Archive for July, 2009
Tuesday, July 28th, 2009
Peanut butter and jelly or ham and cheese? Crusts on or off? Cut diagonally or straight? Moms know a lot about making sandwiches.
When I’m gonna make sandwiches for my three kids, I know very well who’s sandwich gets buttered, who’s gotta have Hellmann’s mayo and who prefers Miracle Whip.
But here’s the thing about sandwiches … when I’m not making them, I’m feeling sandwiched. Sometimes sandwiched between conflicting demands on my time and attention but I’ve also had seasons where I’ve felt sandwiched between the generations in my family and their needs.
My handicapped mom often needed me to run her errands and shovel her sidewalk and at times my dad needed me to navigate healthcare choices for him. All while I had diapers to change and very busy toddlers at home.
Oh, what to do, when you’re both the peanut butter AND jelly in the PB and J sandwich!
During seemingly impossible times, God will do the impossible. So breathe. Look up. Focus on His face. He is a good God who wouldn’t give you more than you can possibly do in a day. His grace is new each day and will totally cover all of your needs as well as the needs of those around you.
It might mean the house is messy, your parents may have to be briefly put on hold or possibly ask someone else for help and book time with your children may happen in the doctor’s waiting room or their playtime outside may be with you as you’re shoveling an elderly parent’s sidewalk.
Here’s what happened in my life: Even when I often felt as though I was failing to meet the needs around me, I tried my best to help my parents. They were thankful. I tried my best to be a good mom and my kids learned to have compassion for the elderly, handicapped and sick. All the while God was making me more patient, more empathetic and stronger.
When you’re feeling like you’re the peanut butter and jelly – God’s the bread. He’s always got you covered!
“Jesus replied, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’” John 6:35
Be encouraged ~
Cathy
P.S. When you feel “spread too thin,” let God’s words of blessing refresh you by listening to ThumbPeople’s Words of Blessing CD.
Tags: CD, demands, encourage, jelly, moms, peanut butter, sandwich, sandwiched, ThumbPeople, time, words of blessing
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Thursday, July 23rd, 2009
Mom! She won’t … MOM! He said … MOM!!!! They are …
Uh huh. That’s right. I’ve been listening in at your house. I know it well, it’s that home stretch of summer. The slip and slide, sidewalk chalk and park have lost some of their razzle dazzle from earlier this summer as far as your kids are concerned. Maybe playtime with the neighbor kids is getting a bit strained and you’re starting to hear, “I’m bored. There’s nothing to do.”
Oh, and kid’s are so very good at finding things to do on their own! Like the time my kids decided to try bungee jumping from the monkey bars in our backyard!
Here’s my suggestion for enjoying the last stretch of summer with your kids. There’s a lot you can do to keep your kids busy and focused, but I think it’s most important to maintain your own peace and calm. Believe me, it really is possible to cultivate a peaceful inner sanctuary within your heart and mind even when externally things may be chaotic, noisy and less than peaceful.
Claim a little slice of time in the day that is uncompromisingly only for you and the Lord alone. Moms, I know it’s hard to do – believe me, but it’s so worth it. Even if it means that I have to get up very early in the morning, my quiet time spent with God will sustain me and strengthen me all day long. Even if it’s only 15 minutes – do it!
Quiet time with the Lord, helps me to: maintain a sense of humor, see the wonder that’s always going on around me, stay joyful, be inspired and creative, and enjoy (not just sometimes endure) the role of mothering.
“Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).
Be encouraged!
~ Cathy
P.S. Pop in ThumbPeople’s “Words of Blessing” CD. It will really help create a special time for just you and God.
Tags: bored, calm, driving you nuts, encouraged, kids fighting, mothering, peace, playtime, sanctuary, summer, ThumbPeople
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Monday, July 13th, 2009
Wow! ThumbPeople is busy helping parents prepare their child to start school this fall while I’m preparing my son to start college!
I’m not even going to go there and say all the cliché’ things about how time flies when you’re raising kids (but believe me, it really does!)
What strikes me, is that while you’re preparing them for preschool and the first day of first grade, you’re also preparing them for the first day of middle school (Ouch! That was a hard transition for me – from that safe little elementary school with the sweet bulletin board by the front door with the apple tree or bright yellow school bus on it to that great big middle school building that didn’t have the nice lunch ladies who took turns watching the kids play at recess …) And, you’re preparing them for high school. And yup, I’ve prepared my son to leave home for college. (Perhaps better than I’ve prepared myself to have him leave!)
This time of year, our book “Thumbuddy Goes to School” is super popular with parents of young children. It’s funny that I’m relating to it as a parent of a college freshman.
As parents, we never should stop reassuring our kids that exciting things lie ahead, encouraging them to make positive choices and reminding them that they are very loved.
“For I know the plans I have for you.” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11
God has some really great things in store this fall – for kids heading off to school and for their parents (even the reluctant ones) who are sending them off!
Be encouraged!
~ Cathy
P.S. Oh, and don’t forget that Thumbuddy will be at Eagan’s Market Fest Family Night this Wednesday, July 15 from 4:00-8:00 p.m. Free gifts for everyone while supplies last!
Tags: be encouraged, child, college, college freshman, Eagan, elementary school, encouraging, fall, Family Night, first day of school, first grade, Free gift, future, helping, high school, kids play, Lord, loved, lunch ladies, Market Fest, middle school, parents, plans, popular, positive choices, prepare, preparing for preschool, preparing to start college, preschool, raising kids, reassuring, recess, reminding, school bus, start school, ThumbPeople, Thumbuddy, Thumbuddy Goes to School, time flies, young children
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Tuesday, July 7th, 2009
Those fun and creative crafts and activities for kids always sounded so good when I saw them demonstrated in a magazine or on a TV show …
The kids were having a blast, the mom was smiling and relaxed, the backdrop of the beautifully decorated home looked really neat and tidy.
But gosh, when I tried the same craft with my kids, well … not so much.
The felt and feathers stuck to my kids fingers more then they stuck to the paper, the teeny weeny googly eyes were too teeny weeny and googly for my kids to handle, they wanted to eat the paste, use their markers for eyeliner, make soup out of the potting soil, and make splatter designs on the walls by slapping or yes, even jumping in paint trays.
I was not so relaxed as I tried to pry up the sequins glued to the kitchen floor with my thumbnail. My home was never neat and tidy!
But those craft projects were a great success! We spent time together. We all learned tons – well, maybe my kids just learned a little about self control, maybe some listening skills, maybe some fine motor skills were developed, they may have learned that cleaning up after a project was part of the project … But I learned to let go, to quit being so uptight, to see the world through the eyes and wonder of a child, to be more creative and to NOT always follow the directions and God developed within me the much needed patience I’d need for the parenting years yet to come.
God never wastes anything. He uses every little experience in our life to strengthen us and bless us. He’s always far more interested in the process then I am. I just want to get on with it and make the perfect “thing” while He’s busy perfecting the perfect “thing” within me.
So thank God while you’re scraping the dried glue from the crack in your kitchen table! He’s creating something amazing within you and your children!
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10
Be encouraged!
~ Cathy
P.S. For fun crafts and activities for your kids (that you won’t have to scrape off your kitchen floor) go to Eagan’s Market Fest Family Night! ThumbPeople will be there from 4:00-8:00 p.m. on July 15th. Kids get to do a special Thumbuddy craft at 4:00 p.m!
Tags: activities, activities for kids, blast, bless, cleaning up, craft projects, crafts, creative, developed, Eagan, eat paste, encouraged, Family Night, fine motor skills, follow directions, fun, fun preschool crafts, God, googly eyes, kids, listening skills, markers, Market Fest, paint trays, parenting, patience, preschool, preschool activities, preschool crafts, psalm, pure heart, self control, sequins, steadfast spirit, strengthen, success, thank God, ThumbPeople, Thumbuddy, time together, uptight, wonder of a child
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