Month: March 2019

My son just woke up with the biggest cow lick you’ve ever seen.

I have NO CLUE how I’m going to get this one down for school today and all I can think of is whether or not it’s okay to “pray” about hair or not because this one is a doozy.

My little one has been prone to cow licks since birth, but it doesn’t help that he “twirls” his hair a lot either. Why he does this I don’t know but it’s always been somewhat of a security blanket—the hair twirling. This leaves him with the biggest cowlicks, though and sometimes if he sleeps on his head just right they become massive. I’m talking Alfalfa massive and then some. They would actually knock Alfalfa out of the park.

I worry all the time about him getting made fun of at school but this morning I realized if there is anything I could pray about it’s just that! Instead of praying for “good hair” I’ve decided instead to give it all to God and pray that my son has a good day at school. There. Problem solved. But…

Easier said than done I know…do you often worry about something even after you’ve prayed about it?

I have many times. I think it comes with my maturity as a Christian as I know that each and every day my faithfulness grows stronger. But for now, I guess sometimes it helps to do a self inventory and to realize this bad habit, (worrying over prayers already said), because they are simply without just cause. There are many times though that I have anxiety over seemingly nothing at all.

This is when I turn to God. I ask him to release my inner thoughts and demons that keep me from living a peaceful, happy and free life and he always obliges. The constant reminders to do this however, are only human. It’s something I need to work on. We are not perfect, nor should we try to be. But with God’s help we can continue on with our day without as much turmoil.

On this earth, all we need is love. Because God is love. And Amen to that! Bad hair or not, He loves us and wants us to be happy and not concern ourselves with things that are so undeserving.

“Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another” 1 Peter 5:5

According to my five year old son, today I should write about video games.

He is sitting beside me playing his Xbox as I write this.

I didn’t wake up early enough today to get any alone time, so this will have to do. It’s time you know anyway that I belong to a “gaming” family.

I never grew up in one, but I’ve adapted (very recently) and very well (I might add) in what these games require.

My husband, really, is the culprit; the head master of the games. And he has influenced us all to enjoy fantasy style gaming at night after dinner. But especially me.

There is a game we play called, “The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited.” And in this game you can be and do whatever it is you want in a collection of false fantasy worlds. You can call yourself anything and look any way you like so of course in this world my name is: “RealMeanJean” (an old radio call name); and I am a redhead. My hair is braided and wrapped around my forehead and I’m wearing a suit of metal armor. Some may say I look slightly like a Joan of Arc character, but that’s just because you’d have no other means of comparing RealMeanJean to anything else anyway.

In this false world you get to spare off and play along with other players, all of which are online. They have created communities and guilds that you can become a part of, and to say that some have found friends while playing this game wouldn’t surprise me.

Yesterday they did an update and the game was down all day. It made me realize though how much I play it compared to what I’d want to really admit. My son loves games and this winter weather has only worsened our gaming habits. Speaking of habits and the other day…one of my last blogs described this idea of habits to a T. Focusing on our habits and ensuring our lives are balanced is important. One habit I do love is blogging. And even if today’s blog isn’t that great, I’m happy I did it anyway; I think it is important to forge ahead even though perfection isn’t always found. Sometimes that’s just the point—to get it done and move on. They do say all work must be done though before the games can begin! So for today, I’m keeping the notion of game play in my mind and pray for spring so we can get outside more.

God’s beautiful earth needs to be enjoyed and even though we play games as a family, doesn’t mean that we can’t enjoy the activity together, it just means that sometimes fantasy is fantasy, and it’s good to remember that. I think a good balance is always needed in order to live healthy, fruitful lives with Jesus at its center. And Amen to that!

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

Today’s post was delayed due to a cuddling session.

How can you say no to a little boy who says: “Mommy can you cuddle with me because I love you?”

Blogging is not more important than anything as precious as that.

Today our school district has a two hour delay and my son (because he is in preschool) goes at the regular time. I keep checking my phone to see if they will eventually cancel, but I know this won’t be the case. The weather is good today and our snow that we got last night is starting to clear.

All of this snow and the school delays…delays of all kinds makes me miss the beach. This may sound random but it’s true. I miss good weather and the best weather I’ve ever had was at the beach. Well, except for last summer!

We were supposed to go last September to Myrtle Beach for my cousins wedding, but then the hurricane hit and ruined our plans. It was quite devastating, especially for her; the poor thing. Her wedding got delayed but was one of the best ones I’ve ever attended last October. Everything seemed to work out even better in the end…

But more devastating than all that is that my son has never gone to the beach. For me it’s nearly sinful to even think about this or admit to you, but no, he’s never yet known the beach. My dream land.

The beach for me has always been a place I’ve felt closest to being spiritual or in God’s presence. All of the water and sand—the Godly creations in massive form. It’s a certain ecstasy I dream about and lately I keep dreaming about it all. I think God is trying to tell me to at least get my son somewhere this summer—water related. Even if it’s merely the lake. Maybe the pool. It’s something he needs to see and experience. Real life over all of these video games and tv. He needs to see the things that I love about the world; that is part of the privilege of being a mom.

I always feel so guilty. I guess it’s part of being a Mom, but when I think of guilt I remember what a false notion it is. God doesn’t want me to feel guilty. Cuddling and delays like these are the most important thing God would want, and that’s what we are doing. We are not trying to find love and happiness on vacations or trips or money spent on frivolous things. Time together is most important regardless. And who knows why that hurricane interrupted all of our plans last year; it could have saved our lives had we not known it was coming. Delays are something I need to start to accept because God’s timing is the most important timing. And Amen to that!

I pray that regardless of any delays you may have today, you see the beauty that is in God’s world all around you. Even though it may not make sense at the time, there is a time for everything. Be patient and call on the Lord.

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:” Ecclesiastes 3:1

 

Well if you don’t know it by now you will soon enough anyway.

I am addicted to orange soda.

This revelation just happened yesterday and the amount of it I drink per day, I will never tell a soul.

It got me thinking about habits yesterday and whether or not this “bad habit” of mine is truly worth it all. I was coloring the image enclosed with the detailed spheres and it made me think about circles. So many things in our lives are this simple shape. And whether we realize it or not, we are on a train of circles every single day. We start off our days (probably the same way), and end up circling around to get back home again at the end of the day…what we do in between are the different shapes within the circle and ultimately they are all our choice. Sometimes we forget this part. But that is what life is about—the in betweens.

 

“Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words,

your words become your actions, your actions become your habits,

your habits become your values, your values become your destiny.” – Mahatma Gandhi

 

Diet orange Sunkist has aspartame in it, and if you know anything about the stuff, you know it isn’t good for you. Like, in any way shape or form. Addiction can be labeled as doing something repeatedly even after you know it is bad for you, so I guess that labels me as an addict. I’m an orange addict.

There. I’ve come clean. But habitually, I’ve decided to do something about it. Mainly because of my dentist phobia as these teeth aren’t getting any younger. And I hate the dentist. They once had to sedate me just to clean my teeth…but that’s another story.

I figure simply looking at habits each day and reinforcing the good parts to make my life whole is the way to go for now. Taking each day one day at a time…and little by little with God’s help and direction I can move mountains. I know this to be true.

I also know this to be true because I did once pray my cavities out. It was a miracle. All joking aside, taking better care of myself though, is my ultimate objective right now. He loves me and I should too. I have a family that loves and needs me at my best. And Amen to that!

“Faith can move mountains.” Matthew 17:20

It is the weekend. And today instead of waking up at the crack of dawn and hearing, “mommy,” instead…it was “daddy!!”

I love weekends. Have I told you this?

I love having my husband home and our family time together. Although the snow is getting to be a little old and we are starting (I think) to suffer from cabin fever.

I didn’t sleep in because it was so bright out and when I went to open the shutters expecting glorious sun, instead I got drudgery. Snow.

Snow. Bright white snow that lit up our bedroom. You know that kind I’m talking about? The kind that is just about to melt mixed with leaves from last fall and slush. What a combo platter!

It put me in somewhat of a bad mood until my son spilled all of his milk all over the dining room table and said: “oops, mommy I’m so sorry that was an accident.” And it was the cutest thing ever. You had to be there, but he acted like I was going to beat him to death over spilled milk. “Well, you didn’t do it on purpose,” I said. And cleaned it up.

Little moments like this put things into perspective for me sometimes. Things that sound awful at first sight but then turn into the brightest parts of our lives. I was thinking about this yesterday after looking at blue toothpaste on my towel hanging in the bathroom. My son uses that kid’s toothpaste that is gooey blue and after each time he brushes his teeth he wipes his gooey mouth on my clean towel. It took a while for me to notice this and wonder where the toothpaste I was wiping on myself was coming from but when I watched him one day, I realized that he was the culprit and I wasn’t going crazy.

At first glance it sounds like another annoying circumstance. But yesterday it got me thinking when looking at that little blue goo…someday I won’t have any blue goo. And for now, appreciating things for what they are is what I need to do before they are gone. Adult toothpaste is just a moment away and who knows when blue goo will come back, if ever. Just like snow. Someday those days will melt as we welcome spring. A new season of loving and living in God’s beautiful world. Why wouldn’t you appreciate each and every new day. They all add up to what you make life out to be. I will choose my best life and try my best to appreciate all God has given me, blue goo and all.

It is now March and the first day of spring is March 20th. We will welcome it when it decides to show up. But for today we will look at the finer things that cabin fever gives us, like time together and relish the small things like accidental spilled milk and toothpaste on towels. And Amen to that!

“It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” Matthew 13:32

I’ll be honest with you…

Blogging was an accident.

It was something that I woke up one random day and started doing. There were no big structural ideas or set plans about it… it was just something I became inspired to do.

Call it CREATIVITY at its finest, but it’s truly something each day I somewhat “wing.” That has such bad connotations to it, but let’s just say, it’s something I’m definitely capable of doing and (so far) without writer’s block. This “so called,” Blogging.

Maybe I shouldn’t admit this because I lose some type of credibility, but if anything is true—it’s this blog.

I was reading something somewhere recently about a “content calendar,” and it got me thinking…will I ever run out of things to write about? Will I ever get to the point where I am scheduling articles or themes or topics on a calendar? Maybe. But maybe not.

If we aren’t looking for perfection and allow each day to happen on its own, maybe that is just good enough. In taking things one day at a time, for now I have decided to forge ahead (content calendar aside) and see what each new day brings. I’m going to allow the creativity to flow. And everyone knows that creativity, in its most divine form, is NOT scheduled. It just happens.

I am grateful for each new day. Even though mostly I wake up with anxiousness, I am easily able to redirect myself with God’s help. He gives me what I need, and all other worries can be dissolved. And Amen to that!

Keep looking up! And keep the creativity flowing! Get inspired with whatever passions inspire you.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:33-34