Category: motherhood

Words I Can’t Edit

Diana B.Leave a comment

Pleasant words are a honeycomb,
   sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

– Proverbs 16:24 NIV

As a writer and a former editor, I am very much a lover of words. I am enamoured with books, fonts, thesauruses, logos, notebooks, pens, libraries, storytellers and book stores all because of words.

Earlier this week I blogged about writing God’s words on the wall, and typically I post my own words on my Facebook “wall” once or twice a week. Those and the words I put down on paper are all thoughtfully and carefully shared. Chalk, pencil and keyboard make controlling these words rather simple. Erasers, back space keys and delete buttons serve me well.

The words that depart from my mouth, on the contrary, are much harder to edit and revise. Once they are said, no eraser can remove them. Perhaps that’s why I struggle with them. I can’t bully them into being eloquent. I can’t make them behave. I can’t make them sound right. Afterwards, I can only stew over them, fret about what else I should have said, or play editorial games with myself — like how I would have worded something differently if I could go back in time.

Especially with those people I love the most, I’ve been struggling with my spoken words lately. 

Deep down I want all my words to be sweet to the soul and healing to the bones, especially those spoken to my children and my husband. That’s a God-given desire I am sure.

But more often than I like, my feelings of frustration or annoyance or irritation season my words with bitterness instead of sweetness. I hear them and almost don’t recognize my own grumpy voice. As they echo in my head, I wonder, “Did I really just say that, like that? What’s wrong with me?” 

Operating in my own strength, I certainly can’t control my words and attitude. But the fruit of Spirit includes self-control. What’s more, I can ask God for specific help.

“Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.” -Psalm 141:3

As He promises in 1 Corinthians 10:13, God always provides “a way out” when I am tempted to speak unkind or harsh words. It’s my responsibility to act on that exit strategy, of course!

This week God has also led me to three excellent resources on the power of words and significance of using them wisely.

The first is Watching Our Words from the mother-daughter team of Carolyn Mahaney and Nicole Whitacre at GirlTalk.

Secondly, in today’s broadcast over at Focus on the Family, speaker Florence Littauer shares the power of encouraging words. I listened and was encouraged!

And last, Steve Murphy at HOMESCHOOLING TODAY magazine chimed in with this article, World-Building by Words.

May these words encourage you also!

10 People Who Inspired Me in 2010

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 “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” – Hebrews 10:24 NIV

About a year ago, I shared in this post how friends of ours had spurred me on toward love and good deeds. As I reflect on 2010 and continue to thank God for their friendship and encouragement, I thought it’d be fun to share some other sources of encouragement and inspiration that might just inspire and encourage you, too.

1. My husband, Michael, always inspires me, and for so many reasons. In August I blogged about 15 reasons why I love Michael. I should also note that in the first three months of 2010 Michael lost 65 lbs., and he has kept them off! Yay! But of more significance than his weight loss are his spiritual gains in 2010. He has clearly grown closer to the Lord  — through prayer, Bible study, and Scripture memory — and that truly inspires me! What a blessing to have a strong spiritual leader in our household.

2. Our pastor, Steve Anderson, is a wonderful, encouraging pastor, as well as leader of the small group in which my husband and I participate. In November while he was serving as a short-term missionary in Nicaragua, I blogged here about how thankful I am for Pastor Steve and his lovely wife Sharon. They are truly wonderful people who bless us each week. When he returned from Nicaragua, Pastor Steve told us an amazing story about handing out baseballs and Beanie Babies to the children there. God performed a miracle that day! You can listen to him tell the story if you click here. It starts at 19 minutes into his sermon “Whose Stuff is All This Anyway?” By the way, you can find out more about short-term missions and adopt-a-pastor opportunities in Nicaragua by visiting Repairers of Broken Walls.

3. Andreas Custer is the Student Ministries Director at our church. He’s a great guy, and while our family doesn’t yet have any students in his ministry, his contagious passion for the Lord and inspiring manner spills over and touches our family regularly. After visiting Gettysburg and other Civil War battlefields this fall, Pastor Andi preached this really dynamite sermon about fixing our eyes on Jesus in the same way soldiers fix their eyes on their battle flag. The key Scripture passage he used was Philippians 3:7-21, and he explains that those who have their eyes set on earthly things, in contrast, are enemies of the cross.

4. Karen Wistrom at Family from Afar is a working mom with four children, two biological and two adopted, and is a child sponsorship coordinator for Children’s HopeChest. Besides raising money for all sorts of orphan-care projects, she traveled to Ethiopia this fall — for the third year in a row — to minister to orphans at Kind Hearts, where our sweet Dawit is. Thanks to Karen, we were able to put together this little care package for Dawit in August, and then a couple of months later Karen sent us pictures of Dawit receiving it. Yay, Karen! 

5. Samantha at Little Goody 2 Shoes is an 11-year-old who is selling bottle cap necklaces to raise money to buy shoes for orphans in Ethiopia. We bought a few of them that say Kind Hearts, and they are so adorable! To date, Samantha sold 314 necklaces and raised enough money to buy 103 pairs of new, custom-made shoes for orphans at Kind Hearts and two other orphanages in Ethiopia. Way to go, Samantha!

6. My own daughter, Linnea, at the ripe old age of 7, decided to donate 11 inches of her hair to Locks of Love in February. She was so brave and so passionate about giving to a little girl in need. That was a lot of hair!  

7. Author Ann Voskamp at A Holy Experience is a farmer’s wife, homeschool mother of six, and an amazingly gifted writer. She faithfully uses her gift for God’s glory. I am so eager to read her latest book, 1,000 Gifts, which will be released Jan. 25.

8. Writer Holley Gerth at Heart to Heart with Holley is another writer whose words transcend into the spiritually inspiring realm. She also faithfully uses this gift to point others toward God.

9. My beautiful and sunshiny friend Alice, who recently moved to our little town, totally inspires me to be a better mom and to more intentionally play with my kids, especially while they are still willing to play with me! Alice is outgoing, full of life, and truly a fantastic cook and baker. All those traits come in handy as a stay-at-home mom to three handsome and energetic boys, all under the age of 5! While the girls and I were over for a visit last week, Alice gave us all flashlights, turned off the lights, and asked us to hunt for stuffed animals that had been hidden around her kitchen and living room. This “jungle-safari” version of hide-and-seek was great fun! Thanks for being so wonderful, Alice!

10. And last, but certainly not least, is Jodi, another beautiful friend of mine who inspires me to be a better mom and not neglect my creative side.  Jodi is a tea-drinking homeschool mom of five children, ranging in age from 1 to 13. She also teaches art, jazz, and tap dance lessons. My daughter is in one of Jodi’s art classes and adores every moment of it. If I were to write a biography about Jodi, I’d entitle it Everybody Loves Jodi. She is creative, encouraging, sweeter than pie, and everybody loves her! Last I checked she wasn’t sporting a red cape, but she is truly a super woman, empowered by God. 

Now I’m shutting my laptop and heading off to play Little People with my 5-year-old, so it’s your turn to share.

Who has inspired you in 2010? Do tell!

21 Entertaining Things Said (or Done) in 2010

Diana B.2 Comments

I just reviewed my Facebook status collection for 2010 and compiled this list of entertaining things said (or done) by my children in 2010. Hope it makes you chuckle, too!

1. Laurel, age 4, laments that it is just “too deep to play outside.” Never mind that the windchill is 4 degrees.

2. Laurel got up from her afternoon nap sniffling and said, “Mommy, my nose is all stuck up.”

3. Setting the table at dinner time, Laurel carefully covers each fork with a napkin. Then she announces, “Ssssh! The forks are sleeping.”

4. Laurel at the Arboretum: “Stop, Mommy, I think I have a piece of nature in my shoe.”

5. Here’s a new, summery way to mop the kitchen floor: Shut only the screen door while your 7-year-old waters the flowers on the patio. She’s never been a wild child, but give her a garden hose with a spray nozzle and WATCH OUT!

6. Linnea, age 7, was folding laundry and saw me set up the ironing board. Looking utterly shocked, she said: “Mommy, there are CLOTHES you have to iron?” I guess she thought we only had an ironing board to accommodate her fuse bead craft projects!

7. While we were babysitting 5-month-old John at our house yesterday evening, Laurel asked, “Do we have to give him back?”

8. Shortly after I put gel in my hair this morning, Laurel comes in and exclaims: “Mommy! You smell good. You smell like Benadryl!” Yep, that was so the fragrance I was going for today.

9. Laurel’s table manners must have drowned in the pool this afternoon. At supper after swimming lessons, she kept wiping the jelly on her fingers on her clothes, in her hair, and seemingly everywhere else but her napkin. Ick! “Don’t wipe it on your dress!” Michael yelled. Big sister Linnea chimes in, on Laurel’s behalf, “It’s actually a skirt, Daddy.”

10. I tried to be discreet when I tossed the decapitated potty-training baby doll into the trash can. But as the garbage man drove off this morning, Laurel came running inside, sobbing uncontrollably. “The broken baby doll is going to get all burned up at the dump!” Thank you, Toy Story 3. Sigh.

11. Laurel, while eating goldfish crackers for an afternoon snack, says: “Mommy! I need some water to drink so my fishes can go swimming!” So the chocolate shake and the iced tea I had already given her didn’t do the trick?

12. Michael just came home with half a dozen ears of fresh sweet corn, and now the girls are begging to help him “shuffle” it.

13. After quiet time yesterday afternoon I found Laurel in her bed, obviously just waking up, and I asked how her nap was. She replied: “I didn’t take a nap. I was too busy resting.”

14. Praying at lunchtime, Laurel says: “…And thank You, God, for creating the animals so that we can have animal crackers to eat…”

15. Laurel read her first sentence today: “See me eat.” She was so proud of herself she sprung off the couch and bolted into the next room to tell Linnea the exciting news.

16. How clever is Laurel? At the drug store this morning, she stops in the candy aisle and says very seriously, “Oh! We HAVE to get some raspberry chocolate candy for Sassy.” Sassy is her teddy bear.

17. Our breakfast conversation this morning — Laurel: “I just don’t like cannonballs.” Me: “Huh? What do you mean? Jawbreakers?” Laurel: “No, you know, cannonballs — people who eat other people. Why DO they do that?”

18. This morning as Michael was scrambling eggs and pulling the tortillas out of the refrigerator, Linnea asks, “Daddy, are you fixing a breakfast pinata?”

19. While I was helping Linnea fix her hair this morning, she sniffed and said, “Mommy, you smell good. Like jellybeans!” I guess that’s an improvement over Laurel’s thinking I smelled like Benadryl a few months ago…

20. Thinking about Advent at the dinner table this evening, Linnea says, “So, tomorrow is…” And Laurel quickly chimes in, “the last day of not getting any presents!”

21. In the middle of a Costco shopping trip this afternoon, Linnea wonders, “Mommy, what is ‘scratch?'” After I reply with a bewildered, “Huh?” she clarifies, “You know, scratch. You always say that you make pies and things from scratch. What is it?”

More Piles of White Stuff

Diana B.2 Comments

As the snow continues to pile up in frightfully large amounts outside — they say it’s the snowiest December on record here in Minnesota — the girls and I are making some additional piles of white stuff in the kitchen. You know, piles of flour and powdered sugar and sparkling sugar sprinkles…

Ahh, sugar cookies. Michael and I had mixed up the dough last night, so it was nice and chilled this morning. The girls and I started rolling out the dough mid-morning, and I don’t think we stopped until nearly 3 p.m.! Whew! 

It’s been nearly two years since we’ve made sugar cookies, and my children’s decorating skills seem to have progressed noticeably. The funniest thing about today was the red hot cinnamon candies because Laurel kept referring to them as “hot rods.”  Linnea decided that was easier and more fun to say, so all day long it was “hot rod” this and that…

After shoveling in countless cookies topped with buttercream frosting, I put my “sugar rush” to good use by shoveling the entire the driveway. Sadly, the snow was coming down at a rate of one inch per hour, so the driveway was completely white again when Michael drove in from work. At least I still had some sugar cookies left to show for our efforts!

The Snow Fort

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What do you get when you combine 11 inches of surprisingly soupy, fresh snow, one lazy Saturday morning, two energetic girls, one playfully productive dad, and one plastic shoe box?  

A snow fort!

I hestiated to go out in the snow storm with my camera, which did get a little wet. But it was good that I shot these pictures when I did because a few hours later the snow fort collapsed. So sad. We still have several inches of snow on the ground.

And lots of chilly memories!

5 Star Links for Friday

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It’s a dull, cloudy November day. Outside everything looks brown or gray. I could easily feel gloomy today. Instead I choose joy because today, joy is reading stories to eager little ears. Joy is tickling someone I love with feather. Joy is an impromptu pizza party. Joy is sharing everyday moments with friends who brightly shine Jesus’s love.

Here are some little online blessings — 5 Star Links — that I want to share with you. I hope they bring you joy today.

1. A timely lesson for the upcoming season —  5 Keys to Christmas Joy

2. Encouraging words — a lovely printable: 10 Point Manifesto of Joy for Parents

3. Help in memorizing God’s Word: Verse Card Maker

4. Buttery, Flaky, Buttermilk Biscuits — I tried out this new recipe earlier this week, and it will make you sing. Not that you should ever sing with food in your mouth…

5. But if you do feel musically inclined, may I suggest humming this catchy song: Oh, Happiness by the David Crowder Band? I’m completely in love with it! The upbeat tune is a remedy for my Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Blessings on your Friday!

A High-Five Week

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Laurel’s week was full of high-flying, High-five! moments.

1. On Tuesday, she had her very first piano lesson. High-five!

Prior to the lesson, which was at 3 p.m. with Miss Amanda, Laurel was very, very excited. I was certain she couldn’t possibly be that excited about anything else ever.

I was wrong.

After her piano lesson, Laurel was even more excited. I literally had to give her a long hug to restrain her from possible accidental self injury. She was that excited.

She loves Miss Amanda. She loves her new book. She loves practicing her song. And she loves music.

2. On Wednesday, after her reading lesson, I told Laurel I thought she was ready for the Bob Books. High-five!

Older sister Linnea fondly remembers these books in great detail, even though it’s been three years since she last read them — and so she had created for Laurel an intense curiosity about the books several weeks ago. Needlesstosay, great anticipation preceded this literary milestone.

3. Laurel immediately fell in love with the Bob Books. High-five!

She read two of them right away and two more later that day. She carried four of them around all day and even read them in the car!

4. Wednesday evening was Parent Night for Awana Cubbies. High-five!

Both Mom and Dad “shadowed” Laurel throughout the evening as she went from crafts to puppets to coloring to snacks to songs and to story time. Not only did she earn Lov E Lamb patch for her vest, but she also was selected as flag bearer during the Pledge of Alligence. I’m pretty sure her cheeks hurt from smiling so much. (Photo courtesy of my hubby’s cell phone.)

5. After Awana, we picked up and installed a headboard for Laurel’s bed. Don’t ask me why her bed didn’t already have a headboard. I really have no idea and only vaguely remember moving her to a big bed. Was she 2 or 3? I don’t recall. But evidently,when you are 5, receiving any furniture — even very dull furniture — in one’s bedroom is exceptionally exciting, especially when it is late at night.

6. Thursday morning was Laurel’s dance class, during which Miss Desiree had all the girls act out a very lively and imaginative fairy dance adventure. High-five!

Only a few days before Laurel had seen the new Tinkerbell movie, and she and Linnea have been fairy-crazy all week. Hooray for dance instructors who are completely in step with what little girls love to daydream about.

7. On Friday morning, Laurel launched construction on the Starlight School spaceship. High-five!

She busily glued buttons on the control panel and helped me tape together cardboard, styrofoam and aluminum foil. Later, Linnea joined the fun. Together they made a space mural as a backdrop for their intergalactic playtime inspired by the book Regards to the Man in the Moon. The mural even has glow-in-the-dark stars. Like any professional astronauts, they packed extra fuel, food, flashlights, a camera, two healthy imaginations and two Tinkerbell dolls.

When you are 5, that’s a High-five! kind of week.

Oh, LORD, the heavens declare Your glory. Thank You for encouraging and inspiring Laurel this week as she studies the stars, learns how to read, hides Your Word in her heart, praises You with dance, and learns to make joyful noises for You on the piano.

5 Star Links for Friday

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1. Be inspired and encouraged to hide God’s Word in your heart! Read Why Memorize Scripture by Ann Voskamp at A Holy Experience.

2. Get help answering that nagging “What’s for dinner?” question! Check out these meal planning resources from Jolanthe at No Ordinary Moments.

3. Early bird or night owl? This Proverbs 31 Devotional by Rachel Olsen may completely change your perspective on when the day begins!

4. Make the most of every opportunity! Hand out these tracks with your treats on Oct. 31!

5. GirlTalk shares an unfailing resource for when we moms are at wits’ end with our children.

And I really do know how to count to 5. But here’s a bonus link — let’s just call it dessert!

Dessert. Single Serving Pie in a Jar. Adorable and delicious. Need I say more? (Thanks, Tiffany!)

Exclusive Interview with 5-year-old Laurel

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Laurel turned 5 earlier this month. Here’s a little profile on her, similar to this one we did when she was 4 and this one we did when she was 2.

What verses are you reciting? 1 John 4:10, Romans 3:23, Romans 5:8, John 3:33 and Luke 1:31-32

What else have you recently learned to recite? the Awana Cubbies motto, “Jesus Loves Me,” and Awana Cubbies song

What are your favorite books? The Way Home Princess Story by Max Lucado and Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

What is your favorite Bible story? Adam and Eve

What is your favorite movie? Princess and the Frog

What is your favorite food? macaroni and cheese

What is your favorite part of mealtime? prayers

 What is your favorite animal? pony

What is your favorite thing to say? “I love you” and “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”

What are your hobbies? Swinging, playing dress-up, pretending to be a cook with a magic cookbook, playing piano, and playing guitar

What do you do in your spare time? I put my shoes on and go outside.

What songs do you sing? “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” and “Happy Birthday” and “Jesus Loves Me”

How high can you count? Up to 100

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be? Chuck E. Cheese

Besides being tickled, what makes you laugh? Knock-Knock jokes, Linnea’s funny shows, and when Papa Bill says, “When I was a little girl…”

What are your favorite colors? Purple and green and pink

What is your favorite game? Hungry, Hungry Hippos

What are your favorite subjects in school? puzzles

What is your favorite extra-curricular activity? swimming

What is your favorite new thing in preschool? 100 chain and reading lessons

Who are your best friends? Linnea, Naomi, Ada, Noah, Grace, Lila, Reilly, Anders, Annika, and Tyler

What do you like the most about homeschooling? game day and school field trips

What do you like the least about homeschooling? not getting to wear my backpack

If you could live anywhere besides Minnesota, where would you live? Oklahoma

What characters do you like to dress up as? the golden princess and Cinderella and Fancy Nancy

Displaying His Splendor

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One resort north of here is advertising that they have more colors than your crayon box.

And it’s true. The trees are gloriously ablaze in especially vivid colors this year.

As Minnesotans, we tend to savor every drop of color — knowing the stark whites and greys of winter will soon blanket everything.

The leaves may be dying, but they are going out with a bang. They are displaying the splendor of the One who created them.

Fall is a reminder that we are all dying, too. Our bodies will eventually fail in one way or another. And while we are in the “fall” of life, aren’t we, too, called to display God’s splendor?

My baby is turning 5 this week. And soon we will be reuniting with relatives who live far away, and already I can hear them exclaim how tall my girls are growing.

Growing, yes. But not like weeds. Like trees.

“…They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor.” -Isaiah 61:3