We always hide our boys’ Christmas presents in our bedroom closet in a big blue bag. The other day, our five year old “Lucky” came down the stairs and found his daddy in the kitchen.

Lucky: “Daddy, can I look in the bag in your closet?”

Daddy : “no.”

Lucky: “please?”

Daddy: “no.”

Lucky: “I will give you one million hugs and kisses!”

Daddy: “no.”

Lucky: “well…it’s too late.”

If I stop to think about it, I bet I could have a variation of this conversation with God about 20 times a day.

“Can I be jealous of my friend’s pool?”

“Can I still be angry at someone who was mean to me 10 years ago?”

“Can I only be grateful when I get exactly what I think I want?”

“Can I be lazy and selfish and think mean thoughts about strangers on the street?”

“No? Well…it’s too late.”

I am glad that Lucky decided that it was safe to confess to giving into the temptation of a full present bag. He was instantly forgiven. I am so grateful that God gives us that same opportunity. It is safe to confess and we are instantly forgiven. What a gift!

Acts 5:31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

The Battling Middles

I was sitting in Church several weeks ago, content in my favorite pew, while my boys were standing with their terrific Sunday School teacher outside the sanctuary….looking clean and proper and so well-behaved. I know better than to completely ignore them, so I glanced back often, and after a few times noticed that the middle-two (or as we call them “The Middles,”) were not looking so sweet and well-behaved any longer. They were talking intently….then moving closer and closer to each other. I recognized the look on their faces but was hopeful that surely they knew better than to start punching each other at Church.  Well…maybe not. You can imagine my dismay when one of them lowered his shoulder and rammed his brother and the other “shouldered” him right back.  I was too far away for a threatening look, so I hopped up and took them outside where I’m sure I calmly discussed the merits of brotherly love.

The timing of this mini brawl was interesting because I had just come from Sunday School, where Pastor Skar had talked about Christians loving each other as members of the Universal Church, even when we disagree. As adults, most of us probably won’t throw punches in the Church Foyer, but a lot of us may bicker and complain and focus on issues where we disagree. We may do this in our on congregation, and in the greater Universal Church. We can’t depend on our mom grabbing us and retreating to the parking lot anymore, so I guess we need to remember what the Bible tells us.

Romans 12:19
Don't quarrel with anyone. Be at peace with everyone, just as much as possible.

Try This

I have a huge plastic bin of vitamins in my store room. I think I have a vitamin for every letter of the alphabet…from Vitamin A all the way to Zinc.

I have Celiac Disease, which causes me to have bouts of severe fatigue and I am constantly looking for a new exercise, a new health food or a new miracle vitamin to restore energy. I get lots of suggestions from family and friends and if I find something that seems to help, I am quick to recommend it to someone else.

I am not afraid to suggest to people that they:

Stop eating gluten!

Stop eating sugar!

Make your own yogurt!

Try yoga!

Take Melatonin, you will sleep better!

It never offends anyone when I tell them that I feel better, happier or more energetic because of some new supplement. I wonder why I am afraid that they might be offended, however, if I were to say:

Try praying!

I think there is often a misinterpretation of Christian’s intentions. If people realized that Christians want to share their faith, not as a judgment of non-believers, but just because it has worked so well in their own lives, maybe it would be accepted as easily as a vitamin recommendation.

Maybe I just need to add something to my advice.

Eat healthy, it works for me!

Exercise, it works for me!

Pray, it works for me!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Our Sons

Right now there are ten pair of shoes piled by the front door, along with a soccer ball, a soccer bag and a remote controlled truck. I have a neat little tray where in theory four pair of shoes would fit perfectly, and there is a designated hook in the kitchen for the soccer bag (which should be holding the soccer ball.) We have a big basement that is supposed to be the home for ALL toys, including the legos, plastic tools and giant tote of trains that I will have to step over if I want to move to the couch. I am always sure that my next chore chart or discipline plan will solve this, but it won’t. I am also sure, however, that when there are no shoes or legos or soccer bags, my house will feel like a clean and lonely place.

I found this poem written by my Grandma about 70 years ago…which confirmed my suspicion that my thoughts are similar to all mothers everywhere and at every time in history.

Our Sons

S.M.W.

Tonight they came in with

clothes full of mud.

Their shoes were all ruined

with silt and grime.

But the smiles on their faces

proved to me

They had been having

a very good time.

Did I scold them because

their clothes were soiled,

Those four dear little sonny boys

of mine.

Ah no! for I thought of

many dear lads

Who are far away for

a long long time.

How happy their mothers

would be if they

Could wipe from their faces

the mud so vile,

And say as they tuck them

in their own beds;

Dear sons sleep and rest

and wake with a smile.

Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. Psalm 127;3

Be Calm, Be Quiet, Be Cheerful

We have a new family motto that we are trying out. Before we head out on a car trip, or into a restaurant, or anywhere in public, I remind boys of our new motto and even have them repeat it. It is:

BE CALM

BE QUIET

BE CHEERFUL

I thought about this the other day and decided that God would probably say those same words to me. This led me to think about other things I constantly tell my boys that I could easily imagine God saying to me.

“Don’t worry about what you don’t have, just be grateful for what you do have. There are a lot of kids who would LOVE to have what you have.”

“Just act happy….acting sad about the situation won’t change it and it will only make it harder for you.”

“You won’t have any friends if you keep acting like that!”

“Stop whining! Just ask me in a nice, calm voice.”

“Be happy for your brother when things go well for him. It will make him feel good, and it really will make YOU feel good too.

“I’m older than you, THAT’S how I know. You should listen to me because I know what I’m talking about!”

“Everybody just stop! You are driving me crazy!”

“Always be the nicest you that you can be.”

“Is this really that big of a deal? Can we try to keep some perspective here?”

I hope my boys don’t realize how completely lost I feel when it comes to parenting. Maybe, though, a great guide for me would be to stop and think…what would God want me to tell these boys? What would He tell me?

Free Range or Caged?

When we moved to our little “farm” I thought it would be a neat experience to get some chickens. I had heard they were easy to keep, and the fact that we would get eggs made it easier to convince Bryce that another species of animal to take care of wasn’t a horrible idea. Bryce went to work and built me a nice little coop, we got some chicks from a friend and we were ready to collect eggs…. just like Laura Ingalls.

It all went so smoothly until “Little Red Banty” used her time out of the pen to create a nest of eggs that she was determined to hatch. We couldn’t resist letting her try out motherhood, so she had chicks, which made “Goldie” get the idea to have chicks...which meant I had to leave the pen open… which meant that instead of my easy  cooped up chickens I now have egg-hiding, cat-food-stealing, barn-floor-dirtying hens and four roosters whose continuing existence proves that I am no Laura Ingalls, or Ma Ingalls, or whoever had the job of killing roosters in that family.

A few weeks ago I decided that I was going to get control of the situation. I locked all of the hens and my favorite rooster in the pen, leaving three other roosters to fend for themselves (which was easy for them because I couldn’t resist giving them food when I fed their friends in the coop). I did get a few eggs for awhile, but now that my flock was used to freedom, they just seemed desperate to get out of there. So, again proving I am no real farm girl, I let them out. They hang out in the hay and burrow in the dirt and sit on the horse fence. Sometimes we find a bunch of feathers and one less chicken, but when all is said and done, they are FREE!

I could keep them safe in their pen all of the time. They would live a long life (for a chicken). They would not have to fear coyotes or foxes or me with a broom. They would have food and water and shelter, and I would have eggs. Good for me…but for them? I bet they would rather chance it on their own. I would.

We talked about man’s free will in Sunday School today. God could keep us all safe and fed and watered all of the time. He could have created us to make the smartest, safest, kindest decision in every situation. Instead, he gave us free-will. He made us FREE. We have to find our food and water and look out for predators, but we get to sit in the sun and choose our friends, and stretch our wings…and I’m glad.

Camp Wa Shun Ga

We dropped two boys off at camp this year for three days of rifle shooting, swimming, canoeing, horseback riding, chapel lessons and more. This was their first year and they didn’t know what to expect. One of these guys is a worrier. He needs to know every detail of every event and if he doesn’t he gets anxious. The other little guy, whose name actually means “cheerful” takes experiences as they come with a big smile on his face.

Here is how the ride to camp went:

The worrier:  (reading the paper about camp):

"Why would anyone send a letter to their kids? It would get there after they left!

Why do you need long pants?

I thought we had beds...why do we need a sleeping bag?

How much land is there? Five thousand acres or like a field?...uh oh...now I feel sick again...(sits holding his stomach and looking really pale for awhile.)

Is there a lake or a swimming pool?

Do you get to eat as much as you want?

Do you have to pay for it?

Why do you need a flashlight?

Do they try to teach you stuff?

What time do they wake you up?

HOW do they wake you up?

Do you have to go to sleep at a certain time?

Can you read in bed?

How many kids will be there? Less that 200? More than 500?...I'M FEELING SICK AGAIN!!"

The cheerful easy-going guy:
"..........................did you bring my goggles?"

One little guy made himself sick with worry and anxiety for a full day…the other relaxed and just let things come as they may. The thing that strikes me is, they both ended up at the EXACT same place. They both had a great time! I know that worrying and being anxious is a waste of my time and energy…I wish that I, and the other professional worriers in my family, could relax and go through life cheerful and relaxed. (As long as we know where our goggles are.)

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Matthew 6:27