Your Daily Smile

We have been busy this week getting the backdrop ready for VBS. I have been working with our VBS Music Leader to prepare a backdrop. Our puppet ministry leader also came to help paint. We had so much fun doing it but we were even more excited to see the finished product. It was our first official week of summer vacation from school and we got it done.  However, my poor 6 year old had to be quite the trooper as she hung out at church while we painted (because I wouldn’t let her paint). Fortunately, for her she can also hang out in the pastor’s office (daddy’s office) and play on the computer or talk him into finding her snacks. She has been so good entertaining herself and us (through singing) considering the circumstances. Tomorrow we are taking her to do something fun and go visit a petting farm/zoo and then go to see the new movie, “Up” which she has looked forward to seeing since the first preview. 

This backdrop is the best ever and I can’t wait to put the stage together with the other things that have been made including a boat shack, boat, an actual dock that will extend from the painted one, inflatable crocodiles, and so much more.  Our VBS is going to be as fun as ever and it’s one of my favorite weeks of the year!

Okay, I am ready to admit that I made a major “oops” on the last day of school for my one and only child on her last day of kindergarten. But let’s retrace the days prior….

Last week, Hannah came home with two homework assignments. This is the first assignment she has had in kindergarten aside from the daily little books they read. Over the weekend, she was to write short sentences about what she did with her teddy bear through the weekend. They were studying a unit about bears and this was a fun assignment for them. Also, on the following Wednesday (the last day of school), they were supposed to make a diorama of a bear habitat. We had it all planned out and visited Michael’s Craft Store to get materials including 2 little polar bear figurines that we could place in the habitat. We also purchased snowflake stickers and decided we would use cotton balls to make snow.

Monday was cheer practice and our trip to Michael’s. Tuesday night I had a Mom2Mom meeting at our church and came home to finish her teacher’s presents that I had partially made on my Cricut. Hannah decorated the bags and we got everything ready for Wednesday.

Wednesday morning: Backpack? Check. Teacher’s presents? Check. Dressed and ready? Check. Daddy took her to school…whew! I sat down, ate breakfast, caught up on some DVR’d shows. Then I sorted laundry, folded some, picked up the living room, picked up a note from Hannah’s teacher….OH NO!!! The DIORAMA!!! We forgot to make it! It is 10:50 am and I am due to be at school to help with the recess time at 11:25 am. I envisioned my child sitting there with a sad face listening and watching the other children show their dioramas thinking “But we got stuff to make one.” So I did what any superwoman mom would do….I made it! I quickly ran around the house finding items… couldn’t find the stickers but I had hair bow ribbon in the pattern of snowflakes. I used glue that I knew would dry fast and was out the door with the diorama. I found her teacher and told her we forgot it at home and then found Hannah to tell her where it was and to … um…pretend that she did it. I know…I know…bad mom.

So here is a picture of the wonderful quick creation! The polar bear habitat!

You gotta love new technology! On this first day of summer, I decided there had to be a way to use my phone to upgrade my blog. After getting the app on my phone, I had to upgrade my blog with new software and then try this again. Now I am connected and ready to give this a test run. It will also add photos easier with one click of my phone. I can handle one clicks so much easier than trying to figure our web lingo.  So just in time for my 100th post, I can now enter a “new century” of web blogging!  YEAH!

Why do you serve God? 

Do you serve God through ministries at church?

Do you serve God through things in your community?

Do you serve God so that people will know that you do and so that you will receive praise from people?

Serving God is more than taking credit for the things that you do.  Serving God is doing it out of a heart of worship.  It is not getting credit, taking praise or being recognized.  You might not even get thanked for doing it.  Sometimes I think that we expect those things in return so that we will continue in our service.  The most serving people that I have met are those who don’t ever ask for praise or recognition for their service.  They are the ones quietly serving and making a difference.  You can see God working in their life in amazing ways through the people that they touch.   As for me, I serve God because I want to further His kingdom.  Sometimes I tend to wait for other people to do it or I wonder what others may think if I serve God in a specific ministry.  None of this should be in my forefront of my mind.  What we should focus on is what God is speaking for us to do.  I have learned that when God continues to speak to you about a place where you should serve, it is time to jump in and do it!  God will give you the gift that you need and direct your path.  Serve God for Him and nothing else!

This morning I was awakened by our 6 year old throwing up. She didn’t even make it out of her bed and it went straight to her pink carpet. She was fine the night before so this came as a shock. We immediately began cleaning it up and getting her settled. The “worried mom” in me started thinking about all that I had been listening to on the news in the last few days as well as the automated phone message we received from her elementary school — warnings about SWINE FLU! I quickly googled it to find out that it was primarily a respiratory flu. Okay…I can relax a little…she just threw up this one time. Oh, but wait a minute! She had coughed a little the day before. Okay, time to call the pediatrician. Fortunately, she is a friend of mine so I have a direct line to her. I call and say, “Please just tell me that the swine flu is respiratory and the symptoms that it might have.” She told me and then I felt better. Although I still had about 3 hours more of my daughter getting sick, she was better after by the afternoon.

Sometimes we worry too much. Sometimes we just need that reassurance from a friend. Sometimes we just need to take a step back, think clearly and trust God that He will take care of us. After all, things will pass and will get better. At the onset of a situation, our mind may go crazy, especially if we are on lack of sleep like I was. However, the pink carpet came clean, we don’t have swine flu and my daughter feels well enough to go back to doing cartwheels and backbends around the house. God is good!

My 6 year old recently had a birthday.  For her birthday she got two things that were the same item but different colors.  They were tall lipstick shaped containers that had stationary, stickers, fancy pens, puzzle and other art things inside.  She loved them and was even more thrilled that she got 2 from different friends.  The top of the “lipstick” has slot so it can also double as a bank.  Isn’t that ingenious?  I told her that she could gather any loose change that she found and put it in her bank.  That helps me so much because my husband doesn’t like to carry loose change in his pocket and is always dumping out his change around the house…the counter, the china cabinet hutch, the bedroom dresser, etc.  Of course, you always find some in the laundry room, too.  Now that she is on this mission to collect loose change it is somewhat amusing because she will always hesitate without taking it.  I will hear, “Mommy, there is some money there.”  Then she will pause and I will say, “Yes, you can put it in your bank.”  I sort of like the pausing and asking…makes me feel better that maybe she is honest!  Of course, she is! 

So now as she collects this loose change she is also learning about how to count money at school.  She informs me that she is finished learning about that and already knows how to count the money.  It makes me want to teach her how to do something with it that is worthwhile.  To this point, all of our loose change always has gone in a jar and occasionally we do something worthwhile with it.  For example, one time we bought a carpet shampooer for our home.  Most of the time, the change is picked through in the summer time for quarters, nickels and dimes for us to use at the swimming pool club we go to daily. 

So as she gathers the change, helps me out by not having to pick it up myself, I plan to think of something that she can do with a part of her change that she collects.  There has to be something that I can relate to her for her to do.  If you know of something, please feel free to share!

I have been doing this blog for a little over a year and while I was really consistent at it at first, I got lazy or couldn’t always think of something to say.  It is something I really intend to do and think about it often, usually when I am away from the computer.  I admire those who keep it up every day with something worthwhile to say.  Lately, I have been following the blogs of a few different people.  One special one that has intrigued and touched me is www.mycharmingkids.net.  It is about a little boy named Stellan who has had heart problems since before birth.  He wasn’t expected to ever be born alive and is now 5 months old.  Baby Stellan has recently been moved to a hospital in Boston to see a cardiac specialist.  Today he underwent a delicate procedure to help fix the problem he is having.  To read more about it and his story, please go to the above website or click on the link that is on the right (I hope).  What I admire about reading this mother’s blog is that she is honest and open with her feelings and reaches out to so many who need to see her strength when she is strong and her weakness when she is weak.  This little baby can be such an inspiration to so many and yet he is still at the stage where he is discovering that he has toes.  If you get a chance, please pray for Stellan and his family. 

It’s hard to find music that you feel comfortable with your child listening to that won’t drive you, the parent, crazy as you are driving down the road.  I recently heard a group called “Go Fish” and they can be found at www.gofishguys.com They have a wide variety of music geared to all ages of kids.  The Go Fish Guys are a group of 3 men that sing about Christian music as well as popular kids’ songs.  They are a high energy group that love to rock!  They even have an awesome song called “The Mom Song” which moms all over will appreciate.  For dads, they have a song called “Hard to Be Cool in a Minivan” that is also really funny.  At their website, you can also purchase 2 CD’s for $20 which is a great deal.

If you are tired of Barney or the Wiggles, try something new.  I don’t get anything for promoting them but I do appreciate the message they share.  Pass this on to a friend!

We all have situations every day where we might need to forgive someone or ask for that forgiveness.  It may be a thought that crosses our mind, we may become frustrated in traffic, we may get upset with our children or it may be from someone that has hurt you and won’t admit to their wrong.  We still have to forgive.

I read a daily devotional about this.   It was from a book called “Time Out For the Spirit.”  In that devotional there was a story about two friends.  Cindy and her friend were strolling in a park with her friend’s small daughter.  The little girl saw someone they both knew named Marie.  The friend knew that Marie had said some hurtful things about Cindy in the past.  But as the two of them exchanged hellos, there seemed to be no animosity.  Later the friend said to Cindy, “You were so pleasant, I was surprised.”  Cindy said, “Long ago I realized that I had two choices when someone says something that hurts me.”  She stooped down and picked up a rock from the garden.  “I can pick up a rock and carry it with me for the rest of my days — but I’ve discovered it will get heavier and heavier as time goes on.  Or,” she said, picking up a pebble from the gravel path, “I can do this.”  And she tossed it back onto the path.

We can allow unforgiveness to become heavier and heavier and it will weigh on our hearts and affect the people who are close to us.  We cannot control actions of others or make them admit to their wrong.  We can only forgive them and move on which releases the burden from us.  God is full of grace, but just.  He will take our burden when we release it.  So ask God to help you let go of the unforgiveness so that it won’t weigh you down. 

Then go outside, pick up some good-sized rocks and throw them as hard as you can.  Just avoid throwing them at anyone or anything!  :-) 

Sometimes life may not be what it seems.  Sometimes people may not be what they seem.  What I have learned is that God always IS.  The Bible says in Psalm 9:9:  “The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.”

A few summers ago, Mike, Hannah and I went to Florida and stayed on the gulf in a beautiful condo of one of our friends.  Each day we would walk on the beach and enjoy the peacefulness of the waves lapping on our feet.  It was Hannah’s first trip to the beach and she enjoyed picking up seashells and making sandcastles.  The seashells on the shore were usually broken and tossed about and crushed by the truck that leveled the sand each morning.  We found the best shells while wading in the water.  The shells on the bottom were peaceful and untouched.  We could feel them with our toes and do some interesting yoga moves to get them to our hands.

As I was thinking about that, I thought of how sometimes we feel tossed about, broken, and crushed by other people or life circumstances.  When this happens, we can break just like the seashells.  To find peace, we must immerse ourselves in the deep stillness of God.  We should pray and be honest with God that we feel tossed by a sea of uncertainty and ask God to help us have clarity about decisions or circumstances.  As with the seashell search, we didn’t always find the perfect seashell everyday.  We had to get up and go out the next morning to look again.  God will always be there to meet us.