Blurry Blessings

The other day my youngest daughter found an old point and click digital camera and was taking pictures left and right. Asking everyone to pose for her. (At odd times I might add!)

I was trying to give her tips and hints to help her take better pictures.

1. Hold still. When you are moving, the picture will be blurry
2. Take a breath before pressing the button
3. If it’s dark, and you don’t have the flash on, your picture will not turn out well
4. When you are taking a picture of the sunset, it never turns out as beautiful as the real thing

Just a few things I learned over the years whilst taking pictures.  I suggested those things more than once and she probably got tired of hearing me.  She just wanted to explore with the camera and take pictures.  To experience life through the camera lens. Here I am trying to guide her and help her, and she doesn’t want to learn.

Is that not like us with God?

1. We just want to go through life just running and He just wants us to be still and know that He is God. Psalm 46:10
2. Not everything has to be spoken. Take a breath before speaking. Words aren’t always required. If they are, let’s make them safe.  “The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.”  Proverbs 15:4, “Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity.” Proverbs 21:23
3. How often do we listen to what He is saying when He is trying to help us and shine His light to show us the best picture of love? Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
4. I am so concerned about how I think things should look for others to see, that I forget that He has laid that plan already. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

My picture of the “Sunset” doesn’t look like His!

I don’t have to know everything that is going on to live.  I just need to rest in Him.  He has this!

There is a flip side to that for the parent in me… Sometimes it is OK for a picture to blurry.  It is a reminder to me to just let her experience life.  Not to be worried so much about a perfect picture, but just to let her have fun. Be a kid who is playing with an old camera trying to figure it out.

It’s really ok to have blurry photos.

There is a lesson (blessing) here as well.

How often do I overlook what she is trying to tell me because I am in such hurry to get to where we are going?  Maybe I am working on something that doesn’t really have a deadline, but I just want it done now. I need to show her love in the every day things. The things that seem like they aren’t as important as what I am doing, are just as important to her. I need to hold still for her. Look through her lens and enjoy the blurry blessings that unfold daily.

So let’s take a breath, hold still, and remember the Son is right there holding us. Painting the sunset or sunrise.  His pictures are just more beautiful than we can comprehend, yet He is ever so patient!

This photo I took while on a fishing trip with my husband. It is nowhere near as beautiful as it was in person. 🙂

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Heart under construction.

God has been truly working on my heart. it has been under construction.

My voice to the kids is acidic, and hurtful at times. I would like to blame it on them but I am responsible for the actions and words of my mouth. This week I’ve been reading in Proverbs.

Proverbs 12:16 it says,  “Fools show their annoyance at once, but the prudent overlook an insult.” Regardless of what they do, I am responsible for what comes out of my mouth, and how I say it. That’s confirmed two verses later in Proverbs 12:18 “The words of the reckless pierced like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” I certainly do not want to pierce my children with my words, I would much rather bring healing. So why did they frustrate me so? It probably boils down to selfishness. They don’t act like I want them to act. They don’t act how I expect them to act. Yet I have to train them to behave properly. To be a functioning and productive member of society and show self-control.
Newsflash! They are kids. Kids do dumb stuff. Kids get into fights. Kids do great things. Kids help when they’re asked. It’s just the balance of the way I view them. Therein lies my problem. I need to view them as a gift more often rather than I view them with frustration. I need to show love and patience, rather than my first response being sharp like a sword piercing them.

Psalm 85:10-13 “Love and faithfulness meet together; Righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. The Lord will indeed give what is good and our land will yield its harvest. Righteousness goes before him; and prepares the way for his steps.”

Now that’s what I’m talking about! I would rather have love and faithfulness meeting together, but see, it starts with me. Not them. Me. He is faithful to work through me and I need to yield do that part of me to Him on a daily or hourly basis (minutes or seconds in reality sometimes).

I paint a rather icky picture of myself here perhaps because of what I know is on the inside of me. Parenting isn’t easy. It definitely can refine us as people.

The truth of the matter is, I want my kids to love one another. I don’t want damaged relationships, though I realize that is out of my control. I want to share from what I have seen and experienced so they don’t have to go through things I went through. Yet, just as I chose my path, they also must choose theirs.

I need to equip them for life and what lies ahead. In doing that with a relationship with God, a blanket of peace and arms full of love, they will succeed. They are God’s children. On loan to my husband and I. A lofty task, yet a worthy one.

Lord, may We today be the moms you have asked us to be. Help us to love without fear, teach without anger and be a peacemaker rather than a peace-breaker.
In the name of Jesus we pray.

Amen

You can do this friend!

A Dare of a Prayer – Will you take the challenge?

Lord,

Help me as I walk down this very daunting path.
Change my heart now filled with anger and wrath.

God show me how to love like You.
To encourage in the way that is true.

Show me Father how to love.
How to encourage my children, not mentally shove.

Them away from a loving embrace,
but to run the heavenly race.

In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen

At times, parenting can feel so daunting and discouraging. Life catches up to us and we get frustrated with responsibility. It can be so easy to just say, go turn on the tv and let mommy (or daddy) think.  Yet, they just want to be loved, hugged, and encouraged just as we do. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”
This should be our goal outside the home and inside the home. Regardless of situations, regardless of what life throws at us. Home is the place to run home and feel safe.

I dare us to pray that God changes our hearts, not to be annoyed, but to love as He does.

Praying today!

Tara

The Shades of Disarray

The Shades of Disarray

By Tara Young

Many shades of disarray I can plainly see.

Why can’t my home be as tidy as I wish it to be?

The hours we read and played today. The laundry piled up high.

To say that I am not discouraged would be a great big lie.

Yet in her eyes I see a glow as first words she read out loud.

Her voice squeaked and screeched as she yelled, “I read! Mom! Aren’t you proud?”

These moments that I have with her are shades of disarray.

The cleaning and the folding will be done as I pray.

Pray that I am worthy of this child placed in my heart.

For in my womb she did not grow, but God gave her a fresh start.

So when I see the disarray, I shrug my shoulders and sigh.

I will get to that, but now, her joy is nigh.

If I wait until she naps, a lot more things get done.

Right now in my shades of disarray, she just wants to have some fun.

 

The Amazing Adventures of Mrs. Farmer Girl and Mrs. Candy

I was out checking the garden and saw these giant purple things that had fallen to the ground. Being the curious person I am I broke it open and the dog jumped up to grab it. Thus, realizing, “Hey, I might be able to eat that.” It smells sweet and is super juicy and the bright, vivid color of a beet.

So, after a few minutes of research,  “Mrs. Farmer Girl” as she asked me to call her and myself, “Mrs. Candy” set out on a prickly pear hunting adventure.

Of course, no outing would be acceptable without dressing up just a little!  I always wear my hat in the sun but hers was a bit over sized. 🙂

Accessories are everything!

A new friend nearby encouraged us.While taking this photo, Mrs. Farmer Girl decided now would be a good time to play with the cactus, so this picture was a bit rushed as I had to do extractions.

So we finished our search with a small load. We went to the kitchen and prepared our delightful goody for sorbet.

You do have to take precautions because they have little spines that are quite painful.

Mrs. Farmer Girl didn’t touch them, she just sprayed them 🙂

Cut them in half and scoop out the center with a spoon.

We whipped them in the blender, strained the seeds (at Mrs Farmer Girl’s request and poured what remained into our ice cream maker. The Recipe we used was from http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/george-duran/prickly-pear-sorbet-recipe/index.html.

Out of pocket expense…

1/2 cup sugar 🙂

I did not save the skins for serving, I used a beautiful piece of my china instead:)

Mrs. Farmer Girl loved her portion. I am saving mine for later 🙂

Thus ended the exciting adventures of… Mrs. Farmer Girl and Mrs. Candy

Our next adventure may come sooner than I think!

Roller skating at 5:30 a.m. Why not?

This picture is a bit blurry, but I had my zoom lens still on from the moon picture I took the other day.

If you have children, you know that there isn’t much time for candid photos! She has been zooming about since about 5:30 this morning with her backpack and has stated that she loves roller skating and needs some “honey mooners”. I had just finished my first cup of coffee when I came to realize she wants some cereal 😉 Communication with a 4 year old is always fun!Have a wonderful day friends. Zoom around with joy!~

picture and poem

Training

As I was reading…

Praying Scripture for the Kids

I was reading Psalm 119 this morning and I began to pray scripture for my family.

“Teach me good judgment for I believe in Your commandments.” Psalm 119:66

Lord, I fall short every day but I can’t live in my bed under the sheets weighed down with discouragement feeling like a failure. I would never leave me sweet solace also known as my bed if that were the case!!

Teach me good judgment when it comes to circumstances and people who I don’t know how to handle. Give me the knowledge that I need to process and deal with the things that come into my life. Give me the wisdom of Solomon as I train my children in Your ways.

Help me to guide them for You and into Your kingdom. My heart’s desire is for them to love You. My prayer for them is that they walk in Your path. I ask that when they rise on the wings of the dawn, if they settle on the seas. Even there Your hand will guide them. My hope is that Your right hand will hold them fast. (Psalm 139)

I pray that You would teach them O Lord the way of Your statutes, and give each of them and understanding so that they can keep your law and observe it with their whole heart. Father, please lead them in the path of Your commandments. May they truly delight in them. Incline their hearts to Your testimonies. You have done so much in their young lives, may they see and understand that. Help them not to do things for selfish gain. Lord, please turn their eyes from looking to worthless things that won’t fill them with lifelong peace and joy, but let them see Your abundance. Give them life in Your ways Sweet Jesus.(Psalm 119:33-37)

Bless my children with the fruit of the spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23) With love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and especially self-control. That one God has been a challenge for all of us lately!

Father reign us all in to be aligned with Your will so that we can honor You. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Embrace

Embrace
By Tara Young

Let us embrace this amazing race. May we run this gauntlet with your awe-inspiring grace.

Our children Lord are a gift from You. Sometimes we go crazy with the stuff they do.

Fill us today and each day that follows, with joy not floundering like a pig in its wallow.

But to truly enjoy each moment each day. To savor, to love, to guide in Your way.

May each reaction be true, kind, and loving. Discipline and caring with firmness and hugging.

These 3 young ladies have been entrusted to us. You have blessed us not wanting to listen to us fuss.

Grateful hearts we want to grow. In Your garden of life we want them to know.

Just how grand our Father in Heaven is. He granted our hearts cries how gracious He is.

Joy flows forth now God we do ask. Help us to trust and wait while we bask.

In your glory also poured from above. Help us shower these gems with Your love