I had a Mommy fail yesterday. Have you ever had one of those? Certainly I am not alone in this!
I took Michael to Soccer Camp for day 4, told him he had one more day and that Jonathan and I would come watch him for his last day. Off Jonathan and I went. We arrived back at Soccer Camp to pick Michael up early enough that we should have been able to see the end of a scrimmage, but arrived to find all the kids sitting on the bleachers and the Coaches handing out "best effort" awards. I was thoroughly confused, but had a very bad feeling about this. I had just checked the brochure two nights before to make sure he had it on Friday and, yes, the flier said it ended on July 30.
Once the kids were dismissed, I approached his coach. "Is this the last day?!" To which he replied yes it was as he shook my hand. I told him Michael was going to be very disappointed because I had told him he had one more day. The Coach graciously went over to Michael to tell him it was over and say good-bye. Michael left in tears. He sobbed all the way home. I shed a few of my own tears. The reason Michael said he was so sad is a little comical, though. He had picked out his clothes for each day and was saving his Soccer Camp t-shirt to wear the next day. Of course, I knew this was not the real reason for the tears, but it was so sweet and innocent.
When we got home, I checked and, sure enough, all their communications said July 27-30, but they had started on Monday, the 26th, so the Camp was actually only 4 days long and I had just looked at the ending date instead of taking in the whole picture. Imagine trying to explain that mistake to a disappointed 6-year-old. I told Michael I was very sorry and he promptly forgave me.
At breakfast this morning, he said something about it being a Camp day and I looked at him in horror, thinking I was going to have to remind him it wasn't, when he broke into a smile and assured me he was just kidding.
I was struck, however, by how quickly he moved on. He forgave my mistake and didn't hold it against me. Do I forgive that easily? Do I move on to the point that I can even joke about it? God does. (Well, I don't know that He jokes about our sin!) He promises that when we come to Him for forgiveness, He removes our sin as far as the East is from the West. Thankfully, He isn't holding my past sins against me. I get a fresh start. And THAT is something to be thankful for!
Lord, make me more like a child--ready to forgive and move on. Make me more like You!
Friday, July 30, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
Vacation Bible School
The boys got to go to our church's Vacation Bible School this week. This was Jonathan's first time and he was SO excited! Michael has been to several different ones over the past couple years and it is a highlight of his entire year.
On the way home last night, Michael said, "I'm really sad we won't be here for VBS next year."
"We'll just have to see when it is and when we move, honey. Maybe we will be here," was my reply.
"Why can't they just have it all the time?"
"Well, because the kids are in school during the school year. They only have VBS in the summer. That's why it's call Vacation Bible School--because it's during vacation from school."
"Oh. I thought it was called that because it was like taking a vacation to learn about the Bible!"
I LOVE that my 6-year-old thinks learning about the Bible is a vacation! If I thought of it that way, I bet I would study it a lot more!!
On the way home last night, Michael said, "I'm really sad we won't be here for VBS next year."
"We'll just have to see when it is and when we move, honey. Maybe we will be here," was my reply.
"Why can't they just have it all the time?"
"Well, because the kids are in school during the school year. They only have VBS in the summer. That's why it's call Vacation Bible School--because it's during vacation from school."
"Oh. I thought it was called that because it was like taking a vacation to learn about the Bible!"
I LOVE that my 6-year-old thinks learning about the Bible is a vacation! If I thought of it that way, I bet I would study it a lot more!!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Equipping the Called
6:00 Workout
7:45 Chat with hubby
8:30 Fix breakfast for whole family
9:00 Make lunch for hubby and start laundry
9:30 Math with Michael, Jonathan does "Pre-printing" workbook
10:30 Phone call with friend
11:00 Read with boys
11:30 Play Leap Frog Bingo--I like to call this "sneaky school"
12:00 Lunch
1:00 Read with boys
1:30 Boys down for nap/rest; Blogging
Doesn't that sound idyllic? That was actually our schedule this morning and it was pretty great! But lest you get the false idea that I'm perfect or that every day is like that, let me tell you what else happened.....
I battled it out with a 3-year-0ld who could be potty-trained, but refuses to wear underwear and when I finally compromised with a pull-up, he just went in that all morning instead of even trying.
I yelled at the boys to quit fighting.....again and again. The younger of whom ended up in time-out because he head-butted his older brother--twice.
I read a magazine through lunch and just nodded and said "Mmmmm-Hmmm" when necessary because I needed to shut down for a few minutes.
I am obviously not perfect (as if any of you who know me would think that anyway!), but I am called. Just yesterday I was listening to a CD called "From Pressure to Peace" by a speaker from a homeschool conference I attended. And while this was directed at homeschooling, it actually applies to a whole lot more. What the speaker said stuck with me: "God doesn't call the equipped. He equips the called." Did you catch that? He doesn't expect me to wake up every morning and have it altogether. He'll pull it together for me!
Because I don't believe in accidents where God is concerned, I know that He had me listen to that CD last night so that I would remember this morning to run to Him when my little guy was negotiating diaper-time. I actually told him I needed to think about it. I went into my room, sat on the floor (almost in tears) and prayed for guidance. I opened a child-rearing book to potty-training where God provided an answer that brought peace to my heart and Jonathan's. He equipped this called Mommy.
I am called. I am called to be a mom to my two boys, to homeschool them, to be a wife and support to my husband, to be the daughter of our King. I don't have to be perfect in these things--shoot, I don't even have to know what I'm doing. He's going to show me!
What are you called to do or be? Are you called to take your children to public school where you can make a difference? Are you called to homeschool? To be a Mom? A Dad? To do your best at a job you may or may not like? Are you called to read 300 pages a day as a student of SAASS? (Sorry, I had to include that just in case Chris reads this.) :)
God didn't call you because you can do it on your own. In fact, He called you because He knows you can't do it on your own. If you could do it on your own, you wouldn't have to rely on Him and relying on Him is exactly where He wants you to be.
So, here I am again, failing forward. We have bad days around here. Days where the boys watch too much TV and I yell too often. Those are the days I forget to rely on my Lord. And there will be more of them--of that I am sure. But just for today, I will remember that He has called me and He has promised to equip me.
7:45 Chat with hubby
8:30 Fix breakfast for whole family
9:00 Make lunch for hubby and start laundry
9:30 Math with Michael, Jonathan does "Pre-printing" workbook
10:30 Phone call with friend
11:00 Read with boys
11:30 Play Leap Frog Bingo--I like to call this "sneaky school"
12:00 Lunch
1:00 Read with boys
1:30 Boys down for nap/rest; Blogging
Doesn't that sound idyllic? That was actually our schedule this morning and it was pretty great! But lest you get the false idea that I'm perfect or that every day is like that, let me tell you what else happened.....
I battled it out with a 3-year-0ld who could be potty-trained, but refuses to wear underwear and when I finally compromised with a pull-up, he just went in that all morning instead of even trying.
I yelled at the boys to quit fighting.....again and again. The younger of whom ended up in time-out because he head-butted his older brother--twice.
I read a magazine through lunch and just nodded and said "Mmmmm-Hmmm" when necessary because I needed to shut down for a few minutes.
I am obviously not perfect (as if any of you who know me would think that anyway!), but I am called. Just yesterday I was listening to a CD called "From Pressure to Peace" by a speaker from a homeschool conference I attended. And while this was directed at homeschooling, it actually applies to a whole lot more. What the speaker said stuck with me: "God doesn't call the equipped. He equips the called." Did you catch that? He doesn't expect me to wake up every morning and have it altogether. He'll pull it together for me!
Because I don't believe in accidents where God is concerned, I know that He had me listen to that CD last night so that I would remember this morning to run to Him when my little guy was negotiating diaper-time. I actually told him I needed to think about it. I went into my room, sat on the floor (almost in tears) and prayed for guidance. I opened a child-rearing book to potty-training where God provided an answer that brought peace to my heart and Jonathan's. He equipped this called Mommy.
I am called. I am called to be a mom to my two boys, to homeschool them, to be a wife and support to my husband, to be the daughter of our King. I don't have to be perfect in these things--shoot, I don't even have to know what I'm doing. He's going to show me!
What are you called to do or be? Are you called to take your children to public school where you can make a difference? Are you called to homeschool? To be a Mom? A Dad? To do your best at a job you may or may not like? Are you called to read 300 pages a day as a student of SAASS? (Sorry, I had to include that just in case Chris reads this.) :)
God didn't call you because you can do it on your own. In fact, He called you because He knows you can't do it on your own. If you could do it on your own, you wouldn't have to rely on Him and relying on Him is exactly where He wants you to be.
So, here I am again, failing forward. We have bad days around here. Days where the boys watch too much TV and I yell too often. Those are the days I forget to rely on my Lord. And there will be more of them--of that I am sure. But just for today, I will remember that He has called me and He has promised to equip me.
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