Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson have recently teamed up to give us a webinar series called ‘Discipleship and Discipline’. After seeing it being offered I was intrigued and quickly signed up to do a review. I wasn’t sure what I would be getting at first. I knew it would be good, but thought that it might just be some of the things that I had heard before.

The first thing that struck me is that Sally Clarkson and Sarah Mae have a heart for their children and secondly a heart for moms. They truly want to see us succeed. And, if you are struggling as a mom, this series would be a definite encouragement.

The webinar is broken up into 4 days and you can watch the sessions at your leisure. I thoroughly appreciated being able to pause the video and re-watch a section so that I could mull over what was being said.

I don’t want to give away too much of the good stuff, but this series was awesome! God really worked to help me view my children and parenting in a different light.

Two of the many things that I have taken away from the series so far have been the idea of getting to know your child, really know them, and what they need as a little person. Are they introverted, extroverted, shy, outgoing, need extra hugs? And, secondly that I need to accept them where they are. For me this means giving of my introverted self to my extroverted son. It means that I can’t expect my other son to have complete self control at the age of 3 because, well, he’s 3.

Sally said something that has burrowed into my heart, and I hope that it will for you, too. She said that once she gave herself over to the task of mothering, she fell in love with her children (not exactly a direct quote). That’s my hope for all of us, that we fall in love with our children.

(Links listed are affiliate links)

A few weeks back our family joined some friends at the pool for some Sunday morning fun. My kids hadn’t been to a pool all summer and I thought this would be a good time to get it in before the cooler temperatures of fall arrived.

Everyone was having fun jumping and splashing, just enjoying the time when my friend moved to the deep end and executed a perfect cannonball. My husband went next and they took turns while the kids lookned on. I sat with Baby V watching them.

Now I’m not the strongest swimmer, so I didn’t take too much interest in the activity. But then a thought over took me. I could either sit there for the remainder of the time watching, or I could take the risk and dive in, too. I decided to take the risk and realized that it was a lot more fun in the water than it was in the comfort of the chair.

There have been a few times in life in which I’ve felt as if I’m standing at a precipice and I have two choices. I could either take the risk and do the ‘thing’, whatever it may be, or take a step back and stay comfortable. Once again I feel as if that choice is before me. I can either stay comfortable or I can take the risk to write and build community.

For some people things like this may seem like a no brainer, but so many times the fear of failure holds me back. But not today. God’s given me a voice and I won’t let fear keep me ‘comfortable’. And I won’t let being comfortable keep me from action.

 

What is that ‘thing’ that you’ve been wanting to do but have been fearful to try? What is your ‘cannonball?

Write words. Write thoughts. Write nuances of life. These are the things that I have recorded since I was fourteen. Every day I sit and have recorded the thoughts that stream through my head, at first immature and then blossoming into what spills out today.

I never thought that I had anything to offer anyone. No talent such as painting, drawing, sewing. All these talents run rampant through my family tree, but they stop here at this branch. It wasn’t until this year, sometime in the spring that God whispered to me that my gift is words. And, that painting something doesn’t always mean you use brushstrokes.

So, now I write with abandon, finally finding the room to breathe. I’ve stopped trying to cram myself into someone else’s mold. The moment I donned the title ‘writer’ was the moment that I felt like I’d come home. I told a friend once when asked why, that I cannot not write. The words swirl and are forced out like life blood spilling. And that is what it is when we write – our life spilling out onto paper for others to read. My words are my love offering to you, whomever you are.

I’m joining Lisa-Jo Baker in her Five Minute Friday post for the first time. Today’s writing prompt is the word ‘True’. Five minutes starts now:

The word is ‘true’ and I wonder what that really means. Is there a tangible to this? Can I put into words, paint a picture of what is true? At the beginning of my day I read the Words of Truth from the One who lives and breathes Truth into my life, but somewhere along the day I forget and start beleiving the lies. The lies that say that I’m not enough, that the math and dishes, and the diapers, don’t matter. But then God uses His Words to whisper to the most tender places of my heart, that I am His and that is the biggest truth that I need at the moment. That the God who is love dwells in me – that is true.

I see the smiles on my children’s faces, feel the hugs and taste the kisses, and those things are true because those are driven by love. They are gifts of love from a Father who has lavished love on us. So today I will think on those things that are true. The truth of His Love and Redemption.

 

 

34 Things to know about me…

1. I’m a mom to 7, 4 littles, 6 and under, and 3 babies with Jesus.

2. I didn’t learn to drive until I was 21.

3. I have the most handsome husband in the world 😉

4. I am an Army brat (enlisted, thank you very much).

5. I’ve kept a journal since I was 14.

6. I’ve lived in Germany.

7. I’ve seen the Thinker’s backside from the window of a bus.

8. I’ve been on a whirlwind USO tour to Paris. (why I’ve only seen the Thinker’s backside)

9. I claim Missouri as my home state.

10. I’ll drive 20 minutes to get pastured eggs.

11. I have a BA in Counseling – I’ve never had a technical job in Counseling (unless you count refereeing the 4 Littles)

12. Cheese is my favorite food.

13. I am an introvert – INFJ

14. I love to research.

15. I love lists 😉

16. I’m going/have gone to Allume in October.

17. I have a passion to fight human trafficking.

18. I’ve had all 4 of my babies naturally. The giving birth is the easy part. It’s the raising that’s hard.

19. My favorite color is Teal.

20. JJ Heller is my favorite female vocalist.

21. I only realized that there isn’t anything really wrong with Contemporary Christian music in the last 10 years.

22. I could drink coffee all. day. long.

23. I have small hands and can barely palm a softball.

24. I love to wear skirts.

25. I met my husband in college.

26. My left femur has a rod in it – broke it in a car crash.

27. I love to read.

28. I love to read to my kids.

29. We’ve lived in the same house for 10 years.

30. That same house has been undergoing a sanctification (aka ‘renovation’) process for the same number of years.

31. I absolutely love the view from my kitchen window – I can see my favorite people through that window.

32. Sometimes I am too sentimental.

33. I am a deep ‘feeler’.

34. I can keep a secret.

 

And, most importantly, I am a daughter of the King. He is my hope and my salvation. Everything I do is devoted to Him, faults and all.

 

Thanks for getting to know me a little.