the road that veered me completely off the track I was headed down.  I've had surprises, good and bad.  I've had my perspective changed, my attitude changed, my goals changed.  

If you had asked me in high school who I thought I'd be when I was 35, I would have never guessed it would be who I actually am today.

Here's the thing: even though I haven't always been thrilled with the road I've been on, I am grateful for where it has brought me!  I am who I am today because of those bumps in the road. 

God knew. He knew who He wanted me to be.  Although I do not believe that He sends the bad things into my life, I do believe He allows them to happen so that I might grow through them and become more refined into the person He desires me to be. 

I found this on Pinterest a while back.  I really like the way this was worded:

Being in a difficult situation can really stink, but knowing that God's already got it figured out makes it a little easier to walk through that situation.

KC


Tuesday, February 18, 2014

giggle, snort, chuckle

I love laughter. I love to laugh!! I adore it when my husband laughs.  It brings me joy to hear my kids giggle.  And I just love laughing! Except when I am being tickled.  That laughter is the laughter of a tortured soul. 

But back to the good laughter.  

When I was younger I read the comics in the newspaper.  Shucks, as I got older it was still the first thing I sought!  I would always search for the laughter sections in the Reader's Digest: Laughter, the Best Medicine, Humor in Uniform, Quoteable Quotes.  I'm always drawn to the comedies in the movie theater.  I spend ample amounts of time in the Humor section on Pinterest. I love to read joke books.  The best is when someone with awesome story-telling abilities tells a joke.  And I love to make other people laugh.

It brightens my spirit.  The sound of laughter (usually) brings enjoyment to others.  And it just makes a person happy.

And you know what else?  The more you enjoy things in life, the easier it will be to find humor in difficult situations.  And if you can find the humor in the lowest points of your life, then you know you'll be okay.

"A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22.  

There have been some awfully low points in my life, but even then I have found humor and managed to go on with life.

So nowadays, I look for things to laugh, giggle or chuckle about because that makes this life survivable.

KC

What makes you laugh?

Monday, February 17, 2014

burned rice

I burned the rice.
My daughter wanted pizza.
My son wanted anything other than what I was making.
My daughter picked through the veggies and didn't eat any of the green ones.
My son choked down chicken because I threatened to take away his chocolate milk.
They both complained through the entire dinner.
We allowed the kids a treat of chocolate milk which my daughter made and didn't end up drinking any of it.
No one paid any attention to the devotions I read, I'm certain.
As my husband and I finished the dishes, the kids ran around like banchies trying to see just how much rough housing they could do until someone lost an eye or until their Mom went bonkers! (Fortunately, bonkers came first!)

Dinner = failure.

*sigh*

But the reality of it is this: not every dinner is going to be wonderful.  We are not going to enjoy each other's company all the time. Some days are not good, no matter how you try to make it so.  Sometimes there is really no positive thing to hold on to (although my husband did compliment me on a very delicious dinner.  It might be just because he loves me, but I'm okay with that).

This sort of thing used to frustrate us to no end! Now it just frustrates us a little. (We've grown a little in the area of patience and tolerance).  Now we look to tomorrow and hope for a better day.  We try not to get hung up on the day's irritations (notice I said "try" and also understand that the day's irritations are usually generated by our children).

In the hymn, "Great is a Thy Faithfulness," halfway through the 3rd verse, we hear this: 
"Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine with ten thousand beside."

On days like today, I just pray for strength and hope for a better day tomorrow.  He is faithful.  He will provide both.

(And here's a little "perspective sharing" for today: even when dinner is terrible, I guarantee you can come up with a half a dozen ways it could be even worse.)

KC

Monday, February 10, 2014

time

Just a quick thought for tonight:

As parents we want to give our kids all that we can: the newest toys, the best food, gymnastics, sports camps, the best vacations money can buy.

But today, once again, my son reminded me of the best gift we give: our time.

When my kids reminisce about the many (5 and 8) years they've lived, they talk about things that we did together.

"Mom, remember that time we made a marble track using cardboard boxes and paper towel tubes? That was fun!"

"Remember when we made homemade tortillas with our friend, Valerie, and got flour everywhere?  Those were the best tortillas!"

"Remember when you gave us art (drawing) lessons?  Can we do that again?!"

"Mom, will you play Just Dance with us?"
"Mom, can we bake something together?"
"Mom, will you build a fort with us?"
"Mom, can you play a board game with us?"

Time.  That's what they want most. That's what they will remember.

KC

Sunday, February 9, 2014

rainy day blues

To be quite honest with you, I am not a fan of rainy days.  

I can appreciate the need for the rain.  I think cozying up to a fire or snuggling with loved ones is a great thing on a rainy day.  My kids think umbrellas, puddles, and mud are the best!! And I'm not afraid of thunder or driving in the rain or having wet hair while I run my errands.  And I absolutely LOVE wearing rain boots!!  I truly can see the beauty of it all.

But I don't like rainy days.

To be even more specific: gloomy, overcast, dreary days.

Many years ago I discovered there was a syndrome for this: Seasonal Affective Disorder
(SAD....yes, S.A.D.)  You can do a google search and do some reading to see if you believe this is a valid disorder.  Based on my moods during gloomy weather, I do feel like it totally affects me, even though I get to wear my favorite rain boots!

Now I'm not saying I'm clinical, but I like to put names to things.  I don't like to think I'm cranky or down for no good reason.  So discovering that the weather can actually have an impact on my mood pointed me in the right direction for changing my mood.  (Because otherwise I would get depressed thinking about how I was depressed for no good reason and that would end up in a slightly deeper depression and you can probably see where this could end up!)

But putting a name to it, a reason behind it gave me the chance to change it, to fight the feeling of just being down in the dumps.

(Sheesh!  Two posts on depression in one week...not good.  But I'm good!! I promise!!)

Anyway, years back I started telling myself that I was just going to get up an deal with it.  I was going to go about my normal business and not let it stop me. And you know what?  Once I got started, my mind focused on what I was doing and I could get the gloom out of my brain!

Nowadays, the first thing I get excited about on rainy days is my rain boots. Ridiculous, I know, but they make me happy!  And fighting the gloom is much easier when you are happy to start with.

KC


Thursday, February 6, 2014

a few giggles



Here a few of my favorites funnies from Pinterest.  Everyone needs to giggle once in a while!!




Just a little glimpse in this silly head of mind...
KC



Wednesday, February 5, 2014

words

Have you ever had someone say something nice or encouraging to you and it just made you mad?

Nope, me neither.

After today I will make even greater attempts to encourage, to build up, to compliment the people around me.  Today I was overwhelmed with goodness from practically everyone I was in contact with.  (Except for the gal from Starbucks who never apologized for overcharging me - oh well!) I was sent texts of encouragement and perspective and a couple of pictures just to make me smile.  I had friends with listening ears and hearts, and with special little gifts.  There were hugs and smiles and concern for me and I felt bolstered.  (That's kinda a cool word: bolster - "to support or strengthen, to buoy up or hearten."  I think I'll make it a point to use that word tomorrow in conversation...)

So first of all: thank you to each and every one of you. You know who you are; each of you was very intentional and I feel BLESSED!

And second of all, the point I started out with: never be afraid to encourage someone.  It might make their day.  It might keep them afloat.  It might bolster their spirits (eh? eh? You like how I used that there?) It might just make the difference between surviving the day or truly living that day.

So what's it gonna hurt?  Probably nothing.  What is there to be afraid of? Nothing.  

So go ahead, say something nice.  Because you are a blessing.

KC
(Via Pinterest)



Tuesday, February 4, 2014

a change of scenery

I had a tough few days over the weekend.  Very stressful and nerve-wracking.  Although nothing life-threatening was happening, I could feel the depression moving in.  My husband could see it too.  He would look at me with a half smile, already knowing I probably wouldn't return it; I was exhausted and down in the dumps.  He encouraged me and loved on me and I appreciated it but still struggled.

Now I don't struggle with the emotional disability of depression.  This is not a lifetime issue for me. (I have other lifetime issues, but depression is not my burden to bear).  This was "situation-induced" depression (I'm gonna go ahead and leave those quotation marks there because I'm 85% sure that I used them appropriately.  If I had been saying the phrase out loud, I would have used the finger quotes so I'm going to use that as confirmation).

I have a feeling that I'm not the only one who has dealt "situation-induced" depression.  Boy, does that stink!  It's like getting your truck stuck in the mud and no matter how much your wheels turn, you just get deeper!  Quicksand.

So, you know what I did?  Well, not what I did, but what God provided for me?  An opportunity to get out of the situation for a while.  My Mom picked me up and we went out and about for a while.  We didn't focus on depressing situations but chatted like good friends do.

What a blessing! 
(Thanks, Mom).

Getting away gave me perspective.  A fresh look from the outside instead of standing smack dab in the middle of it.  

So this evening I did it again - I headed out to CrossFit.  I did not have the desire or energy to be there, but it changed my focus.  It gave me strength and determination to face life head-on again.

So, I'm back to smiling again, despite my situation.  Praise The Lord for the opportunity to get away, even just for a few hours to recharge.  

KC