The Love of God

Amazing how we can lose sight of such a fundamental of our faith. We love him because he first loved us. Why does he have to prove what's been proven over and over? A simple message today...God loves you. He loves me. We live in a prove it society, but God didn't send his son to die to prove his love. He sent him to die, BECAUSE of his love. He doesn't meet our needs to prove his love, but BECAUSE of his love. He hasn't led you to the path you're on and keep getting you out of one jam after another to prove to you that He loves you, but BECAUSE he loves you. One of the most profound and memorable statements I've ever read came from "I'm Running to Win" by Ann Kiemel. It is not, I'll follow you if you'll heal my mother, or give me a new car (that's paraphrased), It is simply...Jesus, I'll follow you to the end, no guarantees asked except that you'll be at the end of the road to meet me when I get there. And I will know that I have lived my life in truth. So whatever comes, Lord YES to it. TO whatever you bring into my life." We've been called to love radically. In order to follow Jesus, it means laying down our lives. Not to prove that we're spiritual or holy or better than another Christian. But simply, on a very personal, one-on-one relationship BECAUSE we love HIM.

Wishing for a boring mom day

This morning our Siberian Husky died. I spent the day comforting four grieving kids--but especially my 17 year old girl. She's tough, but tender. We cried and talked about the sweet things Nick used to do--hugging, talking (yes he talked), smiling, protecting. If there's a heaven for dogs, this wonderful dog is there running through fields of flowers, playing with the children of heaven.

He was a beautiful bronze husky with blue, blue eyes. We got him when Cat was only 9 years old. Between the ages of 9 and 17 is a lifetime for a child. I remember even as a little girl, she would go sit with him and he’d just wait patiently while she shared all of her secrets with him. When she cried, he tried to comfort her. He listened while she learned to play guitar. He would let her hide in his doghouse when the kids played hide n seek. LOL He’d sit right in front of the door so that no one could look in and find her. SUCH a smart dog. They were quite a pair.

Bye Bye Nicholas Blue Bateman. We’ll miss you.

Thanks to everyone who piped in about motherhood. Being a mother is a joy. But the day-to-day can be boring. I can spend full days going from task to task until I'm worn out, have a sparkling house, prepare a great meal, take the kids to practices, rent a movie and watch it with them, and all the while be dying for the next day so I can write. And for some women--especially artistic types, we have to have creative outlet that has nothing to do with the kids.I think what the woman on the TODAY show was saying (and this is how I feel) is that the homemaking things women do on a daily basis aren’t her cup of tea. I love spending time with my kids. Doing the FUN stuff like going to movies or sitting in the living room talking and laughing. Watching as Jesus draws them as He’s doing my eight-year-old boy right now. If I had nothing else to do besides motherhood, I couldn’t feel complete because God has called me to do other things. He’s opened wide a door to minister through the written word. And I cherish that task. He’s given me a fine husband, whom I cherish, and children I love more than life.

I do the things I need to do as a mother and wife, and I enjoy them for the most part but I don’t revel in them the way some women do. For some women, being a mother is the calling God has placed on their life. They’re wonderful and do PTA, have their kids in all the sports, music, volunteer to be room mothers, scrap booking (My eyes start glazing over), they’re professional homemakers whether they have outside jobs or not. Anything else they do is far, far below motherhood in priority.

My children know I would give my life for them. They know that I thank God every day that I have them. They know when things happen, like dogs dying or breakups, I’ll stop what I’m doing and open my arms. I’m a good mother. With all my failures and successes, I’m exactly what my kids need. And they’re the kids I need. And that's that. :)

Is this all it takes to get on the Today show??

Ha! Anyone watch TODAY, today? I Tivoed it because I don't get up by 7 am. :) Or...you know 10, (which actually reminds me. There was this lady in my church from the “crack of dawn” club who used to ALWAYS make these jabs at me for being a sleeper. Here's the thing. I don't go to bed until two or three in the morning. I'm a night owl. I can't help it, it's just the way I'm made. BUT that doesn't mean I spend my life in bed. I sleep seven to eight hours a night just at different times than the average person. Does that make me lazy? :) Well, I might be lazy but THAT doesn't make me so. I'm just saying...)

Okay, back to TODAY. There’s a woman on who has the audacity to say “Motherhood is Boring!” I’ve been saying that forever and NO ONE has been calling me to be interviewed by Campbell Brown. Can I just say it? I’d rather Instant Message with Chris Lynxwiler or Rachel Hauck than play Star Wars Monopoly with my kids. There’s no challenge… I can’t lose a game of Monopoly and I won’t throw the game. But beyond that, I DO play occasionally. I stop working every now and then to watch a funny episode of Spongebob or The Fairly Odd Parents (CRACKS ME UP). I think being there for our kids is much more than catering to their every whim. My kids want me to leave them alone 83% of the time. So I figure if I pay attention 17% of the time, we’re good. We have dinner together every night, although more often than not it’s Taco Bell on paper plates or pizza from Giorgios, but we’re eating it together. Non negotiable. Dinner—family time. Period.

What do you think? What does Motherhood mean to you? Let’s open a can of worms!

Mel Gibson, you break my heart

SIGH. William Wallace ain't the man he used to be. And that's all I'm saying about Mel. Here's a promised photo. Not the greatest, but shows the 80lb weight loss. :)