Perhaps we will see you next week with another edition of Tuesdays with Daddy. It all depends on if I have time to take photos and share them with you.
New Testament Blessings
9 years ago
Friday, July 2, 2010
Tuesdays With Morrie Daddy- Mt. Rainier Edition
Perhaps we will see you next week with another edition of Tuesdays with Daddy. It all depends on if I have time to take photos and share them with you.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Because I love Gramps
Alternately titled Gumby and Baby's first trip to the beach.
We went to the beach the other day. You have seen photos of this particular beach in the past, but it was during the colder season and the tide was nowhere near this far out. And...well, we only had two kids then.
Gramps has been bugging for some photos, so you can thank him for this post. While I don't have time to blog, I can make time for the old dude that I love so much. He did spoil me with Baskin Robbins a few times in my youth after all. I OWE him =).
(he doesn't know that I took the photo of his naughty trick...and he DID get in trouble for that)
It's not just the boy who likes to get dirty!
The only proof that Baby and I were there that day =).
And that's all I have to say about that.
We went to the beach the other day. You have seen photos of this particular beach in the past, but it was during the colder season and the tide was nowhere near this far out. And...well, we only had two kids then.
Gramps has been bugging for some photos, so you can thank him for this post. While I don't have time to blog, I can make time for the old dude that I love so much. He did spoil me with Baskin Robbins a few times in my youth after all. I OWE him =).
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Smiles and the Ant
This afternoon the older three were jumping on the trampoline, when along came a large ant with wings.
Smiles: "Well, hello mister ant! How are you today? I think I'll pick you up in my magnificent pincer grip."
Sisters: "Ahhhhhh! Ohhhhh! Ewwww! SMILES!!!!!!! Ewwwww, a bug!"
Daddy: "What do you have there Smiles? Bring it here."
Ant: "Dude! Who ARE you? And WHY are you holding me by the wings!?! OKAY! OUCH...back to the wings...back to the wings...I'd like to keep my body intact!"
Mommy: "Smiles, bring that to Daddy please. NOW. Smiles...SMILES! We do NOT put that in our ear! NOOOOOO!" turned to Handsome, "GET that away from him NOW, he is putting it IN HIS EAR!"
Smiles, all the while smirking and laughing at his new toy. His face changes from grins to anger and tears as he throws the ant to the ground. Crying comes from our dear Smiles.
Ant: "DUDE! I was NOT going in your ear. You don't taste very good you know...don't you know what a bath is? Oh, wait, I like to eat wood with dirt on it all the time. That red stuff that came out of you sure isn't my favorite though. Anyway, that'll teach you! DON'T MESS with ants DUDE! We will bite back."
Poor Smiles sports his little bloody bite on his ear and learns: You do not put ants in your ears.
Hopefully you can learn from his mistakes and not have to endure this one the hard way like Smiles.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Update on Tonya
I am so excited to inform you all that Tonya's adopting family submitted their paperwork this week! That means that they are just waiting for a date now for their travel.
Pray for Tonya's family as they prepare for their trip.
Pray for Tonya, that she would have a wonderful connection with her forever family.
And pray for the rest of this family's adoption process.
I'll keep you posted when they get a travel date. Thank you to those of you that have
prayed for and supported their adoption. Yeay for Tonya!
Pray for Tonya's family as they prepare for their trip.
Pray for Tonya, that she would have a wonderful connection with her forever family.
And pray for the rest of this family's adoption process.
I'll keep you posted when they get a travel date. Thank you to those of you that have
prayed for and supported their adoption. Yeay for Tonya!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Number Four is Here!
And while I am tempted to call her "pooper" for her blog name, I will wait until she gives me a better idea of her personality because that name wouldn't be fitting forever...at least I hope not.
I'll give you our birth story, though there isn't much of one to tell. I have to say, God was at work for me in this one, just like I knew He would be.
A little less than a month from her due date, I started to feel very apprehensive about her arrival. I was not into it. Didn't want to do it. I was aware that this was a matter of the heart that I needed to go to the Lord about, and so I did. He began working in my heart and things began to change in my thoughts. At first it became just a little less apprehension and nerves, then it faded more and more. The first thing He did was to bring my mind to the words of a verse I knew I had read before in Psalms. Over and over the verse popped in my head, it was God telling me I didn't need to fear. I was SO feeling the possibility of pain meds at that point and was not at all thinking that I would worry about going natural again. God started to change my heart on that front as well. I stumbled across a few doula and midwife blogs and that sure did help in a lot of ways.
Slowly things changed in my heart and mind as I spent my daily time with the Lord. It became something that wasn't a big deal...I was just going to have a baby and it didn't need to be a huge thing. I didn't need to dread it. I looked for my verse in Psalms, knowing it was highlighted, but couldn't find it. I ran across a verse that sounded quite similar and thought that I must have remembered it incorrectly and wasn't all that worried about it.
Many of you don't know my birth history...I'll fill you in a tiny bit. I don't feel contractions much. Curly- well, I didn't feel them and thought it was just time to go to the hospital. Started to feel a bit of discomfort on the way and when we got there my last contraction in the hall on the way to the room was enough to make me stop walking, but it wasn't all that terrible. They checked me pretty quickly, and there we were- complete. I was already at 10 cm...with my first baby...and they wanted me to get ready to push. UH, WHAT?!? I had been prepared to feel some good pain that would make me WANT to push that girl out. So, I fought the push for awhile. Two hours after we arrived, our little girl was here. Yes. I am a stubborn girl. I've heard so many people say that you just CAN'T fight the urge to push when it's there...well, if you are me, and you REALLY don't want to push yet, let me tell you- it's possible. The nurses and Handsome had to pry my legs open after her head was through so that I wouldn't crush her. I know...sorry for sharing all that there.
Smiles was a bit different. My water broke while I was getting ready to go into the mall. Shortly after our arrival at the hospital I was feeling the pain. In my first hour after arrival I reached a 7. He got stuck there. My biggest mistake was allowing myself to lay on that darn bed, but I didn't know any better, so I laid on the bed unable to move. After two hours or so of this laying through quick coming contractions, I wanted some drugs. The nurse kept trying to get me to roll to one side and I was NOT going to be moving. After she shot me a quick dose of something in my IV it took the edge off enough to roll over (and that's all). A contraction or so later we were pushing and he was out. I can't remember for sure if he was three hours or closer to four, but it was a short process either way.
Now to Miss 4. I had been watching my pressure with her because I have to be more aware of that than most. Not feeling labor is nothing to complain about, but I tell you what- there are down sides. I'll take them any day, but I am aware that a baby birthed away from a hospital is a possibility. Sunday night I was having some decent feeling pressure, just where things felt like they were tightening up. It sort of felt like if I chose to tighten my stomach muscles, that's it. I thought to myself that it seemed kind of close though, and so I had better time a few. Umm...they were two minutes apart. That was for about fifteen minutes. They like you to have an hour of record when you call our hospital, but I supposed this might be different. I was talking to Handsome who had just got in bed. He wasn't very sympathetic and said something like "Are you sure?" and then "Are you kidding me?" in an I'm tired tone. And don't get too mad at him because we'd been doing the false labor thing for awhile and I had thought we would have a baby already a couple times.
I didn't want to call the neighbor and friend to come over and be with the kids for false labor and my husband's lack of concern was enough to make me question myself even more. I got in the shower to see if it would slow things down. It did. They went to four minutes and three minutes apart. So, I sat for a few minutes and started reading my Bible. They kept coming, but when I fell upon one of the Psalms of the day I was determined to finish it. It was the one with the words that had been coming into my head at the start of the month! "There they were, overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to dread." (Psalm 53)
At that point, I was pretty confident that we were going to have a baby soon because that's just the way God works. He saves something special like that for just when you need it...and it was like a little way of telling me that I wasn't out of my mind. I think somewhere right around there I told Handsome that we either needed to leave for the hospital or we were going to have a baby at home. He unexcitedly got himself out of bed while I called the hospital, telling them that I was debating on going in or not. (I knew that I was going to go in, but these ladies have been known to be better if THEY make the decision, so I placed that ball in their court first.) "Given your history, I would rather you come in and we send you home in an hour." Okay, off we were.
Neighbor of wonderfulness that came into our lives last summer headed straight over while Vicky trucked across town to stay with the kids. This was our night plan so that we wouldn't have to move kids or wait for Vicky to get there. We knew the possibility of emergency, so we were prepared. On the way to the hospital I was feeling some stronger pressure, but still no pain. My verse running through my head because of the way hospitals make me feel the instant I walk through the doors. That had been also addressed in prayer during the week.
We got to the construction zone of a hospital (for real) and had to walk down a LONG walkway to the birth center. Handsome was behind me getting things out of the car and I was fearful of a baby arriving during this walk because she was so LOW and I was feeling pressure in areas that didn't mix well with walking. Got in and said- I need to SIT NOW or this baby is going to come out too soon. Got checked, was at 4cm (very quickly after arrival). Started checking in and sat on the bed through contractions and monitoring, refusing to lay down because I KNEW that if I laid down things could get ugly...like pain might want to arrive. They were nice about it and so was I. I was apparently in a pretty goofy mood the whole time if you ask Handsome. Excepting the few minutes which brought on the oxygen mask...then I perked right up =).
Checked shortly after starting monitors, 7cm. Okay, I guess we aren't going home. Nurse said, "No. You are not going home. Pretty sure you are staying here." with a smile. Called a couple people, but not many just to say we were staying and having baby. Things progressed quickly and within an hour of getting there I was "complete". Time to push. OKAY, here we go! No pain , or what I would call pain anyway, during contractions at all. Pushing...well, I have to tell you that even us blessed girls feel pain when pushing a head through such a place as that. Not my favorite part of the process to say the least. Anyway, two "pushes" (meaning their version of pushing where they tell you PUSH, PUSH, PUSH forever and a day and then let you breathe for two seconds...then comes the second push...yeah...that kind of pushing) and little Miss 4 was out. Unfortunately, being the little pooper that she is, she had let some go in her bag of waters and they had to work on getting all the gunk out for quite some time before I could hold her. This made the lovely process of getting put back together a little less comfortable for me because there was no sweet smelling babe in my arms to distract me, but what's to be done =)? There wasn't much putting back together to be done anyway.
There was some Motrin involved in my recovery, but nothing more than that. Awesome! I don't like to take medication at all, so I wasn't too upset with something that you can get over the counter. (Apparently with birth #3 things "shrink" back up more quickly, which results in more afterbirth pain. But, because she was a smooth delivery, I didn't have much other pain to recover from...so it was all good.)
And- that my friends is the birth story of Miss 4. So far, she is easy going as pie and is adored by all of her siblings. Smiles has a new favorite phrase. "Hodit!" Which means, hold it. Yes, it is quite funny that he calls his little sister an "it", but I assure you, he is very aware of her personhood. Curly won't stop following me around like a shadow, constantly asking if she can hold her. Gumby is interested as well, but surprisingly less than the other two. She is content to have viewing when she is invited to and doesn't pester Mommy much more than that. From my baby doll obsessed girl, I have to say that's a little different than my expectation. BUT, since Gumby's ability to be gentle is far less advanced than the other two (yes, Smiles is EXTREMELY gentle with the baby), it will be okay that she is the least interested.
Hopefully I will find time to take some more pictures to share with you soon. For now, I am going to go and feed my little pooper. (Who, if you wanted to know, did poop while on my lap during part of the writing of this post.)
I'll give you our birth story, though there isn't much of one to tell. I have to say, God was at work for me in this one, just like I knew He would be.
A little less than a month from her due date, I started to feel very apprehensive about her arrival. I was not into it. Didn't want to do it. I was aware that this was a matter of the heart that I needed to go to the Lord about, and so I did. He began working in my heart and things began to change in my thoughts. At first it became just a little less apprehension and nerves, then it faded more and more. The first thing He did was to bring my mind to the words of a verse I knew I had read before in Psalms. Over and over the verse popped in my head, it was God telling me I didn't need to fear. I was SO feeling the possibility of pain meds at that point and was not at all thinking that I would worry about going natural again. God started to change my heart on that front as well. I stumbled across a few doula and midwife blogs and that sure did help in a lot of ways.
Slowly things changed in my heart and mind as I spent my daily time with the Lord. It became something that wasn't a big deal...I was just going to have a baby and it didn't need to be a huge thing. I didn't need to dread it. I looked for my verse in Psalms, knowing it was highlighted, but couldn't find it. I ran across a verse that sounded quite similar and thought that I must have remembered it incorrectly and wasn't all that worried about it.
Many of you don't know my birth history...I'll fill you in a tiny bit. I don't feel contractions much. Curly- well, I didn't feel them and thought it was just time to go to the hospital. Started to feel a bit of discomfort on the way and when we got there my last contraction in the hall on the way to the room was enough to make me stop walking, but it wasn't all that terrible. They checked me pretty quickly, and there we were- complete. I was already at 10 cm...with my first baby...and they wanted me to get ready to push. UH, WHAT?!? I had been prepared to feel some good pain that would make me WANT to push that girl out. So, I fought the push for awhile. Two hours after we arrived, our little girl was here. Yes. I am a stubborn girl. I've heard so many people say that you just CAN'T fight the urge to push when it's there...well, if you are me, and you REALLY don't want to push yet, let me tell you- it's possible. The nurses and Handsome had to pry my legs open after her head was through so that I wouldn't crush her. I know...sorry for sharing all that there.
Smiles was a bit different. My water broke while I was getting ready to go into the mall. Shortly after our arrival at the hospital I was feeling the pain. In my first hour after arrival I reached a 7. He got stuck there. My biggest mistake was allowing myself to lay on that darn bed, but I didn't know any better, so I laid on the bed unable to move. After two hours or so of this laying through quick coming contractions, I wanted some drugs. The nurse kept trying to get me to roll to one side and I was NOT going to be moving. After she shot me a quick dose of something in my IV it took the edge off enough to roll over (and that's all). A contraction or so later we were pushing and he was out. I can't remember for sure if he was three hours or closer to four, but it was a short process either way.
Now to Miss 4. I had been watching my pressure with her because I have to be more aware of that than most. Not feeling labor is nothing to complain about, but I tell you what- there are down sides. I'll take them any day, but I am aware that a baby birthed away from a hospital is a possibility. Sunday night I was having some decent feeling pressure, just where things felt like they were tightening up. It sort of felt like if I chose to tighten my stomach muscles, that's it. I thought to myself that it seemed kind of close though, and so I had better time a few. Umm...they were two minutes apart. That was for about fifteen minutes. They like you to have an hour of record when you call our hospital, but I supposed this might be different. I was talking to Handsome who had just got in bed. He wasn't very sympathetic and said something like "Are you sure?" and then "Are you kidding me?" in an I'm tired tone. And don't get too mad at him because we'd been doing the false labor thing for awhile and I had thought we would have a baby already a couple times.
I didn't want to call the neighbor and friend to come over and be with the kids for false labor and my husband's lack of concern was enough to make me question myself even more. I got in the shower to see if it would slow things down. It did. They went to four minutes and three minutes apart. So, I sat for a few minutes and started reading my Bible. They kept coming, but when I fell upon one of the Psalms of the day I was determined to finish it. It was the one with the words that had been coming into my head at the start of the month! "There they were, overwhelmed with dread, where there was nothing to dread." (Psalm 53)
At that point, I was pretty confident that we were going to have a baby soon because that's just the way God works. He saves something special like that for just when you need it...and it was like a little way of telling me that I wasn't out of my mind. I think somewhere right around there I told Handsome that we either needed to leave for the hospital or we were going to have a baby at home. He unexcitedly got himself out of bed while I called the hospital, telling them that I was debating on going in or not. (I knew that I was going to go in, but these ladies have been known to be better if THEY make the decision, so I placed that ball in their court first.) "Given your history, I would rather you come in and we send you home in an hour." Okay, off we were.
Neighbor of wonderfulness that came into our lives last summer headed straight over while Vicky trucked across town to stay with the kids. This was our night plan so that we wouldn't have to move kids or wait for Vicky to get there. We knew the possibility of emergency, so we were prepared. On the way to the hospital I was feeling some stronger pressure, but still no pain. My verse running through my head because of the way hospitals make me feel the instant I walk through the doors. That had been also addressed in prayer during the week.
We got to the construction zone of a hospital (for real) and had to walk down a LONG walkway to the birth center. Handsome was behind me getting things out of the car and I was fearful of a baby arriving during this walk because she was so LOW and I was feeling pressure in areas that didn't mix well with walking. Got in and said- I need to SIT NOW or this baby is going to come out too soon. Got checked, was at 4cm (very quickly after arrival). Started checking in and sat on the bed through contractions and monitoring, refusing to lay down because I KNEW that if I laid down things could get ugly...like pain might want to arrive. They were nice about it and so was I. I was apparently in a pretty goofy mood the whole time if you ask Handsome. Excepting the few minutes which brought on the oxygen mask...then I perked right up =).
Checked shortly after starting monitors, 7cm. Okay, I guess we aren't going home. Nurse said, "No. You are not going home. Pretty sure you are staying here." with a smile. Called a couple people, but not many just to say we were staying and having baby. Things progressed quickly and within an hour of getting there I was "complete". Time to push. OKAY, here we go! No pain , or what I would call pain anyway, during contractions at all. Pushing...well, I have to tell you that even us blessed girls feel pain when pushing a head through such a place as that. Not my favorite part of the process to say the least. Anyway, two "pushes" (meaning their version of pushing where they tell you PUSH, PUSH, PUSH forever and a day and then let you breathe for two seconds...then comes the second push...yeah...that kind of pushing) and little Miss 4 was out. Unfortunately, being the little pooper that she is, she had let some go in her bag of waters and they had to work on getting all the gunk out for quite some time before I could hold her. This made the lovely process of getting put back together a little less comfortable for me because there was no sweet smelling babe in my arms to distract me, but what's to be done =)? There wasn't much putting back together to be done anyway.
There was some Motrin involved in my recovery, but nothing more than that. Awesome! I don't like to take medication at all, so I wasn't too upset with something that you can get over the counter. (Apparently with birth #3 things "shrink" back up more quickly, which results in more afterbirth pain. But, because she was a smooth delivery, I didn't have much other pain to recover from...so it was all good.)
And- that my friends is the birth story of Miss 4. So far, she is easy going as pie and is adored by all of her siblings. Smiles has a new favorite phrase. "Hodit!" Which means, hold it. Yes, it is quite funny that he calls his little sister an "it", but I assure you, he is very aware of her personhood. Curly won't stop following me around like a shadow, constantly asking if she can hold her. Gumby is interested as well, but surprisingly less than the other two. She is content to have viewing when she is invited to and doesn't pester Mommy much more than that. From my baby doll obsessed girl, I have to say that's a little different than my expectation. BUT, since Gumby's ability to be gentle is far less advanced than the other two (yes, Smiles is EXTREMELY gentle with the baby), it will be okay that she is the least interested.
Hopefully I will find time to take some more pictures to share with you soon. For now, I am going to go and feed my little pooper. (Who, if you wanted to know, did poop while on my lap during part of the writing of this post.)
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Saturday, May 8, 2010
No News...Actually Lots of News
There is a lot going on around our house even though I haven't posted often. It's partly because I don't have a lot of time (not because I'm not home, but because when my kids don't need me I am usually sleeping or want to be), and partly because I turn into a hermit at the end of pregnancy. It's the territory when you are an introvert. While I am a social person, the time by myself is what gives me energy. I never defined my self as an introvert until my good friend informed me that it's not exactly about how social you are, but where you get your energy. Introverts gain energy from being alone, extroverts gain energy from being in groups and around other people. Once I heard that, I knew for certain that I was, in fact, and introvert...even if I don't get awkward around groups of new people and all that jazz I thought belonged to the introvert.
Anyway, end of pregnancy = less energy. Especially when I have three little ones that don't understand if Mom is tired. They get the closest thing to the normal Mom as they can, and then it's done. At the end of the day, I'm ready to have time by myself and relax...if that were possible. So, it's not that I'm antisocial, it's just that my kids are the ones that are going to get my energy. I figure that everyone else can be understanding about that.
That all said for you, I'll share some of what's new.
I missed telling you about Gumby's birthday! Her birthday is 6 days after Curly's, and after their joint party I lost a lot of motivation, along with getting pretty tired. So...they had a joint party that was a dress up theme. They both wore princess dresses and Gumby had a wonderful time (as did Curly). She didn't know what all this party stuff was about, but she very much enjoyed all the people that came around, and all the extra food! That girl is an eater for sure. She followed people around and got tons of love out of them, especially the men-folk (they are her favorite). She was quick to learn the art of gift unwrapping and loved being the center of attention...even if shared with her sister.
A few days later, she did have some emotional stuff going on and her OT thinks that it was related to the party...that it took that long for her to really register her overload. I think that she was right after this week. Why?
THIS WEEK...Gumby started school. We've been going through the process of getting her IEP (individual education plan) and all the wonderful stuff with the school started so that she could start preschool. In the fall she will start Kindergarten, as for right now, she is going to developmental preschool. She LOVES school. She really does. She has asked me multiple times if she could go when it isn't time to go, the first time being a shoe grab followed by the sign and word "help" and then the sign and word "school". BUT. But she is also having a LOT of emotional signs that tell me it really is a big adjustment for her as well. It has messed with her routine and that is somewhat difficult for her...even if it's something she really enjoys.
Instead of the wonderful initiating she was doing, asking me for a drink if she needed one, or telling me she needs help- currently she will just whine or cry at me. I know it's temporary, but it's still frustrating because it WAS something that I put a lot of effort and time into working on with her. It's also frustrating because nobody enjoys a whiny kid. I've been attempting to direct her in using her words/signs instead of crying, and I've been a lot more flexible with her than I was before she started school. It's been a bit hard for her.
The school transition, as well as the huge leaps that Gumby has been making, have also been hard on Curly. She is a little jealous of sister's school going, and is (I think) a bit concerned about Gumby "catching up" to her. She has a need to feel confident about her role as first-born and Gumby is closer to challenging that than Smiles ever could be. It seems that is a bit threatening to her. It's nothing we can't work through, but she's definitely shown signs of some emotional adjustment as well.
School has come also with some...interesting behavior changes. It gives her a confidence in herself and makes her feel like a big girl. With that has come a lot of attitude a bossy talk, including some toward Mom and Dad. This is of course- not okay, and it has to be parented. The hard part is doing that, while still being sensitive to the emotional side of things and being understanding about how huge this really is for Gumby to take in all at once. I'd say it's a very narrow line I feel like I am walking there. I also feel like I teeter over each side all the time right now. It's the first week. It will get better.
School itself, it's good. I like the teacher. I like the para (who has a twenty something son with DS and was SO excited to have Ana join their class). The bus driver is...very nice. No further comments about that. The para wanted to try potty time with her and I said that was just fine and dandy with me! If they want to start the frame work of potty training at school, I am NOT going to stop them. I just don't have the energy or time to put into that currently. Apparently she did go potty on Thursday and she loves sitting on the toilet. (I knew that she enjoyed it, since we have let her do that at home. She laughs and laughs the whole time she is sitting there. It's the funniest thing!)
Baby #4 is getting ready to make her appearance as well. This is going to be a large adjustment for the whole family of course, and I do wonder how Gumby and Smiles are going to do with this change. Both for different reasons. The process of things working toward her arrival is going, per my doctor's observation, and she will be here any time in the next three weeks (or so). I think we are pretty ready, at least, as ready as one can be.
Smiles is officially a full time boy of the cloth (cloth diapered child). He loves his cloth diapers and hopefully his baby sister will get along with cloth well too. I'm sure they will both do just fine. Handsome is pretty well on his way to figuring them out (with a backwards one here and there, but who can blame a guy when they put the tags on the OUTside). I am proud of him and so blessed to have a husband that hasn't complained at all about this switch.
Curly is so stinking smart. Okay. I am her mother and of course I would think that. I just love how she thinks and the amount that she retains. She is writing pretty well now (not spelling, just writing...I have to tell her the letters), and she is learning to read. We have been doing her school work in the mornings when Gumby is at school and I think we might start some Kindergarten work for her in the fall too. We plan on homeschooling her, so while I don't think it's great for kids to start Kindergarten early through the school system because there is much more than academics going on (like social development...which grows a lot in a year with kids), I think that when it's at home there aren't the same issues. We'll see how it goes. And yes, someday we would like to homeschool Gumby as well, but for the time being I don't feel like I am able to catch her up to her full potential for quite a few reasons. One big on being the baby that will be here soon.
There are some other changes possibly in the works for this here little family, but for now this is all that is going on. I hope that I can get you some photos soon and that it will be sooner rather than later when I update you again or share a post. If not, don't be too surprised on that.
...I'll also have to share the fruits of the lovely Mother's Day gift I got with all of you. It can produce something fun for you as well ;-).
Anyway, end of pregnancy = less energy. Especially when I have three little ones that don't understand if Mom is tired. They get the closest thing to the normal Mom as they can, and then it's done. At the end of the day, I'm ready to have time by myself and relax...if that were possible. So, it's not that I'm antisocial, it's just that my kids are the ones that are going to get my energy. I figure that everyone else can be understanding about that.
That all said for you, I'll share some of what's new.
I missed telling you about Gumby's birthday! Her birthday is 6 days after Curly's, and after their joint party I lost a lot of motivation, along with getting pretty tired. So...they had a joint party that was a dress up theme. They both wore princess dresses and Gumby had a wonderful time (as did Curly). She didn't know what all this party stuff was about, but she very much enjoyed all the people that came around, and all the extra food! That girl is an eater for sure. She followed people around and got tons of love out of them, especially the men-folk (they are her favorite). She was quick to learn the art of gift unwrapping and loved being the center of attention...even if shared with her sister.
A few days later, she did have some emotional stuff going on and her OT thinks that it was related to the party...that it took that long for her to really register her overload. I think that she was right after this week. Why?
THIS WEEK...Gumby started school. We've been going through the process of getting her IEP (individual education plan) and all the wonderful stuff with the school started so that she could start preschool. In the fall she will start Kindergarten, as for right now, she is going to developmental preschool. She LOVES school. She really does. She has asked me multiple times if she could go when it isn't time to go, the first time being a shoe grab followed by the sign and word "help" and then the sign and word "school". BUT. But she is also having a LOT of emotional signs that tell me it really is a big adjustment for her as well. It has messed with her routine and that is somewhat difficult for her...even if it's something she really enjoys.
Instead of the wonderful initiating she was doing, asking me for a drink if she needed one, or telling me she needs help- currently she will just whine or cry at me. I know it's temporary, but it's still frustrating because it WAS something that I put a lot of effort and time into working on with her. It's also frustrating because nobody enjoys a whiny kid. I've been attempting to direct her in using her words/signs instead of crying, and I've been a lot more flexible with her than I was before she started school. It's been a bit hard for her.
The school transition, as well as the huge leaps that Gumby has been making, have also been hard on Curly. She is a little jealous of sister's school going, and is (I think) a bit concerned about Gumby "catching up" to her. She has a need to feel confident about her role as first-born and Gumby is closer to challenging that than Smiles ever could be. It seems that is a bit threatening to her. It's nothing we can't work through, but she's definitely shown signs of some emotional adjustment as well.
School has come also with some...interesting behavior changes. It gives her a confidence in herself and makes her feel like a big girl. With that has come a lot of attitude a bossy talk, including some toward Mom and Dad. This is of course- not okay, and it has to be parented. The hard part is doing that, while still being sensitive to the emotional side of things and being understanding about how huge this really is for Gumby to take in all at once. I'd say it's a very narrow line I feel like I am walking there. I also feel like I teeter over each side all the time right now. It's the first week. It will get better.
School itself, it's good. I like the teacher. I like the para (who has a twenty something son with DS and was SO excited to have Ana join their class). The bus driver is...very nice. No further comments about that. The para wanted to try potty time with her and I said that was just fine and dandy with me! If they want to start the frame work of potty training at school, I am NOT going to stop them. I just don't have the energy or time to put into that currently. Apparently she did go potty on Thursday and she loves sitting on the toilet. (I knew that she enjoyed it, since we have let her do that at home. She laughs and laughs the whole time she is sitting there. It's the funniest thing!)
Baby #4 is getting ready to make her appearance as well. This is going to be a large adjustment for the whole family of course, and I do wonder how Gumby and Smiles are going to do with this change. Both for different reasons. The process of things working toward her arrival is going, per my doctor's observation, and she will be here any time in the next three weeks (or so). I think we are pretty ready, at least, as ready as one can be.
Smiles is officially a full time boy of the cloth (cloth diapered child). He loves his cloth diapers and hopefully his baby sister will get along with cloth well too. I'm sure they will both do just fine. Handsome is pretty well on his way to figuring them out (with a backwards one here and there, but who can blame a guy when they put the tags on the OUTside). I am proud of him and so blessed to have a husband that hasn't complained at all about this switch.
Curly is so stinking smart. Okay. I am her mother and of course I would think that. I just love how she thinks and the amount that she retains. She is writing pretty well now (not spelling, just writing...I have to tell her the letters), and she is learning to read. We have been doing her school work in the mornings when Gumby is at school and I think we might start some Kindergarten work for her in the fall too. We plan on homeschooling her, so while I don't think it's great for kids to start Kindergarten early through the school system because there is much more than academics going on (like social development...which grows a lot in a year with kids), I think that when it's at home there aren't the same issues. We'll see how it goes. And yes, someday we would like to homeschool Gumby as well, but for the time being I don't feel like I am able to catch her up to her full potential for quite a few reasons. One big on being the baby that will be here soon.
There are some other changes possibly in the works for this here little family, but for now this is all that is going on. I hope that I can get you some photos soon and that it will be sooner rather than later when I update you again or share a post. If not, don't be too surprised on that.
...I'll also have to share the fruits of the lovely Mother's Day gift I got with all of you. It can produce something fun for you as well ;-).
Friday, April 23, 2010
Hearing God's Voice- My Story
I have been reading the comments on the previous post and want to thank those that have shared. I appreciate your sharing! If you haven't read that post, you might want to read it first.
I told you that I would share with you part of my story and experience learning to listen and hear from the Lord. Before I get into the details I want to restate what I mentioned in the last post. I believe that each person is unique and has their own relationship with the Lord. We are individuals and our God is creative and limitless. Just as I speak to each of the people in my life differently, it's likely that the way He speaks to me is different (be that by a lot or a little) than the way in which He speaks to, or will speak to you. It's more that I thought it would be good to have examples for a frame of reference. Sharing our experience can help others to grow in their relationship with God, just like sharing an experience from your marriage or parenting could help someone in a different family, with different relationships, take something away that would be beneficial to their situation. My experiences do not dictate what theirs will look like, but might give inspiration or a starting direction. It might be that the only effect is to remind eachother of how exciting it can be to really live on God's path and to hear from Him. Because, really, how awesome is it that we even have that privilege? GOD wants to talk with me? It's easy to forget how crazy that really is!
Where to start? The Bible. That's my opinion of course, but I am pretty sure that most of us would agree on that point. God gave us written words. Words that we cannot mistake for someone other than God. Words that are truth and alive. I've heard a few times, "I just wish that God would talk to me in a big loud voice so that I KNOW that it's Him and not my own thoughts!" ...or something similar. Well, we don't have to question anything in God's word. We know how to read. We know what the words on the page say, and He told us that they are truth. If we believe Him, then we believe scripture.
Forever and ever, no matter how far I grow in my relationship with the Lord, no matter how confident I become in hearing His voice, I KNOW that if something in scripture doesn't match up- the scripture is the truth and what I heard is not from God. The Bible is always there to be used as a confirmation. I know that all things should go through the filter of scripture and that's why it is so important for me to have a regular time reading and studying it. I love how God uses His word and has shown me that it is alive. Let me share deeper on that.
When I began seeking a different kind of relationship with Him, I was looking for a specific change. I wanted it to be truth when I said that I follow Jesus. When I say that I am following my friend to find a location that I have never been to, that person is leading. I'm not making the decisions, I'm just going where I'm told (or in this case shown) to go. I felt like my life should be like that with God. I still feel like it should be way more like that by the way, but I have to remind myself all the time that I am in progress. I lack grace for myself and want to throw me away when I'm not perfect. (Good thing God doesn't feel that way and He saves me from myself.) So, anyway, I was asking God to show me how to do that. How am I supposed to follow You like that? How can I say that I give You my whole life and then still dictate where and how I go? I feel like I am trying to ask You for advice on what to do with the situations that I brought myself to (be they positive or difficult), instead of being led to every circumstance that I find myself in.
The logical place to start was by reading my Bible regularly and praying. Before I started to hear His voice outside of scripture, I started to hear Him there. I learned more of what He was like and I had a spot to go everyday. Most of the time, my reading is just where I left off the day before. Often that includes a couple of different areas, but it's not a jump around thing. It's a "set" place where I go. The AWESOME thing about this is that it gives me such confidence is God and how truly amazing He is. Time after time, the words that I read fit perfectly with something that I needed to hear or that gives instruction. And it can't be chance when it's the same area I've been reading for so long. How stinking beautiful is it that He KNOWS where I am going to be reading in three weeks and He KNOWS what I am going to be wondering or questioning or going through, and He KNOWS what I will need to hear...and then His Spirit makes it jump right off the page to fill the questions in my heart and mind?!? Seriously. If a man could do that, you can bet that people all over would know about it. Word would spread quickly. How HUGE is God, how AWESOME that He can do things like that!
As time passed a bit in my reading, I was guided to change some things in my life. We were not doing things that were particularly bad, just had some things that were cluttering our lives with things that were not beneficial. I want my life to be about God, not about having God in it. We decided as a family to let go of our television. It was something that took up lots of time and we didn't even like most of the shows we watched. We felt like there were plenty of things there that didn't look pleasing to God, and we weren't huge TV addicts. There were books that got let go of, movies that went bye bye, and computer time was cut. This wasn't a choice of legalistic things, it was just what we felt like God was asking our family to let go of. There were some other things too, but I can't remember all of the changes we made at that time.
The result- quiet. Our home was more peaceful. We had more time on our hands. When we started this change, we weren't sure what we would fill that time with. Now Handsome and I have commented to each other how we don't know how we could waste all that time on something we didn't even really like doing that much. Clutter was removed from our lives that was making it harder to hear from the Lord. It was like we had been in a forest near a stream and couldn't hear the water flowing because of a logging project going on right next to us. When the loggers left, the peaceful sound of the stream was clear and it was easier to hear it flowing over the rocks. Instead of straining to hear it, the stream actually became quite loud.
I began a journal during my quiet time with the Lord. This was probably when the biggest change took place, though if I hadn't started with the ground work, I doubt the journal would have made that much difference. My journal helps in a few ways. First, God doesn't always answer questions right away. Sometimes He will answer a few days later, or even a week or more. Going back and looking at the answers to questions that I have written is a good way to remember God's faithfulness. Second, it helps me to remember and keep track of things. Verses that stand out to me get written down and often I don't know why they stood out until later on down the road. He often speaks to me in words. Sometimes, I ask a question and then get an answer right away. Sometimes, when I'm just sitting there listening to Him, He will say something...I write it down. Then, I can see if it is confirmed with scripture because I have the words right there. The specifics of the words are often very important and the things that are said have great meaning based on the specific wording used. It's important to me that I have this written down so that I can look back at the exact words. Third, it keeps me focused. Somehow, when I am writing things down during our time together it keeps me focused. I'm less likely to get distracted when journaling.
I want to stop here and remind you that this is ONLY and account of how things have happened for me. This isn't the way everyone's time with God will look like and it's not a way that would work for everyone. It's just how things have developed for me. Some people might even have issues with something that I did or do. I just want to remind you of these things and say that whether it was a good or bad method, I did learn and grow a lot through this time and process. God takes a willing heart and leads it to closeness with Him. It's about the true desire of the heart to know God and find His will, not about specific steps taken to make that progress.
When I started my journal, it would often look the same. I started with the date, followed by any questions that I had for the Lord. Then I would tell Him that I was open to whatever He had to say to me. I knew that if it was time for any of the questions to receive answer, He would speak to those things. If not, I wasn't going to complain at all. I just wanted to hear from Him, to know what He wanted to say to me. I would also write thanks and praise, and I know that very frequently I would tell Him that I just wanted Him to teach me to love Him more. That I knew that my ability to love Him was something that only He could provide my incapable human heart. This time does not often include prayer requests, though I write them from time to time or talk to Him about particular ones that are heavy on my heart. I feel that prayers of asking are something that I like to keep more separate. I want this time to be about developing a relationship and dialogue, not asking Him for things. If something is heavy on my heart, it would most likely be shared anyway. My tears and fears will be spoken.
I write those things down so they are not pressing on my mind in worry that I will forget something. I lay it all out from the start and then just sit and listen. I wait to see what He will say to me. Quite often, His words start with things that are not listed. It could be things from a day or two ago that haven't been answered yet, or it could be something that doesn't have anything to do with thoughts I had been thinking at all. I'll give you an example.
5/31/09
...The spider
You fear the spider when it's harmless and even helpful because you fear just a few of it's kind. Most are busy about their work, doing just what they were created to do.
I seek control rather than living in faith and trust. When most things (bee, spider, etc.) will not come near harming me. I seek to kill all of them because they give me feelings of lack of control...and fear of pain.
Give up more control...
This was just a short part of an entry. I was sitting and a spider caught my eye. God said "The spider". That's all He said at first and then when I wrote the words "the spider" down, the rest just came flowing out. Thus began a great work that God has been doing in my heart by way of fear (which has been a HUGE setback in my life) and control. There is still a LOT of work to be done here, but even if other people don't see it, I know that much has changed in this area for me over the last year. Control and fear were things that I knew were issues for me, but I chose to look away from them.
After I write down any words I've heard and have time just being quiet before the Lord, often just experiencing Him and His presence, then I spend time reading God's word. Most often, things that were spoken that I didn't already know were an issue that wasn't in line with God would be confirmed in scripture that day (because things like fear and control didn't need confirmation each time, I know those aren't of God because of daily reading...they're easily recognized as something God wouldn't want to be part of my life). Often this will be words that are part of the reading, or concepts. There are specifics that stand out to confirm what God just said. Sometimes it comes in a few days time. Especially in the early times, it was counted as my head unless God gave confirmation. I tried to look for an example to show you, but none of the ones I found were things I could share here because I just feel they are too personal for the great web. I do want to stress that I feel that confirmation is very important, especially while in the early stages of learning to discern His voice.
The more I have that time of listening and getting confirmation, first through scripture and then later through the fulfilling of things He said, confidence grows. I am always aware that I can be wrong, or that I may not have understood clearly what God meant with what He said (hence the specific words in the journal). While that can discourage me for a little while, I also know that it's just part of the process. I'm not perfect and I never will be. Being wrong sometimes keeps humility in the picture and holds back pride, so I even find it good for me. What brings humility never feels good, but the effect of humility is always great. God draws close to the humble. Wrong = uncomfortable dose of humility = God draws closer and I can know Him better. It's worth the cost.
I may share more with you at another time, but I feel this is enough for right now.
Please know that I have just shared quite a bit of detail about something that is very deep and private for me. These are details that haven't been shared with very many people and it's letting you see inside a very personal part of my life. I am open to any voices of differing opinion and/or guidance, I just ask that you state any things of that nature in a kind way. Realize that this is my relationship with my Lord and any criticism is not of my theology or religion, but of my interactions with Him personally. It's very different than making a sharp comment about a person's stance on something like the trinity, or their choice of denomination. Please keep that in mind with the tone of any comments.
I also hope to continue hearing from more of you about your personal experiences here.
I told you that I would share with you part of my story and experience learning to listen and hear from the Lord. Before I get into the details I want to restate what I mentioned in the last post. I believe that each person is unique and has their own relationship with the Lord. We are individuals and our God is creative and limitless. Just as I speak to each of the people in my life differently, it's likely that the way He speaks to me is different (be that by a lot or a little) than the way in which He speaks to, or will speak to you. It's more that I thought it would be good to have examples for a frame of reference. Sharing our experience can help others to grow in their relationship with God, just like sharing an experience from your marriage or parenting could help someone in a different family, with different relationships, take something away that would be beneficial to their situation. My experiences do not dictate what theirs will look like, but might give inspiration or a starting direction. It might be that the only effect is to remind eachother of how exciting it can be to really live on God's path and to hear from Him. Because, really, how awesome is it that we even have that privilege? GOD wants to talk with me? It's easy to forget how crazy that really is!
Where to start? The Bible. That's my opinion of course, but I am pretty sure that most of us would agree on that point. God gave us written words. Words that we cannot mistake for someone other than God. Words that are truth and alive. I've heard a few times, "I just wish that God would talk to me in a big loud voice so that I KNOW that it's Him and not my own thoughts!" ...or something similar. Well, we don't have to question anything in God's word. We know how to read. We know what the words on the page say, and He told us that they are truth. If we believe Him, then we believe scripture.
Forever and ever, no matter how far I grow in my relationship with the Lord, no matter how confident I become in hearing His voice, I KNOW that if something in scripture doesn't match up- the scripture is the truth and what I heard is not from God. The Bible is always there to be used as a confirmation. I know that all things should go through the filter of scripture and that's why it is so important for me to have a regular time reading and studying it. I love how God uses His word and has shown me that it is alive. Let me share deeper on that.
When I began seeking a different kind of relationship with Him, I was looking for a specific change. I wanted it to be truth when I said that I follow Jesus. When I say that I am following my friend to find a location that I have never been to, that person is leading. I'm not making the decisions, I'm just going where I'm told (or in this case shown) to go. I felt like my life should be like that with God. I still feel like it should be way more like that by the way, but I have to remind myself all the time that I am in progress. I lack grace for myself and want to throw me away when I'm not perfect. (Good thing God doesn't feel that way and He saves me from myself.) So, anyway, I was asking God to show me how to do that. How am I supposed to follow You like that? How can I say that I give You my whole life and then still dictate where and how I go? I feel like I am trying to ask You for advice on what to do with the situations that I brought myself to (be they positive or difficult), instead of being led to every circumstance that I find myself in.
The logical place to start was by reading my Bible regularly and praying. Before I started to hear His voice outside of scripture, I started to hear Him there. I learned more of what He was like and I had a spot to go everyday. Most of the time, my reading is just where I left off the day before. Often that includes a couple of different areas, but it's not a jump around thing. It's a "set" place where I go. The AWESOME thing about this is that it gives me such confidence is God and how truly amazing He is. Time after time, the words that I read fit perfectly with something that I needed to hear or that gives instruction. And it can't be chance when it's the same area I've been reading for so long. How stinking beautiful is it that He KNOWS where I am going to be reading in three weeks and He KNOWS what I am going to be wondering or questioning or going through, and He KNOWS what I will need to hear...and then His Spirit makes it jump right off the page to fill the questions in my heart and mind?!? Seriously. If a man could do that, you can bet that people all over would know about it. Word would spread quickly. How HUGE is God, how AWESOME that He can do things like that!
As time passed a bit in my reading, I was guided to change some things in my life. We were not doing things that were particularly bad, just had some things that were cluttering our lives with things that were not beneficial. I want my life to be about God, not about having God in it. We decided as a family to let go of our television. It was something that took up lots of time and we didn't even like most of the shows we watched. We felt like there were plenty of things there that didn't look pleasing to God, and we weren't huge TV addicts. There were books that got let go of, movies that went bye bye, and computer time was cut. This wasn't a choice of legalistic things, it was just what we felt like God was asking our family to let go of. There were some other things too, but I can't remember all of the changes we made at that time.
The result- quiet. Our home was more peaceful. We had more time on our hands. When we started this change, we weren't sure what we would fill that time with. Now Handsome and I have commented to each other how we don't know how we could waste all that time on something we didn't even really like doing that much. Clutter was removed from our lives that was making it harder to hear from the Lord. It was like we had been in a forest near a stream and couldn't hear the water flowing because of a logging project going on right next to us. When the loggers left, the peaceful sound of the stream was clear and it was easier to hear it flowing over the rocks. Instead of straining to hear it, the stream actually became quite loud.
I began a journal during my quiet time with the Lord. This was probably when the biggest change took place, though if I hadn't started with the ground work, I doubt the journal would have made that much difference. My journal helps in a few ways. First, God doesn't always answer questions right away. Sometimes He will answer a few days later, or even a week or more. Going back and looking at the answers to questions that I have written is a good way to remember God's faithfulness. Second, it helps me to remember and keep track of things. Verses that stand out to me get written down and often I don't know why they stood out until later on down the road. He often speaks to me in words. Sometimes, I ask a question and then get an answer right away. Sometimes, when I'm just sitting there listening to Him, He will say something...I write it down. Then, I can see if it is confirmed with scripture because I have the words right there. The specifics of the words are often very important and the things that are said have great meaning based on the specific wording used. It's important to me that I have this written down so that I can look back at the exact words. Third, it keeps me focused. Somehow, when I am writing things down during our time together it keeps me focused. I'm less likely to get distracted when journaling.
I want to stop here and remind you that this is ONLY and account of how things have happened for me. This isn't the way everyone's time with God will look like and it's not a way that would work for everyone. It's just how things have developed for me. Some people might even have issues with something that I did or do. I just want to remind you of these things and say that whether it was a good or bad method, I did learn and grow a lot through this time and process. God takes a willing heart and leads it to closeness with Him. It's about the true desire of the heart to know God and find His will, not about specific steps taken to make that progress.
When I started my journal, it would often look the same. I started with the date, followed by any questions that I had for the Lord. Then I would tell Him that I was open to whatever He had to say to me. I knew that if it was time for any of the questions to receive answer, He would speak to those things. If not, I wasn't going to complain at all. I just wanted to hear from Him, to know what He wanted to say to me. I would also write thanks and praise, and I know that very frequently I would tell Him that I just wanted Him to teach me to love Him more. That I knew that my ability to love Him was something that only He could provide my incapable human heart. This time does not often include prayer requests, though I write them from time to time or talk to Him about particular ones that are heavy on my heart. I feel that prayers of asking are something that I like to keep more separate. I want this time to be about developing a relationship and dialogue, not asking Him for things. If something is heavy on my heart, it would most likely be shared anyway. My tears and fears will be spoken.
I write those things down so they are not pressing on my mind in worry that I will forget something. I lay it all out from the start and then just sit and listen. I wait to see what He will say to me. Quite often, His words start with things that are not listed. It could be things from a day or two ago that haven't been answered yet, or it could be something that doesn't have anything to do with thoughts I had been thinking at all. I'll give you an example.
5/31/09
...The spider
You fear the spider when it's harmless and even helpful because you fear just a few of it's kind. Most are busy about their work, doing just what they were created to do.
I seek control rather than living in faith and trust. When most things (bee, spider, etc.) will not come near harming me. I seek to kill all of them because they give me feelings of lack of control...and fear of pain.
Give up more control...
This was just a short part of an entry. I was sitting and a spider caught my eye. God said "The spider". That's all He said at first and then when I wrote the words "the spider" down, the rest just came flowing out. Thus began a great work that God has been doing in my heart by way of fear (which has been a HUGE setback in my life) and control. There is still a LOT of work to be done here, but even if other people don't see it, I know that much has changed in this area for me over the last year. Control and fear were things that I knew were issues for me, but I chose to look away from them.
After I write down any words I've heard and have time just being quiet before the Lord, often just experiencing Him and His presence, then I spend time reading God's word. Most often, things that were spoken that I didn't already know were an issue that wasn't in line with God would be confirmed in scripture that day (because things like fear and control didn't need confirmation each time, I know those aren't of God because of daily reading...they're easily recognized as something God wouldn't want to be part of my life). Often this will be words that are part of the reading, or concepts. There are specifics that stand out to confirm what God just said. Sometimes it comes in a few days time. Especially in the early times, it was counted as my head unless God gave confirmation. I tried to look for an example to show you, but none of the ones I found were things I could share here because I just feel they are too personal for the great web. I do want to stress that I feel that confirmation is very important, especially while in the early stages of learning to discern His voice.
The more I have that time of listening and getting confirmation, first through scripture and then later through the fulfilling of things He said, confidence grows. I am always aware that I can be wrong, or that I may not have understood clearly what God meant with what He said (hence the specific words in the journal). While that can discourage me for a little while, I also know that it's just part of the process. I'm not perfect and I never will be. Being wrong sometimes keeps humility in the picture and holds back pride, so I even find it good for me. What brings humility never feels good, but the effect of humility is always great. God draws close to the humble. Wrong = uncomfortable dose of humility = God draws closer and I can know Him better. It's worth the cost.
I may share more with you at another time, but I feel this is enough for right now.
Please know that I have just shared quite a bit of detail about something that is very deep and private for me. These are details that haven't been shared with very many people and it's letting you see inside a very personal part of my life. I am open to any voices of differing opinion and/or guidance, I just ask that you state any things of that nature in a kind way. Realize that this is my relationship with my Lord and any criticism is not of my theology or religion, but of my interactions with Him personally. It's very different than making a sharp comment about a person's stance on something like the trinity, or their choice of denomination. Please keep that in mind with the tone of any comments.
I also hope to continue hearing from more of you about your personal experiences here.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
How Do We Know God's Voice
Recently my precious little Curly has been learning about hearing God's voice. There are many verses that talk about following Him and His sheep knowing His voice and such. Since we started reading the actual Bible instead of just the children's Bible, she has been asking more deep questions and learning a lot more.
She has asked me, "How do I talk to God Mom? I can't hear Him." We've talked about how God speaks to each person in a different way and how it's usually not like you would hear a Mommy's voice or Gumby's voice, though some people might hear God that way. Mommy just doesn't know anyone personally who does. I told her that Jesus promised that if we want to know answers to things and we ask Him, that He WILL give us those answers. Sometimes it just happens slower than we want it to. Keep on asking Him until He teaches you how to hear His voice. Does God ever break His promises? She quickly replied, "Nope!"
Then tonight when I was reading in John, something grabbed her mind and she said in a very frustrated voice, "I just CAN'T FOLLOW Jesus Mom! I don't know how to hear Him. I tried, and asked Him, but I just don't know how."
If only she really knew how many people are fully grown Christians and have this same feeling. I would imagine that there are many people that really do want to hear Him, but just don't know how. It's only in the last couple of years, and mostly this particular last year that I have learned to hear His voice on a regular basis myself. I can't speak for everyone else, but it's not something that I ever felt like I could get information on and I didn't even know where to start. Now, I have had times when I was seeking specific answers and asked the Lord and fervently sought answers, but I felt like that wasn't all that God had meant for His children to have. I felt like when reading Biblical examples of people, those that were living for God after the Holy Spirit was part of the picture were led in specific ways. It was something more than just living by what was given as direction in scripture. (Which is also very important!)
I started seeking the answers daily. I began having daily time with the Lord and reading His word. He taught me how to listen in the "small" things, as well as the big. He is still teaching me. And just to make sure that I am not misleading anyone, since we got home with our new daughter, I haven't been so good at that daily time. I've allowed busy and tired to get in the way. I'm obviously not sharing that to be proud, but to make sure that I am not misleading. Because of this, I haven't been focused on the things I want to be focused on quite as much. (By the way, the first thing I told my daughter about hearing God's voice was that we need to read His words regularly. That one of the things He does often is bring scripture to mind that we read quite awhile ago, and this can answer questions we might have or tell us if something we are doing isn't what He would like. Then John 14:26, in our reading, helped me out a bit. "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.")
I could very easily have given some four year old answers to my freshly four year old daughter, but my desire is never to water down the gospel for my children. I believe that a child has the right to the same information as an adult. The Holy Spirit does the same work in a child as He does in an adult, and it's not my right to decide that she is too young for a concept. Now, I might have to use slightly less complex words with her, but I'm not really the intellectual type. My kids can understand most of what I am going to say because my mind works on a pretty simple level.
So, I told her that I would share with her how God often talks to me. It might be totally different from the way He talks to her, but it was all I had to give her. And I asked the Lord, right there in my quiet mind, "What do you want me to say to her?" He told me what to share with her and then said to trust Him to fulfill His promise that whoever seeks will find. Even a child. So, I did.
My clearest times with Him are through creation. SO many words are spoken from the Lord when I just sit and watch the natural surroundings of outside. He especially speaks to me through wind and clouds. So, I sat with her at her window and said, "Lets just sit quiet and listen to see if God has anything to say to us." We sat for a little while and she asked me if I heard anything.
I said, "Yes. Do you see that bird eating from the ground over there?"
"Uh- huh." she replied.
"Well, that bird is eating worms from the ground and it brought to my mind something that it says in God's word. Jesus was telling his followers not to worry about anything, that God always provides for His children. He asked them if the birds worry about their food. Do they worry about their food?"
"No."
"That's right. They just find it. They know that God will provide it. And the flowers...do they think about how they are going to get their food?"
"No. What do flowers eat Mom?"
(I DO have a four year old here. Lots of questions that side track.) "God makes sure they grow and gives them food too. And then Jesus said that He loves us WAY more than flowers or birds because we are His kids. Just like I love you WAY more than flowers and birds!"
Then we sat some more. She told Gumby to be quiet so that she could hear God =). She listened for quite some time and I was just about ready to tell her that we could try again later. That it might not be today that God was ready to open her ears. But then she smiled at me.
Quietly she said to me, "He said something to me Mom." She smiled at me with a shy little grin that told me she was very pleased.
"What did He say?" I asked, actually quite curious to hear what she had to say.
In a very matter of fact way, she smiled and said, "He said that He loves me very, very much."
Now, that very much sounds to me like one of the first things God would say to His child as He is training the ears of their spirit to hear Him. That moment made my eyes water and my heart feel blessed to know that He allowed me to be there for that special moment when she heard His voice for the first time.
This leads into something I've been wondering a lot lately. Where are others with this? I really want to know, is this an area lots of us struggle with? Or is it just something kept more private? And if so, why? Because it seems like it's so much harder to live the life we are called to live when we don't know how to hear His voice. It's like we are all a bunch of waxy eared, hard of hearing sheep wandering around and we don't know how to clean our ears out. And I might be in a smaller group than I think here, but when learning something as important and faith-requiring as hearing the voice of God clearly, I'd have felt more confident having the experience of others to learn from. It just seems like it gives a jumping off point instead of not knowing where to even start.
My question is, for those of you that are followers of Jesus Christ, do you know how to discern His voice? If you do, how did you go about learning that and cultivating it? Or did you do anything specific other than praying and asking for that ability to grow? How have you/would you answer your child's questions about this? How would you answer an adults questions about how to learn to hear God's voice? I really, truly want to know your opinions here. I want to hear examples of how God speaks to different people (because I KNOW we are all different and God is very creative, so there is much possible variety in this area). I want to know what has helped you learn in this area. And I would love for those that are still feeling like they need some learning in how to hear His voice to have some point of reference. Please, please give input here. If you are more private and don't want to share with everyone, you can post an anonymous comment. Or if you don't feel comfortable with that, but would be okay with e-mail, you can e-mail at puremommyextract at gmail dot com. I really hope to get some input here. If you feel comfortable posting on your own blog about this topic, I think that would be even more awesome. Just link us to the post in the comments so that we can come read. Like I said, perhaps lots of people DO feel confident in this area and I just haven't heard about it much. But, it could be that my curiosity is right and many of us have not known where to start or how the Lord even sounds. It might also be that some believe that God doesn't speak to us other than scripture these days. We all have different opinions too.
I want to hear from you!
I will also do a different post soon about what my quiet times looked like in the beginning/look like now more specifically, and what my personal ways of practicing and learning to listen and hear God's voice were. I think it's very important to understand that it's not the same for every one of us, so the more examples the better...which is just my opinion of course.
She has asked me, "How do I talk to God Mom? I can't hear Him." We've talked about how God speaks to each person in a different way and how it's usually not like you would hear a Mommy's voice or Gumby's voice, though some people might hear God that way. Mommy just doesn't know anyone personally who does. I told her that Jesus promised that if we want to know answers to things and we ask Him, that He WILL give us those answers. Sometimes it just happens slower than we want it to. Keep on asking Him until He teaches you how to hear His voice. Does God ever break His promises? She quickly replied, "Nope!"
Then tonight when I was reading in John, something grabbed her mind and she said in a very frustrated voice, "I just CAN'T FOLLOW Jesus Mom! I don't know how to hear Him. I tried, and asked Him, but I just don't know how."
If only she really knew how many people are fully grown Christians and have this same feeling. I would imagine that there are many people that really do want to hear Him, but just don't know how. It's only in the last couple of years, and mostly this particular last year that I have learned to hear His voice on a regular basis myself. I can't speak for everyone else, but it's not something that I ever felt like I could get information on and I didn't even know where to start. Now, I have had times when I was seeking specific answers and asked the Lord and fervently sought answers, but I felt like that wasn't all that God had meant for His children to have. I felt like when reading Biblical examples of people, those that were living for God after the Holy Spirit was part of the picture were led in specific ways. It was something more than just living by what was given as direction in scripture. (Which is also very important!)
I started seeking the answers daily. I began having daily time with the Lord and reading His word. He taught me how to listen in the "small" things, as well as the big. He is still teaching me. And just to make sure that I am not misleading anyone, since we got home with our new daughter, I haven't been so good at that daily time. I've allowed busy and tired to get in the way. I'm obviously not sharing that to be proud, but to make sure that I am not misleading. Because of this, I haven't been focused on the things I want to be focused on quite as much. (By the way, the first thing I told my daughter about hearing God's voice was that we need to read His words regularly. That one of the things He does often is bring scripture to mind that we read quite awhile ago, and this can answer questions we might have or tell us if something we are doing isn't what He would like. Then John 14:26, in our reading, helped me out a bit. "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.")
I could very easily have given some four year old answers to my freshly four year old daughter, but my desire is never to water down the gospel for my children. I believe that a child has the right to the same information as an adult. The Holy Spirit does the same work in a child as He does in an adult, and it's not my right to decide that she is too young for a concept. Now, I might have to use slightly less complex words with her, but I'm not really the intellectual type. My kids can understand most of what I am going to say because my mind works on a pretty simple level.
So, I told her that I would share with her how God often talks to me. It might be totally different from the way He talks to her, but it was all I had to give her. And I asked the Lord, right there in my quiet mind, "What do you want me to say to her?" He told me what to share with her and then said to trust Him to fulfill His promise that whoever seeks will find. Even a child. So, I did.
My clearest times with Him are through creation. SO many words are spoken from the Lord when I just sit and watch the natural surroundings of outside. He especially speaks to me through wind and clouds. So, I sat with her at her window and said, "Lets just sit quiet and listen to see if God has anything to say to us." We sat for a little while and she asked me if I heard anything.
I said, "Yes. Do you see that bird eating from the ground over there?"
"Uh- huh." she replied.
"Well, that bird is eating worms from the ground and it brought to my mind something that it says in God's word. Jesus was telling his followers not to worry about anything, that God always provides for His children. He asked them if the birds worry about their food. Do they worry about their food?"
"No."
"That's right. They just find it. They know that God will provide it. And the flowers...do they think about how they are going to get their food?"
"No. What do flowers eat Mom?"
(I DO have a four year old here. Lots of questions that side track.) "God makes sure they grow and gives them food too. And then Jesus said that He loves us WAY more than flowers or birds because we are His kids. Just like I love you WAY more than flowers and birds!"
Then we sat some more. She told Gumby to be quiet so that she could hear God =). She listened for quite some time and I was just about ready to tell her that we could try again later. That it might not be today that God was ready to open her ears. But then she smiled at me.
Quietly she said to me, "He said something to me Mom." She smiled at me with a shy little grin that told me she was very pleased.
"What did He say?" I asked, actually quite curious to hear what she had to say.
In a very matter of fact way, she smiled and said, "He said that He loves me very, very much."
Now, that very much sounds to me like one of the first things God would say to His child as He is training the ears of their spirit to hear Him. That moment made my eyes water and my heart feel blessed to know that He allowed me to be there for that special moment when she heard His voice for the first time.
This leads into something I've been wondering a lot lately. Where are others with this? I really want to know, is this an area lots of us struggle with? Or is it just something kept more private? And if so, why? Because it seems like it's so much harder to live the life we are called to live when we don't know how to hear His voice. It's like we are all a bunch of waxy eared, hard of hearing sheep wandering around and we don't know how to clean our ears out. And I might be in a smaller group than I think here, but when learning something as important and faith-requiring as hearing the voice of God clearly, I'd have felt more confident having the experience of others to learn from. It just seems like it gives a jumping off point instead of not knowing where to even start.
My question is, for those of you that are followers of Jesus Christ, do you know how to discern His voice? If you do, how did you go about learning that and cultivating it? Or did you do anything specific other than praying and asking for that ability to grow? How have you/would you answer your child's questions about this? How would you answer an adults questions about how to learn to hear God's voice? I really, truly want to know your opinions here. I want to hear examples of how God speaks to different people (because I KNOW we are all different and God is very creative, so there is much possible variety in this area). I want to know what has helped you learn in this area. And I would love for those that are still feeling like they need some learning in how to hear His voice to have some point of reference. Please, please give input here. If you are more private and don't want to share with everyone, you can post an anonymous comment. Or if you don't feel comfortable with that, but would be okay with e-mail, you can e-mail at puremommyextract at gmail dot com. I really hope to get some input here. If you feel comfortable posting on your own blog about this topic, I think that would be even more awesome. Just link us to the post in the comments so that we can come read. Like I said, perhaps lots of people DO feel confident in this area and I just haven't heard about it much. But, it could be that my curiosity is right and many of us have not known where to start or how the Lord even sounds. It might also be that some believe that God doesn't speak to us other than scripture these days. We all have different opinions too.
I want to hear from you!
I will also do a different post soon about what my quiet times looked like in the beginning/look like now more specifically, and what my personal ways of practicing and learning to listen and hear God's voice were. I think it's very important to understand that it's not the same for every one of us, so the more examples the better...which is just my opinion of course.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Peaceful?
...ummm, right......
OR- I've been busy making tons of frozen meals, going to doctor's appointments for number 4 and "Little Miss Giardia", reasearching and switching to cloth diapers for Smiles and soon to be added number 4, cleaning like mad (otherwise known as nesting), and just plain keeping you from a certain hormonal rage infested female who was hibernating from everyone in order to protect and preserve relationships.
You can take your pick and go with whatever you prefer to believe.
(And though Handsome tells me that my lens had some icky stuff on it, he's wrong. It's my windows that need to be cleaned...not my lens. Clearly the nesting hasn't gone so far as the windows...if that was the answer you went with.)
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