Friday, May 27, 2011

Be a POSITIVE MOM

My friend passed this on to me. She is part of a MOPS group and one of the speakers, Angie Abfalter, offered this acronym, one that I think is helpful inspiration for us moms.

It goes a little something like this.

P - Practice what you preach.

O - Offer encouragement. Be specific with your praise.

S - Show them love.

I - Invest time in your kids. Guard your family time. Give them quality time.

T - This too shall pass. The days are long but the years are short.

I - Ignite a passion for the Lord.

V - View the world as a child.

E - Embrace who they are. See their potential.


M - Me time. Take it and use it.

O - Overwhelming calendars. Limit it.

M - Make God the Lord of your life.


I think there is some good wisdom here. It's simple, but sometimes that's all we can handle. Simple phrases and messages to guide us through all the information that claims to help us help ourselves.

When you find good advice, run with it.

I am positive you can do it.

The Entire Prayer

Print it and offer it up daily.

Prayer For My Husband

Open his eyes to Your plan for his life. The plan
for which he was created and that would stir up
energy and passion in him.

Give him success in all that he does.

Grant him more than enough income to provide for
our family and to serve Your people.

Recharge him at home more than at work or play.

Help him develop friendships with other men that
would encourage, validate, bless, and focus him on
His identity and purpose from You.

Help him see me as his helpmate and help me
that I can be his best friend, supporter, and lover
(Proverbs 5:18-19).

Make my image the model of beauty for him.

Help him to know that I believe in him, trust his
decisions for the family, and am proud of what he
is able to accomplish at work.

Help us take every opportunity to bless each other
and allow the Holy Spirit to be the one to convict
of sin.

Help me to allow him to truly enjoy time with You
and look to You for direction and life to give to the
family.

Amen.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Final Prayer

When you plan out a day, weekend or week, do you plan for time with the Lord?

You plan to meet a friend for coffee or go out with friends for a drink, do you plan to sit down for awhile and hang out with God?

Do you encourage your spouse to do so?

Try it!

Look at what happens when you spend time with a friend who leads you towards the good, the true and the beautiful. You are inspired. You want to accomplish good things. You have hope. You have direction. You are happy.

Pray that your spouse desires to sit with Jesus and talk. Pray that he wants to hear what the Lord has to say to him. You will be blessed. He will be blessed. And your family life will grow in more ways than you can imagine.


Help me to allow him to truly enjoy time with You and look to You for direction and life to give to the family.



Monday, May 23, 2011

Husband Prayer Part Nine

It doesn't work well to hold up a mirror to someone else and expect instant change, instant recognition of fault, instant desire to undo a habit or behavior. It just doesn't work.

Holding up a mirror so someone can see their own behavior and its ramifications is a delicate art. It shouldn't be tried if love really is not the aim. And it needs to be carefully considered in its delivery, timing, and frequency.

Spouses really ought to be able to call each other on to good behavior, good ways of thinking, and the Truth.

Calling someone on and sticking it to them with the painful truth are two different things. The manner of each is different and the motivations are usually different.

True conviction of behavior and its far reaching or short term consequences can really only come from God. We can try to convince someone until the cows come home that they need to change, to grow up, to turn the tide of an attitude.

If I shift my focus towards blessing my spouse, I am less likely to blame, point out his faults, and highlight his weaknesses in front of others. Most of us already know where we fail. We are aware and sensitive to our failings. We really don't need them facing us regularly in the form of a holier than thou spouse.

It is the voice of the Holy Spirit that finally convicts. Sometimes that voice can be heard through people, yes. But often it is in the heart that we hear the sometimes quiet, sometimes loud words that make us melt into sorrow for what we have done, and lead us gently towards forgiveness. Then, real change can and does happen.

When I vowed to love, honor and cherish my husband, I didn't mean I would convict, blame and degrade him. I meant I would honor, love and cherish.

Pray that you are able to see the opportunities before you to bless your spouse. That you are able to follow through with what you see. And that you are able to bless again, again and again. The Holy Spirit is on your side. Make it a team effort.


Help us take every opportunity to bless each other
and allow the Holy Spirit to be the one to convict of sin.



Thursday, May 19, 2011

Boo's News - May 18, 2011

Extra, Extra, Read All About It!
  • Garage Sale will be taking place Saturday, May 21. **Stop by.
  • Maddie and Kate will both be in the school concert at the Upper School in the church at 7:30pm
  • Garden Update: Planting flower garden in our yard and working with veggies. We need more jalapenos
  • Cousin Caleb joined our family on May 11 (family is getting bigger!)

Mom's notes on above:
  • Sale is threatened by rain. Questions that come to mind: How many tarps will cover all the stuff? Am I ready for the dash - the running to and fro like a madwoman protecting our precious junk? Is there another Saturday free in the summer to re-schedule? Answers to the above. I have no idea. Yes, I need the exercise. And no, summer fills up in February.
  • Mom will represent as dad is out of town on a business trip. Sing your hearts out girls.
  • We can never have enough peppers. Ben just dried some from last year, beat them to a fine powder and puts them on everything.
  • Nephews are the best! Our world is brighter and better with this new little one. Wait until you see the cute onesies we are making him...more on that later. It's a regular sweatshop over here with all the sewing going on.

Friday, May 13, 2011

A Healthy Habit

Want less stress in your life?

Want your shoulders to relax?

Want to live a happy, peaceful life?

Turns out you can.

Does this sound like an infomercial?

Nothing for sale here.

Just some good advice - researched and analyzed by Frederic Luskin and his Stanford University Forgiveness Project.

Hear it here.

I caught just snippets today on MPR while running around town trying to not stop at every garage sale I saw and inching my way down University Avenue currently under construction. Somebody please explain to me how light rail will be successful at this particular location.

Anyway, I am intrigued by forgiveness for many reasons, but now it seems, it also has practical implications. The approach here is universal, not specific to any religion, any psychology, or world view really.

It just seems to work well for all.

But wait, there's more.

If you listen today you will also receive the pleasure of hearing a true New Yohkah accent.

Enjoy and for goodness sake, choose to forgive.

Your shoulders and your loved ones will thank you for it.

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Everyday Glory



A few weeks ago I attended a retreat for women in the Servant Branch of the People of Praise. We were a couple hundred women spending a weekend together sharing our lives; having fun; eating together; exercising; praying with one another; competing in games of 500; attempting to solve local, regional and national problems - economic, political, social, educational, etc; oh, yes, and listening to a wonderful woman named Laurie share her thoughts on the Glory of God In Our Everyday Lives.

Laurie's talks helped me both reflect and apply some methods to hearing the sometimes very quiet voice of the Lord in my often cluttered mind, life, and home. She helped us see the many instances of God's glory shining brightly in our life together. And, she gave us hope for seeing more, doing more and being more God's glory in the world.

Re-entry into my life after a retreat can be a hard transition at times. Not that I have to jump back into mothering and wifing (I am going to use the word just because) in such a way that I can't think straight or regret ever leaving. Ben has a way about him that allows for me to leave and come back in a peaceful state of mind and body. His attention to the kids and the home throughout a weekend like this is very helpful when I anticipate coming back.

Re-entry is more often hard because it mentally takes time for me to sort out the message or topic of a retreat and work to incorporate it into my life.

How can I use all this good material in my life? What nuggets of wisdom should I hold fast to? Which parts should I directly work to bring about and what can be left for a later time? What are the personal ways I felt the love of God through Laurie's words?

More specific to this retreat, where do I see the glory of God in my everyday life?

Let's face it. Most of life is ordinary. Very very very ordinary.

Not necessarily dull, boring, mundane, or meaningless.

But not the stuff of huge miracles or earth shattering moments of dramatic change, recognition, or adventure.

It just is.

However, in the ordinary moments, hours, days, weeks and months, we can still pick out the glory times.

Here's one from a couple weeks ago.

My dear daughter has poor eyesight. Very poor we found out just recently. The poor girl has been working hard to correct what she can't see on her own. Never complaining (hence, the wait for a visit to the optometrist), never straining, just dealing with it.

Anyway, Ben, myself and Izzy were in the doctor's office, and he went through his spiel about her eyes and what kind of correction they need.

We were wrapping up the appointment and Ben said to the Doctor, "So, we are a fairly faith filled family. What specifically should we pray for so that her eye sight may be completely healed?"

The optometrist answered his question.

We thanked him and left.

We let her pick her glasses.

She looks adorable.
That night, Ben prayed over her for that specific thing he asked about.

We've been praying since.

Who knows if she will be healed?

For now, I am grateful for the everyday glory I witnessed - A father's deep care and love for his daughter's sight. And his follow through in applying the advice.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Taking Him Out

Well, there is a lot to say and think about regarding the finding and killing of Osama Bin Laden.

It is an event I think we all knew would happen one day, it was just a matter of time.

I heard author Vince Flynn share his thoughts on 1500 ESPN's afternoon program Garage Logic yesterday.

Flynn is well versed in the operations of an event like this as he has researched this stuff extensively to support his fiction. I have not read any of his books. But I found he was able to articulate more about this operation and the why it went down the way it did better than any news item I had heard in the last 24 hours.

So, here it is for your listening...Vince Flynn being interviewed by Joe Soucherey.

It's at least one person's take on this and he has enough inside information with the intelligence community and military personnel that I think he knows what he is talking about.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Prayer Part Eight

We've heard it before.

Behind every good man is a good woman.

Isn't this good woman gorgeous?
She happens to be engaged to be married this summer.

She happens to have made a good life for herself on the East Coast working as a NICU nurse.

She also happens to be my baby sister.

Sniff sniff.

I left the house having just turned 18 and she was just beginning kindergarten.

Now look at her.

She's happy. She has found a good man.

And he adores her.
Can you tell?

It's wonderful to have these images that capture the joy and devotion of a couple.

There's a lot behind photos though.

I think so much of a good relationship is hidden, its what we never see. And it is sometimes really simple things that give it a boost.

Its the quick words of encouragement, the affirmative nod, the quick kiss, the "how was your day?" greeting, and the quiet personal times of prayer that hold up the other to the Father.

There is a lot of comfort and confidence that exists when you know someone approves of and wants you to succeed. It is motivating and inspiring. Things just get done when you know you have support.

And not just the rah rah cheerleader kind of support. But sincere words and genuine actions that show someone you believe in them, you trust them, you are willing to put your life in their hands. What we do as spouses to hold marriage as the greatest of priorities is a delicate and precious thing. It requires care. And it helps if you let him know you trust him to care for the relationship and the family as he can and to hope he can do it better and better with each passing year.

Honey, I'm behind you. I'm for you.

Help him to know that I believe in him, trust his decisions
for the family, and am proud of what he is able to
accomplish at (in his) work.


P.S. In case you are wondering...these engagement photos were taken by a family friend and professional photographer, Gosia, whose work you can see here.

She is from Poland, talented, super funny, will travel over 1500 miles to shoot a wedding and speaks the King's English better than me.

And that's another sister of mine on her home page.