Happy Thanksgiving

Emma and I made this Thankful Turkey. The foam turkey part was pretty easy and then we sat and carefully thought about what things we were thankful for. Both mama and kiddo were pretty pleased (especially since I made the list)!

But it got me thinking. Almost all of the things on her turkey were people. And right in the middle of this lightbulb I got my Tipping Points. Pastor Ed writes weekly Tipping points, which if you don't subscribe, you should and can do so here. Following is an excerpt:

This Thanksgiving, when someone asks me what I’m most thankful for, my answer will be the most tangible expression of His grace on earth—friends and loved ones who walk with us on this path as disciples of Christ Jesus.

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you” (Philippians 1:3).

We are the expression of His grace on earth - how true this is and how very thankful for each of my friends and family.

Whatever your blessings have been this year, I hope you spend time telling our Heavenly Father just how thankful for you are for each of the blessings in your life. If you haven't yet, now's a good time.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Birth Journal

Though I haven't started yearly birthday journals for my girls (yet!), I have created each thier own birth story books. It's just a small bound photobook of pictures of the pregnancy, the entire birth story, and pictures of the birth and first few days. I'm hoping you can view mine here. And you'll find inspiration for your own. Someday I know the girls will treasure these as much as I already do!

Tina has inspired me in so many ways, you're going to get sick of hearing what I'm doing!! But non-the-less, I'm going to share. And I hope she inspired you too. So what have you already begun to do intentionally as a parent? Did you come up with a tradition you want to start? Share it in the comments or send me an email and I'll post it here.

Being Intentional about Christmas preparation

If you're like me about mid-December I think about decorating my house and pointing my children's activities towards Christmas. I've had a small advent calendar for two or three years now, still unused, as I can't remember to get it out in the first few days of December. So this year, I'm starting early - because I'm going to become an intentional parent. I started with wanting to do something adventy all month long to help the little ones understand little bits at a time. So here are a couple of books. I've already picked up the first:

Getting Ready for Christmas is a daily advent prayer and activity book for the family. Each day leading up to Christmas has a scripture to read and a few sentence devotional. It includes a prayer and an activity that coincides. I'm really excited, and so are the kids, since its been sitting out for about a week now, they keep asking to read it, but I'm waiting. Which is proving to be quite the build up.

When I mentioned the above book to another seasoned mom she shared her favorite book from when her children were small, The Best Thing About Christmas. (This one is only $4 bucks on amazon!)

Intentional Parenting Ideas

Session Two with Tina included a number of fantastic ideas to build unity, memories and family fun! Which one are you going to start?

Record Keeping:

Birthday Journals - Yearly journal entries sharing your heart, your memories and your prayers for your children.

Thanksgiving Journal - keep a record of thanks for your family. Bring it to thanksgiving every year and fill it up in between too.

Stones: Stones of Rememberance. Joshua 4:5b-7 "Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever."

Making Memories:

• Birthdays - midnight phone calls in order to be the first one to wish a happy birthday.
• Special Plate for meals, with a book that recorded the special person, reason, meal and date.
• Sunday Morning Breakfasts: everyone seems to be able to get ready in time for breakfast out, why not make it a tradition?
• Pajama Runs: Getting the kids back up after they've been put to bed and taking them out in jammies for a special treat. Dessert at a restaurant, a special visit to gramma's, viewing holiday lights -and only one rule - NO ASKING if tonight is a pajama run night.
• Plate-Over Night - flip thier dinner plate upside down over a simple treat.
• Me and My Mom/Dad trips - take them somewhere just the two of you and enjoy each other!

What ideas were you inspired with?

November: Intentional Parenting

If you missed one of the two Gum meetings in November, I won't lie, you really missed out. Tina shared with us a wealth of information all geared around the idea of intentional parenting. I'll do my best to share with you all the seeds of wisdom she passed on to us, but I'm sure I'll forget something. If I do, would those of you who were there please post a comment, because none of us want to miss one tiny seed.

Thank you Tina for sharing your heart with us about parenting. You've encouraged and inspired me, and I'm already 'growing up' a little more!

Intentional Parenting: treating your parenting like you would a ministry. Ministry requires preparation, discussion, goals, meetings, strategies and assessment. Intentional parenting is "having a purpose for what you do, rather thand doing what has to be done." Whew! That's a lot more than just waking up each day, feeding and carpooling the kiddos!

Good thing the Lord tells us in James 1:5 "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him."

Here is a list of tools for the minsitry, I know you'll find them helpful, just like I did:
Parenting Weekends: Time away to focus on the ministry of parenting your children.

Determine your goals. Work towards those goals with specific activites geared towards desired behaviors which exhibit your goals.

Strengths/Weaknesses: Know your kids strengths and weaknesses, list them, so you can work on ways to help them cultivate and conquer them.

Dinner Table Dialogue: The Question Basket. A basket with one question for each member, drawn at random.

Family Fun Club: Family preparation for the meal (each child with a task: setting the table/seating arrangement, decorations, dessert). Question Basket at dinner. Family Game, Teaching Time, Famiy Meeting and Dessert. All with a purpose/theme and goal.

Regrets Exercise: Imagine its 10 years from now (or more) and your little ones are headed out on thier own. What will you regret having not taught them? What will you regret having not done with them? What always/nevers do you want them to remember?

Tina's Recommended Reading:

• Raising Great Kids by Henry Cloud and John Townsend
• 1000 Questions (I couldn't find this, but check out Table Topics Conversation Cards - Family Edition by TableTopics)
• The New Dare to Discipline by James C. Dobson
• The New Hide or Seek: Building Self-Esteem in Your Child by James C. Dobson

Great Kids Devotional Book

So Emma went to get a book to read before bed tonight and came back with this one.

I've had this book since I was a child, but haven't thought much of it until tonight.

Tonight I read a devotional to Emma from it, and memories of my mother and father reading them to me flooded back. I don't think this is my original copy, but it very well may be. Either way, Amazon has used hardback copies starting at one cent. Now that's a deal.

Anyway, this book is comprised of two-page spreads which include a picture and a devotional including probing age appropriate questions, a related prayer and a verse.

Emma thinks they're fantastic and I really do too. Guess my mother was right on!

Giants Steps for Little People by Kenneth N. Taylor

She's Crafty

I thought I'd post a few nature enthusiasts from friday's, She's Crafty. These little budding artists went "green" for the morning and created the most adorable nature friendly artwork.

Take a peek at these cuties and their masterpieces!

October Speaker Resources

If you weren't with us for GUM this month - fear not. I have speaker notes.

October has been all about our family of origin. Learning about where we've come from and how that affects and effects us as we parent our own children. Judy Underwood and our very own Titus 2 mom, Carol L. shared about their own stories - thanks ladies for sharing your hearts with us!


Below you'll find a whole gamut of resources - books the ladies recommended, which aided thier own journeys as women and parents. So drive by the library and pick one up, (they're also all available at Amazon).


Judy's Recommendations:
Confident Children and How They Grow by Richard L. Strauss
Children Are Wet Cement by Anne Ortlund
What is a Family by Edith Shaffer

Carol's Recommendations:
Devotionals
The Unquenchable Worshipper by Matt Redmond
31 Days of Praise by Ruth Myers

Spiritual Life
Set Apart; Calling a Worldly Church to a Godly Life by Kent Hughes
Celebration of Discipline; The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard Foster
The Great Omission; Reclaiming Jesus’ Essential Teachings on Discipleship by Dallas Willard

Child-Rearing
Dare to Discipline by James Dobson
How to Really Love Your Child by Ross Campbell, M.D.
You and Your Child by Charles Swindoll

Carol also recommended the blog from Leadership Catalyst at http://truefaced.com/blog/

Costume Exchange

This Thursday we'll be having a Costume Exchange. If you have a costume you no longer want or need, kids out grew it, etc. bring it on Thursday.

The rules are simple. Bring one to exchange or one to donate. If you brought one (or three) you can take home one (or three) or none if you'd prefer. Mamas who brought have first choice, and then we'll open it up to the entire group. Please bring them labelled by size.

So dig through those closets and storage boxes in the garage and pull out those costumes or dress up clothes and bring them with you on Thursday.

I'll be bringing the ladybug above and this dandy sweet pea (child not included). What have you got?

God is love.

I am a woman and most likely if you’re reading this, you are too. Nothing can change that I am woman. It’s who I am. [I know you wonder where I'm going...but stay with me...]

God is love. I am so not love. I feel love. I experience love. I give love. But I am not love. God is love. It is not a feeling or an experience or an action, it is who He is. God IS love. And He loves us. He loves you. He loves me. He love our kids. And nothing can change that God is love, and he loves us.

Romans 8:38-39
38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

A couple weekends ago I attended the COD women’s mini retreat, a video conference by Beth Moore on the topic of love. And this concept of 'God is love' hit me in a new and refreshing way. As unchangeable as I am woman, God is love. And he pours out his love on me so that I might love others. His love overwhelms me, it heals me, and it spurs me to love when I can’t do it alone.

So I was reminded of this when I woke one morning after a long week of emotional exhaustion and ministry and thought I can’t do this, I can’t love these children or these other people in my life anymore today, I’m still exhausted from yesterday. Or last week. Or maybe the last month. I know you mamas know this exhuastion. Its the one that makes you doubt your ablity to play with, change, or run errands with your little ones. Its the exhaustion that spurs you to let voicemail answer your calls, or have cereal for dinner. The exhaustion that leaves your emotions raw from the heartache that comes with life sometimes, and un-able to give anything else, to anyone.

But that morning when I woke and felt unable to manage my day and desired nothing but to hide under the covers until everyone stopped poking me - it was then, right there in my comfy cozy bed, in a moment with God, when He reminded me of an amazing truth. When I am unable, God is able. When I am exhausted, God gives me strength. When I am weary, God gives me rest. When I am afraid, He gives me courage. When I am worried, He gives me peace. When I am broken-hearted, He heals my wounds. What is impossible for me to do today, is possible because of God. Because He loves me and His love fills me. I have all the resources I need in Him.

What’s impossible for you today? Are you exhausted, weary, or afraid? Tell Him. His love is unfailing and enduring. Let His love fill you.

James 1:5

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

Carol will be sharing more of her insights from the women's mini-retreat on Thursday - don't miss it!