At our house we love a good movie. Whether it's for just the kids, just mom & dad, just mom (chick flick), just dad (adventure), or a family movie... we love a good movie night!!! The movie industry today though seems to get further and further away from "good" movie making. It's hard to pick a movie out and not find vulgar language and/or sexual content or lots of violence. For the kids, it can be tougher even. So many children films contain content that is just inappropraite or unneccessary. (In my opinion)! However, there ARE good movies being made and it's so fun when you find a good film that you can enjoy. Some of our favorite family night movies right now are... Curious George, Wizard of Oz, Cars, Up, The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything, Facing the Giants, Narnia: The lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, and the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Finding these good movies usually require us parents viewing it first or for sure sitting with our kids the first time they see it. I also use a very helpful website that I want to pass along today. Focus on the Family offers a really great website where you can get honest and helpful movie reviews... whether it's the latest in the theater or an old classic. If you'd like to screen what you are viewing before you spend money on something.... check this out!! You can also look up music and TV reviews!!
http://www.pluggedin.com/
And while you are here... leave a comment with your favorite family night movie or good chick flick!!! :-)
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
The "I shoulds..."
Oh my, the last couple weeks have flown by! I've not forgotten about this blog... just had some busy days around home :) I wasn't sure what to write about today so I think I will just write about what I've been thinking of lately.
I don't know if any of you out there are stay home mom's, but as a stay home mom or "homemaker" as I like to call it I find myself with inner struggles at times. I am 100% certain God wants me home right now and I absolutely love it. However, I sometimes let myself start to believe the lies our culture throws at women. I have had my moments where I thought "I should have a career" "I should make more money" "I should have more education" "I should lead a big ministry" "I should..." "I should..." 'I should...". I trust you all have your "I should's..." in your own lives. And, like many home-makers I know we are usually very capable people if I don't say so myself! Many of my home-making friends are very talented, gifted, smart, educated, and highly driven women. I believe Satan knows that and uses these "I should" moments to distract us, at least he does with me.
However, to indulge in these distractions would keep us from home-making at our best. I've been thinking about this a lot lately as I learn more about David. David was a shepard. The youngest of many brothers and his job was to watch the sheep. This left David with hours of quiet time and peaceful afternoons out in the open grasses and hills. I'm sure David could have done many of his father's other jobs, but he was sent to be alone with the sheep. Kind of like many women I know today. They could also do many jobs, but they've been placed at home with their own flock. Well, as I learn more about David I have come to see this... David was doing the job he'd been given at that time in his life. His father needed him for that. This season in his life gave him much time to connect with and learn from God. He was not distracted by a more hectic job and was able to let his heart be shaped as he spent one on one time with his Lord. David was being prepared for much bigger roles to come and he did not even know it.
Lately I've been trying to learn from David and use my time with my "flock" to engage more with God. This home making business is not always a quiet or peaceful place to be, but it is a place that requires me to focus my time and physically be present, which naturally makes my heart and mind follow. Did I mention that David was a good shepard? He tended to his sheep very well. He was not distracted by other things and he was a hard worker. And when the time was right God called him for other things. Yes, David was a wise boy. I want to throw my "I should's..." out the window, but I know they like to creep back into my thoughts every so often. Reading about David has shown me that these days at home right now are much like his peaceful days spent in the pastures and on the hills. I am a home-maker and my flock of children need me for this time in their lives. I pray God will mold my heart during this time and I pray I keep my focus here so I can meet Him daily in ways that David met with him during his flock watching days. Maybe God is preparing me for something after this season of life, but even if He's not, at least I can go through this time knowing I am not letting distractions keep me from tending to my children and home and most of all, keep me from some wonderful learning moments with my Lord.
What about you? Do you play the "I should" game? My prayer for you mom's today is that you would have a heart more like David's when he was just a humble shepard boy. Throw your "I should's" out the window and let this be a day to meet up with our Lord on your own quiet little hill! I hear that is best done when the sheep are sleeping :-)
I don't know if any of you out there are stay home mom's, but as a stay home mom or "homemaker" as I like to call it I find myself with inner struggles at times. I am 100% certain God wants me home right now and I absolutely love it. However, I sometimes let myself start to believe the lies our culture throws at women. I have had my moments where I thought "I should have a career" "I should make more money" "I should have more education" "I should lead a big ministry" "I should..." "I should..." 'I should...". I trust you all have your "I should's..." in your own lives. And, like many home-makers I know we are usually very capable people if I don't say so myself! Many of my home-making friends are very talented, gifted, smart, educated, and highly driven women. I believe Satan knows that and uses these "I should" moments to distract us, at least he does with me.
However, to indulge in these distractions would keep us from home-making at our best. I've been thinking about this a lot lately as I learn more about David. David was a shepard. The youngest of many brothers and his job was to watch the sheep. This left David with hours of quiet time and peaceful afternoons out in the open grasses and hills. I'm sure David could have done many of his father's other jobs, but he was sent to be alone with the sheep. Kind of like many women I know today. They could also do many jobs, but they've been placed at home with their own flock. Well, as I learn more about David I have come to see this... David was doing the job he'd been given at that time in his life. His father needed him for that. This season in his life gave him much time to connect with and learn from God. He was not distracted by a more hectic job and was able to let his heart be shaped as he spent one on one time with his Lord. David was being prepared for much bigger roles to come and he did not even know it.
Lately I've been trying to learn from David and use my time with my "flock" to engage more with God. This home making business is not always a quiet or peaceful place to be, but it is a place that requires me to focus my time and physically be present, which naturally makes my heart and mind follow. Did I mention that David was a good shepard? He tended to his sheep very well. He was not distracted by other things and he was a hard worker. And when the time was right God called him for other things. Yes, David was a wise boy. I want to throw my "I should's..." out the window, but I know they like to creep back into my thoughts every so often. Reading about David has shown me that these days at home right now are much like his peaceful days spent in the pastures and on the hills. I am a home-maker and my flock of children need me for this time in their lives. I pray God will mold my heart during this time and I pray I keep my focus here so I can meet Him daily in ways that David met with him during his flock watching days. Maybe God is preparing me for something after this season of life, but even if He's not, at least I can go through this time knowing I am not letting distractions keep me from tending to my children and home and most of all, keep me from some wonderful learning moments with my Lord.
What about you? Do you play the "I should" game? My prayer for you mom's today is that you would have a heart more like David's when he was just a humble shepard boy. Throw your "I should's" out the window and let this be a day to meet up with our Lord on your own quiet little hill! I hear that is best done when the sheep are sleeping :-)
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
A mom is...
... so many things. What comes to your mind when you think of the word mother and the mom's in your life? I will start...
love
patient
selfless
giving
safe
strong
crazy
organized
keep going...
love
patient
selfless
giving
safe
strong
crazy
organized
keep going...
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Beware of Double-Booking
About 5 years ago I stumbled across a 3 word sentence. Beware of double-booking. Maybe that's 4 words? I'm not totally sure. Either way, I was intrigued and curious as to what that meant exactly. Of course, I knew what it meant typically. You know, the obvious when 1 person schedules two or more things at the same time. We've all been guilty of that a time or two I think. You see though, I read this in a book for women and it was in reference to our children. Let me tell you I was paying attention.
I have learned double-booking can also define us when we try to focus on our children AND other people at the same time. A few examples... you are on the phone and your kids are about to walk through the door from school. Instead of closing your phone conversation to greet the children home, you keep yourself focused on the phone call and the person on the other line. Not that this person at the end of the phone line is not important, but your precious cargo has just arrived from being gone 8 hours or more and your greeting back home (or lack of) speaks volumes to them. Another example... you take your kids to the play park and instead of engaging in play time with them you chime in on the mommy conversation going on on the side-line. Chatting with other mom's isn't bad, don't get me wrong. But, a young child begging for his/her mom to join them at the slides or swings and being ignored is telling them you'd rather hang with your mom friends then them. This might be true even (sometimes I REALLY just need to talk with another adult!), but you came to the park to play... let our actions show our intentions.
Double-booking can cause us to lose our focus. Matthew 6:24 " No man can serve two masters". This is true in so many ways. I surely think there is a balance of focusing on our children, yet being sure they know they are not THE center of our world. The same goes for our husbands, if you have one. Double-booking can make a person feel less valued, not as important, and at the bottom or mid way down our priority list. We have to be really intentional about not double-booking... some simple helpful examples I've found are...
-use nap times or quiet times to return phone calls, check emails, text, and personal work
- meet any person that comes to your house at the door with a smile and welcome (especially the people that live there!!)
- be aware of the activity of choice and who/how you are spending it
- if you have dinner plans with adults and your children, lower your expectations for how much chatting you'll get in with just the adults!
- don't talk on the phone when driving... perfect time to engage in conversation with your loved ones strapped down and no option but to talk back to you :)
I'm not tyring to make you feel bad here. Just trying to make you aware. As women we try to juggle A LOT at once. Sometimes we are efficient. Sometimes we don't recognize the silent messages being sent to the people we love the most. Sometimes double-booking is simply doing too much at once, causing us to stress out and not handle our first jobs of caring for those we are responsible for right now. Try to be intentional of staying focused with what is present with you right now. Try to be intentional of not double-booking. I daily have to work at this and remind myself of my focus in life right now!
Where else do you see it possible to easily "double-book" yourself? Share your thoughts... I'd love to hear how you keep your focus through-out the day. Happy Scheduling to you!
I have learned double-booking can also define us when we try to focus on our children AND other people at the same time. A few examples... you are on the phone and your kids are about to walk through the door from school. Instead of closing your phone conversation to greet the children home, you keep yourself focused on the phone call and the person on the other line. Not that this person at the end of the phone line is not important, but your precious cargo has just arrived from being gone 8 hours or more and your greeting back home (or lack of) speaks volumes to them. Another example... you take your kids to the play park and instead of engaging in play time with them you chime in on the mommy conversation going on on the side-line. Chatting with other mom's isn't bad, don't get me wrong. But, a young child begging for his/her mom to join them at the slides or swings and being ignored is telling them you'd rather hang with your mom friends then them. This might be true even (sometimes I REALLY just need to talk with another adult!), but you came to the park to play... let our actions show our intentions.
Double-booking can cause us to lose our focus. Matthew 6:24 " No man can serve two masters". This is true in so many ways. I surely think there is a balance of focusing on our children, yet being sure they know they are not THE center of our world. The same goes for our husbands, if you have one. Double-booking can make a person feel less valued, not as important, and at the bottom or mid way down our priority list. We have to be really intentional about not double-booking... some simple helpful examples I've found are...
-use nap times or quiet times to return phone calls, check emails, text, and personal work
- meet any person that comes to your house at the door with a smile and welcome (especially the people that live there!!)
- be aware of the activity of choice and who/how you are spending it
- if you have dinner plans with adults and your children, lower your expectations for how much chatting you'll get in with just the adults!
- don't talk on the phone when driving... perfect time to engage in conversation with your loved ones strapped down and no option but to talk back to you :)
I'm not tyring to make you feel bad here. Just trying to make you aware. As women we try to juggle A LOT at once. Sometimes we are efficient. Sometimes we don't recognize the silent messages being sent to the people we love the most. Sometimes double-booking is simply doing too much at once, causing us to stress out and not handle our first jobs of caring for those we are responsible for right now. Try to be intentional of staying focused with what is present with you right now. Try to be intentional of not double-booking. I daily have to work at this and remind myself of my focus in life right now!
Where else do you see it possible to easily "double-book" yourself? Share your thoughts... I'd love to hear how you keep your focus through-out the day. Happy Scheduling to you!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
poem for today
A Mother's Place
Mothers were made for the home,
no doubt,
But mothers were made for more;
Mothers were made to go out in
the world,
To teach it to climb, to soar.
And if they are bound at home for
a time
By duties they may not slight,
At least they can stir in those
small, sweet souls
The spirit that starts them
aright.
And when they have guided as far
as they can
The ones that they call their
own--
Ah, then is the time they must give
to the world
The wisdom that's theirs alone.
E.G.H.
Mothers were made for the home,
no doubt,
But mothers were made for more;
Mothers were made to go out in
the world,
To teach it to climb, to soar.
And if they are bound at home for
a time
By duties they may not slight,
At least they can stir in those
small, sweet souls
The spirit that starts them
aright.
And when they have guided as far
as they can
The ones that they call their
own--
Ah, then is the time they must give
to the world
The wisdom that's theirs alone.
E.G.H.
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