The Bad Tooth Fairy

Our tooth fairy must be very very busy. She really isn't very good at her job. She forgets to collect teeth. She misplaces treats and money. She puts teeth in a drawer in mom's desk in plain view. She offers no explanation for her actions.

She tries to make it right by leaving treats on the kitchen table and money in mom's purse but it just isn't the same. I wonder how we can get a new one. Maybe, if we ask Dad he would have some ideas. Maddy is really at her wits end with this tooth fairy we have been given.

Maddy lost a tooth today and I'm hoping the tooth fairy remembers to do her job.

Worry Wart

Philippians 4:5 (NIV)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

The above verse is something I'm trying to live out right now. When things are going haywire at work, at home or with family I have a hard time being content and not getting anxious. I tend to obsess and worry over what is going to happen and so forth. So instead of being anxious I'm learning to pray and not just pray but pray with thankfulness to the Lord and to present my saviour with my requests.

I received a distressing email this weekend. So instead of letting it ruin my evening I read, I spent time with my husband and kids and I did not check my email again until the morning. I prayed and asked God to help me be content even when something was going wrong. What a blessing it is to have a safe place to run to and to hide when things are out of sorts?!

Cookbook Giveaway!

My friend Jill at Simple Daily Recipies is giving away a free cookbook! Check out this awesome offer and her super website at: http://simpledailyrecipes.com/rachael-ray-365no-repeats-cookbook-giveaway/.

Simple Daily Recipies is exactly what the title says it is and the recipies are yummy yummy! Check it out!

Politics - Random Thoughts

Welfare

I am amazed at how people sit in judgement of those who take part in government programs.

I hear people say "God helps those who help themselves" (not Biblical) all the time. I have a hard time thinking this is a Christian way of thinking.

Side note: "God helps those who help themselves" is probably the most often quoted phrase that is not found in the Bible. This is actually a quote from Ben Franklin and it appeared in Poor Richard's Almanac in 1757. In fact the Bible teaches the opposite. God helps the helpless! Isaiah 25:4 declares, "For You have been a defense for the helpless, a defense for the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat..." Romans 5:6 tells us, "For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." (http://www.gotquestions.org/God-help-themselves.html)

When I was a young mom, I had to receive welfare. I took Medicade so that my son could have health care. And that health care sucked. It was bad. We never saw the same Dr. I was treated with disdain. I also took part in WIC in order to get basic staples for us to live on. I was made fun of in a grocery store line by an employee. It was humiliating. It didn't have to be. It could have been a way for God to provide and it was. I wish I could have seen it that way.

So to say the least my heart goes out to people who have to swallow their pride, sit all day in the welfare office and hope it is enough. That is the face of welfare. Not those who skirt the system. Those people are rare. There are rich people who defraud insurance companies. There are bad people out there and they are the exception not the rule.

Jesus said "Whatever you do unto the least of these, you do unto me."

And I thought I was a crazy mom...

Yesterday was hot, it was close to 100 here in Texas. I truly believe that tempers flare here in Texas when you are hot and kids are home all day.

I was driving in my car yesterday afternoon when Charlie (our 12 year old son) called very upset and crying. Which, by the way, doesn't happen very easily when your 12 and a boy. Anyways, he had just come home from a friends house where the mom had cussed him out and told him to go home.

I immediately got off the phone with him and called the mom. I tried to have a tone of "no big deal, this is probably not true" so that she would tell me the real deal. Well to make a long story short Charlie had done a very minor annoying thing (splashed her 4 year old with water) and she was inside the house. She went outside, cussed Charlie and he left. I made it clear he would never go to her house and that she was abusive. The Lord planned this out right. I had both girls with me. I had to keep my cool and fight off thoughts of driving to her house and having it out with her.

You know what really hurts? I had a feeling about this lady but blew it off. Friends, trust your instincts. The Holy Spirit had prompted me and I didn't head its warning. Never again. If you know Charlie you know his sweet spirit, you know his kindness to small children and you know that he would rather die than to disrespect someone at their house. He got a lesson in how cruel adults can be yesterday and that was a lesson I never intended him to learn. I know the faults of my kids and I am not one to say they are perfect angels that can do no wrong. But he didn't deserve that. No child ever deserves that.

I'm trying to pray for her. Something isn't right. It is hard to feel compassion for her. Honestly.

Moving on...I am taking a half a day today to clean house. Tomorrow is Zoe's birthday party. She turned 1 yesterday. What a sweet sweet baby. (Who incidentally loves her big brother with all her heart). We are having some grandparents over, my sister and her friend. It will be so sweet and fun.

Summer Plans

This year I have the privilege of working from home during the month of June. I have to go into the office when necessary but mostly I will be at home. Maddy (age 6) doesn't start summer day camp until July so I will be with her and Charlie (age 12) as much as possible during June. Zoe (11 months) still goes to daycare.

Maddy has responded great with me being around during the day. She prayed thanking God for us spending time together and she tells her brother things like "Mom makes the best fries" and "Only moms can get out big splinters". To say the least I have been blessed by her response.

There is a downside to working from home as well. One being that when said splinter occurs you have to stop what you are doing and I didn't realize how much I depend on momentum in getting things done. Also, I have to resist the urge to nap or clean. For instance the living room looks like a bomb went off in it. I asked Maddy to clean up the craziness that is our front room. She said "I don't know how to clean." I had to take time to explain to her that she does and that she needs to do it in sections which required me to supervise.

I have to say I did this exercise with patience because, well... we are home all day together and I don't want her to stop telling people I'm good at this mom thing and stop thanking God for me...I know it's selfish.