Fighting FOR your kids and not WITH your kids!

My friend, Amanda, and I, went to a women's seminar tonight and in just 2 hours, God spoke to me, moved a huge mountain for me, and now my eyes are opening up to a whole new light, and I'm loving every second of it!  I want to know more!  I want to dig deeper!  I want God's love to abound through me to every single person I know now, or meet in the future! 

Ok, so here's what we heard at the seminar tonight:

This one is seriously an awesome chart topper in my book!!

The 5 T's to show someone you love them!! 

TONE - the tone of your voice, in no matter what you say!

TIME - one on one time with each person (child), even if it's just 60 seconds to devote to them, just that one minute can make such a difference in their life, and my own!

TENDER EYES - how you look at someone... example "LOOK AT ME!"  (while yelling at your child to focus on you to listen to what you have to say)  Remember to be sure that you can look at you, especially if you are asking someone else to look at you!  So... take a look in the mirror that minute that you are going nuts to have them look at you, and if your face doesn't scream "MEANIE" then go for it! 

TOUCH - Our children need to be touched, rub their back when they go to bed at night, this gives them one on one time with you and the gentle touch that each child needs for reassurance, comfort, and safety in your arms!  Hugs are awesome too =)  Even if your teen pushes you away at first, their heart is really lighting up inside, they just may not want to show it yet!

TEARS - for the right things!  Grieve over the things that grieve the heart of God... ok, this one my mother in law came to mind (yes, Kathy, I'm using you, because you are such an inspiration to me!!)  She has said to me before "Don't sweat the small stuff" well, in this analogy tonight, the lady speaking said to not cry over chores not being done, the bedspread not put on the bed right, things like that!  Grieve over what grieves the HEART OF GOD!!!  So, when a child doesn't make the right decision over something, cry at your bedside pleading to God that she will open her heart to God and make a better decision next time! 


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We learned so much more than just this, but that was something huge that I wanted to share!  It's awesome, isn't it?? 

There were tons of scripture referenced, some I need to read for myself, as I just wrote them down to read later, and listened intently to what she was saying!  I'll write them for you here for you to reference as well!

Romans 2
Repentence is truly a change in the heart, not just words saying "sorry"!  It is truly a change that is all over.  God is not interested in behavior, He wants each with a changed heart!!
Train our children the way we want them to go, which is on the path to God.
We don't belong to what we see around us, we belong to God's Kingdom!! 
God will change a spirit that wants to be changed!!!

John 10
Romans 12 - Be transformed by the renewing of your mind!
I John - book of LOVE... LOVE casts out FEAR! 
I Corinthians 13 - tells what it means to LOVE
II Corinthians 2

An analogy that she gave tonight, which gave me goosebumps all over was that she envisioned her child with wolves surrounding her, and God telling her to grab her sword and fight them off!  To stop fighting with her, but to fight off the evil that was trying to surround her and reel her in!  It was incredible... makes so much sense!  The world (and Satan) try to raise my children in thinking & doing things one way, and I have to make sure they learn the right way, God's love for them, so that they can see it in me every day, that they will come to know it for their own, no one can push them on it, they have to come upon it on their own free will, see that for themselves and take it to heart.  

Behavior will never change til the heart does... this was an amazing statement to me... even my own behavior needs to change, there are things in me which is dislike, things that I want to change, so none of that will change until my heart does!  So, I pray, and will continue to pray, that God changes my heart, teaching me who He really is, helping me to know Him more every day, and grow in him, so that my behavior will change!!!

Proverbs 4:23
Cultivate tender love for your children
LOVE GOD + LOVE OTHERS

II Corinthians 2:11
Ephesians 4:17
Zephaniah 3:17 (I think she said 17, not sure on this one!)
Romans 5:6
Romans 12
II Corinthians 11:3
Phillipians 1:9
Ephesians 3:17-20
I John 4:19

LOVE drives out FEAR

A scripture I love, and she talked about:
I Corinthians 13
Love is patient - which means it suffers long!
Love is kind - is of benefit to someone
Love does not envy - don't wish your children were like someone else's, instead be content with them, build up a wall around them to protect them!
Love does not boast, it is not proud - it recognizes that you don't know everything
Love is not self seeking
Love does not keep a record of wrongs!!  Think "etch a sketch"  shake & goodbye!!  LOVE that one! 

Finding me

I know I'm a mom, a wife, a housekeeper, a laundry doer, basically a domestic goddess I like to call it, but I want to figure out who I really am!  I love to help people, I love people in general, I like listening, I like talking, I love to hug and smile, I like making people feel good about themselves, but I am seriously disturbed that I don't know who I actually am as a person.  I feel I have no footing in this world sometimes!  Those are all of my "traits" above, so maybe that defines me? 

What defines a person?  Their past?  Their present?  Their future?  Memories?  Interests?  Friends??  I go to look that answer up on the internet, and someone else has already asked this question, and someone's response was experience, actions in life and their will & intent.  So what I do on a day to day basis is what defines me?  Why is it that I'm wanting more?  My life just doesn't feel complete for some reason, and I need to find that missing piece! 

I absolutely adore my husband, we've been married for 8 1/2 years, and I love him so much and we say it daily, and actually mean it too!  My children are such blessings to me, they are all 3 so unique, and I love everything about them!  I want to raise them to be great women of the world that do things for others without asking for anything in return, and I believe I have already done that, as I teach them different things each day, and through my actions they see that I am willing to help out anyone and not ask for anything.  I hope that I can be the example they need to live their lives greatly, with intentions of love and blessings to all who they come in contact with. 

So, the family part of my life IS complete... I love every moment!  So, what else is there in life?  Am I missing something?  Have I forgotten something?  What else can I do to make a this world a better place?  I have prayed about this for a very long time, and I suppose writing it now is just releasing it and opening up to myself and really thinking heavily about this subject.  This is my journey in life, we only get one try at this, and I want to make it the best...

My hubby

I'm not sure if my husband will care about me writing something like this, but it seriously scares me, and I just want to get it off my chest!  He's been over the pond 3 times now, and was told yesterday he has a traumatic brain injury and severe PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder).  He is now being helped with this, and I'm so glad, it's not like he's "gone nuts" here at home, but I've noticed severe changes in him each time he came home, and I'm very glad he finally reached out for help.  He can still do his job, and does awesome with it too, so no worries about being medically discharged, so that's great news, but he will be seeing docs a little more often now.  I know all I can do is keep supporting him and of course keep loving him! 

On a positive note, he was told a few days ago that he has been selected to be Instructor of the Cycle!  They are going to vote on it soon, so we'll see if he gets it for real, that would rock!  Although it's not any more moolah LOL!  It is his first time being an instructor, so even being selected is an awesome honor!!  He told me that they said no one has ever taught like he has, he gets the class involved, shares experiences and shows examples of how to save lives.  He's an awesome medic and this is just another thing to prove how great he really is at his job!  I'm just glad he doesn't have to go over the pond again for a couple years anyways!

Home Management

For starters, my home does not stay "together" at all times, but this little binder I created for myself has made things a lot easier, I know what I have to do on a daily basis, and I plan meals a week in advance, plus my finances are right at my fingertips in it as well.  So, I'm working on a project, mainly to help people get rid of clutter and manage their homes more efficiently, and would like input on a few things!

I don't want to post all that I've done so far (it's 16 pages typed so far), but I want feedback (comments or emails) saying what you would like to see in something to help you become better organized, and prepared for each day.

Parent Teacher conferences

Yesterday was the first Parent Teacher meeting with Savannah's teacher.  She is doing fabulous in 1st grade!  I'm so proud of my little girl!  She's above average on quite a few things, we just have to learn how to comprehend a little bit better, she managed to get 5 of 8 on the comprehension part of the test, which is still phenomenal!  She can sit down and read books to me now, even read 133 page book night before last!  She's doing so well!!  Oh, and spelling tests are rockin on through too!

Today was Haley's day for Parent Teacher conference, and WOW!  I'm truly impressed!  My Haley bug apparently is a totally different child when she's at school!  I've been so nervous about hearing about how she acts in class, because when she's home, she starts fights with her sisters, still not sure why she does it, but her teacher said she's an excellent role model for the other children, helps others in class, and does an excellent job on everything she does!  She's learned her letters, and is working on sounds now, and she is doing very well at home working with us, so I'm thrilled to hear she's doing so well in school!

Brianna still hasn't had a parent teacher conference BUT she's doing awesome!  She says they don't do that at her school, so I think I have to request one or something, unlike the Elementary school which schedules them.  She's in 8th grade now, and OMG!  She has A's and B's, she's in 3 Honors classes again this year, and is taking Spanish 1!  She's rockin and rollin!  I'm so proud of her!