Please, No More Poop! (The Prayer Life of a Mom to Littles)

I used to have lofty prayers and petitions to the Lord.  I asked for more faith.  I asked for the ability to trust Him more.  I prayed that I would be faithful to His call and not forsake the journey at hand.  I prayed for friends and family members.  I prayed for people I didn't even know.  I thought I was doing great in the refining process.

Enter a few cute kiddos, a few extra loads of laundry a week, some exhaustion from either being pregnant or being up in the night with a nursing newborn, and over time my prayers have changed.

Now I ask for the faith to keep persevering on parenting tasks that don't seem to have an end in sight. I declare to the Lord that I am trusting Him to help me do the next load of laundry or wash up the dishes after lunch time.  I tell Him when I get  up in the morning that I'm ready to work hard for His glory and ask Him to help me do it...with a good attitude.

I pray for my husband, that he'll be encouraged at work.  I ask that God will help my kids to obey...sometimes just because it makes it easier for me!  And if I happen to get an email from a friend or someone pops into my mind I offer up a quick prayer for her.

But there are those days when the potty trainee walks through the room with a suspiciously saggy pair of underwear and the cry of my heart is simply, "Please, no more poop!".  Because the ninth messy clean up for the morning may just reduce me to tears.

And I think that's okay with God.  He knows that at this stage in my walk with Him poop can be more refining than the quiet hours I used to spend sitting on a porch swing thinking of how rose-colored life is.  And I know that He will keep proving His faithfulness to carry me through each trial - whether that be a nearly impossible and rocky climb through intense personal trial or a trek through a wasteland of noodles stuck to the bottom of my feet and stinky diapers that keep coming even after the Energizer Bunny has pooped out.

He's answering my prayers all the time.  The more spiritual sounding ones from a handful of years ago are being answered right now as I offer up petitions for grace to have a godly attitude in the little challenges of today.  The prayers I offer up today are being answered as I go - sometimes it's not a poop (Thank You, Lord!) and sometimes it is.

Either way He gets me through moment by moment, day by day, prayer by prayer.

This post is linked up at:
Mama Moments Monday Link-Up @ A Mama's Story

Titus 2 Tuesday @ Cornerstone Confessions
Wise Woman Linkup @ A Wise Woman Builds Her Home 
Encourage One Another @ Deep Roots at Home
Welcome Home Wednesday @ Raising Arrows

Our Story, Part 1

It all started at the MasterWorks Festival, where young aspiring Christian performing artists practice, play, and sometimes meet the person they'll one day marry.  I was there for about the hundredth summer (not really, but close) and Claude was there for his first time.  We met in the lunch line.  It must have been uneventful because only one of us remembers that first meeting (and it wasn't me).

Performing together for the first time.  Summer 2002.

Both Claude and I had just come out of some hurtful dating relationships within months of attending the festival.  I was still trying to forgive and heal from the pain of my previous relationship and after being very disappointed by a girl back in Melbourne, Claude had prayed and determined that he wouldn't get involved in a romantic relationship with anyone until he was certain she was "the one".

Enter our friend, Abigail.  She knew Claude from Bible study.  I knew her because I was her counselor.  About two weeks into the festival she invited Claude and I to meet, the three of us, for some time in the Word.  We met every day after that and within a few days, Claude and I were also meeting together in the evenings.  We sat on the steps of Rodeheaver Auditorium and aside being eaten by a bazillion bugs, we talked and talked and talked.

Summer 2002

I wouldn't allow myself to think anything of this friendship, even though I couldn't stop talking (or thinking) about this Aussie guy.  Claude, on the other hand, was at least asking God about it.  During a quiet time in his dorm room he asked The Lord if I was "the one" and the answer was "Yes".  Of course, I didn't find this out until WAY after the fact...which was all the better.

Fast forward a bit and we had said goodbye, left the festival for our normal college lives, and started communicating regularly by email and IM (does anyone remember IM???).  When asked around Christmas-time by my cousin if I would marry Claude I gave an incredulous, "No!  We're just friends!"  About four months later I was sitting in a church service and everything in my thinking changed.

As I sat during musical worship I heard the Lord speak to me.  I haven't had this happen before or since and it's hard to describe because I didn't hear with my physical ears, but the His voice was unmistakeable and impossible to doubt.  That sunny Sunday afternoon God told me that I would marry Claude and I would go to Australia.  I remember sharing this information with my good friend while we stood at a stoplight on our way home from church.

Summer 2003

Claude and I continued to communicate through email.  Sometime in the spring we entered into dating relationship of sorts (it's pretty hard to date when you're literally half a world apart) and we spent the next summer together again at the MasterWorks Festival.  After a few weeks there were more goodbyes, more emails, and more IM.  And, on my part, a growing impatience.

And then there was a phone call.

I remember sitting on the office floor at my parents' house staring at the reindeer on my pink fuzzy pajama pants.  Claude, being very to the point, simply said something along the lines of, "I think we should take a break".  I have no idea what I said to him - I honestly can't remember.  But I know that I was angry.

How could he?!  As if I was the only person in the relationship. This was NOT part of God's plan.  As if I know the thoughts of an omniscient God.  Didn't Claude know what God was doing???  As if I was the only one who heard from the Lord or knew how to do this thing "right".

I could only see God's plan through my ideas of how that would be worked out.  I had A LOT to learn about patience and trust.  And I also had a lot to learn about how God works.  Could my impatience and frustration, my pushing to get the show on the road, really stop God's work in our lives and our relationship?  If Claude was right or wrong in calling things off, did it really matter?  Isn't God way bigger than that?

After that phone call all correspondence was silenced.  For seven months.

To be continued...

Friday Funnies: Taxes

Joshua just came into the living room to inform me that I owe a palace tax.

"This," he said as he showed me a very colorful piece of paper, "Is a $4,000 bill.  And you have to pay me one of these."

"Wow..." I stammered. "Can I use that one to pay you?"

"No, you cannot," he replied firmly.  "You have to pay your own to me."

"What do you need the money for?"

"It's for all the work I do around this palace.  It's a tax."  He was resolute.

"Well, I don't have that kind of money.  I'll have to work a long time to earn that much."

"Okay," he said thoughtfully.  "Then maybe you can just work for me for 600 days.  Then you can earn the $4,000 bill."

"And I have to pay it back to you?"  I inquired.

"Yes."

And I've been told that Claude and I expect a lot from the kids!  Try living in Joshua's "palace" for a while...but if you do, be sure to come with lots of money or a really good work ethic.

Bible Basics: The Garden, Part 1

Welcome back to Bible Basics!

Last week we began learning from the Old Testament with a simple lesson about Creation.  This week we'll keep moving through Genesis with the first of a two-part lesson about The Garden (or The Fall).

We all know what happened in Genesis Chapter 3.  God's command, a serpent, and Adam and Eve ultimately eating the forbidden fruit is not a new story to us.  It is, however, crucial in understanding our sin nature and our need for salvation.  Because of this, the next two lessons are some of the most important in our Bible Basics Old Testament series.

By choosing to eat the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, Adam and Eve broke their relationship with God.  As a result, they were driven from the Garden of Eden in order that they might not also eat from the Tree of Life.  Even though we follow the same choices as Adam and Eve, Jesus makes a way for us to be in right relationship with God.

Here's how I define sin to toddlers and preschoolers.  "Sin is when we do something wrong, like disobeying or being mean.  When we sin, or do something wrong, it keeps us from being friends with God."

I follow it up with a simple presentation of the Gospel.  "Jesus took the punishment for all of our sins, the wrong things we have done.  He died on the cross and came back to life.  When we believe in Jesus our sins are forgiven and we can be friends with God again."

If you have a different way of explaining this, then by all means use it.  I find that I am usually repeating the definition of sin every time I use the word.  You can see that from the script above.  As always, repetition is essential for learning.

So, here's how Abby and I went through our lesson this week.

THE GARDEN, PART 1

Genesis 3

Memory Verse
"...you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil..."  -Genesis2:17
 
Lesson Focus
Adam and Eve were not supposed to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Project
Tissue Paper Tree

Materials
- Construction paper - white/blue, brown, and green
- Tissue paper - any color (we used red)
- Markers or crayons
- Scissors
- Glue

 
Directions
1. Cut out a tree trunk from the brown construction paper.  Cut out the top of a tree from the green construction paper.  If you'd like to, cut out a strip of green or brown paper on which to write the memory verse.
2. Glue the trunk and treetop to the white/blue piece of construction paper.
3. Tear small pieces from the tissue paper.  Put dots of glue all over the treetop.  Crumple pieces of tissue paper and press onto glue spots.  Allow glue to dry.
3. Write the memory verse on the paper.

How We Go Through the Lesson
1. Recite or sing memory verse.
2. Read Bible story.  We use the Beginner's Bible, but you can choose a children's story Bible or "grown-up" translation that suits you and your family.
3. Recite or sing memory verse.
4. Craft or project.  Depending on the day of the week this may be a project like the one above or it could be a coloring page or something completely different.

*Repeat the lesson almost every day.  This could mean doing it on weekdays or taking one day to work on the project, saying the memory verse together throughout the day, and reading the Bible story before bed each night.  It doesn't matter when or how, but the repetition is key for toddlers to retain the lessons presented to them.

Here are some other tree crafts that could easily be adapted for this lesson:
Toilet Paper Roll TreeFingerprint Tree
Button Tree (first craft in post)
To break away from the tree crafts, here's a free printable mini book: Adam and Eve

How do you teach your kids about sin and salvation?
 

Mexican Rice Casserole

 

I'm always looking for quick, easy, and inexpensive meal ideas.  And since I like some variety, I'm constantly on the look out for new ideas.  Several weeks ago I searched for a recipe for Mexican Rice Casserole.  I found this one which I adapted.  It's a great way to stretch the grocery budget, an excellent dish to prepare with the help of kiddos, and versatile to accommodate whatever you have in your pantry.

Here's how we made it...

INGREDIENTS

-6 cups rice, cooked (we use brown)

-4 cups black beans, cooked (we use dry but you can use 2 15oz. cans, drained and rinsed), you may also try other types of beans or some browned ground beef or turkey if you have it on hand...maybe even shredded chicken.  Really whatever sounds good or is in your pantry/fridge will do.

-1 24oz. jar of salsa (we use mild)

-Ground cumin to taste

-Chili powder to taste

-Dried oregano or Italian seasoning to taste

-Salt and pepper to taste (optional)

-Garlic and/or onion powder to taste (optional)

-4 tomatoes, sliced

-2+ cups grated cheese

-2 green onions, chopped (optional)

-Fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

-Sour cream for serving (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees F.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine rice, beans/meat, salsa, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper (if using), garlic and/or onion powder (if using).

3. Spread rice and bean/meat mixture into 9x13 baking dish.

4. On top of the rice, layer sliced tomatoes.  Then sprinkle cheese, onions (if using), and cilantro (if using).

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until casserole is heated through and cheese has melted.

6. Serve with sour cream or other desire toppings.  Enjoy!  :)

What's your favorite simple family recipe?
 

Fun Family Outing: Texas Sea Center

On the weekends or days off from work, Claude likes to take us on adventures.  Especially if I'm out, he has to get the kids out and about doing something fun or out-of-the-ordinary.  For a while he's been trying to get us to the Texas Sea Center and yesterday we finally made it.

If you live in the Houston area and haven't checked out this FREE attraction, it's really worth your time. The drive down to Lake Jackson took us an hour, but overall it was a nice drive.  And the center was a lot of fun - just the right size for littles.

We walked around some wetlands and spotted a few birds and a couple of damselflies.  We also saw some tadpoles in a small pool and looked at some animal tracks in the mud.

Inside we were able to learn about and touch hermit crabs, anemones, blue crabs, and some other small fish in the touch tank.

We also watched two hermit crabs fight over and eat a muscle.

Our camera ran out of battery (oops!) so we didn't get photos of the aquariums.  There were several small ones with various fish, all found in Texas and the Gulf.  And one large aquarium which housed a nurse shark, a moray eel, and even a baby hammerhead shark.

One thing I love about aquariums and small centers like the Texas Sea Center is that you can usually get up close and personal.  And they tend to be small enough that you can see everything well before the kids run out of steam and start to meltdown.  

I don't know about you, but outings that require preparing the night before, departing early-ish in the morning, keeping us out all day, and leaving us tired and grumpy for two days afterward are not all that appealing.  Today we were able to take our time getting out the door, pack a simple picnic lunch for when we arrived, spend as long as we wanted at the center, and still get home in time for our normal evening routine.  That's the kind of adventure we're usually looking for!

Lake Jackson also has a mall and some restaurants that would make for a nice stopover if you wanted to treat the family to lunch, ice cream, or something of the sort.  So, if you're in the Houston area and looking for an adventure, check out the Texas Sea Center - family-friendly, affordable (FREE!), and fun!

Friday Funnies: Bugs and Beans

Hannah came running out of the bathroom today.  She was quite distressed and it didn't take long to find out why.

"MOMMY!!!  There's a bug in the shower!" she screamed.  She was thoroughly grossed out and showed it by her extremely dramatic reaction.

"I'm sure it's fine, Hannah.  Just get in the shower."  After fighting to get her there in the first place I wasn't about to lose the shower battle over a bug.

I did, however, decide to evaluate the situation.  As I opened the shower curtain and surveyed the bottom of the tub I saw what had caught her eye and caused such a fuss.

"Hannah, that's a piece of green bean from Jeremiah's bath last night."

"Oh" was all she said before stepping into the shower, as cheerful as ever.

Hannah, shrieking and flipping out seconds before was now calm, cool, and collected.  Seeing things for what they really are makes a world of difference, doesn't it?

The incident did make me wonder...what's more gross (or should that be "grosser"???) to find in the shower, a bug or green bean?