Let me pass along a blessing to you on this chilly May morning:
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Sunday Morning Blessing
My girls are giggling in the bathroom, my son is calling to me from the crib, and my husband is preparing for Sunday services. Needless to say, I am blessed.
Let me pass along a blessing to you on this chilly May morning:
Let me pass along a blessing to you on this chilly May morning:
Friday, April 19, 2013
A Healthier Me
I saw an email on Wednesday that should have sent my heart racing: Harris Teeter has Coke Products Buy 2 Get 3 Free. There was a time that such an announcement would have sent me into a frenzy. I would have driven to every Harris Teeter in search of my beverage of choice: Fanta Zero.
Oh, how I love Fanta Zero. Caffeine-free, calorie-free, and full of orange soda goodness, it is my drink of choice. In fact, you would rarely ever seem me without one of those cool, silver cans in my hand.
But not anymore.
Ever since I started wrapping, I've had to drink half my body weight in ounces of water a day. That's a LOT of water! I'm not only drinking water when I'm thirsty; every time I see my huge water bottle, I'm reminded to take a swig. I'm not sure that I've even hit my goal in ounces of water a day, but I am drinking it like crazy.
You're not allowed to drink diet soda for 72 hours after wrapping, and I initially thought that I'd be counting down the seconds until I can pop the tab of one of my cans of orange yumminess. I had a headache (odd, since there's no caffeine in Fanta Zero) for two full days. I couldn't wait to drink one of my precious drinks.
But a funny thing happened. By Day 3, I didn't really want one. In the past 2 weeks, I can count on one hand the number of times I've had one, and I'd still have fingers left.
I'm sure some of the executives over at Coca-Cola are worried that I've passed on to the glory of Heaven, since their profits must surely be suffering.
It's a new day, and a healthier me!
https://www.facebook.com/itworkslorie
Oh, how I love Fanta Zero. Caffeine-free, calorie-free, and full of orange soda goodness, it is my drink of choice. In fact, you would rarely ever seem me without one of those cool, silver cans in my hand.
But not anymore.
Ever since I started wrapping, I've had to drink half my body weight in ounces of water a day. That's a LOT of water! I'm not only drinking water when I'm thirsty; every time I see my huge water bottle, I'm reminded to take a swig. I'm not sure that I've even hit my goal in ounces of water a day, but I am drinking it like crazy.
You're not allowed to drink diet soda for 72 hours after wrapping, and I initially thought that I'd be counting down the seconds until I can pop the tab of one of my cans of orange yumminess. I had a headache (odd, since there's no caffeine in Fanta Zero) for two full days. I couldn't wait to drink one of my precious drinks.
But a funny thing happened. By Day 3, I didn't really want one. In the past 2 weeks, I can count on one hand the number of times I've had one, and I'd still have fingers left.
I'm sure some of the executives over at Coca-Cola are worried that I've passed on to the glory of Heaven, since their profits must surely be suffering.
It's a new day, and a healthier me!
https://www.facebook.com/itworkslorie
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Girls' Day
I took the girls out for a girls' day last week during Spring Break.
What prompted this day? I was over at Mom's, and we were looking down.
I saw that Emily's shoes were torn apart. (What do they DO in PE at
school????) I knew that she had to have a pair of shoes, so I decided
to make a fun day of it.
First, I was secretive. "Girls, go get dressed. We're going somewhere." Now, I knew that the first word out of each of their mouths would be "Where?", and I wasn't disappointed.
Somewhere special, just us girls," I said. As I knew it would, this elicited giggles and whispers as they dressed and tried to guess where I was taking them. I love surprising them when we go places. It makes the every day more fun!
We got in the car, and headed towards Concord Mills. I took them to lunch first. They love to go to Cheddar's. Cheddar's has a great big fish tank. That's all it takes. So, we pulled into the parking lot to the girls' cheering. We had a delightful lunch, and talked about all sorts of things. Here's a picture from the table:
First, I was secretive. "Girls, go get dressed. We're going somewhere." Now, I knew that the first word out of each of their mouths would be "Where?", and I wasn't disappointed.
Somewhere special, just us girls," I said. As I knew it would, this elicited giggles and whispers as they dressed and tried to guess where I was taking them. I love surprising them when we go places. It makes the every day more fun!
We got in the car, and headed towards Concord Mills. I took them to lunch first. They love to go to Cheddar's. Cheddar's has a great big fish tank. That's all it takes. So, we pulled into the parking lot to the girls' cheering. We had a delightful lunch, and talked about all sorts of things. Here's a picture from the table:
Then, it was off to the mall. I decided that I would let them choose the shoes that they wanted, as long as they fit into certain criteria (school requirements, price, and no lights!). 6 shoe stores later, the girls finally decided. On the same pair of shoes. For those of you who have 2 kids of the same gender, you know how fun it is to try to keep up with which shoes are whose. It's just not fun. But... I had decided that they could choose the shoes they wanted, so I followed through with it.
I had promised them a carousel ride (their favorite part of going to Concord Mills) but the lady had apparently gone on break and wouldn't be back for 30 minutes. The girls were so sad! I took them to Sonic and told them that they could order any drink they wanted. They both ordered Strawberry Sprites, which they claimed were fabulous.
Buying shoes (unless you're a woman) just isn't fun. I'm tickled that I was able to turn a mundane errand into a fun afternoon.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Shot Day 2
Bethany has her appointment in the morning for her physical and her shots. Ken and I were trying to decide whether it would be better to tell her ahead of time, to give her time to mentally prepare for it, or to wait until the appointment so she wouldn't have to stress about it.
After going back and forth, we finally decided to tell her this afternoon. Ken was careful to explain that these were good for her, and that they would help her to stay healthy. He said, "So that you can stay healthy, you're going to get some shots tomorrow." Bethany's reaction? "Oh, no, I'm not."
Yikes.
For those of you who know Bethany, you know that while Bethany is happy about 95% of the time, that other 5% of the time, she is a stubborn, willful, hard-headed child. It's not pretty when she has one of her "moments". The best thing you can do is look her in the eye, and tell her how it is. So I did.
I held her hands, and said, "Bethany, I'm not going to lie to you. Shots stink. Everyone hates shots. But you have to have them, and you are going to get them. I will be there with you, and we will count together. When we get to 6 (she's 6 years old), it will be over. Then, we'll go get a treat together." She looked at me and thought about it. She thought hard. Then, she said, "Okay, Mommy, but we're counting fast."
I'll take that.
After going back and forth, we finally decided to tell her this afternoon. Ken was careful to explain that these were good for her, and that they would help her to stay healthy. He said, "So that you can stay healthy, you're going to get some shots tomorrow." Bethany's reaction? "Oh, no, I'm not."
Yikes.
For those of you who know Bethany, you know that while Bethany is happy about 95% of the time, that other 5% of the time, she is a stubborn, willful, hard-headed child. It's not pretty when she has one of her "moments". The best thing you can do is look her in the eye, and tell her how it is. So I did.
I held her hands, and said, "Bethany, I'm not going to lie to you. Shots stink. Everyone hates shots. But you have to have them, and you are going to get them. I will be there with you, and we will count together. When we get to 6 (she's 6 years old), it will be over. Then, we'll go get a treat together." She looked at me and thought about it. She thought hard. Then, she said, "Okay, Mommy, but we're counting fast."
I'll take that.
Not Taking Too Much Credit
I was challenged yesterday by a post I saw on Facebook by Lysa TerKeurst. She said,
"If you had an unglued mama moment today, let me encourage you with 3 simple mothering perspectives you must hang on to:
1. Don’t take too much credit for their good.
2. Don’t take too much credit for their bad.
3. Don’t try to raise a good child. Raise a God-following adult."
Wow. I am in my 8th year of parenting, and this is a new revelation to me. I can't tell you how many times I've taken delight when someone comments that my children are well-behaved, or cringed in embarrassment when they've been, shall we say, less than perfect.
It's so easy to feel judged by my children's behavior as a parent, as a Christian, and as a pastor's wife. I feel like my children must be "good" for people to have a favorable opinion of me. This post, as brief as it was, has taught me so much.
First, that my children aren't really mine, and I need to raise them to my Father's standards, not mine, or anyone else's for that matter. God's standard is the goal, and anything less is failing my children.
Second, my children are human, just like I'm human. They have good days and they have bad days. I need to extend to them the grace that my Father extends to me.
Third, I need to stop worrying what other people think. It's just no way to live. I need to worry about what God thinks. He is my Creator, my Father, and my Savior. Being pleasing to Him is all I need.
Please pray for me as I try to be the parent that God wants me to be to His children.
"If you had an unglued mama moment today, let me encourage you with 3 simple mothering perspectives you must hang on to:
1. Don’t take too much credit for their good.
2. Don’t take too much credit for their bad.
3. Don’t try to raise a good child. Raise a God-following adult."
Wow. I am in my 8th year of parenting, and this is a new revelation to me. I can't tell you how many times I've taken delight when someone comments that my children are well-behaved, or cringed in embarrassment when they've been, shall we say, less than perfect.
It's so easy to feel judged by my children's behavior as a parent, as a Christian, and as a pastor's wife. I feel like my children must be "good" for people to have a favorable opinion of me. This post, as brief as it was, has taught me so much.
First, that my children aren't really mine, and I need to raise them to my Father's standards, not mine, or anyone else's for that matter. God's standard is the goal, and anything less is failing my children.
Second, my children are human, just like I'm human. They have good days and they have bad days. I need to extend to them the grace that my Father extends to me.
Third, I need to stop worrying what other people think. It's just no way to live. I need to worry about what God thinks. He is my Creator, my Father, and my Savior. Being pleasing to Him is all I need.
Please pray for me as I try to be the parent that God wants me to be to His children.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Be Still
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10
I was looking for this verse this morning. I like to copy and paste straight from Scripture instead of relying on my ever-decreasing memory to write scripture down. I was a little surprised at how many times the word "quiet" appears in scripture. God tells us to be physically quiet, to be spiritually quiet, and to be actively quiet (listening to teaching).
I don't know why, but whenever I think about biblical times, I think that they couldn't possibly be as busy as we are. After all, our lives are in hyper-drive, and we are in constant movement. We have smart phones and iPads and Bluetooth and Internet. We call, we text, we tweet, we IM, etc, etc, etc. We drive cars at break-neck speed. We fly in planes. We're even starting to fly in space shuttles. We are busy people.
I have to think, though, that people in biblical times were busy, too. Of course, it was a different busy, but they were busy nonetheless. Why else would God so many times tell us to be still? Being busy is, I think, a human characteristic. We feel fulfilled, we feel successful, when we're busy.
God tells us in this scripture to "Be still, and know that I am God." What does that mean? I'm no theologian, but I think God is telling us to settle our lives, our hearts, and our minds. Sit back and remember that in our busyness, God is. He is, was, and is yet to come. He is Author and Creator of all. Rejoice that He is in control! Find peace that He is watching over you. Exalt His name, and be thankful.
So I'm doing that this morning. I am rejoicing! I am exalting His name. Praise the Lord, for He is Good.
I was looking for this verse this morning. I like to copy and paste straight from Scripture instead of relying on my ever-decreasing memory to write scripture down. I was a little surprised at how many times the word "quiet" appears in scripture. God tells us to be physically quiet, to be spiritually quiet, and to be actively quiet (listening to teaching).
I don't know why, but whenever I think about biblical times, I think that they couldn't possibly be as busy as we are. After all, our lives are in hyper-drive, and we are in constant movement. We have smart phones and iPads and Bluetooth and Internet. We call, we text, we tweet, we IM, etc, etc, etc. We drive cars at break-neck speed. We fly in planes. We're even starting to fly in space shuttles. We are busy people.
I have to think, though, that people in biblical times were busy, too. Of course, it was a different busy, but they were busy nonetheless. Why else would God so many times tell us to be still? Being busy is, I think, a human characteristic. We feel fulfilled, we feel successful, when we're busy.
God tells us in this scripture to "Be still, and know that I am God." What does that mean? I'm no theologian, but I think God is telling us to settle our lives, our hearts, and our minds. Sit back and remember that in our busyness, God is. He is, was, and is yet to come. He is Author and Creator of all. Rejoice that He is in control! Find peace that He is watching over you. Exalt His name, and be thankful.
So I'm doing that this morning. I am rejoicing! I am exalting His name. Praise the Lord, for He is Good.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Shots!
Is there a word that strikes more fear in the hearts of children (and their parents!) than "shot"? Graham had his 18-month checkup this morning, and he had to have two shots. I knew it was coming, and I was ready. Before getting out of the car, I gave him a dose of Tylenol. I let him walk himself from the lobby to the examination room. I think this was the point in which he became suspicious.
All throughout his exam, he kept saying, "Mommy". He knew- I know that he knew! I was upbeat, trying hard to make him laugh while his height and weight were checked. I let him play with my phone. I tickled him. I sang "If you're happy and you know it...". Then, it came time for the shots. I told him, "Graham, you may cry. Mommy is definitely going to cry. Let's just get through this quickly, okay?" He looked at me blankly. Not for long, though.
I asked his nurse (who is a wonderful nurse!) to give him the more painful one first. The MMR shot went in, and I watched my sweet boy's face change from complacent to pain-filled to betrayed. He looked at his sweet nurse as if she were the enemy, which I guess, to him, she was.
The thing is, he only cried for about 10 seconds! I was so proud of him. I couldn't believe how quickly he got over it (especially because that darned MMR shot HURTS!!).
While I was there, I picked up Bethany's immunization records for school. Upon inspection, I realized that she is 2 shots short of being current. I made that appointment today.
In two weeks, I have a feeling that I will be making another post about a very different shot day. My Bethany is stubborn. Stubborn. And she's already let me know that she doesn't want any shots. Oh, boy.
All throughout his exam, he kept saying, "Mommy". He knew- I know that he knew! I was upbeat, trying hard to make him laugh while his height and weight were checked. I let him play with my phone. I tickled him. I sang "If you're happy and you know it...". Then, it came time for the shots. I told him, "Graham, you may cry. Mommy is definitely going to cry. Let's just get through this quickly, okay?" He looked at me blankly. Not for long, though.
I asked his nurse (who is a wonderful nurse!) to give him the more painful one first. The MMR shot went in, and I watched my sweet boy's face change from complacent to pain-filled to betrayed. He looked at his sweet nurse as if she were the enemy, which I guess, to him, she was.
The thing is, he only cried for about 10 seconds! I was so proud of him. I couldn't believe how quickly he got over it (especially because that darned MMR shot HURTS!!).
While I was there, I picked up Bethany's immunization records for school. Upon inspection, I realized that she is 2 shots short of being current. I made that appointment today.
In two weeks, I have a feeling that I will be making another post about a very different shot day. My Bethany is stubborn. Stubborn. And she's already let me know that she doesn't want any shots. Oh, boy.
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