Small Beginnings

My days are currently filled with lots of sitting. Sitting to nurse the baby, sitting to hold the baby, sitting to read to my toddler, sitting to do schoolwork with the older kids. In fact, I’m finding it hard to be up enough just to get the dishes done or food on the table. Forget cleaning the house!

I had forgotten what it’s like to have a toddler and a newborn. I’ve done this several other times (even a newborn with three toddlers!), but it was several years ago. And now, with so many older kids who don’t nap it’s much harder to keep the house tidy and keep up with all that needs to get done.

I’m not complaining. Motherhood is the career I’ve always wanted. I’m thrilled that I have the privilege of teaching my children at home … knowing them so well and seeing firsthand the growth in character, body, mind, and spirit. But I will admit that it’s been frustrating for me to have life slow down to a near stop as we adjust once more to having a newborn in the house.

The other night Josh and I were discussing something completely unrelated to parenting when he rattled off a verse that caused me to stop him midsentence. I was so struck by what he had just said that I ditched our conversation and had him point me to the specific Bible verse he had quoted.

“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin.” (Zechariah 4:10 NLT)

This is a verse that needs to be plastered throughout my house. If I could see my own forehead throughout the day, I’d write it there. This verse should be touted as a banner verse for mothering … for parents everywhere who are frustrated by the slow progress and repetitive nature of raising children.

Today, as I go through my day of nursing the baby again, washing the dishes once more, folding another set of clean clothes, picking up the toys that were just cleaned up an hour ago, re-explaining a math concept for the four hundred and sixty-seventh time, desperately trying to come up with a new and fresh way to drive home the importance of respect … in short, parenting yet another day moment by moment … this verse rings through my head. And I am reminded that these small beginnings are just that – the beginning. I am teaching skills that will be necessary throughout my child’s life. Skills that they will someday teach to their own children. Skills that will aid them in the workplace, the home, the community, the church. My job may feel redundant and mundane, but it is essential. And the Lord rejoices to see me begin these small things with my children.

Am I taking the verse out of context here? Yes. And I know that. But the overall pattern of Scripture shows a God who uses ordinary people in insignificant places doing small things to transform the world. This verse so pierced my heart and convicted me of my own selfish attitude in regards to motherhood. If I’m honest with myself, I can see that I often despise the small things throughout my day. I sigh when I see the dishes in the sink, I inwardly groan when faced with another mountain of laundry, I complain in the middle of the night when another child wakens needing Mommy. But this is what I am called to and if I can see the joy in beginning these small things with my children, the work will not be as heavy. As the Lord rejoices in giving these good gifts of children to me, I can rejoice in the not-so-small work of laying a firm foundation for their lives.

Healing In the Shadow of the Cross

A week and one day ago, I gave birth to the most beautiful little boy.



Isn't he perfect?!

There was a time during this pregnancy when we wondered if we'd ever get to hold this little one. And if we did get to hold him, we feared that he would not be in our arms for long. I blogged about the healing of little Micah here.

The other day as Micah lay in the sunshine on my bed, I was reminded of how much I have to give thanks for. The sun was streaming in and the frame of the window cast a cross perfectly over little Micah's chest. The same chest that once had fluid around the heart, a diaphragm out of place, a too small chest cavity. The chest that God healed in His perfect way.



I pray that he will always live in the shadow of the cross. And I pray that I will never forget the Giver of this precious gift.

Guest Post: Reflections on a Mother's Prayer by Kristyn Getty

It's May, and that means Mother's Day is just days away. As I anticipate the arrival of my own sweet babe, I'm honored to share with you a guest post from Kristyn Getty. The Getty's have a beautiful song called "A Mother's Prayer" and have created a video featuring their sweet daughter. This is the first video the Getty's have done and it is being released just in time for Mother's Day. Please take time to watch the video and read Kristyn's thoughtful words.


Reflections on A Mother’s Prayer
Kristyn Getty


In the spring of 2008 I first prayed for a baby, and in the spring of 2011 God answered that prayer with the birth of our beautiful daughter. My joy was full but so were the fears I wrestled. In some ways I felt like a baby Christian again, caught in a whirlwind of emotions, learning and applying what I have known and trusted into a completely new life - I know I'm definitely not the first to feel that!

Friends of ours had given us a card when their first son was born; it was full of prayer requests for his little life, a prayer for every day of the month. My prayers were not quite as coherent as those, especially at first, but the urgency of the moment drove me to my knees. “Help her, help me” baby prayers at 3am; prayers as I heard the baby monitor light up in the morning; prayers when I thought of her safety, her soul, her future; prayers with my husband; prayers while Eliza listened in.

When people found out that I was pregnant one of the most frequent comments I received was how my creativity would discover a whole new vista of inspiration as I became a mother. So, when Eliza came I was anticipating a fresh flow of profound poetic thought, but instead I was swept up in the constant flow of changes and feedings and “Old MacDonald had a farm!” I was expecting full sentences, but I was blubbering looking at my beautiful girl! I actually wondered if I'd ever be able to write again. I just about tucked some thoughts away to ponder later when my brain would start to fit itself back together again (still nowhere near a completed process!). As I continued to learn the wonderful balancing act and privilege of mothering, homemaking, writing, traveling and singing, Keith and I began to write a song for Eliza choosing this theme of praying for her, and the end result was “A Mother's Prayer.”

My parents have faithfully prayed for me my whole life, and I remember when I was younger my mum met with other mums to pray for all their children – a “Moms in Touch” group in Belfast. Even just the knowledge of that helped me, and I want Eliza to know we are praying for her and trying to guide her in this context that reaches to the call and purpose of her whole life and an understanding of the Lord's grace and faithfulness. We're now in the toddler stage and some of the prayer needs are shifting. We wanted the song to reflect the different seasons - ones we had discovered and then those still to come. We also wrote it to remind us of our promise to pray for her through all the years we're given. We hope this song for her – and even more our praying for her – might catch her ear and help guide her heart as she grows up.








Kristyn Getty's Mother's Day Prayers/Journals

I noticed an older journal of mine amongst the debris of an Eliza playtime around my bookshelf and sat down to leaf through it. Before the sickness and tiredness of pregnancy, in the days when I had time in abundance and thought I was 'busy', my most focused and best devotional times were always when I journaled. To my shame, through pregnancy, and even now I have not managed to be anywhere near as consistent as I'd like to be or need to be. But in this newly discovered old notebook I read through a few prayers I had scribbled pre and post baby and remembered again God's continuing faithfulness through the transitions of new life, chapters and all the unknown days ahead. It also inspired me to really focus on journaling again! I noted some of the prayers below - they're nothing grand!- but I hope they might help someone in someway...

December 26th 2010 (10 weeks until baby comes)

'Lord, help me not be afraid'


January 4th 2011

Father in heaven,

What a miracle it is that a little one is hidden inside of me and that You are weaving her together piece by piece, inch by inch; that You know all her days before they come to be, her abilities, her struggles, her humor, her disposition, the color of her eyes, the shape of her feet. Such knowledge is too marvelous for me. I praise You for she is fearfully and wonderfully made. Lord please protect her within my womb...'


January 8th 2011 - 8 weeks and 2 days till baby comes

'Thank you for this little child within my womb - may she very early in life add her praise to the great song of praise and that those looking on might see Your goodness and strength through her young voice. Help us teach her Lord, inspire her, make known what is right and how holiness is always beautiful...'

The same day -

'I think today of those ladies I know who long to be mothers remembering my own heartache and how hard it is to wait and not know. Father, please enable them to conceive and carry babies full term. Help them to get through each day fulfilling what it is you have called them to for that moment. May their greatest delight be in You and if children do not come move in their hearts by Your grace that they may not be lost in the distraction or disappointment but know Your healing and purpose for their lives. You know the pain - draw near to them this day'


April 8th 2011 (Eliza is 5 and a 1/2 weeks old)

'Father in heaven, thank You for this new morning and safety and rest through the night as Your unsleeping eye watched over us. Thank You that all our nights and all our days are known and measured by You. Thank You for the joy of family and that You love and care for each member of my family more than I ever could. And yet the love of a mother is both fierce and gentle, strong and tender - thank You for our beautiful baby. Forgive my anxious thoughts, worries and any idolatry in my heart. She is Your child and may I love and serve You well in loving and protecting her to the best of my ability. May I love and honor You by loving and honoring my husband well. Thank You for Your care of me in these last weeks'



First Mothers Day - May 8th 2011

Today is my first Mother's Day as a mother - thank you Lord for enabling me to be a mother and for the precious gift of Eliza in our lives. Help me be a godly and gentle and hardworking and loving and joyful mother to the glory of Christ. May He be first in our hearts as we pray He will be first in Eliza's heart

Enough for All?

I've been slowly making my way through Katie Davis' book Kisses from Katie. I'm reading it slowly not because it's hard to read or uninteresting, but because I'm finding that Katie has so many incredible insights that I really want to chew slowly on them.

For those who don't know of her, Katie Davis left home at as a young woman just out of high school and is pursuing God's calling as a missionary in Uganda. At the time of publication, she had adopted 13 girls and is still only in her mid 20s. She has started a non-profit organization which helps children attain the funds and supplies they need to attend school. She is doing incredible things for the Lord. And her insight into Scripture at such a young age amazes me.

Towards the beginning of the book, Katie shares this profound thought: "God did not make too many people and not enough resources to go around."

It's a simple thought that I'm sure we've all entertained, but one that I have never really put much effort into. I live a comfortable life. I have a large family to care for and work to do so on a budget. We try not to overspend, but we certainly don't lack anything. And even in years of want, the Lord has always provided all we needed and even more. The kind of life Katie describes in Uganda is completely foreign to me. I cannot imagine eating one meal a day, having only one change of clothes, suffering the pain of sores on my feet because I can't afford shoes.

And yet, Katie is completely right. God has provided enough in this world for all the people he has created. So why am I not setting a better example for my children in sharing the bounty God has lavished on us?

There's a second book I'm reading right now. It's part of the curriculum I'm doing with my two oldest children. It's a book on economics by Richard J. Maybury called Whatever Happened to Penny Candy?

Honestly, the word economics scares me. And the thought of trying to teach financial responsibility to my children is daunting. I am after all the person who really truly thought that I would continue to get money out of an ATM even though the bank account tally kept dwindling. Yeah, that's a little embarrassing to admit, but it was a good lesson for me as I struck out on my own for the first time.

Maybury has written a book that is not only understandable for someone like me, but is also a book my children are finding interesting and educational. We're combining it with some studies for kids put out by Crown Financial Ministries. Maybury spends much time in his book explaining inflation - what it is, where it comes from, what the effects are, etc.

One of the quotes I found particularly interesting was this, "At bottom, inflation is an ethics problem. The only way to stop the spread of inflation is to start the spread of ethics. After traveling in 48 states and 45 countries, I have come to believe that all major problems are problems in ethics. When we begin using ethics to attack problems, we will have real, lasting solutions."

Profound!

What this tells me as a mother, as a homemaker, as a consumer, as a woman, as an American, and as a child of God, is that the problems Katie recognizes in Uganda and the problems we are now dealing with as a nation all have the same source. It's not just that people don't know how to use money responsibly - or even how to attain money. It's that we are lacking the ethical decision making necessary to use and gain money wisely.

So, if I am to be teaching my children financial responsibility, I cannot neglect the importance of wisdom. So many proverbs written by King Solomon and included in the Bible come to mind when I think of wisdom in regards to money.

"Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold." Proverbs 3:13-14

"Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it." Proverbs 3:27

"Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways and be wise. A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man." Proverbs 6:6, 10-11

"The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them. Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death." Proverbs 11:3-4

"Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer harm, but he who hates striking hands in pledge is secure." Proverbs 11:15

And here's one that speaks directly to this particular blog post:
"One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want." Proverbs 11:24


I could go on and on quoting from the book of Proverbs. But the recurring and underlying theme is that wise dealings in money, life, and faith lead to profit in all those areas. So as I teach my children financial responsibility and point out potential pitfalls, as I seek to model for them a generous lifestyle, I must couple it with the "whys" set forth in Scripture. The "whys" of the wise.

Large Family Car Travel Tips: Keeping Kids Occupied

Often when I research things about large families, I come up with tips for families that have only 2-4 children. We are a family of 8 (soon). These travel posts are to help bigger families figure out how to survive days of road travel with minimal tension, whining, and stress. Hope it helps, and happy travels!

Other travel posts in this series:
Snacks
Suitcase Organization
Keeping the Car Organized
Special Tips You May Not Know



Let's be honest. Keeping kids happy means keeping your sanity. Our most recent trip included days upon days of driving. So I spent weeks upon weeks working to prepare for it. I spent way more time preparing things to keep the kids busy than I did wondering what to pack or even looking forward to our vacation time. To save you the same amount of preparation, here are some of the tried and true activities that helped us pass the time in busy peace. Our kids all pack their own backpacks with toys and activities, but it's good for mom and dad to have a few surprises waiting.



We've all seen the seek and find jars. These were super easy to make and the kids loved them. I made two that were identical. Just fill a jar with rice (plastic jars are better than glass in case little hands drop them), take pictures of little things found around the house, and place those items in the jar. Then you can print out a card with all the pictures of what the kids need to find, hot glue it to the lid of the jar, and hot glue the lid onto the jar. Be sure to glue the lid. Unless you want rice all over your car.

While we're on the subject of seek and find, if your kids are like mine seek and find books or Where's Waldo books can occupy them for hours. Seriously, hours. Well worth the price of the books.



Those of you with little ones know how excited they get about pictures of family members or things they love. My little one is particularly fascinated with fluffy animals. I purchased 2 little flip photo albums from the dollar store and filled them with pictures printed from my computer. One was all pictures of animals and the other had various items he would recognize from daily life. Things like toys, balls, toes, and foods. He loved them! And since I didn't allow him to play with them before the trip, they were completely new and exciting for him. (On a side note, it helps to actually tape the pictures inside the photo protectors so that little hands can't pull them out.)



Other cheap activities use pipe cleaners and aluminum foil. Pipe cleaners can be bent and re-bent into dozens of different things. If you give kids a variety of colors, they can stay busy for quite some time. Aluminum foil is also great for creativity. Rip off several sections of aluminum foil for each child and let them sculpt the foil into little armies, animals or other fun things. Just be sure they understand the expectation that at the end of the day the sculptures head to the trash. Otherwise you'll have aluminum foil "masterpieces" throughout your vehicle for a long time.



Traveling at nighttime can be tough. The driver needs to keep the lights off inside the vehicle, but it's hard for kids to stay occupied in the dark. The dollar store has little mini clip lights that kids can use for reading or drawing.

And I have yet to meet a kid who will object to having a few glow sticks to play with. Depending on what your kids like, you can get the sticks, the necklaces, the bracelets, or any other assortment of glowing fun. These can also be found at the dollar store for a much cheaper price than places like WalMart or Target. Besides, if you end up at a hotel without a pool, you can always throw a couple of glow sticks into the bathtub for some swimming fun in your room.



Another terrific idea for our toddler was to bring a cookie sheet and some magnetic cars. You can see by the picture how much he loved it! Some car seats have arm rests that include a space between the bottom of the arm rest and the rest of the chair. In such cases, attaching the cookie sheet to the car seat is a piece of cake. Our car seat doesn't have arm "handles" so we ended up drilling holes in the tray and then created a long strap to go around the back of his car seat. We left the cookie sheet hooked to the strap on one side (which also allowed it to hang down against the side of the car when not in use) and just hooked it to the other side of the strap when ready to use it. I picked up a few strong, round magnets at the hardware store and stuck them on the bottom of a few matchbox cars.



Be sure the bottom of the car is flat or else you'll have trouble getting the magnets to stick.



We also used other cookie sheets for our older kids. Our first grader was given a metal tin full of magnetic numbers and letters and he enjoyed spelling out various words. For older kids you can cut out pictures of facial features from magazines and laminate them. Stick magnets on the back and kids have a great time making all sorts of silly faces on their cookie sheets.



In years past, one of the frustrations while driving has been when our kids drop their pencils and crayons. Of course, we want them to stay in their seatbelts, but it can create a long and whiny wait when they can't reach their writing tools until the next rest stop. We've tried tying pencils on to clipboards in the past, and that has worked well, but when space is an issue even a clipboard per child can feel like a space hog. And many clipboards are either too small for a regular sized piece of paper or too large to fit in a child's backpack. For this trip, I used a small zippered bag for each child. In these bags they received two mechanical pencils (so the leads didn't break and leave them useless) of a specific color, a box of new crayons, one dry erase marker, their book light for nighttime, and a small travel pack of tissues. The marker and tissues came in handy for use with their binders (explained below), and the crayons, pencils, and light eliminated the bickering caused by having to share. Plus, by giving each child a specific pencil color I knew who was missing theirs each time we unpacked the van.



The travel binders I made for the kids were tremendously helpful! Each child had a three ring binder filled with various activities and fun papers. Some papers were reusable because they were placed in page protectors and the kids were able to use their dry erase markers to write and a tissue to clean it off. This allowed them to play tic tac toe and travel bingo again and again. Other papers had coloring activities printed from the internet or copied from our own coloring books. And others were given to inspire creativity.



These papers had them creating silly faces, designing cars to get us to our destination faster, imagining what they would do with a thousand dollars, etc. I packed an extra set of papers for each binder to replace the used ones for our trip home. That way, the binders would once again be fresh and new. My favorite paper asked them to draw or write about the best part of the trip. Those papers are great for putting in the scrapbook once you return home!


Of course there are so many other things you can do. One of our children has a kindle and enjoyed several hours playing games and reading on that. A friend lent us a few leap pads and the kids were quietest when playing on those. However, with electronics, it's good to limit the amount of time the kids spend on them each day. Not only can they strain their eyes, but extended use of electronics can also contribute to motion sickness and sore necks. Electronics for toddlers are a little harder to come by, but a friend let us borrow a personal dvd player. About once a day, we'd turn on a Thomas the Tank Engine video and our 18 month old would happily pass through his fussy time of day.

Another life saver in the car was having the sense to bring a few blankets along and to keep the kids' pillows within reach. If anyone was tired enough to nap, they could do so comfortably. And the blankets were great for moderating the temperature in the car with several differing opinions being heard from the backseat.



Having a deck of cards on hand, a few travel games, and a couple of dollar store surprises keeps even a long ride manageable. With a little prep and creativity you can easily pass the hours and days peacefully ... and hopefully happily!