We are winning!

Pin It

Most days it feel like we are losing at the game of life in this house.

I am losing my mind, my patience and my elasticity around my eyes (WHY, LORD, WHY?). I am losing sleep, my battle with the chocolate chips and my dreams of working out of the morning. I keep LOSING track of the "Compulsive Coloring Child" and keep LOSING every piece of nice furniture.  It is tough to keep my attitude focused on Christ all day when so much losing is going on. 

The toughest loss is when you feel like you are losing your child's heart. They don't want to hear you, they don't want to be near you, and they don't want to like you. That is a hard blow in this house.

On Spencer's bed tonight, I was reminded that losing is actually a good thing when I follow Christ. I lose my will to put myself first, I lose my prideful heart, I lose my sassy attitude, I lose my need for approval of others, I lose any thought that I can parent without Christ. I encouraged him:

"Let's lose those shackles that bind us."

"Let's lose our angry hearts."

"Let's stop thinking about ourselves and turn our thoughts to others."

"Let's lose the Devil's hold on us."

"Let's get used to this idea of losing and look to see how it can make us win in Christ."

We have to embrace our losses so that our kids will be able to win against the Devil and his schemes.

When I LOSE my time to myself, my hair with each new baby, and all my money to milk and eggs and princess underwear, I can FIND a child's heart that is searching for more Jesus. I find time to do bible studies and bedside chats. I find time to snuggle everyone in the morning, when I really want to be cleaning. I find time to do devotions when I really want to knock out a few more school pages... or maybe just knock some on out.

So… when the Devil tries to use this idea of "losing it" (and let me tell you, my husband has heard that phrase a time or two) against us moms...IT IS TRUE. We are losing our grip on our lives. BUT…Only when we are "losing it" can we really be found in Christ. So take heart moms! This permanent state of chaos and moments of failure...that is when we can really chose to WIN. 

Everyone "LOST IT" at dinner with the introduction of the new food group "peas". 

How could someone so cute say, "I love peas, but not eat them right now" so many times?

We recovered from the wailing and gnashing of teeth, by cleaning up with superhero masks and a YouTube jam session. I really just wanted to cry and eat chocolate. 

We ended up praising Jesus after we lost to dinner!

The Window Lie

Pin It

How many moms out there are REALLY washing their windows? I thought EVERYONE was...except me. I had a legitimate excuse too. I couldn't open my windows...or get those 100 year old storm windows off... so what was the point? I really didn't even notice that there was a stink bug that had been dead for two years in my direct line to the sandbox. I was blissful, despite dirty windows. I really didn't care. BUT... I knew if I wanted to be MATURE and reach my full potential in motherhood I would have to clean my windows twice a year like my mother taught me and did our whole life. JUST BECAUSE...that is what all good keepers of a home do…right?

                                                                                                               

NO. FALSE. LIES. All of it.

I got new windows...those old 60's windows were long gone. New beautiful windows that slid like butter, and actually locked, moved in. I got a slow start on my window cleaning and decided to wait a full year... you know, to give the windows time to settle in...to be happy and comfortable.

Yesterday, I had no kids for a day and was in full, panic, spring/fall cleaning, throwing everything away that crossed my path mode. As I drank my first cup of coffee I planned my day.

I wrote:

2:30-3:30 Windows

There, that should get me a good chunk done and one be on merry way.

WELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL, as I grabbed my bucket and step stool and paper towel and Windex and trotted outside... I realized, quickly, I didn't know how to get my screens off. 30 minutes on YouTube and those babies slid right out. My husband hadn’t played a cruel trick on me as I suspected. Whoa... TIME IS A WASTING. Now to get to the real work.

TWO AND A HALF HOURS and a little egg sack of spider babies in my tank top LATER... I HAD 4 WINDOWS done. I wanted to cry and curse my mother at the same time. How is ANYONE expected to maintain this level of cleanliness, especially when I don't even notice the dead bird mark on the window unless I am 1 inch from it? WHY, WHY, WHY DO smart people do this?

I called my mother. I told her I have disbanded from her army. I no longer follow her without question and in naive bliss. Somewhere along the line she drank some blue juice her Dutch mother gave her and she never quite came back. I am afraid if I stick close to her now I might hear something like, "if you don't curl your hair every day you are not going to heaven, Honey." Yup...straight up craziness coming from her mouth.

If my husband becomes a stay at home dad, or all these kiddos go off to school, or I hire a full time nanny/cleaning lady we will go back to the drawing board on the windows. Until then... this is PURE GOSPEL: 

If a window gets washed in this house we will treat it like a miracle has occurred and praise Jesus for his unimaginable ways!

MOM THOUGHT: We can’t do it all ladies. Pick you battles!