Adjusting to the Quiet Life

I've always been a person that sticks out in a crowd, for one reason or another.  I participated in the individual sport of gymnastics.  Although I wasn't the best on the team, I had talents that set me apart from many others - flexibility and grace similar to that of Nastia Liukin.  I also tend to have an exuberant personality (mild understatement).  I also very zealously and demonstratively loved and served God as a teen.  Then, I functioned as a youth pastor, also very zealously and demonstratively.  All those things combined, I was used to being noticed.  I'm NOT saying I did things spiritually just to be noticed.  I did have a very pure heart.  Then, my life started moving in a different direction.  Youth ministry was a thing of the past and I simply became the wife of my (very awesome, ruggedly handsome, wonderfully Godly) husband.  I fell off the radar.  Boy, was that an adjustment.  I realized that although mostly I had not sought the spotlight, I did use it to gauge the "approval rating" of my life.  So, when I became "just another" wife, like many other Godly wives all over the world, I was at some sort of a loss.  "Was I doing something wrong?"  But, God led me through.  He showed me very early on in married life that what I do, I do for Him.  Serving my husband is just as spiritual as serving the church in youth ministry.  I'm still pleasing God.  I'm doing it just for HIM.  Pleasing my husband, pleases God. 

It.was.monumental.for.me. 

So, although nobody else noticed what I was doing and there wasn't any spotlight any more, I knew I was pleasing God to the best of the grace He supplied to me.  Then, I entered another stage of life.  The Beautiful Bountiful Blossom stage of life.  And, I learned the lesson at another level.  It's what I like to call the Quiet Life.  This wife-mother stage is not a See-Me-Notice-Me stage (except for on that glorious holiday we all know as Mother's Day).  I refuse to run from the Quiet Life.  I refuse to think ill of the Quiet Life.  I refuse to feel "hindered" by the Quiet Life because others try to get away from it.  Jesus said I shouldn't do things just to be noticed.  Being noticed will be my only reward, if that is what I seek.  The Quiet Life is better than a career.  It's better than a stage and spotlight.  It's better than the approval of man.  It's the will of God for me and for so many others.  I love the Quiet Life.  It's so much simpler, just me, my husband, my Blossoms and my God. 

Blossom #3 and her blending

Blossom #3 is as unique as a Handpainted Pottery piece.  And, we like it that way.  We have noticed that being third in line in the family has posed some interesting challenges for her however.  I've heard this is the case with other 3rd-in-liners, as well.  Particularly, we've noticed that Skipper can hide under the radar.  She "blends" with her other sissies.  So, Mommy & Daddy say to the collective Blossoms to clean out the playhouse and Scooter and Skeeter end up doing most of the work.  Skipper does a token toy-put-away or two just to look like she's obeying but really, she's just blending again.  Laziness is a trait that is not tolerated here.  When we talk about how we're training our children and what we're shooting for, a good work ethic is always in the top four things we discuss.  (Being a Christian is number one.)  So, Daddy said that we should make the blending impossible.  Skipper should now be paired with one other Blossom and given work to do.  In the last two days, as the Blossoms go about their daily additional work list that I write on a little index card, Skipper was paired with Scooter some and Skeeter some.  Guess what, she couldn't hide.  She HAD to help.  It was working.  I love it when Daddy comes up with those good common sense fixes.  Mommas should always chat with Daddies about these sorts of things.  Now, with God's grace, Skipper WILL have a good work ethic.

A beautiful song

Calling all Mommies.  Check out this beautiful song, by Keith & Kristin Getty, called a Mother's Prayer.  My good friend, "Betty Crocker" sent it to me.  I love this quote that was included on the video:

"When we pray for our children,

we join with GOD

in the work that He is doing in their lives."

- Jodie Berndt

http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=related&v=GWVv2-FPsmA

Now I've been there, done that...

There's lots of things that I have experienced... and then, evidently, there are things I haven't yet experienced.  Today, I experienced a new one.  I was on the phone, doing the nice, motherly sort of thing of arranging piano lessons for Skeeter.  "Yes, my name is blah, blah, blah and my phone number is blah, blah... b l a h.......

SMASH. 
Broken Glass. 
Sobbing Baby Sweet Pea. 
Scared Scooter. 
"Oh my goodness, are you ok, Scooter?" 
"Um, excuse me, sir, can I call you back?  We have broken glass here!" 
"Sure, no problem."

I've never done that before - had to interrupt a phone call for that kind of experience. Baby Sweet Pea was quickly reassured that although it was a scary sound, she was really ok.  Scooter was reminded that it was an accident.  Skeeter and Scooter were told to run and get flip-flops to keep on their feet, while Mommy cleaned up the broken glass bowl and then, calmly called the piano guy back.  He was glad to hear that no one was hurt.  Never a dull moment here!  I want to handle every situation with grace.  May He help me to do so.

A little thing

Daddy returned from running some errands.  Skeeter rounded the corner, announcing, "Daddy has something for YOU!"  (It's really hard for anyone to keep a secret in an all-Blossom household.)  Mommy's face broke into a huge smile when she discovered that Daddy had picked up a shiny blue stainless steel water bottle for her.  (Mommy drinks water like a camel.  Hopefully she doesn't look like a camel.  No offense for those of you who adore the hairy, grumpy creatures.)  Mommy has been wanting one of those water bottles for a LONG time.  It's the little things, I'm tellin' you!  Husbands are busy people, with the weight of the world on their shoulders at times.  As wives, we must savor those little things and strive to think the best of our own man at all times.