Today I am taking a totally selfish "all about me" moment... so gather round. I took my 5 minutes today to ask God what he wants me to be when I grow up. If I grow up... no wait, if I am 32 do I automatically enter grown up status? When do we know that we are doing what we are supposed to do? I envision the opening scene from Cinderella waking up(hair & make up fully done) to bright sun, a flock of birds flying her gown to her as she sings in perfect pitch to greet the day. For some reason mine always starts with half my hair standing straight up, the other flat and frizzy; i wake up to a gassy dog trying to steal all of my pillows; and my melodic voice is more like Kermit the Frog with a cold... my fairy godmother is out of town most mornings. So if I am doing what God wants me to do, where is my entourage of birds to fetch my clothes?
It all hit me as I was using my custom made bottle of baby butt rinse brought to me by parents of a baby I watch. He is allergic to wipes and most fibers, so I get to ponder life's questions during the 20 minutes it takes me to spray down his rear and use countless cotton balls to clear the mess... do not be jealous! God wants me to be happy with what I have but always strive for more. When baby butt rinse in involved, up is really the only option.
Things are starting to turn around here in the Phillips' house. God has given us gifts that we have prayed for and prayed for, and I appreciate each one. I want to give others a glimpse of what God has given me. I can never fully appreciate things if I compare myself to unrealistic goals. So, as I sit and wait for bibity bobity boo, I am going to enjoy today for what it is. Take your 5 minutes and ask God what He has in store for you. I kept looking for what was down the road from God, that I missed what was right here, right now! So, even if God has put a big bottle of baby butt rinse in your way, just go with it because its what He wants for you right then. Have faith that you are doing these things for a reason. It's a journey, and He is in charge! Blessings and love to all today.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
On God's clock.
I find it so relaxing to sit here tonight after a day of several oh so joyous events. I feel like Mr. Roger's coming in with a smile and a warm greeting, taking off his sweater and in a calm voice saying... "Hi, welcome in!" Now, understand, my version may not be exactly what you saw on the show. I am taking off the sweater because a 5 month old projectile vomited on me like some scene from The Exorcist. My calm voice consists of a less than quiet bellow up the stairs that I was soon to punish whomever left the ice cube on the floor that melted into a small lake just big enough for me to slip in, and my "welcome in" is not quite as mellow. Does "Shut that door or the cats will get out!!! See you left it open to long and the cat got out. Get in this house!" count?
Serene I know. You, too, can achieve this harmonious level of calm. Let me tell you how to accomplish this. First, set your alarm 10 minutes later and not give any time for your morning chat with God. Then drink enough coffee to fuel a 747... and put a 2,4, and 7 year old bickering in the background on top of that. The tension is melting away already I can tell. Remember to take everything personally because the 5 month old threw up on you just because he knew you were bored. And the unholy level of foulness that came out of that small beings diaper was just a treat because what better way to say I love you than a diaper that clears a room. Now that's special.
And because I know not one woman out there needs a moment to herself, be sure that one child wakes up right as the others are falling asleep after crying for 20 minutes that the Dora nightgown is dirty.
So, what have we learned today? Well, I know one thing is FOR SURE. When I do not make time in my day for God to speak to me and work through me it is AWFUL. God created everything in this world... including time. We owe Him some every single day without exception. He does not care where you are but He does care that you focus on Him. The rest of your day can be as peaceful as mine was(which, had I given Him time earlier, I wouldn't have been ill prepared for my day) .... So bottom line is this... we are all on God's clock before anyone else's even when there is vomit or poo involved. Trust me, I needed prayer after that today. So, mommas out there grab a loofah, some lemon scented Clorox(because it is the only thing that gets you clean afer a day of kids) and treat yourselves to a cleansing shower. If you haven't talked to God today, please do it now!
Serene I know. You, too, can achieve this harmonious level of calm. Let me tell you how to accomplish this. First, set your alarm 10 minutes later and not give any time for your morning chat with God. Then drink enough coffee to fuel a 747... and put a 2,4, and 7 year old bickering in the background on top of that. The tension is melting away already I can tell. Remember to take everything personally because the 5 month old threw up on you just because he knew you were bored. And the unholy level of foulness that came out of that small beings diaper was just a treat because what better way to say I love you than a diaper that clears a room. Now that's special.
And because I know not one woman out there needs a moment to herself, be sure that one child wakes up right as the others are falling asleep after crying for 20 minutes that the Dora nightgown is dirty.
So, what have we learned today? Well, I know one thing is FOR SURE. When I do not make time in my day for God to speak to me and work through me it is AWFUL. God created everything in this world... including time. We owe Him some every single day without exception. He does not care where you are but He does care that you focus on Him. The rest of your day can be as peaceful as mine was(which, had I given Him time earlier, I wouldn't have been ill prepared for my day) .... So bottom line is this... we are all on God's clock before anyone else's even when there is vomit or poo involved. Trust me, I needed prayer after that today. So, mommas out there grab a loofah, some lemon scented Clorox(because it is the only thing that gets you clean afer a day of kids) and treat yourselves to a cleansing shower. If you haven't talked to God today, please do it now!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Ocean Front View
Well, here I sit, toes in the sand being awe inspired by what God has created. 72 hours ago, I was folding laundry in house that may or may not be mine in a few weeks... recessions are so FUN. After 5 months of the most uncertain times in my life, I sit here crying to God. I cry because my life is so uncertain with each passing day, and, lately, I see no end in sight. I cry because I know He is with me every second of every day, but like a child needing the physical embrace of a parent when life gets hard, I still have times I feel alone and need Him right there. Now we all know that can not happen. Will not happen. That is not how God shows His presence to us anymore. He is with us in the valleys and on the tops of the highest mountains, but this 5 month valley has proven to be a true test of my faith.
Nothing in our lives, aside from God, is certain. Waking up each day is never a guarantee. Your next meal, paycheck, or embrace from a loved one... could all be gone in an instant. As I sit here with the sand slipping out from under my feet with each passing wave, I know God has a message just for me. Even though that wave crashes down all day every day and rips that patch of ground out from under me, the next second there is another behind it waiting to give me the stability I need to keep standing. When life comes in and washes the sand from beneath my feet, I have to know with all of my heart, that God WILL provide steady ground behind it. It is not always as quickly as I would have it... but it is always there.
The ocean is a great metaphor for life because it is never the same at any given moment. Things are always growing, moving, changing... but yet we always know when we touch our toes to that 1st grain of sand... there the ocean has been sitting, waiting, always a constant. During a storm the surface can be a raging beast ready to tear us down, but underneath it all there is a calm. This calm is always there. It never changes. You just have to dig deep enough to find it.
It is just like God's love for us. He may put a tsunami in front of us to see if we can swim, and if our faith holds strong and keeps us afloat... there is always a calm after the storm. Just as one wave knocks you down, there is another rolling right behind it to pick you back up.
I am looking at a sunset that only our God could have made. It is like He painted it just for me tonight. The moon hangs in a crystal clear blue sky over the ocean like heaven is just past what my eye can see. I turn and look behind me to see colors of coral, yellow, purple, blue and red, and I feel God giving me that embrace I have so desperately longed for. Life is more than a mortgage payment or past due bills. It is about right now. Look what wonder He has given me tonight... the sting on my cheeks from the warmth of His sun, and the cool sand between my toes show me just how blessed one can be without a thing. God is truly great!
Nothing in our lives, aside from God, is certain. Waking up each day is never a guarantee. Your next meal, paycheck, or embrace from a loved one... could all be gone in an instant. As I sit here with the sand slipping out from under my feet with each passing wave, I know God has a message just for me. Even though that wave crashes down all day every day and rips that patch of ground out from under me, the next second there is another behind it waiting to give me the stability I need to keep standing. When life comes in and washes the sand from beneath my feet, I have to know with all of my heart, that God WILL provide steady ground behind it. It is not always as quickly as I would have it... but it is always there.
The ocean is a great metaphor for life because it is never the same at any given moment. Things are always growing, moving, changing... but yet we always know when we touch our toes to that 1st grain of sand... there the ocean has been sitting, waiting, always a constant. During a storm the surface can be a raging beast ready to tear us down, but underneath it all there is a calm. This calm is always there. It never changes. You just have to dig deep enough to find it.
It is just like God's love for us. He may put a tsunami in front of us to see if we can swim, and if our faith holds strong and keeps us afloat... there is always a calm after the storm. Just as one wave knocks you down, there is another rolling right behind it to pick you back up.
I am looking at a sunset that only our God could have made. It is like He painted it just for me tonight. The moon hangs in a crystal clear blue sky over the ocean like heaven is just past what my eye can see. I turn and look behind me to see colors of coral, yellow, purple, blue and red, and I feel God giving me that embrace I have so desperately longed for. Life is more than a mortgage payment or past due bills. It is about right now. Look what wonder He has given me tonight... the sting on my cheeks from the warmth of His sun, and the cool sand between my toes show me just how blessed one can be without a thing. God is truly great!
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