Showing posts with label #mysinglemomlife. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #mysinglemomlife. Show all posts

Monday, May 18, 2015

Letting Christ Strengthen Me

      So, what do you do when you're feeling completely defeated and incapable of any abilities? What do you do when that moment strikes and you think "Did I bite off more than I can chew?" Or maybe you were saying to yourself “What in the world were you thinking that you could do this!?!?!”


Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.


You turn your eyes up to the Lord and turn that defeated feeling over to Him. Then He will show you how strong you truly are because of Him!

I did that tonight when I was feeling pretty stupid for attempting this one particular task. I began to talk to God about it. Sometimes I do this by walking around the house picking up little out of place items because my brain will relax and speak more freely to Him. As soon as I did that, I felt that turn completely 180 degrees and realized, it's not that I'm not smart enough. It's simply I don't have the skills to complete the task so therefore, I need to ask and LEARN the skills so that I can complete my task in front of me.

Tonight I will rest comfortably knowing that tomorrow will be a new day and The Lord loves me unconditionally. I know that I will learn how to do this and it will be amazing once I get it finished! I pray for you tonight also, that if you are feeling defeated, you will turn your eyes to Heaven and ask for the strength that Christ gives you. Let that strength wash over you tonight so that when you wake in the morning you will feel refreshed and rested knowing that you will get this done!

Good night my friends!


Monday, May 26, 2014

Wow! What a Weekend!



     Do you ever have weekends that you look back on Sunday night and think “Did I do anything besides watch TV?” I love lazy weekends where we have nothing on the schedule but to just hang around the house. Our weekends are usually pretty quiet but filled with tasks around the house and grocery shopping but this weekend was nowhere near that! I’m thinking I might need a couple of extra days in my weekend to recover from my weekend!

Friday morning I made an offer to buy a house in town and they accepted! So hopefully within the next 4-6 weeks, we will be living in the thriving metropolis of Saint Jo, Texas! Of course, there’s a lot of work to do between now and then but the excitement will hopefully keep us focused on the prize!

Friday evening one of my nephews was getting married to his high school sweetheart after seven years of dating. The wedding was outside at a beautiful location outside of Celina, Texas called Chandler’s Gardens. As beautiful as the surroundings were, they could not compete with the commitment these two “kids” have for each other. A passerby could have seen their love but not only could they see it, they could hear it in their words to each other. After saying their traditional vows, they spoke their own vows. They spoke of the seven years they had spent together from when Curry was a freshman and Katy a senior. He wasn’t even able to drive to their first prom! Even after their years of being apart due to school and college, they never lost sight of each other! More important than their commitment to each other, they spoke of their love for Jesus Christ! It’s not often you hear people speak of their love for God especially in a wedding ceremony! I cried through the whole thing – not only because it was my nephew getting married but because of the amazing love they share for God!

Bobby & his cousin, Kaili were junior attendants

Curry's face was priceless when he saw Katy at the end of the aisle!





Playing with the boys - it looks like Bobby & Asher are talking
I got to meet my first great nephew at the weekend! He’s 7 months old but lives outside of Houston, more than 6 hours away. I’ve watched him grow through pictures but there is nothing like seeing and holding him for real! That boy is so precious and gave me the biggest smiles! I pray that even though we saw each other for such a short time, he will continue to feel my love for him no matter what! Saturday, we spent some more time with the family eating lunch and hanging out.

      The rest of the day Saturday, I spent working on the finishing touches of our laminate flooring we have been putting down. The kitchen was finished except for reinstalling the baseboards and quarter rounds. The master bedroom has two doors that open to the outside where I’m putting laminate flooring. It’s amazing to me that a smaller area like these can cause such difficulty but at least it’s almost finished!
One of the finished floor in the master bedroom
Sunday morning we went to church where I was teaching the Children’s Theater. This is always a special time for me where I get to bring the Word of God to children from kindergarten to third grade. The lessons are written out for the teacher and all I have to do is press play for each of the chapters on the DVD. But getting to see the kids learn about God and how His Word works in their lives is a blessing for me! It’s hard to miss out on the full worship service but knowing I’m making it possible for parents to actually hear what the message is in the service is wonderful! I only miss the service every 6-8 weeks and that’s worth the sacrifice! 

So, here we are on Monday, Memorial Day, May 26, 2014. Bobby and I are home for the day. The laundry is finished and put away. I’m working on the flooring while Bobby chills watching TV and playing with Star Wars Legos! Sometimes while I’m working I like to listen to podcasts from Dave Ramsey and let him inspire me on to staying debt free.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Boundary Mom #mysinglemomlife

I have had several people in the last couple of days ask:
1)      Are you and Bobby okay?
2)    Have you never told Bobby no before now?
The answers are simple:
1)      YES!
2)    YES!
The background for the posts about boundaries and being the unpopular Mom is simple. I'm reading a book called "My Single Mom Life" by Angela Thomas. The chapter I was referring to in my Facebook posts is called “Boundary Mom.” Angela tells why she sets them for her four children and why it is so important for us to set them for our children - especially single moms (single dads too).
Angela is a single mom because of divorce raising her children on her own. She was devastated by the divorce. She had nothing afterwards – no home, no furniture, no income, no job prospects, nothing! She tells of her struggles and shares some lessons from her experiences.
I have never considered myself as a single mom because my personal definition is an unmarried mother, either by divorce or never married. I don’t fit that definition. I’m a widow – I’m raising my son on my own because his father, my husband, died. It’s that simple. Angela gave me a different perspective to the definition of a single mother. Although, I confess, I still don’t call myself that. 
Tuesday morning, I was working at the other funeral home where there is no computer – which means it’s just me and my little brain and some much needed reading time. I didn’t even bring my crochet with me! I was reading that chapter and felt very convicted to share with other moms. The first post said:

Some words to live by: Being the parent who sets boundaries for your kids usually takes you out of the running for Most Popular Mom! But you know what? I wasn't given this child to make me popular! God gave me this child to raise him to be a strong Christian man and I will do that with every fiber in my body! #mysinglemomlife

It was simply a reminder to myself and to all the moms out there that we must remember to keep those boundaries for our children because they are children and don’t have the knowledge that we have as adults.
It was also a reminder to myself and to all the moms out there that God gave us these children and we must do the best we can with them so that their lives will flourish for the glory of the Lord.
After listening to Patty speak today at Ronny’s Life Celebration, I was again reminded how important it is to keep the path I’m on. She stood up and bragged on her children and told them how proud they make their dad! Someday, I want Bobby to see Jesus and hear the words “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” That is my job!
Proverbs 22:6 - Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.
If we don’t take the responsibility of our children, who will? Do you really want to leave that up to TV, the internet, and their peers? Personally speaking, I’m not leaving it up to anyone else because, like I said before, God gave him to me and his father!
The second post said:

Yep! I did it again! I'm definitely losing the popularity contest! I just said no to two things in the time span of two minutes! I just got the feeling that it wasn't right for my child so I said no. I'm learning to go with my gut feelings because I believe that is the Holy Spirit working in me! #mysinglemomlife

That was only an example of how I’m learning to say “no” when something just doesn’t feel right. It wasn’t anything that big – just a couple of apps for his iPod. One of them was simply no because the name just didn’t sound good. It had nothing to do with the cost because my decision would still be no even if they had both been free. The decision was also based on the fact that he already spends way too much time on the iPod to begin with and I had no desire to contribute to his slight obsession. At nine years old, these are big decisions in his mind but for me at almost forty-four, the decisions I make today will mold him in the future. Therefore, I must be diligent and thoughtful in my decisions.
One last thought on saying ‘no’ to our children, it is always easier to come back later after thinking and even researching those decisions and say ‘yes.’ I explained that to Bobby because it’s important for him to know that I can be wrong and later change my mind. It is a way of showing him that I can make mistakes and I will apologize and will do my best to make it correct.
That night, Bobby went to bed mad (he was sure to tell me). I however didn’t change my attitude which probably angered him a tad more. I told him that I try not to let other people’s moods affect my moods. I still love you and I will do my best to protect you in whatever way I feel God has led me to. We said our prayers, I kissed him goodnight in the same way I always have every night and I left his room in the same way I always have because that is another boundary for him. (I will share that boundary another day)
When you see a post on my Facebook with the hashtag #mysinglemomlife, you will know that it is in reference to this powerful book!