Becca loves this Nemo dress.  I keep putting it in the pile of clothes to give away because it’s too small for her, but she keeps finding it.  Tonight when she wanted to wear it to bed I decided instead of listening to her cry because I said “no” I would let her wear it over her jammies.   She was happy as can be and even twirled around and did a little ballet move.  Compromising worked for us tonight.

Crosswalk is a great resource that I only just found.   Walter sent me an e-card from there the other day and I decided to start looking around.    I found a great devotion that is delivered to my e-mail each morning, Girlfriends for God.   Tuesday’s devotion really was used by God to speak to my heart. 

Another resource that they have is music- free and commercial free!   On days when I’m not working Becca and I are enjoying rocking out. 

I could spend hours and hours each day poking around on the website and that is why Crosswalk.com definitely works for me!

Head on over to Shannon’s and get more great ideas.

This morning didn’t start off really well. I was a little crabby and I wasn’t the most motivated to get us out the door so Ben wouldn’t be late for school.I wanted to try to start the day off on the right foot so I opened up my e-mail and read my devotion for the day. While the kids were eating and I was barking out orders (i.e., “what did I tell you to do?” “Can’t you just sit down and eat?” “If I have to tell you one more time….” – see I really wasn’t shining today).

I took my coffee to the computer and sat down to read. I begged, cried, pleaded prayed that today’s devotion would speak to me. Here is the first thing that I read: “Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him.” Psalm 127:3 TNIV  I went “Oh, great God, I didn’t really want to hear this message today. I must admit that I didn’t read the whole thing at that setting. I was more busy pouting about my attitude and how I didn’t really want to hear this message today. Plus, it was just way to convicting – So I was going to stop reading and then go about my day in a crabby mood.Since I wasn’t willing to get the Lord’s message that He had for me today in the devotion He really knew I needed to hear, He used my son without me knowing it (or asking my permission – because I really would have said “NO, not today, I don’t want to hear about this reward you have for me”)

When Becca and I finally got home today I sat down to read the devotion in it’s entirety. What I read and then re-read (please, if you have read this far, go read it) brought tears to my eyes. I do criticize more then encourage. I’m doing to my son, one of the things that was done to me as a child. Instead of waking out the door leaving my child with the assurance that I love him, I’m leaving him with the assurance that he didn’t quite do it right. Dear Heavenly Father,Thank you for sending your Word even when we don’t want to hear it. Thank you for making sure I hear it and hear it loud and clear. Please help me with my words, please help me to give 10 positive comments to every correction that I give. Just like Colossians 3:21 says help me to not provoke, irritate or fret Ben and Becca, let me not be hard on them or harass them so that they become discouraged or feel inferior or frustrated. Help me not to break their spirit with my words. Remind me that my children are my heritage, they are what I leave behind, that they are a reward from you. Thank you for giving me children that teach me each day, thank you for their gentle spirit.

That would be me.   Tonight while we were sitting at dinner, at 6:50 because Ben had a soccer game.  I told Walter that I thought once school started things would slow down.   He just laughed.   Gotta love that husband of mine.

I just haven’t felt like I’ve hit my grove yet.   School has been in session for a month.   Along with school, soccer started, that’s at least two nights a week and some Saturdays.  Then this week Awana started up and it was teacher conferences so Ben had minimum days and then last week Ben had the flu, then Becca had it last Friday.

Being the person that I am, I don’t like change very much but I feel like I’m in constant change.   If this is what it’s like with one in school – what’s it going to be like with two!

And then there is our Bible Study that’s starting up and then right after that Walter is teaching a Sunday school class threw the end of the year.  Then there’s the Pismo trip, a week in Sacramento….It doesn’t stop!  

Maybe I’ll just get into my grove by the first of the year – when tax season starts and throws everything into another direction.

Last week when Ben was sick, Becca was his little care taker.  She would sit by him and gently say “Baba sick, poor Baba”.   If that just doesn’t melt your heart, I don’t know what will.   She was very quiet around him and always wanted to know that he was ok.  

The best of her “nursing” skills came when Ben thought he had to throw up.   He was hanging his head over the toilet for no less than 45 minutes.   He wanted me to sit in there with him and rub his back.  Being the wonderful mom that I am I went and grabed my book and sat on the edge of the tub, reading and rubbing his back.   Becca finished her Wiggles video and came looking for us.   Again she said “Baba sick” and Ben pittifly lifted his head and asked her to rub his feet, because we all know that having our feet rubbed helps us throw up.   She happily agreed and stood there and rubbed his feet, repeating “Baba sick, poor Baba” over and over and over.