Reality

With a White-Knuckled Fist

If there's anything I'm learning about motherhood lately, it's that tired mamas rarely focus on the bright spots enough.  We can have a single load of laundry done, with clean clothes in the dressers for everyone to wear and we'll fret over the mounds of dirty clothes awaiting us.  

In my case, I might focus on every single flaw in my children... 

only occasionally bothering to dwell on the good things that are happening in their lives.  

The maddening thing about my children's flaws, is that they look remarkably like every character weakness I've ever exhibited in my 11.75 years of being a mama.  #wheredtheygetTHATfrom

If you ever want to feel bad about every failing you've got in your life, just have kids.  

There's nothing like seeing the four year old version, seven year old version, nine year old version and eleven year old version of your diamond-in-the-rough self, 

all on the same day... all day... every day.  

I hope you're hearing the humor here, but hearing the "real" too.  Nothing has helped me to remember how much I still need to grow in God and let Him change me every day, than motherhood has/does.  

I wish I could say I'm doing all kinds of wonderful at keeping my perspective balanced, but I haven't been lately.  All the "stuff" you deal with as a mama, seems so big.

Some of it is big.  These are people in the making, after all.

I'm dropping into bed at night with tears on my cheeks, feeling raw, overwhelmed and sometimes mystified.  I talk to the Rugged Mountain Man.  I pray.  I read the Word.  I write my thoughts, my struggles in my journal.  

And the glimmers of wisdom and grace always come through.

"Set your mind on things above, not on things of the earth."  

(Colossians 3:2, my paraphrase)

I've been letting my mind go in the mama gutter, the gutter that holds all of my failings, all of my weaknesses, every time that I didn't discipline with a right heart, every time I lost my temper, every time I took the easy road...

But, I'm been trying to set my mind on different things, better things.  I need to be mulling over the good things that the Lord is doing.  I can't forget the bright spots that He sends, those little encouraging things that He is working in this family.  

It's funny, the more I dwell on those good things, 

the more He breeds faith in me to believe Him 

for greater things in our lives.

Seize that one bright spot today, Mama.  

Grab it with a white-knuckled fist.  

Turn it over in your heart and let it help you believe God for more of the same.

I'll be here right beside you, clinging to the little bright spots too.

Dominique

Visual bright spots from our recent Track & Field Clinic at the most gorgeous college track on the East Coast.

Winter to Spring: Trials Do End

The breezes of spring slip around me, as I sway on my swing and read aloud to the Blossoms.  They are finishing their lunch at the big, old-fashioned table on the back deck.  This is one of our favorite parts of the day.  I'm drinking in the deliciously fresh air as I notice the blossoming lilac hedge.  Only a few short weeks ago, that very same hedge was bleak and gray.  

How like life the seasons are.

Winter always seems so long, until spring tiptoes in.  We're filled with hope, as the weather warms.

Trials are long.  They are lonely.  They are exhausting.  They can be bleak.  The end never seems near.  The point of trials doesn't seem obvious.  

Hope seems just out of reach.  

Like spring though, trials come to an end.  

Your cry for help has gone up to the Father.  

He has heard. 

He has not forgotten you.  He remembers you.

The Father sees.  Yes, He truly sees the place you're in.

He has taken notice.  (Exodus 2:23-25)

Just as winter always gives way to spring, 

you will come out of your trials.  

"The righteous cry, and the LORD hears

And delivers them out of all their troubles...

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,

But the LORD delivers him out of them all."

Psalm 34:17,19 NASB

Your Long Lost Library Books

We love the library!  The Blossoms are blessed with a love of books, reading, and learning.  Since I can't make multiple trips to the library in a month, I'm not exaggerating when I say that we bring home 60-100 books at a time.

I keep the titles in a checklist in Evernote, so that I can keep track of what we have floating around our place.  The due dates are recorded in my Google calendar so we don't accrue fines.

The girls are allowed to read any time, excluding chore time, meal time and loading time.  They are also allowed to read anywhere, as it's too constricting to say that they can only read library books by the shelf in the dining room or near a book basket in any given room.

On library day, the Blossoms brings stacks and stacks of books to the computer in the schoolroom.  I make sure they've been entered on their book lists, check them off the library list and drop them in the library bags.

Inevitably, there are books missing.  

By now, we're professionals at performing massive search efforts in all the usual spots, under the couch, under their beds, and on our book shelves.  

During our recent efforts to return books to the library, I discovered a terrific #mamalifehack that helped immensely in locating the last few missing titles.

I googled the missing book titles.  

Why would that be helpful?

We can't always remember what the book looks like, but our internet search brought up the author and a picture of the book cover.

I could then see if the book was an easy reader, hardback, story book, or chapter book, etc.

I could tell which Blossom probably had the book last.

I could more easily sift through our bookshelves, because I knew the approximate size, type and look of the book.

Mamas, I located two missing books in a matter of five minutes, which left me wondering why in the world I'd never googled the books before!

The next time you're frantically digging through the couch cushions, vowing never to visit the library again, just google it.  Your search just might end with a smile and a sigh of relief.

Dominique

#mamalifehacks

Pretty Penny Pincher

Holidays are probably the days I feel the biggest pressure to buy something new.  I'm guessing I'm not alone.  Everybody feels pressure to get something new at some point in the year.

We live a single income lifestyle on a single income. 

That means, I've learned to shop my closet and practice contentment.  I'm certain one can do a lot with an American woman's closet.

For Easter Sunday, I wanted colorful and springy, so I pulled out my thrift store mint maxi dress, a clearance rack cropped denim jacket, those Mother's Day sandals from last year, a bargain necklace and a new pair of earrings from the Blossoms.  While I'm pleased with this breezy ensemble, this mama is also thankful that she can be well put together with out busting a hole in the budget.  I'm pretty sure the Rugged Mountain Man is thankful too.

As my sister says, 

"Sometimes, the best way to save money, is to simply not spend it."