Strangers

This morning my oldest son (who is about 5-1/2) asked me, "Mom, what's a stranger?" This question probably came up because the doorbell rang yesterday and he answered it before Daddy or I could get there. (It turned out to be our next-door neighbor, Miss Audrey, bearing Christmas treats — definitely not a stranger.)

Since we haven't really talked a lot about "stranger danger" I took the opportunity to explain that a stranger is someone you don't know... and that the problem with strangers is that you don't know if they're kind/good people or bad people with bad intentions.

Anyway, we talked about what could happen... that if a stranger were "bad" they could take him from us and hurt him, and then how would we find him? (I was hoping that this would impress upon him the need to use caution around people he didn't know.) Then he asked, "Would they steal our toys?" I said, "Possibly, or our computer, or our money. Or even our car." And he replied, "How would they steal our car? It would be too big to carry!"

GRIN!

Minne-snow-ta

If you've watched the news you've probably heard about the big snow in Minnesota on Saturday. Wow! Now, I will admit, I was pretty skeptical of the weatherman's hype... I thought, Oh c'mon... we're Minnesotans, aren't we? What's a few inches of snow?


Well... 17" is actually quite A LOT. [sheepish grin]


Apparently this is the 5th biggest official snow total on record, and it's also the most snow in a storm since the famed Halloween Blizzard of 1991.

All I know is, I am so glad I spent the cashola to purchase warm Lands' End winter gear for my 5-year-old this year (I have the unfortunate blessing/curse of being thrifty)..... because he played outside for an hour today in 5-degree weather, and when he came in he wasn't cold in the least. Yahoo! :)

I'd say the chances of a White Christmas this year are... 100%.

Learning how to be God's woman

This hit a nerve for me this morning during my time with God...

"A Christian worker [anyone called by God] has to learn how to be God's man or woman of great worth and excellence in the midst of a multitude of meager and worthless things."
~Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest, October 25

He is not kidding! Can you think of "meager and worthless things" that threaten to keep you from being excellent for the Lord? I could probably rattle off a handful without thinking too hard...

Lord, help me/us run hard for You— for Your purposes and Your glory!

The road less traveled

Don't expect the road less traveled to be paved.

~by my husband—King of Puns, Nicknames, and Analogies

God is sovereign, and He is good

One thing I feel God impressing upon me lately is the truth of His sovereignty and how it might apply to my life as a mom...

...that I can try with all my might to be the perfect mother, but that doesn't guarantee the outcome of my kids

...that God didn't create cookie-cutter Christians, and therefore there is no one right way of training your kids

...that even if the "fruit" I so desperately want to see displayed in my kids doesn't appear to exist, it does not mean that I'm doing a bad job -- I sense God telling me not to get discouraged, because He is able to use the events of my kids' youth to form them into the men He wants them to be

How oddly it strikes me now, that after reading a number of really good parenting books I really felt like I was in control over how my kids turn out. Ha! GOD is in control, and {1} He is good and does only good; {2} He has plans to prosper my kids and me, not to harm; and {3} He will work all things together for the good of those who love Him. Knowing all of this, I don't even want to be in control! I will follow Him.

So this is just a quick update as to where I'm at these days. I deeply hope that God will use my struggles to encourage others of His goodness and love!!

{1} Psalm 119:68, {2} Jeremiah 29:11, {3} Romans 8:28

More than a sabbatical...

Boo hoo... God is calling me to stop blogging (writing posts or checking other blogs) for a time.... how long? I don't know..... but I don't really wanna give it up! This is painful! But I sense Him calling me to a deeper dependency on Him, with fewer distractions. I'm really kind of sad about this... but I've felt it coming on for awhile now... and I'm finally just obeying.

So, I guess this is.... well, it's not good-bye...... it's see ya later! Please know how much I have enjoyed this sweet fellowship with you, my fellow moms! You have ministered to my heart in the most beautiful ways...

With love,
Sara K.

Lighten up a little, I say!

I received this as an email. Don't know that it's very edifying...but perhaps worth a grin or a chuckle, at least! :)


In this life I'm a woman. If I ever had a "next life" I'd like to come back as a bear. When you're a bear, you get to hibernate. You do nothing but sleep for six months. I could deal with that.

Before you hibernate, you're supposed to eat yourself stupid. I could deal with that too.

When you're a girl bear, you birth your children (who are the size of walnuts) while you're sleeping and wake to partially grown, cute, cuddly cubs. I could definitely deal with that.

If you're a mama bear, everybody knows you mean business. You swat anyone who bothers your cubs. If your cubs get out of line, you swat them too.

If you're a bear, your mate EXPECTS you to wake up growling. He also EXPECTS that you will have hairy legs and excess body fat.

Just sorta makes me want to be a bear. :)