I am praying for my heart through this Christmas season, that the GOOD NEWS of why we celebrate would never turn into OLD news. I want it to be on the forefront of my mind constantly, not focusing on parties, or finances, or all of the to-do's... but rather be driven by why we are celebrating. Already I have found myself feeling suffocated by the gifts to buy and the traditions that I should have started with the boys (and haven't yet), and I can't let it be that way. I want this to be the best Christmas season, for all the right reasons.
Next time you're in Target and you see a frazzled Mom with a screeeaming 3.5 year old and 2 year old, would you say a prayer for her instead of staring and judging why she can't keep her kids under control? I'm so sick of the side stares I get from people. I'm sure it's easy to forget what it's like to have young kids, but as an exhausted Mom, I can tell you that your stares are not helping. Neither are your "my kids will never do that" thoughts. Just say a prayer for her next time, please?
And on that note, I am extremely thankful for naps. Another rough day around these parts, and I needed a breather... almost as much as he needed some sleep.
Oh, and this cute boy. He is well into toddlerhood with his favorite phrase being NO! I think my Mom almost cried last weekend when I sent her precious Cohen to his room. He's SO cute and ornery and I'm beaming with joy at his expanding vocabulary.
So, one of the most exciting things is my newest addition to my photography business... a 27" iMac! Oh heavens, what a blessing this was. A lady posted on our KC Photographers board advertising it, and when I questioned why the price was SO low she told me her Dad owned a cancer clinic that just shut down (because he had passed away), and all these computers needed sold. She wasn't in it for the money or profit, and it was one of those "too good to pass up" deals. Especially with AppleCare warranty until next Fall, I feel so grateful. And dang, editing and looking at pictures is so much fun. :)
Christmas jammies = my favorite. I love lazy mornings at home!
My Dad and I (and Sammy the dog) went on a 2 mile run on Saturday while they were here visiting. It's the first time I've ran since our race, and it felt great to be back out there. I've still been really consistent about going to the gym 2-4 times a week (usually going to boxing/TRX or cardio/weights), and to date have lost 39.8 pounds. Now I need to shift my focus from losing, to maintaining. It's hard to allow myself those extra couple hundred calories when all I've known for the last 7 months is those are BAD!
I feel like my struggle is finding a happy balance between losing and gaining. I'm either one or the other, and haven't ever really been able to maintain, so I'm praying this time is different! I really love how healthy I feel overall, so I hope I won't ever forget that.
And now, I need a new wardrobe. And this is not me bragging. I'm actually bummed about this, because the clothes that are hanging in my closet are ones I still really like.
The other thing that has taken up a bunch of my time recently, is that I am the new Women's Ministry leader at our church! The Lord really orchestrated this leadership change in an amazing way, and I am thrilled to pieces to be serving somewhere that I am so passionate about... women and moms. I have huge dreams for this ministry, and I am just continuing to pray that I can be used in whatever way the Lord sees fit. I dream of this network of women who are connected and who never feel like they are going through motherhood or just life in general alone. It's all about the relationships we form.
One of the biggest dreams I have is to get a Moms group started next spring/summer when our building opens. Do you remember the Moms group I was apart of in Waco that blessed my socks off?! Yep, that's it. That's my dream. If you are apart of something like this, I'd love to hear all of the things that you guys do to keep my wheels spinning in motion. And I'd most definitely appreciate the prayer, any time you think of me in this position!
I love seeing this boys imagination grow. Yesterday he said to me "Mommy, my Buzz Lightyear is flying to the train store. Your Buzz is flying to Mommy's favorite red store." Ha!
He also called me "cheeky" yesterday. All of you Moms that have Thomas lovers will understand that one. :)
I know you can't see this....but I'm nodding. About the stares in public. And the kiddos who just won't sleep. And being so overtired that you cannot focus on anything except on how terribly wrong everything is going.
ReplyDeleteI'm nodding, nodding away.
Listening......
Like a good blog friend does.
Saying a prayer for your family. But most especially you.
You inspire me:)
Thanks for always being real.
I'm on the leadership team for our Mom's Group, and one of the BEST things we do (in my opinion) is get magnets printed with all the meeting dates for the year. They're small enough that they're easy to carry in the diaper bag (and don't get destroyed like paper would), and make it really easy to hand out to moms that we meet at the park or wherever :)
ReplyDeleteYOU HAVE ALMOST LOST 40 POUNDS!!! THAT IS AMAZING!! Totally gives me postpartum hope!
And lastly, my brain seems to only function in snippet form right now, ha!
Woohoo! Congrats on the iMac. I love ours. Your weight loss is truly an inspiration. Go girl!
ReplyDeleteThat's amazing about the leadership position. I've been wanting to join a womens group for some time at my church but my church is huge and it seems like everyone already knows one another and I would just be the odd ball out. I haven't done it yet and I think it's really something I'm missing out on. But I don't know where to start. I feel like people will judge me for not knowing the Bible.
40 freaking pounds. DANG GIRL!!
ReplyDeleteYay for the Mac - what an AWESOME blessing!
I have such a different perspective on moms in public now that I am one. And I often find myself wanting to walk up to a frazzled mom to give her a hug. I haven't yet though, cause I know if someone did that to me in one of those moments, I'd bust out crying and I don't wanna do that to someone else, haha!
This post reminded me you asked about our women's ministry church event. It was a Christmas brunch and we had "breakout sessions" women could take, then it wrapped up with a speaker. The sessions included everything from how to make holiday wreaths to family traditions that keep Christ the center of your Christmas celebration. Our women's ministry is being revamped and it was the first year they've done the Christmas event like this - it was great!